The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ is a top-tier entrepreneurial podcast featuring real conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and small business owners. Tune in for startup success stories, actionable business growth strategies, and honest reflections on the entrepreneurial journey. Each episode is packed with entrepreneurship tips and tricks, startup funding tips, and founder insights to help you build, scale, and lead with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just gettin ...
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NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY, SUBSCRIBE FOR UNBEATABLE ECOM RECON – Every Tuesday since 2014, host Kurt Elster shares the Shopify success stories that nobody tells you about, straight from the entrepreneurs living it. Subscribe for a raw look at what it really takes to succeed on Shopify.
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Shades and Layers is a podcast focused on black women entrepreneurs from across the globe. It is a platform for exploring issues and challenges around business ownership, representation and holistic discussions about the meaning of sustainability in an increasingly complex global context. Conversations are wide- ranging and serve not only as a Masterclass in Entrepreneurship but also provide wisdom and tools for Successful Living. It is a space for meaningful conversation, a place for black ...
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DTC POD is a podcast about all things direct to consumer. We cover everything for starting, growing, and optimizing eCommerce stores and DTC (or D2C) brands. We talk with founders, marketers, platforms, creators and marketing & growth agencies to cover topics like brand building, social media, influencer marketing, website conversion, paid media, Facebook ads, consumer trends, email marketing, and more. If you're interested in the stories behind your favorite consumer brands, this podcast is ...
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Mess and Meaning is a show for busy parents who want to ditch the spin cycle for a more intentional life of connection and purpose. When we’re bombarded with distractions and demands, noise and clutter (and 28 consecutive themed dress-up days at school), it’s easy to lose sight of the stuff that really matters. Join Dr. Kara Shade – a wife, mom of 3, and an award-winning relationship coach – on her quest to reclaim the meaningful amidst the messy. Listen in for thought-provoking interviews, ...
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Welcome to No Strings Attached, a podcast designed to inform, inspire, and occasionally entertain anyone connected to the world of window coverings. Whether you’re a trade professional, an interior designer, a curious homeowner, or someone who simply enjoys honest stories about business and life and the pursuit of the American Dream, this show has something for you. Each week, we rotate between four unique series—each one offering a different perspective on the window treatment industry and ...
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A show where questions on personal finance from Healthcare Professionals are never a taboo.
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Remember the last time you and few close friends stayed up too late at the Diner because no one wanted to leave? You didn’t need that grilled cheese with a side of pancakes but damn if it didn’t hit the spot! You laughed until you cried or cried until you laughed. Regardless of which lead to what, you left feeling a little more thoughtful, grateful, and actually full. Those are the best conversations we have in our lives, and the reason why Diner Talks with James exists. I’ll be your bearded ...
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Episode 205: Reinventing the E-Commerce Supply Chain with Izzy Rosenzweig
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30:54In Episode 205 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Izzy Rosenzweig, founder and CEO of Portless, to discuss how he's rethinking global e-commerce fulfillment. From struggling brand owner to innovator, Izzy shares how the Portless model slashes lead times, improves cash flow, and supports brands manufacturing in As…
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[BA] - From Beantown to the Sunshine Hustle: Loyalty, Legacy & a Leap of Faith
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11:11Send Us Your Questions & Feedback! Summary In this heartfelt episode, Roger peels back the curtain on a monumental personal and professional journey: the move from Boston, MA, to sunny Florida! After two decades of deep roots, lessons, and relationships built through Shades In Place, Roger’s story is one of endings, new beginnings, and the powerful…
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#356 - 0 to $50M in 24 Months: The Explosive Growth Story of BRĒZ feat. CEO Aaron Nosbisch
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48:16Aaron Nosbisch is the founder and CEO of BRĒZ, a cannabis social tonic beverage designed as an alcohol alternative that offers a euphoric, feel-good effect without the downsides of alcohol. He built his expertise in e-commerce from an early age, launching multiple internet brands and scaling previous ventures like MONQ (portable aromatherapy diffus…
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How Bamboo Socks Built a B2B Empire on Faire
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43:46
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43:46Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/l8ANgFlZK0Y It started with a sock. A turtle sock. That led to a Shopify store, a wholesale boom, and—accidentally—an agency. In this episode, Lucy Jeffrey shares how she turned Bare Kind from a seasonal side hustle into one of Faire’s fastest-growing brands. She walks us through surviving seasonality, scaling th…
