EXPANDING TO GLOBAL MARKETS FOR IDEOLI GROUP - INTERNAL | E060 PODCAST
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ABOUT THE EPISODE
In this special on-location episode, George Stroumboulis and Chris Hartswick take listeners behind the scenes of an official Ideoli business trip to Thessaloniki, Greece — a pivotal journey for the company’s continued European expansion.
From factory tours and vendor reviews to client meetings, partner engagement, and on-site interviews, the episode captures the energy and ambition driving Ideoli’s next phase of growth. The team also participated in the grand opening of the Z7 Sports Academy, where Ideoli’s new LED stadium lighting system was officially unveiled — marking another milestone in the company’s global sports lighting portfolio.
During their stay, George and Chris filmed podcasts, met with colleagues across Greece, and explored partnerships tied to Ideoli’s new regional warehouse, which will serve as a distribution and logistics hub for Northern Greece and the Balkans.
This episode is a firsthand look at how international collaboration, local relationships, and forward-thinking execution continue to position Ideoli Group as a global lighting and electrical solutions leader.
Website: www.ideoli.com
George Stroumboulis sits down with Chris Hartswick in Thessaloniki, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business podcast during an official Ideoli business trip — covering market expansion, vendor reviews, client engagement, the Z7 Sports Academy launch ceremony, and so much more.
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MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE
George Stroumboulis sits down with Chris Hartswick in Thessaloniki, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business podcast during an official Ideoli business trip — covering market expansion, vendor reviews, client engagement, the Z7 Sports Academy launch ceremony, and so much more.
Broadcasting from Thessaloniki, Greece, George Stroumboulis and Chris Hartswick sit down on the Invigorate Your Business podcast to share insights from their Ideoli trip focused on European market growth, vendor partnerships, client collaboration, and the unforgettable Z7 Sports Academy opening ceremony.
Chris Hartswick taking in the breathtaking views of the Thessaloniki waterfront from the apartment where we filmed our podcast sessions — a perfect backdrop for strategy, storytelling, and inspiration.
George Stroumboulis and Chris Hartswick representing Ideoli Group at the Z7 Sports Academy grand opening — celebrating our stadium lighting launch and expanding Ideoli’s footprint in the Greek and European markets.
George Stroumboulis, Chris Hartswick, and Kosta Varnavopoulos representing Ideoli Group at the Z7 Sports Academy grand opening — celebrating our stadium lighting launch and expanding Ideoli’s footprint in the Greek and European markets.
ABOUT THE “INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS” PODCAST
The Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis podcast features casual conversations and personal interviews with business leaders in their respective fields of expertise. Crossing several industry types and personal backgrounds, George sits down with inspiring people to discuss their business, how they got into that business, their path to the top of their game and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way. We want you to get inspired, motivated, and then apply any advice to your personal and professional lives. If there is at least one piece of advice that resonates with you after listening, then this podcast is a success. New episodes weekly. Stream our show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Amazon and all other platforms.
ABOUT GEORGE STROUMBOULIS
George Stroumboulis is an entrepreneur to the core, having launched several ventures across multiple industries and international markets. He has held senior-level positions at progressive companies and government institutions, both domestically and internationally, building an extensive portfolio of business know-how over the years and driving profit-generating results. George’s ability to drive real change has landed him in several media outlets, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. George was born in Toronto, Canada to his Greek immigrant parents. Family first. Flying over 300,000 miles a year around the world puts into perspective how important family is to George’s mental and emotional development. With all this travel to global destinations, the longest he stays even in the most far-out destination is 3 days or less - a personal rule he lives by to make sure he is present and involved in family life with his wife and three daughters. To read about George’s global travels, stay connected with his blog section.
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FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT
George Stroumboulis: 0:00
This episode of Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis comes from Greece. I'm here with my business partner, Chris Hartswick, and we're doing a lot of things in a very compact two days. We're here specifically for a huge launch event where we feature our custom LED lighting products for stadium setting, which is really, really fun. We're going to get into that. We're here for multiple vendor and factory meetings. We're expanding our footprint within Southeast Europe. And we have various client meetings that we're going to go over and just building our network here with the team in Greece, in Europe, and then what we're doing on a global scale. So we're going to cover a bunch of little things in this compact episode. So enjoy this episode starting now. My name is George Stroumboulis, and I'm extremely passionate about traveling the world, meeting new people, and learning about new businesses. Join me as I sit down with other entrepreneurs to learn about their journey. This episode of Invigorate Your Business Starts Now. So, Chris, we are in Thessaloniki, Greece, northern city in Greece, second most populated city in Greece. Your first time here.
