Appraisals

Shima 0 comments 23.08.2016

Guest Blogger: Yann Fard

Happy for a moment.

Shima 0 comments 15.08.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to Jesse Rubin who aids residents of the South Bay in reaching their fitness goals as a local trainer.

Rubin, 27, was born and raised in Torrance, CA. Growing up, he was an avid athlete. He says, “From a very early age, I had a love for sports, basketball was something I picked up fairly easily.”

 Growing up, Rubin and his brother always played basketball any chance they had.  Since then, he has always had a love for being active and challenging himself. “There's just this special feeling I get when I am out on the court, playing basketball or training for a big lift that can't really be explained. It's amazing,” he says.

Rubin began training as a personal fitness coach at 24-hour fitness for a year before deciding to train ndependently. He loves how much dedication and discipline it takes to achieve goals as a fitness trainer.

He has always liked to help others, stay active and play sports so he knew he wanted a career where he could combine all. “Even in the tough times, playing sports has always been an outlet for me,” he says. Rubin says that fitness has saved his life and he would like to help others who may be going through similar situations in life and help them come out on top. He says that there is hope and fitness can help one find a sense of meaning and fulfillment.

He loves his job mostly because he is able to help others become stronger, not only mentally but physically as well. The most challenging task for him as a coach is influencing people to believe in themselves. However, he says strength is his training style and it has thus helped him succeed.

For anyone who would like to get in the gym but is afraid of what others may think, Rubin says, “We have all been guilty of caring about the thoughts of others, but it's been something we have been dealing with in all aspects of our lives and should never deter you from becoming a better version of yourself. The only thoughts that matter are your own so make them positive thoughts.”

When he is not being active, which is very rare, he likes to spend time reading or relaxing and watching a good movie. He also enjoys spending time with his family or being out in nature.

To learn more about Rubin and his coaching, please contact him directly via email at [email protected] or follow his fitness workouts on Instagram: Jesse_Rubin

Rubin says his life motto is simply, “Be happy for the moment.”

Thank you, Jesse, for allowing your passion for health and fitness inspire and better the lives of others.

“If you are looking for someone who is going to help grow not only physically but mentally then I’m your guy!”

– Jesse Rubin

Palm Trees & PUMPS

Shima 0 comments 10.08.2016

 Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Ariana Armendariz who has worked her way up as an independent fashion stylist and pays it forward to her community by donating her time to charitable organizations.

Armendariz, 29, was born and raised in Redondo Beach, CA. She attended West High school in Torrance and graduated in 2005. Several years later, she graduated from FIDM in 2007, but got an early start to her styling career during her final year in school when she was hired to work on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds tour.

When she was just 12 years old, her mom took her brother and her to visit the set of the WB series "7th Haven". She says it was on that set where she realized she could become a wardrobe stylist/costumer. “I ended up spending the whole day watching the designer come up with prom looks. It was a warp after that!” she says.

It was then that she decided to start her path in fashion by taking local sewing classes. She went on to study Fashion in high school; and eventually attended The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

The first big tour she was fortunate enough to work on was Justin Timberlake's FUTURESEX/LOVESOUND, and since has worked with artist such as Chris Brown, Usher, and the latest tour she just finished, RIHANNA'S Anti World Tour. In between, she also works on TV, and commercials.

Armendariz and her mom shared a passion for fashion and says was her greatest inspiration in pursuing the field. At 6 years old, she had her first custom made jacket which her mom had made for her with fabric she brought from Italy. “It was my Mom who took me to visit my first set and the same amazing women who took me to my very first Fashion Week in London! She was always dressed to the 9's, I would have to say it was her. And maybe our obsession with Frida Kahlo,” she says.

Her favorite part of her job is making people feel great about how they look. “I feel like I've done a good job when my clients feel confident about their look,” she says. The most challenging part is her desire to please everyone, and the grueling hours they sometimes keep.

She suggests anyone who’s interested in becoming a stylist to work hard and be nice to people. “Breaking into this industry isn't always easy,  if you are a hard worker, kind, and talented you will have a lasting place,” she says.

When she is not busy on tour, she pays it forward by donating her time to events like STAND UP TO CANCER, where every penny being made is going straight to the cause. She also donates clothes and such to local charities.

In five years, she would like to be styling some top artists, possibly in music, working on commercials and being a sought out "Style Wolf!”

Armendariz loves living in the South Bay because of the amazing people. She mostly likes the mellow, easy going people who tend to live in the South Bay. Her job can get quite demanding, coming home to good family and friends makes the commute well worth it. She also says, “Who doesn't love the smell of salt water air when they leave for set at 5am?”

