Once again we return to our So You Want My Job series, in which we interview men who are employed in desirable jobs and ask them about the reality of their work and for advice on how men can live their dream.

Our interview subject today is one interesting cat. Roni Zulu is a LA-based cellist, antique car restorer, Freemason, and renowned tattoo artist. Zulu has had so much success in his profession that people now must wait months for an appointment with him. And yet his path into this unique career was not a straight one.

Zulu earned a masters in fine arts and found work as a graphic artist, and yet did not feel satisfied with his life. As a young man he had seen his friend’s family slaughter a goat as part of the boy’s rite of passage into manhood. Zulu was fascinated at the time, and this curiosity led him to study the tribal rituals of different cultures, and to conclude that tattoos were a spiritual tradition that united peoples all around the world. He came to believe that tattooing was a sacred and ancient art, a symbol of rites of passage, significant life events, and healing, and that bringing a sense of spirituality to Western tattooing and moving the art beyond etching butterfly tramp stamps on the backs of drunken women was his true life’s calling.

Zulu traveled frequently to the Tahitian islands and Samoa to gather inspiration and studied the symbols of tribes around the world. He spent years learning from other artists and finding and developing a technique and style all his own. But when he was first starting out this sensibility, along with his interest in doing tribal tattoos (which were not popular at the time) and the fact that he was a rare black man in a predominately white profession, made the going tough. But eventually his new approach to tattooing won enthusiastic converts.

Zulu’s approach to tattooing remains different than many other American tattoo artists. He requires a potential client to meet with him several times over a period of months. During this period Zulu talks to the client about the tattoo they want, what it means to them, and whether it’s really right for them. He consults the mystics of different faiths to get a sense of how to shape what the client desires. He believes intimacy is an important component of the tattooing process and strives to make a connection with the client–he doesn’t tattoo “strangers”–and if the connection cannot be made, he does not do the tattoo. If he does move forward, he gives the client the artwork when the tattoo is finished; each piece is unique and will be used on no one else.

Zulu’s life story is an interesting one, and I could go on, but his answers to our SWYMJ questions are interesting too. So let’s turn to that.

1. Tell us a little about yourself (Where are you from? How old are you? Describe your job and how long you’ve been at it, etc.).

From my childhood to my early teens I was raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. My later high school years were spent in Sarasota, Florida where I also attended the Ringling School of Art and Design. In my early twenties I moved to Hollywood, CA, and I have been here ever since. My current age is a youthful, vibrant 48! I am a tattoo designer/artist specializing in custom work.

2. Why did you want to become a tattoo artist? When did you know it was what you wanted to do?

I had a successful career as a graphic designer/commercial illustrator, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. I’d go to work every day and my talents were exploited for the sole purpose of selling a product. No one cared if my art evoked some profound human emotion or touched people in a positive way; nor was there concern if I was knowledgeable of the great masters and the impact of art on society as a whole throughout time…my job was to make a product package that caused people to BUY, BUY, BUY!!!! I kinda felt like a pimped out hooker!

At that time a lot of my tattooed friends expressed that they liked my personal drawings and paintings and wanted me to design tattoos for them.  I did this for quite some time until one friend in particular insisted that I not only design his tattoo but also tattoo him myself.  I then decided to learn the art of tattooing as a hobby for close friends, tattooing out of a spare room in my home.  The requests from friends became more frequent, and my home could not accommodate them all, so I decided to rent a small studio space to carry out my hobby.  I started to charge for my services to at least cover studio rent. Tattooing friends grew to tattooing and charging others I did not even know and I suppose, some 20 years of tattooing later, that is what I’m still doing today…a hobby/passion that I love and just so happen to get paid for!

3. If a man wants to become a tattoo artist, how should he prepare? How do you learn the skills and artistry necessary to succeed at the job?

One must seek out an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist.  First and foremost one must already be an artist well-skilled at drawing and hopefully painting as well; I can teach anyone the technical skill of tattooing but your tattoos will only be as good as you can draw.  Be careful in seeking out an apprenticeship; it is quite common to get ripped off. Many would-be tattoo gurus are nothing more than charlatans seeking someone to pay their rent, degrade, fetch donuts and sweep their floors without delivering a sound education. Find a tattoo artist who respects the craft and is genuinely concerned about your learning.

