Conversations with Lindsey Garcia

Hi Lindsey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well, I’m originally from Upstate New York and have been in LA for 5 years. Met my husband here, started a business here, so LA has given me a lot to be thankful for. From 2010 until 2021, I worked in the field of Nonprofit & Government management, specifically in housing policy and homelessness. But, since 2021, I have owned and operated a small permanent makeup and tattooing studio in Beverly Hills called Not Your Daddy’s Brows & Tatties. I know, I know, VERY different industries. How did such a transition even happen? Well, I love art, and I love details, and tattooing allows me to live in both of those worlds. I started the permanent makeup business with my friend Sarah in 2021. At first, our sole focus was microblading and other eyebrow services. I loved it so much I decided to take a leap of faith and make it my full-time occupation. I knew I wanted to learn other services like lip blushing and scalp micropigmentation, but I was especially interested in learning how my new skills could apply to traditional body art and fine-line tattooing. Branching out on my own for the first time ever as an entrepreneur, I found a studio space in August of 2022, and I made it feel like home. When you walk in, it doesn’t feel stuffy or surgical. It also doesn’t feel intimidating like some traditional tattoo shops, which are predominantly operated by men. My space feels inviting and calming and is quite aesthetically pleasing! I want everyone to feel welcome when they walk in, especially if they’re nervous about their upcoming service. I think my desire to make people feel comfortable is because of my extensive background in human services, which is also probably why I feel so strongly about keeping my services reasonably priced and accessible to the broader community.

Equity is just built into our identity.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No small business venture is all rainbows and butterflies. It’s a different kind of balancing act. Learning how to run the business was a huge gap I needed to fill because when you learn an art like microblading or tattooing, the teachers give you the general tools for moving forward solo, but there are many things to learn on your own like the specific regulations and requirements for the county you live. Luckily I have a Master’s degree in public administration, so navigating bureaucratic red tape is not something new for me. The tediousness of the process helped me realize how difficult it is to own a business in general, and how stressful it is to make sure you’re operating “by the books.” That has been the biggest challenge thus far.

So, my long-term goal for the business is to establish an education program to help aspiring business owners in marginalized populations follow their dreams and close that very critical knowledge gap for people who do not have an administrative and/or management background.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a multi-certified permanent makeup and tattoo artist specializing in brows, lip blush, and fine-line tattooing. I am so proud of the natural-looking enhancements I provide my clients. It is something new clients constantly bring up as their reason for choosing me! And also, my accesible pricing. I’m very proud of that. I’ve had clients come in for consultations that just want to see if I am legitimate because they say, “The quality of your work doesn’t match up with your pricing, so I needed to see what the catch is!!” And guess what— there is NO CATCH! I just want to be the best at what I do and create a safe space where people know they can receive the highest quality services at an approachable rate. I hope to keep growing my client list to help more people reach their brow/lip/tattoo goals!!

What were you like growing up?
Outgoing is an understatement. I love to laugh and make people laugh. I have been a dancer my entire life, competing and performing and just loving the stage. Over 3 decades of practice, stretching, rehearsals, performances, and classes. It’s part of my identity and I’ve always leaned on art (in all forms) in a big way. It means so much to be able to say, “I do art for a living!” I also love to color and paint and run around in nature with my dog. I am also a fitness lover and have been lifting weights since 2011, but my current obsession is pure barre!