We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tracy Zumwalt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tracy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I’d hope to be remembered for being a true professional that always put the needs of the client first. I’d also want to be acknowledged for having my ego in check and not getting lost in the “star games” that go on in my profession. What I do, (tattooing) is no different than a plumber or electrician. Though tattooing obviously has an artistic component, I’ve always considered myself more of a ‘craftsperson’ than an ‘artist’.
Tracy, 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 Tracy Zumwalt and I’ve been running a tattoo shop in the historic neighborhood of Ballard (Seattle) since 1999. Originally starting the shop with 2 partners, within 3 years of opening (and starting a second location), I’d become the sole proprietor of the Ballard location- debt free! I’d never considered myself a businessperson and definitely didn’t get into tattooing to end up running a shop on my own, but that’s how the cards fell! It’s been over 25 years now and we’re still going!
As far as the actual product/service, we do all different styles of tattooing but lean heavily on the Traditional American style (known by the general public as “Sailor Jerry tattoos” or just “sailor tattoos”). Above the rich imagery and design traditions of Traditional American tattooing, using the principles of bold lines and minimal detail definitely makes for a tattoo that will stand the test of time more than one with heavy detail and little to no black. A tattoo can be done to look just like any painting or other piece of art work- when it’s first applied. What it will look like in 30 or 40 years is another story! A tattoo is in the skin and should be designed with longevity in mind!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As with many others in the small business community, the Covid Pandemic of 2020 would have to go down as one of the most trying periods in recent history. Being a “non-essential business”, we we’re forced to close down for 3 months! At first, I was kind of excited to make some much needed upgrades to the shop while we were closed. As time went on and lots of money was spent- while zero money was coming in, the novelty wore off. Added to the position I’d found myself in, I’d opted to not take advantage of the government’s PPP program and instead chose to fund my living expenses and shop upgrades with my savings! Luckily, once it was decided that we could open again, lots of people were out of work, had money and wanted tattoos so the recovery (financially) was quick. Looking back, over the past 5 years, I’ve realized that many other changes had taken place in my chosen trade. Namely, people that had worked at my shop for several years had decided to start working privately (which has been an industry-wide trend) and many others that had ‘always wanted to tattoo’ had started finding their way into the trade. As a result, people with the right skills to work at my shop are now less inclined to stick around for the long haul and seem to always be imagining where else might be more beneficial to them. In other words, it’s been a bit of a ‘rotating door’ as far as subcontractors at my shop in the past 5 years!
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Once the 3 of us had decided we wanted to start a tattoo shop together, we went to work figuring out how we could realize this goal. One of my business partners was still serving in the military and wasn’t available full-time for the first 2 years in business but did have liquid capital to put in. The other partner was a very well known tattooer in the Seattle area (since deceased) and had some money saved up but was also freshly sober from a severe heroin addiction. Myself, being the 3rd partner, had zero money but did have some building skills and plenty of time. I was able to get started using what we call “sweat equity”!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anchortattoo.com
- Instagram: anchortattoo
- Facebook: Tracy Zumwalt
Image Credits
all photos by Tracy Zumwalt