about

I’m Tara Gentile. I relentlessly study, experiment with, and teach what it takes for businesses to succeed in the age of connectedness.

The businesses I work with are helmed by passionate, innovative leaders and driven by inquisitive, engaged customers. They trade in delivering experience, connection, and meaning. They thrive on the coexistence of individualism and collectivism. They maximize their impact while minimizing the effort required to achieve it. They believe entrepreneurship is citizenship.

I work with entrepreneurs to develop business models and ecosystems that are driven by curiosity, growth, and the power of networked individuals. I empower businesses to navigate rapid change and create systems that recognize emerging opportunities.

You are pursuing business as a means of self-expression and global service. You see commerce as the vehicle for your big idea. You are a freelancer in search of a better business model, a solo service provider on a quest for greater reach, an entrepreneur with a team of collaborators & co-creators. You are driven by vision and calling. And you recognize that profit is an important financial indicator of more meaningful success.

I believe you are the new economy. You are a connected consumer. You are a powerful producer. You have the network at your fingertips and you know how to use it.

Solo entrepreneurs, bootstrappers, freelancers, and joint ventures: Ready to get your hands dirty? An Insight Intensive is the best way to start working with me now. Think 6 months of strategy in less than an afternoon. Click here for more information.

Teams, enterprises, agencies, and startups: Ready to turn big ideas into profitable business models? Think positive change meets positive cash flow. Email me with details on your project and goals.

I write on the philosophy of the New Economy, creativity, social media, value & meaning, and wealth. I also share my personal journey – both its successes and its failures. And I relish the failures.

I speak on making money beautifully, the New Economy, meaning marketing, and social media at conferences, retreats, and other live events.

My story

I was supposed to be an academic. I waited my whole life to graduate from college and go off to grad school. Nothing less than a PhD and a full professorship would do.

That is until I got bit by the conventional life bug.

After forsaking a full scholarship to the Religious Studies program of my choice, I took a full-time job at a (now bankrupt) bookstore. I wanted the steady paycheck. And the stability. I wanted a sure thing.

What I got was indeed a sure thing: a ridiculously demanding work schedule for little pay, the worst depression of my life, and a complete disregard for my own health & creativity.

Academia is hard. But trying to find a fulfilling career with a BA in Religion is harder.

Nearly 4 years later, I was a new mom. My heart told me in no uncertain terms that returning to the job I hated would be impossible. I quit.

The economy tanked.

I founded my first website 6 months later. It grew quickly and taught me many lessons as I dove into this fledgling business further & further. By the next year, I had replaced my old salary and, within another 2 months, was earning more than my partner.

After another 4 months, he quit his job to become the primary caregiver for our child. I earned my first 6-figure year within the first 26 months of being in business.

I have served over two thousand customers and clients. I have spoken to countless entrepreneurs. The problem is always the same: creating a system that allows you to reap the value you sow. Whether in terms of money, marketing, product development, brand positioning, or personal development, the problem is always the same.

And that is what I’m best at. That’s where your story meets my story.

Find me

Social: @taragentile, on Google+
Email: general [at] taragentile [dot] com