Host 1
Welcome to the Two on One podcast. My name is František, and sitting next to me is Honza. On this show, we invite inspiring personalities from among Newton University students and alumni.
Host 2
And our guest today is Jáchym Dymov—a student who juggles karate, bartending, film sets, music, and above all, Red Bull. Jáchym, welcome to the studio!
Jáchym
Thanks for having me, guys!
Host 1
How did this whole journey start, Jáchym? Let’s take it from the very beginning: you and karate.
Jáchym
Karate... I actually started when I was about six. It kicked off because I was playing team sports like soccer, which really wasn't clicking for me socially or team-wise. So my parents decided to try something else and signed me up for karate around age five or six. I only stepped away from it recently. Once I was juggling two universities alongside work, there just weren't enough hours in the day. But everything I learned through karate has stayed with me and still shapes how I operate today.
Host 1
You mentioned two universities?
Jáchym
Two degrees at once, yeah. Along with Newton, I was studying at Charles University, specifically at FTVS (the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport). I made it through to my sophomore year, but trying to balance both full-time programs and work became impossible. Something had to give, so I decided to drop FTVS.
Host 1
Why drop that one specifically? Is doing two degrees at once simply unmanageable?
Jáchym
It’s definitely doable, but it depends heavily on the combination of schools. FTVS wasn't just theoretical coursework—it demanded intense athletic performance and grueling physical practical exams. You had to train outside of school hours to pass them. My free time was already completely eaten up by Newton and my job. When the physical assessments rolled around and I hadn't had the hours to prep, I couldn't clear them.
Host 1
Going back to sports—you mentioned starting with soccer and shifting to karate. Did your parents push you into martial arts, or was it your own call?
Jáchym
The initial push definitely came from my parents, but I was never forced into sports against my will. I love being active, mostly because my parents got me moving when I was three. I was on skis at three, moved to soccer, and when soccer didn't work out, karate came along. I'm incredibly grateful they nudged me into it rather than pressured me. Karate was the perfect foundation for a young kid—it instills discipline, respect, body mobility, and practical self-defense.
Host 1
Speaking of karate, I remember convincing you to host a self-defense seminar here on campus a couple of times. It drew huge interest. What was the feedback like? Did people reach out wanting you to coach them regularly?
Jáchym
First off—they were self-defense workshops, not strict karate. Over time, I branched out beyond karate into Brazilian jiu-jitsu and street self-defense. Practical self-defense made the most sense for a short workshop because it’s easy to digest and immediately valuable for regular students. The first workshop was a trial run, and the turnout was great. Students kept asking for a follow-up, so we ran a second one about a year later which was another hit. We didn't end up organizing a third, but I loved running those two sessions—seeing students walk away having learned practical skills while genuinely enjoying themselves was super rewarding.
Host 2
You also spent four years working behind the bar. What was that experience like, and how do you look back on it?
Jáchym
I started bartending right when I turned eighteen. Even though I was legally an adult, I definitely didn't feel like one. That bar job was my first real employment, and it threw me straight into the deep end in terms of responsibility. What I’m most grateful for is how it taught me to communicate with people. It showed me how exhausting customer interactions can be with difficult patrons, but also how effortless conversation feels when great guests walk in—those nights don't even feel like work. I worked across two top cocktail bars simultaneously. One was La Casa de la Habana Vieja—if you haven't been, definitely check it out; great staff and awesome vibes. The other was Bankers Bar. These weren't dive bars; they were high-end cocktail lounges specializing in bespoke mixology, artisanal spirits, and signature creations designed by world-class bartenders who competed internationally.
Host 2
How did you adjust to the nocturnal lifestyle?
Jáchym
It was brutal because I was still finishing high school at the time. School by day, behind the bar by night. That’s where I discovered my physical limits—you simply cannot go three days without sleep. I’d finish a full day of school, head straight into a bar shift, get home at 3:00 AM, and have my alarm go off at 6:00 AM for class. I pulled that two days in a row once and crashed for two weeks with a high fever. That was a wake-up call that your health has to come first and you need dedicated recovery days. Balancing the day-and-night rhythm was a massive challenge.
Host 1
Karate, bartending... how did that lead to working as a film stuntman? Did someone scout you behind the bar, or how did that break happen?
Jáchym
I was actually scouted through FTVS because of my background in karate, self-defense, and jiu-jitsu. We had dedicated classes for combative disciplines—which is essentially the academic term for martial arts and combat sports where you use an opponent's momentum against them. Physical education uses the term "combatives" because parents often get uneasy when they hear "fighting" or "combat sports."
Host 1
Why is that?
Jáchym
It sounds dangerous for their kids. "Combatives" bundles all martial arts under a neutral academic umbrella that feels much safer to parents.
Host 1
Do you think everyone should know basic martial arts or self-defense?
