Sharing The Wisdom feat. Jo Millett

We caught up with Jo Millett as part of our ‘Sharing the Wisdom’ series. Jo is founder of Scale and Polish and Lean Content, she shares her journey from agency life to launching two content-driven ventures. Jo discusses the power of sharing ideas, the importance of self-belief, and why setting boundaries and taking downtime are crucial for sustained creativity.

Could you please introduce yourself as well as your Background?

I’m Jo Millett, I’m originally from Rutland. I moved to Bristol in 2016 and bounced around a few different marketing agencies. In 2018 I founded my first agency, Lean Content. Lean Content grew and eventually I specialised in retail B2B. Along the way we worked with some amazing clients and continue to offer content strategy and content marketing. As part of this, I wrote some short eBooks on marketing, which still are going strong. Lean Content Marketing is all about getting more from less, and not spreading yourself too thin.

Recently, I’ve moved into podcasting. I started off by producing a series of podcasts focusing on freelancers journey to success. The series, Niche Upon A Star, did way better than I expected, and convinced me that podcasting is a great long-form storytelling marketing tactic. I also got to meet a diverse range of inspiring people on the way. In 2024 I set up Scale and Polish, a new podcast agency for B2B clients, and a podcast to go with it.

To capture some of the Wisdom you’ve gained as a professional so far, what are some “stand-out things” you’ve learned that you’d like to pass on to your peers as well as the future generation of talent within your sector?

Share your ideas

My biggest piece of advice to anyone starting out is to offer something first. When you meet people, if you’re part of a team, if you’re part of a project, you’ll need to share your ideas and your vision. Especially if you’re freelancing, be prepared to share your wisdom and passion  without expecting anything in return. This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s actually a way to set yourself apart from others and set out your stall. What do you want to stand for? Create something and share it. The rest will follow.

Believe in yourself

In order to share something that you’ve created, you’ll need self belief. And for most of us, sharing can feel icky or like showing off. It’s not. Believe in yourself, your value and keep sharing your ideas. When you work in the creative industries, it’s easy to compare yourself to others further ahead. My advice is to keep your own self-belief strong. Just keep going. 

Set clear boundaries

It’s tempting as we progress in our careers to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity. Actually, saying ‘no’ is a far better option sometimes. Know your worth. Know your ideal client and your best ways of working. And if an offer appears that doesn’t match up to these things, bow out at the beginning. It’s a much easier option than taking on a project that isn’t a good fit.

Take time off

Possibly the best piece of advice I’ve ever received was, ‘Don’t forget to sit and watch the cars go past.’ Take time to do nothing. After my dad passed away this year, I decided to drop my working hours and get out in nature every week. This hasn’t hurt my productivity. In fact, it has helped me refocus on what matters. So, my final piece of advice for anyone entering marketing would be to take downtime seriously. 

What is your take on the importance of role models?

I can’t emphasise enough how important role models are for me. In a male-dominated industry, seeing women do really well inspires me to keep going. Aside from gender role models, I also love to see diversity and better representation growing in marketing. It’s heartwarming to see a mix of young people entering marketing and doing it differently. For me, seeing this range of human experience represented inspires me to keep being myself. 

Another great reason for role models is mentoring. And in my experience, most people are flattered and willing to help. If you admire someone, tell them. If you’d like support, ask for help. There’s an entire generation of creatives waiting to help the next generation up.