Czechast with Jitka Hloušková
How to change the switch on life's journey? Jitka Hloušková knows the answer!
Czechast introduces you to a truly courageous Czech woman. My guest is my long-time friend Jitka Hloušková. For years, Jitka had a stable and well-paid job as the head of the language center at the University of Pardubice. But at one point, she made a bold decision—she left the security of academia to follow her passion. She is now a freelance writer and coach, charting her own course and inspiring others to do the same.
What made her take such a leap? Well, as she recalls, not everyone understood her decision:
"I just remembered a couple of people who said the same thing to me or asked me the same question. What do you mean? Now, from here, at this age, what are you going to do? You're crazy. Well, it wasn't an easy decision to make and, of course, it took me some time."
Jitka’s journey is one of resilience, transformation, and courage. But beyond her personal story, we also discuss something she has observed in Czech education—how students and her clients now often focus more on what the teacher or coach expects from them rather than on the actual process of learning.
"They were like, OK, but what is the test going to be about? I said, well, you are not going to write a test. We will have an interview about what you have learned. All right. But what are you going to ask me in the interview? So it's this, you know, focusing on mistakes, you know, learning for the teacher, not—or maybe sometimes parents—not for myself."
Jitka is also a published author. Her book, Thank You, London, came out in 2022, and writing has always played an important role in her life. We talk about what writing gives her—both as a personal practice and as a tool she uses in her coaching.
"I'm always writing because I also keep journals, you know, various types of journals. And I like it as a self-development tool. I also use writing with my clients. And so I always write something."
This episode of Czechast is about finding the courage to change the switch on life's journey, writing and coaching.
about programme
Czechast, Radio Prague International
Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
