Well i guess the word Experience in this case has to do with what i have done so far…in regard to anything that adds to my strength = being able to have an understanding of how things work…not always lol
Since i was young i enjoyed working especially during summer time…until the age of 18 i had already worked at a boring (not boring haha google what it is) factory, shipping company and construction…i would always be curious and ask people why they were doing things in a certain way…
During my Marketing studies i became a freelance recruiter for qualitative/quantitative surveys…instantly made a website which was called pocketmoney.gr and i was on a mission to find people…well it pays good have that in mind and you meet a lot of people!
At the same time i was a bicycle “tour guide” around Athens which was super cool to get to meet new people from all over the world, cycle and see new places!
After my studies i opened my own kitesurfing, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding school…importing/exporting…repairing kites using industrial sewing machines…i did everything which was great until i wanted a change!
To keep the whole story short i found out that Escape Rooms existed which was something we were dreaming of since a young age with a friend…boom in 42 days with 1.8K invested we opened the 1st Escape Room on the island…website, facebook, flyers, riddles, puzzles, locks (finding a sponsor is key when bootstrapping), free adverts on the radio (there are ways to do this)…by the way the Escape Rooms were created into my own house lol
Facts we gave 3 rooms for free on a radio show and the secretary of Viber was tuned in to that radio show…talking about being in the right place at the right time…she called and asked if we could entertain 25 people inside a hotel…we said yes and created a custom-made mystery scenario…it was a blast and from that moment up until today my company specializes in team building activities for companies…
Then many Escape Rooms started to appear with big budgets and mainstream locations…so i shifted quickly into children’s birthday entertainment that co-existed along with the escape rooms…with 80 euros budget, a smart advert on facebook and simple materials i had more than 3K from birthdays within 3 weeks…not flexing but my brain is mostly a starter and how to actually MVP (minimum viable product) asap…it was a success and we also started making food with my parents which was a premium service for some “rich” people!
Escape rooms were profitable but had me on standby 7 days a week…so i closed them down and in the same rooms i added beds and some decor…Airbnb right away was a success with themed rooms…even a kinky one where you would open a wardrobe and enter a hidden room…
Through all this at some points i was short on money so i would do raffles…get some free prizes…drinks at a bar…find sponsors…add also a few surfboards and just by calling up people i could sell tickets thus being able to fuel up my mission forward!
Finding specific items for supermarkets and winning tenders, renting sports equipment, working in movies/adverts in props since i am a handyman, buying/selling a variety of products from Barbies (yes there is money to be made and you have to learn to recognize the year of production etc) to even Wikipedia page creation (a reseller of course), creating my own small surfskate brand from scratch/importing from a factory…entering a startup as a partner in order to develop the product further etc…the list goes on so if i would sum up…i am creative and have done a few things in life that put me in a position of being able to figure out unique solutions when possible!
Since 2008 i have had my company and am currently in a shift towards a near future that suits my “ideal” lifestyle best!