Jiří Koleňák: My name is Jiří Koleňák and welcome to the Úspěšní (Successful) podcast, where my guests and I explore the principles and habits that drive their success. Let’s dive in. My guest today is Karel "Mindless" Novotný, an experienced consultant, advisor, and expert in brand building, marketing, and sales psychology. Karel brings over 20 years of experience in brand strategy, advertising, and advisory services. He has held executive roles in various companies, founded his own brand Brand Family, consults for corporations and individuals, and educates future marketers and entrepreneurs. Hi Karel, welcome to the podcast.
Karel Novotný: Thanks for the invitation, Jirko. Hi.
Jiří Koleňák: Karel, I always start by asking what brought my guests the greatest joy in recent days. What was it for you?
Karel Novotný: What brought me joy is that after nearly two years of preparation, my entire rebranding project is up and running. The workshops and lectures are fully operational—it took an enormous amount of effort, and it’s finally delivering results.
Jiří Koleňák: Going back to the beginning of your marketing career, how did it all start?
Karel Novotný: The simple truth is that I initially ended up at the wrong university. I went to study computer programming, assuming it would be easy after graduating from a specialized programming high school class. I quickly discovered I was in completely the wrong place—I struggled with the technical subjects and lacked interest. Conversely, I gravitated toward creative, right-brained, and strategic disciplines. I took a marketing course at Mendel University, earned an 'A', and began building practical experience through internships and side projects.
Jiří Koleňák: What was your first job in marketing?
Karel Novotný: My very first role was managing bulletin boards. Whenever creative tasks were assigned in student organizations like AIESEC, they invariably landed on my desk. Designing an engaging bulletin board is actually great preparation for crafting an effective billboard. Even during high school, I earned income as a freelance graphic designer, and university elevated that to a professional level.
Jiří Koleňák: Were you always a consultant, or did you spend time as an employed marketer?
Karel Novotný: I spent a solid decade as a full-time employee. In hindsight, my former colleagues would agree I acted more like an independent consultant even while employed. I wasn't an elite team player—I was ambitious, drove projects individually, and stepped into executive commercial roles. However, my core operational discipline and key foundational experiences stem directly from my years as an employee, not from consulting.
Jiří Koleňák: When did you realize you wanted to launch an independent consulting career?
Karel Novotný: It wasn't a romantic, pre-planned dream of solo freedom. The agency environment I was in became unsustainable due to severe professional burnout. I reached a point where remaining in traditional agency roles was impossible. Facing a crisis, my only viable path was to gather the experience I had accumulated over ten years, lay it out on the table, and offer it to the market. With two young children and substantial financial obligations, taking that leap was extremely risky. My primary goal wasn't fulfilling a glorious consulting dream—it was survival.
Jiří Koleňák: How difficult was it to secure your first consulting clients?
Karel Novotný: It was relatively seamless because I had a solid foundation. After ten years in agencies, I had built networks across hundreds of former colleagues and clients. I launched public workshops on platforms like Naučme se.cz to share practical insights with professionals. Those group training sessions naturally evolved into one-on-one coaching, mentoring, and high-level corporate consulting.
Jiří Koleňák: How critical is personal brand when operating independently?
Karel Novotný: Reputation is decisive. When operating as an independent practitioner, your reputation directly dictates whether clients hire you. This is especially true when advising executives on long-term corporate strategy involving major financial investments. Reputation relies on two core pillars: proven credibility backed by documented reference cases, and a clear, pragmatic value delivery. While brand strategy opens doors, genuine strategic business consulting forms the vast majority of my long-term client engagements.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you distinguish between business consulting, mentoring, and education?
Karel Novotný: The boundaries naturally overlap. Even during strategic consulting, clients consistently learn new methodologies. I avoid traditional agency models where a team takes a brief, hides away, and returns weeks later with a polished deck. Instead, I conduct interactive, hands-on workshops directly with the client's internal leadership team. My mentoring role often adopts the principle of the "king's jester"—being the trusted external voice permitted to speak uncomfortable truths to executive leadership with humor and clarity. Often, internal teams already recognize organizational bottlenecks, but my external authority gives those internal insights the weight needed to drive action.
Jiří Koleňák: How often does a client request one service when they actually need something entirely different?