Chris Hartswick: 1:14
Yeah.
George Stroumboulis: 1:15
This is the first podcast we've done on two or less hours of sleep. Two or fewer, two or fewer less. We're going to do a quick podcast recap. We got some cool, important stuff. Last time we sat down together, I was trying to think, was last year, November.
Chris Hartswick: 1:31
Really?
George Stroumboulis: 1:31
In Athens.
Chris Hartswick: 1:32
Interesting.
George Stroumboulis: 1:33
We've just been so busy. And I know, like anywhere we've traveled to, it was like just no time, meetings, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. And we're sitting here almost a year later, and there's a lot going on. Last time we sat down, we're talking about tariffs and what was going on politically. But the Saloniki Greece, why we're here, quick two days. Uh, a lot of cool stuff. The anchor of the trip was basically a cool ceremony last night, opening ceremony for one of Greece's most famous decorated soccer players.
Chris Hartswick: 2:03
Yeah. Right.
George Stroumboulis: 2:03
Thodoris Zagorakis opened up his academy, and we were fortunate enough to partner up with him and his team and uh basically do all the stadium lighting, right, at this facility. So we're here for that, and then our true nature uh factory tours in northern Greece, meeting with different vendors, you know, building up our distribution business, meeting with some, you know, political uh type people here as well, team meetings and having fun. So, Thessaloniki, what are your first impressions being here?
Chris Hartswick: 2:33
I mean, from a city itself, it's awesome, it's incredible. It's got such a different vibe from Athens. Right. Right. But how so? I don't know. Athens is more, and I don't know population, I don't know things like that, but Athens just strikes me more like bustling type city, feels like a bigger city, feels like a uh its own version of a bigger city you would find in most countries. Sure. Right. And then you kind of have I've always I feel like I always really enjoy the smaller cities, right? So in New York, it's always been like more the burbs, right? Astoria loved Astoria when I was there, lived there for a while. And just any of these smaller cities, I I always just tend to gravitate towards. But Thessaloniki definitely has that vibe. It's also awesome. I mean, the cameras are looking at us right now, but we're sitting in an Airbnb that if I fell off the balcony, there's a 50% chance I'm falling in the water, right? It's unbelievable. The water comes right up to the edge. You know, there's a small, skinny street right next to these buildings, and then water right there. We're near the port. You know, it's small enough. I can look over to that side, see the port. I can look over this side, see a monument. I can look across the water, see tankers coming in. Like it's just beautiful. The landscapes where we were last night, 25-ish minutes away. Yeah. Like we're in the heart downtown, 25-ish minutes away. We're in just gorgeous mountains, right? Farmland. Yeah. We were next to some horse facility. Like it was just, it's incredible how you can get to such a different space so quickly, so easily. Absolutely. You know, bad traffic here is like a 10-minute delay.
George Stroumboulis: 4:17
Right, right, right.
Chris Hartswick: 4:18
It's uh, it's just it's an awesome city.
George Stroumboulis: 4:20
Well, we've had team members over the years on our team from here, and they'll always rave about it. Yeah. How amazing it is. But uh, and the other thing that strikes me with here, and not saying taken away from anywhere else, the the people are so hospitable.
Chris Hartswick: 4:32
Yeah.
George Stroumboulis: 4:33
And not just the restaurants were, you know, but very hospitable, helping. Last night at the event, met someone for the first time, and immediately it's like, hey, tomorrow night, you and your team come into my house, we're gonna make fish, and like just and genuine invitations, right? Uh, so it's it's incredible here. Thessaloniki's known for Bugatsa, which Chris is a big Bugatza guy as well.
Chris Hartswick: 4:57
I am, I am.
George Stroumboulis: 4:58
So we we tried a couple of there. It was just great, but there's a few things we we gotta cover. Uh and I think for the listener, it's always good to update like where are we from a business standpoint since the last time we talked. We don't want to say the same things over and over, but a lot has changed in several months, right? And the politics and all that, we can't control it, but it's forced us to be more strategic in relationships, uh, setting up new new channels, right? And not be so dependent on a single economy, right? So, in doing that, like we've expanded our footprint into Canada here across the European Union. Uh, you know, so talk to us just about that, winning international clients.
