Welcome back to a very special episode of the podcast celebrating the launch of my new book, You’ve Got This! I hope you’ve managed to grab your copy and are already loving it. If you haven’t got it yet—now is the time!
For this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with the incredible Jo Franco. Jo contributed to the book by sharing her experiences, and let me tell you, she is a force of nature. She is an author, speaker, TV host, and a polyglot (a fabulous word I’ve just learned!). More than that, she is a business superstar with over 1.3 million YouTube subscribers and the founder of Jo Club, a live journaling movement that helps people connect with themselves and learn languages. I am so grateful she took the time to chat with me! Go listen and enjoy!
Why the world of global business?
My conversation with Jo explored her wild backstory and how she built a global life from scratch. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she moved to the US at age five. Growing up between cultures and struggling to learn English was initially incredibly painful. But Jo quickly realised that her language skills were a superpower—she became the translator for new kids at school and for her mum’s paperwork.
After getting a business degree in New York, she turned down a “safe” $45k corporate job, moved to Los Angeles with $70k of student debt, and went all-in as a full-time travel YouTuber in 2013. For the first five years, it was a financial scramble. She was couch surfing, living in an apartment filled with rats and cockroaches, and cold-pitching executives before “brand deals” were even a standard thing. But that relentless hustle eventually broke open the world of major brand partnerships, leading to her hosting a global travel show on Netflix.
“An imperfect draft…”
Jo shared a pivotal philosophy when it comes to bringing a big vision into the world. She is a self-proclaimed notebook queen and throws absolutely everything onto paper. But she emphasises that you have to be willing to start with what she calls the “pencil version.”
So many people are terrified of launching a business or a new project because they want it to be flawless from day one. Jo’s view is that people aren’t actually afraid of starting, they just don’t know how to start. And the secret is realising that it always starts with an imperfect draft. Without that rough, messy blueprint on paper, you can’t make the modifications, action plans, and pivots necessary to actually succeed.
Launching Jo Club and pivoting the vision
The launch of Jo Club happened completely organically during a four-month production pause on her Netflix show during the pandemic. Jo started sharing her personal journal entries online, which turned into a 30-day challenge, and suddenly, a business was born. Even while shooting 15 hours a day on a gruelling travel TV schedule, she used her only days off to host live journaling sessions.
But as any entrepreneur knows, the initial vision rarely stays the same. Jo originally launched Jo Club as a low-ticket monthly membership. But by listening to her audience and being willing to move with the changes, she decided to trial a travel retreat in Croatia, without even having photos of the property to show people! It sold out in two emails. That pivot completely shifted the future model of her company, proving that changing your goals based on new data isn’t a negative; it’s a massive positive.
Key takeaways from my chat with Jo Franco:
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Your superpower is your perspective: The very things that feel like obstacles early on (like being caught between cultures) can become your greatest assets.
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Write down the “pencil version”: Don’t wait for perfection. Throw your messy ideas onto paper so you have a blueprint to modify.
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Pivoting is the magic sauce: 99% of the time, your initial business vision will change. True success comes from the ability to make your way through it and adapt.
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Humility gets you in the room, but ownership keeps you there: Don’t let imposter syndrome or “box-ticking” narratives make you shrivel. If you are in the room, own the space and shine.
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Your attitude is your currency: When you have no money, no connections, and no resources, a genuine curiosity about others and a smile will change your life time and time again.
If Jo’s incredible journey resonates with you and you’re ready to break through your own mental blocks, set big goals, and create your own action plan, be sure to grab my new book, You’ve Got This! It is available right now on Amazon or in all good bookshops—just search the title and my name.
To find out more about Jo, who is absolutely incredible, go and have a look at her website at joclub.world, or find her on social media at @jo_franco. Go have a good search and enjoy—she’s a total superstar! Bye!
