Tara McMullin on What Works and Pivoting as a Business Leader

Tara McMullin is the Founder and Host of “What Works” a podcast, and community that’s dedicated to having discussions with small business owners about what is working for them in today’s world. It was an honor to talk to Tara McMullin on what works and pivoting as a business leader.

I loved talking to Tara how she has shifted, over the past few years, into a new way of leading in her own business. After noticing that she didn’t feel fully authentic in her role in the self-described small business “advice business,” Tara wanted to move into something that is centered on providing strategic value through experience, and and non-hierarchical business building.

“The business model shift that we made was one where I was the expert and advice was my job to a product in which we have a no advice policy. And where we talk much more about experience than we do about expertise.”
Tara mcmullin

The thing that stands out to me is that as we grow and spend more time in a business, we all shift and change. We see what works, what doesn’t, and we learn to intuitively understand what you want to do more of, and, less of as you grow a business.

Tara McMullin on What Works and Pivoting as a Business Leader:

-Running a small business
-Podcasting and how it’s a growing industry
-Our backgrounds, which are both in religious studies
-The What Works network, and how she engages with small businesses
-What happens when your personal values are misaligned with your business
-The importance of independent thinking and personal agency
-The What Works rule of “no advice,” and valuing experience over expertise
-What happens when we “live a Story”
-Being an Enneagram 3, and not chasing accomplishments
-Our similarities: softball, religious studies, podcasting
-How to Jump Start Your Joy: do what you say you will, question your assumptions, and expect success