Meet Jackie Matikas: An Entrepreneur Taking the Tattoo Industry to Another Level with Pretty in Ink

As a millennial mother of two, and social butterfly, Jackie manages to do it all. How? Her hustle. She has fearlessly built her brand on little sleep and lots of rule-breaking. She leveraged her skills to claim her space as a social influencer and is constantly looking to establish meaningful relationships with other go-getters. If you ask Jackie what her favorite part of entrepreneurship is, it would be – freedom. She loves the ability to work on the go and is the woman, in the corner of ballet class, rooting her children on with a laptop and a smile. You must agree, it doesn’t get any better than that. With 14 years under her belt in the tattoo industry, Jackie has developed her passion into a working business, evolved as an artist, and established her own style! Her current project is pouring her skills, lessons, and knowledge into other women and creating a girl gang of amazing artists, with great customer service and even better vibes and energy. Jackie loves being able to work with clients to help them design custom tattoos to commemorate people, places, events, stories, and milestones in their life knowing that her work will forever be seen and appreciated.

At Pretty In Ink, our mission is simple – to offer a collaborative and luxurious tattoo experience that everyone will want to be a part of. Our vision is to revolutionize the tattoo industry with a little less grudge and a lot more glitter. Our core values reflect who we are as a company. We aim to create by crafting an environment of innovation and excellence. We strive to inspire by producing energy so pure and inviting that it stimulates greatness. We seek to create a community and value our tribe by encouraging their expression through art. Finally, we develop artists that are dedicated to being both teachers and students.

Give us a little insight about your journey that got you where you are today.

Everyone's favorite question to ask while getting tattooed is asking Jackie how did she get started. She shares “It’s a pretty funny story actually. I've been an artist my entire life as far back as I can remember. I come from a family of artists--so drawing is in my DNA.” In addition, Jackie describes that one evening she came home and her neighbor had a kit in her basement tattooing someone. So, as someone who was inquisitive, she decided to give herself a tattoo on her forearm! The tattoo is still there and will remain as a constant reminder of her progress and to show that with time, hard work, passion, and determination that you can do anything!

Can you tell us about some success stories you've had with your business/product or anything of which you are extremely proud?

I am extremely proud of the philanthropy work we do at Pretty In Ink. Throughout the year, we chose different causes to support, and work for a cause. In the past year we have raised $3600 for the NAACP and donated two full days of service tattooing breast cancer survivors with free post-mastectomy coverups. Check out our Juneteenth and Post-Masectomy Coverup events on youtube!

What is one motivational quote that has inspired you in your journey? Do you have any advice for other women who are working towards starting their own business?

Success doesn't come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently. Trust the process, and hold the vision. My advice to women starting their own business would be that if you want to be great at something, never stop learning. Always be a student of life and your industry.

Why do you think it is important for women to support each other, especially in your field of work? How do you or your company help combat systems and policies that exist to keep women marginalized?

I've always believed that one woman's success can only help another women's success. Entering the industry as a woman without formal training and a mentor was rough, so it was also important to me that once I was established, I brought as many women along with me as possible. In this journey, the women that have joined the Pretty In Ink femmepire have built an uplifting non competitive atmosphere that has inspired me to push the same uplifting and empowering spirit not only to the staff, but also to clients, female entrepreneurs and any audience it speaks to. The fully female tattoo artist staff really sets the tone for all things girl power--thriving in an male dominated industry and understanding that you don’t need to unscrew another woman's light bulb in order for yours to shine--together we shine brighter.

What are some ways you practice self care and how does it help you in your life and career? Do you have any tips for other women to stay balanced?

Self care is extremely important to me--you can’t do a good job of your job is ALL you do. I’ll admit it, as a business owner sometimes it’s extremely hard to put down my laptop or to schedule time off from work. As a mother ... most times there is a lot of guilt arranging childcare to work and vacation to take time for me. But outside of all of these rolls that I play, I am also Jackie. I have learned to give myself grace and permission to step away from things to realize the my humanity, sanity and quality of life are just as important as the hats that I wear. A few rules I operate by (but remember there’s always the exception) are:

Two adult trips followed by one kid trip, repeatedly. This allows me to have my adult time but still plan for family time.
Sunday is family day. Until the kids go to sleep, I typically do not work and try to spend the day helping them knock off their bucket list and fun.
On most trips, I typically take an hour out of the day to work so I am not extremely overloaded when I get home, plus I absolutely love what I do and find a lot of fulfillment and purpose through it.
I have “scheduled spontaneity” days ... days where I take off from work, and days that I take off from work AND kids to enjoy life and do things that help fill my cup up so I have more to give.
I keep a bucket list in my phone, consisting of regular everyday things (like flying a kite or getting a slinky and finding a big staircase) or things that take a bit more research and scheduling to do (like flying trapeze, a scuba certification) and travel destinations both near and far (a tiny house anywhere or a trip to Hawaii to see the staircase to heaven) so when I DO have time, it is well accounted for and I love a fulfilled life. In between goals, there’s a thing called life, and it must be lived and enjoyed. I am committed to the pursuit of harmony in my work and my life.

What are some long term goals you have for yourself or your business?

Our long term goal has everything to do with growth. We aim to continue growing our staff so we can both provide a purposeful career path and widen the scope of the amount of women's life we touch through our work. While expanding, we strive to elevate the processes, customer service and experience of our work to heighten client satisfaction. In our eyes, every state deserves to have a safe space for women like Pretty in Ink!