Jo Franco: From YouTube Star to National Geographic TV Host

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

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