
Conan speaks with Tasha from Zagreb, Croatia about working as a psychotherapist and luxury yacht cruise manager on the Adriatic Sea. Wanna get a chance to talk to Conan? Submit here: teamcoco.com/apply
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Visit teamcoco.com callkonan okay, let's get started.
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Hi, Tasha. Welcome to Conan O' Brien needs a fan.
B
Oh my God. Hello, guys.
A
Hi, Tasha. How are you?
B
Great. Very excited to see you. I thought I would be so nervous that I would be shocked and frozen, but I'm so happy to see you.
A
Yes, well, often when people see us, they're underwhelmed, so that calms them down immediately. Tasha, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you in the world right now?
B
I'm in Croatia. In Zagreb. The capital of Croatia.
A
Okay. You're in Zagreb, Croatia. I've never been to Croatia. Yes, and I would be fascinated. I know. You know, have never experienced the culture there.
B
No. I think you should, though. That's a really good reason to come and experience it.
A
Are you a native? Are you a native of Zagreb, Croatia? You were born there?
B
I am. I Was born in Zagreb in Croatia. And my. My family's from the coast, from the islands of Croatia. We have many, many islands in this beautiful sea. The Adriatic Sea.
A
That's right.
B
So you should definitely come and visit. Yeah.
A
Okay, well. Bunch of questions. What do you do for a living? Can I ask you that?
B
Of course. Yeah. I have two jobs, actually, at the moment. I am a psychotherapist. I've just finished my training.
A
Oh, you're a psychotherapist?
B
Yes, and my other job is I'm a cruise manager on luxury yachts on these mini cruises.
A
Wow.
B
Okay.
A
Everything I know about those mini yachts and cruises are from the show Below Deck. My wife loves the show Below Deck. Is it kind of. Is it like below deck?
B
It's kind of. I mean, yeah, they make it a little bit more spectacular and dramatic, but it is beautiful. And there is a. Yeah, there is a little bit of drama as well.
A
Can I ask you a question, and you don't have to answer this, but are members of the crew getting it on? I don't know if that's a common term in Zagreb, Croatia, but are people hooking up on the cruise?
B
I think so, but since I'm the cruise manager, they don't tell me about it. They're, you know.
A
Yes, of course.
B
That's why the crewmas.
A
That's why you're supposed to have a camera with night vision in every room. That's how they do it on below deck. That's how you know. They have signed consent forms, though, I think. Do you really have to have someone sign a consent form if you're going to put a night vision. I've got bad news camera.
B
Yeah.
A
And watch them have sex. Is that something? Wait a minute. Hold on, hold on. Eduardo, that stuff. That equipment we installed has to come out. No, Eduardo, that equipment we installed nine years ago has to come out.
B
Whoops.
A
And you have to erase the 10,000 hours of tape that I've put into the cloud. Okay. Well, this is interesting, Tasha.
B
Where did you install these cameras? Where are they?
A
Don't worry about it. But you need to clean your. Inside of your car.
B
No.
A
Oh, but, Tasha, this is fascinating to me. You have two jobs, and they're both kind of interesting to me. Um, first of all, you've trained to be a therapist. I could find that quite useful because I'm always looking for therapeutic advice, and I don't know if you have. If you've been a regular listener, maybe you have some observations about me or ways that you could help me I.
B
Too, I have been a regular listener and watcher since 93. Uh, so I. I have diagnosed you many times, even though it's completely unprofessional to do so.
A
You've died. You've diagnosed me by watching the television since 93 and listening to the podcast.
B
Yeah.
A
And can you, in a very. Can you, very briefly, tell me what you think the issue is?
B
Briefly? We're working like a kid.
A
I'm gonna rest my eye on the microphone.
B
Okay. Okay. Well, there's bad news and good news. Okay, so bad news. Everyone knows you're neurotic and anxious because you've been open about it, right? Yeah. But the good news is that you're open about it, and you let others. You make fun of yourself. You let others make fun of you, which is a really great way to be healthier about it.
A
Or is it just a sad survival mechanism?
B
Well, that's. It's a good survival mechanism, I think, in my professional opinion.
A
Okay, I like you. You're a good therapist because you approve of the way I behave, so I do. But.
B
But, but, but. But what I think is that there. There is some conflict that you have with some members of your staff that is not fully healthy. I think. I think that should be a result.
A
Yeah. Okay. Anyone here maybe that. That you're talking about?
B
I don't. And again, this is completely informal because it's not professional for me to do this. Yeah.
A
Okay, go ahead.
B
I see you, Sena. So I want to say that Sona is dealing with it really in a healthy way, because she is getting back at you all the time, very directly and openly, and you can't hurt her.
