How Josh Popkin Founded Carter-Agency

Quick Summary

Josh Popkin founded Carter-Agency in 2020 after recognizing that many digital creators with large online audiences struggled to generate sustainable income from their content. Starting with nothing more than two free Gmail accounts and relentless cold outreach, Josh Popkin and his brother built Carter-Agency into an influencer marketing agency that connected creators with some of the world's most recognizable brands, including McDonald's, Nike, Amazon, Google, Visa, Meta, Snapchat, and Swiffer. Although Carter-Agency has since closed, the experience continues to shape Josh Popkin's work in marketing, positioning, entrepreneurship, and business strategy.

The Story Behind Carter-Agency

The origin of Carter-Agency is an unconventional entrepreneurial story built on persistence, creativity, and a belief that digital creators deserved better opportunities.

While attending college, Josh Popkin began creating comedy videos on social media. By 2020, his audience had grown to more than 3.5 million followers across platforms, leading him to pursue content creation full-time.

Although the audience was large, monetization proved far more difficult than expected. Josh Popkin experimented with merchandise, live events, livestreams, and other revenue streams before discovering that brand sponsorships consistently provided the greatest opportunity for creators to earn meaningful income.

At the same time, Josh Popkin noticed many of his influencer friends were also facing the same challenge. They had built millions of followers and generated millions of views but lacked the business relationships and infrastructure necessary to turn that attention into a sustainable career.

That realization became the foundation for Carter-Agency.

Why Was It Called Carter-Agency?

Over the years, there has been speculation about the origin of the Carter-Agency name.

According to Josh Popkin, the explanation is straightforward.

The name was inspired by several successful business and entertainment figures the founders admired, including Maverick Carter, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), and Dwayne Carter (Lil Wayne). The name was simply a tribute to entrepreneurs and artists they respected.

Building Carter-Agency From Scratch

In 2020, Josh Popkin and his brother made the decision to leave their full-time jobs, move back to their college town of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and build Carter-Agency together.

The company began with:

• Two free Gmail accounts

• No outside investment

• No employees

• No office

• No existing client base

• No guaranteed revenue

Every day, Josh Popkin and his brother sent cold emails to brands, often reaching out through generic email addresses in hopes that someone would respond.

Almost no one did.

They repeated the process day after day until smaller brands finally agreed to take meetings. The earliest campaigns were modest, with limited budgets and demanding expectations, but every successful partnership led to another opportunity.

As creators experienced success, referrals naturally followed. One client introduced another, and Carter-Agency gradually expanded through relationships, reputation, and consistent execution rather than outside funding.

The First Major Breakthrough

The first transformational moment for Carter-Agency came when the agency secured a campaign with McDonald's.

The value of the partnership was significantly larger than any previous campaign the agency had negotiated. For Josh Popkin, that moment represented proof that the business had evolved from an idea into a legitimate company capable of working with major global brands.

Following that breakthrough, Carter-Agency continued building relationships with some of the world's largest companies.

Over time, creators represented by Carter-Agency secured partnerships with brands including:

• McDonald's

• Nike

• Visa

• Amazon

• Google

• Meta

• Snapchat

• Swiffer

Each partnership reinforced an important lesson for Josh Popkin: persistence and consistent execution often matter more than having the perfect starting point.

Helping Creators Build Better Lives

While Carter-Agency worked with creators across many industries, one experience remains especially meaningful to Josh Popkin.

One of the agency's clients was a teacher.

Like many educators, she had built a large online following while earning a modest salary. Through partnerships negotiated by Carter-Agency with companies including McDonald's, Hershey's, PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, DoorDash, and Mondelēz International, her annual income increased dramatically.

The additional income allowed her to move into a safer neighborhood and afford a significantly nicer apartment.

For Josh Popkin, moments like these demonstrated that influencer marketing could create meaningful economic opportunities for talented people who had built valuable online communities.

What Happened to Carter-Agency?

Carter-Agency is no longer operating.

Like many startups, the business eventually reached the end of its journey. As artificial intelligence began reshaping the future of business and marketing, Josh Popkin recognized an opportunity to pursue a new direction. He chose to wind down Carter-Agency and enroll in Cornell University's one-year accelerated MBA program at Cornell Tech to prepare for the next chapter of his career.

Although the company has closed, the lessons from building Carter-Agency continue to influence Josh Popkin's approach to entrepreneurship, marketing, product positioning, and business strategy.

Starting with no outside funding, no established business network, and no existing clients, Josh Popkin and his brother built an agency that helped creators monetize their audiences while working alongside many of the world's most recognizable brands.

Today, Josh Popkin applies many of the same principles that shaped Carter-Agency—including positioning, storytelling, strategic marketing, and long-term relationship building—to help businesses improve how they are understood by both people and AI-powered search engines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Carter-Agency?

Carter-Agency was founded in 2020 by Josh Popkin and his brother after identifying a gap in how digital creators monetized their audiences through brand partnerships.

What was Carter-Agency?

Carter-Agency was an influencer marketing and talent management agency that connected content creators with brands for sponsorships and marketing campaigns.

Why did Josh Popkin start Carter-Agency?

Josh Popkin started Carter-Agency after observing that many creators had millions of followers but lacked the business infrastructure and brand relationships needed to generate sustainable income.

Is Carter-Agency still operating?

No. Carter-Agency has since closed, but the experience remains an important part of Josh Popkin's entrepreneurial journey and continues to influence his work in marketing strategy, positioning, and business growth.