Meet Joe Michael Ramirez | Owner & Operator of Blazer Tag

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Michael Ramirez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe Michael, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Passion was the driving force behind owning my own business. I started my first job here at Blazer Tag in Austin Texas at age 16. What started out as wanting to earn money to buy my younger sibling school supplies lead to where we are at now. To help build and mold a company for 22 years was a blessing. I ran the company like it was mine but it truly wasn’t mine. The original owner wasn’t here much on a day to day basis so this held the brand back from it’s potential. With this in mind I wanted to buy the company so I can take it to the next level. So I had the unique opportunity to acquire ownership of Blazer Tag and since then we have done tremendous things for our brand. Ultimately I was capped on my growth and if I couldn’t grow then the people under me wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow as well. This move was for my family and my team.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Blazer tag is located in Austin Texas where we’ve been in business for 25 years. We are the BIGGEST laser tag arena in Texas and we are the only arcade in Texas that still uses tickets and tokens. I’m excited to take Blazer Tag to the next level. I would like to add to the current site and hopefully we can open up other sites as well. To get where we are at now it definitely had it’s challenges. How we overcame our obstacles was by adapting to change. We listened to our guests whether it was feedback or simply what the demand was. We are a mom and pop shop so we don’t have the luxury of deep pockets like a lot of our corporate competitors. What sets us a part from them is that we truly care about our guest and we give great customer service. I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons in my journey. The main one that has helped me a lot is not being afraid to fail. Don’t be scared to push the limits and never settle for less. When you reach the top make sure you take care of the people who helped you get there, especially if they believe in you. I always tell people that I can do things quickly on my own but if I want to go far I will take my team with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some great places to check out would be zilker park if they were into outside activities. You can go swimming there and really enjoy the environment. After swimming you can head down the street to Sandy’s. This place is a major staple of Austin. Their hamburgers are great and so is their root beer floats. Of course I would recommend them coming to my spot at Blazer Tag. If they wanted to enjoy the night life I would recommend any bar with live music which there is plenty to choose from here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First shout out goes to my wife Savannah and my kids Kaye Marie and Joe. Without them I’d probably wouldn’t have the same motivation and drive to push myself to higher grounds. I owe everything to them. They are my reasons. Second, my mom and dad. They sacrificed so much for our family. They showed us what hard work can do for you. My grandma and grandpa Ramirez and Morales. Their old school ways taught me a lot about loyalty and to not give up. Jackie, Kay, and Thomas, thank you for mentoring me through my journey. Thanks to my brothers and sisters for their support, I wouldn’t be who I am without their influence. Lastly thank you Alyxandra for putting me on. I appreciate you and Gary’s support.

Website: https://Blazertag.com

Instagram: @joenobili20

Facebook: Blazer Tag

Other: our tik tok is @blazertagatx

Image Credits
Big&Little Production