Timeless Interview: Kara Goldin, Founder & CEO of Hint Water | Leading with Undaunted

09/30/21 • 41 min

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Founder and CEO of Hint Water, Kara Goldin found success in journalism at Time and at tech startups in Silicon Valley. Her early ambitions changed after discovering her hectic travel schedule led to an unhealthy lifestyle. In her pursuit of health, she discovered an untapped category in flavored water with simple ingredients. The mother of four children under six at the time, Kara put in the time, research, and money necessary to start bottling Hint Water, knowing that if the venture failed she could fall back on her tech background. Enjoy this trim cut of the original interview and listen as Kara and David discuss fear, John Legend and her new book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubt and Doubters. Be on the lookout next week for an incredible conversation with Dan Cathy, the Chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, as he and David discuss humble beginnings, 75 years of sales increases, why Chick-Fil-A remains privately owned and what the A stands for.

Previous Episode

#53: Tom Brady, 7-time World Champion—Build Strong Relationships With Clear Communication

Today’s guest is Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and – let’s be honest – the greatest of all time.

Now, we all go into new situations where we're expected to come in, turn the team around, and perform. And that’s exactly what Tom did at the Bucs, winning the Super Bowl in his very first season at Tampa Bay. That’s why we call him the GOAT, right!?

In this conversation, we really dig into what made that transition from the Patriots to the Bucs so darn successful.

Of course, Tom is known for his elite discipline and his grit. And with good reason! But Tom is also incredible at building relationships with his teammates, coaches and management.

For us leaders, so much depends on how we connect and communicate with people. Do we know how to convey our expectations clearly? Do we know how to build consensus? Do we have the courage to tackle the tough conversations right away and not let them fester?

Tom sure does! And this conversation is a goldmine of wisdom for how to build strong relationships through clear communication – especially if you find yourself leading in a new situation.

You’ll also learn:

Specific ways to build trust when you step into a new situation
One critical thing to avoid in your one-on-one relationships at work
How to adjust to a new boss
A key mindset shift you can use when things don’t go as planned

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Next Episode

#54: Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A Chairman & CEO—The Method Changes, The Mission Doesn’t

Today’s guest is Dan Cathy, Chairman & CEO of Chick-fil-A. With Dan at the helm, Chick-fil-A has become the envy of the restaurant industry. The average unit volumes in their stores are absolutely unheard-of – even though they’re only open six days a week. And they’ve had sales increases every single year of the 75 years they’ve been in business.

You can’t do that kind of growth for that long without being really good at innovating and adapting. But somehow they’ve done it while also staying true to their founding principles and values.

The secret, Dan says, is to “marry the mission and date the methods.”

That means they’re not afraid to try new ideas or get rid of whatever’s not working – whether that’s a strategy or a process or a menu item. But the core mission never changes.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to chart a bold path forward but you don’t want to lose sight of what got you to where you are, then you’re going to love this conversation.

You’ll also learn:

Two often-overlooked aspects of innovation
How to create margin for unexpected opportunities
One key step you need when you develop your idea – and it’s something most people skip
The most important thing you need to get right in order to delight customers

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.