Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Clapham.
Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hello! My name is Rachel Clapham and I am the owner of Anthem Piercing & Tattoo, located in North Salt Lake. My husband and I have two kids, a dog who doesn’t listen and run a commercial construction company together. I am an avid music and art lover who studied graphic design in college. This ultimately led me in a direction I never expected for myself…owning a tattoo shop.
I got my first tattoo when I was 44 years old. I enjoyed the design-to-ink tattoo process so much, that I returned for my second, and third, and so on. For some clients, getting tattooed can be very cathartic and calming. This was definitely the case for me. Being in the chair for hours, I quickly became good friends with my tattoo artist, Krista (@inklinedart), who was the owner of the shop at the time and we became great friends.
One day, I simply asked if she would consider me becoming her apprentice. After showing her my work, she agreed. Eventually, Krista wanted to focus more on the craft and less on business, as most creative types do, and offered to sell me the shop. I jumped at the chance to continue with the shop foundation she worked so hard to build. I took a break from learning tattoo to learn how to RUN a tattoo shop. It was an adventure, to be sure. Ups, downs and a lot of lessons learned. I quickly realized piercing and permanent jewelry would be awesome additions to the shop. With the help of Krista and three very talented women who agreed to board this crazy shop train with me, we were able to bring these services in relatively quickly. Amy Cox(@prizmpiercing), Jessie McBrayer (@pierced.by.jessie) and Kyrsten Talley (@kk_pierces) now all run their own piercing businesses within Anthem and it is great to be a part of their journeys and watch them grow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building a clientele is always a challenge. It takes time, patience and a lot of work, but well worth it. In this industry, social media is vital, we get that, but we greatly appreciate a word of mouth referral. There is a huge element of trust in choosing to get a tattoo or piercing with a body artist so sharing your experience with others really helps us grow.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are very proud to be a female-owned and operated shop. Krista, @inklinedart, our tattoo artist, has over 17 years experience and is extremely confident in all styles of tattooing.
Amy, @prizmpiercing, is our lead piercer. She is a skilled advanced piercer and has a background in medical sterile technique.
Jessie, @pierced.by.jessie, is our ear piercer. Everyone she meets, loves her. She is great at matching unique jewelry pieces to the piercing and client.
Kyrsten, @kk_pierces is also a very talented ear piercer and our permanent jewelry artist.
Our shop vibe is calm, comfortable, and we always have really great music playing. We have chosen to be a private shop and schedule by appointment only to help our clients feel at ease knowing they are getting the proper attention to detail and safety. Our focus is to help each client express their own individuality and share their own personal “ANTHEM” through body art. Whether it be through bold ink that makes a statement or adding a subtle sparkle with jewelry. We welcome all humans who walk through our shop door and hope to earn their trust, gain a new friend and become their go-to for tattoos, piercings and permanent jewelry.
Pricing:
- Tattoo- $150 per hour
- Basic Piercings- $50-75 Basic titanium jewelry included
- Advanced Piercings- $75-90 Basic titanium jewelry included
- Permanent jewelry- $50+
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @anthempiercingandtattoo
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/anthemtats
