Today we’d like to introduce you to Kory Sagendorf.
Hi Kory, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The Catalyst & The Hustle
”I didn’t take a traditional path into the body modification industry; I was forged into it. In 2012, after my stepmom executed a hostile takeover of a tattoo shop, she desperately needed backup. I stepped in, applying obsessive, self-taught medical and anatomical knowledge directly to the needle. That hustle eventually took me on the road. From 2014 to 2018, I toured with nationally acclaimed metal bands like Thira, Dead Horse Trauma, Otep, and Buried Above Ground. Concurrently, I was officially titled Utah’s Vape Guy—competing nationally, running the state league, and writing for Vape On magazine. That platform gave me the opportunity to cross paths and interview bands like Upon a Burning Body and Nekrogoblikon while on the road. By the time I anchored back in Tooele, I had built a reputation as one of the most sought-after piercers in the state.”
The Betrayal & The Fall
”But as a loud, progressive advocate for minority groups in a highly conservative town, the target on my back grew. In 2025, that target was hit. Following a fallout at the family shop, I was illegally removed and subjected to an orchestrated, vicious cancellation campaign. A loud minority weaponized the political climate, falsely accusing me of horrific things. Although investigators dropped everything due to absolute zero evidence, the court of public opinion was catastrophic. I lost my company, my family, and my home. I was stalked, survived multiple physical attacks, and received daily death threats. My spirit broke, and I found myself standing in a local intersection, inches away from ending my own life.”
The Defiant Rebirth
”But I am violently stubborn, and I refused to let them win. I stepped back from that intersection, joined the I Love You Bro Project, and put in the work to become a facilitator—helping other men survive the exact kind of hell I was walking through. I took back my power and launched my new company, Look At Me Now LLC. I shifted away from the public to a bespoke, exclusive piercing model, serving high-end clients and those needing a genuinely safe space. Through the absolute darkest period of my life, I somehow maintained a flawless, 100% five-star rating. They tried to erase my story and my livelihood, but instead, they made my resolve undeniable.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
To call my road anything close to ‘smooth’ would be the understatement of the decade. My road wasn’t just bumpy; it was completely bulldozed and set on fire. I’ve lived in the extreme margins of both the highest peaks and the absolute lowest valleys.”
”The ‘downs’ weren’t just bad days at the office or slow business quarters. My downs were having my livelihood, my family, and my reputation violently ripped away by a fabricated smear campaign. The ultimate down was standing in an intersection in my own city, completely broken, ready to end my life because the weight of the lies and the daily death threats became too heavy to carry.”
”But the ‘ups’ are what happen when you refuse to stay in the dirt. The ups are launching Look At Me Now LLC and taking absolute control of my narrative and my clientele. The ups are taking the exact pain that almost killed me and turning it into a weapon for good. It is why I was out in a parking lot just a little over a week ago, hosting a firewalk fundraiser for suicide prevention. I literally walked through fire to prove to myself—and to the men I facilitate in the I Love You Bro Project—that you can survive the flames.”
”So no, the road hasn’t been smooth. But the friction is exactly what sharpened me into the person, and the artist, I am today. I wouldn’t trade the grit for a smooth road, because a smooth road never made anybody undeniable.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
On paper I may look like a professional Master piercer as well as photographer. But really I am a mental health advocate. Utilizing these mediums as my niche to help others both young and old men and women into loving themselves for who they are. Sometimes that’s with a perfectly place photo. Other times it’s with an absolutely perfect piercing, but no matter what it’s always for peoples perceptions of themselves.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t become a paid influencer online. Though social media and the internet is very crucial for businesses to live and grow, becoming an influencer is one of the biggest mistakes I ever made as my entire life was placed online + when dealing with situations such as I have, there was no way of keeping it quiet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lookatmenowllc.square.site/
- Instagram: Pixnpokes
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/korykid
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/utahsvapeguy
