Meet Tara Payne | Author| Community Builder | Entrepreneur | Vocalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara Payne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my business out of necessity during the beginning of COVID. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur but it wasn’t until I was stuck at home that it became a reality. I was speaking to my best friend about wanting to start a business and she kindly but sharply told me that she wasn’t going to talk to me about it anymore and to let her know if I needed money but that I needed to go ahead and start it. Sitting at home I did research about what to do with administrative skills and virtual assistance came up. So, I started doing VA work and the rest is history

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What a question. I am just like everyone else–powerfully poised for purpose, yet I am divinely unique. I am most proud of the way I was created, and my ability to create; to cultivate pain into purpose and hard times into something useful. I guess you. could call it alchemy.

As a child I was encouraged to be creative and my parents would marvel at my ability to do anything I put my mind to. It wasn’t until my husband and I began trying to add to our family that I realized I had that ability. After having lost 4 pregnancies we gave birth to our daughter, Hope. IT changed everything. SHE changed everything. It was after birthing her that I saw myself swing for the fences personally and professionally, like never before. And it was a global pandemic that further pushed me into the author and entrepreneur I am today. It wasn’t easy at all. And there are still days where I experience challenges but I’ve learned that challenges are the impetus for innovation and failure is only data collection. Being surrounded by other great minds and people who are doing tremendous things to change the landscape of the city and state where I live and our world has continued to encourage me not to give up though I have days where I seriously consider it. And though it is personal, looking at the fact that I was able to birth a beautiful, brilliant baby girl reminds me daily that hope makes everything possible and if I can do that I can do anything I put my mind to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh this is fun. I would take them to our downtown area here in Tulsa to check out all that is going on here, we would eat our way through the week because, lets face it, good food IS good living. We’d go to the museums here, The Gathering Place- a world renowned park and natural space with programming designed to provide inclusive and engaging experiences for all people to come together to explore, learn, and play. and then maybe head over to Bentonville, Arkansas to check out Crystal Bridges, we would leave time just to BE because nowadays there is always something to DO but I find the most enjoyment listening to the ambient sounds of life around us, birds, and wind and insects and cars passing by. We would go listen to live music because I love music, at the LowDown or go sing Karaoke at Retro. We would go to the church I attend and also to one that I frequent. We’d have to hit up Nordstrom Rack and DSW. I’d take her to K. Nicole Boutique downtown and Ida Red where they have all things Tulsa. We would, of COURSE, hit up Greenwood and go see Guy and the crew at the Black Wallstreet Liquid Lounge. I’d make sure she gets the official Black wall street tour by Kode Ransom, head over to the Gilcrease Cultural Center to see my friend, Michelle and then go to Greenwood Rising museum. I’d take her to my parents’ house because she would. want to see them and we’d eat or go do something. Fun times would be in abundance.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would have to wholeheartedly accredit my success to my village. Firstly, my husband, my family–my parents, my sisters– my grandparents and great grandparents, my two best friends, the friends who are family and the host of amazing framily (no that’s not a typo), mentors, coaches, church family, teachers, colleagues…many people–some that I have never even met– have collaborated to make me who I am today. In the words of Oprah, who was quoting the poem from literary giant, Maya Angelou, “I come as one but I stand as 10,000”.

Website: mavensmeet.com or taradpayne.com

Instagram: @tara_in_tulsa

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-payne-a9a8b717

Image Credits
Credit: Selah Productions (pink dress) and 36 Degrees North (interviewing Bounceless CEO), The Social Bar (When hope speaks book) and Fulton Street Books and Coffee