VANLOVE FEST 25 GET TO KNOW: JO HODSON
In our ‘Vanlove Fest 25: Get To Know’ blog series, we’re giving you the chance to learn more about the incredible individuals who come to share their passions, skills, and stories through workshops and discussions across the festival weekend.
We've asked our workshop hosts and speakers a few questions to help you find out what drives them, what they'll be sharing, and why they can't wait to be part of Vanlove Fest 25.
This week, we sat down with the wonderful Jo Hodson.
Who are you, and what do you do?
Hey I’m Jo, I run my own business remotely, as a designer and coach who helps quietly unconventional, multi-passionate people create their own life-first business. Website design is a key service I offer, as I believe it’s the hub to showcase and connect people to all that you are.
What first sparked your love for vanlife / life on the road?
I’d been considering vanlife for many years, but the uncertainty (and the fact that I didn’t like driving, ha ha) put me off for a long time so I’d pushed the idea to the back of my mind. I had been travelling and volunteering overseas through the Workaday scheme and had planned to travel more, when of course lockdown hit in 2020.
During lockdown (yep, how many of us built our vans during lockdown!) the idea of converting a van came back to the front of my mind. I had the time, I had the design skills (I’m an ex-architect) and I had my dad - who I lived with during lockdown, to assist me with the DIY.
My parents were also both moving away from the area I had lived all my life and I realised I didn’t need to be in one place, and there was no one place I wanted to be. A life on the road suddenly seemed like the most obvious solution!
What can people expect from your session at Vanlove Fest?
I’ll be talking about ‘Neurospicy Vanlife’ which is all about stepping away from societies conventions and creating a unique lifestyle that works for your brain and your needs.
I’ll be sharing my own journey of ADHD being the catalyst for stepping away from a career in corporate architecture. To building out my van and business in a quest to find my own rhythm on the road, that works to my own strengths. I hope you’ll find some gems of inspiration to spark your own journey too!
Describe your dream van in 3 words.
Cosy, multi-functional and easy-to-park :-)
What’s one vanlife myth you’d love to bust?
That you need a lot of money or have to quit your job to live vanlife.
My life now is incredibly frugal by choice. Part of the reason I initially took to vanlife was to take the pressure off what I needed to earn each month to cover the basics, and it has definitely helped with that.
That said, I also work from my van in exactly the same way as I did in a house. There are so many jobs that can be done from a laptop now, and of course there is also the option to bring your own business to life, which is what I love to help people do :-)
What’s your go-to comfort ritual on the road?
I spend a lot of time of my own, and being an introvert I can sometimes go weeks without hangout out with another human. So, as I’m travelling I love to find a great gym class to get a good workout, be in a room full of people all doing the same thing, and finish with a wonderful hot shower!
What does ‘Vanlove’ mean to you?
Vanlove is freedom, which is my biggest core value and the lens through which I seek to create my life.
I think a van is the vehicle for taking you along the road to your best life - both physically and mentally.
Where can people follow your journey or connect with you online?
I love to hang out day to day on Instagram @iamjohodson or you can find out more about me and my work at createwellbeingltd.com
Breaking free from the rat race, redefining success with an ADHD brain, and navigating the highs and lows of solo female vanlife - Jo Hodson will be sharing her story on Saturday in the Vanlove Retreat.
Buy tickets and find out all you need to know about Vanlove Fest 25 by clicking below:
