The path to a successful business is rarely a straight line. Jakub Kalvoda, co-owner of the MK Lůžkoviny brand, is a perfect example of this. In the Reels Talk byAndré podcast, I welcomed a man who jokingly calls himself “just a village boy chasing his dreams.”
From nursing school and welding trains to leading an e-commerce company with a turnover of over 300 million CZK, Jakub’s story is nothing short of inspiring. And yet, for years, he successfully avoided the spotlight to focus entirely on the product and the people inside his team.
Why He Hid in the Shadows for Years
For a long time, Jakub stayed strictly behind the scenes. He believed that until the company was in perfect shape with an unshakable foundation—including brand-new facilities—there was simply nothing to show the world.
“I was hard on myself, and in my eyes, there really wasn’t anything to show yet. Everything was still in its infancy,” he admits.
Today, he knows better. He realizes that a founder’s personal brand is a crucial factor in building trust with both customers and the media. Even though he considers himself an “introverted extrovert” who isn’t always comfortable talking about himself, he has fully embraced his new role as the company’s spokesperson. He breathes for the brand and wants to personally share major milestones, like the opening of their new sewing workshop.
The DNA of MK Lůžkoviny
Jakub’s workday starts before the sun comes up.
- 5:20 AM: Wakes up and drives his wife to work.
- Early Morning: Dives straight into his own tasks.
- First Office Task: Reads customer reviews.
He takes negative feedback as a personal failure and uses it as an immediate impulse to fix quality or logistics issues. He has successfully transferred this obsessive, customer-first approach to his team, whom he describes as a group of deeply passionate people.
It’s this absolute trust in his staff and his ability to delegate tasks to managers that allows him to focus on strategic growth—even if his self-proclaimed “ADHD personality” often forces him to bounce between multiple projects at once.
From Penny Market Fiascos to a Paralyzed Warehouse
Jakub hasn’t avoided major crises in business. In the interview, he openly shared a wild experience when defective goods—which were supposed to be destroyed abroad—illegally made their way back to the Czech market and ended up on the shelves of Penny Market.
Instead of getting bogged down in lengthy lawsuits, he relied on swift communication and fierce brand protection. This strategy ultimately resulted in the goods being withdrawn from stores and a public apology.
An even harsher lesson came during a transition to a new warehouse management system, which paralyzed the company for three weeks right in the middle of peak season.
“I didn’t keep a close enough eye on the software company, and our system crashed for three weeks,” Jakub recalls.
The extreme stress caused him to lose 16 kilos, but he treats even this brutal experience as a necessary challenge that taught him how to lead IT projects differently.
“Yesterday Was Too Late”
Jakub doesn’t look for inspiration in modern business manuals, but rather in the legendary Czech entrepreneur Tomáš Baťa. He shares Baťa’s famous creed: In business, there is no “tomorrow.” Despite still seeing himself as a young entrepreneur who is learning on the fly, his journey from carrying a welding license to building an e-commerce empire proves one thing: the most important assets you can have are a positive mindset and the ability to turn every mistake into a lesson.
And what about relaxation? Jakub smiles and admits that on the dance floor, his go-to helper is “liquid karate” (vodka), which helps him forget his role as CEO for a few hours. And the inevitable hangover? He admits he can be highly productive even then.
“I actually work better because I feel guilty, so I lock myself in my office and just grind,” he laughs.
Want to know exactly how Jakub navigated his biggest business crises or why he finally decided to step into the spotlight? Watch the full interview on YouTube!
