Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jamie Ammons Bri Regis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jamie Ammons, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

We based the name Gemini Tooth Gemz off of our zodiac signs. We are both Gemini’s, May 25th and May 30th, a year and 5 days apart. Its really fun to connect with clients based off zodiac signs. It makes for really fun conversations, especially when we come across fellow Gemini’s.

Jamie Ammons, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Jamie- I worked in the Social Work field through my early 20s and the burnout was real. I went into the service industry but it wasn’t stimulating enough for me. I needed a creative outlet. That’s when I decided to go to Dental Lab Technology School. A lot of people have no idea what Dental Lab Techs are. We are behind the scenes of the dental world. Basically any appliance, implant, denture, crown, or bridge is made by a dental lab technician. It’s a super interesting field. The typical route of a dental lab tech is to work for a dentist. My wife, Bri, was in the same program, just a year before me. I watched her graduate and work for dentists, it didn’t seem like the right choice for me or for her. An instructor once told us “find your niche”, and we absolutely took that and ran with it with tooth gems and custom fangs. I’ve always loved tooth gems ever since I saw a German exchange student wearing one in my high school. We also had a good friend back in Florida that did them and had a lot of success, so we decided to give it a shot. It helps that it’s now trending. It’s so fun because you can use so many types of stones, gold, and crystals. The sky is the limit. We also live in pretty much the vampire capitol of the world, New Orleans, so custom fangs comes with the territory. I’m proud of the fact that we have pushed ourselves to this point of having our own space in which we can offer our services to people who want to express themselves through their smiles. The teeth are the perfect way to accessorize.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

It’s all about the energy you give. If you are warm and welcoming, you are going to get repeat customers. You’ll get people that tell their friends about you. Our main goal is to have our space feel like home when you walk in. I guess my Southern hospitality really works well in this market. Being a part of the community helps a lot too. We make sure to give our time and services to organizations through raffles and community markets. Bri was a burlesque performer for a long time here in New Orleans, so the connections she made during her performing years have carried through and helped us get our name out there as well.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Bri and I moved here 7 years ago with our cats and an air mattress. We had no house or no job here. We were just ready to start over after a year of trying out and failing at our time in North Carolina. (We are both Florida Panhandle natives) Within the week we secured housing. We took various terrible jobs over the years to pay the bills. It took a few years of being extremely poor but we slowly but surely built ourselves up. I decided to start a cleaning business to pay bills while I took some classes at the community college that I needed for DLT school. That business venture ended up taking off so I was able to pay for living expenses through the entirety of my schooling. I still have this as a job, as well as helping a food centered nonprofit with their food pantries and social media. Bri worked at a cafe that she is now part owner of. Two years ago is when we started Gemini Tooth Gemz, and it has flourished as much as our other ventures. It all seemed to fall into place with the work and determined we have put into making a life for ourselves. When I moved here I had no idea what was going to happen, but now there’s no looking back.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.geminitoothgemz.com
• Instagram: @Geminitoothgemz
• Facebook: Gemini Tooth Gemz
• Other: Tiktok @geminitoothgemz

Image Credits
Shelby Ursu & Aries Photography