Sara Taylor of Pinkie Orlando

Meet Sara, the multi-talented force behind Audubon Park’s favorite beauty studio. Pinkie Orlando prioritizes the customer experience, focusing on what makes every individual feel beautiful. Pinkie’s services include nail art, microblading, tooth gems, lashes, lip blush, waxing, threading, and handpoked tattoos. Visit them at https://www.pinkieorlando.com

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Transcript

Intro: 0:12

Hi friends, thank you for joining us for another episode of Hello APGD, a neighborhood podcast about the Audubon Park Garden District in Orlando, florida. I'm your host, Michael Lothrop, and today we'll be speaking with Sara Taylor, owner of Pinky Orlando, an art-focused, inclusive beauty studio Located at 1844 Winter Park Drive. You can also find them online at PinkyOrlando.com, or on Instagram or Facebook at Pinky Orlando. If you'd like to be a guest on the show or if you'd like to be a sponsor, please feel free to message me on Instagram at HelloAPGDpod. Thank you for listening. This episode is brought to you in part by Trevor Brown, Audubon Park resident and trusted Central Florida Realtor with Fannie Hillman Associates, proudly serving their clients for over 40 years. For listings, market trends, helpful home buyer and seller tips. Email directly to Trevor at FannieHillman.com or find him on Instagram at Trevor Brown Realtor. 

Mike:

And with me today is Sara Taylor, owner of Pinky Orlando Sara welcome. 

Sara: 1:27

Thank you, i'm excited to be here. 

Mike: 1:29

I'm so excited to have you here. So you are right next to Stardust and I understand there was. It was a bike shop previous to it being a salon and it was microblading only for a while. 

Sara: 1:42

Yes, 2019 is when Pinky started, and that was in College Park. 

Mike: 1:48

And so welcome to Audubon Park. 

Sara: 1:50

Thank you, I'm so happy to be here. 

Mike: 1:53

We're so happy to have you there, and so the transition to Audubon Park happened last year. So that was fortuitous for that space to be available, and it was kind of already serving that purpose too? 

Sara: 2:05

Yeah. The previous owner was a friend of mine and her life situation changed and they were moving out of the state and I was looking for a new location for Pinky, so it was all just perfectly timed to work for us. 

Mike: 2:18

That's amazing. And it was quite a bit more space, I understand, than you had in College Park? And it's prime location because I understand one of the main focuses is really being inclusive, being art focused, and I know Stardust really has that mindset as well. It's for everybody. You kind of see every age group, every background, and so being inclusive is kind of the culture of this neighborhood and the area. So it seems like a perfect fit. 

Sara: 2:51

It feels good to be in the space and it just feels like the right place for us right now, for sure. 

Mike: 2:57

Yeah, I bet, and so you were open, obviously, during the pandemic; so that must have been a whole set of challenges, right? What was that like? 

Sara: 3:08

It was definitely challenging. We actually signed a lease on a small salon studio suite thing on March 5th of 2020. And obviously I had to shut it down immediately. But we got through the lockdown and it kind of slowed down the process for the permitting office because the permitting office was closed for months and they were working from home, so any conversation went from a quick phone call or a drop-in to several email exchanges that could take days. But we got there, we persevered and the College Park space was perfect in the beginning. I got my first employee, Allison, started with me in June or July of 2020. She and I had met at a pop-up I was doing and she told me she was interested in doing nails. I said, if you get your license, you can come work for me and we can kind of figure it out together. And she did and she's been with me ever since She finished nail school in March of 2020 also. So for both of us it was kind of like well, I guess we'll just hang out until something happens. 

Mike: 4:31

Right. Until further notice, until the world opens up again. 

Sara: 4:35

And I'm so thankful that she stuck with me, because she's still with me and she's been with me ever since. And she's my work wife and my bestie and I honestly don't know how I would have survived these couple of years without her. 

Mike: 4:45

It's crucial, isn't it that partnership, so you were kind of going into this alone in a way. Is that right? 

Sara: 4:52

Oh yes, I was sent alone. My professional background prior to this was in kind of like business development. I worked as a freelance consultant specifically for a small, creative business and, after doing that for several years, decided I wanted something of my own And I came to the beauty industry. I grew up in the beauty industry. My mom was a cosmetologist. It's somewhere I feel comfortable, But she my mom actually discouraged me from going into the industry because it historically has some toxic traits to it. But I really think that there is room for the beauty industry to be a place where you learn more about yourself and what makes you feel beautiful and then what makes you feel good. So whatever feels good to someone is what's going to make them feel the most beautiful, And that's part of what we want to do at Pinky is to give people a place to explore what makes them feel like the most beautiful version of themselves. 

Mike: 5:54

I love that. That's so cool. What a great mission in mind, and I'm sure that from your mom's experience you took a lot of lessons learned right, absolutely Of just how to avoid those toxic behaviors and traits and atmosphere and things like that. And hiring obviously has a lot to do with it Who is staffed there, what the focus is, being art focused and being very customer service focused. I have some friends that are clients and they say the best things about your salon And yeah, it's just so exciting to have that addition and that the atmosphere seems just very young and positive And I mean it's for everybody, i guess all ages really. I say young, but that's kind of the idea is just being fully inclusive, right. 

