I Didn't Succeed Just to Stop: The Power of Relentless Ambition - Lana Krunic

I never had a Plan B. When I decided to leave my job at the bank, I didn’t have a clear financial roadmap—only a strong inner conviction that I wanted to build something of my own. I wasn’t running away from the corporate world; I was moving toward something that felt more authentic to me. While my time in that system taught me a lot, at some point I could no longer ignore the constant stream of new ideas I had—ideas I had no space to realize.

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The beginning wasn’t glamorous. Nor was it fast. I built everything slowly—store by store, person by person. But it wasn’t blind progress. I knew where I wanted to go and how I wanted the journey to feel. I believed that if I worked honestly, protected quality, and cared for people, success would eventually follow. And it did.

The path was far from easy. Hospitality is challenging by nature, and when you add in unpredictable obstacles, things get even more complex. At one point, I realized that while I was pouring energy into building a brand in Serbia, I was also growing something that, legally speaking, wasn’t mine abroad. That was a serious turning point. And in that moment of reflection, I made a decision: I could no longer build something I couldn’t fully stand behind—not out of spite, but out of responsibility to myself and everything I had invested.

I wasn’t ready to make drastic changes overnight. Instead, I introduced a new brand quietly, as a parallel journey. I started breathing with it, listening to it, shaping it. I gave it an identity, laid its foundations, and allowed it to grow slowly. Only when I truly felt it—when I knew in my gut that this was it—did I gather the strength to rebrand everything.

These weren’t quick or easy decisions. There was fear, uncertainty, and many sleepless nights. But alongside the fear, I kept working—quietly and consistently, day by day. And those small, steady steps, barely noticeable at the time, eventually became the leap that brought us renewed energy and a deeper sense of connection—within the team, with the brand, and with our community.

For me, ambition has never been about chasing greatness. It’s always been about not settling for halfway. Today, eight stores later, with a team that moves as one, I can say I’ve succeeded—not so I could stop, but to prove to myself that I could rise even when things were at their hardest.

And that’s what I want every woman to hear: ambition is not a bad word. True ambition doesn’t have to be loud—but it always knows exactly where it’s going.

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