Tara Johnson
Tara Johnson is an Executive Coach, Learning & Development Facilitator, Employee Experience Strategist, and Founder of Radical Redefinition LLC.
With 17 years of professional coaching experience, Tara is on a (not so secret) mission to radically redefine workplace experiences for all – one person at a time– through coaching and employee experience initiatives. Having served in a variety of People & Culture leadership roles at organizations such as Etsy, Bloomingdale’s, Columbia University, and JPMorgan Chase, Tara has direct experience navigating the dynamics and challenges of today’s workplace, which informs her practice and allows her to deeply understand and support her clients. She’s coached everyone from early career professionals to those who have reached the pinnacle of corporate leadership; engineers, creatives, financiers, nonprofit leaders, military veterans - you name them, she’s likely worked with them. In addition to 1:1 coaching, Tara also facilitates corporate Learning & Development programs, mentors fellow and aspiring executive coaches, and coaches in specialized programs for struggling leaders and underrepresented groups. Tara is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Certified NLP-Integrated Life Coach, and holds a M.Ed in Instructional Leadership from the University of Illinois and a B.A. in Business from Truman State University.
Tara’s coaching style is direct, empathetic, flexible, and accountability-driven. Past clients have described Tara as someone who poses thoughtful, intuitive questions that lead to deeper self-awareness, and a coach who will meet you where you are while also challenging you to evolve beyond your current modus operandi. She is known for her ability to establish trust with clients quickly by balancing warmth and professionalism.
You can connect with Tara via LinkedIn.
Photo credit: Lelanie Foster for Dove
How did your environment growing up influence your decision to want to work in employee development and ultimately become an executive coach?
Growing up in a family and close-knit community of educators, I think I was always destined to work in a space where I was educating, mentoring, and empowering others (although I thought I was running from the inevitable when I decided to major in Finance in undergrad and had my sights set on becoming a financial advisor). Also, my identity as a black woman deeply shapes my professional choices; although I’ve held many different roles throughout my career, the one thing that has remained constant is me using whatever platform and resources I have to create access and opportunities for those of us who are marginalized, often overlooked, and/or have limited access to what we need in order to truly thrive professionally.
Part of why I’m where I am today, professionally, is because of teachers, mentors, managers, and other supporters along the way who opened doors for me that I didn’t even know existed – many of whom looked like me, but plenty who did not. Being a coach allows me to empower others to not only see themselves differently, but to see the world in a new way – including the possibilities that lie within that either they didn’t realize existed or didn’t think were attainable.
As an executive coach, what are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work?
Great question – there are many layers to this! On a macro level, I think democratized access to coaching remains a challenge. Within organizations, this type of resource was traditionally only available to people at the highest levels of leadership (think: C-Suite, EVPs, etc.) and “high potential” talent. But the reality is: Anyone – regardless of one’s level, tenure, or job function– can benefit from coaching because we all have goals. We all have challenges. And we all could use (and deserve!) support in gaining clarity, developing confidence, and charting a pathway forward.
Also, if our pool of senior leaders continues to remain monolithic in terms of identity, then this means there’s also limited access to company-sponsored professional development via coaching for people from different backgrounds. While this doesn’t affect my ability to perform my work, it’s certainly something that concerns me as a champion of equity.
On the other hand, what does have the potential to impact my work is the information gap when it comes to understanding what coaching actually entails. Most clients I work with have never worked with a professional coach prior to working together - part of this is likely due to the aforementioned equity and access issue, but perhaps a larger part of this is because they don’t have a clear understanding of what we do as professionally trained coaches and what to expect from the coaching process, including the role they play in their own development. And let’s face it - there are countless types of coaches!
A professionally trained executive coach is not going to give you advice or the answers you seek, however, a sports coach likely would. An executive coach isn’t going to map out a detailed action plan for you (though we will support you in creating your own plan), a financial coach might… yet we’re all coaches in title.
See how that can be confusing?! So the lack of clarity around professional coaching absolutely makes sense, but it can be challenging when there are misaligned expectations. The other side of the information gap coin is that if someone doesn’t know what a resource is or how it can benefit them, they likely won’t seek it out and take advantage of it, therefore missing out on exactly the kind of support they could use to get unblocked and make progress on their goals.
So, a big part of my work as a coach and entrepreneur is driving awareness around coaching.
Have you ever questioned your career journey and how did you address that?
Um yes, several times - hence all of my career pivots over the last 20 years! When I was going through an extremely rough time professionally during COVID, my sister gave me this cute little trinket that says “Trust Your Purpose,” and it was an excellent reminder of what has always anchored me in moments of doubt. I haven’t always known what my next career steps would look like and sometimes it has felt like an uphill battle to get to where I wanted to go, but I’ve learned to make peace with the uncertainty.
When I check in with myself, as long as I can honestly say that whatever it is I’m working on/towards is something that feels deeply meaningful to me, is a great use of my talents, will challenge me to grow in ways that feel exciting and empowering, and allows me to make impact in the ways that matter most to me, then I can trust that my purpose will make way for the right opportunities to come. And so far, my track record of trusting my purpose to guide my career journey is looking pretty good!
