Tara Sheena is a MBA Candidate in the Class of 2023 at the UT Austin McCombs School of Business. Read more about Tara’s journey to business school, the most important career lesson she learned and her career aspirations below
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to get an MBA?
Prior to business school, I spent a decade in the performing arts and had a hybrid career as a professional dancer, nonprofit fundraiser, and independent manager. In my last role, I built my own business managing and advancing the careers of my clients – performing artists – through grassroots fundraising, strategy, and partnerships. Starting my own business back in 2018 was a kind of entry into the “business world” before I quite knew what that meant. Fast forward to the catastrophic turns of COVID-19 and, unfortunately, my industry was shuddered overnight. Amidst the chaos and tragedy the pandemic unleashed on artist communities (and many others, including low income and BIPOC communities), I grew curious on how my past experiences could help me radically expand the scale of my work. However, I did not necessarily know at the time that meant I would pursue my MBA, but I knew it meant pivoting to different industries and workplace contexts.
And my “why” really revolves around my curiosity to innovate, expand, and bring my past experiences building and producing live performances to solve large-scale problems in for-profit industries. It’s important to let you know that as I began researching and applying to programs, I. sought out students and alums who came from creative backgrounds like myself. We are a smaller, more niche community within top MBA programs, but we are there! It was through my conversations with “unconventional” MBAs that gave me the courage and fortitude to pursue this path and feel that I belong in a top program.
MBASchooled: What’s one goal you have for yourself that you want to achieve before you graduate from business school?
I want to have a one-on-one conversation with each of my classmates. We are such a unique group and each of us has something essential to offer our business school community. Because many of my classmates deferred because of the pandemic, we are a slightly larger class than normal. I want to highlight that also means we have a significant international student community, as well as the program’s largest Consortium class in history, which I am proud to be a part of. There are so many commitments once you step foot onto campus – classes, networking, recruiting, clubs, case competitions – it can be difficult to make space for quality social time. However, I remind myself constantly that I am never going to be in an experience like this again – I would be remiss not to connect with all 270 of my classmates before I graduate.
MBASchooled: What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned in your career so far?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that the only way to do it is to do it. This stems from my entire life as a dancer – I have always learned by doing. This has extended to several of my career choices and, even, my decision to pursue my MBA. When I started my own business in 2018, there was little precedent for the work of independent managers like me in my industry. However, it was my hypothesis that artists needed managers who were also advocates that could speak their language. So, I took the leap! There weren’t many instances of success I could draw from, so I leaned into my professional networks and remained willing to learn on the job. The first year of any business is so crucial and mine was telling: I quadrupled my client base in less than twelve months, proving to me the true need for the work I was doing. When COVID set in, I knew that my next career phase was not just going to organically unfold – I had to develop a vision, make it happen, and…do it. That is also what I love about life in the MBA: it’s an environment ripe for diving in, getting your hands dirty, and remaining committed to learning by doing.
MBASchooled: What is a career or personal development related podcast or book that you recommend for other MBA students?
“How I Built This” with Guy Raz is a podcast that consistently shows me examples of radical entrepreneurs who had to overcome many phases of hardship and triumph to get where they are today. As MBAs, I think it’s easy to get caught up in technical skills and the minutiae of modeling and slide decks. This podcast grounds me in the important virtues of great business leaders and entrepreneurs: grit, tenacity, and an undying willingness to fail and keeping trying.
MBASchooled: Who is someone who you admire or look up to for career guidance or advice, and why?
Payal Kadakia, the Executive Chairman and founder of ClassPass, has been an inspiration to me for many years. She saw a void in the fitness and wellness industry and grew a platform that offers centralized, subsidized offerings to its users. She has grown ClassPass to be such a massive, agile entity – not to mention the first unicorn of this decade! Beyond that, the company’s growth hasn’t meant a sacrifice to their integrity. They put significant resources behind DEI efforts, producing industry research, and raising up diversity in the fitness industry through partnerships with organizations like FitForUs. Plus, she still makes time to prioritize her dance career as Artistic Director of the Sa Dance Company. She is a business leader I admire, and I am excited to continue to follow her next phase; at the time I am writing this, ClassPass has been acquired by wellness giant MindBody.