Honey Pot’s Message: Self-Care Begins With Community
Courtesy of Hugh Media Company | Design by Channing Smith
In its third year, the Reclaiming Wellness campaign, featuring wellness brand Honey Pot and sponsored by Target, took center stage at Howard University in Washington, DC, during Black History Month. This event wasn’t merely a gathering; it was a powerhouse of community revival. Founded by Beatrice Dixon in 2014, Honey Pot has emerged as a beacon, offering innovative products and spearheading educational initiatives that redefine Black health.
For Honey Pot, which was honored as part of Glamour’s 2023 By Women initiative, reclaiming wellness is about fostering an internal connection—nurturing mind, body, and soul through transformative self-care. This movement’s roots run deep within our community, tracing back to Black-led organizations in the 1970s that advocated for prioritizing health and well-being alongside the liberation struggle. Thus, self-care has always stood as a cornerstone of community empowerment.
The full-day event, produced by Beyond 8, started with an intimate master class featuring Dixon and Melissa Butler, who is founder and CEO of The Lip Bar and Thread Beauty. These two entrepreneurial powerhouses, longtime friends, shared their transformative journeys to the helm of their brands with members of Howard’s Black Girl’s House chapter and students from diverse fields, all eager to forge their own paths.
In this candid session, Dixon and Butler addressed the tough realities of entrepreneurship: the importance of rest for fostering creativity, the challenges of fundraising and inevitable rejections, and the harsh truths of scaling a business. Their message was clear: Failure is merely a stepping stone, not a roadblock. As Black women entrepreneurs, they didn’t shy away from discussing the added challenges they faced, from community perceptions to systemic barriers. Yet their resilience shone through, leaving a resounding message of gratitude: “Thank you for seeing us!”
Continuing the day’s momentum, Howard students engaged with wellness groups, and community partners, and explored the Honey Pot’s “six dimensions of wellness”—mindfulness, balance, vessel, nature, ritual, and community—through immersive micro-activations. These included a mini library and resource center designed for students to explore mindfulness practices. The curated selection featured reads such as Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration and Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life by Cleo Wade.
Attendees enjoyed a breathwork session to enhance balance, while Brooklyn Tea offered insights into the health benefits and rich history of the classic beverage through a tasting experience. Participants then experienced a transformative sound bath session, embracing ritualistic self-care practices. Additionally, We Be Walking, an organization that promotes community walks in nature, underscored the invigorating effects of outdoor activities. Guests left with the Reclaiming Wellness swag bag, filled with beloved Black-founded and -owned brands, to continue their wellness journey.
The final dimension of wellness—community—culminated with a powerful conversation led by Dixon. Titled “Journeying Through Self and Communal Care,” the panel discussion featured Asia Rodriguez of Zola Counseling Solutions; Elizabeth Dawes Gay of Ipàdé; Tara A. Nicolas, founder of Tea Time With T; and Stephon Bradberry, founder of LifeWell Enterprises. Dixon initiated the dialogue by saying, “All of us have created something that now serves others, right? Whether that be space, product, et cetera.” Her words resonated deeply, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between personal wellness and community service.
She stressed that even founders and entrepreneurs in the wellness space must prioritize their own well-being before extending support to their communities—a sentiment echoed by the panelists. Said Gay, “I’ve always believed in the power that we have in coming together, sharing physical space, and in being in community with one another.” Bradberry underscored the importance of embodying these practices, saying, “The more we get these practices in our bodies, the more we can dismantle these systems that are killing us.”
As the day came to a close, students and attendees left with a newfound understanding of the importance of self-care in both individual well-being and collective progress. The event underscored Honey Pot’s commitment to promoting “wholistic” wellness for the Black community and highlighted the interconnectedness of personal wellness and community service. By nurturing ourselves, we become better equipped and more effective agents of change within our communities.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
