The pandemic has been catastrophic to so many businesses, and the magazine industry was not spared. A lot of big named magazines closed, but for Katarina, it has become the perfect moment to launch and publish T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine. 

Growing up, Katarina Kroslakova was brought up embracing change, staying positive, and always looking for ways to thrive. A characteristic she learned from her father, and the characteristic that brought her to the top of her game even during a time of uncertainty, the Covid-19 pandemic. Katarina listened to her gut, harnessed her incredible power of self-belief, and went on to successfully launch and publish a national magazine.

In this episode, Katarina shares with us how change served as a positive catalyst growing up. How intuition, resilience, and grit made her last in the business. And how she overcame fear, self-doubt, and remained hopeful during trying times. Her passion, her positive outlook, and compassion for others fueled not only her success but also the people in her team.

In this episode:

[03:41] Growing up, Katarina was brought up embracing change, staying positive, and always looking for ways to thrive.

[05:51] She was a journalist and worked in the media for almost 20 years, then as Covid happened and it became challenging for her businesses. 

[07:41] Katarina thought of starting something new. She went on to learn a set of new skills.

[08:10] Katarina felt fear, fear of not being able to create another magazine. That just reaffirmed her love of publishing. Embracing fear, she listened to her gut and stayed.

[08:56] A pivotal moment in her life was when she spearheaded the launch of T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine.

[12:39] Learning is a continuous process, for Katarina, she continues to grow and learn new skills to be better at her craft.

[13:41] How Katarina marries her creative side, journalistic side, and business side into her roles at T magazine.

[15:46] The most pleasurable aspect is giving people work at the time of the pandemic.

[19:20] At the time of uncertainty brought by the pandemic, Katarina put her 100% and worked hard to make it work.

[21:39] Katarina is a commercially savvy journalist, who loves making money-making initiatives, advertising, and just have been a business-minded person.

[22:54] Doing this project, she felt encouraged after speaking to a few trusted people who supported her. And she was right, her venture was successful.

[26:53] How agility, communication, honesty, and collaboration worked for Katarina and her team.

[33:27] Magazines in newsagents is a fundamentally broken model.

[34:53] Her business model is advertising-driven. 

[35:08] Think about what’s working and what isn’t working. And don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. – Katarina

[36:45] At the moment, event space is where the priority is, and bridging New York and Australia can create amazing and intimate events.

[38:57] How Katarina managed to launch and publish a national magazine during the lockdown.

[40:02] To keep up with a busy schedule, outsource and delegate some of your tasks to an EA or secretary.

[42:15] Prioritize what it is that only you can do, then just get help and outsource what you can.

[44:56] Being human and showing people that you genuinely care is something that Katarina finds important and applies in her business.

About Katarina Kroslakova

Katarina Kroslakova is the founder and director of Primary Ideas and KK Press Pty Ltd, an agile and commercially conscious publishing house. She is one of Australia’s most experienced editors and journalists and has worked with many Australian publications before launching the New York Times Style magazine brand in Australia. 

She is best known for bringing the international mass head to Australian shores through a licensing agreement with the New York Times licensing group with the first print edition released in 2021. Katarina has a multifaceted career from a concert pianist to now raising a young family while publishing a magazine for global icon, The New York Times. She is vivacious, informative, and super honest, and her confidence is absolutely addictive.

Connect with Katarina

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On Primary Ideas Website

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