December 3, 2024 • 61 mins
From a cozy green salon in Lowell, Massachusetts, Megan, the innovative owner of Eyeful Beauty, shares her transformative journey. Raised on a ranch in eco-friendly California, Megan's commitment to sustainability shines as she reveals how her salon recycles 95% of its waste, turning hair into an unexpected hero in plastic reinforcement and oil spill cleanups. Her story takes us from the wide-open spaces of Northern California to diverse postings as a military police officer in the Air Force, revealing how her service deeply influenced her life and the meaningful tattoos she wears.
Listeners will find themselves captivated by Megan's personal tales that intertwine community and creativity. What started as a temporary stay in Boston blossomed into a permanent life filled with unexpected romantic twists and a salon with a community-centric heart. Megan shares anecdotes about the salon's welcoming embrace, offering beauty services for every budget along with humorous exchanges about quirky gym owner hairstyles. Each tattoo she sports tells a story — from a koi fish symbolizing personal milestones to shared ink adventures with her sister, emphasizing growth and familial bonds.
Tattoo enthusiasts and military aficionados alike will appreciate the rich tapestry of Megan's experiences, especially her military-themed body art. Discover how her fascination with zombie movies led to a unique tattoo, or how a pinup girl riding a .50 cal gun commemorates her Air Force days, including a memorable engine-replacement challenge in Iraq. These stories are not just about ink but about resilience and adaptability, with each tattoo serving as a permanent reflection of Megan's spirited journey through life, love, and entrepreneurship.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi, you're listening to the Inktails podcast, a show
where I go out in the city, meetnew people and get the stories
behind our tattoos.
I'm Tenoch.
Come join me on my journey.
Today on the show, I'm inLowell, massachusetts, with my
guest, Megan Megan.
Welcome to the show, hi how are?
You.
I'm doing great.
Thank you for having me.
(00:28):
Oh, no problem, we are here inyour shop, we are.
So what is the name of yourshop?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So I own Eyeful Beauty.
We've been open for 15 years.
We are a salon barbershop so wecater to our community and
everyone in it.
So, yeah, we are also a greensalon.
So we recycle 95% of our wasteum, which is important to me and
(00:58):
making sure that we're um as anindustry as a whole.
We kind a lot of waste, justmaking sure that we're taking
care of our part when it comesto that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What made you interested in becoming a green
salon?
What got you into that?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Just recycling.
Originally, I'm from California.
I just feel like they're reallybig on recycling.
I also grew up on a ranch, solike we had to always like take
our trash outside and you know,um like actually like take it on
a trailer in our truck, youknow, to the dump and um sorting
it and stuff like that.
(01:38):
So I've always just been usedto it.
Um, and when I came across acompany that would actually take
our sorted trash, I wasextremely excited to partner
with a company like that.
So, yeah, they take everything.
They take the hair, they takeextra chemicals that are like
(01:59):
leftover in the bowl.
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
Do you know what they do withthe hair?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, they do a lot of things, so they actually made
those plastic trash cans rightthere.
They say that the plastic withthe hair inside the plastic it
makes it actually one of thestrongest plastics that you can
find.
They also use it for any sortsof like oil spills.
They'll make like what theycall a hair loom and just
(02:27):
imagine like a nylon sock orsomething like that, and they
stuff it with hair and then theythrow it out in the ocean and
the hair will actually naturallyabsorb the oils out in the
ocean.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Wow, that's really cool.
That's a really good, uh likeinvention.
That seems like it's veryuseful, absolutely, especially,
uh, you know, being able torecycle the waste instead of
creating something new that'lljust create more waste, you know
yeah, unfortunately, hairdoesn't break down.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Um.
So, just like, imagine a mummyeven like sometimes a mummy
still has hair, uh.
So, uh, it's not like greatthat we're like throwing all
this hair out in the land, umthe landfill, so being able to
recycle it, and especially forsomething good, yeah yeah, I
never thought about that.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Like, what happens to the hair when you cut it?
Where does it go?
Because, like you said, itdoesn't break down, so not
really it doesn't break downvery easily, that's for sure.
Normally they just what throwit in the trash.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yep, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Okay, so tell us a little bit more about yourself
other than the salon, and maybewe can get back to how you ended
up starting your salon.
So tell us more about what youlike to do, who you are, a
little bit more about where youcame from, from California.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I'm originally from California.
I was born and raised inNorthern California in a little
town called Grass Valley.
We grew up on a ranch and Igrew up raising livestock.
My sister did pigs, I did cows,we had chickens, dogs, horses
(04:05):
the whole nine yards.
And I love that life I do.
But it wasn't until September11th I decided to join, or after
September 11th I decided tojoin the military.
I went into the Air Force and Iwas an MP in the Air Force.
So I did that for eight years.
(04:25):
I did a tour in Iraq and due tothat tour I did get an
honorable discharge, but I alsogot a disability because of it.
So a lot of my tattoos, whichwe'll talk about later, are very
military.
They have the background behindthem is a lot of my military
(04:45):
life, for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So did you go into the military with your virgin
tattoos?
Oh yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yep, yep.
Then I was like 19, so itwasn't even like.
It wasn't like the typical18-year-old move.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
How did you like your time at the Air Force?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I loved it.
I thought the Air Force wasdefinitely one of the coolest
things I ever did.
I met some of the most amazingpeople and they're still my
friends to this day, even if wedon't see each other for eight
to ten years.
Every time we meet up, it'sjust amazing how connected we
(05:22):
are, so they are definitely someof the people that I was with
during that time are some of mybest friends.
Uh.
So the military was awesome.
The experience was awesome.
I also went to Korea, which Iloved.
I just the culture there was socool.
I loved the food, I loved theshopping, um, so I loved Korea.
(05:47):
And then, from Korea, Iactually uh came here to
Massachusetts and I wasstationed at Hanscom, um, so
that was like totally adifferent spin on where I had
like come from prior in earlierin my career in the military.
So, um, so they just deployedout of the space.
So that's when I went to Iraq.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Okay, so you were stationed in California, then
went to Korea, came here andthen Iraq, or how did that
journey end up?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh, okay, so I'm going to skip that a little bit.
So I was from California and Ijoined the air force, went to
Texas for training and then fromTexas I went to Minot, north
Dakota, and then from Minot,north Dakota then I went to
Korea, hanscom, so, um, yeah,texas is where we do a lot of
(06:42):
our training, okay.
And then, uh, you know know, Iwent to minot.
Minot is a like nuclear base,so it's a missile base, um, and
I was out on like the flightlines, like protecting the
flight lines, and then when Icame to hanscom, it was more of
like a an office job that's achange of pace yeah it was.
(07:05):
It was like so crazy.
And then when you're not in theoffice job, you're in iraq.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So that's at least how my tour went how was your,
uh, what was it like when yougot deployed to iraq?
I never really get to.
I've never had like a otherthan janelle, like a veteran on
the show, at least that I canremember.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It was a little surreal.
So I was in the Air Force andmy father would have been the
first to tell you that I wouldhave been safe.
He's a Marine, so that I wassafe from going to war, and you
(07:50):
know my dad's very old school.
So uh, I thought I joined theright branch to like not go to
war, okay, and I know that thisis like right after september
11th, so like we were like inwar already, um.
But so I joined the air forceand the first thing that happens
is I get deployed.
So I'm just like, oh shit, soI'm in Iraq with the Air Force.
(08:13):
We're there to help the Armyand we don't deploy like the
Army does.
The Army will actually deployas like a whole battalion, okay,
and we don't do that.
Deploy as like a wholebattalion, um, and we don't do
that.
We only deploy as like um,individual, like what the army
(08:33):
would call an MOS or like acertain career field, and we
were all cops and we didn't havea cook, we didn't have a
mechanic, we didn't have likeany of the other things that
like all the other people.
So we're just kind of likethrown into this position and
not going to lie.
This is in 2025.
Originally, we were supposed togo to Mosul.
That got canceled because therewas like a whole bunch of messy
(08:54):
numbers.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Wait, 2005?
Yeah, Not 25.
I'm like we're still in 24.
No, no.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Okay, that's like a long time ago.
So, yeah, 2005,.
Mosul was pretty hot and heavyright during that time frame.
So they actually changed it,told us we're going to the
baghdad airport.
That didn't happen.
And then we're in saudi, we'relike supposed to be like going
(09:23):
to Iraq and we like barely knowwhere we're going.
So, um, it was just weird, like.
I just felt like, um, it was aninteresting time to like be
going there, especially as anair force security force member,
to um, uh, you know, help thearmy and do something that we've
(09:47):
never done before.
So it was very interesting.
We were told we were going tobe running convoys and then
teaching security force membershow to or, sorry, as security
force members, we're going to beteaching the locals how to be
police officers.
Members were going to beteaching the locals how to be
(10:10):
police officers and, um, it justwasn't very easy for us to like
go in and start instructing um,so we came across a lot of like
roadblocks, but okay, soundsvery challenging it was.
It was a challenging time.
You know we're also this islike 2005, so like we're three
years past the invasion, right,so we're trying to kind of like
(10:32):
help them, but I think they werestill mad.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Oh, I'm sure there was tensions of all sorts.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, so it wasn't the best time to be there.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So yeah, and how long did you end?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
up staying there Um.
Our tour was around six months.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Total, with training, everything like, came out to be
about a year.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Okay, so you went there too long and then you came
back to the States.
Yes, okay To Hanscom.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That's where you had your desktop, yeah, and then you
came back to the States.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yes, okay To Hanscom.
That's where you had yourdesktop.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, and at this point, like I'm really close to
my enlistment to be up, so whenI got back from Iraq I think I
knew that I wanted to get out atthat point.
So I went to real estate schooland cosmetology school, both at
(11:27):
the same time.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I think I figured out that I really like buying
houses but not selling them, andas an old artist, because I
used to really be intophotography and painting and
stuff like that as a kid so Ijust really wanted to get back
to the arts and for some reason,when I was Googling jobs and
(11:52):
stuff, cosmetology just keptpopping up.
So I'm like, oh, maybe I canjust make hair my medium Okay.
So that's kind of how that went.
I instantly fell in love withcutting hair when I went to
cosmetology school.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
So it was your calling, right away it was yeah,
it was pretty instant I lovedit.
Okay.
So then you finishedcosmetology school, and then how
long did it take you before youactually owned your own shop?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
So I worked under two salons and I think it was like
around year three or four,probably year three.
I worked for one salon forabout a year and then another
salon for about a year and ahalf, and at that point I was
(12:42):
just like, okay, I can do this.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
I honestly really wanted to do it in seattle.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Seattle seems like a pretty interesting place to do
hair.
Yeah, I I I didn't think that Iwas gonna stay here.
Um, when I got out, like, Ithought I was just gonna like
finish school, enjoy like bostonfor a little bit and then head
back to the West coast.
And uh, unfortunately I had aboyfriend and so I stayed.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Is that boyfriend your current husband?
No, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
But thank God I stayed Cause.
Then I met him later.
Okay, Um lucky him.
Yeah, definitely, I feel verylucky, um.
So, yeah, I I ended up stayinglow.
I found low.
I thought, well, it was likethis super cool town I'm from
the country, remember, so likethe bricks, you know the brick
(13:36):
buildings and the cobblestonestreets, and just like this
downtown feel where you're likewalking everywhere, I loved it.
And they didn't really have anylike higher end salons, um, and
I didn't.
I don't know if I really wantedto be like a high end salon,
but I just didn't have thatsalon that like I imagined in
(13:57):
like a city, and so I stayed andI'm here now.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So do you?
Do you consider yourself a highend salon in law, or how would
you categorize yourself?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Actually, uh, so we have a level system here, and so
we have levels one through six,so we can cater to like
anybody's beauty budget.
Uh, it just depends on theexperience that you are
interested in.
So, uh, we do have somestylists that are in the higher
end, so there is an option forthat.