Be prepared to pay handsomely; you are investing in an education no different than what some pay for university.

4. I assume most tattoo artists want to one day own their own shop. But how do they get there? How do you get hired for your first job and then go about attracting clients and making a name for yourself? How did you get to where you are and what tips do you have for others?

After completing an apprenticeship you must build a body of work in a portfolio and shop around to various studios for employment. Most of this leg work can be done via email or web links to your work. Your portfolio will speak for itself and could gain you an interview and subsequent employment. After some time spent tattooing in an established studio you will gain a clientele that requests you personally, which in turn sets you up for the possibility of eventually opening your own shop.

Opening your own studio is quite an undertaking; most artists are poor businessmen, and therefore you must hone your business skills as sharply as you have your artistic talents; not doing so is the #1 cause of failure of tattoo shops (or any artistic endeavor for that matter). Check your state and city laws concerning the legalities of opening a shop; there are many restrictions that vary state to state, and you must comply or be shut down. The absolute and #1 compliance you must meet is that of health code and blood born pathogen training; I don’t care if you can tattoo like Michelangelo if you are infecting your clients with a new strain of the plague!!!

5. What separates those who become successful tattoo artists from those who never get anywhere with it? What qualities must the successful tattoo artist possess?

It’s been said “we are all created equal”…sorry, that doesn’t fly in the world of art; otherwise, all of us would have decorated a corner of the Sistine Chapel. You must be prolific with an exceptional talent in drawing and hopefully painting as well in order to excel above the masses of tattooists in an ever growing and now socially accepted medium. As I’ve already mentioned–I can teach anyone the technicalities required to tattoo, but your work will only be as good as you could previously draw and/or paint. You must be a “people person” in order to do well in this career too. A good portion of your day will consist of dealing with client’s first time tattoo jitters, constantly answering the same questions over and over to each new client, and deciphering a myriad of individual life stories that will require you to be a bit of a counselor/psychiatrist/shaman in order to translate your client’s wishes and life experiences into a piece of art. Nobody likes that “I’m a bad ass too cool for school tattoo guy” crap anymore; if you’re not nice, approachable, and genuinely concerned for your clients’ needs then they will not want you to be involved with something as intimate as tattooing their body.

6. What is the best part of your job?

I make people happy; I make their dreams come true. I transform them from frogs to princes, from ugly ducklings to beautiful swans, from Clark Kents to Supermen. I’m the genie in the lamp. I’m Santa for adults. It has been said “the body is the temple,” well then I’m the guy who installs the stained glass windows!!! I empower people and show them who they are and who they can be. I am the facilitator of many rites of passage.

7. What is the worst part of your job?

Hearing someone say: “I’d really love to get a tattoo but I can’t because…etc., etc, etc…”

I tattoo a lot of terminally ill people who tell me, “I’m getting the tattoo I always wanted before I die.”  I often wonder…why does someone have to tell us we are dying for us to start living?

8. What’s the work/family/life balance like?

This is a job that can easily follow you home and that has to be kept in check. Dealing with people’s emotions all day will affect you and that has to be left at the job site. When you are out socially people will always want to talk about and ask you tattoo questions. In my experience, it’s best to have a business card handy and ask the inquisitor to contact you via email or to phone the studio with any questions; you will learn to hate this job if it becomes all consuming…it happened to me, and I had to take a one year sabbatical before returning. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to be “the tattoo guy” and allowing your life to be all about tattooing…big mistake! This job is so demanding of your time, mental, and physical faculties that you must balance yourself with something that has nothing at all to do with tattooing. I spend a lot of time growing bonsai trees and playing sitar; these things are very zen and relaxing as opposed to the demands of my studio and allow me to return to work fresh every day. And as much as you may pride yourself in being the famous king of tattooing, remember that if you are married and/or have children, being a good husband or father is more important to them than the fame of an artist.

