Women in Business: Dr. Tammy Manko

By Taylor Jones

It’s my favorite time of the month: I get to sit down with a woman in the Indiana area and chat about the greatness that she is trying to bring to our town. Dr. Tammy Manko, owner of MeaningfulLife and director of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Career and Professional Development Center is truly a bright spot on a dreary day. Her genuine intent to help those around her has led her to start her own public speaking and training business. Through MeaningfulLife, Tammy gives keynote addresses, presentations, training, and professional development on “body language, professional development, positivity and motivation, career and workforce readiness, etiquette, leadership, service learning, customer service, and others.” (MeaningfulLife, LLC) Her goal is to create meaning through positivity, growth, and professional development (MeaningfulLife, LLC).

Continue reading to learn more about Tammy, her business, and (some) of her views on finding a meaningful life:

Women in Business – Dr Tammy Manko

Planful: Tell me about yourself, your background.

Tammy Manko: I grew up not too far from here, and was a first-generation college student, majoring in English. When I graduated, I took a job at a consulting firm in Washington DC, which had me doing program development, something I really found a love for. When I decided to move back to the area, I came back to IUP for my MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education. After finishing that degree, I worked at IUP for about 10 years in the Student Activities and Organizations department, where I oversaw fraternity-sorority affairs and organized student leadership and service learning opportunities, among many other programming initiatives.

Then, I left the workforce for 10 years to raise my children and during that time, I completed my doctoral coursework and earned my doctorate in July of 2010. I have always been goal oriented, though not necessarily always with clearly defined goals; so many of my life and career decisions have come by simply taking opportunities as they are presented to me.

The past three years I began to pay attention to the things within my work that I enjoy most. Researching, developing, and delivering presentations were three of those things, and I began to ask myself how I could do more of these. I decided to start a business, which I perhaps came at sideways. With MeaningfulLife, I not only do public speaking, but someday may foray into life coaching, given I do a form of life coaching in my current role with IUP. I am also developing products [to be sold on my website] that will remind people to live and share a meaningful life.

P: What made you get into career planning?

TM: From a very young age, I subscribed to a happenstance theory, I think without even realizing it; I know now that happenstance is an actual career theory. Though I’ve always been very career oriented, I’ve been flexible to what life brings me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been very people- and help-oriented. That is just something that will never change. I believe that we are put here on this earth to help one another, to create community, and to assist one another in reaching our goals and making a positive difference. Because of that, I’ve always leaned toward a help profession. When I graduated with my English BA, I thought, what am I doing now? Then I took that job in DC as a program coordinator, which was a great growth experience for me both personally as well as professionally. About a year and a half later, I decided I wanted to go back to get my Masters. A friend had mentioned the Student Affairs in Higher Education program to me, and I thought, huh, IUP has a great, reputable program, and that’s where I went…back to IUP.

While working in Student Affairs at IUP, I was interested in the student career development area. Following my time at home with my children as I was looking to re-enter the workforce, a friend of mine made me aware of an opening with the Career (and Professional) Development Center. I was offered that position as an assistant director and a couple of years later, our director left and I was offered the opportunity to take on that role.

I believe this is where I am meant to be. And, as I said before, during these past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to think about what I really enjoy doing and where I can make the best contributions.

P: What were your biggest challenges when starting MeaningfulLife? Now?

TM: The lack of knowledge about started a business, probably. I don’t know if I have a business acumen, though I have to keep learning. I’m also not a big risk taker, and this is a big financial risk. Time is also a challenge, I don’t have enough time to achieve what I want to in a day. However, I do think I am able to manage a large amount of work due to my high energy level.

P: What motivates you?

TM: A sense of achievement and fulfillment, knowing that I’m making a positive difference. I think a lot of the same things motivate people in general, like goals, because they give us something to focus on and to measure our progress.

P: What would you like people to know about your business?

TM: I would like people to know that I do public speaking and training on a variety of topics. And that I’m able to adapt to almost any audience. I can speak about body language, etiquette, positivity, professional and career development, and other topics. If I can’t speak to the topic, maybe I know someone that can. I am developing product lines to be sold on my website that are intended to motivate and encourage people to find meaning in life and to engage meaningfully with others. I hope people will share [any knowledge or positivity they gain through my presentations] with the people in their lives because that is really my goal with MeaningfulLife. I think if we have more compassion, more caring, more kindness, we will have a better world and lead more meaningful lives.

P: What are your best time management tips?

TM: I used to think I was good at managing my time, and now I think, how did I ever think that?! I put things on my calendar, but I’m managing three different calendars. I also manage to-do lists, that way I periodically check things off to see where I am. I give myself deadlines, sometimes way in advance to ensure I keep myself on task. Sometimes I will set an alarm on my phone as well.

I would also say that I’m learning to ask for help when I need it. I don’t do it a lot, but I think when we ask people to help we are actually giving the other person an opportunity to contribute. I know that I’m happy to help others, so I need to believe they’re happy to help me, too.

P: Is it challenging finding a work/life balance?

TM: Yes. I think [that challenge] is very personality driven. I want to give 100% minimum to every project, and when I can’t it stresses me out. Unfortunately, something has to give, and usually, it’s my family giving to enable me to get my work done and for me to help others.

P: Best advice you’ve ever heard?:

TM: Be appropriately bold. If we focus on our strengths and what we enjoy, we help the people surrounding us, then we create a world we want to live in, in a community of people helping one another.

Practice resilience.

P: Any advice for other female business owners or any business for that matter?

TM: Identify your strengths, as well as what you enjoy. Merge the two of those and make that your focus. From that identify three goals that you want to achieve that will bring more meaning to your life. Put those goals out in front of you every day, and take steps – or even one step – toward them every day.

As always, it was great to be able to sit down and chat with Tammy about owning a business and working toward a meaningful life. If you’d like to know more about Tammy and her work at MeaningfulLife, check out her website here. Her Twitter account has plenty of positivity and advice to read through, as well, so be sure to check her out here. And, request to follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/tpmanko/