[6] Goldman attended Harvard University, where he studied government affairs[3] and was a student athlete, competing in cross country running and track and field.

He then served for three years as a deputy press secretary for Dukakis' running mate, United States Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.

[3][8] According to the Boston Herald, he exited the political arena and enrolled in the Yale School of Management after determining that "private enterprise could promote the public good".

[8] Goldman married Julie Farkas in 1990, whom he met while working on Lloyd Bentsen’s vice presidential campaign.

[9] After doing a case study about Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi for a competitive strategies class,[8] he discovered "many high-calorie, sugary drinks and many no-calorie bottled waters on the market" but few beverages in the middle.

Several organic aficionados disapproved of the sale to Coca-Cola because Goldman was required to purchase several dozen contracts from independent distributors that aided in growing Honest Tea.

[11] In 2013, Goldman coauthored a graphic book with his Honest Tea co-founder Barry Nalebuff, detailing their experiences founding and running the company.

[13] Jason Abbruzzese reviewed the book for the Financial Times, writing, "The narrative is at its best when balancing the personalities of the founders: Goldman's socially conscious side and Nalebuff's economic expertise.

Goldman kept the same salary as he moved to a part-time position at Honest Tea in which he would assist Coca-Cola's Venture and Emerging Brands Unit with connecting with customers.