Armendariz continues to work fiercely and says she looks up to her role models including her beautiful Mom, Frida Kahlo and Anna Wintour, of course.

Thank you, Ariana for being an inspiration for many to follow their greatest dreams and passions and still making time to pay it forward, despite your busy schedule!

To learn more about Ariana’s styling, you can refer to her social media sites here:

Www.ArianaArmendariz.com

Instagram: @palmtrees.and.pumps

Twitter: @palmtreesNpumps

Tumblr: @Palmtrees-and-pumps

Facebook: Ariana Armendariz

You can also find her "NIKE LA INFLUENCER" story here:

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/cities/losangeles

 "I think my life motto would be, work hard and be nice to people."

-Ariana Armendariz

Started from the bottom…

Shima 0 comments 08.08.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to Nathan Van Waardenburg, who works extremely hard five days a week at Little Company of Mary Hospital in the surgical Pathology department.

Nathan, 27, who was born and raised in the South Bay. He attended South Torrance High school, before continuing his education at El Camino College. While in college, he began working part-time in the OR (operating room) at Little Company of Mary Hospital as a transporter, taking patients to and from surgery.

This position led to a full time job opportunity where he was tasked with ordering all supplies for their surgery department. When a position opened up in surgical Pathology, where he currently works, he took that as challenge to learn and prefect new things every day.

“I start each day picking up placentas from labor and delivery. I set them up to then be cut into, and examined by the pathologist,” he says. He then assists in at least 1 bone marrow procedure each day. He prepares the slides of the bone marrow for the doctor and prepares the blood and bone to be processed later in the day.

He spends the rest of his time in the "gross room" where the PA cuts in each specimen that is removed in surgery. He is responsible for staining the frozen sections where the surgeon can get a diagnosis while the patient is still on the operating table. He ends his day taking all the cut specimens to be loaded into a processing machine that turns the tissue into paraffin blocks.

His schedule is M-F, 7:00-4 and sometimes later depending on if cases run late. Nathan says, “My job is challenging and it is never the same thing each day. No two patients are the same so each bone marrow, so I need to be 100% focused on taking care of that person.”

Due to this, he says, “We all need to treat each person and each specimen with the same respect or mistakes will be made. It helps that my coworker is my friend, James, who I've known since day 1 of high school so dealing with coworkers is never an issue,” he says.

When Nathan is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his “wonderful wife,” Sasi, who he says is his #1 priority. He says, “My family and sports are my life. I'm lucky to have a great family and a close group of friends. The Dodgers, Kings and Dolphins take up each season of the year for me.”

Nathan’s passion for sports has led him to give back in the past. “Coaching little league was a truly rewarding experience where I was able to not only share my knowledge, but love for baseball. I shared my knowledge of baseball with the kids in hopes that they will continue to follow their passion,” he says.

After living in the South Bay all his life, he says he and his wife couldn't imagine living anywhere else. “Sasi and I can go to a Dodgers or King games Friday night, Disneyland sat and enjoy breakfast on the pier morning. There’s nothing better than that.” He also values having his parents, brother with his wife, and having Sasi’s parents and her sister all being local. “There's nothing that can get me to leave here,” he says.

Five years from now, he says he will happily be celebrating six years of marriage to Sasi. “I see myself at Little Company for many years to come. Sasi and I are excited to start our own family here in the South Bay,” he says.

Thank you, Nathan, for taking great care of patients in the South Bay and making it a priority to be a wonderful husband, son, brother and friend to your loved ones, despite your busy schedule.

“Any advice I would give is, always go for it, don't doubt yourself, and don't be afraid to start at the bottom. The medical field will always be around and there are always jobs to be had. It may not be the exact job you want, but I went from pushing patients to ordering supplies to my perfect fit in Pathology. I never said no to a job and it moved me up the ladder in the company where I've now been there for 6 1/2 years.”

- Nathan Van Waardenburg

Spreading the South Bay love.

Shima 0 comments 02.08.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.
Today’s WCW title belongs to Britney Jazmin West, who is now living in Australia, and was able to raise over $5,000 for the residents of the islands of Fiji after being hit by cyclones, which caused severe damage and left many without homes and necessities for survival.

West, 29, was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from North Torrance High School in 200, she attended El Camino College and then transferred to Cal State Long Beach where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology.

Interestingly, West says, “Although, I have a college education, I find most of my knowledge has been learned through others. Listening to all different types of people’s stories, advice and criticism has furthered my knowledge and opened my mind greatly.”

