We had the good fortune of connecting with Sherry Smith-Faler and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sherry, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well i opened my first business in 1991, The Lab, it was a night club. Then i opened another nightclub, Industrial Nation in 1998. After i sold my last nightclub i took a year off to figure out what i wanted to do in life. It was decision between tattooing or culinary school. I decided on tattooing and went and sought out an apprenticeship. I was with my mentor for 3 years when he he decided he was closing his studio. I had a decision to make again. My wife ,Denise, and I discussed what to do. I could work at another studio or open our own. I was a baby artist at the time and was still learning the ins and outs of tattooing.I could continue making %50 of the tattoo price or i could open a new studio and make %100. In reality i don’t get %100, bills and rent pretty much take it up. We decided to open a tattoo studio, Skin Evolution Tattoo LLC. in 2009. Since i had already owned 2 business’ i figured it couldn’t be that hard. We found a space downtown Colorado Springs did the paperwork and opened. I hired 2 artists, at the time we were a 3 chair studio. Time moved on and in 3 years we expanded to a 6 chair studio. I have been in business now for 12 years. there were some rough patches along the way to get here and the pandemic didnt help but we survived and came out better. so if your ever in need of a tattoo come check us out and Let your skin evolve.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am certainly a different artist now than i was 15 years ago. In the tattoo industry your not even considered a professional until you’re 10 years in. I have finally come into my own and have my own unique style of tattooing. i was tought with small needle grouping, so i am a fine line artist and can do very small tattoos up to full sleeves and back pieces. As an apprentice i learned all my mentor could teach me and then plateaued. After he closed his business it was defiantly time for me to move on. There was one problem though, the other artist i had hired were baby artist too.
So we learned from each other and made mistakes along the way. As far as the other two artist, they are successful and very talented. I have learned that hard work and dedication will get you where you need to be. Have patience and practice. Overcoming obstacles like figuring out how to deal with a bad attitude and still do a good tattoo, learning to communicate art in a way that your client can understand, learning to communicate to anyone about anything.
I want the world to know that Skin Evolution Tattoo is a great tattoo studio. I have clients that come in from all over the state and country. I love tattooing, i do fix its, cover ups, small to large scale tattooing. There really isnt anything i don’t like doing except realism, just not my thing.
Website: www.skinevolutiontattoo.com
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