May 16, 2017

Meet Melissa White of Ink and Iron Custom Tattoo in Portage Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa White.

Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
How did I start? I took a leap of faith. Newly separated and in the beginnings of divorce, the shop being a mutual business my ex and I had purchased from a friend just weeks before our split. He had the shop for the first year, but was an absent owner and no longer wanted to deal with it….I had become an overnight single mom who saw an opportunity to build something of my own that could support me and my 3 daughters without having to sacrifice as much time away from home. Little did I know that what I started would turn into its own little family.

The shop was a bit of a mess when I signed up due to lack of support and direction. I took over in February of 2016 and it took a little while to straighten out all the legal documents and violations that had incurred due to negligence the year prior. When I started there were 2 artists and was up to 6 artists as well as an apprentice just a few weeks ago. We just lost two artists due to relocation and are currently hiring to fill their seats.

People love our shop for two reasons….

My artists are incredibly talented and do amazing work!!!! They are young and in the infancy of their careers, but my god, they are such skilled artists…humble and kind. I’m always amazed with their ability to take people’s ideas and turn them into a masterpiece. We are constantly getting people in our shop asking to have their previous tattoo’s fixed or touched up or covered for that matter. Finding the right tattoo artist is key! This shop would be nothing without my amazing artists!
When you walk into our shop you feel at ease and comfortable. I have literally had at least 3-4 customers in the last couple of months that cancelled appointments at other shops and came to us because of the “vibe” and environment of our shop (and the quality of our artwork as well). We provide a warm and comforting place with positive energy and good people. When you’re enduring the ritual that a tattoo is….you have to be comfortable and in a good state of mind. There are 3 requirements that define a ritual…..
Blood
2. Sacrifice
3. Commitment

Our goal is to make your ritual a positive and memorable experience.

As much as I have poured my time and energy into this shop, I would be nothing without my team, Tom Osvath, Lizz Zonno, Lakota Gonzalez and Kharlaa Ramirez…my other family. They call me mama bear…lol. All I know, is that I’m so excited to see where the future brings us together! I can guarantee that these kids’ names are going to be viral in the industry in a few years! For that I am sure.

We care about our customers and each other……..that’s what truly makes us successful!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh good lord no…hee hee. Between the battle with my ex to gain ownership….the business licenses and health department licenses that were all registered in invalid names, lack of artists to begin with, no leadership, rules or procedures, no credit card availability, no business accounts, no website or marketing….it was every man for himself in the beginning. The shop wasn’t making enough to pay it’s bills at first and I invested a lot of my own money to carry it the first year. With my own personal life being overly consuming due to a messy divorce, I was a bit of an absent owner too the first 6-8 months. I owe many thanks to my sister, Bonnie White, and manager at the time, Scott Blake, for holding down the fort then. I am proud to say that since making the decision to invest my time and energy into the shop these past 8 months, we’ve grown to 6 artists, started making enough to pay the bills, and are beginning to see a profit!!!! They say it takes 3-5 years to know whether a business is going to be successful, but at this point I’m confident to say we will! We have very loyal customers that we are blessed with and grateful for all of them. We do most of our business through word of mouth, but we are quickly climbing up the Google ladder.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Unlike most tattoo shops, you don’t walk into our place to be bombarded with flash. We specialize in custom work. We like to create something for you that no one else will have. We are known for our amazing artwork, our welcoming environment (what can I say….I’m a mom and love to take care of people), and our love for our customers and each other. I get so many reviews that are obviously happy with their tattoos…..but absolutely loved the time they spent here. To be a part of our family for the night.

What were you like growing up?
Oh geez…Well, I was an honor roll student and an all gifted classes student until I went to a Grateful Dead concert! Seriously though, I was a stubborn and strong willed girl and drove my parent’s nuts. I got in a lot of trouble when I was young adult/teenager. Now the universe saw it fit to give me 3 of my own daughters as pay back! Life works in mysterious ways…….

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