Heavily Tattooed and Misunderstood: My Personal Experience With Being Stereotyped

When people look at me, they often see the tattoos first. Full sleeves, visible ink, and a bold presence—I get it. But what many don’t see is the business owner, the hardworking mother, the professional who built her career from the ground up.

Being heavily tattooed in today’s world comes with its fair share of stares, assumptions, and subtle judgments. Despite how far society has come in embracing body art, the stigma still lingers—sometimes quietly, sometimes unmistakably loud.

Tattoos and Career Limitations: The Assumptions Are Real

Before I owned two businesses, I experienced firsthand how tattoos could create roadblocks. I’ve walked into professional settings only to feel the shift in tone the moment someone noticed my tattoos. I’ve had people assume I wasn’t “serious enough” for leadership roles or couldn’t represent a brand because of my appearance.

Even when my tattoos weren’t visible, they somehow still became an issue. Years ago, while working as a flight attendant, I was called into the office after a layover in Los Angeles. The reason? My new tattoo—which was not visible, ever—was flagged as “a concern.” I was doing my job, representing the company well, and yet, my body art was treated like a problem to be addressed.

I’ve also worked in the entertainment industry, where appearances are everything. I was once cast as an extra in a Warner Bros. TV show. Before filming started, they asked to airbrush all of my tattoos because they weren’t “allowed” for the role. The role was a fisherman/dockworker. That moment made it clear: I wasn’t being cast as myself—I was being asked to erase myself. I walked off set. If I wasn’t going to be authentic in the role, I didn’t want to be in it at all.

On another occasion, I was cast as an inmate in the TV show Graceland, alongside four heavily tattooed men. It was one of the few times I wasn’t asked to hide who I was. But even then, the role I was allowed to play was based solely on the assumption that my tattoos meant I looked like a criminal. That’s the box they put me in.

Even now, as a business owner, I can feel the undercurrent of doubt when meeting with new clients, vendors, or professionals who don’t expect the person running the show to be the one covered in tattoos. It’s a reminder that for many, tattoos still equal trouble—or at the very least, unprofessionalism.

And then there are the comments. One that’s stuck with me over the years is:
“Why would you do that to yourself?”
I’ve heard it more than once. And I still don’t have a polished answer. The truth? I felt like it. That’s the only honest response I’ve ever had. But every time I say it out loud, I can hear how immature or careless it might sound to someone who doesn’t understand. It’s hard to explain something deeply personal to someone who only sees it as a mistake.

Tattoo Discrimination in Daily Life

Some of the most frustrating forms of judgment come during the most mundane tasks.

I’ve been followed in stores like I might steal something. I’ve sat in courtrooms and felt the eyes scanning me—not because of anything I did, but because of how I look. A well-dressed woman in West Palm Beach once looked at me with open disdain, like my tattoos were an offense to her lifestyle.

And then there was the man who said, “I didn’t expect you to be so smart and well spoken.”
That one hit differently. As if tattoos and intelligence couldn’t exist in the same body. As if my appearance had already disqualified me in his mind.

Running a Business With Tattoos on Display

Owning a tattoo shop and a fishing charter in Key West, Florida, has given me a unique platform. But it hasn’t shielded me from the stereotypes. I’ve sat at business meetings where I wasn’t taken seriously until I started talking numbers, strategy, and execution. I’ve watched people’s expressions change the moment they realize I’m not just the face of the brand—I am the brand.

I also make an effort to dress well and present myself professionally. I know when to cover up. But the reality is, you can’t hide your hands and neck without wearing gloves and a high collar like it’s 1930. So I walk in as I am—tattoos and all—because pretending I’m someone else just isn’t part of my business plan.

Breaking the Mold, One Day at a Time

If you’re heavily tattooed, you’ve probably had similar experiences. The stares. The assumptions. The unsolicited questions. You’re either intimidating, uneducated, or unprofessional—until you prove otherwise.

That’s the exhausting part. We shouldn’t have to prove ourselves simply because we express who we are through body art. My tattoos don’t define my intelligence, my professionalism, or my ability to run successful businesses. They’re just a part of me.

Judged on Tattoos, Not on Ability

The world is changing, slowly. Tattoos are more common than ever, and more accepted in many industries. But for those of us with visible tattoos—especially women in leadership roles—we still walk into rooms where people expect less from us.

And sometimes, that’s exactly the moment we exceed every expectation.

So the next time someone looks at me sideways, or asks, “Why would you do that to yourself?”—I’ll smile. Because I built something real. I’ve earned my place. And I did it all while tattooed, articulate, and unapologetically myself.

–Jamie Snediker, Owner, Southernmost Tattoo