Tattoo Artist & Longboard Surfer Stephen Sanchez

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Stephen Sanchez.
Welcome to the podcast.
Man hey, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm so stoked, dude, this is great, I've always
wanted to do this.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
I'm excited to have you on man.
It's kind of cool.
So people know this is my firsttime.
Meeting him was today.
We have met over social media.
We follow the same shaper andsurfer, alex Camino.
So shout out to Alex Good man,my guy makes some rad surfboards
.
Yeah, he's like my favoriteshaper now.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, dude, I like he's got magic in the board.
You know like I ride a nine sixfrom him and I surf at Blackies
.
So in Newport Beach, oh, isthat okay?
Yeah, so I'm there almost everyother day and it's a beach
break and you never know whatyou're going to get, dude, like
most breaks in California, youknow what I mean, or at least
out here.
So his roller coaster dude,it's incredible, that's what I

(00:59):
have.
Yeah, it's so nice.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Did you see the one I have?
He did the Mexican blanketpaint on there, so it's all the
stripes.
That's rad.
Yeah, dude, it's my favoriteboard.
She's seen me ride it.
I think the biggest wave Icaught on that thing so far was
about 14 feet.
And people were looking at mewhen I went out yeah, is that
last big swell?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I was just like you knowwhat?
This is going to be interesting.

(01:21):
I'm just going to go.
Yeah, I'm going to go for it.
And I caught this massive leftand got barreled and this dude
was piling out after I caughtthe wave.
He's like how'd you do that?
Yeah, I was like I don't know,bro, you just got to go, don't
hesitate.
Where are you at, my goodness,marl Bay, oh, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Okay, okay, yeah, is the photo online of you.
Yeah, okay, that was a few dude.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
I went out the day before.
It is even bigger, it was like20 feet.
It was intense.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
That's so crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, I got a roller coaster from him, I got his, I
got a seven to a single fin,nice, yeah, it's, it's man, it's
rad.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
And I can dive it too , really.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
That's what I want, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
It's got a little foam in the chest, yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Oh, yeah, yeah, float's good dude.
Yeah, it's easy to paddle in.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
And then I got a six, six shoe Quatt no five fin.
Oh nice, Dude it rips, man Rips.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
That's good, you know , every time I go out and surf,
usually like everyone will likekind of stop and ask me like
what is that?
What do you like, what are youriding, or like that's like a
nice surfboard, you know.
So it's really cool to havelike those compliments.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, oh yeah, because, likeAlex is still like a really
independent shaper, you knowwhat I mean.
He's not like this, like huge,huge, huge, like you know shaper

(02:34):
, but he makes incredible stuff,dude.
So, yeah, it's rad to havesomeone like him.
You know, put a border on myfeet and have people, just you
know, say dude, absolutely, andhe's so humble yeah, that's the
cool thing about it.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
And his turnaround time is a mate.
Yeah, four weeks.
Yeah, like it's like when Isent him what I did because I
have, I'm going to be honesthere.
I have way too many surfboards,I think I and I've I've scaled
down.
I think now I have 12.
At one point I had like 16 andI would say 90% of them were
longboards, nice, but they wereshaped for different style of

(03:06):
waves.
Yeah, winter, you know, steeperwaves, or it's going to be
summertime where it's a lotslower hanging.
10.
Yeah, high performance, so Ican do some hard cut backs,
whatever.
And so what I did is I hit himup because he did another friend
of mine, mark Zeezy.
He's a firefighter in.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
LA Okay.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
And I said, hey, alex , I got, you know I got way too
many boards.
I got boards for certain typesof swells and you know times of
the year, and so what we did iswe did the roller coaster style,
but I pretty much got thedimensions for all my boards and
I gave it to him and I said,can you make this one board?
Can you like break it down?
So it's high performance, but Icould still nose ride and all

(03:44):
this.
And he just said okay, and infour weeks I picked it up and I
took it out.
I predominantly ride that allthe time.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, he's the man, dude.
I tried my 96 roller coaster.
Yeah, 96, 23, and then likethree inches of some change and,
dude, it's so much fun, like,whether it's steep, big, small,
like ankle high, thigh high,chest high, like I'll have so
much fun, that thing.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
Yeah, he's awesome and that's why, you know, I told
him hey, what can I do to helpyou?
I want him to come to thepodcast.
You know his English is still alittle broken.
Yeah, I think he's what SouthAmerica or Ecuador, I can't
remember where he says from.
I can't remember either.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
I don't want to miss speak here.
I'm sorry, alex.
Yeah, dude, yeah, you're agreat guy man, so I can say you
should come out here.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, and so I told him like, hey, dude, like when I
I get pictures taken of me alot from the locals.
At least I surf down atBolchica oh nice the.
River Jadies were at their 16.
Okay, yeah, 16.5.
Yeah, cause you're right here.
Yeah, and all those old dudesare there.
My dad's out there.
He's uh, I keep calling him 80.
He's like 85.
He's actually 83.
Oh nice, he's going to be 83.
I think he's still at surfing.
That's incredible.
Yeah, he's taking me out, sinceI was eight years old and so

(04:45):
I'm always out there, and sowhen these guys get pictures and
they give them to me, I alwaystag him in it.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
And I said hey.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
I'm going to make a hashtag for you.
Yeah, I'm going to call itGaminal writers.
Oh nice.
So I started hashtaggingGaminal writers and now he's put
it in.
It's so cool and people arestarting to do it.
I'm like this is perfect.
This is what I wanted for you,cause he's such a great dude, a
humble guy, and he's.
He's magnificent at what hedoes, he's very skilled, and I
want him to get more business.

(05:13):
I mean, I'm sure he's.
He's got a lot of business.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
now you see him getting a lot, but I would say
more respect, respect of.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
I would love to see him have his own like shop,
right, right, it'd be amazing, Ithink it's well deserved.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Oh yeah, yeah, he would do.
Well, you know, the funny thingis like how I met him is like
so I was like hunting boards onoffer up, like trying to find
just like kind of anything, youknow.
And then I hit him up and I waslooking to trade someone for a
tattoo, because I do tattoos.
So I was like, okay, well, hey,you know, if you want to sell

(05:45):
it, you know, or we can tradefor tattoos, we can trade even
up, you know, I'll do a $600tattoo for you and you can we'll
swap for surfboards, you know,barter.
And then I had a couple guys upand nobody hit me back up, and
then he was the only one toreach back out to me and he was
like, hey, like that sounds good, my daughter has this tattoo
that didn't come out so well,like she wants to get

(06:05):
refurbished.
And I was like, dude, perfect,you know.
Like.
So he came to the shop, I gotto meet him and his daughter and
then I read her tattoo and Igot to know Alex pretty well
because he the sessions werepretty long, they're like like
four hours, so it's a big tattoo.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
She had this like snake around her leg.
It was pretty rough, you know,it needed to be redone, so like
she wasn't happy.
So so it kind of worked outLike I needed a new surfboard
and I didn't really have themoney to leverage like that much
at the time to just buy a brandnew surfboard, so I was just
going to use like my skills,like hey, like let's see what we
can work something out.
Man, he was totally cool withit and he built me this a nine

(06:41):
three like a gold roller coaster.
We call it the mango.
The mango, yeah, dude, and itwas cool.
So that's how I got to meet him.
We got to know each otherreally well and, yeah, he's
super rad man.
Like I can tell like he wasreally like passionate about
what he does and like reallycares and like the quality and
like just overall, like theprocess of making the surfboard

(07:02):
and to me, like I related tothat so much because that's how
we run our business and tattoosand just life in general.
As in just like, yeah, reallymake the valiant effort into
like whatever you're doing, Likeit could be, you know,
underwater basketball, even dude, but if you're going to do it
like, do it with some heart andpassion.
Don't do it just for the sakeof, like, the dollar.
You know, like that could thatonly go so far.

(07:25):
You know, like, if you'rereally going to like try to have
a craft or anything, reallyreally just think about what
you're doing.

Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, it's.
It's what's cool about surfing.
At least for me it's.
You know, I saw in your profileyou have a cross which is great
because I'm a believer.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
And then we talked a little bit before we came on
here.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
So it's great there's so much to talk about, but it's
almost you know.
For me, surfing is you know.
For some people that don'tunderstand, I'm like it's very
much a peaceful spiritualexperience at times because I'm
out there and I have to focus onwhat I'm doing and you kind of
forget the cares of your lifeand things that are going on,
because you got to paddle rightat the timing and standing up
working the wave and every timeI leave the ocean after getting

(08:04):
in I leave happier.
Oh dude, you know I'm stuck,even if it's a two foot day.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Oh, man, you know that's my favorite day.
It's two feet in fire.
Oh yeah, like so.
But don't wait, don't you?
When you leave, doesn't yourcoffee taste better?
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, like you go home, you'relike, hey, you know, like I'm
glad I'm back, or I'm glad I'mgetting in my car.
I'm like, whatever it is like,the day seems not as bad.
You know so, and I totallyagree.

(08:29):
It is like a spiritual type ofthing out there where you, like,
you know you lose yourself andyou find yourself at the great
boat is opposite.
Yeah, the great boat is opposite, you know so, but it's true, as
cheesy as that is and you knowas that moving may be, but it's
yeah.
You go out there, dude, and youforget a lot of things.
You know it's a.
It's crazy Like.

(08:50):
Surfing is so unique and sogreat, it can give you so much.
You know like, and it's a.
It's a dual relationshipbecause you have to go out there
and earn it.
It's not just like, you know,it's not a fast thing, it's not
like overnight, it's like, dude,it takes a lot of time, a lot
of effort, a lot of practice, alot of like, energy and focus to
just even to ride a wave, youknow, let alone ride a decent,

(09:12):
you know like, to get down theline or just be, you know, a
decent surfer, you know like,and I, I, I like stuff like that
where it takes work to be goodat something.
But back to being likespiritual and like having faith
and to do with the water andsurfing, yeah, man, it's like
you go out there and you're inGod's country, bro, oh.
I mean like yeah, he made itbaby.

(09:33):
5am 630, Don Patrol that songcomes up, dude, it's like a
slice of heaven, man, you get adifferent, different space you
know, yeah, and you know it's.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
It's to me like my surfboards are an extension of
me and how I surf and how I rideand, to me at least,
longboarding is definitely anart form and it's different for
each person the way they moveand how they ride and cross
stepping and ride the nose, orsome guys, you know, start off
with the boy the fin forward andthey flip it around yeah yeah,
yeah, it's just so cool and it'ssmooth and I still like to

(10:02):
shortboard.
I mean, I've just kind of gotteninto shortboarding more over
the past year after getting someboards from Alex, but I just
love the flow and the feel ofbeing on the longboard and
working the wave and so for himto take the time to make sure
it's exactly what you want, yeah, you know it's.
It's very important.
Now I get it.
When you're first learning,You're gonna just try anything,

(10:22):
You're gonna get bored.
But after you start gettingexperience and learning and
years on your belt, you startrealizing okay, I need to get a
board that's specifically for me.
Yeah, you know, and going intosome of these shops and it's not
to hate on these you know bigbox surf companies right, but I
remember going into a fewlocally here in Huntington Beach
and a 10 foot longboard waslike $1,600.

