episode 11 (the fastest rejection of my life)

episode 12 (landing a $6,000 client project with 3 followers)

hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay, but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here. when you start a business, the prevailing narrative tells you that you need a massive audience, a loud presence & aggressive sales scripts to land high-ticket projects. we're here to prove the opposite. three weeks after launching yōso studio, with exactly 3 followers on linkedin & zero agency portfolio, we signed a project that turned into a $6,150 engagement across two phases. but it wasn't a magic trick & it didn't happen overnight. it took 45 emails, 3 proposals, a week of ghosting, and a massive amount of internal overthinking. in this episode, we're taking you completely behind the curtain. the raw mechanics, the exact step-by-step framework we used, the email anatomy, and the psychological weight of swimming through the uncertainty of self-employment. 🌿what we cover: * the 1-filter search strategy to find the exact person who needs you * the 6-line email anatomy you can use to build an honest connection * how an initial $1,650 course audit naturally evolved into a $4,500 production project (the inevitability philosophy) * why "doing nothing" is the most powerful thing you can do when a client ghosts you * the 3-step skill translation framework to turn your past 9-to-5 experience into an offer p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃 everything i’m teaching in this episode is in our FREE EBOOK [https://www.theyosostudio.com/#freebooks] (the $6k client case study) — you’ll find every email & screenshot there too! 🎟️ join us live on may 23rd - the leaving the 9-to-5 workshop we’re walking you through your exact skill translation so you leave knowing exactly what to offer and who will pay you for it. the first two people to sign up get a free, private 1:1 exit strategy session with us. reserve your seat here: Leaving the 9-to-5 workshop [https://www.theyosostudio.com/offerings-shop/p/leave-the-9-to-5-workshop] stay soulful, jo from 要素 yōso studio This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yosonotes.substack.com [https://yosonotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

episode 11 (the fastest rejection of my life)

hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay, but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here. for years, i’ve tried to shrink my multidimensional lived experiences into rigid boxes to prove i was “capable” to systems that only value mechanical playbooks. this 7-minute rejection was a violent reminder from the universe: you cannot fund your freedom by selling your soul back to the system you just left. in this episode, i’m deconstructing why these traditional systems don't know what to do with people like us, and why it’s finally time to stop reaching for their standards and start building our own table. p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃 📣 leaving the 9-to-5 workshop (23rd of may) for the ones exhausted of trying to fit inside rigid boxes reserve your seat here: join the workshop [https://www.theyosostudio.com/offerings-shop/p/leave-the-9-to-5-workshop] stay soulful, jo from 要素 yōso studio This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yosonotes.substack.com [https://yosonotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

episode 10 (swimming in the dip of a slow month - when the money simply isn't there)

hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay, but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here. we’re currently in a slow season (a financial dip) and i wanna be honest about it. because everyone talks about how much money they make each month, but nobody talks about the phase when you feel like a failure & you’re worried about paying rent.in this episode, i deconstruct this money anxiety in front of you: why it’s happening, the biological panic (the cortisol spike) of having 0 clients, why we scramble for jobs when nothing’s happening, and practical steps on how we’re staying afloat. p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃 also, if you’re ready to walk away from your 9-to-5 but the fear is holding you back, we’re hosting a live workshop on the 23rd of may to help you navigate all this & build your exit strategy. join the waitlist here: https://theyosostudio.com/#leavingthe9to5workshop [https://theyosostudio.com/#leavingthe9to5workshop] stay soulful, jo from 要素 yōso studio This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yosonotes.substack.com [https://yosonotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

episode 09 (why your productivity guilt is actually a hangover from your former employer)

hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay, but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here. why do you still feel guilty for stepping away from your desk, even after leaving the traditional workplace? in this episode, we dive deep into why your productivity guilt is actually a hangover from your former employer. we explore an 18th-century prison design called the panopticon, and how its architecture of surveillance became the blueprint for the traditional corporate offices and schools we grew up in. it's time to unlearn this corporate programming. let's break the extraction cycle, stop viewing our time as a resource for extraction, and learn to build a business that acts as a natural extension of our lives. p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃 where to go from here: 1. start with reflection if you’re feeling lost, start here. download our free 4-week yōso reflection journal to sit with yourself & figure out what kind of work you truly value start writing: https://theyosostudio.com/#reflectionjournal stay soulful, jo from 要素 yōso studio to hear more, visit yosonotes.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yosonotes.substack.com [https://yosonotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

episode 08 (the hidden cost of leaving your 9-to-5)

hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay, but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here. today, we’re doing an honest audit of loneliness. we talk so much about the adrenaline of self-liberation & the freedom of working for yourself. but we rarely talk about the deafening quiet that follows after you walk away from your 9-5. this episode explores the isolating reality of moving on: outgrowing your old identity, the friction with friends who are still boxed inside a traditional mindset & the terrifying (but necessary) void of losing the external validation of the system. if you’re sitting in that silence right now, i hope this helps you feel a little less alone. you’re not lost, you’re just digging for your bedrock. p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃 where to go from here: 1. start with reflection if you’re feeling lost, start here. download our free 4-week yōso reflection journal to sit with yourself & figure out what kind of work you truly value start writing: https://theyosostudio.com/#reflectionjournal 2. join the april workshop live an intentional life (nurture an intentional business) on april 22nd, we are gathering a small group of 8 women to help you lay your first layer of small business bedrock reserve your seat: https://theyosostudio.com(join live or watch the recording) stay soulful, jo from 要素 yōso studio to hear more, visit yosonotes.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yosonotes.substack.com [https://yosonotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]