Today we’d like to introduce you to Hollie Stringer.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hollie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My husband and I met in high school in a small town called Mabank. After college at UNT, he decided to pursue tattooing and because we’re partners in everything we do, I started to learn the ins and outs of the industry as much as I could so that I could help him grow his business. Eventually, he was working at a studio that was in need of someone to help out with management and he suggested to me. After that studio, I helped build one from the ground up. It was a ton of media work and I was virtually always attached to my phone or laptop building a website, answering emails, or growing a social media following but it was rewarding to watch the hard work pay off as the business grew. After a while, my husband partnered with my cousin (also a tattooer) and decided they were going to open their own private studio, so we set to work building Black Rabbit Society. After a few people at tattoo conventions suggested that I start modeling, I decided to message someone I had mutual friends with, Steven Haddad @my_life_my_lens and set up my first shoot. I started doing more and more modeling and testing out different styles and concepts to find out what I enjoyed most, which is a really good creative concept, or a moody, broody shoot. Somewhere along the way between photoshoots and tattoo conventions, I linked up with Art Cantu, co-owner of Worldwide Ink Magazine. I’ve always had a knack for writing, and when he was looking for someone to tackle the articles for the magazine, we realized that it was a perfect fit. Getting to hear the stories of so many talented artists and models from all around the world is so cool! Today, I’m juggling all of that and my most important job of all, being a mom to the most beautiful little girl.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA and a class rank of #4 in small, conservative town with a church on every corner, so everyone pictured my life going down a bit more of a traditional path. I’ve faced a ton of judgment for being heavily tattooed and have had my fair share of people who look down on me for my modeling. I’ve learned to laugh it off, literally, and to not give any of my energy to letting others get me down. If young women can master the art of not caring what other people think, their journey will be a much happier one. It doesn’t matter which path you take, if you are doing it for yourself, it will be worth it in the end. You don’t want to get to the end of your life and realize you spent your time pleasing everyone else.
Please tell us about Black Rabbit Society, Worldwide Ink Magazine.
I interview talented tattoo artists and models from countries around the world. I’ve done articles on people from Belgium, Italy, Australia and more. It’s my job to tell their stories to our readers and share their journeys. For Black Rabbit Society, I juggle all of our social media accounts and handle the boring side of tattooing that the artists would rather not do, like filing things away and checking boxes for paperwork. I model in my free time, but it’s always great to have the chance to be in front of the camera and step out of my real life for a little while. Mainly, my goal is to continue to grow our family business from its speakeasy-style into a recognizable brand in the tattoo industry while still keeping them private, relaxing vibe, we pride ourselves on offering our clients.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Instagram has been the most helpful tool in growth, for my personal career and my family business. Being able to showcase work and attract the attention of clients, artists, models, and photographers from all over the country and even other parts of the world has been key in a successful career. I also love to browse photography websites for artwork that sparks my inspiration for a creative modeling concept.
Contact Info:
- Address: Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
- Website: www.theblackrabbitsociety.com
- Email: info@theblackrabbitsociety.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/heyholliestringer
- Other: instagram.com/blackrabbitsociety
Image Credit:
Steven Haddad, Jeremy LaRue, Austin Lewis, Melanie Baldi, Emilio Mesa, Lydia Edgin, Chris Reynolds
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