Balkan Sis

Ivana Strbac Alfonso

Balkan Sis is a podcast rooted in truth, depth, and real conversation. Hosted by Ivana, this is a space where culture, identity, motherhood, relationships, trauma, mental health, wellness, ambition, power, business, and politics are explored honestly and without filters. Through intimate conversations and lived experience, Balkan Sis is a place to reflect, heal, and feel less alone. Here, stories are honoured, voices are heard, and nothing is off limits. Pull up a chair. You belong here.

  1. From Displacement to the Law: Adam Khaze on the Truth About Immigration

    4 days ago

    From Displacement to the Law: Adam Khaze on the Truth About Immigration

    In this episode, Ivana sits down with migration lawyer, author, and former refugee Adam Khaze for a wide ranging conversation about his own story, his family, and the realities of Australia's immigration system. In this episode: Adam's family's escape from Iran as Bahá'ís facing religious persecution, the journey through Pakistan, and resettling in Perth as refugeesGrowing up between cultures, losing his mother to cancer in his early twenties, and how that shaped his path into migration lawMeeting and marrying his wife, Dr Nina Markovic, who came to Australia from Belgrade, Serbia, as a teenager, and building a household across two cultures and two faithsRaising multicultural kids and balancing safety, independence, and identity as parentsBreaking down the real legal definitions of emigrant, immigrant, migrant, refugee, and asylum seekerHow Australia's permanent migration program actually works, including skilled, partner, student, and humanitarian pathways, and the legal hurdles applicants faceCommon myths around migration, housing costs, crime statistics, and government support, examined through Adam's professional experienceA candid discussion of the current political climate around immigration in Australia, including differing views within migrant communities themselvesReflections on antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the importance of looking at issues individually rather than through a single lensAdam's advice for migrant and refugee families, and his closing message on empathy, self-reflection, and putting children firstA note on this episode: This conversation covers contested political topics, including immigration policy, Australian politics, and the war in Gaza. These are presented as Adam's professional views and lived experience; we encourage listeners to keep exploring these topics from multiple sources. Website: solvemigration.com Instagram: @adamkhaze (personal) · @solvemigration (firm) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adam-khaze Book: Australian Migration Files (2025) Upcoming book: on migrant scapegoating, expected February 2027 Research paper: "Fleeing Communism: Yugoslav and Vietnamese Post-war Migration to Australia and Changes to Immigration Policy," co-authored with Dr Nina Markovic — https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nina-Markovic-4/publication/338474391_'Fleeing_Communism'_Yugoslav_and_Vietnamese_Post-war_Migration_to_Australia_and_Changes_to_Immigration_Policy/links/60b2438b45851557baa78f83/Fleeing-Communism-Yugoslav-and-Vietnamese-Post-war-Migration-to-Australia-and-Changes-to-Immigration-Policy.pdf Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Everything else: linktr.ee/ivanaalfonsoInstagram: @balkansispodcast · @ivanastrbacalfonso Contact: ivana.alfonso@hotmail.com Got a question for a future episode? DM Ivana or email ivana.alfonso@hotmail.com Guest: Adam Khaze Host: Ivana Strbac Alfonso Balkan Sis

