Meet Jess Catalano – a calligrapher, creative entrepreneur, brand and web designer, and Instagram strategist based out of Wilmington, NC. In this episode, Jess and Taylor get real about Jess’s first major experience in life with mental illness after a difficult friendship breakup and how she navigated that season of anxiety and depression. We talk about the beauty of therapy, how to ask for help, the ways her friends stood in for her, and how she came out of it on the other end. We also talked about Jess’s current dating experience, how she feels about dating apps, and her worst date ever! She shares her advice to women in their 20s who are struggling with being single and her tips on navigating singleness with confidence.

Looking for the noteworthy moments in this episode? We got you.

3:30 – Who is Jess Catalano?

5:27 – Having the confidence to pivot your career.

6:14 – How Jess started in entrepreneurship.

9:06 – Envisioning your future self.

13:08 – Jess’s first experience monetizing her creativity.

19:42 – Growing up not knowing what you don’t know about mental health.

22:43 – Toughness vs resilience

24:32 – Jess’s experience with a best friend breakup. 3

0:17 – Always being the “strong and wise” one.

32:16 – What led to Jess hitting the breaking point in her mental health journey.

36:50 – The fear of going to therapy is real.

44:01 – Allowing her loved ones to stand in the gap when she couldn’t do it alone.

52:51- Status update on Jess’s dating life.

1:00:00 – Jess’s worst first date experience.

1:09:00 – The struggle of personal growth and relationships.

1:10:56 – Tips if you’re struggling being alone in your 20s.

1:12:48 – Taking advantage of your singleness.

You can connect with Jess at the links below:
@jesslightly on Instagram
@lightlysocial on Instagram
And of course, her 4-legged child with his diamond ass at @myjacpot