July 8, 2025 • 26 mins
Listen to part 1 here!
In the second part of our conversation with Tara Jenkins, board-certified music therapist and founder of Harmony in Dementia, we discuss what it really takes to build confidence in your business. From letting go of perfectionism to learning the power of vulnerability, Tara shares how embracing the messy middle has fueled her entrepreneurial journey. If you missed part one, go back and catch up; this episode picks up right where we left off!
Three Key Topics Discussed:
- Letting Go of Perfection in Entrepreneurship: Tara reflects on her journey from striving for perfection to embracing the messy middle in her work and business. She shares how letting go of rigid standards opened up new levels of creativity and confidence.
- The Role of Connection in Building Confidence: Building authentic relationships with like-minded people has been crucial to Tara’s growth. Tara shares how networking and genuine conversations have played a key role in boosting her confidence as a business owner.
- Overcoming Marketing Challenges and Embracing Imperfection: From misconceptions about music therapy to marketing struggles with privacy, Tara talks about her biggest marketing challenges and how she’s found success by staying authentic and intentional.
Follow Tara:
Tara Jenkins | LinkedIn
Harmony in Dementia | Facebook
Harmony in Dementia | Instagram
Harmony in Dementia | TikTok
Harmony in Dementia | Website
P.S. Take the first step (will only take you 3 minutes) to awaken your brand magic with our personalized Brand Clarity Quiz
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello.
(00:00):
Before we dive into part two ofthis episode, I gotta ask, did
you catch part one?
If not, hit pause real quick.
You'll wanna start from thebeginning to get the full
effect.
The link to part one is rightdown in the description below.
Go ahead, catch up, and we'll beright here waiting for you.
Ready to dive into part two whenyou're all set.
It's worth it, I promise.
Beverly (00:18):
So this season we are all about confidence.
Last season we awakened somebrand magic, Tara but this
season we're all aboutvisibility and confidence.
So what does confidence looklike for you as a business
owner?
How did you build it?
And can you share a moment whenyou realized that you were truly
showing up with it?
Tara (00:39):
This is a multi-layered question.
Yes.
For me, because I said I neverwanted to perform with music.
So when you think aboutmusicians I just had this
conversation.
I went back to my university forcelebration.
Our music therapy programcelebrated 50 years.
So I actually was just having asimilar conversation around
confidence.
As musicians we're trained,there's right and wrong notes.
(00:59):
There's a right way to play anasure, whatever it is.
And then there's like incorrectways to do things.
But as a therapist, we're allabout the process.
The messy middle.
And so for me, where I reallystarted to develop my
confidence, and it was likemaybe five, six years or more
into my career, I was letting goof perfection.
It was really hard for mebecause I am singing and playing
(01:21):
guitar.
I am doing all these things as amusic therapist.
We're assessing a lot in themoment.
We're constantly assessing ourclients and the environment and
everything, but letting go ofperfection.
And it's still a, I don't wannasay a struggle, but a journey I
should say with letting go ofperfection.
But I think also as a businessowner to be like, it's okay to
make a mistake, and a lot oftimes you learn more from maybe
(01:43):
when something doesn't go wellthan when something does.
And when it comes to clients,there's a little bit more weight
there.
'cause I obviously don't wannacause harm.
Being very intentional I thinktoo.
In my work I try to be veryintentional in everything I do.
And I think that's where thebeauty is a lot is when you can
be intentional, when you can letgo of perfection.
(02:03):
And also just, I think be kindto yourself.
And I think that is another onethat I'm on a journey with.
But going back to, with some ofthe things that I have with
medical conditions, I say thisall the time about my clients,
we need to celebrate theirabilities, what they can
achieve, not their diagnosis andtheir limitations.
I sometimes don't turn that overto me, so trying to get better
(02:26):
at, okay, these are all thethings my body can do, like
physically, maybe I'm having ahard time, but thanking for the
health'cause I am very healthyoverall.
It's just these flare ups andthings.
So being thankful for that, andjust acknowledging it and
starting to acknowledge the whatifs of, what if this goes well,
instead of the negative side ofthings.
And again, it's a constantjourney, but I think for me,
(02:48):
that's where the sweet spot isfor my confidence.
And then just connecting withlike-minded people.
That's another thing for me.
Connecting with people who sharesimilar values and beliefs
personally and professionally.
And then having conversations.
When I was talking about goingback for that program
celebration, I had a lot ofmeaningful conversations with
people who are now colleagueswho we were once students
(03:10):
together, or friends orprofessors that I'm now
colleagues with.
And it was really eye-opening tojust take that reflection of how
far I've come being in thatspace where I was very under
confident, very anxious as astudent, and then I was back in
that space as a very differentperson, almost 20 years later.
Beverly (03:29):
Full circle.
I think it's interesting whenyou talk about perfectionism and
imposter syndrome and thosekinds of things.
We work mostly with femalefounders, so that is so
prevalent with female founders.
And I think it comes from thelitany of messages that we get
from society.
You have to be the perfect mom.
Have to be the perfect wife.
Gotta wear your hair this way,gotta wear your makeup, gotta do
(03:50):
this.
We have all these pressures puton us that are not even really
necessary, but you're talkingabout all these things, Tara,
and I was like, was she in mylast session?
But I Definitely have confidencemore so than ever before.
And I think clarity in who I amand how I serve and some of
that.
I just turned 50 last week, somaybe there's something to be
said about that.
My version of excellence isprobably way better than
(04:11):
somebody else's version.
So I just need to lean into, dothe best that I can.
Tweak what I can.
But if you get so stuck up,stuck in this idea of
perfection, you will not makeprogress.
Because you'll never release thecourse or never release the
thing.
Yeah.
If you're so worried aboutperfection and.
By releasing it, you getfeedback, you can make a change.
(04:33):
And in today's day and age, youdon't have to print a whole lot
of stuff anymore, so it doesn'tcost you that much even to pull
it down, make some changes, putit back up.
So it might be some work, butit's not like it used to be.
Tara (04:43):
We're connecting on a deep level.
Yeah.
Because it's a lot about what Italk about as well and again,
I've had some recent experiencesboth going back to my university
and a couple other reflectingexperiences on my career that's
really taken me full circle.
