All Things Croatia

On this episode we have a very special guest in Mitch Chuvalo. Mitch is the son of George Chuvalo (Jure Čuvalo), one of the greatest Croatian and Canadian boxers of all time. George has numerous accolades including 5 time Canadian heavyweight champ, 64 wins by knockout, and never being knocked down in his 93 match career including in fights against Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Mitch is now a teacher and public speaker sharing his own struggles and triumphs as he shares with us some classic stories about his father, including a movie like chase scene in the streets of Zagreb! Hear about the Chuvalo family’s Croatian roots and how that mentality played a pivotal role in George’s life and boxing career.-Sponsored by Adriatic Tours!Awesome YouTube video!Follow them on Instagram!

In this episode we have special guest Peter Hazdovac, a Croatian American and a very active member of the Croatian community down in the Los Angeles area of San Pedro. His family company Adriatic Tours which he works for has long served the community in helping Croatians return to the homeland both for vacation as well as with documents and papers and other services. Peter played professional soccer in Croatia, and after his move back to LA stayed very involved in the local Croatian community there. In this episode we learn a little more about Peter, his family, and the effect they’ve had on the Croatian community.Check out Adriatic Tours!Awesome YouTube video!Follow them on Instagram!

This week’s special guest on the podcast is Steve Rukavina. Steve is a Croatian American activist from Minnesota and co-founder of the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation. He is involved with many Croatian related projects and initiatives, both cultural and political. Among those are the recently developed Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame and working with the Croatian Special Olympics. Stay tuned to hear about Steve’s lobbying and policy work with revising the infamous double taxation agreement as well as protecting the rights of Croats in BiH in accordance with the Dayton Agreement. In this episode we take a dive into some of these projects and learn about the impact on the global Croatian community.Website Link https://nfcacf.org/

In this week’s episode we have a special guest Anthony (Tonko) Sušac. Tonko is a Croatian American baseball player at the University of Arizona. His grandparents were some of the leaders in setting up the Croatian community in his hometown of Sacramento, and he and his cousins are proud Croatians, including one who played for the Croatian National baseball team. Tonko tells the story of how his grandparents immigrated to the U.S. and his newfound love of cooking homemade Croatian food in his spare time. He also talks about his love for Croatian music and being in Split for Oliver’s funeral. In this episode we’re going to find out a little bit more about him, his Croatian connection, and his bright baseball future!

This week’s special guest is Richard Gruica, a Croatian-American chef born in Jamaica. He started Good Eats Meets, an online based Dining and Socializing group that brings together lovers of food to "Break Bread. Richard has also started Croatian food initiatives such as Captivating Croatia Tours, and Sights and Bites, a unique food and history walking tour of Dubrovnik. Most recently he opened up Fuego, a Latin fusion restaurant in Zagreb, Croatia’s first. In this episode we’re going to learn about his inspiration for cooking Croatian cuisine and starting his many food related projects!http://fuegofreshlatin.com/https://captivatingcroatia.com/http://gypsytable.com/

This episode’s guest is 25 year old Croatian entrepreneur Ana Čalić. After getting her master’s degree in Science Business and Innovation she began to work at her family company Navela which is a leader in Marine and boating equipment. With her knowledge of the nautical industry and innovation, she formed Croatia’s first club for young professionals in the marine industry within the platform she created called Misli More. Misli More educates younger generations about the nautical industry and possibilities of sustainable development in marine. In this episode we’ll learn about her passion for the sea and how her new initiative combines Croatian innovation and sustainability.Website link: www.mislimore.comOverall: https://lnk.bio/mislimoreLink for joining the club: https://shoutout.wix.com/so/34O3Czrpe?languageTag=en#/main

This episode’s special guest is Željko Jergan. Željko is a world renowned choreographer and teacher of Croatian folklore and dance, which some might recognize as “kolo”. Originally from Varaždin, he performed in LADO, the Croatian National Folk Ensemble, and then moved to the US. He now shares his in-depth knowledge and style in teaching Croatian folk dancing as he travels around the world to spread the culture and traditions of Croatian dance. We talk about the importance of preserving Croatian dance and how diaspora communities around the world are helping to keep the traditions alive.

