Its funny though.. the very few people who have some shitty things to say about it have been lurking my page like crazy..I find it very amusing. Dude; love me or hate me you can’t deny I’m good at what I do, and these fools are trying to attack my art. At least if you’re gonna try to insult me, make it believable! Regardless of any of that, my website has been getting mad hits…the very people that hate on me, are making me famous! Every successful person in ANY industry has a pack of hating ass fools behind them. So thank you for elevating me to that level!! This is my personal website, not a forum for ignorant fools to post their uneducated opinions on…I’m not switzerland, I protect whats mine with a ferocity thats been bred into me by the US military. I will always come out swinging. So thank you…I’d rather have em talking shit than not talking at all! Anyway, with as crazy busy as I’ve been, I am still posting, and responding to blogs and emails, but all of it will filter through my assistant to streamline what I’m doing!! Look forward to working on all my new peeps! Dont hesitate.
Stay True homies
Brando

Well coming back to work, there was obviously some problems. Turns out one of my newer guys Eric Diciccio had been talking a lot of shit behind my back… once back though no one seemed to have a problem tattling on him. Long story short, Eric had already been on his last leg with me, for the same issue, so I basically fired him on the spot. Eric has been fired from several other shops in the valley as well, Club Tattoo, Phoenix Tattoo Co, and now us. So it wasnt surprising that I was having an issue with him after 6 months. Seems to me at some point you need to stop pointing the finger at everyone else and start looking at yourself.

For whatever reason, my apprentice of a year Stephanie Flannery took that on as a personal issue with me. When I thoroughly reemed her ass for getting out of line with me I ended the conversation with “get yer head straight, and come back next week ready to do work”. This girl had been my apprentice and countergirl for a long time, and I had a lot of issues with her being so completely unmotivated throughout her apprenticeship. She had the attitude of so many other washouts of just thinking she could come in, show up and after a certain amount of face time she’d be tattooing. Thats not how I operate. I expect my apprentices to be hungry, to have a fire burning in their belly…to be chomping at the bit to tattoo. Furthermore, I expect to see artwork being done, tattoos being watched and respect given; not only to me and my shop, but to the tradition of tattooing and to all the people that have paved the way. Stephanie definitely did not fit that bill. And maybe that’s my fault for taking on a such a young, immature girl as my apprentice. In the year that she was apprenticing she never even asked me one time when she would be able to tattoo. Instead she whined about it to everyone else in the shop when I wasnt around. I said it all the time, she was a good counter girl and a poor apprentice…

After I told her to get her head straight I left for the day. Instead of taking my advice. She was apparently so offended by the fact that I told her that she’s replaceable, that she decided to take it upon herself to pack out all of the gear I was training her with, and straight up steal it all out from under my nose. This is stuff that civilians can’t get..you need to be a licensed shop to get the best equipment and I was training her on the best stuff. A Next Gen machine, Eikon power pack, bunch of tubes, tool box, a bunch of reference books I had let her borrow, she was even so hateful that she took a painting off my wall she had given to me! I charge 5 grand for my apprenticeships, any equipment bought through my shop is property of the shop until graduation, at which point it’s all given to my apprentice as a gift to start off their new career. This is not only an industry standard but I have 3 other former apprentices who know how this works.

As with all my other apprenticeships, I had Stephanie sign a contract. This contract states that regardless of termination or graduation 5,000$ will be paid to me. It further states that any and all equipment used in training remains the property of my shop until graduation..including but not limited to; any tattoo gear used, any paintings done under my guidance, any books lent for studying etc. I gave her several oppurtunities to rectify the situation. She had paid me enough money at this point that I would have let her walk. I would’ve just taken my tattoo equipment back, the one painting that she gave me, and let her bounce if that was what she wanted to do. Being the complete coward that she is, she has completely ignored any and all attempts that CJ and I have made to get my equipment back. So on July 15th I filed a police report.

