After spending 6 years running my businesses, back in sunny Greece, I still hadn't found my self in it. The truth is that my interests are spread out like termites in the woods. Just to give you an idea I enjoy doing the following:

Building and fixing furniture, electric, electronics and mechanical equipment.

Making business plans, solving problems and design solutions.

Coordinate events.

Design new products - not in terms of aesthetics but in terms of the actual use.

That is just a fraction of what I could end up doing. Among all this I have to consider a serious back injury that (it) can be limiting in some instances.

 

Jobs I did:

Pizza delivery

Waiter in a bar

Waiter in a restaurant

Cars sales man at Toyota

'Direct marketing' (the worst ever!)

Theatre clown

DJ - for long time!

 

Businesses I have run:

'Prosperity Records Ltd' a record company.

Didn't make it to launch - although a lot of work was done from contracts with singers and studios up to the first production.

 

'Flowers Press Ltd' a publication company - weakly magazine 'TVision'

I started everything by myself, the first day of publish only three people were working with me. After two years time with more than 80 issues, 17 employees, we were out of business. Cash-flow was one of the major reasons.

 

Flowers Press Publications LLC - Started as a publishing company became an event coordinating company.

Back to two people, we started making plans for launching the 'FreeVision' magazine. Cash was again a big issue. So we started organising dance seminars with top instructors, instead. After a while we produced an event called 'Latin Fever in Athens'. The world latin dance champions Bryan Watson & Carmen were performing amongst other stars. The stadium was almost full. After that me and my partner split our business paths and so our business.

 

No money! No honey!

If you don't know what I mean I will only tell you that eating rice every day for 6 months is not fun!

 

While searching around I found a job as a trainee clown. What??? To be honest I was really interested from the first time I saw their add.

Since I was my own boss for a long time I found difficult to work with a small company that doesn't follow a system or strategy. So, I moved on by making my own little company as an entertainer/clown! I read books, I researched, I saw others and after being physically and mentaly 'abused' from children who don't like clowns, I was one! Fully booked on all the weekends and having five other clowns whom I trained I could say that I had succeeded.

Quick facts:

I entertained more than 5000 kids in more than 500 events and parties!

I travelled all the way to Thailand to learn the art of balloon making and modelling from the pros!

Kids can hurt you!

 

And then I just stopped! That's right! I wanted more! I sold my equipment rented my line to another company and moved to England.

Happy enough to have my partner with me. Nadia is taking an Economics degree at Reading University, after working with me as an entertainer for more than a year back in Athens.

 

Back into research, in order to make a healthy food manufacturing business. I was privileged to work with my mother, Flora, who is a successful author and instructor in raw diet. Flora has prototyped her unique recipies for healthy meals and snacks. We worked closely with Business Link and generally we got any help and advice was available from the UK business world.

 

On the day of the final decision I asked my self, 'Do you want to do this?' 'Is that what you were looking for?' 'No more time for experimental experiences'. And I backed out. It was really interesting but it wasn't the most interesting. After my apologies to everyone involved in it, once again I moved forward.

 

A few months after and while walking on my treadmill, trying to ease my back pain, I had an idea! Why not make a video for YouTube? That's a really creative way to spend my time while waiting to find out what I really want to do in this life, I thought. But after having so many experiences and having learnt to plan first, it was difficult to grab the camera and start shooting. I had to do it properly. And Amazon.com was my first thought. But wait, there are plenty of books on the subject and even worse, there are books on different aspects too. That was way more chaotic than me. After researching for books online and at the public library, I came up with this little book 'Filmmaking for Teens'. It was terrific. Simple language covering all the aspects of filmaking. And so it was.

 

But there is still a little problem. The authors assume you are a student and they advice you on how to take advantage of being a student to get equipment, location, feed your crew, etc., for free. Really unsuitable for me. But they were advising you to also check with your council's educational program. And so I did.

 

And for making a long story short by looking for seminars across Reading I end up in a BA course in London. Studying Film and Video Production at Thames Valley University. After the first couple of months I realised how unorganised they are and how low the level of education is. After nine months of being in a self-studying mode I decided to move on from them and continue my life long self-learning commitment.

 

Without even understanding it, I found something that I really like. I can also adapt all the little things I've learn't here and there, to tell stories in the most creative and fulfilling way that I found so far. Saying so, I need to thank Lynda.com for offering me the opportunity to learn in my own pace from the comfort of my home.