We recently had the chance to connect with Jovana Anić and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Jovana, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
For me, integrity is the most important quality. Intelligence and energy can sometimes be misleading — we can be drawn to someone’s knowledge or the way their energy aligns with ours, but integrity is far rarer and far more telling. When someone consistently shows integrity and stands by their values in every situation, you can truly trust and rely on them without hesitation. That’s something exceptional. I’ve overlooked integrity in the past, focusing on other traits I thought mattered more, but time has always revealed that a person’s integrity, or lack of it, defines who they really are.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Jovana Anić, a UX/UI and designer based in Houston, Texas. I work in consultancy that combines design, communication, and strategy mainly within the oil and gas industry. My work focuses on transforming complex technical information into clear, intuitive, and visually engaging experiences that help teams communicate and operate more effectively.
What makes my role especially interesting is the intersection between creativity and precision. I work in a highly technical field, yet design allows me to bring clarity, structure, and storytelling into that space. I’ve always been fascinated by how design shapes understanding and connection, and I see every project as a chance to translate complexity into something human, functional, and meaningful.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I was taught to be content with what I had—to stay where I was and not to want too much or reach too far. Deep down, I always felt that didn’t align with who I truly was, but for a long time, I tried to fit into that mindset. As an adult, my perspective has completely shifted. My drive to achieve more, to explore, to learn, and to grow has shaped my journey and opened doors I never imagined possible. I’ve always felt that I was meant for something bigger, beyond the borders of the place where I was born and that belief has guided every step of my life. That sense of purpose and persistence continues to push me forward, reminding me never to settle for small things when I know I’m capable of more.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I believe suffering is one of life’s greatest teachers. It forces us to persist, to find strength within ourselves, and to stop leaning on everyone around us. In moments of success, people gather easily—they applaud, celebrate, and share in your light. But in suffering, when the light dims, many quietly disappear.
Through pain, I’ve learned that I am enough. That I can achieve anything—truly anything—without needing validation or recognition from anyone else. Suffering strips away illusions; it reveals who people really are. It shows how quickly some can change, how easily trust can vanish, even with those we once believed we could depend on and fully trust. It’s harsh but clarifying.
In contrast, success can be beautiful—rewarding, fulfilling—but also deceiving. It attracts attention that isn’t always genuine. Suffering, on the other hand, brings truth. It reminds us of what’s real, who we are when everything else falls away, and how powerful it is to stand on our own.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Similar to what I mentioned earlier, my friends would probably say that what matters most to me is truth and integrity. In life, work, or friendships, I value people who stand by their word and live by their values. That’s what defines someone’s character for me and it’s how I decide who I want in my life.
They’d also say that I value dedication, because that’s what I give—100%. I’m fully committed in every relationship I have, whether personal or professional. I don’t believe in having twenty or thirty so-called close friends and trying to be good with everyone; to me, that kind of connection feels surface-level and insincere. I prefer to have a few true friends, relationships that are real, long-lasting, and built on trust.
I’m not the friend who will fake laugh with you in every photo or leave a heart emoji under every Instagram post just to keep up appearances, but I am the friend who will be there for you when life gets hard, who will listen, support, and guide you when it matters most. And I think all of my friends would say that about me.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I’ve come to understand that happiness is something we have to create for ourselves. No one else is responsible for our joy or our success, yet many people rely on others to feel complete and that mindset only leads to disappointment. True fulfillment comes from within.
What many people fail to realize is that the way you build your happiness matters just as much as achieving it. You can’t expect a life of peace and success if it’s built on lies, manipulation, or deceit. Life has a way of bringing everything full circle. Those who build their joy on someone else’s pain will never truly enjoy what they’ve created—it’s simply how the world works.
That’s a belief I hold deeply and one I intend to pass on to my children: never take pleasure in someone else’s suffering, especially if you had your part in causing it. Be kind, be empathetic, and be understanding—because the pain you inflict on others often finds its way back, multiplied.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovana.anic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovanaanic/
Image Credits
Photo credit: Jovana Anić personal archive
