The Secret to Surviving the Tattoo Industry | Nixx and Sabina Kelley

Tattoo shop owners who treat their business like a lifestyle are losing clients to whoever learns the next trend first. In this episode of Support Your Local Tattooer, host Austin Spencer sits down with Nixx and Sabina Kelley, husband and wife entrepreneurs, creatives, and co-owners of Smiles and Cries in Las Vegas, for an unfiltered conversation about financial discipline, identity branding, and surviving major industry shifts. Nixx, a 26-year veteran who built Australia's lowrider tattoo scene before starting from scratch in Vegas, shares the painful reality of watching his color clientele vanish overnight when the black and gray trend took over, and how versatility saved his career. Together with Sabina, whose 24-year modeling career includes defying industry blacklists and sitting as a permanent judge on TV's Best Ink, they break down what it really takes to run a successful modern studio. They dive into the brutal 12-month real estate search to open their shop, the development of their locals-first brand City of Sin, why you must protect your pricing as brand integrity, and why passion alone is simply not a business. Connect with Nixx and Sabina: Nixx's Instagram:   / nixx_snc   Sabina's Instagram:   / sabinakelley   Smiles N Cries Tattoo Instagram:   / smilesncriestattoo   Website: https://smilesncriestattoo.com/ Thanks for tuning in to Support Your Local Tattooer, the tattoo podcast for artists, collectors, and anyone who cares about tattoo culture. Hosted by Austin Spencer, each episode features honest conversations with tattooers, shop owners, and industry voices on tattoo history, apprenticeship, shop life, creative growth, tattoo business, and the real stories shaping tattoo culture today. 🌐 Learn more about Support Your Local Tattooer: https://itl.ink/SYLTShop 🛒 Check out Maverick Tattoo Mercantile: https://itl.ink/mavericktattoosupplies 📲 Follow Support Your Local Tattooer: Instagram: https://itl.ink/SYLTInstagram YouTube: https://itl.ink/SYLTYouTube Facebook: https://itl.ink/SYLTFacebook 📲 Connect with Austin Spencer: LinkedIn: https://itl.ink/austinlinkedin 🔥 Follow Maverick Tattoo Mercantile: Instagram: https://itl.ink/maverickInstagram 🎙️ New episodes drop on the first Sunday of every month at 6:00 AM (GMT-8) on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Produced by APodcastGeek https://itl.ink/APodcastGeek #TattooBusiness #LasVegasTattoo #TattooShopOwner #LocalBrandBuilding #SupportYourLocalTattooer