Meet the Gold Bar Crew
Desi Arellano
Owner & Senior Piercer
Desi Arellano is the proprietor of The Gold Bar Piercing in San Luis Obispo (Est. 2023) and also owns and operates the Artifact Piercing team in Santa Clarita, CA. and Laguna Gold in Laguna Beach, CA. Desi was born and raised in Southern California. After acquiring his Master's degree in Psychology, he worked with at-risk youth and young adults while apprenticing in body piercing and body modification. His career pivoted to full time piercing in 2012 when he started with Artifact Tattoo and Piercing in Santa Clarita. Desi eventually grew and took over the piercing program and developed and trained the Artifact Piercing Team. A few years later, Desi developed the piercing program within the Cast of Crowns Art Collective in Laguna Beach. As that piercing program outgrew its space, Desi opened Laguna Gold and from there went on to consult for many other business owners and eventually opened his third location, The Gold Bar Piercing in the heart of San Luis Obispo.
Desi has a true passion for body piercing and body jewelry and has brought together an amazing team across his three programs in California that work together to provide great customer support, client experience, and rotating jewelry selection. Desi also has a great eye for jewelry curation and flow and creative work-arounds for anatomies that may be more limited.
His favorite piercing is the one you waited forever to get and believes that body piercing is the pursuit of a sense of completion. “People have this idea of how they want to look to fit in or stand out or belong, but the body piercing studio is a place for anyone to come explore that closer sense of completion.”
Desi has a few personal favorite pieces of jewelry but his absolute favorite jewelry is the piece he was able to help make special and custom just for you. Something no one else will ever have and something that has never been made before. Desi aspires to continue to grow his programs and staff and eventually help them achieve their dreams of growing their own studios and continuing the practices and art we learned together in these studios.
Follow Desi’s work on his Instagram:
Johnny Laney
Secretary Weapon
I started piercing in 2003 in a small town in California, then bounced around to places like Salt Lake and Las Vegas, before finally landing back in Santa Barbara. There, I teamed up with Josh Parkhurst to create Golden Eagle Body Piercing, which is now known as Above and Beyond. I stepped away from piercing in 2015, I was lucky enough to dive into the photo world, meet some incredible folks, travel, and learn a lot about life. I also met my wife, who jumped into my L.A. dream with me, and we decided to come back to our roots and settle down. I wouldn’t change a thing. It feels great to be back in a studio, helping younger piercers grow, supporting my friends, and using my skills where they’re needed.
Corey Franco
Follow Corey’s work through his Instagram:
Senior Piercer
Corey Franco is our Senior piercer on staff. He’s a SLO County native from Arroyo Grande! Corey started his apprenticeship in 2007 and finished it in 2008, he carried on in the industry until early 2014 where he ended up taking a break from piercing to pursue a career as a borosilicate glass artist until 2021. Corey is a big fan of outdoor activities, one fond memory that he reflects on often is his first ever hike with his family to Vernal Falls in Yosemite. He also enjoys skateboarding in his free time.
Corey joined The Gold Bar Crew full time in January of 2025. His favorite piercing to perform is the Daith and he loves anything with an amethyst in it.
Annie Padayao
To follow Annie and her work, visit her Instagram:
Studio Manager/Piercer
Annie Padayao is our studio manager! Annie hails from the beach cities of Southern Orange County. Born and raised in Laguna Beach, Annie has always been surrounded by the ocean, art and great community. A college drop out, she got to work until she found something she loved doing, she just didn't know it would be piercing.
Annie started her apprenticeship in West Hollywood, Ca in late 2018. She would say it's pretty “Hollywood” how it all happened but her friends at her former corporate job still regale the story of how she quit with her last paycheck in her pocket and moved to LA to become a piercer, and like they say, the rest is history. That was her big leap and she's been moving forward ever since. A little over a year into her apprenticeship was interrupted by the COVID pandemic and she found herself at a studio in Canoga Park where she ended up wrapping up her learning before finding new residency at Bone Deep Piercing in Camarillo Ca where she has been for the past three years.
Annie was a guest piercer at The Gold Bar in late 2023 before she announced her employment in January of 2024. Her visits were monthly until they picked up to every other week in January of 2025. Having the opportunity to travel and perform work that she loves in multiple places is something Annie has been exploring and has come to love in the past year, one of her favorite events being having the awesome opportunity to pierce at Coachella in summer of 2024. However, taking on the new roll as studio manager with The Gold Bar Crew has also been a fun challenge for her as she helps with running operations and seeing the business grow.
Annie’s favorite jewelry is your missing puzzle piece. That one piece you’ve been looking for to complete the picture, continue the journey or take back that part of you that you've been missing. One aspect of the piercing industry that has been a big draw for Annie is the multiple ways you can express yourself through jewelry and placement, whether it's a large multi-gemmed statement piece or a simple solid gold ring to tie the whole look together. As Annie continues to grow in her new role with The Gold Bar, she aspires to continue to hone her craft and share what she knows with her coworkers and peers in the industry.
Follow Jose and his work via his Instagram:
Jose Baro
Piercer
Jose is a San Luis Obispo County native from Guadalupe California. He's a creative mind, a word writer, a body mover, a creator. Prior to his employment at The Gold Bar, Jose was a cook in restaurants from 2011 until 2016. He then found a new love for building and designing sets at music festivals in 2017 and still participates in it presently.
Jose has been with The Gold Bar crew since late 2023. His favorite piercing is the conch because of how versatile you can be with jewelry and other adornments in the area. He especially loves to use elements from BVLA and Tether to help clients bring their jewelry and ear visions to life!
Jason Mosqueda
Follow Jason and his work via his Instagram:
Piercer
Jason Mosqueda is a Santa Barbara County native from Lompoc, Ca. One of his favorite activities is skateboarding, something he’s been doing since he was 7 years old. He loves spending time with his daughter and plays a Baritone guitar in his band CatacombsCA.
Jason has been with The Gold Bar since late 2023. His favorite piercing placement is a Flat but he also really loves working with different elements of BVLA, Local Natives and Tether to create a unique look for clients. Jason aspires to travel and network within the piercing community! One of the many fun things you can do with this career!
Modern piercers are upscale jewelry artisans that do alternative installations. Our team attends major annual conferences and stays on the cutting edge of their trade, always utilizing the newest and highest preferred methods in his field. We desire to constantly advance our skill level and knowledge allowing us to hone our craft in a way that ensures the most exceptional experience for all of our clientele.