Sara: 6:45

Yeah, our client age range is vast, because for nails and things like that, we run the whole spectrum of age, gender, identity, everything like that. Cosmetic tattooing, though, does pull in specifically an older crowd, because it gives the ability to regain some youthful qualities. 

Mike: 7:10

Sure, and tell me about, for the uninitiated, cosmetic tattooing. Tell me about that. 

Sara: 7:15

So cosmetic tattooing is also called permanent makeup, but that can be deceiving because it's not permanent. Nothing that we do in the studio is a forever tattoo on your face. It's all semi permanent, meaning that technology has advanced at this point to where it's going to fade out over a couple years, which is really what you want, because your face changes and trends change. You don't necessarily want something permanent If the trends change in five years and you decide that you don't like it anymore. you don't want to be stuck with it forever. So it's a semi permanent tattoo on your face that can replicate eyebrows. We do lip blush, which is color on the lips. We do eyeliner. We do freckles. 

Mike: 7:58

The technology seems to have come a really long way, because I remember seeing the first eyebrow tattoos and it's not that, right?

Sara: 8:06

No, it's not that anymore at all. 

Mike: 8:08

That's good to know. The micro blading specifically it really kind of follows that line of what an eyebrow would look like. 

Sara: 8:20

Absolutely. Imitating hair strokes when we do the microblading. We also have options of other types of cosmetic tattooing for brows that imitate a more made-up looking brow with makeup. But specifically myself, I specialize in microblading. 

Mike: 8:37

Yeah, And is it true that eyebrows kind of don't grow back, or is that not across the board? 

Sara: 8:44

It's not necessarily across the board. I mean, I have clients of all ages, ethnicities and it's a pretty common factor that as you age the hair in your eyebrow just either thins or lightens and kind of starts to disappear. But that doesn't mean it will never come back. There are a lot of women specifically that in the 90s I blame Drew Barrymore, you know plucked them to tiny little thin lines And sometimes it never grows back. Sometimes it grows back but the hair is so light that you can't see it at all. So we work with all kinds of people who have dealt with various histories and can help fix up what they got going on. 

Mike: 9:28

Yeah, I mean, it's super important just for you to feel comfortable. And that's something that somebody might feel self-conscious about and the fact that there is a really good solution. 

Sara: 9:40

Absolutely. 

Mike: 9:41

Yeah, and, as you said, you can change it. So if the style changes or if it's not your favorite, like, what is the timeline? Is it like a few years that the tattoo lasts? 

Sara: 9:53

Yeah, it's typically about three to five years. We recommend that our clients come back annually to just keep them fresh, but if you're done with them, they'll be gone in three to five years. 

Mike: 10:04

That's amazing. Yeah, what a cool thing to have. In the neighborhood We were, for a while we had a lot of hair salons And it's interesting to see how that has sort of changed over time. It's, you know, in the loveliest space there was a hair salon And in the space just next to you was also a hair salon. For a while There was a traditional beauty parlor that was in the same plaza as Park Ave CDs back in the day. So I'm not sure exactly which space it was, but it was the whole, like you know, curlers and all of that, like what you think of with the traditional. So do you call is Pinky a salon or is it a beauty parlor? We call it a beauty studio, beauty studio. I love that. 

Sara: 10:56

Yeah. 

Mike: 10:57

Yeah, That's exactly what it is right. 

Sara: 10:59

Well, we do all kinds of stuff, and salon can be a little misleading or concerning to some people. 

Mike: 11:07

Often people immediately go to hair styling right? 

Sara: 11:10

Yes, Or if someone tells their friend oh, i got my eyebrows microbladed at a nail salon. Their friend's response is why did you do that? 

Mike: 11:19

Are you? 

Sara: 11:19

crazy What that's not really. I mean, we're just a little different than that when you come inside. 

Mike: 11:25

Yeah, Yeah, and you're. You're kind of redefining like what, what the business model is too right, is there. Is there any other shop that has kind of the mix of things that you have in the area? 

Sara: 11:37

Not that I'm aware of. 

Mike: 11:40

That's excellent. Yeah. It's good to differentiate and be unique, isn't that? 

Sara: 11:43

It's fun And I happen to be like a serial course-taker. I learned something and then I wanted to learn something new. I just get bored and I'm like, what else can I learn? And so it's great, as long as I stick in a certain realm, I can kind of keep it all under the same roof, yeah. 

Mike: 12:02

That makes sense. You can branch out, yeah And another. Another service that you provide is, uh, bejeweling teeth, tooth gems. 

Sara: 12:12

Yep Tooth gems. 

Mike: 12:15

Sorry, I knew I was going to say that wrong. 

Sara: 12:17

No, you're totally fine. 

Mike: 12:18

But you could call it bejeweling teeth. 

Sara: 12:20

You absolutely could. We bedazzle your whole mouth. 

Mike: 12:24

So tell me about that. How does that work? 

Sara: 12:26

We do both like Swarovski-grade crystals and 18 karat gold charms that we adhere to the teeth with dental adhesive. Everything that we use is dental grade. And I really go above and beyond to make sure it is above board. I am not interested in putting anything in your mouth that could harm you at all. So we offer a variety of crystals, and then for the gold, because it is 18 karat, it's hand pressed by a gold dealer out in California. I keep a couple of different things on hand, but for the most part I encourage people to reach out because we can custom order just about anything, um, but those are a little bit of a higher price point, and so we stick to custom orders, usually for the gold. 

