When did you come up with the idea of this excellent project?
Some years ago, while I was looking for gifts to give to my friends and family abroad, I realized that there was only a small variety of gifts worth giving and mainly traditional souvenirs that were not always up to my standards. The way I looked at it, the non-Greek speaking young generation of the Greek “omogeneia” that love to be in touch with anything Greek should be able to access high quality Greek goods. Aiming at keeping the Greek diaspora close to the rebranded Greece, I came up with the idea of Chic Greek Gifts, to share my passion for anything Greek of incomparable design, quality and taste. This would be achieved by the branding of unique themes inspired by Greek nature, religion, history and everyday life in a Greek Culture Gift Box. Something that would bring stories, memories, tastes and aromas back to mind.
How hard was it at the beginning?
Holding a Master’s Degree in Marketing I had the knowledge of creating the product mix. Founding my own business though… I didn’t know where to start. I applied then to Venture Garden Program and became part of a community of entrepreneurs working together to transform business creativity and passion into leadership! I had my own mentor down this business path!
What is Greece to you?
To me Greece is nature’s best. It’s a cultural treasure. It’s my origin, the place where I can always start from and comeback again and again.
Are you an optimist? Do you believe that Greece will -finally-see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Well, to me there is no other way but optimism. At Chic Greek Gifts we aim at showing the positive in the Greek culture and getting out of the crisis spirit. I like being inspired by beautiful things and gifted people and chase the rainbow.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young person that wants to start his own business that would be……?
Be artistic, creative and entrepreneurial. Keep up the enthusiasm, have an eye for detail and do a lot of networking through start-up incubators.
Thinking out of the box is for you:
It's never too late to start over. Don't stay stuck. Brainstorm.
Are you the type of character who would swim against the stream or would you rather be on the safe side?
Born and raised in a mix Cretan & Asia-Minor family I learned to balance between risk and stability. I swim against the stream when I have the safety net of as much info as possible.
What is your everyday agenda and how do you combine your intense business life with your personal life?
Being a working mother of three, I apply time-management to its maximum. What makes me able to combine business travel and personal life is my family and my thirst for creative productivity.
Five things of Greece you can’t live without.
Food, Sea, Weather, Blue and White.
Your next business goals?
At Chic Greek Gifts we would like to serve tourism as an ambassador of the Hellenic heritage to the world and prove that Greece can be rebranded in its most authentic and original manner. Some future growth plans include: improve the business gifts service offering custom solutions, add new items to our unique product line, introduce proprietary products designed by us for hoteliers, museums etc.
(We thank the amazing ''Nerantzi - All day Food & Drinks for their warm hospitality their help and their positive energy! Great cuisine guys!)
