August 19, 2025 • 38 mins
What would life look like if you stopped dimming your light to make others comfortable? Jeovana Davis knows this journey intimately. As a creative consultant, intuitive strategist, and performer who radiates authenticity, Jeovana has navigated the challenging path from people-pleasing to soul-centered expression.
"I'm super passionate about being vulnerable," Jeovana shares early in our conversation. Unlike the carefully curated success stories flooding our feeds, she's committed to showing the process—the messy, beautiful journey of becoming. This commitment to transparency reveals her current focus: resetting her nervous system after years of conditioning that kept her perpetually in "go mode."
Through breathwork, intentional nutrition, and periods of fasting, Jeovana is reclaiming her relationship with her hypersensitive nature. What she once viewed as a weakness, she now recognizes as "actually a superpower to be able to feel everything around you." This perspective shift came through personal challenges, including stepping up as primary caretaker during her sister's health crisis—an experience that expanded her understanding of therapy and healing modalities beyond traditional approaches.
Our conversation weaves through Jeovana's musical journey, from getting booed during early performances to developing her unique stage presence and songwriting process. Her freestyling approach to creating music mirrors her approach to life—intuitive, authentic, and unwilling to be boxed in by conventions. After leaving the corporate world to fully embrace her creative identity, she's learning to choose opportunities that honor her whole self rather than just parts of her talent.
"I don't want to have to create safe spaces anymore," she states with quiet conviction. "It needs to be safe when I arrive." This boundary represents Jeovana's evolution from seeking external validation to trusting her internal compass.
Ready to reconnect with who you were before the trauma, roles, and expectations? Follow Jeovana's journey on Instagram at Choosing Jeovana and discover how vulnerability might become your greatest strength too.
On Instagram: @ChoosingJeovana
https://www.instagram.com/choosingjeovana/
On Instagram: @NotedbyJV
https://www.instagram.com/notedbyjv/
💛 A quick note: In this episode, I briefly mention my experience with childhood sexual abuse. While not graphic, I want to give you a heads-up in case this topic feels sensitive for you. Please take care of yourself as you listen.
New episodes every week — packed with honest conversations, mindset tools, and real-life shortcuts to help you silence your inner critic, build true confidence, and take bold action.
📌 Subscribe + share if you're ready to stop overthinking and finally move forward.
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✨ Grab your free Confidence Kickstart Guide.
🧠 Click to learn more about the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) and how it helps rewire your brain for healing.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Niki Sterner (00:01):
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, Niki Sterner mom,actor, comedian and producer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts inmindset, courage and confidence,
plus heart-to-hearts withfellow creatives who are turning
their dreams into reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the ConfidenceShortcut.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner,and today's guest is Jeovana
(00:43):
Davis, a creative consultant,intuitive strategist and
performer whose work is rootedin soul-centered expression and
deep, intentional dialogue.
With a passion for helpingothers reconnect to their truth,
giovanna brings more than juststrategy she brings energy.
Her mission is to help peopleremember who they were before
(01:04):
the trauma, the roles and theexpectations, guiding them to
remove the filters placed byfear and society.
Through her art and presence,she inspires others to finally
choose themselves and stopsuffering for the character
they've been performing.
Oh, I love that so much.
Welcome to the show.
Jeovana Davis (01:24):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
Niki Sterner (01:33):
That was beautifully read, thank you.
You're such a beautiful personthat I met a couple years ago on
a set and I just felt soinspired.
When I heard your music backthen I was like holy cow.
She has such a voice and such apresence and just such a
beautiful energy about you thatI was just instantly drawn to
you and I know we've stayed intouch, and we're working on a
documentary about your life,which is very exciting, and I'm
so thrilled to share that withthe world whenever it comes out.
(01:56):
But I know we're still workingthrough that whole process, but
it's going to be just anincredible piece of art, and so
I just wanted to get started byasking you what you're
passionate about right now onthe journey.
Jeovana Davis (02:07):
Right now, I am super passionate about being
vulnerable.
I think that is something thatis necessary, especially because
nowadays, everybody pulls thesuccess, but not the process of
how to get there.
Yeah, right now I'm passionateabout being vulnerable and
focusing on resetting my nervoussystem.
Niki Sterner (02:25):
Beautiful.
Will you tell me more aboutthat?
Resetting the nervous system.
Jeovana Davis (02:28):
Yes, I think with growing up, I just was
conditioned to always be on go,so I feel like the dysfunction
of that has made me become anoverachiever.
So I always want to be doingmusic, helping people, serving,
and now I just want to make sureeverything that I do is aligned
.
So I'm starting with my healthfirst and paying attention to my
(02:50):
body and how it feels, andtaking a holistic approach when
it comes to working and being acreative what does that look
like in your day to day?
Niki Sterner (02:59):
like taking care of yourself and your health.
What are some things that youdo?
Jeovana Davis (03:03):
So right now and I'm still defining it, but right
now I've incorporated doing atleast five minutes of breath
work because I'm a singer.
That also helps with me beingable to sing better as well, but
it also helps calm the nervoussystem down and put it back in
alignment and making healthierchoices when it comes to eating.
So, making sure my water intakeis on point, making sure I'm
(03:28):
incorporating more veggies andfruits and I fast a lot too.
I feel like I am ahypersensitive person, so
sometimes I'll just randomly doa fast just to release a lot of
energy or, feeling overwhelmed,to get back recentered.
Niki Sterner (03:43):
I want to go back to the breath work and how.
What kind of exercises do youdo to strengthen your singing
voice in addition to resettingyour nervous system, Like what
might be some examples?
Jeovana Davis (03:55):
Yes, so there's vocal coaching, of course, so
sometimes I'll just hop onYouTube and pull up a vocal
coaching coach and just go fromthere.
I also have a vocal coach.
It's just one of my bestfriends, so I might do a lesson
with her.
But breathing is so essentialto calming down your nervous
(04:15):
system.
I didn't actually know howdetrimental it was to your body,
so it's something that I'mstill researching.
But I would just pull up a fiveminute energy cleanse and I do
guided meditations from YouTube.
Niki Sterner (04:30):
Do you have any favorite people that you watch?
Jeovana Davis (04:40):
I don't which is interesting, like a guided
meditation for overthinking.
Or if I'm restless, I'll do aguided meditation for a deep
sleep.
So it just depends on what Ifeel the need is at that time.
Niki Sterner (04:55):
Will you take me back to maybe a low point that
you had?
I don't know when.
It would have been a few yearsago, maybe when you went on your
journey of what you'vediscovered.
Jeovana Davis (05:05):
A low point.
Honestly, I think all of my lowpoints have been centered
around me being hypersensitiveand because I am super emotional
, super, just always in myfeelings, I would look at that
as a weakness, but I'm startingto recognize that it's actually
a superpower to be able to feeleverything around you.
(05:27):
It also gives you a level ofdiscernment like, okay, does
this feel good, does this feelbad?
I think my low moments havebeen me not accepting that I'm
just a hypersensitive person andthat it's okay to be that way,
and using it to my advantage.
Niki Sterner (05:44):
Now will you take us back to when your sister had
her health crisis?
Jeovana Davis (05:49):
Yeah, I will say that was probably when I noticed
that I had to utilize all thethings that I had been
practicing with meditation andfloat therapy, I think.
So my sister had a stroke and Iwas the main sister who was
available to be boots on theground for her.
So I became her primarycaretaker at that time, and what
(06:13):
I realized is that in order toreally fully step into a
caretaker role, it requires youtaking care of yourself first,
because that much energy, time,effort, stress will then allow
you to not become the patient ifyou don't really make sure that
you're okay.
That experience allowed me toexplore different avenues of
(06:38):
health.
So, even down to therapy, Ithink a lot of people aren't
really aware of different typesof therapy.
So there's regular therapy,like where you can just have a
therapist and you talk to themabout your day-to-day, and then
there's therapists thatspecialize in certain areas like
brain spotting, emdr, ptsdthings that I honestly had no
(07:01):
idea about.
So that experience allowed meto know that there's more
resources out there, not onlythrough therapy, but just
wellness activities as well andpractices.
Niki Sterner (07:11):
What did you say?
Brain spotting?
Jeovana Davis (07:13):
Yeah, what's that Brain spotting?
So my knowledge?
I feel like it's linked to,like memory loss.
So when you're severelydepressed, the brain tries to
protect you, so it doesn't wantto remember a lot of things, and
so sometimes you don'tunderstand why you respond to
certain things, because yourbrain is not allowing you to
access that memory to understandwhat it's rooted in.
Niki Sterner (07:35):
Wow, that makes sense and you think that's tied
back into trauma.
Jeovana Davis (07:39):
Yes, I think it's tied back into trauma, and even
if we don't say trauma, I cansay that it's tied back into as
kids.
