We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marisa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marisa, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I am hoping to build a legacy based on love. That every client who walked through our door felt welcome, included, important, and valued. I hope my clients feel the gratitude that we try to always reflect for having chosen us for art they will wear forever. I hope people feel how much we truly love our jobs, and how honored we are everyday to be able to make so many people feel more comfortable in their skin through the artwork they trust us with. I hope to be remembered for the art, the experience, the atmosphere, and how much of our hearts we put into what we do.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I met my husband Israel in high school when I was just 15 years old. We were friends for a few years and then we started dating when I was 18. We would spend hours talking about our dreams, laughing together, and drawing. I remember we were broke teenagers who used some of our last cash at the time to go buy drawing materials. We shared this sketchbook that we would always draw in and we would always bounce ideas back and forth to each other. I eventually went on to express my art in other ways by painting, taking art classes in college and learning interior and industrial design. Israel dove right into the tattoo industry. He has been tattooing for about twenty years now and I got into the industry about five years ago. We were blessed enough to have the resources to open our own studio about a year and a half ago. It has quite literally taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but we’ve turned it into a space that we absolutely adore and that our clients love as well. We pride ourselves on offering high quality, award-winning artwork at affordable prices. Tattoos are technically considered a “luxury”, but for many people it is a form of therapy. It’s how many of us honor monumental things in our lives. It’s how many of us cope when we’ve lost a loved one. We’ve tattooed people of all walks of life. We’ve laughed alongside many of our clients who have become like family and we’ve cried alongside many of our clients whose stories we will never forget. We strive to make every person who comes into our studio know that they aren’t just a number to us- they’re valued and we are honored that they’ve chosen us. Their experience is important to us and we do everything in our power to make sure they leave with art that they will admire and love forever. We pride ourselves on the atmosphere, cleanliness, and how much heart we put into what we do. I think what sets us apart is how much we genuinely care about our clients’ experiences from start to finish. We offer complimentary consultations, we try to involve our clients in the design process as much as possible, and we happily make any requested changes so that the tattoo is exactly what they envision. We want to make sure the client is comfortable through the entire tattoo process and offer complimentary drinks, snacks, and we even order food on the house quite often for those who have longer sessions to sit through. Our aftercare process is always very clear, and we make sure to stay accessible 24/7 for any questions. We are so proud of how far we have come in this dream we’ve shared together but more than anything we just feel extremely blessed and honored for the countless people who carry our artwork with them through life.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for us has been word of mouth. We are beyond thankful for every person who has referred us to their friends and family. It is truly the highest compliment one can pay. Word of mouth has definitely helped us get established in our community during this first couple of years that we’ve been open.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
The best advice I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to show my team that I respect them and value what they bring to our business. Each of us are our own unique individuals and we all bring something different to the table. By showing my team that I appreciate what they each do, it fosters a relationship where they respect my role in managing the business as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sageandserpenttattoo.com
- Instagram: Sageandserpenttattoo
- Facebook: Sage and Serpent Tattoo Collective
- Yelp: Sage and Serpent Tattoo Collective
