Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovanna Vidal.
Hi Jovanna, 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 started out my journey KNOWING there was more! More to life, more to live, more to enjoy, and more to give!! I began my early adult years and career in a corporate job that just wasn’t me! Here I was at 22 in this “dream” job, earning a great salary, traveling, being picked up in a limo to attend some of the top red-carpet shows and events WITH behind-the-scenes access and perks! And yet I KNEW there was more! I grew increasingly more frustrated and hopeless that I was going through the motions of life with a mask and smile that read “all is good”. However deep down I was struggling! I was tired, frustrated, unhealthy, and dissatisfied! This realization ultimately led me on my quest to answer the biggest question I had that no one was willing or able to answer for me…
Which do I follow? Do I follow my heart or do I follow my head?
Of course, the logical side of me was like – STAY in this cushy position with ample opportunity and great potential to climb the corporate ladder, marry my then rich fiance and make my parents and family very proud. I would have “achieved” what I had aimed for while pursuing my degrees and manufactured dream to become a top business executive dripping in Gucci and Dolce with splendid NY views from my corner office.
And my heart? Well, it said, jump off this train NOW…and HURRY!!
So I listened!! I left everything behind in New York and took another train (literally…lol;) to Miami to pursue my new, or perhaps long-forgotten, dormant and not permitted to pursue, dream of dancing and acting! Having never taken a dance class and just a handful of acting classes, I risked it ALL!! Talk about SCARY!!
I “made” it in Miami as a dancer and actor, or so I thought. I mean, come on, I had danced on some major live and televised shows and events even top music videos…lol;) The time had come when I began feeling the all too familiar and similar yearning for more. After just a few years in Miami, I decided to get back on my quest, following my heart to Hollywood, CA.
There have been MANY mean bumps and lengthy detours along the way however I can now say that I would not change a thing!! I will FOREVER continue to follow my heart because it KNOWS!! It has led me to this most magnificent place of peace, joy, and gratitude where I’m experiencing GREAT satisfaction and love with and for myself as well as others!! So my story is now changing and morphing as both it and I should; into what my next chapter will soon be and I am BEYOND excited for it 😉
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I quite literally chuckle when I hear this question! I cannot help but to laugh out loud with such amusement and almost a head shake as to how much I struggled on my path! Of course, it did not need to be that way, but I didn’t know better!! THAT was the journey!! To get to this place of awareness and acceptance and understanding that life is NOT meant to be a struggle!! I chose the hard way because I had to learn how there can actually be an easier, gentler way;) Then again, it would not have been my journey, and I would not be where I am, had I not taken the long, scenic route!!
Again, I would not change a thing because it has led me to THE most incredible place I can now actually appreciate!! I truly APPRECIATE everything BECAUSE of the struggles I encountered!! From the inner struggles of self-loathing and self-esteem issues to my day-to-day living and financial struggles!! I had to sleep in my car for the first month I moved to Los Angeles then the stereotypically accurate juggling of multiple dead-end jobs just to scrape by. I bought into the expectation of the struggling actor and thus had to endure it FAR too long!! I struggled EVERY step of the way and it was quite brutal!!
It wasn’t until I made the decision to not only turn things around but to also APPRECIATE the journey and ALL things along the way that my life and experience changed!! Through the power of prayer, daily meditation and tons of self-development books and workshops, I went from frustration, exhaustion, and dissatisfaction to an EXTREME sense of acceptance of what is and who I am! That shift changed everything for me and how I showed up in life!! I am SO grateful for seeing and living in the dark for the long years I did because I can now value the light and it is just SO powerful!! When you focus and treasure ALL the things that are going right with yourself and those you love; and there are MANY things, then it ensures a smoother more fulfilling experience of life!! And that is what I want my book to do for everyone who picks it up to read!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a recent award-winning actress for my latest film, God & Salsa – which you can find on Amazon and several other streaming platforms. And I am beyond excited to also have become a #1 Bestselling Author, also on Amazon, of my book, Teen Anxiety No More!
The seed for my book was planted when my young following, my “Younglings” as I refer to them, kept asking me how I dealt with being bullied or made fun of and how I managed to work through fear and anxiety or peer pressure even. I was asked so frequently that I decided to write a book, sort of a big-sister love letter to them. It was my intention to address these key and fundamental issues so many of us have experienced in our lives growing up. My mission is to utilize my acting platform to teach teens who may be struggling with fear and anxiety – how they, too, can live with more ease and joy! This is what I am anticipating will dominate this new year, going to high schools and colleges to speak to our teens about the anxiety-provoking realities they are experiencing during these trying times!
I realized I could help other teens because I witnessed first-hand how my Younglings were showing up differently for themselves and with others since having created my YouTube Channel, which is called The Scenic Route with Jovanna Vidal. I wanted a safe place where we could discuss issues and concerns that were coming up and they were facing. I wanted to offer them alternative ways to not only respond in certain situations but also how to help process their feelings and emotions! I want to empower and inspire them while also cheering them on as any big-sister would!! Our “Fri-Yay Lives” as we coined them, have become SUCH a sanctuary of support and optimism! I just LOVE, LOVE being there for them in this way;)
I also use this space to be very transparent about my own anxieties or insecurities and I permit them to see me walking THROUGH my own fear! This was especially so when I was writing, publishing, and putting my first book out into the world. The whole process was daunting and terrifying for me and they ALL had a front-row seat!!
I feel our youth needs to see more of our REAL feelings and that they are NOT alone when they experience theirs! That it is natural and typical as humans to feel fear and anxiety! I want to showcase and highlight that it is HOW you manage and “GO THROUGH” it that will make the difference in how you show up in the World. I am grateful and feel SO INCREDIBLY fortunate to be able to use the platform that being on Dhar Mann, one of the top younger-skewing YouTube channels, has brought me! In these family-friendly videos that have garnered over 40 BILLION views worldwide, we get to show life lessons and share motivational moments through story. I feel even more blessed that I am able to marry what I am so passionate about and love to do with making a positive contribution!
It is SO AWESOME to receive SO many comments and messages sharing how my younglings are doing better in school and that they love to share kindness and positivity in their different ways! That they are feeling happy and hopeful!! That my book, my channel, my Lives and my videos have helped them along the way!! It is really cool to hear of many starting channels or projects of their own and doing things they had felt too afraid to go after in the past!! They will share how their OWN anxiety has subsided and that they have better tools when they feel fear or an anxiety bout creep up! I am just SO proud of them!! I feel incredibly honored and humbled to be able to play even a small part in these Younglings’ journeys. I am really, SO looking forward to give back more in this manner!!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think people are often surprised to learn that I am an introvert and that I can be quite shy! I think others are so surprised because I talk a lot and I am always making sure everyone feels good and comfortable that they may assume that those are characteristics more of an extrovert. However, I can most often be found in the corner or back of the room because I love to observe people and situations and the environment we are all in! I am fascinated by human behavior and how each person chooses to see or behave in the same or similar situations! I think it is so interesting how different people observe, perceive, and respond to things so differently. I often think about how I would love to have pursued a path in psychology. Who knows, I still may decide to go back to school and incorporate that into a later chapter in my life…lol;) We are never done learning and growing and I LOVE every opportunity to do so!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thisisjovanna.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjovanna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisisJovanna/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisjovanna/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/thisisjovanna
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jovanna-vidal
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thisisjovanna
Image Credits
Photographer: Oscar Guzman
