·
All episodes
Stanka Sunčana Brodić
Episode · #549

POSLOVNA ŽENA Stanka Sunčana Brodić

Guest Stanka Sunčana BrodićHosted by Tomislav KukecMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

At age seven, Stanka Sunčana Brodić was asking for *more* math homework. By fifth grade, she knew she would study mathematics. This early, almost involuntary pull towards numbers and logic set the stage for a career deeply embedded in education — first as a professor, then as the founder of Educans Brodić, a tutoring firm now 25 years old. But her journey isn't just a story of passion; it's a stark look at the systemic issues plaguing education. Stanka has witnessed decades of 'reforms' that never quite took hold, a growing devaluation of the teaching profession, and students arriving at university struggling with basic concepts they should have mastered years ago. She argues that the problem isn't individual teachers, but a fundamental broken 'vertical' in how subjects like math are taught. This conversation will make you re-evaluate what it takes to build foundational knowledge, how societal attitudes shape academic success, and why some businesses are born not from a plan, but from a persistent, unmet need in the market.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
At age seven, Stanka asked her father for 'more homework' because her first-grade math assignments felt too short, a moment that first introduced her to the concept of a 'problem collection'. Real aptitude often shows itself as an almost involuntary pull towards a subject, long before career paths are considered.
02
A 'fantastic' fifth-grade math teacher solidified Stanka's decision to study mathematics, proving the lasting impact a single educator can have. While curriculum structure matters, a truly inspiring teacher can ignite a lifelong passion in a way no textbook alone can.
03
Stanka notes that teaching is now so 'degraded as a profession' that math graduates, for whom it's not an easy degree, often choose engineering roles instead. When a critical profession is undervalued and underpaid, the most capable talent will naturally flow to areas where their skills are recognized and compensated, leaving a systemic gap.
04
Stanka started giving private lessons in her first year of university, placing an ad in a newspaper her parents laughed at, and quickly had 20 students within two months. The most resilient businesses often emerge not from a grand plan, but from a long-standing, informal demand you've been servicing almost by accident.
05
Educans Brodić officially employs only Stanka, relying on 8 to 10 freelance lecturers due to the 'unusual' and fluctuating workload with significant month-long gaps. For businesses with highly seasonal or project-based demand, a lean core team augmented by skilled contractors can offer both expertise and crucial financial agility.
06
Despite many 'attempts' and some good ideas, Stanka believes no true educational reform has been implemented in Croatia since 1994, especially not for mathematics. Piecemeal changes without a cohesive, long-term vision create more confusion than improvement, particularly in subjects requiring sequential learning.
07
Students come to Educans for advanced math exams, finally understanding basic concepts like fractions after years of struggle, which Stanka finds 'sad'. When foundational knowledge is neglected, later learning becomes a constant struggle against a shaky base, making advanced concepts unnecessarily difficult.
08
Stanka identifies parental attitudes — telling children 'it's okay to have a two or three in math' because they themselves were 'weak mathematicians' — as a key reason for students' struggles. Parental self-limiting beliefs can inadvertently become self-fulfilling prophecies for children, especially in subjects that demand consistent effort and belief in progress.
09
Asked if professors aren't doing enough, Stanka points instead to the lack of a 'methodologically developed vertical' in math education and the general degradation of the profession. When a system fails to build knowledge incrementally, private tutoring becomes a symptom of systemic gaps, not necessarily a failure of individual teachers.
Explore further
ScenariosBusiness challengesCardsEducational cardsTimelineTopic evolution