Holy what a ride without internet for 2 weeks! My goodness, I hope everyone is doing well. So much coming now that I can get things back on track. Tell me what have I missed, what are you working on, new tattoos, artwork, etc.

When I first started my own business, I was a shit artist, with only 6 months of an apprenticeship under my belt. I needed to get good, fast and at the time, money wasn't the goal...yet. I thought it would be hard to charge anyone when I sucked and when I was slow. So I offered my services for free, telling people I was learning. Showed them I was good at art. Not like, "my mom says I'm good" But actually good. I just didn't have skin practice that I needed. I offered to friends and family, free tattoos, small ones with in my range. And nothing...No bites, No true interest. People would say yes, then ghost. I wasn't sure what the deal was. I thought "Who doesn't love free tattoos?" It didn't take me long to learn the value of a service and how money holds people accountable. Maybe it was the podcasts I was listening to at the time, business people, YouTube, audiobooks, etc. Not entirely sure why, but I started telling people there would be a deposit to secure booking. I started low, $25. Then, like magic, people started to book and actually show up to appointments. Then I started charging more after I got a little better, $50 for deposits. $75/hour move to $100/hour. As I got better, I was able to charge more. Within a year, I was able to charge $125/hour then quickly moved to $165 based on my skill and what other artists around my city were charging. Deposits are KEY. They hold people accountable when they have money invested. Even a small amount. It also shows that YOU value your service enough to put a dollar value on it, signaling to people that it VALUABLE. I am currently running a $100 tiny tattoo promo and even though a $50 deposit is half the amount, people pay it and people show up EVERYTIME. I am now able to charge up to $250 for a deposit on larger tattoos and in some cases even more. I hope this sheds some light for you on valuing yourself and your service.

“Selling out” in the tattoo industry usually means an artist or shop starts making choices based more on money, clout, or trends rather than on quality, integrity, or client fit. Examples of actually selling out: - Taking on tattoos you know you are not skilled enough to do just because the client is paying. - Copying trendy designs from Pinterest or other artists instead of creating original work. - Dropping your actual style completely just to chase what is popular online. - Overbooking clients and rushing tattoos to maximize cash. - Pushing people into bigger pieces, extra sessions, or add-ons they do not really need. - Using cheap supplies or cutting corners on hygiene to save money. - Pretending to be “booked out” or more in demand than you really are just for image. - Tattooing designs you personally think are poor quality or badly placed, without giving honest guidance, because you do not want to lose the sale. - Taking every brand deal or sponsorship, even if you do not actually use or believe in the product. - Posting more for attention than for truth, like fake luxury, fake success, or fake lifestyle branding. - Building a brand around “exclusive” status while giving clients a worse experience, higher prices, and less care. - Teaching or coaching other artists on tattooing before you have real results or enough experience. - Turning tattooing into a content farm where filming matters more than the client experience. - Saying yes to every walk-in or every niche instead of protecting your standards and specialty. - Raising prices only to look elite, without improving skill, service, or experience. Also, some things get called “selling out” when they really are not: - Making good money - Having merch - Running ads - Building a strong personal brand - Raising prices as your skill grows - Creating repeatable flash that sells well - Partnering with brands you genuinely like - Educating other artists The real difference is this: Selling out = abandoning standards, honesty, or artistry for money or attention. Growing a business = making smart business decisions without losing your values.

get left behind and have to quit... The game has changed ever since "social media" became the way of the world. But it has shifted again and is no longer about being social, it's about getting in front of the right people at the right time with the right thing. Social media has become a way of marketing and doing business. If your not ready to step outside the box then you might just have to quit.... Tattoo artists are entrepreneurs and unless you have the backing of a great shop or mentor, most artists fail to make enough money even though they have amazing skill. And that's simply because they weren't taught how to get more clients other then doing good work. The market isn't over saturated. Because what good is good work when no one sees it?

I posted this video doing a birthday month promo...it was free to record, free to edit, free to post, and free to share to others. Its been up for a total of 4 days as of right now. I've booked $1200 in tattoos just from this freee video that I DIDNT have to dance in. Here's the video. It didn't go viral, but it did work! Speak to your audience and they will speak back. I hope thos information helps. And as always feel free to ask any questions. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW-DoyKD8Zd/?igsh=aHRsajlpZXo5MWc4