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This week, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes of Tatter-a-fact, a conversation that feels just as relevant today as when it first aired.

When life feels overwhelming, it's easy to believe optimism means pretending everything is okay.

But real optimism isn't about ignoring reality.

It's about acknowledging life's challenges while believing you have the ability to move through them.

In this episode, Teryn Darling explores the difference between practical optimism and toxic positivity, why optimism is a learned skill for most people, and how protecting your mindset can impact your relationships, your business, your health, and your future.

She also shares practical strategies for building optimism, setting healthy boundaries, managing difficult emotions, and creating habits that help you navigate life's inevitable challenges with resilience and hope.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, artist, business owner, or simply someone going through a difficult season, this conversation serves as a reminder that optimism isn't something you're born with, it's something you can intentionally build.

In This Episode:
• Practical optimism vs. toxic positivity
• Why optimism is a learned behavior
• Building resilience through difficult seasons
• Protecting your mindset and mental energy
• The power of positive self-talk and visualization
• Healthy boundaries and surrounding yourself with the right people
• Practical habits for creating a more hopeful future

Sometimes the conversations we need most are the ones worth hearing again.

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For years, Teryn Darling believed she wasn't smart enough.

Not because anyone ever told her she wasn't—but because she struggled in school and quietly allowed grades to define her worth.

In Chapter 3 of Tatter-a-fact: The Story Series, Teryn shares one of the deepest insecurities of her childhood and the realization that changed everything: intelligence isn't measured by report cards alone.

This episode explores what it feels like to compare yourself to others, carry the weight of unrealistic expectations, and eventually discover that creativity, resilience, observation, emotional awareness, and entrepreneurship are forms of intelligence too.

Teryn also opens up about anxiety, overthinking, and living with an intense creative mind—an experience many artists and entrepreneurs know all too well.

If you've ever questioned your abilities, struggled with self-doubt, or felt like you simply didn't fit into traditional systems, this chapter is for you.

In This Episode:
• Growing up believing "I'm not smart enough"
• How grades shaped self-worth
• Different forms of intelligence
• Creativity, entrepreneurship, and finding your strengths
• Anxiety, overthinking, and the creative mind
• Why your environment matters more than you think

About Tatter-a-Fact: The Story Series

For years, most people have known Teryn Darling as an artist, educator, entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of Girlz Ink.

The Story Series is different.

This is where she shares the story behind all of it—one chapter at a time.

The good. The painful. The funny. The weird. The embarrassing. The beautiful.

Because sometimes we don't realize who we're becoming until we finally look back.

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Long before Girlz Ink. Before PMU. Before pigments, podcasts, stages, mentorship, and entrepreneurship... there was a kid in Maine trying to figure out how to make her own money. 

In Chapter 2 of Tatter-a-fact: The Story Series, Teryn Darling shares the story of her earliest hustles, from babysitting and collecting cans to riding her bike to a local farm before sunrise to pick peas for $7 a bushel. What seemed like ordinary childhood jobs at the time we quietly building something much bigger: work ethic, responsibility, resilience, consistency, and the desire for independence. 

But this episode isn't really about money.

It's about what money represented.

Freedom.

Security.

Possibility.

It's also about growing up believing you weren't smart enough, struggling in school, comparing yourself to others, and slowly discovering that intelligence comes in many forms. While some kids were earning A's and preparing for college, Teryn was learning lessons that couldn't be measured on a report card—showing up, solving problems, building confidence, and figuring things out one uncomfortable step at a time.

If you've ever felt behind, doubted yourself, worked harder than everyone around you, or dreamed of creating your own freedom, this chapter is for you.

In This Episode:

• The connection between money and freedom
• Childhood hustles and early entrepreneurship
• Babysitting, farm work, and earning independence
• Responsibility, consistency, and work ethic
• Academic struggles and self-doubt
• Different forms of intelligence
• Why confidence often comes after action
• The quiet beginnings of an entrepreneurial mindset

About Tatter-a-Fact: The Story Series

For years, most people have known Teryn Darling as an artist, educator, entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of Girlz Ink.

The Story Series is different.

This is where she shares the story behind all of it—one chapter at a time.

