We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tara Mullins-Cosme. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tara below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

It is imperative that you create a safe space for your team to share their truth. This is step one and cannot be skipped. Inclusion, and how to achieve it, comes from listening to what they share, and implementing their ideas whenever possible.

Secondly, when considering your suppliers and vendors, prioritizing diversity is a must in creating an inclusive workspace. The folks you buy from and support to keep your business running should always be reflective of the workplace you hope to create.

Anytime barriers can be removed or accessibility can be increased, in any aspect of your business, do your best to make it happen!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Though Joel is a native of NYC and Tara of rural Central Ohio, the two met nearly 7,000 miles away, while living in the South Korean city of Bundang. They returned to the States and chose to call Columbus Ohio’s South Side home. Tara and Joel have an adventurous teenager, two energetic preschoolers, and a big hound dog named Conway. They own Community Grounds: Coffee & Meeting House in their neighborhood. They also own Off Center: Patio & Pub, serving up legit NY Style pizza, Puerto Rican food, craft cocktails and beer in Central Ohio’s Old Hilliard. You will find a limited menu from Off Center available at Community Grounds. In addition, they own CTO, a health and safety training center Tara founded in January 2013.Tara is the idea generator. She manages the team, special events, and maintains all the creative stuff that happens behind the scenes, which often includes talking Joel into embracing her latest idea. Joel is the executor. The gears of the operation, and the one with the refined palette and cooking skills! Joel’s parents hail from Puerto Rico’s North Region, though “home” for Joel is Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I have always really loved “The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary” by Mark Sanborn

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Dig right in! Be authentic. Seek to both connect with your audience and give them plenty of opportunities to connect with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: mycommunitygrounds.com
• Instagram: @mycommunitygrounds
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycommunitygrounds
• Other: patreon.com/communitygrounds