Why Join Choose Yourself Free – 4 Mini Client Stories
Curious about Choose Yourself Free, the year-long group coaching programme from Jo Hooper that helps you work less, earn more and get wildly free?
Learn what it’s all about and hear from some of the amazing pals who have already taken part.
A business liferaft brimming with soothing energy
When creativity coach Caitlin Gwynn (a.k.a. Caitlin the Creative) first found Jo on Instagram, she says, “Straight away, I remember thinking, ‘My goodness, I feel like I’ve known Jo forever.’”
“When I first started my business, she was a real liferaft amongst all the ‘quantum leap, 6 months to 6 figures’ rubbish you see online and we just got talking and became pals. So, by the time Choose Yourself Free came around, I was really craving more of that energy, that soothing energy of having someone say, ‘You don’t have to be a business owner in a particular way. You can do it your own way.’”
“Choose Yourself Free has been one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had during my time running my business. It’s just been really magical.”
Caitlin explains that being part of this community has made her see things, in business and in life, in a completely different way. “Some of the sessions we’ve had have altered my brain.”
“If you want a group of people who will have your back 100%, who will open your mind to new ways of thinking, who will be there for you when things are shit and be there to cheer you on when things are going well, this is the group for you.”
“I’ve just loved it and I’ve met such brilliant people. If you’re looking for something off the beaten track, something that will hold you exactly as you are, Choose Yourself Free is the ticket.”
A place for expansion, freedom and connection
Therapist and mindfulness practitioner Billie Dunlevy also discovered Jo through Instagram after another therapist friend who had worked with Jo recommended her.
Being a healthcare professional working in private practice, Billie knew she wanted to find a place where she could connect with other business owners.
“As someone who is a holder of many, I need places where I can be held too. A big part of why Choose Yourself Free appealed to me was being able to have that connection each week through the group coaching and co-working. I wanted some more spaciousness in my business. Basically, I didn’t want to keep doing it all on my own.”
“It’s been a really valuable investment in myself and in my business. I’ve enjoyed seeing myself change in terms of how I think about what I’m allowed to do, how I do self-care and how I prioritise resourcing myself and filling my own cup.”
Billie explains that she has seen huge changes in herself and her business since joining the group. “Literally in the last couple of weeks, I’ve completely changed my days and cut down on evenings with clients. I just don’t have the energy for two evenings a week and I want to do more things for myself. With this space, I now volunteer at a local garden one day a week, getting my nature fix, and I’m starting an evening class in Spring! I don’t think I would have been able to do that without the support of the group.”
“If you’re looking for community, support, a laugh, something to keep you grounded and connected to your business, this is it. If you want to be a bit more expansive and make time for the big ideas, what you want to do or where you might like to go next, this is a really special community to be part of.”
A group led with skill and nurtured with kindness
Kathryn John, a wandering Welsh artist, writer, ink maker and workshop facilitator, first connected with Jo online during lockdown.
They first worked with Jo as a coaching client. And the following year, after a very stressful night of trying to write a business plan, Kathryn visited Jo’s website and started reading about her new programme, Choose Yourself Free. Jo’s message encapsulated everything Kathryn was looking for: a space of solidarity, diversity and inclusion. A place where ‘traditional’ and ‘professional’ were thrown out the window, where individuality and unapologetic freedom were invited in.
“I just really trusted Jo straight away after our communications because of the clarity she had on what she believed in. And on her boundaries too. She made me feel safe to set my own and run my business my own way.”
They explain that Choose Yourself Free is the place where outsiders fit in.
“Everybody thinks they’re an outsider. Everybody has the fear of being the odd one or the too-emotional one or the uptight one. But with Choose Yourself Free, you can come and truly be yourself here.”
“If you’re drawn to it, I’d say you’ve already got your answer. If you’re really feeling the need for community, if you’re fed up of doing it all on your own and you want to explore what it’s like to be with a group led by someone who is skilled and kind and honest and real and nurtures that within the group, just do it. Take a leap because you won’t regret it.”
A village of supporters
Creative content writer Sophie Campbell joined Choose Yourself Free just a few weeks after going freelance full-time.
“I expected at least the start of my freelance journey to be spent alone and I’m so glad that wasn’t the case. I went on Jo’s Freedom Retreat, loved it and then signed up to her group programme all within about a month of knowing her. Her energy is infectious and I just instinctively knew I wanted to work with her.”
Sophie explains that she felt such a pull to Choose Yourself Free because she wanted to build a business her way.
She says, “It’s shown me that there are so many different ways to run a business and you really can design every aspect of it to work for you. And Jo has such a knack for helping you figure out the ‘how’ and making everything feel so much easier.”
“I’m so grateful to have had this village around me during my first year of self-employment. The sessions are an integral part of my week now and I love it. I feel like I’m constantly talking about how great it is to anyone who’ll listen!”
Sophie understands that the thought of joining a community of strangers can be intimidating at first. “But honestly, within five minutes, you’ll feel so, so at ease and excited about what’s to come for you and your business.”
