Daily Inspiration: Meet Ashley Pierson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Pierson.  

Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m 2013 my boyfriend at the time (now my husband + business partner) Jake, moved to Pontiac and began the stages of opening our own tattoo shop. We worked toward this goal until 2017 when our son, Roman was born and we shifted focus to moving to a larger home and myself staying at home with our newborn while Jake traveled for work. We went along this way for about five years and in that time I decided to make a small craft business from home where I just practiced various art forms including hand embroidery, macrame, and digital art via procreate. 

In 2021 the planets aligned in a way that gave us an opportunity to open our own tattoo shop finally and in January we opened Golden Lion Tattoo Club! We’ve been open and flourishing for about a year and a half now and while I work the front desk, I’ve also continued to take art commissions for digital art and also in 2021 I was introduced to an amazing group of cannabis-friendly photographers and I’ve begun brand ambassador and influencer work in the cannabis community. I’ve become a self-owned business working mom and fine-tuned my social media platform to support those pillars of my career. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. Jake and I have made three unsuccessful attempts to open our own tattoo shop, one instance in which was had to attend city council meetings to amend the zoning to allow the first tattoo shop in that area, only to have it fall through over miscommunication. We spent a lot of years putting in maximum work for minimum payoff and pushing through regardless. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a digital creator and content creator who owns a business where my husband and employees practice body art while I practice digital art. I am proudest of the freedom I have to take any photo and put my personal sound on it and turn a real moment into art. What sets us apart from others is the fact that we are literally a mom-and-pop shop with the edge of performing body art and multimedia art forms as a collective. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned that just because you put your mind and heart into something, you still have to choose that life every day and be consistent with who you are and what you give to your community. 

Pricing:

• traditional tattoos $150/ hour
• digital art portraits $20/ photo
• hand-painted signs- consultation required

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenliontattooclub?

Image Credits
Taylor Sumner Photo
Richelle Healy photography
Ali Gidley