(14:32):
But, uh, when I think of like ahigher end salon, I just think
of like luxury, and you know, uh, not to say that we don't bring
luxury to the table, but it'sjust a little bit more relaxed.
Uh, it's kind of like I alwayscall it like a community hub.
You know, there's peoplewalking in, there's people
bringing their dogs.
We got dog treats, we got dogbowls everywhere.
(14:54):
Like you know, it's just kindof, um, like a community hub and
I and I love that.
So it's a little bit morerelaxed.
It's not so like uptight maybe,I don't know, not so bougie.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, I was going to say I'm like it's not as bougie.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Okay, so I'm going to put you and Brett, our coach,
on a hot seat on this one.
Does he come and get his hairdone here?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Oh, my God, I'm so glad you asked.
He used to.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
What happened I?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Brett what happened?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
He says I cost too much.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
What Brett says you cost too much, brett, quality
cost.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah right, he should know.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yeah, he's got the bougiest gym around.
Yeah, we will not talk abouthow much it charges.
But also not cheap.
It's worth every penny, that'sright.
That's why we still go there.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, we do.
It is worth every penny.
But yeah, and you know I willsay I'm only behind the chair
two days a week and I know thatthose two days are really hard
for him, so I'll give him that.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
He's the owner.
He can take any day off hewants.
Don't let him fool you withthat.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Especially for, like, the amount of time he's in
front of the camera.
I mean, come on, man, get yourshit together.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Okay, so we got the hard question out of the way, so
we'll start off simple, like Ido with everybody else what was
your first tattoo?
Let's dig into that one.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Okay, so I had just finished basic training and
there was a tattoo parlor rightoutside the base and of course I
walked my little happy ass overthere and I'm not really sure
why I picked a koi fish, butit's a koi fish and it's okay
it's on my right hip, like notin a super obvious place.
(16:57):
Uh, my mother is mexican.
You might understand andappreciate this, but I just
really figured I should probablyhide the first one.
Oh yeah.
We're on the same page overthere, but then I just didn't
care after a while.
But yeah, so that was my firstone.
It was in a spot that didn'treally show too much, but a koi
(17:21):
fish represents strength.
That was one of the things thatI was like.
Yeah, that's me.
I just finished basic.
So I have a koi fish and then Ithink my second one um, may
have been my mermaids on my back.
Uh, my sister and I.
I came back from the militaryand I came, uh, my sister and I
(17:42):
decided that we were going toget the same tattoos.
So we actually have the sametattoo in the same spot, which
is kind of cool.
Are you guys twins or just weare not twins yeah, they are two
mermaids and they're holdinghands, so they kind of and all
of my work is very traditionalit's definitely like heavy lines
(18:02):
and stuff like that, definitelylike heavy lines and stuff like
that.
So so it definitely all of itkind of stays the same in that
sense.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
So did you guys get this tattoo together at the same
place, at the same time?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
We did.
Yeah, and that place CoreyNorris, I think, is his name.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
And he is in Grass Valley.
That was it.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
How did you guys like , did you feel bonded together a
little bit closer?
Or what were the feelings afterEspecially getting something
you know with a sibling that'smatching?
You know, like I, have siblings, but we don't have anything
matching.
We're supposed to get one.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, my sister and I , I always felt close with my
sister, but when I think we'rereally close in age too so we're
21 months apart and I think, asthe older sister you know, she
was always around, right, so shewas only like a grade under me.
(19:03):
So no matter where I went, shehad to go.
All her friends were herfriends.
You know, it was very much asmall town kind of thing.
So I think we did actuallybecome more close after I left.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Okay, yeah, and so when I came back from the
military, I just I don't knowshe wanted to do that with me
and I was all for it.
So you said you got the one,the koi fish, when you were in
the military.
Did you get any other oneswhile you were there, or just
the?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
koi fish, no just the koi fish.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
But that's what started everything.
Yeah, okay, well, we'll stay inthat general area.
Let's go with the symbol thatyou have at the very top of your
neck area.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Let's go with the symbol that you have at the very
top of your neck.
It's my um, it's my uhastrology sign, which is a
cancer my birthday is July 16th.
(20:07):
I hate that one.
Okay, tell me why you hate it,why you hate it and why did you
get it?
Okay, um, so now I'm in korea.
So I have a feeling this mighthave been like my like fourth
one at this and you're actuallylike going in order anyway.
So.
So now I'm stationed in koreaand, um, I go to this guy.
I swear I had to like it wasprobably his house, I have no
idea.
You had to walk through like aback alley to go up some shady
(20:28):
ass stairs Like I hate myselffor that one.
He had me standing up and everysingle time he like hit my
spine.
I swear I saw stars and like Iwas standing up.
I may have like locked my knees,but at one point I literally
(20:49):
was wait, you were standing upthe whole time I was standing up
because I think he thought thatI would be like less fidgety I
don't even know and so finally Ilike ended up asking him.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
No, he doesn't speak english I was gonna ask him like
does he speak english?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
no, no, I'm in korea.
God, this is like the worstidea ever.
Okay, I'm also by myself.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
How did you get to the picture?
Did you just show him a picture?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Oh, yep, Yep, I did, I was like you know, and he yeah
, it's ugly.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Okay, so, since we know you, you don't like it.
I don't like it, but I don.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
I literally thought it was crooked and I was just
like oh my God, to make mattersworse is not even straight.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
It's not like you can fix it.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I did get it fixed.
My recent tattooer kind of likeevened it out for me, okay.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
But yeah, my tattoos are so difficult to fix right,
so it's crooked.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yeah, especially like a circle.
It's a circle, everyone, alopsided circle.
Yeah, it's supposed to be, andthat was the other thing I
forgot about this.
It was supposed to be a moon,because I'm a moon sign.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
And I wanted like the six.
You know, it looks like a 69,which is supposed to resemble
like the body of a crab, youknow, and it doesn't look like a
moon.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I thought it was like , just like a like, the
representation of, like a watersign.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah, you're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
I was like oh, okay, something like that.
Yeah, all right.
So we didn't like that one.
No, so same thing, we'll staythere, let's go with this.
No, I think that one's going tokind of lead us into here, so
we'll kind of stay away fromthat for now.
We'll come back to it.
Talk to me about this bear.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Oh, yeah, I forget he's there too.
This bear oh yeah, I forgethe's there too.
I'm pretty sure that in my um,my other life, I was a bear, and
a grizzly bear at that.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Why?
What gives you that feelingthat you were a grizzly bear?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
No, I really do.
Just like love grizzly bears.
I just think that they're likethese beautiful, massive animals
that will tear your face offwill tear your face off and also
could be cuddly and sweet how'dthey make that happen?
Like little teddy bears thanks,disney right, um so, and then a
(23:30):
little bit of like thecalifornia thing.
So I'm rocking a whole bunch ofreasons why I got that one.
I think that one probably hasthe least background story.
Just California bear Just likedit.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I dig.
That bear has a really likefierce-looking face, but still
kind of like friendly.
It's the eyes.
How old were you when you gotthat one?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Ooh, I don't know, Probably over, yeah, no, maybe
like 28, 30, 34.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Did you get that in California?
No, no.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Nope, that is actually.
That artist actually did a lotof my work.
So that's Josh Brooklyn andhe's out of Lowell Inc.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Oh, okay.
Well, since we're kind of liketouching on California, tell me
about the California tattoo.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yeah, so that was, I think, after the moon incident.
I got that one just becauseI've always I don't know
California's my home.
You know, I got that one justbecause I've always I don't know
California is my home.
Uh, you know, I don't thinkI'll ever go back there.
Um, but it's just such abeautiful state, you know
(24:42):
there's so much like you got themountains, you got the desert,
you got beautiful agriculture,you have ranches, you have
mountain life, you have oceanlife.
It's just like, I don't know,it's a beautiful, freaking state
and if you've never been youneed to go yeah, I love
california.
Yeah, it's great food is so good.
(25:02):
I mean, people are generallypretty awesome, like good, great
people watching yes, like, so,yeah, I, I just love it.
So it says Cali, grown, I think, and then the heart is yeah,
it's got a little heart.
Yeah, the heart is over where,like the area that I was born,
Okay, or raised.
(25:23):
I should say Sorry.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
So that's kind of like on your shoulder blade.
How did that compare in likepain, compared to the one that
you got with like the circle andthe mermaid?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know, it's so weird.
I don't know like what it is,but I just don't remember any of
them being painful until I waslike 30.
And then, all of a sudden theybecame painful.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Threshold changed huh .
Speaker 2 (25:49):
It really did.
Oh, I guess my chess piece wasprobably next right.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Well, let's talk about that one.
Yeah, let's talk about thechess piece, since we just
mentioned it.
Um, it's a pretty prominentpiece, it is okay it's one of my
favorites.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I love it.
Um, you know, they are, uh,zombie hands for our and they
are making a heart sign withtheir hands, and I think you got
some roses on it.
Yeah, I got some roses.
That's actually a cover-up.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
The roses are the cover-up part.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Yeah, I had two nautical stars under them Also.
I thought we were crooked, sothat's why I got the cover-up.
But yeah, there's nauticalstars under them Also.
I thought we were crooked, sothat's why I got the card.
But yeah, there's nauticalstars under there.
I actually always forget thatthere are stars under there
until I see like a picture ofmyself.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And then I'm like oh, my God.
Yeah, because there's like twolittle stars over towards the
end.
Was that part of the originalone or did?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
they add those.
You mean these guys.
Yeah, those are just part ofthe other one.
They're part of the other one.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
yeah, All right.
So let's talk about the zombiehands.
What inspired zombie hands andwhy zombie hands?
I'm like making a little heart.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Because normally you see people with the heart and
like rays coming out, you know,like the traditional one.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Mm-hmm Okay she knows one, um, okay, a couple things
I I think that we're gonna havea zombie apocalypse someday,
okay, so you just want to beready, yeah, uh, so I'm just
gonna throw that out there.
No, I'm just kidding.
Um, I love like zombie movies,the idea of, like you know,
people escaping from some crazylab, like I, just so.
(27:32):
That definitely was theinspiration behind the artwork.
And then it was like the handsare like kind of peeling back,
that you get the skin is likepeeling back, so you kind of see
the bones.
But and then I love hearts, Ijust love hearts.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I can see why it's definitely one of your favorites
.
It's very artistic.
It's like once you startlooking at the details, like you
said, the skin peeling back,the bones expose like the
stitching kind.
Of like Frankenstein, he has itall over his necks and stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah and then uh again.
Like I like the hearts, I atthe time I think I was, you know
, a little on the emo-ish sidethrowing up my heart sign
everywhere Like oh, that was asad time in my life.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
So when people can actually see it, do you get a
lot of questions about that?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh, my God, yeah, yep , that one, and then my pinups
on my calves always.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Okay, so let's go to the pinups.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Conversation.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Okay, before we go to the pinups, what kind of
questions do you get on yourzombie hands?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, Are those zombie hands?
I was like yeah, pretty obviousquestion.
Yeah, um, yeah, I think theyalways ask if those are like
zombie hands.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I'm like yep that's the number one question just
like weird.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I was just telling my husband the other day when I
was taking these pictures uh,for you, I'm like the one on my
neck.
I used to have like reallyshort hair, so it was very like
predominant, and when my hairwas short I used to hate it so
much because people would belike, hey, are you a hairdresser
?
And I'd be like, first of allyou know that.
And then like, and then Irealized, oh, it's this tattoo
(29:32):
on my neck that like is tellingeveryone I'm a freaking
hairdresser.
So, um, yeah, just people justask really obvious questions
sometimes.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Yeah, I guess they ask obvious or really stupid
questions about them, you know,but I don't want to say stupid.
You still have short hair, bythe way, just so people
listening.
She still has very short hair,but it's hiding a little bit
more okay, so let's get to thesepinups that you have on your
calves, because obviously theyuh attract a lot of attention
(30:06):
and a lot of questions, so let'sget to it.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
They're very patriotic.
