Nine Years Later: My 9-Year Reflective of The Brow Project

It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years of The Brow Project already. It all began in 2016 with a dream, PMU skills, and a level of determination that might scare some people. I could never imagine it would grow into how it exists today - not even in my wildest Y2K-colored dreams (praise be to Britney Spears that it did!)

Opening my storefront was terrifying + thrilling at the same time. It was tangible proof that people believed in me, even in moments I doubted that belief in myself. If there’s one phrase that could echo this growth period, it’d be this: “You don’t know what you don’t know." The highs and lows of hiring, of learning how to scale, of trying to do it right. I started during peak #GirlBoss era - a time where it was admirable to wear every hat, and to do it with ease. I wore every hat, helmed every department... I did it all. And somewhere in that never-ending hustle, I traded one addiction for another. The #HollywoodSyndrome is real; tirelessly chasing society’s definition of “success” until you lose touch with the person you are. I didn’t just own TBP - I became TBP. Out of necessity, but it came at a steep cost.

2020 is undoubtedly the year everything shifted. Of course with COVID came  uncertainty I know every small business can attest to experiencing. Twas a scary time to be “nonessential” (not to mention, to have a part of your income come from tattooing something indefinitely masked.) But 2020 was self-transformative, too.

This same year, I decided it was time to prioritize ME and my mental health, and I embarked on my MH journey through Onsite Workshops in Tennessee. To say this was a life-altering, “changed the trajectory of my life” experience is the biggest understatement.  I learned how to protect my mental health as a business owner AND as a human. I was a one-woman show for so long as a business owner, and this experience allowed me to rediscover myself as a person separate from TBP, acknowledge my mental and physical needs, and learn how to be the best version of myself. It was the wake-up call I needed to see that showing up for others, also meant showing up for myself. This journey was hard, not linear - but valuable and so necessary. Since then I’ve continued to further my mental health journey, and last summer I finally got answers I didn’t even know I needed: an ADHD diagnosis + medication. The level of mental clarity I experience now is unlike anything I’ve ever known. I can finally step out of my own head (thank F*CK) and find more focus, balance, and intention within what truly serves me.

2025 also marks 8 years alcohol-free! Sobriety has been a tool in helping me commit to the level of mental health work and self-discovery I’ve committed myself to over the years, by allowing me to experience the highs AND lows in their realest form (raw-dogging life, if you will.)

In recent years I’ve brought on new services, new devices, and now I’m lucky enough to be speaking at international conferences - as you’re reading this, I’m prepping to fly to Vietnam to speak at Wulop PMU Conference!

None of it would’ve been possible without you: my clients + community; my biggest sources of trust & inspiration. In the same way I’ve shown up for you personally or professionally, you’ve shown up for me. Whether you’ve been a day-one OG or just walked through my doors for the first time, you’ve made more of an impact than you’ll ever know.

Here’s to 9 whole freaking years of  evolution, healing, messy-yet-beautiful growth - and to never diluting the authentic version of yourself. Oh - and to some kicka** brows & kissable AF lips.

xo, Nicole Blankenship