Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Brynn Snyder.
Brynn Snyder is co-founder and CEO of Slate, a women-run dental company that is changing the way the world views flossing. Driven by innovation, sustainability, and accessibility, Slate has launched a revolutionary electric flosser that improves consumers’ oral and overall health. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Brynn now lives in Spokane, WA with her husband and five wonderful children.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Myhusband, Danny, is a dentist, and one night while he was brushing his teeth with his electric toothbrush he had the idea for an electric flosser. After some research, he realized that the product he wanted didn’t exist yet. That’s when he came to me with the idea. We started talking about a prototype together but it soon became clear that we would need to invest our life savings into this product if we really wanted to make it happen. As you can imagine, that was a huge risk. With five kids at home, we had to be ready to give this business everything we had in order to make it successful. I have a lot of business experience and a BFA in product design so we knew pretty quickly that I would have to take the reins to get this business off the ground. With Danny’s dental expertise and my business background, we make a great team. Slate Dental Inc. was officially founded in the summer of 2021 with a Kickstarter launched in October 2021. The success of our Kickstarter campaign laid the foundation for Slate’s current brand and business. As Slate began to grow, I took on the role of CEO, navigated us through some serious growing pains, and have been able to hire some truly incredible women to help us build our brand. I take a lot of pride in being a female-founded and women-run business.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
I frequently attend trade shows to help promote our product and connect with other dental professionals. Once while I was attending a trade show in California, one of my team members talked me into going to Disneyland on our day off and it resulted in one of my favorite experiences as a business owner. We were wearing our Slate t-shirts and waiting in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. While we were in line, the person behind us asked how we knew about Slate and I got to tell them that I’m the CEO. They then launched into a story about how they bought their Slate Flosser several months back, how much they love it, and how they’ve become a daily flosser. It was the first time I had ever met one of our customers out in the wild. Listening to them talk about the positive feedback they’ve received from their dentist and the overall improvement they’ve seen in their teeth was so satisfying! As a startup in Washington, connecting with someone in California felt like a testament that the work we’re doing on social media and Meta was reaching people worldwide. It was a reminder to me that our reach is farther than I think it is. Gaining traction can take time, but you will see results if you keep working and innovating.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When we first started Slate, I put way too much on my shoulders in an attempt to save money. Trying to do everything on my own led to burnout and was simply unsustainable. I was forced to acknowledge that if we wanted to make it big, then we needed a solid team behind us. Many of my staff have specialized skill sets that are incredibly valuable to our business. Just because I could do that job on my own doesn’t mean I should. Increasing the number of people on my team has allowed us to succeed much faster than we could have otherwise. I’ve also learned to hire slow and fire fast. Getting the right people on your team in a startup is critical. So, if you need to adjust, do it quickly. At my core, I believe that anyone can learn anything, so I like to offer my staff opportunities to grow and learn new skills but they have to want it. If they’re not engaged in work that is stimulating and valuable to them, then they’re less likely to do well.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Many people don’t fully realize how much their oral health directly impacts their overall health. Research has shown that flossing can help prevent illnesses like heart disease and dementia, as well as alleviate symptoms of diabetes and menopause. So, if you’re working on improving your health, addressing your oral health should be at the top of your list!
Flossing is a sustainable and convenient solution to preventable yet serious illnesses. A large portion of the population doesn’t floss and among those who do, 95% of them are flossing incorrectly. The Slate Electric Flosser was designed to make flossing easier, faster, and more effective. We wanted to remove the barriers that kept people from flossing so that they could reap maximum benefits.
The goal of flossing is to remove as much plaque and bacteria as possible while also stimulating the gums. Just passing a piece of string between your teeth isn’t enough. Our woven floss, combined with our patent-pending gum sweeps and sonic vibrations, easily removes plaque while ALSO massaging and stimulating the gums. This not only prevents cavities but gum disease as well. If your gums are inflamed, they become more vulnerable to infections, putting the rest of your body at risk. By flossing consistently, you’re protecting yourself on multiple levels! The Slate Flosser has proven to be more efficient than string floss, water flossers, and floss picks at disrupting and removing biofilm. Plus, our sleek and ergonomic design makes flossing easy for everyone, even those with dexterity issues.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing?
- Your relationships matter. I know that your business feels like the most important thing but you need to invest in your relationships daily and weekly so that you can maintain balance in your life.
- Be intentional about taking breaks from work. Startups can be all-consuming.
- Work out every morning. It will start your day on a good note and will help you build self-care into your routine.
- Try a dinner group! I meal swap with a few families each month. It takes something off my plate and makes being a mom feel easier.
- Find a way to reset. I go to church every Sunday with my family and it renews me for the week ahead. I love being able to focus on my own spirituality and be present with my loved ones.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Flossing twice a day should be a non-negotiable part of your routine. Did you know that if you’re having surgery, your dentist has to sign off on it before your surgeon can operate? That’s how important your oral health is. Flossing is a simple, cost-effective means to overall wellness. Every day, scientists are finding more connections between gum health and conditions like heart disease, lung disease, Alzheimer’s, and more. In order to prevent gum disease, YOU HAVE TO FLOSS. There’s no way around it. I truly believe that if people knew how much flossing can impact their overall health, they would be lining up to buy our product.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Building a successful company is going to take at least 5 years. Plan on 10!
- If there’s money available to you, take it. If you’re selling a consumer product, cash flow will inevitably get tight and when cash is tight, you don’t sleep.
- Make sure you have an incredible product. Friends and family don’t always give reliable feedback. You need to be confident in the viability of what you’re building.
- Shipping will be a huge part of your company, even if you don’t think it will.
- Keep testing new creative until you find something that works! If you can build effective ads on social then your company can succeed. If you’re not seeing results, try something new!
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
We’ve been very intentional with our environmental impact since starting Slate. We claim sustainability as a core piece of our mission and our actions support that belief. Our floss heads save over 700 floss picks from landfills per user each year and are built to be safe for animals. String floss poses a serious threat to wildlife, often resulting in entanglement and suffocation, so it was important to us that we offered consumers another option. Our products are free of forever chemicals like PFAS or PTFE, our boxes are recyclable, and our subscription packages are compostable. There are a lot of financial advantages to using environmentally harmful packaging but we’ve made the effort to utilize recyclable and compostable materials whenever possible because we want the Slate Flosser to be a product that our customers can be proud of.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
Instagram @slateflosser Website: slateflosser.com
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
