Piercing Wizard Podcast

Ryan went all the way to Glasgow to see Lola and all you got was this lousy (quality audio) podcast. Ryan and Lola talk all about aftercare while they have mimosas and work on a puzzle. Piercing aftercare evolves year by year and we talk about how our understanding of aftercare and wound healing has evolved with it. Why don't we suggest cleaning a piercing with soap? Why don't we suggest mixing yo...

Ryan and Lola talk about anatomical variations this week, and more importantly how to discuss them with a client respectfully. Ryan got a suggestion for this topic from a patreon supporter after he posted some new videos on the subject (floating navel, inverted nipples). Sometimes it can feel awkward or difficult to talk to a client about their body or the viability of a particular anatomical feat...

Frequent co-host Lola Slider takes over the show this week to talk with longtime UK piercer Quentin of Kalima Emporium. Quentin made a connection with ritual during his travels through India, Nepal and beyond, and now he works to share that connection in his body art career. Quentin and Lola also discuss how priorities and perspective can change over a nearly 30 year career. After the interview Lo...

In late 2019 I had my friend Zakk Boyer come on the show (ep. 139) to tell us about his piercing journey. He was just starting out in a major shop and he had a mix of excitement and anxiety, but it didn't work out for Zakk at that shop unfortunately. Life goes on, and that is exactly what we talk about on this episode. It would have been easy to give up or slip back into a comfort zone, but Zakk k...

On the 27th of December 2021 Alicia Cardenas; a mother, a tattooer, a piercer, a mentor, and a former President of the Association of Professional Piercers was shot and killed in her studio in Denver, Colorado. Alicia was my friend and I thought the best way to grieve and heal would be to ask some of Alicia's friends and colleagues to share their thoughts with us. It might be difficult for you lis...

Well, we made it through another year. Lola and Ryan recap 2021, for better or worse. We were settled into the new normal of appointment-only life, months long wait times for jewelry, frustrated clientele, and ever changing rules. In a year full of stress and anxiety many of us were busier than ever. We talk about what we went through this past year and what we hope will come to us in 2022. Thank...

I've gone through opening a new studio a few times over my career, Jef Saunders of Gamma Piercing just opened shop #4. We have learned a lot along the way. Things to do, and things to definitely not do. We share a bit of everything; what goes into selecting a location, managing your funds, curating and stocking inventory, and how we try to build a sustainable business. Its not a "how to" but it ca...

For a special 200th (!!) episode of the show we PIVOT to Lola Slider guest hosting to interview long time host Ryan Ouellette. Lola tells us some podcast stats and mentions her favorite episodes. They also discuss the covid era of the show, Ryan's scarification career, and the question "is body mod an endangered species". Here's to another 200 episodes (but please no). On a personal note, thank yo...

Have you ever seen a mandible piercing in person? How about a stretched Achilles heel piercing or a uvula piercing? What about seeing them all (and more) on one individual? Well I would like to introduce you to Daniel Rutt, a truly one of a kind person. TW: this episode includes discussion of substance use and sobriety. Thank you to all my new supporters at www.patreon.com/ryanpba . I recently pub...

One last episode from BMXNET 2021, this time with Andrea Kummer. Andrea is a commanding presence, both inside and outside of her body art career. We talk the history of Berlin piercing and body mod culture through the 90's and 2000's with piercing, scarification, and suspension. If you are an APP it is is time to vote for your next board of directors members. Log in and vote before December 1st an...

Lets head back to BMXNET for this conversation with Matt (@dotbydottattoo). We discuss growth, education, and access. Its more than that, and a lot more, but thats a good way to set it up. Matt talks about his journey between the UK, New Zealand, Germany, and beyond. Growing as a suspension practitioner and handpoke tattoo artist, but his story translates well regardless of what your body art disc...

Mexican piercer living in Germany, Beto Rea, comes on the show this week. Beto is a long time piercer, suspension facilitator, and scarification artist. We talk about his history of learning to pierce in late 1990's Mexico, his travels across Central America, and his current life in Germany. You can find more of Beto's work online at kukulcanrituals.com . After my talk with Beto stay tuned for new...

