Tara Mackey on the cover of HBVN December 2022.
Tara Mackey, the founder, and CEO of The Organic Life, a holistic and sustainable living platform, is residing in California. Studying psychology and genetics, she worked as a scientist in various labs, from biology to fertility to environmental research. She told us with a smile in her eyes, “After trying dozens of careers, switching majors 5 times, transferring colleges twice, I knew that I didn’t want to be a doctor, but I still wanted to help people. I didn’t just want to imagine my dreams… I wanted to live them! That’s what inspired me to quit and begin my own healthcare journey.” She decided to go to California to explore natural healing, yoga, and meditation. It was 2011.
She started her organic skincare company Genetix by sharing a DIY blog post about a natural breast enhancement oil that she invented for herself. Readers began to buy her oil. She told us, “Since then, I have released other organic creations based on struggles I’ve had as a woman: whether it be hormonal acne, a lip-plumping serum, a nursing support oil, or a belly oil I invented during my pregnancy.”
“It’s important to me that all our ingredients are 100% organic, pure, and trustworthy. I think with our breast care oil, we really broke the mold of what a beauty product can do and I intend to continue to blow people’s minds with the power of nature. If you have good skin, you don’t need makeup,” continued Tara Mackey.
She is the #1 best-selling author of Cured by Nature and WILD Habits. Cured by Nature, the book which she finished writing in only 3 months, is about her journey going on – and then coming off – 14 Rx medications over the course of 12 years. It contains all the supplements Mackey used to replace the most commonly prescribed drugs for pain, anxiety, depression, arthritis, acne, and more.
She shared her belief, “I think if most people knew that there was a natural alternative, they’d take it. I’m proud that the book has really opened peoples minds up to the realities of pharmaceutical medicine. It’s certainly not the only way to heal.” Tara Mackey proudly talked about Cured by Nature, “Even Oprah Magazine shared a quote from my book.”
Tara Mackey always appears to be full of energy. What are her secrets? “I spent a long time being unhappy, feeling sorry for myself, digging myself further into emotional debt. It didn’t work. It didn’t feel good. It invited toxic people into my life because I was running on toxic thoughts. Now I have tools to process things in a healthy way. I go to therapy, and I create my own therapy in my music, books, podcast, skincare and healthcare companies, and other projects. I go outside a lot. I love nature. I meditate, which has really helped with my patience and understanding. I also ditched TV 12 years ago. That’s been super helpful for my mental health.”
She has been a speaker at several events and conferences and most commonly gets asked about how to break someone of a bad habit or a habitual cycle. So she wrote her second book, WILD habits. Tara Mackey summarized the book, “First, you need to be willing to make a change. Next, you have to use your Intuition to figure out what that change is – no one can tell you, but you know. Then you need to use Love – self-love first – to forgive yourself and make that change. And then you need to Discipline to commit to that change long term… One day turns into one week and then one year and then ten years, and suddenly there you are, at the doorstep of the best life you’ve ever had. It’s honestly so wonderful, and it works for everything from drug addiction to food crisis to family problems.”
Was there anybody in her life that greatly influenced Tara Mackey’s way of thinking? Yes. Her grandma. Mackey brightened up when telling us about her, “My grandma stopped going to school in elementary school. Her father in Ireland told her that she was better off darning socks, which she did. It was the only job she ever had until she got pregnant with my mom and became a mother. She moved to America at the age of 21 and raised four kids by herself at home while my grandfather worked, as an immigrant, with oceans between her and her family. She gave me everything she had, and no one ever asked her to do that. I have no idea how she did it, but I will spend the rest of my life making sure she knows how much it means to me.”
At the end of our conversation, Mackey opened up about her future plans. Genetix, her skincare company, just launched a mom, baby, and men’s line. She also has new music, books, and new products coming out in 2023. She laughed heartily, “My blog is also about to start back up again, which I really missed! I blogged for 13 years before I got my first book deal!”
Tara Mackey concluded at the end of our chat, “Every moment is a moment you’ve never ever had before. Stay grateful for what you have, and you’ll be given everything you could ever want.”
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
