Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tamara Keller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tamara, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I am a routine kinda girl. I believe in routines as a way to practice actions that eventually become habits. And although they can be as simple as making the bed each morning, mine grew well beyond that a few years ago.
Right before COVID hit, I started to feel something bigger than burnout, I felt pure mental and physical exhaustion. I felt pulled in so many directions – from company needs to client needs to family needs to friend needs – there never seemed to be enough time for Tamara’s needs. As a very self-aware person, I knew I had to do something about it because I was losing my spark.
I recognized that as soon as I was waking up I was checking my email and/or text messages and immediately being called into action to address something that could surely wait. Given I typically wake up at 5AM PST and have east coast clients this means that as soon as I started responding, before I knew it, my west coast clients were already waking up and getting their days into motion, so I never stopped, most often until 6 or 7PM.
One day I was listening to a motivational speaker, whose name I do not recall, but I remember their words instantly turned on a light bulb for me. They said that something as simple as not touching your phone for the first 30-45 minutes of your day would instantly change the trajectory of your day. Their advice was to instead use that time FOR YOU. I decided to try this out and fill my early mornings with a prayer thanking God for another day of life, meditation, and journaling, all alongside a homemade cup of espresso.
This routine has changed me SO MUCH. Starting my day with gratitude allows it to permeate throughout the day and lends itself to my optimism…because when you are able to fill your tank up prior to the day pulling from you, you have a lot more to give and a lot more to be excited and positive about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Almost 12 years ago, my business partner and I started The Sax Agency, a full-service advertising, branding and marketing agency, headquartered in Los Angeles. Early on in our company’s history, we took on a lot of different project types to gain exposure, to gain experience, and of course to pay the bills. However, as we have grown and our brand has gained its own reputation, we are now selective about the projects and clients we choose to work on and with. We tell people, we are a purpose-driven team that only works with purpose-driven brands. This means that we work on projects that aim to make a difference and reach the communities of people that are often overlooked.
My focus, especially as I enter in 2024, is to continue to walk with this intentionality – continue to seek out projects that have meaningful impact. I’ve found that when you are doing work that you love AND you are making a difference in the world, it makes work a lot easier and a lot more fun.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. I went to undergraduate and graduate school for engineering and although I do not practice engineering now, so much of my thinking, resilience, and work ethic are a direct reflection of my studies and those challenging years I endured earning my degrees.
2. Staying present is a quality that I work at every day and is SO important in the life of an entrepreneur. Each day is filled with its own set of challenges and being able to deal with things as they come and not sit in what happened the day or even the hour before helps maintain a clearer mind and spirit to deal with the day.
3. Never stop learning is a mantra of mine – whether it is reading every day, listening to a podcast, practicing French – whatever it is, I try to spend at least 30 minutes, most often more, each day dedicated to learning something new. The world is ever-changing, which means we need to be ever-growing and ever-learning daily.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I JUST BREATHE! As a yoga lover, I learned the calming and healing effects of breathing and I use it ALL the time. If I’m feeling nervous before a pitch, I breathe. If I’m feeling like I want to react to an annoying email, I breathe before responding. If it feels like too many things need to get done without enough time, I just breathe and do what I can. Breathing and being conscious of breathing and its effect on me has been a game changer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesaxagency.com
- Instagram: marabellers
- Linkedin: /tamara-m-keller/
Image Credits
Cheryl Fox
