DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION WITH THANOS MARINIS | E015 PODCAST
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ABOUT THE GUEST
Thanos Marinis sits down with George Stroumboulis in Athens, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things design, construction and reality TV.
Thanos Marinis is an award-winning designer and construction professional, former winner of "The Apprentice" TV show in Greece and a TV Personality on the hit Greek TV show "Cash or Trash".
Under his current company, Pure Made, Thanos works with foreigners to help them invest in real estate across Greece - coaching them along the way in building new homes, hotels and investment properties. He also has a flourishing renovation business where he offers the latest finishes and interiors for various projects throughout the country.
Thanos also owns and operates a premium powerboat chartering business in Greece, PowerBoat Charters, where locals and tourists rent his boats to travel across the Greek islands. With a tremendous background in the media industry over the years, Thanos understands the marketing and promotion side of business, helping propel his career across several successful business ventures.
Thanos has studied Economics and Social Studies and holds a Bachelors of Science from Swansea University in the United Kingdom. Stay connected with Thanos with the links below.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thanos-marinis-937624153/
Instagram - Personal: https://www.instagram.com/th.marinis/
Instagram - Pure Made: https://www.instagram.com/puremadegr/
Instagram - PowerBoat Charters: https://www.instagram.com/powerboatcharters/
Website - Pure Made: http://puremade.gr/en/home/
Website - PowerBoat Charters: https://powerboatcharters.gr/
“Here comes the filotimo thing in Greece. It’s a word that many of you Greeks love. I hate it because if things were working perfectly, you had no reason to have filotimo.”
MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE
Thanos Marinis (winner of “The Apprentice” Greece) sits down with George Stroumboulis in Athens, Greece at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection, on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast.
Thanos Marinis sits down with George Stroumboulis in Athens, Greece at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection, on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast.
Thanos Marinis is an expert in the design and construction of hotels, residences and buildings. He is also a reality TV star and the winner of Greece’s first ever Apprentice TV competition.
George Stroumboulis talking business with his friend, Thanos Marinis, while enjoying a Freddo Espresso in Syntagma, Athens.
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
Thanos Marinis: I was the winner of The Apprentice, the Donald Trump Show in America. Unfortunately, it took place here only for one season, and I was the winner.
George Stroumboulis: Okay. So tell me about that, because that was huge. So 20 years ago, they brought it here.
Thanos Marinis: Imagine that YouTube didn't exist and I have only tapes, the classical tapes in my house. There's no digital recording out of it.
George Stroumboulis: Are you kidding me?
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 journeys. This episode of Invigorate Your Business starts now.
I'm sitting down with Mr. Thanos Marinis.
Thanos Marinis: Hello, guys.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah, here in Athens, Greece.
Thanos Marinis: Hello, George.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah, and we've known each other for a few years now. And you know, through social media, through seeing what you're doing, you're incredible in the design, the construction space when it comes to new hotels, new homes renovations. So you have that whole side of it, which I love seeing, like, just those updates. And you have that beautiful European style and that Greek flair. And then you have the other side of it where you're a TV personality here in a Greek TV show. Right?
Thanos Marinis: Autographs.
George Stroumboulis: Autographs. Right.
Thanos Marinis: I haven't printed them yet. You know, I used to be on TV as well, 20 years ago, 25 years ago.
George Stroumboulis: I didn't know this. Tell me.
Thanos Marinis: I was the winner of The Apprentice, the Donald Trump Show in America. Unfortunately, it took place here only for one season, and I was the winner.
George Stroumboulis: Okay. So tell me about that, because that was huge. So 20 years ago, they brought it here.
Thanos Marinis: Imagine that YouTube didn't exist and I have only tapes, the classical tapes in my house. There's no digital recording out of it.
George Stroumboulis: Are you kidding me? So, that was like truly, you're in your twenties, you do the show. And showing the ultimate entrepreneur. So what was it like, that experience?
Thanos Marinis: It was beautiful. Not as expected, because the final in Greece, it didn't have a continuation. And I didn't get any big success out of it. Of course, I managed to meet my wife Sonia Kazoni.
George Stroumboulis: Through that show?
Thanos Marinis: Yes. Because the job that I acquired, it took more than one. I was there for two and a half years after the contract finished.
George Stroumboulis: No way.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. It was on the media, a really big company back then in Marco, with more than seven, eight magazines, three radio stations and the expansion in Europe, Turkey. And it was a really good years. I spent there half of my day and the half of the other day was on the factory unit that we used to have, doing kitchen cabinetry. And all this stuff.
George Stroumboulis: No way.
Thanos Marinis: Yes.
George Stroumboulis: So you won that show, you won a beautiful wife?
Thanos Marinis: Mm-Hmm. Yes. I met Sonya.
George Stroumboulis: That's amazing.
Thanos Marinis: We have two kids. But the reputation was not at the level of the USA. I remember myself when I went, the same year, I went to Chicago to my relatives there. And when my cousin said to everybody, he's the winner of the Apprentice. Oh. The managers of the shops arrived there. Please sign us an autograph. Do you want to put a picture with you? And I was shocked. But you know, that's what I love in USA and generally, it's something that in Greece still is not happening yet. Entrepreneurship. And business talking. Even talking is a taboo.
George Stroumboulis: Why is that? So you win 20 years ago, the Apprentice, its capital based business. Like was that even perceived here in Greece? Like why didn't that show go on?
Thanos Marinis: The numbers were so low.
George Stroumboulis: They were.
Thanos Marinis: I signed the contract and I was worried that I wouldn't take the money because the price, it was at price. It was a working position with 200,000 Euros per year.
George Stroumboulis: Oh, wow.
Thanos Marinis: It was a good money.