(10:43):
Yeah, that's crazy when I was akid.
Yeah, 475 bucks coral reef overon PCH over there in Sunset
Beach, Dang, and they're soexpensive now and I would say
his pricing is very fair.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
I think not that much .
Nope, not that much.
I think it's super affordable,you know like, oh yeah, really
affordable, yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
It's to me he's like.
He's almost like the everydayserver shaper where it's like.
You know, we can't afford thattype of board, or at least I
don't want to pay that much fora board.
I can't dude.
My custom board that rollercoaster and he did.
You know the Mexican blanketpaint scheme on there, and
that's that takes a lot morework, yeah right.
And the price he gave to mebefore I was like, hey, bro, you
sure, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, there's a couple of fractures, you know.
Yeah, I'm like dang man, it'strue.
Though, dude, like you know, I,when I met him, like he asked
him, like well, what did I want?
Like where did I surf at?
First of all, I was, like, I'malways at Blackhees, or once in
a great while we'll go to HB orwe'll go to Doho, just depending
on my schedule, dude.
So yeah, but typically I'm atBlackhees every single day, like
shout out to the Don Patrolguys out there.

(11:41):
So every day with them, are youdoing Don Patrol now?

Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah, oh yeah, dude, that's the only time I go.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, so I get up at.
I live in Brea.
Okay, I was going to ask that.
Yeah, so I get up at like 445,leave the house about 515, get
there a little before six.
I'm in the water by like 615,the latest Stretching put on my
gear.
You know it's cold right now,so put on a wetsuit, stretch out
really well, before I go in,say a little prayer, dude you

(12:05):
know, and then get out there andjust surf my heart out.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
What a great way to start your day, you know.
Yeah so you know, like I'm I'ma prodigal son.
I have no problem tellingpeople that, like I 100% walked
away from my faith and I'll tellyou right now I paid for it
Like I thought I'm going to dolife on my own.
Yeah, you know, I'm going tolive in the flesh, baby I'm
going to do what?
I want what I want and it'sgoing to be fun, and it brought
nothing but absolute drama anddestruction into my life, to a

(12:30):
point where I was on my knees isactually in this room, yeah,
and I cried out and I was likeLord, look, if you just, I'm
going to give you my heart, I'mgoing to try this one more time,
yeah, but I need you to show up, dude, for real.
You know, and after changing mylife, like surfing and so many
other things started to havesuch a deeper meaning to to go
out there for me.
Like I start my day, I use theBible app on my phone Nice, just

(12:51):
easy, right.
It says nice reminders.
Yeah, I still have my own Bible, but you know, reading that
first thing in the morning I put, I put Greg Lori on.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Nice, I love Greg Lori.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
dude, yeah, dude, he's just he's, he's, he's to
the point and simple.
I always tell him he's afireman's faster dude, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, he's like he's rightthere, yeah.
And then to get to the water Ifeel relaxed, I'm starting a day
, and to be in the ocean andfeel the wave crash over you,
yeah, man, it just has made meso much more thankful, yeah, in
my life, and appreciative, Iagree.

(13:20):
So, being out there and thatwater is starting your day, I
try to tell people that it's.
It's hard to explain, you justhave to do it.
Yeah, you got to go.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah, it's, it's so true, like to bounce off that
like, because when you're outthere, like, even if it's like
two feet, you know, and it'slike you know it's shin high,
yeah, like there is some sort oflike danger involved in it.
Yeah, no matter what, you knowwhat I mean Like surfing can be
like you can get hurt, even onthe low tide days.
I think it's even moredangerous, dude, you know like,

(13:48):
but I think, like, knowing thatyou went out there and paddled
out and caught whatever you cancatch and have a good time, you
know, work your buns off outthere that you come back and
like, dang, dude, like, like Imade it, yeah, like I went out
there, yeah, I did it, and nowI'm back on land, you know, like
, maybe to someone who's like alittle seasoned, like, yeah,
like it was an easy day, youknow you're not going to get

(14:10):
hurt, but there's always thatpossibility, dude, like you know
, like God forbid, but you knowyou can break a foot or whatever
.
You know whatever, yeah, youknow so.
So there always is that likelevel of danger of being out
there, but it does.
When I'm done, dude, I'm likewow, like I'm, I'm thankful,
like I feel good, I feelrefreshed and I'm just.
It makes me be, yeah, more thananything, like thankful for

(14:32):
everything that I have,everything that's going on.
I don't get caught up in likethe small stuff in life, you
know, because I know that Ipossibly could have drowned like
35 minutes ago.
You know like dude, like like,or you know, something could
have happened.
You know like, but I'm stillalive.
So the rest of today is likequarrels, dude, they don't mean
nothing, like you know, as faras business, or like little

(14:52):
small stuff like I'm just likehey, you know what, dude, I'm
alive, I'm here, I woke my forme.
I'm always telling people likehey, my, I win the lottery every
day.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
Oh my man, Once I get out the age.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
true, though, cause, like I got up, like I'm alive,
I'm breathing, I'm under a roof.
You know like I have water.
You know like I have like thebasic essentials dude, you know
like I seriously won the lotteryIf I'm getting up and doing my
thing and I have like one morechance at life, and that to me,
that's like the best thing youcan possibly ask for Well, life
is so precious man, and I seethat in the career choice that I

(15:24):
chose, being a firefighter.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
And the reality is a lot of people Think it's just
riding around in a shiny redengine and cool uniform.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
It's not.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
I mean, yeah, it's whatever we got to.
We keep it clean, we take pridein what we do, but we see a lot
of tragedy.
Yeah, we see a lot of violence.
We see a lot of death.
Yeah, and you know, for me itstarted also made me appreciate
life and the importance of ofenjoying each day.
Yeah, putting the Lord first,because life is so fragile.

(15:54):
I mean, instantly, things canchange.
You don't know this, but youknow I've talked about it here
many times, but I had a brotherwho was killed in the car
accident in 2004.
He was 18.
I was 17.
I don't think that day when heleft the house excuse, he left
the night before with hisgirlfriend they're going like a
trip with her church out theJoshua tree, highly doubt, when
they left to go on that trip tohave fun and camp, he was gonna

(16:14):
think, oh, I'm gonna die on theway.
Yeah, you just don't know,right, you have no idea when
you're your tickets punched as Isay, yeah, so to enjoy to me, I
have changed my thought processa lot.
I've always been kind of likehustler and, yeah, businesses on
the side and doing things.
I mean, they have this podcast,but yeah you know, realizing
like I I've been pushing so hardto quote-unquote be successful.

(16:35):
What the world says is successand money and doing all the
stuff right.
You, you're missing the momentin the journey.
Yeah, and, what's important,funny right now, because at the
end of the day, we can't takeany of this with us when we die.
Bro, I love my surfboards.
Yeah, I love all the thingsthat I've accomplished and have.
Yeah, but they don't go withyou.
You don't see someone pullingit.
You don't see a hearse pullingyou.

Speaker 2 (16:56):
Halt to the to the cemetery.
Yeah, it's about nine six anddon't forget it, break it up.
It's okay, I got room, you know72, yeah, yeah yeah, I don't
know what's in quite my trunks.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, and it's like I've learned and it's too hard
lessons too.
I've had great.
I've made great decisions.
I made terrible decisions, yeah, yeah, but realizing my
goodness, I enjoy the process ofgetting to where I go, where I
want to go.
The learning yeah, meetingpeople to have influence over
others and others havinginfluence over me.
Yeah, just being happy that man, I get to wake up and walk my

(17:27):
dog just morning.
Yeah, you know it's soimportant because we can get
caught up in the business oflife.
It happens, dude.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
I think what you said about, like the process of
learning is I think you have tohave those To, you have to enjoy
those, like to be like likeentrepreneurial spirit, you know
, or like to evolve as a person,or like even like a server, you
know, I mean, I'm only sayingthose things because those are
the subject I can, I can speakon.
You know what I mean becauseit's what I do daily.
So, like you, you're gonna makeGood choices, bad choices.

(17:58):
You know it's all about thelearning process.
Like you can't you can't have aperfect day unless you have a
bad one.
You know what I mean.
I'm a big practitioner of likea cause and effect, like, so if
I don't practice this, how am Isupposed to be good at it?
But if I choose to do thesethings like this may end up in a
bad situation.
Yeah, you know I mean.

(18:18):
So the key is like well, am Igonna learn from this or am I
gonna keep doing the samemistakes over and over again?
Yeah and so some people willkeep going down that road until
they get beat up.
So much, dude, yeah, you know,and like, and then they're like,
oh man, you know what thisisn't really working out.
You know, it's not everybodyelse, it's it's me, because I'm
choosing these, these things todo that may not be beneficial
for my life.
Yeah, so I'm like very intothat, like, well, how is this

(18:41):
going to like propel me forwardas a person, as a growing like
person, you know, as a friend,as a Whatever it may be?
You know, just in general, youknow, cuz I always ask God like,
hey, I Don't need a millionbucks, I don't need a big house,
I don't need a fancy car, justgive me the guidance, the
patience, like the grace andlike, just to get through

(19:02):
whatever's happening, dude, likeyou know, like if we get hurt,
or you know you go through likefinancial hard times, like I
don't like, oh, please, likesend me this giant tattoo so I
can pay my rent, just like.
Hey, dude, like, whatever it'shappening, just give me the
guidance.
Dude, that's all on thepatience, and just like the
wisdom to make the right choices.
I don't need anything else, Ireally don't right, cuz, like if

(19:23):
I sit and like cry about it,like, oh my gosh, like I'm
pulling my hair off because thisisn't, this is happening.
This is not happening.
It's like, well, what am Ireally even doing?
I'm just like worrying aboutthings that are out of my
control, and I think it's easyto get caught up in those kind
of things.

Speaker 1 (19:36):
Oh, hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (19:37):
I feel like when you don't like, if you don't enjoy
those seasons of like good andbad in between, you'll never
really like, enjoy the fruits oflike what's what's next.
You know so, like in surfing,you got to go out there when you
first start, you got a panelout there and you're gonna get a
smoke dog.
You know like super fast.
You know like everybody does.

(19:57):
You know, and that's just partof it.
That's part of like learning anew thing or a new like skill,
talent, whatever may be.
You have to go out there andyou got to put in the work and
you got to like be okay.
You have to be willing to belike hey, you know what?
Yeah, I suck dude.
Yeah, or today was was bad.
I didn't do that Well, but youknow, tomorrow I'll come back,
I'll try it again.
Yeah, I'll put my best footforward and hopefully I'll grow

(20:20):
a little bit.

Speaker 1 (20:21):
Who?
What got you into surfing orwho introduced you to it?

