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

Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

My background is a place of struggle and negativity. I unknowingly surrounded myself with people of low vibration. I was always enamored with the bad boy image and gravitated towards that lifestyle. It was intriguing but little did I know that I was attracting negative energies. This went on all through my 20’s. 911 happened and I like many others were outraged and wanted to do something so I joined the National Guard ( the regular Army said I had too many tattoos) it changed my life. I was taking the same energy of trying to act tough, and hurtful and put that same power into doing good. Slowly I started to notice major changes in my life. The people that were gravitating towards me changed, the things happening in my life changed, and I was seeing an overall better outcome. it was like a light switch getting turned on. Suddenly things began to make sense. It was my satori moment. I found that using that same energy to be negative as a positive was bringing better things and situations. In 2007 I left Georgia to come to Nashville and start over. I felt as if I had discovered a magic power and wanted to set the world ablaze with as much impact as I could muster. One of the key secrets to success is that you must become a visionary. (I later found out this is part of manifesting). Its easy for humans to be negative on a daily basis because the world feels so upside down these days but, its really how you decide to channel that energy. To become successful you must put out positive vibrations even when faced with pessimistic and disquieting situations. If you power through those walls the effect is amazing. Success is never owned, its only rented. Don’t give up in the face of adversity. Jump off the proverbial cliff and grow your wings on the way down. I know you cant have progress without struggle but water the grass, not the weeds and watch what happens.

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.

Ive always been a creative type. I never followed the norm and still go out of my way to be different. Tattooing was always something on the table but it was really hard to break into. In 1997 I was finally offered a traditional apprenticeship under the tutelage of the late Tony Olivas. Tony had traveled the world tattooing and had made a major name for himself even then. I took that knowledge and ran. I was like a sponge absorbing every aspect of the craft I could get. At first I studied all styles of tattooing but in the end I gravitated towards realism. Like my mentor I too have also traveled the world and have been awarded some of the highest honors in the industry. I take a lot of pride in what I do and tattooing means a lot to me. I feel as I have a lineage to uphold and pass on. the key is to stay relevant, never rest on your laurels. I opened Kustom Thrills in 2007 with the idea to make high quality work easier to obtain. We have and still are pushing the boundaries of tattooing everyday.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Before I left Georgia I put together a business plan. I looked at all the options and financing the business was definitely one of them. I knew I didn’t want to start off in debt. Thankfully I was employed by a very busy studio and asked if I could work 7 days a week for the last 5-6 months I had til my deadline of moving. That helped a lot but what I also did was sell everything I owned. I got on ebay and listed anything that wasn’t essential. It was less stuff to bring and it was a nice feeling to start over. I managed to accrued 50K for start up. That’s not much but my goal was to start small and grow. Every time I made a profit it went right into the business.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

From the start I had a good reputation on the playing field. I found that I needed to gain the trust and respect of my peers in the industry. It was really hard and it took many years to become a contemporary in tattooing. Be honest and concise, do what you say and say what you mean. You can talk a big game all day, but it comes down to action. I wanted to see how far I could take it all. There’s no limit to what you can achieve if you can set your mind to it. I dont want to stultify the readers with stock terminology but it really is as easy as treating people right and obtaining new goals everyday.

Contact Info:

• Website: KustomThrills.com
• Instagram: @SaintClark
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kustomthrillstattoo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kustomthrills
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kustom-thrills-tattoo-nashville

Image Credits
All photos taken by myself