Podcast Summary: Travis Makes Money – Interview with Brynn MacLennan: “Make Money by Reinventing a Boring Industry”
Host: Travis Chappell
Guest: Brynn MacLennan
Date: March 24, 2026
Overview: Main Theme and Purpose
In this episode, Travis Chappell sits down with serial entrepreneur and product designer Brynn MacLennan to discuss how she reimagined a traditionally “boring” industry—oral hygiene—by co-founding Slate, a company producing a patented electric flosser. The conversation dives deep into Brynn’s entrepreneurial journey from childhood ventures to product innovation in dental care, exploring the unique challenges and lessons of disrupting established markets, experiential learning, funding strategies, and scaling a hardware business.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Brynn’s Entrepreneurial Journey
[00:29 – 04:39]
- Started early, building a bounce house business at 13 with siblings.
- Obtained a BFA in Product Design from BYU.
- Interned at Johnson & Johnson: Developed a passion for medical product design, learned about FDA processes, and the timeline for medical device approval.
- “I learned so many things. What does working with the FDA look like? … Minimum window is like seven years.” [08:46]
- Worked at Wadsworth Design after college while her husband (Danny) finished his studies.
2. Building and Selling a Dental Practice
[11:40 – 18:11]
- Motivation: More autonomy and control over patient care and business operations.
- Method: Sent flyers to local dentists and bought an under-optimized (but not failing) practice in Spokane, WA, with room for growth.
- Deal Structure: 100% debt-financed with the help of dentist-friendly lenders.
- “We did it. 100% financed, actually.” [15:46]
- Transition: Retained the previous owner for a smooth client handover, but had to manage staff changes—learned the importance of managing hires carefully.
- “Technically fire everyone so it's a clean book. And then rehire them and tell them they have 90 days.” [16:22]
- Sold the practice in 2021 to fund Slate.
3. Identifying the Problem and Slate’s Innovation
[01:31 – 04:39]
- Recognized a massive problem: Over 80% of people have dental anxiety, largely due to cavities and gum disease.
- “Did you [know] 80% of people have dental anxiety and that's actually one of the reasons we invented our product?” [01:31]
- Traditional floss picks are convenient but ineffective—most users don’t remove bacteria under the gum line.
- Slate’s patented flosser targets this issue with gum brushes and is designed for complete, effective cleaning.
- “You actually have to stimulate your gums underneath the gum line to get rid of bacteria. That's what we have patented on our product.” [03:30]
4. Product Development & Go-To-Market Strategy
[18:11 – 21:07]
- First iteration started in 2019; Brynn took over the business in 2021.
- Initial funding and launch:
- Kickstarter campaign raised $200,000, but delivered low margins and logistical challenges with international orders.
- “We did $200,000... but we weren't priced right, so the margins weren't good enough.” [20:23]
- Kickstarter campaign raised $200,000, but delivered low margins and logistical challenges with international orders.
- Learning: If repeating, would go US-only and carefully manage pricing.
5. Scaling & Retail Launch
[21:18 – 23:28]
- Aim: Build a massive business, not just a niche success.
- “I want this to be a multi, multi, multi-million dollar company, like $100 million or more.” [19:17]
- Achieved placement in Target (launched February 2026); balancing retail, direct-to-consumer (Shopify), and Amazon.
- New challenges: Retail dynamics, inventory turnover, slow payments, cash flow complexities.
- “Getting into the store is one thing, but then you gotta sell out of inventory... Then you have to deal with like, cash flow problems, inventory problems...” [22:13]
- Currently, DTC and Amazon neck-and-neck for sales; Target is still early days.
6. Awareness and Marketing Strategies
[23:54 – 26:30]
- Leveraged a high-profile segment on How I Built This with Guy Raz for major exposure.
- “Guy Raz had tried my product and he said, I got this and I love it. And so we had amazing awareness because of that.” [24:03]
- Multi-channel marketing: Influencers, podcasts, dental professionals.
- Challenges: Inconsistent performance from influencer content, increased advertising costs on Meta (Facebook/Instagram), harder organic reach.
- “One day someone could post and their thing would go big gangbusters and then that same person could post a month later and nothing happened.” [25:24]
- Noted that customer love (and dentist endorsements) are the best leverage, but organic content is tough for oral care (few want to film themselves flossing).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Brynn on the Dental Experience:
“I love business and I love dentistry and I love flossing.” [01:04] - Travis on Changing Habits:
“Anything to make it an easier habit to form. You know what I mean?” [02:39] - On Product Differentiation:
“You actually have to stimulate your gums underneath the gum line to get rid of bacteria. So that's what we have patented on our product.” [03:30] - On Risk and Growth:
“We wanted the practice to be sufficient, but also see that we could improve it. So we wouldn’t be paying top dollar for it, but we pay a good amount of money. So our clients were good, but that we could grow the practice.” [13:16] - On Retail Realities:
“People think, we got into Target, we win. You know what I mean? It's like, well, no, no, that's step one.” [22:13] - On Influencer Marketing Challenges:
“It's really annoying because one day someone could post and their thing would go big gangbusters and then that same person could post a month later and nothing happened.” [25:24] - On DTC Struggles:
“It's like, rare for someone to show themselves flossing on Instagram.” [26:30] - On Learning and Resilience:
"Entrepreneurship is like ups and downs. ... Three months ago I was like, I'm in the best place I've ever been. And then I'm like, tariffs happen..." [21:33]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Intro to Brynn & Her Journey: [00:29–05:17]
- Dental Practice Acquisition & Lessons: [11:40–18:11]
- Problem Identification & Slate's USP: [01:31–04:39]
- Kickstarter & Funding Realities: [18:11–21:07]
- Retail Expansion and Channel Strategy: [21:18–23:28]
- Marketing & Exposure (Guy Raz, Podcasts): [24:03–25:24]
- Product Mix & Pricing Adjustments: [24:36–25:21]
- Closing Resources and Links: [26:43–27:18]
Where to Connect & Learn More
- Website: slateflosser.com
- Instagram: @slateflosser
- TikTok: (Also @slateflosser, but minimal presence)
- LinkedIn: Brynn MacLennan
Final Note:
This episode is both an entrepreneurial primer and a case study in rethinking dull industries for massive opportunity. Brynn’s candid discussion of mistakes, pivots, and resilience offers concrete insights for anyone considering hardware, consumer goods, or “boring businesses” ripe for disruption.
“Money only solves your money problems. But it's easier to solve the rest of your problems with money in the bank. So let's solve that problem first here on the Travis Makes Money podcast.” – Travis Chappell [27:19]