She regularly turns on her computer to work a second shift at night, answering client calls on weekends is a given for her. Despite not having a lot of time for herself and self-professedly carrying around a bag of unfulfilled wishes through life, the owner of VIZOO Image Production Zuzana Augustin Poláčková is brimming with energy and future plans.
How did you switch from your previous line of work and being a model to events and PR?
It all began – I was already living in Prague at the time – with the Czech and Slovak license of Fashion TV, which I purchased together with my partner at the time. Although we did end up selling it eventually, I stayed in the media and advertising business. I started working for the Obsession boutique in Pařížská Street where I was in charge of communication and brand outreach for the Czech market as well as my first larger event. I went on to represent other brands in Pařížská in terms of communication and events and learned that I really enjoy this kind of work. The turning point came when Jaroslav Tvrdík approached me to organize the first Czech-Chinese investment forum at Prague Castle. That's when a tiny agency turned into a professional one that has more than a thousand events on its resume today.
Which of the areas that your agency works in is closest to your heart?
Because I worked as a model for some time, was the director of Fashion TV, collaborated with pretty much every boutique in Pařížská, and have been in the fashion industry for a long time in general, I would have to say that it's fashion, at least in part. Healthcare is the closest to my heart, also due to my previous line of work, which I ended up diverging from years ago. I also find politics attractive, despite the numerous pitfalls. I don't want to sound haughty – I will gladly accept any kind of work, be it a children's birthday party, a boutique opening, or an event at Prague Castle.
Would you like to eventually return to your former line of work?
That is my – I will draw on a TV show name – 13th chamber (Translator's note: a Czech docuseries about people's hidden secrets and issues). I come from a family of doctors; I got accepted to medical school but ended up studying natural sciences instead. I later got my therapist accreditation and worked in a practice, which I enjoyed immensely. Somewhere deep inside, I know that a helping profession is something I would like to do and something I would be good at, I believe. I have a bit of a crutch in this sense in the form of collaborating with non-profits. Incidentally, we will be working with the Slovak branch of the Kapka naděje Foundation, which we've helped organize charity concerts for in the past, but we're also cooperating with the Cancer Research Foundation, which is the second biggest of its kind in the world.
Are there any "bests" of your agency that you're especially proud of?
We strive for perfection in every single one of our events, which means that we need to secure an exceptional guest or a unique venue. That's our foundation. We managed to organize a dinner on the Vyšehrad ramparts as part of the laying of the V Tower's foundation stone or put on a unique event on the roof of the Rudolfinum, we were the first ones to host an event in the glass tower of the newly refurbished National Museum. There are many events I'm proud of. As for exceptional guests, those would be events organized as part of the film festival, the meeting of seventeen healthcare ministers with the participation of the WHO director at the time, and many others.
On the other hand, is there an event you would rather forget, one that didn't go according to your or a client's plans?
I have to knock on wood, but I've been fortunate enough to avoid any career-ending mishaps. We are often balancing on the edge, but so far we've managed to organize all our events successfully and to the satisfaction of our clients. Weather is a big unknown for us. I remember organizing a reception for 1200 people in Prague Castle's Southern Garden, which is usually off limits for events. The doors closed behind the very last guest… and a deluge of such magnitude came down that we were soaked to the bone before we could even reach the castle courtyard. We had no rainy weather option prepared at the time, it wasn't even possible given the venue, and when I imagined the rain we'd experienced falling down on all those important people from all over the world… [laughs] It gets your heart pumping from time to time.
When speaking about the agency you say "we", "ours"... How big is your team?
It's now made up of roughly ten people; I have one person per area of expertise (equipment, prints, hostesses, flowers and decorations, etc.) who then manages another sub-group of people. There's a rule for luxury events – one team member per guest. Sometimes it can be hard getting together so many people who also have the necessary qualities at the same time. We organized an important event for the nobility in January, for instance, but try finding forty servers here who are capable of waiting appropriately on such guests! That was a proper challenge.
How do you find new work?
You've stumbled across another 13th chamber of mine. The agency does have an established name now, but we currently work primarily with our standing clients who know us very well. However, there are plenty of clients on the market who are working with other agencies, despite their work not being on the same level as ours. I believe that our agency is among the very best in its field, especially due to the enthusiasm and humility we employ in our work. It may sound cliché, but we pour our hearts into our work.
Another one of your activities that is rather new is working with the Best Nanny agency. What is that about?
My best friend, with whom I came to Prague years ago, opened up an agency in Bratislava that provides the services of foreign nannies. It was an open market in Slovakia, unlike in Czechia, and the agency started doing well quite early on. Opening a branch in Prague was the next logical step. Best Nanny has been in Czechia for about six months and the clients are slowly getting used to us. The other thing is that women need to stop feeling ashamed and learn how to ask for help. We'll do our best to convince Czech moms that help isn't taboo and that it's better to have a nanny as opposed to being anxious and tired. And also that it's better to have a nanny that speaks excellent English rather than broken English. Diplomatic circles are one of the groups we're hoping to cooperate with.
What kind of a nanny did you pick for your young daughter?
I have a Czech nanny to help my daughter speak good Czech, which is not exactly my forte. To this day, I remember a moment when my son was in first grade and he was supposed to fill in a blank letter in the word "––brus". I suggested "o" – as in "obrus" (T.n.: Slovak for tablecloth), naturally. He came home the next day in tears, he was dumbfounded, I was dumbfounded... Until I googled the word "obrus" only to find out that in Czech it's "ubrus". That's why a Czech nanny... [laughs]
CV BOX
Zuzana Augustin Poláčková (born August 1, 1982, in Martin, Slovakia) is the owner of the VIZOO Image Production agency, former model, and erstwhile director of Fashion TV Czech and Slovak Republic.
She has been working in event marketing and PR for over 15 years; her agency represents important clients in politics, diplomacy, and the commercial sector as well as individuals.
Augustin Poláčková also works with charitable foundations. Furthermore, she is actively helping develop the Best Nanny agency, which has been on the Czech market since September 2022.
She studied chemistry and genetics at the Comenius University Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, also graduating in social work from the same university. Furthermore, she took a course in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
She is married, lives in Prague, and has a son Karel (16) and a daughter Lilly (6).
With close friends Petra Ficová, owner of bestNanny, and Vendula Pizingerová, president of the Kapka naděje foundation.
Zuzana with her closest colleagues during CIF at Prague Castle
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