Better Voice | Owner + Founder | Cedar Hills | 25
Before creating Better Voice, Braden Oswald lost control of his own voice. He developed a rare vocal disorder in 2017 called Spasmodic Dysphonia — causing him immense pain that greatly hindered his ability to speak. After spending time in speech therapy, he learned about a vocal training method called semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, which was one of the few things that helped his voice. “I decided to make a device that would make it easier for me to do these vocal exercises wherever and whenever I wanted,” he says, and the Better Voice vocal trainer was created (initially with his own 3D printer!). Last quarter was Braden’s first quarter hitting 6-figures in sales. This trainer has now been used by Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith, Avril Lavigne, Rascal Flatts, The Chainsmokers and many more vocalists and musicians. Braden got his voice back, and is helping others find theirs.
MAIN MOTIVATION I want to help other people improve their voices. I spent two years barely being able to talk. When I get reviews back about the product from happy customers who share how much their voice has improved since using the device, it makes everything that’s difficult about running a business feel worth it. SHARPER SKILLS Running Facebook/Instagram ads completely changed the game for me, but it was very challenging to learn. I knew nothing about it a few years ago, and now I’m extremely confident in my ability to make and run profitable ads. CODE RED Manufacturing this product was a massive challenge. Every injection molding company I called for almost two years told me that the product was too complex to mold. It was discouraging, but the thought of giving up on it never crossed my mind. Eventually I came up with a design that could be 3D printed, and when 3D printing companies told me it would be too difficult, I simply bought my own 3D printer and manufactured the product myself. GOOD BIZ ADVICE If you mix immense belief with extreme dedication, the result is usually success. CAUTIONARY TALES Someone told me “you should probably think about it a little longer” when I was going to start selling this product. If I’ve learned anything from business, my instincts are way better than my brain. I’ve learned that if I think something over, and I feel like doing it, I need to just do it. Don’t let decision fatigue stop you from starting.