George Stroumboulis: It's fantastic.
Thanos Marinis: But the numbers were really low. And you know, in Greece, there's a reputation, I don't know, it's in our subconscious mind. I know why we have this. Of course, there is a reason that a businessman, business people generally are not are fake, are doing illegal stuff all the time, are not following the law. You know, it's a bad reputation. And if you hate money making, then you cannot get it back. You cannot achieve it. You can reach the money if you hate it.
George Stroumboulis: But like, is it because it's ingrained in a socialist mentality here? Like I'm seeing it now with our new office, we opened up and you start seeing it, it's different now. It's getting different. But capitalism, someone who's a capitalist is the bad guy. It seems like the employee and the bosses. There's a perceived conflict here that doesn't exist in the USA. So, I really try to put myself in the shoes of people here on why is that?
Thanos Marinis: I don't want to talk too much politics here. But the left way, the bad left is in your mind. It's still in our mind. We hate capitalism, I don’t know why. Maybe because we didn't experience the communist reality as many neighbors around us from Albania, Bulgaria USSR, of course. And all these communist, Romania have lived communism. Finally, after the war, the Second World War, we didn't have communists taking over. So I think a part of Greeks, because there was so much hate between Greeks back then, still continues to think that capitalist is the bad guy.
George Stroumboulis: He is the bad guy, yeah. Which is sad because the people that are preaching that are the ones that are also capitalizing their own pockets and many things.
Thanos Marinis: Of course.
George Stroumboulis: So, it's sad that it's ingrained like that.
Thanos Marinis: It's really sad. And of course, I don't know, it's in our subconscious. I believe that it's something that I try to do myself as well, to believe in money, to talk about money, and don't feel guilty about money.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: Because in Greece, if you ask around, you will see that many still think that I will say in Greek and translated, I'm poor, but I'm following the law. This is something crazy. Of course –
George Stroumboulis: And they're proud to say that.
Thanos Marinis: We had examples of illegal business people doing things with the government and becoming super wealthy. Yes. It was a reality. Especially from seventies to nineties. Yes, we did have.
George Stroumboulis: Coffee break, please. We're talking about the politics. Before we do that, have you ever been a Frappe guy or has it always been Freddo espresso?
Thanos Marinis: Yeah, every Greek was a Frappe. I'm 45 to 46. So I've been in the Frappe era. I remember when my dad was building constructions and Frappe and bira was a thing that was everywhere. Shaking, shaking, all the time.
George Stroumboulis: I remember that.
Thanos Marinis: Something that you love, you still love them. I mean, I have my relatives from US, from Australia that love Frappe.
George Stroumboulis: You know why?
Thanos Marinis: Why?
George Stroumboulis: Because we're Vlahi, right? We're like, we're the villagers. So, we're delayed. And I remember when everybody started drinking Freddo espresso here. And I would come and I'm like, no, frappe, they would call me like they would swear at me and call me, what are you? And I'm like, man, just let me drink my coffee. But as I get older, it was rougher on the stomach, right? So I enjoy this. Yeah. It's amazing. And I try to make this back home. It's not the same because you don't have the air here. It is different when you're drinking it in Greece.
Thanos Marinis: Even in Milano, Freddo is not the same as in Greece.
George Stroumboulis: It's not the same.
Thanos Marinis: No.
George Stroumboulis: Okay. So back to this. You love Greece, right? You have family, relatives in Australia. You're connected around the world. You have friends, you have clients that are overseas that come here and build. Why did you choose to stay in Greece? And then we'll start talking about like your business and what you do here. Like why Greece?
Thanos Marinis: I put a lot of emotion and I stayed in Greece. I've been in UK for more than four years as a student. And I lived overseas out of Greece. And I loved more the sun and all the atmosphere here. And this was a mainly psychological reason. Of course, during 2000, we had a really good business running. And the economy was flying of course, with fake money. And then crisis appeared. So although, I'm quite international in terms of having clients and looking what is happening globally, I choose with Sonya to stay here. Of course, now we said, okay, we may have made the mistake, but the good thing now is that when you're 45 and you have lived all this crisis and you have survived and you have all this experience, and now you see money coming and a lot of money coming. And this time it's real money and not inflated money that much. So you still have some part of your mind looking what is going on outside of Greece. But I still believe now that this is the time for Greece now. I lost 20 years in terms of all the crisis and all the things that happened. But I think now –
George Stroumboulis: 20 years, you said?
Thanos Marinis: The next 10 years for sure, I think Greece is going to fly and so I will stay here.
George Stroumboulis: So you survived the opportunities.
Thanos Marinis: Yep.
George Stroumboulis: Right. Like you survived the worst part here so now it's starting to, what was worse for you personally? Was it the COVID years, like business wise? Or was it like the crisis?
Thanos Marinis: No, the crisis. The crisis was insane because, you know, how hard it is to have employees, to have clients waiting for their money. And to be able to withdraw only 60 euros per day insane or only 160 euro per month. Something like that. When you had for two and a half years, you had no banks, no system, nothing to work, no money. I remember I didn't want to fire people. And I remember myself trying to call friends and said, hey, do you want, because we had the factory unit as well back then, do you want some paid job in your house or do you want to do something in your house, you know, to try to give them –
George Stroumboulis: Keep them busy.
Thanos Marinis: Busy for one single day. And so it was really scary, that period. COVID came after my experience in all this, so I had a really clear mind. Of course, on the construction works, we could work in a good level. So we didn't have all these pressure that like others, like restaurants or bars or others.
George Stroumboulis: Shut down, yeah.
