Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters with Kara Goldin: An EOFire Classic from 2021

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals with great shows like Side Hustle Pro. Today, we're pulling a timeless EO Fire episode from the archives, so the giveaway may not be active, and we'll be talking about being undaunted, overcoming doubts and doubters. To drop these value bombs, I are brought Cara Golden into EO Fire Studios. Cara is the founder and CEO of Hint, best known for its award-winning Hint Water, the leading unsweetened flavored water, and she's also the author of Undaunted.

0:39And today, Fire Nation will talk about having doubts, doubters, feels, failures, but every successful and unsuccessful story is about a founder or an entrepreneur who is willing to try and how to learn from people who have had challenges and so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Cara and our sponsors. The Gold Digger Podcast, hosted by Jenna Kuchar, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. The Gold Digger Podcast helps you discover your dream career with productivity tips, social strategies, business hacks, inspirational stories, and so much more.

1:11One of my favorite recent episodes is titled How I've Built an Unmatched Team Culture, an insanely important topic for all business owners to dive into. Listen to Gold Digger wherever you get your podcasts. Wondering how to leverage a virtual assistant to save you time and money all while growing your business? Get Belay's ultimate guide to working with a virtual assistant today. Just text FIRE, that's F-I-R-E, to 55123 to get started. Kara, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something interesting about yourself that most people don't know. Let's see. I was a competitive gymnast growing up.

1:51Nice. And what age did you finally hang up those stirrups? High school. Well, Fire Nation, as I mentioned during the introduction, we're going to be talking about overcoming doubts and doubters. And what I found pretty interesting, Cara, is that you've called yourself an accidental entrepreneur. What do you mean by that? So I never had any plans to actually be an entrepreneur. I mean, it's always easier to look back in the rearview mirror and kind of see the signs, right? That, you know, of course she was going to go and be an entrepreneur, but I never thought of being an entrepreneur when I was a kid.

2:27And even when I started my work experience didn't think that. But finally, when I had a health issue or multiple health issues that I was trying to resolve, I realized that the key thing was that I wasn't drinking enough water because water was boring to me. And that's when I thought, gosh, this product should be on the market, something that really helps people to enjoy water. So I started, I had been slicing up fruit and throwing it in the water and, and, uh, and doing kind of my, uh, hint, um, homemade version of hint. And that's when I decided this product should actually be, um, in stores.

3:04So I decided to make it. And fire nation, I can definitely vouch for this because, uh, Kerosene was kind of to send me out a variety pack and I made the mistake. And I say, I made the mistake of just letting my landscaping team know. I'm like, Hey guys, we got some waters in the outdoor fridge there. I'm like, just grab one if you need it. And I was just taking the bottles of water. And we usually just have those normal plain bottles of water and they'll take one or two because we were having a little landscaping overhaul doing. So there was probably like four or five guys working. Literally, I went out there and every hint was gone.

3:36It was just gone. And I was just like, man, they loved that. It was like this next level stuff. And I remember when I went back the next day and I was talking to them, they were just like, hey, we noticed you don't have any more that hint in there. Like, are you restocking anytime soon? And I'm just like, well, you have to, John. Now you got to get to the store. And then Puerto Rico, it's hard to get it down here, but I know you guys are making some great inroads. So we're definitely going to make that happen. And let's talk about your book, which you called Undaunted, which is all about overcoming doubts and doubters.

4:09So give us an example of a doubt that you've overcome in your life. so many doubts uh you know first of all i as i mentioned i'm i had this big idea to go and launch a beverage company but that was like as far as i had i had really gotten i thought oh how how hard could it be right and then when i actually got it on the shelf at whole foods which certainly i i wasn't sure whether or not they were actually going to agree to do that um and then it got on the shelf and actually i long crazy story i tell in the book but i was delivering my fourth child on my way to getting the product on the shelf at Whole Foods.

4:48I had a bunch of hint at home and the garage. And I thought, it'd be so great if I could actually get it on the shelf prior to going and having a planned C-section. So that's what I did. And then I got a phone call from the guy that was working with me at the local store in San Francisco. And he called to tell me the next day when I was laying in bed in the hospital, he said, uh, the 10 cases are gone. And I said, who, who took them? Right. Like I didn't even, I didn't even know that, that it was, uh, I mean, I, I knew obviously or hope that people would buy them, but I hadn't sort of thought that far ahead.

5:28And, um, and that's when, you know, a new series of doubts came. Like I thought, well, how do I actually get a shelf life that on the product that whole foods wants and how do I distribute the product? And, and, you know, part of the reason why I wrote this book too, was that I found that it was kind of counter to what I thought in order to be successful. I found out that, you know, actually admitting that you don't know what you're doing and, um, and actually coming from a different industry, um, because you're curious and you're really trying to solve a problem. And, you know, we're, we're really the key things that actually helped me to succeed and build what is today the largest independent private beverage company in the country that doesn't have a relationship with Coke, Pepsi, or Dr.

