Skin Design Tattoos Family: Standing United

As your career grows, so does your inner circle.

With each studio I’ve opened — from Las Vegas to SoHo — that’s meant more artists, more staff, more clients, and a wider audience of people rooting for you.

More mouths to feed.

That’s the thing I love most about growth. Sharing it with the people around me.

Seeing the Best in the Skin Design Tattoos Family

I see the best in people - almost to a fault. I see every person who joins the SDT team as an extended part of the family. They’re not just someone who works for me or alongside me; they’re my brothers, sisters, mentees, and friends.

They’re more than colleagues. They’re some of my closest confidants.

I stand by them, they stand by me. I’d trust them with my livelihood. And in a way, I do.

Each member of SDT is a reflection of the brand itself — and there are so many incredible stories I’ve had the privilege to hear and be a part of in the SDT family.

This team has been one of my greatest blessings.

But not everyone views it the same way. There will always be a select few people who only look out for their own interests.

For some people, that relationship is transactional. They take what they want from you and they leave when they’re done, focused on short-term gains rather than contributing towards a greater legacy.

It hurts because I genuinely take pride in the successes of the Skin Design Tattoos family. I’m not here to keep you or hold you down. SDT culture is rooted in growth, commitment, and a constant motivation to improve not only yourself, your art, but the tattoo industry as a whole.

I want to empower each and every SDT artist with the tools and opportunities that I fought so hard to get — because that’s what you do for your family.

Navigating Challenges Together as the Skin Design Tattoos Family

I’ve been here before. I’ve seen the cycles of mass exodus and I’ve watched the shifts in the industry, the trends away from traditional studios, and I’m feeling the impact of the economy myself.

I know these times are hard for everyone.

I also understand that there comes a time when one wants to stand on their own, create their own path.

That’s something I can admire, respect, and relate to.

What I'd really love is to see more people come together during these times. We're all facing similar challenges, and I've learned a lot navigating the ongoing evolution of our industry. I’m more than eager to share that knowledge with my fellow artists.

I’m hopeful that, as things progress, we can instead use these changing tides as opportunities to uplift one another in the community rather than turn our backs on our team.

Even when artists start a new journey solo — we can still stay a family.

Building a Legacy of Trust, Respect, and Loyalty

Trust, respect, and loyalty. Those are the pillars of SDT culture and the philosophies that guide me as an individual and as an entrepreneur.

I’ve taken time out of my own life, time away from my wife and my children, to mentor artists and teach them my skills. I’ve cosigned my name on the titles of cars, lease agreements, helped people fix their credit, and even bailed them out of jail.

I am all in when it comes to helping those around me succeed.

Because I don’t view it like I’m their boss. I have a responsibility to uplift other artists in the industry and build the SDT team into something stronger, more innovative.

Skin Design Tattoos is something that I can be proud of — something my daughters, my son, and their children can inherit. I take pride not only in the SDT name, but in the artists behind it. I’ve seen the way this company has transformed the lives of both artists and their families.

I dream of the day every SDT member truly feels this is their team, their brand. I've seen the passion in other artists, even transitioned individuals as their mentor to SDT co-owner myself.

The talent on this team is undeniable, their resilience inspiring. So many of us see the positive impact we have on the wider tattoo community.

But, for a lot of people, as their career goes up, so does their ego.

Why do things have to get so complicated?

Remembering Our Roots While Reaching New Heights

The higher you climb, the easier it is to lose sight of the struggles that got you there.

But, no one accomplishes everything alone.

I came from nothing. A Cambodian refugee with a criminal record, I had no money and what I thought were no marketable skills.

I’ve come a long way and achieved things I never would have thought possible. But I did it with the support of a wife who believed in me (even when I didn’t believe in myself), a young daughter to push me forward, and the will to be the man they knew I was capable of being.

That’s the kind of influence I want to have on other artists. I want to be the support they need when they have none.

It’s just unfortunate that humility is so often forgotten in victory.

Upholding Integrity and Honoring Our Roots

It took me a long time to get here.

I may not have gotten a lot from my childhood, but it did teach me one thing:

Your word is everything.

This value was instilled in me from an early age and has guided my actions as a father, husband, artist, and entrepreneur.

I fear that this principle, too, is being lost in the current landscape.

I worry that, if we don’t hold on to our roots, if we don’t honor our word and maintain a sense of loyalty to those around us, it’s going to do a lot more damage than it ever could to just the SDT name.

It can hurt the integrity of our craft.

The True Essence of Tattooing: Community and Connection

Tattooing is about a lot more than ink on skin. It goes so much deeper than the images themselves.

The heart of the tattoo industry lies in the stories that are told. The art is in sharing and celebrating cultures, honoring traditions and leaving your mark, and the ability to create connections with others.

When artists focus too heavily on personal gain, when they forget the people who supported them and elevated them along the way, we jeopardize the very soul of our industry.

There are enough outside factors threatening our industry already — corporate greed, an unstable economy, big money investors. We have to have each other’s backs. We have to stand united.

Yes, we compete with one another, but the success of one of us is the success of our art, our industry.

We are a community.

I won’t let us forget that.

Community is a virtue I see instilled in the members of the SDT family, the ones who’ve stuck with us through every hardship — and something I hope to teach the upcoming members of our family as we continue to grow.

I have artists from all across the globe traveling to Hawaii to learn from me. I want them to gain more than just skill. I pray that they come to embody the values of SDT - creating a ripple effect of change throughout the tattoo industry.

Skin Design Tattoos will keep rising above every obstacle, challenging industry norms, and holding true to our values — trust, respect, and loyalty — even to those who have turned their back on us.

I’ll continue to lead by example, to be the change I want to see, and use the SDT brand to improve the lives of every member of the Skin Design Tattoos family.

You have my word.