Aljoša Bagola

Who they are

Aljoša Bagola is one of Slovenia's most award-winning advertising creatives, who left his agency career after a severe burnout and became the author of three bestselling books. Today he works as a lecturer, columnist, and advocate for mental health awareness. He comes from an innkeeping family from Cankova in Prekmurje, is married to actress Iva Krajnc Bagola, and they have a daughter, Sofia.^{[1][6][7][14]}

Asked a hundred times — skip these

• The story of his burnout and the moment he realized that a 'superman' isn't invincible.^[1][6]
• Why Slovenians don't know how to say 'no' and how to set healthy boundaries.^[16]
• How burnout has affected his relationship with his wife Iva Krajnc Bagola and raising their daughter Sofia.^[4][14]
• His decision to leave the Pristop agency after nearly twenty years.^[6]
• His childhood at the inn in Cankova and how his parents shaped his work ethic.^[7]

Fresh angles — ask these

• You won an international award for a theatre poster at the Theatre Poster Biennial in Varaždin. How does designing a poster for a play differ from working for a brand?^[10][17]
• You used to keep a guitar and a vinyl collection in your office. Does music play any part in how you write?^[2][9]
• You and your brother Dominik once had a band together. Would you ever record a song together again, maybe for one of your books?^[9]
• Your family still runs the Ajda inn in Cankova. What is your role there these days when you come home?^[7]
• If you had to design an advertising campaign about mental health today, what would the slogan be?^[1]

Story

• He grew up in Cankova in the Goričko region, where his family still runs the Ajda inn; his father Jože was a well-known Prekmurje innkeeper.^[7][8]
• He spent nearly twenty years as executive creative director of the Pristop agency.^[6][13]
• Marketing Magazin named him Slovenia's Creative Director of the Decade, and he has won more than 100 awards at domestic and international festivals.^[1][6][13]
• In 2020, after a severe burnout, he left Pristop and published his debut book 'Kako izgoreti in vzeti življenje v svoje roke' (How to Burn Out and Take Your Life Into Your Own Hands), which became one of the best-selling Slovenian personal development books.^[1][6][12]
• These were followed by the bestsellers 'Srečo, prosim' (Happiness, Please) (2021) and 'Ne! je moč' (No! Is Power) (2024), on which he built his career as a lecturer and author.^[12][16]
• In October 2024, he marked the release of his third book, 'Ne! je moč', about setting boundaries, with a lecture in Ljubljana.^[16][5]

Interests & hobbies

Recent (the year before this brief)

• In 2025 and 2026, he continued his lecturing work and podcast appearances, speaking about burnout, therapy, and setting boundaries.^[11]

Past appearances

• Sensa Podcast with Ana Vehovar (2025)^[11]Spoke about burnout and about how Slovenians pay too high a price for their resilience.
• Marketing Magazin – interview on the release of 'Ne! je moč' (2024)^[3]On writing as self-therapy and his lecture tour across Slovenia.
• Metropolitan.si – written interview (2024)^[4]Spoke openly about childhood trauma and his relationship with his wife Iva Krajnc Bagola.