But also, trying to be kinder tomy younger self, say like my
younger self would never haveimagined that I'd be doing and
(05:07):
working with all the people andthe things that is happening in
my life.
So I think just taking thatmoment, I think to be your
cheerleader and celebrateyourself, which is not something
I always do.
Trying to remind myself to do itmore.
Beverly (05:19):
Yeah.
Good advice.
I would never talk to my childthat way.
Of course.
Yeah.
But I talk to myself that way,right?
Yes, exactly that.
I'm not sure how trauma riddenyour childhood was, but I carry
some things with me, and thosethings have formed who I am and
I'm not angry about thosethings.
But it certainly has informedsome of that additional work
(05:40):
I've had to do, of course, toclaim my space in this world
like that I think is part of it.
Okay.
Let's talk a little bit aboutmarketing.
'cause that's my favorite thing,right?
What has been the hardest partabout marketing what you do?
Tara (05:52):
I think the hardest part is the misconception of, what I
do, honestly because as a musictherapist and there's a lot more
education out there and there'sa lot more people, but the
advocacy burnout of constantlyhaving to share no, we're board
certified and this is why it'sdifferent from somebody who just
comes in and plays the piano andthat has its place.
(06:12):
I'm not saying, don't scheduleentertainment and all of the
things, but we are part of it,the allied health professionals.
And so sometimes that is reallychallenging.
So making it clear.
And I think in my marketing,I've become better at, sharing
those examples because.
You don't know if anybody hasever come across a music
(06:33):
therapist.
So there were times where I wasjumping into what I do and I was
like, oh, I actually need toback up and let people know,
this isn't a hobby.
Our degrees require education inmusic, medicine, and, therapy
and all of the, all of thesethings.
So sometimes it's like backingup, and then getting to know who
am I, who is my focus, right?
(06:54):
Who do I wanna reach out to?
Who do I wanna connect with?
So that is one challenge.
And I think the other challengefor me is I can talk about
things forever.
So when it comes to social mediamarketing, I've gotten better at
like short.
Clips and snippets and moremeaningful stories.
And the other challenge too, isa lot of my work I can't show
because it's HIPAA, there'sprivacy indicators there.
(07:16):
And also I had this conversationwith a group of professionals.
If I go into a community settingand the community gives me
approval to video, is thatperson living with dementia,
would they.
In their moment, give consent,and now they no longer can, but
the family has given consent.
And so I try to be veryintentional with that.
I've talked with family memberswho have a presence or
(07:39):
influencers in the care spaceand they've said my mom was an
educator and a teacher, and wehad those conversations and I
know she would want that outthere if it's helping people.
But not everybody's coming fromthat intentional place.
So I try to be reallyintentional and then if I'm
working with someone or sharinga story, I try to just make sure
that I feel good about thestories I'm sharing or I try to
(08:01):
change some details or make themmore vague, things like that.
So those would've been andcontinue to be some marketing
challenges.
cause I think music therapy, thebest way to explain it is to see
it.
And you can't always see itdepending on who I'm working
with.
Beverly (08:14):
It's interesting.
You market to the advocate andyou serve the community.
What has been the best marketingthat what works the most for
you?
Tara (08:22):
I think for me the most is a conversation, like actual
conversation.
The cold calls and the emails, Ido those,'cause that's how you
start when you don't know anyoneat somewhere where you want to
connect with someone.
Yeah.
But I think having theconversation, for me, I found it
very beneficial, especially herein Wilmington.
The community's been sosupportive, the aging space, but
going to networking events foraging and senior living, and
(08:46):
typically I'm the only one ofme.
A lot of times there's a lot of.
Marketing people from thedifferent senior living
buildings and Yeah.
And they're great.
Don't get me wrong.
I love the marketing people.
I used to have a greatrelationship with our marketing
department when I was full-timein, in a community, but I get to
have these conversations andsometimes that speeds up who I
need to connect with.
They're like, oh, you need totalk to this person at our
(09:08):
building, or you need to, thisis who I need to connect you
with, or whatever.
So I think that's been reallyimportant.
And then again, on social mediaI put stuff out there.
I never know who sees it.
You see the numbers, the likes,but recently I've had multiple
people say, oh my gosh I loveyour content, or, this was
helpful for me because, and Ilike to share a lot of
education, tips, resources, whatdoes a day look like as a
(09:31):
private practice music therapistand spoiler is very different
every day.
It's never the same but.
I think those have been someexciting things when it comes to
marketing.
And I like talking to people andI like building relationships
and coming up with ideas.
That's the other thing.
My program is not a one sizefits all.
It's going to look verydifferent if I'm working with
(09:54):
the Alzheimer's Association,which, I've had the opportunity
to do that and work with thelocal chapter here versus if I'm
working with a caregiver intheir home with their person
living with dementia, with theperson they're caring for.
So I get excited thinking abouthow do I tailor my services to
you?
How do I support you best?
Beverly (10:13):
So you do have some in real life relationships that are
helpful when you do thein-person networking.
I'll tell you the post covidin-person networking has been a
little challenging for me toleave my little bubble
Tara (10:24):
Yeah.
I sign up for things and don'talways make it there.
Yeah.
Beverly (10:27):
That's real life.
That's the messy little rightthere, Tara.
Okay, so we're gonna changedirection here a little bit.
I'm gonna shake things up andwe're gonna do a little bit of
magic.
But before we do that, if youare enjoying this conversation,
please hit the follow subscribebutton so you never miss another
episode.
And if you know someone whoneeds to hear this, maybe they
have a aging parent who is goingthrough dementia or those kinds
(10:50):
of challenges, please send ittheir way.
This might be exactly what theyneed to spark the best next idea
for them.
Okay, so my lightning roundcomes from a sparkly purple hat.
Love it.
Love it.
There's lots of questions inhere I'm going to ask you a few,
and it's just more of a rapidfire question and answer
session.
What's a common misconceptionabout your industry that you
(11:11):
love to debunk?
Tara (11:12):
Ooh.
I'd love to debunk that we'renot entertainment, which I
highlighted earlier, but we aremore than entertainment.
Beverly (11:19):
I like that you're not just a piano player who's gonna
be there to help.
What's a surprising way thatyour personal values show up in
your business?