In this episode our special guest is Olivia Slade-Šilović. Olivia started the popular blog and Instagram page, Inspired by Croatia, after moving there from the U.S. Inspired by Croatia is a resource for travel and life in Croatia and also gives tips for navigating the country as an expat. Olivia talks about what sparked her move to Croatia and what motivated her to start a blog and give others a glimpse inside her life here. Find out her favorite places in Croatia to visit and the secret behind her successful Instagram account where more than 17 thousand people follow her for Croatian travel advice!https://www.inspiredbycroatia.com/

This week’s special guest is Debra Gavranich from North Queensland, Australia. Debra recently published a book called The Girl Who Left which tells the story of her mom’s journey from Korčula to the cane fields of Australia. In this episode we talk life on the island, the proxy marriage that led to her mother leaving, and how she adjusted to life in Australia. Debra talks about her motivation for writing down her mom’s story, and the surprising song and movie production talks that have come along with it!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegirlwholeft/

In this episode I speak with New Zealand Croat, Anthony Poša. Anthony played rugby for the Croatian national team for 10 years and helped put Croatian rugby on the map. Now he’s coaching the national team and helping develop new talent and the next generation of Croatian rugby stars. Check out the episode to hear the crazy story of the World Cup qualification match vs Italy where Torcida showed up to support in Makarksa, and how rugby can be more inclusive than soccer/football.

In this episode I speak with Cody McClain Brown, author of Chasing a Croatian Girl and now professor at the University of Zagreb. The book tells the true story of how he fell in love with a Croatian girl and eventually leaves his life in the U.S. behind to move to Croatia. He talks about the culture shock that he experienced like propuh, coffee, and rakija! Cody gives a relatable opinion on life in Croatia from an outsider’s perspective, both the good and the bad, as we discuss his books, blog, and his new career in Croatia.Website/Blog https://www.codymcclainbrown.com/zablogreb

In this episode we hear from the COO of Submarine Burger, Luka Jureško. Submarine is a Croatian burger joint known for using natural, organic, local, and homemade ingredients. They were recently listed in the Financial Times as one of the 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe, and included in Big7Travel .com’s list of 50 best burgers in the world. They have 13 locations across Croatia and just opened their first Submarine abroad with more plans to expand. We talk about their mission to support local Croatian farms, their dedication to corporate social responsibility, and the expansion of Submarine into Eastern Europe.Website: https://submarineburger.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/submarineburger/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/submarineburger/?hl=en

In this episode our special guest is Croatian comedian Marina Orsag. Marina started her comedy career in 2004 and since then has put on thousands of shows, and among many other projects, opened up the first standup comedy club in Croatia, Studio Smijeha. She was also just featured in Croatia’s reality singing show Zvijezde Pjevaju and took 3rd place! In this episode we’re going hear about all of this and some other projects she’s working on while we learn about the start of the Croatian comedy scene.Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marinaorsag/?hl=enFacebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Comedian/Marina-Orsag-149021095108191/Studio Smijeha http://studiosmijeha.hr/

In this episode our special guest is Sanja Bubalo from the Tourist Board of Ston. She tells us everything we need to know about the “hidden” gems of Ston and Mali Ston, and what those cities have to offer. We talk about the world famous oysters that are only able to be found there, as well as the famous walls of Ston; the longest in Europe! We hear about the traditional salt fields, special events, and what we can expect this summer season to look like!Website https://www.ston.hr/?l=engInstagram https://www.instagram.com/visitston/?hl=enFacebook https://www.facebook.com/StonTouristBoard/https://www.allthingscroatia.com/stoncroatia/

Our special guest in this week’s episode is the band Gavrani; a father and daughters trio from Melbourne, who recently moved to Croatia and signed with Croatia Records. Growing up in Australia, they often performed at Croatian events and now have moved to Zagreb where they continue to write original music and perform. They already have a few hit songs such as ‘Nema te’ and ‘Svirači, hvala vam’. In this episode I speak with Tamara, Jasmina & Mijat Gavran about their roles in the band, their move to Zagreb, and working with Croatia Records. The band also talks summer plans and about their performance for the Croatian music channel CMC.Website https://gavranimusic.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gavranimusic/?hl=enFacebook https://www.facebook.com/gavranimusicNewest Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipK8gSpyI90

