ABOUT
The business—and the person behind it.
Who Is McBride Connect?
I've learned it's easier to see outside your own box.
I've spent decades working across businesses, industries, and roles, learning how people, systems, and decisions connect. And one thing has remained true: no matter how experienced we are, it's difficult to see clearly when we're standing in the middle of our own business.
I know because I'm a business owner too.
Things I can recognize quickly from the outside can take much longer to see when they're mine. We get attached to ideas. We hear advice from people we trust. We get buried in the day-to-day. Sometimes, we're simply too close to see the whole picture.
That's why outside perspective matters.
McBride Connect grew from my ability to step outside the day-to-day, listen carefully, recognize patterns, and connect things that may not appear connected at first.
I'm not here to tell you how to run your business. I'm here to help you see what's really happening, sort through what matters now, and translate that clarity into practical next steps.
How I Work
I listen first. I ask questions. I look for the connection between what you're experiencing, what you think you need, and what may actually be causing the friction.
I help you separate the immediate symptom from the larger issue, determine what deserves your attention now, and identify practical next steps that you or your team can implement.
If you want my help moving those steps forward, I can assist with that too.
And when the right solution requires expertise outside my own, I don't just hand you a name. I connect you with people I know and believe are right for the work—and, more importantly, right for your business.
Skills matter, but so do communication, personality, and culture. The right solution with the wrong fit can create a whole new kind of friction.
The goal isn't to create more work. It's to make the work you're already doing work better.
Who Is Tara McBride?
Tara McBride is a business consultant, entrepreneur, academic researcher, and nonfiction author with decades of cross-functional business experience.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and her MBA in Sustainable Business from Appalachian State University.
Her career has taken her across industries, across the country, and internationally. She has worked in business development, marketing, sales, operations, supply chain, vendor management, education, and organizational problem-solving—often in roles that required her to understand how decisions in one part of a business affected everything around them.
Those experiences continue to shape the outside perspective she brings to McBride Connect.
Her graduate research developed a method for profiling green consumers based on the factors that influence their purchasing decisions. Her academic work has continued through research into consumer behavior and barriers to sharing-economy adoption. She is also the author of the Becoming memoir series.
Tara is the mother of two children, Sage and Storm, and currently calls Wilmington, North Carolina home.
Tara's curiosity drove her mother crazy when she was younger. It turns out that relentless need to ask why, why not, and what else? became one of her greatest strengths—finding connections others may overlook and helping turn what feels like a mountain into something much more manageable.
Tara McBride
FOUNDER & BUSINESS CONSULTANT
“Tara's attention to detail and professional attitude made her our favorite. She always made herself available to fix any issues. Her level of professionalism follows her in whatever venture she takes.”
Brad H.
LinkedIn Recommendation
Want to see what this looks like in practice?
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