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

    5 days ago

    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

  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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

  7. 23 Apr

    Life Lately: Books, Babies, Community & What I’m Building

    Books, Babies, Balkan Roots & Big Feelings: A Raw Solo Catch-Up on Life, Legacy & What’s Next - The Life You’re Building While You’re Still Healing Hey sis 🤍 This is a real, unscripted catch-up episode — no guest, no script, just life lately. From Easter and family moments to big personal milestones, ancestry, motherhood, and building something meaningful in real time… this episode is a reflection on everything that’s been unfolding behind the scenes. It’s about showing up anyway, even when things don’t go to plan.It’s about legacy, identity, and creating a life that feels aligned with who you are becoming. Showing up and staying consistent, even when plans fall throughA powerful “welcoming happiness” message and what it means right nowThe emotional final stages of my children’s book At Baba and Dido’s HouseGrowing up as a refugee and how that shapes identity, creativity, and purposeEaster at home — traditions, family, and why these moments matterA beautiful Easter collaboration with Snežana ČalićCelebrating my husband’s 40th birthday and reflecting on nearly 20 years togetherThe wild connection of my dad and husband sharing the exact same birthdayGratitude, family, and being able to celebrate together after a difficult yearMotherhood, watching my kids grow, and the real conversations around a third babyBuilding a life that integrates family, business, creativity, and purposeMy vision for a Balkan women’s masterclass and global communityA special shoutout to Maida from Radio MostSupporting diaspora voices and why community media mattersMy cousin Ivan Knežević and the impact of Entourage TouringWhy Balkan representation in media and events is growing — and why it mattersThe journey of getting Croatian citizenship for my kids and passing on legacyNavigating paperwork, identity, and staying connected to your rootsDiving deep into ancestry and why documenting your story matters nowA future episode with Sofija Marić on tracing family historyWhy you should talk to your parents and grandparents while you still canThe importance of showing up to give, not just take, in your communityA Croatian returnee survey for those in Australia considering moving backCommunity love for Baba’s Milk and Burek on WheelsUpcoming pita workshops and preserving cultural traditionsWays to work with me through coaching, podcast ads, and collaborationsThis episode is about: Legacy. Identity. Motherhood. Healing.Belonging. Community. Creativity. Growth. It’s about building something meaningful while still figuring it all out. If you’re Croatian living in Australia and have ever considered moving back — this matters. 📝 Anonymous📝 Quick to complete📝 Helps shape real research for our community 👉 https://forms.gle/4vicyFcA1RSgrkb87 If you want to collaborate, promote your business, or work together: • Podcast ads & sponsorships• 1:1 coaching for diaspora women• Upcoming group coaching & masterclasses• Guest opportunities 📩 Email: ivana.alfonso@hotmail.com📸 Instagram: @balkansispodcast @ivanastrbacalfonso If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it. Leave a review, follow the podcast, and help this community grow. Thank you for being here.Volim vas. Pusa.

    45 min
  8. BONUS: The Smell of Home | MasterChef’s Snežana Calić on Easter, Food & Family

    10 Apr ·  Bonus

    BONUS: The Smell of Home | MasterChef’s Snežana Calić on Easter, Food & Family

    📍 Easter Special Bonus Episode In this special Easter bonus episode of Balkan Sis, Ivana sits down with MasterChef Australia alum Snežana Calić, a Croatian-born, Serbia-raised food storyteller now living in Australia, to explore the deeper meaning of food, family, and tradition. From dyeing eggs with onion skins to baking homemade pogača, Snežana shares how her childhood shaped the way she cooks, lives, and raises her own children today. This conversation is a heartfelt reminder of the rituals that connect us across generations, across countries, and across cultures. Together, we explore what it really means to live between two worlds, how to preserve identity in a modern life, and why food is so much more than what is on the plate. This episode is a little different, recorded through voice notes and brought together into one intimate conversation, but the message is the same. Home lives in the small moments, the shared meals, and the traditions we choose to keep alive. Easter traditions from the Balkans and how to pass them down Growing up between Croatia, Serbia, and Australia Why food carries memory, emotion, and identity Snežana’s mum’s cooking wisdom, including her go-to base for every dish Simple, time-saving cooking tips for busy mums and families Getting your kids involved in the kitchen Preserving culture while building a life in a new country This episode celebrates both Western and Orthodox Easter, honouring the beauty of our traditions, rituals, and the time we spend with the people we love. Snežana Calić is a MasterChef Australia contestant, culinary content creator, and storyteller who blends Mediterranean and Balkan flavours into simple, nourishing meals for modern families. Born in Croatia, raised in Serbia, and now based in Australia, her cooking is deeply inspired by her roots, especially her mother Mira, whose recipes and wisdom continue to shape everything she creates. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snezanacalic_official LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/snezana-calic-8ba661bb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SnezanaCalic Feature article: https://missingperspectives.com/posts/masterchef-australias-snezana-calic-mother-advice-recipe/ SBS feature: https://www.sbs.com.au/serbian/podcast-episode/snezana-calic Share it with someone you love. Your mum, your sister, your friend. Because at the end of the day, it is not just food that brings us together. It is the memories we create around it. If you love the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your community. We are building something special here, one story and one conversation at a time.

    12 min
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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
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ivana Strbac Alfonso
  • Show Website
    Balkan Sis

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