Meet Tammy Dulla | Event Artist & Calligrapher, Founder of Ink & Innuendos

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

Hi Tammy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Believe it or not, I have always dreamed of pursuing an artistic career, but felt it was just an out of reach fantasy. From a young age, singing, dancing, performing on stage, creating art- these were all passions of mine. Still are! Growing up though, I created a strict plan and path for myself. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Health Science to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. I even thought I would open my own private clinic. However, the real world kicked in a lot sooner in my personal life, and after college I was recruited by a large corporation. I dedicated several years to the corporate life and it ate away at my soul. In my executive leadership position, I would jump at any opportunity to be creative. I could have stuck to my new plan of climbing the corporate ladder because I knew I would keep moving up, but I just broke. Literally. I developed an autoimmune disorder from all those years of my body taking a beating mentally, physically, and emotionally. It wasn’t until I was recruited by another company that was more aligned with my creative passion, that I finally realized and asked myself “why am I not creating for myself?” “Why am I not turning my talent and passion into a full blown business?” “Why am I working this vicious cycle of a 9-5?” “Why am I allowing myself to be so unhappy?” Aside from my declining health at the time, all the signs were pointing me in the right direction- to pursue my own creative business. To trust myself. To admit I have way more to offer the world. To admit that I can choose my own happiness and passion. Let me just say, I will never go back to that life before entrepreneurship. I am finally stepping into my full potential, and I am just getting started.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ink & Innuendos was literally born out of love in 2015 when I got engaged. It started as an outlet for my creative, artistic love because I planned and designed our entire wedding. I was self-taught in modern calligraphy so I loved being able to create all our signage and details. My work started generating buzz from friends, family and social media so I quickly took on commissions for extra income while still working my corporate job. I never imagined my hobby from then would transform into the business I have now. I have now completely pivoted into live events, brand activations, and experiential marketing. With almost 10 years in the making, I have experimented with countless different skills, and have said yes to an abundance of projects that definitely did not align with my passion or vision. If anyone says starting and sustaining their own business was easy, I would love to know the secret! I am certainly proud of each step I have taken- it has not been easy, but I can see now that I have gone through everything I did to be my best self now for my business and my clients. If I did not go through that squirrel syndrome of trying everything, I would not know what I truly love and want to offer, which is performing live calligraphy, engraving, painting, and hot foiling. Throughout all these years, I have managed to stay true to myself and let my personality shine through my work and client communication. There are millions of talented artists out there doing what I do, so how I set myself apart is by being my genuine self, and always anticipating the needs of my clients to ensure a seamless experience.

Owning a business is really trial and error on so many levels. How I overcame each challenge boiled down to a lot of venting to my husband, countless tears, task lists left and right, and endless cups of coffee. A pep talk from Ro always helped keep me in check because my self-dialogue in the past was always so negative. At the end of the day, I am the face of my business- I am the CEO, so if I was not seeing results, I had to make a change. The biggest challenge came in 2022 when I admitted to myself that I was running around in circles, not finding the right methods and tools to transform my sad side hustle into a full-time profitable business. Had it not been for my battle with my autoimmune disorder, I would not have a gained a new perspective on life. You never really think these things would happen to you- at least that is how I thought, but then with the diagnosis, I realized it was time to take control of my happiness and give my business my all. I did extensive research, and came across Rosie from Wander Crafter and The Craft Academy. After our consultation, I knew in my bones that this was the right investment for me. To invest in a calligraphy business coach who is doing exactly what I want to do, and who genuinely wants to help other artists succeed. Not long after I joined, Rosie recruited me to be on her team, and her coaching partner. The program and community we have curated have completely turned my business and life around. It even brought me more fulfillment by being able to coach other entrepreneurs in elevating their business. Not a day goes by that I don’t have a pinch me moment and feel incredibly grateful. At a time where I was facing a mountain of medical bills with my health at an all-time low, and on the verge of leaving my job, I did not see investing in myself and in this program being the right move financially, but I did it- and I am so glad I did. You will never regret investing in yourself. That is one of my biggest lessons learned. If you are going to start or scale your business, then do it right. I can honestly say now that I am most proud of my resilience and perseverance- something I would have never said before. It has led me to land iconic dream clients, and achieve unimaginable goals in both my business and personal life. All the excitement is still to come because I am just scratching the surface of introducing Ink & Innuendos to the world.

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.
If I was being selfish, I would do a deep dive of my favorite places, and probably try to avoid the overpopulated places. When I go on vacation, I always plan around food, coffee, and what the locals do and visit. Therefore, I would probably start them off with a few of my favorite coffee spots because I mean… coffee first, obviously. Between Orange and Los Angeles County, these would include Colossus (must try their breakfast sandwich) and CoffeeDrunk in Long Beach, Rosewood in Anaheim, Work In Progress in Costa Mesa, and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen in Downtown LA. For the best daytime bites, we are definitely hitting up Burritos La Palma (Santa Ana), Brodard (Garden Grove) Tony’s Little Italy (Placentia), Burgers Never Say Die (Glendale), Zankou Chicken, Kazu Nori, and Yunomi (Downtown LA). For a mouthwatering dinner, my go-tos are Bestia (LA), Din Tai Fung (Costa Mesa), Sugarfish (LA), Little Sister (Irvine). Now, the late night bites and drinks is definitely more my vibe. We would grab a burger and drink at Lowboy (Echo Park), and make our way to Wolf & Crane (Little Tokyo) for hip hop, amazing cocktails, Japanese Whiskey, and the best staff and regulars. If we stay in OC, we would not miss getting the best pizza at Vacation Bar (Santa Ana), while striking a conversation with some of the most amazing people. If we find ourselves hungry still, we would hit up a taco spot- we’re never short of options here, or we could get a slice of pizza at Loosies. If the Kogi truck is out and nearby, we would certainly stop by! Since we would have a whole week together, I would definitely plan for any of the following- a scenic hike in OC, a duffy boat ride in Long Beach, a show at Pantages or Segerstrom, a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and of course we would have to visit a couple rooftop bars (like Cara Cara at The Proper Hotel DTLA). If we could sneak in the time and mini drive, I would also hit up Big Bear Mountains for snowboarding. The options are endless!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I truly believe that every person that has come and gone, and all the ups and downs have played a role in getting me to where I am at today. For instance, I met Nikki from Delovely Details through mutual friends and being in the wedding and events industry, and now she has nominated me for this interview. I will forever be grateful for our friendship, and her support. As for the most significant people in my life that helped build me up, my husband Ro, first and foremost. He has always believed in me more than I have myself. Even in my darkest hour battling through my health issues and terrible workplace environments, he always reminded me that it was my choice to make a change, and that I am worth investing in. It was always hard for me to draw boundaries, and that is definitely one of his strengths so I am happy to have learned that from him. Ro has played a huge part in helping me realize that I have all the talent and ability to be successful, and make something for myself. I would not have made the leap to leave the corporate world and pursue my passion if it were not for him. Another person who has been exceptionally integral in my entrepreneurship and overall life, is my friend, colleague, and mentor, Rosie Chhun (Founder of Wander Crafter and The Craft Academy). Her calligraphy business coaching program, mentorship, and friendship have truly allowed me and my business to flourish in so many ways. Rosie has helped me defeat the false perception of being a starving artist, and paved the way for so many of us artists in establishing a sustainable, thriving business. Last, but not least, being a small business owner really does take a village and I would not be here without the unwavering support of my friends and family.

Website: www.inkandinnuendos.com

Instagram: @inkandinnuendos

Image Credits
Mara Friedman Photography