Alumni Spotlight
Tara Jefferson
Attendees at Jefferson's national self-care retreat spent three days hearing from dynamic speakers, building community and learning stress management skills to take home to their families.
Tara Jefferson, graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and in 2013 with a Master of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies. After graduation Tara started theyoungmommylife.com website.
Q: What made you start theyoungmommylife.com website?
A: I began the website while I was pregnant with my second child. I was looking for some type of media that spoke to where I was in life: a young mother, recent graduate, new wife, trying to juggle all these huge responsibilities simultaneously. When I couldn't find it, I created it.
Q: What has been the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
A: The hardest part has been learning how to balance all aspects of your life and business. When you're in charge of everything, it is easy to spend 90% of your waking hours working (and then you dream about the business too!).
Q: What has been the most rewarding part about being an entrepreneur?
A: The most rewarding part is knowing that I am developing a career that is entirely of my own making. When I wake up in the morning, my days are largely my own. I get to write and mentor young women all day.
Q: What advice would you give to college students who want to become entrepreneurs?
A: Stop waiting for the time to be right, or whatever conditions you think must be met before you start. Maybe you don't launch your full business right now, but you launch something. The only way to know if you're on the right track is to get out there and see what the market says.
Q: How has attending Kent State prepared you for starting your own business?
A: Kent State is where I learned how to be me. With my first degree, I honed my writing skills and learned how to tell a story. With my second, I learned more about empowering families and mothers.
Q: What is the Mothers Summit?
A: I've tasked myself with building communities for underserved populations and out of that, two events were born. One is the Young Mom Summit, it is a one-day support symposium for Millennial mothers. The other is the Self-Care Retreat, a national event for mothers to come together for a weekend of relaxation and personal development.