As part of this monthโs women in business series, Verve talks to cosmetic tattoo specialist Melissa Carr.
As a child it was apparent that Melissa was destined for a career that involved nurturing others as she spent her days โpampering my mum and my sister in the lounge roomโ. Though, she jokes, now the mother of three sons aged 7 to 15, that pampering sure isnโt getting repaid
โI was raised by a solo mum in Otara,โ says Melissa. โWe didnโt even have a car. I think that shaped me into being an entrepreneur. I had to figure out from an early age how to make get things done and create. I learned that if you want something then you have to figure out how to make it happen.โ
Such is Melissaโs โstrong mindsetโ that she reveals that thereโs nothing she now wishes she knew when she first started out in the beauty industry. โIโm actually quite happy with the way Iโve done things,โ says the businesswoman. โI set out with certain goals and slowly but surely Iโve achieved them all. Perhaps there were times I could have believed in myself more, but Iโm methodical, and always researched fully before Iโve undertaken anything.โ
Research, she believes is the ultimate key to success, and is the first piece of advice that she gives to anyone starting out in business. โIn todayโs world, everyone wants a quick fix,โ laments Melissa. โBut it just doesnโt work like that. It takes practice, training and passion. You must have
integrity, too.โ
And the best advice you were given?
โThe best advice given to me was, โInstead worrying about what could go wrong, imagine it could all go right.โ I love this. It puts things into perspective for me. Worrying about the worst case scenario will only ever hold you back. Dreaming my dream outcome has worked perfectly. It certainly hasnโt come without the hard yards, but itโs been advice I live by.โ
Melissa has been in the beauty industry for 24 years, but six years ago made the move to cosmetic tattooing. โItโs so very rewarding, I love doing the medical work,โ beams Melissa, whose days involves not just inking eyebrows, eyeliner and lips, butย medical tattooingย that simulates areola after
women have had breast reconstruction following breast cancer. โI also doย scalp micropigmentationย which is for hair loss โ both male and female.โ
Melissa adds that while many associate brow work with vanity, her clients often require it due to alopecia, cancer treatment or thyroid issues. I ask what inspired her to make the move from beauty therapy to cosmetic tattooing.
โI just wanted to be able to offer more than I could as a beauty therapist,โ she says. โThe brows are the pillars of the face, they frame the face. While a bad brow can age someone, beautiful brows that suit the shape of a face will soften it and take years off.โ
Melissa tells me that clients will often cry, both tears of joy and relief: โWhat I do changes peopleโs lives in such a positive way. People can feel an immediate change when they finally have the eyebrows, breastwork or scalp that they want. It makes them feel so much better, and I feel lucky doing what I do, having that effect on peopleโs lives.โ
Throughout her career, Melissa admits that the biggest challenge has been balancing her work and family life. โAs a mum, I want to be the best mum I can to our kids โ and a great wife too,โ she says. โBut I also have an incredible drive as a business person, that canโt be denied.โ Melissa says that while there is no โexact methodโ to achieving that balance, key is letting go of โunnecessary perfectionism
and believing in myselfโ: โThere needs to be a good mix, whether it be a stay at home mum, or dad, or both parents working, children will learn valuable lessons and ethics. There is no โright or wrongโ.โ
Do you believe women bring something different to business?
โI think a lot of it comes down to personality types. Iโm very organised, but I certainly wouldnโt say that about my husband! But women are also natural givers and networkers. We seek to give to others as wells as our communities which builds strong lasting relationships. We bring qualities like empathy, intuition and optimism, all of these qualities are necessary to create harmony and trust. We thrive at creating, sustaining and growing. Women are excellent at seeing the whole picture, planning it and seeing things through to completion. Weโre master facilitators.โ
โI am the creator of my own destinyโ is the philosophy that Melissa lives by, and itโs certainly stood her in good stead. โIt makes me fully responsible for myself and I like that,โ she continues. โIt gives me the power I need to achieve in life. Lifeโs not just going to jump out at me and be excellent just
because I wish it to be. I have to make it excellent.โ
