If you think Facebook is only good for creating our favorite social platforms, think again. Allow me to introduce you to the Facebook Disruptors initiative, a program that helps to cultivate growth-stage companies to gain awareness by utilizing Facebook’s platforms and relationships. Besides being the place to stay connected with family and friends from high school, Facebook is one of the leading companies in supporting businesses that are changing the consumer market for the better, like Toms Shoes, Headspace, Allbirds and so many more.
One amazing woman behind this Facebook team is Tara Pettus, whose career in advertising began at the age of 16. Fun fact: Tara was also Lindsay Lohan’s fencing double in The Parent Trap. She started her advertising career as a marketing intern for the CEO of Avon, Andrea Jung. A few years later she enrolled in college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she started out studying to be a mechanical engineer. Read on for how Tara got to where she is today, crediting her success with her focus on building strong relationships, leveraging her technical expertise and taking advantage of every opportunity that crosses her path.
Her Campus: When you were in college at MIT, what did you study and what were your career goals?
Tara Pettus: When I started at MIT, I thought I was going to become a mechanical engineer. I also knew I wanted to learn about a business, so I was planning to take some classes through MIT’s undergraduate business school program at the Sloan School of Management. I remember the day I realized engineering was not for me in one of my fluid dynamics classes. My partner in the class was so energized by fluid dynamics and wanted to make this his life’s work, and in that moment I realized I was just not inspired by it. And that’s when I realized I think I should start taking other classes to explore what else is out there, so I took a variety of different courses from that point on. From science and math, marketing, architecture, I took everything that I could. And I ended up loving the business school courses so I focused my major in MIT’s undergraduate Sloan business school studying Management Science.
HC: I see that you participated in many competitions during your time at Northwestern. What was one of your favorite lessons you learned from those experiences?
TP: After working in advertising for a few years, I went to business school at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. I participated in every competition and consulting project that I could to gain as many new experiences as possible. The best piece of advice that I can share is to take advantage of any opportunity to connect with businesses and other industry professionals while you’re in school. In this format, businesses are so open to talking with students, they truly admire your opinion and want to hear what you have to say. For example, I ended up talking to Facebook’s former Chief Information Officer through a Facebook case competition. And as a student I never would have had access to that type of executive in school. Opening yourself to these opportunities allows you to connect with other companies you may be interested in later down the road. It also puts you in a framework to think strategically through the lens of a real business. We’re all studying to eventually get a job in a field that we’re passionate about and through these experiences you are able to get a feel for what jobs and types of companies may be right for you.
HC: In either undergrad or graduate school, is there a professor or mentor who stands out in helping you advance thus far in career?
TP: I believe professional success is attributed to three things: timing, luck and networking. I am so fortunate to have had so many amazing mentors in my career that choosing to highlight only one is so hard! Seraj Bharwani, one of the co-founders of Digitas, hired me when I was 23. I had just begun my career in advertising. He taught me everything that I know about advertising. He gave me the opportunity not only to learn from him but also to take projects that were client-facing and trusted me to handle those relationships with executives. He led by example by giving me real opportunities and when I would make mistakes he would guide me to learn from them. He helped me truly believe that there was always a way to solve a problem, whether it was a mistake I had made to a challenging task from a client. He connected me with so many other amazing people in the industry which is actually how I met Her Campus’s Katrina Campanale, Vice President, Sales and Business Development. Together we started Women’s iLab to help women in the advertising industry.
HC: Wow we love that! Tell us a little more about Women’s iLab and where the idea came from?