6:17Pepper Snapple. You know, I had these doubts. And even there's another story in the book where I was lucky enough to sit down with somebody who had plenty of experience in the beverage industry at Coca-Cola. And I was so excited to have this meeting because I thought he could just wave his wand and solve all my problems, right? And then after, you know, a few minutes on the phone, he jumped in and shared with me that my idea was not so great by saying, sweetie, Americans love sweet. This product isn't going anywhere. And, you know, that sort of shocking, condescending, you know, surprising statement actually was what woke me up to realize that I was on a different path, a path based on a mission of health.

7:07And his was really around selling sweet stuff, right? Seems obvious. But when you're in it, right, like that's, that's the, you want people to solve your problems, right? You want your, you're trying to figure out how to do something like launch a beverage or anything else. And you figure these people who have industry experience are going to, you know, they've got the keys to the kingdom. And what I found was that, you know, instead, they they typically don't actually create new stuff and they don't believe in in kind of doing something different or you know and and also that some you know lady from san francisco who had grown up and been a successful tech executive there was no way she was going to be able to figure out how to launch a product that was better for you but so so that was you know a series of doubts along the way that I want to share with people because I've met so many people over the years who have said to me that, you know, basically by hearing my story, it's helped them to know that they're not alone in building a company and you can have doubts and you can have doubters and you can have fears and you can have failures.

8:20And ultimately, just by, you know, sharing these experiences, is my hope is just to help people kind of get out and just go do it and just go try and have confidence to know that every successful story out there and unsuccessful story out there is just about a founder or an entrepreneur is willing to try. Yeah, your story reminds me of this person I just picture from time to time looking at Henry Ford and saying, son, people just want a faster horse. Like, what are you trying to do? And he's like, oh, we'll see. We'll see what they want. And that's why you never want to look at people who are ingrained in the industry and take them at their word when they're potentially disbarging you because listen, they've tried to build a moat around what they've created and they may have a lot of ignorance and they may have a lot of blindness as to what's coming because they're so focused on what is working.

9:18And yeah, people do love sweetness but that doesn't mean there's not a huge segment of the population. And especially with the trends that's going here with the morbid obesity that this world is entering, especially America that's saying, Hey, like, okay, I like to have some kind of flavor in my drinks, but I don't like being 75 pounds overweight. I don't like putting my immune in a compromised system when there's a pandemic going around the world and all these different things. So that's why fire nation, you've got to say, what is working for me? Why does this make sense for me? And why does this make sense for this world and this creation that I'm creating?

9:54And I think it really kind of comes around, Kara, to having to ask you this next question, because you have four kids. You have this massive business that's, you know, the largest independent water business, as you described it. Why did you write this book? Don't you have enough to do? Exactly. You know, again, it goes back to this, this like need to actually solve a problem that I saw in front of me. I mean, prior to this, I was in the tech industry. I had built a e-commerce and shopping. I was responsible for e-commerce and shopping partnerships at AOL. And when I left, it was a billion dollars in revenue to the company.

10:34And I was really looking at other tech companies. I mean, that was like the natural fit. I, again, live in San Francisco. And I felt Like, especially when I left AOL in 2001, a long time ago, it was, it was, you know, there were lots of companies that were starting to crop up. And, and really, what I started thinking about was, what am I really interested in? Like, what do I want to wake up every single day and do? And, you know, I had these three young kids at the time that were under the age of four. It was crazy town, right? Like, everybody's running around. And and I just I don't know, I just kept I missed working and I missed kind of doing something.

11:17But I didn't know that I should be almost pigeonholed in sort of working in tech. I mean, it was fun. I really enjoyed it. But I also felt like I had other interests. So that's when I, you know, was was sort of as an interim step to kind of figuring out what I ultimately wanted to do. that's when, as I mentioned, I decided to start this company, which I didn't even really think it was a company at the time. It was just like three SKUs of flavored water, get it on the shelf. But I felt like this story reminds people so much about other people's stories along the way that I've done it in lots of different industries.

12:01And, and, you know, as I mentioned before, that if I could actually share my story with people, like maybe they wouldn't continue to keep those walls up around them that really are preventing them from doing something in another industry or having excuses that are really blocking them from being able to go out and achieve happiness. Because I just also really believe that if you actually love what you're doing, then it's then you're a lot happier, right as a person. And I watched sort of lots of people right now, even, you know, dealing with nine months of not so fun, right? Like everybody, you know, tries to figure out what are those good things that I that I figured out along the way.

