Meet Beatrice Dixon, Co-Founder & CEO of The Honey Pot Company, which is the first plant-derived feminine care system on the market free from parabens, carcinogens, and sulfates. She has been a recipient of the Sundial and Unilever’s multimillion-dollar New Voices fund; was 1 of the first 40 women of color to raise one million in venture capital; she was named one of Entrepreneur‘s top 100 groundbreaking women entrepreneurs.
Who is Beatrice Dixon?
I am a human living a life I am proud of. I am constantly growing and learning as I go. I am the Co-Founder/CEO of The Honey Pot Company and I am a daughter, a friend, and a work in progress.
How were you as a kid?
I was always curious, independent, strong-willed, and creative.
Tell us more about your education and work background before you founded The Honey Pot Company?
I went to college in Atlanta. I also worked as a pharmacy tech and spent years working in retail at Whole Foods and as a natural food broker for a distributor and a natural foods brand.
“I am a firm believer that you should seek out opportunities that will push you and challenge you so that you can become the best version of yourself”
You suffered from bacterial vaginosis infection for eight months. One night, an ancestor gave you the ingredients to heal yourself in a dream. From that insightful dream, you created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash. In 2014, you launched The Honey Pot Company, what does it make unique?
Our products are made with natural ingredients and are free from parabens, sulfates, dyes, artificial fragrances. In addition to keeping the honeypot clean and healthy, our products help reduce some of the common issues many humans with vaginas deal with, from odor to itching to irritation.
The Honey Pot Company’s products can be found online and in stores nationwide at Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Walgreens among others, you have been a recipient of the Sundial and Unilever’s multi- million dollar New Voices fund; was 1 of the first 40 women of color to raise $1M in venture capital; you were named one of Entrepreneur's top 100 groundbreaking women entrepreneurs of 2019; your company won a 2020 ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Award; and you received a CEW Indie 65 Award in 2019, honoring beauty’s independent companies. What´s the recipe for your success?
Hard work. Diligence. Resourcefulness. Having a North Star meaning starting your business with the end in mind. You must believe in yourself and need to surround yourself with a strong team.
Do you have any philosophy that guides your career decisions?
I am a firm believer that you should seek out opportunities that will push you and challenge you so that you can become the best version of yourself. You won’t ever elevate or level up if you are not pushing past your comfort zone.
You are a very busy woman and I see you partnered with #HappyPeriod, a non-profit dedicated to providing menstrual hygiene kits to those who are homeless, low-income and/or living in poverty, what does it drive you?
I believe we all have the obligation to help those in need. Being able to take care of myself and not need or want for anything is a blessing and it’s one I don’t take lightly or for granted. Whenever I can give back and help others, I am all for it!
“Be aware of the marketplace and who your competitors are so that you can solidly declare and define what makes your brand different and unique”
What does a normal workday look like for you?
There is no typical day. I am on calls back-to-back most days. I am talking to my contract manufacturers, legal team, operations team, marketing team and doing interviews while working on product development. I am moving at a million miles a minute, but I would not want it any other way.
What do you love most about your job? & what is the most difficult part?
I love being able to help humans with vaginas live a better, healthier, happier life. I love being able to create new products that will eventually change the game and make life better for humans everywhere. The difficult part is just juggling it all and making sure I am doing what I can do to ensure success for my company and for the team.
What is one strategy that has helped you to grow your business?
Do your best every single day.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about feminine hygiene?
That having Bacterial vaginosis (BV) means you are unhygienic. BV is a pH imbalance. It is an internal issue that needs to be addressed with probiotics and the right vaginal wellness regimen. Also, another myth is that the vagina does not need to be cleansed. Many women and humans are confusing the word vagina for vulva. Your vagina is a self-cleaning oven and should NOT be cleansed with soaps and other cleansing products. Your vulva on the other hand is the external part of your reproductive organs and needs to be washed daily with a gentle, lightweight cleanser.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else does?
I start my day by setting my intentions so that I do not let the day run me. Also, be aware of the marketplace and who your competitors are so that you can solidly declare and define what makes your brand different and unique.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to travel, cook, read, work out, listen to live music, love to dance, and love to go to great restaurants for fine dining!
“It’s about being authentic, grateful, and realistic about who I am and where I am going and not getting sucked into the social media rat race that has eaten up and spits out so many humans”
Many authors say women can and must strive to have everything – a shining career, a blossoming family life and a perfectly balanced lifestyle all at once, others point out that– then women are placing unrealistic expectations on themselves if they believe they can have it all, I don´t know if you are married and have kids, so according to your experience, what do you think about these statements?
I think statements like this is how stress, depression, and anxiety creeps into a woman’s life. Each individual woman needs to spend time understanding who she is and what she wants in life and she should not compare her life or her goals to those around her. When it comes down to it, we all must live with ourselves and look in the mirror and be happy with who we see staring back at us. Comparing ourselves to others and trying to keep up with unrealistic demands or aspirations is exhausting, toxic and self-destructive.
What are your plans?
I plan to live a life that I am proud of where I can be myself 100% of the time and don’t have to worry about making others happy. It’s about being authentic, grateful and realistic about who I am and where I am going and not getting sucked into the social media rat race that has eaten up and spits out so many humans.
“You only launch a business when there is that soul-stirring energy pushing you to do so”
There is still the glass ceiling for women in the world: Fewer opportunities, jobs underpaid just for that fact of being a woman, etc. Have you experimented with the glass ceiling? If yes, what are the biggest challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?
I haven’t truly experienced the glass ceiling in the traditional sense but as a woman CEO there has been some challenging times and uncomfortable situations. However, I learn from everything I have ever experienced and place the lessons I have learned into my toolkit for safekeeping should that ever happen again.
What tips, can you give to young girls who want to become an entrepreneur like you?
Focus on what lights you up. I would tell them that they need to discover their passions first and foremost. Starting a business just to start a business is a surefire way to wind up financially strapped and frustrated. You only launch a business when there is that soul-stirring energy pushing you to do so.
I think in your position, many people may have the wrong idea of who you are, and what do you (professionally), with this idea in mind, what is being Beatrice and what's not?
I am not a traditional corporate type of CEO. I am hands on and very passionate and deeply involved in every aspect of my company. I am very fun-loving, but I am also very hard-working, and I demand excellence from myself and from those around me.
Who is the woman you admire the most and why?
My mother. Her resilience, her wisdom, and her adventurous spirit!
What else do you want to add or share with us?
Thank you for taking the time to interview me! We are looking forward to the launch of a lot of amazing new products this year so stay tuned!
Name: Beatrice Dixon
Sector: Health
Company: The Honey Pot Company
Designation: CEO and Co-Founder
Country: USA
Social media:
https://www.instagram.com/thehoneypotco/
https://www.facebook.com/thehoneypotcompany/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHP-OQsRlRNO2tUZNZXPRA