9. What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?

Like most artists’ jobs; people think it’s easy or that we somehow have it made in the shade compared to a guy with a “real job.” Tattooing demands more out of you than you could ever imagine. The stress of not being able to make any mistakes at any time far exceeds the expectations of most jobs! I’ve seen countless guys and gals crack under the intense daily pressures of this profession. If you do not truly have a passion for this you will not succeed…if you’re in it just for the money I suggest you try bank robbery; it would be less stressful.

10. Any other advice, tips, commentary or anecdotes you’d like to share?

My motto…”I do not put tattoos on people; I bring tattoos out of people.”

Related posts:

1. Think Before You Ink: A Man’s Guide to Getting a Tattoo
2. So You Want My Job: Artist/Illustrator
3. So You Want My Job: Martial Artist
4. So You Want My Job: Comic Book Artist

Once again we return to our So You Want My Job series, in which we interview men who are employed in desirable jobs and ask them about the reality of their work and for advice on how men can live their dream.

There are legions of aspiring writers out there–would-be journalists, novelists, and bloggers are a dime a dozen. But I had never met someone who aspired to write verse, until I connected with Jordan Chaney. Perhaps you too never gave any thought to being a poet as a job, figuring that full-time poets died off a century ago or were reserved to those chosen to be poet laureates. But as Mr. Chaney discusses in this interview, being a poet can still be a real career in this day and age; it just takes a lot of hustle and heart.

1. Tell us a little about yourself (Where are you from? How old are you? Describe your job and how long you’ve been at it, etc.).

My name is Jordan Chaney, and I live in Kennewick, WA, right in the heart of wine country–though I was born in Alexandria, VA all the way across the map near Washington D.C. When I meet a person for the first time and they ask me what I do for a living, I tell them very confidently, “I am a poet.” I usually get a raised eyebrow or shy “ah, ok” or “hmmm, interesting.” And I don’t blame them; in my 32 years on earth I have never seen an ad in the classifieds that read: Wanted: An energetic sap that has a soft spot for metaphor & rhyme. Must have their own pen, paper, and car and be willing to travel to random locations on any given week. No 401K. No healthcare provided. A road less traveled indeed. I started pursuing life as a poet in 2003 and have been at it full-time for about a year now. Between the ages of 16 and 24, I had over 54 different jobs. I was everything from a concrete form layer to a pharmaceutical rep, and every job that I ever held had one very agonizing thing in common: a boss! I’m not the type that has a problem with authority or anything like that, it’s just that I believe I have just as much personality, creativity, and go-getter-ness in me that I decided to take a leap of faith and go after my wildest childhood dream, and that is to be who I am today: a poet with a paycheck.

2. Why did you want to become a poet? When did you know it was what you wanted to do?

When I was 7 years old, my mother showed me a poem titled “Mr. H.” The poem was about a young woman who was in a poisonous and toxic relationship with a man by the name of Mr. H. Mr. H was abusive towards her. He was controlling and jealous and spent all of this young girl’s money, but no matter how evil he was to her, she could not leave him. She wouldn’t leave Mr. H even though the relationship was truly becoming deadly; this woman would do anything she could to be with him. At the end of the poem it is revealed that Mr. H is really the drug heroin and this woman is losing a battle to her addiction. I know that that is really heavy reading for a 7-year-old, but it did two very powerful things for my consciousness. 1) It illustrated a very real and scary issue that a lot of people face in our world. 2) It gave me a high understanding of metaphor as a tool for expressing myself with word. I didn’t know then that I wanted to be a poet, but 14 years later when I was living in one of the most crime and drug-infested neighborhoods in Phoenix, Arizona, I was up late writing and watching HBO, and a movie came on called Slam, and a poet by the name of Saul Williams recited a poem called “Amethyst Rocks.” The poem reminded me of “Mr. H;” it felt like the message came full circle. It gave me the chills, and I knew then at 21 years old that I wanted to save the world with my poetry.

3. Now let’s get right to the question everyone is likely wondering about: how can someone support themselves and make a living as a poet?