Jáchym
One hundred percent.
Host 1
Why?
Jáchym
Because of the world we live in. It’s not always safe. Czechia is relatively secure, but late at night, you can still cross paths with the wrong person at the wrong time.
Host 1
What films did you get cast in as a stuntman?
Jáchym
I got booked for Jiří Mádl’s movie Vlny (Waves), which you guys probably know.
Host 1
It's a fantastic film. Have you seen it?
Jáchym
Yeah, it’s an incredible piece of cinema. I went to the theater to watch it and teared up multiple times.
Host 1
I didn't even know you were in it!
Jáchym
I had a full day on set doing stunt work. I shot a ton of action takes, though in the final theatrical cut I’m on screen for maybe two or three seconds. But I spotted myself, so I’m happy! I played one of the protesting students at the beginning who gets brutally beaten down by the police. The stunt coordinators seemed to like using me because I didn't mind taking hits to the face—I was used to it from combat sports. They kept pulling me into tight close-up shots. At one point, another stuntman accidentally landed a real, full-force punch in the heat of the scene and split my lip open. I left the set bruised and bloody, but I had a blast. I’d love to do stunt work again.
Host 1
So they basically hired you just to take a beating?
Jáchym
Pretty much! The whole craft of stunt work is making a beating look devastating on camera without actually getting injured. On set, they hand out two types of batons: soft rubber ones for close-ups so they don't hurt, and hard plastic ones. Naturally, I managed to get cracked on the head with a plastic one by accident!
Host 1
Vlny was one of the biggest Czech box-office hits recently. What did being on that set give you?
Jáchym
Since I was only there for a day of stunts, it didn't teach me anything new about the historical events of 1968 that I didn't already know. But being part of such a masterclass of Czech filmmaking was a genuine honor—especially getting to portray one of those historic students.
Host 1
Did that lead to other stunt gigs?
Jáchym
Not directly. It was all routed through a casting agency. I’m registered with them, but nobody was scouting stuntmen on set that day.
Host 2
Let’s touch on your music. You play guitar and sing, right?
Host 1
We know you're passionate about songwriting.
Jáchym
I love music. I started writing original songs around nineteen. Music has been part of my life since I was five or six—starting on the recorder, moving to the violin, and eventually landing on the guitar.
Host 1
And guitar and vocals are your core passion?
Jáchym
Singing while playing guitar brings me more pure joy than almost anything else.
Host 1
Have you ever thought about pursuing music professionally?
Jáchym
When I started songwriting at nineteen, the idea was to release them as a creative side quest so I’d have something tangible left behind.
Host 1
So there’s a drawer somewhere with your unreleased song lyrics?
Jáchym
Exactly. I have about six completed tracks and three or four drafts in the works. I haven't released them yet because work and school give me a convenient excuse to put it off, but I definitely plan to drop them or start performing live eventually.
Host 1
We’ve got full Red Bull cans sitting on the table. That brings us to your current role at Red Bull. How did you get in with the brand, and what does your job involve?
Jáchym
Ah, your favorite story! It all started right here at Newton. I’d been out late the night before—can’t remember where, but I was running on zero sleep. During a lecture, I was nodding off, so I went to grab a coffee or energy drink from the vending machine. This was early in my sophomore year, back when the campus only had Coca-Cola machines and the coffee maker was broken, so I was reluctantly about to buy a Monster. Right then, two girls in Red Bull branding and backpacks walked past. We started chatting, they handed me a cold can, and mentioned they were hiring for their Student Marketeer role covering Prague and that I should apply. I took the can back to class, popped it open, and spent the entire lecture filling out my application and submitting my resume instead of taking notes.
Host 1
Which class was that in?
Jáchym
No idea whatsoever!
Host 1
So we have those two brand ambassadors to thank.
Jáchym
One hundred percent. I even had the privilege of working alongside them for a while before they moved on. I’m super grateful they crossed my path at the exact right moment.
Host 1
Did you start from ground zero?
Jáchym
Pretty much. It’s a Student Marketeer position—about eighty hours a month—designed to balance alongside full-time university studies. My primary responsibility is activating the brand across my assigned campuses. I manage private universities like Newton and Ambis, and recently took on UJEP in Ústí nad Labem since we didn't have anyone covering that region.
Host 1
So you cover three universities single-handedly?
Jáchym
Three campuses, yeah.
Host 1
How do you manage that workload?
Jáchym
It’s definitely demanding. Most of my peers work in pairs for a single university, whereas I’m solo across three. But private universities tend to have fewer student clubs and host fewer massive events than public universities, so the overall volume balances out.
Host 2
What about the Battle of Prague hockey derby? How did you end up working that if you only manage private universities?
