In short
Evita Kunke (Honeydew Sleep co-founder) explains how the company rethinks sleep by focusing on pillows for spinal alignment, cooling, and comfort, and how they scaled from sewing covers at home into a nationally recognized brand with a factory in Southern California.
Guest background
Evita and her husband worked in the bedding industry for years; her severe back issue in her early 20s improved after switching her mattress setup. Her family background includes her husband’s father founding brick-and-mortar stores.
Key claims
- Pillows are often the overlooked driver of alignment and comfort, sometimes more than the mattress.
- Honeydew’s pillow fill is proprietary and adjustable via a hidden zipper; it’s designed to support alignment without lumps.
- Copper-infused foam helps dissipate heat and is naturally antibacterial/antimicrobial.
Notable examples
- Side-sleeper pillow addresses the “space” between shoulder and bed; it’s adjustable and curved to avoid neck pressure.
- Customer education is a major challenge as copycats proliferated on Amazon; Honeydew created lower-priced “essence” options to preserve quality access.
- Product line includes side sleeper, traditional, travel, body pillow, bamboo sheets, and silk pillowcases.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VODetermination in Pursuit
0:00 to 0:19
Learn about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
“I am unwilling to give up, but I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be.”
Determination in Pursuit
0:47 to 1:47
Learn about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
“most AI could give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce.”
Determination in Pursuit
2:18 to 3:58
Learn about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
“For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time.”
Determination in Pursuit
4:00 to 5:35
Learn about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
“That's what stands out to me about Chime.”
Determination in Pursuit
5:38 to 6:05
Learn about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
“Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime Plus status only.”
Meeting Evita Kunke
6:05 to 9:16
Introduction to Evita Kunke and her journey with Honeydew Sleep.
“Why have we all accepted waking up in pain as normal when it really shouldn't be?”
Meeting Evita Kunke
9:50 to 11:23
Introduction to Evita Kunke and her journey with Honeydew Sleep.
“Expensive, overwhelming, and somehow still hard to know which frames would actually look good on you.”
The Story Behind Honeydew Sleep
11:23 to 14:03
Evita shares the origin story and mission of Honeydew Sleep.
“For listeners who may not know about Honeydew Sleep, how do you describe the brand and what makes it different?”
Building the Honeydew Sleep Brand
14:03 to 16:34
Learn how Honeydew Sleep was founded and the brand's vision.
“started experimenting with selling it online and selling it in the brick and mortar stores that we had.”
Building the Honeydew Sleep Brand
16:40 to 17:40
Learn how Honeydew Sleep was founded and the brand's vision.
“give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce.”
Show all 26 chapters
Building the Honeydew Sleep Brand
17:45 to 19:42
Learn how Honeydew Sleep was founded and the brand's vision.
“across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization.”
Building the Honeydew Sleep Brand
20:17 to 21:58
Learn how Honeydew Sleep was founded and the brand's vision.
“For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time.”
The Story Behind the Name 'Honeydew'
21:58 to 24:59
Explore the inspiration and meaning behind the Honeydew Sleep name.
“When we first started, we thought, well, we got to have something sleep related.”
The Story Behind the Name 'Honeydew'
25:06 to 26:47
Explore the inspiration and meaning behind the Honeydew Sleep name.
“For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time.”
The Story Behind the Name 'Honeydew'
26:50 to 27:51
Explore the inspiration and meaning behind the Honeydew Sleep name.
“Let's face it, most AI can give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce.”
The Story Behind the Name 'Honeydew'
27:56 to 29:52
Explore the inspiration and meaning behind the Honeydew Sleep name.
“That's r-i-p-p-l-i-n-g dot a-i slash Kara Golden.”
The Story Behind the Name 'Honeydew'
29:56 to 30:22
Explore the inspiration and meaning behind the Honeydew Sleep name.
“Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank.”
Discovering the Side Sleeper Market
30:23 to 33:12
Explore the challenges side sleepers face and how Honeydew addresses them.
“So when you finally launched Honeydew, you really focused specifically on side sleepers.”
Discovering the Side Sleeper Market
33:17 to 34:56
Explore the challenges side sleepers face and how Honeydew addresses them.
“For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time.”
Discovering the Side Sleeper Market
35:02 to 36:04
Explore the challenges side sleepers face and how Honeydew addresses them.
“Let's face it, most AI can give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce.”
Discovering the Side Sleeper Market
36:08 to 36:28
Explore the challenges side sleepers face and how Honeydew addresses them.
“across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization.”
Innovating Pillow Design
36:29 to 40:59
Understand the unique aspects of Honeydew pillows and their materials.
“You sort of play around with it and figure out how to make it work for you.”
Product Lines and Future Innovations
41:00 to 42:04
Discover Honeydew's diverse product offerings and their focus on natural materials.
“Well, we have our scrumptious line, which is our side sleeper.”
