Tara Wear
She'll make you rethink everything you've been calling "high performance."
About
She turned "I'm fine" into a business case — and nobody leaves the same.
Tara Wear is a speaker, facilitator, leadership coach, and founder of Ready to Thrive Coaching — and she is done pretending that self-sacrifice is a leadership strategy. Her work sits at the intersection of somatic science, executive performance, and the deeply human reality that leaders have been trained to treat their own needs as an inconvenience. She speaks to that gap with the kind of raw honesty and laugh-out-loud specificity that makes a room simultaneously uncomfortable and relieved.
Her signature talk, Running on Empty: Why 'Needs' is Not a Dirty Word, reframes burnout from a personal wellness issue into a hard business asset-protection strategy. It's built around the F.U.E.L. Framework — a practical diagnostic tool for auditing leadership capacity before the crash happens, not after. Leaders leave with vocabulary they didn't have before, a method to stop rewarding dysfunction, and a disruptive reality check that changes how they think about what high performance actually requires.
Tara was shortlisted from 175 applicants into the top 10% for TEDxSpokane 2026, shortlisted for DisruptHR Boise 2026, and won the Founders Live global pitch competition in 2023. She has facilitated somatic-based workshops for corporate professionals through Gonzaga University's School of Leadership Studies and delivered high-impact keynotes to mission-driven audiences across the Inland Northwest. She is building a body of work that treats human sustainability not as a soft HR topic but as a core organizational competency.
Speaking topics
What she delivers
Running on Empty: Why 'Needs' is Not a Dirty Word
Workplace cultures implicitly reward hyper-independence — treating the inability to say no as high performance rather than a dangerous coping mechanism. Leaders have been trained to view human needs as interruptions. This talk turns that upside down. Built around the F.U.E.L. Framework, it gives leaders a raw, practical diagnostic tool to audit capacity before the crash:
Friction Absorption — the cost of absorbing daily dysfunction
Unspoken Expectations — the invisible contracts crushing high performers
Empty-Tank Metrics — somatic warning signs before the breakdown
Leveraging Boundaries — turning requests into a retention strategy
Audiences leave with a disruptive reality check, vocabulary to destigmatize needs at work, and a method to stop treating self-sacrifice as loyalty. It weaves laugh-out-loud stories — like convincing yourself you just have "strong jaw muscles" rather than stress — with executive strategy that makes a soft HR conversation into a hard business asset-protection case.
Format: Keynote or Workshop · 45–90 min
Audience: Leadership teams, HR professionals, women's conferences, executive audiences
The Stillpoint Process: From Bracing to Grounded Authority
A somatic address built for leaders who are over-functioning and don't yet have the language for it. Tara walks audiences through the physical reality of chronic overextension — the bracing, the holding, the constant readiness — and gives them a grounded, practical framework for dropping it without losing their edge. Delivered as a TEDxSpokane audition piece to the selection committee from 175 applicants.
Format: Keynote or Fireside · 30–45 min
Audience: Mission-driven leaders, women's leadership events, executive teams
Public Speaking Stress is Real: Hacks to a Calmer, More Confident Presence
A practical, somatic-based workshop teaching professionals how to regulate their nervous systems under pressure — before, during, and after high-stakes presentations. Developed and delivered through Gonzaga University's School of Leadership Studies for corporate professionals at Spokane Teachers Credit Union.
Format: Workshop · 60–90 min
Audience: Corporate teams, emerging leaders, professionals in client-facing roles
Credentials & experience
What qualifies her
CREDENTIALS
Founder, Ready to Thrive Coaching — readytothriveco.com
Shortlisted Speaker & Auditionee, TEDxSpokane — July 2026 (top 10% from 175 applicants)
Shortlisted Speaker, DisruptHR Boise — July 2026
Pitch Contest Winner, Founders Live Global Competition — 2023
Featured Speaker, A Speakers Showcase: 6 Weeks to the Stage — June 2026
Interactive Workshop Facilitator, Spokane Teachers Credit Union via Gonzaga University School of Leadership Studies — October 2025
Certificate in Women's Leadership, Gonzaga University
Completed Morgan Marie's Six Weeks to Stage speaker development program
What people say
The room after she leaves
"Tara didn’t just give us a lecture; she gave us the exact tools to navigate our highest-pressure moments. Working with her completely changed how our team leads and stays productive without burning out."
—Jen D., Operations Director
"I’m finally learning to drop ‘the brace’ and have moved from constant tension to deep clarity. Tara has a powerful gift for giving purpose-driven professionals practical strategies to remain calm, clear, and energized even at the end of a demanding workday."
—Inge M., VP of Human Resources
"Through her insights, I shifted from being stressed and depleted by workplace friction to recognizing exactly what is mine to carry. Tara provides a trusted, practical framework to build boundaries, lead teams, and protect your people without sacrificing your own humanity."
—Danielle P., Leadership Client & CEO
Ready to book?
Bring Tara to your event
Reach out directly — she responds promptly and handles her own bookings.
Booking details
Location: Spokane, WA
Formats: Keynote · Workshop · Fireside
Audience: Leadership teams, HR professionals, women's conferences
Fee range: Contact for rates
Virtual available: Yes
Start a conversation → readytothriveco.com