We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natascha Rautenberg. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natascha below.
Natascha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Risk 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.
Awh! It’s my pleasure, thank you so much for having me! So, to jump right in, originally, I went to school to become a graphic designer/ photographer.. but 9 months in I actually dropped out. It was a fancy private art college that was more of a joke than anything and I couldn’t justify the cost after starting. From there, I bounced around in a variety of industries from restaurants, to nannying, to construction, to finance, where eventually I saw a recent high school classmate share about their “Microblading” experience. I was intrigued by the service, I wanted it done myself. Eventually I booked a session and had it done. I liked the “edginess” of it and that it was in the tattoo industry. From there I booked a 5 day class. Looking back now, I see how little I truly got from
that class. I was taught what was needed to perform a service and how to set up the station in regards to Health Standards but the technique and theory were severely lacking.
But, of course, I was brand new and thought, after paying for this class, I knew how to perform the service.. I *was* certified for goodness sake. Long story short, the instructor ended up ghosting me and I was left with two options: quit tattooing all together or build my own business/ studio. I chose the latter.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Absolutely! I’m Natascha Rautenberg! I own Inkvictus Studios in Raleigh, NC. We’re a cosmetic tattooing and lash studio that specialize in our techniques and wants the absolute best for our clients’, their lashes, and skin.When I made the decision to open up the studio, I truly had no idea what I needed to do but being the type of person that I am, I kinda just ran head first into it. My initial thought, other than having to find a space to work, was “people need to know my name and know what I do.” This led me to joining any and all networking groups around my area. I’d wake up grab breakfast with someone, grab an early lunch with someone else, then grab a late lunch with another. I specifically targeted women in the beauty industry, whether they were business owners, employees, contractors – it didn’t matter. I wanted to hear their stories, absorb as much knowledge as I could, then somehow incorporate any of it into my business. At night, I did an online training for more cosmetic tattooing to keep my “skills” intact.
Once I found a studio to finally rent, I got all the needed supplies and decor/ furniture needed to start. I spent time in-between meeting people and studying to get all that going. I wanted a space that was warm and inviting. That any and everyone could come in and feel love and respected. Luckily, when I opened on September 7th, 2019.. I was fully booked for two months based on word of mouth alone.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Haha.. well I mean, 6 months into opening the studio Covid happened. I was forced to shut down for twelve weeks. Luckily, my landlord at the time stopped requesting rent, I did have to backpay all of it once we re-opened but because of that I didn’t owe anything during quarantine which was incredibly fortunate. I used the twelve weeks to practice and study up on all things permanent make-up. I honestly taught myself everything that had been lacking in my prior classes. In those twelve weeks, my technique grew tremendously which only made me more excited to open back up. Once opened, I put all that work into my clients and from there, my business tripled and I soon brought on my first team mate and, not long after that, an apprentice who later joined the team too – They are both still part of the team and I’ll never be able to thank either of them enough for helping grow Inkvictus to what it is today.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Honestly, just honesty. I’ve always been incredibly transparent with my work. I feel like the majority of artists fail in this aspect and that not nearly enough PMU artists take this line of work seriously. We are altering peoples’ faces. There’s so much more that goes into dipping a needle in pigment and then pushing that pigment soaked needle into skin than people tend to care for. We truly try to educate our audience, whether clients or other artists, to see the proper way of doing/ receiving things. We do this while still being welcoming and kind to everyone who steps foot in our doors or reaches out via social media, over the phone, email, etc.
We’ve made it a priority to only provide the best for each and every client. I don’t follow trends and I’m eager to constantly learn to ensure I am providing the best to my knowledge. Those same characteristics have gone into the way I’ve grown and trained my team. I’m so incredibly fortunate to have a team that agrees and wants to ensure those same qualities. Inkvictus is only as successful as the people who are a part of it, I’m so incredibly grateful the people who want to be on this team, and the amazing clients who enter our doors, represent it so well. Love you all tons.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inkvictus.com
- Instagram: inkvictusstudios
- Facebook: inkvictusstudios
- Yelp: Inkvictus Studios