I want you to think old schoolpinup One is riding a .50 cal.
If you don't know what that is,that's a really big gun that
you mount on top of a Humvee.
I worked in the armory and whenI was in the armory I also got
(30:35):
trained on all the heavy weapons.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
So part of the reason why I actually got deployed is
because of my certifications theclassic pinup on top of the 50
Cal with an American flag behindit.
It's kind of.
It's really cool though I loveit that she's riding a 50 Cal,
there's a big old flag.
I'm like you, you can, it'stypical.
Like you see the nipples kindof protruding out.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
She's got her heels on.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yep, I can see why you get a lot of attention on
that one.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, I'm mostly men.
I'm not going to lie, I have alot of naked girls on my body.
I realized this morning that Iactually forgot my Betty page
that's on my side, totallyforgot about her.
But she's another naked womanon me, um, but yeah, and then
(31:38):
she's also wearing a beret.
So I wore a beret in themilitary.
So that was, yeah, that's me.
That's like a, that's like acartoon vision of me.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
What Like the anime version of?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
you.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Okay, all right.
So what about the other one?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
So the other one, going back to that whole story,
in Iraq we didn't travel withmechanics and so I was in charge
of my MV and I was in charge ofeverything about it the engine,
the mount, the radio,everything, the wheels, and at
(32:15):
the end of the night we wouldhave to like take our trucks in
and service them and just makesure everything was good to go
for the next day.
Well, we had a bad trip enginewith like old school army
manuals, like nut by nut, justlike it was crazy.
(32:42):
It was probably the craziestthing, the craziest puzzle I've
ever done in my life.
We did have like a little bitof assistance from the army, but
like they thought we were ajoke, they were just like, oh
God, here comes the army askingus questions again so it was
just like they literally gave uslike these three ring binders
that would like laminated pagesinside.
(33:04):
Figure one do this, figure twodo this.
So yeah, I'm like really proudof that.
I I freaking fixed my engine.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That's a huge accomplishment, like swapping
out an engine and fixing it,like with a binder, with a
binder step by step.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Hey, I'm like also not good at stuff like that, so
like yeah, it was just a project.
That's even a bigger feat thanif you're not good at that,
totally, it's nothing.
Not where my, uh, my wheelhouse?
How long did it take you to dothat?
Oh, we, I only had like twodays like we had to like we were
there 24 7 like getting it done.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Yeah, it was insane that's a pretty, that's a pretty
insane cool story like you canbe like yeah, I swapped an
engine on a Humvee in Iraq witha binder.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, I will say it's easy, like if you just follow
the instructions right.
Like it's pretty they make itas easy as possible.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
I'm sure that's why they build them that way, you
know, because you can't havesuper complicated things out in
the field, otherwise you knowyou're never going to get
anywhere.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Well, you need your people to be able to do it Right
.
You know so, yeah, but yeah, itwas very cool.
So, I got my pen up on anengine and she's, like you know,
hand in the air holding awrench, being like hell.
Yeah, I did this.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Is that your other side of your military?
Yeah, the mechanic and then thewriting goods.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
That's really cool.
All right, so take us to theBetty Page then, since we kind
of talked about her.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
So I have a Betty Page on my side.
It's just a classic photo ofBetty Page with, like, her hands
behind her back, or her neck, Ishould say, and you know that S
shape body that she had, youknow, with her legs kind of like
(35:06):
crossed over to the side.
I just love her.
And if you go into my bathroomat the shop later, uh, you will
see a wall that I have done oflike old vintage pinups and my
old shop used to kind of reallyresemble that.
I had, like Marilyn Monroe,james Dean, all that.
(35:30):
So I kind of like lost a lot ofthose, like that part of it,
but I just really truly lovedthat era.
I think I was born in the wrongdecade, um, so I think that's
kind of why I just love thepinups and also, um, the word
Eiffel.
So the name of my salon isEiffel beauty.
The word Eiffel is a name of apin-up magazine back in the 60s
(35:57):
and 70s oh okay.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
That makes sense.
Cool, that's a very interestingstory on how you got your name
for your salon.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
The wallpaper that I made in the bathroom is all the
covers of an Eiffel magazine.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I'm going to have to visit this bathroom and take
some pictures so people can seeit's pretty cool, okay, so I
want to go to this other pinupslash girl that you have with
like a rose in her hair.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
So that's my mother, that's my cartoon version and my
anime mother, oh, okay.
I told you she's Mexican, soyou know, I kind of have like
the classic, like frilly dress,the roses in her hair.
You know she naturally has blackcurly hair, and then this is my
(36:52):
dad, dad, the wild cowboy thatshe met that's crazy um, you
know, I had him make sure thathis nose was like a little
crooked, uh, because my dad'snose is crooked, it's obviously
like, uh, you know, just kind ofan interpretation of my father.
I've always imagined my dad asbeing this like young cowboy
(37:14):
kind of thing from Kansas, andso, yeah, I've always wanted to
put their signatures on the top.
They are not together anymore.
This is the closest they'vebeen in years.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Do you make them talk to each other?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, Be nice.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
What do they say when you got them and were they
together when you got them?
Speaker 2 (37:36):
No, they were not together.
My dad, really, I would sayjust, you know, saying nothing
means a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
So, yeah, I think I got a bunch of nothing.
And then my mother yeah, just,my mom's thing was always like
how are you going to get a job?
Or like what you know, you know, like what about when you get
married, like you know you're,it's just going to be like
showing, and so they alwaysworry about that stuff I'm like,
(38:10):
I got my own job, mom, like Imean I think she was even saying
that after I opened my salon.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
What's funny is I think my parents asked me the
same question one time who'sgoing to hire?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
you.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
At that point I'm like Dad, I own my own gym, no
one's going to fire me, theyforget.
And I'm like look at me, now Ihave a real job in the corporate
world.
Yeah, in the corporate world,exactly.
And I'm like look at me, now Iknow I have a real job.
Well, not like that In thecorporate world.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, in the corporate world, exactly, and I
have a lot of tattoos Nobodycares, nobody cares.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Now, yeah, I'm like it's not like 1980, where
everybody cared Like ooh.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Oh my God, I see like police officers doing details
like so crazy.
Yeah, like you have doctorsthat are tatted.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Yeah, so it's not the same anymore.
No, no.
When did you get theinspiration to put those on
there?
Was it like right, when you gotyour first tattoo, like midway
through your journey?
Speaker 2 (39:15):
No, I think these two came after my calf tattoo.
I feel like there was justdefinitely like a six-year
period where I was just gettingsomething all the time.
I knew I just wanted to havesome sort of dedication to my
parents.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, I think when you love your parents, I think
you always want some kind oftribute.
You know, especially if youlove, if you love tattoos and
you love your parents, youalways have something.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
That's why I like to make it just even more personal.
I want to put their signatureson it, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
And I like that you did it in like a um, like that
pinup style kind of rendition,because it's not.
I think you have to have theperfect artist to do like a
portrait to come out perfect,Otherwise it just looks weird.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
But the way you did it it's like really like a
beautiful tattoo, but it doesn'truin the aesthetic of what you
want.
It's captured like in a greatway, where you're like you can't
ruin that.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It's when they're, when they're doing it, because
that's yeah, I will say um, mybetty page is a portrait and
it's.
You're right, it's hard, it's,it's not.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
She's not perfect, that's I will say yeah, I think
portraits is one of the mostdifficult things to get right.
Yeah, Because everyproportion's got to be like spot
on, Spot on.
You can't, because you can'tcorrect that.
Like if you do line work andyou make it crooked, you can
make the line maybe a littlethicker Right, or you can fix it
with something else.
Mess up a portrait their mouththat smiles crooked is crooked.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Yeah, you're going to make bigger lips.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Yeah, I'm crooked, yeah, you're gonna make bigger
lips.
Yeah, I'm like, no, my momdoesn't have those big old
injected lips.
Or I'm like, oh wait, when didshe get like a wonky eye?
Speaker 2 (41:08):
yeah, exactly slow on that eye, oh my god okay, uh,
what about the tattoo on yourhand?
Speaker 1 (41:22):
And why on the hand Hand?
Speaker 2 (41:32):
tattoos are always very, very.
The most interesting tattoos tome are hand tattoos and like
face tattoos yeah.
Because they're so bold.
I feel like I was reallyrebelling when I did this one.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
I don't like against what and who?
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Well, I okay.
So when I came back from Iraq,I definitely had some hard times
.
So there was like a period oflike I don't know.
I want to say like six yearsthat I kind of did struggle a
little bit with depression andjust kind of like getting back
into civilization.
I also like got out like of themilitary when I or no, I'm
(42:04):
sorry, yeah, I got out of themilitary when I came back from
Iraq.
I was only in the military forlike four more months and then I
got out.
So it was very strange to gofrom like that life and then uh,
back to my desk job for likefour months and then, like now
in the real world, um, so it was, it was hard and I just I think
(42:27):
that I was just rebelling.
Like you know, I think mostpeople my age at this time,
right, I'm like around 25.
Most people my age are likefinishing college and like
having kids, and I'm like around25.
Most people my age are likefinishing college and like
having kids and I'm like dude, II want to smoke pot right now
Like I haven't like had fun thelast like eight years.
(42:51):
You know, I've been deploying,I've been in the military and
I've been very dedicated anddisciplined and, um, the
complete opposite, right.
So I just went from one extremeto the next, which also wasn't
good, but I will say my gym lifeis really what pulled me out of
all that.
So Okay.
(43:11):
All right.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
So why that tattoo?
Then like get rebelling, butwhy that?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
image.
No, so like I enjoy, likehunting.
I did an elk hunting trip whenI was in Montana once with some
military friends and I alwaysjust like I, literally to this
day will always always rememberthat um trip.
(43:39):
It was just amazing.
We were out on horsebacks, umin the snow, like I saw wolves,
I saw bears, we and we took outtwo Elks.
Like it was just like the most,like it was amazing.
So I always, I think my thoughtwas to kind of like that story,
(44:01):
but at the same time my fingerwasn't big enough for an elk
head, so he made it more like adeer head and long story short,
no deer has antlers that big.
I don't know what I wasthinking, but I like it
sometimes.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
So it's just a good memory from that trip.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
Kind of Jacked up memory.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Okay, so if you had a , if you can go back and change
that, would you move that tattoosomewhere else?
Yeah, totally, where would youput it?
Speaker 2 (44:36):
I think I would just put it higher up.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Like on the actual, like the whole hand, instead of
like it running down the finger.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Yeah, so I have the head and like the neck of the
deer is like on my middle fingerand I would actually like move
it above my knuckle, so like thetop of my hand was like the art
.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Okay, but you know, can't move that one, nope.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
I don't know if you know this, but it's permanent.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
I'm like I guess you can go and get it zapped off,
but I heard it's very painful.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I can't believe some of the things I see, though,
like it's amazing what they do.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I know it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
It is crazy.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
Okay, we're getting close.
Here we are.
I want to go to the one, thebig piece that you have on your
arm.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
It's a long one.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeah, so let's go to that one and then we'll go to
the big finale, the obvious onethat connects you to the shop.
I'll leave that one for the end, okay, but let's go with the
arm, because that's a pretty bigpiece with a lot of art in it.
So I don't know if everythinghas a different meaning to it,
because sometimes it does, buttake me through that one.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
Okay.
So when I was in Iraq I wasdoodling.
I like to just like draw, butmore like sketch doodle.
I don't know if I really wantto call myself a drawer.
I think it's a nervous thingthat I like to do.
I will and I like to do like,little, small little lines,
stuff like that.
So I had drawn an actualgrenade.
(46:08):
Um, and that was I.
The grenade was a majority ofthis eight by 10 piece of paper
that I drew it on Right, okay,and um, so it was big, and then
every single like imagine allthe squares on it, you know, on
the outside of like the grenade.
