Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joao Bosco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joao , appreciate you joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

I have enormous respect for my clients. I never take for granted the effort it takes for someone to sit at my table for a large tattoo. Everyone has a life. Everyone has responsibilities, work, family, financial pressures. Committing to a large piece, especially something like a full back, requires real sacrifice and planning.

Because of that, I try to be very mindful of what they are going through. My role is not only to tattoo them, but also to support them through the process. If there is anything I can do to make the experience smoother or more manageable, I will do it.

I understand that everyone has limits. When someone tells me they’ve had enough for the day, I respect that. Pushing someone past their limits rarely creates a good experience.

But at the same time, part of my role is to help them believe in themselves. During a long session, when someone is under intense stress, the mind often starts looking for an escape. It’s natural. In those moments, I try to guide them through it. I check in, I talk with them, and I encourage them. Sometimes people just need to hear that they are capable, that they can get through it.

For me, tattooing large work is a collaboration. The client brings commitment and trust. I bring the skill, the responsibility, and the support to help them reach the finish line.

I have deep appreciation for that commitment, and I never forget the effort it takes for someone to sit in my chair

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, my name is Joao. I’m a tattoo artist and I’ve been tattooing for about 22 years. I specialise in large-scale Japanese-inspired work and own a tattoo studio in London called Sacred Gold. I live between London and Los Angeles.

I’ve always had a deep fascination with Asian visual culture, and it has been a major influence on my work. I would describe my style as a crossover between Western fantasy, comic books, and metal aesthetics, combined with an Asian twist.

What inspires me the most is ancient tattooing. I believe those traditions discovered a way of composing tattoos that works with the body like no other style. The way those designs flow with anatomy and grow naturally with the body is something I find incredibly powerful.

Even after 22 years of tattooing, I wouldn’t call myself a specialist. Tattooing isn’t a fixed science — it’s always evolving. Everybody is different, and every tattoo needs to be designed specifically for the person wearing it.

That’s what makes tattooing so challenging, and also what makes it such a fascinating craft. I truly love what I do.

Any advice for managing a team?

The ultimate lesson I learned from running a business — something I didn’t fully understand before — is that everything is about people.

You can have all the capital in the world to start a business, but if you don’t have the right people around you, that money can easily go to waste. There are things money simply cannot buy: people who are engaged, who care, and who treat the business almost as if it were their own.

Another important lesson was learning to let go of control. When you start a business, you want to have your hands in everything. But if you want your team to grow, you have to give people responsibility and trust them to make decisions.

They will make mistakes — that’s inevitable. Your role as a leader is to support them, help them learn, and keep their confidence intact.

And finally, you learn to live with pressure. Challenges will always come with any business, so staying calm under pressure becomes part of the job. It’s something you learn to accept and even welcome if you want to move forward.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’m driven by the idea that reputation is built by focusing on the client’s experience. People might forget a product or a service, but they rarely forget how something made them feel.

For me, providing a service means creating something memorable. I constantly try to see the whole process from the client’s point of view — to imagine how it feels to receive the service and pay for it.

One thing is very clear: people appreciate when they feel they received more value than what they paid for. When that happens, they remember it. That’s how loyalty is built. People stay engaged and go out to speak well of your business.

I believe giving people that sense of value — that their time and money were well spent — is what helped me cultivate a strong, loyal clientele over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sacredgold.shop
• Instagram: @joaoboscoart @sacredgoldtattoo
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sacredgoldlondon5479?si=rq_pM1zpAN2jXFtU
• Other: Tiktok

  Sacredgoldtattoo

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