The Apprenticeship Diaries

Pardon the delay here. Crazy Week! Sometimes, life happens and the lesson to observe is what we can and can't control; As well as yielding to the reality that whether things are going the way we want or not, "it is what it is," and the only thing you have the power to affect is your next move. 

This week, a family member died, but also, family came together, people laughed, people cried, and love was everywhere! This episode is about relationships, and reflection. 

Thank you for listening! 

~Amy and Rico

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano (in this episode as interviewer)

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!

It was so cool to sit with my friend and coworker, Natalie Seki, and learn more about her start as a tattoo artist. I'm so grateful for Natalie's story, because like the beautiful lotus, her apprenticeship was truly a journey and so very rare.

I've known Natalie for two years now, and this is the first time I heard her full apprenticeship story; Complete with mangos instead of grapefruit, for practice skin. 

Natalie is an incredibly talented tattoo artist who specializes in Japanese brushwork tattoos. Go check her out everyone (@natalieseki); She comes all the way from Brazil!

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!

Meet Meredith Bertschin everyone! Pardon our delay, but as sometimes happens in any industry, schedules get pushed. My friend and co-worker Meredith is a woman of many talents and now, a few podcast interviews under her belt (Catch her on Why I'm Single, the Podcast). Join us as we dive into Meredith's apprenticeship(S)... Yup, just like your host, two! 

I want to send a special thanks to Chuck for helping me get through my ignorance with sound. We all have full plates and I'm very grateful for any help I get in the technical department. 

Follow her project or send in stories and pictures of older tattoo work. : www.americantattoohistory.org

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano (not available in this episode)

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

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!

This episode is a 'ramble-jam' (a term used on our friend Amy D's podcast: Why I'm Single, the Podcast). Amy and Rico sit and talk; Well, Amy talks and Rico does what he's good at by keeping things light, fun, and doesn't allow Amy to stay on her soap box forever. 

There's no interview this week, but our hosts will always have engagement, and fortunately for everyone, the tattoo industry provides miles of information to discuss on a daily basis; Here, Amy and Rico talk about the home-grown qualities that primed them for The Apprenticeship Diaries, and the inspiration/journey that lead us here, where we are today.

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano (in this episode as interviewer)

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

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!

In this episode, I (Amy Nicholls) interview my apprentice and long time friend, Andrea Jensen. Andrea is now a couple years into her career as a professional tattoo artist, but still feels the haunted memories of her apprenticeship days. Listen as we get Andrea's take on her apprenticeship, and I get further insight into this person that I tried to teach; Realizing rapidly that an ability to tattoo does not equivocate to knowing how to teach it.

As our relationship started from day one: It is hard to tell who is the mentor and the mentee in this dynamic; Andrea and I continually learn from each other and as much as her apprenticeship was hard, it was insightful to everyone involved... Hopefully, it will be to you (the listener) as well!

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano (sitting out this episode)

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

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!

Join your host Amy Nicholls as she interviews her mentor and current boss, John Garancheski. John has owned and operated Tattooed Heart Studios of Maryland, for almost 15 years now, and has been tattooing for 18 years. He has attempted to apprentice many, and I, Amy, am one of the few who were able to make the grade. 

Learn about John's start in the industry, and the reasons why he keeps coming back to tattooing, "Tattooing, will you please take me back!" 

This was an awesome interview, and I (Amy) know that you all will have fun with John as much as I do. He's the best! 

Host:Amy Nicholls

Co-host:Rico Illiano (in this episode as interviewer)

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

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!

Meet your host, Amy Nicholls and her co-host, (and partner) Rico Illiano, as Rico interviews Amy about her apprenticeship in the tattoo industry. 

Find out Amy's motivation behind this podcast, and take a quick tour through some of the frequently asked questions about tattoo apprenticeships, and what Amy's (off the cuff) answers are (given her experience).

~As someone who is willing to lead by example, I wanted to be the first to take the plunge, "walk the plank", and be brutally candid about my thoughts and feelings. I'm definitely not perfect and I don't think that's the point! I think everyone has a story, and I'm going to start by telling mine first.

I want to thank you in advance for listening to The Apprenticeship Diaries! Rico and I are dedicated to this interview project, and we hope to keep it up for some time with your continued support. 

Your Host, 

Amy Nicholls

Host: Amy Nicholls

Co-host: Rico Illiano (in this episode as interviewer)

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

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!