Hey, I’m Jo!
Designer. Coach. Plant-based foodie. Vanlife Nomad. Writer. Firewalker. ADHDer. Chocolate addict. Fitness fanatic. Over-thinker… and I'm most definitely a label-hater!
I'm not just 'one thing', and I have a sneaky suspicion you aren't either!
I'm a multi-passionate person juggling life over here and I'm serious about helping you embrace and share all that you are in your business (and life!) Teasing out the ‘golden thread’ that lies beneath it all, and weaving that into all that you do.
YET this can only happen when we drop down from the noise in our head and connect with the 'why' in our heart.
So, let’s back track a little…
How did I even end up here And who am I to be helping you with this stuff?
In 2011 I was working as an architect, when my whole world was flipped on its head as I realised there was another way to live.
It began with simple question I had never previously asked myself about the food I put on my plate. But I found, when you question one aspect of your life, something that appears so fundamental, it shifts you at a cellular level and unleashes an unstoppable ripple effect as you begin to question everything else you thought you knew.
And so it began. I quit my architecture career and launched myself into the unknown, with no back up plab.
Little did I realise at the time, that my choice to go plant-based would set me on the journey to discovering my deeply creative, authentic and most meaningful mission based life. A life lived on my own terms.
This website actually began life as a plant-based recipe and photography blog called Including Cake, but over the last 12+ years has evolved into a hub of creative offerings for wellness based businesses and those looking to embrace life and business in their own unique way.
I began passionately writing, designing, thinking, questioning, sharing, creating and simply living my life by a whole new set of rules.
My own rules.
An acknowledgement that our ultimate creative expression is the way in which we choose to live our life.
Whilst my journey may look empowering, exciting and inspiring from the outside, I will let you into a secret… It was messy. A messy murky mire of scary uncertainty and shuddering overwhelm. Overwhelm that had me on my knees time and time again, scrabbling for an exit door that did not exist.
When you're in that space of transition and you don't know who you are or quite where you are even heading, the uncertainty can feel terrifying, and when you are travelling that journey alone the feelings intensify.
Having someone who has got your back to create space for you to be whoever you need to be in those moments of overwhelm, reminding you of your power and giving you permission to show up however you need to, however messy it might feel.... is priceless.
Having someone to support you as you create your own business on your own terms, stepping away from industry standards and honouring your own deepest desires… is golden.
That's what I needed and that is the space I hold for you, in your life and your business.
That space to be authentically you, to experiment and explore alternative paths.
Over the years, bit by bit and at times achingly slowly, I honed my craft, my clarity and my confidence. I stepped away from my career in architecture and continued to develop my skills as a writer and designer. I dropped out of my head and into my body and fell I love with the process of becoming.
I realised I had a powerful mission and a purpose in helping others tune in and give permission to own all of who they are.
In 2020 I was thrown another curveball when I was diagnosed ADHD.
I'd spent a lifetime minimising, playing small, people pleasing and trying to mask the 'too muchness' of my high energy. Trying to force myself into a box, to focus on one thing at a time instead of acknowledging all the creative energy that screamed out for attention.
It was a threshold moment.
A point of surrender in accepting ALL of who I am and drawing all of those strands together to embrace the multi-faceted, multi-passionate person that I has always been deep down inside.
In doing so I saw myself in a new light. Now, instead of berating myself for 'spreading myself so thinly' and 'diluting my talents' as I had always viewed myself in the past, I was able to see that there was indeed a golden thread, a powerful common core the bound everything together and in doing so strengthened the power within.
Then in 2021, I self-converted an empty white Transit van into a tiny home on wheels and took to the road and a ‘vanlife’ nomad with no permanent base and once again no back up plan.
Living life on my own terms was taken to the next level.
Now I can work wherever I park, with nature to inspire me and nourish my soul
Are YOU ready to create a life and business on your own terms?
Bits of paper that say stuff:
I have a first-class honours degree in design and architecture
I am a certified Holistic Health Coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
I have a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from eCornell University.
I received a scholarship to study with The Coaching Academy as a personal performance coach.
I am a qualified firewalking instructor – one of the most biggest personal-empowerment challenges
I am a project worker with PoetsIN Creative Mental Health Charity delivering their workshops.
A few random facts about me…
I eat porridge every day and NEVER get board of it and have actually built a whole wall of porridge toppings in my camper van!
I have a borderline obsession with the number four!
Beyond vanlife, I plan to self-build an off grid tiny home (or two, or three).
My dream when I was younger (as still a bit now!) was to be a trapeze artist!
Create Wellbeing is my journey, and I am here to hold out my hand and support you as you step out into yours.
If you are ready to take the reins, step away from convention, choose curiosity over fear and lean into the potential you feel burning inside... let’s explore what is possible for you.
Professional Bio:
If you’d like to feature or quote my work on your platform or in your publication, feel free to use my bio and any images below with full credit and link back to Jo Hodson @ createwellbeingltd.com
(bio under 100 words)
Jo is a designer, writer and coach helping creatives and wellness based businesses embrace their multiple passions and create a life and business on their own terms. Create Wellbeing was born from her career background in the creative industries and her personal journey of plant-based nutrition being the gateway to stepping away from convention and conformity, into a deeper connection with her authentic self. Jo blends life and work into her travels around the UK and Europe, living on the road in her self-built camper van. Find her at www.createwellbeingltd.com or day to day on Instagram @jo.vanlife
