Today we’d like to introduce you to Karissa Gutierrez.
Karissa, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a young girl, I had always enjoyed fixing hair and doing makeup for others but never made that a career focus. Moving forward, I went through college and graduated with a bachelor’s in Bilingual education to teach early childhood-4th Grade. Later in my career and as many teachers do, I started working on the side. I followed my other passion, got a kit together and begin doing makeup for special occasions. I dove into the industry even further and got a job working for Clinique. Here, I was able to learn the more hygienic side of makeup along with skin theory. Although this was a good fit, it was short lived because it began to take a toll on my other responsibilities. After my third child, I was burnt out of trying to keep it all together. I also wanted to have more flexibility as a mom. I had family in the spa industry, which was my ticket out. I began studying microblading, then took a course and had a while to practice. I retired from teaching and was on my own. Now, I am blessed to say that I have a great client base and continue to get referrals, which is the best compliment I can receive.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
With any life altering change, challenges are to be expected. One of the challenges I faced was not having a business background and thinking could solely focus on creating great brows. However, when you take that leap and throw yourself into something new, you learn, you grow and deal with problems as they arise. Another area that I wasn’t as prepared for was the fast moving world of social media. Things are constantly changing and there is always new development in technology, it’s almost impossible to keep up. Now, two years into my business venture, I’ve come to realize how important it is to really get out there and network to build meaningful relationships. I’ve learned to seek and be mindful of opportunities to expand in social media marketing.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I specialize in microblading and microshading, which is semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing of the eyebrows. I offer custom brows to complement the client’s age, face frame, skin and hair color. With all my 12 years of teaching, I gained a great deal of patience. I take ample time with each client and I’m very detailed. Naturally, many come into the experience feeling nervous, but I do a great job at putting them at ease. Clients have a mirror in hand the entire time, so they are comfortable with the process and the amazing results of effortless, lasting eyebrows.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was very observant and rather shy but broke out of my shell once comfortable. Growing up, I loved spending time with cousins at family functions here in Houston. These were the best of times. Till this day they are my biggest supporters.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2136 Yale St. Suite D
Houston, TX 77008 - Website: www.vanityinkhouston.com
- Phone: 832.455.9899
- Email: vanityinkhouston@gmail.com
- Instagram: @vanityinkhouston
- Facebook: Vanity Ink Houston-PMU by Karissa
- Yelp: Vanity Ink Houston
Image Credit:
Rudy Flores Jr
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