In this episode of Skin Deep Stories, Montreal tattoo artists and moms Kirsten Diachidos and Melanie Belanger welcome a very special guest to the podcast: longtime client and loyal Skin Deep Stories listener Jonathan Chipman.

Jonathan shares his story, including surviving a stroke when he was just four years old and growing up with hemiplegia. He opens up about years of physical rehabilitation, the challenges he's faced throughout his life, and what it's been like navigating other people's assumptions about disability, particularly in the workplace.

But Jonathan's story is also about perseverance, positivity, and choosing how you show up in the world. Together, Kirsten, Mel, and Jonathan talk about mindset, affirmations, kindness, and the small ways we can bring more positivity into our everyday lives, even when things aren't easy.

The conversation also highlights something Kirsten and Mel have talked about since the beginning of Skin Deep Stories: tattooing is about so much more than ink. Spending hours together in the tattoo chair creates space for real conversations and genuine relationships. Artists get to know their clients' stories, families, struggles, interests, and personalities, and over time, clients can become an important part of the community surrounding a tattoo shop.

Of course, there's plenty of tattoo talk too. Jonathan shares his love of drawing and collaborating on custom tattoo ideas, as well as his obsession with horror movies, including Friday the 13th, which inspired his Jason Voorhees tattoo.

And to finish things off, Kirsten and Mel put Jonathan through a rapid-fire round covering the truly important questions in life: horror or comedy? DC or Marvel? Halloween or Christmas?

It's a funny, heartfelt conversation about perseverance, connection, kindness, and why there's almost always more to someone's story than you can see from the outside.

Follow the hosts:
Kirsten on Instagram: kirstentattooarts
Mel on Instagram: melrocktattoos

Book a tattoo or learn more:
Visit wildmagnoliatattoos.com to see their work and book your next tattoo consultation.

Mel is back! In this episode of Skin Deep Stories, Montreal tattoo artists and moms Kirsten Diachidos and Melanie Belanger reunite for a good old-fashioned catch-up after a VERY busy summer.

They talk about balancing work, kids, travel, and trying to squeeze a little time for themselves into the mix. From family cottage trips and summer tattoo appointments to realizing how much easier traveling with kids gets as they grow up, Kirsten and Mel reflect on where the summer went and what they've been up to while life kept moving at full speed.

Kirsten also shares a pretty wild manifestation moment from her tattoo career. After spending hours researching and sketching artwork inspired by painter William Waterhouse, a brand-new client unexpectedly reached out asking for a tattoo sleeve based on one of the exact paintings she'd been studying. Coincidence? Manifestation? Either way, Kirsten is taking it.

Meanwhile, Mel shares a vacation story involving Hampton Beach, Boston, a baseball batting cage, and a 110 km/h baseball that nearly resulted in a VERY different ending to her trip. Thankfully, an unlikely hero saved the day: her ring.

The two also look ahead to upcoming adventures, including Kirsten's trip to Indonesia, underwater photography gear, possible sports road trips, and all the questionable "girl math" required to justify buying the things you definitely, absolutely need for vacation.

It's a laid-back catch-up episode about summer memories, family life, creative inspiration, travel, close calls, and all the random stories you save up for the next time you finally get to sit down with your friend.

Follow the hosts:
Kirsten on Instagram: kirstentattooarts
Mel on Instagram: melrocktattoos

Book a tattoo or learn more:
Visit wildmagnoliatattoos.com to see their work and book your next tattoo consultation.

In this episode of Skin Deep Stories, Kirsten Diachidos is hosting solo again and welcoming someone who has known her a LOT longer than most of her guests: her cousin Rebecca.

Kirsten and Rebecca grew up spending summers together and traveling back and forth between Montreal and the Maritimes, creating the kind of childhood memories that have kept them close well into adulthood. They look back on summers at their grandparents' house, family traditions, and what it's like to have a cousin who has always felt more like a sister.

They also reflect on how their family has evolved over the generations. Once relatively conservative and straight-laced, the family has slowly become a little more tattooed thanks to Kirsten and her generation. That includes Kirsten's own mom, Rebecca's aunt, who decided at 70 years old that it was finally time to get tattooed by her daughter.

Of course, there is plenty of tattoo talk along the way. Kirsten and Rebecca discuss their own tattoos, creative pursuits within the family, and make a compelling case for officially rebranding the infamous lower back tattoo as a "cake topper."

Beyond the laughs and nostalgia, they talk about maintaining close family relationships despite living far apart, balancing work and parenthood, raising teenagers, and learning to appreciate the simple things as life gets busier.

It's a funny, nostalgic, and heartfelt conversation about cousins who became sisters, the family traits that get passed down through generations, and the new traditions we create along the way. Plus, Kirsten and Rebecca may have just come up with their next great idea: a "Tattoos on Tour" RV adventure.

Follow the hosts:
Kirsten on Instagram: kirstentattooarts
Mel on Instagram: melrocktattoos

Book a tattoo or learn more:
Visit wildmagnoliatattoos.com to see their work and book your next tattoo consultation.