Thanos Marinis: Other segments of the economy that was completely shut. So we had something running around and I was looking that money, all this money cutting will bring new chances, like now. And this is something that Greece still hasn't achieved in our mind that money is so much out there. And we have to find ways to just collect it.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah, absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: And I suppose that I did some good movements and that's why things are going better and better now.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah, absolutely. Well, someone told me on one of my last trips that the COVID wasn't really a big deal for Greece because they had 10 years of crisis preparation.
Thanos Marinis: Exactly.
George Stroumboulis: Right. Like what you guys went through here, COVID was like, okay, let's go.
Thanos Marinis: Exactly. Yeah. And of course the benefits were good. I mean, the medium sized economy stayed alive. All the benefits of all the employees. So yes, it was not as bad as the previous five years that we have experienced. The only problem is that we live more than almost 10, 15 years in crisis. Now there is a boost. I hope it is not a fake boost. I'm sure that it's not a fake boost. I see big, as you see, big investments coming.
George Stroumboulis: Massive.
Thanos Marinis: My issue is that we have to prevent and help out also small scale investments and do some corrections of the tax service. This is a guide guys, this is a guide for Greece if you want to invest in Greece from a medium size business man that sees that there is some differences. And I don't want Greece to become a Vietnam, for example, big –
George Stroumboulis: Just corporations. And then –
Thanos Marinis: Corporations send 800 euros in salary forever.
George Stroumboulis: Well, aren't you seeing that already? Like Canadians, Americans, foreigners, they come, they vacation, they go to the big resorts like Costa Navarino, for example, right? Great people are spending a thousand dollars a night to stay there for whatever. And then you go, and then the wages in Greece for someone that's working 28 days out of a month in peak season maybe is making what, 750 euros?
Thanos Marinis: Yes.
George Stroumboulis: Right. So like that dichotomy of just seeing that is kind of insane. Are you seeing the wages coming up to support that? Or are we just going to be exploiting Greece?
Thanos Marinis: Inflation was a good or bad. It was a good start for many business people to see, oh, I have to take care of my employees as well. And now there is this good, the good of capitalism, my friend. You see that? I see it in my business as well. Tourism has the same problem. Many, many segments have this issue. If you don't pay, you don't get the good ones. So now salary start to raise finally, demand is higher. And I see good progress on this. Of course, the costs are still high. We still have high accession, we still have a lot of everyday things that in Greece suck you and take you not only precious time, but also money.
George Stroumboulis: Oh, yeah. And your energy too.
Thanos Marinis: And energy. Mutual tax, to be honest, has done a really good job the last four years, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Economy. But I think that still the taxations thing is so many thousand pages and not clear. And we have the example of Cyprus, of Bulgaria, of Romania, of Estonia, many countries around us that, for example, have a tax rate, 10% flat tax rate. Everything that goes into your account gets taxed and euro of all the bureaucracy, all the papers, all the invoices, all the stuff. In Greece, you spend a lot of time and effort to do all this thing and run a business. And for small business owners, this is killing.
George Stroumboulis: Oh, yeah.
Thanos Marinis: A killing aspect.
George Stroumboulis: We're the same in the states. And last year, we officially got fired by our accountant, essentially because it's become too complicated with opening offices in different parts of the world. You need a degree just to be able to do your taxes. It's the same. It's just a lot of wasted energy and like that simple model of hey, just tax it and you're good, that would be a dream come true. You know? So a lot of our listeners are from outside, everyone, even if they don't love Greeks, loves the idea of Greece, vacationing, owning a piece of it, flirting with the idea of possibly retiring there one day. You've worked with several clients outside of the country that have money to invest and they wanted to build a boutique hotel on an island. They wanted to buy a beautiful flat in Athens and just renovate it. Like that's your expertise. Right?
Thanos Marinis: Exactly.
George Stroumboulis: You are a catalyst between people with money. Right? And it doesn't have to be crazy money, someone who wants to invest. And then on this side on, just making it beautiful, and we'll put up photos of your actual work. Like, it's phenomenal. Your company's called Pure Made.
Thanos Marinis: Right. Pure Made. One branch is doing the renovation thing. And the other branch is the Kitchen Cabinetry, wardrobes and all the interior reconstruction.
George Stroumboulis: Right. And you're based in Kolonaki.
Thanos Marinis: Kolonaki Souvlaki Street. Yes.
George Stroumboulis: So, explain what's Kolonaki to Athens for someone who's never been to Greece. It's a very posh, upscale neighborhood.
Thanos Marinis: It is the posh neighborhood. I started this, I had this area. All I had on northern suburbs, I had a private shop there. And with no rents, no expenses, I choose to come to Kolonaki because during crisis, everything was empty down there. And I had the idea to make the first, not only interior or architectural office there, but also the kitchen cabinetry shop, which in a total urban Sicaria is not existing.
George Stroumboulis: Oh, really?
Thanos Marinis: Yes. And it worked, but unfortunately, during all the crisis and all the demonstrations, and then after COVID, I found myself all that had many architects that I was working with that have their offices around. It's not a habit to take them at and come to Kolonaki, have a coffee, Freddo. And go have your appointment. You're meeting with us.
George Stroumboulis: No, it’s a headache now.
Thanos Marinis: It is.
George Stroumboulis: Our office is in Marousi. No traffic. You should be there in 10 minutes. Every day, it takes up to 40 minutes to get there.
Thanos Marinis: Exactly.
George Stroumboulis: So think of the opposite people living out there. So, you have Pure Made, you do incredible stuff. How do you go about bringing people's vision? So, my name's George. I'm from Canada. I want to invest half a million dollars, right. What do I do, Thanos? Because you also help people with, hey, this is the island that's up and coming. This is where you're going to realize your investment. How do you approach that? Like, what's your thought process?
