LEOMINSTER Entrepreneur Gena Catalucci recently opened a brick-and-mortar location for her health and wellness centric business, the realization of a dream that has been years in the making. While she officially opened The Main Squeeze Connection at 43 Main St. with an Oct. 16 ribbon cutting, she founded her business coming up on two years ago following her own experience with juicing and other self-healing modalities that led to her shedding 90 pounds and getting off prescription meds. Her spot in the heart of downtown is a warm and welcoming space where customers can enjoy a cup of tea or a smoothie, choose from dozens of fresh, cold pressed juice blends, and just chill among vibrant art and signs featuring positive affirmations. “Honestly it feels like where I’m supposed to be,” Catalucci said when asked how she likes being her own boss. “I am a creator, initiator, and I beat to my own drum. I have a mission on this planet, and it is to communicate messages to the collective. This is one of my outlets in doing so. I am here to create peace and harmony, and how greater to do that than to help guide people back to their power and get our society focused on the importance of our health again. We make more choices than we think that contribute to our wellbeing. Actually, every choice. Think about that.” She grew up in the Leominster and Lancaster area and graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in Holden before attending Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where she earned an associate degree in pastry and a bachelor’s degree in food service management. “Food has been my life my whole life,” Catalucci said, adding that she started working in the food and beverage industry when she was 13 or 14. “I think its super benevolent that we can take food that the earth grows and nourish our bodies on a cellular level. There’s so much real food has to offer and its beautiful.” Her life looks a lot different these days than it did in the past. A recovering addict, Catalucci first got into juicing when she got out of rehab a little over four years ago. “I was overweight, medicated, and felt lost,” the 31-year-old said. “I have always been a go-getter, so I just started using my hands in every way possible. I am a creator, you won’t often catch me sitting still, and I have always had a deep intuition and channel that has guided me to understanding nutrition and what information to trust easily. “If you think about a plant, kind of like a human, it is sprouted from seed and grows with nourishment and sunlight,” Catalucci continued. “This amazing process is proof in the power of life. Plants are alive, and in aliveness is nourishment. The cell walls of these plants are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients to reduce oxidative stress on the body, prevent disease, and ensure a happy life.” She came across information on juicing on the internet and “started learning about its potent abilities,” focused on her inner voice and listened to herself, and the rest is history. “I was like alright, let’s do this,” she said. “I truly wanted to feel better and was sick of doctors prescribing me medication telling me there’s something wrong with my brain. No, I am just undernourished, over traumatized, and need to learn to listen to my body. Juicing really opened the doors to radically taking my health back into my hands.” Catalucci combined juicing with breath work, yoga, and meditation and completely transformed her body and mind. “Once I had my own personal experience with juice, I knew I needed to share it,” she said. “My scars started disappearing, more clear skin, longer healthier hair, regular bowel movements, cleaner appetite, better mood, better focus, better energy, less pain, less brain fog, weight loss. I mean it seriously changed my life, and I trust once people get committed to the juice process that they will experience similar benefits too. Nourishment is key to a vital life, and this includes healthy lifestyle practices to integrate the nourishment deeper within.” She uses fresh ingredients such as carrots, beets, apples, pineapple, spinach, and more to create fresh juice blends named Goddess Glow, The Jazzy Pear, Earthy Momma, and Recovery, to name just a few of the enticing, colorful options lining the cooler shelves at her shop. She has over 50 base blends as well as seasonal blends that change with the calendar and said she loves “to bring new things to the table.” “Once you try a juice, it’s over, you’ll be back,” Catalucci said. “Not only do they taste amazing, they feel amazing. She believes it is fate that her business is located in the prominent downtown location it is. “My family is from Leominster and it’s funny because I was truly looking for a place in Fitchburg thinking it was best between Lancaster and Ashburnham, but this place came up and it was extremely perfect. And hey, Main Squeeze on Main Street, universal alignment.” In other life changing news, Catalucci gave birth six months ago at home to her “beautiful, healthy baby boy.” Being a mom is her second fulltime job on top of The Main Squeeze, which she said is both “challenging and rewarding.” “John and I created the most perfect little human,” she said of her partner and their offspring. “He’s amazing and is loved by so many amazing people in my life.” A beautiful mural created by local artist Angela Jaynes decorates one of the walls of The Main Squeeze and lively paintings by Krissy Levine hang around the space. One of the wooden signs featured in the shop reads ‘Live simply, dream big, be grateful, give love, laugh lots’ and a framed copy of the front page Sentinel & Enterprise story about her business undertaking that ran in October of 2024, a gift from her dad, hangs in a prominent spot by the register. Catalucci shared that business has been steady since the grand opening celebration, which drew many people who were excited to check out The Main Squeeze. “I am so grateful to connect and impact so many people and just get real with each other,” she said. “It’s time to take the masks off and come together in community.” When asked what some of her more popular offerings are, Catalucci made sure to point out that The Main Squeeze goes way beyond juice. “We focus on overall wellness by sharing successes around different modalities to keep ourselves strong including breathwork, yoga, meditation, sunshine, laughter, nature, connection, rest, and movement,” she said. “We are here to offer a different way of looking at what we put in our body. There are so many delicious ways to nourish yourself.” She plans to hold a lot of community events and invite fellow local small businesses in to participate in them and recently hosted an open mic. Her goal in doing all of this comes down to “creating fun, non-alcoholic atmospheres for people to be themselves and create connections.” “We have endless ideas that will be coming to the table over time to truly dive deeper with our community,” Catalucci said. “Sustainability, nourishment, and connection are our top priority.” She is also focused on giving back to the community that has embraced her and will be offering hot meals for anyone in need once a month or so, a generous gesture inspired by EBT users losing their SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. People can come by the shop from noon to 3 p. m. the next two Saturdays, Nov. 22 and 29, for a plate of food and Catalucci plans to do more of them “going forward for any family hungry.” “I was really bummed when thinking about all the families that would be missing out on their access to food,” she said. “It is important to me as a mother to ensure families get fed and we have to help each other as a community when crisis comes about. I want to show up in any way I can to help in a time of need and I also recognize that this is constantly a worry for many and plan to do more hot meal food drives to come.” In addition, coming up on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 5 to 6: 30 p. m. she will be hosting an immunity defense connection class in partnership with Crystal Sota of Crystal Clear Living. Participants will take home an immunity juice as well as craft and drink immunity tea blend while learning about Sota’s “extensive education on herbal support.” “This one is going to be delicious, relaxing, and fun,” Catalucci said of the special event, noting that if people want to register for this or get more information about anything they are doing, they can call 978-549-8976, email themainsqueezeconnection@gmail. com, and follow The Main Squeeze Connection on Facebook and Instagram. Catalucci feels immense gratitude for where she is today and a big part of that is realizing her dream of opening her own shop and her circle of loved ones along with people in the area supporting her endeavor. “I appreciate the community being open minded to something they aren’t used to and really getting to know that they like it, pure nourishment juiced up by a chef. I mean its liquid gold,” she said. “My community keeps me creative and passionate because with their excitement grows mine. I am ready to bring all the goods to the table and help my people feel awesome.”.
https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2025/11/20/leominster-entrepreneur-opens-wellness-focused-biz/
Leominster entrepreneur opens wellness focused biz
