Community Highlights: Meet Kourtney Mauldin of Krowned Kween’s Piercing Palace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kourtney Mauldin.

Hi Kourtney, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I literally stumbled upon my business. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always known that I want my own business. In 2010, I was struggling single parent trying to decide what to do with my life. I have always had corporate type jobs but with a small baby, I was having issues with childcare. Working late hours wasn’t gonna cut it. I knew I needed a means of making money to be able to support myself and my new baby. I knew I needed a trade. I ended up falling back on one of my talents which was braiding hair. I started assisting a friend who had her own business doing hair. It worked for a while but I quickly decided that it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t making enough money to fully support myself and progress in life as I desired. I know I needed something that could bring in the money and also give me a sense of importance, value while allowing me to spend more time with my son.

So while I looked for a trade that I could take for my own, I ended up starting a small business selling body jewelry. I quickly discovered that I didn’t know many people with body piercings. This left me with plenty of inventory yet no customers. It’s funny how things work. I never imagined that I would be Piercing. The friend that I was working for ended up moving to a new salon that was also a barbershop and a tattoo shop. I was told by my friend that they were looking for Piercer. I explained that I didn’t know anything about piercings. However, my family was in the medical field so I wasn’t too shy when it came to needles, blood, or pain. I was intrigued. I started to ask around about how to get started and quickly found a tattoo shop and requested an apprenticeship. The tattoo shop agreed to the apprenticeship yet stood me up and decided to go with a male candidate. Instead of giving up, I decided that I’d research on my own and I’d teach myself. Like, how hard could it be? I had customer service experience, medical field experience and I am very good at math. So I figured this would be easy peasy… not at all. I had no clientele. My friends and a few family members allowed me to practice on them. I realized it was much harder than it looked. I was nervous and so were they. I think I was more nervous than anyone because I didn’t want to mess up. But I did. Over and over again. But I didn’t give up. I learned, I listened to the complaints and I adjusted. I became better. “Krowned Kween” was created. Shortly after I started working at the salon/tattoo shop, my friend and I were fired. Some things just aren’t meant. But like I said before, it’s funny how things work out. My friends and I decided to open our own shops.

In 2013, I opened my first tattoo shop, Sumthing Different Piercings and Tattoo Shop (SDPT). I had my own shop and I was ecstatic and terrified at the same. I had a tattoo shop, no tattoo artist and my clientele was not able find me yet. So boom, I’m starting all over again. But this time, I’m responsible for this large space, new bills and this growing baby. At this point, I couldn’t give up. God works in mysterious ways. The shop I was fired from ended up closing. Now all the tattoo artists needed a new place to work. And guess who had the space for them? Me. The shop grew overnight. Like grew to the point I had to create space for them. The business took off! I pierced my first celebrity, KStylis. I even hosted a small concert where Bankroll Fresh performed and listened to local artists free of charge. Life was good but I still had obstacles. I was a woman in a male-dominated field. I was a tattooed and pierced businesswoman. I was judged by city officials and other business owners cause I was different. I looked different, talked different and stood up for myself. I had to deal with the city forcing our businesses in areas that were congested or poverty-stricken. I had to fight with landlords about the validity of the business and the quality of our clientele. This caused me to try to find a larger, safer and more upscale area to house the business. It was nearly impossible to do so. Either the properties weren’t affordable, the business wasn’t zoned for the area or the landlords directly declined to lease to me due to the nature of the business. Reality TV played a minor role in these decisions. All they saw on tv were black-owned tattoo shops with drama and fights. So that’s what they assumed my black-owned tattoo shop would be like. I could go on and on about all the silent battles fought. I closing SDPT and moving the shop and opening Sumthing Different Body Art Studio. Thinking if I changed the name and took tattoo out that it would help. It helped with the city but I ended up with a slumlord.

During the transition, I lost a few tattoo artists. I started selling plates and washing cars to make up for the loss in income due to the move. Still didn’t give up. I ended up finishing that lease and moved again and opened up Deeper Than Ink. By this time, I was tired. I had to take a step back to see if this was worth fighting for. I felt like I was fighting for something I no longer desired. I never wanted a tattoo shop but I fell into it and stepped up to the plate. I prayed and decided to let the shop go. It was physically exhausting to continue to give my all to something that was just not going the way I thought it should. Little did I know I waited too late. In 2015, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had to stop completely to get my health manageable. I even tried to get a regular job but no one would hire me due to me having a business. I was ready to give up and apply for disability. I actually did and was denied, lol. The doctor looked me in my face and said “you’re too smart for disability, you’ll figure it out” So what could I do? Pierce and cook. So I did just that. I started selling plates with the help of a friend. Once I got my household bills back together, I went back to piercing. I started to remember that this is what I love. So I traveled to people since I didn’t have a shop home any longer. I started to rent booths at other shops and began to rebuild my clientele and perfect my craft. I even at one point worked from home. Then things came full circle. The guys who worked at my shop opened their own shop “Pain Freakz Body Art Studio” and offered my a booth to rent. I was honored. I worked with them for the last four years. I worked to increase my knowledge of piercings and healing and even stepped up the jewelry options that weren’t currently available in our area. Now it’s 2022 and I decided to step away from the tattoo shop scene to provide my own personalized experience, the ‘Krowned Kween Piercing Palace’ experience.

We’ve been impressed with Krowned Kween’s Piercing Palace, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a self-taught master body piercer. I specialize in dermal piercings and snake eye tongue piercings. My customer service skills set me apart from other piercers. I have gone to homes, jobs, and hospitals to accommodate my clients. I even provide virtual assistance. I’m most proud of the experience I provide. I’m informative and educational. I’m professional yet patient and kind. I offer a variety of services, I have a large inventory of jewelry and I have created my own line of aftercare products.

How do you think about happiness?
The smile on my client’s face after they see the piercing. It’s my reward. When I put that mirror in their face and say do you like it and they face light up, to literally see that boost of confidence, it’s nothing like it. To see them take selfies and show off my work, I love it. I love feedback. To look at my reviews and know that each interaction made a difference, that makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Email: Krownedkweendom@gmail.com
• Website: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/2RYVPJSJF4GZ1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KrownedKween
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrownedKweensPiercingPalace/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Krowned_Kween
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC5ZS46nbL_peVfC4L34Ioxw