Plymouth native Shelanda Blount Jackson, better known as “Pinky” to her friends and family, is proud to say that she is a successful self-made businesswoman and entrepreneur.

The daughter of Clinta Blount and Tony Nixon, Shelanda is the proud owner of several self-titled startups. As such, almost all of her waking life is spent either catering to clients at her Pinky’s Touch Salon and her clothing boutique.

Despite describing herself as shy and not very outgoing by day, Jackson showcases another side to herself by night as a promoter.

As a high profile event and talent promoter courtesy of her Pinky’s Touch Entertainment venture, Jackson is in her element. Here she aggressively paves the way for her clients to find new eyes and ears as well as assuring that established talent continue to connect with and grow their fan bases.

However glamorous her life as a beautician and promoter may seem, it did not come without its share of ups and downs, setbacks and long sleepless nights spent building her brand.

As a youngster, Jackson attended Plymouth High School though she ultimately did not finish. However, she would join Kittrell Job Corps Center soon after, gathering a myriad of skills before leaving with her diploma and her CNA 1 certification.

“When I was a teenager, there were just certain things I didn’t like about school. So I just stopped going. Instead, I decided to go to job corps to find a trade and get my diploma,” she says.

Jackson would ultimately find the trade she was looking for in the nursing arena.

“I decided to pursue something in the medical field largely because of my grandfather,” she says. “My grandfather, he had cancer, and I stayed with him for quite a bit growing up because my mother always worked really hard. My grandfather always needed help so that was one of the things that inspired me to pursue something in the nursing field.”

With that in mind, and with her certification in tow, Jackson began working in the home healthcare field after leaving job corps.

Between 2002 and 2004, Jackson also began working as part of Washington County’s Jail House, though a car accident not far from the county’s courthouse would derail that position until she could get on the mend.

In the meantime, Jackson decided to pursue another of her great passions in the realm of cosmetology...