We recently connected with Simba Nguyen and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Simba thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

I think we have all worked in a place we were not so comfortable at one point in our lives. For me, my last shop was a fun place to work but owned by people who did not care for its employees. We may be tattooers but we are also artists and my old bosses made me feel like a copying machine. They cared so much about how much money we brought in rather than the artistry itself. We decided to open our studio to create a safe space for not only our clients but us as tattooers. Regardless of race, s*x, age, etc., our goal is to make people feel comfortable, seen, and heard. The experience is just as important, if not more, than the tattoo itself. I take great pride in being a POC, female tattooer. I am also proud to say that a majority of the tattooers in our shop are also POC and females. In a male dominated industry, I’d say us ladies are killing it.
If I can give any advice to creating a more inclusive workplace; get to know your employees. They each have their own stories and aspirations. The more comfortable they feel to be themselves, the better they’ll perform.

Simba, 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?

My name is Simba Nguyen, I am 28 (almost 29 years old) and I’ve been tattooing for 6 years. I started my career in a small private studio in San Francisco and then opened my own studio 2.5 years ago in DuPont Circle, Washington DC.

I am familiar and comfortable tattooing multiple styles but I’m known for fine line florals. To me, florals are timeless and regardless of size and color, they’ll look elegant on anyone. My style is unique because I freehand a lot of my florals directly onto the body. This process feels a lot more organic and will be made to fit specifically for the client.

I think what sets me apart from other tattooers is patience and passion.
I take pride in making sure my clients know they have my undivided attention when they’re in my space. Their’s no such thing as dumb questions or “being annoying.” Tattooing can be intimidating and I want to make sure you’re always comfortable. So please ask the questions because I would love to answer them. Which leads me into passion. I love tattooing. I am always striving to learn and grow as much as I can in this career. But outside of that, I’m passionate about people. I am grateful to have found a career that allows me to touch so many lives. Their’s so much beauty in witnessing the human experience. Not only have I comforted people going through hardships, I’ve also congratulated their triumphs. I don’t think that would be possible without tattooing and coming across so many paths in life.

If their’s one thing about me that I want people to know is that I strive to be as genuine as possible. I love being me and I want people to love being themselves too. I hope my tattoos, my art helps them feel that way.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think DC lacked a shop that felt inclusive. As much respect as I have for the OG shops, a lot of them can come off intimidating and overwhelming to new clients. We’ve entered an age in tattooing where inclusivity and experience are more important than the tattoo. Not only is our little studio cute, it also feels comfortable and inviting. The reason we chose a private studio is to prioritize our attention towards each individual client. So not only do you feel safe, you feel heard. I believe getting a tattoo is an intimate experience so let’s make it as easy and pleasant as possible.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My co-owner is actually my boyfriend (husband to me). We met at our old tattoo shop and he instantly became my best friend. We started dating about 6 months after I started working in our old shop and here we are almost 4 years later. From the start we always talked about owning our own studio. At first we contemplated working in our own space, just the two of us, but it didn’t feel right because we knew we could create something more. One day we were fed up with our old owners and decided to branch into owning our own business. Where I was apprehensive, he was always confident and I think that combination lead to our current success. In our space, I am the numbers person and he’s HR. Some people say they could never work with their partners but I love that we share a career we’re both passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: Crybabystudiosdc.com
• Instagram: @simbalysm @crybabystudiosdc

Image Credits
Jose Carpio (@carpio.jpeg) shot the portraits and studio I took the photos of the tattoos