The Making Of: Jo Franco

09/18/24 • 79 min

Jo is a multilingual content creator, entrepreneur, and TV host who’s spent a decade building a global community through powerful storytelling.
With 600+ videos and 1.3M+ YouTube subscribers, she speaks to the multicultural, multi-hyphenate generation. As CEO of JoClub, a journaling community, and host of Netflix’s World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, Jo empowers others through curiosity, connection, and growth.

In this episode, Jo opens up about how childhood experiences shaped her empathy, navigating business challenges, and the importance of aligning your career with your values. Tune in for insights on scaling a business, creating spaces for vulnerability, and trusting your instincts.

Topics include:

The impact of childhood experiences have on empathy and emotional intelligence
Navigating the emotional challenges of parting ways with a business partner
Insights on scaling a business and creating spaces for vulnerability and connection
The importance of embracing fear, trusting your instincts, and personal growth through taking risks

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Childhood

07:16 Curiosity and Connection

17:35 Inception of the Damon and Jo Youtube Channel

27:01 Growth of Shut Up and Go

30:52 Dissolving a business and Mental Health

35:54 Transitioning to a New Career

37:43 Creating a Safe Space for Vulnerability

45:30 Scaling a Business and Delegating

52:24 The Power of In-Person Retreats

58:58 Trusting Your Instincts for Growth

01:03:11 Interview with Aurora Lucas

You can connect with Jo personally here (https://www.instagram.com/jo_franco/) and learn more about JoClub here (https://joclub.world/).

This episode also features a special story from a member of JoClub, Aurora Lucas. Aurora is an educator and advocate for marginalized communities, with a passion for healthcare equity shaped by her own journey as a lung cancer survivor. You can connect with Aurora here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/auroralucas/

This show is produced and presented by Circle, where creators turn pro.

Topics include:

The impact of childhood experiences have on empathy and emotional intelligence
Navigating the emotional challenges of parting ways with a business partner
Insights on scaling a business and creating spaces for vulnerability and connection
The importance of embracing fear, trusting your instincts, and personal growth through taking risks

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Childhood

07:16 Curiosity and Connection

17:35 Inception of the Damon and Jo Youtube Channel

27:01 Growth of Shut Up and Go

30:52 Dissolving a business and Mental Health

35:54 Transitioning to a New Career

37:43 Creating a Safe Space for Vulnerability

45:30 Scaling a Business and Delegating

52:24 The Power of In-Person Retreats

58:58 Trusting Your Instincts for Growth

01:03:11 Interview with Aurora Lucas

You can connect with Jo personally here (https://www.instagram.com/jo_franco/) and learn more about JoClub here (https://joclub.world/).

This show is produced and presented by Circle, where creators turn pro.

Previous Episode

The Making Of: Stephanie Cartin

Stephanie Cartin is the CEO of Entreprenista, 4 time co-founder, and angel investor for over 10 companies.

In this episode, Stephanie shares her early career in corporate hospitality and what inspired her to co-found her first business Socialfly, a socail media agency based in NYC. Socialfly went on to be named the fastest growing private companies for two years in a row by Inc. 5000.
Stephanie has a deep desire to help women founders get the support they need, which led to co-founding her second company, Entreprenista, home to Entrepreneista League, a membership community to support women founders at all stages of their business with over 2,000 members.

She’s a master networker, she’s resilient, and is one of those people who will do whatever it takes to build something meaningful.

Topics include:

Becoming a co-founder and the responsibilities/expectations associated with co-founding a company
In-the-weeds insights behind launching and scaling a community based business
How to get started as an angel investor
Why building a profitable, sellable business is important, even if you don't plan to sell it

Episode Chapters:

00:00 The Importance of Community in Business
01:05 Stephanie Carton's Childhood and Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
06:50 From Childhood Ventures to Corporate Career
10:34 The Birth of Socialfly
16:06 Transitioning from Employee to Founder
22:28 Building Entreprenista During the Pandemic
28:32 Learning and Growing as an Entrepreneur
31:13 Selling Socialfly: A New Chapter
35:04 Emotional Decision-Making in Business
39:43 Angel Investing Insights
44:39 Growth Strategies for Entrepreneista
53:12 Time Management and Self-Care
01:02:11 Interview with Jess Milanes

You can connect with Stephanie personally here and learn more about Entreprenista League here.

This episode also features a special story from a member of Entreprenista League, Jess Milanes. Jess is the founder of Smart Podcast Solutions, a podcast agency helping mission-driven entrepreneurs grow their visibility and attract the right people. She’ll share how Stephanie and her community have deeply impacted her business.

This show is produced and presented by Circle, where creators turn pro.

Next Episode

The Making Of: Jay Clouse

Jay Clouse is the founder of Creator Science, a media company centered on helping professional creators grow their businesses. With a combined audience of 200,000+, Jay is a powerful voice and thought leader in the creator economy.

From his early love of video games to his time as a reporter shaping his storytelling skills, Jay shares how these experiences paved the way for his entrepreneurial ventures, the strategies he used to scale his business, and how to provide real value to your audience. He also opens up about balancing business and personal life, navigating the competitive world of content creation, and how fatherhood has reshaped his approach to time and priorities.

If you’re ready to grow your creative business while staying focused on what matters most, this conversation is for you!

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Young Jay

02:42 Influence of Video Games and Teaching

07:51 Lessons from Jay's Experience as a Reporter

13:23 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship

19:30 Building Unreal Collective and Joining SPI Pro

27:43 Navigating the Challenges of Leadership

36:26 Hiring and Balancing Business and Personal Life

38:21 Growing a Newsletter: Providing Value and Refining Content

43:56 Membership Communities: Recurring Value and Direct Communication

57:21 Content Creation as a Competitive Sport: Focus on Engagement and Uniqueness

01:02:15 The Role of AI in Content Creation

01:06:26 Efficiency and Removing Single Points of Failure for Business Success

01:11:26 Interview with Aurora Lucas

You can connect with Jay here (https://creatorscience.com/) and learn more about The Lab here (https://join.creatorscience.com/).

This episode also features a special story from a member of The Lab, Becky Pierson Davidson. Becky is a community driven product strategist helping brands and businesses leverage community to grow their impact. You can connect with Becky here: https://www.beckypierson.com/

This show is produced and presented by Circle, where creators turn pro.