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All Things Croatia

Stanko Zovak

Hey everyone! I'm Stanko Zovak and your host of the All Things Croatia podcast. Growing up as a member of the Croatian diaspora in Los Angeles, I was always involved in the community but wanted to do more. 3 years ago I quit my job and moved to Zagreb where I studied the Croatian language before eventually moving back to Los Angeles. With this weekly series, I want to connect the global Croatian community and allow people to share stories, learn about new ventures, and discover "All Things Croatia" as I talk (in English) with people both in the Homeland and around the globe who have connections to Croatia. You'll hear from athletes, returning diaspora, Olympians (believe it!), musicians, artists, and the biggest Croatian celebrities that will return my calls! I hope you enjoy these episodes as much as I do while recording them, and thanks so much for your support! Follow on Instagram at @allthingscroatiapodcast for more content and videos!

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S4 · E2
June 24 · 39 min
The NASA Scientist Who Shocked Croatia With Her Voice! - Marina Jurica
Marina Jurica is a Croatian-American who worked for NASA's JPL, is a meteorologist for CBS, and a trained opera singer. In this episode of the All Things Croatia Podcast, Marina talks about her incredible career and her love for Croatia, including the viral moment where she sang the Croatian National Anthem in the midst of thousands of booing England fans. She also was the MC for the Croatian National Football Team as they geared up to start to the World Cup in the USA! https://www.instagram.com/marinajuricainspace/?hl=en
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S4 · E1
June 6 · 34 min
Tanya Golešić: CEO Behind Croatian Soccer's Awesome New Campaign!
In this episode of All Things Croatia, I sit down with Tanya Golešić, one of the most influential Croatian women in the global fashion industry. Born in Canada to Croatian parents from Zagreb, Tanya has built an extraordinary career leading some of the world's most recognized luxury brands, including Jimmy Choo, Ralph Lauren, Canada Goose, and now Mackage. We discuss her Croatian roots, the values and work ethic she inherited from her family, and how those experiences shaped her journey to the top of the luxury fashion world. Tanya also shares the story behind Mackage's collaboration with the Croatian National Football Team, and the story behind the awesome shoots with Luka Modrić, Joško Gvardiol, and more! https://www.instagram.com/tanyagolesic/ https://www.mackage.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooIN8nbG1LVi2xYERwmDb2uk65HeVsxvYuUu5klGv0J98tTl8Vq
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S3 · E9
Aug 10, 2025 · 33 min
This Superfan Sings Croatian Songs Every Day!
CroSamurai is a Japanese-Australian with no Croatian roots who has taken an incredible liking to Croatian culture, language, and music! You may have seen his viral videos saying things like "Day 20/100 of singing Croatian songs." In this episode of the podcast, he talks about how he came in contact with Croatian culture and why it made such a big impact on his life. He also talks about some of his favorite Croatian songs, foods, and going to Croatia for the first time. Follow him on Insta at https://www.instagram.com/crosamurai/
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S3 · E8
Jul 27, 2025 · 38 min
Thompson Drummer Mario Klarić on the Concert at the Hipodrom in Zagreb... Half a Million People!
