Local StoriesMarch 15, 2022

Rising Stars: Meet Sophie Hard

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Hard.

Sophie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I spent most of my life thinking I needed to go to graduate school to be a therapist or a doctor to make a difference in the world, and it wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and started taking improv comedy classes that I was exposed to adults who were living really creatively-fulfilling artistic lives. I had heard of microblading (semi-permanent, very natural-looking eyebrow tattooing) through Instagram and wanted to get it done on my own eyebrows. I went to a random microblading artist in Los Angeles that did an OK job, but I noticed when they were doing the drawing to base the tattoo off of, it was pretty uneven and I ended up adjusting the shape for the artist being a little shocked she wasn’t able to see the difference between the two eyebrow shapes she drew.

At that point, I had worked on and off as a professional makeup artist for ten years, and I felt like microblading might be a great side career for me that would combine my love of the medical field, makeup, tiny ink drawings, and working with people. I was working as a personal assistant during the week, feeling my soul slowly leave my body and was ready for a change. One day, I got an email from a microblading artist whose work I really admired offering me a part-time job. I had done her advanced training course a month prior and stayed in touch. I remember sitting at my assisting job, opening up the email, and instantly started to sob when I saw the offer.. All I had ever wanted was to be good enough to work at Audrey Glass Cosmetic Tattoo, and here the offer was sitting in front of me! I quit my assisting job and my part-time position at Audrey’s studio changed my life. Just a few months into working at AGCT, I officially let go of the idea of graduate school because I was so in love with this work. I worked at her studio for 3.5 years until Covid hit, and I moved to Austin during the pandemic. I used to get really nervous when a client would walk in with no eyebrow hair due to alopecia or chemo, and now nothing excites me more! I love a challenge.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a fairly smooth road for me. I notice that the biggest thing that gets in my way is my fear of failure. It was terrifying to move my established business across the country leaving 400 clients behind. I was lucky to have a decent Instagram following already, and that certainly helped me get clients out here. It cost me about $10k to get everything started here in Austin, which was really stressful after seven months of not being able to work in Los Angeles, and I was really lucky to get a grant through People Fund, an organization I highly recommend reaching out to if you’re a new or struggling small business in Austin.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in a natural, realistic style of eyebrow tattooing called Microblading. Microblading is a semi-permanent tattoo that uses cosmetic ink (this type of ink is designed to fade over time) and a single use hand tool that makes tiny strokes or lines in the skin where the eyebrows go to mimic real hair. I am also trained in Areola Tattooing which is a permanent tattoo done with a traditional tattoo machine for those who’ve had their breast removed due to cancer or individuals who have less than desired results after top surgeries.

My most favorite thing in the world is working on clients who have little to no eyebrow hair as a starting point. It’s incredible how different someone can look with eyebrows on the proper place of their forehead! I am most proud of my work on clients who had no brow hair to start, and I am known for my artistic skill in creating an undetectable eyebrow tattoo.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor is so important. When I got my first certification in microblading, I went to school for three nights and one full day and all of a sudden, I was legally allowed to tattoo people’s faces. I was not at all prepared for what it was like to tattoo someone’s skin and how to deal with asymmetries in the face and bone structure in a way that would leave someone with natural, even brows. I wouldn’t have nearly the knowledge and skill level I have now if I hadn’t been taken under Audrey Glass’s wing.

I spent a lot of time looking at Instagram and finding people’s work who I was really impressed with. Once you find that, reach out to that person and see if they are training or if you can shadow them. The knowledge you’ll learn from established cosmetic tattoo artists is priceless.

In terms of networking, I’m a people person and always go to events. Instead of business cards that sit around in someone’s dusty junk drawer, I have people that I meet follow my profile on Instagram. You never know how far word of mouth can spread!

Pricing:

First session Microblading – $700
Touch Up – $300
Yearly Touch Up – $400

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos of me and my studio taken by Grace Dupuy @TheLetterGrace

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