Women-Owned Business Series: Hannah from Go Dash Dot

Welcome back to our Women-Owned Business Series! Today we’re highlighting Hannah from Go Dash Dot, a brand of carryall bags that help you carry all you need while running around NYC. After her own unfortunate incident of one of her bags spilling everywhere on the subway platform (phew have we been there), she decided it was time to create a bag that actually does carry everything. After some side-hustling & pairing up with her mom, Go Dash Dot helps make the lives of women that much easier. Read on for her full story!

First, tell us about your business and anything special we should know about it or you.

I started Go Dash Dot 6 years ago out of my personal quest to find the perfect carryall bag. I needed a bag that could take me from the gym to work to dinner with friends, keep all my stuff organized, and look great too. After months of research and talking to anyone and everyone in the gym locker room at 6am, on the subway, coworkers, friends – I quickly realized I was not alone and there was a need for a functional, fashionable bag. I got to work and launched our first bag, the Infinity Bag, 9 months later. Since our launch, we have evolved with our customer. As we learned more about their habits, behaviors, and how the bags were actually being used, we quickly realized these were not just ‘gym bags’ as we had thought. They were being used as diaper bags, travel bags, tennis bags, hiking bags, work bags, school bags. The beauty of Go Dash Dot is their versatility and ability to fit the unique needs of their carrier.

Why do you feel a connection to your work?

Building Go Dash Dot has always been about more than just designing the best bag ever. It is about allowing people to find success, whatever that looks like to them, everyday and not having to sacrifice due to logistics. One of my biggest frustrations of not having this perfect carry all bag was that there were times when I had to sacrifice a workout because I wouldn’t have time to get home and change or I would have to carry 6 bags leaving me self conscious and uncomfortable. Or when I was traveling, needing a carry-on bag and a personal bag and then other options for when I arrived at my destination adding a ton of bulk and stress. I have heard time and time again from our customers how useful our bags are to them and how easy it makes their lives, which drives me to keep designing and pushing boundaries to create functional, not boring, fashionable, not impractical, bags.

As a business owner, community is everything. In what ways do you serve your community and how has your community served you?

As I mentioned, for us, it’s more than just the bags. We want to help people feel successful, whatever that looks like to them. Beyond offering smart solutions for life on the go, we launched our RENEW program three years ago and have donated over 300 bags to Dress For Success. We also partner with women’s cooperatives across the globe to sell their handicrafts as handbag accessories to support their small businesses. In March of 2020, after hearing from a Nurse in Nashville how useful her Go Dash Dot bag was to her as a frontline worker during such unprecedented times, we donated over 1000 crossbody bags to healthcare workers across the U.S. Our community is everything to us. They are what inspires us to keep going and allow us to keep doing what we love.

What advice would you give to young women who want to start a small business?

Just go for it. There will never be “a right time” and there will always be challenges. But if you are passionate and believe in your vision unconditionally, nothing will stop you from succeeding.

What women inspire you and why?

My Mom! When I first launched Go Dash Dot, I was still working full time for another company. My mom had recently retired from her psychology career and volunteered to help me anyway she could. I don’t think she realized what exactly she was getting herself into 🙂 but we have worked together ever since. She is fearless, smart, strong, and resourceful and I strive to be like her in my personal and professional life.

What do you think are the most significant challenges for women business owners or women in leadership positions?

I think we still have to work twice as hard to have our thoughts be heard and be taken seriously as industry leaders and disruptors. But it is up to us – women business owners- to continue making strides forward in equal opportunity for the future.

Click here to learn more about Go Dash Dot backs & wish them a happy 6th birthday!