We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hayden Tedder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hayden below.

Hayden, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Especially while I was pregnant, I thought about how nice it would be to be able to take a paid maternity leave. I had to set a lot of money aside and then I didn’t get to take off as much time as I’d have liked to be with my baby. But every situation has its pros and cons. My schedule is extremely flexible, so I’m able to put my baby first when needed. It can seem to be an inconvenience at times, but I really try to remember it’s so important to make time for your children growing up. I don’t want to miss a thing with her, AND I get to work a job I love. It’s really a win win at the end of the day

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Like most people, I started out being creative as a child and I just stuck with it. My family was extremely supportive of me from an early age. So I had a lot of confidence to continue pursuing art. My parents were heavily involved in the arts scene in Winston Salem, so I was introduced to a lot of amazing people that gave me so much experience. I assisted in body painting, helped curate galleries and restaurants, and worked in scenic design. The last being my favorite job before I found tattooing. I currently do tattoos and seasonally murals. The goal of my jobs vary with each client. Whether someone wants a quick, fun experience, someone to talk to, a friendship with me, or just genuinely loves my work. I try to give each person the experience they’re looking to get from working with me.
I’m really proud of my ability to work with different types of people and my patience I have with them. I’m also proud of my willingness to grow and learn to become better at what I do. I can take criticism pretty well, and what I may like may not be someone else’s cup of tea. If I’m working to create something for another person’s eyes, it will only broaden my perspective.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source for new clients have been my previous clients. Always aspiring to be easy to work with and understanding their situations has helped me develop good relationships, which in turn pushes them to recommend me to friends and family. I get so many friends and family of clients and it gives me more to talk about with them. And I get to know these people more, and it feels really special. I also enjoy visiting local places and getting to know the people working and frequenting those places. It feels good to feel like I’m a part of a community. Especially living in a city where I don’t know anyone, I’ve really had to push myself to find people that I enjoy seeing weekly to monthly.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Although I don’t manage a team, I know what I appreciate as being a part of a team with a leader. And my current one and honestly one of the best I’ve experienced. I can really tell that his sole mindset is that our success is his success. And he treats us that way. He goes out of his way to help us improve and supports us by sharing our work and availability online. It also feels good to be around someone that treats you as an equal, even when their are different levels on roles in one shop.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @htedr
• Other: @goldrosetattoocompany on Instagram