Two of the most important things I learned about myself after surviving 54 painful jobs is that I know how to market Me, and I am good with people. Most of all, I am a shameless self-promoter. I get out and shake a lot of hands and will perform a poem on the spot to build a relationship, and that relationship has a way of growing into a gig of some kind. I have written a book titled Double-Barreled Bible, and there is a CD that comes with it too. The money from that helps pay the bills and for business cards and so on. I am working on a second book titled Fly, and I also have a column that I contribute poetry to in a magazine called Winepress Northwest. Another way I have made income is by creating a workshop and teaching poetry and communication skills; that has been a great success. I have been invited to several places throughout the country to facilitate my workshop including colleges and prisons. It’s a grind–a lot of people don’t take what you do seriously or know how to assign value to your art. But there’s hope. There are several ways to make money as a poet–you just have to be willing to try different things, and you have to really want to make it work. I do.

4. How do you get attention and a following for your work? Some would-be full-time poets are turning to social media—things like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter to promote themselves and their work, while other poets feel such methods cheapen their craft. What’s your take?

Since I am an independent artist, a lot of my “gigs” come from me getting out and meeting people. Selling what I can do and myself. I turn a lot of my contacts into real friends, and they have helped me in more ways than I can count. My networking ability is my strongest asset. My Facebook page helps me to stay connected with people I have met at colleges and other venues. Writing for Winepress Northwest has helped me reach wineries that pay to book me too. I am willing to do what it takes to sustain my life and reach my goals. I don’t feel that putting your work out there using these methods cheapens my craft. I see it as a great way to get my books into as many hands as possible.

5. How do family/friends/would-be romantic partners react when you tell them you’re pursuing a career as a full-time poet? Have people been supportive?

At first when I shared my ambitions to be a career poet with some of my old friends, the idea was immediately given a fat-lip, dragged out in the alley, and had the crap kicked out of it. I was laughed at, discouraged, and warned of how fruitless the pursuit would ultimately be. These “friends” were looking out for my best interest after all, right? Not! We disbanded a few months later, and I decided that I wouldn’t let anyone stomp out my dream ever again no matter what. 99% of the people in my life today are the most loving and supportive people I could ever ask for. When a person sets out to achieve a goal they will instantly be met with opposition. But that is where the true beginning is because if a person truly intends on making something happen in their life, their network is the secret factor. The quantity and quality of actual support in their support group will determine the likelihood of that dream manifesting. If I never understood that one very powerful thing, I would not be where I am today. That is no exaggeration. You have got to surround yourself with supportive people.

6. What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is that I get to give people the best part of me: my art! When I share my poetry and my stories with people, they tell me that they are inspired to start pursuing their dreams and goals again. I love that what I have overcome and put into words has inspired so many people and has created “work” for me to the point that I am able to support my family. I put quotations around work because it often feels like play, and a quote comes to mind: “If you do what you love you will never work a day in your life.” I’m not sure who said that, but when it comes to careers, truer words were never spoken. One of my favorite poets, Buddy Wakefield, summed it up as “Live for a living.” That is the greatest and the best part of my job–that I fully get to be me. I don’t have to negotiate my self-respect or identity in the workplace if a boss or co-worker is having a bad day and wants to shove some of it my way. I saw that a lot through all the jobs that I had. People are able to cling to their jobs for so long by having the ability to bite their tongues. My job now is the total opposite. And I found that if you bite your tongue too many times, you can lose your voice and dampen your spirit. The best part of my job is that it requires me to be fully alive and loving what I do.

7. What is the worst part of your job?

The worst part of my job is that I feel as though I wear a lot of hats. I am an independent artist and that comes with a lot of skills needed to make it all work. I write creative material, perform that material, promote myself, book and negotiate gigs, draw up invoices, shop for supplies needed…it’s like running a department store by myself. There is always something that needs to be done, but I would much rather handle it on my own then to work for anyone.

