Hey friends—Carla here! This week on So What Now?, Dex and I sat down with the fierce and inspiring Jena Mehlberg—entrepreneur, mama, survivor, and all-around powerhouse in the beauty world.

Jena took us on a real ride through some of the toughest chapters of her life—becoming a single mom in her teens, losing a parent, navigating an emotionally abusive relationship, and the ups and downs of running her own business. And y'all, the way she speaks about resilience and faith? You feel it in your bones. She talks about the importance of existing outside yourself and not letting isolation pull you under, especially in the hardest seasons.

One thing that really stuck with me—Jena opened up about her mom, a woman who moved through the world like rules just didn't apply to her. That "ask forgiveness later" attitude? It gave Jena permission to live boldly and never wait for someone else to give her the green light.

Then we shifted gears and got real about raising boys. As two single moms of sons, Jena and I got into it: How do we raise emotionally healthy men in a world that often doesn't teach them how to feel? What message are we sending if we keep choosing partners who don't show up emotionally? Dex jumped in too, and we unpacked the tension between wanting to protect our kids from life's mistakes… and knowing we can't.

Y'all, if you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough—or how to keep going when life knocks you down—this one's for you.

💬 Come join the conversation and lets figuring it out together.

We wanna see y'all IRL. We're planning some in-person events, just for the ladies. Click the link and let's get out the group chat.

Outside the Group Chat: Women's Meetups

— Carla 💛

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