Chris Hartswick: 5:40
Well, I think, you know, it's funny. I was thinking about this last night when I was lying in bed not sleeping. But you just said what I really feel like this trip is representing is like our expansion, right? Over the nine, almost 10 years of Ideoli, we've gone through so many different pivots. I, you know, we in the past we've talked about being nimble and pivoting and being willing to pivot, which is great and I still think very important. But right now, what's really exciting is I feel like we're in this true expansion on sort of all fronts, right? So as a business, what an expansive year we've had opening a distribution arm, right? All the headaches and and challenges that's brought in, but really setting us up for a new future growth, not completely different sector, but in a new sector for us. Um, and then even just from a product standpoint, true expansion. You know, again, in the past we've gone through pivots, okay, retail kind of died out for us. We got into multifamily, that's been growing really well. We got into specific hospitality and DMX lighting. We got into facade lighting, you know, everything we've talked about in the past. And this is like sort of our literally, we're here for the launch of our new product line, right? Sports lighting.
George Stroumboulis: 7:02
Right.
Chris Hartswick: 7:02
That's stadiums, that's indoor facilities, whatever that may be. And we had our first install monthish ago. Yep. Here, new facility. We get to see it last night, we get to see it in action. I'm not as well versed in in Greek soccer as you are, obviously, but I mean, just seeing those guys last night, the legends game, like these guys who not that long ago were gre uh bringing Greece into the international stage and winning on the international stage, like insane meeting these guys. Um, and then just seeing their reaction to their own facility, loving it, right? All the kids, I mean, how many, what, 200 kids or so last night, all different ages, yeah, playing on the seven fields that they have. Like it was phenomenal to see. And again, talking about the expansion, brand new product line for us. First install, first major install, anyway, public install. And it's uh it's super exciting, super exciting.
George Stroumboulis: 7:58
And we've always over the years, we always wanted like stadium lighting or sports facilities.
Chris Hartswick: 8:03
We've quoted it. We've quoted it, yes. Tried to develop some things, absolutely, but again, coming out with kind of like the new product line and and really being able to showcase it in a big, big way last night was unbelievable.
George Stroumboulis: 8:15
Unbelievable. And and we'll talk about that actual launch event. We have a lot of b-roll to show and everything. But um, this product line, it's not it's not just the actual product. Like the product is incredible. You could buy lighting from thousands of different vendors around the world, but ours is always the quality, making sure it's gonna last. It's not just getting the purchase order, install it, and be gone, but even building up to it and understanding what they're trying to achieve, what their budget is, all that stuff. And then just doing the lighting studies to see truly to maximize your dollar, this is how you're gonna get proper lighting on the field, this uh particular facility, seven fields, but they needed one of them to be UEFA approved sanctioned lighting. So that comes down to if they're recording it, if there's TV crews or everything to prevent flickering on camera. So it's not just slap some light fixtures on and turn it on, right? But seeing, you know, not just the legend himself, uh Thodoris Aguarakis, but his entire team, you know, his group of investors, like just loving the space, appreciating it. And it's really cool. And then for us, this is a great launching pad because there's hundreds of different facilities that are using old technology that we're gonna come in and offer great product, great pricing, photo metrics, lighting studies, doing that all together and then really expanding the market. And we're doing that, and and you know, it's just impressive that we put our mind to it from years ago and we're here now celebrating that.
Chris Hartswick: 9:42
Absolutely. Well, and and like you said, it's it's more than just the product, which also defines kind of the new identity, if you will, of what ideally is, right? It's the full service that we can bring, even to the extent of outdoor facility, stadium lights, fine. But there were so many nuances to this specific facility, right? They could only get power to certain areas. So it wasn't just even doing the photometrics. It's okay, what are the limitations of this photometrics? Our team in Athens was up here walking the site with them, finding out, okay, let us map out the exact pole locations, where can and can't you get the power to? What are the heights of the poles, right? Right. They're limited because of the wind loads and things like that. They couldn't go to the full height that a typical soccer field would have. So, like all these little bits of extremely important information that you wouldn't necessarily get on, like, oh, let me sell you a light. Yes. Right? It's no, we're here. Let us walk the site with you, let us talk through it, let us see what your challenges are, and then let us be the ones that give you the solution. Don't even worry about it. You have enough going on, brand new facility, everything you're trying to coordinate. Let us take this off your to-do list. We'll work through that burden, give you a full worked-out solution, even be here during installation to help with aiming. I mean, it's it really speaks to what we're able to offer on the international stage, right? Absolutely. Uh, again, this was my first time here, so I wasn't even part of that. Our team in Athens, unbelievable what they've been able to do and just respond in real time. Absolutely. Time zone, a few hours away, but still it's you know, easily can get here.
