Sharing the Secrets of Success With the Next Generation of Artists

Over the years, a lot of people have come to me for advice on how to run a successful business. They think that I have some secret, some quick fix that put me at the top of my career.

But there’s a million different things that set the foundation for where I stand now.

It takes a lot of resilience to be where I am.

It’s more than just leading a team of 100+ artists and employees across seven, soon to be eight locations. It’s being a mentor, father, husband, business owner, and artist while juggling all the outside influences, third party companies, trust issues, and economic strains that come with the territory.

We’re going through a tattoo recession — another mass exodus of artists leaving SDT and migrating away from traditional studios — but it’s more than that. As the founder of Skin Design Tattoos, it’s my job to keep up the morale of the SDT family. I have to make sure our culture remains strong.

Balancing Community Dynamics in the Tattoo Industry

Just like you would as the father of a family, you have to consider the dynamics of your extended tattoo community. You have to navigate the different personalities and perspectives within it.

It’s hands on. It means being the one to balance the difference of opinions and potential for hurt feelings while still creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued enough to push their artistic boundaries, even during uncertain times.

Not everyone can carry the weight of it all. I constantly feel like I’m being pulled in a hundred different directions — from New York to California.

It’s cost me time with my wife, time away from my kids as they grew up, countless friendships, my sleep, the ability to have a normal life.

But it’s easy to be strong when you’re working towards something greater than yourself. When you’re working on a legacy for your children to inherit, for the next generation of artists continue to build on.

Preparing the Next Generation for Leadership in the Tattoo Industry

For over three decades, I’ve been battle tested — both in and out of the studios. Work isn’t something that you can leave at the shop; to be an entrepreneur, you take it home with you.

I take it home to my daughters, the very reason I fight so hard for what we have.

It can be a brutal industry. It’s oversaturated, threatened by global investors, demands everything out of you, and it’s male dominated — something I have to prepare them for.

I never want my daughters to have to face the challenges that I have.

I’ve sheltered them from so much; I have to hope I’ve built them strong enough to handle it when it’s their turn to take it all on.

Because there will come a day where I have to hand over the keys. After I’m gone, it’s up to them to wear the SDT name with pride. And as Skin Design continues to grow, so will the need for strong leadership. I want them to be ready to step up and share in that responsibility.

I’m confident that they will. I’ve raised them to understand the privileges that come with the name and the sacrifices they’ll have to make to uphold it.

Skin Design Tattoos isn't just about building an empire; it's about laying the foundation for the next generation. We can't thrive in a vacuum.

It's my responsibility to strengthen our industry, give back to the community, and ensure this art form keeps thriving - long after I set my needle down for the last time.

That’s why I’m taking the time to mentor six apprentices (more to come next month) out of our SDT Honolulu, Hawaii homebase.

Apprenticing with me isn’t easy. There are no rest days, no breaks to do menial tasks. People come to me for guidance because of that — because I’ll push their limits, break them, and make them more adaptable to the needs of the industry.

From day one, they’ll be tattooing. Every single day, I review their work with them. We discuss the sizing, shading, technique, everything that goes on behind the scenes.

I help upcoming artists see the whole picture, and every little detail that goes into it. Having that eye, that’s what sets SDT apart. It’s about more than just the design, it’s about the placement, allowing one tattoo to flow into the next — art that tells a story across the whole canvas of the body.

I get them to visualize things the way that I do. I’m handing over three and a half decades of experience in a short amount of time.

But tattooing is about more than just art. It’s about connection.

Teaching the Hustle: The Reality of Mentoring in the Tattoo Industry

As a mentor, I have to teach people how to hustle. But they have to be willing to learn.

It can be uncomfortable. They have to step out of their comfort zones, go out and talk to potential clients, bring people in. I’ve noticed that this is especially daunting for younger generations.

But it’s how you make it in an industry as competitive as ours. Raw talent isn’t enough.

I’ve had people quit after three days of mentoring with me because the social element was just too much. I still remember when the most talented artist with the most potential ended up quitting before finishing their apprenticeship.

I’ve heard their cries, felt their pain when they missed their families, and I can empathize with those who feel overworked and burned out.

But that’s just the price of success. The harsh reality is that it’s not up to me; this career path isn’t for everyone. I don’t like having to be the one to help others come to that realization.

