Star Potential

40 Episodes
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By: Julie Jo Hughes

In the Star Potential podcast, host Julie Jo Hughes, a musical and theatrical performer, explores themes of self-identity, authenticity, and living in the present moment. Driven by a personal journey of reclaiming her voice and worth beyond external pursuits, Julie Jo aims to illuminate paths for other seekers of self actualization. Each week, the podcast features real talk on radical responsibility, recognizing our patterns for growth and evolution, meaningful conversation with insightful guests, and playful stories from onstage and offstage. Julie Jo invites listeners to embrace their true essence and bring more play into their daily lives as we learn...

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What Can You Do with Six Minutes?
#12
Today at 4:00 PM

What can you create when you stop waiting for more time—and give yourself just six minutes?

In this exactly six-minute episode, I explore why more preparation doesn’t always produce more aliveness. Through the story of forgetting every word during a childhood talent-show performance—and somehow earning a standing ovation—I share what can happen when the plan disappears and presence takes over.

I’ll challenge you to choose one thing you’ve been overthinking, set a timer for six minutes, and simply begin.

And if you have something important to communicate—a presentation...


Fledgling Season
#11
06/04/2026

Fledgling Season

A baby crow on the ground.

A worried little boy.

A lesson that showed up twice in the same week.

In this episode, I'm reflecting on the stories we tell ourselves when we don't have the full picture, the perspectives we miss when we're certain we're right, and the surprising freedom that comes from asking, What else might be true here?

A chance encounter with what appeared to be an injured bird led me to a deeper realization about a situation I'd been wrestling with...


The 5% Ruining the Other 95%
#10
05/19/2026

What if the thing stealing your peace… is only taking up 5% of the picture?

In this episode, I’m reflecting on a recent trip to Hawaii and the powerful reminder that wherever our focus goes, our energy follows. We explore how two people can experience the exact same circumstances completely differently based on what they choose to focus on — and how resistance to reality is often what creates suffering in the first place.

I talk about manifestation, expectations, patterns, personal responsibility, and the stories we keep feeding with our attention. We also dive into how recurr...


What's True Doesn't Need Defending
#9
05/05/2026

What if the thing you feel the need to defend… isn’t actually under threat at all?

In this episode, we explore the connection between identity, perception, and presence—and how the lens you’re seeing through shapes everything.

When you’re operating from survival mode, the world feels personal.
 When you shift into presence, you begin to see connection instead of threat.

This conversation will help you recognize when you’re reacting from protection, how to return to a grounded state, and why true strength often looks like softness, patience, and understanding...


I Released Jaw Tension… and Everything Else Started Releasing Too
#8
04/24/2026

No one really talks about what happens after you release tension in your body.

We hear about the benefits—relief, flow, feeling lighter.
But what about the part where your body feels weird… tired… emotional… or completely off?

In this episode, I’m sharing the unexpected aftermath of a buccal (jaw) massage that released years of stored tension—and how that one shift created a ripple effect through my entire being.

From constant yawning and nervous system resets…
to surprising digestive changes…
to a sudden surge of creative energy and the urge to clea...


Stop Fighting Your Life | This is What Presence Really Is
#7
03/31/2026

We talk a lot about presence as something that makes you more magnetic.

But what about what it does for you?

This episode came from a moment where I realized I was spending way more energy resisting what was happening… than actually supporting myself through it.

We get into:

 why resistance drains you more than the problem itself  the difference between acceptance and inaction  and what presence actually looks like when you’re not “on” 

✨ Where are you fighting something that’s already unfolding?

00:00 Presence Over Performance
 00:51 Why Presence Matters


You Don't Need Confidence. You Need Presence. (Why Some People Command a Room)
#6
03/10/2026

“Just walk in confidently.”

It’s advice we hear all the time. But after more than 30 years performing on stages, I’ve noticed something surprising: confidence isn’t what makes someone captivating.

In this episode, I explore the real quality that makes people magnetic — presence.

Presence is what others experience from you. It’s the difference between someone who simply delivers their words and someone who pulls you in so completely that you can’t look away.

Drawing from stories from the stage, wedding speeches I’ve witnessed, and a moment early in...


Stop Performing Your Evolution (The High Achiever’s Healing Trap)
#5
02/24/2026

High achievers don’t stop performing.
We just upgrade the stage.

In this episode, I’m unpacking the hidden healing trap so many driven, self-aware people fall into: performing our evolution instead of actually living it.