Mike: 13:16

And is teeth gemming; is that a newer kind of technology or style, or has that been around for a while? 

Sara: 13:24

Well, yes and no, okay. I learned how to do the tooth gems from a lady in Atlanta named Lorena Tolman. She's incredible, um, super, super talented and focused on all things in the mouth. Um, the history that she gave me on tooth gems is that the earliest dated decoration on teeth could be found in Mexico, um, where they would, uh, you know, even drill into the teeth and in lay stones or precious metals. Um, we don't do anything like that. No drills or pain involved. 

Mike: 13:55

That's good, that's good to hear, yeah. 

Sara: 13:57

Uh, but it was definitely brought back into popular popular culture, um in the urban communities and it has continued to grow and just really hold a presence recently. 

Mike: 14:12

Yeah, and is that permanent or semi permanent? It's semi permanent, it's just like um. 

Sara: 14:18

it's basically the same kind of things used to adhere braces to your teeth. Okay, uh, so they can last for a couple weeks. They can last for a couple months. I redid a tooth gem today for a client that had hers done um almost a year ago to the date and then it she said it fell out last week, um, and so we cleaned up that spot and gave her a new one, and she was very excited about it. 

Mike: 14:42

That's awesome, And do so people probably when they're chewing or something or they. They find that it will come out at some point, So they just kind of have to be careful with that. 

Sara: 14:51

Yeah, I mean it, it they can pop off. Really, I always tell people it's like braces You know if you're eating a lot of like chewy foods or like ripping meat with your teeth, they might fall off a little bit sooner. I'm a huge wings girl, and I've got four on my bottom row right now, and I've had those in for, I don't know, probably six, eight months at this point. One of my favorite stories, though, is a client who called me the day after she got her tooth gem put in, and I really appreciated her honesty because she said I was an idiot. Last night I was at the bar with friends and showing off and I tried to open a bottle with my mouth. Oh my God, wow. So hers lasted for about six hours, wow. 

Mike: 15:35

Not recommended? Not at all. I remember there was like a Dr Seuss book that said something about not opening bottles with your teeth. Yeah, and I always took that to heart. You know that was like important advice. Yeah, that stuck with me forever. Also, it just kind of freaks me out because there's a lot that could happen. 

Sara: 15:54

Yeah. 

Mike: 15:55

I mean. 

Sara: 15:56

I'm very cautious around people's mouths because I was the kid that was in the dentist or the orthodontist office like every single week. So I've had so much done to my own mouth that I don't necessarily want to inflict pain on others. 

Mike: 16:09

Yes, see, that's another one of those kind of lessons learned from experience that you take extra care because you know what it's like to need dental work and be in there and you want everything to go as well as possible. 

Sara: 16:24

Absolutely. 

Mike: 16:25

And no opening bottles with your teeth. 

Sara: 16:28

No, no, no. 

Mike: 16:29

That's good, that she was honest with you, at least though I appreciate that so much. 

Sara: 16:33

She's such a wonderful person. 

Mike: 16:35

Good for her, and what a talent, too, to be able to do that. 

Sara: 16:38

I mean awesome. 

Mike: 16:39

Yeah, and sometimes people need to see it to believe it. So you know, I can see, I guess, needing to prove that once it's brought up. 

Sara: 16:48

Absolutely. 

Mike: 16:49

Wow, I'd like to see that. But, not with tooth gems. And so as far as nails go, Gel X is kind of the technology you use. Tell me about that.

Sara: 17:10

Yes, we specialize in Gel X, which is a brand of a newer technology. It’s a Gel nail that is fully formed before we put it on your nail. It’s similar to a fancy press-on. It has the length and strength that you would get from an acrylic or a dip nail, and so it can really give you whatever look you want, just with a different base. It's not a traditional gel when you think of gelatine. It's vegan and cruelty free. And it lasts, for we say it absolutely should last for two weeks. Most of our clients go between three and five weeks between appointments, and we do natural nails as well, but everything we do in the studio is gel based. 

Mike: 17:55

That's so cool And I loved something that I saw on your website that said treat your nails like jewels, not like tools. So that kind of goes for bottle opening as well?

Sara: 18:06

Right. 

Mike: 18:11

And so I was very curious about some of the things that you were saying. Essentially, a trip to the salon should never be a frustrating experience. What are some of the things that you try to avoid to make sure that the customers receive that? 

Sara: 18:31

The number one thing is we never tell someone that their ideas or opinions are bad or ugly The stories that I've heard and that I've experienced just as a woman who has spent a lot of time in the beauty industry. You'll go and say, oh, i think I'd like this. And someone will say, no, you don't want that, that's ugly. Or no, that's not for you. You don't want that. In my opinion, it's your body, if you wanna. I did paw some nails on someone once. It's whatever you wanna do. 

Mike: 19:01

I don't take them home with me. 

