How to Build Like a Visionary
Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO, The Honey Pot Company
Jessica Goldman Srebnick, co-chair, Goldman Properties & Founder and CEO, Goldman Global Arts
Sarah Harden, CEO, Hello Sunshine
Moderated by Fiona Carter, chief marketing officer, Goldman Sachs
Setting the framework
It takes tireless dedication to build a successful business and it’s even more challenging for women since women-owned companies make up only ~20% of all U.S. employer firms.1 Here’s how three women built their empires in the face of incredible odds.
Embracing an underserved market with natural inclusivity
Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company
Inspired by her late grandmother, who shared a holistic healing recipe with her in a dream, Beatrice started creating herb- and plant-based women’s care products because she’s passionate about using all-natural ingredients to improve women’s health. As she crafted a line of feminine washes, organic cotton sanitary products and bath bombs, she spread the word by giving away her newly created items for free at Whole Foods.
While this took hard work, time and money, she was determined to stay with it. “I love impossible. Impossible is what I do,” she said.
When her following of satisfied customers grew, Beatrice bought booth space at trade shows and conventions to sell her collection, eventually collaborating with a Target buyer who helped place her products on major retail shelves. Her grassroots endeavor became the Honey Pot Company, a dynamic Atlanta-based wellness brand authentically meeting its consumers’ evolving wellness needs.
This success stems from Beatrice’s ability to embrace challenges, the growth process and the needs of an underserved market. With continued product innovation and clinical testing, she is also committed to quality and effectiveness, helping the Honey Pot Company grow into the thriving business it is today.
Harnessing the power of community art
Jessica Goldman Srebnick, co-chair of Goldman Properties and co-founder of Goldman Global Arts
Joining an established family business can make it challenging to stand out in a unique way. Jessica emphasized the value of carving your own path when you join a family business, as she did at Goldman Properties.
“Gain outside experience first, so you can bring your own vision and goals to build upon an existing legacy,” she said. “Be known for your first name and not your last name.”
Succeeding her late father as co-chair of the company, Jessica drew on the wisdom she gained from her earlier career in the fashion industry, as well as her interests in art and business. She has defined the Wynwood Walls as an iconic Miami museum featuring over 80,000 square feet of street art from international artists. In 2015, she co-founded Goldman Global Arts (GGA), which curates and produces large-scale art programs for real estate developers, stadiums, community spaces and campaigns.
Jessica and her team have grown GGA to develop thought-provoking art installations, such as interactive exhibits at NFL stadiums that inspire curiosity and infuse creativity into public spaces. She continues to seek out purposeful projects that emphasize cultural change and bring elements of art creation to community development.
Jessica’s story demonstrates the growth and value that come from identifying what you’re enthusiastic and passionate about and using it to create your own unique niche in an existing business.
Taking control of the narrative
Sarah Harden, CEO of Hello Sunshine
The film and TV industry has been a traditionally male-dominated industry for decades. Frustrated with the lack of scripts and roles that featured compelling, intricate women characters, Sarah and Reese Witherspoon founded their media company Hello Sunshine in Los Angeles in 2016.
Grounded in the understanding that viewers consume media in a continually changing space, they targeted women-focused content and real, relatable stories for streaming platforms like Hulu and Apple TV. Reese and Sarah knew when women had the opportunity to share authentic stories, they would resonate around the world.
This focus led to Emmy-nominated shows such as “Big Little Lies,” “The Morning Show” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” Building on this success, Reese and Sarah continued to expand their women-focused media and in 2021, sold Hello Sunshine for $900 million, but still oversee the company and serve on the board of the new venture.
Similar to the Honey Pot, building this media-focused company meant finding something the key audience or customer needed that the market currently didn’t offer. And in some cases, that key audience may not even realize they need it until you provide it for them.
Exploring how these women business leaders established and grew visionary companies is a true master class in innovation, resilience and most importantly, purpose. Their experiences help inspire new paths to success for women entrepreneurs. Women-owned businesses are on the rise2 and because the market share for these businesses is still narrow at 20 percent, there is vast opportunity for new endeavors, ideas and growth.
We can help entrepreneurs and business owners meet the needs associated with growing a business. Please contact your Goldman Sachs private wealth advisor for more information.
1 SBA.gov, History Achievements in Women-Owned Businesses, accessed June 2022.
2 Census.gov, Women Business Ownership in America is on the rise, accessed June 2022.
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