GREAT FALLS — Chad Taylor is graphic designer, and recently had been working as a designer for Benefis Health System - but he is now forging a new path by opening Digital Karma at 410 Central Avenue in downtown Great Falls. The business opened in late July, and they plan to host a grand opening on August 20.
“I clearly believe in karma, that’s why I named my company Digital Karma,” said Taylor. “What comes around goes around and life will be good to you. That's kind of the mantra I like to live.”
He explained, “Finally, I was afforded the opportunity to branch out do tattooing which is something I wanted to do for 20 years,” said Taylor. “Then I just kind of put my foot on the gas and went at it.”
As for the location: “It’s a secure building so I don’t have some of the walk-in stuff, maybe not as desirable, you know the street-level stuff,” said Taylor.
For Taylor, the location brings him full circle. “I worked in this building out of high school, so probably 1998 or 99. I worked for a dispatch call center here dispatching tow trucks. It was a lot different, then it just happened to be available. We actually did the gal across the street's logo and her vinyl graphics through my sign shop. I saw the space and pursued it and said wow this is a great place for a tattoo shop.”
Chad calls his studio an approachable upscale, family-friendly shop.
“People want that. I’ve been told by a ton of people they want that in Great Falls, something different,” said Taylor. “Nothing against any of the other shops, I was tattooed by probably most of the shops in Great Falls over my lifetime so I have much respect for them. But they want something a little different and that’s what I want to provide.”
While he’s new at applying ink to skin, he thinks his long-time free-lance design background serves him well. “That gives me a background to do things a little different than a lot of traditional tattoo studios because I can use my design background to digitally design the tattoos and come up with some neater things,” said Taylor.
Right now, Chad is the only artist on board. He hopes to add more, including the possibility of a traveling artist. With two business partners he continues to run a successful sign business called CMC Signs.
“I also do a lot of community work and the police department through my sign shop. That’s been a big push. We do vehicle graphics and decals for the Sheriff’s office and things like that.”
He thinks his prices are comparable, maybe even a little cheaper since he’s new to the tattoo game.
So far, he has no regrets about the new venture.
“It’s kind of a scary thing to not have things completely known when you jump into something like opening your own business and pushing it,” said Taylor. “But it also is kind of liberating where you can set your own hours, do your own marketing and make sure that you sell yourself the best you can, really put yourself out there and make a name for yourself and your family.”
Digital Karma is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 8:00 p.m. For more information, call 406-315-2996, or click here to visit the Facebook page.
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