The Importance of Customer Feedback in Product Development
42:04 to 44:46
Learn how Honeydew Sleep utilizes customer feedback for product innovation.
“So that is something that's really important to us as well.”
Building a Brand Story in the Sleep Industry
44:46 to 47:18
Discover how Honeydew Sleep leverages its family background to enhance its brand story.
“So it's not like we are just running our pillows just as they are for years and years, when we're getting feedback or we're finding innovations, we're able to implement those in real time.”
Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
47:18 to 48:28
Hear final thoughts from Evita on Honeydew Sleep and customer appreciation efforts.
“grown quite a bit, we still hand sign every thank you note that goes in the box.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Kara Goldin:I am unwilling to give up, but I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be. You just want to make sure you will get knocked down, but just make sure you don't get knocked out. So your only choice should be, go focus on what you can control. Hi everyone and welcome to the Kara Goldin show. Join me each week for inspiring conversations with some of the world's greatest leaders. We'll talk with founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and really some of the most interesting people of our time. Can't wait to get started. Let's go. Hi, this episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by Rippling.
0:46Kara Goldin:Let's face it, most AI could give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce. That's where Rippling stands apart because Rippling AI is built on your live global workforce data with HR, IT, and finance all connected in one place. Say you want to focus on talent retention. Just ask Rippling AI, who are my top performers this year? And instantly get a workforce report flagging potentially at-risk employees with supporting data like comp ratios, recent performance reviews, and engagement metrics. Then Rippling AI can turn those insights into real action, like recommending a retention strategy that includes a 5 % spot bonus for top performers in your next payroll run.
1:40Kara Goldin:Just tap confirm to add it to next month's payroll run. So don't settle for AI that's all talk. Head to rippling.ai slash Kara Golden and get the only AI built to give you full visibility across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization. That's r-i-p-p-l-i-n-g dot a-i slash Kara Golden. Sign up for exclusive access today. This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Hi, Kara here. For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time. I felt that pressure firsthand. You know, a bad hire isn't just frustrating, it's expensive in time, money, and team morale.
2:33Kara Goldin:And yet hiring the right person can feel like a full-time job on top of everything else you're already doing. Sifting through applications, trying to spot the real standouts, second-guessing decisions, it can get overwhelming fast. That's why having a way to save time without sacrificing quality isn't just nice to have, it's critical. Luckily, LinkedIn Hiring Pro is built for that reality. It's your hiring partner designed to help you hire with confidence by surfacing only the right candidates without turning hiring into another full-time job. Posting a job isn't always the hard part. It's finding, connecting with, and screening the right candidates.
3:16Kara Goldin:Hiring Pro streamlines the entire process from drafting your job to shortlisting candidates and conducting AI-powered interviews for initial screenings. Their updated conversational interface lets you describe what you need in plain language, no recruiter jargon needed. Nearly 60 % of hires find a candidate to interview within a week. With Hiring Pro, you spend less time searching and more time connecting with the right talent. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Kara Golden. Terms and conditions apply. Banking should help you move forward, not surprise you with fees or make everything harder than it needs to be.
4:05Kara Goldin:That's what stands out to me about Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank with fee-free, more rewarding banking designed for how people actually live today. No unnecessary complexity, no old school banking games, just a more modern way to manage your money. And what really makes it different is how much more you actually get. With direct deposit, you unlock features like access to up to$500 off your paycheck when you need it with MyPay, plus the potential to earn up to$1 ,150 in annual rewards. And it's not just about avoiding fees. It's about making your money work harder. You can earn up to 3.75 APY on savings, get up to 5 % cash back on everyday day spending with the Chime card and even access premium travel perks like airport lounge access and 24-7 concierge.
5:04Kara Goldin:Plus, you get features like SpotMe, which lets you overdraft up to$200 fee-free and five-star customer support with real humans available 24-7. You're not just switching banks, you're upgrading to a more rewarding way to manage your money. Chime is not just smarter banking, it is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That is Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That's Chime.com slash Kara Golden.
5:55Chime.com slash fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime Plus status only. Otherwise, 1.00 % APY applies. No min balance required. Chime card on time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See Chime.com for details and applicable terms.
6:04Kara Goldin:Everyone, and welcome back to the Kara Golden Show. Why have we all accepted waking up in pain as normal when it really shouldn't be? So today I'm joined by Evita Kunky, who is the co-founder of Honey Do Sleep, a company on a mission to rethink how we sleep, starting with something most of us overlook, the pillow. And I have to tell you, these are the best pillows. So you have to, have to, have to try these if you haven't. But what started with sewing pillow covers on a dining room table has grown into a nationally recognized brand known for its handcrafted science-backed pillows designed for real alignment, cooling, and comfort, and not mass production.
