Vaclav Sulista is a Switzerland based career consultant, former senior leader in the pharmaceutical industry and Honorary Consul of Czechia who helps pharma and supply chain professionals secure better roles through strategic positioning and structured guidance. After more than 27 years in management, including 16 years at Novartis, he left corporate life at 55 following burnout and a difficult personal period. What began as pro bono interview coaching gradually grew into Sulista Consulting, where he now supports professionals worldwide in navigating career decisions with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, Vaclav shares a life shaped by love, political upheaval and reinvention. From growing up in communist Czechoslovakia to moving to Switzerland just days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, his story blends history with personal courage. We talk about the mindset that helped him rebuild and how generosity and consistency turned into a global client base. This conversation is about resilience and choosing progress over comfort.

Connect with Vaclav:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sulista-consulting/
https://www.sulista.ch/

Timestamps:
0:00 – Love story, Berlin Wall and moving to Switzerland
1:11 – Intro and why this episode is personal
2:31 – Life in communist Czechoslovakia and migration
4:20 – Why he moved to Switzerland and early career
6:29 – Learning languages and adapting quickly
8:04 – How he learns languages and thinking patterns
9:39 – Learning Spanish and using AI tools like Talkpal
11:27 – Career journey from startup to Novartis
13:50 – Why he left at 55 and the burnout moment
15:18 – Starting with interview coaching and helping for free
16:42 – Building the business and early uncertainty
17:57 – How LinkedIn changed everything
19:02 – Two years of slow growth and consistency
20:43 – Why helping people always pays off
23:17 – What his consulting business actually does
24:26 – Global clients and niche positioning
25:21 – Why niching down changed everything
28:09 – How to find your niche using AI
28:58 – How he uses AI in his work today
30:30 – Why you should never copy paste AI content
31:24 – Tool for LinkedIn analytics and content insights
31:58 – Advice for growing on LinkedIn
32:21 – Viral post with 250k views and reality of conversions
34:13 – Why consistency beats trends
35:51 – Why newsletters are underrated
36:35 – Posting less and focusing on quality
38:17 – Why he only focuses on LinkedIn
39:59 – Working for free and long term thinking
40:46 – Ice hockey at 46 and starting late
44:03 – Books, learning and personal growth
45:10 – Will he write a book
45:41 – Goals, mindset and small daily steps
46:47 – Power of visualisation and life perspective
47:42 – Reality behind success and struggles
49:02 – Where to find him and his services
49:40 – Final thoughts and closing Connect with Tomas:
X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠
Stan: https://stan.store/Tommen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠

More:
Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠
Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠

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