Kara Goldin never planned to create a company that competes with giants like Pepsi or Coca-Cola. She just wanted to drink water that didn't taste boring. But now Hint is the country's fastest-growing independent beverage company.

Since its founding in 2005, Hint has grown to include products like sunscreen and hand sanitizer. But its mission remains the same according to Kara: to help people lead healthy lives.

That purpose has also led her to push for a closer examination of the country's drinking water. She says despite EPA oversight, many dangerous impurities remain in tap water, and she's fighting to draw more attention to the problem.

Also today on Leadership Next, she tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt about her early dreams of working for Fortune, how she landed her first job out of college, and she offers advice to women who suspect NOW may be the time to change careers.