We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Olson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

When I opened up the tattoo shop in 2018, I was originally looking for a private studio for only myself. I had been in shops previously that weren’t working out any longer, and decided I would like to be on my own, Acquiring my building was the first step, it was a lot bigger than I had originally been looking for but all the pieces aligned perfectly and I had to have it, Shortly after opening, my now coworker Sarah had reached out and asked if I had room for another artist since she was also unhappy at her current shop, I had the room and she moved on over. Shortly after Sarah joined me, I met Madeline. She was interested in tattooing and already had an art background with a solid portfolio, so I took her on as my apprentice. Within the span of a year my “private studio” became a popular, woman owned & operated, inclusive tattoo shop that was far from the norm. With the shops pink exterior, feminine vibes, and all women artists we quickly developed a unique and comfortable client experience. Fast forward to now, Sarah and Madeline are still with me and I’ve taken on another apprentice, Natalie. We’re focused on making the experience of getting a tattoo not intimidating, scary or uncomfortable which unfortunately can be common in the industry.

Emily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Emily, I started tattooing when I was 19 years old. This winter will mark 8 years tattooing. Throughout the beginning of my apprenticeship I suffered through a lot of health complications including Lupus, kidney failure, dialysis and ultimately a kidney transplant. Throughout this journey, tattooing and making art is what kept me going. The drive and ambition I learned early on helped me become as successful as I am today. I am now a well rounded artist and can tattoo nearly any style.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing clientele is definitely word of mouth, fortunately for us our clients wear our work with them everywhere they go. People love talking about tattoos, and our names get out there through conversations daily. Another great way to expand our client reach is through social media, we are very blessed to have clients traveling from all over America, and sometimes out of country, to come see us from finding us on social media.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think the main thing non-creatives/clients struggle to understand sometimes is that just because we are good at our job, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. I have clients occasionally asking me to just ‘whip something up’ not understanding I put up to 15 hours into each drawing, making sure it’s absolutely perfect before tattooing it. It’s not something that comes easily, its still hard work.

Contact Info:

• Website: Desertrosetattoo.com
• Instagram: Emilyolsontattoo
• Facebook: Emilyolsontattoo

Image Credits
Braden Lengeling