Speaker 2 (20:24):
So my brother, xavier he is like them, like was the
main surfer in my house.
So I got four brothers.
Okay and very good, he's skatedlike.
He's like a 90s kid, like atrue 90s kid, you know what I
mean.
So like not, not like, I'm likeyou know, I like 90s stuff,
like no, he was, you know, grewup in 90s so he skated and then
he served and so we were alwaysI always knew like oh man, so

(20:46):
rad.
So when I got older, we we wouldgo out them to bossa chica.
So my dad would take us tobossa chica.
Okay, I would, I would justhang out.
You know what I mean, becausethere was no extra surfboard so
I would just be either likebodyboard or just like be in the
sand.
You know I mean right, but Istarted surfing until I was like
way later, almost into like my20s, like 526, so I started like

(21:07):
really late, but I skated allof my like childhood and like
teenage years.
So you have balanced down race,that's, yeah, part of it.
Yeah, I skated a lot of liketransition and like bowls and
pools.
Okay, so this skate park inChino Hills it's called the Isle
of Skate Park and, dude, I wasthere all the time there's a big
snake run so I would just picka line and just zoom across as
fast as I could.
Oh, so, doing that like skatingwas really natural for for us

(21:32):
and like me.
And then, once, you know, we gotolder, like we went out a
couple times together and then Iwas like man, you know, like I
want to, I want to surf, youknow.
And so I got, I got a foamy man, just like everybody else.
I got a little wave storm dog,like I couldn't afford a
surfboard, yeah.
And then you know, we didn'thave like extra boards like it
would every had.

(21:52):
We're like shortboards and Iknew it was gonna be able to
ride that.
So I Got a foamy and Then I'veoh, I was.
I mean, I always want to serve,I want to learn.
I know that I can see myselfdoing that, like envisioning
myself like surfing.
I just I can feel it in mybones, you know.
And I went out like a few yearsback this is a while ago now

(22:14):
and then caught my first littlewave dude right there in.
Newport, you know why water andI was like dang, this, is it,
dude?
And then, like most things inmy life, like I'll become like
obsessive, like I want to learn,I want to like know, like the
end of now it's, I want to justbe like, learn the art of it,
like how, how does this work?
How to learn like technique,how to learn like the proper way

(22:34):
to do things.
And that was pretty much it,man.
So he was the one who got meinto it, and then I would just
go by myself, I would go aloneall the time, I would just get
my little wave storm Stickaround top of my Hyundai.
And I would get there likesecond shift, so like 730 all
the dawn, guys would be leavingso we crisscross and I'd be out
there for hours, man, justhanging out and surfing, and

(22:55):
just try to do the best I could.
And then, yeah, it progresses,and you know, you get better
boards and now I'm there almostevery other day, so that's right
, so that's for how, dude, yeahnow.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
do you go with family now, or is it just you I?

Speaker 2 (23:07):
try to invite everybody.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
Hey, like you should come out and learn dude.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, you like you'd enjoy it, like because, like I
know what joy it brings me tosurf and like be out there and
be in the morning and see thesunrise, and like being in the
beach, in the water, when noone's out there.
It's like four or five guys youknow what I mean and it's
usually the guys you see everymorning.
So it's becomes like a littlefamily out there.
Oh yeah, you know I'm saying so.
So I try to invite everyone tocome, like, hey, you should, you

(23:34):
should, come out.
And they're just like, oh, Idon't know, and I have a couple
friends Like, yeah, dude, I'llcome and we'll go out.
So but now, like I have a crewthat we see every morning.
So it's Jess, pauline, min andPeter.
So we see them every morning.
We serve pretty much every daythere at Blackies, if not HB.
And then there's the other guysthat surfed there.
It's like Mike, hope, mitch,mike Harris, all kind Lori.

(23:58):
So they're there pretty muchevery day too.
So I see them all the time.
So it's like a little likefamily with them.
That's so cool and they'reincredible, dude, like they're
so good, they're so good they'rethere.
Yeah, I'm so bottom of totempole, but then you know like,
yeah, it's so ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
Well, dude, my dad's been surfing since gosh the 60s
and so he's got man.
He's seen the evolution of youknow, surfing you know, yeah,
which is pretty cool and Iremember being a kid and the way
my dad taught me to surf iskind of like how he taught me to
swim in our pool.
Yeah, he just threw me in.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yes, yeah, yeah, he's a green break.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
Yeah, he's a lifelong great like career, so he's a
hard dude.
But there's one thing Iremember him telling me about
the ocean and, and you know he,we went out and surfed and we
were just kind of chilling andwe're about to leave to come
home.
It's back was both Chica andthis was like I don't know like
1999 or something like that.
It was 98.
But he said, you know, treatthe ocean with respect and

(24:53):
respect God's creation.
Yeah, he said, everyone comeshere for a different reason, but
, yeah, better, yeah.
That's so true, and I was mandang bro, and he called it the
great equalizer.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
That's so good.
Yeah, that was awesome.

Speaker 1 (25:04):
Yeah, my dad was like dang dad, like what?

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Get in there.
That's so.
It's true, though, yeah, cuzlike man that that's so.
I couldn't even like come atsix, so good, dude.

Speaker 1 (25:16):
Yeah, it was dude.
That has stuck with me.
Yeah, you know, ever since thenand it's it's crazy because,
you know, growing up from thattime, I'm like what do you mean?
Everyone comes, you know, fordifferent reasons, and this is
that and a great equalizer.
But as you grow up and you getlife under your belt and you
have good times and you have badtimes I always found myself
being pulled and drawn towardsthe ocean.

(25:38):
Yeah, this is where I'm gonnago, like I've had terrible days,
I've had heartbreak or mistakes, and it's like you get up, like
I'm gonna go to the beach, yeah, and there's times like I am so
down I don't feel like surfing,but just being there is making
me feel better, being grounded,have my feet in the sand.
Yeah, here in the waves breakand the seagulls and the ocean
and all that and then it startedMakes so much more sense.

(25:59):
You know it's like, okay, I getit.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
No, yeah, I see it's true.
Yeah, like man, life is so fullof ups and downs.
Yeah, you know, and like trials, like good, bad, like this past
month it's been insane likeI've had so much stuff happen,
like with business and just likeall kinds of stuff.
They're out of my control.
You know like, and and rightit's been raining.

(26:22):
You know it's been stormy, likethe ocean's super dirty or was.
You know like there's likesewage spills, you know, dang,
dude.
So I have like nowhere to like,I guess, like I don't want to
escape, I have nowhere to like.
You know, find my peace, youknow.
So it's definitely like, yeah,like everyone goes for different
reasons, dude.
So I finally went surfing onFriday, which was really fun,
but I was like all right, cool,I feel like back to normal, yeah

(26:43):
you know so but it's, it'scrazy.
Like, yeah, everyone does go fordifferent reasons.
It's good.
That's why I try to encourageeveryone like, hey, should come
out, man, like you should.
It's even if you don't catchany waves.
Like, yeah, just cruise outthere.
Like, come see the sunrise,dude.
Right, you will feel different.
Right inside you willappreciate your egg sandwich or
your egg burrito.
You know like your coffee willtaste so much better.

Speaker 1 (27:05):
Oh it's.
Yeah, you know, man, you knowwhat's something crazy and now,
as you know, you're a tattooartist, which we're gonna get
into, but you know, when there'sgood surf, yeah it.
Whether it's been raining or itis raining, I risk it.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
Oh man, I gotta go right.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
Oh, you know my, my right arm is American
traditional.
Yeah, left is is all Japanesetraditional and I can't.
It was one of the pieces on myforearm and Sean vellis I don't
know if you know who, he is nottoo sure Sean vellis to he's, he
owns my right arm.
He's done all the tattoo workon here, he's really do yeah.
He's.
He looks like he'd be mybrother.
He's mixed.
Yeah, it's really cool.
But what?
I think it was either the shipI have here a lighthouse, but it

(27:45):
was raining.
And then I was like, well see,and then there was a surf
advisory.
Oh oh, you say what?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So then I open up surf line andI hit the cameras and it's
raining, but there's no wind.
Oh nice and I was like I gottago.
Yeah, that's rare, yeah, Igotta go.
So and I.
But my tattoo is fresh, dude.
It was the day after, so I knowyou're gonna do you.

(28:06):
Come on, man, anybody listening, do not do me, dude.
I put that, I put thecellophane on, I duct taped all
around it, all my cellophane, Iduct tape more and I just went
for it put my way.
Yeah, and I'll tell you what.
It was a great session.
I was out probably for like anhour, but when I got out, dude,
I was like that's so bad.
Yeah, but it worked out.

(28:28):
Oh my god, I still got my arm.

Speaker 2 (28:32):
I'm gonna take this off.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
Yeah, go ahead, dude.
But yeah, I was.
If I could tell anybody.
If you get tattoos, just wait,let it heal all the way.
Don't, don't be me it's.
You're risking a lot,especially infection.
But I don't think you do wantto talk about dude.
You are a tattoo artist and, asyou know, I have all my tattoos
on here.
But, like, how did you get intodoing tattoos and kind of that

(28:57):
career filled and and doing whatyou do?
Right, because I, I know a lotof tattoo artists have shown on
here.
But I see what you do on yourInstagram, which is all
traditional Japanese.
Is that all you do?
You kind of do everything.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
No, I do live everything, but like the last
six, seven years, I've beendoing all like the, primarily
like Japanese tattooing.
Okay, so I can answer thatquestion really easy Not doing
great in school, drawing on myhomework, not paying attention.
But no, for real, though, Ithink like it really did start
with that, but and I don't likecondone it, but it I knew, like

(29:32):
in high school, like when I wasthere, I I always felt like it
was like a daycare and not.
I wasn't like a ruggist, I mean, I talked a lot, but I wasn't
like this like child maker, youknow what I mean.
I just like kept myself andtalked a lot, but I knew that
being a creative person like mymind was not meant for that
style of it's different.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
Oh, being a creative is very.
I agree with you because I'mcreative, you know.
Yeah, it's you play music,right, yeah?

Speaker 2 (29:58):
it's the right.
Music never ends, no, you knowwe're.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
We're different people, we process different and
we feel different.
Yeah, and I know, like even forme, going through therapy and
other things, you know, I'm kindof what's the word I'm going
for here?
I guess worry, war, but also Ithink too far into the future
and thinking, oh, this is gonnahappen, that's gonna happen.
I'll try to cover all the basis, right, you're just like you

(30:22):
almost get whacked out, thinkingtoo much, yeah, you know.
And being in the traditionalsystem of certain things, like
even the fire service, yeahright, fire service is
paramilitary, we all wear thesame uniforms, we all show up to
work at the same time.
Yeah, we have this job, youshall do it, and it's just every
day.
Yeah, right, so for me and someothers that are in the fire
service, it's a little difficultat times because we're so used
to thinking outside the box,right, to create and do things

(30:44):
when right.
It's a good job, but it's verymundane.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
It's the same over and over, yeah it's true, yeah,
so from yeah for me, I knew likeI was, it wasn't gonna work for
me.
Yeah, you know, not until I gotolder if I've realized like, oh
, like the, how much I enjoystructure, how much I enjoy like
like time schedules, like time,like you know.
I mean like when you know likeI hit you up like hey, dude, I

(31:07):
can only come up this time onthese days, and you're like, hey
, that's perfectly fine, likebecause if you just tell me like
, oh, just come whenever youwant, I'm not gonna do it.
You know, I'm so like you gottagive me a time, place, date,
like two weeks in advance, andit's, it's wild, because before
I was never like that, you know.
So I got in tattooing like whenI was 21, 22, I'm 38 now, so

(31:28):
I've been tattooing for like 15years.
Yeah, so I grew up in rollinheights, which is off the 57
freeway in 60, and there's ashop right there, like in walnut
, so it's like two cities thatlike collide with each other,
mm-hmm, and it was calledshowdown tattoo.
So I was working a regular job.
I worked at this like Aerospacecompany in Rancho it was called

(31:49):
the drawlix, and all we did waslike make parts for like Boeing
and like Sassin airplanes andstuff like that.
So I was there for like maybe acouple years and prior to that
I was at my my, my best friend'sMetal cutting shop in in a
south of money called BNT.
So right away, like from highschool, I went straight to doing
that.
It was just like ball bustingdude, hot, don't getting metal

(32:13):
pieces of you know steel beamsand chopping them down and just
working hard, dude, you knowlike.
And so I got to learn like whata dollar like meant you know
how your money?

