Tara Norris Rasmuson sat down with host Jason Spiess to discuss her journey from petroleum to publishing. Tara was a landman (aka landwoman …. aka land negotiator) while working in oil and gas. Now she is the publisher of the Greeley Lifestyle Magazine.
“I started out at the bottom answering phones in the oil and gas industry,” Tara said. “I really just worked my way up. I studied Petroleum Land Management at Oklahoma City University. I then got an internship with a little group called Tekton Energy in Highlands Ranch and they had a project here in Windsor Colorado.”
Windsor is just a “stones throw” away from Greeley, which is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County. Weld County hosts approximately 20,000 well pads or active well sites and producing roughly 85-90% of Colorado’s oil development.
Before Tara’s internship and work answering phones, she absorbed a respect for the industry through her geography and father’s profession.
“I actually grew up in the industry, my dad’s a geologist, so I watched my entire life the ups and the downs of the industry,” Tara said. “I saw a lot of people leave and I felt really sad when they had to leave oil and gas. But now I feel so much gratitude having now transiting out of the oil and gas industry, now I can look at it from a different lens.”
Tara’s work in oil and gas continued after her start up and in Colorado, and she found herself with numerous opportunities to dive into the real culture of industry. From the travel to the colorful personalities to the corporate structures to being on the front line of town hall meetings discussing oil and gas projects and community collaborations.
Furthermore, Tara believes there are “so many good stories in oil and gas” because she has seen them first hand.
“There’s a lot going on here. So many stories from industry that can be told… need to be told,” Tara said. “People think it’s (Greeley) always think agriculture, farming and cattle. There’s a lot more to Greeley. The oil and gas industry is so big here, but they are quiet about it.”
Tara continues citing humility as the main reason for the lack of positive oil and gas stories being shared in the local communities. However, those times are slowly changing and publications like the Greeley Lifestyle Magazines are sharing those stories.
One thing is clear for Tara’s next chapter in life. She is more interested in personal growth and sharing the experiences than the pursuit of private jets and record-profits.
“As we wound down Bear Lake Resources and realized we weren’t going to get the funding to drill that we wanted and our big plans were not going to come to fruition, I started to be open to other opportunities,” Tara said. “I loved starting at the bottom of the oil and gas industry and working my way to the top. I found so much joy in that journey. So I looked at other industries that I could have a similar experience of just the joy of the journey.”
That industry is publishing. Tara started the Greeley Lifestyle Magazine, which is a community-focused magazine that aims to connect the residents to the people, places, businesses and cultures that make Greeley a special city to live and work.
When asked if she looks at herself as an Ambassador of sorts for the industry as many are finding themselves at a crossroads, she sees how one could make that leap and connection as her transition out of industry is a transition, not exit.
Right now Tara sees how publications like the Greeley Lifestyle Magazine can assist industry immediately.
“We are actually working with a large operator right now to do some stories,” Tara said. “What I think we need to do is put the faces of the oil and gas employees in the magazine and we need to tell their stories. We need to say these are families with children that live and work and play, they give back, are great people and do the right thing.”
Tara continued.
“Number two is sharing what the industry businesses and companies are doing to give back to the community,” Tara said.
After a bit more discussion about Tara’s journey from petroleum to publishing, she offers some advice for those experiencing the uncertainty that exists in industry today.
“When I was looking at transitioning out, I sat down with myself. Myself. And I asked myself what do I love the most about the industry and the everyday life in the industry and what am I really good at,” Tara said. “The answers to those questions really help frame what I was looking for in the next stage of my life.”
If anyone would like to schedule an interview, meeting or news tip email studio@thecrudelife.com
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Sponsors, Music and Other Show Notes
Studio Sponsor: The Industrial Forest
The Industrial Forest is a network of environmentally minded and socially conscious businesses that are using industrial innovations to build a network of sustainable forests across the United States.
Weekly Sponsor: Black Creek Pipeline Leak Detection
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Weekly Sponsor: MineralTracker
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