Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivan Bosnjak
Ivan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always had a passion for entertainment, which began during my elementary school years when I started shooting YouTube videos and making home movies with friends and family. I even got kicked out of an Apple Camp when I was 11 because I made a horror movie with real fake blood, complete with a full script and plotline. My love for music also emerged early on. In 4th grade, I made a music video and performed it for my class, and by 7th grade, I began taking music more seriously. Throughout high school, I continued making music, releasing songs, and producing music videos, all of which fueled my love for creativity.
This passion has evolved into my current role as a YouTube content creator and owner of an entertainment business. My primary goal is to become a prominent YouTuber, entertaining a diverse audience with captivating, fun, and challenging videos. I am fortunate to have a supportive group of friends and family who help me bring my creative ideas to life. Together, we have produced videos like Squid Games, The Amazing Race, haunted hide-and-seek events, and even large corn maze adventures.
A significant part of what allows me to create these videos is my entertainment business, BigHot LLC. Through this business, we offer a wide range of services, including DJing, photo booths, 360 booths, character rentals, face painting, officiant services, videography, and photography. We cater to all types of events, with a focus on weddings, graduations, and other formal occasions. My love for music led me to DJing, where I mix tracks for parties and events.
Today, I am a full-time content creator during regular working hours and a DJ and event coordinator on weekends. Balancing these two aspects of my career has been challenging but incredibly rewarding.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been far from smooth, with many ups and downs along the way. In terms of content creation, we are still navigating challenges, particularly in getting compensated for the hard work we put into our videos and social media presence. For a long time, I struggled to find my true purpose in life. I pursued two degrees from Youngstown State University—a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. While these degrees are undoubtedly valuable, they didn’t directly align with my passion for entertainment. It wasn’t until after college that I realized my true calling was in the entertainment industry.
We continue to face challenges, particularly in financing our videos and coming up with new ideas and team members. However, the entertainment business side of things has been running smoothly, thanks to the processes we’ve put in place to ensure customer satisfaction. This has helped us build a strong reputation as a reliable entertainment provider in our area.
YouTube is a long and challenging road that requires significant time and dedication before you even begin to see any financial return. After a year and a half of working on videos, planning projects, and conducting shoots, we are just now starting to see some positive financial returns. It’s not easy, and the challenges will only increase as we grow our platform.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Coming from Ohio, a state with only a handful of creators who have reached significant fame, I’m particularly proud of the work I’ve done on my YouTube channel. One of my standout projects is our Squid Games video, which was a massive undertaking with over 225 participants competing for a prize of $456. This video has opened many doors and created numerous opportunities beyond the YouTube platform. Our editing and thumbnails are some of the aspects of our work that I am most proud of, and we are currently in the process of creating our own game, building on the success of our TikToks, which have garnered over 10 million views across our channels.
On the entertainment business front, I’m proud to share that in 2023, we were voted the #1 DJ provider by the Youngstown Vindicator. This is a significant achievement, especially considering we only started the business in 2019. I believe our services are not only affordable but also of exceptional quality, particularly our DJing. I’ve done every type of event and now possess the experience that sets me apart from other DJs.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was always the one trying to be the center of attention, often making home movies with my brother, sister, and parents. I would edit them using iMovie on my computer, and I was always interested in music, not so much in playing instruments, but more in the creative process of writing lyrics and performing songs. Being in front of an audience was never a concern for me, and public speaking has never been something I feared. I always dreamed of being in the spotlight, being recognized for achieving things others might not be able to. In my younger years, I was a perfectionist, but over time, I’ve learned to embrace mistakes and failures as part of the journey, allowing myself to grow and evolve.
Pricing:
- DJ = $85+ per hour
- Photo Booth = $125 per hour
- 360 Booth = $150 per hour
- Character Rental = $85+ per hour
- Face Painting = $35+ per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bighott.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bighotttt?
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivan.bosnjak.71653
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bighottttt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZDJaTqu9qr3C8QGjj6Ea7w
