17 - From Violin to Vision - Jo Allen's Journey of Reinvention

Today, I'm joined by the incredible Jo Allen - creative entrepreneur, transformational coach, and single mum who has redefined what success looks like on her own terms.

Jo shares her inspiring journey from performing as a laser violinist on global stages and founding a thriving entertainment agency, to facing a pivotal moment that led her to slow down, go inward, and reimagine her life and career from the ground up.

We talk about the fear of starting again, the power of journaling, why gratitude is more than just a buzzword, and how Jo now supports other creative mums to build fulfilling businesses without burning out.

This is a story of courage, creativity, and reclaiming your voice - and I know you’re going to love it.

🎻 Learn more about Jo’s work

🛎️ And don’t miss her brilliant bell ringer moment at the end!

Today's Show Notes & Links:

🌐 Website: www.joallencoaching.com

📞 Book a Discovery Call: Creative Career Call – Calendly

📸 Instagram: @joallen_coaching

💼 LinkedIn: Jo Allen Coaching

🎶 Watch Jo in action: Lumina the Laser and LED Violinist

🎙️ Edited with precision by podcast editing master, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real

⏺️ Got feedback, a question, or want to be on the show? Leave me a voice message by CLICKING HERE – we might even feature it in a future episode!

✨ Subscribe, follow, and share with anyone who’s growing their business between the bells.

🔗 Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebeccanewenham
🌐 Learn more about Get Ahead: getaheadva.com

Transcript

But it's your dreams are on the other side of fear and when I heard it it was like something suddenly clicked and you know when you get one of those proper sort of light bulb moments and it yeah it sort of woke me up to be like oh my god I have not been sort of you know I've not been looking at things in the right way I've been waiting rather than taking action. So today on Between the Bells we've got the wonderful Jo Allen. I've known Jo for several months now through various networking and what I love about these sessions are the conversations that we have that I know nothing about. 

So you're going to be in for a treat with Jo, she's an amazing creative and I just love her backstory and how she's taken what she had and made it into a hugely successful business that ticks all the boxes for her. But I've loved the takeaways that she's given us in terms of the bell ringer moment and her daily routines which has really got me thinking about journaling and the power of that. So I will leave you to listen to Jo. 

Jo Allen, welcome to Between the Bells. Thank you so much for having me here. Oh Jo it's a real treat we've met through local networking haven't we and I had no idea about your backstory and about all the amazing things you do. 

You are so creative and I find that fascinating that we can meet somebody and we glean a little bit about and do it but it's not until we uncover what you're about that actually that adds the huge value. So that's why I love this podcast because it's a real opportunity to shine a light on fantastic women. So Jo I'd love you to share a little bit about your backstory and what you're doing now. 

Yeah sure, so my career began as a violinist. I studied at the Royal College of Music after which I slowly built up an amazing freelance career and that sort of meant working as a session violinist. I toured all over the world with loads of different bands and artists, performed on TV as a backing violinist with them, recorded some of their sort of albums and singles and I loved it. 

It was what I'd always wanted to do. It wasn't easy to get into. I'll make it sound like it was really easy. 

It took a lot of work and a lot of meeting the right people as well and whilst I was doing that I obviously met and made some really good friends and with three of them I set up an electric string quartet called Siren and we also travelled all over the world performing together and we had a lot of fun and in all honesty I never felt like I'd worked a day in my life which I was really grateful for. And then I had my first child which obviously changed everything and I realised that it was going to be very difficult to purely be a violinist and not have any other way of obviously earning money when I wanted to and needed to be at home with my baby. I did carry on gigging but I had to massively restrict the amount of work that I took on as my boy's dad who is a magician, he was abroad a lot of the time working as well which obviously wasn't ideal but you know he's amazing and that's what he did. 