    1hr 35min

  2. 4 June

    Rakija, Kolo, Tea Ceremonies and a Love That Never Ends

    Today's episode is a full one. life has been full. we open with a birthday. sretan rođendan mama. 67 years old, a pensioner at last, and the most selfless woman i know. this episode is dedicated to you. but it's been a mixed bag since we last spoke, and i wanted to come on and share all of it with you. the joy, the grief, and everything in between. we talk about little Tessa, who lost her battle with cancer at only six years old. we talk about a family friend who passed, and what it means to be trusted with someone's final moments. we talk about how you carry two things at once. pain and love. and why you have to keep dancing anyway. i recapped Bosanski Vitez, the Bosnian film doing the rounds in Australia right now. go watch it. type it in wherever you are. it's important. shout out to my cousin Vlad. Macedonian Aussie comedian, absolute legend. go find his podcast This That and give it a listen. then i tell you about recording with my Strina Slavica. she's turning 80 in July and she is one of the most extraordinary women i have ever sat across from. part of the recording was lost and i am devastated about it, but we will do it again. ask your elders questions. record them. write it down. you will not regret it. and then the wedding. my cousin Daniel married his Laticia. East Timorese and Croatian cultures in the same room, and it was nothing short of magic. the tea ceremony, the kolo, the dragon dancers, the rakia, my son Vito holding his third cousin's hand on the dance floor. three generations. pure joy. don't wait. go to the wedding. huge thank you to Martina, my last guest. a Macedonian woman who works for NASA. i am so proud she came on and shared her story with us. and a massive thank you to our first ever sponsor. Mark, the Burek Guy, based in Liverpool Sydney. an absolutely incredible family-run business and an even better human. if you want to collaborate or sponsor Balkan Sis, reach out. this is completely bootstrapped and your support keeps it alive. COMING UP: next weekend. Burek on Wheels and Baba's Milk are hosting a pita workshop on the Gold Coast at Enzo's Cucina, Surfers Paradise, right on the Esplanade. there will be music, food, goodie bags and good people. tickets are limited so reach out to Lepa directly. i will be there shooting content and i would love to see you. also coming up. Seljačka Večer at the Croatian Club in Rocklea, Brisbane. 13th of June, starting from 3pm. Stona Sat will be there. there is talk of a bus running from the Gold Coast. get in, get your dose of good music and rakia, and support your local club. huge shout out to Prva Liga, the band who played at Daniel and Leticia's wedding on Saturday and Sunday. Steven, Marco and the boys. if you need a band for your next event, reach out to them. talented, warm-hearted men keeping our culture alive in the most beautiful way. we close with a reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, 12:31 to 13:8a. and then a song for Mum. love does not come to an end. živjeli. cheers to being different, cheers to not being mainstream, živjeli. find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. follow @balkansispodcast and @ivanastrbacalfonso.

    1hr 5min
  3. Martina Dimoska: From Kičevo to NASA | The First Female Balkan Analog Astronaut

    27 May

    Martina Dimoska: From Kičevo to NASA | The First Female Balkan Analog Astronaut

    BALKAN SIS PODCAST@balkansispodcast | @ivanastrbacalfonso Martina Dimoska:The Girl Who Was Never Asked What She Wanted to Be EPISODE DESCRIPTION This week Ivana sits down with Martina Dimoska, a Macedonian from Kicevo in North Macedonia who became the first female Balkan analog astronaut in the world. She has commanded missions simulating life on the Moon and Mars, run operations inside subsurface caves with no GPS or natural light, founded the International Space Alliance, and today works at NASA's Johnson Space Center ensuring astronaut health and safety for the xEVA spacesuit, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, and the Pressurized Rover. This conversation goes all the way back. To a city where nobody asked little girls what they wanted to be. To a family caring for a daughter with a disability while the community looked away. To a woman who built everything from nothing, with no funding and no one who had done it before her. This episode is dedicated to Jovana. IN THIS EPISODE Growing up in Kicevo and what dreams looked like for girls in the BalkansHer sister Jovana and how caring for her built resilience and problem-solving from a young ageHer mum putting planets on her bedroom wall and a baba who made her lie in the dark and thinkLosing Jovana during college while navigating a world where peers saw her as competitionThe US State Department scholarship to Kent State and finally belonging somewhereWhat an analog astronaut actually is, explained for the Balkan barbeque tableThe APICES cave mission in Spain: no GPS, no sunlight, only emergency bars to eatCommanding TERRA NOVA in parallel with the Axiom-4 mission on the International Space StationThe burnout nobody talks about when you re-enter real life after a missionFounding the International Space Alliance bootstrapped and self-funded from nothingInat. The Balkan word for doing it anyway, despite everything.SPONSORED BY THE BUREK GUY Thank you to Mark Delevski and the family behind The Burek Guy. Award-winning Balkan bakery in Sydney. Fresh burek plus a frozen range for busy families. instagram.com/the_burek_guyfacebook.com/156543917205Suite 3/1 Redman Rd, Dee Why NSW 2099 | (02) 8054 9174 | Open daily until 3pm CONNECT WITH MARTINA instagram.com/astrosmartalinkedin.com/in/martinadimoskafacebook.com/AstrosMartainternationalspacealliance.orgen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martina_Dimoska FOLLOW BALKAN SIS instagram.com/balkansispodcastinstagram.com/ivanastrbacalfonsoSpotify and Apple Podcasts Share this with a Balkan woman who needs to hear it. Rate and review wherever you listen.

