For Boluwaife Olori, tattoo artistry began with two things she had always loved: beauty and art.
Today, she is the founder of TBS.NG, a tattoo and PMU business in Lagos, Nigeria, where she has built a career around her creativity while also training the next generation of artists. Having trained more than 200 students, Olori is demonstrating how a creative skill can become not only a profession but also a sustainable business and source of economic independence.
Speaking to Just4WomenAfrica, Olori reflected on her journey, the challenges she encountered when starting her business, and her ambitions for the future.
Finding Her Way Into Tattoo and PMU Artistry
Olori’s interest in tattooing and art began long before she became a professional artist. As a secondary school student, she enjoyed sketching and often imagined herself having tattoos.
Her passion for art and beauty eventually influenced her decision to pursue tattooing and permanent makeup (PMU) artistry.
“What inspired me mainly was my love for beauty and my love for art.”
For Olori, the career became a natural intersection between two things she had always enjoyed.
Learning the Importance of Pricing
Starting a business came with its own challenges. One of Olori’s biggest early lessons was the importance of pricing her services correctly.
She admitted that she initially underpriced herself, which made it difficult to attract the kind of clients she wanted.
According to her, low pricing can sometimes create an unintended perception that the quality of a service is also low.
Her experience taught her that entrepreneurs need to understand the value of their skills and position their businesses accordingly.
Not Every Trend Is Worth Following
The beauty and tattoo industries are constantly evolving, with new techniques and trends emerging regularly. But Olori believes artists should not automatically follow every trend.
She encourages artists to understand their own vision and determine whether a new trend aligns with the direction they want their careers to take.
When a new technique is genuinely valuable, however, she recommends investing in additional training and upgrading one’s skills.
For her, continuous learning is important—but following trends blindly is not.
Understanding the Client Is Part of the Art
One of the most interesting aspects of Olori’s approach to tattoo design is the emphasis she places on communication.
Before creating a design, she takes time to understand what the client is trying to express.
She believes clients often already have an idea in their minds, even if they cannot immediately translate that idea into a finished design.
Her role as an artist is to listen, understand the concept and then use her artistic skills to bring that idea to life.
This approach is something she also teaches her students.
From Artist to Entrepreneur
Running her own studio has changed the way Olori thinks about work.
One of her biggest lessons from entrepreneurship has been learning how to stand alone.
She believes entrepreneurs must stop treating their skills simply as something that makes them money and begin treating them as a serious business.
For Olori, entrepreneurship has also taught her how to deal with people, manage clients and stand her ground.
The experience, she says, extends beyond business and helps develop skills that are useful in everyday life.
Why She Started Training Other Artists
Olori has trained more than 200 students, and her decision to teach was partly driven by her desire to see better-quality work within the industry.
As someone who describes herself as a perfectionist, she was often frustrated when she saw what she considered mediocre work being produced.
Rather than simply criticising the work, she decided to help artists improve.
“I know how to train these people to do better jobs. So let me just put out classes and help these people.”
Teaching has since become another important part of her business.
But Olori is also candid about the commercial side of training. Helping people was a major motivation, but earning income from her expertise was also part of the decision.
For her, the combination of teaching, creating independent artists and building a sustainable business makes the training worthwhile.
A Sustainable Opportunity for Women
Olori strongly believes tattoo and PMU artistry can provide women with a sustainable source of income.
However, she stresses that success requires consistency and commitment.
She sees the industry as an opportunity for women to develop financial independence and build careers around a practical creative skill.
For women willing to invest in learning, improve their skills and remain consistent, she believes the industry can provide a viable business opportunity.
Building a Business That Can Outlive Her
Interestingly, Olori does not necessarily see herself personally tattooing forever.
Her bigger ambition is to build TBS.NG into a business that can continue operating even when she is no longer directly involved in every aspect of it.
She wants to recruit other artists, create employment opportunities and develop the company beyond being a one-person operation.
That shift from being the artist to building a business around the artist is an important part of her entrepreneurial vision.
Her Vision for TBS.NG
Looking five years ahead, Olori sees TBS.NG becoming much bigger than it is today.
She wants the company to create employment, empower other people and expand into products under her own brand.
Her ambitions include developing branded products, machines and other tools used within the tattoo industry.
Ultimately, she wants TBS.NG to evolve into a business capable of creating opportunities for others.
For Olori, the goal is therefore not simply to become a successful tattoo artist. It is to build a business that creates jobs, develops other professionals and carries her vision forward.
Her story is a reminder that creative talents can become serious businesses when they are combined with the right mindset, continuous learning and entrepreneurial discipline.
Boluweife Olori’s journey from a young girl who loved sketching to the founder of TBS.NG and trainer of more than 200 students—shows what can happen when passion is turned into a business with a bigger purpose.
This interview was conducted by Just4WomenAfrica as part of its mission to connect, amplify and empower women across Africa and beyond.
