Christine ThomasosBy now you’ve probably heard about The Honey Pot Company, a black-owned, plant-based feminine care business that went viral when some white women cried racism after owner Beatrice Dixon shared her mission to empower black women.
The backlash backfired and led to a 50 % increase in sales for the company that sells natural washes, wipes and pads. If you pay attention, you can learn a few things from Dixon and her approach to business.
Here are a few gems that Dixon has dropped on her journey to success with The Honey Pot Company.
1. Don’t Take Business Personally
Dixon hasn’t had an easy road to success and shared how important it is to never take things personal along the journey.
“I’ve had ups and downs professionally as all CEOs do but I have really worked hard to take the personal stuff out of it and focus on solutions,” she previously told Medium. “Leaving your emotions out of things is how you push past challenges in a much more efficient way.”
While Dixon had a hard time following her own advice when she first got started, she has a different outlook on things these days.
“Don’t take anything personal. Early on in my career I tended to take things people said or did extremely personal,” she said. “I’ve learned over time that most of the time, people aren’t truly trying to hurt you or disrespect you, it’s just that they have an opinion that’s different than yours and that’s not anything to get upset over.”
2. Negative Situations Can Become Positive Opportunities
Dixon got a gang of negative reviews when Target featured her in a video highlighting her multi-million dollar company for Black History Month.
“The reason why it’s so important for The Honey Pot to do well is so the next black girl that comes up with a great idea could have a better opportunity,” she said in the video. “That means a lot to me.”
Even though a number of reviews called her racist and gave her product low ratings, Dixon is focusing on the positive things that came from the drama.
“What easily could’ve been a negative situation has turned into an opportunity to discuss the issue at hand, which is racial disparity and raising capital for women of color entrepreneurs,” she told Forbes. “Fortunately, having such a supportive retail partner like Target allowed us to bring this topic to the forefront and hopefully make a change in the way future women business owners raise funds for their business ventures.”
3. Giving Back Is Important
For years, Dixon has spoken up about the importance of using her platform to give back to others. Not only does she mentor others, but the CEO has also provided feminine care products to people in need, reminding us about the importance of using our gifts to give.
“I personally give back by mentoring women that are starting new companies. The Honey Pot Company gives back by sponsoring 10 young girls per month affiliated with Afri-Pads in Uganda, Kenya and Malawi,” she told Women’s Voices in 2017. “They learn how to make reusable pads and are also taught about feminine health and hygiene. We plan to expand our humanitarian efforts as our company continues to grow.”
(Photo: Screengrab)