I have since found that according to AZ statutes, that anything stolen with a value over 300$ becomes grand theft. She is looking at best case scenario a Class 1 misdemeanor, worst case a class 6 felony. It carries a minimum of probation but a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail!! The decision she made to throw away the last year of her life, is obviously the actions of a irrational litle girl, as opposed to a level headed adult apprentice who wants to have a future. Its one thing to piss away a year of apprenticing under me, it’s entirely another to throw away your future over someone else getting fired and some gear and a painting.

Stephanie is a THIEF, she has zero loyalty, zero respect. I don’t know if she thinks I’m bluffing or that if she ignores this it will go away but she has another thing coming. I have been absolutely left with no other choice but to let the legal system handle this. I do have the resources and means to prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law, not only in a criminal court but beyond that in a civil court. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she’s punished to the fullest extent of the law. I have told all of my shop owner friends about the situation, and she’s being labeled as a thief throughout the industry. This is my city, this is my industry and I will do whatever possible to protect it and keep her out of it.

There is a reason that apprenticeships take an upwards of three years, there is a reason why they are difficult, I will give nothing….everything must be earned. Thats to instill a deep sense of pride in what we do, whats been paved by others before you and whats been accomplished when graduating. Don’t think it works? Take a look at Siege, my first apprentice, who now after four years in the business is killing it…Siege started tattooing at 5 months because he wanted it, and now after 4 years he has been an extremely successful artist who when compared to others with the same time in there is absolutely no contest!

Anyway, this is to inform all my loyal clients that Stay True is fully rocking,and looking with excitment to the future! It takes a lot more than some petty shit like this to ruin my day! I have regrouped and formed an amazing team of artists. My crew is made up of Me and my right hand man Siege, Rob a great up and coming artist and Army veteran I have known for years, Chris a great all around tattooer and 8 yr veteran of the business, and Mikey a former apprentice of mine who has already put a year in and has been waiting eagerly for a chance to be back on the team. As always, we are proud to be one of the best custom shops in the valley..we have the gnarliest, most loyal clients, who we look at and respect as family. Come out to Hell city and rep your Stay True swag! We look forward to working with you, and I will keep everyone posted on the Stephanie criminal case it moves forward!!

Stay True Por Vida!

Brando

We have lost our skills to survive in nature. We live in a society based on convenience. We have lost instinct and the necessary toughness on how to survive and fend for ourselves. We as Americans think that nothing could happen to us. Think you are different? Turn your power off for a weekend and see how well you do. We have a false sense of security that has been instilled by the very government and media that controls us.

I am a veteran. I have been to war. I have lived all over the world and country and have been through 3 different devastating natural disasters.. In 2000 Little Rock AFB, Arkansas a class 3 tornado. IN 2003 at Andersen AFB, Guam in the SouthPacific a 205 MPH Super Typhoon! This was the gnarliest situation I have ever been through. Complete and total annhialation of the island, several deaths and 5 weeks with no power. In 2004 I was at Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida for 2 hurricanes back to back.

Did you know that less than 7 percent of Americans have proper contigency plans in the case of an emergency? 7 percent. Thats just ugly! The government has issued statements saying that all american families need to have food, water, and medical supplies to last a minimum of 6 months to a year. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT SAVE YOU.

I have been in the aftermath of a disaster, I have been in the final few hours BEFORE a storm has hit. I have waited 6 plus hours in a gas station line for a measly 5 gallons of rationed gas. I have walked through a dark grocery store picked clean with no power and flooding, trying to find a couple bottles of water or cans of spaghettios that people may have missed before me. I have dealt with 3 inches of water in my carpet…which then turned into 6 inches of mold because there was so much humidity and no power  for the next month to clean up the water with.

I am prepared, I have lived it as a single guy. Now I have a family depending on me. We live in the desert, you need to have a large stock of water, thats  where were gonna feel it the worst. You need fuel..I have a generator strong enough to run lights and my fridge. You need to have food…theres tons of stuff out there that keeps for a long time. Rice  and beans are practically free. You want dried stuff, you want cans of food as opposed to packages or pouches. MRE’s are easy and cheap to come by and easy to store with a great shelf life. Batteries, a radio, flashlights. Guns and ammo. Bleach, garbage bags, first aid kit, these are just a few of the supplies you’ll need in large amounts!

