Meet Tjaša Ban | Busines developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tjaša Ban and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tjaša, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has extremely changed over time. When I first started my business I was fully commited only to my business, career, gaining knowledge and overall gaining achievements. I was working full time, finishing college and working for my own business/startup with my cofounders. I was literally working all day and had almost no free time for a while. It became anxious and stressed and stopped enjoying everything, also I was so easily irritated and felt depressed. Now I am really enjoying my work life balance. I love my career and my work, I don’t fel exhausted I feel inspired and motivated. I don’t but my career and achivement before my well being, I say “NO” much more often and spend my free time doing things I love like: surfing, meditating, doing yoga, traveling, spending time with friends and family.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started a business with my cofounder fresh out of college. We were selling camel food for racing camels to the Middle East. At the same time I joined Ustvarjalnik team, Slovenian startup incubator, and I worked first as a project manager and the COO. We were helping entrepreneurs taking their first steps in business in Slovenia, Mexico. Bolgaria, and USA. After that I decided I needed a fresh start and a better work life balance and I joined company Plastika Skaza and became a business development manager for Middle East, Portugal and USA market. We were producing products for Bokashi composting and developing a system for organic waste management. I was really devoted to this mission and we managed to start a few pilot projects with municipalities in different countries to implement separate organic waste pickup and treatment with Bokashi composting. We actually also filmed a documentary how they’re doing that in Sustainable city in Dubai! I finished a training to become sustainable business transformation manager and discover a new passion – how to combine sustainability and business. I lived in San Diego for the last six months to work with our U.S. based partner company Teraganix. From September on I’m joining Teraganix team to stay here and continue this path with them. I am excited to continue working in organic waste management but also to take a step in direction of regenerative agriculture. I am proud and grateful I have had a chance to work on different continents, countries and with so many different cultures. It was a challenge but I was able to combine my work with my biggest passion- traveling!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I actually had quite a few people from Slovenia coming to visit me in San Diego and this is how we spend the day/week: I would take them surfing to Sunset Cliffs, sunset surf for sure! And after sunset we would grab tacos at Oscar’s Mexican Seafood. Quick visit to downtown, maybe USS Midway museum. At least one day we would go on a sailing trip. And a night out at Aquarius bar and grill for some live music. I shouldn’t be telling this to anyone as a tip because my friend loves that place and doesn’t want it to become too crowded 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Early in my career I had the chance to be mentored by amazing people from Slovenian accelerator Ustvarjalnik and Watson Institute from Colorado. Big shoutout to George Deriso professor at CU Boulder who’s been by my side since I started my own business and my whole career up to becoming a business developer.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tjasaban/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tja%C5%A1a-ban-5a62a4157/