Tara (11:26):
I think going back to marketing, my personal values of
being intentional, of beingtransparent, of putting myself
out there tho those values areshowing up more in how I also
market my services.
And I think that's been reallyexciting to grow that part of it
Beverly (11:42):
and super authentic, which resonates far better.
If you could wave your own magicwand and solve one current
challenge for your business,what would it be?
Tara (11:51):
I wish more people had the budget.
Do you know?
I wish more funding wasaccessible, let's say that
because not everybody canmagically get funding.
But the magic wand of, I wish itwas easier to seek out funding
Beverly (12:02):
to get services to the people who need it.
Tara (12:04):
I'm all about community partnerships and community
programs and I would love tooffer more free services to the
people in my community andbeyond.
But it comes down to funding.
Beverly (12:13):
What's something in your business that brings you
pure joy?
Tara (12:16):
The moment I make a meaningful connection with a
client, and it can happen fromthem tapping their toe when I
didn't know that I wasconnecting to them, sharing a
story, I pick a song and I don'tknow if it's a song they like.
I'm a detective in some ways.
And so they've told me whatmusic they like, we've engaged
and then we share a song andthen they have this beautiful
story that accompanies it.
(12:37):
Or they have a memory or theystart singing along or they sing
the harmony or, any of thosethings.
Beverly (12:43):
Have you ever thought about quitting and what pulls
you back?
Tara (12:46):
I, every so often will look at jobs that have nothing
to do what I do.
Like maybe I wanna just likefull-time work for Apple.
I don't, but I'm like, maybe Iwant a job where like I could be
making more.
It's happening less.
But every so often I explorethat and what brings me back is
after I have a session, afterI'm with a client, I come back
home or I sign off and I say,why would I do anything else?
(13:10):
Like the amount of energy andjoy that I get to help someone
in that way is pretty big.
Beverly (13:15):
That's pretty awesome.
So what's one thing peopleovercomplicate about marketing
that you think is actuallyreally simple?
Tara (13:21):
I think, again, the perfection piece, like wanting
to, and I was doing that too,social media is one oh, I didn't
say that word right.
Or whatever, and go back andyou're editing it and that eats
up so much time and just put outthe messier version.
And I found that people connectmore with the more authentic
versions of the different thingsthat I share when it comes to
(13:42):
that.
Beverly (13:42):
That's great advice.
Don't overthink it.
You can overthink it to be sopolished that it lose its
humanity in it.
So be human.
That's why live is so powerful,I don't do a lot of lives.
Just so we're clear, myrecovering perfectionist would
probably have an anxiety attack.
The more that I do these things,the more that I do the podcast,
the more that I do video, themore that I show up and
practice, the more confident Ifeel doing something like that.
(14:06):
What's been your mostunexpected, serendipitous moment
in business?
Where all the stars aligned?
Tara (14:12):
I think for me, moving here to Wilmington, honestly
because.
I got so much community supportthat I didn't expect.
I've lived in multiple citiesand it's been challenging to
break into certain spaces.
And here it's been the completeopposite.
Everybody's been so warm andwelcoming, and if they can't
help me, they've got ideas andsuggestions where people that
(14:35):
they need to connect me with.
And it goes beyond justprofessionally, like even just
in our neighborhood when wefirst moved in.
Just the comradery and thecommunity support has really
been overwhelming andunexpected.
And I think it's been reallyserendipitous in the sense of we
moved here for a quality of lifechange.
We moved here for a lot ofpersonal reasons, not
(14:56):
necessarily professionalreasons, which is how we've
moved in other aspects.
And that all aligned without useven knowing that it would.
Beverly (15:04):
That's beautiful.
I was born in Alabama, butraised in Michigan.
We've lived in Virginia andNorth Carolina and Pennsylvania.
We lived all up and down likethe eastern seaboard, I feel
like.
I have found my neighbors andthe people here in North
Carolina to be the most warmJust really kind people.
My husband's deployed right now,and I had my 50th birthday and
two of my neighbors brought meflowers because they knew my
(15:24):
husband wasn't home.
So great.
And then I was alone forMother's Day, so one of the
neighbors invited us to go dopottery with their kids.
Just making sure that I knowthat I'm supported, which is
amazing.
We've only been here.
Eight months, nine months.
So it hasn't even been that longto really establish those kinds
of relationships, especially asan older person.
Tara (15:43):
Yeah.
The older you get, it is harderto make meaningful friendships.
I think it's more challenging.
You're doing a lot of work very.
Yes.
Siloed or at your home so you'renot meeting people in that way?
It's similar to me,
Beverly (15:54):
but a lot of us work from home, so that's actually
really nice.
Oh, that's good.
Yeah, we're all home, which isnice.
But it's been very special.
So I agree with you.
We're living here for a while.
We left and we came back'cause Iwas like, I I wanna end up here
because I have a lot of strongconnections and relationships
that have been built here.
So I agree.
That is the last question in themagic hat round.
I hope that you enjoyed thosequestions.
The next thing I have is I havemy wand.
(16:16):
Oh, love it.
It has some magical powers,Tara, and it helps us time
travel essentially.
Love it.
So I'm going to wave the wandthe first time and it's gonna
take us back to the day 2007that you graduated.
That more shy person.
What advice would you give herthat you needed then that you
have now
Tara (16:33):
to take a breath, to slow down and to be kinder to
yourself.
I feel like we've highlighted onsome of these things already,
but I think I was really hard onmyself and I compared myself to
everyone.
And I still do those comparisonssometimes, but I'm a lot kinder
with those thoughts or Iacknowledge those thoughts and
(16:53):
let them go a lot easier than Iused to.
So letting go as well.
Not holding on to a lot of thosenegative, like self-talk
thoughts.
Beverly (17:02):
Yeah.
I found that I can get a littleobsessive with that, right?
Yeah.
So by either talking through itor journaling it, it gets out of
there and stops marinatingaround and sitting it own juices
of not healthy.
Yeah.
Yes, I feel like it's superpowerful to acknowledge it and
let it go.
My therapist refers to them asthe echoes and shadows of doubt,
of yourself.
So it echoes and shadows and Itry to name them and claim them
(17:24):
now, so they can't just lurkanymore.
I call'em out and shine thelight on'em and tell'em to get
out.
So i'm gonna ask her what shethinks of you now, what would
she say?
Tara (17:34):
Oh man.
She would be so pumped.
She'd be so excited.
She'd probably be jumping up anddown, very excited, wanting to
celebrate and just asking allthe questions.
How did you get there and howdid you connect with this
person?
And oh my gosh, what was thatlike?
I think she would just be socelebratory.
I think she would just be sohappy to see that, even though
(17:56):
there were moments that Ithought I wouldn't graduate, I
really was like, maybe I can'tgo through with this.
That I had those moments mostlyin my junior year.
I had a pretty tough time and Ithink she'd be like, we did it.
We did so much more.
We did what we wanted and more,I think she'd be really happy
and excited.
Beverly (18:13):
I have a disco ball over there.
Do I need to turn it on and havea party?
Tara (18:15):
Maybe.
Yeah.
Have a dance party.
Yeah, definitely a dance partyabout it.
Yeah.
Beverly (18:20):
That's so good.
So I'm gonna wave the wandagain, and I'm gonna take us far
into the future where someone isreading your eulogy.
What do you want people toremember most about working with
you and what will be thegreatest impact that you will
make?
Tara (18:33):
I think, again, it goes back to relationships.
I want people to feel supportedand safe and to feel that my
impact in their life has helpedthem to connect with their loved
one, or has helped them toexpress their frustrations of
what's going on with them andhow they're living.
And I think my biggest impactwould just to make the world and
(18:56):
the space that I occupy a littlekinder a little more supportive
and just a little more joyful,
Beverly (19:03):
that's beautiful.
Okay, so I'm gonna take the wandand bring us back to 2025.
For those people who aresolopreneurs that are listening
or are starting a business oftheir own, or maybe they're just
burnt out, Tara.
What is one tip that you couldgive those who are trying to
build more confidence in howthey show up and run their
(19:25):
business?
Tara (19:26):
I think a tip of building confidence, part of it is
knowing your comfort zone andstarting there..
If you can look at somethingthat you're good at in your
business and hone that in, orsomething you're excited about
or you enjoy doing.
There's a lot of things I don'tenjoy about my business, the
accounting piece of it, amen.
Amen.
And maybe you hire someone forthat eventually, right?
(19:47):
Yeah.
But I think focusing on what youfeel good about, what you're
excited about, what you'repassionate about, and that will
grow your confidence to thenmaybe go to something you're
less comfortable with, somethingthat's more out of your comfort
zone.
Something that maybe you've beenafraid to try or you've been
nervous to explore, and thengrow that.
I think if you can grow yourconfidence and feel good about
(20:10):
an aspect of your business thatis going well, that you are
excited about, it can give youthat energy and that push to do
something that you're a littlebit more nervous about, and I
found that the things that I'vebeen more nervous about, or I've
applied for something or I'vesaid yes to something, and I'm
like, oh, why did I do that?
A lot of times when it's a bigthing.
That's my initial reaction.
And then I get super excitedabout meeting the deadline the
(20:33):
presentation, whatever I've saidyes to.
But I think there is somethingto doing things that make you
nervous or scare you a littlebit, and it can grow your
confidence.
Beverly (20:43):
I use the example a lot, I use a example of a
circle.
And the circle is a comfortzone.
We hang out in there.
That's where we like to live.
That's what we know the best.
It's super comfortable.
But when you just take even aslightest small step, you create
a little bump on the circle, andthen the circle has to go around
the bump.
So you've increased the circleand you can't go back to the
small circle because you'vealready created the bigger
(21:05):
circle.
And if you just keep inching itout step by step, even if it's
just the smallest step, it'smaybe today it's signing up for
an event at the chamber.
Maybe today is posting a storythat kind of comes from your
heart on social.
It's just one thing.
Or even a social post thatactually has your voice in it
for the first time.
Do something outside yourcomfort zone, those things.
(21:27):
My husband jumps out ofairplanes for a living.
I am not that person.
Yeah.
However the things that scare methe most usually are the things
that I'm most proud of and I'mmost excited about afterwards.
I am very much in fear ofheights and they have a military
weekend where the spouses can goand we can do some of the things
that our army spouses do.
And there is one where you canjump, go to the tower.
(21:49):
It's like a 20 foot tower, andyou can get all geared up and
you can jump out of that as ifyou're training to jump out of
an airplane.
And I got up, walked up all thesteps, and I was all geared up.
And I got up there and I waslike, absolutely not, because
it's a free fall.
It's not like you're on a zipline, you have to fall and then
it catches you, it's a freefall.
Yeah.
And I was like, oh no, I'm good.
And my husband said to me fromthe ground, you will be so mad
(22:13):
at yourself if you don't dothis.
And I was like, he's so right.
Tara (22:17):
I don't want him to be right, but he's right.
Beverly (22:19):
So I took the step outta the 20 foot tower.
Obviously I was fine and I'mglad I did it'cause I would've
been so upset at myself.
That's how you live withregrets.
Is not doing those kinds ofthings that make you a little
bit scared and push you to adifferent level.
So I have a favor to ask for thelisteners.
If today's episode has sparkedsomething in you, maybe pushed
you a little bit outside yourcomfort zone, then take a minute
(22:42):
and leave us a review and let usknow how this podcast has helped
you do something a little bitdifferent or given you courage
or confidence or maybe just atip that you're using.
And then if you really love it,share it.
'cause that's important too.
Gives us inspiration to otherpeople.
Tara, this has been a really funconversation.
Yeah, I agree.
Thank you so much for sharingyour love of music and therapy
(23:06):
and wisdom and your journey andyour magic with us.
I know our listeners are gonnawalk away with so many amazing
things, but tell everyone beforewe go how they can find you and
learn more about what you do.
Tara (23:17):
Sure.
Www.harmonyindementia.com is mywebsite and I'm harmony in
dementia on social media.
You can find me on LinkedIn aswell, but yeah, if you can
connect with me in any of thoseways, send me a message, start
following me.
You can read more about theservices and the education I
provide, the podcast I've beenon.
(23:38):
This one will be up there too,but I share all of that on my
website as well.
So if you're looking to hearfrom me more, those are some
ways that you can connect.
Beverly (23:47):
I'm so grateful for your time and the impact that
you're making in the world,Tara.