But I do, because I care. Because this industry means everything to me. And the people who can absorb it? They soak it all in and they’re made so much better for it.

People who are ready to give themselves into the process see their skills develop at a rate they never thought possible. They get better every day.

I’ve had so many people ask me how we do it. People tell me all the time, “I’ve seen your apprentices start out below me and now they’re already better. What’s your secret?”

I don’t have a secret.

It’s just a lot of time, motivation, and a willingness to put in the hard work — even when it’s scary. Even when you think you can’t handle it, you do.

When you don’t take days off, you’re already at an advantage over your competition, especially when you’re first learning. Two days off per week means eight every month, 64 hours a month extra — that’s their edge.

That’s the hunger, the relentless pursuit of growth, that defines SDT.

Inspiring Journeys: Success Stories from Skin Design Tattoos

Witnessing the impact I've had on artists' journeys – getting to know them, understanding their struggles and victories – and seeing how my guidance has unlocked countless possibilities in their lives, fuels my passion to keep making a difference.

The artists I’ve mentored have become some of my greatest inspirations.

I think of Christina and the blessings she’s seen as she’s grown on her journey as an artist.

Linh, how she had to leave her children at home just weeks after giving birth to her youngest to become a master of her craft — and how now she’s a co-owner of our SoHo shop.

Looking back, I also think of Jake, someone who joined SDT with nothing but potential. Starting out, our working relationship was rocky. Back in Vegas, I almost had to fire him when I didn’t see the progression in his work that SDT demands.

But somewhere along the way, a switch flipped in him. He went all in.

And now? He has everything — more than he ever dreamed of. He’s been able to buy a house, provide for his family, and become co-owner of our newest, upcoming location: Nashville.

Instead of breaking under pressure, he shattered his own expectations. By living and breathing SDT's values – hustling without ego – he’s reached heights he never even imagined.

There are so many stories like these. So many artists have had their lives transformed by SDT.

Embracing Change and Paving the Way for the Future

These artists are a part of my extended family now. Watching their growth, sharing my knowledge with them, has been such a blessing.

It’s my calling, why the universe has put me in the position that I’m in. It’s bigger than just me.

I do it for my daughters, so they can enter into an industry that’s sustainable for them, and for the generation of artists that will tattoo alongside them.

So much in our industry is changing. For so many people, that can be terrifying.

I think back to piercings, how tattoo artists hated the whole idea of it. Now, it’s commonplace in every studio. Same thing with numbing creams and anesthesia — once stigmatized, now a normal practice. Rotary machines, once standard, are slowly going away, too.

Next? Tattoo schools.

There’s a tattoo school overseas that opened up that squeezes so many upcoming artists together that they look like an assembly line. They’re practically bumping elbows in this big convention center while they learn the fundamentals of tattooing. Similar tattoo schools are popping up all over the world.

The whole concept is controversial. With this mass corporatization of tattooing, we risk losing the soul of what we do. That human connection, that culture.

But sitting back and hating on the evolution of our industry accomplishes nothing. In this economy, we can’t afford to be stagnant.

If you hate the way something is being done, do it better. That’s the SDT way. That’s what’s made Skin Design so successful, how we’ve withstood things that could break even the strongest of brands.

Tattoo schools could play the same role as an apprenticeship — just on a larger scale. For me, it’s an opportunity to give even more artists the means to be a part of our legacy, to create one for themselves.

I’m ready and excited to pave a path within the industry for younger generations to follow — to show them that embracing change and adapting to it in your own way is how you survive.

I look to the future and I see an SDT academy of its own — one that evolves alongside the needs of the industry while maintaining the core values that make it so powerful.

Proudly Mentoring the Next Generation of Artists

As I mentor these upcoming artists and expand my role as a teacher and industry leader, I can’t help but feel proud. Proud of the SDT family for making their dreams possible, for their unwavering commitment, and proud of where we stand as a brand — even in the face of obstacles.

I’m proud to contribute to the next generation of artists, to leave the industry stronger for my girls as they begin journeys of their own.

Every single artist who comes to Skin Design leaves better because of it.

They take a piece of SDT culture with them, that motivation, that drive to lift up the people around them — the virtues behind the art.

That’s the Skin Design “secret.”

This post highlights the importance of mentoring in professional development, something that I also consider essential in our sector.