Jo's Story
I grew up in a family where the stock market was dinner conversation. I was 9 years old the first time I asked my dad about opening a 401K and while this doesn’t speak much to my amateur understanding of retirement savings, it does speak to my budding passion for personal finance. I wasn’t a lemonade stand kind of kid - I was always thinking outside the box and looking for opportunities in the marketplace. By the time I was 12, I started to grasp that I could provide services and sell things to make money, my obsession blossomed from there. From custom headbands sewn in my college apartment and sold nationally to creating custom signs for businesses in my hometown I was looking for any skill I could develop to avoid getting a 'real job'. I didn’t have to work for someone else and I loved that.
I graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015 with a degree in Business Management, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship. I was ready to take on the world but my entrepreneurial ventures came to a quick halt when instead of going out on my own I took a job working full-time for a local boutique. I was simply too scared to jump into being my own boss. It was the first time in my life with zero financial support from family and it felt like I was being pushed into the real world completely and utterly alone. I dove into working at the boutique the same way I had always operated - like I was working for myself but I quickly hit a brick wall. I didn't know how to operate with co-workers or a boss. I didn't know how to listen (still something I have to work on daily). I look back on this time and am so thankful because the lessons I learned are priceless. The other thing I learned? What a unique mindset I had because of my passions for numbers and stat analysis. I was able to help the boutique double its social media following and substantially increase its sales in a short 18 months, exciting!! It really was exciting but I also realized that I didn’t want to be doing what I was doing. I loved the people I worked with but I wanted to work for myself. If I could do it for someone else, I could do it for me.
That brings me to my first full-time business venture. I’d been photographing a handful of weddings on the side while working at the boutique, but soon realized I could be doing that full-time while dreaming of other ventures on the side. February of 2017 I made the leap to become a full-time wedding photographer and in twelve months, I was operating a six-figure business but already day dreaming of what was next.
That brings me here.
When I graduated from college I searched online for resources for being self-employed. How do I pay my taxes? Do I qualify for a small business loan? How much money do I need to be making to eat and pay my bills? I found there weren’t any resources that broke down this information in a relatable and non-intimidating manner. I want to create a space where people can hone their business skills in order to pursue that passion and turn it into an income. It’s easy to not pursue what you love because there are so many barriers (not having the support of your family, not having the financial capabilities) but I want to help you fly over those barriers.
If you want to read more about me personally, click here!
Hi! I'm Jo.
I want to live in a world where anyone, anywhere can pursue their passions and do what they love. My contribution to this dream? This little place on the internet.