We were lucky to catch up with Charlotte Trecartin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Charlotte, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
During the Fall of 2020, I was a full-time student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign pursuing my Bachelors degree virtually (due to Covid). But that’s not all! I was also a nanny, competitive bodybuilder, and cycle instructor at the local Lifetime Athletic. What can I say, I love being active.
One evening I was hanging out at home and the idea came spontaneously that I would love to be able to hang my hair tie from my water bottle instead of putting it on my wrist or stashing it in a pocket. This is when the idea of a hook on a bottle was born.
The next several months were consumed with sketching and photoshopping my own rendered images for a product. I researched materials and adhesives and created several rough prototypes. During this time, I also reached out to a lawyer to initiate the patenting process. I was motivated and on my way!
However, as the school year became busier, my budding idea was pushed to a lower priority as I focused on my studies. A few months later the spring semester came to a close, I came back to my plans, and decided to pursue my idea full force!!
Summer of 2021 was packed with change and growth! I picked up a sales job selling coupon books door-to-door. This provided me with more than enough capital to invest in a proper patent and materials to start making prototypes. I learned the ins and outs of sales methodology, landing closes, and handling rejection… lots of it. All of this prepared me for the world of entrepreneurship and the challenges I would face when starting a business.
What came next? I got busy networking! Finding a mentor was key, and I achieved that goal when I met Andrew Fogaty of 36Squared, a non-profit 501c3 business incubator here in Chicago. Satisfied with meetings and encouragement, Fogaty even arranged for a local Chicago SunTimes News reporter to interview the CharCharms founder (me!!) about the new company.
Not too long after going full force on the idea, more ideas began swirling and my vision of CharCharms water bottle accessories was moving into development. Utilizing outsourcing more than ever, I started using freelance graphic designers, videographers, prototypers and friends who had skills I was looking for. What began as an idea about a hair tie grew and became more and more real every day.
CharCharms launched its first product collection on Sept 24th, 2021 and has launched many new products since then. We started out with a dozen hooks and a few accessories, and now hav over 40 different hooks and 400 different charms on our website.
My functional idea had evolved into a full-fledged business garnering support from all over the country and it has helped me learn the ins and outs of developing and running a small company. As a bonus I’ve learned a lot about myself!
I kicked off 2021 when the idea of CharCharms was just that, and now in 2023 it’s a steadily growing business. What began with an idea about a hair tie has expanded to multiple lines of charms, hooks, and accessories, and I’m not finished expanding! I worked relentlessly to bring the idea of CharCharms to life and will keep going strong to see the continued expansion through to its full potential.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I grew up in Lagrange, IL where I was the class president at Park Middle School. I then went to Lyons Township where I was a 4.0 Student, President of the
Volunteer Club, President of the Anti-Drug Coalition and served as the
Student Representative to the Board of Education. My family moved to Long Grove after I graduated from high school, and I
went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to get my Bachelors in
Kinesiology and Minors in Business and Chemistry
The summer COVID hit, I didn’t have much planned in terms of
internships. I thought I might go into the supplement industry because I
was working with Glanbia nutrition at the time as a sponsored
ambassador. (I was a bodybuilder and cycle instructor at the time).
Because of my Chemistry minor I thought I would be able to go into R&D
for supplement companies like Glanbia, but I never heard back from them
when I applied for an internship. Which was a blessing in disguise.
That summer I had the opportunity to intern for 2 startups. A CBD
company based in Chicago called Higharchy, and Neueve – Women’s
Health Company that sold creams for women going through menopause.
Both were very different experiences, but they taught me what working in
a startup looks like. I learned how a market fit is created, how consistency
with your customer base is everything… and how you have to grind hard,
everyday.
During those internships was when I had the idea for CharCharms. People
ask me all the time “How did you come up with the idea?”. Well, I was
super bored & it was the peak COVID when everyone was at home. I was
sitting in my sunroom with my tumbler and I had the idea to hang stuff on
my bottle. And suddenly, the image of a hook on a water bottle popped
into my head.
I immediately started sketching and photoshopping renders. I asked all my
friends what they thought of the idea. The founder of NeuEve, Kevin Tao
was especially key in pushing me to pursue this idea. He is also a Young
Entrepreneur.
He talked to me about my idea, asked me key questions, and even bought me a book about starting a product based business. People like him make my journey 10x more memorable and enjoyable. I didn’t make it much further than just idea creation that first summer. But that was all I needed to keep the fire lit through my junior year. Once my junior year ended I purchased a 3D printer and got started.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Starting my social media journey on Instagram, I was initially excited but soon realized that my growth was slow. I was determined to succeed, so I decided to venture into TikTok. I hired a TikTok coach for $2,000 but soon realized that it was a mistake as it wasn’t worth the investment. I tried growing my audience on my own but failed miserably, feeling defeated and frustrated. However, I refused to give up. I realized that I needed help with basic ideas and staying accountable, so I hired another coach for $300 a month. This time, my coach helped me stay on track by making sure I posted consistently and in high volume. The key to growth on TikTok, I learned, was consistency and posting regularly. I was overjoyed as I hit 10,000 followers and my audience continued to grow. Today, I have crossed 60,000 followers and my goal for this year is to hit 500,000. With the help a new view of the social media platform, I am confident and excited to reach my goal and continue growing my TikTok audience.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
I am currently selling Charcharms products on Shopify, as it allows for the most customization, which is crucial for my brand. Not only is Shopify user-friendly and efficient, it also offers a range of features that help me manage my store and reach my customers effectively. However, I am not content with just having my products on Shopify. I have plans to expand my reach by selling on Amazon and Etsy. Selling on Amazon gives me access to a vast customer base and the ability to leverage their reputation and reach more people. Etsy, on the other hand, is a unique platform that caters to a creative and artisanal market, providing me with a platform to showcase my unique products. By selling on multiple platforms, I am able to reach a wider audience, increase my brand visibility, and ultimately grow my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://charcharms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charcharms_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charcharms.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charcharms-llc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/char_charms
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNfM4q5BgONOJT41W-ks2Xg
- Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@charcharms__