Q: What got you interested in this industry?
Weirdly enough, it was Adorn. When I first came to the studio, I met Brit and Alex (my mentor) and they downsized my high nostrils for me. The two of them and the studio itself made me feel so safe and comfortable. After that, I knew that when I was looking for a job again, I would be looking into piercing.
Q: When did you start getting pierced? What was your first piercing?
My first piercing was at Claire’s when I was 8 years old. Neither I nor my parents knew any better and it was the most convenient, so we pierced my lobes. After that, it was my septum when I was 15!
Q: Do you wear vigs? Have you vorn vigs?
Q: Has working in the body art industry been a goal your whole life? How did you land on working in the piercing industry?
Like a few of the other staff members, I actually thought I was going to be a cosmetologist. I went to beauty school in California and thought I was going to be working in salons as a colorist. Lo and behold, after working a few salon jobs after COVID, I started looking into a new path because I didn’t feel fulfilled. My first thought when I started looking was Adorn. I left a voicemail, dropped off a resume, and then emailed in to apply. Almost five years later, I couldn’t imagine myself in any other industry.
Q: Do you have a favorite type of curation/piercing to work on?
I love, love, love working on a philtrum!
Q: Who’s your favorite piercer and why is it Casey?
Casey is my favorite piercer because of Beppy (her cat).
Q: What is your favorite thing about working as a member of the front of house team?
Q: Being a Front of House (FoH) person is so fun. When I get in a good flow with my piercers and clients, we all have the best time.
Q: What do you wish the general public knew about the people working behind the counter?
Working FoH can be intense and demanding. We don’t get breaks very often so sometimes if we’re short or moving quickly, it’s because we haven’t stopped in hours. Just know we’re always trying our best to accommodate anyone and everyone!
Q: Did you want to work as a piercer when you first started as a member of the front of house team, or is that something that developed over time?
I did have aspirations to become a piercer, but I also didn’t know that Front of House could be a career. When I first applied, I was just happy to be considered. After working my first few shifts, I just knew that the piercing industry is where I should be. I love working Front of House but I’m very excited to continue learning and growing in a different direction with becoming a piercer.
Q: What do you think makes a good apprentice? Do you have any advice for folks hoping to become apprentices in the future?
As an apprentice, something I tell myself, and would like to see more of, is people humbling themselves. You don’t know anything until you actually practice it. Be as open as you can to being bad at something. This is a craft that people have been practicing and learning from for hundreds if not thousands of years. You’re not going to be perfect and you should always keep learning and growing.
Q: What are your thoughts on how apprenticeships are run in the industry in general?
Bold of you to assume I have thoughts.
Q: How did you end up with Alex as your mentor?
After officially starting at Adorn, pretty much everything I learned was from Alex. Their approach to teaching works really well for me. Alex also started as a member of our FoH team and when he started piercing, it felt like we got to learn and grow together in the studio. It was decided pretty early on that when he was ready to have an apprentice, it would be me. There just isn’t anyone else I would rather have teach me and continue to guide me through this industry.
Q: What are you most excited about during your apprenticeship? Is there anything that you’re nervous about?
I’m honestly just happy to be learning something new and to build trust with clients. I am nervous about all of it, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.
Q: Tell us more about tooth gems! What are they and how can someone get one?
Tooth gems are so fun! I wish I had more time to offer them because they’re such a cool, low impact way of adding more flair into your style. I’ve had tooth gems for the past 6 years and I’m so grateful to everyone who puts their trust in me to help brighten their smile.
Q: You’re such a powerhouse inside the studio, can you tell us about who you are outside of the studio?
Most of my life revolves around the studio right now, so in my free time, I’m typically with my friends or trying to carve out time to be alone. I love to travel and have been trying to go to as many new places as possible in the limited off time I have.
Q: What brought you to Portland?
I took a trip up to Portland right after high school and really liked the area, but my best friend moved here in 2018 and I missed being close to him. After living in LA for two years, then Seattle for one, we settled here in 2019.
Q: You recently adopted a new member of your family, care to tell us more about him?
Oh you mean my perfect baby boy? I adopted my cat, Monty, in January and it was such a spur of the moment decision with a wonderful pay off. I love this dude so much. Even though he’s kind of an asshole.
