Nissue #38: Kara Goldin, Founder & CEO of Hint.
I came this close to working at Hint, or at least I’d like to think so. I remember sitting down with Kara Goldin, the founder and CEO of the company, to discuss their current marketing and branding strategy, and the future plans she and her team were thinking about, this being around 2015.
For whatever reason, the stars were not quite aligned: I ended up doing something else, and Hint continued on its own watery way to its “current” glory. But in the best possible way, Kara and I have remained friends and I still like to bug her from time to time about new ideas and concepts in the CPG space.
While I think my interview with her is pretty sweet, you really only get a hint of what Kara is all about. Luckily, she has a new bestselling book out and her regular podcast features its own series of thoughtful business leaders sharing their own insights.
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Kara: Being surrounded by family and friends and feeling loved.
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Kara: I haven’t had one. I seriously don’t look at it this way. But in retrospect, I look back at certain jobs where I progressed to a point where I had stopped learning, and subconsciously I knew something was wrong. And that’s when I decided it was time to move on. Always Be Learning. If I were partial to tattoos, that might be the reminder I’d choose to inscribe on my arm.
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Kara: Taking out the trash. I was the youngest of five so naturally, I got the last pick of the household chores.
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Kara: Being the CEO of Hint.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Kara: I don’t have patience. But I’m working on it -- patiently.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Kara: Arrogance.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Kara: Trust the journey. The failures, the tangents, the successes, the learnings -- they will all connect at some point down the road.
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
Kara: Travel.
Nish: You have exclusive dinner reservations for 4 excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Kara: Sting -- so he can sing to us. RBG -- so she can tell us how to deal with pressing issues. Dali Lama -- for his words of wisdom. And Obama -- just because he would have amazing stories.
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Kara: “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack. My constant reminder to myself to step out and embrace life.
Nish:What is your motto?
Kara: Live Undaunted.
Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?
Kara: Living. Those of us who have been fortunate to make it through these incredibly trying times will experience great things on the other side. I can’t wait to see the kinds of innovations that await us in the next decade. Do we have problems to solve? Absolutely. But the sheer number of incredibly talented scientists and entrepreneurs and activists and thinkers who are putting their ideas together today is going to result in progress on a scale we never imagined.
End Interview.
Want more cool female leaders? Check out Leah Lizarondo in Nissue #23, Caitlin Thompson in Nissue #21, and Gayle Pirie way back in Nissue #3!