Karel Novotný: Almost every time. It resembles visiting a doctor: patients frequently walk in with a self-diagnosed condition based on online research, seeking validation. Similarly, corporate teams often present surface symptoms—demanding a brand campaign or increased publicity. When I investigate the root causes, we routinely discover that marketing underperforms due to flawed product architecture or weak commercial pricing. I address the underlying operational cause directly rather than applying superficial marketing bandaids.
Jiří Koleňák: Radical honesty seems central to your approach. What other ingredients drive consulting success?
Karel Novotný: Deep, battle-tested experience. Clients hire senior advisors for certainty, authority, and emotional reassurance. Having navigated thousands of corporate cases across diverse industries—from manufacturing plants to specialized consumer goods—gives me situational awareness. When an unexpected crisis strikes, clients know I won't be rattled. That depth of experience allows me to outline clear scenario branches and guide executives through complex decisions with confidence.
Jiří Koleňák: When is the right moment for a professional to become an independent consultant?
Karel Novotný: I strongly advise against jumping into independent consulting immediately after university. First, gain two to four years of structured experience inside an established company. Learn to navigate team dynamics, manage difficult colleagues, execute under strict operational deadlines, and test your skills within an organizational structure. Building that internal corporate foundation makes transitioning to independent consulting infinitely more successful.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you prefer long-term client partnerships or short-term advisory engagements?
Karel Novotný: A balanced mix is ideal. Short-term intensive workshops provide quick engagements, but long-term retainers maintain accountability. Long-term advisory roles force you to look clients in the eye months later to verify whether your strategic recommendations delivered real market results. Maintaining long-term corporate retainers alongside short-term consultative projects keeps my perspective sharp and grounded.
Jiří Koleňák: What core rules guide your client negotiations?
Karel Novotný: First, I maintain fixed pricing and never negotiate discounts. If a prospect questions my fees, it indicates a fundamental mismatch in perceived value, and I comfortably walk away. Second, I never raise rates on existing legacy clients—they retain their original contract terms out of fairness. Third, my standard invoice terms are strict 7-day payment windows, and I avoid overly bureaucratic corporate procurement processes, NDAs, and unnecessary legal friction.
Jiří Koleňák: How does psychology intersect with brand strategy and marketing?
Karel Novotný: Marketing is essentially applied social psychology—understanding human group dynamics, cognitive biases, and social comparison. Brand affinity—like Apple versus Samsung—relies entirely on social psychological principles. Furthermore, applying common-sense logic ("stay mindless") is paramount. Marketers frequently overcomplicate fundamentals. Core frameworks like the 4Ps developed in 1960 remain entirely valid today without needing over-engineered additions.
Jiří Koleňák: Where do you source your fresh perspective and inspiration?
Karel Novotný: Outside the marketing industry. I read extensive classic and modern fiction rather than business manuals, keeping my mind rich in narrative structure and human storytelling. I stay closely informed on global current events and cultural shifts, which allows me to draw creative, real-world parallels for my clients.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you approach the creative execution process?
Karel Novotný: Professional creativity is a structured trade, not a reliance on fleeting artistic muses. When clients pay substantial fees, you must deliver exceptional strategic output on schedule regardless of your mood. Additionally, I built an operational support structure—working alongside a key operational partner, Hanka, who manages client communication, administrative workflows, and operational follow-ups. Having dedicated operational support frees me to focus strictly on high-value client advisory.
Jiří Koleňák: How should consultants approach pricing their services?
Karel Novotný: Price your work at a level where you feel completely confident delivering proportional value. High fees create high client expectations—if you charge top-tier rates, you must deliver multi-fold returns. Early in your career, consider offering initial services for free or at cost to gather documented testimonials, test your methodologies, and systematically adjust your pricing as your proven track record grows.
Jiří Koleňák: What projects are you currently focusing on?
Karel Novotný: Expanding my educational output to broader audiences—teaching undergraduate and graduate students at Newton University, mentoring in the Newton Business Accelerator, and leading public masterclasses at Marketing Festival and Naučme se.cz.
Jiří Koleňák: What is your final piece of advice for aspiring consultants?
Karel Novotný: Test your trade before going fully independent. Help local businesses, build real-world case studies, and prove your concept risk-free while maintaining baseline stability. Solitary consulting isn't for everyone, but if you master the craft, it is extraordinary.
Jiří Koleňák: Karel Novotný, thank you very much for joining us and sharing your experience.
Karel Novotný: Thank you for having me, Jirko!
Jiří Koleňák: To our audience, please like, comment, and subscribe. See you next time with more inspiring guests!
