Who is BLACOON, who am I?

The story of BLACOON is also my own.

At 16, I was fed up with school. I had already been expelled from high school in 6th grade and barely managed to pass my FOR Q degree at secondary school. (Shout out to the teachers who said I would never amount to anything.)

There I was, just 16 years old, with few options: the military rejected me because my knees were already irreparably damaged from skating, martial arts, and summer jobs in construction.

My future prospects?

An apprenticeship with my father as a tiler or a job in a workshop, where I would forever change oil and repair cars according to instructions. Neither option appealed to me, especially the first due to my knees.

Then, suddenly, an opportunity arose to start a business for US vehicles. I would handle the import, retrofit the vehicles for the German market, and restore them. However, I had to learn the trade of a vehicle mechatronics technician. So, I hired a master who trained me while I worked in the office in the afternoons, building the business and communicating with the USA late into the night.

I specialized in restoring American vehicles and performance enhancements, as well as ECU programming. Over time, I took over the general import of the Diablosport brand and completed various training sessions until I became the only one in Germany who could program ECUs for the brands FORD, DODGE, and CORVETTE without restrictions.

I successfully ran this business until I was 27. In the meantime, I also took over the general import of the Shwood brand from the USA, which still produces handcrafted sunglasses to this day.

But then, a significant family upheaval occurred in my life. This upheaval cost me almost everything: my financial resources, my family, and my health. I had to vacate my newly renovated single-family home and move into a small rental apartment furnished with second-hand furniture from estate clearances. The only thing I was left with from the house was the debts.

A shout out to the good old Beskenstraße in my hometown of Gelsenkirchen – it was a wild time.

BUT FIRST, THE FALL

Looking back, I probably drank way too much and consumed other substances that I won't name and should have avoided. Eventually, I hit rock bottom: a complete breakdown accompanied by panic attacks, apathy, and depression.

It was during this time that I realized: this is probably what the beginning of the end feels like. But I decided not to accept this fate. So, I told myself every day that I had to get my act together, and I began to tackle my issues one by one – with the help of a great talk therapist and a handful of friends.

I started reaching out and called old clients who were entrepreneurs. I was looking for a job – I didn't care what it was, as long as I could get back to work and out of the hole. That’s how I got into the tattoo scene. I had started my first sleeve at 16 – of course, with a huge tribal tattoo, which was in fashion back then, and I thought it looked cool. I was offered the opportunity to take over the tattoo studio “Lebenslänglich” in Essen – an established studio, but without a significant customer base and no tattoo artists.

However, I lacked the financial means to take over the studio. My business partner saw a good investment in me, so we agreed on a 50/50 split of the company shares, with me having complete operational freedom. However, 50% of the buyout was still unaffordable for me, even after I sold some of my used furniture, turned everything I owned into cash, and got whatever I could that had some value. But my brother helped me by lending me the missing amount.

So began my new journey in 2015

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and finally years. Many nights without sleep and 20-hour workdays were not uncommon along this path, and I regret none of them, even though I often felt exhausted. Debts were paid off, my back was against the wall, and business partners were compensated. Today, I still work with my former business partner in other companies.

This was followed by further locations of the brands “Lebenslänglich Tattoo”, “Artfaktors Tattoo”, and “GOAT Studios”, as well as the expansion of licensed companies and the franchise marketing of these brands. In 2020, I took a big step and founded my own brand BLACOON. Alongside the BLACOON Store, an online shop for fashion and tattoo supplies, the BLACOON label emerged, which combines my passion for tattoo culture and fashion. We are now the general importer for brands like EdgePro-Needles from Portugal, El Raña Jewelry from Italy, and Shwood Sunglasses from the USA, which we distribute in ten countries.

Meanwhile, I advise small, emerging startups and help them establish themselves in the business world with my BLACOON Business Consulting (BBC).

In short:

I have worked hard, missed a lot, and achieved much. But none of this would have been possible without my loyal and dedicated friends and employees who support me every day, strengthen me, and have walked every path with me for years. A lot in my life has worked out, many ideas were good, and some things didn't work out. Life is a constant learning process, from which I have gained a lot. In 2023, I had to close my first company, “The Care”, due to a lack of staff.

In the same year, I was then overwhelmed by my longing for something new and original after the long restoration of my 1995 Winnebago Vectra camper – the “BLACOON WAGOON”. I reassessed all my business ventures and found that despite the success and years of hard work, I was not happy.

All those years I had worked so hard to pull myself out of my hole that a certain automaticity had set in. But that wasn't really me – I am Erik, the craftsman, the Ruhrpottler, the tinkerer, the helpful dude next door.

LIFE IS FOR LIVING

I love spending my days in nature, traveling, meeting new interesting things and people, and reinventing myself every day. I need to create things to see in the evening what I have accomplished with my hands during the day. In 2023, my heart finally led me to the beautiful and changeable nature of Norway.

From this time, “BLACOON Retreats” has emerged.

A place for all those who want to escape the wild everyday life and return to nature.

BLACOON?

What kind of word is that, and why?

BLACOON – A word I created from “Black” and “Raccoon.”

A raccoon is probably the most messed-up little creature you can imagine. With its small, nimble paws, it can break into anything that isn't nailed down. Trash cans, windows, doors – nothing is safe from this chaos goblin. It’s a master at rummaging through the most messed-up corners of the city, living there, and turning your entire front yard into a dump. Its eating habits? Totally messed up. It eats everything it finds – whether old, moldy, or straight from the garbage can.

It defies all circumstances and just makes the best of it!

And those eyes! Those innocent, black-rimmed button eyes that look at you while it digs into your trash can with its dirty paws, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. You can almost hear it thinking: “What are you going to do? I’m cute, you can't chase me away.”

But – and here’s the big BUT – somehow, the little bastard is also lovable. It has this cheeky charm that makes you smile, even when it's tearing your living room apart. And honestly, who could ignore that adorable bandit look? Despite all its messed-up traits, there's something irresistible about it. It’s playful, clever, and yeah – in its own messed-up way, pretty loyal to its pack. There's more heart in it than you’d think at first glance.