We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ramon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ramon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

It was a quick one, actually. It came up when talking with my mom, Eva Olivas, my business partner and Piercer at one time. I wanted to call it Tattooedfux, but she suggested something that can be said easier in english and spanish that way people feel included. She always has great advice, so, she said how about “Real INX”? I said, “Yea, ok.”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am self taught, I started to discover into this business at 20 years old when i created my own homemade tattoo machine. Just the night before i did, my cousin Joser took me to get a tattoo from a homie at an apt. Being there, the vato noticed me looking at his equipment and started to show me how it works. At that time I was in party mode and somehow, through the weed and alcohol I absorbed everything the homie told me. Naturally, the next day I made my own and called my other cousin G-Dog. He came over and I tattooed him. It wasn’t that direct, lol, first we got a bottle of amaretto and then we searched for ink at Office Max. I somehow thought non-toxic acrylic paint would do and after cutting off the high E string off my electric guitar, we started. The high e string was the needle in the makeshift machine I put together, and it just didn’t get the ink in. I got the idea to take the low E string which is much much thicker and used that. It looked like it did the job but later saw it just boar out chunks of flesh.
I probably should have quit but I couldn’t shake off my mistakes in my mind and well in a nutshell, 25 years later here I am with a good running business and 1st class tattoos.
I am a crafty artist, I work with all mediums although tattooing is the one that makes money. I’m proud of myself, the people that work with me, the shop and overall the satisfied customers.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My mom, Evangelina helped me open my business with a loan she gave me. She supported my dream, helped me find a place to rent, named the business and always gave me great advise on running the business. She even pierced at the shop for a good while with me. That was so cool to me and I’m great full for her and all her help and being.
Micah is my right hand at the shop. He came in one day asking about touching up his hand tattoo at the old location on Madrid St. I had no idea he was actually trying to get a job. I did his tattoo on a Wednesday when I was handling a $5.00 piercing special and tattooing myself while Zaira (secretary) helped with taking paperwork and seating customers in order. We had a line all the way down the block. Micah looked at me and asked if I need help. I told him, “yea, but I don’t know how to get it.” I was overwhelmed and he offered. I put him on a trial basis tattooing while I pierced on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s, over time sticking with the shop and he became indispensable. I’m very lucky to have him walk into the shop that day.

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

At first, word of mouth. I always strive to be 300% with my design and craft just to give people a great job whether it’s a piercing or tattoo. Not only do I perfect my craft constantly, but I share all that I learn with everyone at the shop and do my best to influence them to keep learning and perfecting their crafts as well. In doing so, word of mouth has always taken us far. Right before COVID we started using Facebook and Instagram to grow our clientele as well as our own website www.realinx.art. That has done well fir us also

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.realinx.art
• Instagram: @realinxlascruces
• Facebook: Real inx, realinxlascruces
• Twitter: @inx_real