We recently connected with Roger and Ana from Manifest Body Art Studio and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Roger and Ana from Manifest , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
The tattoo industry has changed so much in the last 10 years that everyone is going in different directions. At Manifest Body Art Studio we aim to give our clients a different type of experience. Our goal is to create a judgment-free space where anyone can get a tattoo. Whether you are a lawyer, doctor, grandparent, or young adult, we want you to feel safe and comfortable during your time with us. We strive to create a different experience for those who want something more intimate and tailored to them. We are a private studio with only two tattoo artists. With no foot traffic through our studio, we have full control of who enters and exits, which allows us to keep a safe environment for our clients as well as our artists. As soon as our clients arrive, they are greeted at the door and welcomed to our private studio. Our consent forms are all electronic and easy to complete through your phone in order to save some trees. We understand that getting tattooed is a big deal for our clients and we want to make sure that their big day is a memorable one. Each artist only books one appointment per day in order to give our clients our full undivided attention during their session. We always love to engage in conversation with our clients while they are getting tattooed but they are also given the option to watch their show of choice. Our studio is fully stocked with delicious snacks and drinks as well as macro friendly snacks for our fitness clients. In addition, our studio hours are from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm which allows our clients to be home at a decent hour, or have plenty of time to enjoy the nightlife at Deep Ellum. At Manifest, we want our clients to enjoy their “day off” and feel as pampered as they can feel while getting a tattoo.
Roger and Ana , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to let us know how you got into the industry and introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
There is one person who deserves the most credit as to how Roger and I got into the industry, and that is Gerald Garcia. He is the owner and founder of Last Angels Tattoos in Dallas. Gerald took us under his wing and taught us everything we know about tattooing. If it wasn’t for him taking a leap of faith on both of us, we wouldn’t have made it into the industry.
Gerald held us to a pretty high standard and we have carried that over to Manifest BAS. At Manifest we create custom made tattoo designs tailored to each individual client. We work with our clients to bring their vision to life by holding virtual consultations where they can share their ideas on what elements they’d like for their tattoo. Then, we create a one-of-a-kind tattoo design that flows with our clients natural body shape. Each artist at our studio has a unique style and set of skills. Roger specializes in mixing different styles together like high contrast black and gray realism with dotwork/sacred geo. He also works with a wide variety of subject matters, including chicano art, greek statues, anime/pop culture characters, and more. On the other hand, Ana specializes in black and gray realism and illustrative blackwork. Her subject matters often include lady faces, Tim Burton concepts, statuesque geo and more. Our artists are more than happy to create tattoo designs based on their client’s original ideas, but they also often create pre-drawn designs. These are readily available designs that our artists would like to tattoo, and are found on their individual instagram pages.
At Manifest care about our client’s experience before we even start tattooing to the end of the healing process, therefore our clients have the opportunity to purchase a numbing service as well as a fail-safe after care kit for an additional cost. We understand that tattoos are painful; therefore our numbing service includes: 1 single use tattoo artist approved numbing cream tube, application and 30 minute wait time for effective absorption, and opportunity to reapply throughout the session if needed. We also want to take all the guesswork away from healing your tattoo and have a fail-safe after care kit that includes: an additional Saniderm wrap (to switch in case original starts peeling or leaks); a 0.75 oz Vitalitree vegan salve and an 8 oz liquid antibacterial soap.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Our story is a pretty unique one, because we are not only business partners but we also share our life together. We actually graduated from the same highschool but we didn’t interact much until we reconnected back in 2016. At the time I was still pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in art education at the University of North Texas and Roger was working in the service industry. We started off as friends and eventually evolved into something more. Fast forward to 2018, we decide to move in together and begin a new chapter in our lives, with Roger pursuing his first tattoo apprenticeship and my first year teaching high school art. Roger graduated his apprenticeship at Last Angels tattoos under Gerald Garcia after just a few months; and in the summer of 2019, Gerald Garcia gave me the opportunity to start my tattoo apprenticeship. After some interference in my apprenticeship from Covid-19, I graduated as an artist in August of 2022. Roger and I always knew we wanted to open our own studio in the future when the time was right; and in January of 2023, life just pushed us to open Manifest Body Art Studio. Call it “divine timing” but everything went smoothly and in a matter of one week, we were up and running. Roger and I often joke about the fact that starting a business together is a bigger commitment than marriage because regardless if our personal relationship works out or not, this business will still be there. Starting a business together and all that entails was something we had been thinking about for a whole year before we opened Manifest BAS. While it’s really romantic to be called a “power couple” there are still some logistics about starting a business with your partner that need some serious thought. For example, the question we get asked constantly is, “how can you guys spend 24/7 together?” It’s a valid question and something Roger and I addressed before opening our business. Fortunately for us, our communication, trust and friendship allowed us to manage most of the logistics with ease; but it wouldn’t be possible without honest communication and trust. You 110% need to sit down and have an honest talk about the hard things no one wants to talk about if you are starting a business together; there’s no room for sugar coating, you have to keep each other accountable, be fair and QTIP (quit taking it personal).
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I think one of the clearest changes in our lives is the switch from the “wanting” mentality to the “having” mentality. This is something we did not predict. When one is constantly grinding and chasing one goal after another, they get caught up in the grind and forget to celebrate their achievements. For a while, our goal was to become legends in the industry and all we did was think about work and how to perfect our craft 24/7. It wasn’t until a couple months after we opened Manifest BAS that we had a conversation with each other about re-evaluating our goals. In that conversation we came to the realization that being “known in the industry” isn’t everything; We had become our own bosses before hitting 30 and had the freedom to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, yet we hadn’t even truly embraced what an accomplishment that was. At that moment, we understood the difference between “wanting” and “having.” We HAVE what we’ve always WANTED. Having means we are no longer in survival mode; but rather in thriving mode. This is where the fun begins. We get to do what we love and enjoy the learning process. We get to have a work life balance where we can prioritize our well being and health for the longevity of our work. We get to create our own unique work environment where our clients can enjoy themselves; and when you are working with your best friend, everyday is a fun new adventure.
Contact Info:
- Website: manifestbodyartstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestbodyartstudio/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/lugotattoos/ https://www.instagram.com/ana.marcor/