In this episode our special guest is Ante Kvartuč. Ante is from San Pedro, California and is the founder of CroatianSports.com which is a website dedicated to ‘Uniting Croatian Fans Around the World.’ CroatianSports.com was originally founded as a way to bring Croatian soccer news to readers in English, but now has expanded to include all Croatian sports. Ante talks about how he got that started and how it evolved into countless interviews with Croatian sports stars including his favorite interview with Luka Modrić! Stay tuned for his upcoming world cup prediction and how we can expect the team to look.Website https://croatiansports.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/croatiansports_com/?hl=enTwitter https://twitter.com/croatiansoccer?lang=en

Natalie Franćeska is an Australian-Croat who recently published a children’s book called My Grandma is Like the Sea, which pays tribute to her Croatian grandmothers and her summers spent along the Dalmatian coast. In this episode Natalie talks about her cultural and familial inspirations for the book as well as her popular feature in CroatiaWeek, ‘20 Teachings and Words of Wisdom from my Grandmothers’. We also learn about her blog, Nala’s Den, where she shares resources and inspiration to help families along the parenting journey. Stay tuned to hear what Croatian basketball legend Dino Rađa thinks of her book!Link to Natalie Franćeska’s blog Nala’s Den;https://www.nalasden.com/Link to purchase My Grandma is Like the Sea book internationally;https://nalasden.com/shop-international/Link to purchase My Grandma is Like the Sea book in Australia;https://nalasden.com/shop-australia/Follow Natalie on Instagram @nataliefranceskahttps://www.instagram.com/nataliefranceska/?hl=en

In this week's episode our special guest is Zrinka Šapro. Zrinka is originally from Konavle and now works as a tour guide in the city of Dubrovnik. She gives multiple tours including the City Walls and Game of Thrones and offers them in 4 languages! In this episode we talk about the history of Dubrovnik and how the city and region operates today. Zrinka will also be giving an exclusive tour to National Geographic this summer as part of a project to capture the best of Croatian life. She talks about how that will work and where she will take them to give an in-depth look the language, culture, and history of Croatia. Stick around for recommendations of the best beaches and best restaurants to eat while in Dubrovnik!Insta: https://www.instagram.com/zri.neverland/

Today our special guests are Mate Pavković, and John Gašparac, President and Vice President of the organization CroDiaspora. CroDiaspora is a nonprofit organization that is run by Croats passionate about improving Croatia through economic solutions and assisting those abroad with their challenges in doing business and returning to Croatia. More specifically, they run webinars, organize events, and develop resources to help Croats around the world to do more business and ultimately return to Croatia. In this episode we hear how that started and how CroDiaspora can help. We also talk about Croatia's change to the Euro and the effects that will have on the economy, as well as ways to go about promoting better policies from the Croatian government.Website: https://crodiaspora.com/Insta: https://www.instagram.com/crodiaspora_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crodiasporasummit/

Our featured guest this week is Andrea Pisac. Andrea is a Croatian writer and anthropologist who moved to London and then came back to Croatia for a greater sense of purpose. She is the author of several famous Croatian cookbooks, as well as novels and other works, and also is the creator of the blog Croatia Honestly, where she writes about food, history, and culture. In this episode we talk about why she left her old life behind, her passion for blogging and writing, and definitely learn about some of her famous Croatian recipes and why she decided to write two cookbooks!Check out her Cookbooks here! https://croatiahonestly.com/products/croatian-classics-cookbook?ref=cwFB page: https://www.facebook.com/CroatiaHonestlyIG profile: https://www.instagram.com/andreapisac/

Our featured guest this week is Ema Rajić. Ema is a Croatian American swimmer from Illinois, USA. She attends the University of California, Berkley, and just recently competed at the Olympics in Tokyo at only 21 years old! We talk about her strong connection to her Croatian heritage, and why she decided to compete internationally for Croatia instead of the US. Stay tuned to hear about her incredible experience at the Olympics and her love for travel and cooking!Instagram https://www.instagram.com/raaajic/

This week's guest is Marko Senjanin, but you may know him better as CroWarrior! Marko is a Canadian-Croat who runs an Instagram to inspire others and show Croatian pride. He has over 23 thousand followers there, over 3 million likes on TikTok, and he is the most recognized celebrity in Canada (source necessary). If you follow him on social media, you know that Marko is always spreading positivity and showing off his Croatian gear, whether that be on his daily bike rides, in the shop class he teaches, or drinking wine with Tata! In this episode, Marko talks about his upbringing in Canada as a child of Croatian immigrants. He explains how doing covers of Croatian songs on request eventually led to his CroWarrior Instagram account, and stay tuned for a classic story involving a Yugo car!Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crowarrior78/?hl=enTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@crowarrior78?lang=en

