Painting Her Own Path: Meet Tabatha Carter

Meet Tabatha Carter, Owner and Creative Director, behind Cheeky Fun Joplin.

If you've ever been to a community festival, school event, birthday party, or celebration in our community, there's a good chance you've seen the work of Tabatha Carter, Owner and Creative Director, Cheeky Fun Joplin. Maybe it was someone with a glittering rainbow painted across their cheek. Maybe it was a line of excited children (or adults!) waiting for their turn to become superheroes, animals, or their favorite characters. Or maybe you heard the laughter from all the fun being had by everyone. That's the magic of Cheeky Fun Joplin!

But behind all the color, creativity, and fun is something equally impressive: a thoughtfully built venture and an entrepreneur who has spent nearly a decade figuring out how to turn a passion into a sustainable business. This September, the Missouri Small Business Development Center at MSSU is excited to welcome Tabatha Carter, Owner and Creative Director of Cheeky Fun Joplin, as part of our Entrepreneur Speaker Series: Unveiling the Entrepreneurial Journey. 

Nine years ago, Tabatha was a single parent looking for something she could do that would allow her to bring her child along to events. She started a business. That's it; no elaborate origin story. No guarantee that it will become a full-time venture. Just a parent seeing an opportunity and being willing to give it a shot. And then something happened. It grew. What began as a small business has evolved into an entertainment business serving clients across the area. Cheeky Fun Joplin has become a two-time, Best of the Four States winner, and Tabatha has built a business that combines creativity, entertainment, leadership, and some very real business savvy. Her story is a great reminder that entrepreneurship doesn't always begin with a five-year plan. Sometimes, it begins with solving a problem in your own life. And sometimes, it grows into something much bigger than you imagined.

It's easy to look at a face-painting business and see the fun. And there is plenty of it. In a recent appearance on Good Morning Four States, Tabatha brought along Amelie as her model and demonstrated just how quickly her team can transform a face with a little paint and sparkle. There was laughter, playful banter, and even a spontaneous reminder that, in Tabatha's world, "Today's not done until you've had some cheeky fun." When asked about the importance of hiring a professional face painter, Tabatha didn't just talk about artistic talent. She talked about FDA-compliant paints and glitter, sanitation practices, products designed with sensory needs in mind, and the importance of using products that are safe for people's skin. She discussed efficiency, as well. For large events, her team needs to move people through the line quickly. Tabatha explained that they can complete a face in just a few minutes, allowing them to serve large crowds while still providing a quality experience. That's the business behind the fun. It's understanding your customers, knowing your products, creating systems, thinking about safety, and managing capacity. It's understanding what it takes to deliver a consistent experience when people are waiting in line. The paint and glitter may be fun, but behind it all is some serious business savvy.

Tabatha's entrepreneurial perspective extends beyond face painting and entertainment. As a neurodivergent business owner, she has developed unconventional operational systems that work for her and the creative professionals she leads. That's an important part of her story because entrepreneurship isn't supposed to be a one-size-fits-all experience. There is a lot of advice out there about the "right" way to run a business. But successful entrepreneurs often discover that the best systems are the ones that actually work for their business, their customers, and their lives. Tabatha has embraced that idea. She also understands what many creative entrepreneurs struggle with: pricing, operations, leadership, boundaries, systems, and knowing your value. Those things matter just as much as the creative work.

Perhaps that's what makes Tabatha's story so relatable. Her business grew as a result of real-life experience. It grew because she kept showing up, learning, adapting, and finding better ways to make the business work. And along the way, she didn't lose the thing that made it special in the first place. The fun! That may be one of the best entrepreneurial lessons of all. Building a business is hard work. There are spreadsheets, decisions, challenges, and plenty of moments that have nothing to do with the reason you started in the first place. The goal is to become more intentional, so you can build something that allows you to keep doing what you love.

That's exactly why we're excited to have Tabatha join us for the Entrepreneur Speaker Series: Unveiling the Entrepreneurial Journey. This isn't simply a conversation about face painting; it's a conversation about taking an idea and turning it into a business. It's about starting with what you have, learning along the way, creating systems that work for you, knowing your value, and being willing to build your own version of entrepreneurship.

Whether you're an established business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, a creative professional, a student with a business idea, or simply someone who enjoys hearing the stories behind local businesses, Tabatha's journey has something to offer everyone. Come hear the story behind Cheeky Fun Joplin, learn from Tabatha's entrepreneurial journey, and discover what her experience might inspire you to do with your own big idea. Not every entrepreneurial journey begins with a clear plan. Sometimes, you start with an idea, take the leap, and figure out the rest along the way.

Entrepreneur Speaker Series: Unveiling the Entrepreneurial Journey

Featured Entrepreneur: Tabatha Carter, Owner & Creative Director, Cheeky Fun Joplin

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026

Time: 9:30–10:30 a.m.

Location: Cornell Auditorium, Plaster School of Business, Missouri Southern State University, 3950 Newman Rd., Joplin, MO 64801

Cost: No charge

The event is open to the public, with both in-person and online participation available. A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants by email prior to the event.