#MakingTime: A Day in the Life of a Mom of 4, CEO and Flavored Water Mogul
Women can do anything — but not everything. As the largest online career community for women, we at Fairygodboss realize that balance is a myth, and that picking what to prioritize when everything feels important on a day-to-day basis isn't always easy. In the #MakingTime series, women share with us how, for one day, they chose to spend their most precious resource: time.
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Who: Kara Goldin
What: Founder + CEO of Hint, Inc.
Where: San Francisco
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Early rising – 5:30 a.m. wakeup to get the day started
I get started at about 5:30 a.m. every morning. I generally like to leave the shutters in my room open so that the sun calls me to “wake up.” My hungry dogs licking me once they hear the alarm usually helps the process.
The first thing I do after getting out of bed is check my schedule and emails and deal with any urgent matters. A warm latte with a nice cold bottle of Hint is the morning ritual.
Actively in nature – 6:15 a.m. morning hike and fresh air
I go hiking every morning right from my backyard — there are so many trails nearby, it’s one of the things I really appreciate about where we live. My husband and our two Labradors come along. Once in a while, we all get to see a coyote or two as well. Nature is beautiful!
It’s a great way to fit in morning exercise and at the same time clear my mind for whatever’s to come. I rarely skip this, even if I’m on the road, I find a road, a beach, a mountain I can stride on.
Let’s get going – 7:15 a.m. back home and getting everyone out the door
A post-hike smoothie just with crushed frozen fruit mixed with some Hint water is my breakfast of choice. I drink up, glance at the news and relax a moment before getting into the hustle of life. My kids (two still at home) are waking up around now and we try to chat about their day while they’re eating breakfast. I may check in with my staff and cross off a quick task from the to-do list. Then, I will hop in the shower, hug my kids goodbye, and my husband, dogs and I head to the office.
More than a hint of Hint – 9:00 a.m. in the office and getting to work
By now I’ve consumed more than three Hint waters, but I’m only getting started! I usually have between 12 and 15 in a single day!
Upon arriving at the office, I usually walk around and check in with the various teams to see how all is going. We usually have some new innovation going on so that’s one of the first areas I gravitate towards to learn how things are progressing. Everything we do has a purpose and I always like to make sure that as we are building, we all continue to remind ourselves of that purpose. In addition, we have accomplished so much and continue to do so each day. It’s important to remind the team of that as well.
Today, I was excited to be reminded about the book that I was a part of called “Girls Who Run the World.” This week, we are hosting a book signing at our water bar for the fabulous author, Diana Kapp, and some super cool women are going to be here. I’m really looking forward to a dynamic discussion and shining light on one of my favorite topics—helping girls become entrepreneurs!
Exciting plans in the making – 10:30 a.m. product launch update meeting
Next a meeting with the marketing team to finalize plans for our upcoming product launch! I’m so excited to dive into another category and continue on our mission to bring new products without harmful ingredients that help people lead healthier lives. We talk about launch initiatives, sales strategy and plans to share our news. 2020 is going to be an amazing year!
Passing along the wisdom – 11 a.m. dedicated to The Kara Network
I dedicate several hours a week to my digital platform, The Kara Network. I launched it in 2016 as a mentoring platform and resource for entrepreneurs. Today I’m talking to a fabulous founder, serving as a sounding board to help her problem-solve, innovate and succeed. Mentoring is one of the true pleasures of my career. There are still so few female entrepreneurs out there and even fewer in the beverage category. It wasn’t easy going up against the big sugar and diet sweetener cartels, I learned a lot that translates into any business… a lot about passion and purpose and staying close to your customer’s needs.
The deadline is close – Noon, a check-in with my book editor
I’ve been working on a book for a couple of years now and it’s about to become a reality. I recently signed a deal with Harper Leadership and the final manuscript is due December 31st, which feels like tomorrow. The tentative title is “Undaunted” and my hope is that my experiences will be useful, instructive, maybe inspirational and help others get undaunted, continue moving forward and create whatever they set their mind to.
The conversation though, is more about adding more. It’s very humbling to hear that my stories can make a difference. I started in publishing a long time ago and I now have a new appreciation for the field.
Food networking – 1 p.m. lunch out in San Francisco
The Hint office is located on Union St. in San Francisco with dozens of healthy and delicious options. I try to get out of the office, meet with a mentee or set up a working lunch and network. I have some follow up to do with Maria Shriver about her Alzheimer event, so I grab a salad at Mixt and talk on the phone with her. I am excited to hear that she also has a passion for trying to eliminate aluminum from deodorant, as it’s the force behind our latest product Hint deodorant.