George Stroumboulis: 11:23
Well, and talking about the team, you said a good point. Like for the first part of our existence with Ideoli, right, creating it, every meeting, every interaction, anything that was significant, you and I either together or on our own had have to be there.
Chris Hartswick: 11:37
Sure.
George Stroumboulis: 11:37
Right? We just had to, just from a numbers. And then now it's like hiring and building great team members, people that can go out there, spearheaded all of this, right? And last night, seeing all the executives there, like, hey Costa, you know, hey Betty, what you know, just just seeing them and knowing like this is the team and we're doing this together, that's fulfilling.
Chris Hartswick: 11:56
Yeah.
George Stroumboulis: 11:57
Right. Because now we're empowering team members to go out there and and do significant projects.
Chris Hartswick: 12:01
Absolutely.
George Stroumboulis: 12:02
Right. And this just this event right here was the talk of the town yesterday, right? Like even the local cafe, we're having our fifth Fredo Espresso of the day, like just staying awake and going. But hey, you know, tonight we're going to Zawadaki's local legend. So this is awesome. And then the international standpoint, whether it's here, Dubai, you know, Africa, wherever we're at, we we know all the uh the certifications, the product requirements, the freight, the logistics, you know, it's really cool that we have this global landscape. So we always stay neutral politically, you know, in our lives, just because, you know, you you can't change a lot of things, right? So we just adapt. So a lot is changed politically that's affected trade policy, that's affected tariffs and so on. And again, we're staying neutral, especially on the podcast, but it's forced us to have to adapt, right? And pivot and everything. And a lot of that is just, hey, doubling down and making sure, okay, you know, we need to expand into this market. We need to build here. So we internationally have done such a strong job on being able to supply clients that we've since we've last done this, uh, landed two major international clients that are global brands based in the United States that are using our services, excuse me, to expand, right? Internationally. So one particular client, which we can't name right now, has a major rollout across the European Union, Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Australia, like basically the world, and every new location that they're going to open, we are providing their lighting, their services, you know, distribution logistics here from Greece, our distribution hub here in Greece, China, and New York, right? So, and we're expanding that and to have that ease of mind. And we've gone through a gauntlet of interviews and filtering and you know, to be able to win that. That's a big deal. But I think at the end of the day, it's it's us having the solution. And when we didn't in a particular market, we figure it out. Within weeks, we have, you know, new warehouse set up, free trade zones, everything set up that a global powerhouse brand is working with little old ideoli to help them execute. Right. So, like that, that's something that we pride ourselves on. We may not have the answer today. We'll figure it out, and then it works.
Chris Hartswick: 14:20
Absolutely. And I think it's also, you know, to toot our own horn a little bit, it I think it also speaks to sort of our realization, the research that we've done on where are we going to get established, right? Obviously, there's a personal connection to Greece, but we wouldn't have just set up here because your family background, right? It's well, Greece is southern, not TIP, but very southern Europe. It's in the EU. So it gives us access to all the EU, which we've used for our own clients, other clients, getting new clients, right? Like you said, bringing on new clients looking for more of a distribution logistics style play, not just the custom decorative, but then it's also physically close to the Middle East. It's physically close to northern Africa, right? So logistically, it's quick and easy to get to those facilities, those areas. If they need someone to do a site walkthrough, we can send our team from Athens. And then elsewhere in the world, you know, southern China, very close to Hong Kong, very easy to get in and out of, it close to Australia, things like that. It's, I feel like we've really methodically expanded over the years to the point where now we're already established. So, yes, these bigger companies, much bigger than us, could figure this out, but we've made it easy for them, right? And even in new services that we didn't even necessarily plan on doing, it's we've indirectly, unexpectedly, however you want to word that, made it easy for them the same way we try to do all of our services, right? Let us take that burden on, let us do the research. We're already here, there, wherever you're looking for, and we can help you expand.
