Meet Lauren Gonzales | Body Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Gonzales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, how do you think about risk?
Risk can be a scary thing, but it can also bring you new experiences and joy that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. I carry the mindset that risk wouldn’t present itself on your path if the universe wasn’t going to use it to teach you something. For me, risk appeared as a new side business that ended up becoming my main business.

In 2022, I was craving a creative outlet that fell outside of my career. Being in a creative field, I was in a spot where I was going through the motions, and knew it was time for me to shake things up with a new skill. Unbeknownst to me, I would find this new skill in the most unlikely place, a piercing shop!

By January of 2023, I was evaluating the idea of closing the design firm I had built up, and jumping in full force to the piercing industry. The risk of closing a business I had worked for years to build in order to start a business in an industry I had no prior introduction to, shook me to my core. In the beginning I tried to deny my intuition, often asking myself “why do I feel so pulled away from a career I have dedicated so much of my time to?”

Ultimately taking this risk has worked in my favor, revitalizing my creative energy and giving me the time back that I had been missing with my family.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Modern Poke is a piercing and fineline tattoo studio located in Gilbert, Arizona. We specialize in ear curations featuring piercings and tiny ear tattoos. Clients trusting us with their bodies have the desire to wear beautiful and high quality jewelry that stays looking great everyday and won’t upset their skin.

The thing that we hear from clients most often that sets us apart is the experience we provide during their service. We are located in the cutest beauty studio, so immediately upon walking in the door clients are greeted with a friendly space. During the service we explain everything we are doing, how we are planning to perform the service, and fully answer any questions regarding their service or aftercare. Each client is also asked to come in after 6 weeks to do a follow up, which gives them additional time, face to face with their provider, to ask questions or troubleshoot concerns.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting Gilbert, AZ, I’d take them to see all of the fun places around town! Coffee: Casita Coffee food truck, Liberty Market, Peixoto
Eats: Joes BBQ, Fire & Brimstone, Garage East, The Farmhouse (ordering pancakes here is the law)
Drinks: Sotol, White Rabbit, 12 West
Get some work done: Thrive Coworking for Women
Shopping: Gilbert Farmer’s Market(local eats), Sophie May Boutique(local women’s clothing)
Sights: 4 Silos on Higley rd, Water Tower in downtown

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person who I believe deserves the most recognition in my story is my husband, Mark. Now I don’t want to sound cliche, “my husband is the best, blah, blah, blah” and bore anyone. My husband and I have our differences, like every marriage, but one thing we keep at the center of our relationship is the loyalty we have for each other and the family we have built. In our vows to each other, we promised to love each other and challenge each other, and I am lucky to have him to do both for life.

My fellow Capricorn husband is my greatest challenge, and best supporter. He pushes me to do better, and be better, every single day. The guy knows my brain better than anyone and can call out my moves faster than I’d like him to. Though he and I are very similar in the aspect of achieving, challenging each other, and our unwavering loyalty to our passions, we are opposite in the way we approach many situations. While I am more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type, he is the safe, conservative arm in the relationship. For every wild idea I have, he is right there with me, running numbers and helping me evaluate the impact my decisions will have on our family.

He deserves the recognition for being the spouse of a serial entrepreneur, a role that comes with many unknowns. Supporting an entrepreneur through the good times, fraudulent scams, and months in the red is no easy task. We have done happy dances together and he has listened to me cry over very silly details in my business. Shoutout to my husband for being the foundation my beautiful life is built on.

Website: https://modern-poke.weebly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modern.poke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modern.poke/

Other: https://www.nanibeautyaz.com/

Image Credits
FemForce Phoenix