The Apprenticeship Diaries

Rico takes the lead on this one as it was his birthday! Amy is perpetually emotional but calming her butt down day by day (Rico with the assist). 

Forgive the personal platforming. It's our hopes that you will get to know us (your hosts) and find a connection. Later, once you know who we are, you'll have more fun listening to our conversations. 

If you already know us, this episode will cue you into where we find ourselves on this May, the 5th (Cinco de Mayo); catch up with friends. 

Thank you to all our listeners! Thanks to Chuck for the extra awesome audio skills! 

Host: Rico Illiano 

Co-host: Amy Nicholls 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

In this episode, Rico was off being 'essential', while Amy took the opportunity to share a very personal story.

I (Amy) had a lot to share. (What's new... Right?) 

This episode shares some information about one of your hosts that is needed before you give anymore support for this podcast. This is a confessional-type podcast, where your host shares a very personal story about who she is, and what motivates the human, she finds herself being today. As Amy's mother used to always say, "There's no holes in these palms!"

Some corrections for the record: Amy misspoke about a few things: 1. She said that she didn't mess up her life more after this moment in history; That was wrong! She definitely messed up her life a lot more, in many ways, that taxed many humans, along her journey. 2. That her aunt died of kidney failure; It was liver failure!

The craziest people are those who don't think they're crazy... Some really crazy times are shared here. 

Remember: We all are born with wings that can fly... what you do with your wings is entirely up to you. However, whether it's made of gold or hard, cold, steel, a cage is still a cage!... Even if the bars are invisible... it's still a cage! 

Host: Amy Nicholls 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

I know that all of you have been ready to hear the rest of my interview with my cousin, Niff Nicholls! She owns a circus facility (Secret Circus located in Philadelphia, PA.), dedicated to offering the best in skill, education, and heart to all who work for her, and who come to her circus family! 

My cousin has given 15 years of dedication, muscle (of all kind), to her craft! Meet her! Follow her school, and see her heart as I have (finally... Only took a half a lifetime to notice!). She's incredible!!!!!

Find your strength, challenge what you think you know about yourself by managing your mischief... My family is here to help you start your journey! 

~Niff's facility is in a beautiful warehouse space with a huge skylight (please check it out on Instagram!) @secretcircusphilly or on Niff's personal circus account @theniff 

Moreover, if you would like to meet Niff, or any of her instructors, please dare to take an online class! You can find the class schedule at: www.shhcircus.com

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

Rico and I are so very excited to introduce Niff Nicholls to all of you; She is both family and the owner and founder of Secret Circus located in Philadelphia, PA.

Niff (Jenny, as Amy used to call her) was always a force of her own making! She's also talented in so many ways; She draws, can play a bit of guitar, act, hum a solid melody,  and when she started doing aerial, it wasn't any kind of surprise. In a family of talent, it seems she got the full spectrum!

However, it took 15 years and a pandemic for us to really meet and spend time one on one. The admiration only grows as we sit and talk with this amazing entrepreneur. She's a good witch... Promise! 

Join us and see why I'm so very proud of my family! 

~Niff's facility is in a beautiful warehouse space with a huge skylight (please check it out on Instagram!) @secretcircusphilly or on Niff's personal circus account @theniff 

Moreover, if you would like to meet Niff, or any of her instructors, please dare to take an online class! You can find the class schedule at: www.shhcircus.com

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

Welcome back to the conclusion to our interview with Brad Hill, co-owner of Golden Yeti Art Collective in Franklin, TN.

Here, we get more personal, and find out more about how Brad thinks. It's always a cool journey when meeting artists; They let their minds go to some extreme places... Probably fuels that endless well of art. Brad's mind, strikes me as a fun place, full of wonder (I'm sure we can all appreciate that in quarantine.) "Big Foot is real!"

Go scope out Brad, and his crew on IG:@elchupacabrad @goldenyetiart 

We hope we get to meet more of the Golden Yeti crew, and hopefully, once we are beyond COVID-19, we can go visit and get the chance to see this studio in action. 

Thank you Brad! Thank you Golden Yeti Art Collective!... It was an honor! 

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

We are happy to bring you Brad Hill of Golden Yeti Art Collective in Franklin, TN; Brad was fascinated by tattooing as a child, and has taken that love of art and imagery into his partnership with co-owner (and best friend) Jeff Barnard. 

Honestly, this was the hardest interview to title. Brad strikes me as a wonderful paradox; Judging from his work, and how he carries himself, he's very grounded in honor and tradition, but he's also very playful, and knows where and when to have fun. Overall, it was an absolute pleasure. 

We hope we get to meet more of the Golden Yeti crew, and hopefully, once we are beyond COVID-19, we can go visit and get the chance to see this studio in action. 

Thank you Brad! Thank you Golden Yeti Art Collective!... It was an honor! 

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

Not to "parrot" the intro too much (pardon the pun):

This is Part 2 of our interview with Trish Sloan, a yoga instructor that I (Amy) met in RI during my last guest visit at Powerline Tattoo. Trish is an amazing person, practitioner, client, bird-charmer, mom, lady... you name it; Thank you endlessly Trish! We had so much fun meeting you and some of your family. Truly an honor... 

If you're in the RI area, in need of some reflection and movement (after this pandemic, we all will be)... go take a class at Synergy Power Yoga... Meet Trish!... Now you can face your fears with someone who is primed to help, as she's trained, and well practiced!

Take a deep breath, and once again... we salute you Trish! 

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

Rico and I met remotely with an amazing person, practitioner, client, bird-charmer, mom, lady... you name it; Thanks for doing this with us Trish! Trish Sloan is a yoga instructor that I (Amy) met in RI during my last guest visit at Powerline Tattoo. 

From the moment Trish commissioned my tattoo work, I was positive that her and I were 100% in-sync. Find out what captured me about this lovely person, and if you're in the RI area... go take a class at Synergy Power Yoga... you will have a very invested teacher! 

We and the Universe salute you Trish! 

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Exit Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

If you liked last week, you'll love this week, as we conclude our time meeting John Denmat of Powerline Tattoo in Cranston, RI. We know you've been waiting to hear the rest of John's story...

John ends with some really good advice for the the future generation of tattoo artist; It's almost fortuitous advice, given the status of America at the moment, and what's to come after COVID-19. 

Thanks for coming back to the diaries! :*

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Outro Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries

Our first full day in RI, John came to visit us at the "Whimsical Wickford" (our gorgeous Airbnb, for what we thought would be a stay from March 10th to the 18th... But the COVID-19 had other plans!) John sat at our kitchenette table and told all, with a passion that was instant to see, and a personality that would make him very hard to ever dislike. 

Thank you John for coming out on the edge of a pandemic. We really appreciate you! This is a great tale and we know it will inspire many. It was a great way to start my guest visit to Powerline Tattoo (as We're new to meeting John)... Almost like a team building day activity for networking in the tattoo industry. :) Very cool!  

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano 

Sound Design by: (Sound Wizard) Chuck Nunn

Intro and Outro Music Created by: Brandon Carter at (Brandon Scott Carter Publishing). The name of the track is "Ink Apprentice". If you liked the music, and want to work with Brandon, you can email him at: ([email protected])

*If you liked The Apprenticeship Diaries (TAD), please follow us, rate, and review us! 

You can find us currently on:

IG: @the_apprenticeship_diaries

FB: The Apprenticeship Diaries

Twitter: TheApprenticeshipDiaries

If you'd like to reach out, comment, advise, or offer an interview, please email at: 

[email protected]

Remember: The only difference between you and your mentors is time, and how much you want to get the fuck out of your own way!

Find Merchandise at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/theapprenticeshipdiaries