POSLOVNI ĐIR Ana Karabatić

Guest Ana KarabatićHosted by Ojdana KuharevićMay 3, 2026

Ana Karabatić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The story of Sapunerija Rustica begins not with a business plan, but with a mother's quiet concern. After giving birth to twin daughters, Ana Karabatić began scrutinizing the ingredients in commercial shampoos, specifically the ubiquitous SLS. Her search for healthier alternatives led her to start crafting natural soaps at home, using the abundant olive oil from her husband's grove. What began as a personal quest for purity quickly grew into an established brand, recognized beyond Croatia's borders. Ana Karabatić, a graphic designer by training, will share how a seemingly unrelated background, a stubborn refusal to be deterred by bureaucracy, and a willingness to learn through deliberate mistakes shaped a business focused on natural ingredients and artisanal craft. Readers will consider how deeply personal needs, combined with unexpected resourcefulness, can often define a new market category.

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What to take from this episode

After giving birth to twin daughters in 2011, Ana Karabatić examined shampoo labels for what she would use to wash them, finding nearly all contained aggressive detergents like SLS. Her solution was to make her own soaps with her husband's olive oil, despite initial family skepticism. A personal need, when met with available resources, often reveals an untapped market.

Ana's background in graphic design and years working in her father's workshop with synox and plexiglass proved unexpectedly useful for manufacturing. These were the very materials needed for soap molds and cutters, which her father's workshop began producing for her and others. Unrelated past experiences often provide hidden advantages or solutions for new ventures, especially in manufacturing.

Ana made a point of making 'mistakes on purpose in small quantities' to understand the soap-making process fully, rather than learning theoretically. Controlled, small-scale experimentation with failure reveals process vulnerabilities more effectively than theoretical study, saving larger-scale errors.

Ana credits much of her early success to a serendipitous encounter with Suzana, a Serbian woman living in Strasbourg who was a pioneer in soap painting techniques. Suzana taught her these cutting-edge methods immediately. Early mentorship, especially from someone willing to share novel techniques, can shortcut years of trial-and-error and provide a unique market advantage.

Beyond the olive oil itself, Sapunerija Rustica also uses olive leaves in its cosmetic line, particularly for anti-aging products, recognizing their potency as one of nature's strongest antioxidants. Maximizing a core resource means looking beyond the obvious primary product to underutilized byproducts.

The process of obtaining all necessary permits and certificates from the Ministry of Health was so arduous that Ana called it her 'Odyssey,' lasting at least a year. Regulatory hurdles can be more of a deterrent than technical challenges, testing an entrepreneur's resolve more than their skill.

Ana's husband, Dragan Delić, after whom the OPG is named, plays a crucial role beyond just providing olive oil; he handles the physical demands of large-scale soap production, from filling molds to cutting. A partner's involvement in the physical, less glamorous aspects of production is often as vital as their contribution of raw materials, especially in artisanal manufacturing.

While a simple soap for home use requires basic ingredients and tools like a stick blender and scale, professional production demands certified labs, large vats, and custom cutters. The ease of hobbyist creation often masks the significant scaling leap required for commercial production, which involves far more than just increasing volume.

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