Tara Soltow
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I’m a vice-style marketer with over 16 years of creative agency, brand marketing and commercialization experience. ”
Having worked with over 25 global and local lifestyle brands spanning sports cars to energy drinks and a myriad of other vices , I found my niche working in remarkably challenging, highly regulated industries.
With a tenacious spirit and equally creative mind, my capacity to craft compelling, yet compliant marketing for restrictive sects including cannabis, gambling, wine, beer and spirits has made her an expert in bringing smart, successful go-to-market strategies to life when a “no-go” is the go-to.
My speciality is building integrated brand plans with detailed multi-channel activation playbooks that transform big ideas into tactical execution roadmaps in order to help brands achieve their growth goals.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I have a vibrant background with over 16 years of through-the-line marketing experience. I have worked with some of the world’s most iconic lifestyle brands, impressive nonprofits and cutting edge technology start-ups across a wide range of industries.
After nearly a decade within the creative agency world and over six years in brand management, retail and trade marketing, I decided to grow roots of my own by starting a strategic marketing consulting business, Epoch Roots.
With the perspective of agency, brand and now consultant, I have the unique ability to construct thoroughly vetted strategies that solve for all angles of the brand, business or organizational challenge.
How do you stand out in your field?
I believe a great idea with shitty execution is best left on the whiteboard. Brand marketers are a dime-a-dozen, but ones that know how (step-by-step) to get the plan off the ground and into the marketplace are harder to find.
I do the things that the plans I write plans dictate because that's how I stress-test the strategy. Whether it's a ride-along with the sales rep responsible for executing an in-store shopper marketing program or sitting side-by-side with a designers comparing PMS colors to understand how it prints on substrate versus a computer screen can unveil insights that manifest into make or break decisions for many programs.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I'm launching a first-of-its-kind edible for 420 with one of California's biggest cannabis brands and crafting a go-to-market strategy for a European spirits brand ready to break into the US market while building an anniversary campaign for a non-profit and reconstructing thee business development and creative process for a digital marketing agency.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My style is direct and thorough but compelling and approachable. Working with me, you’ll find I am straight and to the point without being blunt or indelicate. But I'm less corporate cubicle than my headshots would suggest. A Minnesotan from the get, I let my warmth and authenticity shine while also embracing the grit that one catches after a decade of working in drugs, alcohol and gambling.
When it comes to my signature creative style, my tone is “smart-witted.” A chuckle and a smile is worth more to me than a belly laugh. My ever-so-subtle wit and clever word choices (especially alliterations) convey smart humor and slight amusement without being overtly funny, overly entertaining and annoyingly silly.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I really love lifestyle brands, but a personal passion of mine is social impact. I spend my free time serving my community through volunteer work, primarily with under-served, at-risk youth.
I'd love to do more work with brands and organizations that build a better world through their products, services and practices. If that happens to be a lifestyle brand, well, that's the best of both worlds!
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Building a template for proposals that is replicable. I tend to spend a lot of time building custom proposals which I know could be streamlined if I carved out time to build one format that can be tweaked only where needed.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Handle organizing my financial admin work- cataloguing business write-off receipts, managing payroll, etc. I love creative accounting as much as any freelancer milking the deductions, but let’s be honest, financial matters are uninspiring compared to the work we do and love.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Real talk? I’d have told Tara in her 20’s, “You care more about your job than your job will ever care about you. Make sure the effort and emotion you put into it allows you to work to live, not live to work.” When I let my work take me away from what was most important - my relationships- I made a major shift and as a result, actually found more success in all aspects of my life in doing so.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
How to organically drum up business without that awkward, cold outreach. I've been blessed to have referrals come though my network organically, but I realize proactive selling is a part of building your pipeline, too!
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Brand planning: Brief-writing, cross-functional + agency planning sessions, segmentation, targeting + positioning, creative ideation
Strategy development: Channel-specific programs, campaigns, events, promotions, innovation launches, partnerships + sponsorships
Playbook crafting: Tactical activation guides + program playbooks with KPI trackers, budget recommendations + timelines
Copywriting: Sales + marketing material development
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I enjoy clients that are willing to get specific with a scope, even if that means developing it together. That way, we are both clear on what is expected of the work and the outcomes. Success is a lot easier to achieve if both parties agree on what success looks like!
My most recently onboarded client approached me with three "big ideas" she wanted to tackle. After a one-hour conversation, we had taken those somewhat nebulous ideas and dialed in on tactical deliverables, key stakeholders, timeframes, associated goals and expectations and how to prioritize each pillar.
She gave me access to have deep-dives with other team-member to help me get closer to the business and then free-reign to get to work, checking in with her as needed! I love working collaboratively, but also thrive in environments where I can gather what I need and be set free to crank it out without distraction.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
I really admire Liz Morrison's approach to building narratives and content. She takes a unique storytelling approach that brings color and flow to just about any subject you can imagine. She's taught me how to think about my personal story, my professional story and my business's story.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Share with me these four things to get started:
What problem are you trying to solve?
Do you have any ideas of how to solve it? What's worked/what's not?
How long do you envision it will take to solve it?
Budget-wise, what's in bounds/out of bounds? Give me a range and I'll give you options
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Honor your workouts as appointments, too.
This member profile was originally published in July 2021.