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Ten Ways Jo Kelly Coaches People To Become Great Actors--Online

May 4, 2024

Jo Kelly isn't your average acting coach.

In fact she does not use the phrase "teacher" at all "I am not giving people instructions on how to behave" she adds. "I aid people to not behave."

Through exercises that are experiential, Jo coaches mainly actors and other artists of every kind, as well as non artist "seekers" about how they can find inner freedom and become their authentic self. By doing this, performers will stop acting and become being. "I like to call myself an acupuncturist more than a coach, because I aid people to return to their true self and be reborn," she explains.

She believes that the performance of an actor depends on their fulfillment and ability to devote themselves to their character. "When the character is being defended in full, the story and the audience are impacted" she says.

In her unique style of guiding performing artists, she assists them to tap to their inner child's imagination, fascination and even play. The result? They give truthful, alive, and raw shows.

In 2016, Jo transitioned from in-person coaching and started an online-based business through . Since that time, she's led three consecutive learning journeys and has helped more than 8,000 clients. The group has had amazing results since joining Jo and also have secured roles in some of the most prestigious studios, including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Showtime, ABC Studios as well as many more.

Here's how she built an online business in the field she's passionate about:

Skip ahead:

She did her research

Jo had an unusual route to becoming an actor.

Born in Belgium, she got her MBA after which she specialized in the field of human resource management as well as the psychology of systems. In the following years, she was involved in corporate coaching. "The corporate environment never felt exactly like the one I was used to," she shares. "I chose to quit everything, relocate to Paris and begin afresh. ."

A big part of her new beginnings was to try her hand at acting. She fell in the love of. She was passionate, hardworking and put all her money and time in learning to become the best actor she could be.

Despite her devotion to the craft, she says she was a good actress but not a great actress. Much like other actors, she was plagued by stage anxiety. "Most of my colleagues in the acting field had similar issues," she says. "We were extremely passionate about acting, however when it was our turn to perform we were nervous. ."

The actress was curious to know what was blocking her and others from becoming the best actors. "My interest turned into an obsession," she says. "I was interested in knowing why actors who are so devoted and passionate shrink when it's time to play ."

Over the course of several years, she studied why so many actors felt blocked. The research she conducted led her to an understanding that when children are playing, they're in control. While when adults are playing it's like they're losing their freedom due to the societal norms. "When I realized that, I spent the rest of my life aiding actors to break out of their conditioning to allow them to show up and be themselves in the same way that they once had," explains Jo.

She started her coaching

Jo's experience-based research prompted her to explore different somatic tools and practices, which she then tried on other people by private or group coaching in the early 2000s. After a few years the business was named To Be Or Not To Act.

She soon realized those she coached were lacking accountability. "No matter how devoted those I worked with were, they weren't able to show up everyday. Even if we met every week three times but there was no accountability during breaks. The ball would be dropped easily when they weren't with me." explains Jo.

The idea was that online classes could help individuals remain consistent in their practice. Her online courses as "journeys," and the initial journey that she guides people on is The Reset: From Resistance to Freedom--which she developed in the year 2014. "I created The Reset so that I could help people through a 33-day journey," she explains.
 "Since the site is online, users can access it in their own way and create their own schedules."

Jo is of the belief that humans are born with a true core, yet societal conditioning asks us to act in a certain way, to think and behave in a particular way. According to her, the purpose for The Reset is for people to perform daily exercises that allow them to shed their conditioning and return to their original instincts. Each day in The Reset, Jo offers recordings of exercises. Jo also offers two Q&As and two group work using pods as well as a semi-Q&A session where Jo answers frequently asked questions on the private Facebook group.

The flexibility offered by an online adventure makes it possible for Jo's members to participate in the lessons at any time in the morning, when they wake up, before they go to bed, or whenever they have spare time throughout the day. "The best part is that it allows them to make them fit in with their daily routines," she explains.

She built an online business which allowed her to live a more flexible lifestyle

When Jo first launched her online Reset journey, she had each daily session on her website. After a few years, she switched to after being recommended to the site by her coach. "You people know what you're doing, and I don't" she chuckles.

After moving into the online coaching space Jo's life has been transformed. In the moment of her interview with us, she was calling from the hospital in which she was accompanied by her daughter. "Eight years ago, my child was born to a genetic spectra, which means that she needs hospital care every month" she says.

" enables me to be mother and be in charge of my family while also keeping my business going, even when I'm in hospital, while my daughter receives her monthly transfusions" she continues. "Working online lets me take care for my daughter in the way I would like to and stay home at all times to her. This allows me to go to hospital for medical needs but still be able to pursue a job I am passionate about, without stress. ."

She created subsequent journeys

Once people complete The Reset, they have the option to go into A three-month program known as The Intentional Actor. The program offers a daily 3 hour session over twelve weeks. "The participants here are a little more autonomous with regards to accountability and proving their worth. They still have some practices to follow every day, but they can't rely on my energy to do it. They have to come up with their own purpose, which is the point." Jo shares.

