Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Toscano
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was 16 years old and getting ready to apply to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC to become a fashion designer. Simultaneously, I was a writer and always had a love for magazines. One afternoon at the salon I was working, I told a co-worker I would kill to write for Cosmo. Within two weeks, I altered my direction and applied to university for journalism. There, I worked my way up to editor-in-chief of the school paper. After graduating in five years with my master’s in communication, I published my first article as a freelance journalist for SELF Magazine and immediately began working with editors across the country’s largest publishers – Hearst, Conde Nast, Dotdash Meredith – in the health and sexual wellness space.
Simultaneously, I began working on a blog I began in 2014 when I was 19 years old called Intrigue, which later became the world’s first unisex lifestyle publication. Since then, I have had the pleasure of working alongside some of the world’s top brands and hundreds of amazing founders, PR reps, influencers and a variety of talent from models to journalists and more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me, this road has not been an easy one. When I first made the decision to pursue journalism, I had a supportive aunt who encouraged me to start a blog to promote my writing (she would later pass away of cancer during my first semester of grad school); what I did not have were contacts in the editorial industry or mentors who would emphasize the importance of internships, networking and freelancing during my years as a student. With the exception of one professor during my last semester of grad school who taught me how to pitch an article idea to the media with the hopes of becoming a published writer, I was talented but clueless.
My first three years post-grad were spent teaching myself how to navigate NYC and its many avenues of public transportation and buying a ton of coffees, pizza slices and drinks with the hopes that one of the hundreds of editors I was cold-pitching to meet with me would offer me an “in,” or at the very least, advice on how to get there. I learned very quickly that very few editors were willing to help (even if they were willing to meet with me and accept my free offering) and that even if they were, the industry was so competitive, six rounds of interviews and a 20-page edit test for an entry-level position (sometimes just an internship) often led to nowhere without so much as a substantial reason for turning you away (I often heard “we decided to go in another direction”).
On the opposite end, I was working on my magazine, which presented its own challenges. I very quickly had to teach myself how to be a web designer, manager, accountant, editor, and then some.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The reason I never pursued a career outside of my industry is because I could never imagine myself doing anything else once I made the decision to enter journalism school at age 16. From that moment, it was always do or die for me. That said, becoming a health and sexual wellness journalist is very fulfilling for me. I enjoy delving into uncomfortable topics with the hopes of helping readers think differently and learn more about themselves along the way.
I founded the world’s first unisex lifestyle publication because that was the path I saw the industry taking. There was no such thing in 2014 when I started my blog. Magazines in 2020 still weren’t tackling articles from the gender-free perspective I was when I made Intrigue an LLC. The reason for its success is because the topics we focus on are gender-less; everyone, regardless of how you identify, can benefit from skincare, sexual wellness, health and fitness and more. Tackling the mind and body from a place of non-judgement is good for the soul, and I love being a part of that mindset.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’ve put more of myself into my work than I care to admit, and that’s something you’ll only know if you’re within my inner circle and see it for yourself. I’m quite humble, so most people won’t hear me discuss my work in depth unless provoked. I’ve also found myself in a number of compromising situations where my work was placed above my mental and physical health, a toll I just won’t pay these days. But all of this is to say, that’s how much my career – and readers – mean to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.intriguemag.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msjtoscano/
- Twitter: https://x.com/MsJToscano
Image Credits
Jessica Toscano / IntrigueMag
