Sharon Middendorf is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations of NYC based start up Tagasauris, a meta-data curation platform that has been featured in the New York Times, Wired, and The Economist. The company is rolling out their first photo-product in early 2012 which promises to be a game-changer in the photo tagging and crowd-sourcing industry.

I had the pleasure of meeting Sharon and her husband/Business Partner, Co-Founder and CEO Todd Carter at an event in SOHO last month.   At first sight, Sharon stands out; she has an infectious smile and a glow in her eyes that is wise yet youthful.  Unconsciously, attracted to her Inner Beauty, I sat right next to her in an area offset from the crowd as she sat with Todd and a colleague from Columbia University.

Sharon brings a special and unique mix to the NYC’s Tech World.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in music and modeling.  Sharon has modeled internationally and adorned magazine covers such as Time and Money.  She’s also a former recording artist signed to Mercury Records.  We discussed how this creates the perfect marriage in running a tech start up, from understanding business and media, to the power of negotiating and interacting with all types of people.

Below is an exclusive interview tCG recently had with Sharon Middendorf.  Sitting and talking with Sharon is amazing, inspiring and fun! Her insight is moving.  Enjoy!

THE INTERVIEW

Sharon!  It’s amazing, great, and absolutely wonderful to interview you!  You have such a varied background modeling, music, tech start up?!  You are a powerhouse. Mostly, you have a way about you that is inspiring, balanced, and fun.

Grounding

“Love, friends and family are the key component to being grounded. I also exercise and practice meditation…”

tCG: My first question, is how do you stay so grounded?  You’re in a challenging industry and you’ve managed to intentionally work your way nicely into this industry. How do you do it?

Sharon Middendorf (SM): First Tiffany, I want to thank you so much for this opportunity and for writing such kinds words! I love the idea of “The Corporate Goddess!” it’s a great name and very timely!

I don’t know that I am really that “grounded” but the straight answer is that I am very lucky to have a couple of seriously long-term relationships in my life. I believe these types of relationships truly help to ground and secure a person. Love, friends and family are the key component to being grounded. I also exercise and practice meditation which has been a life-saver. Meditation is very centering and grounding; it’s a place that you can go that is completely and totally your own.  In a world that’s filled with ADD, chaos and distractions, meditating is the one place you can go where you don’t feel any of those things. It’s amazing and I highly recommend it.

tCG: How do you stay organized, are there any key tools or structures you have in place to allow you to balance your dynamic life?

SM: That’s a great question. I’m lucky to be a Capricorn, female, German and English with extremely solid multitasking, detail and organizational skills. Plus I have great hand/eye coordination! Also, my father was a nuclear physicist for NASA, so having those genes certainly helps!

Here are a couple tips for organization.

• Exercise and meditate – key to good health and focus

• Google Calendar – I manage all our business here.  It’s a fantastic tool and sends reminder emails.

• iCal – I use this for personal business and it also sends reminder emails.

• A day minder/notebook – I make crazy ass “to do” lists every day and check them off everyday as I go. Doing this makes me feel like I’m being super-productive and getting things done, something I love to do! I’ve been keeping a daily year  book since I can remember. My whole life is in these books. One day I might take them and write a book about my life and I promise, if that happens it’ll be a good one!

The School of Life

“Friends and family are everything!  They help to ground a person and make one feel secure. I’ve said this before but I am truly lucky in that I have a couple of seriously long relationships in my life.”

tCG: What was it like being a model?   Did you learn useful things, like how to carry yourself, or be in your femininity?

SM: Modeling was like going to the college of life. You’re thrown in to the “fast lane” at a very young age and have no choice but to sink or swim. I choose to swim. You make choices and they can be very hard but you learn as you go and I’m lucky to be a fast learner. I learned many things about how to deal with others in a diplomatic way, how to negotiate and to get along with all kinds of people, all race, ages, cultures, countries etc.

It’s fascinating and extremely exciting but it was also lonely. Traveling and always being on your own is difficult, but it was all worth it and I would not have changed anything.

tCG: It seems that great models, including you, have an Essence of femininity that is indescribable. It is very attractive beyond just the look.  Have you noticed this? What is it? What advice can you give to our readers in achieving this?

SM: Thanks. I don’t really know the answer to this accept that I guess it really comes down to the individual person.

tCG: What is the best advice that you’ve been given or learned via a lesson about:

tCG: Dating?

SM: It takes at least a full year to even get near to knowing a person. So give it time and just have fun with dating, don’t get caught up in it.

tCG: Business?

SM: It’s the team that makes the business so pick the best people you can find. Keep the majority of control and make sure you have everything down in writing and good contracts, records, etc. this means find a good lawyer!  Doing business is like a high stakes poker game that’s located in the middle of a war zone. I suggest reading “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu

tCG: Friendships?

SM: Friends and family are everything!  They help to ground a person and make one feel secure. I’ve said this before but I am truly lucky in that I have a couple of seriously long relationships in my life.

Passion

“You have to be that way and just go for it in that very “naked” kind of way. To be “all in” like the feeling of a U2 concert!”

tCG: What do you absolutely love to do?

SM: I love sinking myself into great projects that I’m passionate about or that I believe in. like Tagasauris.  It’s a fascinating company, so innovative, cutting edge and totally futuristic. I never in a million years would have thought that I’d be at the helm of such an incredible business! And this fuels my passion and energy.  Once I’m into something, that’s it! Ya better watch out as I have a laser focus and ruthless persistence that no one can match.

tCG: I read an interview on you from nyrock.com from ’98. Share with us about going for it, and going full out. You talked about being naked and not worrying about what people are thinking?