Last year, West went on little trip to Fiji with no expectations, other than a backpack and good vibes. She never expected the trip to forever change her outlook on life. She had heard about the cyclones that hit the islands a few weeks prior to her arrival but had no idea the caliber of damage it had done.

“The hostel I was staying at had ties with some villages in the center of the island and they were working with other people on holiday to bring aid to these villages that were totally destroyed,” she says. One day while on vacation, she was having a beer watching the sunset and talking with the owner of the resort and she let him know that if they needed anything, she would be willing to help in any way.

He informed her that they were headed on an aid trip the following day and she was welcome to come along. “I woke up with no idea where I was going or what I was going to do, but I know that there were people in need and I wanted to help,” she says.

The following day, they headed on 4-hour journey in the back of the aid truck to the center of the island. “What used to be a beautiful lush forest looked so deserted, not a tree in site. We arrived at the first village and was welcomed with huge smiles and Kava (a local drink brewed from leaves of the Kava plant),” she says.

West could only think of all the things the people had taken from them- which was simply everything. The huts they lived in were all torn to shreds and they were sleeping under tarps or out in the open. The team delivered many different types of aid such as food, medicine, building materials, mosquito repellent, farming utensils, diapers, feminine products, and kid toys.

On the 4-hour ride home, on bumpy dirt roads, West thought about her life and how fortunate she had been to have everything she needed to survive and live a prosperous life. “These loving and selfless people didn’t deserve this, but natural disasters happen all over the world every day,” she says.

She felt the least she could do was help bring awareness and aid to the wonderful people of Fiji. With the help of her friends, family and people of the South Bay, she was able to help raise $5,000 towards the Gofundme.com/fijineedsyourhelp Fund. With this money, the beaches hostel was able to do 3 aid trips each providing 3 tons of aid the 672 people in the villages!

One can learn more by emailing West directly at [email protected] or checking out their GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/fijineedsyourhelp.

As previously mentioned, West has found that she’s gained most of her knowledge through life experiences, so it’s no surprise that in February of 2015, she’d pack her bags and move across the country to Australia.

“I was inspired to move to Australia by the vast natural beauty of the country. I love that the country is as big as the United States but only has 24 million people living here, leaving so much room for exploring and opportunity,” she says.

She says that although it has a similar climate and culture, it is also a world apart. “Australia is a very homogenous country so it’s very different coming from Los Angeles where authentic food and different cultures are everywhere. I really took for granted living in a city where most people speak a second language and you can get authentic food from other countries within a 15 min drive from your house,” she says. West says it has been a challenge and made her appreciate the wonderful people of the South Bay and the community that she was lucky enough to be brought up in.

One of West’s greatest hobbies is traveling and she is currently trying to visit as many national parks as possible, but feels it seems to be endless. “There are about 20 different national parks just within an hour or two from where I’m living. I have been going on at least one hike a week but still have a lot more exploring to do,” she says.

West has found that although Australia is a very wealthy country with great social benefits such as Free health care, 6 weeks paid vacation, 1 year paid maternity leave and retirement that is paid by your employer- it still has similar issues that Americans face in the states.

Her friend Claire started a Charity called, “Treats on the Streets,” which delivers treats to homeless people around Melbourne to bring a smile to their face. She pays it forward by trying to donate to the charity as much as possible.

West misses many things about living in SoCal, including her friends and family, football Sunday’s, inexpensive beer, food, and Dodger games. She misses the music culture in Los Angeles as well. “If there is a band you want to see, they will almost 100% touring somewhere in L.A. Not that many bands make the trek over to Australia so live shows are far and few between,” she says.

When asked where she sees herself in five years, she says, “I’ve always lived my life with no plan what so ever, so in the next 5 years I will probably be making plans just to break them. I wouldn’t mind living in Queenstown, New Zealand for a bit.”

Thank you, Britney, for spreading the SoCal compassion, love and kindness in your heart to the residents of Fiji and reminding us it’s ok to live day to day.

"I've never been a person that follows a particular motto and I would absolutely hate googling life motto's and getting generic motto's. So, I will leave you with not a motto, but advice. I advice everyone to radiate love, happiness and respect you will attract just that! If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life."

- Britney Jazmin West

Back to school tips.

Shima 0 comments 02.08.2016

It’s almost that time of year again…

  Back to school that is.

The transition from summer break to returning to school can be tough, especially for kids.