    1hr 47min

  4. 14 May

    Break Her Down. Watch Her Rise. How to Get Back Up Every Single Time.

    This one came straight from the heart with zero script and zero filter. After an article Ivana wrote for Croatia Weekly went unexpectedly viral (close to 400 comments and counting), she jumped straight into the mic to talk about what happens when you put yourself out there the good, the bad, and the absurd. In this episode Ivana covers the Croatia Weekly article and the title that set the internet on fire, why being called "lucky" as a refugee stings in a way most people don't understand, the real cost of building something unconventional where nobody's gone before, why you need to stop doing things for free when you have a mortgage, kids, and bills, and her upcoming masterclass (aiming for July) on dismantling the fear of judgment. If no one has told you today you are seen, you are enough, and you belong here. LINKS AND RESOURCES Support the podcast and keep it free: https://linktr.ee/balkansispodcast Balkan Sis on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/balkansispodcastBalkan Sis on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/balkansispodcast Follow Ivana: https://www.instagram.com/ivanastrbacalfonsoFollow the pod: https://www.instagram.com/balkansispodcast Zaina Kay — ZK Finance (Melbourne): https://www.instagram.com/zk_finance/ Studio Petrija — multicultural flashcards, apparel and heritage products (Sydney): https://www.studiopetrija.com | https://www.instagram.com/studio_petrija/ Burek on Wheels — Balkan food truck and catering (Sydney): https://burekonwheels.com.au | https://www.instagram.com/burek_on_wheels/ Baba's Milk — Australia's first Balkan-inspired chocolate milk in a can: https://www.babasmilk.com | https://www.instagram.com/babasmilk/ Read the article here - https://www.facebook.com/croatia.week Thank you for listening!

    33 min
  5. What the Skin Remembers: Melissa Pizović on Sicanje, Identity and Finding Your Way Home

    12 May

    What the Skin Remembers: Melissa Pizović on Sicanje, Identity and Finding Your Way Home

    Melissa Pizovic grew up in the south of France as the only person in the room who did not speak the language. Her father, Bosnian-Croatian, never taught her. At family gatherings surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins all speaking Croatian and Bosnian, she needed a translator. In her own family. She found her way back through the skin. After seven years studying architecture and four years in Paris, Melissa picked up a needle during the first COVID lockdown and never looked back. What she found was sicanje, a 4,000-year-old Bosnian and Croatian tradition of women hand-pricking symbols of faith, identity and protection onto each other's bodies. Marks that said: I am from here. You cannot take that from me. This episode is also personal for Ivana. Her own great-grandmother Ana, known as Graovka, had crosses tattooed on both forearms. She grew up seeing those marks and never knowing what they meant. This conversation is, in part, for her. As Melissa says: the only way you know where you are going is when you know where you have been. IN THIS EPISODE Her family roots in Gacko and Bileca in East HerzegovinaGrowing up between two worlds without the languageLeaving architecture behind and what her parents really saidWhat sicanje is and why it nearly disappeared foreverThe same symbols on Easter eggs, tablecloths and medieval tombstonesWhat happens in the room during a six-hour sessionWhat diaspora women are really asking forThe baba momentLelek, Eurovision 2026 and what visibility does to something sacredWhy she stopped waiting for permissionGraovka and the crosses on her forearmsFIND MELISSAinstagram.com/melpzvcinstagram.com/melrose.studio.tattoomelrose.studio.tattoo@gmail.comSicanje history video: youtu.be/yCfZ25pnTgEMelissa does not take bookings via DM. Email only. AS FEATURED INCroatia Week: croatiaweek.com/the-revival-of-traditional-croatian-tattoos-and-the-artist-leading-itSuper1.hr | Gloria.hr BALKAN SISinstagram.com/balkansispodcastinstagram.com/ivanastrbacalfonsoSpotify and Apple Podcasts: search Balkan Sis If this episode moved you, share it with a Balkan woman who needs to hear it. That is how traditions survive. Hand to hand. Woman to woman. #sicanje #balkansispodcast #balkandiaspora #croatianheritage #bosniancroatian #handpoketattoo #diaspora #croatiantattoo #bocanje #traditionaltattoo #balkanwomen