12:49But a lot of people are really trying to figure out, gosh, do I even really like what I'm doing? Do I want to sit in a company that I'm sitting on zoom all all day long? I mean, you know, my company's not opening up for the next year. I mean, is there something else that I should be doing? And, and again, like, I think it's an opportune time for people to really kind of take a step back for a minute, even if you have, you know, four kids, maybe you're homeschooling kids right now, and really think about that problem, that, you know, product, that service that maybe you thought, you know, gosh, that'd be so great if it was on the market, go figure it out.

13:28Like, go figure out how to write a business plan. Like, you know, I mean, go figure out how to, like, go and launch a product in Whole Foods. I mean, I, you know, I have stories in the book about, like, literally following, you know, people around that looked official from, you know, other beverage companies. Like I was just I had no idea what I was doing. I was like, OK, he's not wearing like a Whole Foods kind of uniform. And then he sort of looks like he's stocking shelves of a certain brand. So I'd like tap him on the shoulder and and say, hey, like, do you work for that company? You know, so where do you guys bottle your product or, you know, what other stores are you in?

14:06And I would I would just ask these questions again. Like I was a consumer, right I had no idea what I was doing I mean as close to really understanding how to distribute product was seeing coke and pepsi trucks go down the street right I sort of knew that cisco was like a distributor as well but but I was you know asking the guy at whole foods like do you have a phone number for cisco I mean it was it was really right like he's like wait what what don't you get at it and you're gonna run into people that will say don't you get it but but I mean that's part of the humor of the whole thing, right?

14:39Like it was just, it was, I would come back to my tech friends and I would share these stories with them and, and they would just start cracking up, right? Because they just thought, isn't it kind of fun? I mean, I remember my, my CFO, I met him at a kid's party. We were, his kid was, was in school with mine and he's pouring me a glass of wine. It was an evening party and he's pouring me a glass of wine. He's like, oh, so what do you do and what are you working or what are you doing and I said oh you've never even heard of it it's like this little company hint and it's it's a beverage I'm like almost apologizing and he said wait I work at Google we we drink a ton of hint at Google he was like yeah and so he's like and he's like get out of here he's like I can't believe you're like like are you are you a salesperson I said no I'm the founder and he was like like how many people are in the company I I was like, oh, like six.

15:34And he was like, you have six people in the company. Like, he's like, get out of here. And he was like, and here this guy, you know, had grown up in tech and he was just intrigued. He was asking me all the same questions that I had asked, right, when I went into Whole Foods and to the poor guy stocking the shelves. Like, you know, I was clueless. And so it's funny. I mean, he when we were looking for investment, he was actually before we were looking for investment. His name is Julio. And Julio was was like, so when you guys are like looking for investors, please let me know. I love to invest.

16:11I drink it all day long and really awesome. And I was like, sure. So he he invested like a year later when we were finally taking outside capital. and he said, and about two years ago, he was always on our board, actually, not always, but about probably a couple of years in, we asked him to come on our board. And he was always like, I know nothing about beverage. So just kick me off the board. Like if you find somebody better. And then two years ago, he reached out to me and he said, I have something really weird to ask you. And I said, what? And he was like, I don't even know how to ask you this.

16:50And I was like, oh, my God. He's going to quit the board. He wants his money back. Where is this going? And he said, can I have a job? And I'm like, a job? And he said, I mean, I've never actually asked for a job before. I just, I've always, you know, I'm looking at these other opportunities. And I keep going back to the fact that, like, I know you guys so well. I've watched your business. I've really admired it. It's a lot of fun. you laugh you smile you don't take yourself so seriously you guys are profitable like you know all these things and and that's what i want in a company and so i was wondering if you guys would hire me for as your cfo i mean we'd always had like i had a finance and he would give us suggestions on it but anyway it's a funny story because you just uh you know you you think that you're so alone but that was the response from so many people you know along the way in building this company.

17:44And frankly, I mean, most of our investors were fans before they even invested. Fire Nation, you never know who's listening. You never know who's watching. You never know who's drinking. You never know who's eating. You never know who's consuming your content. And it just might be that right person. And we're going to ask you, Fire Nation, what does it mean to be undaunted. And Kara's going to break into that when we get back from thanking our sponsors. If you're anything like me, then you're looking forward to a lot of outdoor time this summer. I'm talking about hitting the pool, going on epic hikes, and maybe even getting in a few pickleball matches.

18:25But in order to do all that, you and your team need to work smarter, not harder. That's why we're so excited about HubSpot's integrated AI tech. It's helping teams automate the more tedious parts of running a business. With AI-powered tools built into HubSpot CRM, you can do research, pull reports, and write copy in a flash. In fact, recent research shows that marketers are already slicing time spent on manual administrative tasks in half thanks to AI from five hours to 2.5 hours a day, which amounts to almost four weeks of saved time per year. And with four weeks of your time back, you could be enjoying a lot more pool time, hiking, and pickleball.