Sara: 19:04

So we always make sure that people have a free space to explain to us what they want. We work really hard to collaborate so that we understand what the person wants, and we also strive to be really honest If it's something that we're not comfortable with skill-wise or that we don't have the technology to do. There's a couple really popular nail trends that are done with acrylic or types of product that we don't use, and so we're just really up front about that. We don't have that, we don't use that, because I don't wanna tell someone, oh sure we can do that. And then give them something totally different and pull it over on them. We don't wanna just take your money and give you whatever. 

Mike: 19:48

You can't do it all, right, No? 

Sara: 19:50

and that's okay with us. Everyone has hands and there's a million places you can go, and so if there's something that you want that we're not able to do, that's okay. We do a really good job at what we do, so we always feel pretty comfortable telling people like, well, that's not really in my wheelhouse, so let's figure out a way to give you a look that is similar to what you're going for but that I can execute well also. Yeah, we're also really big on client education. There can be a lot of gatekeeping in the beauty industry and we are happy to share with our clients what we're doing and how we're doing it. We'll have people come from out of town or just come to Pinky for the first time and we'll say, okay, well, what's on your nails right now? And they say I don't know, they didn't tell me. So we always wanna make sure that you understand what we're doing and why we're doing it. Because, again, if someone takes that information and then goes and does their own nails at home, good for them. We're not trying to keep all the everything for ourselves. It's fine for people to learn how to do things for themselves. I know how to do my own nails, but I love having someone else do them. It's like a luxury. It feels great. So we're happy to explain to people what's going on so that they not only feel good about what's being done to them, but so that they can speak to it. One of my regular clients spent the last month in Virginia with family and she knew what she wanted. When she went to another salon, she was able to ask them for exactly what she wanted and speak industry terms so that they could understand what she needed, because we're able to give her those tools. 

Mike: 21:28

Wow, I love that. Yeah, those aren't things that you would necessarily think about, right? Because you just sometimes go to a place and expect well, they're the experts, so I'm gonna tell them, maybe round about what I want, and then they're the artists, so I'm gonna let them basically do what their preference is right. And a lot of times I definitely have heard stories of salons being that way. I mean, especially with hair and things like that. I mean there's a lot of preference, there's a lot of judgment And you know, when you're an artist, you do you want to be proud of your work, obviously, but I think that also just knowing that you're giving the customer exactly what they want And so you can be proud of that because they're gonna feel good about it, right? 

Sara: 22:20

Absolutely. 

Mike: 22:21

They came. you know they came for something specific and they got it. And also they know what it is and how to care for it. And I noticed on your website you have kind of the pre-care and post-care information just laid out very clearly, like what to expect And especially for, is it the stick and poke tattoos? 

Sara: 22:43

Yeah. 

Mike: 22:44

Tell me about those a little bit. 

Sara: 22:45

So stick and poke tattooing is just tattooing without the machine And how. We tend to focus on smaller size and dainty style, and it's a lot of fun and it's a great expression of yourself. But it's different than what people are used to when they think of a tattoo, so we like to give a little more information on it when we can. 

Mike: 23:14

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense And I know a couple of people that have stick and poke tattoos and they're really cool looking, just the lines. I mean it's very, it's a very manual process, right, you're not using a machine, so essentially it's just like a needle and you're kind of dipping and it's sort of the old traditional way of doing a tattoo right. 

Sara: 23:36

Yeah, and there's a lot of different things that you can do with it. You can make a tattoo that looks exactly like a machine made one. It's just a little bit of a slower process. We're really big into especially in with cosmetic tattooing the stick and poke even with nails and things like that making sure that we have a good consensual understanding of what the client wants, because, especially when it's a permanent thing or a semi-permanent thing that they have to deal with for several years, we don't want to take artistic license. We want to make sure that they feel comfortable and prepared for exactly what they're leaving with. 

Mike: 24:14

That makes a lot of sense. So it's basically if somebody comes in with a design in mind, they can essentially get whichever tattoo they want, or are there kind of set ones that to choose from? 

Sara: 24:30

I mean, no, we do lots of custom work. Caitlyn is our like most experienced hand poke artist. She started with Pinky a little over a year ago and she had been doing it on her own just for fun for a few years and came to me and said I'm interested in kind of taking this a little more seriously and professionally. And it's funny, with both Caitlyn and Allison and a few other of our artists, I've basically said to them like, if you're willing to take a chance on me, I'm willing to take a chance on you. This is my first business. We're definitely not the most organized, but we're able to. we've been able to do some really cool stuff by working together and figuring it out. 

Mike: 25:19

Yeah, I mean it definitely seems, at least from the perspective of the online presence, like you've got great social media. I know you can book appointments through Instagram and just the information that you have on your website. It definitely seems like you are very customer focused and you've listened to what kind of information they need to go about having the best experience possible. 

Sara: 25:47

I've had a few experiences in the past I'm sure a lot of people have experienced this Where you go to a new place and you might not know the lingo or how they do things and they kind of make you feel stupid or like, what are you been doing here if you don't know how to whatever And that's always been a goal of mine to make sure that you can walk in the door and it's your first time ever getting your nails done or whatever And we can help you figure out the terminology that you need, the service that you need, what works for you and what doesn't. I never want someone to come into Pinky and feel intimidated or like, well, I can't do that because I've never done it before or I don't know what I'm doing. So that's something that I wanted to work really hard on was to make sure that it was a space where people felt safe asking questions and exploring things and also didn't fear feeling stupid for not knowing exactly how everything works. 

