What Does Tattooing Have to do With Purpose?

What does tattooing have to do with purpose? More than we think. In a lot of indigenous cultures, tattoos weren’t just something you chose—they reflected how you lived. Your identity. Your story. Your responsibility. In this episode, I sit down with Kiko San Diego, a traditional Filipino tattoo practitioner and co-founder of Tribal Korner. Kiko carries forward ancestral practices like batok, and the way he talks about his work—it’s not just art. It’s something deeper. Something intentional. This conversation isn’t really about tattoos. It’s about what it means to live a life marked by purpose. Because long before we defined ourselves by titles or achievements, there were other ways of carrying meaning— ways that connected people to who they were and how they were meant to live. Welcome to Beneath the Transaction. As you listen, I’d invite you to lean into this idea— to ask yourself: What is my purpose? And what would it look like to live it… in a way that’s marked on my heart every day? If this resonates with you, we’d love for you to follow the show, share it with someone you care about, and keep having these conversations in your own life. Grateful for Kiko and the work he’s doing to carry this tradition forward. Go check him out and follow along at @tribal.korner Thanks for being here. Salamat Po. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Indigenous Tattooing 03:09 Kiko's Journey into Traditional Tattooing 10:37 Cultural Revival and Connection to Ancestry 21:14 Tattooing as a Sacred Responsibility 29:07 Purpose and Transformation through Tattooing 29:34 The Significance of Indigenous Tattooing 32:12 Intention Behind Markings 37:24 Living with Purpose and Ancestry 43:36 Transformative Power of Markings 48:41 Advice for Living Beneath the Transaction