Talk Show – 2:30 p.m. meet the Unstoppable
After lunch, I get ready for my podcast, Unstoppable, where I interview disruptors from varies industries. This is a passion project for me and I love every minute of it. The first episode went live in December 2017 and has built a strong following ever since.
Unstoppable introduces the work behind specific brands standing out for their innovative work. It can be a strenuous road to success in your business but having a forum that shares these insights can motivate others to keep going like I did!
Practicing mindfulness – 3:30 p.m. break from the hectic day
Although I am a very social person, I also appreciate 15 to 20 minutes of silence daily. I try to squeeze in a break and meditate during the afternoon. I started using Headspace, which is an app that helps me find short moments throughout the day to breathe, Calm is another one. I continuously try to practice what I preach, a healthy lifestyle including physical and mental activities. Some days, I can go across the street for a Soul Cycle class, too. I also find walking in the Presidio or at the beach does the trick to help me remain centered and grounded.
More Hint – 3:45 p.m.
My count is up to 10 bottles! Water is truly what gets me through the day!
Prep for my NASA talk – 4 p.m.
I’ve been asked to speak on some big stages and large conferences over the years but this next speaking opportunity has me especially psyched! I absolutely geeked out when asked to speak at NASA’s CIIE Conference. I head out to Houston later this week and though I’ve done this too many times to count, I always go in over prepared so I spend some time reviewing my notes and researching everyone else speaking there. Secretly, I can’t wait to see Mission Control and meet badass Kayla Barron, astronaut in training.
Touch base – 4:30 p.m. not letting anything slip through the cracks
Before I even think of leaving the office, I check my emails to make sure that I have responded to everything urgent. If I’m not on the phone, it’s open season to catch me in the office and get an answer right away. I’m comfortable making decisions and my team is great at giving me what I need to make informed ones. Listening is just as important as anything else I do and make sure to save time every day for spontaneous moments, questions, catching up, problem-solving. My time management skills really help me stay on top of things.
Family time – 6:30 p.m. dinner
Once we leave the office, Theo and I will load up the dogs and drive over the bridge back to Ross. Some evenings, we take the kids out for great Mexican, but these days they mostly have a lot of homework and prefer to eat at home. My daughters are both at college so it’s just me and the boys (Theo included), which is actually sweet most of the time. There’s homework, some crazy tech project in the garage, a drama here or there. Any time with my family is precious, it’s what takes care of my heart and actually makes me better at my job.
Before I close my eyes — 9 p.m. in bed
I do check my emails before bed, so I can deal with any other pressing matters before getting a good night’s sleep, this lowers the chance of me waking up to alarming notifications in the morning. Lately my television time has been about catching up on the news. I’m also very excited to catch our latest Watermelon Hint commercial running all over my favorite networks. It’s kind of surreal to see what Hint has become. I love to read, mostly about other entrepreneurs and their journeys. I read articles and I stay connected to what’s going on in various industries, too. After a while, I drift off with my husband to rest easy and face the next day inspired. There’s always a couple of bottles of Hint beside us, kind of like a liquid security blanket.
Bedtime – 10 p.m. for a good night’s sleep
Getting to sleep at a reasonable hour is paramount for me. It enables me to be my best self, ready to tackle anything that comes my way in the morning. Every day, I stop at the end of the day and think about how thankful I am for all that I am and all that we have accomplished. I feel super fortunate. And I never let myself forget that. Thankful.
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Kara Goldin is the founder and CEO of San Francisco–based Hint®, a healthy lifestyle brand that produces the leading unsweetened flavored water and a scented sunscreen spray that’s oxybenzone- and paraben-free.
Kara has been named among Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs and Forbes' 40 Women to Watch Over 40. The Huffington Post listed her as one of six disruptors in business, alongside Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Further accolades include EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Northern California (one of), SF Business Times Most Influential Woman (one of), Fast Company Most Creative People in Business (one of), EY Winning Woman 2012, Fortune Most Innovative Women in Food & Drink 2015, the Gold Stevie award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Amex OPENforum's Women to Watch and the Marketers That Matter award for Brand Building, Small Company.
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Interested in contributing to Fairygodboss' #MakingTime series? Email [email protected] with "#MakingTime" in the subject line.
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