The Latest
How Influencers Change the Way We See Ourselves
How do influencers impact the way we see ourselves, our families, and… our shopping lists?
What’s Your Type? Why Self-Knowledge is Big Business on Social Media
Two types of content dominate my Instagram and TikTok feeds right now. The first is users talking about different personality and developmental conditions. The second is all about personality types and astrology signs. I’m sure some of the prevalence of this content...
Who Do You Trust With Your Business or Career?
Distrust is society’s default emotion. That’s according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer survey. It found that 6 out of 10 people report that their default tendency is to approach new information with distrust until there is clear evidence of its trustworthiness....
Think Differently about Work, Culture, and the Economy
It’s easy to lose your way in the 21st-century economy. The world of work and business is changing so rapidly that you might be focusing more on how to keep up than how to live a meaningful life. What Works is a podcast for entrepreneurs, independent workers, and employees who don’t want to lose themselves to the whims of late-stage capitalism. Tara offers a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to the discourse around business, work, and personal growth.
A Radical New Approach to Goal-Setting
What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting
“Nuanced, rigorous exploration. What Works is a thought-provoking antidote to the overhyped productivity narratives keeping us stuck in shame and validation spirals. This book, and Tara’s oeuvre more broadly, serves as a brilliant guide for emphasizing presence and process over rigid metrics and external markers of success. A rich, hearty meal for the mind, I was only sad to put this book down when it ended.”
— Jenny Blake, podcaster and author of Free Time, Pivot, and Life After College
Humane Business
You Can’t Grow an Audience Like You Used To (and That’s Okay)
You might have noticed that building an audience on social media doesn't seem as easy as it was promised to be. The truth is that things have changed. And that business influencer who is promoting their top tips for growing your follower count on Instagram? Well,...
Media, Messages, and Meaning: Is it time to rethink content marketing?
Pundits, journalists, and your Uncle Joe all wring their hands about the state of discourse online. Too siloed. Too promotional. Too empty. Too rage-inducing. The list could go on and on. I truly don't want to add to that particular conversation. But I will admit that...
Refund Policies: What’s Fair and What’s Not For Online Businesses
“If you don’t see results, you didn’t want it bad enough.” That’s become the prevailing narrative of the online business refund policy. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to guarantee results. And there are reasons to remind customers and clients that, no matter what...
Future of Work
Why Entrepreneurs & Freelancers Should Consider Quiet Quitting, Too
You've probably seen the headlines. If you haven't, here's what's up: the youngsters are talking about quiet quitting. Essentially, quiet quitting is no longer going above and beyond at one's job. Instead of working beyond the job description (or...
Personal Branding and The Crafting of Self
I remember the first time I had my picture taken professionally. The photographer belonged to an artists’ workspace in an old goggle factory. The top floor was an event space—just a big empty loft with the original flooring, exposed brick walls, and giant windows. I...
Work Doesn’t Have to Make Money to be Valuable
On a typical evening, you’ll find my husband, Sean, and I on the sofa. We eat dinner and crack up watching the latest Good Mythical Morning episode. After, we move on to whatever television show we’re binging–currently The 100. I work on a crossword puzzle or...
Culture & Economy
How Influencers Change the Way We See Ourselves
How do influencers impact the way we see ourselves, our families, and… our shopping lists?
Who Do You Trust With Your Business or Career?
Distrust is society’s default emotion. That’s according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer survey. It found that 6 out of 10 people report that their default tendency is to approach new information with distrust until there is clear evidence of its trustworthiness....
“She Looks Like an Instagram:” How Empowerment Became A Brand
I’ve always loved makeup. I’ve gone through many phases with makeup over the years—and I’m sure there are many more to come! Over the last few years, though, my makeup routine has involved wearing less. Most days, I wear a tinted moisturizer, bronzer, eyebrow...
Mindset & Identity
What’s Your Type? Why Self-Knowledge is Big Business on Social Media
Two types of content dominate my Instagram and TikTok feeds right now. The first is users talking about different personality and developmental conditions. The second is all about personality types and astrology signs. I’m sure some of the prevalence of this content...
Why It’s Time to Radically Rethink Goal-Setting
Nothing puts a spring in my step quite like setting my sights on a new target. I’m a goal-oriented overachiever from way back. And like many overachievers, I often end up overcommitted and burnt out. About five years ago, I hit a breaking point when it came to some of...
Why I Took A 4-Month Break From Business—And What I’m Doing Next
I've run iteration or another of the same business since 2009. The business model shifted, the team changed, and the focus evolved—but one iteration flowed right into the next. But by the end of 2021, I needed to break the cycle. I realized I had built...