Meet Tara Kai | Writer, Professor, Instructional Designer, Long-Term Property Investor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara Kai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I decided I would not make any life, relationship, or business decisions based on “fear”. When you make decisions based on fear, you settle for what is commonplace. Anytime I make big decisions, I ask myself “am I choosing this path because I am afraid?” “Am I taking on this mediocre job because I am scared I won’t find another one?” or “Am I afraid of quitting this job because I have been told I need to have employer-provided health insurance?”
Also, there is a tendency for people to project their fears on you when you do something that scares them. Comments I have heard over the years “you cannot move to another state/country – you don’t have a job, money or work permit”, “you cannot stay single all your life – the older you get, the harder it’s going to be to find a partner”, “you cannot afford to take time off and figure things out – you need to get a job now to pay your rent and have health insurance,” “you cannot ask for a bank loan – they will never loan you any money”, “you cannot apply for this job – you are not qualified,” “you cannot write a novel, you will never get published,” “you cannot go for your PhD, you are too old”.
It took a lot of effort to shut out other people’s fears so I could hear myself think.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I knew early on that I needed creativity in my life. Property investment was a means to an end. Passive income allows me to do what I love. I am an introvert and prefer books over company. The idea of sitting alone in a room and writing a blog, essays, short stories or a novel is the pinnacle of happiness for me. I feel alive and ecstatic when I do anything creative.

Life takes priority over work. Even when I had no job, no money, and nowhere to live did I think that work would need to be “balanced” with life. When I moved to the U.S. after my divorce, I moved in with my mum. She gave me her tiny bedroom while she slept on the sofa. I was 33 years old. I took on legal secretary jobs, then project management jobs, then teaching jobs. Rarely did I think that I had to sacrifice my life for work just for the sake of making more money to buy more stuff. That sounds crazy to me. Any savings I had, went towards down payments for investment properties. I do my own nails, I clean my own home, and I do my own laundry. Having fake nails, fake eyelashes, or fake anything does not give me freedom. Having the money to do whatever I want gives me freedom.

Any work I take on begins with the question “how can I get this done fast and efficiently so I can live my life”. My past employers promoted me because I had “systems” in place and “stream-lined” processes. In fact, all I was doing was figuring out how to get things done fast so I could go home and read a book or write a story.

I don’t like to use terms such as “brand” or “success” My definition of “success” is having the time and freedom to do whatever I want and not be beholden to anyone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When in Los Angeles – definitely the Getty, LACMA, Santa Monica, Malibu, and the Comedy Store. Cup of coffee at Shutters on the Beach. Seafood at Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market & Patio Cafe. When in Miami – Lincoln Road, South Point park, Espanola Way, best hole in the wall for lunch – La Sandwicherie – 229 14th St Miami Beach, FL. Little Havana, Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We are always trying to raise money for people we have met along the way and try to find solutions for their long-term needs. In fact, we have one going on right now. The shoutout is to this family who are trying to get out of homelessness https://donorbox.org/iranian-refugee-single-mom-seeks-assistance

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-kai-ph-d-9b691276/

Image Credits
Photo of Tara & Shayan by Brant Brogan Photo of Yangtze Gorge by Tara Kai