Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Villalvazo.
Tara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
If you asked me ten years ago what I would be doing today, I can assure you that “Cosmetic Tattoo Artist,” would certainly not have been the answer. Just over a decade ago I received my BA in Journalism in Detroit, right before moving to Atlanta to start my career as a sports reporter. I moved to the Atlanta area with my, at the time, new husband to start our lives together. Shortly after moving, I took a position out of my field, as the Operations Manager for Wolfgang Puck at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. This was not where I planned to be, but loved it. A couple of years later I left, and opened Mystic Owl Tattoo in Marietta in 2011, with my world-renowned tattoo artist husband, Vince Villalvazo. When we opened, he was the art, and I was the business side of the operation. Shortly after we opened, I taught myself to pierce and did so for about five years. Once we had our first child, our son, I returned to piercing for a couple of months and left it behind; it was never all that interesting to me. In the meantime, I continued to run and grow our tattoo studio, as well as being an Editor for an international tattoo publication. All the while, I had a growing interest in permanent makeup and longed to offer the services myself. After the birth of my daughter in 2016, I was finally able to do so! I have so much creativity in microblading and pmu; I love it! It is remarkable to see the impact that eyebrows can make on a person. Whether they lost them to chemotherapy, alopecia, or overplucking, the visible difference and confidence boost it gives someone is so very gratifying. I have always wanted to be able to help others, and am grateful for a career that allows me to do so. I am also going to be offering lips and areola reconstruction in addition to the brows and scalp micropigmentation that I currently offer.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, not at all. Owning a business is a huge commitment of my time, my love and my energy. In order to be successful, there must be a lot of sacrifices. It is wonderful being able to provide careers for others in a fun and enjoyable, creative environment; just as enjoyable as it is working with the public and making an impact on how someone perceives themselves. With that, it is a lot of hard work ensuring we are surrounded by like-minded, positive people. As far as permanent makeup goes, there is a lot of training and practice that goes into creating great brows. Tattooing someone’s face is a very serious matter, and I strive to provide the most cutting-edge techniques available and maintain an upscale and clean environment. Owning a business is hard, especially as a woman. People often overlook me, talk down to me and disregard what I have to say and look to my male counterpart. But, I think it is important for women to stand tall (even at 5’2″) and speak their mind, with confidence, and take control of their journey. There are always going to be people that want to derail your plan, whether in business or personal life, but we need to be in charge and educated. If I am knowledgeable and confident in something, I know I will succeed. But, you cannot be confident without first doing the work, that is arrogance. Make a plan and follow it, it is an uphill hike and not a sprint.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Avant Microblading story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a cosmetic tattoo artist and trainer. I provide microblading, powder brows, and scalp micropigmentation. My technique is ultra natural, realistic looking eyebrows. I have over a decade of experience in the tattoo industry, and my background and experience give me the ability to create the most natural looking brows out there; yet in a safe and clean environment. Microblading is a tattoo and should only be done by a licensed professional with an extensive knowledge of cross contamination and universal precautions, which are a huge passion of mine.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
While permanent makeup is female dominated, the larger industry of tattooing is certainly not; and neither is the rest of the world. Over our seven years, we have been in business, I have had many men come in and ask to speak to the “real owner,” have been disregarded by other companies and such. Women in our industry are still majorly viewed as props and not creators. While we cannot always change someone’s perception of your entire gender, you can continue to do what you know and believe in. I think it is important to speak up and stay on your path, those trying to get in your way are usually insecure and will not stay around long anyway. Women can also be a barrier for other women. Instead of competing with one another, we should uplift one another.
Pricing:
- $400 for Microblading
Contact Info:
- Address: 646 Roswell St NE
Marietta, Georgia. 30060 - Website: www.avantmicroblading.com
- Phone: 678-594-0533
- Email: tara@avantmicroblading.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/taravillalvazo
- Facebook: facebook.com/avantmicroblading
- Other: mysticowltattoo.com
Image Credit:
Tara Villalvazo, Vince Villalvazo
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