George Stroumboulis: 16:03
Absolutely.
Chris Hartswick: 16:04
So it's we get them there faster, more efficiently, and we can do the research.
George Stroumboulis: 16:08
Yeah.
Chris Hartswick: 16:09
So it's, it's, it's really worked out. It's been amazing.
George Stroumboulis: 16:12
And I think just the term is uh strategic partnerships and anything we've done, whether it's from manufacturing, from uh setting up new vendor network, client side, we're a smaller team and we've always said, okay, work we focus our energies on to create something strategic, right? So even now, you know, we've spent the last decade, any market we go to, we find new vendors, we try to filter out component suppliers, everything. So even being here in Greece and into the Balkans, we're working with various partners with different product categories to filter their factories to see if that's something we could provide from a distribution standpoint, quality stand behind, you know, and really have the standards that we, you know, hold our partners to. So just even yesterday, like going to several factories and seeing what works, what doesn't, it's just building that network that we could bring in and offer it to our partners.
Chris Hartswick: 17:01
Yeah. And again, speaking to the expansion, right? Even on the internal technical product side, however you want to word that, northern Greece giving us access to, you know, Eastern Europe, the areas where there are a lot of these lighting facilities, you know, where they are making their own electronics, where they are bringing in glass molds. And Europe essentially, as a continent, is operating as a large country, right? Different countries are kind of known for different materialities and different processes. And we're able to now capitalize on that. We're able to expand on that, meeting with some of these new assembly facilities, some of these new, you know, different guys that are sort of experts in their own area. Yep. But then we can use that with our new facilities to bring in now opening assembly here, right? And then again, not political statement, but coming back to the political landscapes always changing, whether it's tariffs, whatever that may be. So it's like, okay, well, now we're just diversifying more. We're helping protect ourselves more, opening new facilities, new abilities to be able to assemble, bring in products, distribute, warehouse, whatever that may be. It's phenomenal to see the expansion.
George Stroumboulis: 18:18
Yeah. And 10 years in together, our our partnership gets like wiser and stronger, right? Like just even now we're here. Yesterday, a comment was made by one of the partners. And then on our drive to the next factory we're going to, it's like, you know, well, what if we did X, Y, and Z and we shelve it, we talk about it over dinner, and then it's like, yeah, maybe this does make sense. It's just that approach that we have. Strategic partnerships as well. Again, nothing to announce today, but you know, having certain influential people be ambassadors of the brand. So we could strategically say, hey, they know that we're not going to embarrass them. We're only going to help, you know, the their image, and we can leverage reputations to get into other verticals and markets and, you know, different arenas. Uh, it's cool. So we got some cool announcements coming up there that, you know, we'll test it. And I don't know, three out of 10 initiatives that we do may not work, but if the the balance does work, it's always good.
Chris Hartswick: 19:17
Absolutely.
George Stroumboulis: 19:18
So I know we don't have a lot of time. Uh, we talked about that. And then just talk about, you know, even Canada's expansion, what we're doing there, high level, where we're gonna be there Monday. So in a few days, we leave here in a few hours, and we're gonna be there opening up a new warehousing facility to support what we're doing in that local market.
Chris Hartswick: 19:36
Right. I mean, it's it feels really good because we've we've sort of, I don't want to say rinse and repeat, but but we've really kind of figured out this process, right? Even what we've gone through here in Greece. It's we were here, we were operating here, and we got to the point where things were really starting to build up and snowball a little bit. And it's like, okay, now it makes sense to truly get established. And that was what, two and a half-ish years ago? Yeah. Register, let's get a warehouse, let's get an office, let's slowly expand over time, make the warehouse bigger. Now we're offering more services. And we're now at that point where it's like, okay, Canada's the next hub, right? Over the last few years, we've been doing some good business there. Our business has been growing. We've really been gaining traction, getting phenomenal contacts, like just amazing contacts on the client side, meeting new people that also want to help us expand, strategic partnerships, right? And now we're at the point where it's like, okay, makes complete sense. It's a no-brainer. Let's get established, let's get a new facility, let's start with a small office and a little bit of warehouse. And then, you know, quickly we're going to be expanding over there, just like we've had at these different hubs around the world. So it's um, it is really exciting. Like you said, we're there next week, really starting to torn new facilities, right? Like we're solidifying it. Um, and it's it's exciting. The expansion is is really exciting from all aspects of the business.
