Tara Markus 'The Original UBU Girl

Tell us a little bit about your life/career/ workpath?

Born in Montreal , April 1963, the youngest and only girl of four children, I grew up in a family that was very aware of the world around them.  In Montreal the stage was always set for expressing yourself in style – the streets were alive with creativity, music and a sassy sex appeal which attracted people the world over. It was an exciting and colourful time.

It is my experience of growing up in Montreal, my amazing travel escapades from a young age – Barbados, the Caribbean, Central America, Paris, Monte Carlo , Thailand and South East Asia , coupled with many challenges, loss and  unbelievable life events that  make me think  life is a storybook.  We all have sensational stories to share.   Imagine if we , together, created a Global Sensation by using fashion and philanthropy to express our inner and outer beauty.  Imagine if “Gifting for Life” and Wear the fashion – feel the Sensations was a way of bringing people together to celebrate  Life !

My father was a cosmotologist /hair stylist.  Born in Montreal, one of nine children, he was of Danish background.   He was hardworking, outgoing, engaging and always ready to embrace new experiences. From a very young age he spread his wings and made a life for himself.  In his early twenties he worked on cruise ships as a Fashion Director and Hair Stylist. Glamour and tease was hot and so was his desire to see the world.  He met my mother while docked in Barbados. Their love affair landed them back Montreal where they married – mid November – blizzard conditions.

My mother was born and grew up in Barbados.  She experienced a very British upbringing and was extremely fortunate to have enjoyed a rather lavish childhood.  Ballroom dancing, yacht club socials, and high fashion extravaganza’s were but a few of the highlights.  Her life, growing up, truly read like an enchanting romantic novel – each chapter was more alluring than the next. Every page of my mothers life seemed filled with mystery, romance, adventure, tales of incredible friendships and fascinating relationships.  My mother adored the fashion world – she loved playing dress up and make believe.  She was well educated, she encouraged learning and she most certainly had a quiet determination. Defeat was not in her vocabulary and her soft spoken manner was not to be mistaken for weakness. She had a strong spirit and will of iron.  She believed that one’s character, one’s integrity, was paramount to all else. She would often say ‘A measure of truth was worth it’s weight in gold”.  She would time and time again, remind her children that a person’s true wealth could never be found in a bank account.  The real wealth of a person, she would say, is their goodness – their spirit …qualities only found in a treasure chest beside one’s heart and soul.    After twenty-seven years, my mothers marriage to my father ended.  Not once did I hear my mother complain or talk about her losses.  She simply, with great pride re-invented herself and re-built her life.  New beginnings, new chapters were then scribed and inserted into my mothers already very intriquing and eventful life story.

From young I traveled to Barbados and the Caribbean, California and Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and then Paris and Monte Carlo.  It did not take long for me to quickly develop an insatiable appetite for globe-trotting, experiencing and appreciating different cultures so when the opportunity to work for Air Canada presented itself, I pounced on it.  24 years in the travel industry has afforded me some unbelievable memories and the life skills I learned along the way are priceless.

I am the owner of UBU Gift Sensations (pronounced You be YOU).  UBU was born in memory of my mother. 

In October of 2005 just before she succumbed to terminal illness and let go of my hand – I asked my mother…How will I move forward? Where will I find the strength? What should I do?  Calm and steady my mother looked up (looked through me, like only a mother can do) and with great confidence said …YOU be YOU! Go out into the world, share your gift – feel the sensations.  Live Life. Embrace the world.  YOU be YOU – make a memorable difference!

In 2006 UBU Gift Sensations was born.  In 2007 UBU Gift Sensations  married fashion and philanthropy – “Giving fashionably to a variety of charities and supporting palliative Care to help people, children, families living with terminal illness.  “Gifting for Life” became UBU’s motto.  It is a motto we can all share and value.

Today  “UBU  Wear the fashion – FEEL the Sensations “ is all about expressing yourself in style with unique, fabulous jewelry that speaks volumes about your personality and talk of the town accessories that are sure to surprise and impress and accent who YOU are or want to become.

The beauty about fashion and accessories is that there are no geographic boundries.  It is for this reason that I love fashion the most.  It allows us all to express our worldly views and feelings.  Fashion is a form of communication, much like music, it has the unique ability to encourage people to feel good about themselves. Both Fashion and music, have in the past, changed the tempo of our society and today more than ever we have the means to create a Global  - “Wear the fashion – Feel the Sensations” movement that an and will make a memorable difference. 

