Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica LaPinta.
Jessica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My husband Nick and I are from rural Ohio, I grew up on a farm! A year and a half ago, we moved to Atlanta with hopes of opening our own tattoo shop. Once we had saved up enough money, we packed Nick’s car with as much stuff as we could fit, put everything else in storage, and drove straight to Georgia! While searching for jobs and an apartment, we crashed at a friend’s house and stayed in hotels. A year and four months and lots of hard work later, we finally opened our own tattoo shop!
I have been blogging for over seven years now. I write a travel, diy, finance, fashion, and lifestyle blog called My Peace Love Life. I love to travel and write about it – I have been to 17 countries, thus far. I am also an Influencer on Instagram.
I am a member of the Georgia Pinup Posse. We are a group of girls that enjoy the pinup style, and do charity events all over Georgia.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh my goodness what a crazy road it has been to get here! Leaving Ohio and all our friends and family was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do! And talk about scary! We were leaving everyone we knew, we had no jobs, no apartment, and no clue what we were doing! Once we got settled into the city and had jobs, an apartment, and friends, things were good. We worked a lot, my husband working 80 hours a week for a while, saving up money for the shop. It took us a long time to find a place for the shop that we could afford, and even that was expensive! The first couple months of owning the shop were intense – our bank account was in the negative, we were living off of Ramen, Nick was working six-seven days a week, I was working six days a week, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. It was a very very difficult time. It is still tough, but things are definitely looking up and I can’t wait! My advice is to simply not give up. Even when things are stressful and crazy, it can only get better! There were times where I felt like giving up, but I knew I couldn’t. And it definitely helps to have a partner that is there for you!
Please tell us about your blog (My Peace Love Life) and your tattoo shop (Tatty Zaps).
Tatty Zaps is our tattoo shop. My husband Nick is the only artist there for the time being, and he is known for being fun to hang out with and get tattooed by. And also his work is phenomenal. We just opened two months ago, so we haven’t done too much yet, but we would love to get our shop involved with charities around the Atlanta area.
My Peace Love Life is my blog. I am very proud of the fact that my blog is about more than just fashion and travel. I love to help people so I have a couple of categories that I am passionate about. I am passionate about supporting small businesses, so I write a lot about that, and even highlight some local small businesses that I favor. I love to help people with their finances. I am very good with finances and it makes me happy to help people become wiser about theirs. And lastly, my “World Changing Wednesday” blog category. I have written about some great causes; recycling and being eco-friendly, adopting pets, human trafficking and exploitation, how to use your money to help people, and how to create your very own world-changing plan.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Today, women have every opportunity to be who they want to be. What an exciting time to be a woman!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2531 Piedmont Rd NE Suite 100 Salon 502 Atlanta, GA
- Website: https://www.mypeacelovelife.com/
- Phone: (678)539-7932
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tattyzapstattoos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tattyzapstattoos/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_jukebox/
Image Credit:
Brooklyn Brat Images, Lauren LaPinta Photography, Sage + Sol Photography
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