6:51Kara Goldin:So I cannot wait to hear more about Evita's story. Evita is the co-founder and more than anything, just hear about how did this all come about and how has she scaled the company and all of the fun stuff in between. So Evita, welcome to the Kara Golden Show. So excited to finally meet you. Thank you. I appreciate the lovely introduction and I am so excited to be here. I just feel honored. I know you talk to a lot of founders and I just think it's so interesting. I think people in our position don't often have an outlet to really share our stories. So I love what you do and just really proud to be here.
7:36Kara Goldin:Thank you so much. Well, okay. So So banking should help you move forward, not surprise you with fees or make everything harder than it needs to be. That's what stands out to me about Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank with fee-free, more rewarding banking designed for how people actually live today. No unnecessary complexity, no old school banking games, just a more modern way to manage your money. And what really makes it different is how much more you actually get. With direct deposit, you unlock features like access to up to$500 off your paycheck when you need it with MyPay, plus the potential to earn up to$1 ,150 in annual rewards.
8:23Kara Goldin:And it's not just about avoiding fees. It's about making your money work harder. You can earn up to 3.75 APY on savings, get up to 5 % cash back on everyday spending with the Chime card, and even access premium travel perks like airport lounge access and 24-7 concierge. Plus, you get features like SpotMe, which lets you overdraft up to$200 fee-free and five-star customer support with real humans available 24-7. You're not just switching banks, you're upgrading to a more rewarding way to manage your money. Chime is not just smarter banking, it is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today.
9:13Kara Goldin:It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com slash Kara Golden. That is chime.com slash Kara Golden. That's chime.com slash Kara Golden.
9:43credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.
9:46Kara Goldin:Today's episode is brought to you by Warby Parker. Finding the right glasses used to feel way more complicated than it needed to be. Expensive, overwhelming, and somehow still hard to know which frames would actually look good on you. And I don't know about you, but I don't want buying glasses to feel like a major project. I want great frames, a simple process, and a way to feel confident before I commit. That's why I love Warby Parker. They've made the whole process feel simple, modern, and actually enjoyable. Their virtual try-on is a total game changer. You can use your phone, point the camera at your face, and see different frames on you in real time.
10:31Kara Goldin:And it actually works. You can really get a sense of how the frames look and fit. I'm wearing mine right now. These are the pair I picked and I love how lightweight they feel, how well made they are, and how modern the style is. Warby Parker prescription glasses start at just$95 and they also offer sunglasses, contacts, eye exams, and over 300 retail stores if you want to go in person. Right now buy one pair of glasses and get 20 % off and any additional pairs at warbyparker.com slash karagolden. That's 20 % off any additional pairs when you purchase one pair at warbyparker.com slash karagolden.
11:23Kara Goldin:Honeydew Sleep. For listeners who may not know about Honeydew Sleep, how do you describe the brand and what makes it different? So we kind of came to be almost accidentally. My husband and I worked in the bedding industry for many years. His dad actually started brick and mortar stores when he was a little boy. And he used to work in the stores. And even when he was little, he would hand out hot dogs on Memorial Day. And he grew up in the business. We had met in high school, but we had gone our separate ways. And I had had a really severe back issue. so after that happened I was looking at possibly having surgery in my early 20s I was in a lot of pain and I had a doctor at the time recommend a mattress for me and my parents invested in it for me and it completely changed my life I went from pain painkillers not being able to drive myself to almost no pain at all and just from changing my sleep setup so it was something I was already passionate about.
12:27So when I got together with my husband, we started working in that industry together. And then we saw that there were things missing or that could be improved upon based on the customer feedback and based on what we knew about alignment and all the ways that we were educated about sleep. So we started kind of tinkering. One of the things that we thought was most overlooked and yet absolutely critical was the pillow. A lot of times, even if you have a mattress that's not great, but you have the right pillow and your cervical spine is in alignment, you can sleep better than if your mattress is great, but your pillow is not good.
13:05And a lot of people didn't see it that way because you just think about the bigger picture, right? You think the mattress is kind of the star of the show. So we started to tinker around with pillows. We discovered a different way of making the fill that would allow it to be supportive and keep you in alignment, but also be soft and luxurious because prior to that, you could find really one or the other. And once we developed this product, we thought this is really fun. We took time doing it. We sewed our own cover. My mom was helping us sew pillow covers. We were using all kinds of filling. We had it all over our home, just trying to figure out the right thing.
13:45And we then started to share it with friends and family. And right away, there seemed to be this desire to get their hands on these pillows. And as it spread, we thought, well, if it's making a difference for people, maybe this is something that we can do on a larger scale. So right away, we kind of started experimenting with selling it online and selling it in the brick and mortar stores that we had. And the sales grew very quickly. So then we became aware that now we have started a business somehow accidentally, but we wanted it not just to be a business or a pillow. We wanted to build a brand, which was difficult because our industry, the sleep industry, is kind of run by these large behemoth companies.
