Jo went to Create & Cultivate Festival in LA with one goal: make the most of it without trying to be everywhere at once.

She came home with new relationships, a very unexpected interaction with Emma Grede, a few paradigm shifts about business and visibility, and a reminder that sometimes the best networking strategy is simply being fully present with the person in front of you.

In this episode, Lyndon interviews Jo about her Create & Cultivate 2026 experience, from how she approached a massive women-in-business event without getting completely overwhelmed to the conversations that changed how she thinks about showing up online.

And yes… we need to talk about the moment Emma Grede looked at Jo and told her she recognized her. 👀

But the bigger takeaway wasn’t the photo or the surreal interaction. It was watching someone with that level of influence make one person feel like the only person in the room.

We’re getting into:

→ How Jo set intentions for Create & Cultivate before she arrived
→ Why she prioritized relationships over trying to “do everything”
→ Her unexpected interaction with Emma Grede
→ What the experience taught her about playing bigger and letting herself be seen
→ Why you might not be as “behind” as you think you are
→ The connection between personal branding, authenticity, and business growth
→ Why showing more of who you are can actually make your marketing more effective
→ How to turn conference networking into real relationships after the event
→ What Jo would, and wouldn’t, do differently at the next Create & Cultivate Festival

One of the biggest themes Jo came home with? People need enough context to know how they want to connect with you.

That applies at a networking event, but it also applies to your marketing as a creative service provider. Your expertise matters. Your values matter. Your personality matters. And hiding the pieces that make you you can make it harder for the right people to recognize that they want to be in your world.

☕ Want to get to know each other? DM US TO SET UP A COFFEE CHAT.

Seriously. We love meeting other creative service providers, entrepreneurs, founders, and generally interesting humans. Send us a DM, tell us you listened to this episode, and let’s see where the conversation goes.

Connect with Jo & Lyndon on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/

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In this episode:
00:28 — What is Create & Cultivate Festival?
02:01 — Setting intentions before a huge networking event
05:21 — What Jo’s day at the festival actually looked like
09:45 — The unexpected Emma Grede moment
20:48 — Learning to play bigger and be seen
24:45 — “You’re not behind” and redefining the timeline
27:02 — Bringing more personality and values into your marketing
29:12 — Following up and turning networking into relationships
30:20 — Jo’s favorite conversations and biggest takeaways
32:28 — Would she go again, and what would she do differently?