There were certain things where, let's say, we asked our mom to
color with us one time and theydidn't, and that made us feel
abandoned or like we weren'tspecial, and so I really just
think it's a matter ofunderstanding how certain
(08:01):
experiences impacted us if youdon't want to carry that heavy
title of trauma.
Niki Sterner (08:08):
What do they say?
Like big T trauma and little ttrauma, and then you're saying
like you don't even have to callit trauma, just what you
experienced, that is, yeah,trauma feels heavy.
It feels like you have to matchthe energy of that and maybe
that's not where you're at.
Jeovana Davis (08:22):
You can talk a tattoo, yeah.
Niki Sterner (08:30):
Like you can't get rid of it.
Yeah, I've been looking intobeliefs and where do our beliefs
come from recently, and for meit stems back to an experience
that happened to me when I waseight and it formed a whole lot
of beliefs within me.
It was just a one time incidentwith a sexual molestation with a
neighbor older girl, and I justcarried this belief that
(08:51):
silence equals safety for areally long time, up until
recently, and it's prevented mefrom really using my voice in a
powerful way because I haven'tfelt safe to do it and just
figuring out ways of number onelike digging up, finding out.
Why do I believe that?
Where did that come from?
And then connecting my actionsand thoughts to those beliefs
(09:13):
and going, oh wow, I need to digthat up and put a different
belief in there and just rewritehow I am experiencing life,
because I don't want to be inthat place anymore.
I don't want to feel like avictim and I can't say what I
want to say, and so I just feellike beliefs and trauma and all
that or experiences that we hadwhen we were younger, do shape
(09:37):
us, but it's not like a lifesentence.
It's something that you canchange, right, have you
experienced any of that, it'ssomething that you can change
right.
Jeovana Davis (09:44):
Have you experienced any of that?
I actually want to commend youfor sharing that because I feel
like a lot of women in generalsilence, a lot of sexual abuse
that was experienced, but itdefinitely shows up and it
actually you sharing that mademe have a thought process of I
wonder if I'm hypersensitivebecause of everything that I
(10:07):
helped in that I feel so deeplybecause those emotions had
nowhere to go.
But yes, I felt all of thosethings, especially feeling.
Maybe it was something I did towarrant this type of attention,
energy, and so even now I'mstill learning how to be
(10:29):
comfortable being a sensualbeing.
I enjoy just love in itself, butintimacy issues all rooted
around these experiences that Ididn't feel safe sharing, and
then, when I started sharing it,I felt like a lot of women were
so far removed that it was justa pain that they just did not
want to relive or address.
And so that conversation isjust.
(10:52):
It's so many layers to it, butthat is one of the main reasons
when I talk about beingvulnerable.
Where I want to start, I feellike my nervous system has
always been out of whack becauseof experiencing sexual assault
at such a very young age and noteven being able to recall it,
but my body remembering it, andI'm very big on practices that
(11:14):
involve movement of the bodybecause I want to move that
energy around and alchemize itinto something else.
Niki Sterner (11:21):
What does that look like?
The practices of moving yourbody?
What would that be like?
Certain things that you do, Iknow there's like tapping and
there's like massaging.
What kind of things have youfound that work for you?
Jeovana Davis (11:33):
Honestly, dancing .
It makes me feel comfortablebeing in my body and I recently
I want to say about maybe two,three years ago I tried
acupuncture.
I felt like that had somewhatof an impact, but it was only
one time, so I couldn't reallysee if it made a difference or
not.
But I'm always open toexploring.
I did do a breathwork workshopand I don't want to butcher the
(11:57):
name, but I think it's calledLetality.
That was very, very, veryintense and intense in a way
where I didn't even expect it towork, because I'm like we're
just breathing, Like what isbreathing a certain type of way
going to do?
But I feel like that was one ofthe things where I realized,
wow, breath is so important andhas such a huge impact on the
(12:20):
body where I would try thatagain and had such a huge impact
on the body where I would trythat again.
Niki Sterner (12:25):
I remember doing an acting exercise similar to
that and it was a breathing oneand I can't even remember
exactly what it was, but it waslike Something like that.
Your whole body was reallygetting into it and so many
emotions came up and out, likeyou're saying, that were just
unexpected and I was like whatjust happened right there?
(12:47):
That was horrible, but I thinkemotions do get stuck in your
body, like you're saying, andit's hard Because those emotions
get stuck in our body and thenwe don't have the ability to
feel emotion and then wedissociate or disconnect and
then we can't experience thehappiness and the joy in
addition to the fear and thesadness and stuff.
And then we just get in theseanxious and depressed states
(13:11):
because we're not really fullypresent, because we don't feel
safe to feel.
Safe to feel.
If you've been living withchronic symptoms like pain,
brain fog, sensitivity to smells, light or sound, it might not
just be your body, it could beyour brain, stuck in a survival
loop.
Dnrs stands for Dynamic NeuralRetraining System.
It's a science-backed programthat helps rewire the limbic
(13:33):
system, the part of the brainresponsible for fear, fight or
flight and overreaction toeveryday things.
It changed everything for me,helping me heal and return to
the creative life I love.
If this speaks to you, clickthe link in the caption.
It might be the answer you'relooking for.
Jeovana Davis (13:51):
Yes, safe to feel is a big one.
I think the only reason why I'mable to be a person who's
willing to be vulnerable duringthis journey, who's willing to
be open and who's willing to dothe work, is because of my
willingness to feel.
Niki Sterner (14:07):
I think that is such a gift when you can do that
.
Jeovana Davis (14:09):
This is not easy, it's really not.
No one wants to reliveexperiences that left such a
residue on their identity thatyou have to like actually make
sure you get every little spot,to make sure you see who you
were before all of theseunfortunate situations.
(14:29):
But what I will say?
Niki Sterner (14:31):
the level of peace and exchange for doing the work
is unmatched yeah, will youtake me through your process,
what you do to tackle thosenegative thoughts?
If you ever get negativethoughts, pop up as you're
working through these things.
Jeovana Davis (14:48):
Yeah.
So sometimes I'll try to makethe connection like where is
this coming from?
Like why do I feel like I haveto shrink, or why do I feel
uncomfortable?
Most times I'm like you don'thave to investigate a negative
thought, you can just choose notto accept it.
And that's where I'm at now.
One of the practices that I'mdoing is I'll journal everything
(15:11):
negative that I feel, that I'mthinking, and then I'll counter
it with positive things.
Actually, I am a beautifulindividual who feels deeply, who
has an opportunity to inviteall of these emotions, and I
really just become my owntherapist and have that inner
dialogue switch and I auditwhat's going through my mind now
(15:33):
and I think everything is achoice.
So if something is sticking,maybe you might want to
investigate that and see whatit's rooted in.
But if it's something thatyou're like, why am I even
thinking like this?
I think we have to remember welive in a world where there are
so many projections and thereare so many influences to make
us feel like we're not enough.
(15:54):
So just being mindful of alwaysknowing who you are because
that should be your referenceAnytime a negative thought comes
up you know you're a goodperson, you mean well, but I
don't think there's anythingwrong with reflection too,
because we're not perfect andwe're still human.
Niki Sterner (16:11):
Do you have like any affirmations or anything
like that you put like on stickynotes or places that you see
every day?
Do you do anything like that?
You put like on sticky notes orplaces that you see every day?
Do you do anything like that?
Jeovana Davis (16:20):
No, but I recently started saying I am
surrounded by spirits of thelight, ancestors of the light,
and I release any energy thatdoes not belong to me.
Niki Sterner (16:31):
I love that.
Jeovana Davis (16:33):
That's beautiful.
Niki Sterner (16:33):
So you have a thought that goes through your
mind anytime you're starting to,because everybody has negative
thoughts that come up right.
That's just being a human being, yeah, so you say that
throughout the day.
Jeovana Davis (16:44):
Sometimes I think right now I'm like in such a
peaceful state that there's noteven a real need to monitor what
negative thoughts are coming up.
It's almost like stopping at ared light and then going okay, I
see the negative thought andI'll just wait for the light to
turn green again and go throughit.
Niki Sterner (17:07):
It's almost like you've made it in a habit.
Jeovana Davis (17:09):
Yeah, it's like I don't think negative thoughts
are going to go anywhere per se,because I think it's just a
part of life.
And I think it's just a matterof life and I think it's just a
matter of just always knowingwho you are.
And I think the more that I doa case study on myself and know
who I am, the negative thoughtsdon't bother me, because I know
that's not who I am.
Niki Sterner (17:29):
What were the steps that you took in the
process of becoming the talentedmusician you are
singer-songwriter.
Jeovana Davis (17:34):
Well, because I came from a school that had so
many phenomenal powerhousevoices.
I always said just be asongwriter and be in the
background.
Such a love and passion forlive performance.