You were featured in a powerful Dove campaign last year. What was it and how did it come about?
Can I just say how damn proud I was (and still am!) to have been part of such a powerful campaign that literally broke the internet at the time?! The campaign’s goal was to drive awareness around the issue of race-based hair discrimination in the workplace, and to provide us all with concrete actions to take to help make this illegal through the CROWN Act so that there are more inclusive spaces for Black hair at work. Bias and discrimination against natural hairstyles in the workplace (as well as in schools and other institutions) remain a systemic problem, with a disproportionate impact on Black women - believe it or not, folks are denied access to employment opportunities and professional advancement simply because of their hair. Not because they are unqualified. Not because they don’t have a track record of stellar results. But because of their HAIR. That’s wild to me.
As a black woman who has donned my natural crown for the last 20 years, has worked in several corporate spaces, and has heard my fair share of disparaging comments from colleagues and managers about my and other Black women’s hair, this campaign really hit home. So when I was approached to be involved, it was a no-brainer for me. And can I tell you, it was such a beautiful experience from start to finish - so many amazing Black women coming together to tell this story while celebrating US, from the talent team to the photographer and stylists to the editorial team. In terms of the campaign’s impact, one look at any social media post about the campaign will show just how widespread and deeply resonating it was for so many. Did I say I was proud or nah?
Photo credit: Lelanie Foster for Dove
How do you go about influencing behavioral changes within an organization without taking away anyone’s agency when they do not want to change?
That’s the beauty of coaching - it’s ALL about helping others recognize their agency so they can then use it to create or influence change. But before a person can tap into their agency to create change, they have to first recognize that something actually needs to shift and see the value in doing so. In my opinion, sustainable change is ultimately an inside job - it can’t be forced by others and there has to be intrinsic motivation present.
So when it comes to influencing behavioral change without stripping someone’s agency, this is a great time to flex your coaching muscle as a leader - you want to lead change in a way that brings everyone on board collaboratively vs. by command. If folks are resistant to change, use coaching questions to understand what’s at the heart of the resistance and what would ease said concerns. You may have ideas on how to best implement new behaviors, but what are your employees’ ideas? What approaches would feel empowering to them? Believe it or not, coaching as a crucial leadership skill is something that I actually work extensively with leaders of all levels on because it’s THAT critical – and there’s plenty of research to back this up!
How did the cultures differ in the different sectors you have worked in? Did you find one more challenging than the other?
My professional journey has been quite colorful - I’ve worked in areas such as tech, financial services, higher education, fashion retail, and I’ve worked everywhere from massive Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups. Each culture was certainly unique - some were highly conservative, bureaucratic environments with a formal dress code (turns out, wearing all black every day does wonders for the morning routine!), and others were progressive, flat organizations where early-career team members regularly worked side-by-side with Executive Directors and felt empowered to voice their opinions and contribute. I wouldn’t necessarily say that each culture was indicative of its respective sector or size - each culture was ultimately shaped by the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the people themselves within the organization.
For me, the cultures that were most difficult to work in were ones where I felt like the core of who I am was stifled, and where I received subliminal messaging that I couldn’t be myself if I wanted to be perceived as credible or to succeed there. These were cultures where I felt I had to dress a certain way, speak a certain way, wear my hair a certain way, and always be conscious of whether my talents and overall presence would be judged through the lens of my race, gender, and/or age – rather than based on the quality of the work, ideas, and innovation that I was actually producing. I’m glad to say that I have experienced cultures that not only encourage me to be me, but also celebrate the unique way that I show up to my work - and I’ve never felt freer and been more successful (and of course a big factor in this was me eventually giving MYSELF permission to stand in my authenticity no matter where I am!)!
Toxic leadership is in every workplace. How do you get a toxic leader to understand that the problem with their culture might be them, and what is their transformation journey like for you?
The transformation journey is truly one of self-awareness and personal accountability because we’re talking about shifting one’s own mindset and behaviors. So first, the leader has to be open-minded and willing. Open and willing to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there is room for them to think and act in different ways that could yield different experiences or outcomes for themselves and those around them. Open and willing to consider the role they may be playing in creating or perpetuating a toxic culture - that maybe, just maybe, they’re doing more harm than good despite being well-intentioned. Without this openness and willingness, transformation really isn’t likely.
But once they are present, it becomes a journey of exploring how one shows up as a leader, the role they play in the organizational culture dynamic, the impact that they currently have on others /the work itself/the organization as a whole. And then, a: getting clear on what they ultimately want to achieve as a leader from a culture perspective, b: being honest with themselves about how realistically they can achieve said outcomes if they continue with their current modus operandi, and c: establishing new ways of leading that are more aligned with with their goals and values – and a healthy culture.
Now I know this all may seem like a lot of work (spoiler alert: IT IS!) and some of you currently working under toxic leadership may not feel super-hopeful for change after reading this, but I promise you this kind of transformation is possible – I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes!