Mario Klarić is a Croatian drummer and a member of the band Thompson, who just played the largest ticketed concert of all time in Zagreb, Croatia at the Hipodrom. Mario, from Karlovac, comes on the All Things Croatia Podcast to talk about his musical background, going to music school in New York, and all the details behind drumming at the largest paid concert in history! Listen in to hear him talk about the preparation that went into performing as well as the emotions he was feeling during the concert. - Follow him on YouTube here! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjqZfdbwn7MCLNlb0lZHCZA - Please make sure to follow All Things Croatia on Spotify/Apple Podcasts and Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/allthingscroatiapodcast/ https://open.spotify.com/show/7AFDHZR0SRnT8LNZbf2Fn2?si=4ec4d2b5c0bc40d7 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-croatia/id1617545101
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S3 · E7
Jan 22, 2025 · 32 min
College Basketball's Croatian Forward - Ante Brzović
Ante Brzović is a Croatian basketball player currently playing Division 1 basketball in the US for Charleston where he’s currently averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds. In this episode Ante talks about growing up in Zagreb and his dream to play professional basketball in the NBA. Stay tuned to hear what the biggest culture shock was when he went to Texas! Watch his buzzer beater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ_j58b2mL4&pp=ygUMYW50ZSBicnpvdmlj - Please make sure to follow All Things Croatia on Spotify/Apple Podcasts and Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/allthingscroatiapodcast/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-croatia/id1617545101 https://open.spotify.com/show/7AFDHZR0SRnT8LNZbf2Fn2?si=dbf46df5c5e24db8&nd=1&dlsi=79642fe1fa8d4019
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S3 · E6
Dec 5, 2024 · 41 min
Hope, Humor, and Hrvatska - The Kristina Kuzmič Story
Kristina Kuzmič is an amazing author, comedian, social media personality, and public speaker who was born in Croatia and immigrated to the United States as a teenager. After winning Oprah's talent show in 2011, she started making videos of her own to show the real side of motherhood. She has written two books and tours the country doing standup comedy, showcasing some of the lessons and funny stories from her life. Kristina talks about growing up in Croatia and her plans to tour there next summer! https://kristinakuzmic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kristinakuzmic/?hl=en - Please make sure to follow All Things Croatia on Spotify/Apple Podcasts and Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/allthingscroatiapodcast/ https://open.spotify.com/show/7AFDHZR0SRnT8LNZbf2Fn2?si=dbf46df5c5e24db8
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S3 · E5
Oct 28, 2024 · 52 min
Marin Čilić talks about his Medjugorje roots, U.S. Open, and life outside of tennis!
Marin Čilić, considered one of the greatest Croatian tennis players ever, if not THE greatest, took time to come on the All Things Croatia podcast and take some questions from our listeners. Marin talks about his childhood growing up in Medjugorje and how his dad helped support his dream to play tennis. Hear about his amazing U.S. Open win, his silver medal in the Olympics and the incredible work his charity, the Marin Čilić Foundation, is doing. Stay tuned to hear Marin answer fan questions as asked by you! (If you follow All Things Croatia on Instagram... thanks to those followers who sent their questions!) Make sure to follow on all platforms including YouTube and Instagram to see the entire interview as well as more Croatian content like street interviews and other clips!
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S3 · E4
Jun 2, 2024 · 38 min
JWebby Eats... Croatian Food?
James Webb, known as J Webby is an Australian competitive eater with Croatian roots. He is ranked number 1 in Australia and number 5 in the world as you can see his food challenges on social media with almost 2 million TikTok followers and almost 100 thousand Instagram followers! He talks about how his grandparents came from Croatia and how his Baba's cooking helped lead the way to his competitive eating career. Stay tuned to hear how he ate Australia's biggest burger and became famous almost overnight! - I'm excited to announce a stand up comedy tour in Croatia! I'll be telling jokes from my time living in Croatia and growing up in the Croatian community in Los Angeles! June 12th - Rijeka June 14th - Zagreb Hopefully more dates to come! Tickets for Rijeka only sold in person at Bacva Pub. https://www.facebook.com/events/427514460148020/?ref=newsfeed Tickets for Zagreb available here! https://www.eventbrite.de/e/stand-up-in-english-the-homeland-tour-ft-stanko-zovak-george-dulcich-tickets-913815696347?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
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S3 · E3
Apr 29, 2024 · 37 min
Croatian Goalkeeper and Captain of the National Team - Doris Bačić
On the latest episode of the All Things Croatia Podcast is Doris Bačić, captain and goalie of the Croatian national soccer team. Doris talks about growing up in Neum, and her journey to playing for clubs like Arsenal, Juventus, and Napoli. She tells us what it means to be captain of the team, the challenges that come with that, as well as the pride she feels to wear the checkers and play for her country. Check out the All Things Croatia book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 - I'll be performing standup comedy about my experience in Croatia at a show in San Diego, CA on May 18th! Tickets here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/balkan-comedy-night-san-diego-tickets-888138184217
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S3 · E2
Apr 7, 2024 · 36 min
Croatia's 'Hottest' Rockstar!