Helen Houghton of Holier Than Thou in Manchester UK is my guest this week. We discuss Helen's UKAPP conference class on Lumps and Bumps as well as the issue of troubleshooting in general. Part of the discussion revolves around the importance of downsizing and how to help make clients understand it. We also discuss how building a business around respect and community can be more effective than gate...

This week is another interview recorded at BMXNET 2021, this time with German piercer Sven Seipold. I was impressed to learn that Sven is a member of not one, but 3 piercing organizations (VPP, APP, UKAPP). What I am even more impressed with, are the septum clamps that Sven made for me. Some of you may have been hearing about them online. I talk to Sven about the logic behind his modified and cust...

I was flying home from my teaching trip, stopping over in Iceland, when I turned around got a surprise. A wild John Balk appears! We sat down and caught up while we waited on our flight. We talk about what success in business and happiness in life has looked like this last year and a half. We also getting around to talking about work and we discuss our preference of word of mouth over advertising...

If you weren't able to attend the UKAPP 2021 conference live and in person this episode gives you a good insight to the event from the perspectives of Ryan and Lola. We start out in Glasgow at Lola's flat with her previewing the conference as the outgoing president. We continue with instructor Edu Fernandez, a collage of attendees before one of Ryan's classes, incoming UKAPP president Sean Powell,...

Another episode recorded for you at BMXNET 2021. This time I sit down with Marcus Strohner from Trust Wholesale. Trust are the makers of the snaptile disposable forceps, the mosquito self releasing canula needle, the squidster sterile disposable skin markers, and much much more. A German based manufacturer and wholesaler, Trust has been supporting the body art community with their innovations and...

Well, heck. Here I am in Germany instructing at the BMXNET conference again, this time in Berlin. BMXNET 2021 has been fantastic, everyone involved should be proud to make such a wonderful experience for our community. I instructed three classes: BLOOD, Scarification workshop, and Piercing marking workshop. In between preparing and performing my classes I sat down with LOTS of different guests and...

Ryan went all the way to Glasgow to see Lola and all you got was this lousy podcast. We talk about international travel restrictions related to the upcoming piercing conferences in Germany and the UK. We also discuss our evolving needs on how we schedule specialty services. For Ryan that means piercing kids' lobes, for Lola that means managing genital piercing clientele. We talk about a need to di...

Ryan and Lola are back with another Ask Us Anything episode! This time we discuss: self promotion strategies, the question "is APP membership worth it?", how to help clients understand pricing, setting jewelry stock levels, the role of music in the studio and how we set a calming tone, and managing our anxiety at work. We also touch on the giant asteroid hurtling towards our industry, big corporat...

Ryan and Lola are back with another Ask Us Anything episode, this time we discuss septums and spectators. With covid restrictions easing some piercers are doing their first septum piercings in over a year. That can make a tricky piercing even more stressful. We discuss how we are getting our groove back with septums, and some tips and tricks for piercers using septum clamps. We also answer the que...

For over a year piercers have been terrified to openly discuss safety issues related to under-mask services. Lack of data and misunderstanding of transmission was a major issue in the early stages of COVID19, but even as we started to learn more there was a fear of being attacked in online learning spaces if you brought the subject up. As cities, countries, and shops begin to reopen and loosen res...

When I was at a 2019 seminar in Atlanta I met a piercer named Taki Edwards. She had so many questions and a hunger for information. Flash forward to present day and Taki has stepped up her jewelry and sterilization game and is making great strides in body piercing, we talk about how she got there. Taki shares her story and answers the question "what is scarier, being a nurse during covid or being...

APP board of directors member Cale DiFrancesco comes on the show to talk about how piercing demand has changed in recent years. After a year of isolation clients are coming back in force, and they want pretty ears goddammit! Ear curation is something we are all having to learn or refine in today's industry, but with it comes increased demand for jewelry. How do we manage it all? Cale gives her tho...

European piercer Aiko Hosten comes on the show this week to discuss a free webinar from the APP Benelux about Disposable Piercing. Some piercers might not understand the concept of working fully disposable since our industry has been based around ultrasonics and scrubbing tools for decades. Aiko explains the value of working disposable, from a financial standpoint but also when thinking green. Lis...