TP: In 2014 we started Women‘s iLab, a website dedicated to inspiring the future of women and innovation. We believe that female risk takers and disruptors of the norm are essential to unveiling groundbreaking innovation. Women’s iLab cultivates the female leaders of tomorrow by providing a platform for women to build their own brand, share their ideas, and support one another in pursuing their ambitions to drive their industries forward. We have the privilege of helping many companies build effective and impactful women’s organizations within their comapny. Again, opportunities are what kickstart so many amazing careers. When I was 16, I won a contest to meet someone that I admired, and I wrote this competition application about Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon. She was one of the only female Asian executives I knew of and as an Asian woman I was so inspired by her career. When I won the competition, I had the chance to meet her and she actually gave me an internship to work directly for her in New York City. It was totally surreal and I think this really started my whole career in business before I even started college. I credit a lot of my career to her and my first internship with Avon.
HC: Wow that is an incredible story. With online networking being the only option for student’s right now, how do you recommend our readers seek career mentorship virtually?
TP: It’s tough, but I still believe you can embrace virtual opportunities. Now is a unique time for connecting with university alumni. Send a cold email or LinkedIn message to someone you admire. I’m a firm believer in relationships, and connecting with a university alumni is such a strong way to go. Remember that while students are remote, so are alumni. We’re working from home and we’re looking to connect and help our communities as well. Also, keep up to date with the field you’re interested in by attending virtual talks and conferences to absorb all of the information that you can.
HC: In this new age of uncertainty, what words of wisdom would you share with the class of 2020?
TP: My advice would be take this unexpected situation and turn it into an opportunity. Take this time to stay connected or reconnect with people you’ve interned for or worked with in the past. Send previous bosses or mentors notes checking in on them and sharing updates from your life. See if they may be available for a 30 minute virtual coffee. Look at this as an opportunity to connect even more both personally and professionally.
Again, I think it’s also important to remember that it is okay to not be fully certain in what you want to do after graduation. I had no clue what I wanted to do when I was in college. So many of us have had career changes to get where we are today. And rolling with those punches, and finding something that you enjoy and are good at, that’s the sweet spot of finding a career that you will love. Don’t be afraid to jump at any opportunity because you truly never know where it will take you.
HC: Tell us about your Disruptors team at Facebook? What does your role encompass and what are the goals of your team?
TP: The Disruptors team at Facebook works with high-growth digitally native and direct to consumer businesses that are disrupting their industries by delivering value to consumers in new and innovative ways.. So think a lot of direct to consumer brands, think Ritual vitamins, Peloton, Blenders sunglasses, and Pura Vida Bracelets.. Our goal is to help these businesses scale through Facebook and Instagram and go from being a challenger brand to industry leaders. Working with the innovative individuals behind these companies is so inspiring. It really makes me excited and energized to work every day and strive to bring these brands to the market on a bigger scale so everyone can experience them like I do.
HC: What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
TP: Definitely the most surreal moment was when I got my job at Apple. For any student thinking about their career, you will have many of these moments where you think and realize I can’t believe that I was able to do ‘that.’ I had always worked at small companies prior and getting a job at Apple and then Facebook. Both of these jobs have been so surreal to to think wow these giant companies want me to help the initiative for them. It’s so humbling and it makes you realize it’s a great sense of achievement when you feel accomplished in your career.
HC: I don’t know about you, but I’ve been spending a ton of time watching Disney+ while I’ve been at home the last month. And I heard you have a pretty incredible story of your involvement in a very famous Disney film. Can you tell us about that?!
TP: Oh yes! I started fencing from a young age because my brother fenced and I wanted to be just like him. And I was honestly just in the right place at the right time. The movie casting team had come to my center and I happened to be there. And next thing I know, I had been chosen to be featured in the movie. If you remember the famous scene when the girls realize they have the same birthday, October 11th, that actually happened to be my real birthday. And we happened to be filming in October so the whole cast threw me a little party and we celebrated my 13th birthday on set. I was lucky that I got to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity with my mom who stayed with me on set the entire time we filmed. After we wrapped, Lindsay [Lohan] and I stayed pen pals when we were younger, but we did not continue that through the growth of her career. I have such fond memories of this experience and I think it shows that you really never know what a community, like my fencing club, can bring to your life.