Where Are They Now? Former Team Member Co-owns Growing, Popular Antiperspirant Brand

‘Sweat advisors’ create remarkable experiences for customers

David Spratte always thought he’d work in the medical field. He grew up working as a Team Member in a Chick-fil-A Restaurant in Georgia and had great respect for S. Truett Cathy, the company’s founder.

As a high schooler, David won a speech competition called “The Oratorical Contest,” which asked participants to write a speech on an impactful, influential person in the world. David chose Truett.

“Truett as an individual had a vision for something big and impactful, and he went and did it in such a unique way that was personal to him,” David said. “He came up with a new product and sold it in a premium way that put the customer first and was very service oriented.”

“It was really inspiring how he built something with his hands and built teams around him from the ground up into a business that offered an amazing product and service that made people smile along the way.”

While David never met Truett, he received a signed letter that he still has framed.

“Truett was having an immediate local impact people could feel and experience every day,” said David, something that resonated with him.

A shift from medicine to entrepreneurship 
“I learned hospitality from the Chick-fil-A ecosystem of second mile service and servant leadership,” David said. “I saw it completely lacking in medicine, especially in subspecialities where patient-centered care just did not exist in a lot of places. That really drew me to healthcare.” 

While on a pre-med track at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and studying for his MCAT, David and his friend Kasper Kubica, who attended Duke University, realized another problem they wanted to solve – sweaty hands.

The friends spent well over a year formulating more than 60 prototypes of anti-sweat lotions in a dorm room at UNC. David and Kasper created a product that worked well for them – their company, Carpe, was born.

Empowering others with sweat-free confidence
The product was made available in an online shop, then Amazon started selling it. Named after the Latin phrase “Carpe Diem,” the name forces the idea of having sweat-free confidence to go and seize the day. 
 
“My first customer experience with the company was a grandmother named Lisa. She left a voicemail on my phone crying talking about how much this project had not only changed her granddaughter’s life, but in her words, completely changed the trajectory of her life,” David said.

It led David to think about where he’d find career fulfillment. After talking to friends, considering customer feedback, like from Lisa, and speaking with Kasper, the pair decided to go into Carpe full-time.

“We listened to our customers and saw a much bigger opportunity to build a brand focused on sweat care for everywhere beyond just a single product for the palms,” David said. “Today our underarm products are number one sellers, because we realize that the majority of customers are just unsatisfied with other market offerings.” 

The company is on a trajectory to be one of the top antiperspirant brands in the world. 

Carpe focuses on customers, community
Because of its unique customer base, Carpe wanted to provide a personalized experience where guests could ask detailed questions. This led to the idea of calling its customer service representatives “sweat advisors.”

“My experience at Chick-fil-A really impacted how we hire, what we look for, the culture we look to build, and what our priorities are in a team.”

David Spratte, Co-owner of Carpe

“My experience at Chick-fil-A really impacted how we hire, what we look for, the culture we look to build, and what our priorities are in a team,” David said. “How we talk to each other, how we respect each other, how we treat each other. We have a team of like-minded people that love to smile, laugh, have fun and provide value to our customers and to the world.”

From a philanthropic perspective, the company donates personal care products to shelters, food banks and other local charities to give people free access to hygiene. 

David joked he wished Carpe had existed when he was a Team Member, working in the kitchen and running orders to guests. 

“I remember being in the Cow suit dancing near the street in the summer,” David said with a laugh. “One of the sweatiest moments of my life.”