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

Hi Laura, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor to my success is the direct line I have to the community I’m trying to serve. Tattooing has always been a bit of a counter culture, and I’m not here to push any unnecessary changes onto the industry. I genuinely want to help make the lives of tattoo artists and people that love getting tats as easy and seamless as possible. I’m committed to building a product that people want and will love using, not something I’ve decided they need according to the trends of the tech world. Through my team, my ambassadors and my community that I surround myself with, I try to keep a constant, close dialogue with my users so that I know that I’m going the right direction and building something that’s true to the community.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
\My professional career looks very intentional and fluid, but really it involved a lot of pivots and moments where I didn’t see the next phase clearly. I studied International Relations at NYU and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. I fell into the early-stage tech space working at an incubator that scaled European tech companies into the US market. From there, I fell in love with startups, and worked at a few from their earliest days, sometimes even from the founders couch! That time felt super rocky, since you never really know whether or not a startup will take off, but it was those days that taught me the most & gave me the most relevant lessons-learnt for what I’m doing now.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Bushwick, Brooklyn, which is one of the largest artist communities in the world, so I love showing people my neighborhood. I live right on top of the Bushwick Collective, which is an organization of professional graffiti artists that curate and manage who can paint the walls around the neighborhood (which are fully covered) so I live in an outdoor art gallery essentially. There’s so many great outdoor drinking spots and causal rooftops over in Brooklyn, so I’d probably start there and then book a great restaurant or speakeasy in downtown Manhattan. One of my favorite things to do is fine those hidden gems: a taqueria and cocktail bar behind a vending machine (The Garret East), a dark speakeasy through a trick wall in the back of a coffee shop (Bathtub Gin) or a brass band playing at an apothecary-themed bar in a back alley of Chinatown (Apotheke). I love that there’s something for everyone in New York, and I try to explore and find new things as much as possible.

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?
Shoutout to my AMAZING team! The earliest stages of a startup are so challenging, unpredictable, and chaotic. I wouldn’t be here without my die-hard team that are wildly dedicated to what we’re doing. More often than not, they’re the ones inspiring me!

Website: www.tattd.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraschaack or /tattd_app

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-schaack/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laura_schaack

Image Credits
Photos of me = Olga Vallejo / Photos with “Team Tattd” aka my ambassadors = Savanna Ruedy

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.