Jasen Jackiw is a multifaceted entrepreneur, artist, ice bath enthusiast, and founder of Prymo – a multi-award-winning repairs and resurfacing company, and the largest in the North West.
We sat down with him to hear about his entrepreneurial journey and find out what he’s been getting up to outside of work.
You’ve built your business from the ground up yourself – was surface repair always something that you always wanted to get into?
I’ve always wanted to be in business and when I left school I was very arty. It was through a friend that I heard about a job opportunity where you could repair different surfaces using paintbrushes and airbrushes to replicate the surface, and that sounded like a bit of me. My friend got me an interview, and when I got the job, I fell in love with the work. I was getting paid to do something artistic.
So when did you decide to take your career into your own hands and start a business?
I always had my eye on bigger opportunities, being very entrepreneurial from a young age. Once I got the hang of the job, I wanted to start doing bigger projects in higher volume. That’s when I set up on my own as a man in a van. I worked by myself for 6 months before I secured a large contract and started employing people. I grew my team to about 10 technicians and decided to seek investment, but I was very young and very naive. I ended up signing a document without reading it and lost everything. I got removed from my own company, lost my house, lost everything, and was forced into bankruptcy.
Going bankrupt is every entrepreneur’s worst nightmare. How did you manage to bounce back?
I’m never ashamed to tell people that story – it was just a learning curve for me. At that point, I went to work for a family-run business – NuLife in Stockport. They’re a great company, and I still speak to them to this day. I worked with them for two years before getting released from bankruptcy, at which point I considered starting a business again. I was a bit apprehensive, so I went on Twitter to see what people thought I should do, and I was messaged by a random person who said ‘JFDI’ – just f***ing do it’.
I contacted the person who messaged me and found out they were a very successful businessperson. I asked them to mentor me, went to their office, and within 3 weeks I had a 6-figure investment. And that was the start of Prymo’s crazy journey over the last 13 years.
Do you think going bankrupt actually helped you in the end?
Absolutely. Having to experience that early challenge was a huge learning curve for me, and it’s gotten me to where I am today. I don’t regret anything. It’s all part of my journey.
I’ve always had a positive entrepreneurial mindset. So even when I became bankrupt and lost friends and family, it just made me more hungry to succeed. I had to keep pushing myself for my family, wife, and kids.
Tell us about Prymo – what is it that you do?
Any damage, any surface – we have the solution. Whether it’s chipped, dented, scratched, burnt, or vandalised, we invisibly repair it, helping you avoid replacement costs and reduce waste.
We’re also very quick and can get in and out of a job in a matter of hours, sometimes sending out multiple technicians for one project.
What would you say is the most unique thing about Prymo? What is it that sets your business apart?
Our office name – JFDI House (Just F***ing Do It House). Sometimes I feel like I need to change it now as we’re all corporate. But it’s always been, and always will be our mantra as a company. I get birthday presents and cufflinks with JFDI engraved on them, because I’ve made it such a thing, but I have to admit that I actually got it from the person who invested in me, Scott Fletcher – if he sees this he’ll say I’m stealing his slogan again!
If a student wanted to enter the field, what advice would you give them?
Be prepared! A lot of students dream of becoming an entrepreneur and earning millions, but you have to understand the reality of it. It’s like a swan under the water scenario – on the surface everything looks effortless, but underneath there’s a lot of hard work going on.
It’s doable, but it depends on how much you want it. If you’re willing to go through the downs as well as the ups, then I think you should absolutely chase your dream.
To get my industry specifically, it would involve contacting a company directly – there’s no college course for what we do. So look for the company, there’s plenty out there. Or give me a shout and I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.
You starred on @channel4’s “The Money Maker” – tell us about your experience on that.
The Money Maker was a TV show post-covid. They were looking for businesses that were having difficulties throughout the pandemic, so that they could bring in an investor who could help them bounce back and grow.
