How did you come on as CEO of Women’s Bean Project?
My involvement began as a volunteer. I was, from the very beginning, fascinated by the business model of the organization. The better the business does, the more direct positive impact it has on the women who work at the business and in the community at-large. It truly is a win-win. I served six months on the marketing committee when the position opened up, and when it did I jumped on it!
Tell me about the schedule at the Women’s Bean Project? How is it different?
Well, the hours are pretty normal: 8-4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. But it differs between those hours. Each Monday, the woman all publicly share three goals: personal, work, and long-term. That way, they are all committing to themselves and the crew their intentions for the week. Then, on Friday, everyone shares and back through their goals they set at the beginning of the week. It creates a lot of accountability and because everyone has goals to work through, it’s an ideal scenario to get there.
Also, the women all spend 30% of their paid time doing program activities. This is non-revenue generating and when we fundraise, we are essentially doing it for that 30% of the time when the women are learning other skills and participating in programs.
What makes a great leader?
I have to have a vision everyday and need to enlist people in that vision. Once I embrace that job of “where are we going,” then what we do day-to-day becomes more clear. Also, my job is to help other people do their job. Thinking about the question: “Where this person shines best and under what conditions?” is my responsibility and what I think about a lot. To be a great leader, you have to be comfortable being the face of the organization, while remaining personally humble. It’s an interesting combination of confidence and being able to articulate that confidence in a way that truly represents the dignity, and power, of the organization.
If you could have been born in another country, which would it be?
That’s tough because I love the amount of support the US affords women…but I guess I would say some Latin American country. I feel like I am Latin at heart.
In what ways has your work at the Women’s Bean Project changed you?
That’s a big question. Initially it was shocking to experience all the prejudices and biases I entered with that I didn’t even know I had. I’ve met people that have completely altered my beliefs. Women make choices for a survival based on their situations, not an innate desire to commit crimes. I wouldn’t think we had so much in common. While we have differences in education and socio-economic levels differ, we have so much more in common than I thought.
What’s your greatest moment?
When I lived in Chicago, I was in a band called “Too Much Education.” In the band, you had to have a masters degree to play in the band. Needless to say, we weren’t very good, but it was a lot of fun.
You can watch Tamra’s talk from TEDxMileHigh, as well as all the others, here.