And the first train of thoughtwas like, okay, if I'm really
going to put myself out there asan artist, I have to have a
stage presence.
And so I started researchingthe mics at the time and I would
(17:58):
go and I got booed for anentire year and I just had to
learn why I got booed.
So first it was because I wasso nervous that I would sound
like a penguin, like my voicejust completely cracked and gave
out.
Then it was a matter of learning.
My audience, like some crowds,just did not vibe with the type
(18:19):
of cover I was doing or themusic.
And so one time when I gotbooed, I just decided to stay
behind just to see how the otherartists who got standing
ovations and encores like whatare they doing that I'm not
doing?
And I just studied them andjust created my own stage
presence based off of my voice.
(18:40):
I feel like my voice is verygentle and angelic, but I still
have the same ability ofcaptivating the crowd as if I
were Whitney Houston or MariahCarey, because I'm so
intentional about giving anexperience that you want to pay
attention to.
What is she about to do?
And the energy is so grand andbig.
So it really was just a matterof believing in myself and
(19:03):
getting back on that stage everysingle time, scared if I was
going to get booed again.
But I had to believe in mefirst, so I became my biggest
fan.
Niki Sterner (19:12):
So how did you make your voice better, like
what were the specific exercisesor things that you did at home
while you weren't performing?
Jeovana Davis (19:21):
Yeah, honestly, during that time I didn't even
know anything about vocalcoaching, but I was very good at
mimicking, so it seemed songsthat I could easily mimic to
where there were no issues in myvocal ability.
So I just knew what pockets tostay in.
Niki Sterner (19:40):
And then, how did you transition into writing your
own songs?
Jeovana Davis (19:43):
Honestly, I've always written my own songs.
Me and my siblings used tocollaborate because we can all
sing as well, but I've alwaysbeen a freestyler, so I just
always had a gift for puttingwords together.
But my sister my younger sistershe actually is, and still is
to this day, my biggestinspiration, because her ability
(20:05):
to write music is what inspiredme.
She taught me how to writemusic without boundaries.
Say how you feel and don't careabout who it's going to affect,
because these are your feelings.
Niki Sterner (20:16):
Isn't it a much more potent song when you are
truly in your own feelings,because that's more universal,
as it is.
Jeovana Davis (20:27):
It is, and I think what used to get tricky is
I'm a very innovative andimaginative person, so sometimes
I would write things thatweren't really my story and have
a fear of people likeconnecting that to me as a
person.
But now I'm grown out of that.
Now I'm just like it's whatevermy creative mind wants to
(20:49):
release.
I give permission for that.
Niki Sterner (20:52):
And how do you get your melodies?
Jeovana Davis (20:55):
Everything literally just comes to me.
I wish I had a process, but Ireally don't.
I just am naturally gifted atfreestyling.
Sometimes it sounds good,sometimes it sounds terrible,
sometimes it sounds crazy.
But that's just my process.
Niki Sterner (21:10):
So do you record it into your phone?
Do you play an instrument?
Jeovana Davis (21:13):
No, I don't play an instrument, but usually I do
record like a voice note toremember, because the downside
about being a freestyler is youdon't remember it because you
didn't write it down.
You freestyle it.
Even now.
I'm about to get ready to startback performing again and one
of the biggest things is likelearning covers.
But I've been freestyling forso long I'm like I don't really
(21:36):
know a lot of songs because Iwould typically freestyle it and
make it into something that wasmy own.
So now I'm having to buckledown and get more discipline and
actually learn a lot of music.
Niki Sterner (21:47):
And what is your process for that?
What do you do?
Jeovana Davis (21:49):
Do you just pull up the lyrics on the computer
and the youtube song and pull upthe lyrics and we have the song
on repeat constantly, and thenI'll start singing with it and
I'll learn it the way that theartist sings it.
First, just so I'm comfortablewith the melodies, and then I'll
turn it into something that ismore of my own, with my touch on
(22:10):
it.
Niki Sterner (22:11):
So when you do covers, do you just pick what
you're comfortable with yourvoice, or do you learn
everything that you think willbe available and they'll ask you
to do?
Jeovana Davis (22:19):
Honestly, I try to go for more songs that will
be challenging for me and thatI'll actually be scared to sing,
because I feel like that's whatallows me to grow as an artist.
Because I feel like that's whatallows me to grow as an artist.
But, like I said, I'm open andwilling to feel right.
So, even though that'suncomfortable, I think it
(22:39):
challenges me as an artistvocally, and because I do have a
powerhouse voice, I choose notto use it because I feel like my
soft, sensual voice is that'sjust what I want to offer right
now.
I think it has a healing tuneto it and that's why I'm more
called to it.
Niki Sterner (22:56):
So what types of performances will you be doing
with the cover?
Is that like at clubs on theweekend?
I don't know where peopleperform what is the same.
Jeovana Davis (23:06):
So for me, I'll more so be doing tiny desk type
vibes, which is more like anintimate concert.
It may be just live with noaudience, or I may pop in at a
lounge, but right now I'm justfocusing on intimate live
concert sessions.
Niki Sterner (23:25):
Intimate live concert.
What Sections?
Jeovana Davis (23:29):
Sessions, sessions Okay.
Niki Sterner (23:32):
Do you ever share your singing on your social
media?
Jeovana Davis (23:36):
Yeah, sometimes, right now I have an opportunity
to get more comfortable withsocial media because I feel like
I'm just such a in the nowperson that it's really hard to
be like.
Oh yeah, let me pull up myphone and capture this moment
right, but yes, I will besharing more behind the scenes
and just a journey.
I think I will utilize Instagramas the yearbook or the catalog
(23:59):
for my music and TikTok for morepersonable behind the scenes,
talking about what it feels tobe going to the studio and
preparing for live performances.
They'll get to connect with meon a more personal level on
TikTok.
Niki Sterner (24:11):
So how do you record in a studio?
Do you book a studio for acouple hours and then you just
go in?
Jeovana Davis (24:18):
and sing, yeah, so I just book a studio session
with a producer and sometimesI'll be like, hey, I like to
give disclaimers because everyartist is different.
So I like to tell producerslike, hey, I'm like freestyling
this, but so we might have tolike go through it a couple of
times, but they always end uploving me because the energy's
(24:38):
there, so it's always a goodtime.
But, yeah, I'll just book asession for a couple of hours,
get in there freestyle.
Sometimes I might havesomething prepared, sometimes I
might not.
It just depends on what thevibe is.
Niki Sterner (24:50):
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(25:12):
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Grab it now and build theconfidence to move forward every
single day.
Okay, so, back when you workedin corporate America and you had
this other life, the musicianlife, will you take me back to
how you felt separate and likeyou couldn't share your music?
Jeovana Davis (25:39):
Yeah, I feel like corporate is always tricky
because you don't really want toblur any lines, right, and I
always felt so separated byhaving to be the corporate
Giovanna, who was just alwaysprofessional, and then the
musician Giovanna, who was stillprofessional but just more
fluid, and then the musicianJavonna, who was still
professional but just more fluid, more comfortable in her
creativity.
In corporate, only certainemotions are accepted.
Where, being a creative, I feellike anything is accepted, so I
(25:59):
could be sad, angry, sensual,all the things.
I think I just really got to aspace where I just didn't want
to feel like I had a splitpersonality and so I just ended
up choosing myself and thatlooked like walking away from
the corporate realm and maybefinding a way to make my way
back to corporate, but on myterms.
(26:19):
So we're maybe bringing in likea creative approach to help
corporate professionals justfeel more comfortable being more
than a title.
Niki Sterner (26:29):
Is that something that you're doing now more?
Jeovana Davis (26:31):
comfortable being more than a title.
Is that something that you'redoing now, something that was in
the works?
I think I'm going to put it onpause for now, just because I'm
still focused on resetting mynervous system and getting back
to the music for me.
So right now, I'm just in thisera of choosing Giovanna, so
everything goes back to whatdoes Giovanna want?
Niki Sterner (26:47):
How do you maintain your happiness level?
Jeovana Davis (27:01):
My foundation is rooted in God, so now he's like
my first consultant how do youmaintain your happiness level?
If it's not aligned, I may notaccept working with you.
But now I'm just being veryintentional on the people I work
with, the things that I chooseto be a part of.
It has to be aligned with meand I think when you spent your
life years being a spirit ofservice and wanting to help
(27:24):
people, you have to sit with thefact that you neglected your
own needs just to show up forother people.
So now I'm in an era of justconstantly showing up for myself
.
It's scary because some peopleare disappointed and I'm missing
out on certain opportunities,but it's rewarding because I get
to come home free and contentwith every decision and who I am
(27:47):
.
To compromise my well-being ormy peace of mind based off of a
budget or an opportunity?
Niki Sterner (27:53):
And opportunities just keep showing up for you.
Jeovana Davis (27:55):
Yes, opportunities are always showing
up for me and because I'mchoosing to be intentional, now
I have a discernment of whatopportunities honor me, versus
just being like, yes, thatsounds amazing.
Now I'm like, hmm, that soundsgood and I could see how this
could be good for me, but itactually doesn't honor all of me
(28:16):
.
It just honors, like this, onepart of me, and I'm more than
just a musician.
Niki Sterner (28:20):
That's really a powerful position to be in,
where you know yourself so welland what you want, that you only
say yes to things that reallyalign with them.
Jeovana Davis (28:28):
yes to things that really align with them.
Niki Sterner (28:30):
Yes, yes.
Jeovana Davis (28:30):
And I'm still growing, I'm still learning, I'm
still a hypersensitiveindividual, but I accept all
those things about me and so,with that understanding, I go
where I know it's safe.
I don't want to have to createsafe spaces anymore.
It needs to be safe when Iarrive.
Niki Sterner (28:47):
We were talking before we started about a new
open mic that you are helping toco-host.
Will you tell us a little bitabout that?
Jeovana Davis (28:55):
Sure, so it's still very premature in the
beginning stages, but there is avenue that has recently opened.
It's called Code 44.
They're located in College Parkand, honestly, their mission
and goal is to cater to thecreatives, independent artists
and creating a community.
So I'm super excited for whatthey have to offer because it
(29:19):
honestly aligns with my passionson wanting to make sure artists
are treated like there is ahuman behind the art, and I feel
like this venue is reallytrying to cultivate that space
for that.
Niki Sterner (29:32):
Okay, so what would be on your happy list?
Jeovana Davis (29:36):
Happy list, my happy list.
I crab legs, oh, crab legs,because I love seafood Perfume.
I love perfume.
Nature, I love nature.
And I'm going to give you five.
Music, I love doing music.
That's like my therapyexpression.
Then doing nothing, I'm alwaysdoing something.
(29:58):
And now I'm starting to realize, like when I have the space to
do absolutely nothing, my mindstops racing and I'm at peace.
So that is my happy list.
Niki Sterner (30:08):
What does that look like?
Just sitting in a chair layingdown so?
Jeovana Davis (30:11):
that is my happy list.
What does that look like?
Just sitting in a chair, layingdown, being outside, doing
nothing could be watching amovie binge, watching Netflix,
reading, or just being outsidelaying on the grass.
I'm getting used to gettingmore comfortable being in the
water.
This, essentially, it's notlike doing nothing.
I think doing thingscontributing to a goal.
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to a goal.
(30:32):
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to skate.
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to eat.
Just everything that I'm doing,there's always like a goal or
success attached to it.
Niki Sterner (30:42):
Yeah, there's no expected outcome, just to be
present because there issometimes that pressure when
there is the goal attached to it.
Yeah, I swear, as a creative,you just feel like you've got to
constantly be producing, doingcreating, being inspired,
finding something.
There's always a reason behindwhat we're doing.
Jeovana Davis (31:03):
That's what makes it a great opportunity to be
more in tune with content,creating content, because I
really enjoy just being fullypresent, and so now I'm learning
how to create a nice balancebetween okay, let me capture
this content from my audience sothey can see, hey, here's
something fun to do to relax ifyou're just looking for a quick
(31:25):
getaway, nice.
Niki Sterner (31:27):
Okay, we're going to move into the confidence
quick fire round.
Okay, so these are fivequestions that I ask everybody
when they come on the podcast.
So the first one is I want toknow how you define confidence.
Jeovana Davis (31:38):
I define confidence as accepting who you
are in any room and in anyenvironment.
There is no need to ever shrinkthat's confidence for me.
I am who I am.
Niki Sterner (31:48):
I love that.
Never shrink that's a good word, because a lot of times we do.
We're like, oh, not my turn.
Jeovana Davis (31:55):
Yeah, Sorry I didn't mean to.
Niki Sterner (31:57):
Yeah, I didn't mean to shine, oops.
Jeovana Davis (32:01):
Yes, that was so good, you can't help it.
Like you're bright, shinebright.
Niki Sterner (32:12):
My second question is what's?
Jeovana Davis (32:14):
one bold move you made before you felt ready.
One bold move I made before Ifelt ready.
I chose myself.
That looked like you know whatgreat opportunity, but I'm going
to pass because I just want tofocus on me right now.
Niki Sterner (32:26):
Was there a certain thing that someone
brought to you to do that youwere like yeah, I would say
corporate.
Jeovana Davis (32:33):
Like when I left corporate twice it was scary
because I was like, oh my gosh,like no value now.
But I wanted to sit in thatbecause I was starting to
incorporate my identity with mytitle and so that was very big,
very scary, because people arelike well, so what do you do?
I'm like I'm a full-timemusician or I'm a full-time
(32:56):
creative and people as big as itis now, people are still like
it's not a real job but but it'ssomething to take, but I'm
happy.
Niki Sterner (33:05):
Yeah, how do you quiet your inner critic?
And we talked about thisearlier, but if you could just
clarify again.
Jeovana Davis (33:12):
Yes, I don't quiet my inner critic.
I actually have a conversationand dialogue with my inner
critic and we talk through it.
I want to welcome emotions sothat they don't get stuck or
lost in translation.
Niki Sterner (33:26):
Do you have a name for that inner critic?
Jeovana Davis (33:28):
We don't.
Sometimes I will just be likewhere is this coming from?
And I'll start there.
Niki Sterner (33:34):
Yeah, something trigger it.
Is that what you're talkingabout?
Where did this come from?
Why am I having this thought.
Jeovana Davis (33:40):
Yes, why am I having this coming from?
Niki Sterner (33:43):
What wrong?
Jeovana Davis (33:44):
now, because this might not even be mine.
Niki Sterner (33:47):
Like you might be taking on something else around
you as someone who's sensitive.
Jeovana Davis (33:51):
Yes.
Niki Sterner (33:52):
Yeah, that is something to regulate, for sure.
Jeovana Davis (33:54):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (33:55):
Because that's creative as we do.
Jeovana Davis (33:56):
Because sometimes it doesn't necessarily have to
be somebody else's.
It could just be like thepressure of society and having
to show up a certain way andwhen you're the first, like each
of us are the first to be doingwhat we're doing because we're
original, right.
So it's always going to feelscary because nobody has done it
(34:17):
like you, because you have todo it.
So sometimes you won't have areference.
The reference is yourreflection and trusting that is
scary.
Niki Sterner (34:25):
A lot of life is scary when you're pushing
yourself outside, pushing theedges.
Jeovana Davis (34:29):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (34:30):
I think that's why your happy list is so important
, having those things that youcan bring back in when you're
feeling like all I'm doing ispushing myself.
Yes, like, what makes you happy, what brings you happiness?
Do you bring those in on thedaily?
I?
Jeovana Davis (34:44):
try to.
Niki Sterner (34:45):
Some of them are a little expensive, but you have
like your music that you candance to or things like that you
can do.
Jeovana Davis (34:50):
Yes, I think my baseline too is I'm just
naturally a happy person, eventhough, like I feel deeply, I
know my energy is so brightbecause my core, I really enjoy
being happy and loving and justlike a bubbly spirit.
Niki Sterner (35:06):
What's one habit that's helped you build real
confidence?
Jeovana Davis (35:10):
I would have to go back to the previous answer,
which is choosing myself,Choosing me.
First of all, I'm not used tochoosing myself because I used
to be a people pleaser.
I'm actually still working ongetting out of that energy
because I just always wanted tobe accepted.
I knew I was different.
I knew I was the type of personwho didn't typically fit in
(35:32):
because I didn't resonate withthings like fashion, I don't
know.
I'm a country girl so I'm okaywith just like not being seen.
So choosing myself andjournaling, getting all of those
thoughts out the paper so I canaudit them and remember no,
this is not you.
But let's give a space for thisto take place, to release it.
Niki Sterner (35:52):
Do you ever use those thoughts in your
songwriting?
Jeovana Davis (35:56):
No, but they do come up sometimes and I just
allow it to be there.
Niki Sterner (36:01):
Last one is what's a favorite book or resource
that changed how you think?
Jeovana Davis (36:07):
So I would say podcasts.
I listen to Know Thyself a lotand right now I'm listening to a
young lady by the name ofJadenna and she's super
phenomenal.
I love watching her content.
It's very spiritual based, butalso you're still human and I
love any body who speaks about ahealing journey, but also
(36:30):
remembering to live, becausewe're more than just a healing
journey, and dedicating yourlife to heal like just sends you
on a repeated cycle of justregurgitating so what's next
next for you?
Right now I'm doing creativeconsulting, working on my music
as well.
I have some other things in thework that I won't prematurely
(36:50):
talk about.