George Stroumboulis: 21:07
Yeah. Stressful as heck. Sure. Right. But also internally, just hiring the right people, investing in like new systems, ERP systems, and the right people who are just experts in the industry. Like we're we're taking such a different, sophisticated approach than we have.
Chris Hartswick: 21:24
Right, right. Right.
George Stroumboulis: 21:25
Because we we see the expansion plans and what we're doing, new banking relationships, right? To be able to fund the expansion and what we're doing and new sales executives coming on board with Matt and what he's able to do and several other people that we have in the pipeline. So yeah, it's it's exciting. We're still motivated more than ever, you know, almost a decade in. You know, what's the next decade gonna look like and just building? But from now until then, let's not miss this flight to Germany. Yeah, good point. Right. So I think that was good. Just a good little recap. Yeah. And uh I think we're good for now. Here we are. All right, let's go grab a Bougatsa and get out. Time to do it. Thanks for listening to this episode of Invigorate Your Business with George Strombolis. Please hit the subscribe and like button and follow me on all the main podcast streaming channels. Also, please share your comments when you can. I appreciate your help in expanding this network to a worldwide audience. Until next time, stay invigorated.
CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO
00:00:00 Why We’re In Greece
00:01:06 Thessaloniki First Impressions
00:04:58 From Pivots To True Expansion
00:07:01 Launching The Sports Lighting Line
00:09:24 Beyond Fixtures: Full-Service Delivery
00:12:08 Global Clients And New Hubs
00:15:00 Greece As A Strategic Gateway
00:17:22 Factory Tours And Regional Capabilities
00:19:50 Canada Warehouse And Playbook
00:21:40 People, Systems, And What’s Next
STEPS TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS ACROSS BORDERS
1️⃣ Define Your Global Vision
Start with clarity — why do you want to expand internationally?
Is it for new markets, lower costs, diversification, or global partnerships? A clear purpose drives every strategic and financial decision.
2️⃣ Research and Select Target Markets
Do your homework. Understand each country’s market demand, regulations, taxation, import laws, and cultural nuances.
Use data, local advisors, and partner insights to identify markets where your product or service fills a true gap.
3️⃣ Establish Local Partnerships
You can’t grow globally alone.
Collaborate with local distributors, agents, vendors, or consultants who understand the ground realities — from logistics and compliance to customer behavior and sales tactics.
4️⃣ Adapt Your Offering
What sells at home may not resonate abroad.
Customize your products, pricing, and messaging for each market. Localization shows respect for the market and dramatically increases adoption and loyalty.
5️⃣ Build Operational Infrastructure
Set up reliable systems for logistics, supply chain, accounting, and legal compliance.
Whether through a physical office, warehouse (like Ideoli’s EU hub in Athens), or local partnerships, strong infrastructure ensures consistency and service quality.
6️⃣ Hire and Train Globally Minded Teams
Invest in people who can operate cross-culturally.
Train teams to communicate effectively, respect local customs, and represent your brand authentically worldwide.
7️⃣ Manage Currency, Compliance, and Risk
Work with global finance and legal experts to handle currency exchange, taxes, trade documentation, and intellectual property protection.
A small oversight here can lead to big challenges later.
8️⃣ Market with Local Intelligence
Create localized campaigns that blend global brand identity with local culture.
Collaborate with regional influencers or media outlets to build trust faster.
9️⃣ Prioritize Relationship Building
In many countries, business runs on relationships, not contracts.
Take the time to build trust through consistent communication, in-person visits, and follow-through.
🔟 Measure, Learn, and Scale
Start small, learn fast, and expand with insight.
Track performance metrics, customer feedback, and profitability before scaling into new regions.
HOW TO PARTNER WITH GLOBAL BRANDS TO BE THEIR VENDOR
1️⃣ Understand What Global Brands Value
Before pitching, learn what matters most to them:
Consistency (same quality worldwide)
Compliance (certifications, testing, safety)
Scalability (can you supply globally?)
Reliability (on-time, error-free execution)
Global brands choose vendors who make their lives easier — not just cheaper.
2️⃣ Build a Credible Foundation
No global brand will take a chance on an unproven vendor.
You need:
Documented case studies and client references.
