Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Gooding.
Tim, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my career in body piercing back in 1998 when I apprenticed at the late great Sacred Heart Studio under the guidance of Tim Young (RIP). From there I moved to Austin to continue my education and further my career in this business. After 7 years in Austin I moved to Chicago when the opportunity arose to purchase an established studio. Over the next 5 years, I learned the ins and outs of how to run a business. In 2010, I moved back to my home town of meadows place to open Virtue Tattoo. We opened to great acclaim and have won best of Houston awards in 2011, 2014, and 2015.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting the doors open at Virtue tattoo was a struggle because we had to convince the city that we were not a typical tattoo shop. We had to jump through great deal of hoops to get the approval to open. Once the city officials realized that we were a family business with ties to the community that added value to the area we were welcomed with open arms.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Virtue Tattoo – what should we know?
We are a classic Tattoo Studio, adhering to traditional values of giving our customers clean, solid work that is artistic, professional, and reliable. Our skilled artists have many years of experience and can handle any and all design requests. The shop holds the highest standards of cleanliness and always uses single service equipment for each and every customer. We house the best artists the city has to offer. Almost every square inch of the studio is covered in designs to help inspire every idea. Our body piercing jewelry selection is unparalleled in Houston. Body piercing jewelry carried by Virtue is of the highest quality, meeting all standards of the best professional associations in the industry and your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are a lot people who have helped me get to where I am today but here are just a few. First off, the amazing owners of Sacred Heart Studio Tim young and Diane Ianucci without them I would never have started this journey. They really set the bar high for how a shop should be run, the quality of jewelry, customer service and overall cleanliness of the establishment. My second boss in this business Lance Gremillion former owner of Amillion Tattoos in Austin Texas helped me hone my craft and gave me insight on how to run a business. Most of all the crew at Virtue Tattoo deserve credit for making the shop what it is today. We all push each other to be the best we can be.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11611 w Airport Blvd
Meadows Place TX 77477 - Website: virtuetattoo.com
- Phone: 281-240-0632
- Email: info@virtuetattoo.com
- Instagram: Virtuetattoo
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com\virtuetattootx
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