14:37And over the last several years, especially, a lot of them have combined. So to make a name for yourself when you're new is a difficult task. But we wanted to build a brand that our customers could trust and keep coming to. And that was always focused on innovation, on alignment, on the health aspects of what good sleep can bring you. And so that we can improve the quality of sleep and improve people's quality of life. It affects every aspect of your health. So we started to really focus on how we wanted to present ourselves to the world. we're a little bit different in that a lot of sleep companies will present themselves in a very kind of pastel sleepy way, where it's all about the kind of serenity of the sleep you get.
15:30But we wanted to focus on how vibrant your life can be when you are getting the right sleep. So right away, everything about us was kind of different. We were bright colors. We were lots of energy. And it was about, you know, being able to have adventures and chase your dreams and travel and work and live your best life when you're getting your best sleep. So that's kind of what we focused our brand on. And because we had a product that was now backed by medical professionals, cervical spine specialists, and was actually making a difference for people in pain relief, regaining mobility, getting better sleep.
16:08I think the combination of those two things and the fact that we really focused on building our own factory, even though we had no experience in that prior, but we knew that if we wanted to keep our standards high and keep our hands in the quality of our products, we would have to do it ourselves. So here in Southern California, we have our offices combined with our actual factory, and we're here every day making pillows.
16:34Kara Goldin:This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by Rippling. Let's face it, most AI can give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce. That's where Rippling stands apart, because Rippling AI is built on your live global workforce data with HR, IT, and finance all connected in one place. Say you want to focus on talent retention. Just ask Rippling AI, who are my top performers this year? And instantly get a workforce report flagging potentially at-risk employees with supporting data like comp ratios, recent performance reviews, and engagement metrics.
17:21Kara Goldin:Then Rippling AI can turn those insights into real action, like recommending a retention strategy that includes a 5 % spot bonus for top performers in your next payroll run. Just tap confirm to add it to next month's payroll run. So don't settle for AI that's all talk. Head to rippling.ai slash Kara Golden and get the only AI built to give you full visibility across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization. That's r-i-p-p-l-i-n-g dot a-i slash Kara Golden. Sign up for exclusive access today. Banking should help you move forward, not surprise you with fees or make everything harder than it needs to be.
18:12Kara Goldin:That's what stands out to me about Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank with fee-free, more rewarding banking designed for how people actually live today. No unnecessary complexity, no old school banking games, just a more modern way to manage your money. And what really makes it different is how much more you actually get. With direct deposit, you unlock features like access to up to$500 off your paycheck when you need it with MyPay, plus the potential to earn up to$1 ,150 in annual rewards. And it's not just about avoiding fees, it's about making your money work harder. You can earn up to 3.75 APY on savings, get up to 5 % cash back on everyday spending with the Chime card, and even access premium travel perks like airport lounge access and 24-7 concierge.
19:11Kara Goldin:Plus, you get features like SpotMe, which lets you overdraft up to$200 fee-free and five-star customer support with real humans available 24-7. You're not just switching banks. you're upgrading to a more rewarding way to manage your money. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That is Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That's Chime.com slash Kara Golden. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services, a secured Chime Visa credit card, and my paid line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank N.A.
19:57or Stride Bank N.A. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges$20 to$500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com slash fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with chime plus status only. Otherwise, 1.00 % APY applies. No min balance required. Chime card on-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.
20:12Kara Goldin:This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Hi, Kara here. For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time. I felt that pressure firsthand. You know, a bad hire isn't just frustrating, it's expensive in time, money, and team morale. And yet hiring the right person can feel like a full-time job on top of everything else you're already doing. Sifting through applications, trying to spot the real standouts, second-guessing decisions, it can get overwhelming fast. That's why having a way to save time without sacrificing and quality isn't just nice to have, it's critical.
20:56Kara Goldin:Luckily, LinkedIn Hiring Pro is built for that reality. It's your hiring partner designed to help you hire with confidence by surfacing only the right candidates without turning hiring into another full-time job. Posting a job isn't always the hard part. It's finding, connecting with, and screening the right candidates. Hiring Pro streamlines the entire process from drafting your job to shortlisting candidates and conducting AI powered interviews for initial screenings. Their updated conversational interface lets you describe what you need in plain language, no recruiter jargon needed. Nearly 60 % of hires find a candidate to interview within a week.
21:38Kara Goldin:With Hiring Pro, you spend less time searching and more time connecting with the right talent. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Kara Golden. Terms and conditions apply. So, Evita, where did the name come from? So, it's funny. When we first started, we thought, well, we got to have something sleep related. And we were thinking of different terms that would kind of evoke sleepy thoughts. And one of the things we thought about was drift because we were thinking drift off to sleep drift away And uh, and we kind of started moving in that direction And then we realized that there was like a company in the uk using that term which Wasn't a conflict we could have stayed with it but I think that the more important thing for us was we wanted to differentiate ourselves And uh, as I mentioned before what we wanted to do is focus on kind of this vibrant fun life you can have when you're getting the best sleep.
