Meet Taryn, a 31 year old mom of two who is showing us what it’s like to be the ultimate girl boss! Taryn works from home, while also balancing life as an influencer and mother, leaving little to no time for rest.
As moms, we dream of a scenario that allows us to work from home, and she manages to juggle so much, all while having the biggest smile on her face! Whether it’s tips for your next theme park visit, or an honest perspective on motherhood, you can count on Taryn to bring you some words of comfort time and time again.
Let’s get to know her and her life just a little bit more!
Q. Give us a little bit of a background about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from?
A: My name is Taryn and I just turned 31 years old. I was born in Northern California but moved several times growing up due to my dad’s job. I eventually ended up back in Northern California for high school, and my parents have lived there ever since.
Q: Tell us about your theater background…what brought on your love of theater? What was your transition like moving from NYC to Orange County?
A: I was in my first play at the age of 10. I was living in Oregon, and because of the constant drizzle outside I wasn’t as motivated to play outdoor sports — my mom suggested I audition for a local community production of The Wizard of Oz. I had no idea theater was such a prestigious thing in the community where we lived. When I was cast (as a ballerina munchkin), my school threw me a party because no one in my school had been cast in this particular yearly show for several years.
After that, I fell in love. I started auditioning more and more. I had always danced, but I transitioned to private dance lessons and private voice lessons. When we moved back to Northern California I started really digging my heels in. I was ALWAYS in a show. I got cast in my first professional production when I was 14 years old. Being paid to perform was so dreamy. I knew I wanted to pursue this as my career.
I auditioned and got accepted to one of the top five Musical Theater programs in the country (at the time) — Brigham Young University. Majoring in Music/Dance/Theater was a literal dream. I woke up, danced for 4-6 hours a day, learned different accents, studied Shakespeare, and eventually met the love of my life on the stage. I traveled to NYC after graduation to perform in a showcase for agencies. I had a meeting with an agent and eventually moved with my husband and daughter to NYC.
I didn’t have as much success out there as I would have liked — being a mom and having to pay the bills became the priority. But I auditioned, I got cast in a few small things, and my favorite — I got to work with my husband and daughter quite a bit! Turns out, a lot of production companies looking for a family actually like when they can hire real families most of the time. So we ended up doing quite a bit of print work all together.
We decided to move after we had our second daughter, and my husband decided he wanted a career change. He wanted to go back to school for animation, and all the amazing schools (and jobs) reside in Southern California. So, we packed our life and off we went!
Q: We absolutely love your matching family outfits and all of the whimsical pieces you sew! Who taught you to sew and what are a few of your favorite pieces you’ve created over the years?
A: My grandmother taught me to sew. One summer when I was a child, we were in the middle of moving and our home was being built. We lived with my grandparents for the entire summer while our house was being finished, and it is one of my favorite summers I’ve ever had.
My grandma had seven children and loved to make outfits for them, especially her four daughters. The first thing I ever made was a dress for a stuffed bunny (with a LOT of help from Gram). I still have the bunny and put it out every Easter.
My favorite outfits I make are, hands down, my bed sheet dresses! I love to thrift and to give fabric a new life. When I find a good vintage bedsheet and get to turn it into a garment, it brings me so much joy!
Q: Being a working parent has its challenges, and working from home during the summer can be the hardest challenge of all! What are a few hacks you can share with our parent readers on balancing work and parenting from home?
A: Woof. I wish I had any hacks. I’m drowning. I’d love some advice myself! I would say the one thing I am trying really hard to do is to keep work time [as] work time, and play time [as] play time. I work on my phone for a set period of time, and then I try really hard to put the phone down and give my kids undivided attention. My motto this summer is “It can wait.” While I try to be timely with my work, I know, at the same time, everything isn’t life or death, I can finish up playing with my child before I get distracted by work again.
Q: We admire your skill set on content creation. What got you started in the “influencer” world and how did that develop into a career?
A: I fell into a career that I really didn’t like while trying to audition and become an actress — I had to do something to pay the bills. Eventually, that overtook my life. When I moved to Orange County I started my Instagram as a creative release from my stressful job. I missed creating, and this was my way to fill that void. Over time, it grew into something much more!
Q: For our aspiring content creators, what are five tips you can give to them?
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BE YOU. No one wants a carbon copy of someone else.
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People want to feel connected to you. Talk to your audience.
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Find the ‘why’. Why would someone want to follow you? What value are you providing them?
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Find the why, and then, before every post, make sure that your post fits in with that ‘why.’
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CONNECT. There’s a whole wide world of networking out there. You can gain SO much by making friends in your own community!
Q: Your family seems very supportive in your career, and also very hands on. What is the best part of creating content as a family?
A: I am so lucky that my husband is 110% supportive. I think it really helps that he is also a creative. He understands my need to create because he also feels that same need. We both love art and creating art and that’s what I see my platform as: Art.
Q: If you weren’t taking on the content creating world by storm, what else would you be doing?
A: I truly wouldn’t want to be doing anything else right now. My dream is to work for Disney Parks on their content creation team. I am trying my darndest to go after that dream!
Q: What is your favorite way to unwind from parenting and working all day long?
A: Obviously, I love to sew, it is a huge outlet for me. I love to wander the aisles of a good thrift or antique store by myself, and I love to get caught up in a good book!
Q: We absolutely love your personal style. What or who inspires you?
I’ve always been very inspired by pin-up girls! I have a lot of pin-up art scattered around my house. In college I dressed practically completely rockabilly, and since kids and life getting crazy, I’ve fallen away from that. But sewing my own creations definitely helps me express myself! If I could just dress like Mrs. Maisel every day, I absolutely would.
Follow Taryn on Insta @benchlandia
What inspires you most about Taryn’s story? How do you balance your life with being a mom? Share you story with us in the comments below!
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