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Building Strength through Mindset with Jo Trewartha



Jo Trewartha, Mindset Coach
Jo Trewartha, Mindset Coach

It’s January 2025, and as I sit down to write this blog, I can’t help but reflect on how quickly time seems to pass. The older we get, the faster it flies—or at least, that’s how it feels. Studies suggest this phenomenon stems from how our brains process time: as children, new experiences fill our days, making time seem slower, while as adults, familiar routines blur the days together. In my quest to slow down this year, I’m focusing even more on mindfulness—being present in the moment—to savor life’s experiences. I have made intentions on trips I took this past year to be mindfully engaged, and it worked! I didn’t feel like the trips would rush by and felt more in the moment. It’s a mindset shift I’ve found transformative, and it perfectly sets the tone for our new Women in Business Spotlight: Jo Trewartha.


Jo is a mindset coach with a story that embodies resilience, transformation, and the power of embracing your purpose. Jo was a volunteer at our first in-person event - Empower Your Purpose last year, and I thought she would make a great person spotlight. I was ecstatic about chatting with her and learning more about her business. Her journey is one of navigating personal tragedy, finding her calling, and empowering others to take control of their lives through intentional thought patterns and self-awareness. She’s built a thriving coaching practice rooted in authenticity and connection, and her story is nothing short of inspiring.


Teaching to Entrepreneurship

Jo grew up in Ohio and attended college there, but realized it wasn’t the right fit for her. She packed her belongings into her car and, with her dog, drove west to Arizona! Initially pursuing a career as a kindergarten teacher, Jo discovered that teachers often struggled with mental health. While working, she naturally found herself coaching colleagues on managing emotions and navigating challenges. What started as heartfelt conversations in the teachers’ lounge became the spark that ignited her passion for coaching. Encouraged by her boss, who recognized her talent for helping others, Jo explored life coaching, hired her own coach and therapist, and started hosting retreats for teachers. These four-day retreats focused on emotional empowerment and personal growth, which eventually led her to one-on-one coaching, gaining clients primarily through Instagram. Over time, Jo built a thriving business and continues to plan future retreats, cherishing long-term clients she’s worked with for over three years.


Jo’s journey brought her to Florida after living in Arizona and Colorado. Although she enjoyed Colorado’s beauty, she found its winters unbearable! Seeking warmth and proximity to family, Jo, and her now fiancé moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. (Side note, Jo got engaged on the same day that I got married this past year, how cool?! – a meant to be connection!) The area felt spiritually significant, offering a connection to loved ones in Fort Myers and Tampa and fulfilling their shared desire for a beachside lifestyle. This move became another step in Jo’s journey of growth and purpose.


Jo strategically kept her business name, as her name, to allow for growth and evolution beyond her initial focus on teachers. While she hasn't officially announced it, her work is naturally shifting toward a more spiritual direction. As a student of this path, Jo is learning, reading, and pursuing yoga teacher training to deepen her understanding. She describes her business as undergoing a metamorphosis and avoided attaching it to a specific niche, embracing the flexibility to grow and transform over time.

 

Turning Tragedy into Purpose

At 17, Jo experienced the traumatic loss of her six-year-old brother due to a tragic playground accident. This event deeply affected her, leaving her struggling to process emotions while navigating diagnoses of PTSD, ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Though therapy provided some guidance, Jo felt overwhelmed by the labels and the reliance on medication. Determined to take control, she embarked on a personal journey to manage her emotions and thoughts, discovering techniques to prevent panic attacks, reduce depressive episodes, and stabilize anxiety.


Through self-study, including training with Brooke Castillo’s Life Coach School, Jo realized she had been inherently practicing thought work—using mindset shifts to shape her reality. This realization fueled her passion for coaching others, teaching them how to reframe their thoughts and detach from limiting labels. Today, Jo continues to empower others with the same mindset techniques she developed over a decade ago, turning her personal healing into a transformative practice for herself and her clients.


