On this episode I'm joined by Kevin Barona, a tattoo artist from South Florida. Kevin' story is fascinating - from thinking tattooing wasn't for him because it was for "cool people" to his realization that it's painting on skin to an addiction that took him on a roller coaster for a few years. He was very open during our conversation and shared valuable insight that will help anyone going through something similar. 

Connect with Kevin on Instagram: @kvn.barona

On this episode I have a conversation with Riki Cooke. Riki is a friend and fellow advisor that focuses on millennials that want to incorporate travel into their lives. 

Riki has some impressive travel stats - 4 continents, 30 countries, and 115,000 miles flown. We talk about his experience of taking a year off in 2019 to travel the world and the tips and tricks he picked up. We also talk credit cards and travel rewards points, as well as how you, as a tattoo artist and self-employed person, can possibly deduct travel expenses. 

If you want to incorporate more travel into your life, be sure to give this episode a listen.

Connect with Riki on Instagram @2point0financial & Twitter @RC2Point0. You can also check out his wife's incredible bakery @secondactsweets

On this episode I have a conversation with Anthony Naig. Anthony is the founder of Reborn Tattoo Aftercare, which is based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I've been following Reborn for a while now after talking to one of their artists, Anthony Washington. I was intrigued by their products because they're a relatively new company that jumped into a market that already has a number of competitors, but they've gained quite the following. I was also interested in talking about what makes their products different or better than competitors and lotion or Aquaphore because admittedly that's all I've ever used for my tattoos.

We also talk about what Anthony looks for when bringing an artist onto their pro team.

Connect with Anthony on Instagram: @Reborntattooaftercare 

On this episode I'm joined by Blaire Zika. Blaire is an artist, shamanic journey guide and hand poke tattoo artist, as well as an apprentice under a previous guest, Jayson Lynch. 

Blaire shares the story of her journey into tattooing starting with hand poke and more recently becoming an apprentice (using a machine) under Jayson. She also discusses how she incorporates her shamanic work into the tattoo process, which I found fascinating. 

Connect with Blaire on Instagram: @True_Nature_Tattoo 

On this episode I'm joined by Katrina Zarate, a tattoo artist in Portland, Oregon. Katrina shares her story of transitioning from a full time painter to tattoo artist as well as her process for working with her clients - from the questions she asks to the way she takes deposits.

I enjoyed this conversation because Katrina has a refreshing view of tattooing with a very big focus on the client and an understanding that the artwork she creates isn't for her, it's for them. We also talk about another common topic lately, and that's tattoo schools. For as much as people want to talk negatively about the curriculum or process or the fact that it veers from the traditional apprenticeship track, Katrina makes a good point - tattoo schools have helped provide access to the industry that may have otherwise been extremely difficult for some people. 

Connect with Katrina on Instagram: @katrinazarate @themidnightcollectivepdx

On today’s episode I’m joined by Sam Yamini. Sam works at, and is one of the owners of, Dedication Tattoo in Denver, Colorado.

Sam and I talk about how he was introduced to the idea of tattooing by a traveling tattooer, how he eventually transitioned to doing large scale Japanese work, his creative process which focuses more on drawing to scale more so than using the ipad, and the direction he sees the industry going including a discussion on tattoo schools.

Connect with Sam on Instagram: @therealsamyamini and his shop @dedicationtattoo

This episode is a bit different than normal. It's the first solo episode where I take a financial topic and dive deeper than I'm able to on an Instagram post. 

For this episode we're talking about saving for retirement as a tattoo artist. I cover how retirement accounts work and why you should utilize them, the 3 different types I typically discuss with clients (plus 1 bonus account), how to actually set up an account after you've decided which one to use, and lastly I answer a few questions I received from Instagram. 

Hopefully you all find this information useful. 

If you have any questions after listening, reach out on Instagram: @thetattooartistadvisor

On this episode I have a conversation with Anthony Pulitano, a tattoo artist in Asheville, NC.

Anthony's journey into tattooing is quite a bit different than prior guests, mainly because he didn't have a prior interest in tattooing or really an interest in getting tattooed but I'll let you listen to him tell the story.

We also talk about what his biggest challenges were when he transitioned from painting to tattooing.

Finally if you've been listening to the last few episodes you'll know I've been asking a series of 5 questions to every guest at the end. For this episode I threw in one more, and I loved Anthony's answer so make sure you stick around to hear it.

Connect with Anthony on Instagram: @StudioPulitano

On this weeks episode I sit down with Tony Natereli, a tattoo artist from Largo, Florida.

Every artist has a unique journey into tattooing and Tony’s story is no different. He talks about why he left an apprenticeship over a decade ago and what brought him back to tattooing.

But the main reason I wanted to have Tony as a guest was to talk about his use of social media, particularly TikTok. Tony shares how he’s utilized it to grow his reach and how it’s actually led to a sponsorship.

So if you’ve been on the fence, or even against, using TikTok – you should give this a listen.

Connect with Tony on Instagram & TikTok 

IG - @3darkwolves

TikTok - @3darkwolvestattoo

On this episode, I'm joined by Jaiden Sky.

Jaiden is a tattoo artist based out of Grants Pass, Oregon. She's going on her 4th year tattooing and crushing it. But it wasn't an easy journey to get to where she's at now. We talk about how she started tattooing, the sacrifices she had to make to turn her dream into reality, her experience and opinion on tattoo schools in Oregon, as well as how she's marketing herself.

Connect with Jaiden on Instagram: @Jaidentattoo - www.jaidentattoo.com