Today we’d like to introduce you to Chase Alexander.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I fell into what I’m doing now. I was working a corporate job at a call center doing well for myself managing teams. At the time I didn’t have a mortgage, wife, or kids holding me back. I bought an RV, quit my job and traveled around all over the world for a year.
I took odd jobs throughout the year to help make my savings last as long as possible. I was coming to the end of my money and decided to get tattooed. I got my chest tattooed two days in a row and my artist said I sat like a rock. He invited me out to a convention in Hawaii to get my back tattooed 3 days in a row. It fit my traveling agenda so of course, I said yes!
I started traveling with this artist getting tattooed and became good friends with him. With my business background, I noticed a lot of places I could help my friend on the business side of things so I offered my services and he accepted. Eventually, I started working with more artists and now here I am.
I planned on getting a lot of tattoos, but had no idea I would eventually be working in the industry. To be honest, I can’t see myself being in any other industry at this point!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a bumpy road, to say the least!
The tattoo industry is a guarded industry when it comes to money and accepting outsiders that aren’t artists themselves. I have had to fight tooth and nail to show my worth and get to where I’m at. There were even a couple of points in my business where I thought I might have to shut my doors.
Now that I’ve been doing it for over 4 years and travel to tattoo conventions across the country, tattoo artists realize I’m not going anywhere and they should probably listen to what I have to say.. And they do now!
We’ve been impressed with Tattoo Booking, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started out as a booking service for tattoo artists. From there we created a custom booking system that we offer to tattoo artists to help streamline their booking process, organize clients’ information, and give their clients an overall better experience when setting up a tattoo appointment.
We implemented that same booking system into tattoo conventions and now we also help traveling tattoo artists get work and stay busy.
One thing I’m extremely proud of is an event that I am throwing. It is called The Showdown. It is a tattoo competition happening in Midvale on Main Street. We are going to be shutting down the street and we’ll have vendors, food trucks, live music, free raffles, and more!
There are 33 artists competing for up to $10,000. There are 4 tattoo shops involved in the event and the artists competing will be tattooing at one of the 4 shops!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Networking is my passion. The advice I could give is to be real. Don’t put on a persona of who you think people want you to be. People can smell fakeness from a mile away.
Also understand that when you are pushing any agenda, you are going to get way more no’s than you will yes’s. Through all of the no’s, keep your head up and keep doing what you’re doing.
Above all else, make sure you believe in what it is that you’re talking about. People enjoy hearing about someone else’s passions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tattoobooking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tattoobookingofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tattoobooking