So when I found out I was pregnant I had this seed of an idea which was to build an entertainment agency to keep me at home with my baby but that would mean obviously setting up a new act which I could use to launch the agency and also it would allow me to then perform it if I had the opportunity to and I knew it needed to be really unique and unlike anything else out there so that it would capture people's attention straight away and that is where my Laser and LED Violin Act Lumina came from and I still love performing that today and I know you've seen the video. It's amazing, I'm going to make sure we share a link to it in the show notes. Thank you, it's very different and really fun as well and then after my first child I sort of struggled on trying to bring this agency to life whilst obviously juggling being a new mum then I had another child just to sort of you know add something else into the works and it became very clear that things had to change as I found having two kids really overwhelming and I basically I knew at that point I was getting very close to burning out and it was it was really scary and also a very lonely time as well and I ended up making a really difficult decision to actually quit performing which at the time felt like losing an arm or a leg as it was all I'd ever done and you know I felt like it was my whole identity and the person I was before having kids and I actually had to grieve it I realised sort of looking back but with two kids and needing to be at home it was 100% the right decision with hindsight which is great as it gave me obviously more time to focus on what I needed during that period of my life then became a single mum when my boys were 3 and 18 months old and that was definitely sort of that was when I hit a low point but weirdly I found that when I was at rock bottom and you know there's only one way to go up it's I would go from like terrified to excited and then back again because I knew things had to change and were changing I didn't know how it would all work out so I guess it made me really sort of push my business and I just had to go through it because I had no other option which felt kind of liberating in a way I don't know if that really makes sense but it was definitely the kick up the bum that I needed so to cut a long story short created new acts built up my business which I grew to love and as my boys got older I went back to doing some performing again as well and I kept finding that people would come to me for advice or to just tell their stories because they knew that I'd understand what they were going through and I really wanted to sort of help help everyone if I could so I trained as a transformational coach which is how you sort know me and I now help other mums in the creative industries and dads I just sort of mums tend to be the people who come to me who are feeling like I did exhausted pulled in all directions and just you can't carry on living like that so I basically help them to create a career that lights them up and you know fits with their family life and helps them to feel like them again and excited for the future rather than dreading it so yeah that's where I am now. 

I love that you know excited for the future and you've been so real and simply telling that story that you hit rock bottom I think we can be scared when we're in that environment can't we and think there is like you rightly say you almost have to get there to then build yourself back up. Yeah exactly and you feel like you're the only one as well so it's just really important to sort of talk about it so that you know other people realise they're not they're not on their own and you know there is help out there. No and that's what I love about you Jo you're very you're so open to receive information from people so you're definitely doing the right thing so yeah thank you for sharing that that's amazing so as we know on Between the Bells I love to share favourite tools and daily routines with everyone so have you got a favourite tool or a selection of that you'd like to share with us? So I think rather than like a tool I think what I kind of would like to share if it's okay is kind of a key lesson that I've learnt. 

Yeah absolutely. That's why it's so basically I was thinking about this before I obviously came to talk to you and something I've learned for both myself and for obviously coaching other other people is that trying to do it all isn't sustainable and I think we often think balance means sort of squeezing everything in and trying to get it all done and you know once you've ticked everything off the to-do list you suddenly feel like oh yes that's you know I'm being you know I'm doing it all I'm being successful but then when you're trying to also be there for your family have a successful career cook healthy meals find time to go to the gym whatever it is the list could go on and on it's when everything starts to sort of fall apart and and what I've realised is that it's not actually about doing more and sort of squeezing it all in it's about getting clear on what really matters to you and when we take that time to stop and create space to reflect even when life is really hectic and to be honest especially when it's hectic when we really don't feel like we want to stop and reflect that's when we need to do it so we can start to see things differently and actually move from reacting to everything around us to making conscious choices about obviously where our time and energy can go and you know it's not about giving up on things because there are so many things that we absolutely have to do you know we have a choice about that but it is about letting go of the pressure to do it all perfectly and about letting go of the shoulds I you know I was still at some time should is like such a you know a strong word isn't it? Oh totally and I'm very aware when I suddenly say it if I might say it to my children you should be doing this it's like oh are you saying that? Yes but you do it without thinking don't you it just sort of comes out and when you listen to your thoughts you know I remember thinking oh I should be happily married with two children and not a single mum or you know I should you know I always wanted to be a violinist I should be a violinist because I put all this time in and hours into practise and my parents put loads of money into it and it just creates guilt and it's you know it's not helpful and I think you know once you sort of start to actually reflect and focus on what really lights you up and aligns with your values the rest starts to fall into place and that's when you can start to notice yourself feeling calmer and you know more grounded and a lot more like yourself again because you can make decisions from like a place of clarity and understanding rather than fear and judgement. Yes and it's allowing you to have that time and space to do it isn't it I think which often we know like you say when you're always feeling chaotic that's often the time you should be calming down and making that space. 