Yet I'm learning how tocontinue to water the seed first
before I have any outsideenergy.
That it's growth.
But yeah, creative consultingand the music is what's next.
But yeah, creative consultingand the music is what's next.
What's number one is then themental and the nervous system.
Niki Sterner (37:07):
Okay, where can people find you and follow you
and connect with you?
Jeovana Davis (37:11):
They can follow my main page, which is Choosing
Giovanna.
Noted by JV, that's thecreative consultant page.
Both on Instagram ChoosingGiovanna is the music and the
brand, and then by JV is thecreative consultant.
Niki Sterner (37:26):
Okay, fantastic.
This was so wonderful having aconversation with you.
Thank you so much for having me.
I think you just have so muchto bring and share with your
whole story, from helping yoursister, being a caretaker, being
in corporate America, being amusician, and you just continue
to rebrand yourself and figureout who you truly are, your
(37:48):
authentic person and how to livein your feelings and how to be
happy, which I think is the goalfor everyone.
Thanks so much for listening tothe Confident Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too, and don't forget tofollow me on Instagram at Nikki
(38:11):
Sterner, and join our Facebookcommunity at the Confidence
Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember the shortcut
to confidence is courage.
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, Niki Sterner mom,actor, comedian and producer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts inmindset, courage and confidence,
plus heart-to-hearts withfellow creatives who are turning
their dreams into reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the ConfidenceShortcut.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner,and today's guest is Jeovana
(00:43):
Davis, a creative consultant,intuitive strategist and
performer whose work is rootedin soul-centered expression and
deep, intentional dialogue.
With a passion for helpingothers reconnect to their truth,
giovanna brings more than juststrategy she brings energy.
Her mission is to help peopleremember who they were before
(01:04):
the trauma, the roles and theexpectations, guiding them to
remove the filters placed byfear and society.
Through her art and presence,she inspires others to finally
choose themselves and stopsuffering for the character
they've been performing.
Oh, I love that so much.
Welcome to the show.
Jeovana Davis (01:24):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
Niki Sterner (01:33):
That was beautifully read, thank you.
You're such a beautiful personthat I met a couple years ago on
a set and I just felt soinspired.
When I heard your music backthen I was like holy cow.
She has such a voice and such apresence and just such a
beautiful energy about you thatI was just instantly drawn to
you and I know we've stayed intouch, and we're working on a
documentary about your life,which is very exciting, and I'm
so thrilled to share that withthe world whenever it comes out.
(01:56):
But I know we're still workingthrough that whole process, but
it's going to be just anincredible piece of art, and so
I just wanted to get started byasking you what you're
passionate about right now onthe journey.
Jeovana Davis (02:07):
Right now, I am super passionate about being
vulnerable.
I think that is something thatis necessary, especially because
nowadays, everybody pulls thesuccess, but not the process of
how to get there.
Yeah, right now I'm passionateabout being vulnerable and
focusing on resetting my nervoussystem.
Niki Sterner (02:25):
Beautiful.
Will you tell me more aboutthat?
Resetting the nervous system.
Jeovana Davis (02:28):
Yes, I think with growing up, I just was
conditioned to always be on go,so I feel like the dysfunction
of that has made me become anoverachiever.
So I always want to be doingmusic, helping people, serving,
and now I just want to make sureeverything that I do is aligned
.
So I'm starting with my healthfirst and paying attention to my
(02:50):
body and how it feels, andtaking a holistic approach when
it comes to working and being acreative what does that look
like in your day to day?
Niki Sterner (02:59):
like taking care of yourself and your health.
What are some things that youdo?
Jeovana Davis (03:03):
So right now and I'm still defining it, but right
now I've incorporated doing atleast five minutes of breath
work because I'm a singer.
That also helps with me beingable to sing better as well, but
it also helps calm the nervoussystem down and put it back in
alignment and making healthierchoices when it comes to eating.
So, making sure my water intakeis on point, making sure I'm
(03:28):
incorporating more veggies andfruits and I fast a lot too.
I feel like I am ahypersensitive person, so
sometimes I'll just randomly doa fast just to release a lot of
energy or, feeling overwhelmed,to get back recentered.
Niki Sterner (03:43):
I want to go back to the breath work and how.
What kind of exercises do youdo to strengthen your singing
voice in addition to resettingyour nervous system, Like what
might be some examples?
Jeovana Davis (03:55):
Yes, so there's vocal coaching, of course, so
sometimes I'll just hop onYouTube and pull up a vocal
coaching coach and just go fromthere.
I also have a vocal coach.
It's just one of my bestfriends, so I might do a lesson
with her.
But breathing is so essentialto calming down your nervous
(04:15):
system.
I didn't actually know howdetrimental it was to your body,
so it's something that I'mstill researching.
But I would just pull up a fiveminute energy cleanse and I do
guided meditations from YouTube.
Niki Sterner (04:30):
Do you have any favorite people that you watch?
Jeovana Davis (04:40):
I don't which is interesting, like a guided
meditation for overthinking.
Or if I'm restless, I'll do aguided meditation for a deep
sleep.
So it just depends on what Ifeel the need is at that time.
Niki Sterner (04:55):
Will you take me back to maybe a low point that
you had?
I don't know when.
It would have been a few yearsago, maybe when you went on your
journey of what you'vediscovered.
Jeovana Davis (05:05):
A low point.
Honestly, I think all of my lowpoints have been centered
around me being hypersensitiveand because I am super emotional
, super, just always in myfeelings, I would look at that
as a weakness, but I'm startingto recognize that it's actually
a superpower to be able to feeleverything around you.
(05:27):
It also gives you a level ofdiscernment like, okay, does
this feel good, does this feelbad?
I think my low moments havebeen me not accepting that I'm
just a hypersensitive person andthat it's okay to be that way,
and using it to my advantage.
Niki Sterner (05:44):
Now will you take us back to when your sister had
her health crisis?
Jeovana Davis (05:49):
Yeah, I will say that was probably when I noticed
that I had to utilize all thethings that I had been
practicing with meditation andfloat therapy, I think.
So my sister had a stroke and Iwas the main sister who was
available to be boots on theground for her.
So I became her primarycaretaker at that time, and what
(06:13):
I realized is that in order toreally fully step into a
caretaker role, it requires youtaking care of yourself first,
because that much energy, time,effort, stress will then allow
you to not become the patient ifyou don't really make sure that
you're okay.
That experience allowed me toexplore different avenues of
(06:38):
health.
So, even down to therapy, Ithink a lot of people aren't
really aware of different typesof therapy.
So there's regular therapy,like where you can just have a
therapist and you talk to themabout your day-to-day, and then
there's therapists thatspecialize in certain areas like
brain spotting, emdr, ptsdthings that I honestly had no
(07:01):
idea about.
So that experience allowed meto know that there's more
resources out there, not onlythrough therapy, but just
wellness activities as well andpractices.
Niki Sterner (07:11):
What did you say?
Brain spotting?
Jeovana Davis (07:13):
Yeah, what's that Brain spotting?
So my knowledge?
I feel like it's linked to,like memory loss.
So when you're severelydepressed, the brain tries to
protect you, so it doesn't wantto remember a lot of things, and
so sometimes you don'tunderstand why you respond to
certain things, because yourbrain is not allowing you to
access that memory to understandwhat it's rooted in.
Niki Sterner (07:35):
Wow, that makes sense and you think that's tied
back into trauma.
Jeovana Davis (07:39):
Yes, I think it's tied back into trauma, and even
if we don't say trauma, I cansay that it's tied back into as
kids.
There were certain things where, let's say, we asked our mom to
color with us one time and theydidn't, and that made us feel
abandoned or like we weren'tspecial, and so I really just
think it's a matter ofunderstanding how certain
(08:01):
experiences impacted us if youdon't want to carry that heavy
title of trauma.
Niki Sterner (08:08):
What do they say?
Like big T trauma and little ttrauma, and then you're saying
like you don't even have to callit trauma, just what you
experienced, that is, yeah,trauma feels heavy.
It feels like you have to matchthe energy of that and maybe
that's not where you're at.
Jeovana Davis (08:22):
You can talk a tattoo, yeah.
Niki Sterner (08:30):
Like you can't get rid of it.
Yeah, I've been looking intobeliefs and where do our beliefs
come from recently, and for meit stems back to an experience
that happened to me when I waseight and it formed a whole lot
of beliefs within me.
It was just a one time incidentwith a sexual molestation with a
neighbor older girl, and I justcarried this belief that
(08:51):
silence equals safety for areally long time, up until
recently, and it's prevented mefrom really using my voice in a
powerful way because I haven'tfelt safe to do it and just
figuring out ways of number onelike digging up, finding out.
Why do I believe that?
Where did that come from?
