Meet Manuel Cruz, owner of the tattoo parlor franchise- 10K Foxes, now with locations in LA, NYC, and other cities across the U.S. As an artist, Manuel has turned personal disadvantages into some beneficial and despite those social and economic factors, he continued drawing and tattooing for the past 20 years while constantly building on new projects Now with his franchise, he oversees all logistical operations of the company and helps consult other high profile studios.
Manuel started drawing at an early age as a hobby and later learned how to transfer his illustrations from paper to skin. My career-wise- it cemented his interest in the business side of tattooing which allowed him to develop his plan and code of conduct for his business.
Since 2001, Manuel has never stopped pursuing innovation in the tattoo industry. Despite the risky behaviors taken, Manuel during the early years of his tattoo career took advantage of opportunities right before his eyes. He had the opportunity to travel outside his home country of Spain and visit different cities across the world. While in the US, he noticed how easy it was to build a business as an artist.
Despite all the self-doubt and challenges faced throughout his journey and with the help of his peers, Manuel finally opened 10k Foxes in 2016. Since then he has been networking nonstop with other talented artists that enrich his imagination and the drive to reach higher goals.
Also thanks to his artistic background in drawing and muralism, Manuel expanded other fields such as music and excelled in private business operations. By branching out to other fields he became co-owner for a management software company that facilitates and organizes the payments, calendar, deposits, credit payment as well as medical insurance, bookkeeping, and payroll for tattoo studios.
With this success, Manuel is currently integrating the world of cryptocurrency into tattooing- something that hasn’t been implemented before. His company 10k Foxes is launching an NFT platform to showcase their artist’s work where they are given the space to create unique pieces of art and sell them to collectors with the support of the company. Thanks to Manuel and his company, it encourages their artists to participate in other art forms and get a foothold in the overarching booming digital marketplace. On top of that, he is developing a cryptocurrency that will also be encouraged in their shops as a form of payment.
To find out more about 10k Foxes check out their website and follow his studios on Instagram @10kfoxes