Forget what was yesterday, it is not today…
Our first summer in NYC circa 2016. (Andreas, Agapi, Nico)
Hello all you beautiful people! This picture is from our first summer in NYC. In five days we will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary, celebrating the day we moved to Manhattan, from Greece. With all the uncertainty in these unprecedented pandemic times, we wanted to reach out, and tell you a little bit more about our story, and of course thank all of you who have impacted and supported us along the way. We also want to give you some hope to help ease your minds.
The actual day we moved to New York was 3/25/2016, which also happens to be Greek Independence Day. The motto during the Greek War of Independence was “Freedom or Death!” There is no point in just existing. You have to live, and living means the freedom to experience all of life’s beauty. Moving to New York on that date was very symbolic for us. Andreas and I were in need of “freedom”, freedom to dream again, move forward, continue our lives, and our career, in a market that was healthy. For anyone that knows us, we thirst for new projects, to push our boundaries, to see ourselves evolve as individuals.
Andreas was born in Greece, and I was born in Seattle. I am first generation Greek-American. (My parents were born in Greece.) We were based in Greece for over a decade, where we became industry leaders in wedding photography. However, as you may know, Greece was hit by a devastating economic crisis that really began in 2011 if I remember, and definitely peaked in 2015. We got married in 2013 and had just bought our dream house by the sea (25 minutes from downtown Athens). I planted a vegetable garden, and we had our “kids” (Agapi our Japanese Akita, and two beautiful Persian cats). We were finally “discussing” having weeknights free, after years of going full throttle.
However, by 2015 it was clear that it was best we begin to look to exit the market. That year, we saw such ugliness, such suffering. I remember people were committing suicide because of economic pressures. Among those that took their lives, a friend, the famous Greek fashion designer Michalis Aslanis. I remember a news story of a woman who had poured gasoline on herself, and was standing on her roof threatening to set herself on fire. The stores, even in affluent areas, were closed, or closing. You would walk past 30 stores, all closed, then find one still open. I remember there were pure bred dogs loose on the streets, hundreds of them. Owners could not feed themselves let alone their pets, and shelters would not take them because they were overwhelmed. We saw clients who had such wealth, but then had nothing. On top of that, the Syrian refugees flooded Greece hoping for a better life. However, you would see them on the news saying “This is Europe? This is not freedom or quality of life.”
We had finished a meeting in Kolonaki, a very affluent area in downtown Athens. It was just the beginning of winter. There standing before us, an older woman, wearing a beautiful fur coat. She looked like she could have easily been at one of the posh cafes with the rest of the socialites of Athens. However, her head was bowed down, and her hand was extended out toward us. She said “Young lads, do you have any spare change? My son and his wife, have both lost their jobs. They have small children who are very hungry. I am ashamed to ask your help, but our family needs it.“ This was a sight you surely would have never seen in Kolonaki, and Greece in general. It was so sad. She could have been our mother. I had 300 Euros on me, and I gave it to her. Everyone suffered, but sometimes I feel those that had more, had more trouble accepting their losses. I think psychologically it was more torturous.
However, with all these clear signals, it was tough accepting the new landscape. I would tell Andreas every morning, everyday that whole year actually, “I am doing something wrong…I need to be innovative in my approach…I know I can find a solution…just give me time.” I did not want to succumb to defeat, nor give up the beautiful life we had built, and worked OUR ASSES OFF FOR! And he would say to me “you are remarkable, but you are unable to fix this…we have to leave Greece”. He was right!
The following six month period was actually the worst of all. Where would we go? Who do we know? What will starting over entail? What does the future hold? The uncertainty is what eats at you. Where you have one foot out the door, but have no idea where you are going. In limbo. A ship with a broken compass and no set course, floating in the open sea.
Many fellow fashion creatives, had left to Dubai. We also entertained the idea for about a month or two. We studied that market and the businesses in our field that dominated. Then we looked to Milan, Italy, because of our fashion background and contacts there. Again we researched to understand that market. Finally, a friend and famous fashion stylist from Canada, said “Guys, you need to just go to New York.” I had been to New York once, for two days. It was a trip with my university, for a Model United Nations conference. Andreas and I did not know many people in New York, other than some contacts at creative and modeling agencies. Not knowing anyone or even the place made it hard for your mind to grasp if it was doable or not.
