We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tara Hayes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tara below.
Hi Tara , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I think the concept of finding one’s purpose is a deeply personal, ongoing journey. Your purpose in life encompasses your values, passions, and talents, and once discovered, gives you a sense of meaning and fulfillment in life. Your purpose is the underlying motivation that guides your actions, decisions, and goals, motivating you to make the greatest positive impact in your life and the lives of others. I believe each one of us has been put on this earth with an important purpose, with special gifts and talents that have been placed within us. Through my own journey of pursuing the things I am passionate about, and by being involved in The Adventures of Timmy Tumbully project, I have discovered that making a positive impact in the lives of our youth is a large part of my mission and is what gives me a great sense of purpose.
I believe that if we can all find ways to positively impact and invest in the lives of others, we will leave a ripple effect of good that extends far beyond what we could ever imagine is possible.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I spent the majority of my 20’s in the medical field, specifically orthopedic surgical sales, and although I loved my work, I found myself being drawn back to the creative arts. For me, being in the performing arts was a desire that I remember having since I was a young child. A dream that at times seemed really far off, but one still that I couldn’t ignore.
I began taking steps that I felt would help me pursue that dream, even if it was only as a hobby. I started taking acting and improv classes and linking up with other performers already in the industry. Since then, I have been very blessed to be able to continue to work as an actress, both in Nashville, TN and here in Kansas City.
In 2014, I met my business partner Kati Hendricks while we were both living in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She is an incredibly talented vocal performance coach and singer/songwriter that has worked with some of the top talent in the industry. She had started an anti-bullying children’s book series, and after a few months of us working together as coach and client, she asked if I would like to join her in writing and getting the series out into the world. It was a quick yes for me, and since then The Adventures of Timmy Tumbully has evolved into a series of close to 30 books, a Broadway-style musical, school programming, and our 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Our mission is to educate, empower, and elevate the lives of children through the performing arts, helping to heal hearts and eradicate bullying for good.
One aspect of our project that I am super proud of is our music, and we are so excited to be launching the musical very soon! After moving to Nashville, TN., Kati brought Jimmy Mattingly (2-time Grammy Nominated Musician/Producer, Touring and Recording musician for Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton) on board and he is currently working with Kati in producing all of the music for Tumbully the Musical.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the first and most important quality that will have the biggest impact is to find a project that you are passionate about. This passion is important because you can learn to harness this potential energy to help drive you forward through difficult times. This will give you purpose in your personal journey, which is what the Timmy Tumbully project has given me.
Second is to always be willing to learn. I feel most of the lessons I’ve learned along the way were from real-life situations. Every challenge or obstacle that you encounter can be a learning experience if you look for the valuable lesson within it. This knowledge can also be used in future endeavors and can contribute to your life in many unforeseen ways.
Last, but not least, is knowing when you need to rest. Our culture puts such emphasis on the concept of hustling, but knowing when to take a break will give your mind and body the necessary rest it needs to rejuvenate. High stress and cortisol levels can have many negative health effects, and learning to mitigate stress is very important. Even “micro breaks” can greatly improve the retention of knowledge and concentration on various tasks. This also provides valuable time to be able to reflect on your journey and to evaluate what is working and what maybe needs to be improved upon. This rest and reevaluation process has helped me in this project many times, and I highly recommend everyone else to try to implement it in their daily lives.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We love collaborating with people who are also passionate about making difference in the lives of children through the performing arts! We are currently looking for schools and theaters that would like to showcase our musical, as well as individuals who feel their talents and skill sets would be a great fit with this type of project.
If our project resonates with you and you would like to connect, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] and of course more information can be found on our website at www.TimmyTumbully.org.
We would love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TaraHayesActress.com … www.TimmyTumbully.org
- Instagram: @tarahayes777
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-hayes-405574112/