As a lifelong performer and high achiever, I was trained to earn gold stars — through achievement, applause, and approval. But when I began my personal growth and spiritual healing journey, that same performance energy followed me. I wanted to meditate correctly. Heal correctly. Evolve faster. Be more self-aware than I was yesterday.

Without realizing it, I turned...


Beyond Normal: Listening to the Rhythm of the Body | with Sadie Kaufman
#4
02/17/2026

What if feeling fine isn’t the same as functioning optimally?

In this follow-up conversation with nutritional health guide Sadie Kaufman, we explore what happens when we stop waiting for something to go wrong and start listening to the body earlier.

After implementing Sadie’s food-first, data-driven approach myself, I was surprised by how quickly the body responds when it’s supported instead of pushed — and how many women normalize shifts in energy, hormones, and recovery simply because their labs fall within “normal” ranges.

We talk about why bloodwork needs context, why hormone testing timi...


Are You a Sheep or a Cat?
#3
02/03/2026

 What if the way you move through the world isn’t about right or wrong…but about instinct? Which spirit animals are you embodying?

This week’s episode started with a simple front-porch conversation and turned into an unexpected metaphor about sheep, cats, and the quiet ways we give our power away without even realizing it.

This episode is an invitation to get curious with yourself about what's driving you, and what it feels like to trust yourself enough to walk your own path.

Because maybe it’s not about fighting the herd. Maybe it’s...


The ACE Morning: A Practice, Not a Routine
#2
01/27/2026

In this episode of Star Potential, I’m sharing a new way to meet your mornings--not as a rigid routine to perfect, but as a relationship with yourself.

Many of us have explored morning practices built around discipline, productivity, or physical outcomes. And while those approaches can absolutely “work,” they don’t always feel peaceful or sustainable. In this episode, I offer a different lens: starting your day from connection, awareness, and the feeling you actually want to embody in your life.

I’ll walk you through the ACE Morning with three simple anchor points: Arrival, C...


Welcome to the Other Timeline
#1
01/20/2026

Most people think the world needs saving.
But what if the real shift begins somewhere else entirely?

In this Season Two premiere of Star Potential, I’m inviting you to step onto another timeline — one where we learn to create the peace we want to see in the world from the inside out. Not by escaping reality, not by fixing everything...but by understanding our inner state as the starting point for real change.

This episode sets the tone for the season: practical, playful, and deeply lived. I’ll share why we are energetic beings...


51. The Season of Remembering: A Year of Voice Reclamation, Intuition, and Integration
#51
01/06/2026

This episode marks one full year of Star Potential with a reflective season finale.

This first year wasn’t about building something perfect or polished. It was about remembering. Remembering my voice. Remembering my intuition. Remembering who I am beneath the roles, identities, and stories in which I once lived.

With gratitude, I’m pausing to honor what this first chapter truly was: the continuation of my heroine’s journey. I answered an internal calling without knowing where it would lead. Stories became portals, vulnerability became a teacher, and listening became just as important as speaki...


50. The AI Manifestation Lesson: How Clarity and Focus Shape Your Reality
#50
12/09/2025

In this episode, I share the surprising manifestation lesson I learned while playing with AI image generators, and how it perfectly mirrors the way our intentions shape our reality. Just like AI reflects the clarity (or vagueness) of our prompts, the universe reflects the clarity (or vagueness) of our energy.

Here’s what I dive into:

How manifestation actually works when you understand your energy as the “prompt” the universe responds toWhy vague intentions create vague results — in AI and in your real lifeHow focusing on the right things shift...


49. What Travels Reveals When Life Gets Too Automatic
#49
12/02/2025

In this episode, I’m unpacking the clarity that arrived while traveling in Serbia with my family. Getting out of my routine showed me which parts of my life had slipped into automation—and which ones I actually want to bring back with intention. I share what it felt like to communicate without shared language, why my “outsider” status became a strength, and the surprising reminder that play is one of my deepest purposes.

This is an honest look at perspective, presence, and the little adventures that end up shaping everything.


Send me a tex...


48. Too Hot, Too Much, Too Fast: A Lesson in Listening to Your Body
#48
11/25/2025

Feeling “off” after something that should have been good for you? In this episode of Star Potential, I share the surprising aftermath of a spontaneous hot yoga class—an experience that revealed just how quickly the body speaks when we’re in the wrong season of intensity.

We explore why certain wellness practices that once felt supportive can suddenly become depleting, how to recognize when your body is shifting into a chapter of nourishment and gentleness, and the simple signals we tend to ignore when life gets busy or loud.