I, especially, could not take the uncertainty any longer. I needed to define my next move, or else I was going to lose my mind. Truly! Pure suffocation. We needed to decide the location, event if it was a mountain top in the Swiss Alps. Somewhere, was better than nowhere. We needed a decision to begin a course of action. In the end, a reboot in the USA made the most sense. The healthy US market, all the unparalleled opportunities, especially for small businesses, and a system with laws that actually protected its citizens. Looking back, I should have seen immediately that it was a dream scenario no matter the struggle that would be required to reboot.
New beginnings! Athens to New York! | 03/25/2016 - (Greek Independence Day)
As I mentioned, we left on Greek Independence Day. “Freedom baby!” This picture is from us on the plane headed to New York. Smiling, but full of uncertainty inside. Kind of like now, right? However, we definitely were not afraid to give it our all…for a second time! (We did wish we were in our late 20s again. #truth)
Of course, we entered a huge saturated market. Although born and educated in America, I had been gone so long that I experienced culture shock. Nobody knew us, completely opposite of what we were used to in Greece!!! Wedding clients used to say “what ever stone you turn over, you will find Andreas and Nico underneath.” However, we had to accept that our rates would be drastically lower until we created our network, and gained a footing in the market. It was humbling for sure. We threw out the majority of our portfolio because it did not represent the aesthetic we wanted for the new decade, nor did it resemble events in New York. (Over 1000 events we had clocked in 2011.)
I remember telling Andreas “brainwash yourself…forget the past…forget the rates…do not allow your mind to go there…just keep the experience you have obtained all these years, and use that to get to where you want to be, even faster than the last time.” We saw too many fellow creatives go bankrupt in Greece, because they did not budge on their rates, even though the market had changed. They did not adapt. They were nostalgic about the past, too proud, allowing their egos to blind them. They did not look for the opportunities that always exist even in the worst of times. Just as I had initially done. However, we accepted our reality as if we had been born into to this environment. We told ourselves each day, that this is all we ever knew.
One of our first jobs in New York, was a wedding in some park in NJ, for I think $600. We even booked a few jobs via Thumbtack, you know where you hire a painter or plumber? (Funny thing though, four years later one of those thumbtack jobs brought us a 2020 event. An event that might just be the most exciting, high profile, and highest paying event we have shot. That is why no matter the job, give it your all. You never now who is watching). Thankfully, in an extremely short amount of time we have created a solid network, our rates are back to a level appropriate for our experience and the services we provide. We have amazing clients who appreciate us, praise us, thank us, and trust us to cover their events. We also have been fortunate to deepen relationships with peers in our industry, in New York but also on a global level. This has proven to be the best resource for knowledge, support, and continued opportunities for collaboration. (A special shout out to Engage Summits @engagesummits for their positive impact in our journey.)
Andreas and I put 200% into what ever we work on. It is just how we are as individuals. We are extremely critical of ourselves as artists, maybe more so than we should. We constantly want to improve ourselves, and like to look back and see that we have indeed made progress towards what ever goal we have set. We love studying our environment, researching, absorbing knowledge like sponges, connecting with other creatives and businesses to understand how they approach things, discussing with our clients how we can improve, and we also feel we are now experts at adapting to changing conditions. It never feels fully comfortable to try something new, but we give in to the river’s current, and do not fight it. We choose to understand its shape, its purpose, and how we can work with it. The Greek Financial Crisis, definitely “broke us” on a deeper level. However, it was the best thing that could have happened to us!!! Really, it was the best gift ever. Success in business often coincides with getting too comfortable. You lose the motivation to be fresh in your strategy and ideas. It also taught us to never guarantee that your life is unbreakable, even as much as you try and put up walls to protect yourself.
Something remarkable clicked inside of us, and we now comfortably say “fuck it, master the wave you are riding no matter where it takes you.” In other words, accept its motion, adapt, adjust your footing, pivot, find your balance, and accept the current wave for what it is. Be ballsy enough to even try and tame it. When you get to the other side, which you will if you choose not to drown, you will see success. We promise. You must be flexible in your thinking, have faith, and stay committed.
We are surely living an unprecedented moment. However, it is beautiful to see so much love, support, and inspiration around us. Do not take it for granted. See the value of the current situation. Forget what was yesterday, it is not today. Nor is today tomorrow. Look forward, and see that you have the opportunity for something new. Pause, take a deep breath, and adapt. Your adaptability is the key.
The Knot Gala 2018 | New York Public Library