8. What is the work/family/life balance like for you?

Though sometimes I get into grind mode and don’t want to be bothered by anyone, I always, always make time for my lady and my son. They are the reason why I chose this path. I want to see them happy, and I know the happier I am with life, the happier they will be in life too. A lot of parents tell their kids that they can be anything they want to be and all the while they are clinging to a job they hate. My son has a mini-recording studio and a business license of his own. He fully believes that his dream of being a R&B recording artist is fully possible, and I encourage him to be exactly what he wants to be. He has recently started coming to some of my gigs with me to earn extra money and to get experience being near stages and microphones. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that juggling both worlds wasn’t overwhelming at times. After extroverting all day long you sometimes want to go home and introvert, but your family is now excited for you to be home and ready to talk. Sometimes at the end of the day, you just want to have silence and be left alone. So making time for my family is something that I made a priority once I noticed that I felt that way.

9. What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?

I think the biggest misconception that people have about my job is that it is not important or truly needed or in demand. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I used to work as an employment specialist once upon a time. Part of my job was to meet with an economist once a month to study market trends for in-demand jobs per zip code. That data would help me assist my clients with what job to go after. Well, being privy to job trend market info gave me the awareness of what really is in demand in our society today. Inspiration. People are bombarded with magazine ads and commercials selling them anti-depressants–“hope in a bottle”–and these drug companies are so successful at selling pills because they know that people are willing to spend LOTS of money on hope. I am succeeding because of the same principle, but I am doing it with poetry and stories of triumph and also educating people how to express themselves the same way and grow a new tongue. What I do is definitely in demand.

10. Any other advice, tips, commentary, or anecdotes you’d like to share?

I have been successful at what I do because I understand something about grinding to make your dream come true, and I’ll sum that up in this short anecdote…

Every day in Africa when the sun comes up a gazelle knows that it must outrun the fastest lion in order to survive. And every day in Africa when the sun comes up a lion knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle in order to survive. The moral of the story is this: It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion, gazelle, or a poet: when the sun comes up you better start running.

Don’t be a dreamer be a dream Do-ER!

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Training Gary Matthews Jr. for his MLB comeback.

Once again we return to our So You Want My Job series, in which we interview men who are employed in desirable jobs and ask them about the reality of their work and for advice on how men can live their dream.

You’re a guy who’s passionate about health and fitness, and you want to make that passion a career. You’ll probably start out being a trainer, working with clients at someone else’s gym. But after years of that, you might want to take it to the next level and create an environment you completely design and run yourself. By opening up your own gym.

That’s what Brad Davidson did. After gaining experience as a trainer, Davidson opened up his own gym: Stark in Orange County, California. Today he shares his advice on how he’s turned his dream into a premier gym for high-level athletes and clients.

1. Tell us a little about yourself (Where are you from? How old are you? Describe your job and how long you’ve been at it, etc.).

I was born in Honolulu, HI, where my father was stationed in the Navy, and then spent my childhood growing up in McMinnville, Oregon.  I am 36 years old.  I am co-owner and Head LEAN Braniac at Stark–“The Coolest Little Gym in America”–located in Irvine, CA.  My job consists of developing results-oriented training, diet, and lifestyle programs for successful business men and high-level athletes who want to get lean and enhance their competitive edge with optimal performance.  I’ve been enhancing the lives of executives and athletes for the past 13 years.

2. Why did you want to become a gym owner? When did you know it was what you wanted to do?

I’ve been fascinated with weight training ever since my dad bought me my first weight set and taught me how to lift weights in my room when I was in 6^th grade.  The fascination stuck through high school when I tried using weights to give me an athletic advantage when I was small compared to my competition.  By the time I was in college playing sports, I began to quickly see the shortcomings in our strength coaches from all my own studies.  I remember arguing with a professor in an Exercise Physiology class about a theory I knew didn’t work in the real world through trial and error.  That was the day I knew I was going to dedicate my life to enhancing others through health and fitness.  I wanted to help people squeeze the most out of life with proven methods–not these ridiculous theories that are still running the commercial gyms today.

3. I imagine that starting a gym comes with many of the same considerations as opening other kinds of businesses—finding a location, getting a loan, etc. Are there any considerations unique to opening a gym that would-be gym owners should know about?

