🟣 Issue No. 24: From $250K to $100M: Lessons from SNOW’s Growth Story

Did you know incorrect addresses cost U.S. businesses a staggering $20 billion annually?

For eCommerce brands like yours, that’s an average loss of $200K every year—all due to failed deliveries, redelivery fees, and frustrated customers.

Now, imagine an app available on the Shopify app store that helps your customers correct their delivery address errors in real-time, saving you thousands in wasted costs. Even better, it works seamlessly across 27 regions, including the U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada.

Want to see it in action? They’re so confident in this app’s performance, they’re offering your first 500 orders completely free, with no commitments. Try it now.

💜 Your customer support team will thank you for installing it.

Keep reading…

On the Pod 🎧

Lastest episodes:

• How to Land Top Media Features Without Hiring a PR Agency → Gloria Chou

• How to Automate and Streamline Your Shipping Processes for Growth → Gitika Jain of ShipAccel

• How to Optimize Your eCommerce Team with High-Level Outsourcing → Ian Myers

• The Highest Impact Meta Ad Creatives Types That Are Driving Results Right Now → Lachezar Voynov

• How NIFT Offers Consumer Brands A New Way to Acquire Customers at SCALE → Elery Pfeffer

• Turning Your eCommerce Operations into a Profit Center → Kunle Campbell

• How to Win this Q4 → Kunle Campbell

• How to Maximize Your eCommerce Marketing Efficiency with the PROFIT Framework → Kunle Campbell

$100M CHANGEMAKERS

SNOW’s Playbook for Disrupting the Oral Care Industry

Today, we’re breaking down how SNOW, the innovative oral care brand, transformed the teeth whitening industry and scaled to impressive heights. By blending luxury aesthetics, cutting-edge product innovation, and relentless customer focus, SNOW transformed a category dominated by legacy players like Crest and Colgate into an aspirational wellness experience.

Let’s dive into how SNOW rose to the top and the lessons wellness brand operators can take from its playbook.

1. Are They Funded or Bootstrapped?

SNOW got its start with founder Josh Elizetxe’s personal funds, investing around $250,000 in product development, inventory, and research. By 2018, just four years after its launch SNOW had reached $25 million in annual revenue, a milestone Josh discussed with me in an interview on the 2X eCommerce Podcast.

In November 2021, SNOW took its next big step by securing growth capital from private equity investors, including members of the Nordstrom family, and acquiring Klēn Products, a clean oral care line founded by renowned cosmetic dentist Dr. Brian Harris. These moves expanded SNOW’s product lineup and bolstered its credibility in the health-conscious oral care space.

2. The Origin Story

SNOW was born out of a frustration: existing teeth-whitening solutions were either too harsh for sensitive teeth or ineffective. With his digital marketing expertise and a focus on solving real customer pain points, Josh set out to build a brand that prioritized innovation, inclusivity, and premium quality.

SNOW’s early success came from its luxury whitening kits, which featured sleek design, celebrity endorsements, and social media appeal. However, SNOW didn’t stop there. The acquisition of Klēn Products and collaboration with Dr. Brian Harris allowed SNOW to expand its offerings to include mouthwash, dissolvable whitening strips, and toothpaste—all leveraging clean, dentist-formulated ingredients.

3. Core Customer Base

SNOW serves two distinct yet overlapping audiences:

1. Beauty-Focused Shoppers: Attracted by SNOW’s sleek design, premium feel, and strong influencer endorsements.

2. Health-Conscious Consumers: Drawn to the brand’s clean, cruelty-free ingredients and effective formulas.

Inclusivity has always been a cornerstone of SNOW’s ethos. Josh emphasized this, saying, “As a Hispanic entrepreneur, I wanted SNOW to feel welcoming for everyone, no matter their background.” This focus has helped SNOW build a deeply loyal and diverse customer base.

4. How Did They Grow So Sustainably?

SNOW’s growth has been powered by a combination of innovation, customer obsession, and market-first thinking:

• Relentless Product Iteration: SNOW is committed to constant improvement, using customer feedback and market research to refine its offerings every 3-6 months.

• Retail Expansion: Partnerships with Costco, Target, and Neiman Marcus helped SNOW scale beyond its DTC roots while maintaining its premium positioning.

• Strategic Acquisitions: Acquiring Klēn Products in 2021 gave SNOW access to clean, dentist-backed product formulations and broadened its market appeal.

