Meet Katie Grinstead | Tattoo artist, business owner, & Mama

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Grinstead and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Plenty of folks can look at the body modification industry and think there is no way we help our communities—I would fully disagree! Starting out, I was solely a body piercer, and I’ll tell you about the moment I fell in love with it. A few years into being a piercer, I had a client come in to have a nipple pierced. I asked if she wanted to pierce them both eventually, she said that wasn’t possible because she had one inverted nipple. She said to me, “I hate even looking in the mirror at that side, so I figured I’d decorate this one.” With fear of overstepping, I gently explained that sometimes, we’re able to pierce a nipple in such a way that it isn’t inverted anymore. She allowed me to examine her anatomy and I felt she was a perfect candidate for exactly that. Once both nipple piercings were done, I asked her if she wanted to go look in the mirror. The woman slid to the end of the chair and stood up slowly. Her feet seemed to be glued in place, then she looked at me and said, “I’m so nervous to see them.” She made her way to the large mirror and her face changed from scared to joyed. She put both hands over her mouth and gasped while tears fell down her cheeks.
“I hope those are tears of joy,” I said while the butterflies in my stomach danced. She turned around from the mirror, put her shirt on, and gave me the warmest hug of gratitude.
She wiped her face, looked in my eyes and said, “I don’t even own a full body mirror because I hated looking at myself. I will be forever grateful to you for helping me love my body.” Of course I began to cry as we hugged again. I was in love with this job. With this industry. And most certainly with the people I get to decorate.
That day has lived in my head for nearly 20 years and it is the occasion that brings me back to the reminder: we help our community by helping them love the skin they’re in. How lucky are we?!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In no universe would I have believed anyone if they said that one day I would own a tattoo shop with the wildly wonderful Heather Reynolds. Looking back at how I landed here with her is absolutely NUTS! It was a ton of perseverance, so much patience, and a little bit of talent. As simple of a life it was to be an employee or self contractor and always working under somebody else’s umbrella…I’ll tell you what, having your name on the door is way, way better.
Heather and I are not women who came from, or married into, money. We have both been a part of the American work force since our early teenage years. We didn’t have the luxury of borrowing money from a family member to open our shop, and we certainly don’t expect anything we don’t work for ourselves. The vast majority of our clientele are folks cut from the same cloth…hard working, everyday grown ups who have one or more jobs so they can afford to get tattooed. Our clients and us have many similarities along with a myriad of differences, and we’re here to talk about them all during tattoo sessions. There is no better place to drop in on conversation than Zeitgeist Tattoo!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Something people don’t know about me is that I am quite a homebody. When I do go out to explore the city around me, I usually end up on a dirt road in the mountains, walking through historic neighborhood with gorgeous old homes, or in a cemetery. If you head west on Coal Creek Canyon Rd, which is out by Standley Lake, you’ll cross over Hwy 93. In about a mile, take a right on the dirt road and just keep going. You’ll have a phenomenal view of the greater Denver area, the Flat Irons are directly behind you and there isn’t a person in sight. It’s my favorite place to go for some quiet alone time, or for a family picnic. When I’m in town, I love taking friends to the Brutal Poodle on South Broadway or to Call Your Mother-any location. Their food and vibe are just rad…plus my first born works at the capital hill location of CYM, so maybe I’m a little bias.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It is nearly impossible to choose only one person who has mentored or encouraged me along the way. So, first I’ll give a shoutout to Chris Henry: a best friend, mentor, fire under my a*s, and encourager when I’ve needed it. Because of Chris, I got my start in this industry. Because of Chris, I learned how to put together a tattoo machine. Because of Chris, I know how to play to my artistic strengths, how to say “no” to a client, how to balance home life and work life, and about a hundred other things. Chris has always been my “ask me anything” friend because chances are, he’s gone through it or at least has some damn good advice about it. There is no way I would have made it this far along without him in my corner. So much love, damn it.
And secondly, my partner, Charles. For the last 15 years, he has always been along for the ride—from counting dimes for groceries, to planning a retirement fund; from watching me trace lettering out of a flash book to giving me honest feedback about a back piece design; from raising one child to juggling four! Charles is the person who always tells me to trust myself when I’m in doubt. He is my biggest fan and softest landing pad. Charles takes all the bad with the good. I would not be the artist or Mama I am without that guy and all his love.

Website: https://Www.zeitgeisttattoodenver.com

Instagram: @katie.g.z and @zeitgeistdenver