And then connecting my actionsand thoughts to those beliefs
(09:13):
and going, oh wow, I need to digthat up and put a different
belief in there and just rewritehow I am experiencing life,
because I don't want to be inthat place anymore.
I don't want to feel like avictim and I can't say what I
want to say, and so I just feellike beliefs and trauma and all
that or experiences that we hadwhen we were younger, do shape
(09:37):
us, but it's not like a lifesentence.
It's something that you canchange, right, have you
experienced any of that, it'ssomething that you can change
right.
Jeovana Davis (09:44):
Have you experienced any of that?
I actually want to commend youfor sharing that because I feel
like a lot of women in generalsilence, a lot of sexual abuse
that was experienced, but itdefinitely shows up and it
actually you sharing that mademe have a thought process of I
wonder if I'm hypersensitivebecause of everything that I
(10:07):
helped in that I feel so deeplybecause those emotions had
nowhere to go.
But yes, I felt all of thosethings, especially feeling.
Maybe it was something I did towarrant this type of attention,
energy, and so even now I'mstill learning how to be
(10:29):
comfortable being a sensualbeing.
I enjoy just love in itself, butintimacy issues all rooted
around these experiences that Ididn't feel safe sharing, and
then, when I started sharing it,I felt like a lot of women were
so far removed that it was justa pain that they just did not
want to relive or address.
And so that conversation isjust.
(10:52):
It's so many layers to it, butthat is one of the main reasons
when I talk about beingvulnerable.
Where I want to start, I feellike my nervous system has
always been out of whack becauseof experiencing sexual assault
at such a very young age and noteven being able to recall it,
but my body remembering it, andI'm very big on practices that
(11:14):
involve movement of the bodybecause I want to move that
energy around and alchemize itinto something else.
Niki Sterner (11:21):
What does that look like?
The practices of moving yourbody?
What would that be like?
Certain things that you do, Iknow there's like tapping and
there's like massaging.
What kind of things have youfound that work for you?
Jeovana Davis (11:33):
Honestly, dancing .
It makes me feel comfortablebeing in my body and I recently
I want to say about maybe two,three years ago I tried
acupuncture.
I felt like that had somewhatof an impact, but it was only
one time, so I couldn't reallysee if it made a difference or
not.
But I'm always open toexploring.
I did do a breathwork workshopand I don't want to butcher the
(11:57):
name, but I think it's calledLetality.
That was very, very, veryintense and intense in a way
where I didn't even expect it towork, because I'm like we're
just breathing, Like what isbreathing a certain type of way
going to do?
But I feel like that was one ofthe things where I realized,
wow, breath is so important andhas such a huge impact on the
(12:20):
body where I would try thatagain and had such a huge impact
on the body where I would trythat again.
Niki Sterner (12:25):
I remember doing an acting exercise similar to
that and it was a breathing oneand I can't even remember
exactly what it was, but it waslike Something like that.
Your whole body was reallygetting into it and so many
emotions came up and out, likeyou're saying, that were just
unexpected and I was like whatjust happened right there?
(12:47):
That was horrible, but I thinkemotions do get stuck in your
body, like you're saying, andit's hard Because those emotions
get stuck in our body and thenwe don't have the ability to
feel emotion and then wedissociate or disconnect and
then we can't experience thehappiness and the joy in
addition to the fear and thesadness and stuff.
And then we just get in theseanxious and depressed states
(13:11):
because we're not really fullypresent, because we don't feel
safe to feel.
Safe to feel.
If you've been living withchronic symptoms like pain,
brain fog, sensitivity to smells, light or sound, it might not
just be your body, it could beyour brain, stuck in a survival
loop.
Dnrs stands for Dynamic NeuralRetraining System.
It's a science-backed programthat helps rewire the limbic
(13:33):
system, the part of the brainresponsible for fear, fight or
flight and overreaction toeveryday things.
It changed everything for me,helping me heal and return to
the creative life I love.
If this speaks to you, clickthe link in the caption.
It might be the answer you'relooking for.
Jeovana Davis (13:51):
Yes, safe to feel is a big one.
I think the only reason why I'mable to be a person who's
willing to be vulnerable duringthis journey, who's willing to
be open and who's willing to dothe work, is because of my
willingness to feel.
Niki Sterner (14:07):
I think that is such a gift when you can do that
.
Jeovana Davis (14:09):
This is not easy, it's really not.
No one wants to reliveexperiences that left such a
residue on their identity thatyou have to like actually make
sure you get every little spot,to make sure you see who you
were before all of theseunfortunate situations.
(14:29):
But what I will say?
Niki Sterner (14:31):
the level of peace and exchange for doing the work
is unmatched yeah, will youtake me through your process,
what you do to tackle thosenegative thoughts?
If you ever get negativethoughts, pop up as you're
working through these things.
Jeovana Davis (14:48):
Yeah.
So sometimes I'll try to makethe connection like where is
this coming from?
Like why do I feel like I haveto shrink, or why do I feel
uncomfortable?
Most times I'm like you don'thave to investigate a negative
thought, you can just choose notto accept it.
And that's where I'm at now.
One of the practices that I'mdoing is I'll journal everything
(15:11):
negative that I feel, that I'mthinking, and then I'll counter
it with positive things.
Actually, I am a beautifulindividual who feels deeply, who
has an opportunity to inviteall of these emotions, and I
really just become my owntherapist and have that inner
dialogue switch and I auditwhat's going through my mind now
(15:33):
and I think everything is achoice.
So if something is sticking,maybe you might want to
investigate that and see whatit's rooted in.
But if it's something thatyou're like, why am I even
thinking like this?
I think we have to remember welive in a world where there are
so many projections and thereare so many influences to make
us feel like we're not enough.
(15:54):
So just being mindful of alwaysknowing who you are because
that should be your referenceAnytime a negative thought comes
up you know you're a goodperson, you mean well, but I
don't think there's anythingwrong with reflection too,
because we're not perfect andwe're still human.
Niki Sterner (16:11):
Do you have like any affirmations or anything
like that you put like on stickynotes or places that you see
every day?
Do you do anything like that?
You put like on sticky notes orplaces that you see every day?
Do you do anything like that?
Jeovana Davis (16:20):
No, but I recently started saying I am
surrounded by spirits of thelight, ancestors of the light,
and I release any energy thatdoes not belong to me.
Niki Sterner (16:31):
I love that.
Jeovana Davis (16:33):
That's beautiful.
Niki Sterner (16:33):
So you have a thought that goes through your
mind anytime you're starting to,because everybody has negative
thoughts that come up right.
That's just being a human being, yeah, so you say that
throughout the day.
Jeovana Davis (16:44):
Sometimes I think right now I'm like in such a
peaceful state that there's noteven a real need to monitor what
negative thoughts are coming up.
It's almost like stopping at ared light and then going okay, I
see the negative thought andI'll just wait for the light to
turn green again and go throughit.
Niki Sterner (17:07):
It's almost like you've made it in a habit.
Jeovana Davis (17:09):
Yeah, it's like I don't think negative thoughts
are going to go anywhere per se,because I think it's just a
part of life.
And I think it's just a matterof life and I think it's just a
matter of just always knowingwho you are.
And I think the more that I doa case study on myself and know
who I am, the negative thoughtsdon't bother me, because I know
that's not who I am.
Niki Sterner (17:29):
What were the steps that you took in the
process of becoming the talentedmusician you are
singer-songwriter.
Jeovana Davis (17:34):
Well, because I came from a school that had so
many phenomenal powerhousevoices.
I always said just be asongwriter and be in the
background.
Such a love and passion forlive performance.
And the first train of thoughtwas like, okay, if I'm really
going to put myself out there asan artist, I have to have a
stage presence.
And so I started researchingthe mics at the time and I would
(17:58):
go and I got booed for anentire year and I just had to
learn why I got booed.
So first it was because I wasso nervous that I would sound
like a penguin, like my voicejust completely cracked and gave
out.
Then it was a matter of learning.
My audience, like some crowds,just did not vibe with the type
(18:19):
of cover I was doing or themusic.
And so one time when I gotbooed, I just decided to stay
behind just to see how the otherartists who got standing
ovations and encores like whatare they doing that I'm not
doing?
And I just studied them andjust created my own stage
presence based off of my voice.
(18:40):
I feel like my voice is verygentle and angelic, but I still
have the same ability ofcaptivating the crowd as if I
were Whitney Houston or MariahCarey, because I'm so
intentional about giving anexperience that you want to pay
attention to.
What is she about to do?
And the energy is so grand andbig.
So it really was just a matterof believing in myself and
(19:03):
getting back on that stage everysingle time, scared if I was
going to get booed again.
But I had to believe in mefirst, so I became my biggest
fan.
Niki Sterner (19:12):
So how did you make your voice better, like
what were the specific exercisesor things that you did at home
while you weren't performing?