A
She's very Sona. If you dish it out, Sona dishes it right back. And it's a healthy exchange.
B
Exactly. Healthy exchange. Now, Matt, I think there's a little bit of passive aggressiveness between the both of you, and I think you should talk about it, and you should maybe go to a couple therapists about it. Or I can do it over zoom as well.
A
You know what? I hate to admit it, but, Tasha, I think you're right, because I think.
B
Just a little bit, what if I'm.
A
Not looking to improve the relations.
B
But you are? Because you always want to be. Want him to be your father figure. You have an open about it.
A
Now, I can tell you with 100 certainty that I do not want Conan.
B
To be my father. It's more like brother figure.
A
I think older brother.
B
I think you two are like bros.
A
That's what it is. I think It's. I think I'm an older brother that fathered you, but sired me. Yes. And we're gonna leave it at that. Which means now I really need your help, Tasha.
B
That was very unhealthy, Conan. Let's not go there.
A
Well.
B
Okay.
A
Let's switch to your other job, which is luxury cruise manager. You know, and so now I'm picturing you. You're on the luxury cruise, and there are issues because you don't know the way I do, because I've watched a lot of below decks because my wife's obsessed. Especially below decks down under.
B
Hi, Liza.
A
I love that you're telling a doctor you don't know the way I do. No, I'm telling you. You say you don't know what's going on below deck on your luxury cruises, and I'm telling you it's going on. They're doing it. There's all kinds of sexual hijinks happening aboard your boat, and you need to know that that is happening. And if I came there, I know I'd catch some of them in the act. If you let me install cameras. Oh, my God. So what? They don't sign a form. What are they going to do? I'm going to flee the country afterwards.
B
Why does she need to know if the staff is.
A
I just want the footage. I agree. So. I can't believe I have a father thing.
B
Where's this going?
A
Well, okay, I'm just curious about what's going on. What role do you think I could play if you're not going to let me install cameras secretly? Night vision cameras. I'm guessing we'll use the same. Eduardo, you like the F750s? 750s are great. Okay, F7. We are going to. Maybe we'll install cameras, maybe we won't. But if I were to come and work on the boat, what would you. What would my function be If I were to come and work on the boat, what do you think I would do there?
B
Okay, so I. I think you should. I think first you should try out all the different roles. And I think also Sona should come, because I want Sona to teach me how to. How to not care about my job as much. And so, hey, I really want that.
A
That's great.
B
She's been very high strung in my job, and I love. I love you, too, Tasha.
A
Yeah, no, Sona's really good at that. She just has been coaching some brain surgeons and some cardiac thoracic surgeons, and a lot of people are dying now, but they don't care as much. The doctors are happier with it.
B
If you don't care, then you don't care. Then they die.
A
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It was really cool. It was a really cool night, for sure.
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That's cool.
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You actually do. I stand by that.
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B
Oh, no, no, my skin is great. I have Mediterranean skin. It's just that I take care of it so it looks like it's fair, but. But you have a very delicate skin, and you can't be out on in the sun. We know that.
A
No, so I'm like a very old Japanese woman. I need to be. I have to have a big hat and I have to be inside wearing gloves and glasses and a little. And a little umbrella. Yeah.
B
I can see you walking around the yacht like that.
A
So you say you have Mediterranean skin and you take very good care of it. And then you pivoted to me and said I have delicate skin and then implied that I don't take care of it. Yeah, that's fine. That's what I took away from.
B
I'm sorry, I didn't. I didn't mean to.
A
No, it's what came across. It's very Croatian of you. It's very Zagrebian. You're giving me that Zagrebian tude. There's the title Zagrebian2. That Zagrebian2. So what do you think would be. What do you think I'd be best at on the boat? Clearly, I probably shouldn't pilot it. That would be a bad idea.
B
Assail it, you mean?
A
Yeah. Sire.
B
Sire, Captain.
A
Okay.
B
I think you. I know that you really. You have really good coordination. Your body, physically are very well coordinated. So I think you should. What's that face from Sona? I wouldn't.
A
Not just Sona. It was me, too, saying. I think you called the wrong show. But anyway, let's go with it. Yes, I'm very well. I'm. I'm. I'm coordinated. I'm a master athlete, and I have total command of my body, which is well proportioned.
B
Yeah. So that's what we need.
A
And you have Mediterranean. And I have Mediterranean skin, and I've taken very good care of it. And I'm a sexual symbol. Tasha. What about security? What about anything like that? Could I be a guy who walks around the boat and makes sure that there's no trouble?
