From Selling Plasma to 8 Figures: Marine Vet Johnny Raushi's American Comeback

Send us Fan MailMarine vet Johnny Raushi joined the Corps at 17 for a free skateboard sticker. Four years later he came home broke, picked up change in a gas station parking lot, and sold his plasma twice a week to fund the first batches of a pomade he was perfecting on his stovetop. That pomade became Johnny Slicks — an 8-figure American manufacturing company employing 30+ people out of a North Carolina facility, fully U.S.-sourced.Asher and Raushi cover boot camp, the in-unit suicide that happened seconds after he walked away from his armory window, the Accutane spiral that nearly killed him, the six-day phone call with Marine Raider Nick Koumalatsos that turned a kitchen-table pomade into a brand, and his first book "23 Virtues in 23 Days" (Aug 2025).⚔️ THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS (#sponsored #ad):🏠 NuWave Mortgage — built for vets, by vets. VA loans, refinance, home purchase.→ https://nuwaveanchor.com/i/thevanguardwall?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep35💼 Ridge — One thing to pack, five ways to power. The 5-in-1 Travel Power Bank with built-in cables. Get 10% Off @Ridge with code VANGUARD at https://ridge.com/VANGUARD #Ridgepod💪 Hoplite Nutrition — veteran-built, made in the U.S. Code VANGUARD15 for 15% off → https://hoplitenutrition.com🛒 TVW Merch — Built for the mission. https://thevanguardwall.com (code VANGUARD15)🎟️ Patreon (24-hr early access + Discord): https://patreon.com/c/TheVanguardWallCHAPTERS:(00:00) Welcome(03:30) Growing Up in NJ and the Poconos(11:00) Faith, Questions, and the Church(22:30) The Recruiter and a Sticker(27:00) Bootcamp and Brotherhood(37:00) Marrying Rebecca and Camp Lejeune(41:00) The M9 Pistol Eureka Moment(51:30) Deploying With BSRF-14 to Romania(1:02:00) Losing His MOS and Earning It Back(1:17:00) Suicide in the Ranks(1:22:30) Knee Injury and Leaving the Corps(1:41:00) Hair Loss and the First Pomade(2:00:00) Selling Plasma and Picking Up Change(2:14:00) Six Days With Nick Koumalatsos(2:35:00) Hurricane Florence and Moving In With Nick(2:55:00) Scaling Johnny Slicks(3:15:00) The Accutane Spiral(4:00:00) Building an 8-Figure Business(4:30:00) Leadership and EOS(5:00:00) Plant Medicine and Healing(5:45:00) Marriage and Trust(6:15:00) 23 Virtues in 23 Days(6:30:00) Closing ThoughtsCONNECT WITH JOHNNY: johnnyslicks.com | IG: @johnnyslicks | @johnnyraushiThinking about buying a home or refinancing? Nuwave Lending built a dedicated page specifically for Vanguard Wall listeners so you can connect directly with the team assigned to our audience.Get started here: https://nuwaveanchor.com/i/thevanguardwallNMLS #1722624 Patreon advertismentSupport the show                                                             🔗 Connect with The Vanguard Wall Podcast                                                      🏪 Merch: https://www.thevanguardwall.com (code VANGUARD15)  🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVanguardWall                                           ⚔️ Patreon (early access + Discord): https://www.patreon.com/c/TheVanguardWall  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevanguardwallpodcast/                                📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569106772297  📧 Sponsor Inquiries: [email protected]                                                                                                     💪 Hoplite Nutrition — veteran-built supplements made in the U.S. Code VANGUARD15 for 15% off   Subscribe & Save → https://hoplitenutrition.com