Tattoo Shop Tango - Ink Different Tattoos

Liz Cook Turned Down Ink Master to Protect Her Dream Shop, and It Paid Off

Episode Summary

Color realism artist Liz Cook, who has her own ink line and multiple shops, joins the hosts to share how she turned down Ink Master to protect her new studio and later landed TLC’s Tattoo Girls. She also explains why every artist and shop owner needs a coach or mentor, how to handle artists leaving, and why business planning matters before you go private or open a shop.

Episode Notes

This week on Tattoo Shop Tango, presented by Ink Different, Paul Anthony and Chico Cortez welcome Liz Cook. She is a world-renowned color realism artist with her own ink line, multiple tattoo shops, a coaching platform, and a six-year-old at home.

Liz didn’t plan to be a shop owner, but she says yes to the calling before she knows how it will work out. She tells the story of auditioning for Ink Master, being accepted, and then stepping away because her brand-new studio was the priority. A later opportunity came through TLC’s Tattoo Girls, where she ended up as the “mom” of the group.

In this episode, Liz breaks down:

• Why she believes every artist and shop owner needs a coach or mentor, and how feedback from outside your own head keeps you from getting jaded.
• Her “go-getter loop” for setting goals, getting feedback, reflecting and repeating.
• Why perfectionism, imposter syndrome and people-pleasing hold artists back.
• Why going private isn’t always the solution, and why artists who go solo can end up stagnating without a community.
• Why every artist needs a real business plan and a hard look at the numbers before leaving a shop split, including rent and supplies.
• What to do when you’ve been at it for years and the spark fades.
• How to handle artists leaving. Chico’s take: shop owners are landscapers who plant flowers in other people’s gardens.
• Why you should give a new venture the same patience you’d give a new tattoo machine, which can take 10 to 50 uses to feel right.
• Why turning jealousy of other educators into your own work led Liz to build her educational platform.

The episode also covers apprentice Clarice Dumas, the Ink Different team’s education work, and why community is the heartbeat of the craft.

Connect with Liz:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizcooktattoo/?hl=en

If you enjoyed this episode, like and subscribe. To work with Ink Different Tattoos, email info@inkdifferenttattoos.com.

Tattoo shop owners: if you’re looking to build your team with the best up-and-coming artists in your area, head to inkdifferenttattoos.com/connect and let us help.