You’ll learn:
 • How...


47. Create From the Inside Out or You Get a Wonky Star
#47
11/18/2025

Have you ever tried creating something that should be simple—but it just doesn’t land? In this episode of Star Potential, a simple drawing session with my daughter teaches a powerful lesson about creation, flow, and inner alignment.

We explore why starting from the heart—rather than the edges—changes everything, how overthinking can derail your process, and how to tap into effortless, joyful creation in your work and life. Whether you’re creating art, projects, or simply showing up as yourself, this episode is a reminder to start from the inside out.


Send...


46. Life According to Greta: Straight Talk from a 7-Year-Old Sage
#46
11/11/2025

In this special episode, I sit down with my daughter, Greta— a 7-year-old truth-teller with more wisdom (and comedic timing) than most adults.
What starts as a lighthearted chat quickly becomes a heart-expanding reminder of what we lose, and what we can reclaim... when we grow up and forget our own magic.

Greta’s straight talk on love, self-expression, and dreams will make you laugh, stop you in your tracks, and maybe even reconnect you to your own inner child.

In this episode:
✨ The Stars, Our Souls, and Where They Merge
🌱...


45. Abundance Looks Like This (Birthday Reflections)
#45
11/05/2025

What if abundance isn’t something you have to chase, manifest, or earn...but something you simply allow yourself to see?

In this birthday-week reflection, we explore what abundance truly looks and feels like when you stop striving and start receiving. We redefine abundance beyond metrics and milestones, inviting us to notice the quiet fullness already woven into our everyday lives.

This is a soulful reminder that both giving and receiving are required to fully meet the flow of life, and therefore abundance.

In this episode:

Redefining abundance as presence, no...


44. Stop Saying You're Busy: The Art of Being Fully Here
#44
10/21/2025

Let’s get honest with ourselves: “busy” has become the socially acceptable way of saying I’m disconnected. In this episode, we dismantle the myth that being busy means being productive, worthy, or alive. You’ll learn how to shift from reacting to your schedule to choosing it consciously--and why the words you use when someone asks, “How are you?” reveal how connected you are to your being.

If you’ve been swept up in life’s momentum, this episode will bring you back home to yourself: one breath, one choice, one moment of presence at a time.


<...


43. Before You Begin: 5 Truths About Birthing Something New
#43
10/14/2025

Starting something new isn’t all excitement...it’s an initiation.
In this episode, I'm sharing five raw, soulful truths about what it really takes to bring a new idea to life. Whether you’re starting a podcast, writing a book, or answering a creative call, this conversation will remind you that clarity and confidence don’t show up before you begin — they arrive because you do.

This is your reminder that you don’t need perfect timing. You just need your first step, because the universe meets you in motion.

🎟️ Join my upcoming Spark Your Clar...


42. Choosing Love Over Fear--Even On Monday Mornings
#42
10/07/2025

When life feels rushed or our patience runs thin, it’s easy to react from fear, frustration, or guilt. In this real-life turned catalyst embodiment episode, I share a parenting moment that became a powerful reminder of what happens when we pause, breathe, and choose love instead.

You’ll hear how a small shift in energy—from control to compassion—can transform not only your morning but also your relationships and the way you move through life.

Whether you’re navigating parenting challenges, health goals, or self-criticism, this episode invites you to move from guilt to g...


41. Dixy the Pixy: Navigating Life, Loss, and Believing in Yourself with Rachel Gray Safyurtlu
#41
09/30/2025

What does it really mean to believe in yourself — especially when life has brought both loss and beauty to your path?

In this heartfelt conversation, I’m joined by Rachel Gray Safyurtlu, author of Dixy the Pixy, a children’s book that encourages kids (and adults) to embrace self-belief. Together, we explore how grief becomes part of the fabric of our stories, not something to “get over,” but something that shapes the way we show up, trust life’s timing, and share our gifts with the world.

Rachel opens up about her own journey of w...


40. Why Belief Matters More Than Strategy (In Sales and In Life)
#40
09/23/2025

What if the only thing holding you back isn’t reality itself—but the beliefs you’ve been assuming are true?

This episode explores how our beliefs quietly shape every part of our reality. Drawing on my experience in sales and recruiting, I share how assumptions influence outcomes even more than skill or strategy. We unpack how our “default settings” — the quiet assumptions we make about people, opportunities, and ourselves — become self-fulfilling prophecies. 

You’ll walk away with reflection prompts to uncover where your beliefs might be holding you back — and how shifting them can change your results...


