Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Kalomenidou.
Hi Maria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Like many women entering their 50s and that “empty nest” phase of life, I was looking for a new challenge.
I had been working as a freelance web designer in Cincinnati for the better part of a decade but also had a lifelong love of food and cooking. Yet whenever I would look for high-quality Greek food & ingredients in the States, I’d get frustrated at all the mass-produced products on the market. I could never find the all-natural, small-batch goodies that I’d come across whenever I’d go back to Greece, so I decided to do something about it! I also felt the urge to do something at this stage of my life where I could give back to Greece and I thought I could play a part in elevating the image of Greek food, taking it beyond the cliches to something closer to the clean, natural flavors of my childhood and that you can still find in modern Greek cooking. I’m also a very visual person and had a wonderful experience collaborating with chefs and artists on a project for The Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati and I knew I wanted to keep working in a creative food-related space.
I started my online business four years ago, taking our Artisans’ products to local farmers’ markets and holiday fairs. I loved telling people how they could enjoy these sometimes-unusual flavors and seeing how much they enjoyed discovering a different side of Greek food. Then when the pandemic hit, everything shifted online, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. But to be honest, it also caught us off guard and we weren’t able to catch our breath. We were in constant fire-fighting mode and it’s only been in the past few months that we’ve been able to take a step back and return to more longer-term thinking. Still, the global supply chain crisis is definitely hitting us, too – one Artisan can’t get the beautiful tea tins she packs her Greek mountain tea in; shipping costs are three times higher than they were a year ago, the online landscape changes quickly. But we’re hanging in there and continuing to grow.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the earliest challenges I faced was in convincing our Artisans back in Greece that their products didn’t belong on the huge supermarket shelves like Kroger or even Whole Foods. These are really small-batch, all-natural products, and even when we sold in the beginning in Jungle Jim’s, it was pretty clear to me that smaller specialty shops, with their more personalized approach and emphasis on unique flavors, are where these products belong.
Later on, the pandemic was a huge opportunity but also an incredible challenge. On the one hand, we were in a great place when everyone suddenly shifted to buying food online – we had an established website, we were present on Amazon and other platforms…but things went crazy! We felt like we were constantly fighting fires (usually supply & transport fires) and just couldn’t catch our breath and think long-term. I also really missed the creative time in the kitchen and behind my camera (I’m a designer by training and the visual always inspires me). Our Artisans are working in a very challenging environment, first because of the deep economic crisis and now because of the fallout of the pandemic, and it’s not easy to bring their products over here…but it is so worth it and we’re full of pride at what we’ve accomplished together!
Finally, many people I met doubted my abilities, since I didn’t have experience in the food business. And to be honest, it is a still a very male-dominated business, although I’ve met some incredible women along the way, which has probably been one of the nicest parts of this journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Zelos Authentic Greek Artisan?
I started Zelos Authentic Greek Artisan four years ago so that I could share with others my zēlos (“zeal”) for the small-batch, all-natural Greek food that I always enjoyed on my regular visits to Greece but could never seem to find here in the States. Americans often have a stereotypical view of Greek food and I wanted to change that, offering them the clean, natural flavors that I saw thriving in contemporary Greek cooking. I also wanted to help the many small Artisans I discovered on my trips to find their American audience and grow their business out of what was such a difficult economic crisis. I met some amazing entrepreneurs, some new like me, others who were carrying on family businesses into the third generation. I knew that together we could take Greek cuisine in the States to the next level and at the same time help them grow and prosper. It has been a rewarding way of giving back to the land of my birth.
I am really proud of three things that I could make happen through this Zelos journey. First of all, I am incredibly proud of the fact that we’ve been able to give our Greek Artisans the exposure to the huge US market, both through our direct-to-consumer platforms like our website and Amazon, but also through many small specialty shops around the country that buy from our wholesale platforms. Helping Greek Artisans grow despite the crisis and pandemic has been very fulfilling. Second, I love the wonderful community we’ve created and the personal stories people are constantly sharing with us. We’ve been fortunate to be part of something special, of bringing a little bit of joy to people as we spread love through food. I’ve gotten so many notes that say things like “this reminded my partner of their childhood!”, “this is as good as my grandmother’s!”, “I feel like I’m back in my horio”, “you made our anniversary so special”…those are such moving emotions and I’m really happy Zelos can give them. Finally, I’m proud that we could play our own small role in developing women in business, entrepreneurs like me who have complex personalities and who aren’t afraid to juggle the many hats of entrepreneurship and do so with humor and grace. I am so proud of our mutual support system and the amazing results we get from working together – I really do believe women represent an untapped source of growth and innovation in Greece.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ZelosGreekArtisan.com
- Instagram: @zelosgreekartisan
- Facebook: @zelosgreekartisan
- Twitter: @zelosgrartisan
- Other: Pinterest @zelosgreekartisan
