2004: Branding: Branding is a form of "scarification" in which heat isused to create a scar in a specific and pre-determined design. I learned this practice from Fakir Musafar (A pioneer of modern body piercing and he's from Aberdeen, SD, just down the road! Neat!) I was the only licensed scarification artist in the state. I offered this service from 2004- 2014.
2007-APP: Association of Professional Piercers safepiercing.org In 2007, I became the 1st APP member in North Dakota! Pushing up the bar and going above and beyond the required safety requirements in order to keep my clients safe! I remained an APP member until 2020.
2014 Rough Rider: Fargo was due for a bigger Body Art Convention so I brought up my idea to a pal that puts on local events and the 'Rough Rider Expo' ('Rough Rider Ink & Iron') was born! A meeting of great tattoo artists, piercers, vendors, and entertainers. This event ran from 2014-2024.
Late 2019/Early 2020: I'd been piercing professionally for over two decades at this point. I am not unfamiliar with 'burnout' as I had been through it a few times before. However, in-shop tensions between owners were growing and I was growing tired of managing people. I also felt that my piercing practices had become stalled. I was done. I decided it was time to leave the body art industry and find something new. I kept on piercing while figuring out my next move.
COVID: Covid hit and we closed the shop for a few about a month. During that time, I gave a lot of thought to what I wanted to do and what I needed to change in order to keep doing it. I decided I need to keep piercing but it was time for something different.
November 2020: The day before Thanksgiving was my last day at Dead RockStar.
CBA! December 4th, 2020: With my loan approved, a truck full of tools, and shop keys in hand, the building was mine! I went straight to work on demo and clean-up. Then, some new walls went up, additional plumbing was put in, upgraded electrical & slapped on a few coats of paint. Finally, the sign went up and a badass floor was put down!
February 12th, 2021: CBA opens to the public!
April 2025: Joined the Association of Professional Piercers again! This time, as a Minnesota member.