Our featured guests this week are Petar Repar and Josip Sep from California, USA. They are two of the co-founders of LA Vatreni, a Los Angeles based organization dedicated to Croatian diaspora. What started out as an idea to revive the old locally broadcasted Croatian Radio Program soon turned into soccer watch parties at the church with thousands in attendance, Croatian Heritage Night at the Staples Center, and so much more! They also post content on their Instagram and Facebook, and are great way for the Los Angeles Croatian community to participate and stay involved with Croatian culture. We talk about what inspired them to start LA Vatreni, the epic World Cup watch parties they hosted making national and international news, and an awesome bachelor party in Makarska! (Hint: What happens in Makarska, stays in Makarska!)*EDIT* Since the time this episode was recorded, LA Vatreni has put on events and has a couple big ones coming up including a Croatian Picnic and a soccer tournament! Check them out with the links below to learn more!Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesVatreni/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lavatreni/?hl=en

Our featured guest this week is Domagoj Boljar. Domagoj is the co-founder of Miret, a Croatian company that makes eco-friendly shoes using sustainable plant based materials. In this episode we talk about the success of Miret, including the “Hollywood moment” that kicked it off. Looking into the waste and pollution that regular shoes cause, we discuss Miret’s innovative solution and Croatia’s position within eco-friendly matters. Stay tuned to hear a little about mountaineering and Domagoj’s old prog rock band!Web: https://www.miret.co/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miret.sneakers/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miret.sneakersLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/miret-eco-sneakers

Our featured guest this week on All Things Croatia is Nikola Kraljević, or Nik for short. Nik is the founder and developer of Pleme, an online app and community for Croatians to network globally. In this episode, we talk about Pleme’s goal to help local Croatians and the wider diaspora by giving them a dedicated app to chat, read news, and ultimately foster better connections. We go over exciting new features, including partnerships with organizations to provide information and advice on relocating to Croatia, and a global directory for Croatian businesses around the world. Nik has also appeared on other podcasts as an advisor in entrepreneurship and he gives us some great tips to get a startup going, so tune in, catch the surprise David Goggins story towards the end, and enjoy this episode of All Things Croatia!Links:Pleme: https://pleme.app/Croatian Business Directory: https://www.croatianbusinessdirectory.com/Kraljevic.Tech: https://kraljevic.tech/Everything else: https://allmylinks.com/nik-kraljevicApps:Pleme for iOS apps.apple.com/us/app/pleme/id1483378894Pleme Stickers apps.apple.com/us/app/pleme-stickers/id1608461828Pleme for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.disciplemedia.pleme‎PassVult: Password Manager apps.apple.com/us/app/passvult-password-manager/id1191277495Greek History Stickers apps.apple.com/us/app/greek-history-stickers/id1584431740Roman History Stickers apps.apple.com/us/app/roman-history-stickers/id1584431713‎Lijepa Nasa apps.apple.com/us/app/lijepa-nasa/id1341370692‎Stoic Stickers apps.apple.com/us/app/stoic-stickers/id1510057740

Welcome to the very first episode of the All Things Croatia podcast! I'm super excited to finally get this started and I really hope you enjoy it! This episode is a little bit of an introductory episode so you can get to know me a little more, so if you hate it, don't worry! I've got the big names coming in the next episodes (No offense George).Follow All Things Croatia on Instagram!Our featured guest today on All Things Croatia is a good friend of mine, George Dulcich, a Croatian-American from Los Angeles. George and I quit our jobs last year and traveled together to Zagreb for a Croatian language program offered by the Croatian government. We talk about that experience including how to apply for the scholarship, what the program entails, and his move to Zagreb. George gives us the latest on the Croatian national soccer team, and his boxing career (will he fight Jake Paul?), comedy channel, and Christopher Walken impression are must hears, so tune in and enjoy this first episode of All Things Croatia!George's InstaComedy Channelhttps://www.allthingscroatia.com/who-is-the-most-famous-croatian/