Jesse Priest shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jesse, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
For me, energy is the most important. Intelligence and integrity are both valuable, but energy determines how those qualities are expressed and felt by others. You can’t fake or manipulate genuine energy — it’s something people naturally respond to. A positive, driven, or calm energy can change the entire dynamic of a room, influence outcomes, and inspire others in ways that logic or moral correctness alone can’t. To me, energy reveals authenticity and intention before words ever do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jesse Priest, and I’m the owner and operator of Empire Tattoo — a custom tattoo studio based in Colorado Springs. We’ve been proudly serving our city for over thirteen years, creating some of the best ink and helping people bring their stories to life through art.
I’m a self-taught artist who loves exploring all styles of tattooing, from black and gray work to neorealism. Ive been an artist for over 15 years. For me, tattooing has always been more than just a craft — it’s a reflection of passion, dedication, and connection.
Empire Tattoo isn’t just a name; it’s who I am. When I first picked up a machine, I knew I wanted to build something lasting — a place where art, creativity, and community could come together. Over the years, that dream became a reality thanks to my friends, family, clients, and everyone who believed in me. Empire Tattoo was built on their support as much as my ambition, and I’m grateful every day to continue doing what I love alongside such an incredible group of artists I cannot forget the artists! The group of guys and gals I work with are awesome. as for motivating each other we have a little friendly competition here and there when we feel we’ve done awesome tattoo. We walk around the shop and show it off I believe it helps to breed creativity, in the work space we’re always pushing to get to that next level it keeps the creativity flowing.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
It has to be my mother, she saw me clearly before I ever saw myself. Back then, I was young, stubborn, But she always looked past that. Where others saw attitude, she saw potential.
She was the one who believed in me before I even believed in myself. She bought me my first tattoo machine and introduced me to some of her tattoo artist friends, who shared their stories and gave me inspiration when I was still just figuring out who I wanted to be. Those moments changed everything for me.
She didn’t just support me, she believed in the version of me that didn’t exist yet. And because of that, I pushed harder, learned more, and built the life and career I have today. Empire Tattoo exists because she had the vision first. I just had to grow into it.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
slow down and listen. You don’t have to have it all figured out right away. The arrogance, the attitude, it’s only holding you back from learning what really matters.
one day, the things that frustrate you now will be the lessons that shape you. That hard work, humility, and patience will take you farther than pride ever could. Set goals and never give up
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
For the most part, yes,its the real me. What people see is what they get. I’ve never tried to create a persona or be someone I’m not. I’m the same person inside the shop as I am outside of it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people remember me as someone who stayed true to himself — a father, artist, and businessman who built something meaningful from the ground up. I poured my heart into everything i did, I raised my two boys who mean the world to me, to be the best versions of themselves and to be kind stand up gentleman. from the art to the cars to the good food. I hope they say I never forgot where I came from, and that I inspired others to chase their dreams and live with passion and purpose
