48-HOUR TRIP TO ATHENS TO OPEN THE NEW EUROPEAN OFFICE
“We just signed a two-year lease in Athens, Greece and are very excited about the potential for our European Operations.”
LANDED IN ATHENS
Landing in Athens for a quick 48-hour trip has become standard for me. Easy entry with just a PCR test and off I go. The first thing I do when I get off the plane is to get a nice Freddo Espresso after a long trip from Los Angeles to Chicago, to Germany to Athens.
I have been preparing this month with my Managing Director, Kosta Varnavopoulos, to see four potential offices that we have been filtering online.
THE NEXT DAY
Leaving Syntagma, which is in the center of the city and heading to the new office we signed a lease on. Very exciting times to be opening up in Greece. The location of the office is in the suburb of Marousi, short drive to the downtown and to the airport.
With a new lease in hand, I held 20+ interviews with potential candidates over a period of 12 hours in the new office (with very little furniture in place). Client meetings in between and taking in this glorious city. I have been coming to Athens monthly to keep the European operations moving along.
48 HOURS LATER, 48 MEETINGS LATER
Dropping off the car rental at the Athens airport is super easy and convenient. I met a lot of new potential clients, interviewed several amazing candidates and the potential here is promising.
Landing in Athens. Just completed a PCR Covid-19 test and off I went.
Sitting with Kosta Varnavopoulos, Managing Director of Ideoli Europe. No furniture, no problem.
Needs a lot of work, but this is the 1st day we took over the lease and held interviews with over 20 professionals. We make it happen!
INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS PODCAST
Filmed at the 26th Annual Global Business and Technology Association (GBATA) Conference in Athens, Greece, George Stroumboulis presents his keynote, Building Beyond Borders, sharing practical lessons on leadership, global expansion, and building meaningful relationships that drive lasting business success.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Raphael Kontos and Thaleia Misailidou. Filmed in Athens, Greece, they discuss the growth of Greece's startup ecosystem, venture capital, innovation, and what it takes to build globally competitive companies.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Christopher Bates, founder of the internationally recognized Christopher Bates brand. Filmed in Newport Beach, California, they explore Christopher's journey from studying fashion design in Milan to building a globally respected lifestyle brand known for its sophistication, innovation, and commitment to quality.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Jake Hardy, founder of SOKITO, the company behind one of the world's most sustainable football boots. Filmed in Newport Beach, California, they explore Jake's journey from identifying a gap in the market to building a purpose-driven brand in one of the most competitive industries in sport.
George Stroumboulis sits down with George Stroumboulopoulos, one of Canada's most influential broadcasters, for an intimate conversation about identity, discipline, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. Filmed in Newport Beach, California, they explore Strombo's journey from pirate radio and MuchMusic to CBC, CNN, and Hockey Night in Canada, sharing lessons on authenticity, resilience, burnout, and the human connections that have defined his career.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Mike Zambidis, world kickboxing legend and one of the most explosive fighters in combat sports history. Filmed at Zambidis Gym in Glyfada, Athens, Greece, they explored his journey from a young athlete in Athens to becoming an 18 time world champion and international K 1 superstar.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Peter Politis, a seasoned entrepreneur known for buying, scaling, and exiting businesses in highly competitive industries. Filmed in Miami, Florida, they explored his journey from finance into food distribution. Breaking down the mindset, discipline, and execution required to build businesses that scale and sell.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Georgios Frangulis, the Brazilian-Greek founder and CEO of Oakberry, one of the fastest-growing global superfood brands. Filmed in Miami, they explore his journey from starting with limited resources to building Oakberry into a worldwide empire, along with his expansion into sports ownership, luxury investments, and global partnerships.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Alexi Papalexopoulos, a Los Angeles–based filmmaker and creative director who built his career directing music videos for major artists before transitioning into narrative filmmaking and global storytelling. Filmed in Newport Beach, they explore his journey through music, film, creative evolution, and the mindset behind building a career in visual storytelling.
OTHER BLOGS
When you're building a company, you expect business challenges. You don't expect to spend your first year fighting to prove your own identity.
Before I ever learned about sales, leadership, or entrepreneurship, I learned that people may forget what you said - but they'll never forget how you made them feel.
Sometimes the best careers aren't carefully planned - they're the result of curiosity, relationships, and saying yes to opportunities you never expected.
I'm honored to join The Hellenic Initiative's Accelerate Greece program as this year's keynote speaker and to share my journey of building businesses, overcoming adversity, and thinking beyond borders with Greece's next generation of entrepreneurs.
George Stroumboulis, CEO and Co-Founder of Ideoli Group, delivered his Building Beyond Borders keynote at the GBATA 26th Annual International Conference, held at the Titania Hotel in Athens, Greece.
I took my daughters, Demi and Viviana, to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to watch Canada take on South Africa in the FIFA Men's World Cup Round of 32.
We headed into the mountains for the Macatawa Tribe Indian Princess father-daughter camping weekend at Camp Arbolado, located deep in the wilderness of Angelus Oaks, California.
I’m honored to officially announce that I will be joining the 26th Annual International Conference hosted by the Global Business and Technology Association as a keynote speaker in Athens, Greece this July.
For the first time in over forty years on this planet, my parents, my sister, and I finally experienced Greece together as a family.
During a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to visit one of the many WeWork locations that features Ideoli Group LED lighting installed throughout the space.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Matt Gates, business development executive and sales leader. Filmed in Newport Beach, California, they discuss the principles of high-performance sales, building lasting client relationships, and the mindset required to achieve long-term success in business.