Speaker 1 (32:23):
Yeah, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (32:24):
So yeah, and the owner, mike, which is my best
friend's dad, he, yeah, heopened up his door.
I was like, hey, you need aplace to work, dude.
Like, come work, you know, likeI'm ready, I'll want to work,
you know.
So I was there and then I leftand I worked in another place
and then when I was at the placein Rancho, I saw I drove by a
tattoo.
We drove by a tattoo shop and Iwas like man, like I wonder if

(32:47):
I could like, maybe Learn how totattoo.
Like I want to learn how totattoo.
Like, so I'm gonna go see ifthey can, I can apprentice there
.
This is before Instagram, beforeTic-Toc, before Facebook.
Like there was no likeguidelines to, hey, you should
take your portfolio and go talkto these guys and you can go.
You can learn how to tattoo onthe internet.
Now you know what I mean andthere was nothing like that.

(33:09):
So how to do it theold-fashioned way, I had to get
like my drawings that wereterrible and just like.
I had to go in there and Ipretty much the way I did this
was like I'm gonna go in thereand ask the guy if I can get a
tattoo by him, but I'm gonnatake my sketchbook, yeah, and
have the tattoo I want to get inthe back.
So I was like, hey, I want toget this tattoo.

(33:30):
It's okay, let me see what youwant to get.
So I open up my littlesketchbook yeah, I started
flipping it real slow.
Okay, it's back here somewhere.
No, it's not that one.
Okay, oh, yeah, it's this one.
And he tells me a price.
And then and I was like, hey,okay, I said cool, thanks, man.
He's like, yeah, I'll do it foryou when you want to get done.

(33:50):
Oh, I'm just kind of pricingaround a little bit and but I'm
really here to see if, like, ifyou have any like
Apprenticeships open or maybeyou could help me out, you know,
or send me any kind ofdirection that would just give
me like a leading foot to whereI could go.
And he was like almost yourstuff again, you know.
So he goes through it and hisname is George, george shriho.

(34:12):
He's my mentor, he's the onewho'd like taught me how to
tattoo, and him and his brothermanual.
So they're good dudes, man.
And so it's like you know, I'lltake you on.
So you know, we work some stuffout.
And then you know about a likea few weeks later.
He's like okay, you can startcoming out the shop.
Okay, now I was a man, so Iwould go to my regular job, like
cutting metal, at 6 am, getthere at 6, get out like at 2 or

(34:36):
3, come home, shower Wow, raceto the shop and just do whatever
they asked me to do, whether itbe cleaning, setting up, like
you know, drawing, whatever itis they want to do it.
Now it's Dale night with them.

Speaker 1 (34:47):
Yeah you know I like about that dude and I respect so
much, is that you had a goal.
You reach for something.
You don't know how it's gonnawork, but you still went.
You had the guts to do it right, yeah.
But even with that is, you knewyou had to put your time in and
sacrifice, yeah, to get towhere we want to be anywhere in
life.
You're gonna start the bottomand you have to.

(35:09):
You got to pay your dues andbut there's so much learning in
that, yeah.
And you weren't afraid to workhard in your day job, yeah, and
then use your time off in theevening to go hustle and work
and get talented at what you donow I do that so much.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
Thanks, man, I appreciate it.
It's I try to like do that witheverything I do, like what it's
like tattooing and like surfing.
You know like, yeah, so I Forme, when I was young, like okay,
being under George, I had tolearn how to be like put in
place like hey, dude, this sucks.
You know like Okay, like I shitman, I never, I never told you.

Speaker 1 (35:44):
Tumbling.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah, you know and as and as a young kid, I was
pretty emotional.
You know, okay, I wasn't likethe most like, like I rash
thinking.
You know, thinker, I would justlet my emotions get the best.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
So you would you say like your emotions kind of
controlled you and so youcontrol?
Yeah, for sure, I was doing thesame way personally, you know.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
But oh what?
But now I mean he would tell me, yeah, well, you know, it's
because of this too.
You don't know, you know.
But okay, and then so as timegoes on, like you know, I'm
learning with him and then Ieventually leave and like kind
of, like you know, leave thenest a little bit and I moved to
Orange County and starttattooing and I work at another
shop called old-time tattoo withJohn Kelly and a bunch of other

(36:23):
great guys there Ronnie, tomClark, jordy, rest in peace and
a bunch of the guys are thereand with them I was.
I was a pot, like a little morepolished, but I still had kind
of this like emotional chip.
My shoulder were.
It was hard for me to like Tolet things kind of just like go
over me.
I always took things realpersonal.
So that's a trait of a creativebro, yeah.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
Yeah, because it's coming to be real when you
create.
It's coming from your heart.
Yeah, that's you thought of, soI get it.
I feel that way, so I feel thatway now.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
It's like when you write a song, like, oh, it's not
that good, what do you mean?
I spent all night writing song,but then I think it's good,
like like going back to learningand being and being corrected,
Learning how to be corrected andbeing okay with it, because now
I don't care.
Like you tell me, do, hey, thisis no good, okay, cool, let me
fix it.
Like I need to know, because ifyou don't tell me, then how am
I supposed to get better?

(37:13):
And then what?
Surfing, like all the guys areexcellent, they're incredible
service out there.
You know, out there a new portand they've been in it for a
long time.
So they'll tell me like, hey,dude, like you'd try up or you
know, fix timing.
Okay, shoot, dude, you knowthanks, man.
Cuz, I enjoy like a like oh, Irespect them so much because
they are allowing me to surfwith them, yeah, and say, hey,

(37:36):
steve, you know what, you cantake the next one.
Or yeah, hey, let's split it.
Yeah, you know, I think for methat's really like powerful and
really like.
It means a lot to me, becausethat means they're trusting you
To ride with them and to splitthe wave, or whatever it may be.
Like they're saying, okay, didyou know enough and you're safe
enough to be around, so you goahead, you go and go, and I
think that's it for me.

(37:56):
It's a really big thing comingfrom those dudes, yeah, or
anyone who's greater than me.
You know what I mean like, so,so I don't mind being corrected.
Oh, I told like hey, dude, thisis, this is not good.
You know, you should fix that.
Yeah, I enjoy that process.
Well, you know, I've alwayswondered how?

Speaker 1 (38:11):
how does a tattoo artist practice?
Because you know, say like whenyou put it on someone's skin,
like it's there.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
Get your friends Now.
Some of my close homies havesome pretty, pretty bested stuff
.
Oh, shout out to them yeah, and.
I'm thankful for a lot of them.
You know like they like trustedme to do that.
You know, yeah, and it's tough,man.
Yeah, when you it's really hard.
When I first started out, Iwasn't really like I was so

(38:39):
unsure of myself and so I had somuch like doubt and so much
like I didn't have theconfidence.
You know, I had like zeroconfidence in myself of like to
take this on.
Like something would come inand I would pass on it Like a
lot Like that would happen.
A lot Like, say, I have awalk-in coming, it came in, I'd
be like, oh dude, I can't dothat.
You know, I don't, I don'tthink I can do that.

(39:01):
You know, it's like out of mycaliber, you know.
So the whole like go getter,like jump off, like the edge,
that that spirit was in me but Ihad to like find it for myself
to like really flame it.
Like going to the tattoo shopand asking for apprenticeship
was a big jump.
You know, like it's like-.

Speaker 1 (39:16):
Oh, it takes guts, man, right, right, you know, you
don't know anybody.
Yeah, no, no, no, I didn't knowanybody dude.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
I was like, but I just knew in my heart that's
what I wanted to do, that's likewhat I wanted.
So I was like I'm gonna go outthere and get it, you know.
So I'm tattooing and you knowyou're learning, and then you,
oh man, that's what you're gonnathought.
Oh, you're good, yeah, I'mtrying to.
I didn't have the confidence,you know, so it took time and a
lot of like practice and likejust believing in myself to get

(39:44):
things going, dude.
Yeah, so a long time.
For a while I was like prettyslow, you know.
I just always like I don't knowif I can just do that, you know
.
And then certain things comealong.
But I'm thankful for all thosesituations.
You know, I wouldn't changeanything.
So I think lack of confidencecomes from like lack of studying
and lack of Preparation.
Right, yeah, preparation, dude.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
You gotta be willing to suck.
Yeah for sure.
When you start, you know yougotta be willing to suck.
Like this podcast shoot, sam2was a were we going on like
three and a half years?
I can't remember something likethat.
We've been doing it for aminute now, right?

Speaker 2 (40:16):
That's incredible.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
Yeah, and Jordan, my co-host, shout out lovey-buddy,
he's on duty, couldn't make ittoday, but I mean, we didn't
know what we were doing.
Yeah, I was just like hey, Ifeel like we should do a podcast
, so I wanna do a loan.
You wanna do it with me?
Sure, we started in my livingroom on a plastic table.
Dang, we had no idea what we'renow.
If you listen to those firstepisodes, yeah, yeah, it's rough
.
It's like we don't like we.

(40:38):
We had to learn the art of theconversation, right, I believe
that's being lost a lot becauseof cell phones yeah, just
texting and all that, whereasyou'd come in here like we sit
down, our phones are away.
We're looking at each otheryeah, I hear you in my ears with
the headphones, and you know wedon't really have stuff written
down, so you have to listen towhat the persons were saying.

(40:59):
Right, receive it?
Yeah, absolutely.
And then you gotta like we wereresponding, but you're trying
to figure out where you want theconversation to go.
Yeah, so it's really.
It's definitely an art form,for sure.
And it takes time, right, ittakes, you know.
We were downloaded globally.
Now it said last year we weredownloaded in 56 countries,
which blows my mind.
That's incredible.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (41:16):
It's super cool, cause we don't even advertise.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
That's incredible.

Speaker 1 (41:18):
Yeah, I just put it in the ether, put some stuff on
Instagram like whatever I gotthings to do.
Well, it's good, it's good.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's cool man, it's humbling and
it's cool, and but it doesn'thappen overnight.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
No, right, there's so many people that have hit me up
.
Hey, I want to start a podcast.
Yeah, what do I need to do?
Yeah, and I tell them well, youneed this equipment, you gotta
do this.
And depending on you know thestyle, like, what's the theme of
your podcast?
Is it just telling stories, isit crime, is it about surfing?
Or you're gonna have people onand I tell them, like you got to
schedule, and then here's thevideo stuff.
And then I always get this well, that's a lot of work, right?

