Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Sands.
Jo, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I decided to take a leap of faith and resurrect my dormant creative energies…and have never looked back.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is always a challenge balancing responsibilities with our passions and while money is important, you get to a point where you realize the most valuable commodity we have is our time. The more valuable it becomes to us, the more our eyes are opened to opportunities or missed opportunities. Learning a new skill or breaking into a new industry is never easy and there are at times costly and painful lessons learned but you get up and keep it moving.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have two companies actually. On the corporate side: Jo Jo Solutions (ISA Certified Arborist, Project Manager, & Business Consultant) and on the creative end: Jo Sands Voice (my absolute passion). I am an audiobook narrator, author, podcast host, producer and public speaker. I am most proud of reconnecting with my creative self and meeting so many amazingly talented creatives. I believe everyone has a unique story to tell. In the podcast interviews, I enjoy diving in and asking the questions we all want to know but are too afraid to ask. I know I have done my job when a guest responds, “Wow, I have never been asked that question.” And yet, I also give the creative an opportunity to tell their stories in their own words-unscripted. The show has been picked up in the UK on Audiobook Radio and I am super excited. I am also honored to have been able to narrate the works of strong African-American females such as the memoir of Dr. Gadys B. West, an incredible African-American female mathematician who played an integral role in the invention of today’s GPS system and “Black Pickett Fences” by Mary Patillo-McCoy which explores the privilege, disadvantages, and gentrification of a neighborhood on Chicago’s Southside.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was an inquisitive child who loved to read and write short stories, poems and arrange musical skits with my siblings for our parents who were avid music collectors. I’ve always been a creative writer with hundreds of lines of prose written on anything I could find when an idea hit. I would love to say I carried around a notebook or journaled consistently every day; however, that’ was not the case. Between running companies, business ventures, child-rearing, sports “moming”, and let’s not forget storm chasing (will save that for another time); I had to utilize whatever resources available i.e.: napkins, baby diapers, church bulletins, grocery receipts, sticky notes, etc. to capture the words as they would race through my thoughts, triggered by an incident, sound, smell, or touch. A student of journalism throughout high school (Newspaper, Yearbook, and TV1 Morning School News Channel) I still chose a degree in business management upon reaching college in my attempt to obtain a “sensible and responsible” career.
Contact Info:
- Email: jo@josandsvoice.com
- Website: josandsvoice.com
- Instagram: thejoshowpodcast
