Cam Houser

I was halfway through one of my talks on AI and customer acquisition in Guadalajara when I locked eyes with the most unforgettable person in the room: a guy with full-face tattoos. What came next was a reminder of how entrepreneurs—even those working around NSFW topics—are subject to the same rules of growth and marketing.

Later that evening, over dinner with some of the program participants, I got to talk to him. His name was Martine, and he owned a tattoo shop. “I need help getting more customers,” he told me.

I started with the usual: “How do people find you now?”

“Mostly word of mouth,” he said.

That’s pretty standard. But I wanted to know what made him different. “Okay, so what makes you stand out?”

“We’re really fast,” he replied.

I nodded. Speed’s great, but fast tattoos aren’t going to be the differencemaker. So I asked again, “What else? What makes you you?”

“Well,” he said, “we do implants.”

That caught my attention. “Implants? What kind?”

Martine rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms, where three raised silicone ridges stretched under the skin, like something out of a sci-fi movie. “They’re harmless. People can get them anywhere.”

This was it—something different. “What if you focused your marketing around the implants?” I asked. “That’s distinctive. It sets you apart.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I do implants, but I mostly do tattoos.”

“Sure, but lots of people do tattoos. Not everyone does implants. Especially not like that,” I said, pointing to the ridges under his skin. “And it’s not like you have to stop doing tattoos.”

Then Martine dropped another bomb. “Well, implants can go in other places too.” He made a quick gesture toward his crotch.

Now, implants in personal areas will draw a specific type of attention—it’s a bit risqué—but this is a guy with a full face tattoo. He’s clearly comfortable with being noticed.

And just because we’re talking about a provocative idea doesn’t mean business principles don’t apply. “Ok. Now we’re getting into some branding where you can really stand out.”

A Heuristic: The Cocktail Party Test

I introduced him to the cocktail party test.

Imagine you’re at a party, chatting with someone. Later, they’re asked, “What does that guy do?” If they answer, “He’s a tattoo artist,” the conversation ends there. But if they say, “That guy does implants—some in very personal areas,” well, now you’ve got people’s attention.

Martine realized that emphasizing implants could be the key to standing out. He left with a plan to shift his branding to highlight that uniqueness.

The Takeaway

Martine’s story is a reminder of the expert’s curse—when you’re so close to your own work that it starts to feel ordinary, even though it might be extraordinary to others.

For Martine, it was implants. For you, it could be something you take for granted in your business.

Find the one thing in your business that’s unforgettable—the part that makes people lean in and say, “Wait, tell me more.” That’s where your edge lies.

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