The most important thing I think would-be gym owners should be cautious of is going big too soon.   I am a true believer in starting small and growing to the point of blowing out your seams before opening a larger location.  There is going to be growing pains, and the only reason we survived was by maintaining a low enough overhead to make it through those times. I see it over and over–a trainer opens an amazing gym but doesn’t have the business to support it and the clients don’t show up soon enough, leading to an inability to cover the overhead.

4. Here where I live, it seems like a lot of the independent gyms started by trainers and bodybuilders open and then close relatively quickly due to mismanagement, while one of the most successful independent gyms is owned not by a fitness guy, but someone who also owns a bunch of restaurants. What’s most important in running a successful gym—fitness experience and enthusiasm, or business savvy?

I hate to say it, but you can be the greatest mind in the fitness industry but if you don’t possess business savvy you are doomed!  This is where a majority of gym owners go wrong–they have no real clue how to run a business.  I’ve notice most high-level trainers (this included myself years ago) think we know everything there is to know about running a business because we have read all the books on it, but I got lucky and partnered up with a great business man after barely surviving for 5 years, and it was amazing the difference it made in our success.  Funny thing was the first 6 months of changes were strictly business stuff (cash flow management, proper pricing etc.), and yet we doubled our bottom line in that 6 month period without adding any new clients.

5. What are the keys for successfully competing against the big gym chains?

To be successful against the big gym chains I believe you must have a niche and you must produce results!  Our niche is enhancing high-level executives and athletes by getting them lean first and providing a competitive edge in their careers.  We measure and monitor everything they do every month.  We are paid to get a result and we get the result!

Training Olympic Hopeful Ryan Mertens, USA Bobsled Pilot

6. What’s a typical day like for you?

My days are long and start early, but it truly is what I love doing in life.  I get to play with my passion all day every day, and I am now surrounded by the who’s who of Orange County.  I usually train clients from 5:30 am to 1 pm and will mix my own workout in there somewhere.  I have lunch at 1 pm and then spend my afternoons studying ways to get clients more efficient results and overseeing the development of all our clients’ program layouts.  My main role is to make sure everyone in our system is progressing and the team we have constructed–which is actually scattered throughout the world–does an amazing job meeting each client’s individualized needs and desires.

7. What is the best part of your job?

Best part of my job is watching people’s lives transform.  There is nothing better than watching someone look, feel, and perform at a level they never dreamed possible.  It’s also really cool to watch men enhance their lives at a deeper level; they become better fathers, husbands, employers etc. from being through our program.

8. What is the worst part of your job?

Worst part of my job is the focus on detail and paperwork.  Detail is the major difference between great client results and meager results.  It has to be done, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. :)

9. What is the work/family/life balance like for you?

Work/ family/ life are very easy to get out of balance with this career.  I’ve really had to put a lot of effort into this area now that I am married with kids.  It is very easy for me to get swept away with research and trying to meet our clients’ needs.  I have forced myself to leave the office every night by 6:15 pm to give my kids plenty of dad time and my wife relationship time.  I also have forced myself to not check my phone or email once I pick up the kids until after they go to bed.  The funny thing is I actually get more work done with time restraints than I ever did working crazy hours.

10. What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?

To be honest I hate telling people I am a trainer–they immediately throw me into this stigma of meathead womanizer.  I know the majority of male trainers at the large commercial gyms use their role as trainers to meet women, but there is a small group of us that really take pride in what we do.  My family’s livelihood depends on my gym’s ability to change people’s lives.  There is a lot at stake when a client walks into my gym.  Some of us take your health very seriously!

11. Any other advice, tips, commentary or anecdotes you’d like to share?

This career is incredibly rewarding but is very hard to stand out in.  Be patient and do whatever you have to do to stand out from the crowd.  You walk into most gyms and you will see the same things going on.  Be different and you will be noticed.  Get results and you will be noticed. I am a true believer that one of the things we do well that helps us stand out is the use of technology.  Most trainers don’t document anything they do with their clients. We not only document everything a client does, we have it all built into a cloud system and we use iPads.  So the first thing you will notice at our gym is all our trainers walking around documenting sets, reps, and weights with iPads.  This is a very simple use of technology and an incredible way to stand out.

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