It's very important work.
Thank you.
This has been so fun.
I hope today's episode has lit afire in you and gave you new
ideas, and most of all, inspiredyou to take some action because
here is the thing.
Your message matters.
Your work matters, and the worldneeds to hear what you have to
(24:09):
say.
Marketing isn't just aboutvisibility.
It's about impact.
It's about connecting with theright people in a way that feels
genuinely true to you.
So keep showing up.
Keep sharing your brilliance andkeep making magic in the world.
And hey, if you ever feel stuck,know that you don't have to do
this alone.
We're here to help you turn thatspark into a wildfire.
(24:31):
Until next time, keep sparkingand igniting
Hello.
(00:00):
Before we dive into part two ofthis episode, I gotta ask, did
you catch part one?
If not, hit pause real quick.
You'll wanna start from thebeginning to get the full
effect.
The link to part one is rightdown in the description below.
Go ahead, catch up, and we'll beright here waiting for you.
Ready to dive into part two whenyou're all set.
It's worth it, I promise.
Beverly (00:18):
So this season we are all about confidence.
Last season we awakened somebrand magic, Tara but this
season we're all aboutvisibility and confidence.
So what does confidence looklike for you as a business
owner?
How did you build it?
And can you share a moment whenyou realized that you were truly
showing up with it?
Tara (00:39):
This is a multi-layered question.
Yes.
For me, because I said I neverwanted to perform with music.
So when you think aboutmusicians I just had this
conversation.
I went back to my university forcelebration.
Our music therapy programcelebrated 50 years.
So I actually was just having asimilar conversation around
confidence.
As musicians we're trained,there's right and wrong notes.
(00:59):
There's a right way to play anasure, whatever it is.
And then there's like incorrectways to do things.
But as a therapist, we're allabout the process.
The messy middle.
And so for me, where I reallystarted to develop my
confidence, and it was likemaybe five, six years or more
into my career, I was letting goof perfection.
It was really hard for mebecause I am singing and playing
(01:21):
guitar.
I am doing all these things as amusic therapist.
We're assessing a lot in themoment.
We're constantly assessing ourclients and the environment and
everything, but letting go ofperfection.
And it's still a, I don't wannasay a struggle, but a journey I
should say with letting go ofperfection.
But I think also as a businessowner to be like, it's okay to
make a mistake, and a lot oftimes you learn more from maybe
(01:43):
when something doesn't go wellthan when something does.
And when it comes to clients,there's a little bit more weight
there.
'cause I obviously don't wannacause harm.
Being very intentional I thinktoo.
In my work I try to be veryintentional in everything I do.
And I think that's where thebeauty is a lot is when you can
be intentional, when you can letgo of perfection.
(02:03):
And also just, I think be kindto yourself.
And I think that is another onethat I'm on a journey with.
But going back to, with some ofthe things that I have with
medical conditions, I say thisall the time about my clients,
we need to celebrate theirabilities, what they can
achieve, not their diagnosis andtheir limitations.
I sometimes don't turn that overto me, so trying to get better
(02:26):
at, okay, these are all thethings my body can do, like
physically, maybe I'm having ahard time, but thanking for the
health'cause I am very healthyoverall.
It's just these flare ups andthings.
So being thankful for that, andjust acknowledging it and
starting to acknowledge the whatifs of, what if this goes well,
instead of the negative side ofthings.
And again, it's a constantjourney, but I think for me,
(02:48):
that's where the sweet spot isfor my confidence.
And then just connecting withlike-minded people.
That's another thing for me.
Connecting with people who sharesimilar values and beliefs
personally and professionally.
And then having conversations.
When I was talking about goingback for that program
celebration, I had a lot ofmeaningful conversations with
people who are now colleagueswho we were once students
(03:10):
together, or friends orprofessors that I'm now
colleagues with.
And it was really eye-opening tojust take that reflection of how
far I've come being in thatspace where I was very under
confident, very anxious as astudent, and then I was back in
that space as a very differentperson, almost 20 years later.
Beverly (03:29):
Full circle.
I think it's interesting whenyou talk about perfectionism and
imposter syndrome and thosekinds of things.
We work mostly with femalefounders, so that is so
prevalent with female founders.
And I think it comes from thelitany of messages that we get
from society.
You have to be the perfect mom.
Have to be the perfect wife.
Gotta wear your hair this way,gotta wear your makeup, gotta do
(03:50):
this.
We have all these pressures puton us that are not even really
necessary, but you're talkingabout all these things, Tara,
and I was like, was she in mylast session?
But I Definitely have confidencemore so than ever before.
And I think clarity in who I amand how I serve and some of
that.
I just turned 50 last week, somaybe there's something to be
said about that.
My version of excellence isprobably way better than
(04:11):
somebody else's version.
So I just need to lean into, dothe best that I can.
Tweak what I can.
But if you get so stuck up,stuck in this idea of
perfection, you will not makeprogress.
Because you'll never release thecourse or never release the
thing.
Yeah.
If you're so worried aboutperfection and.
By releasing it, you getfeedback, you can make a change.
(04:33):
And in today's day and age, youdon't have to print a whole lot
of stuff anymore, so it doesn'tcost you that much even to pull
it down, make some changes, putit back up.
So it might be some work, butit's not like it used to be.
Tara (04:43):
We're connecting on a deep level.
Yeah.
Because it's a lot about what Italk about as well and again,
I've had some recent experiencesboth going back to my university
and a couple other reflectingexperiences on my career that's
really taken me full circle.
But also, trying to be kinder tomy younger self, say like my
younger self would never haveimagined that I'd be doing and
(05:07):
working with all the people andthe things that is happening in
my life.
So I think just taking thatmoment, I think to be your
cheerleader and celebrateyourself, which is not something
I always do.
Trying to remind myself to do itmore.
Beverly (05:19):
Yeah.
Good advice.
I would never talk to my childthat way.
Of course.
Yeah.
But I talk to myself that way,right?
Yes, exactly that.
I'm not sure how trauma riddenyour childhood was, but I carry
some things with me, and thosethings have formed who I am and
I'm not angry about thosethings.
But it certainly has informedsome of that additional work
(05:40):
I've had to do, of course, toclaim my space in this world
like that I think is part of it.
