Redefine Success

Community Builders - December 6, 2023

MISSY HOCH

By Sara Walters |  Winter 2023-34 Inspire(d)

For many years, tattooing was synonymous with masculinity. Tattoos were often associated with the military or prison, and tattoo shops were run by men. But in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Missy Hoch is evening out the industry with her brand of female energy as the owner and operator of Gold Heart Tattoo, a tattoo shop on the city’s northside.  

Gold Heart Tattoo moved to its new location – just down the block from its original space – in the summer of 2023. Owner Missy Hoch’s artwork now adorns the exterior walls. / Photo courtesy Missy Hoch

When Missy was growing up on her family’s apple orchard outside of La Crescent, Minnesota, her exposure to tattoos was mostly through those adorning Hoch Orchard’s seasonal employees. “We had a lot of people working there from all walks of life,” she says, which meant a variety of tattoos and styles. Her interest in the artform only grew from there, and she got her first tattoo on her 18th birthday. She hasn’t stopped since, “I don’t think I’ve gone longer than six months without getting a tattoo.” 

Read the full article published in Inspired