Early Intellectual Obsessions

I grew up in one of Croatia's most war-affected regions during the Independence conflict. When my first-grade teacher declared me "the stupidest child she had ever seen," she unknowingly sparked something that would define my approach to life: a determination to understand the deeper workings of things rather than accept limitations at face value.

Throughout my early years, I encountered numerous voices suggesting what I couldn't or shouldn't do. Rather than being defeated by these judgments, I became fascinated by the challenge they presented. Each "no" became a question mark – an invitation to explore what might lie beyond conventional thinking.

History captivated me from childhood, particularly military strategy. By ten, I had filled fifteen notebooks with battle formations and castle defenses. My mother would smile, saying, "Leave him to his battles, and you won't hear a sound for hours." Those drawings were my first explorations of leverage, positioning, and strategic influence.

Archery became another formative passion. The discipline that brought me the feeling of mastery and the joy of winning several national championships taught me that excellence isn't about grand gestures but consistent, focused & humble effort. This early experience of a feeling that I can be truly in love with doing something and be great at it allowed me to think bigger and believe in myself no matter where life eventually takes me.

Call To Adventure

My path took an unexpected turn when business literature captured my imagination, leading me to study Business in England. Those early student days taught me many things, but most importantly it thought me how to have faith. I went without a pillow for three months, considering it an unnecessary expense that might jeopardize my opportunity at making something out of myself.

Despite not becoming the next Bill Gates or Marck Zuckemberg at 21 I still had a pretty adventures story. After my first year of university, and being tired from the cloudy, and cold England I took a summer job on a hidden Croatian island, a jewel tucked in a bay too beautiful for words. That summer I was serving & making memories with some of the most influential people in the world. I left there with wisdom, a stack of business cards, and great memories.

By working my way through various sales jobs I have at 20 years old got my first job in Digital Marketing. Within a year I have managed to significantly increase the revenue of that company by applying levrage well, working hard, and having luck. From there I have went to become a lead digital growth guy at a very respectable manufacturing & Distribution company, and a year after that I went to join the market leading global company to help them grow their D2C side of the Business. During the period I have also worked on launching my first ecommerce brand, and have expanded when it came to advising businesses on their digital growth strategy.

This unconventional journey gave me insight into things at a deep level. I've realized the way companies are shaped internally is ultimately what makes the most difference; without the proper reason & strategy it's just a lot of effort but not actually enjoyment and growth. I observed how many of us, myself included, were investing tremendous energy in roles, and things that looked impressive but didn't connect to our deeper selves.

Listening to filmmaker Guy Ritchie discuss authenticity and the essence of narrative made me question things. He explained that one must wear a suit because they want to wear that suit, not because he should because he is told to or because it's expected of him. He ultimately believes that it is all about understanding your own internal narrative and being the person that you are while trying to build the life you ultimately want to live. This perspective opened my eyes to how the world actually works, and how the narrative is actually being shapen.

The birth of Business-Narrative

From my love for strategy & Storytelling, and my obsession to understand the essence of the narrative I've concluded that the consistently successful companies are not just selling products/services and doing things for the profit but were driven by a vision of producing something of value and significance. Most companies exist without having the coherent narrative of building something bigger and better. They do it because they must, and not because they want to. I've also realised that most key decision makers are not great strategists, and no one understood the digital stuff well.

I've figured that the Most companies in my space fall into one of two categories. Traditional strategy consultancies know how to strategize conservativly but lack the ability to work directly on digital execution. They create impressive slide decks but leave clients wondering how to implement their recommendations in today's digital landscape. On the other hand, digital marketing companies often focus on short-term wins without understanding the power of strategy. They excel at specific execution but rarely connect these tactics to a coherent long-term vision that the businesess need.

This insight led directly to founding Business-Narrative. Everything that interests me, everything I love doing and everything that I am good at is combined into one business. It represents both a professional focus and a personal philosophy. I wanted to form a company which will bridge this gap by being both strategists and practitioners. In order to do this properly I came up with a Business Narrative Framework, which shows how a company's Core Story—its Why, What, and How—affects all areas of the business from culture to product development, from marketing to customer experience, effectivly creating what I called "Strategic Storytelling"

Present Day

Today, I've come back to the place where it all began. I've reconnected with my past and the child I once was. After taking a little break from professional work I have spent a lot of time with my own mind, meditating on what is the meaning of life and what do I truly want. I have found a lot of joy in just practicing mindful meditations, advancing on my reading about the great philosophies that have shaped the world, and spending more time doing things that I love.

I'm far from achieving the freedom and the professional position I would ultimately like to have but I am very grateful to be following what truly resonates with my most authentic self. From my start ups, my consulting business, to the novel I'm writing. All is shaped around the same philosophy that everything is a story and one should try his best to have a story worth telling.

Ivan