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#355 - The Truth About Scaling on Facebook: Lessons from $150M in Ad Spend
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40:00Marin Ištvanić is a partner at Inspire Brands, a boutique agency focused on paid social ads, primarily on Facebook and Instagram. He has personally spent over $150 million on Facebook ads for clients and internal brands, successfully scaling Inspire's own brand to $30 million in revenue by their third year. In this episode of DTC Pod, Marin shares …
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Episode 203: Betting on Yourself with James Hilovsky – Navigating Franchise Ownership
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35:51
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35:51In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with James Hilovsky, CEO of The Fran Dream, to explore the world of franchise ownership. James shares his transition from the fast-food industry to franchise consulting, the steps to evaluate a good opportunity, and why networking is crucial to franchise success. Supp…
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Start Here - Why I'm Talking Into a Microphone Again
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10:55Send Us Your Questions & Feedback! Episode Summary Welcome to “No Strings Attached,” a podcast dedicated to everyone connected to the world of window coverings—trade professionals, interior designers, homeowners, and enthusiasts eager for honest stories about business, design, and the pursuit of the American Dream. In this kickoff episode, host Rog…
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How TikTok & Sidekick Helped Sell Out a Skincare Brand
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40:40Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/Pi20dFaHoVg Ben Attwood left agency life to create a men’s skincare brand he actually wanted to use. With no investors, no marketing budget, and no prior product experience, he built Clubhouse Skin using TikTok, Shopify, and a lot of trial and error. In this episode, Ben shares how he: Sold out his first product …
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#354 - Tariffs, Duty Drawbacks, and Building a Bulletproof Supply Chain Strategy feat. Justin Sherlock
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55:48Justin Sherlock is the co-founder and CEO of Caspian, an AI-native duty drawback platform designed to help brands navigate complex global trade and tariff environments. Prior to Caspian, Justin gained deep experience in finance and logistics at Flexport, where he led Flexport Capital, and previously had several years experience in private equity. I…
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The BASE Framework: How to Achieve Your Dreams with Brandi Hudson (S9,E7)
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33:30Send us a text One of the most effective ways to succeed in entrepreneurship is mindset. To help you get in the right frame of mind for your new or existing venture, The SAL Podcast gets you a coach to answer some challenging questions on your journey to success. This time we have Performance Coach and Happiness Expert, Brandi Hudson. In this episo…
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How Smart Brands Win Top-of-Funnel in 2025
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49:08Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY Paid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now? VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands building futuristic funnels today. We’re talking AI quizzes, voice search, digital oracles, and tech that reads your face to guess your shirt size.…
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Wilson Zehr: Reinventing Direct Mail in the Digital Age
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50:00Wilson Zehr, founder of Zairmail, joins The Shades of Entrepreneurship to share how direct mail is evolving in the digital age. From launching hybrid mail solutions to creating Speedy, a tool for one-to-one mailing, Wilson explains how automation and audience targeting make direct mail more effective than ever. He breaks down the benefits of first-…
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Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K subscribers, Cathy built a content-powered Shopify business that turns viewers into superfans (and customers). In this episode, Cathy breaks down: H…
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From Passionate Intern to World Class Designer - Palesa Mokubung Part 2 - (BONUS)
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16:17Send us a text IN CONCLUSION In the second part of this conversation with Palesa Mokubung, we discuss some of the challenges facing African designers, particularly when it comes to serving a market that is more and more shopping online. We also get into the behind the scenes at Mantsho, Palesa's fashion brand as well as the Shades and Layers Rapid …
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Empowering Entrepreneurs: Leveraging Open Source Software for Business Growth
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30:21Unlock the secrets to entrepreneurial success with host Gabriel Flores on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ by understanding the role of open source software in empowering businesses. Hear how David Young build Federated Computer's suite of tools is transforming the way entrepreneurs build and customize their infrastructure for optimal performance. S…
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Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success. It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of ballistic glasses from the early 90s, and thinks, these are perfect. Fast forward a few years, and those surplus shades—once traded for beers…
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Momentum for financial literacy among HCPs is rising - how to build on it?