3 Signs You're in a Soul Shift
#39
09/16/2025

Your soul is calling, but are you listening? In this episode, we dive into the quiet cues that show you’re in a Soul Shift and explore the subtle ways your soul nudges you toward growth, deeper alignment, and transformation. Tune in if you’re ready to start noticing the signals, trusting the process, and stepping into the next chapter of your life.


Send me a text!

Welcome to Star Potential — where we explore what it means to live your evolution in real time.

If something in this episod...


38. Three Translators: How Your Body, Emotions, and Energy Field Tell the Same Story
#38
09/09/2025

Your body, your emotions, and your energy field are always talking to you. But here’s the twist—they’re all telling the same story, just in different languages. In this episode, I share how to recognize the patterns across these three messengers, and why learning their shared language can bring powerful clarity to your healing and your purpose. Think of it as learning to hear your life in surround sound.

Share your takeaway with me on Instagram @thejuliejo! 


Send me a text!

Welcome to Star Potential — where we explore w...


37. Meeting My Hero, Reclaiming Myself
#37
09/02/2025

This week, I share the full-circle moment of meeting my spiritual teacher, Aaron Abke, whose work first awakened me to the path I’m on today. But the real story isn’t just about meeting him — it’s about how his teaching on reclaiming the parts of ourselves we once abandoned showed up in an unexpected and uncomfortable moment the next day. This episode is about radical responsibility, choosing self-honor over self-abandonment, and learning to walk the talk when it matters most.


Send me a text!

Welcome to Star Potential — where we explore...


36. Your Career is Not Your Purpose
#36
08/26/2025

We’ve been told our purpose is tied to our career — but that belief is too small for the truth of who you are. In this episode, we unpack why purpose isn’t a job description and how your soul reveals your calling through nudges, lessons, and micro-purposes in every season of life. Discover how to expand beyond career identity, embrace your ripple effect, and step into a more fluid, alive understanding of purpose. Includes journaling prompts + guided visualization!


Send me a text!

Welcome to Star Potential — where we explore what it means...


35. The Courage to Feel with Bela Crowder
#35
08/19/2025

What if the very feelings we’ve been taught to avoid are actually the path back to love, safety, and belonging?

In this conversation, I’m joined by creator/facilitator of The Embodied Heart, Bela Crowder, who guides and supports people into intimacy with self, presence, and the courage to feel. Together, we explore the difference between analyzing our emotions and actually being with them, how love is the most transformative force available to us, and what it looks like to live in devotion to the heart.

This episode is an invitation to remember your inhe...


34. The Sacred Ripple: Everything Exists in Relationship
#34
08/12/2025

What if no decision you’ve ever made was truly isolated?
What if every choice, every word, every relationship… was part of a living, breathing web that responds to you?

In this episode, I explore the truth that nothing exists in isolation—every action sends ripples through your body, your relationships, your environment, and even the unseen realms. We’ll look at how positive shifts, like starting a new exercise routine, can transform far more than your physical health… and how unresolved toxicity in one area can quietly echo into every corner of your life.

This i...


33. Reclaiming Your Rhythm: Honoring Priorities, Passions, and Sacred Resistance with Desi d'Amani
#33
08/05/2025

What if the things you’re putting off—the dreams you say matter, the relationships that feel just out of reach—are actually your soul’s way of pointing you home?

In this heart-expanding episode, my dear friend Desi d'Amani returns for a soulful conversation about managing multiple passions, recalibrating to your home frequency, and navigating life’s seasons with grace. We talk about the power of structure (even for the free-spirited), the invitation within resistance, and why vulnerable, honest relationships are essential for growth.

We explore:
•Why structure isn’t restrictive—it’s supportive
•Th...


32. Shake it Off! How My Dog Saved the Show
#32
07/29/2025

What do a massive performance, a honking bus, shouting cops, and my dog’s nervous system have in common? This week, I’m sharing a real-life moment that started with chaos and ended in clarity—just minutes before stepping onstage to sing for 10,000 people.

In this episode, I dive into:
    •    How giving something too much importance can throw us off center
    •    The unexpected wisdom I learned from my dog’s instinct to shake off stress
    •    How nature offers constant clues for emotional regulation
    •    A reminder that the universe often steps in to recalibrate when we cling too tightly

If you’ve eve...


31. Music, the Multiverse, and a Medical Miracle: Rip Perkins on Creating our Experience
#31
07/22/2025

When musician and creative entrepreneur Rip Perkins witnessed a UFO as a teen, it cracked open his curiosity about the universe—and eventually led him deep into the world of quantum physics and energy. In this expansive conversation, Rip shares how the arts evolve our humanity, why we're not alone in the cosmos, and what happened when he faced—and reversed—a cancer diagnosis.

