Today we’d like to introduce you to George Munoz.
Hi George, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started tattooing about 9 years ago, I had a 2-year apprenticeship and have been tattooing professionally for seven years, I learned to tattoo at a local shop in Golden Colorado. I opened my own private tattoo studio in 2017 the same year I started grad school. I found it very difficult to find a shop that allowed the kind of flexibility I needed to complete my graduate program. I have my masters in counseling from Regis University.
When I was offered my apprenticeship it came a just the right time I was going down a spiral of alcoholism as I tried to deal with my personal losses and the loss of my grandfather. I was unable to teach because of my background check and at the time that was my passion and felt lost since it was taken away. I grieved my losses with alcohol.
When I started learning to tattoo I channeled the energy I was wasting drinking to learn how to tattoo and my mentor was really strict as well. He does believe one should tattoo if they have been drinking or are hungover it is hard to give 100% under that condition.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like most things that are worth having, it was not a completely smooth ride, I was trying to figure out how to balance being a grad student, husband, father, and business owner. It has been a tough journey but has been wicked supported by my wife’s family and friends.
In addition to juggling all of these hats in my day-to-day, I also had to make sure I was also making the effort I could to continually get better at my craft and sharpen my skillset.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mountain Coast Ink?
Here at mountain coast ink, I use this platform I have as a business owner to advocate for marginalized populations and make an impact inner community. As a business owner and tattoo shop, we intend on only hiring people from marginalized communities and serving our community through fundraising. I intend on hosting 2-3 tattoo flash fundraising events to help nonprofits in our community by offering flash tattoos and donating money to the organization. By doing this we can impact our community and raise awareness of nonprofits in our community that serve.
I also run my private practice out of my tattoo shop. It is called Mountain Coast Therapy, I offer tattoo therapy to people processing grief and trauma. In my experience as a tattooer and a tattoo collector, I have seen many people use the experience of tattoos as a cathartic process. Now that I have my masters in counseling I can now facilitate the therapeutic side of the tattoo experience
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The E Myth has had a huge impact on how I organize the roles in my business to make sure we all can make money and have a good work-life balance.
I read the Four Agreements Every Year I have for 18 years now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mountaincoastink.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountaincoastink/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountainCoastInk/
