From Fast Fashion to Empowered Styling: Jo’s Journey

In the heart of Colorado Springs, amidst the bustling life of motherhood and marriage, Jo—a devoted wife and mother of four—has embarked on a transformative journey that's reshaping more than just wardrobes. As a personal stylist and Founder of Slow with Jo, slow fashion advocate, and social media content creator, Jo is redefining the way we perceive fashion, style, and sustainability. Her story begins with a passion for clothes and an eye for styling, but takes a profound turn after discovering the hidden truths of the fast fashion industry.

Balancing the roles of a full-time mom and a budding entrepreneur, Jo is on a mission to make fashion a force for good—one closet at a time. Join us as we delve into Jo's inspiring journey from fashion enthusiast to a catalyst for change, and learn how she's helping women embrace their unique beauty while making a positive impact on the world.

Hello Beautiful! My name is Jo. I am personal stylist, serving our local community in Colorado Springs, slow fashion advocate, and content creator on social media. I am also and most importantly a wife, full-time mom to my four “babies” (ages 10 down to 3). I was raised here in Colorado Springs and met my husband 13 years ago. I have been on the craziest journey since then and I’m both exhausted and overjoyed. *hand raise if you can relate!* 

I love clothes, I love style and fashion. I think about outfits and styling different pieces all the time. My own personal style started to take shape when I was postpartum with my fourth baby. I took my measurements (I don’t recommend this if you’re newly postpartum! Give your body AT LEAST nine months to adjust and find your new normal) and discovered I was a rectangle shape. This really changed the way I viewed my body and how I styled it. I started researching other body types like mine and played with different fits that highlighted the best features of my unique body type. A whole world of style opened up to me when I started playing with pieces that weren’t my normal size, experimenting with how things fit rather than if they were my size or not. 

My love of fashion and how I style myself and my clients was forever changed when I watched a documentary called The True Cost, which highlights what is really going on behind the scenes of fast fashion. I thought that a $5 T-shirt or pants that were just $10 was such a great bargain until I realized someone across the world was paying the price. The hard truth is that it’s not machines that are making the estimated one hundred billion items of clothing every year. Humans are.

Our fellow humans are literally giving their blood, sweat, and tears into the garments we’re wearing. It made me sick and I HAD to do something. 

 This launched me into a radical change in how I shopped, where I shopped, why I shopped, and how in the world could I make some kind of difference in the fashion industry. I took notes from the documentary and made the decision that I would shop only secondhand if I possibly could. I committed to keeping my money out of the fast fashion industry. Amazon, Target, Walmart, Ross, TJMaxx, H&M, Forever 21, Express—stores I frequently bought from—would not receive another penny from me. It felt daunting at first. After all, how would I know what pieces were “in style” or “trendy” if I didn’t rely on shopping those stores every season? It is truly shocking at how much the fashion industry, not to mention influencers on social media, dictate what you “should and shouldn’t” buy! 

I started my instagram account (which was then Mrs Peppin Goes Thrifting) as a way to have a place to show how I was making changes, the fun things I was thrifting, and how you don’t actually need fast fashion to tell you what to buy. I wanted others to care about slow fashion like me and become aware of how small changes to your shopping habits can make a difference in the fast fashion industry! I even started doing little pop-ups where I sold a small selection of hand-picked pieces I’d found secondhand (my little business was called 2ndhandSavvy). If you didn’t like secondhand shopping, I would do it for you! I loved finding treasures and seeing how women would light up when they found a piece that was meant for them without having to do any of the work! Many women resonated with the message secondhand is one of the most sustainable choices we can make. I felt so proud and excited to share my passion with so many like-minded women! 

I’ve since rebranded and changed my focus from reselling clothing to becoming a stylist who will come to your closet and style you in what you already own! I do not encourage any shopping because most of us have a closet FULL of beautiful items that just need a fresh perspective on how to style them! We learn your body type together and then I get to styling you in YOUR beautiful clothes based on YOUR unique body type! I’ve served so many women who feel stuck and overwhelmed in their closets, wanting to dress well for themselves but having no idea where to start!