• Mock-Up Testing: Even before launching products, SNOW tested ad mock-ups to gauge demand, ensuring new offerings resonated with customers.

5. Key Milestones

• 2014: SNOW launches its first luxury whitening kit.

• 2018: Hits $25 million in annual revenue.

• 2021: Acquires Klēn Products and secures growth funding from the Nordstrom family.

• 2024: Surpasses $100 million in sales, solidifying its position as a leader in premium oral care.

6. Their Influencer Marketing Mix

SNOW’s influencer marketing strategy has been pivotal to its success but extends far beyond traditional endorsements:

• High-Profile Collaborations: Partnerships with celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Floyd Mayweather and Rob Gronkowski established credibility and elevated the brand’s aspirational appeal.

• UGC and IGC as Growth Drivers: Josh emphasized the importance of User-Generated Content (UGC) and Influencer-Generated Content (IGC) in crafting ads that convert. “The best-performing ads come from real customers or influencers showing authentic results,” he shared.

• Authentic Relatability: Beyond celebrities, SNOW collaborated with micro-influencers and everyday customers, making the brand feel accessible and trustworthy.

This hybrid approach of high-profile visibility and grassroots relatability allowed SNOW to scale its reach while maintaining a strong connection to its audience.

7. The Marketing X-Factor

At the heart of SNOW’s success is Josh’s obsession with the customer. Early on, he personally called customers to understand their experiences, sometimes spending hours on the phone. “Talking to your customers is the best discovery tool there is,” he explained.

Today, SNOW uses AI-powered tools to analyze feedback at scale while retaining the hands-on approach that defined its early days.

The Purple Ocean Strategy:

Josh highlighted the importance of creating a “Purple Ocean”—a blend of competition and differentiation. Using the example of toothpaste, he explained:
“We didn’t just want to launch another whitening toothpaste. We enhanced it with Nano-hydroxyapatite for remineralization and coconut oil for health-conscious consumers. It’s about standing out in a crowded market while building credibility.”

This mindset, combined with rigorous market testing, has kept SNOW ahead of the curve.

8. Takeaways for Wellness Brand Operators

SNOW’s journey offers actionable insights for wellness operators:

1. Invest in Discovery: Obsessively listen to your customers. Whether through direct calls or AI analysis, their feedback is your greatest asset.

2. Innovate with Intention: Don’t just compete—create products that solve real problems and stand out in the market.

3. Leverage Authentic Content: Combine influencer partnerships with UGC and IGC to build trust and drive conversions.

Watch the Full Interview with Josh Elizetxe

SNOW’s story is an inspiring testament to what’s possible with innovation, branding, and relentless focus on the customer. If you want to go deeper, check out Alex Fedotoff’s three-hour interview with Josh Elizetxe on YouTube.

Watching Josh’s insights and hearing his journey firsthand will leave you motivated and full of actionable ideas to take your wellness brand to the next level.

If you’re in the wellness space, this is your reminder: build products that make people feel good—about themselves and their impact—and you’ll have customers for life.

Presented by Address Validator

💸 The $216,000 Leak in Your Business (And How to Plug It)

Did you know incorrect addresses quietly drain $20 billion from U.S. businesses every year? Yep, the average company loses about $216,000 annually because of failed deliveries.

Think about it: unnecessary redelivery fees, extra handling costs, and, worst of all, frustrated customers who might never return.

But here's the good news—there’s a fix.

Address Validator seamlessly integrates with Shopify and BigCommerce to automatically catch and correct address errors before they cost you money.

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HEALTH IS WEALTH

Why Colds and Flus Spike in Winter

Winter isn’t just colder—it’s also when colds and flus thrive. Here’s why:

Proximity Matters

Shorter days and colder weather push people indoors, leading to closer contact and increased transmission of viruses. Research confirms that the closer you are to someone sneezing or coughing, the higher your chances of getting sick.

Dry Indoor Air

Heating systems dry out indoor air, which dehydrates nasal passages and weakens your body's defenses. Studies show that low humidity creates conditions that increase virus survival and transmission (PNAS Research).

How to Protect Yourself

• Use a humidifier to maintain healthy indoor air moisture.

• Practice nasal breathing, which helps filter and humidify the air you inhale.

• Maintain physical distance from symptomatic individuals.

For an in-depth explanation, check out Dr. Andrew Huberman’s discussion on colds and flus in his YouTube episode.

Takeaway: Small actions like humidifying your space and breathing through your nose can significantly reduce your risk of colds and flus this winter. Stay proactive!