With her new single Gasoline, Marcela is burning up not only the Croatian music scene, but worldwide as well! Marcela is a Croatian singer songwriter who first appeared in 2011 on Croatia’s TV show, Looking for a Star, and has since wrote hit songs, including one that she performed on Dora, the Croatian national competition to select a song for Eurovision. Marcela talks about her musical influences from Pink to Guns N' Roses as well as the Dora competition in which she ended up as finalist! https://www.youtube.com/c/Marcelaisofficial/about https://www.instagram.com/marcelaisofficial/?hl=en - Check out the All Things Croatia book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 I'll be performing Croatian related material at a standup comedy show in St Louis, MO on April 20th!
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S3 · E1
Mar 3, 2024 · 23 min
Croatian Rowing's TWIN Sisters!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia Podcast, twin sisters Ivana and Josipa Jurković join to talk about their rowing success and their bid for the upcoming Summer Olympics! Ivana was Miss Sport Croatia in 2018, and both her and Josipa are in the Croatian Army Reserves. Stay tuned to hear about their bid for the Olympics, the advantages of being twins, and their favorite Croatian food! Check out the All Things Croatia book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 - https://www.instagram.com/ivanaajurkovic/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/josipa.jurkovic_/?hl=en
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S2 · E26
Nov 5, 2023 · 31 min
The Journey to International Success for Katica Rakuljić!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast is guest Katica Rakuljić, a model and TV presenter from Split. Though she moved to Sweden at a young age, Katica stayed very connected to her Croatian identity through traditions like kolo dancing at the local Croatian club, cheering for the Croatian football team, and visiting her homeland often. Katica competed in Miss Universe Croatia in 2011, winning first runner up and catching the eye of the industry, launching her international modeling career. Since then, she has lived and modeled all over the world but still feels at home when she's in Croatia. Most recently, Katica covered the Cannes Film Festival as a TV presenter and walked the red carpet as a model. Tune in to hear the full interview!Katica's Instagram-All Things Croatia: The Book!
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S2 · E25
Oct 22, 2023 · 36 min
She's Only 17 and a EUROPEAN CHAMPION Boxer...
On this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast is 17-year-old Croatian boxer and model Mariela Šteko. She recently won gold at the junior European Boxing Championships, now having twice been junior European champion. Born in Munich to Croatian parents from Tomislavgrad, Herzegovina, Mariela started in kickboxing before switching to boxing and choosing to represent Croatia. She discusses her boxing style and career highlights and also enjoys modeling in Germany and playing piano. Tune it to hear why Mariela chose to represent Croatia in boxing is a proud member of her local Croatian community. https://www.instagram.com/marielasteko/ All interviews are available with video on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@allthingscroatia?si=vAgz9QIlIpzrLhGM
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S2 · E24
Sep 3, 2023 · 33 min
The Man Who Brought Grunge to Australia and Festivals to Croatia!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia Podcast is Steve Pavlovic, known as Pav. Pav is a Croatian-Australian music entrepreneur and from booking some of the biggest bands in the 90’s, to starting his own record label, to putting on festivals in Croatia, he’s done it all. “For a fair bit of the 1990s, Steve Pavlovic was the coolest guy in Australia. Pav had the home phone numbers of everyone on the cutting edge, from Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl to Beastie Boys and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.” Pav talks about his Croatian roots and connecting with fellow Croat and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic after bringing Nirvana on their first tour to Australia. He also talks about starting his own record label and signing bands including Tame Impala and Wolfmother. Stay tuned to hear about the festivals on a Croatian island he used to put on as well as how he’s currently enjoying his time on the island of Vis!- https://www.instagram.com/this_is_unpopular/
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S2 · E23
Aug 13, 2023 · 28 min
Olympic-Style Games for the Croatian Diaspora!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast we have Katica Nikić and Caroline Spivak who represented Team Canada in the Croatian World Games, or Crolympics, which is an Olympics style competition for the Croatian diaspora. The goal of the Games is connecting young Croats from all over the world through sports and cultural gatherings, and to encourage them to cultivate their Croatian identity. Caroline is the coordinator for Canada and Katica played on the basketball team. Tune in to hear about the incredible week of games that took place in Zagreb and learn how you can participate for the next Croatian World Games! - https://hsi-cwg.com/ http://www.croatianwomensnetwork.org/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFNYuCOieN28MbjxFp6wBg
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S2 · E22
Jul 30, 2023 · 28 min
Pat Miletich Talks Croatian Heritage and MMA!