Thanos Marinis: This is a service that I don’t know how to call it, but yes, we're not doing real estate, but because we're in the market, we try to give a nice guideline to all of our clients. Take something that it's value for money, has a value for money, has a good ROI. And we're trying to protect our clients because although now we're becoming more professionals, many, especially foreigners or Greek Americans, Greek Canadians that have all this emotion thing in their heart as well are getting used by many professionals here.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: In a bad way.
George Stroumboulis: Yep.
Thanos Marinis: So yes, we try to find good, to see what you want. If you want only return, we can focus on small partners, for example. That could be Airbnb or could be regular rented and give you a nice six, seven, 10% maybe of a return. On the other side, if you have a family, you want to spend some days only nothing. So, an island is another option. And still there's some upcoming islands that have really a nice interest to stay focused and get something. Don't forget, in Greece you can get still now with 50,000 euros, you can get buildable plot in Cyclades Island.
George Stroumboulis: For 50,000 euros in the Cyclades, you could get a plot on – name some islands.
Thanos Marinis: Kythnos, Kimolos, for example. Syros, of course by the sea.
George Stroumboulis: Of course.
Thanos Marinis: Its 70-75,000 euros. Good investments.
George Stroumboulis: Accessible by boat.
Thanos Marinis: By boats. Beautiful views on the Aegean, on a hill, that can build. This is something really cheap, even for Greeks.
George Stroumboulis: So I know a lot of people, and I get questions from Canadians I went to university with or school, I'm like, hey, what should we do? Because they know in my past life, I had the real estate platform here. And they ask, someone goes to an island, 50,000, say a hundred thousand. They buy a plot to build a two three bedroom type house. Very simple. What are the costs? Like per square meter? It's more expensive on the islands versus mainland.
Thanos Marinis: Actually right now, the most important and the main problem is that you can find credible workforce to do the job. The architecture will be fantastic. The mechanical engineer and the statics will be fantastic. We build beautiful houses in terms of statics. Don't worry at all guys, if you're listening.
George Stroumboulis: Phenomenal work.
Thanos Marinis: The builder, the painter, the tiles guy, it's so difficult to find.
George Stroumboulis: Let me ask you.
Thanos Marinis: The costs are below 2000 euros for a premium.
George Stroumboulis: Premium finishes everything.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. Of course, Mykonos is not in the conversation. Add the one and a half thousand for Mykonos. But with 2000 euros still you can make nice, beautiful houses with a key in the head, as we say in Greece.
George Stroumboulis: That's amazing. So labor force here, a lot of the immigrants have left over the years. Is that the problem why there's no laborers here to do that?
Thanos Marinis: Yes, I've experienced the Albanian –
George Stroumboulis: Oh, yeah.
Thanos Marinis: During nineties, I experienced the Albanian coming. And it was really saving for our economy. It saved our economy. All these people now are, their 50-60s and now the get of the business.
George Stroumboulis: And they made money.
Thanos Marinis: Unfortunately, the kids are not following. It's the same that Greeks used to do. They're not following, although the money is good. You know, it was a hard making money and all the parents want something. I don't know. Their experience, go to the university, get a degree, get a salary. I don't know. I don't agree with that, but I respect it. And this is the main problem. We don't have a working force. And unfortunately the policy that Mitsotakis is following is that okay, we have a daily coming, especially from Turkey. Although we're experiencing every single day people coming, immigrants or legal or illegal coming, refugees, sometimes as well. We don't have this system to see who is coming, what is capable of doing, and register him or her and put the –
George Stroumboulis: Document them.
Thanos Marinis: Document them, yes. And put them in business. We have lack of everyday workforce. Sometimes I have to pull down a few walls in a building. And this is a job that you don't need any expert guy to do it. And I can't find. Although have 20, 25 people working for us, we can’t find a simple guide just to pull down a wall and transfer all the trash down to the bin.
George Stroumboulis: So then what are these large, every day you're hearing about huge American international brands, W hotels, Marriott hotels, one and only, Nobu. Everyone's flocking here and they're building massive or boutique in beautiful places. So are you seeing a lot of people, are they bringing in their own construction crews or what's available here is just being absorbed by these big –
Thanos Marinis: No, this Dubai thing is not happening in Greece yet. You know, I don’t know if in Dubai, for example, they bring work and stuff from India.
George Stroumboulis: Steal their passport until they're done.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. For two, three years. And then back home. We don't have this policy yet in Greece, but they trust big companies that can run all this. This is something that I'm afraid of when El Nicole starts and starts really not now the demotion. Because it's a 7 billion euros construction work there. I'm afraid that all these 50,000 people that are demanded to do all this project will take everything, everyone out of the business. I don't know, maybe you have to import some stuff later on.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: The next upcoming years. I hope the legal situation will be solved because all the paper thing is something really that goes very slow in Greece.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: But we will demand it, especially small scale businesses like us will have a really big problem. And you know, number one, you live globally and you know that how much serious it is to be credible and deliver on time. This is the main issue in Greece. We have to deliver on time.
George Stroumboulis: Yes. But you have that mindset.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. And to be honest with you, I owe a lot to my clients that made us think that way and be more precise. Because all of us said, okay, it's not Tuesday. It's Thursday. You'll have it on Monday. No, you'll have it on Thursday.
George Stroumboulis: So, give me an example of a time where you didn't deliver on time with a client that was from outside and it was a good learning opportunity for you. Like, were you dealing with a Canadian one time and, you missed a deadline. Like, what did that look like? Because with my team, even here or even outside of the states, and again, I'm not saying the American mentality is better or worse. But the atmosphere, I live in the states. I'm Canadian and I'm American and a Greek citizen. I love the states. I love the framework. Its go, go, go. It's make it happen. And with our other offices around the world, it takes time and it has taken time to get them up to that mentality. Like, nope, a client sent a message right now, we need to respond right now. And a lot of that attitude like, oh, don't worry, we'll get back to them. It's like, no. That not going to fly here. So how did you shift? Like I'm sure just having exposure to foreigners made you –
Thanos Marinis: Here comes the filotimo thing in Greece. It's a word that many of you Greeks love. I hate it because if things were working perfectly, you had no reason to have filotimo.