22:43And so we started thinking about fun words that are just kind of evoking like happy, vibrant thoughts. And honeydew was one of those that we threw out at some point, and it just felt right immediately. And we are a married couple, my husband and I, and we run the company together. So it's funny because, you know, you always have a honeydew list, right? And so good sleep is on the top of our honeydew list. And especially because of the industry we're in. So it just kind of fit and it felt sweet and it felt fun. And that's the vibe we wanted to present for our company.
23:25Kara Goldin:Here's the thing about healthy aging. I thought I knew a lot about what mattered, sleep, movement, hydration, what we eat. But I had never heard about C15 until Fatty 15. And boy, is it intriguing. C15 is the first emerging essential fatty acid discovered in more than 90 years. Fatty 15 co-founder Dr. Stephanie Van Watson discovered its benefits while working with the US Navy to improve the health of older dolphins. What they found was fascinating. C15 helps strengthen our cells and when our cells don't have enough of it, they can become fragile and age faster. That's why I love how easy Fatty 15 makes it to support healthy aging at the cellular level.
24:10Kara Goldin:Their pure science-backed C15 ingredient is designed to help repair age-related cellular damage, protect cells from breakdown and support, sleep, cognitive health, metabolism, and overall wellness. Fatty 15 is available as capsules, apple mint gummies for teens and adults, and berry blast gummies for kids. And here's the important part. Fatty15 is on a mission to support healthy aging for all, including all ages and stages of life. You can get an additional 15 % off a 90-day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com slash Cara and use code Cara at checkout. That's an additional 15 % off a 90-day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com slash Kara and use code Kara at checkout.
25:00Kara Goldin:This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Hi, Kara here. For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time. I felt that pressure firsthand. You know, a bad hire isn't just frustrating, it's expensive. In time, money, and team morale. And yet hiring the right person can feel like a full-time job on top of everything else you're already doing. Sifting through applications, trying to spot the real standouts, second-guessing decisions, it can get overwhelming fast. That's why having a way to save time without sacrificing quality isn't just nice to have, it's critical.
25:44Kara Goldin:Luckily, LinkedIn Hiring Pro is built for that reality. It's your hiring partner designed to help you hire with confidence by surfacing only the right candidates without turning hiring into another full-time job. Posting a job isn't always the hard part. It's finding, connecting with, and screening the right candidates. Hiring Pro streamlines the entire process from drafting your job to shortlisting candidates and conducting AI-powered interviews for initial screenings. Their updated conversational interface lets you describe what you need in plain language, no recruiter jargon needed. Nearly 60 % of hires find a candidate to interview within a week.
26:27Kara Goldin:With Hiring Pro, you spend less time searching and more time connecting with the right talent. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Kara Golden. Terms and conditions apply. This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by Rippling. Let's face it, most AI can give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce. That's where Rippling stands apart because Rippling AI is built on your live global workforce data with HR, IT, and finance all connected in one place.
27:11Kara Goldin:Say you want to focus on talent retention. Just ask Rippling AI, who are my top performers this year? And instantly get a workforce report flagging potentially at-risk employees with supporting data like comp ratios, recent performance reviews and engagement metrics. Then Rippling AI can turn those insights into real action, like recommending a retention strategy that includes a 5 % spot bonus for top performers in your next payroll run. Just tap confirm to add it to next month's payroll run. So don't settle for AI that's all talk. Head to rippling.ai slash Kara Golden and get the only AI built to give you full visibility across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization.
28:04Kara Goldin:That's r-i-p-p-l-i-n-g dot a-i slash Kara Golden. Sign up for exclusive access today. Banking should help you move forward, not surprise you with fees or make everything harder than it needs to be. That's what stands out to me about Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank with fee-free, more rewarding banking designed for how people actually live today. No unnecessary complexity, no old school banking games, just a more modern way to manage your money. And what really makes it different is how much more you actually get. With direct deposit, you unlock features like access to up to$500 off your paycheck when you need it with MyPay, plus the potential to earn up to$1 ,150 in annual rewards.
29:00Kara Goldin:And it's not just about avoiding fees. It's about making your money work harder. You can earn up to 3.75 APY on savings, get up to 5 % cash back on everyday spending with the Chime card, and even access premium travel perks like airport lounge access and 24-7 concierge. Plus, you get features like SpotMe, which lets you overdraft up to$200 fee-free and five-star customer support with real humans available 24-7. You're not just switching banks. you're upgrading to a more rewarding way to manage your money. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today.
Read the full transcript
29:50Kara Goldin:It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That is Chime.com slash Kara Golden. That's Chime.com slash Kara Golden. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services, a secured Chime Visa credit card, and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges$20 to$500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com slash fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with chime plus status only. Otherwise, 1.00 % APY applies. No min balance required.
