Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business

228 - How 2 Guys Turned Baby Wipes Into a Million-Dollar Empire with Samuel Marcus Ne’bel

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Sep 8, 2025

Samuel Marcus Ne’bel, co-founder of Good Wipes, shares an inspiring journey from a college fraternity to a million-dollar flushable wipes brand. He reveals how a mere $42,000 in startup funds transformed into a successful product in 14,000 stores. The duo's unique bootstrapping strategies involved mastering the Four P's of Marketing, engaging influencer partnerships, and launching creative PR campaigns like the Golden Porta Palace. Sam also discusses their commitment to consumer education through initiatives with the Responsible Flushing Alliance, proving that even 'unsexy' niches can thrive.

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ANECDOTE

Fraternity Bathroom Origin Story

Samuel Marcus Ne’bel and co-founder Charlie met in a fraternity bathroom and bonded over using baby wipes instead of thin toilet paper.
They started handing out wipes for free in college, which seeded the idea for a consumer brand years later.

ADVICE

Prepare For A Long Hustle

Expect a long grind and prioritize loving the work because early revenue can be small and slow to scale.
Treat early years as survival and be prepared for multi-year growth before hitting meaningful revenue milestones.

INSIGHT

Intuition Precedes Data

Samuel credits intuition and repeated positive trials among peers as the initial signal to pursue the idea.
He later used data to validate intuition once the company professionalized and scaled.

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Sam Nebe (https://x.com/1_of_Sl), the founder of Good Wipes! This entrepreneur startup story shows how two college roommates bootstrapped a million dollar business from $42,000 to conquering 14,000 stores.

Learn how they achieved their first million through retail distribution strategy, growing their consumer products startup in the flushable wipes industry to reach 2.2 million households and adding 430,000 new customers through Walmart alone.

Sam shares how he and co-founder Charlie built this CPG startup using pure intuition and unwavering conviction in an "unsexy" category that's now worth $5 billion. This business growth story reveals their bootstrap business strategy of mastering the Four P's of Marketing, employing irreverent marketing with creative director Maria Gilbo, and strategic retail partnerships that made them a Walmart supplier.

We dive deep into customer acquisition strategies including influencer marketing, PR box campaigns, and their viral Golden Porta Palace experiential marketing activation. Sam also discusses his work with the Responsible Flushing Alliance, promoting Flush Smart Month and consumer education initiatives.

Enjoy the conversation!

Key Topics Covered:

Entrepreneur startup journey from fraternity bathroom idea to retail empire
Bootstrap vs venture capital funding strategies
Retail distribution strategy and partnership building
Consumer goods startup scaling tactics
Million dollar business development through focused growth
CPG entrepreneur insights and industry knowledge
Customer acquisition through creative marketing campaigns
Building a startup podcast-worthy success story

Questions This Episode Answers:

How did Good Wipes transform a college business idea into a multi-million dollar business and category leader?
What role did intuition and unwavering passion play in building a startup brand before having significant market data?
How can bootstrap entrepreneurs use irreverent marketing and the Four P's to compete against larger companies?
What customer acquisition strategies work for consumer products startups, including influencer marketing and experiential activations?
How can young entrepreneurs strategically say "no" to growth opportunities for sustainable expansion?

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This week we covered:
00:00 The Journey of Good Wipes: From Concept to Success

10:08 Innovative Marketing Strategies and Influencer Engagement

19:55 Navigating Challenges and Growth in the CPG Space

29:54 Future Aspirations and Industry Insights