Totem cofounder and CEO Carter Fowler shares how he transformed a simple idea—a device that helps find friends at festivals without cell service—into a viral sensation and thriving brand. By focusing on founder-market fit, designing for organic sharing, and developing unique brand language, Totem created something people don't just buy, but buy into. Carter reveals how intentional branding from day one, customer conversations, and consistent storytelling through their newsletter ultimately attracted investors and unexpected market segments beyond their initial festival audience.

Carter is cofounder and CEO at Totem, one of the fastest-growing consumer tech startups of 2024. His expertise in go-to-market, brand strategy, and product design has taken Totem's debut product from concept to global phenomenon in less than 12 months. In 2024 alone, Totem generated over 20 viral posts (1M+ views) and 130M+ organic views on social media while earning press coverage from NPR, Inc Magazine, and UNILAD under his marketing leadership. After only 5 months of shipping product, Totem has a broad international reach with customers in 60+ countries around the world. Carter is a firm believer in building brands with a "words-first" mentality. He is also an accomplished writer who had a selection of his work archived by the US Library of Congress as an "important cultural artifact" in 2018.

He loves the coffee at Frothy Monkey in the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo in the Southside neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee: https://frothymonkey.com/locations/southside-chattanooga-tn/

Connect with Carter Fowler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carter-fowler-8835739b/

If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/