The Building Business Podcast

Joe Koufman / Setup

Matt Thiry Episode 10

Joe Koufman has always been a connector of people. In his 20+ years working in marketing and business development, he has built out a large and distinguished network of corporate and agency contacts.

Joe founded Setup in early 2014 to help marketers level up. Today, Setup connects marketers with agencies, talent, and resources to fill gaps.

Prior to founding Setup, Joe spent six years as SVP of Marketing and Business Development at Engauge (acquired by Publicis Group in 2013 and merged with Moxie), focusing on landing marquis clients such as Hershey's, Cisco Systems, AMC Theatres, Chick-fil-A, Newell Brands, and Turner Broadcasting. Before Engauge, Joe spent eight years leading strategic accounts for KnowledgeStorm (acquired by TechTarget in 2007) such as Computer Associates, Cognos (now IBM), and Oracle.

In this episode, we discuss Joe's journey from managing big-brand retail to forming a business around his passion for matchmaking.  In addition, he shares several entrepreneurial tips, including: (1) don't do it, unless you are 100% committed, and (2) find your tribe.