We were lucky to catch up with Kayla Blackwell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being a business owner was the best decision I have ever made for myself! As a body piercer it is very important to know what materials you are using and where they are being sourced from, as well as being completely reliable and transparent to your customers. This is the sole reason I wanted to work for myself. Working for someone else for 9 years and looking unreliable when a client ask about that order you said you would get, (that never got ordered even though you ask) or a client coming in and her daith ring that you were told was solid gold is starting to tarnish. (These are true stories) and completely unacceptable. When working for someone else you are not in control of pretty much anything ( your hours, pay, materials etc.) I have always been in the service industry as I graduated high school with my cosmetology degree and started learning to pierce when I was 23. I am now 34 years old and couldn’t picture myself ever doing anything else. There is a lot that comes with it, from monthly spore tests on all our equipment, to inventory both solid gold, titanium and shop supplies, social media posts, client relations, special orders and finding time to care for yourself. I would 100% say it’s worth it. We have been open a little over 3 years now and are slowly building a team. I would encourage anyone that has a trait and loves what they do to go into business for themselves.

Kayla, 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?

I was working at browart23 in the Longview mall in 2013 when the owner of fugis tattoo shop became my client. Headrush hair salon and fugis tattoo shop were in the same building divided by a wall. She wanted me to come work for her. So I did and that’s where the journey began. In August of 2021 we moved to Houston and may of 2022 we opened Body art piercing studio. We provide a safe sterile environment for our clients. We help clients feel comfortable and confident in there skin, we are with you during the entire healing process and will help troubleshoot if piercings are having issues. We also help clients that weren’t even pierced by us. We do not charge to help someone take out an existing piercing or to clean and talk with them about there piercings. We offer ear mappings and curations along with the highest quality of implant grade titanium and solid gold. We have a comfortable lobby with free snacks and water. I am proud at how much our studio has grown in just a few short years, it wouldn’t be possible without all the people who decided to give us a chance. Seeing piercings that we have done fully healed makes me so happy! I want people to know that we do our absolute best every day and feel honored and blessed by anyone who walks through our doors to support us.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

In 2016 I bought my first small home for $89,000. In 2021 I sold it for $130,000 and profited $41,000 to open this studio. (As well as live and pay bills) By the time it was all said and done i was negative $1,000 the 1st day our doors were open. We had everything we needed. I had a very small gold selection with just 6 (25 hole displays) divided between yellow and white gold pieces. I was honestly scared to death. But I knew that if someone came in that they would come back. They just needed to give us that initial chance. The first few months were slow but we made just enough to pay the bills. We ate ham sandwiches and chips every day at work. We set in the lobby and watched tons of season of shows to keep ourselves occupied on our downtime. I remember one Sunday that we had zero people come in. I was so discouraged. Now sundays are one of our busiest days. If you are reading this and you are just starting your business, I encourage you to not give up. If you believe in yourself and the work that you do then I promise everything you are sacrificing will pay off. Just be patient everything will fall into place as it should.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth! Someone comes in, they can tell you care and know what you are doing. You give them your all and they tell there friends and family. Who come visit then they tell there people and it just keeps going like that! Word of mouth is how we get 90% of our business and honestly we love it that way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www. bodyartpiercingstudio.com
• Instagram: @bodyartpiercinghtx
• Facebook: Body art piercing studio
• Yelp: Body art piercing studio