Women Who Inspire Us: Tara Bruley (CEO of Be Prepared. Period)

Smart women make the world go round! Today's feature spotlights Tara Bruley, a mom and business founder who hails from the Seattle area and one who strives to make womanhood just a little easier for us females on the planet :)

• What were the main reasons you created your business, Be Prepared. Period. ?

The idea of Be Prepared. Period all started with the challenge I had as a parent of a tween daughter. As my daughter quickly approached puberty, I wanted to make sure she was educated about her body and the changes to come in a positive and empowering way. I knew I wanted a better experience for her than what I got back in sixth grade that left me feeling embarrassed and grossed out. Unfortunately, I came up empty handed in my search, so I began piecing things together myself. Long story short, this effort resulted in the creation of the Be Prepared 1^st Period Kit and the launch of BePreparedPeriod.com.

  

• What have you found to be the biggest challenge as a business owner?

I would say learning to wear so many hats. There are so many facets to running a successful business you end up learning many new skills. Whether you outsource or hire others to do the various work there is always a period (no pun intended) that you do a fair amount of learning for yourself so you can properly manage things. Learning these skills and then choosing whether or not to delegate based on time and budget can be quite a challenge.

• Do you have a motto or words to live by that encourage you on your mission?

I really like the quote by Albert Einstein, “You never fail until you stop trying.” There are so many things in life you will fail at, and as a business owner the opportunities increase significantly. Focusing on the goals I set out to achieve allows me to see the many failures along the way as steppingstones on the path to success. This perspective lets me celebrate the wins and learn from the mistakes.

• Has being a mom informed your business decisions? And if so, how?

Since Be Prepared. Period started from a challenge I had as a mom, it absolutely has impacted my business decisions. As a mom of a tween I got to experience firsthand the challenges both a parent and child has during this time of life. Being a mom and talking with other moms is actually how BePreparedPeriod.com exploded to not just be a site for girls and their parents but for those of all ages. In the early days, I talked with a lot of moms experiencing the same challenges I had. Through those conversations I quickly learned that far too many women experience menstrual issues well into adulthood. Always wanting to do what I can to help, I promptly began to work with health professionals to develop resources to help with these concerns as well. As a result, I’m proud to say BePreparedPeriod.com is a full throttle platform that helps those from puberty to menopause!

• What's the one best piece of advice you'd offer to other women who may be thinking of starting their own venture?

Find something you are passionate about and never quit! Having something you are passionate about will give you the strength to endure when things are challenging. Running your own business can be quite a rollercoaster ride, there are days you are flying high and days you feel low. The ups and downs can sometimes make it hard to chart your true success. I like to keep an achievement jar on my desk to jot down my “wins” so when I have low day I can look back and see the many things I’ve accomplished.

• Please share your favorite business success moment to inspire others to reach for their dreams :)) 

I would say my favorite success moment came when developing our own line of affordable, organic, biodegradable pads and tampons. Believing budget should never come before someone’s health developing an affordable product for the market was really important to me. Growing to this point was a huge accomplishment. I’ve always been someone that sets large goals but getting to the point where you can go into mass production where you are arranging shipping containers of product to be delivered is a pretty awesome feeling.

Well, we think you're pretty awesome too, Tara.  Thanks so much for your insights and sharing with us!  Now go and check out her site to see how Be Prepared. Period. can help!

xox from us all at 
portapocket.com

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