Yeah yeah and that's when it's hardest to do it because you just feel like you've got so much on that's the last thing you want to do but actually it's the thing that really helps. Yeah oh no that's really I love that. So Jo in terms of a bell ringer moment I mean you've already shared that wonderful piece is there anything else that you would share in terms of a takeaway? Yeah I mean I think and I was very guilty of this for a long time so I think my one piece of advice would be don't wait for everything to be perfect and don't wait until you feel ready before you take action because you're unlikely to ever feel like it's perfect and I know I never feel ready to sort of go for something new or something that's scary and one of my favourite quotes which I heard a few years ago now and I can't actually remember who it's who said it but it's your dreams are on the other side of fear and when I heard it it was something suddenly clicked and you know when you get one of those proper sort of light bulb moments and it just woke me up to be like oh my god I've not been sort of you know I've not been looking at things in the right way I've been waiting rather than taking action and I think I've been really trying to sort of intentionally live this quote and through doing that I've realised that all the answers I wanted about whether something would work or not whether it was the right thing for me or not whether I was making the right decision or not would only be answered by me actually doing it and you know every single time I've pushed through fear something amazing has come out of it and that fear has gradually reduced and yeah to me it just you know I realise it takes like one and it can be really small brave moments sort of change everything whether it's you know saying yes to something that really excites you but you're scared of doing or saying no to something that drains you but you don't enjoy or you know for me it was starting up the new business venture and then more recently putting myself out there on social media it could be learning something new that will challenge you but whatever you feel fearful and worried about doing I would say try and take that as a positive sign that it's what you need to do or where you need to go for real growth and success and happiness to happen because I think we all know that growth never happens in our comfort zones and you know the fear will always be there but it's usually a sign that you're about to do something meaningful and brilliant um so yeah my um bell ringer moment is to instead of waiting until you feel ready start now and just take that small step and I know that you will be amazed at what happens when you do I'm sure you know that Rebecca as well you've done so much I totally know that and I think it's yeah it is it's being what we would say is being brave and and just doing it isn't it and I think so many people have these mental blocks that oh I couldn't or and you've got all these stories in your head from the past often haven't you that sort of and I often find if I do something that feeling afterwards is amazing isn't it and it keeping you you suddenly realise what that then leads you to doesn't it you can have an openness to other things then yeah and it's it's like once you've kind of done it once even though it's really scary it you feel braver to do it again because you've you've loved it just you're like you're right that feeling is brilliant when you've done it you feel so proud of yourself um and it kind of makes you a little bit more confident to go for it the next time and you know we always have fear but you know once we learn that when we push through it great things happen it's worth sort of feeling it yes and I think and sharing it with other people often isn't it that they actually this is what's happened what do you think and I was spinning a bit flat last week and then I suddenly was sharing that a bit this week with a few people and it's like you suddenly realise you're not alone and it's that power of sharing and being authentic and then people see the real side and I loved you did a post recently Jo of sharing I think it was your children and what they might look like on social media versus actually what was going on in the reality and I think that I've you know I love them safety son and I'm having I'm setting over her Stacey and Jo reality pearl and of course it's not so right for her and it's how things are presented aren't they but I think if you're feeling a little bit vulnerable or a bit low it's very easy to have that FOMO and just think it's all right for everyone else yeah exactly because everyone puts their sort of highlights most of the time on yeah you do and I don't know all girls see that of course aren't me like it's amazing what I've just done rather than actually being real and letting someone in then produced is quite a positive balance after that doesn't it yeah yeah exactly and it's quite scary to put there like I felt quite sort of I was I kept thinking oh should I take it down and I was like nope nope no and I and I think actually if we feel that it means even more that we should be sharing and doing yes exactly exactly being