Every little square had a symbolin it and every symbol meant
(46:33):
something to my time in Iraq.
So you know, you kind of, yougot the heart in there, you got
your um, the healing snakes, thePhoenix rising from above, the
Lotus flower, um, you got somedoves.
The stars reprimand, uhrepresented um all the people
(46:55):
that I know that I lost in Iraq,represented um, all the people
that I know that I lost in iraq.
Um, and then right in thecenter, so, anyways, I, so all
those symbols right were in allthe little squares, and so when
I took, when fast forward, Itook this picture to a tattoo
artist.
When I came back, this guy wasin cambridge somewhere.
(47:16):
I don't know why.
I found him.
His name is, I remember him.
I remember his name was Sky andI also remember him being from
Northern California.
So I was like hell.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
yeah, there's the connection.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, and when I took the art to him he was just like
dude, this is really cool, butlike it's so intricate that like
it needs to be like your wholeback or like we need to like
change it.
So he actually took the wholedrawing and turned it what I
like to call inside out.
(47:48):
So now the center of it is theoutline of the grenade, the OM
symbol is inside the grenade andthen all those symbols are on
the outside.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
So then you have a 30 in there, right, is that, or is
that it?
Speaker 2 (48:05):
the om.
Okay, that's the om symbol.
Looks like a 30 I know, I'mlike getting old.
That's the other thing.
Right?
Speaker 1 (48:11):
you don't want portraits when you get old they
age with you, they start to getwrinkles.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
So, oh, yeah, that's what you're saying.
Yep, so it's a big piece.
I love what he did to it.
Speaker 1 (48:31):
No, I look at that.
It looks really great.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah, I love it way more than what I had come up
with, so I love it.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
I'm like like your idea sounds great but, like you
said, it's very intricate todraw that, especially on your
arm if you're doing a grenade,with all those pictures being
really small yeah, which is likethe kind of stuff I like to do
because I'm like that's a lot oftime in the chair right.
That's very little room forerror because and then people
(48:58):
really would have to squint tosee that because like, oh,
what's in it?
So the idea of him turning itinside out is really a great
idea.
Yeah, because now you see allthe intricacies of what you drew
, and then the grenade.
Everyone still see that that'sa grenade.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
So yeah, people always find the grenade.
They they never see it rightoff the bat, but when when they
do see it, they're just like howironic that you have the
national peace symbol inside ofa grenade.
And I'm like, yeah, well, war'sfucked up.
Speaker 1 (49:29):
Well, do you get a lot of questions on that one?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
I do.
I don't usually elaborate toomuch, but I just kind of like,
let them come up with their owntheory.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Yeah, that seems like a little bit more personal to
go into.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
It is.
I think that's why I'm like.
You know, I don't talk about itthat much, I just kind of like
yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, I feel like there's a lot.
There's just a lot to unpack onthat For a stranger just to be
like, hey, what does that mean?
Yeah, exactly, it's like ah,this is something I got.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
A lot of times people will point something out on it,
and it's usually either thegrenade or the healing snakes.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
I like the flowers on the bottom.
I like that nice subtle pinkwhere everything sits at.
I think it rounds it off reallywell, thank you.
It gives it that like femininetouch at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (50:28):
All right, grand finale here, oh the grand finale
.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
yeah, so I mean I got East Coast, west Coast going on
.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Oh wait, we still got to get the other end.
We went California.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Now we going on.
Oh wait, we still got to getthe other and we went california
.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
Yeah, now we got to get the massachusetts one that
you have right, and then we'llgo to the grand finale, because
we did okay, okay, okay, geez, Igot one more tattoo, so I
thought I did um, so right, Igot california on my left
shoulder, and then I gotmassachusetts on my right
shoulder, and and so, like Isaid earlier, the heart is over
my hometown in California, andthen the heart is over Lowell in
(51:04):
Massachusetts, and then, um, itsays Eiffel beauty.
So that was my tribute to theshop.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
When did you finally get that one?
I?
Speaker 2 (51:13):
think I probably got it like year.
Oh, I got, I know.
Actually I went to Seattle, soI would say within the first
year.
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
First year.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Yeah, it was bold.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
Yeah, I'm like you better stick with it at that
point.
I hope I don't go under.
Well, I'm like, I hope youdon't decide to make a name
change at that point.
Speaker 2 (51:38):
Oh yeah, seriously, Rebrand.
What the heck is.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Eyeful Beauty.
They're like don't worry aboutit, yeah, it's something yeah.
Well, you can always just sayit was the magazine back from
the day.
So you do have a backup.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
Yeah, just give them a fat lie, all right.
Just give them a fat lie, allright.
I have a feeling I'm going tobe here forever.
So eyeful beauty it is.
Speaker 1 (52:01):
There it is, it's permanent.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Just like it is on your skin.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
All right.
So the most obvious one thateverybody asks you back to the
reference of the hair, are you?
Speaker 2 (52:13):
a hairdresser?
Exactly the scissors.
Yeah, are you a hairdresser?
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Exactly the scissors.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Yeah, so I have a straight edge and scissors on my
neck because I am the barberhere.
I mostly do short haircuts andbeards, lots of shags and
texture, so short hair isdefinitely my thing.
(52:40):
I picked hair because when Iwas in Iraq I was cutting all my
troops hair because they werescared to go to the local barber
.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
So that was the first time I actually picked up a
clipper and I really promotedthrough the base and through,
like we had a recruiting centerright down the street so I had a
lot of like the recruiters.
I just did a lot of short hair.
Um, I educated for a companyand I taught color for almost
(53:14):
six years, but I ended up comingback to hair cutting.
It's just my jam, it's where Ifeel most comfortable.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
You got to do what you love, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (53:25):
So I got my straight edge for the barber aspect and
my scissors for the cosmetology.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
Did you get that after you graduated or when you
knew you wanted to do thiscareer path?
Speaker 2 (53:36):
It's actually probably like one of my last
ones I got.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
So you got Eyeful Beauty before that.
Speaker 2 (53:43):
Yeah, huh, yeah.
So I was teaching with thiscompany for about eight years
and I taught color for about six, and the last two years that I
was with them, I was part of thebarbering team.
And when I became part of thebarbering team, that's when I
(54:04):
got it.
I wanted to like have it when Iwas out on the road, so yeah, I
like it, though.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
It's a good placement .
Yes, some people can pull itoff like neck tattoos Like I
don't have a neck, so I cannever pull off a neck tattoo.
It's like good placement.
Yes, some people can pull itoff like neck tattoos Like I
don't have a neck, so I cannever pull off a neck tattoo.
It's like a blob.
Yeah, it's like maybe I gotlike half an inch of a neck.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
I was going to say maybe just a tiny little heart.
Speaker 1 (54:29):
I put like dots.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Does your wife have a lot of tattoos?
Speaker 1 (54:35):
No, no, she has maybe like four, not that many.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
And how many tattoos do you have?
Speaker 1 (54:43):
Probably a couple more than you do.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Okay yeah, are they all like together or are they
separated, like mine are?
Speaker 1 (54:51):
Right arm, left arm, back side, ankle foot yeah, so
all over the place, okay, butkeeping the chest clean, Okay.
I would like to do something onthe neck, but I don't have a
neck, so that's not going tohappen.
Nothing on the hands.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
Have you now.
This is about you.
Okay.
Do you have any weightliftingtattoos?
I do you do.
What do you got?
I?
Speaker 1 (55:21):
have an Olympic weightlifter doing a snatch in
the three positions on my back.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
We both have one.
Oh, in all three positions.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
So from the start to the middle, to where he's all
the way at the bottom, nice.
And we both have matching ones.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
Who, you and Janelle.
Yeah, me and Janelle Nice.
Speaker 1 (55:36):
We got that in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (55:38):
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Second most painful tattoo I've ever gotten.
Oh really yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:43):
My neck was really painful, but my hand was the
worst.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Yeah, because right on part of it hit the shoulder
blade and it's all blacked.
So it's all black because it'sjust the outline and it's all
blacked in.
Yeah, it hurts so much how big,are they okay cool two inches
each guy yeah cool, but there'sthree of them.
And then you have the barbellcircle, like right, yeah yeah, I
(56:08):
, um, I don't know I have.
Speaker 2 (56:12):
I have a couple things on the horizon, but I
haven't yeah, what are youthinking of coming like?
What's next?
So I have a thigh piece that Ireally want to get done.
I love the desert, I love NewMexico, I love Mexico.
I just love that like desertbeach life, and so it's like a
(56:34):
desert with the beach, kind oflike coming up with cactuses.
Ooh nice, the original drawing.
It's also a desert, with thebeach kind of like coming up
with cactuses.
Oh, nice, um, the originaldrawing, it's also a heart shape
.
Um, and then that the heart,the actual shape of the heart,
was, um, what do you call it?
Like um, barbed wire fencing ohokay, um, but I just haven't
decided if I really want to pullthe trigger with the barbed
(56:56):
wire fencing.
Either it was going to be likethe kind of like that fencing,
or maybe making it look likemore of an old mirror.
Speaker 1 (57:07):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
With like the picture on the inside.
Speaker 1 (57:10):
So one tattoo artist gave me really good advice when
you're debating on what to do.
Really good advice when you'redebating on what to do.
He's like get the tattoo drawnout, put it in your mirror and
look at it every day for like amonth.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:24):
And if you fall in love with it after a month,
that's the picture you get.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
And if not, put the other one on and see which one
you feel comfortable with.
I've been holding onto this onefor like four years.
Speaker 1 (57:33):
Yeah, but it's different when you visually put
it on and see it, because youkind of start to see it and
imagining that tattoo onyourself and I was like that's a
really good idea, because thenyou get an idea of what it's
like to see it every single day.
Speaker 2 (57:45):
Yeah, yeah, I still like the idea of the barbed wire
.
It just feels like this is you?
Yeah.
It's you anyway, I don't wantto do it, but I kind of do it if
I have to.
Speaker 1 (58:00):
It's just calling to you.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
At least it just won't be like the barbed wire
band around my bicep, who's thatactress from Baywatch that had
the-.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
Pamela Anderson yeah who also had a movie called
Barbed Wire.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
I did not know that.
Yeah, she has a movie calledBarbed wire.
Speaker 1 (58:19):
I did not know that, yeah, she has a movie called
barbed wire.
It's very bad.
Yeah, yeah, she I think.
Uh, if I remember correctly,she was like an, like an action
star.
I'm like so unbelievable.
So unbelievable.
There's a lot of action on thebeach yeah, stick to stick to
beach action scenes much better,okay, so before we close off
(58:44):
here, once again, just tell us alittle bit about your shop,
where you're located, a littlebit about your social media,
some of the services that youoffer.
So if anyone hears you know,hears this that's nearby, maybe
they can come by check out yourshop, uh, and, you know, get one
of the wonderful services thatyou offer.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
Yeah, definitely, well, thank you.
So again, my name is MeganOsborne.
I own Eiffel Beauty in downtownLowell.
We are a salon and barbershopopen to our community open for
the open to our community.
(59:21):
Um, we have different pricepoints for everyone's beauty
budget.
So if you are interested inspeaking with us, we can always
sit down and do a consultationon whatever you're looking to
get done.
We have curly, we have a curlyhair wait, sorry, we have a
curly hair specialist.
We have an extension specialist.
We have a short hair specialist.
We have a fashion shadespecialist.
So, um, we definitely have ateam here that's like super
(59:43):
educated and wicked creative.
Um, I am very proud of my teamright now.
We really drive really well.
Um, but we work as a team here.
So if you're looking for thattype of environment, come on
down.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
And what is your social media page?
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
So you can find us at Eiffel Beauty Salon or Megan
Hara.
Speaker 1 (01:00:12):
All right.
Well, Megan, thank you forbeing on the show.
It's been wonderful to have youand hear some of your amazing
stories from the background ofyour tattoos, and you know.
