Sandra Mihelčić
Episode · #408
POSLOVNA ŽENA Sandra Mihelčić
Guest Sandra MihelčićHosted by Marijana MatkovićMay 3, 2026
Sandra Mihelčić
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Sandra Mihelčić has spent two decades building Business Media Group, a company that blends business consulting with media publishing. Her path began not with a grand corporate plan, but with a deeply personal investment, and a determined stance against societal expectations for young women. In a landscape that often dismisses long-term, self-funded growth, Mihelčić has proven that conviction and a clear vision can sustain a business for twenty years. This conversation explores the personal sacrifices and unconventional choices that shaped her entrepreneurial path, offering insights into what it takes to build a lasting enterprise from the ground up.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Sandra Mihelčić started Business Media Group by investing her wedding gift money, a sum that enabled the launch of her first magazine. When traditional funding isn't available, the most personal and unconventional sources of capital can be the ones that actually get a business off the ground.
02
Early in her career, Mihelčić faced dismissive comments like 'You're too young, get a job somewhere' and 'What woman chooses work over family? You're not normal.' Expect external resistance and even offensive remarks when you defy conventional paths, especially as a young woman in business. The only way through is to ignore the noise and trust your own conviction.
03
Mihelčić credits her husband as her biggest supporter, noting they have run the group together for twenty years with largely the same team. When the person you'd otherwise have to vet, train, and trust is already across the dinner table, you build a foundation of shared conviction that can sustain a business for decades.
04
Money was not the initial motivator for Mihelčić; instead, she says, 'I gained love, a passion for work – that's what drives me.' While financial success is a welcome outcome, the businesses that endure are typically founded on a deeper passion for the work itself, with money following as a result.
05
Mihelčić recalls spending Christmas Eve manually assembling promotional materials for a seminar because 'everything was expensive, you didn't want to pay for anything.' The early stages of building a business demand immense personal sacrifice and a willingness to do every task yourself, even on holidays, to preserve scarce resources.
06
Observing forty thousand associations in Croatia, many active but lacking expert advice on finance and legal matters, led Mihelčić to launch 'Udruge' magazine. The most durable businesses often emerge from identifying a specific, underserved niche where a large group of people desperately need practical, accessible information and support.
07
Many predicted 'Udruge' magazine would have a very short lifespan, but the market accepted it, and the project has now existed for nine years. External skepticism about a new venture's longevity is common; the only real proof of concept is sustained market acceptance over time.