SM: Ha! Good research. That was a great article and that’s exactly what I am talking about. When I was rockin’ on stage with my band, Motorbaby it was the same way, full blown ruthless persistence and not giving a damn about what anybody thinks. You have to be that way and just go for it in that very “naked” kind of way. To be “all in” like the feeling of a U2 concert!

tCG: How does one go from modeling, to rock band, to tech start up?!  You also said in that article that you liked to make life hard, is that part of it?    It seems you’ve learned to make it easier by now?

SM: I have never done anything that was easy.  It’s just not in my psyche; I love challenges. For instance, I could have chosen to just be the “singer” in the band, but instead, I choose to learn an instrument, be the lead singer and guitarist, write the songs, produce them and manage the band. I guess you could say that I’m a control freak but I like that word. To me, it means that you know what you want and who you are and have the passion and the guts to go and get it!

As for going from modeling, to rock, to a tech start-up, first, modeling and music are very similar. You are acting, emoting and both are very creative and entrepreneurial. Music is also very technical and mathematical. You’re working with rhythm’s, beats, measures, timing which equals numbers, all very detailed and technical. I built my first website in 1994 for Motorbaby and this site was one of the first “band” sites ever on the web, which makes me some what of digital music pioneer.  I realized then how much I loved technology and I have been working at it ever since. Also, being married to a futuristic, technology genius doesn’t hurt! 

Voice

“Life is a challenge. What else are we here for but to learn, grow, change, build and be the best that we can be!  I guess I’d like to be known for being a great entrepreneur and doing it all! There’s really nothing that you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”

tCG: Sharon you’ve done so much, what do you want to be known for?

SM: Life is a challenge. What else are we here for but to learn, grow, change, build and be the best that we can be!  I guess I’d like to be known for being a great entrepreneur and doing it all! There’s really nothing that you can’t do if you put your mind to it.

tCG: What is your message to women?

SM: Be true to yourself and never stop, never quit, stay focused and pursue your dreams, because you are what you dream.

tCG: What is your favorite platform of expression?  The runway, the stage, the boardroom?  You’ve graced so many.

SM: This is tough one! They are all amazing, entrepreneurial and creative platforms. I could never pick just one. In my youth I modeled and rocked and now that I am an adult the boardroom is the most exciting. By the way, the apprentice is one of my favorite shows and I just finished reading “Think Big and Kick Ass” by The Donald! 

Style

“You can tell when a women walks in the room if she’s confident or self-conscience, just by the way she walks. Walking the runways taught me that.”

tCG: How fun we get to talk style with a model.  If you could describe your style in three words, what would they be?

SM: natural, tough & sexy

tCG: How does the way a woman carries herself reflect her style?

SM: You can tell when a women walks in the room if she’s confident or self-conscience, just by the way she walks. Walking the runways taught me that.

tCG: Who are your favorite designers?

SM: Dude, I love old navy! But seriously, I simply love all the classics, Chanel, Valentino, Versace…  but then I really love my Levi’s, boots and leather jackets the most!

Expressed

“…then there are those days that are simply rocking when you’re going to the United Nations and meeting the Heads of State or performing in a Fashion Show for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and giving your time to preciously more important things than yourself.”

tCG: What is the day in the life like for Sharon Middendorf?

SM: I wake up around 8am, check emails and responses, create my to do lists, and check them off, make calls, go the gym or yoga, handle paperwork, bills, meetings, interviews, travel, deal with my car, dinner, laundry and then go to bed, I need at least 8 hrs. I’m afraid it’s not that glamorous, but then there are those days that are simply rocking when you’re going to the United Nations and meeting the Heads of State or performing in a Fashion Show for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and giving your time to preciously more important things than yourself.

tCG: What’s it like being running the operations of a start-up company in NYC?

SM: The words that come instantly to my mind are scary, amazing, intense, stressful, exciting, hard, challenging. Words can’t describe how exhausting and exhilarating it can be and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  (tCG: This is SO True!)

tCG: How do you balance the other areas of your life dating, friends, staying in shape?

SM: Running a start-up or any company is 150% all consuming and I don’t have a lot of time for other things. But it’s okay because if you want to achieve great things you have to sacrifice a little. I know it will all be worth it.

Fun Questions:

“Meditate and eat blueberry pancakes smothered in butter and organic maple syrup with organic turkey bacon.”

tCG: Fave Restauraunt in NYC, on a Date?  With your girlfriends?

SM: My favorite restaurant is Cafe Mogador on 8th St bet A and 1st Ave. The best Moroccan food in the city!

tCG: Fave get away spot?

SM: I have 2. One is going to Lake Placid, NY to chill out, ski and hang out at my property. The other is going to the island of St. Barths to chill out on the beach and get some sun. Plus it’s a french island with amazing food!

tCG: Fave spa?

SM: The Mirror Lake Inn and Spa in Lake Placid and in NY the Elizabeth Arden Spa NYC.

tCG: Yoga, the Gym or Both? (or Neither)

SM: Gym – crunch, Jivamukti – yoga, and Central Park to run and ride. I’m also an avid cross country skier. This is the best over all exercise I have ever done. It’s a total full body workout and all low impact. Super genius!

tCG: Fave thing to do on a Saturday morning?

SM: Meditate and eat blueberry pancakes smothered in butter and organic maple syrup with organic turkey bacon.