Okay.
Let's talk a little bit aboutmarketing.
'cause that's my favorite thing,right?
What has been the hardest partabout marketing what you do?
Tara (05:52):
I think the hardest part is the misconception of, what I
do, honestly because as a musictherapist and there's a lot more
education out there and there'sa lot more people, but the
advocacy burnout of constantlyhaving to share no, we're board
certified and this is why it'sdifferent from somebody who just
comes in and plays the piano andthat has its place.
(06:12):
I'm not saying, don't scheduleentertainment and all of the
things, but we are part of it,the allied health professionals.
And so sometimes that is reallychallenging.
So making it clear.
And I think in my marketing,I've become better at, sharing
those examples because.
You don't know if anybody hasever come across a music
(06:33):
therapist.
So there were times where I wasjumping into what I do and I was
like, oh, I actually need toback up and let people know,
this isn't a hobby.
Our degrees require education inmusic, medicine, and, therapy
and all of the, all of thesethings.
So sometimes it's like backingup, and then getting to know who
am I, who is my focus, right?
(06:54):
Who do I wanna reach out to?
Who do I wanna connect with?
So that is one challenge.
And I think the other challengefor me is I can talk about
things forever.
So when it comes to social mediamarketing, I've gotten better at
like short.
Clips and snippets and moremeaningful stories.
And the other challenge too, isa lot of my work I can't show
because it's HIPAA, there'sprivacy indicators there.
(07:16):
And also I had this conversationwith a group of professionals.
If I go into a community settingand the community gives me
approval to video, is thatperson living with dementia,
would they.
In their moment, give consent,and now they no longer can, but
the family has given consent.
And so I try to be veryintentional with that.
I've talked with family memberswho have a presence or
(07:39):
influencers in the care spaceand they've said my mom was an
educator and a teacher, and wehad those conversations and I
know she would want that outthere if it's helping people.
But not everybody's coming fromthat intentional place.
So I try to be reallyintentional and then if I'm
working with someone or sharinga story, I try to just make sure
that I feel good about thestories I'm sharing or I try to
(08:01):
change some details or make themmore vague, things like that.
So those would've been andcontinue to be some marketing
challenges.
cause I think music therapy, thebest way to explain it is to see
it.
And you can't always see itdepending on who I'm working
with.
Beverly (08:14):
It's interesting.
You market to the advocate andyou serve the community.
What has been the best marketingthat what works the most for
you?
Tara (08:22):
I think for me the most is a conversation, like actual
conversation.
The cold calls and the emails, Ido those,'cause that's how you
start when you don't know anyoneat somewhere where you want to
connect with someone.
Yeah.
But I think having theconversation, for me, I found it
very beneficial, especially herein Wilmington.
The community's been sosupportive, the aging space, but
going to networking events foraging and senior living, and
(08:46):
typically I'm the only one ofme.
A lot of times there's a lot of.
Marketing people from thedifferent senior living
buildings and Yeah.
And they're great.
Don't get me wrong.
I love the marketing people.
I used to have a greatrelationship with our marketing
department when I was full-timein, in a community, but I get to
have these conversations andsometimes that speeds up who I
need to connect with.
They're like, oh, you need totalk to this person at our
(09:08):
building, or you need to, thisis who I need to connect you
with, or whatever.
So I think that's been reallyimportant.
And then again, on social mediaI put stuff out there.
I never know who sees it.
You see the numbers, the likes,but recently I've had multiple
people say, oh my gosh I loveyour content, or, this was
helpful for me because, and Ilike to share a lot of
education, tips, resources, whatdoes a day look like as a
(09:31):
private practice music therapistand spoiler is very different
every day.
It's never the same but.
I think those have been someexciting things when it comes to
marketing.
And I like talking to people andI like building relationships
and coming up with ideas.
That's the other thing.
My program is not a one sizefits all.
It's going to look verydifferent if I'm working with
(09:54):
the Alzheimer's Association,which, I've had the opportunity
to do that and work with thelocal chapter here versus if I'm
working with a caregiver intheir home with their person
living with dementia, with theperson they're caring for.
So I get excited thinking abouthow do I tailor my services to
you?
How do I support you best?
Beverly (10:13):
So you do have some in real life relationships that are
helpful when you do thein-person networking.
I'll tell you the post covidin-person networking has been a
little challenging for me toleave my little bubble
Tara (10:24):
Yeah.
I sign up for things and don'talways make it there.
Yeah.
Beverly (10:27):
That's real life.
That's the messy little rightthere, Tara.
Okay, so we're gonna changedirection here a little bit.
I'm gonna shake things up andwe're gonna do a little bit of
magic.
But before we do that, if youare enjoying this conversation,
please hit the follow subscribebutton so you never miss another
episode.
And if you know someone whoneeds to hear this, maybe they
have a aging parent who is goingthrough dementia or those kinds
(10:50):
of challenges, please send ittheir way.
This might be exactly what theyneed to spark the best next idea
for them.
Okay, so my lightning roundcomes from a sparkly purple hat.
Love it.
Love it.
There's lots of questions inhere I'm going to ask you a few,
and it's just more of a rapidfire question and answer
session.
What's a common misconceptionabout your industry that you
(11:11):
love to debunk?
Tara (11:12):
Ooh.
I'd love to debunk that we'renot entertainment, which I
highlighted earlier, but we aremore than entertainment.
Beverly (11:19):
I like that you're not just a piano player who's gonna
be there to help.
What's a surprising way thatyour personal values show up in
your business?
Tara (11:26):
I think going back to marketing, my personal values of
being intentional, of beingtransparent, of putting myself
out there tho those values areshowing up more in how I also
market my services.
And I think that's been reallyexciting to grow that part of it
Beverly (11:42):
and super authentic, which resonates far better.
If you could wave your own magicwand and solve one current
challenge for your business,what would it be?
Tara (11:51):
I wish more people had the budget.
Do you know?
I wish more funding wasaccessible, let's say that
because not everybody canmagically get funding.
But the magic wand of, I wish itwas easier to seek out funding
Beverly (12:02):
to get services to the people who need it.
Tara (12:04):
I'm all about community partnerships and community
programs and I would love tooffer more free services to the
people in my community andbeyond.