Thank you for your service.
Yeah, you know, it's great tohave you here.
Speaker 2 (01:00:27):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:00:29):
And Brett, don't forget to come back.
Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Yeah, Brett, get your butt back in my chair.
Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
And again, this has been your host Tinoch, on
another episode of the Ink TalesPodcast.
I'll see you on the next one.
Thanks for joining me this weekfor another episode.
Don't forget to follow us onInstagram at the Ink Tales
Podcast and our website atinktaespodcastcom, where you can
(01:00:58):
see photos of all our guestsand their website at
inktalespodcastcom, where youcan see photos of all our guests
and their tattoos.
Please subscribe to the show tohear more fun stories from
exciting guests.
Who knows, it might be you.
You.
Hi, you're listening to the Inktails podcast, a show
where I go out in the city, meetnew people and get the stories
behind our tattoos.
I'm Tenoch.
Come join me on my journey.
Today on the show, I'm inLowell, massachusetts, with my
guest, Megan Megan.
Welcome to the show, hi how are?
You.
I'm doing great.
Thank you for having me.
(00:28):
Oh, no problem, we are here inyour shop, we are.
So what is the name of yourshop?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So I own Eyeful Beauty.
We've been open for 15 years.
We are a salon barbershop so wecater to our community and
everyone in it.
So, yeah, we are also a greensalon.
So we recycle 95% of our wasteum, which is important to me and
(00:58):
making sure that we're um as anindustry as a whole.
We kind a lot of waste, justmaking sure that we're taking
care of our part when it comesto that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What made you interested in becoming a green
salon?
What got you into that?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Just recycling.
Originally, I'm from California.
I just feel like they're reallybig on recycling.
I also grew up on a ranch, solike we had to always like take
our trash outside and you know,um like actually like take it on
a trailer in our truck, youknow, to the dump and um sorting
it and stuff like that.
(01:38):
So I've always just been usedto it.
Um, and when I came across acompany that would actually take
our sorted trash, I wasextremely excited to partner
with a company like that.
So, yeah, they take everything.
They take the hair, they takeextra chemicals that are like
(01:59):
leftover in the bowl.
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
Do you know what they do withthe hair?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, they do a lot of things, so they actually made
those plastic trash cans rightthere.
They say that the plastic withthe hair inside the plastic it
makes it actually one of thestrongest plastics that you can
find.
They also use it for any sortsof like oil spills.
They'll make like what theycall a hair loom and just
(02:27):
imagine like a nylon sock orsomething like that, and they
stuff it with hair and then theythrow it out in the ocean and
the hair will actually naturallyabsorb the oils out in the
ocean.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Wow, that's really cool.
That's a really good, uh likeinvention.
That seems like it's veryuseful, absolutely, especially,
uh, you know, being able torecycle the waste instead of
creating something new that'lljust create more waste, you know
yeah, unfortunately, hairdoesn't break down.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Um.
So, just like, imagine a mummyeven like sometimes a mummy
still has hair, uh.
So, uh, it's not like greatthat we're like throwing all
this hair out in the land, umthe landfill, so being able to
recycle it, and especially forsomething good, yeah yeah, I
never thought about that.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Like, what happens to the hair when you cut it?
Where does it go?
Because, like you said, itdoesn't break down, so not
really it doesn't break downvery easily, that's for sure.
Normally they just what throwit in the trash.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yep, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Okay, so tell us a little bit more about yourself
other than the salon, and maybewe can get back to how you ended
up starting your salon.
So tell us more about what youlike to do, who you are, a
little bit more about where youcame from, from California.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I'm originally from California.
I was born and raised inNorthern California in a little
town called Grass Valley.
We grew up on a ranch and Igrew up raising livestock.
My sister did pigs, I did cows,we had chickens, dogs, horses
(04:05):
the whole nine yards.
And I love that life I do.
But it wasn't until September11th I decided to join, or after
September 11th I decided tojoin the military.
I went into the Air Force and Iwas an MP in the Air Force.
So I did that for eight years.
(04:25):
I did a tour in Iraq and due tothat tour I did get an
honorable discharge, but I alsogot a disability because of it.
So a lot of my tattoos, whichwe'll talk about later, are very
military.
They have the background behindthem is a lot of my military
(04:45):
life, for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So did you go into the military with your virgin
tattoos?
Oh yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yep, yep.
Then I was like 19, so itwasn't even like.
It wasn't like the typical18-year-old move.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
How did you like your time at the Air Force?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I loved it.
I thought the Air Force wasdefinitely one of the coolest
things I ever did.
I met some of the most amazingpeople and they're still my
friends to this day, even if wedon't see each other for eight
to ten years.
Every time we meet up, it'sjust amazing how connected we
(05:22):
are, so they are definitely someof the people that I was with
during that time are some of mybest friends.
Uh.
So the military was awesome.
The experience was awesome.
I also went to Korea, which Iloved.
I just the culture there was socool.
I loved the food, I loved theshopping, um, so I loved Korea.
(05:47):
And then, from Korea, Iactually uh came here to
Massachusetts and I wasstationed at Hanscom, um, so
that was like totally adifferent spin on where I had
like come from prior in earlierin my career in the military.
So, um, so they just deployedout of the space.
So that's when I went to Iraq.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Okay, so you were stationed in California, then
went to Korea, came here andthen Iraq, or how did that
journey end up?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh, okay, so I'm going to skip that a little bit.
So I was from California and Ijoined the air force, went to
Texas for training and then fromTexas I went to Minot, north
Dakota, and then from Minot,north Dakota then I went to
Korea, hanscom, so, um, yeah,texas is where we do a lot of
(06:42):
our training, okay.
And then, uh, you know know, Iwent to minot.
Minot is a like nuclear base,so it's a missile base, um, and
I was out on like the flightlines, like protecting the
flight lines, and then when Icame to hanscom, it was more of
like a an office job that's achange of pace yeah it was.
(07:05):
It was like so crazy.
And then when you're not in theoffice job, you're in iraq.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So that's at least how my tour went how was your,
uh, what was it like when yougot deployed to iraq?
I never really get to.
I've never had like a otherthan janelle, like a veteran on
the show, at least that I canremember.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It was a little surreal.
So I was in the Air Force andmy father would have been the
first to tell you that I wouldhave been safe.
He's a Marine, so that I wassafe from going to war, and you
(07:50):
know my dad's very old school.
So uh, I thought I joined theright branch to like not go to
war, okay, and I know that thisis like right after september
11th, so like we were like inwar already, um.
But so I joined the air forceand the first thing that happens
is I get deployed.
So I'm just like, oh shit, soI'm in Iraq with the Air Force.
(08:13):
We're there to help the Armyand we don't deploy like the
Army does.
The Army will actually deployas like a whole battalion, okay,
and we don't do that.
Deploy as like a wholebattalion, um, and we don't do
that.
We only deploy as like um,individual, like what the army
(08:33):
would call an MOS or like acertain career field, and we
were all cops and we didn't havea cook, we didn't have a
mechanic, we didn't have likeany of the other things that
like all the other people.
So we're just kind of likethrown into this position and
not going to lie.
This is in 2025.
Originally, we were supposed togo to Mosul.
That got canceled because therewas like a whole bunch of messy
(08:54):
numbers.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Wait, 2005?
Yeah, Not 25.
I'm like we're still in 24.
No, no.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Okay, that's like a long time ago.
So, yeah, 2005,.
Mosul was pretty hot and heavyright during that time frame.
So they actually changed it,told us we're going to the
baghdad airport.
That didn't happen.
And then we're in saudi, we'relike supposed to be like going
(09:23):
to Iraq and we like barely knowwhere we're going.
So, um, it was just weird, like.
I just felt like, um, it was aninteresting time to like be
going there, especially as anair force security force member,
to um, uh, you know, help thearmy and do something that we've
(09:47):
never done before.
So it was very interesting.
We were told we were going tobe running convoys and then
teaching security force membershow to or, sorry, as security
force members, we're going to beteaching the locals how to be
police officers.
Members were going to beteaching the locals how to be
(10:10):
police officers and, um, it justwasn't very easy for us to like
go in and start instructing um,so we came across a lot of like
roadblocks, but okay, soundsvery challenging it was.
It was a challenging time.
You know we're also this islike 2005, so like we're three
years past the invasion, right,so we're trying to kind of like
(10:32):
help them, but I think they werestill mad.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Oh, I'm sure there was tensions of all sorts.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, so it wasn't the best time to be there.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So yeah, and how long did you end?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
up staying there Um.
Our tour was around six months.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Total, with training, everything like, came out to be
about a year.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Okay, so you went there too long and then you came
back to the States.
Yes, okay To Hanscom.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That's where you had your desktop, yeah, and then you
came back to the States.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yes, okay To Hanscom.
That's where you had yourdesktop.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, and at this point, like I'm really close to
my enlistment to be up, so whenI got back from Iraq I think I
knew that I wanted to get out atthat point.
So I went to real estate schooland cosmetology school, both at
(11:27):
the same time.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I think I figured out that I really like buying
houses but not selling them, andas an old artist, because I
used to really be intophotography and painting and
stuff like that as a kid so Ijust really wanted to get back
to the arts and for some reason,when I was Googling jobs and
(11:52):
stuff, cosmetology just keptpopping up.
So I'm like, oh, maybe I canjust make hair my medium Okay.
So that's kind of how that went.
I instantly fell in love withcutting hair when I went to
cosmetology school.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
So it was your calling, right away it was yeah,
it was pretty instant I lovedit.
Okay.
So then you finishedcosmetology school, and then how
long did it take you before youactually owned your own shop?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
So I worked under two salons and I think it was like
around year three or four,probably year three.
I worked for one salon forabout a year and then another
salon for about a year and ahalf, and at that point I was
(12:42):
just like, okay, I can do this.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
I honestly really wanted to do it in seattle.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Seattle seems like a pretty interesting place to do
hair.
Yeah, I I I didn't think that Iwas gonna stay here.
Um, when I got out, like, Ithought I was just gonna like
finish school, enjoy like bostonfor a little bit and then head
back to the West coast.
And uh, unfortunately I had aboyfriend and so I stayed.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Is that boyfriend your current husband?
No, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
But thank God I stayed Cause.
Then I met him later.
Okay, Um lucky him.
Yeah, definitely, I feel verylucky, um.
So, yeah, I I ended up stayinglow.
I found low.
I thought, well, it was likethis super cool town I'm from
the country, remember, so likethe bricks, you know the brick
(13:36):
buildings and the cobblestonestreets, and just like this
downtown feel where you're likewalking everywhere, I loved it.
And they didn't really have anylike higher end salons, um, and
I didn't.
I don't know if I really wantedto be like a high end salon,
but I just didn't have thatsalon that like I imagined in
(13:57):
like a city, and so I stayed andI'm here now.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So do you?
Do you consider yourself a highend salon in law, or how would
you categorize yourself?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Actually, uh, so we have a level system here, and so
we have levels one through six,so we can cater to like
anybody's beauty budget.
Uh, it just depends on theexperience that you are
interested in.
So, uh, we do have somestylists that are in the higher
end, so there is an option forthat.
(14:32):
But, uh, when I think of like ahigher end salon, I just think
of like luxury, and you know, uh, not to say that we don't bring
luxury to the table, but it'sjust a little bit more relaxed.
Uh, it's kind of like I alwayscall it like a community hub.
You know, there's peoplewalking in, there's people
bringing their dogs.
We got dog treats, we got dogbowls everywhere.
(14:54):
Like you know, it's just kindof, um, like a community hub and
I and I love that.
So it's a little bit morerelaxed.
It's not so like uptight maybe,I don't know, not so bougie.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, I was going to say I'm like it's not as bougie.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Okay, so I'm going to put you and Brett, our coach,
on a hot seat on this one.
Does he come and get his hairdone here?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Oh, my God, I'm so glad you asked.