The good. The painful. The funny. The weird. The embarrassing. The beautiful.

All of it. 

Subscribe and follow for future chapters as Teryn shares the experiences, lessons, failures, and defining moments that shaped the person she would eventually become.

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#Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #Storytelling #Leadership #Motivation #SelfGrowth #BusinessOwner #Podcast #GirlzInk #TatterAFact #SuccessMindset #WorkEthic #Confidence #FemaleEntrepreneur #PersonalDevelopment #SmallBusinessOwner #PMUArtist #EntrepreneurMindset

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Chapter 1: The Red Wagon

I spent years believing I wasn't smart.

I thought smart people got good grades.

I thought smart people were in accelerated classes.

I thought smart people understood math and science.

That wasn't me.

Meanwhile, at twelve years old, I was pulling a little red wagon through my neighborhood collecting cans, building work ethic, resourcefulness, independence, and an entrepreneurial mindset long before I understood what any of those words meant.

Welcome to Chapter 1 of Tatter-a-fact: The Story Series.

For years, you've known me as a PMU artist, educator, mentor, and business owner. But very few people know the beginning.

The anxious kid.

The insecure kid.

The kid who struggled in school.

The kid who quietly believed she wasn't smart enough.

This new series is my attempt to tell the whole story—the good, the painful, the funny, the embarrassing, the beautiful, and everything in between.

In this first chapter, I take you back to my childhood in South Portland, Maine, the family that shaped me, the insecurities I carried, and the little red wagon that became one of the earliest signs of who I was becoming.

Because maybe success doesn't begin when the world notices you.

Maybe it begins much earlier.

Maybe the signs are already there.

And maybe you're not behind.

Maybe you're becoming.

In This Episode:

• Growing up in South Portland, Maine

• Childhood anxiety and learning to read the room

• Family, community, camping, and small-town memories

• The story behind "Relax, Peanut"

• The little red wagon that sparked independence

• Early signs of entrepreneurship

• Why I believed I wasn't smart

• Redefining intelligence, resilience, and success

• The lessons we only understand when we look back

If this story resonates with you, I hope you'll join me for future chapters as I share the experiences, failures, successes, insecurities, and defining moments that shaped who I became—and who I'm still becoming.

Maybe you're not behind. Maybe you're becoming.

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Some conversations age well, and this is one of them. With everything happening in the PMU industry right now, we felt this discussion about clients, professionalism, bad reviews, refunds, boundaries, and business growth was more relevant than ever.

In this episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling speaks on the real side of being a permanent makeup artist, the parts of the PMU industry that people don’t always talk about openly.

From getting more PMU clients outside of social media, to handling difficult client situations, bad reviews, refunds, and unrealistic expectations, this episode is packed with honest advice and real-world experience for both new and established PMU artists.

Topics include:
• How to grow your PMU clientele through real human connection
• Why networking still matters in the beauty industry
• How to professionally respond to negative reviews
• PMU refunds and protecting your peace of mind
• Setting client boundaries during procedures
• Guests in the procedure room and phone etiquette
• Why professionalism and communication matter more than ever in PMU

Whether you offer microblading, powder brows, nano brows, lip blush, eyeliner tattooing, or saline tattoo removal, this conversation will resonate with artists navigating today’s permanent makeup industry.

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Taxes… not exactly the most exciting topic, but one of the most important if you’re a PMU artist or business owner. 

In this throwback episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling breaks down the fundamentals of taxes, organization, and financial responsibility specifically for permanent makeup artists and small business owners. 

From quarterly tax payments to tracking your income and expenses, this episode walks through the habits that can help you avoid stress, stay compliant, and feel more confident running your business.

Because the reality is—many artists aren’t taught this side of the industry… and end up learning the hard way.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• Why PMU artists should be paying quarterly taxes
• How to estimate what you owe using your previous year’s income
• The risks of waiting until the end of the year
• How to track your money in, money out, and net profit
• The importance of hiring a bookkeeper (or getting organized yourself)
• What counts as a write-off and how to save your receipts
• Why separating business and personal finances matters
• How to build better habits around money as a business owner

This episode is a reminder that building a successful PMU career isn’t just about your technique…
it’s about how you manage your business behind the scenes.