But it comes down to funding.
Beverly (12:13):
What's something in your business that brings you
pure joy?
Tara (12:16):
The moment I make a meaningful connection with a
client, and it can happen fromthem tapping their toe when I
didn't know that I wasconnecting to them, sharing a
story, I pick a song and I don'tknow if it's a song they like.
I'm a detective in some ways.
And so they've told me whatmusic they like, we've engaged
and then we share a song andthen they have this beautiful
story that accompanies it.
(12:37):
Or they have a memory or theystart singing along or they sing
the harmony or, any of thosethings.
Beverly (12:43):
Have you ever thought about quitting and what pulls
you back?
Tara (12:46):
I, every so often will look at jobs that have nothing
to do what I do.
Like maybe I wanna just likefull-time work for Apple.
I don't, but I'm like, maybe Iwant a job where like I could be
making more.
It's happening less.
But every so often I explorethat and what brings me back is
after I have a session, afterI'm with a client, I come back
home or I sign off and I say,why would I do anything else?
(13:10):
Like the amount of energy andjoy that I get to help someone
in that way is pretty big.
Beverly (13:15):
That's pretty awesome.
So what's one thing peopleovercomplicate about marketing
that you think is actuallyreally simple?
Tara (13:21):
I think, again, the perfection piece, like wanting
to, and I was doing that too,social media is one oh, I didn't
say that word right.
Or whatever, and go back andyou're editing it and that eats
up so much time and just put outthe messier version.
And I found that people connectmore with the more authentic
versions of the different thingsthat I share when it comes to
(13:42):
that.
Beverly (13:42):
That's great advice.
Don't overthink it.
You can overthink it to be sopolished that it lose its
humanity in it.
So be human.
That's why live is so powerful,I don't do a lot of lives.
Just so we're clear, myrecovering perfectionist would
probably have an anxiety attack.
The more that I do these things,the more that I do the podcast,
the more that I do video, themore that I show up and
practice, the more confident Ifeel doing something like that.
(14:06):
What's been your mostunexpected, serendipitous moment
in business?
Where all the stars aligned?
Tara (14:12):
I think for me, moving here to Wilmington, honestly
because.
I got so much community supportthat I didn't expect.
I've lived in multiple citiesand it's been challenging to
break into certain spaces.
And here it's been the completeopposite.
Everybody's been so warm andwelcoming, and if they can't
help me, they've got ideas andsuggestions where people that
(14:35):
they need to connect me with.
And it goes beyond justprofessionally, like even just
in our neighborhood when wefirst moved in.
Just the comradery and thecommunity support has really
been overwhelming andunexpected.
And I think it's been reallyserendipitous in the sense of we
moved here for a quality of lifechange.
We moved here for a lot ofpersonal reasons, not
(14:56):
necessarily professionalreasons, which is how we've
moved in other aspects.
And that all aligned without useven knowing that it would.
Beverly (15:04):
That's beautiful.
I was born in Alabama, butraised in Michigan.
We've lived in Virginia andNorth Carolina and Pennsylvania.
We lived all up and down likethe eastern seaboard, I feel
like.
I have found my neighbors andthe people here in North
Carolina to be the most warmJust really kind people.
My husband's deployed right now,and I had my 50th birthday and
two of my neighbors brought meflowers because they knew my
(15:24):
husband wasn't home.
So great.
And then I was alone forMother's Day, so one of the
neighbors invited us to go dopottery with their kids.
Just making sure that I knowthat I'm supported, which is
amazing.
We've only been here.
Eight months, nine months.
So it hasn't even been that longto really establish those kinds
of relationships, especially asan older person.
Tara (15:43):
Yeah.
The older you get, it is harderto make meaningful friendships.
I think it's more challenging.
You're doing a lot of work very.
Yes.
Siloed or at your home so you'renot meeting people in that way?
It's similar to me,
Beverly (15:54):
but a lot of us work from home, so that's actually
really nice.
Oh, that's good.
Yeah, we're all home, which isnice.
But it's been very special.
So I agree with you.
We're living here for a while.
We left and we came back'cause Iwas like, I I wanna end up here
because I have a lot of strongconnections and relationships
that have been built here.
So I agree.
That is the last question in themagic hat round.
I hope that you enjoyed thosequestions.
The next thing I have is I havemy wand.
(16:16):
Oh, love it.
It has some magical powers,Tara, and it helps us time
travel essentially.
Love it.
So I'm going to wave the wandthe first time and it's gonna
take us back to the day 2007that you graduated.
That more shy person.
What advice would you give herthat you needed then that you
have now
Tara (16:33):
to take a breath, to slow down and to be kinder to
yourself.
I feel like we've highlighted onsome of these things already,
but I think I was really hard onmyself and I compared myself to
everyone.
And I still do those comparisonssometimes, but I'm a lot kinder
with those thoughts or Iacknowledge those thoughts and
(16:53):
let them go a lot easier than Iused to.
So letting go as well.
Not holding on to a lot of thosenegative, like self-talk
thoughts.
Beverly (17:02):
Yeah.
I found that I can get a littleobsessive with that, right?
Yeah.
So by either talking through itor journaling it, it gets out of
there and stops marinatingaround and sitting it own juices
of not healthy.
Yeah.
Yes, I feel like it's superpowerful to acknowledge it and
let it go.
My therapist refers to them asthe echoes and shadows of doubt,
of yourself.
So it echoes and shadows and Itry to name them and claim them
(17:24):
now, so they can't just lurkanymore.
I call'em out and shine thelight on'em and tell'em to get
out.
So i'm gonna ask her what shethinks of you now, what would
she say?
Tara (17:34):
Oh man.
She would be so pumped.
She'd be so excited.
She'd probably be jumping up anddown, very excited, wanting to
celebrate and just asking allthe questions.
How did you get there and howdid you connect with this
person?
And oh my gosh, what was thatlike?
I think she would just be socelebratory.
I think she would just be sohappy to see that, even though
(17:56):
there were moments that Ithought I wouldn't graduate, I
really was like, maybe I can'tgo through with this.
That I had those moments mostlyin my junior year.
I had a pretty tough time and Ithink she'd be like, we did it.
We did so much more.
We did what we wanted and more,I think she'd be really happy
and excited.
