“Out on a Whim” is owned and operated by Kenny Weinstock, a.k.a. “Kenny the Piercer.” The shop owner has been through a lot to get to where he is today, and is now running a store that has pierced more than 13,000 clients in four years.

Weinstock used to work in the surgical unit of Kishwaukee Hospital, as well as the blood drawing lab. But he was unhappy with his career, as he got tired of working constantly with sick and dying people. After leaving the hospital, he became first interested in body piercing through a friend who owned a shop. Weinstock went to Madison, Wis. to study the art of piercing and tattooing and did an apprenticeship there.

After being trained and licensed in Wisconsin, he started to make piercing house calls, traveling to customer’s houses with his equipment. Although his friends constantly were questioning his change in careers, he stuck to his decision.

Finally, in 2001, Weinstock opened his own store in DeKalb. He started with just one tray of jewelry and a few customers, but now has more than 20,000 pieces of jewelry available in the store, and an online catalog available at www.whimbodyjewelry.com. He performs 30-40 piercings a day and is open seven days a week. While he struggles still with the fact his art form is not totally accepted, he said he pays careful attention to detail.

He takes it seriously because he knows not all piercers do take the jobs as seriously as they should. Weinstock is the only licensed and fully-insured studio in DeKalb. The state has no regulations on body piercing shops, and because of this many shops are not as clean and staffs not as trained as they could be.

“You have to be very careful in Illinois,” Weinstock said. “When you walk into a tattoo and piercing shop, your eyes need to be your guide because there are no regulations to keep you safe. If you can see even one reason to leave, do it. In most shops, there is no one looking out for you except you.”

One customer, Shaun Phillips, came in for advice from Weinstock. She recently had her navel pierced and was concerned with the outcome.

“Kenny was closed so I went somewhere else in town,” she explained. “[The piercer] just pierced it and sent me on my way with some oil. He was really ruff with me, and I was scared because I was told I needed some cleaning ointment and it really hurt, so I came to talk to Kenny.”

Weinstock discovered her piercer had used the wrong piece of jewelry, an eyebrow ring – which is too small and thin for the navel – and also had not cleaned it properly. He gave Phillips some ointment and cleaning instructions.

Weinstock offers free jewelry changes, cleaning instructions, ointments and advice to all customers, even if they are not his original piercings.

“Some people aren’t comfortable changing their own body jewelry. I’d rather not have people shoving stuff in that doesn’t fit,” he said. “I know it’s important for me to help people.”

His desire to help people is what led him to be trained in Wisconsin. He took OSHA-approved training courses on blood diseases, emergency procedures and cleanliness. He has an industrial sterilizer in the studio, which is checked by a lab regularly, and sterilizes everything after every customer. His employees also are constantly at work, trying to keep the store sterile and neat.

While all these practices are expensive, he believes it is his concern for the customers’ well-being that gives him the large amount of business he has.

“Our reputation as competent, honest and professional built a substantial clientele for us. All of our business is generated by word of mouth,” Weinstock said.