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44:18In this episode, I am having a conversation with Dr. Milad Modabber, an ophthalmologist who shares the same interest and passion for making financial literacy a part of our medical training. We will understand why he thinks so and how we can work towards this goal. If you have any comments or feedback, please email me at [email protected].…
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Unlocking Entrepreneurial Success: The Penji Journey with Johnathan Grzybowski
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50:10Join host Gabriel Flores on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ in this exclusive interview as Johnathan Grzybowski reveals the key strategies behind Penji's creative subscription service, revolutionizing graphic design, web development, and marketing. Gain invaluable insights into solving real, large problems, fostering clear communication, and naviga…
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Shopify Dev AMA: Store Spying, AI Tools, and Trends
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39:58Two Shopify Partners get real in an AMA packed with listener questions. Store spying tricks, AI fails, bold 2025 predictions, a garage full of jacked-up cars, and a sneak peek at their next app. What you’ll learn: How to spy on Shopify stores using public endpoints and browser tools What’s broken (and what’s promising) in Shopify’s new AI tools How…
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From Passionate Intern to World Class Designer : Palesa Mokubung Part 1 (S9, E6)
33:52
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33:52Send us a text This is the first part of a two-part conversation with renowned South African fashion designer Palesa Mokubung. In this conversation, she shares her 20-year journey with Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, the fashion brand she founded after working as an intern at another iconic South African fashion house, Stoned Cherrie. This episode is b…
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#353 - Meta Ad Secrets: How Top DTC Brands Spend $300K/Month Profitably
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46:17Peter Czepiga is the founder of Flighted, an agency that helps DTC brands profitably scale their advertising on platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google. He also runs his own brand, Ando. Flighted has worked with some of the most popular DTC brands spending between $50-300k per month on ads. In this episode of DTC Pod, Peter shares his strategies fo…
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Crafting a Solid IP Strategy: Key Steps for Entrepreneurs
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43:56Discover the key steps entrepreneurs should take to develop a robust intellectual property (IP) strategy on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ featuring Jeff Holman, CEO of Intellectual Strategies. Explore the significance of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets in protecting your brand assets and innovations. Learn how to avoid common I…
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Lady Gaga’s on Shopify: Go Behind the Build
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31:00Lady Gaga has a new Shopify site. But this isn’t just a merch store. It’s a stage, a story, a digital home—built to evolve as fast as she does. Her team needed something different. A site that could change overnight and feel as immersive as her albums. So they went headless, partnering with Commerce-UI, a Shopify agency known for pushing boundaries…
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From Yacht Racing to High-Tech Drones: The Carbonix Story with Founder Dario Valenza
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52:08On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Dario Valenza, founder of Carbonix, to explore his journey from America’s Cup yacht racing to developing cutting-edge long-range drones. Dario shares how he applied his expertise in aerodynamics and composite structures to create fixed-wing VTOL drones designed fo…
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Megan Smalley didn’t plan to build a powerhouse ecommerce brand. Scarlet & Gold started as a creative side project—until she got laid off. Fast forward 12 years, and Scarlet & Gold is one of the only women-owned businesses licensed for NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) merch on Shopify. This March, their Shopify sales are up 74.2% year-over-year—with…
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The future is so bright, I need to wear my shades (thanks to Trump's tariffs)
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43:53There is no doubt we are facing a scenario that no one has ever seen before. The tumultuousness of the economy and markets at the hand of 1 person and his policies is unparalleled. Despite the uncertainty, a few silver linings are beginning to emerge. The future in Canada, in the US, and across the globe will be bright. We will all emerge stronger.…
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Blending Business and Investing: The Entrepreneurial Edge with Maxwell Nee of ScoreApp
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39:48On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Maxwell Nee, an entrepreneur-turned-investor, to discuss his journey from corporate banking to building and scaling businesses. Maxwell shares insights into the entrepreneurial vs. investor mindset, his experience launching ventures in Singapore’s sustainable indu…