George Stroumboulis: And it's become very cliché to –
Thanos Marinis: I will do my job from here to here, then you'll take this, you'll put it here. So there's no need for filotimo someone to start here and finish here. Someone starts here and finishes here. So filotimo, but on this case works, we do our best. If it is something physical, we'll fix it. If it's something that has to do with the government, has to do with paperwork, this is something that we have to inform in advance our client from overseas that, wait, this is Greece. Give us some time for this license. I remember I had two villas, a project in Mykonos. And the owner after two years of delays because we want to build a swimming pool. And we had to pass from an architectural committee that was doing boards only twice per year for 300, 400 cases. And there was a huge delay on this finalist. She couldn't trust me. She didn't trust me. She put a lawyer behind my back to see if I say the truth, that it was insane. And of course I understood her, but I said, hey, this is Greece. She said, I thought it was European Union. It is European Union but, so in terms of bureaucracy, we have to put all the things in front at the beginning with the client. So in terms of the paperwork, it's always a question mark. But sometimes, we have to be aware that something may appear. On the other part, the physical part, sometimes it works better because we put this personal effort, we put this extra craft, for example, the plumber will build this wall if it's necessary to move on.
George Stroumboulis: Right. They get crafty like that, right?
Thanos Marinis: Yes, yes. And this is the good, this is the Greek way, which is beautiful. It works.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely. It works. So 2004 Olympics. On the outside. My God, the Greeks are being Greeks. The Greeks are late. The bad reputation, it's never going to be done. They already started looking at other sites where they're going to do it. Right. And have it just in case. And the Greeks were just kind of like we'll figure it out. And in the end, they figured it out. So like that's the craftiness when it comes to the culture as well. Like, no stress, no stress. We'll get it done. There's good and bad to that.
Thanos Marinis: We don't like the deadlines, but we're good on the last minute deliveries.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah. It's so true.
Thanos Marinis: It is true. It is true. It's amazing. I remember myself as a student, I was doing the same. I told you it's in our subconscious mind. I know, it's in our system.
George Stroumboulis: It really is.
Thanos Marinis: To have a pressure, a creative pressure. I love creative pressure, but we don't follow the deadlines and we don't stay there and look at our project a month before delivery. We delivered the last day.
George Stroumboulis: And it comes out well.
Thanos Marinis: It comes out perfect. And the good thing with the Greek reality as it is right now is that the craftsmanship is really good in a high level.
George Stroumboulis: Okay. Craftsmanship, good segue into when you're doing a new hotel, for example, or space, I've always said this, the quality that comes out of Greece, Europe, because you're buying cabinets from Italy maybe, or Germany or the products are just on another level here. Right? And the selection and the quality. And it just has a different design flare than back in North America in general. How do you go about picking the right materials when it comes from the lighting to the cabinets, to the flooring? Like, what's your process in general and who do you like to position with? Like types of suppliers?
Thanos Marinis: We play expensive there, and what we try to do is to educate our clients and say, this is the only thing that works for you. And this is the only thing that will last for 25, 30, 40 years. And it's a matter of trust there. I mean my policy, and this is what I learned from the previous generation. My father run the business as well. The kids come in the three businesses that good materials saves you and save your life and give you sales, have you in the market forever, keep you in the market forever. So our policy is this, of course, we test. Many tests happens. You know, when I have a, for example, a new material, I tried on myself, for example, I'm building now a holiday house in Palo Southwest. I picked some materials that I've never used them before to try them and harm myself first to see if they really work. And because they're in a better price. Generally, I have to say that after the crisis, because of the crisis, Greeks are not good consumers. And during crisis, we had this phenomenon of many Chinese first state saying is because I don't blame Chinese, but the first generation were crap in machinery and everything. So many Greeks picked this back then in terms of tiles, in terms of isolation materials, in terms of kitchen cabinetry as well. But now the market has a nice level in Greece. And because we're a small market, this is a good thing in Greece that because we're a small market, if you work with crop, you get out of the business. You don't have, it's our Kamari, what is Kamari in English? It's our pride to say that we're in the business the last 45 years. I hate this as an atmosphere. I don't want to live with the past, but it's good and shows that you have the credibility. So the materials prove that if you are still here, you are using good craft and good materials.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely. And we see that as well. So I want to talk about, you have this entrepreneur background. You study in the UK, you become Greece's first official apprentice. Big deal. You build a successful business. You've done marquee projects all around Greece. Also coinciding, you've become a TV personality again on a show called Cash or Trash. Okay? And it's on the Star TV network. Okay. And you're a staple on the show, and you're one of the panel, and it's basically like back in the states, it was like the traveling roadshow where people would bring antiques. And they would quote it and try to find that. So talk to me, how did you even get into this? What has it done for you now? Like for you personally, your personal brand, your career, and do you actually enjoy it? Can you make money off this?
Thanos Marinis: It was a funny show that appeared and it's really successful overseas in Europe as well. And I had an invitation from the product company for the production company. At first I was scared because of course I'm collecting stuff. That's why they called me because I'm collecting old motorbikes, some cars, and also items from the renovation when we go in an old building, you see sometimes treasures over there. And that's how I started collecting lamps, furnishing artwork and all this. So I had an invitation. It was a really nice project. And I said yes. We enjoyed it a lot. Of course, it takes a lot of time of our business time, but they're very well organized. So we spend some specific days and then we're free. It's fun. It has good numbers. People love it.
