We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carissa Martini. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carissa below.

Carissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I’ve found that being successful roots from believing in yourself and pushing yourself a step further every day. Manifest and believe that the things you aspire to be and do in life will become reality, and with dedication it will. Failure is bound to happen. It is not about how many times you go down, it’s about how many times you get back up. At the end of the day, you need to be your own hype-man. It’s you that is responsible for your growth, and therefor your overall success. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, growth is often uncomfortable but you’ll never know what you can accomplish if you never try.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Carissa Martini. I am a Tattoo artist based out of Chardon, Ohio.
It is bizarre to reflect on how I got here in such a short period of time. My entire life I’ve wanted to get into tattooing. There was always this taboo against it growing up, and it was still looked upon negativity in terms of profession. I kept it in the back of my mind but didn’t really start getting into drawing again until about 2 years ago.
While it’s something that has always been an escape for me, I lost a lot of myself over the years and therefor lost touch with the things I truly enjoyed. I feel so fortunate to have such amazing family and friends that surround me. They have been incredibly supportive on this journey I’m on, and I thank them for being there to encourage me to go after what my heart longed for.
I bounced around so many retail jobs trying to find my place and no matter what I did, I struggled to apply myself or feel like I had purpose. I knew there was something more that I was meant to do.
It definitely took a lot of discipline. It started with me taking the leap to quit my retail job and stay home to practice the first step into tattooing- powder brows. I will always have a great love for powder brows because it introduced me to the hands on feel of tattooing and working with people on my own- one on one. I cannot express how exhausting it was in the beginning. I practiced for 5+ hours almost every day. You have to have that kind of dedication. I was so determined to make a difference, I wasn’t going to stop for anything.
I’ve been helping my clients gain the confidence they deserve with powder brows for a year now. Helping people and seeing peoples’ faces light up when my services are done is why I started working in this industry. I need my clients as much as they need me. I appreciate them for always being understanding and for trusting me. The connections I’ve made are unforgettable. This has been something so new to me and they are just so awesome, I am so grateful for my clients. Actually, my clients are part of what pushed me to go for tattooing. They believed in me when I found it hard to believe in myself. They’ve been here on this journey with me and it’s just incredible.

Starting tattooing as an apprentice was extremely taxing. It takes 100% of your energy and as a full time service worker and mother. I didn’t know if I had it in me, mentally or physically. However, I knew how bad I wanted it and so I went for it. The joy I’ve felt inside since pushing myself to do what I’ve wanted since I was a child is just indescribable. Every day is a challenge. You make mistakes, you learn from them. You have to be humble and willing to accept that you will mess up. You will grow, and blossom and doubt yourself but every little thing is a part of the journey of it.
I’ve learned an incredible amount from my mentors and the amazing artists in the community willing to lift me up. It’s really amazing. I’m surrounded by such talented and respectable artists and if it weren’t for them I’m convinced I wouldn’t be where I’m at. My uncle, Mike, for example. He is a phenomenal tattoo artist whom I’ve looked up to since I was a little girl. He took me in and has taught me so much.

I believe what sets me apart is that I genuinely care. This industry means so much to me, and I can’t imagine I’m meant for much else in this world. I put everything I have into what I love. I respect and care for my clients, I try to always have the upmost patience and understanding. My goal is always for my clients to leave 100% satisfied. A piece of me goes home with every person I work with. I take pride in that, and the people who come to me will always be my number one priority.
I’m the most proud of the fact that I am an upcoming woman artist in the industry. It is my duty to make the people who believed in me proud, and I want to be remembered as someone who did not give up and would stop at nothing to chase their dreams, despite what anyone else had to say.
My goal is to specialize in black and grey realism/ Neo traditional with a darker and gothic twist. My art is a reflection of myself and it means so much to me to see that people love my style. I will continue to provide powder ombré tattooed brows as this service is something that will always be close to my heart and something I am passionate about.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Keep posting. Even if you don’t think you’re getting a lot of engagement, don’t give up. The most important thing to do for promoting your business is to post about it. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. Have confidence, if you don’t it’ll reflect. Don’t be afraid to tag relevant businesses or use hashtags. Get yourself out there, share your business on social media groups and everywhere you can! The more, the better. From there, just trust the process. The right clientele will come!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

For sure reviews. Reviews and word of mouth recommendations are huge! Majority of my clients are friends or friend-of-friends to previous clients. People want personal experiences.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @faceartby_cb
• Facebook: Face art by Carissa

Image Credits
Domenic Soreo