Jeovana Davis (19:21):
Yeah, honestly, during that time I didn't even
know anything about vocalcoaching, but I was very good at
mimicking, so it seemed songsthat I could easily mimic to
where there were no issues in myvocal ability.
So I just knew what pockets tostay in.
Niki Sterner (19:40):
And then, how did you transition into writing your
own songs?
Jeovana Davis (19:43):
Honestly, I've always written my own songs.
Me and my siblings used tocollaborate because we can all
sing as well, but I've alwaysbeen a freestyler, so I just
always had a gift for puttingwords together.
But my sister my younger sistershe actually is, and still is
to this day, my biggestinspiration, because her ability
(20:05):
to write music is what inspiredme.
She taught me how to writemusic without boundaries.
Say how you feel and don't careabout who it's going to affect,
because these are your feelings.
Niki Sterner (20:16):
Isn't it a much more potent song when you are
truly in your own feelings,because that's more universal,
as it is.
Jeovana Davis (20:27):
It is, and I think what used to get tricky is
I'm a very innovative andimaginative person, so sometimes
I would write things thatweren't really my story and have
a fear of people likeconnecting that to me as a
person.
But now I'm grown out of that.
Now I'm just like it's whatevermy creative mind wants to
(20:49):
release.
I give permission for that.
Niki Sterner (20:52):
And how do you get your melodies?
Jeovana Davis (20:55):
Everything literally just comes to me.
I wish I had a process, but Ireally don't.
I just am naturally gifted atfreestyling.
Sometimes it sounds good,sometimes it sounds terrible,
sometimes it sounds crazy.
But that's just my process.
Niki Sterner (21:10):
So do you record it into your phone?
Do you play an instrument?
Jeovana Davis (21:13):
No, I don't play an instrument, but usually I do
record like a voice note toremember, because the downside
about being a freestyler is youdon't remember it because you
didn't write it down.
You freestyle it.
Even now.
I'm about to get ready to startback performing again and one
of the biggest things is likelearning covers.
But I've been freestyling forso long I'm like I don't really
(21:36):
know a lot of songs because Iwould typically freestyle it and
make it into something that wasmy own.
So now I'm having to buckledown and get more discipline and
actually learn a lot of music.
Niki Sterner (21:47):
And what is your process for that?
What do you do?
Jeovana Davis (21:49):
Do you just pull up the lyrics on the computer
and the youtube song and pull upthe lyrics and we have the song
on repeat constantly, and thenI'll start singing with it and
I'll learn it the way that theartist sings it.
First, just so I'm comfortablewith the melodies, and then I'll
turn it into something that ismore of my own, with my touch on
(22:10):
it.
Niki Sterner (22:11):
So when you do covers, do you just pick what
you're comfortable with yourvoice, or do you learn
everything that you think willbe available and they'll ask you
to do?
Jeovana Davis (22:19):
Honestly, I try to go for more songs that will
be challenging for me and thatI'll actually be scared to sing,
because I feel like that's whatallows me to grow as an artist.
Because I feel like that's whatallows me to grow as an artist.
But, like I said, I'm open andwilling to feel right.
So, even though that'suncomfortable, I think it
(22:39):
challenges me as an artistvocally, and because I do have a
powerhouse voice, I choose notto use it because I feel like my
soft, sensual voice is that'sjust what I want to offer right
now.
I think it has a healing tuneto it and that's why I'm more
called to it.
Niki Sterner (22:56):
So what types of performances will you be doing
with the cover?
Is that like at clubs on theweekend?
I don't know where peopleperform what is the same.
Jeovana Davis (23:06):
So for me, I'll more so be doing tiny desk type
vibes, which is more like anintimate concert.
It may be just live with noaudience, or I may pop in at a
lounge, but right now I'm justfocusing on intimate live
concert sessions.
Niki Sterner (23:25):
Intimate live concert.
What Sections?
Jeovana Davis (23:29):
Sessions, sessions Okay.
Niki Sterner (23:32):
Do you ever share your singing on your social
media?
Jeovana Davis (23:36):
Yeah, sometimes, right now I have an opportunity
to get more comfortable withsocial media because I feel like
I'm just such a in the nowperson that it's really hard to
be like.
Oh yeah, let me pull up myphone and capture this moment
right, but yes, I will besharing more behind the scenes
and just a journey.
I think I will utilize Instagramas the yearbook or the catalog
(23:59):
for my music and TikTok for morepersonable behind the scenes,
talking about what it feels tobe going to the studio and
preparing for live performances.
They'll get to connect with meon a more personal level on
TikTok.
Niki Sterner (24:11):
So how do you record in a studio?
Do you book a studio for acouple hours and then you just
go in?
Jeovana Davis (24:18):
and sing, yeah, so I just book a studio session
with a producer and sometimesI'll be like, hey, I like to
give disclaimers because everyartist is different.
So I like to tell producerslike, hey, I'm like freestyling
this, but so we might have tolike go through it a couple of
times, but they always end uploving me because the energy's
(24:38):
there, so it's always a goodtime.
But, yeah, I'll just book asession for a couple of hours,
get in there freestyle.
Sometimes I might havesomething prepared, sometimes I
might not.
It just depends on what thevibe is.
Niki Sterner (24:50):
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It's the exact routine I use toget up on stage and speak up.
(25:12):
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Okay, so, back when you workedin corporate America and you had
this other life, the musicianlife, will you take me back to
how you felt separate and likeyou couldn't share your music?
Jeovana Davis (25:39):
Yeah, I feel like corporate is always tricky
because you don't really want toblur any lines, right, and I
always felt so separated byhaving to be the corporate
Giovanna, who was just alwaysprofessional, and then the
musician Giovanna, who was stillprofessional but just more
fluid, and then the musicianJavonna, who was still
professional but just more fluid, more comfortable in her
creativity.
In corporate, only certainemotions are accepted.
Where, being a creative, I feellike anything is accepted, so I
(25:59):
could be sad, angry, sensual,all the things.
I think I just really got to aspace where I just didn't want
to feel like I had a splitpersonality and so I just ended
up choosing myself and thatlooked like walking away from
the corporate realm and maybefinding a way to make my way
back to corporate, but on myterms.
(26:19):
So we're maybe bringing in likea creative approach to help
corporate professionals justfeel more comfortable being more
than a title.
Niki Sterner (26:29):
Is that something that you're doing now more?
Jeovana Davis (26:31):
comfortable being more than a title.
Is that something that you'redoing now, something that was in
the works?
I think I'm going to put it onpause for now, just because I'm
still focused on resetting mynervous system and getting back
to the music for me.
So right now, I'm just in thisera of choosing Giovanna, so
everything goes back to whatdoes Giovanna want?
Niki Sterner (26:47):
How do you maintain your happiness level?
Jeovana Davis (27:01):
My foundation is rooted in God, so now he's like
my first consultant how do youmaintain your happiness level?
If it's not aligned, I may notaccept working with you.
But now I'm just being veryintentional on the people I work
with, the things that I chooseto be a part of.
It has to be aligned with meand I think when you spent your
life years being a spirit ofservice and wanting to help
(27:24):
people, you have to sit with thefact that you neglected your
own needs just to show up forother people.
So now I'm in an era of justconstantly showing up for myself
.
It's scary because some peopleare disappointed and I'm missing
out on certain opportunities,but it's rewarding because I get
to come home free and contentwith every decision and who I am
(27:47):
.
To compromise my well-being ormy peace of mind based off of a
budget or an opportunity?
Niki Sterner (27:53):
And opportunities just keep showing up for you.
Jeovana Davis (27:55):
Yes, opportunities are always showing
up for me and because I'mchoosing to be intentional, now
I have a discernment of whatopportunities honor me, versus
just being like, yes, thatsounds amazing.
Now I'm like, hmm, that soundsgood and I could see how this
could be good for me, but itactually doesn't honor all of me
(28:16):
.
It just honors, like this, onepart of me, and I'm more than
just a musician.
Niki Sterner (28:20):
That's really a powerful position to be in,
where you know yourself so welland what you want, that you only
say yes to things that reallyalign with them.
Jeovana Davis (28:28):
yes to things that really align with them.
Niki Sterner (28:30):
Yes, yes.
Jeovana Davis (28:30):
And I'm still growing, I'm still learning, I'm
still a hypersensitiveindividual, but I accept all
those things about me and so,with that understanding, I go
where I know it's safe.
I don't want to have to createsafe spaces anymore.
It needs to be safe when Iarrive.
Niki Sterner (28:47):
We were talking before we started about a new
open mic that you are helping toco-host.
Will you tell us a little bitabout that?
Jeovana Davis (28:55):
Sure, so it's still very premature in the
beginning stages, but there is avenue that has recently opened.