Our special guest in this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast is Pat ‘The Croatian Sensation’ Miletich. Pat is a decorated ex-MMA fighter who was a multiple time UFC champion often thought of as one of the first true mixed martial artists and was even inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pat tells us about his Croatian heritage including the story of how his infamous nickname came about as we dive into his fighting career. He also explains why he had so much success as a trainer and coach after retirement and tells us what other projects he’s currently working on. Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to hear the whole episode!- https://www.instagram.com/pjmiletich/?hl=en
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S2 · E21
Jul 16, 2023 · 32 min
Talking with Mia Dimšić about Music, Eurovision, and the Croatian Diaspora!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast we have special guest Mia Dimšić, a Croatian singer/songwriter who had the honor of representing Croatia in Eurovision 2022! Mia is a very popular artist who has written songs that top the charts and is planning new releases as well as upcoming tour dates. In this episode we talk about how she got her musical start performing for the Croatian diaspora in North America, the importance of being open to making connections, and the behind the scenes of Eurovision. Stay tuned to hear her palačinke recommendation and her experience with the Los Angeles Croatian community! - https://miadimsic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/miadimsic/hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJGaS62_KzlgAukkfHLVHRA https://open.spotify.com/artist/5OMMsMMYPBG3HvYrzq3rq4
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S2 · E20
Jun 25, 2023 · 19 min
The First Croatian Woman in the UFC Ivana Petrović!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia podcast is special guest Ivana Petrović, a mixed martial artist who just became the first Croatian woman in the UFC! From Mostar BiH, Ivana talks about why she wanted to become a fighter and how she would watch the legendary Mirko CroCop with her dad as a kid. She tells us how she felt signing a deal with the UFC as she prepares for her first fight on July 1st. Stay tuned as Ivana tells us her favorite Croatian food and what makes Croatia so special! https://www.instagram.com/ivana_mma/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQJdWwmklaVWbNoro4MIDQ - Check out the book I wrote about moving to Croatia! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
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S2 · E19
Jun 18, 2023 · 33 min
This Children's Book Takes Place in Croatia!
On this week’s episode we have special guest Jessica Julian author of Ebby the Magnificent. Ebby the Magnificent is a children’s book that takes place in Croatia and Jessica talks about the influence behind it as well as why she wanted it printed in Croatia. Jessica explains her connection to Croatia where she lives half of the year with her husband who was born near Rijeka and moved with his family to the U.S. when he was a baby. Stay tuned for Jessica’s story about a historical gulaš cooking competition and why Croatia is so beautiful! Check out the All Things Croatia book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 - Jessica's website: www.JWJulian.com Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/JWJulianBooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.w.Julian.com Amazon Author page at: https://www.amazon.com/author/j.w.julian Email: ebbyandjessica@gmail.com
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S2 · E18
May 28, 2023 · 32 min
Meri Abbado: Female Bodybuilding and Croatia!
On this episode of the All Things Croatia Podcast we have special guest Meri Abbado. Growing up in Split and eventually moving to the U.S. Meri is an accomplished body builder and the only Croatian IFBB Master Bikini in the world, as well as the Master Bikini World Champion 2022 and will be competing at the Master Olympia this summer. In this episode Meri talks about her childhood in Croatia as well as why female bodybuilding is misunderstood by the general public. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/meri.abbado.fitandfab?mibextid=ZbWKwL Instagram http://www.instagram.com/ifbbpro_meri.abbado IFBB Pro League https://instagram.com/ifbb_pro_league Master Olympia https://instagram.com/mastersolympiaofficial - A book I wrote about moving to Croatia is available for pre-order! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59GDM2B?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
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