Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to JP Douvalakis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

JP, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success. A way we evaluate each person on the planet. Did we reach it? Can we teach it? Did we have to sacrifice anything to get there? Is there a point in which success is recognized? Success is many things for many people. Some have reached success and don’t even realize it. I’ve recently come across a story that identified success very clearly. Let me share it in summary for you. There was a man who lived on a small island with his family and friends. Everyday the man would go out and make his daily catch and sell his fish to a local company that would in turn sell it across the world. One day a city man came up to the fisher and explained that he should grow his business, hire more workers, skip the middle man and enlarge his company tenfold. The city man explained further how doing so would allow the man to make more money, sell more fish, grow his company, move to the mainland, continue to enlarge his profits and eventually sell his now conglomerate fishing company for a high IPO. The city man said this kind of work would take about 20-15 years and then the fisher could retire with a huge sun of money, move to a small island where he can fish and lay out in the sun everyday with friends and family. The fisher thought about this for a minute and replied with a confused look on his face. He told the city man, I live a happy life on my island now, I fish everyday and have a beautiful family who I have dinner with and beautiful children who run around us all day. Why would I want to move to the big city, wait 15 years and then live my life, I am loving it already! The city man couldn’t understand why the fisher wouldn’t want to make millions but that’s exactly it. The fisherman had a successful life with everything he needed right there. He would work for what he needed and lived below his means happily. The fisher had accomplished success in his own eyes, something the city man with never see, not because he’s a business man or from the city, but because he could not see that the fisherman already had everything he needed and was living happily doing his work on the island. The moral of the story is, success is different for everyone, For myself, success is having time for fun, being able to adventure, road-trip, go camping with friends and have time for my family. Life should not revolve around work or money, success to me in my career is enjoying everyday on the job while being able to freely do as I please. Being a photographer and social media manager, I am able to have fun in my daily routine and not view work and “work” but rather a fun and productive learning experience that puts a smile on my face.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is JP Douvalakis. I am a creative. I specialize in photography and graphic design. I run social media for myself as well as other companies in Colorado. My business and social run under the alias Johny Prsm. I’ve always been a kid who loved to draw and play with imagery. I have had a passion for this career my entire life and when I was younger my parents encouraged me to pursue a career that I would enjoy. Something that wouldn’t require me to work because I was enjoying my daily routine. Being a photographer I have narrowed down my niche to product photography specifically to the brands social media I run. Over the years my niche has changed many times and I have adapted to new avenues of creativity to find what fits me. I am 26 years old, successfully making rent through my photography and creative life. As a kid I never imagined I would come close to living in this dream. I know I have a long way to go, a long way to continue this successful career but I am happy how it is going and I will strive to continue on this path until I’m old and grey.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Creativity doesn’t come easy. In order for me to be happy and successful, I don’t take any jobs that I see as a burden. If I’m not fully committed and excited about a job that I’m offered I do not accept. The only jobs I take are ones I know I can finish through to the end with a smile on my face. Some jobs are harder than others, some require more work and that’s okay. The jobs in which I don’t agree, where the brand’s identity doesn’t line up with my own beliefs and values will be one I turn down. It is important to do research and understand your clients needs before accepting a job.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Life is crazy and every person has a story of their own. Nobody is thinking about you, they have their own lives to attend to. One way I stay relevant to my audience is with Instagram and tiktok. I post photographs to my social media daily with inspiration for my viewers. I encourage others to get out and be creative. Staying relevant on social is a great way to stay in my clients minds. Though they might not need some of my services at this moment, they might require some work in a couple of months. Building a good rapport with them and being professional while they don’t need me will show them that I can be extra professional when they do need my services.

Contact Info:

• Website: Prsmproducts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johny.prsm/?hl=en