It's called Code 44.
They're located in College Parkand, honestly, their mission
and goal is to cater to thecreatives, independent artists
and creating a community.
So I'm super excited for whatthey have to offer because it
(29:19):
honestly aligns with my passionson wanting to make sure artists
are treated like there is ahuman behind the art, and I feel
like this venue is reallytrying to cultivate that space
for that.
Niki Sterner (29:32):
Okay, so what would be on your happy list?
Jeovana Davis (29:36):
Happy list, my happy list.
I crab legs, oh, crab legs,because I love seafood Perfume.
I love perfume.
Nature, I love nature.
And I'm going to give you five.
Music, I love doing music.
That's like my therapyexpression.
Then doing nothing, I'm alwaysdoing something.
(29:58):
And now I'm starting to realize, like when I have the space to
do absolutely nothing, my mindstops racing and I'm at peace.
So that is my happy list.
Niki Sterner (30:08):
What does that look like?
Just sitting in a chair layingdown so?
Jeovana Davis (30:11):
that is my happy list.
What does that look like?
Just sitting in a chair, layingdown, being outside, doing
nothing could be watching amovie binge, watching Netflix,
reading, or just being outsidelaying on the grass.
I'm getting used to gettingmore comfortable being in the
water.
This, essentially, it's notlike doing nothing.
I think doing thingscontributing to a goal.
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to a goal.
(30:32):
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to skate.
There's no goal here.
I'm just here to eat.
Just everything that I'm doing,there's always like a goal or
success attached to it.
Niki Sterner (30:42):
Yeah, there's no expected outcome, just to be
present because there issometimes that pressure when
there is the goal attached to it.
Yeah, I swear, as a creative,you just feel like you've got to
constantly be producing, doingcreating, being inspired,
finding something.
There's always a reason behindwhat we're doing.
Jeovana Davis (31:03):
That's what makes it a great opportunity to be
more in tune with content,creating content, because I
really enjoy just being fullypresent, and so now I'm learning
how to create a nice balancebetween okay, let me capture
this content from my audience sothey can see, hey, here's
something fun to do to relax ifyou're just looking for a quick
(31:25):
getaway, nice.
Niki Sterner (31:27):
Okay, we're going to move into the confidence
quick fire round.
Okay, so these are fivequestions that I ask everybody
when they come on the podcast.
So the first one is I want toknow how you define confidence.
Jeovana Davis (31:38):
I define confidence as accepting who you
are in any room and in anyenvironment.
There is no need to ever shrinkthat's confidence for me.
I am who I am.
Niki Sterner (31:48):
I love that.
Never shrink that's a good word, because a lot of times we do.
We're like, oh, not my turn.
Jeovana Davis (31:55):
Yeah, Sorry I didn't mean to.
Niki Sterner (31:57):
Yeah, I didn't mean to shine, oops.
Jeovana Davis (32:01):
Yes, that was so good, you can't help it.
Like you're bright, shinebright.
Niki Sterner (32:12):
My second question is what's?
Jeovana Davis (32:14):
one bold move you made before you felt ready.
One bold move I made before Ifelt ready.
I chose myself.
That looked like you know whatgreat opportunity, but I'm going
to pass because I just want tofocus on me right now.
Niki Sterner (32:26):
Was there a certain thing that someone
brought to you to do that youwere like yeah, I would say
corporate.
Jeovana Davis (32:33):
Like when I left corporate twice it was scary
because I was like, oh my gosh,like no value now.
But I wanted to sit in thatbecause I was starting to
incorporate my identity with mytitle and so that was very big,
very scary, because people arelike well, so what do you do?
I'm like I'm a full-timemusician or I'm a full-time
(32:56):
creative and people as big as itis now, people are still like
it's not a real job but but it'ssomething to take, but I'm
happy.
Niki Sterner (33:05):
Yeah, how do you quiet your inner critic?
And we talked about thisearlier, but if you could just
clarify again.
Jeovana Davis (33:12):
Yes, I don't quiet my inner critic.
I actually have a conversationand dialogue with my inner
critic and we talk through it.
I want to welcome emotions sothat they don't get stuck or
lost in translation.
Niki Sterner (33:26):
Do you have a name for that inner critic?
Jeovana Davis (33:28):
We don't.
Sometimes I will just be likewhere is this coming from?
And I'll start there.
Niki Sterner (33:34):
Yeah, something trigger it.
Is that what you're talkingabout?
Where did this come from?
Why am I having this thought.
Jeovana Davis (33:40):
Yes, why am I having this coming from?
Niki Sterner (33:43):
What wrong?
Jeovana Davis (33:44):
now, because this might not even be mine.
Niki Sterner (33:47):
Like you might be taking on something else around
you as someone who's sensitive.
Jeovana Davis (33:51):
Yes.
Niki Sterner (33:52):
Yeah, that is something to regulate, for sure.
Jeovana Davis (33:54):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (33:55):
Because that's creative as we do.
Jeovana Davis (33:56):
Because sometimes it doesn't necessarily have to
be somebody else's.
It could just be like thepressure of society and having
to show up a certain way andwhen you're the first, like each
of us are the first to be doingwhat we're doing because we're
original, right.
So it's always going to feelscary because nobody has done it
(34:17):
like you, because you have todo it.
So sometimes you won't have areference.
The reference is yourreflection and trusting that is
scary.
Niki Sterner (34:25):
A lot of life is scary when you're pushing
yourself outside, pushing theedges.
Jeovana Davis (34:29):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (34:30):
I think that's why your happy list is so important
, having those things that youcan bring back in when you're
feeling like all I'm doing ispushing myself.
Yes, like, what makes you happy, what brings you happiness?
Do you bring those in on thedaily?
I?
Jeovana Davis (34:44):
try to.
Niki Sterner (34:45):
Some of them are a little expensive, but you have
like your music that you candance to or things like that you
can do.
Jeovana Davis (34:50):
Yes, I think my baseline too is I'm just
naturally a happy person, eventhough, like I feel deeply, I
know my energy is so brightbecause my core, I really enjoy
being happy and loving and justlike a bubbly spirit.
Niki Sterner (35:06):
What's one habit that's helped you build real
confidence?
Jeovana Davis (35:10):
I would have to go back to the previous answer,
which is choosing myself,Choosing me.
First of all, I'm not used tochoosing myself because I used
to be a people pleaser.
I'm actually still working ongetting out of that energy
because I just always wanted tobe accepted.
I knew I was different.
I knew I was the type of personwho didn't typically fit in
(35:32):
because I didn't resonate withthings like fashion, I don't
know.
I'm a country girl so I'm okaywith just like not being seen.
So choosing myself andjournaling, getting all of those
thoughts out the paper so I canaudit them and remember no,
this is not you.
But let's give a space for thisto take place, to release it.
Niki Sterner (35:52):
Do you ever use those thoughts in your
songwriting?
Jeovana Davis (35:56):
No, but they do come up sometimes and I just
allow it to be there.
Niki Sterner (36:01):
Last one is what's a favorite book or resource
that changed how you think?
Jeovana Davis (36:07):
So I would say podcasts.
I listen to Know Thyself a lotand right now I'm listening to a
young lady by the name ofJadenna and she's super
phenomenal.
I love watching her content.
It's very spiritual based, butalso you're still human and I
love any body who speaks about ahealing journey, but also
(36:30):
remembering to live, becausewe're more than just a healing
journey, and dedicating yourlife to heal like just sends you
on a repeated cycle of justregurgitating so what's next
next for you?
Right now I'm doing creativeconsulting, working on my music
as well.
I have some other things in thework that I won't prematurely
(36:50):
talk about.
Yet I'm learning how tocontinue to water the seed first
before I have any outsideenergy.
That it's growth.
But yeah, creative consultingand the music is what's next.
But yeah, creative consultingand the music is what's next.
What's number one is then themental and the nervous system.
Niki Sterner (37:07):
Okay, where can people find you and follow you
and connect with you?
Jeovana Davis (37:11):
They can follow my main page, which is Choosing
Giovanna.
Noted by JV, that's thecreative consultant page.
Both on Instagram ChoosingGiovanna is the music and the
brand, and then by JV is thecreative consultant.
Niki Sterner (37:26):
Okay, fantastic.
This was so wonderful having aconversation with you.
Thank you so much for having me.
I think you just have so muchto bring and share with your
whole story, from helping yoursister, being a caretaker, being
in corporate America, being amusician, and you just continue
to rebrand yourself and figureout who you truly are, your
(37:48):
authentic person and how to livein your feelings and how to be
happy, which I think is the goalfor everyone.
Thanks so much for listening tothe Confident Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too, and don't forget tofollow me on Instagram at Nikki
(38:11):
Sterner, and join our Facebookcommunity at the Confidence
Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember the shortcut
to confidence is courage.
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