Tatjana Marija Plašč
Episode · #429
POSLOVNA ŽENA Tatjana Maria Plašč
Guest Tatjana Marija PlaščHosted by Marijana MatkovićMay 3, 2026
Tatjana Marija Plašč
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Tatjana Marija Plašč launched her tourism agency, Via Mea, not from a surplus of capital or ambition, but from a desperate situation: months of unpaid work for a previous employer. This origin story — two women deciding to "go our own way" after being pushed to the brink — defined an agency built on resilience and self-reliance. Over a decade later, Via Mea has not only weathered market shifts and a global pandemic but has also carved out a distinct identity by turning overlooked destinations into sought-after experiences. Her story offers a direct look at how a business can find opportunity and create value where others see only challenges.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Founding Via Mea was an "act of desperation" for Tatjana and her partner, who had worked months without pay. The most resilient businesses often emerge not from a grand plan, but from a necessity so urgent that it forces a new path.
02
Banks initially dismissed Via Mea as "just an idea" that couldn't be mortgaged, forcing Tatjana to secure a personal loan at nearly 10% interest. The same banks later called, offering credit after seeing strong balance sheets. Early financial rejection can be a proving ground, building the self-reliance that later earns institutional trust.
03
Tatjana secured a favorable HABOR loan in 2015, using it to acquire a semi-submarine and a holiday home in Gorski Kotar. Strategic, targeted financing can allow a service-based business to diversify into physical assets, creating new revenue streams and stability.
04
Her agency specializes in the Kvarner region, a market Tatjana notes was "neglected" and "unrecognized" on the European tourist map for years after the 1990s. Deep expertise in an overlooked local market allows a business to build proprietary products and redefine a destination's appeal.
05
The Bakar tunolov project was Tatjana's "personal favorite," partly because the locals initially "didn't really believe that story would ever come to life." The deepest satisfaction often comes from proving value in places where skepticism runs highest.
06
An Austrian partner's request for a "new excursion destination" led Tatjana to propose Bakar, a city often bypassed by tourists. Sometimes, the most potent market signal isn't internal analysis, but a client's specific, unmet need that pushes you to explore unconventional solutions.
07
Collaborating with Bakar's tourism director, Sonja Jelušić Marić, Tatjana created a series of "tunolov" events that drew hundreds and generated significant media coverage. An unconventional offering, paired with a local champion who can amplify the story, can quickly put a forgotten place on the tourist map.
08
Tatjana observes that turning Bakar from a "forgotten industrial city" into a tourism story provides a "wonderful feeling." The true measure of market creation isn't just revenue, but the satisfaction of revealing latent value in something others have dismissed.