    1hr 37min
  6. George Georgievski: Dads Can Cook Too - Breaking Stereotypes One Lunchbox at a Time | Mother's Day Special

    6 May

    George Georgievski: Dads Can Cook Too - Breaking Stereotypes One Lunchbox at a Time | Mother's Day Special

    Happy Mother's Day to every single woman who has ever stood at a kitchen bench, packed a lunchbox, cooked for her family and made it all look effortless. This one is for you. This Mother's Day I am sitting down with one of the most recognised food creators in Australia — George Georgievski, known across the world as the School Lunchbox Dad. George is Macedonian-Australian, a father of two daughters, a husband, a bestselling author of five cookbooks, a Jamie Oliver ambassador and a man with over 650,000 followers who built an empire from a single chaotic morning in the kitchen. We talk about growing up Macedonian in Australia, the gender roles baked into our culture, what it means to be a modern Balkan man who shows up differently, why Balkan food deserves so much more global recognition than it gets, creativity, cookbooks, content, fussy eaters, lunchbox hacks and so much more. This episode is for every mum who has done it all. For every dad who wants to show up more. And for every one of us who grew up between two worlds and felt it most at the dinner table. Sretan Majčin Dan. Puno ljubavi. 🤍 In this episode we cover: Growing up Macedonian in Australia and the gender roles we inheritedChallenging the stereotype that the kitchen belongs to mumHow a single morning of chaos turned into a global movementCreativity, content and what it takes to write five cookbooksWhy Melbourne is the food capital of Australia and what migrants built thereWhy Balkan food has never gone global and what it would takeLeftovers, nothing wasted and the creativity of Balkan cookingFussy eaters, Queensland heat and lunchbox tips that actually workBuilding a brand, making an income and staying present as a husband and fatherWhat George wants his daughters to say about him one dayConnect with George Georgievski:Instagram: @schoollunchboxTikTok: @schoollunchboxdadFacebook: School Lunch BoxWebsite: georgegeorgievski.com.auBooks: Pan Macmillan Australia Connect with Balkan Sis:Instagram — Podcast: @balkansispodcastInstagram — Ivana: @ivanastrbacalfonsoSpotify: Search Balkan Sis on SpotifyApple Podcasts: Search Balkan Sis on Apple Podcasts If this episode resonated with you please leave a review, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and come and say hello on Instagram. This community means everything. Puno ljubavi. 🤍

    1hr 51min
  7. Tamara Peklic: Cross-Cultural Coach on East Meets West, the Unwritten Rules Nobody Teaches You and Why Home Never Feels the Same Again

    2 May

    Tamara Peklic: Cross-Cultural Coach on East Meets West, the Unwritten Rules Nobody Teaches You and Why Home Never Feels the Same Again

