Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiffany Ruby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tiffany, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Thank you for having me. I am a tattoo artist based in St. Louis Missouri. I recently just relocated my private studio from the downtown area to St. Charles. What I have to offer is a bit different than your typical tattoo shop. I want my clients to see their beauty inside and out.

I specialize in tiny tattoos and fine line work. A lot of my clients request very intricate work, or bright colors, and most have never had a tattoo before. As silly as it sounds, I also offer a lot of my clients numbing cream. I exclusively use Tattoo Numbing Cream Co, as they offer the most pain free experience. It truly makes my clients feel comfortable for their experience. My clients love the private one on one environment!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tiffany. I have owned a private tattoo establishment for almost a year now, and I have been in the beauty and makeup industry professionally for six years. When I was a young girl, Isaid to my mother “Weren’t people’s bodies born plain, so that we could decorate them the way we wanted?” And every since then, I have been fascinated with everything art and bringing the beauty that’s on the inside of you, out for the world to see. I’ve been on a personal mission for more than half my life to raise awareness on beauty, and that every woman is beautiful; & so is every form of art and how we choose to express ourselves.

I started off doing makeup, which grew into permanent makeup and tattooing. I have always had a passion for line work, color, and fun colorful artistry. The thing that I am most proud of is being a self taught tattoo artist. It’s always been a dream of mine, and it almost doesn’t even feel real that its mine and it’s tangible. The tattoo industry is not one that is easy to get into, and I am so excited to be a female in a male dominated industry.

I definitely offer a different style of tattooing. Even the fine lines I do include color, or some fun intricate design. Sometimes, we even change tattoos as we go. I have a very open style of communication with my clients. My studio is a place of creating- and I get so excited to make the ideas me and my clients create come to life!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

This is something that’s a little new to me. I’ve had my website for about two years now, and I’ve been registered with platforms such as google, and square for the same amount of time. I used to be really good at social media, and making content. When TikTok came around, i began struggling with keeping an online presence and making “cool content.”

While I still have a presence online, Word of Mouth is how my business spreads. It’s very personal, and it keeps me humble. It means a lot that clients not only continue to come back, but they also recommend their friends and family to come to me as well. All of my clients have my personal cell phone number. So, most of the time, its a referral for new clients.

There’s a loyalty system on my website where everyone earns points. For example: when you successfully book an appointment online, you receive 75 points. These points can later be redeemed for products, discounts, or even FREE services when enough points are earned! My clients love the paperless system we’ve created- and they love cashing in on points!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I love this question. I’ve always been the underdog- and not a lot of bets were placed on me. When I started apprenticing for my tattoo license, it wasn’t easy. I talk about it a lot, because I know if I was discouraged, and wanted to quit- there’s a million more people out there who have.

I bounced around from a few different shops due to the fact that it was hard to find someone who was appropriate and professional to apprentice under. Being a male dominated industry, there’s a lot of people who think you owe them “favors” to get to where you want to go. While not EVERYONE is like that, I found more often than not that it was this way. I ended up being able to teach myself how to tattoo, and was luckily licensed through the Tattoo Licensing Board of Missouri.

This is also where I am excited to break the stigmas of the industry. My booking and design system is very professional, and organized. It makes my clients feel comfortable and excited for their art.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.TiffanyRuby.com
• Instagram: Tbrmua