Brad Cone - Otautahi Tattoo

The turning point in his life came during a visit to WINZ in Hornby, where he went to support a friend as a witness. While there, they checked his records and cut off his benefit. His reaction to the news got him banned from WINZ. He was then sent to ‘Action Work,’ a youth program that made participants actively look for employment. Brad found a job as an à la carte chef at Winnie Bagoes in Queenstown, where he even slept in a wardrobe at the YHA for a while until Queenstown eventually forced him out—literally, they drove him to Cromwell and dropped him off. 

He later applied for a job at the Grand Hotel in Akaroa, touting his ‘experience’ as an à la carte chef. However, his lack of real experience meant he only lasted a week. Brad eventually found work at The Honey Pot Café on Lichfield Street, staying there until a friend asked him to ‘help out’ at a tattoo parlour on High Street. 

In typical Brad fashion, by 2006, he had taken over the business. He loved the tattoo culture—the lifestyle, the look, and the art. The industry was evolving, with tattoos becoming less stigmatized and moving into the mainstream. When we asked how he learned, it was no surprise to hear that most of his skills came from on-the-job experience, meeting the right people who helped him with techniques, and the growing availability of online resources like Google.