UBU has an Online Boutique designed for individuals to make purchases and for groups and charities to do online fundraisers.  Glam-ettes (UBU Sales Reps) also play a huge role in connecting with other women and having show & Tell and Dress Up Parties.  The UBU “Hot flashes & Highlights Blog has been an amazing meet & Greet place where women from all over the world come together to connect.   This is where UBU communicates to the audience, inspires women the world over to embrace their inner and outer beauty.

What is your passion in life?

My passion in life is fashion, travel and people!  The fascinating idea of mixing flavour, colour, texture , complimenting it with personality and culture , in my mind, makes for a delicious recipe that is tantalizingly irresistible and fantastically rewarding. 

What do you like to do to relax?

Barbados is where I find soul.  When I truly need to relax and find answers – I venture off to Barbados. Being with people I love and care deeply about, going for a dip in the salt water, feeling the heat in my bones, hearing the sounds and rythms of the music, just  laughing, doing silly ole things and experiencing the simple truth and feeling the  passion  of the people – this is what makes me feel whole.  It is in Barbados that I feel true peace and a sense of who I am – and the path I should follow.  

What is your favourite story of rebellion?

Hmm – story of rebellion?  24 years ago I applied to Air Canada,   Customer Sales & Service and got the job!  In 1987, a girlfriend and I sat in a pub one night and over chicken wings and a few pints we hatched the plan to travel across the globe.  We mapped out the route by throwing darts at the map.  Within a few months we had logged both enough work hours to grant us a couple of months off and put a few hundred dollars in our pocket. We convinced people to chip in and buy us each a backpack from Mountain Co-op which we quickly filled with shorts, t-shirts, make-up, pen, paper and a camera. Faced with much opposition from our families, little to no money and left with many questioning our sanity, we forged ahead and embarked on a journey of a lifetime!  Destination - London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Thailand (north and south) and Indonesia.  It was a life changing experience.  All our hopes and dreams were realized.  We met amazing people, worldly travelers and saw awesome sights. We had mind blowing experiences.  We learned to handle the unexpected, deal with the unfamiliar and celebrate day to day.  We found appreciation for friendship and the highs and lows of being away from home. We lived every day and love it!

Against all odds – I met and fell in love with someone from Ottawa, who, at the time was also backpacking and experiencing world travel.  We were cruising on motorcycles in Phuket Thailand when we met.  Three years later – we were married, in St. Mathias church, in Barbados. We rented beach houses, jeeps and invited our friends for a week of play.  We enjoyed island treasure hunts, family parties, and a whole lot of splish splash.  We returned to South East Asia for our honeymoon – three months of adventure, romance, elephant riding, jungle trekking, beach lazing and country hopping – all great chapters to add to our storybook of life.  This June we celebrated 19 wonderful years of marriage.

Tell us about a relationship that means a lot to you

All relationships mean a lot to me.  I am extremely fortunate to have enjoyed some absolutely amazing relationships with people who have contributed so very much in so many ways. All have had a huge impact on my life and all have brought me to where I am today.  

My relationship with my mother was beyond words.  She continues, (even after death) to be a guiding light. . She taught us my son, my husband and I) to seek truth and to be true.  She showed us how to believe against all odds, to let go of negativity, celebrate the joy of living and loving.  She encouraged us to believe in the human spirit and gave us the strength to move forward and find balance in life.  My mother gave of herself and that truly was a treasure.

My husband, David is without a doubt my soul mate.  Together we have trekked up tall mountains, navigated our way around road blocks, dabbled in adventure, played on tropical beaches, survived emotional avalanches, laughed at our mistakes, cried about our losses. Today we celebrate our love, our candid relationship, our personal growth  our desire to seek one of a kind experiences, and to believe in one another  for that is the true magic  and glue of our relationship – our loyalty and in-depth sheer belief that together, not one without the other we can find and experience true love and happiness.  We live to fill our treasure chest with memories of us “living and enjoying”  those are the gems we seek.

What do you do to release your pent up stress?

I connect with people.  I am a people person.  There is nothing I find more rewarding than engaging in great conversations, sharing hopes and dreams and enjoying the company of a dear friend or large group of individuals. 

I am also blessed to have an incredible son who is almost 16 years old.  As a family, we enjoy a fabulous and dynamic relationship and I find somehow someway his relentless determination to see the world without boundries and without prejudice just puts everything in perspective for me.  He reminds me that “positive thinking promotes positive results”.  When I spend time with my son, I am reminded of how absolutely blessed I am  and so I de-stress, almost immediately.

What helps you feel more energetic?

I love playing dress-up, traveling, theme parties and being on the go!  No matter how low my bio-rythms  - I know a sure way to elevate my energy and fire up my engines is to dress Ooh La La, mingle and giggle with  awesome people , experience someplace new and enjoy the sensation!