Behind every tattoo there is a story and Schondra Blount’s story is worth telling. As the owner of three tattoo and piercing studios, she has turned an unexpected career opportunity into a thriving business venture in a traditionally male-dominated field. Women like Schondra who have pioneered the industry, did so facing decades of sexist scrutiny from clients and male colleagues,- people were more inclined to believe the tattooed guy was in charge and the woman in the shop was the receptionist.  In the past decade it is more common to see women in not only creative but leadership roles running their own studios, women now represent 25% of the tattoo and piercing industry even earning up to 97% of what their male counterparts make. A great time for women in the industry but when Schondra first entered the industry 25 years ago it was a different landscape.

Schondra’s career began 25 years ago, when she received a phone call from a panicked friend in need of help at their shop. That day would prove to be the first day for a lifetime of career and industry achievement. Schondra, would rapidly rise through the ranks, learning piercing and eventually pivoting into management and business partnership before striking out on her own. Like many women before her and contemporaries she experienced and witnessed being devalued, toxic environments, having her appearance judged, and being unjustly criticized for anything except the contributions she brought to the workplace. The lessons learned from those experiences would become the blueprint for her management style, ownership and maintaining professionalism. A guide of what to do and what not to do. Schondra states that “the entire reason that I actually own tattoo shops…is so that people I love and care for can work and live and make a living in a safe environment…”.

At Anavrin Tattoo and Body Piercing, it was evident that her goal to have a positive work environment that stood in contrast to what is typical to the industry was apparent. Her shop was full of characters, lively and upbeat people joking around, wondering if the apprentice had died or quit because they were taking “so long” on a food run! The level of comfort and respect everyone has with one another and Schondra was real and apparent. Artist Monty beamed when talking about the work environment and Schondra’s leadership style, stating “I think we have a really good knit of people that all work really well that we can all joke and kind of bull$#!* with. We can joke on each other, but we’re also there for each other.”. When asked about the leadership in the shop, he pointed out that despite how busy Schondra is the “ship doesn’t sink when she is gone and that is a good sign of leadership.”.

Schondra is definitely a busy woman along with her 3 shops( Temple North, Temple South and Anaverin Tattoo and Body Piercing.), raising a family and staying active in her community often partnering with NPO’s, vendors and local creatives for various causes. She does not operate alone she actively seeks out the input and talents of her staff in “roundtable” discussions; this is evident in the social media posts that have gone viral that have the Gen-Z “touch”! There are many opportunities for artists to grow professionally and Schondra makes sure that anyone that apprentices or works at her shop is trained and prepared to take on any studio. Artists are encouraged to participate in conventions and if interested in the business Schondra makes sure to find time to mentor in that regard as well. Monty is a great example of this and says “I was interested in and kind of like started the conversation with us and then she took me on my first convention and she took me to my second convention and then we did and then a couple of us at the shop started doing the local ones again and so I’ve been super excited getting involved in doing those things but it also encouraged me to kind of branch out more and start networking more so like taking advantage of like when I go to places go start talking to people insert myself into other conversations..”. Schondra Blount, has not kept the secrets to success to herself, she welcomes opportunities to share the industry that she loves and created a productive and positive space for her artists to grow professionally and personally. In an industry were a woman’s leadership ability has often been devalued, Schondra is proving that fostering collaboration along with not gate keeping opportunities for professional growth maybe the key to a successful studio.