30:18Chime card on-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.
30:23Kara Goldin:So when you finally launched Honeydew, you really focused specifically on side sleepers. So what did you hear from consumers that was interesting when it came to, you know, the side sleeper approach? Yeah. So actually, I think something like 70 % of sleepers are side sleepers. So it's a large majority of people sleep on their side. And it's actually also one of the positions that's hardest to get into alignment because there's all this space between your neck and the bed because of your shoulder. So that was a big problem we were seeing and a lot of complaints about people not being able to kind of find that sweet spot where they were able to have comfort but feel the like luxurious softness.
31:18Firm pillows typically were the pillows that were structurally better but they were firm so they were causing pressure points, didn't feel as comfortable. A lot of them were kind of molded and kept you in a specific position. So you weren't able to kind of move around freely. So since we are both side sleepers, we thought, well, we'll tackle that first. But the great thing about it is we made our pillow adjustable. So that is a key element into making sure that your pillow keeps you in alignment is you have to be able to adjust it to your shoulders and to your height so that you're able to have that spine in alignment.
31:59So we made it adjustable and also we made a curve in it because we wanted it to kind of scoop around your shoulder where it wasn't bunching into your neck and throwing you out of alignment. And what we discovered is that that shape actually works really well for all sleepers. So our side sleeper pillow is by far our most best-selling pillow, our most used pillow by all side sleepers, back sleepers, stomach sleepers, because of the way you're able to adjust it, because of the way you're able to move it and kind of have it mold to your shoulders and neck. So it was kind of a one of those discoveries where we made something specifically for side sleepers, but it works for everyone really, really well.
32:44And we have traditional rectangular pillows because a lot of people still like that and like the aesthetic of it. But most people who try our side sleeper are immediately sold on it and definitely go that route.
32:58Kara Goldin:It's such a great pillow. So I am a side sleeper, but I will tell you that my husband and tried it. He's not a side sleeper. And he's like, wow, this is amazing. So it's yeah. So it's it's really, really great. So this episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Hi, Kara here. For small businesses, every hire matters, but so does your time. I felt that pressure firsthand. You know, a bad hire isn't just frustrating. It's expensive in time, money, and team morale. And yet hiring the right person can feel like a full-time job on top of everything else you're already doing.
33:41Kara Goldin:Sifting through applications, trying to spot the real standouts, second-guessing decisions, it can get overwhelming fast. That's why having a way to save time without sacrificing quality isn't just nice to have, it's critical. Luckily, LinkedIn HiringPro is built for that reality. It's your hiring partner designed to help you hire with confidence by surfacing only the right candidates without turning hiring into another full-time job. Posting a job isn't always the hard part. It's finding, connecting with, and screening the right candidates. HiringPro streamlines the entire process from drafting your job to short-listing candidates and conducting AI-powered interviews for initial screenings.
34:27Kara Goldin:Their updated conversational interface lets you describe what you need in plain language, no recruiter jargon needed. Nearly 60 % of hires find a candidate to interview within a week. With Hiring Pro, you spend less time searching and more time connecting with the right talent. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Kara Golden. Terms and conditions apply. This episode of the Kara Golden Show is brought to you by Rippling. Let's face it, most AI can give you business insights, but only Rippling can give you AI that takes action across your global workforce.
35:12Kara Goldin:That's where Rippling stands apart, because Rippling AI is built on your live global workforce data with HR, IT, and finance all connected in one place. Say you want to focus on talent retention. Just ask Rippling AI, who are my top performers this year? And instantly get a workforce report flagging potentially at-risk employees with supporting data like comp ratios, recent performance reviews, and engagement metrics. Then Rippling AI can turn those insights into real action, like recommending a retention strategy that includes a 5 % spot bonus for top performers in your next payroll run. Just tap confirm to add it to next month's payroll run.
36:01Kara Goldin:So don't settle for AI that's all talk. Head to rippling.ai slash Kara Golden and get the only AI built to give you full visibility across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization. That's R-I-P-P-L-I-N-G dot A-I slash Kara Golden. Sign up for exclusive access today. When you talked about the adjustability part of it, I don't think many pillows are adjustable, right? You sort of play around with it and figure out how to make it work for you. But How do you make a pillow adjustable? Because that seems so unique in this industry. Yes. So there are pillows out there. So our pillow is a proprietary fill that we designed ourselves and we have a utility patent pending on it.
36:57And we actually had machines made to cut our fill in a specific way, our fiber in a specific way. So our foam is instead of ground, like a lot of pillows, it is sliced very, very thinly. And what that allows it to do is combine really well with our ultralux fiber. And so there's no lumps or bumps in the pillow. The pillow feels really uniform. A lot of people think it's a solid piece because it never travels around the pillow, but it is adjustable because they all have a hidden zipper and you can add or remove fill to change the height and the firmness of your pillow. So if you feel like your pillow's a little too high and your neck is tilting up, you can remove fill, redistribute the fill that's in there, and it will support you perfectly.
