Meet Kate Woods | Tattoo Artist, Barber, Gallery Owner

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

Hi Kate, every day, we know how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My longtime best friend, B. Paul, passed away from cancer a couple of years ago. They were the coolest person I knew growing up in Dallas. When I moved to NYC for art school, B. Paul soon followed. For 20 years, we worked alongside together in many creative facets. B was incredibly talented and owned a barber + tattoo shop in Brooklyn (Graceland) for many years. The shop’s creative spirit was one that was not easily matched. I felt really lost after their death and was searching for a way to honor them here in Dallas. Once presented with the opportunity to open up in the Cedars neighborhood, Paul’s Parlour was born. We are a connected family of longtime friends and have a team of talented artists. Paul’s is a gallery, tattoo shop, and barber shop.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My background is in fine art and makeup. I worked as a full time makeup artist and cosmetic tattoo artist for many years in New York and continue to work as a freelance makeup artist. I also have a microblading studio (BrowBold Beauty + Brow) in Dallas and am grateful that I have already navigated the world of being a small business owner. Covid posed numerous pitfalls for the tattoo, beauty, and personal care business as a whole. Many of us lost clientele, our shops, our entire businesses. I have always been incredibly grateful for my dedicated clients and that will never change for me. My business allows me to make personal connections with my clientele. It’s important to me make memorable connections with my clients and make them feel at ease when they’re in my chair. Owning a business takes creativity, flexibility, and a lot of soul within every interaction. I carry this model with me through every part of my new and existing business ventures.

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.
Well, every visitor gets a trip to “the fancy mall” aka NorthPark! Who wouldn’t enjoy a beautiful shopping experience with a world renowned art collection? The State Fair of Texas is always a stop if it’s that time of year. There are many stops in the Cedars: the Dive-In, Lee Harvey’s, Mike’s Gemini Twin…and the best coffee in town, Full City Rooster. The Wild Detectives and Ladylove in Bishop Arts are always a good time too!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely credit the inspiration for our space to B. Paul. Ann Chisholm, my wife and co-owner of our gallery, is also a driving force in our business. Creating the space at Paul’s Parlour has been an exciting venture for both of us…it’s also a dream that probably wouldn’t be a financial reality if we were still living in NYC. The Cedars is the perfect neighborhood for us and we are so grateful to be part of a community of talented artists and creative spaces.

Website: www.browbold.com ; glamourpussartgallery.com

Instagram: pauls_1508