Have you always wanted to work for yourself? What prompted you to create Radical Redefinition?
AL-WAYS. For as long as I can remember, I envisioned being my own full-time boss, but I had absolutely no idea what I’d do or how I’d make it happen. I've had various entrepreneurial ventures over the years (I once created and sold crocheted jewelry online and in stores!) and while they were fulfilling, I couldn’t see how they would fully support me. Ultimately, I was ushered into full-time entrepreneurship quite unexpectedly.
In 2017, I was working in what I considered a dream job at the time, and one day I walked into work and was unexpectedly laid off due to org-wide restructuring. When that happened, I knew that I wasn’t mentally ready to hop back into a job search or embed myself in the type of work cultures that I’d experienced for most of my career, so I was faced with a decision - “Now that I’m here… what do I truly want for my life?” This led to a pretty non-negotiable decision to work in a manner that felt most meaningful and authentic to me – and empowering others to do the same – so I decided to bet on myself and began contract consulting in various areas of my experience (career and executive coaching, employee communications, L&D, DEI), and after some years of testing out various focus areas and avenues for independent work, I decided in 2021 to launch my own executive coaching & employee experience consulting company, Radical Redefinition.
I’m proud to say that I have been a full-time entrepreneur for 7 years now, and while my entrepreneurial journey has definitely had its ups and downs, I have met so many beautiful parts of myself and my self-confidence and sense of purpose have never been stronger.
Where did you get the confidence to start your company?
Something that has always helped me navigate new decisions with confidence is reminding myself that “nothing is permanent” - this means that I always have options, I can always switch gears if something isn’t working out, and if I’m experiencing challenges at any given moment, I can trust that those challenges won’t last forever and will eventually give way to successes. This mindset really helps me remove the pressure to “get it right” or to fear failure, and allows me to take leaps (like starting a full-time company) with full confidence that at the end of the day, I will be alright. The other thing that gave me confidence was really trusting my experience and considering the idea that “If I’ve been able to be successful and impact the lives of others for all these years under someone else’s company, why wouldn’t I be able to replicate that and have the same impact and success on my own?!”
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?
Giving myself permission to “do me” and trusting that I can still be successful on my own terms, even if it looks different from how everyone else seems to be doing it. In other words, focus on what feels right and authentic for YOU vs. following conventional advice about what you “should” do in order to be successful. When it came to certain aspects of being an entrepreneur, at one point I felt like I was trying to force a round peg (me) into a square hole (an approach), and not only did said approach not feel right for me…it didn’t work. Once I accepted that there is more than way to show up as an entrepreneur in public spaces, to connect with potential collaborators and clients, and to create a successful business, I released self-imposed pressure to do things “by the book” and started approaching business-building in ways that feel personally aligned and that allow me to connect with others in genuine and authentic ways FOR ME… and that’s when my business really started to soar.
Another big lesson has been learning to decipher between my intuition and my fears. Am I saying “yes” or “no” to X because my gut tells me this is the right decision for me, or is it because I’m afraid of something? Learning to tell the difference is an ongoing practice for me, but I see evidence of how taking a beat to listen to myself objectively before making decisions has led me to some great, “no-regrets” decisions and opportunities.
How employees feel about their places of work is the heart of business culture. What are the top 2-3 things that can make employees feel more connected to their work and want to implement a better culture?
This is a great question and I’ll preface my answer by acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to engaging employees – each of us needs something different in order to feel connected and motivated to deepen our involvement at work. That said, I think that at our core, every human wants to feel safe, seen, heard, and valued – whether it’s at work or elsewhere in our lives. Typically, when we feel these things, we tend to feel more connected and we actually want to invest time and energy into the spaces that are pouring into us.
So one of the top things organizations can do is really take the time to have genuine conversations with your people around whether they feel safe, seen, heard, and valued at work and if not, why? What’s missing, what can be improved upon, and how? What types of changes, initiatives, etc. would they find meaningful and what impact would those things have on their sense of connection and engagement at work (well hello there, coaching!)?
After having these conversations, the next thing organizations can do is take meaningful, concrete action on the specific things that employees said are important to them – develop and communicate your intentions, clear action plans with timelines and deliverables, and ways that you will remain accountable to your employees…and then do it! When employees see that you’re walking the talk, not only does it build trust, but it can also help them feel a bit more motivated to help co-create the kind of culture they want to exist within.
Doing such challenging work must take its toll on you. How do you look after yourself?
It does! I truly enjoy what I do, but it definitely requires a tremendous amount of energy and mental presence. First and foremost - having strong mental and physical boundaries with both myself and others really allows me to rest and prevents me from burning out (because yes, too much of a good thing can sometimes turn into something not-so-great if you’re not careful).
I also try to be really intentional about creating space for the things that fill me up personally, like traveling, exploring astrology and tarot, creating something new with my hands, getting a good workout in, or spending quality time with my loved ones. Oh, and eating ALL the desserts!
