“Storytelling can shift culture and change the way women walk through the world.” Sarah Harden, CEO, Hello Sunshine
It’s not every day that you meet a leader like Sarah Harden, CEO of Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon, with a mission to reshape women’s narrative and help them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine, which produces hit series like “The Morning Show” and “Big Little Lies,” stands out for its content and focus on its mission. The company believes in the power of storytelling to broaden perspectives and change the world for women.
Through Hello Sunshine, Harden is advancing stories that empower women, reflecting the diversity and complexities of women’s lives and offering an alternative to mainstream representations. Harden explains, “Every story we tell has a woman at the center.” These stories, with their powerful female leads, have the potential to inspire and empower women.
The company’s mission has been to amplify women’s voices in media, dismantle barriers to representation, and create a media landscape where women’s stories are not sidelined. “If you don’t see yourself in the stories that represented your culture, it tells you that your experience doesn’t matter,” she says, passionately describing the importance of visibility for all women.
By focusing on women-centered stories, Hello Sunshine isn’t just serving an underserved market—it’s sending a broader message about whose narratives are essential. The impact of these stories is profound, resonating with women from all walks of life and empowering them to see their experiences as valid and significant. “We’ve had decades of going to movies and films that centered male protagonists,” Harden points out. “We were centering the male experience and the insidious signals that send.” Through Hello Sunshine, Harden aims to challenge norms by depicting women as complex individuals with rich narratives rather than mere side characters.
Harden notes that this is a cultural mission and a smart business strategy to drive purpose and profit. Women make over 70% of consumer purchase decisions, driving industries from travel to financial services. Sarah explains. “Women are driving the financial decisions. So, if you want audiences to show up, do a better job representing them. That’s our business strategy, and we don’t get to build a company if we’re not financially responsible,” Harden points out. For her, financial success is not a separate goal but an essential element of sustaining the mission.
Shine Away is one of Hello Sunshine’s most transformative initiatives—an empowering annual event that brings together women from diverse backgrounds to connect, inspire, and uplift one another. For Harden, Shine Away is more than just a conference; it’s a crucial extension of Hello Sunshine’s mission, creating a space where women can engage deeply with meaningful content and forge lasting bonds. She believes the power of in-person interaction is profound, generating ripple effects that continue well beyond the conference itself.
Presented by AT&T, Shine Away marked its second annual event this year and saw remarkable success. Harden recalls an incredibly moving moment during a panel with Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern when the two stars paused to honor the generations of women who came before them. These women never had the opportunities available today. “I looked around and saw women wiping away tears,” Harden shares. “It was a powerful moment as if all one thousand people in the room were connected. We felt a deep connection to the generation of women who came before us and how we could advance toward a better future. It felt magical and courageous like I could run through brick walls.” Shine Away embodies Hello Sunshine’s ethos of authenticity and inclusivity. Harden and her team intentionally create a warm, welcoming environment that breaks traditional barriers. “Our brand is Hello Sunshine. It’s welcoming to this community, not VIP lines or ropes,” she says. “You are welcome here, and there’s a place for you.”
Harden’s path as a female CEO has taught her valuable lessons on balance and self-compassion. She acknowledges that perfection is unattainable, particularly for women juggling various roles. “There’s no such thing as perfect balance,” she states. “It’s all about trade-offs, deciding what’s most important to you, and giving yourself grace.” This wisdom is particularly poignant for Harden, who emphasizes the importance of “widening the aperture” on what success looks like. “Over a month, I try to be good at everything that matters to me, but not every day.” Harden advises other women leaders to set boundaries and define priorities. “On any given day, I might be an amazing CEO but miss my kid’s event—and that’s okay. We can’t judge ourselves on everything we’re not doing.”
Harden cites her mother as her source of inspiration, describing her as “wicked smart” and determined despite having faced limited opportunities. After a divorce, Harden’s mother built her own successful business, serving as a powerful symbol of resilience in Harden’s life.” She didn’t have the opportunities I do, but she would have crushed them if she did,” Harden says. She credits her mother’s legacy of determination as a driving force behind her passion for Hello Sunshine’s mission. As she looks toward the future, Harden remains focused on Hello Sunshine’s mission in a challenging marketplace. “We take responsibility for how we show up,” she says. The team is already gearing up for the next Shine Away in 2025, intent on deepening connections and fostering community. Harden reflects, “We’re not shrinking from the challenge. Every story we tell and every connection we make signals what’s possible. And that’s what makes it all worth it.” In a media landscape that too often sidelines women’s stories, Sarah Harden and Hello Sunshine are building a new narrative where women are front and center, stories spark cultural conversations, and every woman can see a piece of herself reflected in the world around her.
Sarah Harden Bio
Sarah Harden is the CEO of both Hello Sunshine, a Candle Media company that puts women at the center of every story it creates, and Candle Studios, Candle’s premium live action unit which includes Hello Sunshine, Exile, Candle True Stories, and Faraway Road. With Harden as CEO, the newly consolidated Candle Studios will be in production on over 30 premium originals in 2024.
Since launching in 2016, Hello Sunshine has set the standard for mission driven companies, not only inspiring others to follow in their footsteps, but igniting a true and genuine shift across the entertainment industry as a whole with respect to the roles and opportunities available for women and underrepresented voices. Alongside founder Reese Witherspoon, Harden leads Hello Sunshine’s rapid growth as a premium content studio and direct-to-consumer media brand developing films, scripted and unscripted television series, digital series, podcasts, live events and more under a singular mission to prioritize and elevate female authorship and female-driven stories from an inclusive, wide-ranging set of storytellers.
Prior to her time with Hello Sunshine, Harden was President of Otter Media, a privately held joint venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, where she spearheaded Otter’s first investment in Hello Sunshine. As the President of Otter Media, Harden acquired, invested in and launched global over-the-top (OTT) video services with a variety of media companies, including Fullscreen, Roosterteeth, Ellation, Crunchyroll, Gunpowder and Sky. Prior to her work with Otter Media/The Chernin Group, Harden was Group Director at New Corp Asia, where she oversaw joint ventures, investments, and growth initiatives in Hong Kong. Additionally, Harden served as SVP of Business Development for Fox Networks Group, identifying, cultivating, and executing all new business opportunities for Fox. Harden began her career at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, Australia, and she graduated from the University of Melbourne and Harvard Business School with high distinction as a Baker Scholar.