Here we are again, and we would like to know more about ‘’YASOU’’.

1. What was the inspiration for making this brand?

-There were several inspirations that came into play in the creation of YASOU skin care. I had several things going on in my life but a major one was that I had distanced or rather rebelled from my Greek heritage in my youth for many years and all of a sudden I YEARNED to reconnect with my heritage or rather my Greek-ness, so I took a trip to Greece to see where my grandparents were buried and to visit a friend and that’s how this journey started. After returning from my trip to Greece I realized that there was a need to recreate the Greek experience here in the United States. I felt that merging the Greek traditions and inspirations I received from my family here in the States and in Greece with my first generation prespective would be a start to recreating a new Greek experience for non-Greeks here in the States and hopefully on target for the new generation of Greeks in Greece and around the world.

2. Are you the type of character who would swim against the stream or would you rather be on the safe side?

-Interesting question. I think I can be a combination where I may also float a bit inbetween going aganist the stream or playing it safe for survival. If I had to really choose and I strongly, deeply believed in something or someone I would go for swimming against the stream but with caution to make sure I was listening to my inner voice.

3.What is the message you want to send through your skin care?

-The message I want send is that we should love the skin we are in no matter what gender or ethnicticity one may be. That healthy skin = happiness and vice a vers. YASOU is about skin care and not skin type. Whats your ‘’stigma’’ as a woman in business? I feel really blessed because I haven’t felt one. I have had so many women and men be very supportive of me and what I have been trying to do. I guess if I had to point one out it would come more from aestheticians who can’t understand how someone outside of this field could start a skin care line and what kind of qualications do or did I have to even attempt to do so, but after speaking with me them seem to get it.

4. How is your everyday agenda and how do you combine your intense business life with your personal life?

-I think it’s all about balances I have days where I am extremely busy and other’s not so much so I try to always exercise at least twice a week and try to do something fun with my family and my friends often and I always like to have dinner with my husband and that’s our time to share our day with each other. Lastly, I walk my dog Buddy twice a day so we can have our time together as well. So I try to create balances weekly.

5. What have been your learning milestones starting and growing your business?

-When I realized that I had to start locally and small to build awareness of my brand because I couldn’t afford to advertise and when sales started happening that I should stay in the game as they say.

6. If you could give one advice to a young girl that she wishes to start her own business?..

-Do your research and find mentors to help you starting from your concept and go slow- leave room to be organic in your business structue.

7.Your best things in life...are?

-Living to the fullest and being still and quiet when I need to be.

8.Which is the biggest difference between two countries?

- Well to be honesty I think the differences now are more globally and I see a split that has happened on a global level and I’m speaking politically. I was in Greece a while back (I’m really due for another visit) and I actually thought how much we have in common really and the differences now are of our political philosophies and that seems to be split to me on a global level instead of per country.

9.The people you work with, do they have a negative or an optimistic point of view about GREECE?

-My people, my tribe all have a very high opinion of Greece and what it has given to the world. They are very optimistic and financial I think they all felt empathy because in the States we were really steps away of being in the same boat and some states still are- I mean look at us now- did you ever image this would happen?

10. Are you satisfied with your everyday life conditions there?

-Right now I would say for a lot of us it’s really a tough time. We feel like our country is not in the best of hands and are all feeling motivated to try and change that with the following elections and hope that justice will prevail. I am only satisfied within my home and with my family and friends and how we handle this period of time in our country if that makes sense. Thank you!! Theodora Ntovas YASOU natural skin care www.yasouskincare.com