George Stroumboulis: Great production, right?
Thanos Marinis: Yeah. The productions are beautiful. The weekends we played, we started playing being on air afternoon, during weekends. Amazing.
George Stroumboulis: Saturday.
Thanos Marinis: No, it's a daily show.
George Stroumboulis: It's a daily show?
Thanos Marinis: Yes.
George Stroumboulis: So how many episodes have you filmed up until now?
Thanos Marinis: Finally, we will do 100 and something, 100. We had 240 items the first season, more than 60 episodes.
George Stroumboulis: No way.
Thanos Marinis: Yes.
George Stroumboulis: That's huge.
Thanos Marinis: And the plan is for next year to have a daily show as well. And because the daily show right now is on repeat.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah.
Thanos Marinis: So it's going to become bigger and bigger. I'm with four other buyers there.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah. And they're all standard, like you guys are always on every episode?
Thanos Marinis: Yes.
George Stroumboulis: Okay.
Thanos Marinis: No, three basic ones. And three other ones that we change, two other ones that we change.
George Stroumboulis: Amazing.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. It's funny, it's interesting. I collect things that I was looking for. It's nice because we don't have the chance to have our phones and check what is going on. So it has a concept that is really working for sometimes for the buyer, sometimes for the seller. It's fun. Of course, I'm trying to not monetize this because after all, it's not my core business. I'm not planning to become a TV star yet, but I'm trying to find ways to use all this reputation and in my advance, of course as a Grant Cardone says, money follows attention. So attention is a good thing.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah, absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: And if you're credible in your work, in your business, people follow you and you have an extra thing to remember you about. And don't forget, I also have a Powerboat Charters, the chartering company with a big 40 feet powerboats that we own. We don't broke, we're not brokers.
George Stroumboulis: So you have your own skipper or captain.
Thanos Marinis: Yes, we have Skipper. It's Skipper because they're really big ones. They can take you from Athens to Mykonos in one and half hour.
George Stroumboulis: Geez.
Thanos Marinis: So, something easy for them. It's something that we don't make a living out of it. I mean, it makes good money. It's a really good status as well, because we have to sell all this thing to many clients. We haven't been there. Prepare yourself this summer.
George Stroumboulis: So a client comes, Hey, I want to open something in Patmos, I want to build it. You can take them on your boat there. Like, that's within distance or is that –
Thanos Marinis: Patmos is a little a bit tiring, but if you want it for either weekend, you're a good client, you'll take it for free.
George Stroumboulis: And you'll go out there.
Thanos Marinis: I'll make my good PR thing.
George Stroumboulis: That's a good PR, that’s amazing.
Thanos Marinis: You know, it has to be a chain, all these services.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah.
Thanos Marinis: And I believe that you have to give to your client’s services and education first.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: And then everything comes.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: If they trust you and they say that you're good on this, you know this. I believe a lot of, we believe in our company a lot to educate people, to educate our clients. It's really important.
George Stroumboulis: I know it from our relationship, and it's always about personal betterment. It's always about making yourself better. Dude, like you're good. Like, look, this beautiful thing. We go out for dinner the other night, you bring me this amazing Cycladic art piece, right. And then you give one for my business partner back in New York, and you have this thing where you just like to connect people, keep good connections. You can't teach that. You can't teach someone how to do that.
Thanos Marinis: You're right.
George Stroumboulis: And I appreciate that. The last segment I want to talk about family work-life balance. Right? And then what do you do to better yourself? You're in your mid-forties now, right? You've been successful in business. You're on TV now, you're doing stuff. How do you keep pushing where you're just saying, hey, I'm good right now, I make my money, or nope, I just want to keep being the better version of myself?
Thanos Marinis: No. One life, my friend. One life. If someone has told me back then that your forties will be as amazing as they are with all the difficulties and all the problems, forties is my best era right now.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely.
Thanos Marinis: I lived my best life. The experience is already at the back of our head. And so we step on a good level and now it's time for me to, I feel like I'm 20. I mean, it's time to retake risks. It's time to meet more people, to become better. Now I'm starting becoming better, trust me, because up to a level, after age, you carry things from your childhood aids from your parents, which did the best they could, but sometimes it's not the best practice.
George Stroumboulis: Different framework there right now.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah, exactly. So it's really nice, try to change your mindset and also work on your subconscious that controls a lot of stuff in our everyday life. And do things that improve you and families, of course, something that I love. It's a daily process as well. Relationship with your woman, with your wife, with your partner. And now that my kids are 11 and 13, I'm trying to put some educational stuff in there, but not be the dad, but you know, it is not very attractive.
George Stroumboulis: Barking all the time.
Thanos Marinis: Barking, yes.
George Stroumboulis: But you're, very hands on with your boys. Right? So you have two sons. You're very hands-on. How is it with boys? So I have three daughters and I always said, I feel like I would be an asshole of a father because I would want them to do what I've done. And you got to do this. And it's like balancing that work with girls, I could be a little more delicate. How is it with boys? Like, do you bite your tongue a lot so you're not that guy?
Thanos Marinis: Thank God I'm not that guy. And I'm not that guy since day one. When I hold Chris in my hands, I said, you're an individual person. You're not my kid. You're something that God blessed me in universe to bring in life and you’re individual, I'll do the best for you. But you have to keep going on with your life.
George Stroumboulis: That's beautiful.
Thanos Marinis: It's not my position.
George Stroumboulis: Possession.
