Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Money Mondays

Host: Dan Fleyshman
Episode: Bootstrapping to $100M: How Josh Snow Took on Colgate & Crest 🪥 (E156)
Guest: Josh Snow, Founder of Snow Oral Care
Date: January 19, 2026
Length: ~36 minutes

Episode Overview

This high-energy episode spotlights Josh Snow, the bootstrap founder of Snow Oral Care, as he unpacks his entrepreneurial journey from “crazy idea” to $100M in sales, all without significant investor support. Host Dan Fleyshman draws out honest confessions and smart strategies from Josh about hustling against industry giants (Colgate, Crest, Procter & Gamble), brand-building, the value of adversity, celebrity partnerships, investment wisdom, and real talk on giving back and generational wealth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking Into a Saturated Market

• Facing Big Brands:
  • Josh Snow created a “better-for-you” whitening brand to go up against household names.
  • Quote: “I could have sold whatever...sweaters, whatever. But I wanted something that meant something to me and my community.” (04:18)
• Bootstrapping to $100M:
  • Josh built the company without traditional outside investment—he was rejected by investors who didn’t believe he could compete with the big incumbents.
  • Quote: “I bootstrapped the first hundred million dollars in total sales...I did it by myself.” (02:39)

2. Harnessing Adversity as a Superpower

• Resilience:
  • Josh views adversity as fuel; being underestimated drove his ambition.
  • Quote: “Adversity creates an energy inside of you...How you deal with that adversity could be your superpower.” (03:52)
• Embracing Difficult Challenges:
  • “I wanted something so difficult that I would never succeed in, because that's the life I grew up in.” (05:25)

3. Winning Retail and Making the Pitch

• Pitch Mindset:
  • Josh likens approaching retailers to stepping into the ring like Conor McGregor.
  • Quote: “That meeting is an opportunity for you to show what you got. I’m coming in, I’m Conor McGregor. I’m the best fighter ever.” (06:12)
• Standing Out on the Shelf:
  • Aesthetics and “aura” are critical—customers are drawn to what feels different and premium.
  • Quote: “You walk down and you feel something. You want to try something different.” (07:12)

4. Staying Independent vs. Selling Out

• No Payouts, No Salary:
  • Josh says he “paid himself a penny” out of Snow—reinvesting everything back into the company.
  • Quote: “A lot of people think...I paid myself a penny from Snow. Nothing.” (08:33)
• Acquisition Debate:
  • Discusses the strategy of industry giants buying up challengers (e.g., Coca-Cola buying Vitamin Water) and possibly shelving them to eliminate competition.
  • Quote: “Snow is the growth factor for whoever who buys us.” (10:00)

5. Product Philosophy and Differentiation

• Ingredient-First Approach:
  • Snow has never used fluoride in its products, prioritizing innovations that reflect changing consumer interests (gluten-free, vegan, kosher).
  • Quote: “I want to use my own product...I believe a lot of people have teeth. And if somebody wants to use it as well, they should be able to.” (10:38)

6. Celebrity Partnerships

• How to Approach:
  • Josh and Dan agree: you have to learn by doing, not by expecting Hollywood to open doors.
  • Quote: “You just got to kind of go in there and figure it out while you figure it out.” (12:42)
• Affiliate Marketing Perspective:
  • Josh bought AffiliateMarketing.com, reflecting a long-view on digital innovation in partnerships.
  • “I've been in E-commerce since I was 13, so about 20 years. I'm 33.” (13:14)

7. Mindset and Social Fear in Entrepreneurship

• Why People Don’t Push Hard Enough:
  • Most people care too much about others’ opinions—fear of embarrassment limits self-promotion.
  • Quote: “We care too much about what other people think. Nobody cares more about what people think than themselves.” (15:28)
• Value of Mentorship and Networks:
  • A personal anecdote about an 89-year-old mentor laughing at his struggles, emphasizing the importance of learning from others’ failures.
  • Quote: “For you to learn that at 30 instead of 60, you are blessed. Shut up.” (17:12)

8. Approaching Investment

• Primary Rule:
  • Don’t invest unless you’re ready to lose the money—emotional resilience and controlling your own money are key.
  • Quote: “Don’t do it if you do not...I’m not talking about a compelling nature inside of you...You gotta make enough money to lose it, to take that hit.” (19:23)
• Judgment is King:
  • Cites Warren Buffett: “The highest paid skill in the world is judgment.” (20:55)

9. Charity & Philanthropy

• Do It with Purpose:
  • Every brand should have a give-back component, but only if it’s something the founder believes in.
  • Quote: “If you help people that don’t have a lot of money but have a lot of pride in who they want to become...That’s what America is built off of.” (22:26)
• Choose Your Charity Wisely:
  • “If it feels good, it makes you do more of that...Do a little bit of research because as a donor you have just as much responsibility of where that money goes.” (24:05)

10. Generational Wealth

• Unique Perspective:
  • Josh’s plan for his own wealth if he becomes a billionaire:
  • Quote: “80% fuck em up.” (25:24)
  • He explains, “I’m going to spend as much as I can...but they’re gonna be alright regardless.” (25:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan (regarding industry giants):
  “There is not a retail store in the country, liquor store, convenience store, random store in the middle of Alabama that doesn't sell these Colgate Crest, Procter and Gamble-type brands. You are fighting with them.” (03:29)

• Josh (on adversity):
  “Adversity is your superpower. ... That adversity creates an energy inside of you that you control how you output that energy.” (03:52)

• Josh (on not paying himself):
  “Snow saved my life, man. It gave me a calling that I was looking for.” (08:39)

• Josh (on building for purpose, not just profit):
  “I built this thing because I want to use my own product...I believe a lot of people have teeth. ... They should be able to feel confidence, not just on the outside of the product working...” (10:38)

• Dan (on mindset):
  “Why do you think most people are scared to post about their brand?” (14:30)

• Josh (on self-promotion fears):
  “Nobody cares more about what people think than themselves. ... People don’t care as much as you think, they care about themselves and their own survival.” (15:28)

• Josh (on investment):
  “You gotta make enough money to lose it, to take that hit on the chin. ... Investing, brother. You lose money, you make money. ... The highest paid skill in the world is judgment.” (19:23–20:55)

• Dan (on giving):
  “Do you think that brands or products or services should have a certain percentage go to charity or philanthropy?” (21:10)

• Josh (on generational wealth):
  “80%, fuck em up.” (25:24)
  (Dan laughs: “That's going to be a T-shirt.”)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:11] – Josh’s 2-minute bio and what inspired Snow Oral Care
• [02:06]–[05:35] – Competing with Colgate, Crest & big brands, and harnessing adversity
• [06:12]–[08:35] – Pitching to retailers and staying stubbornly independent
• [09:08]–[11:52] – On buyouts, product ethos, and vegan/gluten-free innovation
• [12:10]–[13:42] – Celebrity partnerships
• [13:42]–[15:49] – Social fear, self-promotion, and mentorship anecdotes
• [18:47]–[20:42] – Investment principles and learning from losses
• [21:10]–[24:54] – Brand charity, personal stories, and actionable advice on philanthropy
• [25:24]–[27:17] – Multigenerational wealth, inheritance philosophy, and “fuck em up” moment

Where to Find Josh Snow

• Instagram: @oshnow
• Brand: @snow (Snow Oral Care)
• TV Show: GoinPublic.com

Tone and Style

The episode is fast-paced, candid, and laced with humor and hard-won insight. Both Dan and Josh bring authenticity and actionable wisdom, with Josh’s style mixing vulnerability, straight talk, and motivational fire.

Summary by The Money Mondays Podcast Summarizer