Aloha 👋🏻 Welcome to the On the Waves of Change newsletter. The place where quiet people find their voice.
They told her: you will work for Škoda. She said: not a chance.
Petra Kovandová stepped out of line. Several times. And looking back, she regrets nothing. I believe our conversation will pour energy into the veins of anyone standing at a crossroads and unsure which way to go.
She wanted to be an actress. Her parents forbade it. Then Spanish, tourism and a world of different cultures took hold of her. At thirty-five she went back to university and studied law. Today she makes her living in artificial intelligence and law. And along the way she has travelled through 61 countries.
Today's lines belong to Petra Kovandová, artificial intelligence consultant, Legal Compliance Specialist at Century21 and a lecturer at Czechitas.
What came up in the conversation (and why it is worth a listen):
When you decide to live on your own terms
"Looking back, I am incredibly grateful even for a lot of the worse experiences. Because I know that thanks to plenty of things I would never want to live through, I am where I am."
Petra grew up in Mladá Boleslav, where it was simply assumed you would end up working for Škoda. She knew that world was not for her.
Her heart pulled her towards acting, but her parents forbade her from even trying the conservatoire entrance exams. She refused and went to university instead, as far from home as possible, to find herself.
When did you last take a rejection as life nudging you to go your own way?
Having it good is not a given
"We do not appreciate how good we have it here."
Petra has travelled through 61 countries. And every time she came home with one gift - understanding. She told me about a man from Madagascar who dreams of one day seeing the world beyond his village. About a driver from the Dominican Republic who has never in his life been on a plane. About how in Cuba a passport is an unattainable luxury.
And then she looks at how we live in the Czech Republic. At drinking water from the tap. At an ambulance that arrives within minutes. At the freedom to say your opinion out loud.
Did you know that in Singapore an ambulance stops at a red light? It sits in the queue like everyone else. Our healthcare is an unimaginable luxury by global standards.
When did you last appreciate something you take completely for granted?
China and the question that keeps me awake
"Ah, so this is what surveillance of people looks like in practice."
Petra won flights to China. She took a picture dictionary, convinced that a bowl of rice looks the same everywhere. It does not. This is about our assumptions and our belief that the world is much the same wherever you go.
But the most powerful moment came at a railway station. On the screen behind the counter she saw her own photograph. The hotel had taken it. Without her knowledge. And on the train there was an app where passengers could report another citizen's suspicious behaviour.
Where are we talking about protecting people, and where does surveillance begin?
Is surveillance in public space protection for you, or a threat?
All it takes is one angry person and your photos from social media
"I will spend 30 years in court only for them to tell me: tough luck."
Petra talks openly about deepfakes and our digital footprint. All it takes is one angry person, your photos from the internet and a few minutes. The result can destroy a reputation you have spent your whole life building.
And then she asks a simple question: who actually owns the photos of your child in the bath? About mothers who set up Instagram profiles for children who have not even been born yet. And about the fact that Meta has been granted a new patent allowing your profile to keep creating content after your death.
Do you know what digital footprint you are creating? And what footprint you are creating for your children? Are you aware of the risks?
Czech schools and a system that cannot keep up
Petra asked her ten-year-old niece what they do in IT lessons. The answer? They set up e-mail accounts and send messages to each other. Meanwhile nobody talks to them about the fact that not every e-mail is safe to open. Nobody teaches them about cyber security.
Who should be teaching children how to move around the digital world? Are you helping your children with it?
Are we the Švejks of the modern age?
"Maybe we simply cannot be bothered. We feel we will not change it anyway."
We complain about the system. But we never write the letter to the authorities. We complain about politicians. But we do not go and vote. Petra says maybe the problem is not fear. Maybe the problem is our own comfort.
And then she asks: whether that comfort will one day come back to hurt us.
Where in your life are you comfortable, knowing it needs to change?
What else comes up in the conversation?
- Maternity leave, a lower position, less money. And a husband who "babysits" the children - even though they are his too. What is life like for women in the Czech Republic?
- A friend born in the Czech Republic. She has an ID card. And still she has to justify herself. Because her skin is a different colour. Are we a xenophobic society?
- A harsher sentence for animal cruelty than for child abuse. Does the Czech legal system protect victims well enough?
Happy reading, happy listening - until next time. 👋🏻
Take good care.
Petra and Viki are waving at you.