(41:51):
Yeah, yeah, of course it is alot of work, man it's so funny
Like I talk about all the time.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
You know like it's just like, dude, it's if you
want it, if you really want that, that bad, you'll find a way,
you'll figure it out.
Well, it's a wills away.
If you don't want to likesacrifice or make the time or
put the effort, because peoplealways see, just see the top of
the iceberg.
You know it's like, oh man, youhave this, you have that.
Like you're surfing everymorning.
You know you live in the dream.

(42:17):
You know you're tattooing Like,yeah, dude, you know I'm like
super thankful, but you don'tsee like what I had to sacrifice
to even just to go surf in themorning.
Yeah, I don't go party, right,I don't go to bars.
Right, I don't do drugs, Idon't drink anymore.
Yeah, once in a while I'll havea beer.
It's pretty seldom.
I can't even last my had a beer.
I don't squander like mythoughts in like negativity or

(42:42):
the what ifs.
I love that.
I just try to like.
I just know like what's gonnamake me happy, as today is like
I would like to go surf andtattoo and like, yeah, like and
have, I guess, I guess, a goodtime, you know, and have fun,
but and just enjoy the day.
But yeah, dude, I don't do anyof that stuff.
Like, I get up, I go surf inthe morning, come home, make

(43:02):
lunch, make breakfast, get readyto go to work, do my tattoos,
my task at hand, attend to myclients, attend to the shop,
attend to the guys that workthere.
All that stuff, dude, it's allpre-meditated.
It's not just like, oh well,we're gonna do this.
You know, it's like no, dude,my month is like it's a month
out.
Like I'm always ahead of time.
Yeah, I have to, and that'swhat.
Like the same thing withpodcasting, you know it's like.

(43:23):
Or any kind of adventure youget into.
It's not just like, well, youknow, this guy's got four
bazillion K followers.
Like you know how come he's sopopular.
It's like, well, dude, youdidn't even put the work in.
You're not even like willing totry.
You don't even understand, like, what he had to do to get there
.
You don't even know.
Like my favorite thing, likefavorite quote is like you gotta

(43:44):
be willing to outdo the guynext to you.
Or, more importantly, like youdon't even know what this guy is
doing in the morning to get thethings he's got.
Like he could be getting up atsix AM, dude and prepping his
day for his podcast or whateverit is.
He could be getting up at four30 AM and drawing all morning
and then go tattoo all day.
You're just seeing what you seeon photographs on Instagram.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
Oh yeah yeah.
Instagram is just a snapshot ofthe perfect life, but you don't
see the hustle behind.
I always say this dude, thecouples that post pictures of
themselves all the time oh myGod, I'm like they typically and
I hope this is very badtypically they have the worst
relationships.

Speaker 2 (44:21):
Right, it's like I mean God forbid.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
I mean I've helped a couple of times Like I tell
people I'm like you see thatpicture, you don't understand
how much arguing part wentbehind that, how many times they
had to retake that.
But even in my life I'm verystrategic on what I post up.
Like I don't like social medianow personally, but for work and
other things that I do.
I see the necessity but I don'tlike.

(44:43):
It's pretty much like surfing,skydiving, tattoo stuff,
podcasts, maybe somefirefighting things and then
trying to be like inspirationalquotes, but that's it.
I don't put my private life up.
I don't put family up, causesocial media can get real weird
man and I even for me, like nowpeople can't message me unless I
approve it.
Oh nice.
Cause I was getting a lot ofwild messages, especially after

(45:05):
the podcast started getting someground and like dude, who are
these people?
I'm like delete, delete.
Like this is crazy dude.

Speaker 2 (45:11):
It's.
You know it's fine that you saythat, like about people, I
guess, responding to like, maybelike art or like something you
put out into like the world,right.
So I feel like as an artist, asa creative person or just a
human being in general, you knowwhat I mean.
Like, like you're always gonna.
It's not for everybody, dude,Right, you know you can make

(45:31):
something that's like the bestthing possible, like to your
ears, to your eyes, to yourtastes.
There's gonna be someone whodoesn't like it.
Oh yeah, 100%.
And I think, as a human beingand just a creative person, you
should, you have to be okay withthat.
You should say, yeah, dude,it's not, it's not for you, and
that's okay, that's totally fine, it's not for you and you don't

(45:54):
.
You know, like, I'm not gonnaget mad about it, you shouldn't
get mad about it.
So that, like that lesson oflike learning to be okay with,
like self, like confidence andbeing okay with those kinds of
things, it took a while to feelthat way, like to almost like,
just not care, like either youlike it or don't Like.
You don't have to, don't cryabout it.

Speaker 1 (46:10):
You don't gotta watch it.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
You don't gotta listen to it, you don't have to
like you know, you don't have toto you know, take part of it,
like just just.
Well, that's right.

Speaker 1 (46:20):
Social media is a free thing right.
And I always I think about this.
Sometimes I'm like I know youdon't like it or you don't think
this episode's cool, but why doyou feel the need to post a
comment that?
You don't like it, sure, likewho cares?
Like, if you don't, just don'twatch, don't follow.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
Like you don't need to listen.

Speaker 1 (46:35):
You know, that's why I can't begin it, Especially
when I started talking about myfaith on here now, because I
think I came back to my faithlike a year and a half ago, and
so you listen to those earlyepisodes.
It's loose, but you knowsomeone's like well, are you
gonna take that down now?
I'm like no, actually I wantpeople to hear a man who was
struggling, A man who was lost,who was trying to figure out
what in the world am I doinghere on this piece of dirt

(46:58):
Floating through space and time?
What was my purpose?
Why am I here?
Why am I achieving all thesethings?
And it's cool, but I'm stillempty.
I still feel lost, Like this iswhat everyone says is success.
I still have problems, I stillhave issues.
Oh yeah, dude, you know.
So that's why I'm like theprocess for me is for me.

(47:18):
I think it's probably the mostfun.
I love the journey and seeingthings come together, because
people again will hit me up likeI wanna start a podcast and I
tell them look, if you're doingthis for money, you're in the
wrong spot.
It doesn't come fast.
You have to build a base.
You're building a brand andyou're making something new.
Like you gotta be okay.

(47:38):
One with losing your investment, the first part of getting all
your equipment, but two it'slike yeah, we make money off
this, but it's not big money.
We're not making Joe Rogan stuff, dude.
So if you're looking to do thisand get like, you're gonna be
sorely disappointed.
But if you enjoy tellingstories or talking to people, go
for it.
I'm a big proponent of try it.

(47:59):
And if you feel like you wannado something, go for it, but
give it 100% Same.
Yeah, like I didn't think itwould get to this point where we
have the studio built and allthis stuff and it kinda grew
over time.
We got better at conversatingand people were listening and
messaging and then, honestly forme now, talking about my faith
I've had so many people open upto me now, whether it's friends,
distant friends or peoplemessaging me like hey, man, I

(48:22):
didn't know you struggled withthat, or I used to be a believer
too like why'd you come back?
And then you start talking tothem.
It's like this conversationopens up about grace, love and
forgiveness and it's amazingwhat like the reach you can have
through your art and what youdo, and a lot of people I see
this a lot.
Well, I wanna do something.
I wanna change the world.
I wanna be the biggest podcastor the biggest tattoo artist of

(48:43):
the best.
Sir, I want people to see meand I wanna have a huge impact.
And my thought is like maybeit's not changing the world,
maybe it's changing one person'sworld and then they start
changing others and that trickleeffect starts to get huge
because of one thing that youdid to impact that person's life
.

Speaker 2 (48:59):
It's true, dude.
Yeah, I couldn't agree withthat more Cause, like I'm a big
practitioner of like, complainand remain, like Joyce Meyer
says Ah, joyce Meyer, plain andremain dog, but like.
And then I also believe in like, problem solve and evolve, you
know, like.
So like I wouldn't, I wouldnever take down those podcasts

(49:19):
of whatever looseness it was.
Like that's part of like.
That's part of like the journey, dude, it's like who you were
at that point in time in yourlife and you know you're not
that person anymore and you'restill working on it.
Whatever it may be, that's okay.
Like it's okay to have to havethose things and have those
feelings and to acknowledge that.
You know, like a lot of peoplekind of dwell on the past so

(49:40):
much like, oh man, like well, Ican't do that because of A, b, c
and D, or maybe I can't trythis because of whatever it may
be.
Like no, dude, like you haven'teven tried, you know, like you
didn't even like take the firstleap.
And yeah, it's gonna be rough,like for sure, you know, but
it's okay to have those things,like those falls and, like you
know, like to get back up.
I have no problem with falling,tripping, slipping, dude, cause

(50:03):
I like to get back up.
Let's go.
You gotta do, you gotta doharder, like you gotta do better
than that to get me down.
Dude, I've had some rough times.
I've had some good times.
I've almost quit tattooing Likeoh, no way, yeah for sure.
Like it was like probably likesix years deep and then I was
just like man, I was just goingthrough a lot, I think, like,
just like depressed.

(50:24):
I don't even know what about atthe moment anymore, but I
remember I was skating a lot andI was tattooing and I don't
think I was like as busy as Ithought I wanted to be at the
time.
And then my, just like my um, Iwas not putting much time into
tattooing as much as I wanted to.
I was skating a lot and then Igot hurt skateboarding.

(50:44):
I fell and I tore my like AC orwhatever it's called for your
like my shoulder.
So I couldn't work for a wholemonth, like, so that means I got
no money, I don't haveinsurance.
And then I got no savings causeI'm just blowing it.
So I was like down to likenothing, went to the hospital
and told me like oh yeah, youtore it.

(51:04):
You gotta just wait a month andthen you can go back to work.
And I was like dang dude, thissucks, man, you know this is bad
.
That's a scary place to be too.
Yeah, dude, like you know,cause I didn't know, like, what
was gonna happen.
You know Like, and at the timeI was like I was going to what's
the Whosoever's with the RyanReese.

(51:24):
Do you know, that is my chance.
Okay, yeah, so that's where Igo to church at Cowichopple,
golden Springs, with Rawl Reeseand then I go to Coast, to Mesa.
Yeah, so that's where my family, like my mom and my dad they
were the ones who installed thatlife and like the word of God
into our family Like it's thefirst thing, dude, it's no joke.
Yeah, like, without that, myfamily, household, we wouldn't

(51:45):
have nothing.
Is it perfect?
No, I know me, you know what Imean.
Like, yeah, no, dude, no way,man.
And I try to like, rememberthat.
Like, hey, it's not dude, I'mnot perfect and that's okay, and
neither should you.
You know you shouldn't beperfect, dude.
And like, if you're so perfect,and then how are you gonna grow
, how are you gonna evolve, dude?

(52:05):
How are you gonna learn thenext step of whatever it is you
wanna learn?
Like, let's say, if you becomethis, like you know, perfect
interviewer, podcaster, guy, andthen you know it all, and then
you're just, like you know,swinging hard, and then it's
like, well, dude, like maybeyou've gotten so plateaued and
it's boring or whatever it maybe, like always be.
You shouldn't always feelperfect.