Rip's story is both grounded and extraordinary--perfect for listeners who are curious about the intersections of science, spirituality, sound, and self-evolution.

Whether you've ever had a mysterious encounter, felt the pull of a g...


30. Resistance Isn't the Enemy: How to Recognize It and Move Through It
#30
07/11/2025

Have you ever known something was good for you… but still felt like running the other way?

That’s resistance—and it’s not a flaw, it’s a signal.

In this bonus mini-episode, I’m exploring what resistance really is, how to recognize it in your thoughts, emotions, and body, and how to move through it with more grace and less self-judgment. Whether it’s perfectionism, procrastination, fear of being seen, or just “logical” excuses, resistance often shows up right before a breakthrough.

I share personal stories (yep—even around launching this very podcast), expla...


29. How to Trust Yourself: Navigating the Four Stages of Human Consciousness and Intuition with Branislav Vukojevic
#29
07/01/2025

Have you ever thought you were following your intuition—only to realize later it was just fear, conditioning, or ego in disguise? In this episode, I sit down with my husband Branislav Vukojevic to explore the four stages of human consciousness and how they impact our ability to truly trust ourselves.

We talk about our own experiences moving through these stages—from blindly following false “gut feelings,” to overthinking everything, to finally finding grounded clarity and embodied awareness (still working on it!). Together, we unpack the difference between false and true intuition, and how belief systems shape our inne...


28. High Achievers, Read My Lips: Productivity Isn't Your Worth! Pausing is Bravery
#28
06/24/2025

What if success wasn’t about pushing harder… but feeling deeper?

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it really means to step off the path of overachievement and into the unknown. I’m sharing honestly about the courage it takes to break familiar patterns, change course, and allow myself to feel… especially when the world rewards us for staying in motion.

This is a soul-level conversation for anyone who’s ever asked, “Is this all there is?” and wondered what might unfold if they finally chose themselves.

Whether you’re moving th...


27. The 7 Core Components of Learning Something New: How to Embrace the Beginner's Path
#27
06/17/2025

Whether you’re shifting a mindset, picking up a new skill, or feel like you're completely starting over, growth requires more than just desire. It asks for presence, patience, and a bit of grit.

In this episode, I break down seven core components that can transform how you approach any new skill, role, or chapter of life. These principles are drawn from real-life experiences—like hypnobirthing (yes, really), language learning, and creative evolution—and they’re here to remind you that transformation is messy, magical, and absolutely worth it.

💫 We explore:
    •    How failing forward and being messy is...


26. Top 5 Awkward Post-Show Comments (and What They Taught Me About Ego & Identity)
#26
06/10/2025

Some things you just can’t un-hear after a show… In this solo episode, I’m sharing five of the most awkward (and hilarious) things people have said to me after performances—comments that caught me off guard, cracked me up, and ultimately led to some unexpected spiritual insight.

What started as uncomfortable moments became invitations to reflect on ego, identity, and how easy it is to mistake the role we play for who we really are. If you’ve ever struggled with labels, projections, or those moments that leave you thinking “wait, what just happened?”—this one’s for you.<...


25. Lessons in Luggage: What Traveling the World with Kids Has Taught Me About Life
#25
06/03/2025

In this solo episode, I'm unpacking more than just suitcases--I'm unpacking the soul lessons that came from years of performing and parenting around the world. From airports to backstage dressing rooms, and meltdowns to magic moments, I'm sharing the real-life insights that traveling with my kids has taught me about presence, patience, surrender, and staying grounded in chaos.

Whether you're a parent, a traveler, or someone navigating the unexpected twists of life, these stories and takeaways are here to remind you that growth rarely happens in perfect conditions; sometimes, it shows up in passport lines, missed flights...


24. Manifestation Magic: From Longing to Living It -- Why Intention Changes Everything
#24
05/27/2025

Ever feel like no matter how much you want something, it just doesn't show up? In this powerful solo episode, I'm diving deep into the often-overlooked truth behind manifestation: it's not about desire--it's about intention.

Join me as I unpack the subtle but transformational difference between wanting something and embodying the version of you who already has it. You'll learn:

Why desire can actually keep you in a state of lackThe energetic shift that turns longing into becomingHow to start aligning with what you truly want--right nowA simple mindset challenge to move from separation to embodiment<...