Tara J.
With close to 20 years of professional coaching experience, Tara is passionate about transforming workplace experiences for all—one person at a time—through coaching. Having served in a variety of People & Culture leadership roles at organizations such as Etsy, Bloomingdale’s, Columbia University, and JPMorgan Chase, Tara has direct experience navigating the dynamics and challenges of today’s workplace, which informs her practice and allows her to deeply understand and support her clients. She’s coached everyone from early career professionals to C-suite executives; engineers, creatives, bankers, nonprofit leaders, veterans—you name them, she’s likely worked with them.
As an ICF PCC-credentialed coach, Tara bridges rigorous coaching methodology with deep corporate experience, bringing both professional expertise and practical, real-world insight to support Torch clients. Her expertise spans the full leadership journey: helping clients develop authentic leadership presence and emotional intelligence, elevate team performance through strategic goal setting and feedback, navigate change and challenging conversations with confidence, build strategic influence and communication skills, and advance their careers through self-advocacy and resilience.
Education & Certifications
- M.Ed, Instructional Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago
- B.A., Business Administration, Truman State University
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation (ICF)
- Certified Professional Coach, World Coach Institute
- Certified NLP Integrated Life Coach, iNLP Center
- MBTI Certified Practitioner
Professional Experience
Learn about Tara J. professional history.
- Executive & Leadership Coach + Leadership Development Facilitator – Bravely
- Executive Coach + Principal Consultant – Radical Redefinition
- Employee Communications Consultant – Salesforce, Brilliant Ink
- Senior Manager, Employee Connections – Etsy
- Manager, DEI & Charitable Initiatives – Bloomingdale’s
- Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development – Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs
- Assistant Director, Career Development – University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Business Administration
- University Relations Specialist, JPMorgan Chase
Functional Experience
All of our coaches are experienced in supporting a variety of business functions. This coach has personal experience in the following professional fields.
Industry Experience
While you may want to have some similarities with your coach you don’t want too much overlap. A coach’s job is to offer you fresh and new perspectives that you may not be exposed to in your current industry or function. Here are the industries the coach most commonly supports.
Coaching Expertise
Coaches have wide skill sets and we can’t list them all. Here are a few areas this coach specializes in helping support.
Primary Professionals Coached
Testimonials and Coaching Highlights
“Tara is an absolutely incredible coach! She regularly asks me thoughtful questions that really help me view my situations and challenges differently than I naturally would have. In just a few sessions, Tara has helped me identify my values at work, helped me gain confidence in my role, and navigate conversations around growth and promotion. She has truly changed my working life for the better, and I am so grateful to have been paired with her!”
“Words can’t express how grateful I am for these sessions and this opportunity. I have been working with Tara for a few months now, and I feel so connected and heard. I am using the strategies and approaches not only for my own professional well-being, but to support my team as well. This is now invaluable to my ability to maintain balance, commitment, and well-being – and to show up as a strong leader for my team.”
“I feel like someone is holding me accountable. Tara is able to pull out answers from me in such an “aha moment” kind of way that stirs me to action, and it’s really helping me! I also like that now I can speak with her monthly as part of my development, and in the timeframe leading up to our sessions, I feel I have a better, more organized way of approaching certain high-stress situations and demanding people at work.”