Meet Jovana Stosovic of Photos by Jovana

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovana Stosovic.

Hi Jovana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my photography and random acts of kindness project around the same time in 2018. I had received my first camera as a Christmas present, although I’ve always had a history and fascination with photos. My roommate at the time and I had been going through a rough spurt and realized one night how much better it had made us feel to write little sticky notes with words of encouragement and hand them out to people or leave them on cars we felt drawn to in the moment. From there, we began our own little spreading smiles project. Creating small crafts or notes and leaving them with flowers or writing positive quotes on our car windshields so that people in traffic had a pleasant reminder that there is always something to smile about. Word of mouth and meeting people through our random acts of kindness was what really helped get my photography business going as well. It’s given me an opportunity to practice my favorite hobby and passion as a side hustle while still getting to do what I love Monday through Friday by working with children as a behavior technician. Being able to participate in all these different walks of life allows me to feel like I’m making some sort of an impact on the people I encounter and setting an example of how far kindness can go.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“Achieving success is a challenge but so is struggling, so you may as well choose success.” – Rob Liano

The older I’ve gotten and the more experiences I’ve lived through, I’ve come to find you need to not sweat the small stuff and always be true to yourself. I’ve endured many obstacles throughout my life that should of all resulted in my journey detouring in different directions. Growing up in a bilingual household with a single parent, we had a lot of odds against becoming successful. If my mother hadn’t planted in my head at such a young age that there is always a solution, no matter the problem than I don’t believe I would of come as far as I have today. I’ve endured my fair share of heartache, loss, unexpected transitions and serendipitous surprises that may have put a delay in some of my plans, but I never let it get me away from achieving my end goal.

As you know, we’re big fans of Photos by Jovana. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Photos by Jovana is an enlightening experience where we create memories to last a lifetime. My portraits and sessions are filled with pure authenticity and genuine snapshots of special events, family interactions, and precious moments to cherish forever. I’ve taken pride on making my sessions and clients feel comfortable and natural during the shoot.

How do you define success?
Happy. It’s that simple and it’s taken me years to figure out. As long as you’re truly happy in what you are doing in your day to day, and you are being your true authentic self, that is success. No amount of money or material objects can ever put a value on the looks I capture of two people who are months away from saying I do. Or the deep stares of two new parents meeting their baby for the first time. Life is about doing what makes that inner child inside of you run wild and free. Allowing yourself to be you without the fear of what society or social media will say. This is your life and your journey. The only opinion of what success is that matters…… is yours.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Photographsbyjovana
• Facebook: Photosbyjovana

Image Credits
Photos by Jovana