We recently connected with Justin Brown and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

The biggest challenge we’ve faced in making our own tattoo ink has been getting artists to actually try it. At the end of the day, ink is the permanent part of a tattooer’s job. If an artist isn’t sure whether an ink is reliable, the safest move is to stick with what they already trust.

And “good” ink isn’t just about how it heals. It’s how it flows in the tube, whether it dries up in the cap, how easily it saturates the skin, how it settles after a few weeks or months, and most importantly, how it holds up after years in the skin.

Most artists use a small rotation of brands for most of their careers, only switching when a close friend vouches for something new. So starting an ink company from the ground up was always going to be an uphill climb.

It took years to get our formulas exactly where we wanted them. Testing, tweaking, tattooing, documenting, and putting the results out into the world. We handed bottles to friends, hoped they’d give it a shot, and trusted that the work would speak for itself.

It’s been a long, slow road but absolutely worth it. Building this ink from scratch has been one of the toughest and most rewarding experiences we’ve ever had.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Justin Brown. I own The Bristol Tattoo Company and Family Tradition Supply in Bristol, Tennessee. I’ve been tattooing for 16 years, married for 15, and my wife and I are raising 3 pretty rad kids.

I fell into tattooing by accident. In 2008, after moving back to Florida, I walked into a shop and asked if I could mop floors and answer phones in exchange for tattoos. For whatever reason, they said yes. A few months later, they offered me an apprenticeship. Tattooing wasn’t something I ever expected to do and definitely not the plan when I asked for that first opportunity. I spent the next several years soaking up knowledge, practicing nonstop, and trying to master the craft so I could take care of my family. After four years in that first shop, I felt ready for something new and joined a busy, well-respected studio in town. I grew a ton as an artist during those years.

In 2015, my wife and I decided we wanted to raise our family in Tennessee. After a little over a year, we bought a house in Bristol and, in late 2016, opened the only tattoo shop in historic downtown Bristol. The shop grew steadily, and over time, I found myself wanting to contribute more to tattooing. I wanted to create tools and products that actually made sense for artists, things made by tattooers, not corporations.

In 2019, I formulated my first stencil applicator, and that’s when Family Tradition Supply was born. Since then, we’ve expanded into a line of products: antibacterial soap tablets that dissolve in water, water-solidifying tablets, our own needle cartridges, disposable needle stems, grips, involvement in organizing five conventions and, most importantly, our own tattoo ink.

The ink has been the longest, hardest, and most rewarding project. It’s 100% formulated and made by tattooers, not white-labeled like most brands on the market. It’s something we’re incredibly proud of, and we’re excited about where it’s going.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of the biggest things that’s helped us earn trust with tattooers is simple: we’re honest. Take our cartridges, for example, they’re made in China, just like every other brand on the market. We don’t hide it or dress it up. In fact, our packaging literally says “Same Shit, Different Box.” Because that’s the truth.

We’re not pretending to reinvent the wheel. We’re focused on putting out solid products at a fair price and building something real to support our families. That honesty resonates with artists, and it’s become a core part of who we are.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

We currently use BigCartel for our website and e-commerce. They offer a solid range of add-ons for marketing, tracking, shipping, and more. The biggest reason I stick with them is how they handle sales tax. BigCartel collects the appropriate sales tax from customers at checkout and then pays each state directly on our behalf. I never have to touch it.

As a small business selling products nationwide, that’s a massive weight off my shoulders. Managing sales tax across dozens of states can be a nightmare, and BigCartel takes that entire burden out of the equation so I can focus on running the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.familytraditionsupply.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familytraditionsupply/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/familytraditionsupply/