37:47If you need more fill, one of the things that we do is we also send free fill to our customers for the life of the pillow if they decide they need more fill. But it holds up really well, so it's not going to flatten out over time. So once you get it to where you want it and it feels perfect for you, it's going to stay that way and it's going to continue to support you.
38:08Kara Goldin:So your products use proprietary copper infused foam. So what does that actually do? So copper is really great because it allows it to dissipate heat. So it's one of the cooling elements in the pillow. And the other thing about copper is it's naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. So it also helps with like the hygiene of your pillow. It keeps it fresh for longer. So it's a great element. At first, we were making our pillows with just a gel-infused foam, which does have a cooling element as well. And then we stepped it up to the copper because the copper is just so much better at that. What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced that maybe you didn't expect in building out the company.
38:57Kara Goldin:A physical product business is tough, right? But you're doing it. But what have been some of the biggest challenges in actually not only launching it, but also scaling it? You know, I think interestingly enough, my answer to that would be educating our customers. Because sometimes the customers aren't aware of the importance of a pillow and also the differences in quality between something like we make that's handcrafted, that has all certified materials, everything is safe and healthy and high quality. It's going to last over time. It's going to hold up. It's not going to break down. A lot of times customers won't realize the difference between that and then something that looks similar, but is kind of a copycat at a much lower price point made overseas.
39:52When we first started our business, we were the only curved pillow on Amazon. Now, if you go on there, you'll see tons and tons of them. And that was something that we almost were kind of shocked about. You know that when you come out with something good, people are going to copy it. But when it actually happens, it's almost like validating in a way, but stressful because now people have these other options. And if they don't know what makes your pillow better, then they will buy something of lesser quality and have a worse experience because people are looking at kind of the budgetary factor.
40:31So we have, for that reason, kind of two lines of pillows. We had our flagship pillow that came out. And then we thought there's a lot of pillows in this kind of lower price point that are just so far inferior as far as quality and are not going to give the support and alignment necessary, are not going to give the same comfort. So we created a pillow that was in that lower price point so that people could still have access to that quality without having to pay the higher price point.
40:59Kara Goldin:So how many different SKUs do you have now in the line? Well, we have our scrumptious line, which is our side sleeper. We have a traditional one. We have a travel pillow, which is amazing because it's more like a destination pillow. So you can take it with you and use it as your main pillow wherever you're staying. So you can keep that comfort with you. Then we also have our essence line, which comes inside sleeper and traditional. And we have a body pillow, which is amazing as well. So that's kind of our pillow line. We have the classic pillows and the side sleepers. And then we also do these incredible bamboo sheets that are just so soft and luxurious.
41:41Also really an important element of your sleep system to have sheets that are going to help regulate your temperature so that you're not sleeping too hot, that are just kind of comfortable, breathable. we also have silk products so we sell silk pillowcases because that's the absolute best thing for your skin for your pillow to have a silk pillowcase it's great for your hair it's great for your complexion it's great for all of the lovely skincare products that we invest so much money in because it doesn't draw the moisture away from your skin it allows those products to work and because it doesn't cause friction it reduces wrinkles and is just such a nice comfortable sleeping environment, especially since I would say it's arguably the coolest of all of the materials to sleep on.
42:29And it's natural. So that is something that's really important to us as well. We try to use as many natural elements as possible because it's so good to have those components that are breathable and that are healthy.
42:44Kara Goldin:So you are the creative side of the co-founding team. So when do you know to launch a new product, right? Coming up, innovation overall. I mean, that's the fun stuff, right? All founders love to do, you know, in my case, new flavors, new, you know, new, new, new. But when do you do it? When do you not do it? Well, in the beginning, we really wanted to focus on building our reputation and establishing what we had created to start with. So we had our just one pillow for quite some time. And then we started building it out, basically based on all of the customer feedback we were getting. So when people were reaching out to us, we'd like to see this, we'd like to see that we were considering all of that.
43:35We are really engaged with our customers. It's been amazing, because it's almost like a community. They reach out to us, we communicate with them. And so oftentimes, we will launch a product when we get a lot of feedback that customers are in need of something. And then we start to explore it. And we get it to where we think it's perfect, because we'll never release anything that we don't think is exceptional or special. We don't want to just create another product to be in the mix. We want something that's going to above and beyond and is going to serve the customer in a way that it helps solve problems, it helps improve their life.
