We Came Up Through Apprenticeships — Not Weekend Certifications

Miranda started in a county that required:

• 1,000 apprenticeship hours

• 400 procedures

• Almost 18 months to complete

That’s not a “three day masterclass and you’re certified” pipeline.

That’s time.
That’s reps.
That’s being corrected.
That’s building skill under supervision.
That’s earning confidence the hard way.

And I did the same.

We didn’t jump straight into teaching.
We didn’t start with ring lights and viral reels.
We built foundation first.

There was structure. There was oversight. There were real requirements.

Now?

In many places, you can take a short course and legally start tattooing faces.

That shift alone changed the entire industry.

Back Then: Fewer Artists. Slower Growth. Less Noise.

When Miranda and I first met, this industry was smaller. Tighter. Less saturated.

Education options were limited.
Techniques weren’t trending on TikTok daily.
You weren’t comparing your work to artists across the globe every five minutes.

Marketing wasn’t a full-time job.

You focused on improving your craft. Period.

Now you need:

• Skill

• Branding

• Content

• Positioning

• Systems

• Compliance

• Reputation management

It’s not just about being talented anymore.

It’s about being strategic.

The Standard Shifted

Here’s what I see clearly:

The industry used to reward:

• Apprenticeship depth

• Longevity

• Technical repetition

Now it rewards:

• Visibility

• Speed

• Aesthetic branding

• Confidence on camera

And that’s not necessarily bad.

But it is different.

And pretending it’s not different is where artists get stuck.

Experience Matters — But Adaptability Matters More

Miranda and I have watched waves come and go.

We’ve seen:

• Technique trends rise and fall

• Artists explode and disappear

• Regulations tighten

• Education become a full-blown business model

The artists who last are not just the most talented.

They’re the ones who evolve.

If you started in apprenticeship culture, you were trained to respect depth.
If you started in rapid certification culture, you were trained to move fast.

Neither is automatically wrong.

But if you want longevity? You need both.

The Question Every Artist Should Ask

Are you building like it’s 2016?

Or are you building for 2026?

Because this industry is louder. Faster. More competitive. More visible. More scrutinized.

You can’t operate on nostalgia.

You can’t rely on “I’ve been doing this a long time.”

You have to ask:

• Are my skills sharp?

• Is my structure solid?

• Is my positioning clear?

• Am I building authority or just posting photos?

The Big Takeaway

This episode wasn’t about complaining.

It was about perspective.

It was about recognizing how far the industry has moved — from structured apprenticeship paths requiring 1,000 hours… to fast-track entry models… to influencer-driven education… to global competition.

The PMU industry you started in doesn’t exist anymore.

But that doesn’t mean opportunity is gone.

It means the game changed.

And if you’ve been feeling pressure, confusion, or frustration, maybe it’s not you.

Maybe you’re just trying to play the old version.

If you haven’t listened yet, go tune into this episode of Inspired by Ms Amber Red.

Especially if you’ve been in this industry long enough to remember when 6 month apprenticeships were normal.

This isn’t about fear.

It’s about evolution.

And if there’s one thing I know after 13 years?

The artists who survive are the ones who adjust.