Ira Žurić
Episode · #648
MISLIŠTE Ira Žurić
Guest Ira ŽurićHosted by Sandro KraljevićMay 3, 2026
Ira Žurić
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Ira Žurić launched Promise Eyewear, Croatia's first eco-friendly eyewear brand, before she turned twenty. Her journey into entrepreneurship began not with a formal plan, but with an early, direct encounter with life's demands, raised by a single mother. She embraced the idea of taking matters into her own hands, seeing every challenge as an adventure. This conversation explores how that early drive, combined with her deep background in optics, led her to build a brand centered on sustainability and a profound personal commitment. You'll hear how the most meaningful ventures often begin with a quiet promise to oneself, and how personal history can become the most potent incubator for a business.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The name Promise Eyewear, with her initials I and Z subtly embedded, stems from a personal vow Ira made to herself when starting the company. Businesses built on a deep, private commitment often find a wellspring of resilience beyond market trends.
02
Ira describes herself as a 'true usurer' by seven or eight, formally launching her first business before turning twenty. Early exposure to managing finances and life's demands, rather than a specific curriculum, can be the most potent preparation for entrepreneurship.
03
Her mother's first reaction to Ira's decision to start a business was, 'Are you sure? Think about it. Do you know the risk?' This parental caution, often rooted in concern, becomes a crucial test of a founder's conviction to their idea.
04
When her mother worried about the risks, Ira joked, 'I'm twenty, we'll end up in jail for ten years, I'll come out at thirty and still be young.' This radical reframing of potential failure as a temporary detour, rather than an end, makes true risk-taking possible.
05
Ira calls it a 'privilege' that life didn't coddle her, making her 'more aware of things, grateful for much smaller things.' The experiences that build resilience and a deeper appreciation for life's nuances are often the same ones that equip you for the unpredictable path of building a business.
06
Negative comments often suggested her parents or 'someone else' funded her venture because of her age. This external skepticism, rather than being a deterrent, became 'additional motivation' for Ira, proving that often, the best fuel for your ambition is someone else's doubt.
07
Ira entered optics at fifteen, becoming an optical technician and later a clinical optometrist. A decade of immersion in an industry, even if initially unplanned, often provides the deep understanding necessary to identify gaps and build a new brand within it.
08
What most attracts Ira to her work, and to life in general, is 'creating.' The specific industry might change, but the underlying drive to bring new things into existence is often the most stable and enduring engine of an entrepreneur.
09
Her mother, a musician who had experienced the 'bloody path' of music entrepreneurship, would tell her to 'dream less.' This advice, though painful to hear, illustrates that parental caution is often a reflection of their own hard-won experience, not a lack of belief in your potential.