He used to.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
What happened I?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Brett what happened?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
He says I cost too much.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
What Brett says you cost too much, brett, quality
cost.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah right, he should know.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yeah, he's got the bougiest gym around.
Yeah, we will not talk abouthow much it charges.
But also not cheap.
It's worth every penny, that'sright.
That's why we still go there.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, we do.
It is worth every penny.
But yeah, and you know I willsay I'm only behind the chair
two days a week and I know thatthose two days are really hard
for him, so I'll give him that.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
He's the owner.
He can take any day off hewants.
Don't let him fool you withthat.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Especially for, like, the amount of time he's in
front of the camera.
I mean, come on, man, get yourshit together.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Okay, so we got the hard question out of the way, so
we'll start off simple, like Ido with everybody else what was
your first tattoo?
Let's dig into that one.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Okay, so I had just finished basic training and
there was a tattoo parlor rightoutside the base and of course I
walked my little happy ass overthere and I'm not really sure
why I picked a koi fish, butit's a koi fish and it's okay
it's on my right hip, like notin a super obvious place.
(16:57):
Uh, my mother is mexican.
You might understand andappreciate this, but I just
really figured I should probablyhide the first one.
Oh yeah.
We're on the same page overthere, but then I just didn't
care after a while.
But yeah, so that was my firstone.
It was in a spot that didn'treally show too much, but a koi
(17:21):
fish represents strength.
That was one of the things thatI was like.
Yeah, that's me.
I just finished basic.
So I have a koi fish and then Ithink my second one um, may
have been my mermaids on my back.
Uh, my sister and I.
I came back from the militaryand I came, uh, my sister and I
(17:42):
decided that we were going toget the same tattoos.
So we actually have the sametattoo in the same spot, which
is kind of cool.
Are you guys twins or just weare not twins yeah, they are two
mermaids and they're holdinghands, so they kind of and all
of my work is very traditionalit's definitely like heavy lines
(18:02):
and stuff like that, definitelylike heavy lines and stuff like
that.
So so it definitely all of itkind of stays the same in that
sense.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
So did you guys get this tattoo together at the same
place, at the same time?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
We did.
Yeah, and that place CoreyNorris, I think, is his name.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
And he is in Grass Valley.
That was it.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
How did you guys like , did you feel bonded together a
little bit closer?
Or what were the feelings afterEspecially getting something
you know with a sibling that'smatching?
You know, like I, have siblings, but we don't have anything
matching.
We're supposed to get one.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, my sister and I , I always felt close with my
sister, but when I think we'rereally close in age too so we're
21 months apart and I think, asthe older sister you know, she
was always around, right, so shewas only like a grade under me.
(19:03):
So no matter where I went, shehad to go.
All her friends were herfriends.
You know, it was very much asmall town kind of thing.
So I think we did actuallybecome more close after I left.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Okay, yeah, and so when I came back from the
military, I just I don't knowshe wanted to do that with me
and I was all for it.
So you said you got the one,the koi fish, when you were in
the military.
Did you get any other oneswhile you were there, or just
the?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
koi fish, no just the koi fish.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
But that's what started everything.
Yeah, okay, well, we'll stay inthat general area.
Let's go with the symbol thatyou have at the very top of your
neck area.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Let's go with the symbol that you have at the very
top of your neck.
It's my um, it's my uhastrology sign, which is a
cancer my birthday is July 16th.
(20:07):
I hate that one.
Okay, tell me why you hate it,why you hate it and why did you
get it?
Okay, um, so now I'm in korea.
So I have a feeling this mighthave been like my like fourth
one at this and you're actuallylike going in order anyway.
So.
So now I'm stationed in koreaand, um, I go to this guy.
I swear I had to like it wasprobably his house, I have no
idea.
You had to walk through like aback alley to go up some shady
(20:28):
ass stairs Like I hate myselffor that one.
He had me standing up and everysingle time he like hit my
spine.
I swear I saw stars and like Iwas standing up.
I may have like locked my knees,but at one point I literally
(20:49):
was wait, you were standing upthe whole time I was standing up
because I think he thought thatI would be like less fidgety I
don't even know and so finally Ilike ended up asking him.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
No, he doesn't speak english I was gonna ask him like
does he speak english?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
no, no, I'm in korea.
God, this is like the worstidea ever.
Okay, I'm also by myself.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
How did you get to the picture?
Did you just show him a picture?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Oh, yep, Yep, I did, I was like you know, and he yeah
, it's ugly.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Okay, so, since we know you, you don't like it.
I don't like it, but I don.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
I literally thought it was crooked and I was just
like oh my God, to make mattersworse is not even straight.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
It's not like you can fix it.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I did get it fixed.
My recent tattooer kind of likeevened it out for me, okay.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
But yeah, my tattoos are so difficult to fix right,
so it's crooked.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yeah, especially like a circle.
It's a circle, everyone, alopsided circle.
Yeah, it's supposed to be, andthat was the other thing I
forgot about this.
It was supposed to be a moon,because I'm a moon sign.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
And I wanted like the six.
You know, it looks like a 69,which is supposed to resemble
like the body of a crab, youknow, and it doesn't look like a
moon.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I thought it was like , just like a like, the
representation of, like a watersign.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah, you're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
I was like oh, okay, something like that.
Yeah, all right.
So we didn't like that one.
No, so same thing, we'll staythere, let's go with this.
No, I think that one's going tokind of lead us into here, so
we'll kind of stay away fromthat for now.
We'll come back to it.
Talk to me about this bear.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Oh, yeah, I forget he's there too.
This bear oh yeah, I forgethe's there too.
I'm pretty sure that in my um,my other life, I was a bear, and
a grizzly bear at that.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Why?
What gives you that feelingthat you were a grizzly bear?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
No, I really do.
Just like love grizzly bears.
I just think that they're likethese beautiful, massive animals
that will tear your face offwill tear your face off and also
could be cuddly and sweet how'dthey make that happen?
Like little teddy bears thanks,disney right, um so, and then a
(23:30):
little bit of like thecalifornia thing.
So I'm rocking a whole bunch ofreasons why I got that one.
I think that one probably hasthe least background story.
Just California bear Just likedit.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I dig.
That bear has a really likefierce-looking face, but still
kind of like friendly.
It's the eyes.
How old were you when you gotthat one?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Ooh, I don't know, Probably over, yeah, no, maybe
like 28, 30, 34.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Did you get that in California?
No, no.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Nope, that is actually.
That artist actually did a lotof my work.
So that's Josh Brooklyn andhe's out of Lowell Inc.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Oh, okay.
Well, since we're kind of liketouching on California, tell me
about the California tattoo.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yeah, so that was, I think, after the moon incident.
I got that one just becauseI've always I don't know
California's my home.
You know, I got that one justbecause I've always I don't know
California is my home.
Uh, you know, I don't thinkI'll ever go back there.
Um, but it's just such abeautiful state, you know
(24:42):
there's so much like you got themountains, you got the desert,
you got beautiful agriculture,you have ranches, you have
mountain life, you have oceanlife.
It's just like, I don't know,it's a beautiful, freaking state
and if you've never been youneed to go yeah, I love
california.
Yeah, it's great food is so good.
(25:02):
I mean, people are generallypretty awesome, like good, great
people watching yes, like, so,yeah, I, I just love it.
So it says Cali, grown, I think, and then the heart is yeah,
it's got a little heart.
Yeah, the heart is over where,like the area that I was born,
Okay, or raised.
(25:23):
I should say Sorry.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
So that's kind of like on your shoulder blade.
How did that compare in likepain, compared to the one that
you got with like the circle andthe mermaid?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know, it's so weird.
I don't know like what it is,but I just don't remember any of
them being painful until I waslike 30.
And then, all of a sudden theybecame painful.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Threshold changed huh .
Speaker 2 (25:49):
It really did.
Oh, I guess my chess piece wasprobably next right.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Well, let's talk about that one.
Yeah, let's talk about thechess piece, since we just
mentioned it.
Um, it's a pretty prominentpiece, it is okay it's one of my
favorites.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I love it.
Um, you know, they are, uh,zombie hands for our and they
are making a heart sign withtheir hands, and I think you got
some roses on it.
Yeah, I got some roses.
That's actually a cover-up.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
The roses are the cover-up part.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Yeah, I had two nautical stars under them Also.
I thought we were crooked, sothat's why I got the cover-up.
But yeah, there's nauticalstars under them Also.
I thought we were crooked, sothat's why I got the card.
But yeah, there's nauticalstars under there.
I actually always forget thatthere are stars under there
until I see like a picture ofmyself.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And then I'm like oh, my God.
Yeah, because there's like twolittle stars over towards the
end.
Was that part of the originalone or did?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
they add those.
You mean these guys.
Yeah, those are just part ofthe other one.
They're part of the other one.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
yeah, All right.
So let's talk about the zombiehands.
What inspired zombie hands andwhy zombie hands?
I'm like making a little heart.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Because normally you see people with the heart and
like rays coming out, you know,like the traditional one.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Mm-hmm Okay she knows one, um, okay, a couple things
I I think that we're gonna havea zombie apocalypse someday,
okay, so you just want to beready, yeah, uh, so I'm just
gonna throw that out there.
No, I'm just kidding.
Um, I love like zombie movies,the idea of, like you know,
people escaping from some crazylab, like I, just so.
(27:32):
That definitely was theinspiration behind the artwork.
And then it was like the handsare like kind of peeling back,
that you get the skin is likepeeling back, so you kind of see
the bones.
But and then I love hearts, Ijust love hearts.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I can see why it's definitely one of your favorites
.
It's very artistic.
It's like once you startlooking at the details, like you
said, the skin peeling back,the bones expose like the
stitching kind.
Of like Frankenstein, he has itall over his necks and stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah and then uh again.
Like I like the hearts, I atthe time I think I was, you know
, a little on the emo-ish sidethrowing up my heart sign
everywhere Like oh, that was asad time in my life.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
So when people can actually see it, do you get a
lot of questions about that?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh, my God, yeah, yep , that one, and then my pinups
on my calves always.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Okay, so let's go to the pinups.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Conversation.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Okay, before we go to the pinups, what kind of
questions do you get on yourzombie hands?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, Are those zombie hands?
I was like yeah, pretty obviousquestion.
Yeah, um, yeah, I think theyalways ask if those are like
zombie hands.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I'm like yep that's the number one question just
like weird.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I was just telling my husband the other day when I
was taking these pictures uh,for you, I'm like the one on my
neck.
I used to have like reallyshort hair, so it was very like
predominant, and when my hairwas short I used to hate it so
much because people would belike, hey, are you a hairdresser
?
And I'd be like, first of allyou know that.
And then like, and then Irealized, oh, it's this tattoo
(29:32):
on my neck that like is tellingeveryone I'm a freaking
hairdresser.
So, um, yeah, just people justask really obvious questions
sometimes.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Yeah, I guess they ask obvious or really stupid
questions about them, you know,but I don't want to say stupid.
You still have short hair, bythe way, just so people
listening.
She still has very short hair,but it's hiding a little bit
more okay, so let's get to thesepinups that you have on your
calves, because obviously theyuh attract a lot of attention
(30:06):
and a lot of questions, so let'sget to it.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
They're very patriotic.
I want you to think old schoolpinup One is riding a .50 cal.
If you don't know what that is,that's a really big gun that
you mount on top of a Humvee.
I worked in the armory and whenI was in the armory I also got
(30:35):
trained on all the heavy weapons.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
So part of the reason why I actually got deployed is
because of my certifications theclassic pinup on top of the 50
Cal with an American flag behindit.
It's kind of.
It's really cool though I loveit that she's riding a 50 Cal,
there's a big old flag.
I'm like you, you can, it'stypical.
Like you see the nipples kindof protruding out.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
She's got her heels on.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yep, I can see why you get a lot of attention on
that one.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, I'm mostly men.