Mike: 26:43

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, And it does. it changes the experience that somebody has when they come in for the first time too, right? So do you get quite a bit of like out of towners coming in for appointments? 

Sara: 26:57

I mean we get a fair amount. We have a lot of people that bring family and friends in from out of town for cosmetic tattooing. People will travel to some extent. For that. I've got clients that come from Tampa or Atlanta, and because we try to have a good social media presence, we have had people that have come into town for whatever reason and we're like oh well, I saw you guys and wanted to stop in, so that's always really exciting for me too. 

Mike: 27:25

Yeah, I mean just the photos on social media. It can give a lot of new ideas for people that might wanna try something new but they're not sure exactly what, and I think that that's really helpful just to have all of that out there. And it's so important for a small business too, because there is so much room for creativity. And I mean some of the designs on nails are incredible. I mean the level of detail and, as you were saying, the possum. I didn't see those. I'll have to look those up. Are those online by chance? 

Sara: 28:04

I think so. 

Mike: 28:05

They should be. I hope so, I hope so too. 

Sara: 28:08

It can get. things can get a little lost in the mix. I have an embarrassing amount of photos on my phone because I'm taking multiple pictures of every client every day, So things definitely slip through the cracks. 

Mike: 28:20

Yes, yes, well, I'll message you if I can't find them. 

Sara: 28:24

Yeah, I'll pull it for sure. Okay, cool. 

Mike: 28:29

And I understand you have some retail in the shop as well, some jewelry. Tell me about that. 

Sara: 28:36

Right now we have a pop-up going through the end of next month. Her name is Karla Palma and she's a local jewelry designer, makes a lot of different things and also does permanent jewelry. So I've got a couple of the bracelets on and she can do bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and they solder them onto you so that they are on permanently. 

Mike: 28:58

That's so cool. 

Sara: 28:59

Yeah, it's a lot of fun. We have a space in the front of the store that we weren't really we weren't using and we weren't sure what to do with, and so we had a couple different pop-ups come in and out. And I've known Karla from doing markets and like the market circuits for years And I remember her telling me we were at the Owl's Attic at a market. I was doing tooth gems, she was doing jewelry And she said I'm thinking about getting a machine and doing those permanent bracelets. And I was like, oh my God, i'm about to open a studio. Like if you do, you've got to come and do them at my studio. And she's like that'd be amazing. And it took two years for me to get her in there because she became so popular. I was like Karla, you told me you would do this, get in here. 

Mike: 29:44

Isn't that the way, though? Yeah? 

Sara: 29:46

I'm so happy for her. She's doing incredible things. So she'll be with us for another few weeks, and then we've got some exciting things in the works, too, coming up for after that. 

Mike: 29:56

That's so cool, and to have like kind of a rotating selection of things in there, that's really nice. It kind of keeps it fresh And, yeah, always something new, right? So are there other services that you're looking to provide in the future that you have not added yet? 

Sara: 30:14

Yes. So on top of what we've talked about, we also do like lash extensions, and then we do like waxing and tinting and all that kind of stuff as well that you think of when you think of lashes and eyebrows. We really want to add pedicures. We get the question multiple times a week do you do pedicures? at the moment we don't, because we don't have the space for it. We have that space up front. That's been rotating retail but in order to do pedicures correctly, it's going to take a build out and a lot of different moving pieces. I'm not interested in just having someone sit in a chair and throwing a bowl on the floor. There is a million pedicure places. When I get a pedicure, i want a massage chair, like I want the whole experience, and I can't provide that currently, so I don't want to half-ass it. But we would love to have that in the future. So that's a plan, but it's a down the road plan. 

Mike: 31:16

Yeah. 

Sara: 31:19

And I mean right now we're really focusing on growing into our new space, because our studio in College Park had two nail tables and one bed that we used for the cosmetic tattooing for the lashes and brows and things like that. Our new space has four nail tables and four beds, and so our team has more than doubled in the last year And we're really focusing on getting our names out there and letting people know that we're in the neighborhood now to grow to fit the size of the space that we've moved into. 

Mike: 31:56

That's so exciting. So how many artists do you have there currently? 12, I believe Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, it's so funny because before, when Tiffany was there doing microblading, it was kind of by appointment only And you didn't really. I don't think she really advertised, it was kind of a very specific thing, right. And then the salon just opened up and it was like, wow, there are so many people doing stuff in here And it's like Tiffany's has. 

Sara: 32:28

Like she and I have been best friends for I don't know. Her daughter and my daughter are the same age And so they've grown up together And you know, she and I laugh about it because we have very different vibes. And she did such incredible things with Rebels. She taught me how to do microblading And I'm just so fortunate that I was in a space where I could take that over when it didn't serve her any longer and that we could. You know, i brought her employees onto the Pinky team and I'm just so thankful that we were able to make that work. 

Mike: 33:06

Wow, yeah, that, really that's amazing When I don't know when you can learn from a friend and then sort of inherit the space, right Where it's just like she's already started it off and it's already kind of going in a really good direction And you've expanded it so much and you're just like maximizing the use of the space, because it is it's a very big shop right. 

