Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Brandon Rufino

Brandon Rufino shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Brandon, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
That we’re constantly working. The phrase “I quit my 9-5 to work 24/7” has never felt more true especially the longer I’m in this industry. There’s really no passive income in this industry, maybe if you’re a successful shop owner but even that comes with hard work. Our shifts run 24/7 from drawing, preparing for appointments, getting back to messages, running ads, editing videos, TikTok dances etc.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
If you’re reading this first of all thanks and also sorry you made it down this rabbit hole. My name is Brandon Rufino and at the time of this article I will have been tattooing for about 11 years now. Happily working in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California, where I’m also from, at a shop called Change of Heart Tattoo located in Arcadia. I made my way through an apprenticeship which might be rare or not. I’ve seen the ups and downs that this industry has to offer and by some miracle, like many other tattooers, I’m still here managing to do what I love and make a living from it. I get as excited about doing my own designs as I do tackling a typewriter font tattoo. I’m not trying to change the world with my tattooing nor do I care about leaving my “mark”, which maybe that was part of my intent when I first started. Now I’m learning to just have fun with tattooing and be grateful for every opportunity that comes along the way, work harder today than I did yesterday, and give every client a nice experience while they’re in your chair. Most times that goes a longer way than forcing people to get “your shit”.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Probably the first time I experienced a shop that I was working at being forced to close. I learned quickly that nothing lasts forever and that you can easily fall into a trap of relying on the shop for your exposure as opposed to working on getting yourself out there from your own work ethic.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I’m giving up right now, dude. Just kidding. Yes, but I’m not about to talk about it, because I’m a guy.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That 14 round shaders are a good idea.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
Absolutely nothing. There’s more than enough tattooers to get tossed around for all y’all’s bodies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Linktr.ee/20yearweekend

Image Credits
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