How My Tattoos Have Impacted My Career

Welcome to Gratitude Driven, a weekly newsletter where I share practical ideas and insights across personal growth, professional development, and the world of AI and data science.

In This Newsletter

• How My Tattoos Have Impacted My Career

• What’s the Difference Between AI Engineering and M …

How My Tattoos Have Impacted My Career

When I was growing up in the 1990s, it was still the era where having tattoos was bad news if you wanted to get a “good” job. Even in 2008-10 when I was working my first retail jobs, I had to hide my piercings every day before work.

Maybe I’m dumb (or just stubborn), but this did not deter me at all. I started getting tattoos as soon as I could, and I tattooed my head when I was 26 (bye-bye working in law or finance). Technically that could still be covered if I grew out my hair, but since then I’ve surgically removed my upper ear cartilage, tattooed my knuckles and hands, and I’m writing this right after starting my chest piece.

So, how has this impacted my career?

You’ve probably guessed from my career trajectory that no, having tattoos is not an issue working in tech. It’s never even come up in an interview or at work. I imagine subconsciously some people think it’s cool, and some people judge me, so it probably shakes out to neutral.

But that’s honestly such a tiny part of how my tattoos have impacted my career growth.

It’s actually a lot deeper for me than you might expect. I have learned so much from spending literally hundreds of hours in pain (anyone who says tattoos don’t hurt is a liar).

Learning to sit with discomfort for hours on end, pushing through my limits, and continuing to choose something painful for a larger goal has legitimately made me stronger in other areas of my life.

It has taught me how to calm my mind, and that I am stronger than I think.

These are skills I draw on when I’m in tough periods at work, or in my personal life. I am able to calm my body, assess whether the discomfort I’m experiencing is actually dangerous (it usually isn’t), and be able to reassure myself that I’m tough enough for whatever is going on.

It has given me confidence that I know who I am, and I’m not afraid of showing that to the world. It makes me feel like I am actively shaping my life and how I want to show up in the world, not just passively living.

A common theme among high achievers is their ability to withstand discomfort. But it's not your capacity for pain that matters; It's your relationship to that pain. What does it mean to you? How can it help you grow?

What’s the Difference Between AI Engineering and Machine Learning Engineering?

In this week’s video I’m answering a super common question: What even is the difference between AI Engineering and ML Engineering?

Btw, this video went live for channel members nearly a week ago! If you want to get access to videos before they’re released, you can join my YouTube channel membership for just $3.99 a month.

And as usual, the blog version is here.

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