Sara: 33:30

It is yeah. 

Mike: 33:32

And so it gives kind of opportunity for growth and for different things. And yeah, and I just so you're open seven days a week, i understand. 

Sara: 33:42

Yes, seven days a week. Weekdays it's 10 to seven and weekends is noon to six, i think. 

Mike: 33:49

Mm-hmm, and you're by appointment only. You don't really do walk-ins, or it depends. 

Sara: 33:55

It depends. Okay, we would love to offer walk-ins when we can. A lot of the time, we are booked up in advance, and so if we don't have an artist available to take a walk-in, obviously we can't do that. But as we are getting things more structured and more artists coming in, we're really hoping to be able to accommodate more of the walk-ins. 

Mike: 34:17

Yeah, that's great, and I understand too that you will post on Instagram when you have like an appointment open, just like that day, and somebody it's like first come, first serve, right. 

Sara: 34:28

Well, we encourage people. We'll post on our socials so on our Facebook and our Instagram, every morning the openings for the day And we encourage people to text us. Cool, we have a receptionist on the weekends, but we don't have one on the weekdays. Yet We take turns answering the phones And so we always say text is the best way to get a hold of us, because if we're all actively with a client we can't necessarily answer the phone, but it's way easier to look down and see oh, someone wants to know if they can have the 2 pm. Then I can shout hey, can you take the 2 pm? And they'll say yeah, and I'll just text it back really quick you know Yeah. So our number one preferred method of communication is text. 

Mike: 35:09

That's perfect, yeah. 

Sara: 35:11

And we do our best to get back to people as fast as we can. 

Mike: 35:14

Sure, yeah, i mean, these things are so organic too, right. When you have a small business, it's like you can make or change the culture and these things, that these logistics of it and just making everything work. But, yeah, i think, just being so customer focused, you really you retain a lot of your clients that way, right, it's really what it's all about. It's about that relationship and feeling connected to something and just having this very inviting atmosphere where you know that you're not gonna be judged and you do feel beautiful when you walk out of there. Like that's the goal, right. 

Sara: 35:53

Yeah, absolutely. 

Mike: 35:54

What a great goal. 

Sara: 35:57

We wanna be a highlight of your day, to where we make you feel good and we have a good time together. We get to know our clients pretty well and so they can come in and say I've had a bad day, i don't wanna talk, and that's just fine. They can put their headphones in. We have clients that we are so excited to see them. We're like, okay, what's the T? I know you've been X, y or Z spill, so we really enjoy getting to know people and, honestly, it's just such a fun thing to do for a living. It's like you get to hang out with people that you get to know and you love and you get to make cool stuff together and contribute something fun to someone's day. 

Mike: 36:38

Yeah, it's art, it's living art, right It's like wearable. It becomes part of you, right, and it's like part of a person's identity, and they feel connected to the salon in that way, right? Or the studio, rather. 

Sara: 36:52

The studio. yeah, I like to make the joke that I made a career out of a coping mechanism because I would always fidget with my nails when I was a kid and was stressed out about stuff And I've always enjoyed doing art. but as a person with anxiety, I struggle with knowing when to be done with art, like when is it finished? And so if I'm making something on my own, it can actually really stress me out. But if someone says, hey, i want some modern minimalism in different shades of blue, like that gives me such a fun project to do, where I have very clear boundaries and I can make it happen, and it doesn't add stress to my day and it makes someone else feel great and it really just feels like a win-win. 

Mike: 37:36

Yeah, and I think yeah, when you are artistically inclined, you have to have an outlet right. And I think that sometimes it can be a challenge because the art that we choose, if it is the thing that we do for a living, we might get burnt out or it might not be as magical, it might not be that release that you need. But I think that if you're doing it right, you can find that balance to where it's still very rewarding and it's still that artistic outlet And also people appreciate it. 

Sara: 38:10

People appreciate it so much too right, and I will have to say that one of the most rewarding things for me in the past two years or three years or whatever it's been now, has been to see the people that have trusted me and come to work for me grow as artists and grow professionally. That has been so incredible for me, to not only know that they trust me to come and work at Pinky, but to watch them make connections with clients and to get excited when their books are full and the art they create is insane. You know the things they send me and the pictures that I see. I'm just like my brain can even fathom how you did that. That's so incredible that you managed to do that in such a short period of time, wow, yeah, i just feel really, really lucky. 

Mike: 38:58

That is awesome. That's such an inspiring story, too, to be able to not only share your art but grow your friends' artistic abilities and their outlet and their customer base. And it's just the way that, with what Tiffany did with you, of teaching you microblading and passing that on. So now that's like your journey to continue. 

Sara: 39:23

Yeah, i think that there is such a unique space to do something that you enjoy, that fulfills you creatively and that can also provide you with a feasible living, and it feels like I've been given such a gift to offer that to other people. 

Mike: 39:43

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean I think that beauty standards in the traditional sense of what the public sort of views has changed quite a bit too right. It's opened up just in a lot of ways, like there's not. It used to be, i think growing up that it was like there was kind of one way to be handsome or beautiful, and like it really has expanded now right. 

Sara: 40:09

Absolutely yeah. 