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Are you making one of these Shopify mistakes? If so, you’re losing sales. In this episode, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast host Kurt Elster teams up with Bold Commerce co-founder Jay Myers to reveal the top 10 mistakes that Shopify merchants make—some of which even big brands get wrong. From neglected checkouts to bloated main menus, they share simp…
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Scaling Success with Virtual Assistant with Founder of Virtual Assistant Academy Molly Rose Speed
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33:52On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Molly Rose Speed, Founder of Virtual Assistant Academy, to discuss the power of outsourcing and how virtual assistants can transform the way entrepreneurs run their businesses. Molly Rose shares her journey from corporate life to building a business that trains to…
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Fart-Proof Underwear? This Shopify Brand Says Yes
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37:14Imagine a world where your worst gas-related fears simply… disappear. No awkward moments, no subtle side-eye glances. Just peace, dignity, and activated carbon filters. That’s the world Collin White and his father set out to create when they launched Tootles, a Shopify store selling flatulence-filtering underwear. At first, people laughed. But then…
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Kris Jones: Crafting Story-Driven Websites
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35:31In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, Gabriel sits down with Kris Jones, author of From Click to Clients and owner of Red Door Designs, to explore the transformative power of storytelling in marketing. Kris shares how a compelling brand story can help businesses connect with their audience and convert visitors into loyal clients, even …
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Obvi’s Ron Shah on Fails, Exits & Lessons Learned
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49:41"You start with ‘there’s no way this is me.’ Then you question everything. Then, eventually, you realize—this really could be me." Ron Shah built Obvi into a $100M+ powerhouse, with $40M in top-line revenue in 2024. But not every business he touched turned to gold. Today, Ron gets brutally honest about two brands he started—Coffee Over Cardio and P…
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From DEI to Belonging: Don Berger’s Mission to Redefine Workplace Culture
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45:35In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Don Berger to explore the transformative power of belonging in the workplace. Don shares his personal journey—from being adopted and moving from Israel to the U.S., to founding a successful event planning software company. He discusses how his experiences inspired…
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How a Twitter Account Became a Thriving Shopify Brand
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47:26“Rainier Watch started as me shouting into the void about whether the mountain was out. Now, it’s a brand in REI. Didn’t see that coming.” David Lindahl started Rainier Watch as a simple Twitter account—just a guy posting updates on whether Mount Rainier was visible that day. No business plan, no grand vision. Just a love for the mountain. But then…
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The impact on the market (and your portfolio) from Trump and his Presidency
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51:20It is now official and Trump has been inaugurated as the President of the USA. Even before he was inaugurated, he had an impact on the stock market. He will continue to have impact on the market over the next 4 years (and maybe even beyond). What does this mean for your portfolio? What does this mean on how you save and/or invest? Let's talk to Eda…
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#352 - Building a Profitable Timeless Brand: 20 Years, 8 Figures, 100% Bootstrapped with Parker Thatch
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49:59Irene Chen and Matthew Grenby are the co-founders of Parker Thatch, a luxury handbag and accessories brand they bootstrapped to 8-figures over the course of 20 years. Matt’s expertise spans tech, design, and marketing, while Irene brings deep fashion industry knowledge from working with powerhouse brands like Donna Karan and Calvin Klein. In this e…
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Resilience in Business: Aaron Rokstad’s Power Industry Legacy and Overcoming Adversity
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42:39In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores interviews Aaron Rokstad, third-generation entrepreneur in the power industry and founder of Rokstad Power. Aaron shares his journey from growing up in a family-owned utility business to launching Rokstad Power in 2008. He discusses the evolving challenges of the power line indu…
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Reinventing Oral Care: The Slate Flosser Story
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42:38In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Brynn Snyder, co-founder of Slate Flosser, shares how she and her dentist husband tackled one of the most overlooked aspects of health—flossing. Together, they reimagined oral care with a product that could prevent gum disease, heart issues, and more. But flossing is just the beginning. This episod…
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