It was a fantastic opportunity to get on TV. Talking honestly, not a lot of people watch TV anymore, so we didn’t get a lot out of it. I was recognised at a petrol station once, but other than that it was a great experience. All I’ll say is don’t believe everything you see!
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
It’s so funny because my wife would say that I hate it, but I genuinely love the everyday. I love the challenges. I love the panic of thinking, ‘oh my god, we’re going to lose everything’, and then we solve the problem. I love the great times when we make a lot of money, I love the bad times when we don’t, and we sit down and do a lot of learning. I love helping people. And I love being able to provide for both my family and the people in my business.
What’s the one piece of advice you give your customers when it comes to getting their surfaces repaired?
Don’t look at the day rate. In our industry, people are often tempted to look at day rates and just go with the cheapest option. But we might get the job done faster and to a better standard than our competitors.
My advice to our customers or anyone thinking of using us is to sample our service first. We’re more than happy to send a technician out for a few hours at no cost so that you can see how productive and capable we are. I truly believe that we are the most value for money in the industry.
Out of all the projects you’ve worked on, which has been your favourite?
Manchester Town Hall was amazing, and for a couple of reasons. The project itself had so much history behind it, being at the centre of my hometown. But that project also marked the start of Prymo as a company. I was offered an investment package for the town hall’s marble restoration, and I employed loads of apprentices from Manchester – that’s how Prymo started. We worked on that project for a year and half, and the company grew off the back of it. Everything about it was amazing and nothing has ever come close.
Were you nervous about taking on a job like Manchester Town Hall – something that had so much importance?
Yes, but I am a gambler – not in a money-related way! I like to feel the fear and do it anyway. I knew it was the right decision to say yes, and I knew that I was capable of doing it. It’s just a case of not letting the ‘what ifs’ put you off. JDFI!
What’s your proudest business moment to date?
We’ve won plenty of awards previously. We’ve won nice some big contracts which are always great. But the thing I’m most proud of is employing people.
What does the future look like for Prymo? Is anything exciting in the pipeline?
We’re looking to acquire some smaller businesses over the next few years and grow that way. We mainly operate in the North West currently, but we want to scale to a national footprint with technicians in Birmingham and London. In the short term, our primary focus is our delivery and making sure that we complete jobs to the highest quality, training our technicians thoroughly before we send them out.
What are you personally working on at the moment?
I’m training to swim across Lake Windermere in August, which is 11 miles, end to end. I’m raising funds Bury Hospice and Andy’s Man Club – you can donate to the cause on Givewheel or through my Instagram @jasenjackiw. So that’s my biggest personal challenge this year – I’m going to be super proud if I get to the end of that. It’s going to take around 7 ½ – 8 hours to swim.
And you’re also a talented artist! Can you tell us about your art?
Yea, I’ve done a couple of jobs that have done well! We did a piece for Marcus Rashford which received a lot of press coverage, and I’m working on a piece at the moment of Tyson Fury, which I think will be pretty big. I don’t just draw a face – I do something that sets it apart.
What’s your go-to health hack for feeling your best daily?
Ice bath. Ice bath, without fail. Honestly, everyone I meet I tell them about the ice bath! My birthday cake last year even had a picture of me in an ice bath. But I can’t tell you the difference it makes. When you do something that hard first thing in the morning, everything else about your day seems easier.
How important is physical and mental health when it comes to running a successful business?
It’s everything, and I’ve learned that really late. I only really started working on my health and fitness to the extremes that I am now during summer last year – cycling, running, open water swimming, and getting to the gym. It’s changed my life. I’m a lot more focused on work and feeling better about myself for it. Setting challenges gives me focus amongst all the noise of running a business. It absolutely changes the way I am.
—
You can follow Jasen’s personal and fitness journey at @jasenjackiw, where you can also donate to support his Lake Windermere swim. Find Prymo on Instagram at @prymo_surfacesolutions
For more interviews and insights from GuestHouse Media and the luxury property industry, visit GuestHouse Insider.
