Meet Tara O’brien | Landscape Disruptor & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara O’brien and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Climatescaping was pretty simple: I love helping people grow, adapt, and thrive—and I wanted to do it on a bigger, greener scale. Whether it was helping others build and scale their companies for 10 years, leading military members for 12 years, or teaching high school and university students for the past 5 years, my career has always been about guiding people to their ‘aha!’ moments of growth, resilience, and transformation. After years of leading, coaching, and problem-solving, I thought, ‘let’s channel these strengths into addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time: climate change?’ And while I was at it, I figured I’d bring a modern makeover to the old-school world of landscaping to transform how we think about outdoor spaces. My goal is to leave a legacy of environmental stewardship—oh, and have some fun with some really cool people at my side along the way!

Climatescaping was born from a big, beautiful idea: to bring joy and color—rather than doom and gloom—to the conversation about climate change. Instead of focusing on what we’re losing, I wanted to show people the incredible potential for growth, resilience, and transformation—right in their own backyards! We create landscapes that are not just gorgeous but also fire-wise, water-wise, and pollinator-friendly. It’s all about helping our clients take proactive steps toward sustainability while rediscovering their connection to nature. Whether it’s through programs like removing grass to ColoradoScape instead, our DIY Garden Box Kits, or teaming up with local cities and HOA’s to make some large-scale impacts, we’re reimagining how communities adapt to a changing climate—one landscape at a time.

At the end of the day, I started Climatescaping because I saw a gap where innovation, education, and environmental stewardship could intersect—and I wanted to dive right in. My hope is that Climatescaping paves the way for the industry in the future and helps us build more resilient communities with a fresh perspective for generations to come.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Helping people find their spark and launch their potential…that’s been my artistic and creative canvas for over 20 years now. Today I call it my superpower. But like every good story, I certainly had an awkward beginning. Picture this: young TV reporter, fresh-faced and ambitious, suddenly handed a team to manage. Did I want to manage? Nope. I wanted to chase stories and nail the perfect sign-off. Managing felt like being benched in my career.

Instead it was the most incredible plot twist. I discovered that helping others shine is even better than hogging the spotlight. That crash course in leadership lit a fire in me—a passion for coaching, teaching, and cheering people on to become their absolute best. You know the secret, it’s kinda forming you into your best version along the way, and you don’t even know it. When you watch someone discover their own brilliance and knowing you had a hand in lighting the way, it’s addictive to want to get better and better at it in order to generate more and more impact.

The lesson for me? The stuff you don’t want to do often becomes the stuff that defines you. Leadership taught me to embrace the unexpected, laugh at the challenges, get over being timid, push through the embarrassment of failure, and lean into the magic of helping others crush their goals.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooo one of my fav past-times…itinerary building! Ok here goes:

Day 1: Ski Copper Mountain, then toast our survival at Flagstaff Restaurant for Happy Hour hang time.

Day 2: Boulder hikes—Shanahan Ridge or Sanitas—followed by dinner at River and Woods. Cozy, delicious, done.

Day 3: Tara’s backyard garden tour (and some light labor—gloves provided), then reward ourselves with farm-to-table perfection at Blackbelly in Boulder.

Day 4: Denver day! Coffee shop hopping, a wander through the Botanic Gardens, and a live show downtown to wrap it all up.

Day 5: A brainstorming session at CU Boulder—ideas or doodles, anything goes (my friends all know if I could carry around a whiteboard in my back pocket I totally would)—then lunch at 24 Carrot Bistro. Afternoon stop at The Tree Farm – Just because.

Day 6: More coffee, more skiing up at Eldora through the Jolly Jug Glades, and one last amazing dinner. Maybe Blackbelly again? Cuz it’s just that good.

Day 7: REST!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh, this is my kind of question because, honestly, no one builds a dream solo—it takes a village (and maybe a little caffeine). First up, a massive shoutout to my partner, Chris, who is basically the MVP of my life. He’s been my cheerleader, sounding board, and fill-in employee through all the wild twists and turns of this journey.

Then there’s my crew of mentors and colleagues over the years. From my Air Force days to my time teaching students who kept me on my toes, they’ve all been like my personal Board of Directors, guiding, challenging, and most often pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I’ve also got to give a nod to the communities and industry subject matter experts I work with—because, honestly, they motivate me with every conversation and their willingness to embrace change and try something new is what fuels me to keep innovating.

And can we talk about books? Shoutout to ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer for making me want to hug trees even harder and rethink how we connect with nature. Oh and…”Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman” by Yvon Chouinard.

Lastly, let’s give some credit to my plants. Yes, plants. They don’t talk back, they’re beautiful to look at, and they’ve taught me a lot about patience, science, soil health, more patience, and growth. This shoutout is for every human, book, and leaf that’s been part of my story. You all deserve a standing ovation—or at least a strong cup of coffee in your honor!

Website: https://www.climatescaping.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taraobrien1/