When Monika Mitchell was looking for the best tattoo artists and piercers in Toronto to work at Definitive Studios, she knew she had to take a different approach to hiring. Instead of scouting the scene for the best names available, she took a look at up-and-coming artists who were on the cusp of breaking out. After gathering a roster of potential names, she offered to train and apprentice them at her shop.
To others, it may seem like a gamble, but Monika was excited at being able to work with the brightest unknowns in the tattooing and piercing industry. She also knew that this approach would ensure a drastically lower employee turnover. “If you bring in apprentices and you train them, they’re more likely to stay with you long-term,” she explains. “They also don’t just learn overnight. It usually takes an average of two to five years to train somebody.” Some of the tattoo artists at Definitive Studios have been working with Monika since she opened the studio in 2008.
