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In a world that often demands we follow a pre-written script, how do you find the courage to write your own? This week on Tradition Breakers, Mary Moses sits down with Tara Parsons, Vice President and Deputy Publisher at HarperCollins, and one of the few AAPI women leading a major global publishing group.
Tara opens up about her journey as a "tradition breaker" born to a mixed-race couple—a Japanese immigrant mother who was a radical computer scientist in her day and a Northern European father who served in the Peace Corps . Growing up between cultures in New Jersey, Tara learned early on that identity is often projected by others, but strength comes from "shoring up" who you actually are.
In this episode, we dive into:
- The Power of Ancestral Grit: How Tara's Japanese heritage instilled a sense of "grit and determination" that she applies to her leadership and her lifelong commitment to seeing every path through to the end.
- Leading in the Silence: Navigating an industry where senior leadership rarely looks like you and learning to trust your instincts in spaces where you weren't always expected to lead.
- The Subjectivity of Success: Why, in a world of data and AI, the human "gut instinct" remains the most powerful tool for identifying stories that are truly "unputdownable".
- Representation as an Essential: Tara's mission to elevate diverse voices through imprints like Amistad, HarperCollins Español, and HarperVia, and why she believes that as America becomes more multicultural, representation is no longer optional—it's essential.
Whether you are navigating the corporate ladder or building your own path, this conversation is a masterclass in using your unique multicultural perspective as a competitive advantage.
About Our Guest: Tara Parsons is the Vice President and Deputy Publisher at HarperCollins. A lifelong advocate for global and underrepresented voices, she oversees several publishing teams dedicated to bringing powerful, international stories into the mainstream.
Links:
- Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://tastydirectives.com/contact
- Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
- Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
- Learn more about Tara Parsons: https://communityofwriters.org/bio/tara-parsons/
- Learn more about HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/
