hello, you’re listening to yōso notes. this episode was originally recorded as a visual essay on , but the essential elements remain the same. thanks for being here.

for the first time, i’m documenting the full story of how i built three brands before anything finally clicked (not a guru) just someone who kept trying until things made sense.

i spent more than 10 years teaching in classrooms. then i moved to japan, thought i’d retire as a teacher & ended up questioning everything about my life and work. that’s where my journey into building brands really began.

brand #1 — my writing brand i wanted to make money with my writing. i started a newsletter, shared my stories, processed my life in japan publicly. it failed but it taught me how to write online & build an audience with honesty.

brand #2 — soulful ielts i took my own ielts test in tokyo, got great scores, & turned that into a coaching brand with my partner. we grew it organically on threads. built a full funnel: lead magnet, coaching program, youtube, digital products. we got our first student from one viral post.

brand #3 — cozy english jp we pivoted to an english learning channel as a way to teach english to japanese learners without pressure or burnout. another lesson in sustainability & showing up with purpose.

then life pushed me in another direction yet again. i worked for a startup as an instructional designer, an experience that forced me to confront what i didn’t want from my life & career:

the micromanagement... the underpayment... the scope creep... that job became the final push i didn’t know i needed.

one day, i walked away...and started building something of my own.

today, that is 要素 yōso studio.

we’re a two-person branding studio built on japanese philosophy: strip everything down to the essential elements. we’re not about flashy logos or perfect pixels. we build brands by focusing on what truly moves people forward.

this audio note is the first entry in documenting that journey. if you’re in the middle of figuring out your own brand, career, or identity… i hope something in my story helps you feel less alone ~

p.s. this podcast is best enjoyed on a long walk or in silence 🍃

stay soulful,

jo from 要素 yōso studio

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