We recently connected with Abby LaFountain and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Abby, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In high school, I was a top-performing student, multiple extracurricular activities, and a strong work ethic. However, despite my outward success, I felt like an outcast and struggled deeply with depression. To cope, I turned to motivational speakers like Les Brown and Eric Thomas, which eventually led me to other influential figures like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and Robert Kiyosaki.

Through these resources, I began to question the traditional education system and college, realizing that they were not the path for me. I used my scholarships to attend college out of state and gain the courage to drop out and pursue my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. I initially had aspirations of becoming a tattoo artist or owning a gym, but my entrepreneurial journey has taken me through various avenues.

I worked at a tattoo shop, freelanced in graphic design and photography, did commission dog portraits, coached crossfit , did online personal training and even bartended. When COVID hit and all of that subsided, I even fell into woodworking and created a custom furniture business for a year. Once lumber prices skyrocketed, I then took a pause chasing my passions to work a sales job. Sales allowed me to move out and escape the chains my family tried to keep me in. Almost a year later I moved to sell solar door-to-door. I had always been interested in sales, however doing D2D challenged me in a way I had never experienced before. Although I was making more money than ever, I wasn’t fulfilled and knew that I needed to chase my dream of being a tattoo artist now that I was financially secure. I decided to reach out to a friend who got my foot in the door tattooing. I have been doing that ever since and hope to eventually open my owner tattoo studio and continue to photograph as well.

Dropping out of College was the most uncomfortable decision I have ever had to make but also the most pivotal moment of my life. My mother and sister repeatedly tried to bully me to “fall back in line” and each day was a mental fight to keep believing in myself and my vision. Dropping out was the decision to bet on myself. I may have took a lot of detours along the way but all of those risks and adventures allowed me to network with super important figures in my life and teach me skills school could never even wish to.

My entrepreneurial journey has taught me the importance of taking risks and following your passion no matter how uncomfortable or harder it may be. I am so proud to have been relenteless and hope to inspire others to do the same.

Abby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey there, I’m Abby! I’m a full-time tattoo artist and the proud owner of Abbriella Ink, as well as a photographer running Abbriella Photo. As a creator at heart, I love nothing more than being able to express myself through my art, no matter what the medium may be.

But tattooing and capturing intimate moments is just the tip of the iceberg for me. I’m also a businesswoman through and through, and I place a huge emphasis on providing exceptional customer service and creating an unforgettable experience for my clients.

With tattooing my style is blackwork and I love to create original tattoos with the unique ideas my clients come to me with. For me, it’s all about celebrating individuality and creating tattoos that truly reflect the unique personality and style of each of my clients.

I take the same approach to my photography. I specialize in dark and moody images and always focus on creating authentic moments behind the lens. Even though my photos are darker and moody I prioritize having fun on shoots and keeping my clients laughing the whole time that way they never feel uncomfortable in front of the camera.

Some people wonder how the I manage it all along with everything else I have done before but the truth is ADHD is my super power and I am unapologetically me. I’m incredibly passionate about what I do, and I feel so lucky to be able to pursue my dreams as a full-time artist and business owner.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Some of the most pivotal books I have read that gave me great clarity and confidence in my entrepreneurial journey are:

Rich Dad Poor Dad
The Coddling of the American Mind
The subtle art of not giving a f*ck
10x
Sell or be Sold

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For 3 years I had struggle, doing various side hustles to barely make enough to live. I was stuck living at home and worked 4 different jobs and then started a woodworking business during covid. Once businesses started to open up after the pandemic I knew that for my mental health , the most important thing I needed to do was separate myself from the toxicity of living with family. They didn’t support or believe in my mission and if I stayed any longer I would continue to fall into depressive episodes and always feel hopeless. For the first time I ignored all of the side hustles and got a good paying sales job that allowed me to grow and eventually move out. For two years I focussed on sales and making myself financially stable enough to be able to take risks on myself without anyone trying to tear me down in the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: abbriellaink.com / abbriellaphoto.com
• Instagram: @abbriella.ink @abbriella.photo
• Facebook: Abbriella Ink & Abbriella Photo

Image Credits
@abbriellaphoto