The Ink Link

An impromptu decision late one night.
A well researched design spanning years of thought.
The memory of a loved one, always close.
A special place that once visited, has a part of your soul.

These are just a few of the many reasons that result in indelible ink being placed below a layer of skin on a human, commonly known as getting a tattoo.

In today’s society, tattoos are more visible and accepted than ever before, yet are still treated with some degree of stigma. Traditional stereotypes endure that anyone with a tattoo must lead a “different” life than the majority of society. The reputation that tattoos have attracted over generations (prison tattoos, navy tattoos … you get the picture) often results in raised eyebrows when someone sporting a bit of ink is spotted.

  • They can’t possibly have a “normal” job
  • How can he be in a position of authority?
  • There is no way she can contribute towards society

The age-old debate of “tattoos in the workplace” is nothing new, and every couple of years sparks up again whether it be on LinkedIn or when a major coffee chain changes its policy. We’re all familiar to some degree with the subject, and more importantly, everybody has their own opinion.

Those of you who know the CN&CO team, know that there are some “tattoos in the workplace” whenever we are around. Behind each tattoo is a story, and you know how we love a unique story.

The Ink Link is a project we’ve created to help share people’s tattoo stories, specifically people in the financial services industry. Let’s face it, there’s a misguided belief in certain quarters that finance and insurance people are grey-shoe nerds with the same boring personality to match. We’d love to showcase as many tattoos and stories as possible to put paid to this perception.

One of the great things about a tattoo is it goes against the commonly-held viewpoint that “what you see is what you get”. So that MD of a successful consulting company, did you know he is inked? That marketing head of an investment company, who happens to be the biggest family man as well? Also inked. And that elegant lady walking down the street with a tattoo sleeve? A highly successful insurance broker. Whether it be a CEO, a claims technician or receptionist, there is more than meets the eye with most people we work with. For that reason, we are looking forward to profiling people in our industries to learn a little more about their fascinating lives.

We’re gathering stories to feature on our blog to give the inked among us somewhere to share their tat-tales with the world. Drop me a line with your stories – rob@carelnolte.com – or send a shout-out to @cnandco (Twitter) with the hashtag #TheInkLink. We’d love to hear from anyone who has a story to tell.