Hello my friends, my name is Sinjin, I go by Sin for short – this is part one of the story of how I opened my new private studio; my first time opening a studio or business location of my own.
The Inspiration
I was inspired to start my own tattoo studio after I realized that there were too many things about being in someone else’s studio that I felt were holding me back as an artist and as a professional.
It’s already pretty hard to be a private professional like a tattoo artist, it’s harder for me when there are more rules and logistical considerations that someone else set up that I have to work around.
I’m very particular about how I want to have my space and about how I want to run my business, so it usually felt like I was just doing my best to fit in while I waited for better circumstances to show up.
There was always a specific vibe I felt I wanted to be surrounded by in my own tattoo studio, and so instead of waiting to find one that matched what I was looking for and gave me everything that I wanted from an operations perspective, run by someone else…I just decided to open my own private studio and give my clients the best possible custom and private tattoo experience that I’ve always wanted.
The name for the studio, Sinjeezus Tattoos & Art is based on a nickname that a good friend gave to me on New Year’s Day 2018. He took a photo of me directly in front of the rising sun on the beach on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. He said I looked like “Sin-Jesus”. We had camped there for the night celebrating the new year together the day after my girlfriend (now wife) had moved out to the island to live with me.
The concept for the studio has been lingering in the back of my mind since before I even started tattooing or pursuing an apprenticeship. I had this vision of a small cozy house up in the hills of a place like Hawaii, a very zen set-up surrounded by nature on all sides. Zen garden, clean jungle air, monastery vibes; probably have a koi point and lots of incense and singing bowls.
I’m very drawn to the Buddhist or Taoist lifestyle which reflects in my art work, behaviors, and habits.
The primary goal for this studio is to serve as a space to share a transformative tattoo experience with my client and leave them with artwork that they can feel empowered by for the rest of their lives.
The long term journey for me is to be a healing medicine person / shamanic guide. I feel called to do energy healing and therapy for me so that I can teach others how to do the same. I believe we have everything we need inside to heal ourselves physically and metaphysically.
The Decision to Start
The very first step made in preparing to open my new studio was solidifying my intention on this decision and making a declaration to as many people around me as I could. I texted my best friend and business manager on Tuesday April 23rd, 2024 saying that I was interested in doing the research on what it would take to open up my new private studio within the next year.
The very next day, I wrote in my manifestation journal the following:
“I, Sinjin Lewis, on April 24th, 2024 set the intention and make the declaration that on this day, that the following things will be true (for the best of all things):
- Mine and my family’s health and well-being is the best it has ever been — including any that are suffering from any illnesses.
- I AM the wealthiest I have ever been in spirit & quantum — I AM adding more than I am taking.
- I AM learning how to heal and mentor others so that they can go forth and do the same.
- I AM the OWNER of a tattoo studio that is an extension of myself and serves to heal everyone that comes to see me.
- I am a magician and an alchemist and practice all day, every day.”
The VERY NEXT morning after I wrote all of that into my manifestation journal, the shop owner texts me about a situation that they misunderstood and proceeded to have a total melt-down over text without first getting clarification and having a civil-discourse in person. I quit on the spot, went and collected my things from the shop, and decided to spend the rest of my day at Busch Gardens (the local theme park) to ride rides and look at animals with my wife. It was the right way to spend that day.
After that I had to figure out what I was going to do next in order to get money coming in again. Was I going to go look for another opening at another shop? Was I going to just take a break from tattooing for a while and sell art at some local markets? Was I going to just get a normal job again? NO — I was just granted a new path by the universe AT MY REQUEST and I wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity slip through my grasp!
A Leap of Faith
I had saved up just short of $4,000 to move into a new apartment with my wife after living with family for the last 6 months and now I was going to have to eat into that to survive and keep my business afloat. I reached out to a client that is actually a good friend from high school and asked if he could front me the entire payment for his full sleeve that we were supposed to start in addition to the $500 deposit he had already put down. One of my wife’s coworkers who has become a good friend as well has also given me over $1000 in investments toward a future tattoo and he doesn’t even have any yet.
I am in a tattoo artist support group called the ARC (Align & Rise Collective) where we share our struggles, our victories, and ask for advice from each other, and the group’s organizer, Reese Hilburn (@theartofreese). In this group I shared this interesting course of events and how coincidental it was that I had just made the declaration about my new space, so that this was the time to act.
It felt like a month-long trust-fall into my true purpose.