Jáchym
Whenever there’s a massive campus event like that, the entire university marketing department mobilizes as one unit. You can't run a stadium activation with just three ambassadors from Charles University, CTU, and Prague University of Economics. There are thirty-five student marketeers nationwide, and about fifteen of us gathered in Prague to run the on-ice intermission activation and manage the branded bars.
Host 2
Remind us what the on-ice game was—it looked hilarious.
Jáchym
It was an activation for our national Red Bull Tetris tournament. We brought massive oversized foam Tetris blocks and huge wooden frames onto the ice. Two university teams raced against each other to pack their frame with blocks first.
Host 2
It was comedy gold—everyone was slipping and wiping out on the ice. One team almost had it finished, and the other school managed to pull off a comeback win at the last second.
Host 1
What kind of activations do you brainstorm for campuses on a regular basis?
Jáchym
We run guerrilla marketing activations we call "campus hacks." The idea is showing up unexpectedly and handing students cold cans through creative moments—like setting up an unannounced live DJ set in the hallway or hiding cans under desks. It breaks up their routine and creates a memorable brand experience. Just this Tuesday, I hosted a pop-up DJ set to promote Red Bull Directions, an interactive event where the crowd votes on the DJ's playlist live.
Host 2
Have you worked on big stunt events like Red Bull Flugtag or obstacle course races?
Jáchym
I worked on Red Bull Kolo Molo this past summer, where riders attempt to cross a narrow floating boardwalk over water. That falls under our sports marketing division, but I assisted as their operational support on site from day one. An external staging company builds the ramps and grandstands, and then our team spends three days fine-tuning, testing, and troubleshooting logistics throughout the live event.
Host 1
Red Bull is all about high-energy activations. What singular experience has pushed your growth the most?
Jáchym
Working with Red Bull over the past three years has leveled me up tremendously. Looking back at my first week, I was a nervous wreck, shaking and lacking confidence. The project that pushed me the most was the Red Bull Showrun in Prague in 2024, when we brought the Formula 1 car to the city. I was assigned as operational support for sports marketing, handed a two-way radio, and put in charge of managing an on-ground crew. Running a live crew for an F1 event was massive responsibility, and I was incredibly proud of how smoothly our team executed it.
Host 2
What does a typical day look like for you at Red Bull?
Jáchym
The best part of the job is that there is no "typical" day.
Host 1
Constant controlled chaos, right?
Jáchym
Pretty much constant, but that fast pace fuels me. There are roughly two types of field days. One is grabbing the branded Mini Cooper—the one with the giant can mounted on top—and driving across Prague and Central Bohemia to seed product at offices, cultural venues, and athletic events. We have a lot of creative freedom with those routes. The second type involves producing on-campus activations—like popping up DJ sets or setting up interactive lounge tents right here at Newton. Those are the most rewarding days because I’m directly engaging with peers and students, so it never feels like dry corporate work.
Host 2
Speaking of the branded Mini Cooper—is it true that anyone can walk up, open the exterior cooler hatch, and grab a free Red Bull?
Host 1
Oh boy, don't get him started...
Jáchym
No! I cannot stand that trend circulating on social media right now.
Host 1
Total myth.
Jáchym
It is completely fake. It's a social media hoax, and to be blunt, it’s straight-up theft. We distribute those cans personally to people. Walking up to our car and raiding the cooler is no different than opening someone’s car door and taking their wallet. People see a viral TikTok and think it’s a public fridge. If someone sees the car and comes over to chat, we’re happy to give them a can. But people trying to pry open locked coolers—sometimes ripping the hatch doors clean off—is completely out of line.
Host 1
Social media creating headaches for the brand.
Jáchym
Social media can distort reality for any brand. Videos promoting that trend definitely make our field shifts harder than they need to be.
Host 1
Jáchym, to wrap up: how do you recharge your batteries outside of work and Red Bull?
Jáchym
When I first started at Red Bull, I forgot how to rest. I went full throttle between work and university without taking time for a personal life. Eventually, exhaustion caught up with me and I felt early signs of burnout. That forced me to get intentional about rest. Now, we submit our availability fourteen days in advance, and whenever I schedule a weekend off, I guard that time strictly to recharge.
Host 2
Do you have a personal motto you’d like to leave with our listeners?
Jáchym
The philosophy that resonates with me most right now is Kaizen—the Japanese concept of continuous improvement. Zen represents finding inner focus through deliberate practice, while Kaizen teaches that you only need to get one percent better every single day. Just aim for that tiny one-percent progress daily. That incremental step is all it takes.
Host 1
Jáchym, our time is up—it flew by. Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your journey through martial arts, mixology, movie sets, and brand marketing. It was truly inspiring.
Jáchym
Thanks for having me, guys!
Host 1
Thanks to Newton University and Newton TV for providing our studio space.
Host 2
Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok. Catch you next time on Two on One. Bye!