(52:25):
You should like, okay, you knowwhat, this one I'm gonna do
better, or whatever it may be,you know.
So I try to carry that attitudeand like that mindset through
everything I do.
Like today was a good daysurfing, you know, I kind of
missed that last one.
I should have got it, you knowLike, or this tattoo is man, I
put my heart on my sleeve onthis tattoo.
I didn't like every day I try,but you know, tomorrow I'm gonna

(52:46):
try to do better.
Like it's okay, I'm not perfect.
I want to grow and evolve, youknow.
So, long story short, I got hurtand then I was like man, I'm
just like, what do I do?
Like you know, I was like Iremember just praying.
Like you know, I was like man,god, please, just like,
whatever's gonna happen, justgive me the guidance, dude.
Just give me the wisdom andguidance just to get through

(53:08):
whatever's happening.
I don't need to be killed in aweek.
Don't give me a miracle, bro.
You know, like this thing's, Ibroke it.
You know, like I fell, I wasskating, I fell and I broke it.
And then I was like, whateverhappens, happens, all I know.
I just want to know that.
Just get me through it.
Just be by my side, like youalways are.
That's all I want, that's all Iever want.
You know, like ups and downs,you know fire, flames, rain,

(53:31):
storms just hey, dude, just beby my side.
It's all I ever asked for.
I don't need a big boat, youknow what I mean.
Like give me, show me the lightto the little piece of wood out
in the ocean and I'll make itwork.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
Well, that's not great about you know that's the
realization I've had is just notlooking for perfect people.
And I've told this to a few.
You know people who have beenstruggling and have been dealt
with guilt and shame and allthis.
I'm like do you realize, likethe heroes of the faith, how
screwed up these people were?
They were they like, if youthink about today's terms?

(54:06):
Oh, people like, put them injail, or you know, shame on them
.
King David, he was an adultererand a murderer.
Yeah, dude Peter, he's deniedChrist three times.
I mean, you look at thedisciples, bro.
They were sailors.
You don't think they were roughdudes?
Yeah, man, I mean, look at thewoman at the well, oh, yeah,
yeah yeah, you know, when theLord went or when Jesus went
there, he asked her for water.
He didn't go for the water.

(54:26):
He went there for her to tellher I love you, go and send them
more.
It's fine, I don't care aboutyour past.
And she left leaping for joyand she was sleeping with a
bunch of men and her husband wasstill at home.
She was living with another manand the Lord wasn't fazed by it.
He's like oh like, I know you,I know your sin, but I love you.
That's the most powerful thing.
That's what's so amazing to me,what brought change?

(54:47):
It's not about being perfect.
Heaven and Jesus is for sinners.
It's not for a perfect people.
No, it's true, it's for a savedpeople, he's there for us to
bring us hope and joy and peace,and it's so powerful when it
changes you and I started toactually really understand these
stories in the Bible.
It's like this Bible is livingand breathing word of God and

(55:08):
it's amazing and I saw like whoa, all these people were messed
up but he specifically chosethem to show us.
It's not about being theperfect preacher or having a lot
of money or looking like yourlife is perfect.
I want to use the imperfectpeople.
It's just, it's so amazing.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
And it really comes down to it.
All the stories like usuallyfor me, I've learned is like
what he's brought those peopleis like peace More than anything
out of all that, and that'swhat I was searching for dog
Right.

Speaker 1 (55:39):
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (55:41):
Like, I don't need a million dollars, dude, it might
cause more trouble.
You know like, more problemsthat More money will perhaps
maybe More things that I can'thandle.
You know, like, if you say like, oh man, if I had like a genie,
like what would I wish for?
Like, you know, once I had likea million bucks, you know,
whatever it could be, whateveryou're like aching for at that

(56:01):
time, you know like, but what iftoday in your life, like you're
not ready for that?
Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Like like, oh man, I wish I wasa top number one like surfer in
the world.
Like, really, are you sure?
Like you care, yeah, be careful, what you wish for, dude,
because you just might get it.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
That's scary.

Speaker 2 (56:18):
Oh, it totally is, if you're not ready in here, and
in here, dude, it can tear youapart, oh man.

Speaker 1 (56:25):
I do not remember gosh it gets me so emotional
thinking about it but I rememberbeing up in this room and when
I had a bed up here and I wasjust curled up in a ball and I
have all the success at home.
I get to go on vacationswhenever I want.
You know, I was always savingand hustling like okay, so I got
a lot of money.

(56:45):
Now what?
And I remember praying andthinking take it all.
I don't want any of it.
I want peace in my life.
I want hope.
Because I was in such a darkplace into the outside world.
It looked like I had everythingthis guy's set.
You know he's doing good fire,fire this and that, but no one
knew how much turmoilspiritually I was in inside, you

(57:05):
know, and I didn't even careabout anything more.
I remember praying like justgive me peace, come back into my
life, take all of it.
I will live on the streets,I'll paint houses, I'll dig a
ditch all day, whatever you wantme to do, but I just want peace
.
I could care less about any ofthis stuff.

Speaker 2 (57:20):

Speaker 1 (57:21):
Because it doesn't matter.
Well, you know, to achieve whatthe world says is success, you
get there and it's like this isit?
Yeah, this has got to be moredog.

Speaker 2 (57:30):
No, it's true, because I feel like, you know,
everyone's definition of successis different.
You know, some are super, superhigh and some are pretty chill,
like everyone.
I feel like you know, like,because success doesn't mean
you're gonna be happy.
True, you know you can have allthat Absolutely and then you

(57:50):
can be miserable.
And I always relate it to,maybe like musicians, like
famous rock stars, yo see guyswho, like man, they're playing
their heart out.
They got signed a two in theworld making the big box dude,
you know, living a very likeunique life, and then usually a
lot of those dudes they don'tcome back and they're like
they're over it, man, you know,like they don't want to do it

(58:11):
anymore.
And it's like, man, you, youdidn't even want to try to deal
with what was inside, you know,like.
So it takes a lot from a personlike to look inside and figure
out what's going on.
It's hard.
It's not easy thing to do.
No, it's easier said than done.
Like, for myself as well.
Like, so I try to practice allthe time.

(58:32):
Like, hey, like, okay, dude,like, what are you doing?
You know, like what, what areyou really contributing?
Like what?
What are you after in life?
You know, like, is it like, areyou trying to be this famous
person?
Or, you know, are you trying todo this, trying to do that, or
are you trying to just live likea good life?
You know, like, and justbecause I want to be able to
inspire people, that's like along goal, dude.

(58:53):
It's like I don't want to beknown for just the weird things.
I want to be like, hey, like,if that guy can do it, I can do
it.
Like, like, people ask you,people ask me too.
Like, oh, how did you, how didyou do this, how did you do that
?
Well, it starts with A, b, cand T.
It's like those are the thingsI'm after.
Not like to have this likeGrandiosa magazine cover or

(59:13):
these awards or whatever it maybe, cause I feel like for me,
that doesn't really bring me joy.
Joy for me is like when someonesays, dang, dude, if Homeboy
did it, like he is, like youknow he did it, like there's a
possibility that I can do it.
You know, like I can get outthere and like surf or skate or
make music or whatever.
It is like whatever creativeendeavor or ideas you have, you

(59:35):
know I feel it's super important.
I feel like it doesn't likereally exist anymore.
It's just like, well, here'swhat I got.
Like you know, here's mychecklist of accomplishments.
You know, let's see what yougot.
You know it's like, oh damn,dude, I got none of that.
You know, like, comparison tothief of joy, dude, always, you
know, so for me, like I don'tcare about anything else, I

(59:55):
don't care, like I don't try tocompare myself.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
Did you guys say that ?

Speaker 2 (59:58):
again Comparisons what Thief of joy, dude.
Compare you had dude, like it'sso true, that is so deep.
I'm like I used to work withthis dude a few years back and I
would ask him like hey, do youknow this like tattooer, Do you
know this guy?
You know this person?
He's like I don't know thatdude, I don't know who that is.
And I was like what?
Like, how do you not know?

(01:00:18):
Like who that is?
Like it's your, you're atattooer, it's your, you should
know, it's your as yourobligation, you should know.
And then like, so he'd be like,like, like, get out of here,
like you know.
And I'm in my mind, like dude,you're such a cuckoo, bro, like
how could you not care?
And realized what I didn'trealize at the time is that,
like I was the cuckoo you knowwhat I mean?

(01:00:38):
I was watching someone else'sgarden grow instead of paying to
my own.

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
Dude, you're just spending it, baby?

Speaker 2 (01:00:44):
Yeah, absolutely, it's true.
Though he was so caught up indoing what he was good at, you
know, like he wanted to be agreat tattooer, you know, and
just a great illustrator andlike you know composition and
all that.
So for me I was just like dangdude, like you're you should
know, dude, you're you're tattootattooer.
And little did I know.

(01:01:04):
I just had no idea Like he'd belike hey, dude, worry about
yourself, be good on paper, bedrawn, draw more.
Stop going through your phone,stop yapping your fricking gums,
dude, and start pick up yourpencil, draw more, do things
that other guys are not willingto do.
That's how you get good.
And then so, as time goes on,you know, like that lesson, and

(01:01:26):
that time I was like whoa man,it's so true.
And cause now, today, you know,fast forward like seven, eight
years, I don't know who's who orwhat's doing what, or like
who's on top of the chain.
I kind of don't care, I reallydon't.
I don't, and it's not becauseI'm this like selfish, like dude
, or I'm like occupied with,like my own, you know, grandiose

(01:01:48):
of life.
I just like I have other thingsto worry about, dude, I want to
.
I'm worrying about my clienttoday, my tattoo with them,
enjoying my time with them,being with them.
Like, hey, dude, like what'sokay, what are we gonna work on?
We're working on the sectionhere, cool.
Like, what do you want to do?
You want to color this, or whatcolor you think about.
You want to do it Like, youknow, being in tune with them,
like being a person with themand being like one on one, like
being here with you, Like mygoal is just to sit here and

(01:02:10):
talking and navigate through aconversation about life and
whatever it is we're going tochoose to talk about.
You know, you didn't mean likeit's not.
Like let me check my phone,like what's going on?
Like hey, I got to be out ofhere by 430 or whatever it is.
You know, like there's no time,but it's like it's we're
spending time together.
So to me, those things areimportant, you know, and not
getting caught up in, just likethe other stuff in life.

Speaker 1 (01:02:28):
Well, I imagine, too, that has to play into your
sessions with your customers,right Cause I've had great
conversations with both mytattoo artists.
Yeah, you know, you sit therefor hours and you get to know
these people, especially with,like my traditional Japanese.

Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
I think it's bad.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
Dude.
Yeah, it took.
I think it was like a year anda half five hour sessions.
Sounds about right.
Yeah, it was like it's a lot ofwork it is.
You get to talk, you get toknow this person and how they
work.
And now you know Judo is one ofmy good friends.
He's an awesome dude and I'msure it's happened with you
cause I saw you got you gotsleeves and back pieces, and so
I'm sure you get to talk tothese people for a long periods

(01:03:02):
of time.