Here are some fun, simple ways you can help you loved ones get back into the rhythm of a schedule:

1. Make go-to snacks available in the fridge.

2. Make a DROP-OFF center where kids can easily find and access their backpacks, shoes and coats. This makes for an effortless morning.

3. Make lunches exciting and colorful– add a positive note. This will give them something to look forward to all day.

4. Set up a homework workstation where they have all the supplies they need such as pencils and paper.

5. Have a delicious, healthy snack waiting for them at home such as apples and peanut butter.

6. Give them a “break” when they arrive home to decompress for 30 min. before completing their homework

“With just a few weeks before summer ends, help your child prepare for the upcoming school year by slowly reiterating a

routine or sleep schedule.

Although they may fuss or fight, it will make for a more successful school year!

Riding the Wave.

Shima 0 comments 31.07.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to Alex Wisdom Gray, who is a pro surfer and spends any free time donating his time with charitable organizations and speaking to the youth about following their passions.

Gray, 30, was born and raised in Torrance, CA. When he was just 10 years old, his brother and role model, Chris, took him surfing and he has surfed since. He says after that first wave, he never wanted to do anything else and to make a career out of it was his immediate dream.

A few years later, at just 12 years old, he was approached by Volcom and Body Glove to represent their brands and get paid to do so. He has now been in partnership with both for 18 years! Gray enjoys surfing mostly because it allows him to live in the moment.

He suggests that if anyone would like to get into surfing, to have much fun as possible by going with someone who is an experienced surfer and is willing to help.

A typical day for Gray consists of surfing once or twice, taking a yoga class and visiting the gym. In 10 years, he hopes to continue living what he defined as “the current dream I have now.” He enjoys yoga because it is great for the mind, balance and body. “Perfect for surfing and my ongoing relationship with the ocean,” he says.

Surfing has opened doors for Gray to meet new people, without even speaking a word. “Surfing has a common bond which is the enjoyment of Mother Nature. With that said, I can go surf with people who don’t speak the same language and we can bond perfectly over a mutual respect for surfing,” he says.

When Gray is not surfing, he participates in the Jimmy Miller Foundation and also speaks to children at schools. His speeches typically focus on following your passion, listening to your heart, choosing the path less chosen, substance abuse, and most of all, to have fun.

His role and duties in organizations such as the Jimmy Miller Foundation include being present at events, directing others in the appropriate way as an ambassador, and being hands on.

Gray loves the South Bay mostly for the local, tight knit community and says that he values that everyone supports and looks after one another.

Thank you, Alex, for using your passions and love of surfing to inspire others to strive to follow theirs!

“My advice is to go for it and let your ego go. Learning something new is a great gift we can give ourselves.”

-Alex Gray

For the love of music.

Shima 0 comments 24.07.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to  Diego Rodriguez, who has followed his passion from a young child of owning his own turntable to becoming one of the South Bay’s most beloved DJ’s and has residency at many of the local clubs.

Diego, 26, grew up in Redondo Beach and now resides in South Torrance. In 2008, he graduated from South High school.

He remembers at just 13 years old, going to guitar center in Redondo Beach with some friends and bought several guitar picks for his friend. While there, he heard “strange sounds” that caught his attention. “It was a sound I never heard of and I had to go see what was making those sounds,” he says.

They were hosting a “DJ competition" and he says he simply, “Fell in love with it.” He knew he had to get himself a turntable.  Later that week, his mom and dad told him that they were moving and he was stubborn because he didn’t want to leave his friends and go to a new school in Torrance.

He told his mom the only way he’d accept it is if she bought him some turntables and she did! Throughout his 8th-10th grade years, he’d pass the time practicing in his bedroom. “I was always the class clown and getting into some type of trouble,” he says.

 Around 10th-11th grade, he began to discover himself and realized how much he loved music, entertaining people and bringing people together. His first gig was at a backyard party in West Torrance for several West High seniors. “I was really nervous because this could make me or break me since I was just a sophomore,” he says.

Within 30 mins into his set, he looked up and saw so many people enjoying themselves and having a blast. “Crazy what music can do and that’s when I realized I want to do this for a long time,” he says.

He continued to perform for many house parties in high school starting from 2005. His first official gig was in 2007 at Ra Sushi in the Del Amo mall then later that year a promoter from Hollywood heard of him and gave him a chance to prove himself at one of the biggest clubs in Hollywood, named Arena. The club fits 1,500 people and he was only 17 years old and that’s when he broke into the club scene in Hollywood.

