Tara Moses - Redefining Leadership During a Tough Time
Meet Tara Moses— Our Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations describes being a woman in a male-dominated profession while balancing her work and home life
Redefining leadership during a tough time
I’m an engineer who has always worked in manufacturing. So, I've always been in a male-dominated space. There is gender bias in the manufacturing industry – there is. I can't wish it away.
It's what it's been like over my career: working to have a voice at the table when the bias has said otherwise. Some people may think that because I'm a woman and a leader, that I'm the one who will bring cookies in for work celebrations … that's not me. I am nurturing and very empathetic, and I hope to break through people's initial perspectives that may be based on their industry experience and have them see me and experience me as a different type of leader.
“It’s been a whirlwind the last two years.”
“I had the opportunity to take the role of director of manufacturing for all of Red Wing Shoes’ manufacturing sites. It’s been a whirlwind the last two years, with lots of things transpiring due to COVID. One thing about manufacturing is that we have not had the opportunity of working remotely. We manufacture footwear and PPE so workers around the world can work safely at their jobs and provide for their families. It is really critical that we create a safe workspace for our employees.
Leadership is very understanding of the juggling families have to do, and they want to make a difference in peoples’ lives. It's the only company that I've seen in my career that when they say, ‘People First’ they actually do that. That, to me, shows a lot about a company. The pandemic has changed how work gets done and presented us with new challenges every day. With all that learning we’re developing new capabilities in manufacturing and that is pretty exciting.
“I have a sense of pride working here because of the brand and our legacy.”
One of the things I love most about Red Wing Shoe Company is that we have committed to American-made manufacturing and that's why I came here. It's difficult to find a company anymore that is keeping manufacturing in the U.S., and we’ve made it a part of our brand and who we are.
I have a sense of pride working here because of the brand and its legacy. I also support S.B. Foot Tanning Co., our tannery, which makes our leather. There's the ability to have your fingerprints on it. It's a trade that you get to learn, to master a skill. That's one of the differences between Red Wing Shoes and other traditional manufacturing jobs.
A big fear many people have coming into manufacturing is: ‘Am I just going to do the same thing 1,000 times a day for years?’ That's not the case at Red Wing Shoes. There's a lot of craftsmanship that goes into making hand-crafted boots. There’s a lot of variety too, from cutting leather to stitching and sewing or running a urethane machine that pours the outsoles for boots. There are a lot of different jobs to do in our trade every day.
“I make my day here really impactful and then I go home.”
I know that it's very difficult for many women who take on so many responsibilities at work and at home. In the last two years, we've all had to redefine what our roles are and how to serve our families and communities best. There are two things that keep me rolling, my partner and self-care.
My husband and I are very much equal players in work and life. We’ve done a lot of work to redefine the traditional, stereotypical male / female roles in the household, and we’ve come to a place where we both support each other’s careers and ensure our family is a priority. I also prioritize my self-care so that I can work through the added stressors and be fully present in any space I’m in.
To find balance, I work a pretty consistent set of hours. I work really hard during those hours, I’m super organized and efficient with my day. I make every day here really impactful and then I go home. That's how I make it work for me, and I encourage everyone to find what’s going to work for them.
We have three kids and live here in Red Wing, Minnesota. We lived in Minneapolis for a while but moved here so I could accept the role with Red Wing Shoe Company. The Red Wing area is a diverse community, with lots of arts, religions, outdoor activities, and a burgeoning health and wellness community. It feels good to be immersed in the community as a leader in a company with such deep roots.
Living and working in Red Wing allows me to fully participate in my kids’ lives. I spend a lot of time at volleyball games, softball games, and baseball games. I love the outdoors, going on hikes, and hanging out with my amazing friends. I even have some chickens and some honey bees. These things keep me grounded and happy.
“I’m excited to be a part of the transformation!”
When I look at the future, I get really excited that Red Wing Shoe Company can use our supply chain as a competitive advantage because it’s vertically integrated. We go straight from the cowhide all the way to our own retail stores. A lot of companies and industries are learning right now that their supply chains are their weak links; ours is our strength. I’m seeing the company thinking about how do we take advantage of that integration and use it to transform the company. I’m excited to be a part of the transformation!