Thanos Marinis: Possession, yeah. My kid is not a possession and thanks God, Sonia has the same mindset. So we see them even now as kids, as individuals. And I never push them. Never, never to do something that I didn't do or to do something that I do. Only skiing, to be honest, the only thing that I push them to learn is ski, because I love mountains. I love winter ski. And you know, during summer you can go to the bits or read a book, play rackets, snorkel, dive, surf. You have so many things to do during summer, but during winter you have to go and have a ski winter sport, or else you'll end up in a tavern, in the tavern eating and smoking. So the only thing I did in my life to push them and learn and thanks God, they learn. They know a lot.
George Stroumboulis: And they love it. And they're good.
Thanos Marinis: They're good. And we have good time as a family on the slopes. All the other are by themselves. All we do as parents right now is to give them chances to taste things, to try things. Music next year, no. That I don't like. Its languages that is good for them and thanks God, they follow up. So they're good on learning, but not things that I like. I give them sometimes I become the classical Greek dad to, let's go to the museum to see. Dad. We don't do. Okay.
George Stroumboulis: But expose them to it. Yes.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah. Yes. Let's do it.
George Stroumboulis: So growing up in this system and having boys and knowing the constraints of living in a country like Greece, right? Or the Mediterranean. Is your goal for them to study outside of Greece and eventually, not because you don't love them, but move away, go to another market? Or like, what are you thinking?
Thanos Marinis: All of that.
George Stroumboulis: Because that you can control whether they study outside of the country or not.
Thanos Marinis: No, no. My dream is to live their life and do whatever they want. Of course, I give them now pictures to visualize and to think that Greece is just a part of the planet and they have to experience and live everywhere they can do everything they want. Of course, I give them some Greek values that I believe in. To love their country, to respect their history. But I don't want them to be the Greeks that live only with the past. Life is there and belongs to them. So I'm trying not to give them to try to create a future for them in Greece, to be honest with you, I have faced a lot of difficulties. I would be happy if they have time to spend here and have a good living here. But because the quality of life is good. But this sun and this sea is also not killing us. But it's also very expensive. Let me say that. It's very expensive now. The sun.
George Stroumboulis: And from the outside…
Thanos Marinis: Blue.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah. But from the outside as well. When I was 19, I did an internship in Greece. Okay. In Calcutta. Coming here, I'm like, oh, I want to live in Greece. I love it. I'm there every summer. I love everything about Greece. Well, it's a vacation. You're going to love vacation anywhere you go. Oh, I did a year internship and I saw what it's like. I'm like, I'm good. I go back. I appreciate it more when I could come for a few weeks in the summer and experience Greece. Well now with work, I'm here every couple months. That's great. But you can still love your country and appreciate it versus when you're here every day. And it's just about the beach and the whatever. And you could complain all day if you have the opportunity. Right?
Thanos Marinis: Exactly.
George Stroumboulis: Like never disconnect from your country. But it's not just about beach and coffee and cigarettes all day.
Thanos Marinis: Exactly. Makes sense. Exactly. My friend, when I have to spend 45 minutes in my car for seven kilometers. Same as walking.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah. And you hustle though, like your story and I see it and we talk about it. You don't stop. Like you don't stop. You're on this island. You're coming back. You're grinding, you're at the factory that's making this, and you’re at your kid's soccer. You're with your wife out for, like its nonstop. And, and I guess that's good, right? Like you want to keep while we're here and we're healthy and we're alive. You try to maximize because it's so easy to get into a routine. Like, eh, we're good.
Thanos Marinis: It is. It is. I've done both. So I've have picked the active side of myself and it only on life, now we're healthy, we're can achieve everything. And you know, because we lost more than 10 years with all this crisis thing in Greece, now I have in all the power and the fire in me to do things. And the only thing I follow and I follow very, I'm very, what’s the mean serious?
George Stroumboulis: Strict.
Thanos Marinis: Alright. Yeah. The only thing I follow, and I'm very strict, is my sleep time. I take my seven hours no matter what.
George Stroumboulis: Religiously good for you.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. It's my anabolic. And after 40, that's the only thing that I follow a lot. I follow, but religiously all the rest. Yes. Let's do it, man. It yeah. It's on life. It's beautiful after. You know, it's my life. I have partners, I have friends that. So it's fun to have a dinner and talk about business. It’s fun to go to the stadium to watch your kid playing and be on the phone sometimes. Why not? You know, you have to put things, 24 hours are not enough.
George Stroumboulis: Not enough.
Thanos Marinis: But they are.
George Stroumboulis: That's a good way of putting it. The sleep's a big deal. How do you go about networking? So internationally, and I want to put up your contact information, everything. If I'm someone who has some money and I want to invest in Greece, explain what you can do for them. Because the one thing, Greece also has a bad reputation. Right. And I don't want this podcast just to be about Greece because you're doing a lot of stuff, but it has a reputation of be careful they're going to steal your money, you're going to get screwed. And a good chunk of the chat time. That's true. Right. It could be true from the taxi guy from that, but in general, that's not the case. And you've worked with extremely wealthy people from outside of the country, investing and building stuff here. And they've obviously trusted you to be a point of contact for everything. You may not be an expert in this, but you know, someone that you can vouch for and so on. So like anyone that's interested, they get in contact with you. Like, what's that process like?