I'm not going to lie, I have alot of naked girls on my body.
I realized this morning that Iactually forgot my Betty page
that's on my side, totallyforgot about her.
But she's another naked womanon me, um, but yeah, and then
(31:38):
she's also wearing a beret.
So I wore a beret in themilitary.
So that was, yeah, that's me.
That's like a, that's like acartoon vision of me.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
What Like the anime version of?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
you.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Okay, all right.
So what about the other one?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
So the other one, going back to that whole story,
in Iraq we didn't travel withmechanics and so I was in charge
of my MV and I was in charge ofeverything about it the engine,
the mount, the radio,everything, the wheels, and at
(32:15):
the end of the night we wouldhave to like take our trucks in
and service them and just makesure everything was good to go
for the next day.
Well, we had a bad trip enginewith like old school army
manuals, like nut by nut, justlike it was crazy.
(32:42):
It was probably the craziestthing, the craziest puzzle I've
ever done in my life.
We did have like a little bitof assistance from the army, but
like they thought we were ajoke, they were just like, oh
God, here comes the army askingus questions again so it was
just like they literally gave uslike these three ring binders
that would like laminated pagesinside.
(33:04):
Figure one do this, figure twodo this.
So yeah, I'm like really proudof that.
I I freaking fixed my engine.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That's a huge accomplishment, like swapping
out an engine and fixing it,like with a binder, with a
binder step by step.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Hey, I'm like also not good at stuff like that, so
like yeah, it was just a project.
That's even a bigger feat thanif you're not good at that,
totally, it's nothing.
Not where my, uh, my wheelhouse?
How long did it take you to dothat?
Oh, we, I only had like twodays like we had to like we were
there 24 7 like getting it done.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Yeah, it was insane that's a pretty, that's a pretty
insane cool story like you canbe like yeah, I swapped an
engine on a Humvee in Iraq witha binder.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, I will say it's easy, like if you just follow
the instructions right.
Like it's pretty they make itas easy as possible.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
I'm sure that's why they build them that way, you
know, because you can't havesuper complicated things out in
the field, otherwise you knowyou're never going to get
anywhere.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Well, you need your people to be able to do it Right
.
You know so, yeah, but yeah, itwas very cool.
So, I got my pen up on anengine and she's, like you know,
hand in the air holding awrench, being like hell.
Yeah, I did this.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Is that your other side of your military?
Yeah, the mechanic and then thewriting goods.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
That's really cool.
All right, so take us to theBetty Page then, since we kind
of talked about her.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
So I have a Betty Page on my side.
It's just a classic photo ofBetty Page with, like, her hands
behind her back, or her neck, Ishould say, and you know that S
shape body that she had, youknow, with her legs kind of like
(35:06):
crossed over to the side.
I just love her.
And if you go into my bathroomat the shop later, uh, you will
see a wall that I have done oflike old vintage pinups and my
old shop used to kind of reallyresemble that.
I had, like Marilyn Monroe,james Dean, all that.
(35:30):
So I kind of like lost a lot ofthose, like that part of it,
but I just really truly lovedthat era.
I think I was born in the wrongdecade, um, so I think that's
kind of why I just love thepinups and also, um, the word
Eiffel.
So the name of my salon isEiffel beauty.
The word Eiffel is a name of apin-up magazine back in the 60s
(35:57):
and 70s oh okay.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
That makes sense.
Cool, that's a very interestingstory on how you got your name
for your salon.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
The wallpaper that I made in the bathroom is all the
covers of an Eiffel magazine.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I'm going to have to visit this bathroom and take
some pictures so people can seeit's pretty cool, okay, so I
want to go to this other pinupslash girl that you have with
like a rose in her hair.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
So that's my mother, that's my cartoon version and my
anime mother, oh, okay.
I told you she's Mexican, soyou know, I kind of have like
the classic, like frilly dress,the roses in her hair.
You know she naturally has blackcurly hair, and then this is my
(36:52):
dad, dad, the wild cowboy thatshe met that's crazy um, you
know, I had him make sure thathis nose was like a little
crooked, uh, because my dad'snose is crooked, it's obviously
like, uh, you know, just kind ofan interpretation of my father.
I've always imagined my dad asbeing this like young cowboy
(37:14):
kind of thing from Kansas, andso, yeah, I've always wanted to
put their signatures on the top.
They are not together anymore.
This is the closest they'vebeen in years.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Do you make them talk to each other?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, Be nice.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
What do they say when you got them and were they
together when you got them?
Speaker 2 (37:36):
No, they were not together.
My dad, really, I would sayjust, you know, saying nothing
means a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
So, yeah, I think I got a bunch of nothing.
And then my mother yeah, just,my mom's thing was always like
how are you going to get a job?
Or like what you know, you know, like what about when you get
married, like you know you're,it's just going to be like
showing, and so they alwaysworry about that stuff I'm like,
(38:10):
I got my own job, mom, like Imean I think she was even saying
that after I opened my salon.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
What's funny is I think my parents asked me the
same question one time who'sgoing to hire?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
you.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
At that point I'm like Dad, I own my own gym, no
one's going to fire me, theyforget.
And I'm like look at me, now Ihave a real job in the corporate
world.
Yeah, in the corporate world,exactly.
And I'm like look at me, now Iknow I have a real job.
Well, not like that In thecorporate world.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, in the corporate world, exactly, and I
have a lot of tattoos Nobodycares, nobody cares.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Now, yeah, I'm like it's not like 1980, where
everybody cared Like ooh.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Oh my God, I see like police officers doing details
like so crazy.
Yeah, like you have doctorsthat are tatted.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Yeah, so it's not the same anymore.
No, no.
When did you get theinspiration to put those on
there?
Was it like right, when you gotyour first tattoo, like midway
through your journey?
Speaker 2 (39:15):
No, I think these two came after my calf tattoo.
I feel like there was justdefinitely like a six-year
period where I was just gettingsomething all the time.
I knew I just wanted to havesome sort of dedication to my
parents.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, I think when you love your parents, I think
you always want some kind oftribute.
You know, especially if youlove, if you love tattoos and
you love your parents, youalways have something.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
That's why I like to make it just even more personal.
I want to put their signatureson it, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
And I like that you did it in like a um, like that
pinup style kind of rendition,because it's not.
I think you have to have theperfect artist to do like a
portrait to come out perfect,Otherwise it just looks weird.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
But the way you did it it's like really like a
beautiful tattoo, but it doesn'truin the aesthetic of what you
want.
It's captured like in a greatway, where you're like you can't
ruin that.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It's when they're, when they're doing it, because
that's yeah, I will say um, mybetty page is a portrait and
it's.
You're right, it's hard, it's,it's not.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
She's not perfect, that's I will say yeah, I think
portraits is one of the mostdifficult things to get right.
Yeah, Because everyproportion's got to be like spot
on, Spot on.
You can't, because you can'tcorrect that.
Like if you do line work andyou make it crooked, you can
make the line maybe a littlethicker Right, or you can fix it
with something else.
Mess up a portrait their mouththat smiles crooked is crooked.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Yeah, you're going to make bigger lips.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Yeah, I'm crooked, yeah, you're gonna make bigger
lips.
Yeah, I'm like, no, my momdoesn't have those big old
injected lips.
Or I'm like, oh wait, when didshe get like a wonky eye?
Speaker 2 (41:08):
yeah, exactly slow on that eye, oh my god okay, uh,
what about the tattoo on yourhand?
Speaker 1 (41:22):
And why on the hand Hand?
Speaker 2 (41:32):
tattoos are always very, very.
The most interesting tattoos tome are hand tattoos and like
face tattoos yeah.
Because they're so bold.
I feel like I was reallyrebelling when I did this one.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
I don't like against what and who?
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Well, I okay.
So when I came back from Iraq,I definitely had some hard times
.
So there was like a period oflike I don't know.
I want to say like six yearsthat I kind of did struggle a
little bit with depression andjust kind of like getting back
into civilization.
I also like got out like of themilitary when I or no, I'm
(42:04):
sorry, yeah, I got out of themilitary when I came back from
Iraq.
I was only in the military forlike four more months and then I
got out.
So it was very strange to gofrom like that life and then uh,
back to my desk job for likefour months and then, like now
in the real world, um, so it was, it was hard and I just I think
(42:27):
that I was just rebelling.
Like you know, I think mostpeople my age at this time,
right, I'm like around 25.
Most people my age are likefinishing college and like
having kids, and I'm like around25.
Most people my age are likefinishing college and like
having kids and I'm like dude, II want to smoke pot right now
Like I haven't like had fun thelast like eight years.
(42:51):
You know, I've been deploying,I've been in the military and
I've been very dedicated anddisciplined and, um, the
complete opposite, right.
So I just went from one extremeto the next, which also wasn't
good, but I will say my gym lifeis really what pulled me out of
all that.
So Okay.
(43:11):
All right.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
So why that tattoo?
Then like get rebelling, butwhy that?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
image.
No, so like I enjoy, likehunting.
I did an elk hunting trip whenI was in Montana once with some
military friends and I alwaysjust like I, literally to this
day will always always rememberthat um trip.
(43:39):
It was just amazing.
We were out on horsebacks, umin the snow, like I saw wolves,
I saw bears, we and we took outtwo Elks.
Like it was just like the most,like it was amazing.
So I always, I think my thoughtwas to kind of like that story,
(44:01):
but at the same time my fingerwasn't big enough for an elk
head, so he made it more like adeer head and long story short,
no deer has antlers that big.
I don't know what I wasthinking, but I like it
sometimes.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
So it's just a good memory from that trip.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
Kind of Jacked up memory.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Okay, so if you had a , if you can go back and change
that, would you move that tattoosomewhere else?
Yeah, totally, where would youput it?
Speaker 2 (44:36):
I think I would just put it higher up.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Like on the actual, like the whole hand, instead of
like it running down the finger.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Yeah, so I have the head and like the neck of the
deer is like on my middle fingerand I would actually like move
it above my knuckle, so like thetop of my hand was like the art
.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Okay, but you know, can't move that one, nope.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
I don't know if you know this, but it's permanent.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
I'm like I guess you can go and get it zapped off,
but I heard it's very painful.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I can't believe some of the things I see, though,
like it's amazing what they do.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I know it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
It is crazy.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
Okay, we're getting close.
Here we are.
I want to go to the one, thebig piece that you have on your
arm.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
It's a long one.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeah, so let's go to that one and then we'll go to
the big finale, the obvious onethat connects you to the shop.
I'll leave that one for the end, okay, but let's go with the
arm, because that's a pretty bigpiece with a lot of art in it.
So I don't know if everythinghas a different meaning to it,
because sometimes it does, buttake me through that one.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
Okay.
So when I was in Iraq I wasdoodling.
I like to just like draw, butmore like sketch doodle.
I don't know if I really wantto call myself a drawer.
I think it's a nervous thingthat I like to do.
I will and I like to do like,little, small little lines,
stuff like that.
So I had drawn an actualgrenade.
(46:08):
Um, and that was I.
The grenade was a majority ofthis eight by 10 piece of paper
that I drew it on Right, okay,and um, so it was big, and then
every single like imagine allthe squares on it, you know, on
the outside of like the grenade.
Every little square had a symbolin it and every symbol meant
(46:33):
something to my time in Iraq.
So you know, you kind of, yougot the heart in there, you got
your um, the healing snakes, thePhoenix rising from above, the
Lotus flower, um, you got somedoves.
The stars reprimand, uhrepresented um all the people
(46:55):
that I know that I lost in Iraq,represented um, all the people
that I know that I lost in iraq.
Um, and then right in thecenter, so, anyways, I, so all
those symbols right were in allthe little squares, and so when
I took, when fast forward, Itook this picture to a tattoo
artist.
When I came back, this guy wasin cambridge somewhere.
(47:16):
I don't know why.
I found him.
His name is, I remember him.
