Family Dinner Recap: Charlotte Trecartin

On Wednesday, November 20th, The Garage welcomed Charlotte Trecartin, founder and CEO of CharCharms, for an engaging Family Dinner. Charlotte shared how she took CharCharms from a spontaneous idea her senior year of college to a multimillion-dollar business that today has products being sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target.

CharCharms began as a simple yet unique concept: finding a way to hang charm accessories on water bottles. Charlotte and her friends started prototyping the designs with resin and 3D printers, slowly refining the product through customer feedback. While the early stages involved many pivots, Charlotte emphasized that such changes are natural and crucial for startup growth.

Ultimately, she was eager to offer practical tips and valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways and Advice:

• Harness the Power of Social Media:
  • “The perfect moment to share the perfect video might never come. Start marketing early and consistently.”
  • Tap into trending content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to amplify reach. Identify and use viral audios to make content related to your brand and edit to prioritize conversions.
  • Consistency is crucial—posting three times a day helped CharCharms build momentum and attract attention.
  • Use hooks, humor, and relatable product comparisons to resonate with audiences and drive engagement.
  • People connect with stories: Charlotte shared a lot of the behind the scenes content that made users even more interested in the product.
• Think Big: Scaling to Retail Success:
  • Embrace a mindset of growth from the beginning—Charlotte rejected being labeled as a “small business owner,” focusing on long-term scalability instead.
  • Transitioning to retail involved careful planning, expanding into warehouses, and securing partnerships with major retailers like Target.
  • Don't be afraid to set boundaries: If certain steps cannot be completed right now due to fulfillment limitations, it's important to know when to ask for more time or explore alternative approaches.
• Build Your Network and Solve Problems:
  • Attend networking events, intern, join groups, and leverage your close network’s strengths to build connections and resources. “Let the biggest number of people possible know what you’re doing and use your network—from big founders to close friends—to help you in your journey.”
  • Don't wait for perfection: early-stage success comes from persistence and adaptability.

Charlotte’s energetic and candid story of turning a casual idea born in her family’s garage into a successful enterprise was empowering for the early-stage entrepreneurs in the audience. Residents left the dinner inspired to take bold steps toward their entrepreneurial goals, embracing resilience, creativity, adaptability, and a commitment to growth.

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