Survival is mostly common sense, but also depends largely on confidence. Being unprepared causes panic, which in turn causes mistakes. How can you lead your family and be their foundation if you are terrified. Know what you have, do your research. Youtube is invaluable as a resource as far as how tos go! A great website is Alex Jones’ www.infowars.com excellent source of info! And a glance into whats really going on in our own country.

I have encountered people who think its funny and like to laugh at people with food storage and emergency plans. Thats rediculous, it wasnt all that long ago that food storage was an everyday way of life. The convenience of this society will eventually be its undoing!! It all goes back to a motto I learned when I was a kid and still use to this day…the boy scout motto “Be Prepared”.  This wasnt a blog to freak people out or cause panic..but it’s something I feel very strongly about and if it helps just one person or family get prepared then it did its job!! This will be one of many posts on this topic! Stay tuned or subscribe to my blog.

Think for yourself question authority. Live free or die. WE ARE THE RESISTANCE.

-B

Stay True is that shop, we are covered in art literally from floor to ceiling…from toes to foreheads. Stay True is my home away from home where I can eat breath and live art. What you have always gotten at Stay True and can continue to expect is the best custom tattoo process in the valley. We are the best at what we do bar none. I ‘ll tell you why. Its all collaboration. Its about having an open minded client, and a patient, humble, talented artist. The best tattoo artist in the world is nothing without some skin!! The best tattoo idea is useless, unless you can find an artist you can connect with and have as your guide through this process. Collaboration!

Our artists are trained under me specifically and have years of experience in working with me and knowing what I expect. We take your idea and we guide you through the process, from thumbnail sketches, to the final wipe down of your piece. We bounce ideas back and forth and we help you to take your idea and make it the best possible tattoo. We won’t accept anything less than great…great now and great 30 years from now!! I feel that it’s imperative for my guys and myself to above all things to remain HUMBLE. We are blessed to have the support of our clients, the freedom to explore and push the envelop on each tattoo, and the ability to actually make a good living doing what we love. Buddha said that if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life! It’s amazing and a reality I have the honor of living with.

Rolling into 2011 I have been on a mission to improve the environment in the shop, for my clients and employees alike. We have been continuing to paint and have the shop grow with a lot of remodelling. I have recently designed tons of swag, new stickers and vinyl windshield cutouts, to t shirts and canvas prints. Our clients love Stay True and I think its been important to our shop family to be able to fly our merch and support us!

Our official grand reopening was in May Friday the 13th, and it was amazing. We managed to bust out 135 thirteens! Dropped our new swag and just had an all around great time. If you have never been to Stay True on a Friday the 13th, try and make it out on the next one…you wont be disappointed. Also so far this year I’m 3 conventions in with at least 3 to 4 more on the way!! Dates to be announced!

We have said goodbye to Mark James, my 3rd apprentice…due to a conflict of interest, we were able to move on on good terms. The crew and I wish mark well as he hopefully finds what he’s looking for. I would also like to announce and welcome 2 new guys Rob and Dan. Both talented artists, Im excited to see them grow and evolve as they work with us. As always we have a ton of guest artists, our regulars are Oz from Vegas doin his evil monster stuff, Tony from Hold fast in Prescott rockin out his neo traditional and portraits, Big Lou from Chrome Gypsy in Vegas who is a badass all around artist, and of course Matt Geiogamah, formerly of Club Tattoo who brings an amazing painterly style of soft portraiture into the shop.

So as I’m rounding the corner to turning 30 (July 13th) I feel no regret in my life. I look to the future with excitement! There are great things to come and as a man and shop owner I feel amazing about what I have built and where I am. Stay True is one of the best shops in the state, and I say so proudly with no ego! I have a beautiful family, my art is growing piece by piece, and my crew of guys are talented and have my back! I have seen each grow so much as people and artists. This is our year! We have shot and been interviewed for a ton of magazines already that havent hit the shelves yet! So stay tuned for those announcements as well as shop functions coming up!

To wrap it up man, none of this could be done without the support of our clients. You guys make this dream doable, and from me and my crew we would like to give you our most sincere thank you!! Stay True clients are tough as nails and loyal to a fault and we love you for it!!