Mike: 40:10

And so what are some of the ways that, since you've been in the industry, has that sort of changed for you? Has there been ways where you've been like, oh, that is like. I see the beauty in that now. 

Sara: 40:26

I don't know if there's anything that has changed specifically since I started in the industry. I've always kind of been more of a weirdo when it comes to this kind of stuff And I think it's been more of just finding my people and people who also like to explore and try new things, and it's been exciting for me to not feel alone in that and to find a community of people who also like to try new things and don't mind being perceived as different, and I think for me that's been really fun to experience. I always like to say too, that we always wanna see more guys in the studio. We definitely have guys that come and get different services done, but this is a better answer to your question. I have specifically loved watching like Gen Z dudes get really into nail polish I really, really enjoyed that And like I do my boyfriend's nails. and we have guys that come in occasionally. but why wouldn't you wanna take care of your hands and make them fun? So for me that's really exciting that that's becoming more normal for everyone. 

Mike: 41:50

Yes. 

Sara: 41:51

And I hope to see more of it at Pinky. 

Mike: 41:54

Yeah, I mean, that is such a fun way to express yourself, And why not adorn your hands, because they're just right there to be seen all the time. And it's like I think tattoos have kind of changed in that way too, that our parents sort of saw tattoos in a certain light And now everybody has tattoos right. And it's like it's not for just the fringe, or you know sailors Yeah. So it's a marker of time, it's self-expression, it's individuality, just all of the things that you know. You only get one body right. Yeah, so decorate it. 

Sara: 42:40

Yeah, you're not going to take it with you, so have some fun. 

Mike: 42:43

Yeah, yeah, i just recently got my first tattoo. 

Sara: 42:47

Very cool Yeah, so I'm very excited. 

Mike: 42:49

It was on New Year's. That's very recent It was very recent, my friend Jerry was doing a little pop-up And yeah, so my wife and I got matching tattoos. 

Sara: 42:59

I love that. 

Mike: 43:00

Yeah, and it's like my favorite thing right now. 

Sara: 43:02

Is that Jerry Buttgirk? 

Mike: 43:05

Yes, indeed Indeed yes. 

Sara: 43:07

I've got a couple by him too. I love him. He's the best, he's great. 

Mike: 43:10

Yeah, we've known him. Actually, my wife and I were like hanging out with him. He was like in the friend group back in the day when we met. So yeah, so he's near and dear to our hearts. 

Sara: 43:22

He's a good one, for sure He really is And so talented. 

Mike: 43:26

So I wonder if he'll do maybe a pop-up at your studio We love. 

Sara: 43:32

We just had our first guest artist recently And that was super exciting for us? 

Mike: 43:36

Really, tell me about that. 

Sara: 43:37

Her name is Skye. She, I guess, grew up in Orlando But now lives in LA and tattoos out there. And when she came home for the holidays she just reached out and was like, hey, I'm going to be in town for a few weeks. Would you be open to having a guest artist? I was like, yeah, 10 out of 10, absolutely. 

Mike: 43:54

That's so cool, so there might be opportunity for other guest artists there as well. 

Sara: 43:58

Absolutely yeah. 

Mike: 43:59

All right, so they can reach out to you and schedule that. Perhaps That's very cool And I understand you have a special event coming up. 

Sara: 44:08

Yes, we do. We have artist and illustrator Gemma Carell coming to Pinky. I have followed Gemma on social media for years. I think everyone would probably recognize her work And her manager recently moved to Orlando, happened into Pinky for a manicure And we got talking about it. And now we've got Gemma coming to studio. Gemma is originally from the UK, now lives in California And she has made some special Florida-based art for the event. You can come meet the artist, get her work, get something signed, And then we're also going to be doing flash tattoos and nail art of Gemma's work that day too. We're very excited about it Wow. 

Mike: 44:54

So what are the hours that day? so people know It's. 

Sara: 44:57

Sunday, february 5th, from noon to 3 PM at Pinky Orlando. 

Mike: 45:01

Excellent. And do you know where people can find Gemma's art online Everywhere? Just Google it and you'll see it. 

Sara: 45:08

Yes, so she's Gemma Carell on all social media, i mean, but you can find Gemma Carell goods in Target or pretty much any little gift store that you go to. The thing you will recognize from her is either the pug drawings or the existential dread drawings. 

Mike: 45:27

I think I know exactly what you're talking about. That's so cool And so that's February 5th. Ok, good to know, all right, so everybody mark your calendar. 

Sara: 45:37

Yes, we're very excited. 

Mike: 45:40

Well, I think we kind of covered it. Oh, I did see you had a gender affirming makeup class in the studio. Tell me about that. 

Sara: 45:55

So one of our lovely folks that works for us is part of a group out at UCF that helps queer and non-conforming kids that don't necessarily have a community or a safe space to find gender affirming clothing or health and beauty needs that they have, and so they were doing a clothing drive and just let us know, hey, we're trying to get clothes for these kids at UCF And I said I think that's really really cool. Is there anything else that we can do to be a part of this? Because it fits so well with what my vision of Pinkie is is to help people learn what feels good to them, and they asked me if they could use the space for a gender affirming makeup class, and so a bunch of the girls volunteered their time And we talked about basic skin care, nail care, how to speak when you go into a salon, how to ask for what you want, we talked about consent with tattooing, all kinds of things like that, which was so great, and I really enjoyed being able to have a space for people who are still exploring what feels good to them to come and learn some stuff about that. 