real so oh not that and then our final part um Joe is the school drop off now are you still doing drop offs I'm not sure I am yes so mine are 10 and 12 so my eldest most of the time walks himself to school and back and my youngest I still take because he's in junior school so I um when I've sort of dropped him off I always feel a bit lighter not because I don't love having him around but it's just nice to know that you've kind of got that time to go and sort of do what you need to do um and sort of you know focus on your business or yourself whatever it is and I definitely find that things go better when I create habits in my daily life or I tend to sort of be a bit all over the place so when I get back I normally um will make a cup of tea and go and sit in my favourite chair on my landing and there's a skylight above and I get a beautiful view of the big tree outside our house and when you're self-employed and run your own business as you know it's very easy to just come home after school drop off and just jump straight into work without sort of thinking about anything which is what I used to do for quite a long time but I've found that I get so much more done if I follow my morning routine which is basically I bring a journal to the chair with me write down 10 things I'm grateful for and I try not to go for like the obvious things like a you know I'm grateful for like a beautiful sunny day or flowers in my um but I find it more helpful to sort of think a bit more deeply and connect to what I really would like to have or be and then I will spend five minutes visualising not just about where like I want my business to go but personal sort of side of things as well and like for my family and it's really I find it really amazing how something so simple and quick can set me up for a much more positive and productive day and um and I would say like I don't you know I don't know um if you're not into this sort of thing I think it can still be really helpful just to sort refocus yourself each day and bring some calm into your life but if you do like visualising what I've sort of learned is that you have to basically when you're visualising you see it from a place of you've already got what you want um and you know you have emotion into it as well not just think it and then it just seems to I don't know it just it lifts you up a lot more and makes you feel a lot more positive doing it that way yeah so I that's lovely is it because I've found I've got a journal funny enough got it back here and I want to start doing it again but I would often get in my way over what am I and it reminded me when I was younger writing you know the diary what I'd done that day I got up I brushed my teeth and that awful but is that's really interesting about the bigger picture and I love visualising but I again I've never I hadn't thought about it from that point of view I've already got it and this is what it like I'm at emotional peace yeah yeah because I think otherwise it's always feeling like it's out of your reach whereas when you can actually visualise it um it's there and it's real and it makes you feel more excited about you know actually you know feel like you can achieve it yes and you've got then a connection to it haven't I guess exactly usually so I'm finding I haven't quite got the daily routine I don't have the school scenario anymore so I'm aware I need to set that otherwise I can just easily sit on the sofa watching a bit of breakfast telly and that's fine once in a while but not not and suddenly the time's gone hasn't it and I think that's that's a big thing so I love the idea of the the daily piece at a certain time of day so I think you've encouraged me to get that brand new journal out so I'm such journals and notebooks things like that well actually I've got to put them to good use yeah yeah no I always I love choosing it like having a really beautiful journal that it makes me more likely to actually sort of um to write in it no do you read it do you read back on the entries Jo or not um I don't normally but I actually did um recently and it was really nice because it was really because it's so because it's I guess it's not journaling every area of my life it is the sort of gratitude side of things it was actually like I was feeling a bit sort of like oh god got so much to do blah blah let's just sit and you know actually read it because I didn't feel like writing that day and I don't tend to do it on a weekend I only do it sort of Monday to Friday and it was a weekend and I thought I'm just going to sit and read through it and it was really nice like it was actually really nice to sort of you know really feel good yeah gave you a boost up I think that's what we need isn't it and it doesn't have to be the writing every day but it's getting that value out and setting you up I guess then yeah exactly oh Jo brilliant oh I knew we'd have a lovely conversation and I'm going to share all the links to your various sites and definitely I wish you could have brought the violin into this and we could have ended sort of got it out oh thank you Jo so much that's brilliant I've loved you are very welcome thanks so much for having me a pleasure