One of my favorite quotes from a client I served after the pandemic is, “Can you help me remember how to dress like an adult again? Covid wrecked my style!” I wonder how many of you can relate to that statement?!

Here at BBN, we’re all about sharing women’s stories. Tell us about a time you had to overcome an obstacle? What did that moment in your life teach you?

Which one do I pick?! Holy moly.

Life is FULL of obstacles that I’m constantly faced with.

One of them was choosing to have a public social media account because *shocker* I felt insecure! My biggest obstacles were my body, my voice, my identity. My body was not the same after having my four babies. I was nervous to speak up for what I was passionate about because what if someone challenged me on it and I didn’t have an answer? What if someone called me a fake or told me I didn’t know what I was talking about? What if someone hated me? Blah blah blah. My inner critic was loud and large. 

I was also struggling with my expectations of myself as a wife and mom. I thought I would slay as a mom. My husband and I planned to have our four babies and we were in the thick of it. I got pregnant with my fourth baby right before the pandemic hit. I struggled with so much fear, depression, and insecurity. I remember asking my husband if he could get off work early in the day to help me manage my three boys at the time. My oldest was in kindergarten and my other two were in preschool. I wondered if my husband was disappointed in me for not being able to manage everything as a full-time mom. *News Flash* he wasn’t. It was just my inner critic being large and loud again. 

These moments have taught me that in order to thrive in whatever life you choose, you MUST become friends with yourself and learn self-compassion, humility, and trust. Trust the connections you have in your family and community. My church community was a huge support through this time. My husband supported and loved me through all of my trials and errors, fears and insecurities. My family and mom friends also supported and encouraged me and I learned to trust my own voice as I shared honestly with them. Little by little, I stopped judging myself, trusted my voice, and trusted myself to make the best decisions I could as a wife, mom, friend, and new business owner. I have not arrived and I never will, but I have come so far and I am proud of myself! 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge women are facing right now?

I have a unique perspective as a personal stylist because I work with women in one of the most vulnerable spaces—their closet. I see so clearly the biggest challenge for so many is self confidence, self-love, acceptance of their bodies, how they look and how they feel. Many women are hiding. It shows up in how they dress themselves and it comes from the battles they’re facing in their minds. Women want to feel confident, sexy, bold, powerful, lovable, valued. We all do! But we are all in some way, shape or form, hiding.I used to be in my “Hiding Era,” and sometimes I still feel that way. Living in my “Confidence Era” feels muuuuuuuch better! 

What did the younger version of you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a little girl. I loved animals. Like LOVED animals. My stuffed animals were all real, living, breathing things and I treated them as such. My parents got a dog for my siblings and I (I have six. Siblings not dogs) when I was ten and it was a dream come true! He was a lab mix and his name was Hudson. Best dog there ever was. This is such a far cry from becoming a stylist! Who knew?! 

What advice would you give women starting in business?

Say goodbye to your “Hiding Era” and step into your “Confidence or ___________ Era”!

Most of us who have started a business might look like we have it all together and know exactly what we’re doing but we don’t! We’re just a few steps ahead and are still learning! Reach out to other women in the industry. Ask them if they’d go out to coffee with you. Take notes. Get to know your local community and business owners. Build relationship by showing up as authentically as you can! Also, book a therapist and a stylist. The therapist will aid in becoming your best self from the inside out and your stylist will help you look like your best self! Win win! 

Where can our readers connect with you online? Feel free to add your social media links, websites, etc. Also, you’re welcome to skip this.

I would love for you to join my slow fashion community on Instagram. My website has so many resources for slow fashion (what even is that?!) and booking your closet consultation is www.slowwithjo.com 

I am always here to cheer you on, Beautiful!