The Truth About Jo Franco From World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals
When most people plan a vacation, they do a Google search for whatever Motel 6 or Quality Inn happens to be closest. However, for those with a little more money to blow, you can have a truly extraordinary experience by checking out some digs located off the beaten path. You can find incredible rentals all over the globe, and now, you can learn about many of them like never before, thanks to the latest Netflix reality series, "World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals."
The first season takes you to various corners of the world to show you how to live the high life while on vacation. Along the way, you're guided by three extremely personable hosts to take you through every nook and cranny of your next potential vacation spot.
Megan Batoon is a dancer-turned-influencer. Luis D. Ortiz earned a fortune in real estate. And when it comes to having experience finding the best spots to kick back and relax, Jo Franco has a leg up on everybody. A lot of people may not know much about her outside of the show, but here are some fun facts about Jo Franco to make you enjoy "World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" even more.
Jo Franco has always been passionate about travel
We'd assume Batoon and Ortiz enjoyed traveling before landing a hosting gig on a Netflix series. But for Jo Franco, seeing exotic locations has always been in her blood. She's a founder and writer of the travel website, Shut Up and Go, where she's written extensively about her time seeing everything Earth has to offer. Her blogs encompass everything the aspiring nomad could want to know, from dating abroad to finding the best price on flights.
Franco also shows people what they're missing out on by having her own YouTube travel. While it partly functions as a video diary, she also uses her channel to educate the public about different countries. She has another YouTube channel where she goes on extravagant voyages alongside her Shut Up and Go co-founder Damon Dominique. This includes a fascinating documentary series following the two as they journey to the Middle East to shed light on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. With all of this experience under her belt, Franco was well-suited to host the new Netflix show. She's practically been training for it her entire life.
Not every trip has been pleasant ...
Traveling abroad can be a ton of fun. However, it comes with dangers, and even the most experienced vacationers need to be on the lookout to ensure they don't put themselves in threatening scenarios. Jo Franco knows this all too well, and as she spoke about in an interview with People, she suffered a gunshot wound while spending time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was actually a return trip to Franco's home country, with her and Dominique traveling there for their YouTube channel to participate in Carnival.
She was with her uncle and aunt at the time of the shooting as they drove her to the festival when shooters suddenly ambushed them. Franco describes the frightening experience, "In a flash, everything changed. We just started screaming, 'Go! Go! Go! Get out of here!' And within a second, you just hear pops of guns flying into the car. My aunt screamed, 'Duck!' And as I ducked, I saw this other guy come out of nowhere popping more bullets. I could actually see the red flames coming out of the gun."
She suffered a gunshot wound in the back, and her uncle drove her to the hospital, where she received treatment immediately. She made a full recovery, and she hasn't let the incident dampen her adventurous spirit: "I want to open people's eyes. But I also don't want them to live in fear. I refuse to live in fear. I will go back to Brazil and I encourage other people to visit my beautiful country."
Jo Franco speaks six languages
You can't travel around the world without picking up a few valuable skills. Jo Franco has made good use of her adventures, and in an interview with Sweety High, she revealed she could speak five languages. At that time, she mentioned she was busy "[learning her] sixth." When all is said and done, the languages she can speak include English, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. Now that's what we call a polyglot!
Learning new languages is about more than knowing how to ask for the bathroom for Franco. She spoke with Apple Languages about her passion and why it was essential to understand the language of the places she visits. She stated, "Traveling to me isn't fun, or exciting if I can't connect with the people who make places special. Sure, we can try to communicate in English, but if someone is translating their original thoughts into a language they're not fully comfortable with, the essence of their message will be lost. Learning a language is my way of getting to the core of any location."
No doubt, this skillset came in handy as she traveled to fancy locales with Batoon and Ortiz.
She's now sharing travel tips on TikTok
All of the hottest influencers can now be found on TikTok. Between her YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, Jo Franco must spend a ton of time online, and it's all in the service of sharing her experiences with the world. Her most recent endeavor has involved building her following on TikTok, where her videos receive thousands of views each. From teaching important phrases in different languages to showing off her decorating style at home, it provides her fans with an inside glimpse into her life to understand the reality star a bit better.
If you want to check out her longer videos conveniently located in one place, you're in luck. They can all be found on her channel so that you can budget, exercise, and journal, just like Franco. She's certainly not lacking in content, and thanks to her recent Netflix stint, there's bound to be plenty more to come in the future.
She's had a lot of different jobs to end up where she is today
Jo Franco has had quite a life, but it took a while for her to end up as the traveling enthusiast we all know and love. According to her LinkedIn profile, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Communications from Pace University. One could argue she put her degree to use because, as an influencer, you have to know how to market yourself. But in an interview with Babes Who Hustle, she bluntly said, "My degree definitely didn't help with what I do, and the debt made it even harder."
She went on to say, "But, my internships helped a lot. I interned everywhere, from a marketing agency, to a PR firm, as a video editor, to being the person creating pitch decks. It all gave me skills I use until today." Sweety High reports she had more than 30 jobs and internships before deciding to develop Shut Up and Go. It's a long journey, but as the first season of "World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" proves, it was all worth it. And she ended up exactly where she needed to be.