ON THE TOP OF HER GAME

By Tammie Pike

Using her raw talent, fearless ambition as well as the support and love from her all-female team, Teneile Napoli has achieved a high-class reputation in the tattoo industry. She, is the creator of the internationally recognised tattoostudio, Garage Ink.

When looking at Teneile for the first time, you would be forgiven for only seeing her glamourous looks; as well as being a super successful Mumpreneur, Teneile Napoli is one of Australia’s top female tattoo artists who, despite being in a male dominated industry, continues to win awards, trophies and has even been recognised internationally for her work. She has over one million followers on her social media accounts— her brand is stunning, as is her manor where Garage Ink is currently located. She is regularly featured in publications, interviews, magazines, as well as being regularly showcased in the popular TV show Bondi Ink.

If that's not enough, she's also travelled the worlds, tattooing celebrity and paving the way for other women in the tattoo industry.

You are right, she is successful; talented; beautiful; and yet she is so much more. Once you get to know her, you get to see beyond what she hasachieved, to see her for who she is; an amazing, empowered woman who loves empowering people, and specifically, helping other women grow to success in her industry.

When I was thinking of who would be the cover girl for this issue who represents ‘Being You is Your Superpower,’ I knew it had to be Teneile. Not only is she an advocate for people to love and own their uniqueness by encouraging others to be themselves, she also helps people to do so through her artistic skills as a tattooist—giving others another way of self-expression—which she has done for me and thousands of others.

Her ripple is beyond comprehension and her legacy will be known for decades to come.

For Teneile, work has been everything the most of her life and her tattooing journey started when she was just 16.

Already an avid artist in her teens, Teneile found drawing fantasy as an outlet for her emotions and daily experiences. But is wasn’t until her work was seen by a teacher when she was connected with another student who was into tattooing; and within that connection, she was then introduced to her first mentor, Shane Little, and the rest is history. She says that becoming a tattoo artist was meant to be.

But the journey wasn’t easy. When Teneile told her parents that she was going to pursue her art through tattooing, they weren’t very supportive. Teneile shares that back then, the tattoo industry had a bad reputation, and her parents didn’t think a career in tattooing would be a good profession for their young, beautiful daughter. But, unswayed —and on her own—Teneile followed her passion, and was one of the first ten, qualified female tattooists in Australia!

As an industry that was thought to be only for misfits, criminals, and bikers, Teneile found a culture that was immersed in drugs and Alcohol. Though she did become addicted to alcohol through that encumbent culture, Teneile did overcome her addiction and has now been proudly sober for 10 years. And with the same conviction, went on to tackle her own anxiety and depression that had affected her in all areas of her life for many years.

Determined to change the culture that she'd found herself in—and that so many others had experienced—Teneile began her studio Garage Ink in 2010,

where she created a unique and thriving culture of collaboration, support and love; where she role models a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and a positive and empowered mindset. Since 2010, she has successfully created a safe haven for herself, and her clients, where seasoned and burgeoning tattooists are all treated with the same level of love and respect.

Despite this success, Teneile says that owning her own studio for the last 10 years has seen many ups and downs. And that even though there have been plenty of challenges—which Teneile says have been her greatest lessons—it has been her passion for people that has gotten her through. It was simply the opportunity to share love, knowledge and her passion with artists and all types of people in her studio that has kept her going through the tough times saying, 'It would be super selfish of me and I am not a selfish person at all … completely theopposite.’

So even though she's had doubts, wondered how much easier it would be if she worked for someone else—not to mention the extra time with family she would get if she worked for someone else— Teneile knew that she had created something with her resilience, hard work and determination; and her thriving business also helped her community.

I believe, it is her humble attitude, genuine love of people, and her dedication to her work that allows Teneile to reach great heights — regardless whether they are a stay-at-home-mum or a well known celebrity—that has made her top of hergame, and, a very sought after tattoo artist.

Even with all her success, Teneile shares that underneath, she is still a normal person who does normal things like: clean her house; make dinner for her family; who, by the way, she says are the ones who keep her grounded.

While sitting in her beautiful home, just one street away from the golden beaches of the Gold Coast, you can see Teneile’s flair for art isn’t just in her tattooing—her home is welcoming, beautiful and so very, uniquely hers.

Like most Mumpreneurs, Teneile has had to juggle being a woman, mother, lover and businesswoman. Already a mother of two—Amity 16 and Kurt 12—Teneile gave birth to her third child mid-last year; a beautiful baby girl, Stevie-Lee, who has totally transformed Teneile's life.

Stevie-Lee has been a gift to Teneile, who shares that at this stage of her life, becoming a mum again, has given her the ability to take a step back from working, with time and space to prioritise her life. And with this, Teneile has found new freedom to be with her family and pursue other ideas, opportunities, and passions.

This is big change for Teneile, who has always found it a struggle to put herself and her family first—which I think many Mumpreneurs can relate to—as she was always trying to keep everyone else happy. But after Stevie-Lee was born, a wave of mother’s guilt came with the realisation that she had prioritised her work above her family, and in organising everyone else’s needs, she was caught up in the world of doing rather than being.

This was a big awakening for Teneile, who has since changed those priorities by reducing her working hours and taking a step back from her business, to focus more on her family and finding a balance that works. It takes constant self-awareness to keep herself in check, finding it far too easy to slip into work mode, especially when she has clients flying in from all over the world, to get their own masterpiece from Teneile. This demand means there is a constant pressure to be available, which is always testing her resolve.

But Teneile knows all her hard work has been worth it, and so too, do her children. She says that knowledge was made even more special, when six years ago her son, Kurt – 7 at the time – was able to see that all of his mum’s hard meant the family could live and work in their dream manor, in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

And the path to that dream was never easy, especially when thebanks made the process harder because of Teneile's industry, but—with persistence—her dream came true.

She remembers the day her family walked into the house clearly—if not a bit emotionally—and her son, Kurt, said, ‘Oh. My. God. Mum! This is amazing. This is why you have been working so much. I am so proud of you.’

Teneile says that all the pressure, all the mother’s guilt she’d been feeling, was released; but she knew she still had to change how much she worked. Luckily—or rather by sheer, hard work towards a vision—Teneile created a flexible workspace where no-one worked weekends, and didn’t have to work full time, which meant working mums were able to have their own work-life-mum balance. From there, Teneile became a firm supporter of every mother being able to have the work/life balance they desired.

Teneile believes as Mumpreneurs, we need to create boundaries by separating life and work, and that when we are with our children to always make sure we are present. This, she feels, will help lessen the mother’s guilt.

Stevie-Lee forced Teneile to have a break—which was the longesttime away from her business she has ever had—allowing her to fallin love with being a mum, all over again.

Balance for Teneile now looks like two working-days a week, as well as spending more time with her family—which means more freedom to be a mum while still growing her business and following her other interests.

Seeing Teneile so happily content with life, because of her choices —especially to be more with her family—really hits home. I think most of us get into business to be able to work around our children, but as that business grows, it tends to overtake our lives. Hearing Teneile’s story is a great reminder that life isn’t all about success only in business, but rather about finding a balance within life where you feel good with how you are showing up in your life: that is in relationships, as a mother, and in business.

Teneile has a beautiful relationship with her children who support her 100%, and as I watch them in their photoshoot (by the beautiful Heidi Reid from Nova Blooming), my heart expands; because I see another empowered woman not only empowering her family, but also her community and beyond, by choosing to beherself unapologetically.