Jordanne Le Fae shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Jordanne, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
I think when most people think “Tattoo Artist” they think of late nights partying, rolling out of bed at noon and generally living the rockstar life. This is not true for lots of tattoo artists, and comparatively… I’m pretty boring! Hubby and I are woken up by our 3 cats begging for wet food, we get ready and I’m tattooing by 10am. I love working earlier and being home at a reasonable hour so that I can still enjoy the extracurriculars that I enjoy… things like sewing, cozy video games and binge watching fantasy with my hubby. I am fortunate that I have been able to curate a pretty good work life balance, as much as a self employed person can.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
In a nutshell… Hi! I’m Jordanne Le Fae, owner of Weird Ink Society tattoo shop in St. Paul, MN. I’m also a full time tattoo artist, the owner of Inkromancy Tarot, co-owner of The TatTube and a tattoo “influencer” on social media.
What does that all mean? First and foremost, tattooing is my ultimate passion and I’m eternally grateful for the clients that trust my creative vision to bring their dreams to life for them. Additionally, the tattoo industry can be a scary one, and all the other ventures of my life are meant to create a safe space in tattooing for those who need it.
Weird Ink Society is a tattoo shop that caters to those craving something softer in their tattoo experience. We are a safe space tattoo shop that is run by a gaggle of neurodivergent folk, so we are able to create a shop dynamic that is both full of life and also easy to relax in. Inkromancy Tarot brings artwork from 80 artists together in a unique way, as it helps build community within the artists as well as introduce artists to clients that may not have found them otherwise.. The TatTube meets a need in the industry by being a creative packaging solution for aftercare bandages that most tattooers use daily. And lastly, being an “influencer” who focuses on the tagline, “Things your tattoo artist wants you to know, more about the tattoo community and etiquette.” This creates the opportunity for me to help educate the layman about the tattoo industry in a way that hopefully makes the client feel safe.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
A little backstory – after college I worked a corporate job for 5 years, becoming quite successful but ultimately it was making me miserable, before quitting and moving states to pursue a career in tattooing. It was a big move and was pretty scary, but about a month after I started my tattoo apprenticeship, I was at my parents house going through some old things my mom had found from my childhood. She found a letter my pre-k teacher had sent home with an evaluation of how I was doing in class and it read, “Jordanne doesn’t really like to sit still or pay attention… but if you put her in front of an art project, she will be occupied for hours!” Finding this letter right after I had made a huge scary move in my life to purse my dreams was really just a big blazing sign that I was headed in the right direction. It was exactly the push I needed to feel secure about diving headfirst into this new career and I have never looked back! In a crazy turn of events, that pre-k teacher now teaches yoga at a studio in my home town, so I still get to see her occasionally!
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
About 2 months before I was set to graduate college, one of my best friends was hit and killed by a drunk driver. The plan had been that I was going to start my tattoo apprenticeship after college, but Mikes death put a major monkey wrench into those plans. After graduation, I moved in with Mikes fiancée, Kelsi, because we were also friends and needed each other to lean on through our grief. It was during that time that I got a “normal” job, working front desk at a chain massage spa… and all of a sudden, 5 years had passed. During that time I had been promoted several times and was managing multiple locations as well as teaching an onboarding sales class at the corporate office, but it was if I had put my real life on hold while pursing what society told me was the correct job path. I started going to therapy and she helped me remember that my ultimate goal and passion was to purse tattooing, so what the heck was I doing in a sales and management position?! Within 3 months of that therapy appointment, I had quit my job and moved back to Wisconsin to finally start my apprenticeship, and now almost 11 years later I own my own shop and multiple businesses within the industry.
I often wonder if I had started my apprenticeship when I was supposed to, where would my career be now? But I am a firm believer in “things happen for a reason.” Through my experiences at the spa, I was able to learn so much valuable information on how to be a leader, and a business owner. Those experiences have ultimately been a huge part of my current success as well.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The short answer is yes. I am a horrible liar so anything you see on my socials is 100% honest to who I am as a person. Additionally, para-social relationships with the “influencers” we see on social media are common and easily formed. I am no stranger to this, having almost half a million followers on TikTok… and I adore it! Nothing makes me happier than a stranger coming up to me a a renaissance festival, or a punk show, and having them say something to the effect of, “Hey, aren’t you Faetattoos from TikTok?” And while I can fully admit to loving the attention, what I really love is that my information is getting out there! I love knowing that the videos I put a lot of love and effort into are actually reaching my audience and they are enjoying my content. I will admit though, that my online persona is MUCH more put together than I am in real life… what you see on the internet is usually curated so you see the most interesting parts of my life.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
The irony of this question is that while I am known for being a social media “influencer”… If I had limited time on this earth, social media and my phone addiction would be the first thing I cut out. I spend so much time doom scrolling and it’s a true addiction I am working on. One of my favorite things to do lately is “intentional doom scrolling”… which to me just means I am not on the For You page, but you’ll find me scrolling my Following page or my Friends page. This means I can support the thousands of creators that I already follow, as well as my friends!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Faetattoos.com
- Instagram: @faetattoos
- Facebook: @faetattoos
- Youtube: @faetattoos
- Other: TikTok: @faetattoos
Patreon: @faetattoos
Image Credits
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