Finding the Perfect Space
One of the other artists in the group, Tehani (redxqueen.ink), reached out to offer themselves as a resource for what it would take to open up a new studio here in the states. Tehani is a 2nd generation tattoo artist, and is on the nomadic life path right now, so has LOTS of experience and wisdom in the realm of finding places to tattoo out of.
I originally had expressed my desire to get a 2 bedroom apartment with my wife and just have clients there to get the ball rolling while I saved money to open my private studio. Tehani and others expressed their concern with this as it was inviting strangers into your home space to do business and to do the intense ceremony of tattoo. Not ideal. It also has the effect of reducing the legitimacy of my business as it is not a licensed commercial space.
Tehani (among lots of other helpful tips) recommended I look up spaced like My Salon Suites – which I had honestly never even heard of. I looked them up and found out there were a few in the immediate area and scheduled a tour with the property manager, Kim on May the 2nd, one week to the day after I quit my last shop.
Kim and I met for the first time on the following Tuesday, May 7th where I got to see the space for the first time. It just so happened that this space is 5 minutes from where I am currently living, next to a Publix supermarket and a pub, AND is surrounded by other independent service providers (hairstylists, massage therapists, etc.). The latter part being extra sweet because it means new friends, no competition, and word of mouth client sharing!
Legal and Logistical Steps
I asked what she needed for me to hold the unit, and she said just 2 weeks rent for the deposit. In that moment I wanted to cry because I felt so sure that this was the spot that I instantly sent the money over to her and submitted the application. 2 days later on May 9th, 2 weeks to the day of quitting the last shop, I signed the lease.
In the two weeks that I was working to find and secure the new space, I had also done the paperwork to be a legal business entity in Florida, submitted my paperwork to be a licensed tattoo establishment in Florida, signed up for a business bank account, and signed up for a bio waste pick up company. I want everything to be above board for this endeavor. In hindsight, I would have waited for a little more time before signing up for the bio waste company because I didn’t need them as soon as I thought and now I’m being billed for a month where I didn’t even need them yet.
After signing the lease, the only things left to do for the new space were: sign up for general liability (and professional liability) insurance, pass the health department inspection, and decorate / furnish the new space!
Signing up for the insurance proved to be the most frustrating part of the whole process and even THAT was really easy in hindsight. On Friday the 17th, at just past the 3 week mark I was struggling to get a company to provide me with insurance. Every company I called forwarded me to someone else that collected a bunch of information only to inform me that they couldn’t help me but would be in touch if anything changed. I got two quotes on Friday, the first for $2600 for a year of coverage ($267 due up front and $240/month for the rest of the year) of ONLY general liability insurance – I looked this company (biBerk) up on reddit and was told to avoid it AT ALL costs. So I kept looking and got another quote for $890 for the year, which was a lot better, but I would have to wait all weekend to finish that transaction.
Monday morning rolled around, the day I was SUPPOSED to get the keys, but I still hadn’t secured insurance OR heard back from the health department to schedule my inspection. I told this to Kim who said she couldn’t give me the keys until I had AT LEAST gotten the insurance secured. She recommended an insurance company (Alternative Balance) that another of the tattoo artists uses. I called them and not only was the customer service rep super sweet and helpful, but the rate for their BUNDLED insurance was $618 for the whole year - less than a QUARTER of the first quote I got. So glad I trusted my gut and waited before signing up for that.
That same day I had to go to the Department of Health to try and get some confirmation of when the inspection would be in order to get the lease jamming and get the keys so I could start moving stuff in. I got the inspector’s business card which had her phone number and email on it. I called and left probably the most awkward voicemail of my entire life and sent an email just to be sure.
I literally heard from her the following day, (which is a miracle, because it was the week before Memorial Day, and she’s the only inspector for the whole county) and scheduled my inspection for Thursday. On Thursday, May 23rd, EXACTLY one month to the day from quitting the other shop due to trusting in myself to follow my dreams, I passed my health inspection and successfully opened my own fully legal private tattoo studio.
End of One Journey; Beginning of Another
It also just so happened that did my soft opening June 1st, took my first client June 2nd, and celebrated by 33rd birthday on this fabulous planet one day later on June 3rd. The day I took my first client, I finished up and my wife came to pick me up and offered to take me to the pub next door to share a drink and a sandwich to celebrate…WELL. It turned out she had spent the previous two weeks organizing a surprise birthday party for me with all of our closest friends here in Tampa. It really made for the sweetest opening weekend that I will never forget.
Thank you for reading about my journey to opening Sinjeezus Tattoos & Art! If you’re excited about what you’ve read, here’s how you can get involved and support:
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