We recently connected with Ilena Gonzalez and have shared our conversation below.

Ilena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I feel like many factors contribute to becoming successful, but also it depends on your view of what success is. What I feel that makes me successful is the lifestyle I live. Im surrounded by people I love and care about , clients and friends who support my art, and I get to make a living with my art. That is an absolute dream and all I really need in life. I don’t need fancy cars, clothes, or a bougee lifestyle. I just want to be able to pay my bills , play games, make art, and spend time with the people I love fueled by the craft I love. What got me here is an absolute different story. It took years of blood sweat and tears just trying to scrape by to get my name out there, but eventually I made it. As long as you have the drive to get there, you will. Even if you feel like you are failing, keep pushing and you will thrive. That is fact.

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?

I got into the tattoo industry at 19 years old. I was always an artist growing up and it wasn’t until I dropped out of college I came to the conclusion about maybe trying out tattooing. I eventually was on the search for an apprenticeship and bounced from shop to shop showing my portfolio and getting turned down until one shop eventually took me on. From there a whole other world opened up for me and I realized tattooing is more than just tattoos. It is whole entire art form ranging from different styles just like art on paper. except for this time, it was on people. It truly is a fascinating craft that can take you places, you can travel around the world sharing your art, learning, meeting people. It is so much more than just “tattooing”. Tattooing is also a 24/7 job, you are working from home for hours designing pieces ( for ex: I take about 10 clients 5 days a week, that is 10 drawings you have to come up with on your free time.) emailing clients, scheduling , and then about 6 hours a day, you are tattooing. so if you counted those hours you are definitely working 40+ hours a week. which is hard sometimes but its the trade off for being your own boss. I wouldn’t have it an other way. But if this is a craft you are interested, keep in mind that it is not easy and there is no such thing as clocking out with this career and you have to be %100 disciplined on making sure you are organized and getting your work done.

When someone wants to get tattooed by me , I want them to trust that I am doing my absolute best to make their piece everything they have imagined, I want them to not worry and know that they are in good hands. I truly care about every piece and want them to be happy about what is on them. That is why if there is an issue with their design, I have no problem altering it to their likings and making sure it is a solid piece that will last a lifetime (free of charge).

I think what sets me apart from a lot of tattooers is that I don’t treat tattooing as just a job. it is something that I love so I will go the extra miles to make sure that my client is happy and confident in there decision to get tattooed by me. I feel as if a lot of tattooers forget that our clientele are hard working people that save up for months to get tattooed, so if you are not making the experience as awesome as possible, you are not doing it right. you should make everyone feel welcome and excited about their piece, and not treat them as a “check”. Tattoos are expensive so you better give the best experience you can possibly give. Always be on time, always be prepared, and always have an open mind.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I know a lot of people dislike social media, but man, social media is a big reason to where I am at today. Social media got my name and portfolio out there more than word of mouth ever could. It is truly something you cant avoid if you want a successful business. the internet is everything in the business industry, so even though it sucks to make post everyday, its just part of the job.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I knew that other tattooers are pretty open about the industry, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, 99% of the time tattooers are willing to help another artist thrive and learn because we cannot teach ourselves anything. tattooing has been around at least 12,000+ years , so one person is not going to know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask, you can never stop learing in this industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: ilenagonzaleztattoo.com
• Instagram: Ilenagonzaleztattoo
• Facebook: ilenagonzaleztattoo