My very first tattoo. It was quite the experience! Nothing about pain, although I would say it was more annoying than painful. It has a bit of a story so I’ll explain.

My brother, David, and I decided to get a tattoo that meant something. The Tree of Life came after a few iterations of ideas and we made a mash up of a few pictures into one. After a week of the artist making our vision into a reality, it came time to check out what this vision really turned out to be.

The artist, Paul, plopped down a sketch of our glorious vision and it was anything but. It was a picture of a tree of life that David sent out as what we’d like the roots to be but the entire tree. We decided to scrap that idea entirely, little fatty birds and all, and get something else.

We want the Y to symbolize our last name, a tree of life and the different directions two brothers can take in life. The quote that the tattoo represents is: “What lies behind us, what lies before us, what lies within us.”

What lies within us is the roots, behind us is one branch and before us the other. I’m pretty happy with it though and look forward to what’s ahead.

Author: Tim Yandel

I'm Tim. I live in Cole Valley, San Francisco with my wife, Julie, and two daughters Addie and Audra. I tend to write a bunch about leading Sales teams, since that's what I've been doing since 2006. I'm particularly drawn to the psychology of selling, whether that be how people buy things or sell things, it's fascinating how decision-making is centered into the core of who you are as a person. I enjoy cultivating a culture centered around mastery of your craft and a genuine passion for winning together. Outside of professional learnings, I enjoy listening to epic sci-fi and fantasy books while I run long distances to decompress and obsessed with watching my two girls grow. For a good ice breaker, ask me about my Golden Retriever and my Bernese Mountain Dog. View all posts by Tim Yandel