Jo Hall

Occupation: It’s complicated – I have a portfolio occupation, let’s say! I’m an Empowerment, Imposter Syndrome and Career Coach, a Communication Consultant, Podcaster, Writer, Entrepreneur, Trainer & Lecturer and soon-to-be Author.  Oh, and a proud Mama to my two children. I can’t think of a job title that sums this up succinctly or does it justice!

What inspired you to start your brand? Redundancy gave me the financial freedom to set up my own business, but my head and heart were ready and waiting to seek that level of autonomy, independence and creativity that comes from building your own business. I’ve just followed my passions to make a positive difference in other people’s lives in some way and earned money from it ever since.

What are you most proud of in your career so far? My resiliency and strength of mind to navigate the entrepreneurial world and thrive in it after twenty-plus years in the corporate world of work. 

How would your best friend describe you? Empathetic. A great listener. Wise. Inspiring. Down-to-earth and sometimes very funny!

Name three things that you always carry with you? My phone, a crystal in my bra and my bottle of water.

What was the last book you read? ‘Outlander’ by Diana Gabaldon – I’m a huge Outlander fan, having watched the series on Starz, so it’s wonderful to go back over the story and appreciate a deeper understanding of the main protagonist’s mind (something you don’t get from TV).

What inspired you to book a personal branding photoshoot with me? I, my business and my brand have evolved since I last had professional photos taken, five years ago, so it felt like the perfect time to get in front of the camera lens again.  I hate having my photo taken, so I wanted to work with a photographer who would make me feel at ease and confident AND take amazing photos … which sums up Tigz!

Do you remember how you originally found me? Yes, I do! We initially met at a local business networking event and got chatting about Imposter Syndrome.

Tell us about the concept for your shoot – what was your inspiration? I wanted something that reflected my brand evolution and my core values, as well as how I work. I also wanted the photos to look and feel relaxed and relatable, which is why I was keen to work with Tigz to feel comfortable and natural in how I showed up. 

Describe your shoot experience with me! It was a lot of fun, a lot of chat and surprisingly very relaxed. Despite my initial nerves and awkwardness I soon got into the flow and loved the whole experience.

Tell us about your favourite photo from the shoot – why do you love it? There’s one of me leaning back and laughing my head off.  It’s so natural, elicits great energy, and makes me smile every time I see it. I can’t for the life of me remember what Tigz and I were talking about as she took that photo, but it must have been funny (or rude!) to make me smile like that!

How have your new brand images helped you to become more visible? I’m actually proud to share my photos online and I love the positive energy they transmit!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about booking a personal branding shoot of their own? Find a photographer whose style resonates with you and that you feel at ease with. 

What will your autobiography be called? ‘Just Jo’ – in a nod to the fact that I’m enough just as I am (which is what those suffering from Imposter Syndrome struggle to accept).

If you could collaborate with any other entrepreneur, past or present, who would it be and why? Mel Robbins would be so cool to work with – she says it how it is, is wise, smart, funny and so relatable. She talks such sense and I love how she’s so down-to-earth and honest.  We’d make for a great podcasting or coaching combo!

What’s the most interesting thing about you that the internet doesn’t know about you yet? My right lung is glued and stapled after it collapsed on a flight to New York. I carried on working all week and then flew back home to the UK. I ended up in hospital, was off work for 3 months and took over a year to fully recover. This just goes to prove that I’m hard-working, resilient and very stupid sometimes! 

What exciting project are you working on right now? In October I launched a new podcast called The Comms Careers Podcast. Interviewing some incredible professionals in the world of Corporate Communications and all its associated disciplines, we’re having down-to-earth chats and digging into their incredible career stories and lessons learned. You can join our global audience of listeners by plugging your ears into Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any major podcast platform.  You never know what career gem of advice you might uncover! 

Where can we find more of you online? Here’s my website, and I hang out mainly on LinkedIn and dabble with Instagram when the mood takes me. You can also listen to my podcast, The Comms Careers Podcast.