“I’d like to start a movement about the importance of making conscious decisions about what we put in and on our bodies” With John Pinto, Founder of BoomBoom
I’d start a movement to educate people on the importance of making conscious decisions about what they put in and on their bodies. If you look at the rate of chronic health issues in the United States (especially in the younger population)… it’s honestly frightening. We live during an amazing time where we have instant access to endless information, on any topic. I’d urge people (especially if they aren’t feeling good or simply want to perform at a higher level) to do their own research about health and wellness, pay attention to how their body feels on a daily basis, and understand that most of us are capable of achieving long-lasting health, assuming we nourish our bodies with the good stuff 🙂
I had the pleasure to interview John Pinto who is the Founder of BoomBoom Nasal Inhalers. John and his company will be featured on the October 28th episode of “Shark Tank” which includes special guest shark, Charles Barkley. John actually grew up in Phoenix playing basketball and Barkley was a huge inspiration to him, so the opportunity could not be more serendipitous! BoomBoom came about from John’s own background growing up in a household with two parents who were alternative medicine doctors. He learned the importance of wellness from an early age and then in college met his wife Chelsea, a dentist who shared his passion for health (she appears on Shark Tank with him and is jokingly referred to as ‘the nose’ of BoomBoom for her decision-making on the product scents and her work with ENTs in her dental practice.) While working at a healthy snack food company, Snack Nation, John met his now co-founder, Sean Kelly, and became inspired to take the leap and start Book Boom full-time. BoomBoom is made for people who want more out of every moment. It is an all natural plant-based solution to help you stay focused, feel refreshed, and be a better you. Unlike traditional nasal products used mainly when sick, BoomBoom takes a page for Eastern medicine and uses a blend of menthol, essential oils, and other stimulating scents to help you inhale and feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and more focused. Instead of popping an energy drink, soda, or coffee, BoomBoom is perfect while work, driving, or out at outdoor activities and festivals.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you please tell us about your background and what brought you to this specific career path, starting BoomBoom?
I grew up in Phoenix, AZ. My family vacationed in San Diego and I have vivid memories playing on the Los Angeles beaches as a kid. I knew I wanted to end up somewhere in Southern California one day. I made my way to Emory University in Atlanta where I played basketball and graduated from Goizueta business school. I always had an interest in entrepreneurship.
Out of college, I landed a gig as the first employee at a company that is now called SnackNation.com. I was managing fulfillment, selling new clients, hiring sales people and got some amazing experience. The CEO of SnackNation, Sean Kelly, is the other co-founder at BoomBoom. We worked on developing the product while the healthy snack company was taking off, so it didn’t get much attention. I knew deep down there was an incredible opportunity with BoomBoom, my passion for growing the business was undeniable. I decided to leave SnackNation and go all-in with the nasal inhalers in the end of 2015.
Can you share the most interesting story that has happened to you since you started your company?
I had seen a couple of emails come through customer support saying something along the lines of “Hey, I just read about your product in Jordan Belfort’s new book and I’m excited to try it out.” I knew that Jordan (aka the Wolf of Wall Street) was using the product in some of his sales seminars and teaching people how to use it as an “anchoring tool” to help people in the “right state of mind” — it’s a technique big in the neuro linguistic programming (NLP) community.
I immediately went to Amazon.com and, sure enough, saw that Jordan Belfort just released his follow up book to The Wolf of Wall Street called “Way of the Wolf”…. I bought it immediately on my kindle and searched “BoomBoom.” My jaw dropped. Jordan basically dedicates a entire chapter called “A Surefire Formula to Managing Your State” to BoomBoom and how he uses it. He coins a technique called “Olfactory Anchoring”… where you tie a specific scent to really positive feeling states, so then you can replicate that same feeling state with that particular scent. It’s something that does work really well — especially for sales people who are on the phone grinding all day. How he describes using BoomBoom is amazing and I honestly couldn’t have written it better myself. What’s even more incredible is that this plug was completely unsolicited and free!
What’s the funniest mistake or biggest learning experience since you first started? Can you share a story to explain and what did you learn?
The biggest learning experience was after a run of our Berry inhalers came back from the manufacturer and didn’t smell like our signature formula. We used the exact same formula from previous batches, so we were baffled… How could this happen? We came to find out that since the berry flavors in that inhaler (strawberry, blackberry and raspberry) were evenly split, the ratios could vary slightly in the formulation process, shifting the dominant scent. We ended up switching the formula so the flavor profile is consistent, and we’ve never had a problem since!
What do you think makes your company stand out?
We’re first to market with our one-of-a-kind nasal inhalers and have a brand that the younger demographic can connect with. Consumers are becoming more educated about what they put in and on their bodies. People are looking for healthier alternatives to stay focused and feel refreshed — BoomBoom checks off all of those boxes!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
There’s nothing more important than focusing on health first and making sure the body and mind are performing at their best. Only then can we best handle the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. My advice is to first gauge how you feel in the mornings… are you full of energy and ready to dominate OR do you feel slow and like crap? Odds are if you feel like crap, you’re eating things your body doesn’t like. Check out any of Dave Asprey’s books (CEO of Bulletproof)… they changed my life.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who or mentor you are grateful to who helped you along the way? Can you share a story?
My parents have always been my mentors and biggest supporters. They run a functional medicine clinic in Phoenix, AZ and have helped thousands of people over the years get and stay healthy. I learned at an early age that taking care of my body was important and that we have to take charge of our own health, which is usually much simpler than we’re led to believe.
Growing up, I also looked up to my grandfather, John Pinto, whom I was named after. He helped run a small horse and carriage garbage business with his dad and, ultimately, turned it into one of the biggest privately own garbage companies in the Northeast! He would give me tips about running a business and always believed in me. He passed away in 2017.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
When people experience BoomBoom for the first time, there is a sense of pure excitement and joy. I believe people should seek those feelings on a daily basis and hope having BoomBoom on-hand can help facilitate those feelings more regularly.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
Jump and the net will appear.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started my company” and why.
- Hire sooner (if possible) — I held on a little bit too long to things that could have been delegated to someone else.
- Building a company is way more expensive than you think
- Be prepared to go into debt and be OK with it.
- Sampling is everything — don’t shy away from giving away tons of product
- Find a mentor as quickly as possible that’s “been there, done that”
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I’d start a movement to educate people on the importance of making conscious decisions about what they put in and on their bodies. If you look at the rate of chronic health issues in the United States (especially in the younger population)… it’s honestly frightening. We live during an amazing time where we have instant access to endless information, on any topic. I’d urge people (especially if they aren’t feeling good or simply want to perform at a higher level) to do their own research about health and wellness, pay attention to how their body feels on a daily basis, and understand that most of us are capable of achieving long-lasting health, assuming we nourish our bodies with the good stuff 🙂