From People Pleaser to Powerful Leader: My Business Wake-Up with Missi Blue | Ep. 36
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Release Date: 06/25/2025
Back to the Craft: Angela Wood's Return to Tattooing After Art School with Missi Blue
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Seven years into tattooing and Angela Wood has already come full circle. From driving an hour each way to earn her apprenticeship, to owning the very shop where she learned the craft. What struck me most about Angela's story wasn't just her dedication to showing up every single day and asking how she could help, but her intentional choice to avoid the quick and easy route. She could have apprenticed at places closer to home, but she knew those weren't the right environments. That kind of discernment at the beginning of your career? That's what sets people up for long-term success. Angela's...
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Finding your style and making it your career with Missi Blue
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Twenty years into my tattoo career, I can finally say I've built a business doing exactly what I love—and it happened because I stopped trying to please everyone else and started being a "Missi Blue pleaser." This episode is my origin story, from a scrappy 19-year-old apprentice working double shifts to opening Blue Bird Tattoo Studio and becoming known for pet portraits that capture each animal's soul. I'm sharing the messy middle, the moments of doubt, the role spite played in my success, and the practical steps that allowed me to go all-in on specialization without losing myself in the...
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Staying Sharp in the Tattoo Industry with Jesse Smith
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
When I was an apprentice flipping through tattoo magazines, Jesse Smith's work stopped me in my tracks. Fast forward to today, and I'm sitting down with the man himself, someone who's spent over 25 years proving that unconventional paths can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Jesse started tattooing with a prison-style gun made from a toothbrush and Walkman motor, learned by trial and error, and built an empire that includes Loose Screw Tattoo, the Richmond Tattoo and Arts Convention, and the Richmond Tattoo Academy. This conversation isn't about shortcuts or hacks—it's about the real work that...
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How To Be More Resilient with Missi Blue | Ep. 65
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Building resilience isn't something you're born with—it's a skill you develop through experience, self-awareness, and intentional practice. In this episode, I'm breaking down what it really means to be resilient in business and how you can strengthen this critical muscle. From my own experiences of opening Blue Bird Tattoo Studio one month before COVID shut everything down to navigating a traumatic accident that left me out of work for a month, I've learned that resilience is about more than just surviving hard times; it's about how quickly you bounce back and keep moving...
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What I Wish I Knew Before Opening A Tattoo Shop with MIssi Blue | Ep. 64
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
When I opened Blue Bird Tattoo Studio, I truly believed I'd just show up, tattoo, go home, and do whatever I wanted. I thought I'd work alone because I was tired of dealing with other people's energy. Looking back, that was incredibly naive. I would have gone insane working by myself all day with no one to talk to except my clients. The reality of opening and running a shop hit me fast, and I had to figure everything out the hard way. From understanding the different types of shop models to learning actual business management skills, setting clear expectations with my team, and finally...
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How to Find More Local Clients with Missi Blue | Ep. 63
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"You can't do nothing and expect people to just find you and give you their money to tattoo. You either need to get on board with social media or talk to people in person—one or the other." Here's the reality: if you're crushing it at conventions but struggling to book local clients, the problem isn't oversaturation in your market. We have 14 tattoo shops within a quarter mile of Bluebird Tattoo Studio in a town of 16,000 people, and we stay consistently busy. The difference isn't luck or location, it's intention. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what we do differently to attract...
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Shiny Object Syndrome with Missi Blue | Ep. 62
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
I'll be honest—I've been a serial project-starter my entire career. From expanding Bluebird Tattoo Studio to opening the Bluebird Art Collective gift shop, I've chased plenty of shiny objects that pulled me away from what really mattered. This episode is about recognizing when you're spreading yourself too thin, understanding why we're wired to chase new ideas, and learning how to channel that creative energy into focused, sustainable growth. If you've ever felt like you're running in place with a dozen unfinished projects, this conversation will help you refocus on what actually moves your...
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Figure out what you want with Missi Blue | Ep. 61
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"You can wish and hope and dream for your goals, but that alone is not getting you anywhere." As we head into a new year, I'm reflecting on what worked, what didn't, and how I'm going to show up differently in 2025. This year taught me something crucial: feelings are terrible leaders. When I let how I'm feeling dictate what I do each day, nothing gets done. After recovering from a skull fracture and completely uprooting my office setup, I've been struggling to get back to my routine—and it's made me realize that the only way to win is to build systems that work regardless of how I feel. In...
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Your Complete Guide to Working Tattoo Conventions with Missi Blue | Ep. 60
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"Every convention for me is a chance to just do better, to do a better tattoo, to meet more people, to get new inspiration, to find a new opportunity. Even when it's a bad convention, it still serves a purpose." I get asked all the time for advice on doing conventions. How to prepare, what to expect, what actually works. And honestly, in the moment, I never know where to start because there are a thousand things that could make or break your experience. So I sat down and really thought through everything I've learned from years of doing conventions, and I'm sharing it all with...
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The Lonely Truth About Being the Boss in Tattooing with Missi Blue | Ep. 59
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"It's lonely being the boss. And yes, I get that I asked for this, that I did this to myself. I understand that, but why is it like this?" Missi Blue A coworker's offhand comment stopped me in my tracks recently; something about how I'm "never in a good mood" when I walk into the shop. That hurt. Not because it was entirely true, but because it highlighted something I've been carrying quietly for years: being the boss is incredibly isolating. I show up with my serious face on because I'm walking into whatever needs to be handled that day, carrying the weight so my team doesn't have to. But...
info_outline"I know it's hard to work for me. And that's on purpose. I'm trying to weed out those ones that aren't on the same path as the rest of us." -Missi Blue
Running a tattoo shop taught me one of the hardest lessons of my career: you can't be everyone's friend and still be an effective leader. For years, I desperately wanted to be the "cool boss" – the one everyone loved, the complete opposite of those shop owners I'd seen get demonized by their staff. I bent over backwards to be agreeable, let things slide, and made financial decisions based on emotions rather than business sense. The result? I nearly lost control of my own business and found myself in situations that compromised everything I'd worked to build. Today I'm sharing the raw truth about what it really takes to lead a creative team, why having high standards isn't mean, and how I learned to stop people-pleasing my way into business problems.
What you will learn in this episode:
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Why trying to be the "cool boss" can actually harm your business and the people you're trying to protect
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How people-pleasing tendencies can lead to financial mistakes and blurred professional boundaries
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The importance of establishing clear non-negotiables and minimum requirements from day one
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Why you can't expect to be seen as both a friend and a boss, and how to navigate that dynamic
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How to recognize when you're letting others pull your business off track and what to do about it
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The difference between being flexible with your plans and compromising your core values
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Why having high expectations and pushing for growth actually creates better work environments
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How to use your values as a North Star for making difficult business decisions
Links:
instagram.com/tattoosbymissiblue
instagram.com/boundbyartproject
instagram.com/bluebirdtattoostudio