I remember his name was Sky andI also remember him being from
Northern California.
So I was like hell.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
yeah, there's the connection.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, and when I took the art to him he was just like
dude, this is really cool, butlike it's so intricate that like
it needs to be like your wholeback or like we need to like
change it.
So he actually took the wholedrawing and turned it what I
like to call inside out.
(47:48):
So now the center of it is theoutline of the grenade, the OM
symbol is inside the grenade andthen all those symbols are on
the outside.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
So then you have a 30 in there, right, is that, or is
that it?
Speaker 2 (48:05):
the om.
Okay, that's the om symbol.
Looks like a 30 I know, I'mlike getting old.
That's the other thing.
Right?
Speaker 1 (48:11):
you don't want portraits when you get old they
age with you, they start to getwrinkles.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
So, oh, yeah, that's what you're saying.
Yep, so it's a big piece.
I love what he did to it.
Speaker 1 (48:31):
No, I look at that.
It looks really great.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah, I love it way more than what I had come up
with, so I love it.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
I'm like like your idea sounds great but, like you
said, it's very intricate todraw that, especially on your
arm if you're doing a grenade,with all those pictures being
really small yeah, which is likethe kind of stuff I like to do
because I'm like that's a lot oftime in the chair right.
That's very little room forerror because and then people
(48:58):
really would have to squint tosee that because like, oh,
what's in it?
So the idea of him turning itinside out is really a great
idea.
Yeah, because now you see allthe intricacies of what you drew
, and then the grenade.
Everyone still see that that'sa grenade.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
So yeah, people always find the grenade.
They they never see it rightoff the bat, but when when they
do see it, they're just like howironic that you have the
national peace symbol inside ofa grenade.
And I'm like, yeah, well, war'sfucked up.
Speaker 1 (49:29):
Well, do you get a lot of questions on that one?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
I do.
I don't usually elaborate toomuch, but I just kind of like,
let them come up with their owntheory.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Yeah, that seems like a little bit more personal to
go into.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
It is.
I think that's why I'm like.
You know, I don't talk about itthat much, I just kind of like
yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, I feel like there's a lot.
There's just a lot to unpack onthat For a stranger just to be
like, hey, what does that mean?
Yeah, exactly, it's like ah,this is something I got.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
A lot of times people will point something out on it,
and it's usually either thegrenade or the healing snakes.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
I like the flowers on the bottom.
I like that nice subtle pinkwhere everything sits at.
I think it rounds it off reallywell, thank you.
It gives it that like femininetouch at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (50:28):
All right, grand finale here, oh the grand finale
.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
yeah, so I mean I got East Coast, west Coast going on
.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Oh wait, we still got to get the other end.
We went California.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Now we going on.
Oh wait, we still got to getthe other and we went california
.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
Yeah, now we got to get the massachusetts one that
you have right, and then we'llgo to the grand finale, because
we did okay, okay, okay, geez, Igot one more tattoo, so I
thought I did um, so right, Igot california on my left
shoulder, and then I gotmassachusetts on my right
shoulder, and and so, like Isaid earlier, the heart is over
my hometown in California, andthen the heart is over Lowell in
(51:04):
Massachusetts, and then, um, itsays Eiffel beauty.
So that was my tribute to theshop.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
When did you finally get that one?
I?
Speaker 2 (51:13):
think I probably got it like year.
Oh, I got, I know.
Actually I went to Seattle, soI would say within the first
year.
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
First year.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Yeah, it was bold.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
Yeah, I'm like you better stick with it at that
point.
I hope I don't go under.
Well, I'm like, I hope youdon't decide to make a name
change at that point.
Speaker 2 (51:38):
Oh yeah, seriously, Rebrand.
What the heck is.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Eyeful Beauty.
They're like don't worry aboutit, yeah, it's something yeah.
Well, you can always just sayit was the magazine back from
the day.
So you do have a backup.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
Yeah, just give them a fat lie, all right.
Just give them a fat lie, allright.
I have a feeling I'm going tobe here forever.
So eyeful beauty it is.
Speaker 1 (52:01):
There it is, it's permanent.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Just like it is on your skin.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
All right.
So the most obvious one thateverybody asks you back to the
reference of the hair, are you?
Speaker 2 (52:13):
a hairdresser?
Exactly the scissors.
Yeah, are you a hairdresser?
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Exactly the scissors.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Yeah, so I have a straight edge and scissors on my
neck because I am the barberhere.
I mostly do short haircuts andbeards, lots of shags and
texture, so short hair isdefinitely my thing.
(52:40):
I picked hair because when Iwas in Iraq I was cutting all my
troops hair because they werescared to go to the local barber
.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
So that was the first time I actually picked up a
clipper and I really promotedthrough the base and through,
like we had a recruiting centerright down the street so I had a
lot of like the recruiters.
I just did a lot of short hair.
Um, I educated for a companyand I taught color for almost
(53:14):
six years, but I ended up comingback to hair cutting.
It's just my jam, it's where Ifeel most comfortable.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
You got to do what you love, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (53:25):
So I got my straight edge for the barber aspect and
my scissors for the cosmetology.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
Did you get that after you graduated or when you
knew you wanted to do thiscareer path?
Speaker 2 (53:36):
It's actually probably like one of my last
ones I got.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
So you got Eyeful Beauty before that.
Speaker 2 (53:43):
Yeah, huh, yeah.
So I was teaching with thiscompany for about eight years
and I taught color for about six, and the last two years that I
was with them, I was part of thebarbering team.
And when I became part of thebarbering team, that's when I
(54:04):
got it.
I wanted to like have it when Iwas out on the road, so yeah, I
like it, though.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
It's a good placement .
Yes, some people can pull itoff like neck tattoos Like I
don't have a neck, so I cannever pull off a neck tattoo.
It's like good placement.
Yes, some people can pull itoff like neck tattoos Like I
don't have a neck, so I cannever pull off a neck tattoo.
It's like a blob.
Yeah, it's like maybe I gotlike half an inch of a neck.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
I was going to say maybe just a tiny little heart.
Speaker 1 (54:29):
I put like dots.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Does your wife have a lot of tattoos?
Speaker 1 (54:35):
No, no, she has maybe like four, not that many.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
And how many tattoos do you have?
Speaker 1 (54:43):
Probably a couple more than you do.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Okay yeah, are they all like together or are they
separated, like mine are?
Speaker 1 (54:51):
Right arm, left arm, back side, ankle foot yeah, so
all over the place, okay, butkeeping the chest clean, Okay.
I would like to do something onthe neck, but I don't have a
neck, so that's not going tohappen.
Nothing on the hands.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
Have you now.
This is about you.
Okay.
Do you have any weightliftingtattoos?
I do you do.
What do you got?
I?
Speaker 1 (55:21):
have an Olympic weightlifter doing a snatch in
the three positions on my back.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
We both have one.
Oh, in all three positions.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
So from the start to the middle, to where he's all
the way at the bottom, nice.
And we both have matching ones.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
Who, you and Janelle.
Yeah, me and Janelle Nice.
Speaker 1 (55:36):
We got that in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (55:38):
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Second most painful tattoo I've ever gotten.
Oh really yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:43):
My neck was really painful, but my hand was the
worst.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Yeah, because right on part of it hit the shoulder
blade and it's all blacked.
So it's all black because it'sjust the outline and it's all
blacked in.
Yeah, it hurts so much how big,are they okay cool two inches
each guy yeah cool, but there'sthree of them.
And then you have the barbellcircle, like right, yeah yeah, I
(56:08):
, um, I don't know I have.
Speaker 2 (56:12):
I have a couple things on the horizon, but I
haven't yeah, what are youthinking of coming like?
What's next?
So I have a thigh piece that Ireally want to get done.
I love the desert, I love NewMexico, I love Mexico.
I just love that like desertbeach life, and so it's like a
(56:34):
desert with the beach, kind oflike coming up with cactuses.
Ooh nice, the original drawing.
It's also a desert, with thebeach kind of like coming up
with cactuses.
Oh, nice, um, the originaldrawing, it's also a heart shape
.
Um, and then that the heart,the actual shape of the heart,
was, um, what do you call it?
Like um, barbed wire fencing ohokay, um, but I just haven't
decided if I really want to pullthe trigger with the barbed
(56:56):
wire fencing.
Either it was going to be likethe kind of like that fencing,
or maybe making it look likemore of an old mirror.
Speaker 1 (57:07):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
With like the picture on the inside.
Speaker 1 (57:10):
So one tattoo artist gave me really good advice when
you're debating on what to do.
Really good advice when you'redebating on what to do.
He's like get the tattoo drawnout, put it in your mirror and
look at it every day for like amonth.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:24):
And if you fall in love with it after a month,
that's the picture you get.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
And if not, put the other one on and see which one
you feel comfortable with.
I've been holding onto this onefor like four years.
Speaker 1 (57:33):
Yeah, but it's different when you visually put
it on and see it, because youkind of start to see it and
imagining that tattoo onyourself and I was like that's a
really good idea, because thenyou get an idea of what it's
like to see it every single day.
Speaker 2 (57:45):
Yeah, yeah, I still like the idea of the barbed wire
.
It just feels like this is you?
Yeah.
It's you anyway, I don't wantto do it, but I kind of do it if
I have to.
Speaker 1 (58:00):
It's just calling to you.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
At least it just won't be like the barbed wire
band around my bicep, who's thatactress from Baywatch that had
the-.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
Pamela Anderson yeah who also had a movie called
Barbed Wire.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
I did not know that.
Yeah, she has a movie calledBarbed wire.
Speaker 1 (58:19):
I did not know that, yeah, she has a movie called
barbed wire.
It's very bad.
Yeah, yeah, she I think.
Uh, if I remember correctly,she was like an, like an action
star.
I'm like so unbelievable.
So unbelievable.
There's a lot of action on thebeach yeah, stick to stick to
beach action scenes much better,okay, so before we close off
(58:44):
here, once again, just tell us alittle bit about your shop,
where you're located, a littlebit about your social media,
some of the services that youoffer.
So if anyone hears you know,hears this that's nearby, maybe
they can come by check out yourshop, uh, and, you know, get one
of the wonderful services thatyou offer.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
Yeah, definitely, well, thank you.
So again, my name is MeganOsborne.
I own Eiffel Beauty in downtownLowell.
We are a salon and barbershopopen to our community open for
the open to our community.
(59:21):
Um, we have different pricepoints for everyone's beauty
budget.
So if you are interested inspeaking with us, we can always
sit down and do a consultationon whatever you're looking to
get done.
We have curly, we have a curlyhair wait, sorry, we have a
curly hair specialist.
We have an extension specialist.
We have a short hair specialist.
We have a fashion shadespecialist.
So, um, we definitely have ateam here that's like super
(59:43):
educated and wicked creative.
Um, I am very proud of my teamright now.
We really drive really well.
Um, but we work as a team here.
So if you're looking for thattype of environment, come on
down.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
And what is your social media page?
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
So you can find us at Eiffel Beauty Salon or Megan
Hara.
Speaker 1 (01:00:12):
All right.
Well, Megan, thank you forbeing on the show.
It's been wonderful to have youand hear some of your amazing
stories from the background ofyour tattoos, and you know.
Thank you for your service.
Yeah, you know, it's great tohave you here.
Speaker 2 (01:00:27):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:00:29):
And Brett, don't forget to come back.
Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Yeah, Brett, get your butt back in my chair.
Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
And again, this has been your host Tinoch, on
another episode of the Ink TalesPodcast.
I'll see you on the next one.
Thanks for joining me this weekfor another episode.
Don't forget to follow us onInstagram at the Ink Tales
Podcast and our website atinktaespodcastcom, where you can
(01:00:58):
see photos of all our guestsand their website at
inktalespodcastcom, where youcan see photos of all our guests
and their tattoos.
Please subscribe to the show tohear more fun stories from
exciting guests.
Who knows, it might be you.
You.
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