Speaker 2 (01:03:04):
I'll.
Yeah, I'll just start off bysaying like I'm so thankful and
so grateful and so like Icouldn't even imagine my life to
be where it's at, dude, and Icouldn't have done it, you know,
without like the trust of myclients, you know, and like
having them being, like havingfaith in me and saying, hey, you
know what, dude, yeah, you cantattoo my whole arm Like I have

(01:03:25):
nothing.
I want you to do the wholething.
It's like dang, dude, like,really Like trust, wow, Like,
are you sure?
Like, cause there's like thisguy down the street, but it's
really good, you know, startfeeling the imposter syndrome.
Yeah, like, like, or I justlike, I just couldn't believe
that they would want me to do it.
You know, like, cause I hearthat term a lot, Like a posture.
I'm like, oh, like, like, and I,I feel like I've never, like I

(01:03:47):
don't want to say never havethat feeling, but I feel like I
don't get that too much.
And it's not because I'm likethis egotistical, like you know,
dude, it's just that like, Iknow, like in my heart, that I'm
going to do my best every day,like I just pray hey, god, just
help me out, bro, just like,just give me like once again,
dude, just give me the guidance,give me the patience, give me

(01:04:09):
just like, whatever it needs toget to this design tattoos in
life in general.
So I don't I never really feelthat way, it's just it's because
I'm just I'm so focused on likewhat I'm doing and like in like
art, tattooing, creative-wisemusic, we know, whatever it may
be.
I like when Prince says I wantto listen to Prince.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
Dude.
I'm like, I'm saying, dude, hewas a special human bro.

Speaker 2 (01:04:33):
Oh yeah.
Yeah, no one loved Prince likehe loved himself, that's insane,
but like, but, if you thinkabout it, like, okay, like, why?
And it goes back to thepostures why would I want to be
like Prince?
Right, okay, prince is alreadyPrince.
He made his path, he chose thepath he chose.
He became who he was by doingthings that way.

(01:04:53):
He seemed fit for creativemusic, right, and sonically Okay
.
So, as a human being, as aperson, as a creative person,
why would I ever want to be acopycat of Prince, when your
God's greatest gift, dude, isbeing you?
He made you to be who you are.
He put you on earth just to beyou.
Why would you take that awayfrom yourself?

(01:05:13):
Like, you know what I mean.
I love it.
Like your podcast is the way itis because of who you are.
Why would you want to make itlike Joe Rogan?
Right, there's already a JoeRogan.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
That market, that niche isalready filled.
So you do you, dude, like Icouldn't express that more than
anything about being like anentrepreneur, like following
your dreams, like don't besomebody else, dude, don't,

(01:05:36):
worry about that, don't.
And you won't have those doubtsof fear, like the comparison,
or like imposter syndrome.
Yeah, because usually it comeswith like, oh dang, this guy
just did that.
You know, oh man, this guy putout this one.
Oh dang, they put out this songShoot, that band's really good,
they got that double kick, dog,we got to get a double kick in
there.
Or they put those like actualhighlights.

(01:05:58):
It's like, hey, you know what?
That?
You know those guys are doingthat because that's who they are
Like.
They're a product of, liketheir environment and culture
and people, of who they'reinvolved around with.
Like Prince is the way Prince is, because of where he was, what
he came from, what he was around, what he's influenced by James
Brown, right, that's his biggestinfluence.

(01:06:19):
So automatically, as a kid,he's going to feel, he's going
to have that inspiration in hisbody and his soul and his spirit
.
It's just going to come outnaturally.
So why would you ever fightthat?
If you're a very straight likeobtuse surfer, you know, because
that's just the way your styleis, then just be it.
Don't worry about being DevonHoward, bro.

(01:06:39):
He's smooth, oh, he's supersmooth.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
I love what you have to do, that's you know.
I'll tell you what.
You just inspired me, bro.
It's so true.
It's true though.

Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
Like, why don't I want to be somebody else?
And it's not, like, it's notthis vain thing.
You know, like, oh, look at me,it's just like, dude, just be
you.
All you got to do is get up anddo and see the world as you see
it.
You know, like like, see it,digest it and then push it back
out.
That's like the biggest thingabout art.
Like people forget, or evenlike being creative, or like
making a clothing brand ormaking like whatever it is,

(01:07:10):
whatever it is.
You know you're trying to likedevelop and put out into into
like the universe.
Like I want to see the worldthe way you see it.
I want to see your vision.
Dude, don't show me what thisguy, don't copy this guy,
because there's 20 guys thatlook the same, who surf the same
or who who have the same.

(01:07:31):
You know musical tone or pot,like whatever it is.
Do something, do what you thinkis cool, man.
Do what you think that youwould do, different Like,
because when I hear stuff I'mlike that's pretty cool, I like
that.
But, man, you know what?
Maybe I think I would, I woulddo it like this, and then you'd
write a song and you're like, oh, shoot, man, that sounds pretty
cool Because you let you, it'snaturally coming out, it's

(01:07:52):
naturally who you are.
Like I couldn't do your arm theway that guy did it.
I could try to copy it.
Yeah, it won't.
We know what they're going tosay.
It looks like homies from youknow over here, right, oh, okay,
then I wouldn't be able to tellit's like a Steve Sanchez
tattoo, right, right, like.
And then on top of that, whywould I want to copy that, like
he's already doing it, you know?
Like why would I want to ripsomebody off?

(01:08:13):
There's nothing wrong withbeing inspired, right, you know,
and having like inspirationsand like taking field notes and
whatnot.
But don't, I wouldn't want todo it line from line, you know,
shade for shade, right, then Iwouldn't.
What am I even doing?
I feel like I'm doing adisservice to like not only
myself, like you know my spirit,but like like God himself.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying Like like You're
fearfully, wonderfully made.
There's only one of you.

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
Yeah, dude, like like okay, I put you on this earth,
dude, and you're going to justcopy this dude.
Right, what are you doing?
Right, what are you?
What are you doing?
Yeah, wishing in time, you were, you worried.

Speaker 1 (01:08:48):
One man dude preaching over here.

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
That's true.
Cause you cause, you get.
So once again, you compareyourself.

Speaker 1 (01:08:55):
Yeah, I've, dude, I've.
I've struggled with that, I'vealways struggled with feeling
good enough.

Speaker 2 (01:08:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:08:59):
Am I doing what the you know the next person's doing
?
Am I doing better?
Sure, but it does come.
I think it comes with maturity.
It really does.
It does Time and selfrealization and finding myself,
not just me, but who I am inChrist.
What's what like?
What do you want me here for?

Speaker 2 (01:09:10):
Okay, get a little salt in that beer, dog I know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:09:13):
Like that's how you get it.
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 (01:09:15):
Totally dude, but I know what you're saying, though,
like you know, you got to, yougot to live a little bit, you do
, you have to get some lifeunder your belt, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
You know it's a cliche thing, but really, you
know, we all, everyone lives inthe hard-wrapped reality.
Is everyone's going to die?
Yeah, ain't nobody making outthis earth?
Yeah, but what is your?
What are you going to do withthat dash in the middle Right?
What's your journey?
That's what I'm saying, man.
You know what?
What?
What does the Lord put in yourheart?
You, no one's going to figureit out for you.
Yeah, and that's what I alsolove about having a relationship

(01:09:43):
with the Lord.
It's not about religion.
Yeah, it's not about what thechurch says.
The four walls and a coolworship team hey, is that great?
Yes, that's Western church.
But what it comes down to inyour faith is it's a
relationship with the Lord, andthe closer you get with him and
you nurture that, you realize heonly wants the best for you.
Yeah, and he's going to bringyou the best.
It's so true.
And sometimes you're going togo through difficult times
because you're going to learnsomething in there.

(01:10:05):
And I've, I've seen it, I'veseen it for myself that
sometimes in your greatestfailure, in your biggest trials,
that's a platform for you touse you for what you, what you
were really on this earth for,because you'll learn something
hard.
It's so true.
You know, and you're going tobe able to inspire others to
come through that.
And you know, I'm once divorced.
I've been through it, man.
Yeah, and that was a tough timeand I wasn't a good dude then.

(01:10:25):
Yeah, and I can tell you now isI've had so many other men that
I know who are in the fireservice come and approach me
because like hey, I'm goingthrough a divorce, like I don't
know what to do, I feel lost,I'm hurting.
It's like, all right, let's goget a cup of coffee.

Speaker 2 (01:10:39):
Yeah, yeah, let me tell you yeah, let's have a talk
.

Speaker 1 (01:10:42):
Yeah, it will be okay .

Speaker 2 (01:10:43):
Yeah, it's going to hurt.
Yeah, it's going to bedifficult, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
And, no matter what happens, keep your mouth shut,
yeah, and talk bad about theperson, yeah.
If the lawyer's do the thing,yeah.
But you ultimately just take astep back and breathe and
realize this is hard, yeah, butyou will come out on the other
end.
Yeah, there's going to be, youknow, an end goal to this for
your life and it will get better, yeah, you know tough times
don't last no, when you're inthem, though, it's hard.
Yeah, you feel like you're inthis biggest, darkest pit man

(01:11:08):
and it ain't going to work.
And you know when you finallysurrender and you realize, like
you know, what the Lord tells usin the Bible.
You know, in this world youwill have trials and
tribulations.
Trials and tribulations yeah,tribulations is a heavy word.
Yeah, dude, I mean you're goingto go through it.
My parents they lost a son.
Yeah, I can't imagine what it'slike to lose a child.

(01:11:28):
Right, you know I lost mybrother, but I saw what they
went through.
Yeah, 80% of marriages after achild dies ends in divorce.
Damn.
And they're still together.
That's incredible.
And they still waged that wartogether and they went through
that fight and they came on theother side.
Are they still like?
Are they perfect?
No, do they still mourn mybrother's death?
Absolutely, yeah, for sure.
But you know what it's adifferent morning.
It's a morning it's more of acelebration of thank you, god,

(01:11:51):
for putting this kid in my life,but thank you that you saved
him and we're going to see himagain, right, because nothing
here is going to last foreverand I will see him.

Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:11:57):
So you mourn different.
You have a joy in your morningwhich someone who's not a
believer doesn't even get thatthey have no idea.

Speaker 2 (01:12:03):
Yeah, it's true, and you know, like you couldn't have
said it better, like that, likeknowing that, like, yeah, like
life is short, it's like a fog,dude, yeah, you're gone, like
that.
So for me, like I relish inthat, yeah, like someone told me
like hey, dude, or I hear a lotlike you're really good at

(01:12:25):
living, yeah, you're the best atliving life.
You know, and I think they sayit as a joke, you know, because
I'm always so like happy to golucky, or I'm just like trying
to make the best of things I got.
I kind of have like that, likeRob Dyrdak and like like Bert
Kreisner, like you know, likelet's just have a good time and
not like, not like getting wild.
You know, like like you knowpartying, but like I just want
to make the best of things,because I know, like, dude,

(01:12:47):
tomorrow I might not wake up.
I don't, I mean, if I got to go,I got to go humming.
I'm not, I'm, I'm not afraid todie, I'm not wishing for it,
I'm not, I don't got a deathwish, but I know that if I go
and if it's short, then I'm justgoing to just enjoy being here
and enjoy my friends, my family,my loved ones, dude, and
knowing that, yeah, I'm going togo to heaven, bro, like it

(01:13:08):
ain't an easy trip.
You know, like being being hereis hard, dude, like with
everything.
Like people are like in suchdark places right now.
I've seen people like fallapart, dude, like it's insane,
especially the times we're in.
Yeah, it's, it's it's a lot ofuncertainty yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:13:23):
You know, I feel like everyone is on shaky ground or
shaky sand, because it's the,the state of our country, the
world.

Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
It's like wars and rumors of wars and this and that
inflation's up, and I get it,it's true man, I feel like you
know, when it comes to thosethings, like like as a
practitioner of like, just likepositive mental attitude, you
know, like PMA, like okay, Ilike like, if you watch a bunch
of scary movies for like a weekstraight or like a month
straight, eventually you'regoing to have nightmares.

(01:13:53):
Oh yeah, you know cause andeffect.
But yeah, you're looking atyour shoulder right.
So if I constantly digest likethings about the world, that's
going wrong.
Or you know, if it's wars,economical downsides, anything
like that, in the long, like, inthe, I would say, even in the
small scope of things, what goodis that going to do me?

(01:14:14):
Like I'm just going to what's?

Speaker 1 (01:14:16):
the word you're going to do right yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
You know, I'm going to like think about it all the
time.
I'm never going to get pastlike those situations.
More importantly, I'm justgoing to get so fixated on it
I'm going to lose track of likewho I am, Like what I'm doing,
what I'm trying to achieve in mylife, dude, because that stuff
will take you so far off.
So it's so easy to get lost inthat path of, like the worries

(01:14:38):
of tomorrow when you can't even,like finish the food on your
plate right here.
Yeah, you know, like I don'twant to make I got, maybe I
don't have that much food in myplate, but I want to make sure I
enjoy it, you know, whatever itis.
So to me, like, like, onceagain, I don't really care of
those things.
It's not say I don't care likeabout people or humanity or the
things that the tragedy of theworld is.

(01:15:00):
Just like, as of today, dude,at this point in my life, and on
Tuesday, Monday afternoon, Ican't do anything.
What do you want me to do?
Like I have as soon as things Igot to worry about, so I got
people that rely on me andthings I need to make sure like
mental health.
I'm cool, you know.
Check myself.
I know if that I try to put mybest foot forward and each of my

(01:15:23):
moments I'm alive and each daythat maybe I'll find love, peace
and joy and then that canspread to somebody else.
Yeah, Like dang.
How am I like?
Oh, like.
What are you so juiced about?

Speaker 1 (01:15:32):
Hey man we're here, it's true, we're alive, the gift
of life and how precious ittruly is.
And you know, with that versewhere it says you know, in this
life you will have trials andtribulations, but the last part
is that, take heed, I'veovercome the world.
Yeah, I did.
It's, there's always that but.
But God like remember, this isgoing to suck at times, yeah,
man, but it's okay because I'veovercome the world.

(01:15:54):
And there's one thing I want toend on this the Bible.
And the Bible it says do not beafraid.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
365 times, oh wow, Do you?

Speaker 1 (01:16:02):
think that's crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:16:02):
Wow, I didn't know that.

Speaker 1 (01:16:04):
That's what I'm saying.
Fear, you know, and all thatthere's.
I do think there's differentlevels of fear.
Right, there's fear in us thatprotects us.
Yeah, when you're out, like youknow, when you're walking along
a main street, yeah, you stepout in that street, you're going
to get killed, right.
So, you have a little bit offear.
Like I probably shouldn't dothat, right?
Yeah, like I know, when I goskydiving, if I don't jump with
a parachute right you know I'mgoing to die, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:16:25):
There's a fear like, oh, I shouldn't be near that
door, this is a good possibility.

Speaker 1 (01:16:28):
It's really high, right.
But there's also other fearsthat hold people back in their
life the fear of startingsomething new, the fear of
commitment, you know, the fearof loss of whatever it may be.
Yeah, when it's really like,when you have that faith, you
know that the God's in control.
He's going to take care of you.
Whether it's good or bad what'shappening in life, you do not
need to be afraid, because he'sgoing to work it out.

(01:16:48):
I agree, and it will work andI've seen it in my own life.
Yeah, and that's why I say it'sso powerful for me.
And the more I study and Irealize, oh my gosh, I looked it
up, it's like just do not beafraid.
365 times, that's 365 days.
You know it's like what in theworld that's perfect?
One for every day.

Speaker 2 (01:17:04):
You know it's like do not fear him.
I'm always with you, he's withyou, it's going to be okay.

Speaker 1 (01:17:08):
Will you make mistakes?
Yeah, it's okay, I'm with you.
Yeah, we'll work it out, we'regoing to get through this.
So, all being said I meanStephen I can talk for hours.

Speaker 2 (01:17:17):
Oh yeah, oh yeah I know she's bummed over here, I
know.

Speaker 1 (01:17:20):
Time, but it's so good.

Speaker 2 (01:17:22):
I agree man.

Speaker 1 (01:17:23):
It's amazing, dude.
I want you to come back on itreal quick.
I do have to ask real fastwhat's the longest session
you've done in a tattoo?
Eight hours.

Speaker 2 (01:17:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:17:32):
Yeah, how did the person do they have numbing
cream or are they just?

Speaker 2 (01:17:35):
No, they sat really well, they just like, they were
into, like they just wanted toget it done, you know, not like
rushing, but they're like hey,if we can do eight hours, can we
do it?
And I was like yeah, you werelike come here.
Yeah, I was like we can do it,we just take certain breaks.
But it was tough.
The next day my arm was dead.
I was saying how's that?
How's that?

Speaker 1 (01:17:50):
for you as an artist, though, the tattoo.
That's got to be the focus,right the focus in your eyes and
the detail.

Speaker 2 (01:17:56):
Man, the best trick I learned was from my old buddies
, old mentors Sam Scott, he,because he's the one who taught
me how to do like the largescale Japanese step.
I was like, dude, how do younot get tired?
Yeah, how do you?
How do you not lose focus?
How do you not?
How do you not rush?
Yeah, you know, keep thequality the same, because it's
important.
You know, as a, as artists oranything you're doing, you're
going to get tired eventually.
Right, you know he goes.

(01:18:18):
I take a break on the app Onthe hour every hour for like two
or three minutes.
That's it Very good, Just getup, stretch, yeah, Close your
eyes, go to the back, get somewater, just, you know, do
whatever you got to do for twoor three minutes and then get
back to it.

Speaker 1 (01:18:31):
Yeah, I got that.
Thought, mike Dude, that's.
It's so much focus for you asthe tattoo artist.
Yeah, depending on the piece,how big it is, was it in the pit
?
Is it on the elbow?
You know, like, how's the bodyautonomy working?
Yeah, did you?
Gangster, bro, you're gangster.
I'm going to have to hit you up, though, for a back piece.

Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
I'll end with this from my point, what, what?
What you're saying is that I'mjust doing what I can with what
the good Lord gave me.
Dude, I love it.
You know what I'm saying.
He gave me the ability to doart, make music, you know, be, I
guess, somewhat athletic fromsurfing.
So I'm just, I'm just doingwith what I got man.
That's pretty much it.
Like I don't come from awealthy family, you know.

(01:19:07):
Like most of us, like you knowwhat I mean.
Like we're not billionaires,bro, so and I'm not trying to be
, but I do know that I havethese talents and I'm not going
to let them go to waste.
I love it.
So I'm just, I'm just doingwith what I got man.
I'm making the best of mysituation and that's all I can.
That's all you can do, becausewhat else?
Like you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:19:24):
Like well, dude, steven, I'll tell you what man
I'm so glad that we've met oversocial media.
Yeah, we have the same shaperand I'll tell you this much.
You know you really spoke to metoday.
It's great to have someone likeyou on this podcast, dude.
You have such a great heart andoutlook online from people.
You just see people like thatman.
Thanks, man.
You know you're not perfect,but guess what?
You're trying your best.
I'm okay with it.
You know what I'm saying.

(01:19:44):
And so people want to get atattoo with you or see your work
on social media.
What's your social media?
Social media, social mediahandle.

Speaker 2 (01:19:52):
Well, the best way is probably you can look me up
through our shop page.
It's called Marigold Tattoo,marigold Tattoo Studio and I'm
on there.
Steven Sanchez, we got MikeOrtiz, sean Hughes, rebecca,
simon, tazabeth and then we gotmyself.
So all the guys I work withit's great crew.
Everyone does great tattoos.

(01:20:14):
We really care about what we'redoing, how we're doing it, the
way it's done, and we really tryto make the valiant effort in
giving you a great experienceand, more important, a great
tattoo that's going to last alifetime.
So that's the best way to getahold of us.
And where's your shop at?
Our shop is in Anaheim, offBall Road and State College.
Okay, yeah, marigold Tattoo.

Speaker 1 (01:20:32):
Marigold Tattoo you guys heard of here.
Yeah, or come surf with me.
Yeah, come surf you put a beach.
Yeah, we are going to have tosurf Whenever you want.
I'm down usually twice a week,whatever, depending on my shift
schedule and what's happening.
But I would love to go out, I'msure you'll probably.
My dad goes to Blackies too.
He's in, you know.
He goes from Bolsa to Blackies.

Speaker 2 (01:20:47):
Okay, okay, what's?

Speaker 1 (01:20:48):
your name.
My dad yeah, dave Fisher.
Okay, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:20:51):
Dang.
I've never met him before.

Speaker 1 (01:20:53):
Oh, dude, he's you'll , you'd recognize him bro.
Okay, yeah, he's still got themilitary haircut.
Yeah, bro, he drives this grayvan from the nineties.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
He just replaces the motor and gets repainted Like
he's like no, this is my surfvan.

Speaker 1 (01:21:04):
I'm not getting rid of this.

Speaker 2 (01:21:06):
It's so great dude.
Yeah, whatever you want, man,I'm always down dude Awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:21:10):
Well, steven, at the end of every podcast we do a
let's go on three.
You ready, brother?
Let's do it.
Let's do it, man.
Thank you so much for comingout, man, anytime.

Speaker 2 (01:21:16):
I'll love you back.

Speaker 1 (01:21:17):
Amazing You're welcome here anytime Any of your
fellow friends.
Tad Thar Swenna, come on, theygot a spot, just call me up.

Speaker 2 (01:21:22):
Yeah, absolutely, and I'll be there.

Speaker 1 (01:21:24):
You ready to do this too?
One, two, three, let's go.
Bye everybody.
Thank you so much for listeningin.
If you liked what you justlistened to, please leave us a
five star review on ApplePodcasts and on Spotify.
Please follow us on YouTube, onInstagram and on Facebook.
And a big shout out to StevenClark, our sound editor.

(01:21:46):
He's a huge part of this teamthat is unseen.
It's 8, 9 Barbers, our firstsponsor Look good, feel good, be
great.
That's two locations Orange,california, and Long Beach,
california.
Book your appointment online89barberscom.
Bye everybody.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Tattoo Artist & Longboard Surfer Stephen Sanchez

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Tattoo Artist & Longboard Surfer Stephen Sanchez

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