19:03So what are you waiting for? Learn more and get started today at hubspot.com. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, what got you here won't get you there. And it's so true. You've gotten this far in your business through your own hard work and dedication, but there are only so many hours in the day. If you're ready to stop trying to do it all yourself and start leveraging highly vetted US-based specialists to help take your business to the next level, then Belay can help. Belay has been helping entrepreneurs scale their business and find success for over a decade. Their goal to help busy leaders just like you delegate with specialists like virtual assistants, bookkeepers, social media managers, and more.

19:43It's time to get out of the administrative weeds of your business and start investing your time back into things that grow your business. To help you get started, Belay is offering Fire Nation, the ultimate guide to working with a virtual assistant. It's packed with helpful content about how to leverage a virtual assistant to save you time and money all while growing your business. Just text FIRE, that's F-I-R-E, to 55123 to get started. So Kara, we're back. And as I kind of teased before the break, what the heck does it mean to be undaunted? Yeah, so I think it really, to me, boils down to trying.

20:21I mean, and, you know, it's funny. I've been called relentless when I've been out speaking about building this brand over the years. And, you know, I just don't really, I just don't view myself as being as much, I guess at times I'm relentless. But I think for me, it's just about just going and trying and being okay with failure. And like, and, you know, people are like, you must like risk. Not really. I just view the world as like, I could always go back to tech if it didn't work out. Right. So, you know, when you think about things that way, like, you know, what's the worst that can happen? Then you decide to live undaunted, right?

21:06You're you're decide to go out and try and and and it's a lot of fun, too. Right. Like, I don't think undaunted needs to be about like just being a risk taker. And in fact, most people that I know who have founded companies and are successful people in industries really do live undaunted. And I think as I have thought about it over the years, it really is about, you know, facing your fears and trying and just being okay with knowing that it might not work out. But in the end, most of the time it does, actually. And it might not be exactly how you envisioned it, but it might be a version that is okay.

21:53Cara, where can Fire Nation pick up this book? Why should Fire Nation pick up this book? And just end with a bang, the major takeaway that you want our audience to get from everything we talked about. Yeah. So Undaunted Overcoming Doubts and Doubters on Amazon, Audible. Quick question I have to ask. Did you read the audio book? I did read that. Yes. Kara, you're a podcaster. I'm so proud of you. You did it. Yeah. No. And in fact, I get extra cred for it because I did it during the pandemic when my publisher actually told me that I was not going to be able to find a studio. And I said, you're dealing with an undaunted person who will find a studio.

22:40And I did. But yeah, I mean, I think this is a book that people are saying it's not just for entrepreneurs, but it's also for people who are just saying, you know what, like, if she can do it, I can do it, whether that's just getting out of bed, or just going out and trying and facing their fears. and, you know, obviously amazing for entrepreneurs too. But I think everybody needs to hear these stories and really learn from people who have had challenges. I think that's the biggest takeaway. And stories are fun, right? Especially when they're hard and they're not happening to you, right? Like it gives you energy and it gives you fuel to be able to just go out and recognize that life, you know, brings you twists and turns, but it's really about how you manage and handle them and not take them so seriously.

23:38Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and you've been hanging out with KG and JLD today. So keep up that heat. Head over to eofire.com. Just type Kara, K-A-R-A in the search bar. Her show on this page will pop up with everything we've talked about today, links to it all. Check out the book Undaunted in the way that you like to on Amazon, read it, listen to it. Cara actually does the audiobook herself. So that's awesome. Please take my landscaper's lead and consume massive quantities of hints. I didn't even get to, I had like my eye on the, on the raspberry.

24:17I was like, I'm going to like that. And I didn't even get to try it because it was gone, gone, gone. We'll get you some, John. Oh, Kara, you're the best. And Fire Nation, you get some as well. Hint, that's H-I-N-T. If Google's drinking it, you should be too. And Kara, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Hey, Fire Nation, today's value bomb content was brought to you by Kara. And are you ready to rock your very own podcast? Well, then you should check out our free podcasting course where I teach you how to create and launch your podcast for free.

24:55Visit freepodcastcourse.com and I'll catch you there or I'll catch you on the flip side. The Gold Digger podcast hosted by Jenna Kuchar is brought to you by the HubSpot podcast network, the audio destination for business professionals. The Gold Digger podcast helps you discover your dream career with productivity tips, social strategies, business hacks, inspirational stories, and so much more. One of my favorite recent episodes is titled how I've built an unmatched team culture, an insanely important topic for all business owners to dive into. Listen to Gold Digger wherever you get your podcasts.

25:26Wondering how to leverage a virtual assistant to save you time and money all while growing your business? Get Belay's ultimate guide to working with a virtual assistant today. Just text FIRE, that's F-I-R-E, to 55123 to get started.