Strong operational systems (ERP, QA/QC, logistics).
Demonstrable financial stability.
In short: show that you’re not just a supplier — you’re a long-term partner.
3️⃣ Align with Their Brand DNA
Study their design language, tone, sustainability goals, and sourcing policies.
If you mirror their values and vision, your pitch resonates deeper.
For example, if they’re ESG-focused, emphasize your energy efficiency, eco-materials, or ethical manufacturing practices.
4️⃣ Start Small, Deliver Big
You don’t need to land a multi-country contract immediately.
Start with one pilot project, one store, or one market, and over-deliver — on communication, timelines, and performance.
Once they trust you, they’ll invite you to scale.
5️⃣ Master the Procurement Process
Every global brand has a formal vendor onboarding system — often with strict prequalification requirements.
Be prepared with:
Product certifications and test reports
Liability insurance
Financial documentation
References and safety compliance
Understanding their corporate procurement cycle saves months of back-and-forth.
6️⃣ Offer Global Capability with Local Support
Multinational companies want partners that can serve their footprint.
If you can ship, install, and support across multiple regions — even better if you have regional warehouses or partnerships — you instantly stand out.
(Example: Ideoli’s ability to support U.S., Canada, and EU operations under one brand umbrella.)
7️⃣ Communicate Like a Partner, Not a Vendor
Once you’re in, it’s about relationship management.
Proactive communication, problem-solving, and transparency will elevate you from “supplier” to “strategic partner.”
Global brands value vendors who anticipate challenges and act fast.
8️⃣ Invest in Long-Term Trust
Reputation spreads quickly within global networks — one great project can open ten more doors.
Show up consistently, maintain quality, and build personal connections with their teams.
9️⃣ Be Visible
Attend global trade shows, participate in industry events, and showcase your work.
Visibility builds legitimacy — and brands often scout new vendors by observing who’s already leading projects in the field.
GIVEN THIS ECONOMY, WHY SHOULD YOU DO BUSINESS IN MULTIPLE MARKETS
1️⃣ Diversify Against Economic Volatility
No economy is bulletproof. When one market slows down, another might be accelerating.
Operating in multiple markets spreads risk — a dip in the U.S. can be balanced by growth in Europe or Asia.
This diversification keeps your revenue stable when local demand tightens or inflation hits.
2️⃣ Hedge Currency and Cost Fluctuations
Different regions experience different cost cycles.
By managing sourcing, production, and sales across borders, you can leverage favorable exchange rates, lower material costs, and local incentives to protect your margins.
3️⃣ Access New Customers and Growth Opportunities
Emerging markets often grow faster than mature ones.
Expanding into new geographies opens untapped audiences, fresh distribution channels, and new partnerships — fueling sustained long-term growth.
4️⃣ Build Resilience Through Supply Chain Flexibility
Global reach means multiple sourcing and fulfillment options.
If one route faces delays or tariffs, another region can pick up the slack.
This agility turns what would be a crisis for competitors into a manageable pivot for you.
5️⃣ Strengthen Brand Credibility and Scale
Being active in multiple regions signals stability and capability.
Clients see you as a brand that can deliver anywhere — and that trust can win you global accounts, not just local projects.
6️⃣ Capture Innovation and Talent Globally
Different markets drive different innovations.
By collaborating internationally, you gain access to diverse thinking, new technologies, and high-performing teams that strengthen your global competitiveness.
7️⃣ Position for the Future
The companies that thrive in uncertain times are those already playing on the global stage.
By expanding now, you’re not reacting to change — you’re anticipating it.
BLOG POST
Lighting Greece: A Two-Day Blitz
From Thessaloniki To Global Stadium Lighting: Expansion, Teams, And Strategy
How We Turned A Legends’ Academy Into A Launchpad For Global Sports Lighting
Two Hours Of Sleep, Seven Fields Lit, Zero Chill
Building A Worldwide Lighting Network From One Waterfront Balcony
Two hours of sleep, seven fields under fresh beams, and a waterfront balcony in Thessaloniki set the stage for a turning point. We came to Greece for a launch night at a legends’ academy, but the real story is how sports lighting became our catalyst for global growth and a new way of operating.
