She grew up in a war zone, arrived in London with nothing, and built one of the UK’s most exciting female-led creative agencies.
Tijana Tamburic, co-founder and CEO of Female Narratives, shares her extraordinary immigrant journey, from bunk beds and burnout to building campaigns for global brands like Bumble and Merell. This is a story of resilience, hustle, and redefining success on your own terms.
In this conversation:
Growing up in Serbia during war and moving to the UK
The immigrant mindset: autonomy, proving your value, and finding belonging
Building Female Narratives and creating campaigns with purpose
The hidden cost of overwork, burnout, and redefining success in your 30s
Chapters
00:00:00 – Meet Tijana: Founder of Female Narratives
00:00:38 – Born in a country that no longer exists
00:02:36 – Returning to Serbia as war breaks out
00:05:01 – Escaping Belgrade & moving back to London
00:06:14 – Growing up fast & raised for autonomy
00:08:09 – Adapting to a new culture & proving worth
00:11:22 – Class divides & being told ‘you’re not one of us’
00:12:59 – The drive to prove value through success
00:14:04 – Addicted to stress & chasing validation
00:16:01 – The immigrant safety net: bunk beds & starting a business
00:18:22 – Publishing comics & hustling early ventures
00:20:17 – Modeling, freelancing & never working for anyone else
00:25:00 – Moving to LA on an ‘extraordinary ability’ visa
00:29:49 – The kitchen floor idea: Female Narratives is born
00:32:11 – Building an all-female creative collective
00:35:31 – Riding the wave: Bumble, Nike & global campaigns
00:37:55 – Rebranding for inclusivity & brand intimacy
00:41:30 – Clients from female-led apps to heritage brands
00:43:41 – The power of events & being the host
00:50:44 – Scaling vs. staying sane: choosing balance
00:57:04 – Redefining success & setting financial goals
01:03:39 – The breaking point: burnout & physical collapse
01:08:35 – Lessons from burnout & learning boundaries
01:11:04 – What I’d tell my nine-year-old self