We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany Ansick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tiffany, appreciate you joining us today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
I feel that making my clients feel comfortable is highly important. Whether they are clear about their gender roles, or want to talk about work, family, traumas, rough days, celebrations, moving, or family vacations. I want my clients to know that my chair is a safe space that they all deserve to have a comfortable place to sit and be authentic. I want them to have the hair that makes them feel the best in their own skin. I want them to feel confident, and strong when they walk out of my salon.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve always been inspired by the creative arts. I could draw, dance, perform, do makeup. And now hair. I have fallen deeply, madly in love with my profession. My passion is very visual on each and every single person that sits in my chair. I was inspired to do hair by many of my close personal hair friends. Once I was stateside (my husband is military and have been stationed over seas a couple Times) I finally went to school and got my license. Here I am almost 4 years later in my own chair, rocking my own business.
I feel that I am unique in the aspect
that I listen to my clients. I give them what they ask for. I provide advice, I give them support in their decisions, and I also don’t let them feel judged when they have an exciting idea that I may not be on board with but I give them a modified version that will best suite their idea. That way it’s not totally thrown away.
My brand is actually pretty cute. It’s my nick name, and mystical put together. Kind of like Bennifer, and Bradjolina lol. I’m MysTink (Miss Tink). I got my nick name from the time that I was TinkerBelle in an overseas game show where we did a Disney theme show. I of course was Tinkerbelle. I then was referred to as Tink. And that became my nick name. Having my brand has really set me apart because it looks different and people have to ask how it’s said and or pronounced. And when someone asks you about it. It’s marketing. It’s giving someone the back story and it gives more life and uniqueness to the name.
I am so proud of my resilience of my brand. Being a military spouse it’s so hard to move from base to base to base and pray for a consistent clientele each time. But being able to build my clients so quickly and still
Growing. It’s been such a huge blessing. I’m overwhelmed regularly by the amount of requests that come in. It makes me excited and exhausted. I’m so excited to keep getting new clients; and learn their lives and give them their hair dreams, but it’s tiring to keep up with my own admin work and book them and all the other parts of the job that still keep happening when I get off work. My day never really truly ends until I go to sleep.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’m in the “Tri-Base Area” currently, in England. So for all the military bases there are tons of pages. When I got to England, I hit the ground running. I posted on every page, I posted on all the sales pages, all the community groups, I posted my information on the sandwich board out side of the salon. I went to work when I was inside my working hours, and sat praying for a walk in or someone to book with me. After my first couple clients the messages started coming in. And bookings started to come in.
Recently I had a comment on one of the pages “quit recommending MysTink Hair designs, she ain’t all that great, and works in a grimy salon, go work in a real salon” never found out who posted it. But all I had to do was show my “band wagon of clients” and every single one of them came to my defense. I just answered the post with Grace “I’m sorry they feel that way, my work speaks for itself” and then all my clients spoke up. I even gained SO MANY more clients after that. I was overwhelmed with clients. I was so happy.
So what I say to people on social media and their posting. You’re going to get haters. I had my first hater. That’s how you know you’re killing it. Keep your head up. Stay proud. No one can stop you.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My creative goal/mission is to keep gaining more and more education. I am a SPONGE when it comes to hair education. I will be a forever student. I want to learn as well as teach one day. I would love to be an educator, or even a celebrity stylist, or at least a household name. ;). But education is where it’s at. I want to know how to do all the things hair can offer. I’m fascinated by the magic that is hair.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mys_tink_hair_designs?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MysTinkHairDesigns
Image Credits
Foxtrot Photography