Jo will also be hosting Q&A sessions through the journey of The Purposeful actor, which happen each week for three weeks. Once people have completed that Purpose journey you can choose to join a yearly membership known as BAMF Actors In Action, which is a reference to Bad-Ass Mom F***ing Actors In Action. "I started this program because those who have completed these two walks wanted to continue practicing on this route," she says.

The membership program has been operating for the past four years. it includes one content program every month and group sessions via weekly pods, a every month Q&A sessions with Jo, and a six-hour summit once every three months. "The membership lets people decide how they're going to go out into the world and be the person they're meant do, get connected to the world of work, develop the content they want to create, and raise the bar on their instrument," she explains.

She has coached performers of all types

According to Jo she believes that the majority of her clients during her journeys include actors. But there are different kinds of artists like writers, dancers, storytelling artists, and musicians, as well regular people who "want to move through their conditioning," such as mothers as well as professionals such as pro athletes television hosts, pro athletes, and therapy professionals. "Freedom is a concern to anyone who wants to be fully expressed," she says.

Because the tours are conducted in English the journeys attract travelers all over the globe. "We get people from all continents, but mostly America, Europe, and Australia," she shares.

The majority of her listeners are aged between 20 and 50. There are also people at the end of their third decade of their lives, and it's not uncommon for her to invite those who are in their 70s or 80s to join her on her journeys.

The client let her do the talking

When it comes to advertising her travels, Jo says the word is spread through the word of mouth.

The homepage on her website, she's embedded a video testimonial reel. This adds social proof and adds credibility to her work. Plus, website visitors can subscribe to her email newsletter on her site. To collect emails, she gives two workshops for free to attract leads: Stop Trying To Be A Great Actor to Give Yourself The Chance To Be Great and The Instinctive Actor. In addition to helping aid in collecting her readers' information, but they also provide people a taste of her coaching style.

She also posts on her Instagram page, which has more than 10,500 followers. Her page also receives press coverage from interviewing people on podcasts, blogs, and magazines.

She opted for a price that is affordable.

Jo is determined to ensure that her travels are affordable for people, especially because actors be in a state of flux with their income. "If you went to an acting studio once a week, it would cost you between $300 to $400. The majority of time, you'll sit down and watch other people do the scenes, and at times, you get the opportunity to play," she adds.

"These online journeys offer a lower cost alternative," continues Jo. "The worth of our trips is 10 times what we offer the journeys for." ."

The Reset has a price less than $1,000 USD. The Purposeful Actor costs $1,250 USD and membership costs $270 USD per month.

She never left her area of the greatest genius

Although she's the chief at To Be Or Not To Act, Jo is firm in her determination to focus all the time she needs in her area of genius--which is coaching and creating content. She doesn't feel tech-savvy, and prefers to remain "in flow" doing the things she excels at. "The other aspects that run a business, isn't something I'm interested in since they're not my realm of genius," she explains.

Jo attributes her success to hiring a coach at an early stage. As she was ready to create evergreen journeys and she decided to take a chance and purchased a course for $20k in order to master the art of doing this. "It was an enormous amount of money that required me take out a loan for half the amount. But I'm glad that I did it," she shares.

She believes that it's possible that anybody can build a successful online course business. But, she advises to be aware that it's not an easy job.

"It requires dedication and perseverance It's also important to be really passionate about what you do. In my case, this is all I've ever done since changing jobs in my 20s, and it's all I'll ever undertake. It's because of this passion that even when things get tough, I stick with it ."

She was inspired by her heart to create.

She advises online creators to remain realistic about the hard work that they'll need to create an online enterprise. She suggests that they do so only if the topic they're teaching is a subject that's near to their heart.

"The risk now is whenever you are on social media, everyone is coaching you and everyone is selling you how possible you can make millions in a matter of seconds, but that's not the case," says Jo. "It is a fact that if you hold something you are passionate about and you want to share it with an audience that is bigger than your neighborhood. It takes effort, and it takes falling and getting back up again. You need to be coached, and investing your time and cash until the structure is built ."

As Jo When you create a business from your heart It gives you the stamina to persevere through the tough times.

"An online company isn't merely a job opportunity to make money. It has to be built from your core--from what you're meant to be doing. If you don't, you'll drop the ball since it'll feel too hard." she shares.

"If you're really serious then you'll be able to take on the challenge. If you're out there to make a quick buck it won't be possible to accept these challenges. My advice is to apply your passions to you. It is essential to excel at what you do because there's such a huge amount of competition. You must be able to trust the work you're doing. ."

She was true to her work

When asked about trending in online courses that we could observe in 2024, Jo believes that there will continue to be over-use of online courses. She says that the main differentiator between the "McDonald's" classes and "gourmet" courses is those that are created by a professional with integrity.

"When you have an overabundance of stuff, there'll be two kinds of online jobs. There'll be McDonald's type courses, and then there will be the reliable Gourmet courses. Everyone is going to have an agenda to accomplish this or that with your life. It won't come from a place of integrity And then there will be people who've been doing it for a long time," she says.

In order to create an exquisite gourmet dining experience she suggests you return to your heart.

"There is a huge potential for anyone who is grounded in their heart wanting to help others," she continues. "The people who will need your services will find that you ."

"I'm happy that it allows us to connect as humans in the things that matter to us. It's incredible."