THE SHOW
After traveling to every country in the world, Jessica Nabongo joins Lisa to pull back the curtain on her journey from Detroit to Japan to trotting the globe. The dynamic entrepreneur opens up about her best experiences, why she’s not afraid to see the world alone, and how she thinks about her purpose as a visible leader charting new territory.
Behind Her Brilliance: Confidence + Authenticity
Say hi to Jessica on Instagram: @thecatchmeifyoucan
THE GUEST
JESSICA NABONGO | Founder, Global Jet Black & The Catch
Jessica Nabongo is a wanderlust, writer, entrepreneur, public speaker and travel influencer. At her core, she is a dreamer looking to craft a life and career that interconnects her passions and talents. She also wants to use her story to educate and inspire others to travel and experience the world around them.
A first generation American, Jessica was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan to Ugandan parents. She attended St. John’s University in New York, where she earned her undergraduate degree in English literature. In just a few years after college, she started (and ended) a career in pharmaceutical sales, moved to Japan to teach English, and completed a graduate degree at the London School of Economics. She captured her experiences along the way, honing her photography skills.
As her career path changed, Jessica realized that travel, writing and photography continued to show up as vehicles of self expression and were essential parts of her life, leading to the creation of this site, The Catch Me If You Can. She uses her blog to share her story and build a community. She also created Jet Black, a boutique luxury travel company that hosts group trips and curates itineraries to countries in Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean. Her work as a travel writer and entrepreneur has led to speaking opportunities around the world.
In October 2019, Jessica became the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world.
TOPICS COVERED
How and why Jessica started traveling abroad
How Jessica defines risk and why she’s comfortable making big swings
Jessica’s reflections on safety traveling alone as a woman
Surreal moments from Jessica’s travels
The country that surprised Jessica the most
Jessica’s perspective on taking the right attitude on every trip
Jessica’s favorite travel hacks
What’s next for Jessica
And much, much more!
STUFF MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Digital Sabbath Links: here, here, and here
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (Jessica’s book pick)
The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris (Jessica’s book pick)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan Phillip-Sendker (Jessica’s book pick)
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Jessica’s book pick)
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Jessica’s book pick)