Mike: 47:25

Yeah, Yeah, I love to hear that so much because it's rare for a business to reach out in that way. 

Sara: 47:36

It's such an easy thing for us to do, why wouldn't we, if we have the opportunity? 

Mike: 47:40

Yeah, that's such a good point. Yeah, i love that philosophy. You have this way of making it sound so simple, as it should be. 

Sara: 47:50

It's like. 

Mike: 47:51

I think that we overthink things sometimes and we don't really need to. It's just about love and inclusion and connection. 

Sara: 48:01

Yeah, and one piece of opposition that I've or, i guess, criticism I've received in the past while doing business-y things, is that I can be a little too I don't know personal or messy or political, but that's one of the beautiful things about the beauty industry is you can find a beauty studio everywhere, on every corner, and so if what we do at Pinky doesn't make you feel good, you don't have to come to us because there's so many places to go And I think there can be a space for everyone, and I really like being a space for people who may not feel like they fit in the other ones. 

Mike: 48:44

Yeah, that's such a good point too. Yeah Well, you picked the perfect neighborhood. 

Sara: 48:49

I feel that way too. I'm so happy to be here. 

Mike: 48:51

What are some things about Audubon Park that you love? What are some of your favorite spots here? Oh my gosh so everything. Right. 

Sara: 49:02

Yeah, so I used to do, i used to do macrame, i taught macrame and I did like I sold at markets and things like that. And Brittany and Augie at the Owls Attic were so amazing. They helped me do workshops in their studio. The macrame curtains they have in their windows I made those. 

Mike: 49:22

Oh, wow. 

Sara: 49:23

So I've always loved just seeing them and being able to feel welcomed in their space. I love food. So this is a great neighborhood to be in, also a bit problematic when you're not trying to spend all the money every day, but it's just so easy to put your order in at Farm and House and then walk down the street and pick it up. There are so many businesses in Audubon The fact that the Salty's right there now. Every time someone walks in the door and has a box from the Salty, i simultaneously love them and want them to just turn around and leave, because I was such a terrible sweet tooth. I have no control at all whatsoever, so whenever people bring any sort of neighborhood sweets to us, i will eat them all up. 

Mike: 50:14

The Salty's donuts are pretty insane. I mean, they're wonderful. How could you say no? But it's a commitment also, So it's like you know what you're signing up for. 

Sara: 50:26

Yep. 

Mike: 50:27

Absolutely. 

Sara: 50:29

And I mean I think this neighborhood is so great because it's so familiar, there's so many options, but you know people from just being around and seeing different things. I used to work with porch therapy And so I spent a lot of time at East End Market And it was fun to get to know the people there and see things grow and change And people moved to bigger spaces. So I always think East End Market has been such an incredible spot in the neighborhood to be like an incubator for small business. I truly tell people all the time they will have to drag my cold dead body out of the location Pinky's in right now, because you cannot get me out of there. 

Mike: 51:14

And I've met Dean, the building owner and he's a wonderful man. 

Sara: 51:18

Yeah, he's great. 

Mike: 51:19

So, and you have nice neighbors. I haven't met any of the folks at the IV shop, but that seems more like a chain in a way or something. Is it perhaps? 

Sara: 51:29

I've been there, i did a lot of traveling for work, which, as someone who doesn't tend to travel all that much, i back to back did a bunch of trips, in the fall for work specifically, and so I was home for like 36 hours And I went and got an IV done, because I was just like someone please give me vitamins and hydrate me. It was great. 

Mike: 51:52

Was it? It made you feel better and it revived you. 

Sara: 51:56

It absolutely made me feel hydrated and alive. 

Mike: 51:59

That's great to know, and they're right there next door. So, yeah, everything that you could need is in this neighborhood. I feel like right. 

Sara: 52:08

No complaints at all. It's the best. 

Mike: 52:11

Yeah, i mean that's why I'm doing this podcast, because people should know what's here and support the small businesses, and yeah, it's what makes living here so great. 

Sara: 52:22

Absolutely. 

Mike: 52:23

And you live in College Park, is that right? 

Sara: 52:25

I do, So. Stones throw? 

Mike: 52:31

You're just adjacent. Yeah that's perfect too.Well, Sara, again so nice to meet you, so nice talking to you, and we'll see you around. Sounds good, All right. 

Outro:

Hello APGD, A neighborhood podcast, is brought to you in part by Stardust Video and Coffee, Audubon Park's beloved neighborhood cafe, bakery bar and meeting place located at 1842 East Winter Park Road. We're also sponsored by Redlight. Redlight Brew Pub. Founded in 2005, Redlight is widely known as the source for world-class imports and micro brews, a wide selection of natural wines plus award-winning beers brewed in-house. A full kitchen is in the works with an amazing menu by chef Jess Tantolo, Located at 2810 Corrine Drive. Please check out Redlight for all things beer and wine, and soon food. Our theme song is by Christopher Pierce, and special thanks to Trey Hester for all of his help in making this podcast a reality. We do hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please click Subscribe and leave a review, if you'd like. We'll see you next time.