We break down what it takes to light a professional-grade facility the right way: photometric design for UEFA-level standards, anti-flicker performance for broadcast, aiming plans, pole height constraints, wind loads, and hard limits on power runs. Our Athens team walked the site, solved constraints in real time, and delivered a full solution that goes far beyond selling fixtures. That hands-on approach is now the blueprint we’re scaling across stadiums, indoor arenas, and multi-field complexes.
From there, we zoom out to strategy. Greece gives us EU access and proximity to the Middle East and North Africa, while our hubs in China and New York complete a global supply chain that shortens lead times and dampens tariff and policy shocks. We share how we won two major international clients with multi-region rollouts by combining quality products with logistics, regional inventory, and white-glove service. Factory tours in northern Greece and the Balkans reveal a rich network of specialized partners, and we explain how rigorous vendor filtering protects quality and pricing at scale.
We also outline the next hub in our playbook: Canada. The plan mirrors what worked in Greece—start lean with warehouse and office, then scale services as demand rises. Behind the scenes, we are investing in ERP systems, banking relationships, and senior sales talent to keep speed and reliability as we grow. If you’re curious about sports lighting, global logistics, or moving from scrappy pivots to durable expansion, this one maps the moves step by step.
Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, subscribe, and leave a quick review. Share this with a friend who’s building across borders—and tell us where you want to see the next field lit.
BLOG POST
The conversation opens on a windswept balcony in Thessaloniki, but the heart of the story is expansion. George and Chris sketch a vivid scene: a two-day sprint of factory visits, vendor meetings, and a headline event lighting a legends’ soccer academy. Greece becomes more than a backdrop. It is a strategic node connecting the European Union, the Middle East, and North Africa. Their team has grown beyond the founders’ shadow, moving from scrappy pivots to structured scale. The tone is practical and energized. They reflect on what changed since last year: geopolitics, tariffs, supply dynamics, and the push to diversify toward stability and speed.
A major thread is the launch of their sports lighting line. Stadium and facility lighting is not just a new SKU; it is an entry into a different standard of performance and service. They detail the academy project: seven fields, one requiring UEFA-level lighting for broadcast without flicker. That means photometric studies, aiming plans, and attention to pole heights, wind loads, and power constraints. The story reinforces a central message: winning in technical categories requires on-site work, not catalog promises. Their Athens team walked the field, mapped power access, and led commissioning. The result was a showcase night with legends, kids, and a community that could feel the difference under the lights.
Their expansion is methodical. Early years were defined by quick pivots from retail to multifamily to hospitality and façade lighting. Now the strategy is building durable channels: distribution arms, regional hubs, and assembly options that blunt tariff shocks and shipping delays. They have secured two major global clients with rollouts across the EU, Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Australia. The pitch that wins: not just quality fixtures, but an end-to-end solution—design support, photometrics, regional inventory, and logistics anchored in Greece, China, and New York. When gaps appear, they fill them within weeks, setting up free trade zones or new warehouses to remove friction for brands that want predictable execution.
Greece plays a starring role as a logistics and talent hub. From Thessaloniki and Athens, the team can reach EU markets with shared regulations and hop quickly to nearby regions. Factory tours in northern Greece and the Balkans reveal a layered supply base: electronics, glass molds, assembly capabilities, each cluster with niche strengths. By filtering partners and auditing quality, they assemble a network they can trust for distribution and custom builds. This flexibility lets them scale categories like stadium lighting while preserving the brand’s edge in design, durability, and service. It also becomes a hedge against policy swings—multiple production and distribution paths lower risk and keep promises intact.
Looking ahead, Canada is the next hub. They describe a playbook tested in Greece: start with a lean warehouse and office, prove demand, and scale services as clients deepen. Strategic partnerships remain a core lever—from influential ambassadors who open doors in new verticals to local experts who compress timelines. Internally, they are investing in ERP systems, banking relationships, and senior sales hires to support growth without losing responsiveness. The founders sound seasoned. They know not every initiative will hit, but enough will if the team stays close to the field, literally and figuratively. The closing image returns to that balcony and a dash to catch a flight. Expansion is not an abstract plan—it is a sequence of concrete steps, measured in site walks, aiming nights, warehouse keys, and the glow of a pitch lit right.
MORE EPISODES
George Stroumboulis sits down with Chris Hartswick in Thessaloniki, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business podcast during an official Ideoli business trip — covering market expansion, vendor reviews, client engagement, the Z7 Sports Academy launch ceremony, and so much more.