Jovana Borojevic {Speaker of The Week}

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This is my friend Jovana.

She’s brave. She’s brilliant. She’s hilarious. And most importantly, she bought me Lucky Charms cereal! Why… I really don’t remember, but it made me laugh so hard.

Jovana stole my heart (and the Judges Choice Award) in May at SpeakerSlam. Her talk won second place in the competition and the video ended up going viral.

The courage and conviction from her story are still echoing in my bones today. No wonder she has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. I have never seen anyone share their weight loss and self-love journey with such radical honesty. It’s refreshing and also deeply inspiring.

Jovana is changing the world by sharing her HEARTstory.

She doesn’t hold back.

She doesn’t hide the messy parts.

She’s done playing in the shadows and has taken a giant leap forward into the light.

Keep an eye out on her. She is taking off fast!

Name: Jovana Borojeic

Professional speakers since: 2019

Total number of (professional) talks given: Two

What do you speak about?

I speak about the importance of meeting yourself exactly where you are now before trying to move forward, and looking internally for the answers you truly seek, rather than trying to “quick fix” the outside in search of instant gratification. I speak on my own journey to the realization that changing my outward appearance did not bring me the happiness I thought it would; it destroyed me and forced me to attend the the real issue—a lack of love and understanding for who I was.

6 QUESTIONS WITH JOVANA BOROJEVIC

When you were 10 years old, what did you want to be?
I battled with insecurities for a majority of my life. Even as a child, when others were fantasizing about what they wanted to be when they grew up, I remember just thinking about how I so badly wanted to be "like them"—whatever that meant. It was hard for me to pick a "path" because I was too concerned about validation and acceptance. The only dream I remember was wanting to be an actress; wanting the opportunity to at least ACT like the "others" and ACT confident, because I could never really BE that.
Name one book that changed your life:
The book Brain Over Binge changed my life. It talks a lot about the science of our brains and its two parts. It taught me that not every action you think of has to be acted upon. It taught me to recognize thought patterns and urges as HABITS that could be re-programmed into something healthier. It taught me that I was capable of just watching my thoughts, without acting on them. This book was a game-changer in terms of living with purpose and intentional action.
What is the BEST advice you've ever received about speaking?
The best advice I've received about speaking is to truly spend time meditating on your story, and spend time taking yourself back to that space. Connecting to that place, that moment that deeply impacted your life and connected that next dot that brought you here—that's the game changer. By taking myself back, I am able to bring that energy to my audience and take them on that journey with me. That's where the power, vulnerability, and emotion live.
When do you feel most alive?
I feel most alive when I'm able to connect to others and help them see that they've been hiding from themselves, without even realizing it. Connecting to a soul that hasn't even connected to its own vessel yet is so vulnerable and beautiful and makes me feel eternally grateful for where I am in my life. It took me years to connect with myself and realize, "HEY, YOU'RE ALIVE RIGHT NOW," and being able to help bring others to that same place lights my fire.
Name one thing that you are super excited about:
I am really excited to keep connecting with others and helping them acknowledge, and then step into their own truth so that they can fully express themselves and live life as who they ARE. I am excited to continue learning to accept that I will never be perfect, but I will always be WHOLE. And I'm excited to see what magic will enter my life as I continue to live that truth.
What is the biggest challenge you are currently working on?
The biggest challenge I'm currently working on is staying present and connected to my truth.... I'm struggling with Imposter Syndrome. When I connected to my soul and my calling, I kept asking, "Yeah but, why me? Why would anymore care?" It has taken me a long time to realize that the "WHY" and what makes me special is simply that I'm me. And harnessing that energy in order to live by it FULLY has been my biggest challenge.