About

So, for those of you who’ve already visited my home page, you already know I’m (deep breath)….. a Copywriting, Event-Producing, Web-and-Graphic Designing, Web 2.0 enthusiast. I know, let me guess: you’re thinking, “choose a major already?!” Or maybe even, “my, someone thinks rather a lot of herself, doesn’t she?”

Well, chalk it up to a childhood spent moving around every other year. “Army Brat?” No. “Witness Protection?” No...though that would explain the whole Tess/Tara thing, which I get to below). I’m just the daughter of a civil engineer who built bridges and tunnels across the country, an experience which probably explains why I love variety and discovering new things so much.

No doubt it’s this sense of curiosity that led to my having had such a rich and far-ranging career. Having studied abroad in Leningrad (I date myself), Vienna, and London, my first jobs out of college were teaching English in Taiwan and Russia. Since then, I’ve worked as a Marketing Manager in Moscow, an Associate Professor of Writing and Public Speaking at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a Marketing Writer at international active travel company Backroads, to an Event Marketing Consultant for the white-hot Web 2.0 sector, and more.

What has contributed to my success throughout, I believe, is that I’m as much of a workhorse as I am a showhorse. Take my event work: I thrive on the hustle-and-bustle of project management as much as I savor the countless behind-the-scenes moments that make it all possible. Need a sponsor sweet-talked at the 11th hour? I’m your girl. Have a client who needs extra handholding? I’m there. Need someone who can work a room? My pleasure!

Without such a diverse background, I wouldn’t be able to offer what I do now. You know how, in a job interview, you’re often asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” My answer has always been: “I want to be your team’s Go-To girl. I want to be that one person on the team who, when the stakes are high and a question needs an answer and a task desperately needs doing, everyone’s first response will be, “Talk to Tess. She’ll be able to help you.”

Why mention this? Because I’ve found that, in order to be that kind of person, the more data points you have to draw from, the better. That is why I believe, for what I aim to offer, it’s the very breadth and eclecticism of my background that enables me to wear the many hats I do (and not just the white Russian one).

So what’s up with the whole Tara/Tess thing?
Okay, so here’s the deal: for those of you who know me as “Tess,” my given name is actually “Tara.” For those of you who know me by my given name, “Tara,” you should know that about a year ago I decided to finally take the plunge and start going by “Tess” instead.

Why in the world did I do that? Well, seeing as how that’ll take some explaining, I decided to address it in my blog instead! Here's the quick teaser...

George Bush ruined my name
Nine out of ten people I leave messages for return my call asking for "Pat Anderson"...
My flickr doppelganger, aka "The Quilt Monster"