Because when you understand your numbers, everything changes.

📲 Follow us on Instagram for more PMU education, business tips, and behind-the-scenes content:
@GirlzInkStudio @TerynDarling

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In this powerful throwback episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast, we sit down with tax expert and entrepreneur Marc Rizzo to talk about something most permanent makeup artists avoid, but absolutely need to understand: finances.

From taxes and write-offs to investing, debt, and building long-term wealth, this conversation is packed with real, honest advice that can completely change the trajectory of your career, not just as a PMU artist, but as a business owner.

Mark shares how he went from having nothing to building financial freedom, and how the same principles can be applied to anyone willing to stay disciplined, get organized, and think long-term.

We also dive into common mistakes artists make—like not claiming income, poor bookkeeping habits, and waiting too long to get financially organized—and how those decisions can impact your future in ways you might not even realize yet.

This episode is your reminder that success isn’t just about making money… it’s about keeping it, growing it, and using it to build the life you want.

✨ In this episode, we discuss:

• Why PMU artists need to understand taxes and financial planning
• The truth about cash income and reporting earnings
• How to legally reduce your tax liability
• The importance of organization, receipts, and bookkeeping
• Roth IRA vs traditional IRA (and why it matters)
• How to build wealth through real estate and investing
• The mindset shift from “broke” to financially free

Whether you’re just starting out or already established in the industry, this episode will challenge how you think about money, and inspire you to take control of your future.

Because at the end of the day…
financial freedom isn’t luck, it’s strategy.

📲 Follow us on Instagram for more PMU education, business tips, and behind-the-scenes content:
@girlzinkstudio and @teryndarling

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Why do so many permanent makeup artists still struggle with inconsistent healed results, even after investing in training?

In this episode of the Tatter-a-Fact PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling is joined by special guest Rose Prieto of @beautyandbrowlounge for an honest conversation about the PMU education gap that many artists don’t realize is holding them back.

Together, they break down why so many artists feel confused, underprepared, and inconsistent in their work — especially when it comes to skin assessment, pigment selection, healed results, needle knowledge, and making the right decisions during a procedure.

In this episode, they discuss:

• Why healed PMU results can feel inconsistent
• The importance of proper skin assessment
• Pigment behavior vs pigment color
• Carbon black vs iron oxide pigments
• Why one-size-fits-all PMU doesn’t work
• How poor foundational education impacts artist confidence
• The connection between PMU fundamentals and long-term business growth

If you’re a PMU artist, cosmetic tattoo artist, brow artist, or student looking to improve your healed results and confidence, this episode is packed with valuable insight.

Connect with our guest:

Rose Prieto
Instagram: @beautyandbrowlounge

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In this episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling sits down with award-winning PMU artist and educator Brittany Wallins to talk about the controversy surrounding microblading in today’s permanent makeup industry.

They discuss how misinformation spreads online, why some techniques get unfairly criticized, and why education, skin analysis, and ethical decision-making matter far more than choosing one technique over another.

Topics include microblading, nano brows, powder brows, PMU training, pigment science, and how artists can stay adaptable as the industry evolves.

Whether you're a new PMU artist or a seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable insight into technique selection, industry trends, and the importance of staying open-minded in permanent makeup.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @beautybybcanada

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In this episode of the Tatter-a-f6act PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling sits down with Marielle Rebecca of BROWHAUS INK for an honest, no-fluff conversation about the realities of permanent makeup.

They break down client expectations vs PMU reality, pigment myths, technique fundamentals, filtered social media standards, and why there are no absolutes in PMU (except safety and ethics). This episode dives deep into organic vs inorganic pigments, fallout misconceptions, ethical touch-ups vs removal, and what artists need to focus on to build longevity in today’s changing PMU industry.

If you’re a PMU artist craving real education, honest perspective, and guidance beyond trends and hype — this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Topics include:
• Pigments & technique explained
• PMU myths vs reality
• Client expectations & brow blindness
• Fundamentals over trends
• Removal, correction & ethical decision-making
• Building a sustainable PMU career