Growing up, he looked up to several DJ’s including DJ Atrak , DJ Echo , DJ Enrie , Eric d lux , and what he calls, “The under the table crew.”  Later in his career, he actually became friends with his idols and had the honor to open up for them.

A typical day for Diego is Mon-Wed, where he does free-lance graphic designs for different clients, practices, searches for new music and catches up with old friends and shows. He now has residencies at Sharkeez Hermosa, American Junkie , Ocean bar and the Deck in Hermosa Beach every week.

He says the best part of his job is the people he meets, the places djing has taken him and also making a living on something he loves to do. The most challenging thing about his job is trying to make everyone happy. “I’m a versatile DJ and I love playing everything and don’t just stick to one genre and I think that’s why I’ve been so successful,” he says.

For anyone interested in considering a career in the field, he says, “Match your own musical expression with the desires of a given audience. It’s not just matching beats, or scratching over songs. It’s about being observant, empathic, and reactive. He has found that it isn’t difficult to get started, but it is difficult to stand out, and to be exceptional.

Some of the best moments of his DJ career so far has been opening up for Pitbull,  Ray Jay,112, Bob Saget, e40, and  Lil Jon. He also enjoyed djing at Lake Havasu for 6,000 college students and opening up for Steve Aoiki, Jauz, Piece Tready and Hardwell. In addition, he also opened up for Justin Bieber and became friends with him through it.

When he is not entertaining the night scene, he pays it forward by helping at the Teen Center in Redondo Beach by djing for the middle school dancers and each year in October, he volunteers for the Redondo Beach Police Department Annual Community Safety Fair and Police Department Open House. He says he loves to be a part of the event.

He loves the South Bay mostly for its beaches, diverse people, food and the great community. “It’s a hidden gem,” he says.
Learn more about DJ Black Sheep by contacting him directly or following him here:

             Email: [email protected]

                    Instagram: @djblacksheep_

                      Snapchat: @djblacksh33p

Thank you, Diego, for bringing so much joy and memories for the members of the South Bay community and for remaining so humble and continuing to pay it forward despite your busy schedule.

A comfortable place to shed the weight.

Shima 0 comments 20.07.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Stephanie Sola, who alongside her husband own  South Bay Trainer.

Sola, 26, grew up in Seal Beach and is currently residing in Lawndale. Five years ago, Sola’s husband, Josh, opened a private gym called, “South Bay Trainer.” The gym offers affordable personal training by some of the most experienced trainers in the South Bay.

“What we discovered is that it isn't necessary to charge people $75-$150 an hour for personal training.  We charge instead $15-$25 an hour and offer a friendly community atmosphere, at any given hour you will see all shapes, sizes, goals and walks of life training with us,” she says. The entire team focuses to keep the client's needs at heart, by not canceling on people or bullying them, instead, there help anyone get healthy!

Sola’s role at the gym is basically, “Everything but train.” Prior to joining her husband at the gym full time, she was a private bookkeeper. Today, she does a lot of different things at the gym, including everything finance and employee related. “My favorite job though is that I do almost all of our initial consultations, so in a lot of ways I become the first friendly face any new client sees, I love to learn more about different people, goals, backgrounds careers and family life,” she says. She feels that it also brings most clients comfort to see that there is someone there who isn't a 'Trainer' who they can ask questions too as well.

Thus far, the most rewarding part of her job has been seeing her husband Josh more! She says they went from seeing each other for 4 hours a day (when working separately) to over 12 hours a day. She realizes that most couples cannot say the same, so she feels very grateful. She also appreciates that she has over 250+ clients she socializes with.

Like many family owned businesses, Sola has two jobs.  She is the one who cooks, shops and keeps the house clean, in addition to working.  She says her day is usually centered around any new client consultations she may have, if it is a light day where she only has one or two, she might take that morning or evening to leave the gym early to cook, go to Costco or the grocery store, spend some time with their dog, etc.

If it is a day where she has 7-8 consultations, she is usually in from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. doing her regular tasks in-between. “The one constant is that during our lunch break my Husband and I go work out, and we actually workout at a different gym than our own.  It’s nice to have a break, but even we need to get our workout on,” she says.

It’s no surprise the Sola’s have invested much time and passion in their business, and it shows! They have been awarded “South Bay's Best” seven different times in different fitness and health categories over the years. IN addition, they have expanded twice as well.

Despite the praise and accomplishments, Sola says she tends to prefer the smaller things. “We work hard so our clients have a good, comfortable place to go and whenever someone meets their health goals or tells me how happy they are that they found us it makes me feel great, like all of our hard work has paid off,” she says.  She also admires all four of their employees.

