Multilingual travel creator Jo Franco (@jo_franco) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss being an immigrant kid who didn’t speak English to a global polyglot television host for Netflix and National Geographic. Host Ross Borden explores Jo's journey from her three-year grind of uploading consistently to YouTube while working night shifts, the moment she chose risk over a corporate salary, and her recent accomplishment of learning Dutch as her seventh language. Jo offers candid insights about the emotional toll of being a creator where "if a video fails, it's like I failed," plus her philosophy that confidence comes from putting yourself in moments of true discomfort. Whether you're a content creator looking to level up or someone fascinated by the courage required to reinvent yourself multiple times, this conversation delivers a valuable perspective on turning obstacles into opportunities and never settling for "young travel will never sell."
To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit creatorthepodcast.com
00:00 - Introduction to Jo Franco
01:30 - Getting Started: From Immigrant Kid to Content Creator
03:28 - The TV Pitch Rejection That Changed Everything
04:28 - Building Damon and Jo: Three Years of Grinding
06:11 - The Bathroom Meeting That Launched a Career
08:49 - Going Full-Time: The Leap of Faith Moment
10:30 - Building Confidence and Sales Skills as a Creator
13:13 - Language Learning: From Portuguese to Polyglot
16:06 - Tips for Learning Languages Fast
18:08 - YouTube Strategy: Playing the Long Game
20:32 - National Geographic's Big Little Italy
22:11 - Creators vs. Hollywood: The Industry Shift
24:59 - Balancing Traditional Production with Creator Content
28:12 - How the Nat Geo Opportunity Came Together
29:47 - Closing Thoughts