Beverly (18:13):
I have a disco ball over there.
Do I need to turn it on and havea party?
Tara (18:15):
Maybe.
Yeah.
Have a dance party.
Yeah, definitely a dance partyabout it.
Yeah.
Beverly (18:20):
That's so good.
So I'm gonna wave the wandagain, and I'm gonna take us far
into the future where someone isreading your eulogy.
What do you want people toremember most about working with
you and what will be thegreatest impact that you will
make?
Tara (18:33):
I think, again, it goes back to relationships.
I want people to feel supportedand safe and to feel that my
impact in their life has helpedthem to connect with their loved
one, or has helped them toexpress their frustrations of
what's going on with them andhow they're living.
And I think my biggest impactwould just to make the world and
(18:56):
the space that I occupy a littlekinder a little more supportive
and just a little more joyful,
Beverly (19:03):
that's beautiful.
Okay, so I'm gonna take the wandand bring us back to 2025.
For those people who aresolopreneurs that are listening
or are starting a business oftheir own, or maybe they're just
burnt out, Tara.
What is one tip that you couldgive those who are trying to
build more confidence in howthey show up and run their
(19:25):
business?
Tara (19:26):
I think a tip of building confidence, part of it is
knowing your comfort zone andstarting there..
If you can look at somethingthat you're good at in your
business and hone that in, orsomething you're excited about
or you enjoy doing.
There's a lot of things I don'tenjoy about my business, the
accounting piece of it, amen.
Amen.
And maybe you hire someone forthat eventually, right?
(19:47):
Yeah.
But I think focusing on what youfeel good about, what you're
excited about, what you'repassionate about, and that will
grow your confidence to thenmaybe go to something you're
less comfortable with, somethingthat's more out of your comfort
zone.
Something that maybe you've beenafraid to try or you've been
nervous to explore, and thengrow that.
I think if you can grow yourconfidence and feel good about
(20:10):
an aspect of your business thatis going well, that you are
excited about, it can give youthat energy and that push to do
something that you're a littlebit more nervous about, and I
found that the things that I'vebeen more nervous about, or I've
applied for something or I'vesaid yes to something, and I'm
like, oh, why did I do that?
A lot of times when it's a bigthing.
That's my initial reaction.
And then I get super excitedabout meeting the deadline the
(20:33):
presentation, whatever I've saidyes to.
But I think there is somethingto doing things that make you
nervous or scare you a littlebit, and it can grow your
confidence.
Beverly (20:43):
I use the example a lot, I use a example of a
circle.
And the circle is a comfortzone.
We hang out in there.
That's where we like to live.
That's what we know the best.
It's super comfortable.
But when you just take even aslightest small step, you create
a little bump on the circle, andthen the circle has to go around
the bump.
So you've increased the circleand you can't go back to the
small circle because you'vealready created the bigger
(21:05):
circle.
And if you just keep inching itout step by step, even if it's
just the smallest step, it'smaybe today it's signing up for
an event at the chamber.
Maybe today is posting a storythat kind of comes from your
heart on social.
It's just one thing.
Or even a social post thatactually has your voice in it
for the first time.
Do something outside yourcomfort zone, those things.
(21:27):
My husband jumps out ofairplanes for a living.
I am not that person.
Yeah.
However the things that scare methe most usually are the things
that I'm most proud of and I'mmost excited about afterwards.
I am very much in fear ofheights and they have a military
weekend where the spouses can goand we can do some of the things
that our army spouses do.
And there is one where you canjump, go to the tower.
(21:49):
It's like a 20 foot tower, andyou can get all geared up and
you can jump out of that as ifyou're training to jump out of
an airplane.
And I got up, walked up all thesteps, and I was all geared up.
And I got up there and I waslike, absolutely not, because
it's a free fall.
It's not like you're on a zipline, you have to fall and then
it catches you, it's a freefall.
Yeah.
And I was like, oh no, I'm good.
And my husband said to me fromthe ground, you will be so mad
(22:13):
at yourself if you don't dothis.
And I was like, he's so right.
Tara (22:17):
I don't want him to be right, but he's right.
Beverly (22:19):
So I took the step outta the 20 foot tower.
Obviously I was fine and I'mglad I did it'cause I would've
been so upset at myself.
That's how you live withregrets.
Is not doing those kinds ofthings that make you a little
bit scared and push you to adifferent level.
So I have a favor to ask for thelisteners.
If today's episode has sparkedsomething in you, maybe pushed
you a little bit outside yourcomfort zone, then take a minute
(22:42):
and leave us a review and let usknow how this podcast has helped
you do something a little bitdifferent or given you courage
or confidence or maybe just atip that you're using.
And then if you really love it,share it.
'cause that's important too.
Gives us inspiration to otherpeople.
Tara, this has been a really funconversation.
Yeah, I agree.
Thank you so much for sharingyour love of music and therapy
(23:06):
and wisdom and your journey andyour magic with us.
I know our listeners are gonnawalk away with so many amazing
things, but tell everyone beforewe go how they can find you and
learn more about what you do.
Tara (23:17):
Sure.
Www.harmonyindementia.com is mywebsite and I'm harmony in
dementia on social media.
You can find me on LinkedIn aswell, but yeah, if you can
connect with me in any of thoseways, send me a message, start
following me.
You can read more about theservices and the education I
provide, the podcast I've beenon.
(23:38):
This one will be up there too,but I share all of that on my
website as well.
So if you're looking to hearfrom me more, those are some
ways that you can connect.
Beverly (23:47):
I'm so grateful for your time and the impact that
you're making in the world,Tara.
It's very important work.
Thank you.
This has been so fun.
I hope today's episode has lit afire in you and gave you new
ideas, and most of all, inspiredyou to take some action because
here is the thing.
Your message matters.
Your work matters, and the worldneeds to hear what you have to
(24:09):
say.
Marketing isn't just aboutvisibility.
It's about impact.
It's about connecting with theright people in a way that feels
genuinely true to you.
So keep showing up.
Keep sharing your brilliance andkeep making magic in the world.
And hey, if you ever feel stuck,know that you don't have to do
this alone.
We're here to help you turn thatspark into a wildfire.
(24:31):
Until next time, keep sparkingand igniting
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