B
Yeah. When we stop in these really popular hotspots on these islands where everyone comes to party, then past a certain hour at night, when a lot of young people are coming back from the clubs drunk. They try to get on our boats. Oh.
A
Even if they're not.
B
Try to get.
A
Even if they're not part of the cruise, they try to illegally get on the boat. This I could do.
B
Because we have nice. We have jacuzzi, we have splash pool. It's really nice. So they try to get in and, you know, get it on. As he said earlier. Yes.
A
That's the way most people describe sex in America here in 2025 is getting it on. I don't go outside much. My point is, you think that I would maybe be good at keeping interlopers, intruders, from getting on the boat because of my size, my commanding presence. Why are you shaking your head now?
B
I just. Because maybe they would be scared when they see you.
A
Scared? I mean, why would they be scared?
B
Because no one has orange hair in Croatia.
A
So why don't you just fucking party clown to stand outside the boat. Why don't you just get like a down on his luck, Ronald McDonald with sores on his face. You have to wear your hole.
B
The hat and the umbrella and the gloves, and you just come up to.
A
Kids and you're like, get off the boat. Yeah. Suddenly I'm a clown from it. It's the Ghost of La Llorona. So. Okay. So I would frighten people from coming on the boat because of my pale skin and orange hair.
B
No, I take it back. I'm sorry. No, you can't take it back.
A
That's not how it works in therapy, Tasha. You don't say things and then take it back. Wow, this is intense. I do think.
B
No, no. I love. I love you, Conan. I do. I love you. I used to be in love with you. So all these jokes are just.
A
That's so nice.
B
This is below death. Yeah.
A
Yeah. Your therapist, I think you. She loved you. Yeah, my therapist just told me she loved me, and she's inviting me on a luxury cruise, and she says there's no cameras below deck. This is very accurate. This is a loaded situation. Yes. What do you do? What do you mean? What do you do? Croatia, here I come. See you later, Liza. And you show up, and she just puts you on the deck duty with all the kids from the club. Put on your orange wig. Come on. You can't come on the boat. It's back. Well, that's very nice. It sounds like you've been watching the show for a long time, which is very nice. You're a committed fan.
B
Yeah, I have been since. Can I tell you about it?
A
Yeah.
B
But seriously, for a Moment.
A
Yeah, yeah, sure.
B
If we may be serious for a moment. So I have been watching you since maybe day two or three or five, something like that. But the first season in 93, and, you know, Krisha used to be part of Yugoslavia, and then we separated, and we had a war of independence in the 90s. So a couple of years into the war is when your show started. And I had. For some reason, I had your show here available in Europe on cable, and I'm getting a little emotional. So we had this surreal reality of the war. And then also being students. I was 20 when your show started and was a student, but also we had to somehow help the war effort. So a lot of us were volunteering or working as interpreters, things like that. So it was a very surreal thing where we would be, you know, for a couple of weeks, would be out there near where the fighting was, and then we'd come back home where was less fighting, and I would watch tv. And that was my sort of support and my escape from it. And it was very exciting when your show started, and it was one of the, you know, one of the main shows that I watched, and it brought me joy and relief. And there was this, you know, crazy, nervous guy with this weird sense of humor, and, well, not too weird for us, because, you know, I thought you.
A
Were describing someone else for a second. Then I realized it was me. There was this crazy. I'm like, yeah, I don't know what happened to that guy, but.
B
And then we would. You know, one day it would be like this horror of the war, and another day, there are two guys sitting in a meat locker and describing celebrities through, like, steaks.
A
I remember that if you remember that. I remember the Meat Locker episode. We did a lot of very weird, strange things. You know, I have to say, Tasha, it means a lot to me that you and some of your friends were watching that and that it brought you some comfort, because especially in those early years we were doing the show, we didn't know who was watching, let alone, I mean, we didn't know who was watching or if anyone was watching in the United States. But the idea that you were going through this terrible ordeal and your people were going through this terrible ordeal, and that you got some sustenance out of our silliness means everything to me. I mean, that is. That. That's the magic of it all. And I'm glad. I'm so happy that we were able to provide a little bit of relief from what sounds like just a terrible experience. And so I'M very happy that you shared that with me. That's really meaningful.
B
It really means a lot to me to be able to share it with you. This is like a dream come true. I watch you guys now all the time, like, listen and watch. And you have such a wholesome show. I know I've joked in the beginning about all your diagnoses, but.
