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

Tara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

I was two months away from graduation when I found myself in a brainstorming meeting with the founders of a boutique experiential marketing agency in Chicago. I had met them through my job with Red Bull, where I was part of the team supporting the upcoming Art of Can event. Somewhere between throwing out ideas and taking diligent notes, they turned to me and asked, “Do you have a job lined up yet?”

I did not. I hadn’t even started looking. Blissfully unaware that we were teetering on the edge of the Great Recession, I was offered an interview before I knew I needed one.

A few months later, I joined the agency as employee number 12, working under a guy named Jeff. Our department was responsible for managing the agency’s biggest account: General Motors. Pre-recession GM had eight brands. Remember Saturn? What about Saab? Or Pontiac?! We were producing thousands of activations a year, across 25+ markets—coast to coast.

If you’ve worked in experiential marketing, you know it’s not for the faint of heart. Weekend events. Late-night calls. Thousands of moving pieces juggled between field teams, vendors, event organizers, and multiple clients—clients who expected everything to run seamlessly and be fully informed at all times (day and night).

I thrived in the chaos. I learned how to move fast, predict problems, and make calm, rational decisions in the middle of a $h*t storm. Years later, when I left the agency to join corporate America, a manager told me, “You get more done in a day than most people do in a week.” I said, “Sounds like they’ve never worked at an agency.”

But that pace, that availability—it started to wear me down. One night, after fielding a client call at midnight, I stormed into Jeff’s office the next day, exhausted, exasperated, and running on fumes.

“She called me at MIDNIGHT, Jeff! MIDNIGHT!”

Jeff looked up at me and calmly replied, “Did you pick up?”

“Well, of course,” I shot back. Wasn’t that the job? Isn’t that what delivering excellent client service requires?

Jeff just nodded. “She calls you at midnight because she knows you’ll pick up.”

Oof. A gut punch of a lesson that took years to fully sink in.

Today, “boundaries” is a buzzword. Back then? It wasn’t a part of the workplace vocabulary. But that moment stuck with me nearly 20 years later. But that moment stuck with me. It was the first time I realized that I am responsible for setting the tone of how I expect to be treated. If I made myself available 24/7, I’d always be expected to be available 24/7.

Did I change my habits overnight? No. It took time (and a lot of sleepless nights). But now, as a business owner, I take that moment with me into every new client relationship. I try to set the tone from day one. I communicate expectations clearly and model the kind of working relationship I want to have—and I ask my clients to do the same.

Because as Jeff taught me: we teach people how to treat us. Not with a single conversation, but with every choice we make— every call we choose to take or not take. So if you’re always picking up at midnight… don’t be surprised when the phone keeps ringing.

Tara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Tara Soltow, a brand strategist and marketing advisor for hypergrowth consumer product companies. I work with founders and leaders to translate their aspirational brand visions into action and results.

With nearly two decades of consumer marketing experience across a multitude of disciplines, industries, and landscapes— from agencies to startups to global corporations— I bring practical insights and hands-on expertise in building, activating, and revitalizing brands of all shapes and sizes.

My path into this world wasn’t linear—it was forged through a mix of curiosity, agility, and a relentless drive to help companies accelerate innovation, catalyze transformation, and realize their brand’s full potential.

I got my start in experiential and event marketing, working on large-scale brand activations, sponsorships, and partnership programs for household names like Red Bull, GM, and Kellogg’s. Operating in such a high-touch, hands-on environment shaped my approach to activating brands, honing my ability to craft engaging programs that transform brand strategies into meaningful and memorable brand experiences.

From there, I broadened my background with a stint in corporate America at a global spirits supplier before venturing into the wild world of startups—by way of the even wilder world of cannabis. These roles exposed me to new dimensions of marketing such as brand strategy, communications, and integrated marketing.

Today, through my consultancy, Epoch Roots, I develop communication platforms, go-to-market strategies, and brand activation plans for companies navigating critical inflection points and new terrains. Whether they’re repositioning to meet shifting consumer demands, launching a new product, or entering a new market, I help guide their brands through pivotal periods of high-stakes growth and transformation. I design, develop, and deploy creative, compelling, and cohesive brand experiences that engage consumers at every touchpoint—and drive measurable impact in the marketplace.

What sets me apart? I have a different philosophy than most brand builders, leveraging a collaborative and commercially oriented approach centered on integrated planning and streamlined execution. By engaging and integrating teams across disciplines, I ensure marketing efforts are not only aligned with other imperative business initiatives but stay agile, adapting seamlessly to evolving needs and emerging opportunities. In short, I ensure that marketing drives both brand and business objectives.

What I love most about my work is the ability to step in as an outsider—bringing a new pair of eyes and a different voice to the table, disrupting the echo chamber, and challenging the status quo. With that fresh pair perspective, I connect the dots, surface untapped opportunities, and bridge gaps others often overlook. There’s nothing more rewarding than asking the tough questions and introducing unexpected ideas that catalyze real breakthroughs.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Every single client I’ve worked with has come through word of mouth. No ads, no cold outreach—just genuine connections. I love meeting new people organically, having real conversations, and building relationships without an agenda. It’s never been about networking for the sake of networking; it’s about curiosity, collaboration, and providing value wherever you can. When you focus on building trust and doing great work, the right opportunities have a way of finding you.

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

While I enjoy a good business or management book now and then, the most valuable lessons I’ve learned haven’t come from a bestseller—they’ve come from real conversations with mentors, fellow entrepreneurs, and personal experience in the trenches. There’s no substitute for hearing hard-earned wisdom from someone who’s been there, made the mistakes, and figured it out. And sometimes, the best insights come from simply paying attention—observing what works, what doesn’t, and adapting along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.epochroots.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tararaesoltow

Image Credits

Jessica Monroy and Krys Peña