Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caroline Evans. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?
This is currently an ongoing issue. The unexpected problem I am currently facing is the the updating of the body art code in NJ and at the same time the updating of the Cosmetic code on a federal level. I am the board secretary for the Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT) which led me to be involved in both the state and federal issues. I feel overwhelmed but am surrounded by a knowledgeable team who I can lean on if I myself do not have answers. Even if they do not have the answers they can point me in the right direction. Legislation and law implementation take a long time so this will be on my plate for several years.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was an undeclared Rutgers Freshman trying to figure out what I was going to do with my four years to lay the foundation for my future. I went from department to department talking with deans until I saw a tattoo convention advertised on campus. Since my ex and my sister wanted to get tattooed, I told them about the event and there fell in love with the community of invested individuals. I found an apprenticeship with Steve Ferguson where we had to learn how to tattoo baby mamma names all the way up to portraits and everything in between. Cover-ups is another strong point. Education is a big thing for me. I always want to know what’s happening and I’m always wanting to know more.
I also feel it important to stay current with what’s happening in my trade by being active on the convention network and within our trade organization; Alliance of Professional Tattooists.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
If showing up at work when you can’t hold up the right side of your body or with your kneecap on the side of your leg doesn’t scream resilience, I don’t know what does. I am on the hypermoblitity spectrum of disorders and didn’t know a thing like that existed. I have since been deep diving on the internet and attending support groups to continue educating myself on Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Marfan Syndrome. I take what I learn and implement it into my daily life so I can continue tattooing and owning my business.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I had to pivot in my career when I was audited by the IRS. I basically had to stall my career to fight them. I fought them for 3.5 years until I got the audits closed in my favor. I then put together a seminar on how to do handwritten tax records after my CPA informed me I was the only client that was doing my recording correctly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TattoosByCaroline.com
- Instagram: @carolineannevans
- Facebook: Tattoos By Caroline
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tattoosbycaroline
- Twitter: tatugirl