EP# 45: Ink & Soul: Phil Olivera's Tapestry of Tattoos, Compassion, and Second Chances

What makes Phil Olivera with Needle Therapy Tattoo & Body Piercing a good neighbor?

Have you ever considered the deep, rich stories that ink and metal can tell about a person's journey? Phil Olivera, the skilled artisan behind Needle Therapy Tattoo and Body Piercing, joins us to share not just his incredible craft but also the personal tales etched into the very fabric of our being. From the colorful realm of tattoos to the intimate art of body piercings, Phil opens up about the intricate work he's known for, especially when it comes to giving tattoos a second chance at life with his expertise in cover-ups and restorations.

In our heart-to-heart with Phil, he sheds light on how his personal experiences, including supporting his wife through her battle with cancer, have sculpted his approach to his clients—an approach filled with patience, compassion, and an unwavering focus on the individual's story. Needle Therapy isn't your run-of-the-mill tattoo shop; it's a sanctuary where appointments mean more than just a time slot—they're a promise of undivided personal attention, ensuring that every client leaves with not just a piece of art but a fragment of Phil's passion and soul. Strap in for an episode that transcends the stereotypes and reveals the profound connections between life, art, and the resilience of the human spirit.

To learn more about Needle Therapy Tattoo & Body Piercing go to: https://www.facebook.com/NTtattooandBodyPiercing/

Needle Therapy Tattoo & Body Piercing
(413) 277-0451

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Liz Lemon.

Speaker 2: 0:12

Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of some tattoo and body piercing? Surprisingly, it might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor, phil Oliveira, with needle therapy, tattoo and body piercing. How are you today, phil?

Speaker 3: 0:26

I'm doing awesome. How are you doing, Liz?

Speaker 2: 0:29

Great, we're excited to learn all about you and your business. Tell us about needle therapy, tattoo and body piercing.

Speaker 3: 0:35

Well. Needle therapy, tattoo and body piercing is located 41D Main Street, ware, massachusetts, right on Route 9. We've been open for a little over seven years. August 1st will be our eight-year anniversary.

Speaker 2: 0:51

Congratulations.

Speaker 3: 0:52

Thank you.

Speaker 2: 0:53

How did you get into the business?

Speaker 3: 0:55

I come from a line of tattooers. Nobody is still tattooing, but you know I have uncles and brothers and cousins that all tattooeded and I just kind of seen what they were doing and I was like I think I can do that and I got tired of waiting for appointments. So my goal was to just tattoo myself, kind of like a hobby, and I did my very first. I did a two year apprenticeship and then I did my very first skin tattoo and that that was it.

Speaker 2: 1:26

I just couldn't do anything else what are the myths and misconceptions within the tattoo and piercing industry?

Speaker 3: 1:34

well, you know a lot. There's a big stigma around tattooing and piercing. Um, most of it is in a negative light. Um, you know, bikers, gangsters, stuff like that tend to have a lot of tattoos. Um, what people don't see is doctors, lawyers, people like that also have a lot of tattoos. So you know, they don't make you any meaner or, um, anything to that effect. Uh, they will make you cooler.

Speaker 2: 2:05

Outside of work. What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3: 2:16

I hang around with my family, primarily my oldest son, who is my apprentice, and my youngest son and wife, primarily just hang out with my dog. That's what I do for fun.

Speaker 2: 2:23

Let's change gears just for a moment. Can you describe one hardship or life challenges that you rose above and can now say because of it you're in better, stronger? What comes to mind?

Speaker 3: 2:33

Well, my wife had cancer, probably about 20, 25 years ago so, and it's been a long. She's in remission now, but it's been a long stint with that stuff, so that definitely opened my eyes to a whole world of different things. You know, patience is definitely something that taught me and it taught me that. You know, I is definitely something that taught me and it taught me that. You know, I like to be there for people, I like to help people, so that I personally specialize in color tattoos, cover up tattoos and restoration tattoos. For the past five to six years I've been specializing in those.

Speaker 3: 3:15

The reason I started specializing in cover-up tattoos was because it's hard to find a cover-up artist. Most tattoo artists will tell you it's not my work, I don't want to do it, and I have found personally. The reason for this is because it's never taught anywhere, so most cover-up artists are self-taught to do cover-ups, myself included. So I am on a journey to help other tattoo artists learn how to do cover-ups, and I want to. Well, I want to cover up your bad tattoos that you're no longer happy with. Some bad tattoos can hold you back from so much.

Speaker 2: 3:53

Right, what is the one thing that you wish our listeners knew about needle therapy, tattoo and body piercing?

Speaker 3: 3:59

We're not like a normal shop. We operate by appointment only for tattoos. The reason we do this is because we want to give you our undivided attention, as much of our undivided attention as possible, and like, if I'm tattooing somebody and somebody comes in for a consultation, theoretically I would have to stop, lose my attention on my client who I'm tattooing and then go into the consultation. We do not do that. We want you to have 100% of our attention. So we are by appointment only. We do not do any walk-in tattoos.

Speaker 2: 4:39

How can our listeners learn more about needle tattoo and body piercing?

Speaker 3: 4:44

Well, if they check out Needle Therapy, tattoo and Body Piercing on Facebook, I do not currently or we do not currently have a web page or web address. Facebook is the best, or Instagram are the best places to view our work and get in touch with us.

Speaker 2: 5:01

Is there a phone number you'd like to share as well?

Speaker 3: 5:03

Absolutely. 413-277-0451 is the shop number.

Speaker 2: 5:10

That's great. We also want to say thank you to your wife and we're so glad that she's in remission and well, I really want to appreciate your time today and really appreciate you being on the show, and we wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3: 5:25

Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1: 5:28

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnppalmercom. That's gnppalmercom, or call 413-414-5940.