Raina's first practice took eight years to feel settled. Her second one, a tattoo practice, needed to come together without taking over her life.
Before
Raina already runs a full-time private practice as a therapist. She’s also a mom of two. Tattooing started as a pandemic-era counterbalance to that intensive work, something she did for friends.
There was no booking process, and she wasn’t sure she wanted there to be. Her first practice had taken years to figure out, and building a second one from scratch sounded like a lot.
"It all seemed like too much to figure out. Being a mom of two kids, I had no time to conceptualize how I wanted any of this to go."
— Raina
How we started
We got talking while Raina tattooed my hands: what if she offered her work to more than just friends? At first, that meant a website and a simple booking flow.
"I felt inspired by the way Liz worked, how she conceptually laid out what was possible for me. It inspired me to consider taking this practice more seriously."
— Raina
She decided to go for it: a working system, a sense of how to value her time, and a visual brand that felt like her.
What I built
Before I built anything, we worked out how Raina wanted her practice to run. We set her pricing together and mapped the whole client journey, down to questions like whether deposits are part of the booking flow or collected separately.
We focused on the website first. From the content to the overall aesthetic, the website is often a client’s first sense of how a tattoo artist holds space, so I knew it was important to get it right. Raina worked with Yellow Jacket Social to create her logo and then selected a main typeface herself. With those brand elements in place, we created a visual design system for the website inspired by her interests and personal style.
From start to finish, we built an easy path for Raina’s ideal client:
- Deciding on her. A website with her bio, her work, flash (pre-drawn designs clients can choose from), common questions and a privacy policy. Her portfolio pulls straight from Instagram, so it stays current without extra work. I also helped her buy her domain and set up hosting.
- Reaching out. A consultation request form. When someone fills it out, Raina gets an intake email in her own voice and branding, and the client gets a confirmation in the same style so they know they’ve been heard.
- Booking. Raina sends a booking link only when she’s ready to work with someone. That’s on purpose: she decides who books, not the calendar. The client picks a time that fits, and it lands on Raina’s calendar.
- Getting ready. The confirmation email covers what to expect, directions, access info and a link to the waiver. A reminder goes out 48 hours ahead. If the waiver still isn’t done, Raina gets a heads-up before the appointment, not at the door.
- After. An aftercare email goes out once the session is done.
Behind all of that is a dashboard for Raina’s side of things. In one place she can see every appointment, every consultation request and everyone who has a booking link but hasn’t booked yet. She can see who’s signed the waiver and check off deposits and final payments. Over time it becomes a history of her client work.
Two more pieces fit how tattooing actually works. She updates her flash page with a simple form, no website editing required. And for flash days and popups, she can create a unique waiver link that handles walk-ins thoughtfully.
Under the hood, it all runs on her own Google Drive and n8n (automation software that passes information between her tools), with cal.com for scheduling, Jotform for waivers and Netlify hosting the site.
The process
"I don't usually work well with people around my personal ventures. Liz got my creative and sometimes no-nonsense style of communicating. She is similar."
— Raina
Some of the technical side never fully clicked for her, and that’s fine. It didn’t have to.
"This is why we all need Liz to do that programming stuff that my right-brain-dominant self can't wrap my head around. But she does it all with finesse and aesthetique!"
— Raina
After
The system is live, and Raina is using it. The biggest change she describes isn’t a feature. It’s how the work feels.
"I am way more organized with booking and so much less stressed about it. For me, more structure and less stress is a top priority in anything I devote my time to."
— Raina
People noticed, too. Clients love the site, and people she doesn’t talk to regularly have reached out to say so.
What surprised her most:
“I feel totally set up and ready to go and expand as a new small business. It took me eight years to feel that way in private practice.”
Even with some beginner nerves still there, she feels more confident and legitimate as a tattoo artist, online and off.
In Raina’s words
"Liz will understand your vibe and create a flow that works uniquely to you, as well as point out various additions that could help with client retention and client satisfaction."
— Raina
If you’re starting something new (a practice, a modality, a second line of work you’re not sure about yet), that’s what The Groundwork is for. If you mostly need a website that makes the first hello easy, start with The Front Desk. Or just tell me what you’re working on. You don’t need to have it figured out first.