We were lucky to catch up with Brynn Snyder recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brynn, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Absolutely, naming a business can be a huge challenge! For Slate, Dr. Snyder initially considered calling it “Pulse” because of the vibration feature in the flosser, which aligns with that idea of pulse-like movement. But I wanted to go beyond something so literal. I was focused on the real purpose of our product—giving people a clean, fresh start for their oral health.
So, I suggested “Slate.” The name captures that feeling of a “clean slate” for your mouth, and our tagline evolved naturally from there. “Your Mouth. Slate Clean.” felt like the perfect fit—an invitation to start fresh with your oral health every day. It’s simple, memorable, and aligns with our mission to empower people to take control of their health in a meaningful way.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Brynn Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Slate Dental. My journey began in Lethbridge, Alberta, where I started my first business at 13. That entrepreneurial spirit stayed with me through a BFA in Product Design and roles at companies like Johnson & Johnson, where I honed my skills in creating products that meet real needs.
Slate Dental was inspired by a simple idea my husband, Dr. Danny Snyder, had while flossing. We envisioned a tool that combined the functions of an electric toothbrush with flossing—leading to the creation of our 3-in-1 Slate Electric Flosser. This tool is unique: it offers sonic vibrations for efficient flossing, gum sweeps for cleaning along the gumline, and a tongue scraper—all in one device.
What sets us apart is our mission to make daily flossing easy and effective. We believe the Slate Flosser is the only tool people need outside of their toothbrush to maintain complete oral health. Our proudest moments come from seeing our product change people’s habits, turning occasional flossers into everyday ones.
For those new to Slate, know that we’re more than a product company; we’re building a health movement. Join us in the flossing revolution and experience the difference in your oral care routine!
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
Yes, we manufacture our product, and it’s been quite a journey! We initially started production in the Philippines. This choice came down to trust; we knew we could rely on this factory, and we didn’t have to worry about our product getting knocked off. Our engineering partners already had a great relationship with them, which made the initial steps smoother.
We loved working with them, but as we looked toward scaling, we realized we needed a factory capable of producing at a much larger scale—specifically one that could handle hundreds of thousands of units and had deep experience in the dental industry. This led us to explore other options, including Taiwan and China. Eventually, with the help of a trusted contact, we found a factory that could support our demand and grow with us.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this process is that manufacturing always takes longer than expected, especially in those early rounds. Building a smooth working relationship with your manufacturer is crucial, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s truly a partnership. Over time, you also gain more negotiating power as you build trust and experience together. Another big lesson? The cost of plastic injection molds is significant—each change or innovation comes with a hefty price tag, so planning is essential!
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
We sell our product both on Amazon and directly to consumers on our Shopify site, slateflosser.com. We love Shopify because it gives us control over the customer experience and allows us to gather insights and build relationships with our customers. The main downside, though, is that as we’ve grown, the platform’s limitations have become more apparent. While I was able to handle the design myself at first (thanks to my background in design), we eventually needed a developer to enhance the site’s user-friendliness. Designing complex pages on Shopify can be challenging without developer support, and I’m also considering upgrading to Shopify Plus to access more advanced features and accommodate our growing team—though the cost is something I weigh carefully.
Amazon, on the other hand, is a whole different world. We were the top product in our category, which was a big win, but Amazon’s unpredictability can be frustrating. We were reported incorrectly as a “vibrating personal tool,” which got us taken down for several days and impacted our ranking. It’s been tough to recover from that, and Amazon feels a bit like the “Wild Wild West” because of these unexpected challenges. However, the platform is great for one reason: people come to Amazon to buy. That intent means our product is more likely to sell there, which is a major benefit. Both platforms have their pros and cons, but together, they help us reach a wide audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://slateflosser.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slateflosser/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slateflosser/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slate-dental
- Twitter: https://x.com/slateflosser
Image Credits
Anna Killian