A
And it's not untrue. You can have both. I think we have the right intentions. We are well intentioned here. And then, of course, you know, we're all dealing with. We're humans, so we're all dealing with whatever nonsense we have in our heads. But the magic, the ultimate magic to me is when we can turn that into something positive to somebody who. I mean, if it weren't for this show, I'd never have met you. And it's just lovely to meet you. And a gift. It's a gift to meet you. You seem really funny and cool and smart and I do hope I get to come on your boat. And I do hope you let me install cameras. I just. You ruined it. I didn't ruin it. I'm still a good guy. I just want footage of strangers having sex. And there's. I don't think that diminishes any of what Tasha has said because that brings me comfort. Anyway, Tasha, it was an absolute joy talking to you. We're going to wrap this up, but you're a very special person and I do hope that we get to meet up. That would be very cool.
B
Yes. Thank you so much, everyone. It's lovely to see you and you're such wonderful people and keep doing this. Don't ever quit.
A
Okay?
B
Yeah.
A
All right. I like that. Take care, Tasha. Thanks, Tasha. Bye. Bye.
B
Bye.
A
Conan o' Brien needs a fan. With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of session and Matt Gourley produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sand, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Supervising producer, Aaron Blair Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm Engineering by eduardo Perez. Get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up@siriusxm.com Conan Please rate, review and subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a fan. Wherever fine podcasts are.
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Down, down.
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Episode: “That Zagrebian ’Tude”
Date: September 25, 2025
In this lively, warm, and often hilarious edition of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Conan, Sona Movsesian, and Matt Gourley welcome Tasha, a self-described “lifelong fan” connecting from Zagreb, Croatia. The conversation weaves through Tasha’s dual life as both a newly-minted psychotherapist and a cruise manager on luxury yachts, Conan’s reflections from years in comedy, playful psychoanalysis, Below Deck gossip, and a moving discussion about comedy as solace during turbulent times. The episode stands out for its unexpected candor, cultural exchange, and sharp, good-natured banter.
"We have many, many islands in this beautiful sea. The Adriatic Sea." — Tasha (02:45)
Career Paths
"I have two jobs...I am a psychotherapist...and my other job is I'm a cruise manager on luxury yachts..." — Tasha (03:06)
Below Deck Comparisons
"They make it a little more spectacular and dramatic, but it is beautiful...there is a little bit of drama as well." — Tasha (03:37)
Therapy via Podcast
"I have diagnosed you many times, even though it's completely unprofessional..." — Tasha (05:23)
Key Observations
"Everyone knows you're neurotic and anxious...But the good news is that you're open about it...which is a really great way to be healthier about it." — Tasha (05:58)
“There is some conflict that you have with some members of your staff that is not fully healthy." — Tasha (06:39)
"Sona is dealing with it really in a healthy way...Matt, I think there’s a little bit of passive aggressiveness..." — Tasha (07:07)
Workplace Romance & Security
Conan presses for details on yacht romances, with gleeful conspiratorial references to “night vision cameras”—riffing on the absurdity of celebrity reality TV.
"You have to erase the 10,000 hours of tape that I’ve put into the cloud." — Conan (04:41)
Tasha describes problems with drunken party crashers late at night trying to sneak aboard. Conan volunteers as intimidating “security,” Tasha jokes his striking features (fair skin, orange hair) would terrify would-be intruders.
"No one has orange hair in Croatia." — Tasha (19:26)
Sona as Life Coach
"I want Sona to teach me how to not care about my job as much." — Tasha (10:24)
"It's very Croatian of you. It's very Zagrebian. You're giving me that Zagrebian tude. There's the title: Zagrebian2. That Zagrebian2." — Conan (16:57)
Tasha turns serious, sharing how, as a student during Croatia’s tumultuous early-‘90s war, she and friends relied on Conan’s show as a lifeline.
"...we had this surreal reality of the war...I would watch TV...it was one of the main shows that I watched, and it brought me joy and relief." — Tasha (21:19)
The group reflects on comedy’s power to comfort during hardship, with Conan expressing deep gratitude.
"The idea that you were going through this terrible ordeal...and that you got some sustenance out of our silliness means everything to me." — Conan (24:01) "It really means a lot to me to be able to share it with you. This is like a dream come true." — Tasha (24:25)
"Anyway, Tasha, it was an absolute joy talking to you. You're a very special person and I do hope we get to meet up." — Conan (25:38) "You're such wonderful people and keep doing this. Don't ever quit." — Tasha (25:52)
“That Zagrebian ’Tude” captures everything listeners love about Conan’s podcast: quick, irreverent wit; profound human moments; goofy, off-the-cuff invention; and heartfelt connection across cultures. Both the comedic banter and the serious reflection underscore comedy’s unexpected reach and resilience, giving fans a top-tier episode to revisit.