The Market Makers

What if your biggest advantage wasn't knowing what you wanted to do, but knowing what you definitely didn't want to do?

Doug Cofiell had that moment sitting in a college marketing class. He looked around at all the corporate politics in the case studies and thought: this is not me. That clarity led him to take over his dad's rep agency, Ivy Stone, and turn it into one of the most respected firms in the gift and home industry through 18 acquisitions over two decades.

Doug talks about starting out with no GPS and no cell phone, building presence in Ohio from scratch with just a map, and how hiring someone better at selling than he was became his template for growth. The turning point came through diner meetings with Ted Goldberg from Drummers Inc.—what started as a potential acquisition became a merger of equals when they realized their businesses were perfectly complementary.

Doug explains why most mergers in this industry fail and why his didn't, and how the infrastructure they built specifically for acquisitions became their competitive advantage. He wraps with his philosophy on technology: partner with the best, integrate everything, but never forget that the best orders still happen in person.

Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for more stories of transformation from the people shaping how we live, work, and gather

What is The Market Makers?

Every creative professional knows the power of a before and after. It’s a classic transformation arc - whether it’s a renovation, glow up, or an old-fashioned make over. But reinvention doesn’t just apply to products or spaces. It also holds true for our lives and our careers. The sketch on the napkin that becomes a collection. The risk that changes everything. The work that turns a brand into a lasting presence.

The Market Makers is a weekly podcast from ANDMORE, home to markets that have been the stage for so many of these transformations. Hosted by CEO, Jon Pertchik, each episode pulls back the curtain on the lives of creative professionals across design, furniture, home, lifestyle and beyond.

From industry icons like Thom Filicia to leaders at heritage brands like Bassett Furniture, guests share the moments that shaped them, not just the before and after, but the process in between.

Whether it’s finding your aesthetic, carving out a niche, scaling a business, or turning a side hustle into a lasting brand, The Market Makers goes beyond the showrooms and into the creative lives of the people shaping how we live, work, and gather.

Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every week.