One of their trainers is currently working on buying his first house for his family of four, another one who moved out on her own for the first time, and all of them have been able to open their first retirement accounts. “Being able to give people the ability to accomplish their dreams and enjoy their job is probably my favorite of all,” she says.

South Bay Trainer just hit their five-year anniversary of business on Monday, so it’s difficult to imagine where they see themselves in the next five years. She says. “I don't think we will expand again, but maybe we will open another location sometime, I think we will do really well in south Orange County.”

Outside of the gym, Josh and Sola are looking to adopt their first child in the coming years, and when that happens, they may finally move down to just working 8 hours a day, but for now they continue with 12 so they can keep learning and improving.

When Sola is not working, her husband and her make a point to be very active in the South Bay public schools. They have sponsored a lot of teams from PV High, South High and Redondo Union. “We think that all young people should learn to be comfortable in a fitness environment whether they play sports or not,” she says. In addition, they run several free events a year so that clients have the opportunity to get their clients and friends into fitness as well.

For anyone intimidated by a gym, Sola says, “No one wants to feel like they aren't good enough, and it’s important to remember that all of us have different strengths and weaknesses.” She has found that the most difficult step is just walking through the doors and getting through the first few workouts and incorporating nutrition.  With all the information that is floating around everywhere, she says that one thing is true, working out has never made anyone worse than they were before, only better.

Initially, Sola missed living in Orange County for a while, but now that she has been here for 6 years, she realizes that it is really nice to have so much within a 20 minute distance- the beach, amazing food, hikes, and endless activities.  “But honestly, the food is the best, I love that I can try a different restaurant every week and still have so many options,” she says.

Thank you, Sola, for remaining so humble and welcoming to locals at South Bay Trainer and making time to give back to the members of the community despite your long hours.

To learn more about South Bay Trainer, please visit their location in South Torrance, at 3865 PCH (NE corner of Ocean and PCH)

and their website:

SouthBayTrainer.com

Connecting through Tattooing

Shima 0 comments 11.07.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to Edward Davila, also known as PonchoTheArtist, who uses his love of tattooing as a way to connect with his clients and bring positive energy back into their lives by allowing them to express feelings through art.

Edward, 27, grew up in Torrance, CA and currently resides in located L.A. At a young age of 20, he began tattooing and says he has stuck with it since. “I never thought I'd be tattooing, but got motivated to start by my friends so I got a starter kit and ran with it,” he says.

He fell in love with everything about tattooing, from the art to his clients’ satisfaction and being able to make them happy. He says that no matter what situation brings his clients in, whether it is a tattoo inspired by a memory or a lost, he values that he can help give positive vibes/energy back into their lives.

He opened his own private studio in 2014, which was one his biggest steps. After gaining trust in his clients, his days run smoothly. In between breaks, he paints, practices body paint and other passions. However, he says, “Art is my drug; my tattoo leather brand is my focus right now beside my daily tattoo routine.”

His Tattoo Leather brand was inspired after visiting magic and agenda trade shows in Vegas for the past few years. After returning home, he knew he could create something true to himself and original. With his new idea of tattoo and fashion, he created his signature tattoo leather ponchos. He has also began displaying other new creative mediums like shoes, shirts, hats and more to come. He says, “I truly believe this is going to be a new wave to fashion and art.”

His goal is to keep the custom touch to tattoo leather products and continue expanding his brand. He wants to open store fronts to display the fashion and art. Inspired by his clients, he wants it to help give an outlet for people to show their love, passion or motivation for a life time.

When he is not creating tattoos, art or ponchos, he enjoys spending time with friends and family. He also seeks to relax and clear his mind the best way he can. He Take time to myself to reflect and try to improve myself. Traveling is a big part in my life right now.

He hopes to have his brand, artismydrug, one day have a facility where people can come in and create their form of art, whether it is from music, fashion etc. He imagines a Tattoo- leather store front and eventually more mediums he has in mind included in it.  He seeks to have his art and tattoos in high demand and respected by many.

He loves the South Bay mostly for the fact that the community is tight-knit. “I love the fact that we stay close together, and having friends around you that actually grew up with you.,” he says.

Thank you, Edward, for using your passions to reach others on a deeper level and for seeking to bring out the artistic side in everyone.

 Learn more about Edward and his passions on his social medias sites here:

Instagram: @ponchotheartist

Website: www.ponchotheartist.com

“I just want people to know I'm all about positive energy and vibes.”

-Edward Davila