Embracing Change and Growth

An ideal client for Jo is someone who feels stuck and overwhelmed, at a crossroads in life, ready to surrender and seek guidance. Her approach is centered on helping these clients navigate tough decisions and find a path forward.


What sets her business apart is its departure from the standard "program-based" coaching model. Instead of offering a fixed-length transformation plan, Jo adopts a flexible, ongoing "subscription-style" approach, emphasizing that life is an ongoing journey. She prioritizes being a consistent support system for her clients, whether they're actively working with her.

Jo's focus is not on delivering quick, direct results but on equipping clients with adaptable tools for their "toolkits," enabling them to handle life's evolving challenges. Her approach moves away from the wellness industry's fixation on measurable outcomes, instead of fostering long-term growth and empowerment.


Her business goal over the next year is to lay the groundwork for launching a full-scale retreat company by 2026. The retreats will focus on teaching her signature "Star Method," which emphasizes a balance of active listening, adaptability, and gentle support. Her vision includes training facilitators to use this method effectively in a retreat setting. This year, she plans to focus on developing the foundation and strategies needed to bring this vision to life.


Staying Inspired and Looking Ahead

Jo draws inspiration and guidance from a mix of personal and professional mentors. She has a spiritual mentor, Krysten Christian, who plays a key role in her development. Krysten, whom she met at a sister circle, hosts quarterly retreats, and offers profound spiritual insight. Additionally, Brooke Castillo from The Life Coach School is a noteworthy influence, with Jo studying her teachings, podcasts, and books. Jo considers Brooke her "Oprah" and credits her methodology as foundational. She is also actively expanding her network by attending events and building connections with peers and potential mentors.


Jo emphasizes the importance of perseverance while staying true to one's intentions. She exclaims, “Keep Going!” when I asked her what advice she has for fellow entrepreneurs. She recommends that entrepreneurs prioritize what truly aligns with their goals, rather than blindly following trends or external advice. For example, while social media played a significant role in her journey, she believes it’s not everything, despite its widespread emphasis in the business world. Jo highlights the importance of focusing on where the actual results, such as revenue, come from. She encourages entrepreneurs to "follow the dollar" by investing time and energy into areas that directly drive success, rather than being distracted by superficial metrics like follower counts.


Jo attributes her resilience to personal practices like journaling and meditation, which she considers essential for her well-being. Her driving force, or "why," stems from her desire to forge her own path outside traditional roles and create a legacy for her family and future children. This motivation helps her navigate challenges like negative sales or client setbacks. When faced with difficulties, she allows herself a moment to process emotions, reflect through meditation and journaling, and then refocus, reminding herself that even major companies have faced setbacks, and she is not alone in these experiences.


Additionally, Jo emphasizes the importance of community among entrepreneurs, finding strength in shared experiences of challenges like client no-shows or tough days. Hearing others' success stories and struggles reassures her that she's not alone and can persevere. She also highlights the concept of "spiritual bypassing," where individuals bypass emotions by immediately trying to fix or resolve them instead of fully experiencing them. She encourages others to first feel their emotions—letting frustrations or struggles sink in—before turning to tools or strategies to move forward, allowing for genuine emotional processing. This bit of advice struck true to me as well as during our chat, I had been struggling with some news. My mind wanted to immediately be positive about the news, but emotionally I hadn’t felt the information yet and as soon as I allowed that to occur, afterward – my mind was free from the news, and I was able to embrace the positivity of it.


Get Mindful with Jo

If you’re ready to transform your mindset and embrace a life of purpose, you can connect with Jo Trewartha on Instagram or LinkedIn at Jo Trewartha. Her website, https://www.jotrewartha.com/ is a hub for her services and upcoming retreat information.

Jo’s journey inspires us to embrace mindfulness, pursue our passions, and remember that we have the power to shape our lives through the strength of our mindset.



 

 

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