44:13So there are a lot of products that we've tinkered with for a long time that we ended up never releasing because we just never thought they got to that point of perfection. But we really try to listen to what our customers are looking for. And then we focus on sourcing the absolute best components that we can and how to manipulate those components and put them together. And then when we have something that we're really proud of, that's when we start to roll it out and experiment and take our customers' feedback. And being a small batch company, we are able to constantly be improving. So it's not like we are just running our pillows just as they are for years and years, when we're getting feedback or we're finding innovations, we're able to implement those in real time.
45:03So that's something that's really exciting about the way that we do business.
45:07Kara Goldin:I love it. So when you think about brand and storytelling in a category like sleep, how do you think about that? I mean, where have you been able to really get the brand story out about what you're doing with Honeydew? Well, I think being a family business and having the background that we do coming from the sleep industry, having so many years in the industry. Prior to starting our business, we were going to all of the bedding and furniture markets every six months, looking at all the products that were coming out. We were carrying all of the major manufacturers, all of these products in the stores that my husband's father owned.
45:47So we had so much exposure to the product. And so I think that having the knowledge and the background and experience that we have lended credibility to our product. So I think that that's where our brand story kind of grew from the fact that we weren't just people that woke up one day and thought, let's make a pillow and sell that. We came from a place of history and experience and education on the subject. And so that's something that we bring anytime time we present our products, we are able to kind of problem solve with customers, figure out what's happening with them and what they need, and we're able to solve those problems.
46:30So as far as our brand, it's gotten really a lot of kind of natural, organic attention. I think because the product speaks for itself. We've been featured on Good Morning America, The View, Live with Kelly and Mark, the Tamron Hall show, we've been on the Price is Right. So we've had a lot of really kind of natural, fun media exposure that's made people kind of hear our name and see it. And then when they explore beyond just the name and the kind of fun branding, they they're able to see that we really put so much care in everything we do. Our packaging, every pillow goes out with a hand signed thank you note to our customers.
47:16And even as we've grown and that volume of pillows has grown quite a bit, we still hand sign every thank you note that goes in the box. And we just want to make sure our customers feel special. And I think that that's what we're known for. We wanted to shift the perspective about pillows from being just a necessary household item or an add on to your sleep system to being a self-care item, like really a treat for yourself and something necessary for your health and wellness.
47:47Kara Goldin:I love it. Well, Evita, thank you so much for joining me today. For everyone listening, be sure to check out Honeydew Sleep. It is so incredible. You trust me on this. You absolutely have to try it. So see and check out what they're doing on social as well. Also, Evita and her team and what they're building. And thank you, Evita, for coming on and sharing all. Really, really appreciate it. Evita Kunky, co-founder of Honeydew Sleep. And we will see everyone next time on The Kara Golden Show. Thank you. Thank you so much, Kara. Have a wonderful day. You too. Thanks again for listening to The Kara Golden Show.
48:30Kara Goldin:If you would, please give us a review and feel free to share this podcast with others who would benefit. And of course, feel free to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode of our podcast. Just a reminder that I can be found on all platforms at Kara Golden. I would love to hear from you too, so feel free to DM me. And if you want to hear more about my journey, I hope you will have a listen or pick up a copy of my Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Undaunted, where I share more about my journey, including founding and building, Hint. We are here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Thanks for listening and goodbye for now.
From the publisher
What if waking up in pain wasn’t something you had to accept?
On today’s episode, we welcome Evita Kunke, Co-Founder of Honeydew Sleep — a company rethinking how we sleep, starting with the pillow. After struggling with a debilitating back condition and being told surgery might be her only option, Evita discovered that the right sleep setup could completely change her health — and her life.
What started as a personal solution turned into a business. With deep roots in the sleep industry and access to dozens of existing products, Evita and her husband realized the market wasn’t solving the problem — so they built their own. Today, Honeydew Sleep is known for its handcrafted, science-backed pillows designed for proper alignment, cooling, and real comfort.
In this episode, Evita shares her journey from personal struggle to founder, what’s broken in the sleep industry, and how small changes in your sleep setup can have a massive impact on your overall health and quality of life.
If you’re interested in building a mission-driven brand, solving a real problem, or simply sleeping better — this one’s for you. Tune in now on The Kara Goldin Show.
Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @KaraGoldin on all networks.
To learn more about Evita Kunke and Honeydew Sleep:
https://honeydewsleep.com/
https://www.instagram.com/honeydewsleep
https://www.linkedin.com/company/honeydew-sleep/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evita-kunke-928a4681/
Sponsored By:
Warby Parker - Get 15% off + Free Shipping when they buy 2 or more pairs of prescription glasses at WarbyParker.com/KARAGOLDIN
Rippling - Head to Rippling.AI/KaraGoldin and get the only AI to give you full visibility across your business and take complex actions across your entire organization.
Fatty15 - Get an additional 15% off a 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to Fatty15.com/KARA and using code KARA at checkout.
LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free.
Chime - Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. Head to Chime.com/KARAGOLDIN.
Check out our website to view this episode’s show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/855