    Cheers to being different. Cheers to not being mainstream. Sisters, this episode is one I have been sitting with since we recorded it and I genuinely cannot wait for you to hear it. My guest today is Tamara Peklic, a cross-cultural coach based in America who spent 15 years figuring out what happens when you take your culture somewhere that does not understand you, and then built a whole career helping others do the same. We talked for almost 4 hours. 2.5 on air. Across a 9 hour time difference. That is how you know. In this episode we cover: Growing up and carrying a whole city inside you when you leave. Landing in America with a masters degree and discovering none of it counts. Being told you are too direct, too loud, too much and what that does to you. How to assimilate without losing yourself. What living in the in-between actually feels like. Love across cultures and what is hard and what is surprisingly easy. Raising children between multiple worlds. Mothering without your village. Why diaspora people find each other no matter where they land. Directness versus rudeness and why passive-aggressive is more socially accepted. How Tamara built her coaching practice from 15 years of lived experience. And yes we played a culture game and Rafa got his shout out. If you have ever felt too much in the wrong place, this one is for you. Find Tamara:Instagram: @tamarapeklicYouTube: @tamarapeklicTikTok: @tamarapeklicLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tamarapeklicUS Crash Course: tamarapeklic.com/uscrashcoursePrivate Coaching: whop.com/@tamarapeklic Find Balkan Sis:Instagram: @ivanastrbacalfonso and @balkansispodcastYouTube: Ivana Strbac AlfonsoTikTok: @ivanastrbacalfonsoFacebook: Ivana Strbac AlfonsoSpotify: Balkan SisApple Podcasts: Balkan Sis If this episode resonated with you please share it with someone who gets it. Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It really does help more sisters find this space. Zivjeli. Bok. Love, Ivana x

    2h 17m
  8. We Were Raised to Hustle, Not to Feel: Human Design with Petra Bezić

    23 Apr

    We Were Raised to Hustle, Not to Feel: Human Design with Petra Bezić

    In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Balkan Sis, Ivana sits down with Croatian-born Human Design and Feng Shui practitioner Petra Bezić for a conversation that is equal parts emotional, healing and eye-opening. Together, they explore what it means to come back to yourself after years of conditioning, people pleasing, overthinking and living by everyone else’s rules. Petra breaks down Human Design in a practical, relatable way and explains how this system can help us better understand our energy, our decision-making, our relationships and the ways we may have drifted away from who we truly are. This episode speaks especially deeply to women navigating motherhood, migration, identity, culture, burnout and belonging, and to anyone who has ever felt like they’ve had to work hard to prove themselves or constantly stay in survival mode. Ivana and Petra also talk openly about the Balkan mindset, the pressure to always be doing, the challenge of slowing down, and how powerful it can be to understand not only your own design, but also the design of your partner and children. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or curious about why certain patterns keep repeating in your life, this episode is a beautiful place to begin. In this episode, we cover: What Human Design actually is and how it worksHow Petra found Human Design after moving from Croatia to AustraliaWhy so many Balkan women struggle with rest, softness and trusting themselvesThe difference between living from conditioning and living authenticallyHow Human Design can support better decisions and more self-trustWhy understanding your child’s design can completely change your parentingHow relationship dynamics can make more sense through Human DesignPetra’s personal journey through burnout, self-discovery and learning to slow downWhy not everything you feel is necessarily yours to carryHow this work can help you reconnect to your body, your energy and your truthA little teaser into Petra’s work in Feng Shui, with a part two to comeThis episode is for you if: You feel disconnected from yourselfYou are always in your head and struggle to slow downYou’re curious about self-discovery tools that go deeper than surface-level adviceYou want to better understand your child, partner or family dynamicsYou’re navigating motherhood, identity, migration or cultural pressureYou’re craving more ease, flow and self-acceptance in your lifeConnect with Petra Bezić:Instagram: @petrahumandesign Petra also shares a special offer for listeners of this episode. If you book a reading with her, she will include a child reading as well. If you do not have children, this can also be used for your partner. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone you love, subscribe to Balkan Sis, and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It really helps more women in our community find these conversations.

    1hr 4min
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About

Balkan Sis is a podcast rooted in truth, depth, and real conversation. Hosted by Ivana, this is a space where culture, identity, motherhood, relationships, trauma, mental health, wellness, ambition, power, business, and politics are explored honestly and without filters. Through intimate conversations and lived experience, Balkan Sis is a place to reflect, heal, and feel less alone. Here, stories are honoured, voices are heard, and nothing is off limits. Pull up a chair. You belong here.

Information

  • Creator
    Ivana Strbac Alfonso
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ivana Strbac Alfonso
  • Show Website
    Balkan Sis

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