What Makes a Tattooer Hireable with Aaron Davis

Send us Fan MailJon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and guest Aaron Davis (Atlanta-based tattooer specializing in Afro-Americana, tattooing 7+ years) discuss what makes a tattooer hireable if they had no reputation, including how shop hiring has changed, the importance of portfolio, attitude, reliability, and the ability to pay rent by bringing in clients. They weigh social media presence versus consistent walk-ins, emphasize professionalism and respecting clients’ time, and name major red flags like drug/alcohol issues and personal drama spilling into the shop. The conversation covers the value of peer critique and being around strong artists, how apprenticeships have shifted with information online, changes in needle and machine culture, and secondhand gear marketplaces. They compare illustration and tattooing economics, touch on AI’s impact, and close with advice for aspiring artists: show up, build trust, study fundamentals, curate only your best work, be humble, seek critique, and ask whether you’d hire yourself.Support the show