Woman goes viral for company headshot showing off her tattoos

Accountant was ‘honestly shocked’ after boss told her to be ‘loud and proud’

Jessica Leonard, whose LinkedIn post went viral (Jessica Leonard/Rob Wetzler/Wetzler Studios)

An accountant has said she hoped her new LinkedIn photos will “resonate or help someone who may have experienced judgment or bias in the past” after she used the snaps to show off her tattoos.

Jessica Leonard, in a now viral post on the professional networking website, said she “needed to be careful about when I was being too freely me”, after years of working for a public accountancy firm in Ohio.

After starting a new job however, she was encouraged by her new boss to post photos on her LinkedIn showing her tattoos. She said he told her to be “loud and proud”.

“I was honestly shocked. I had grown accustomed to wearing long sleeves in the heat of summer, to tugging on my suit coat sleeves in every meeting,” said Ms Leonard.

She added: “Sometimes, you come across those leaders who not only allow you to show up every day as you are, but they also expect it”, and thanked her new boss for her allowing her to be confident.

“I hope this will resonate or help someone who may have experienced judgment or bias in the past,” Ms Leonard added in an interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday.

“There are leaders that are super inclusive and accepting, and if you haven’t found them, just know they exist and they are out there. I’m glad I could inspire at least one person in my network.”

She also recalled comments made by her former bosses about her tattoos, and of walking out of a conference on women’s empowerment after being told she was “can’t be a leader because of my tattoos”.

More than 31,000 people have reacted to Ms Leonard’s post on LinkedIn, with nearly 3,000 commenting with messages of support. Many also shared experiences of discrimination in workplaces for having tattoos.

“They shouldn’t feel like they work in an environment where it’s hindering them as an individual. There are a lot of places you can work where you’re not going to feel that,” Ms Leonard said.