MEDIJATOR Goran Rihtarić

Guest Goran RihtarićHosted by Srđan ŠimacMay 3, 2026

Goran Rihtarić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Goran Rihtarić built a business not on products, but on feelings. As the founder of Exalto Zagreb, an agency specializing in experiential marketing and tourism, he deals in what he calls “emotions” and “unforgettable experiences.” His path there was anything but linear, moving from a law degree to building a company where the internal culture is so central that he insists, “if you’re not having fun, how can your client or end-user have fun?” Rihtarić’s approach suggests that in an economy increasingly driven by connection and engagement, the most valuable currency isn’t a transaction, but a genuine emotional response. He reveals how a relentless personal curiosity—the kind that makes you examine a coffee cup's label and material—can be the foundation for a business that crafts joy for thousands. Readers will walk away considering how deeply personal values, a passion for discovery, and a commitment to authentic internal culture can shape a successful enterprise in any field, even those traditionally seen as purely transactional.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Goran Rihtarić describes his business as creating "emotions" and "unforgettable experiences," asserting that emotions are the fundamental basis of both marketing and tourism. The lesson is that in service industries, the core offering isn't a tangible good, but the carefully engineered emotional state it evokes in the customer.

Rihtarić recalls being confused by career guidance that suggested both technical and social fields, eventually studying law but finding his true drive in constant curiosity. A multi-faceted curiosity, even if it leads to a non-linear career path, can be the most potent engine for building a unique business, especially one centered on diverse human experiences.

His daily habit of examining coffee cups, their labels, materials, and the coffee's composition highlights a relentless, almost involuntary curiosity about mundane details. For an experiential business, every small detail contributes to the overall feeling, making this obsessive attention to specifics a core operational necessity.

Rihtarić explicitly rejects the idea of working to live, aiming instead to “live and work,” a philosophy reflected in Exalto's office culture with amenities like a foosball table. This isn't just a lifestyle choice, but a deliberate business culture that understands you cannot convincingly sell joy if your own team doesn't genuinely experience it.

The famous Advent on Zrinjevac, initially called "Blagdanska kultura," started with his partner's idea to light up Zagreb's monuments and parks, involving both citizens and corporations. A successful experiential product often begins with a simple, human desire—like wanting to see a city lit up—and scales by connecting that emotion to broader themes like sustainability and community participation.

Rihtarić poses a direct question: "When you're doing a party, when you're working in tourism, if you're not having fun, how can your client or end-user have fun?" Authenticity is paramount in experiential services; the internal state and genuine enjoyment of the team directly translate to the quality of the experience delivered to the customer.

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