Thanos Marinis: Yes. Most of them have something in Greece, used to have something in Greece, house from the parents, so we help them out directly to renovate it. And now if you have money and you want to come, of course we have to have a discussion to see what is your goal. Holiday house, money may, of course everything now, that's good. Has always returning investment idea atmosphere. We're not building something. We're not putting money somewhere just to have a laser. Everything comes at the end, you know, example, everything ends up at the question mark. How much money would I make if I would invest on this? Yes. Not only if I leave. So we have a really clear discussion. We have our suggestions concerning the city. We know the city really well of Athens, especially southern suburbs, very expensive now, for example, north that is still in good prices, but has a fewer opportunities there. So we make a plan according to what the investor is about to invest in. And we do we plan it, and we start bringing suggestions, you know. From the islands, from the plots considering the real estate. Okay. And usually it works. I mean, we find something good. We have the expertise and the Greek know how to avoid agents that still are not credible to avoid, to find good, yes. Good architects if they don't want to work with us, to good civil engineers, to do all the paperwork and to discuss freely about some black money. That is not a process for us, but exist out there.
George Stroumboulis: And how to navigate it. Right?
Thanos Marinis: Exactly. Because it's difficult. And you know, it's a practice in many parts of businesses. So it has to be a clear conversation with them to understand where they're going to invest in. And usually it works well. Deliver is working much better than 10 years ago. Of course. And, you know what, it's all this atmosphere. It's so nice to be in Greece. I mean, most of them come rarely in Greece. Usually they come 1, 2, 3 times and then they just come for the delivery. But even on problems, when they think that they have something so beautiful, they have an apartment with a view, they have an apartment with a balcony in the sun. I have some Canadians now that all they ask me is find me an apartment with a, we call them Eritrea, with the upper story apartments. Just with a small balcony to enjoy the sun. I don't need nothing else. This is something insane when you want to put money just to have a little bit of sun on your skin.
George Stroumboulis: That's incredible.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. So sometimes it's easier for us of course, because this request, for example, we can go low budget. That's the flexibility we have. We have a really good, if we want to pay the sign in our company's flexibility and aesthetics. And of course, credibility on the construction work. It's nice. It's, we really enjoy working the last 10 years with foreigners because they have one good thing. The best good thing on working with people from overseas is this, when you ask for 10,000 euros, next day you see 10,000 euros in your bank account. Greeks don't have it still. Sometimes they don't.
George Stroumboulis: You're chasing.
Thanos Marinis: You're asking for 10,000 and they put you five and say, it's not enough. No, it's not enough. You need 10 for this. So if you have the cash customer and a good corporation, everything rolls out. And the personal contact that, I don't know in many companies in Canada or US does not exist is number one thing that we follow. And we maintain the personal contact to feel free to call me, my staff and discuss, not always find a solution. But be there for you.
George Stroumboulis: Consult and bounce idea.
Thanos Marinis: Be there for you. And the officer is something that we don't have it in Greece. So this is maybe, it's really fascinating for guys that want to put money that they know that in two, eight o'clock in the afternoon, they can call you and ask you something.
George Stroumboulis: Well, it blows my mind here. And you're the exception meetings in Greece. Right? So I'm here two days and in two days over a dozen meetings and dinners and like, I try to maximize it and get out. I've now started leaving like a two hour buffer between meetings, Hey, we're going to meet at 10 o'clock, 11:15 is when we're actually meeting. Or that person, you're different. Hey, let's meet at 10. Boom. 10, we're right there. Right. But it's challenging, at first I'm like, but we said we're going to meet at noon, for example. And there's traffic and another me, and it's just this floating schedule that I've learned. It's, unless you're working with like bigger corporations here, where it's very by the book. You got to adjust. You can't come in here because you're going to get frustrating or you're just going to want to leave.
Thanos Marinis: It's a bad habit we have and we still have it.
George Stroumboulis: And we still have it. Yeah.
Thanos Marinis: Of course, traffic is an issue. And public transportation that we don't use is an issue. For example, don't forget, I have to use my scooter 8% of the year. I'm running 1, 2, 3 businesses. I have more than 20 people working and I have to take the scooter to do my thing to collect money. Okay. I don't know a million dollar business in Italy or in Canada for sure. Someone that runs all this should have a scooter and run from a place to place.
George Stroumboulis: But you look cool while you're doing it. It's okay.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah, scooter is a heaven in Greece. Of course. With a risk our lives, huh? But sometimes I'm telling that you have to be, I don’t know if it's filotimo, but you have to be very, to have this Ulysses mindset. You know, remember Ulysses? They always find a way…
George Stroumboulis: To make it work.
Thanos Marinis: To make it work in codify finally, after all these years.
George Stroumboulis: When you're done. Exactly.
Thanos Marinis: Homer wrote Ulysses, I think the Modern Greek, although it's two and a half thousand years ago in age.
George Stroumboulis: It still makes sense.
Thanos Marinis: Makes sense.
George Stroumboulis: It makes sense.
Thanos Marinis: We have to do this. But concerning the appointment, yes, you're right. We're not credible on this. Yeah.
George Stroumboulis: It's the timing aspect. Let me ask you last segment, what any advice on, you know, you're all about improvement of yourself. Any books that you read recently? Any resources online that you go to where you're like, hey, you know what, this inspires me to go out today and do that. Like where anything that you see that you could share.
Thanos Marinis: Always. Right now my apocalypse is that I'm finding ways to work on my subconscious mind. I'm reading books and I'm going to seminars to see that finally this thing that does the 95% of our daily actions and controls our actions, the subconscious is taking a lot on huge part of our lives. And the partings that we have in our life, from our parents, from our grandparents, and from our working and living situations are affecting us and keeping us from expanding. So right now, this is my aim goal to every single day to understand what subconscious does, to control it in a sense. We can control the subconscious, but to find ways to, and there are ways to change habits that are bad for us. For example, now I'm trying to lose and throw not to lose. Actually that's the correct word. Some extra kilos that I carry the last two years after COVID. Subconscious does a really tricky game on this. And that does not help me out. I try to follow my diet and then in the afternoon I opened the fridge, for example. So I'm trying to prove myself concerning working on my mind a lot. And I see this improvement improves people around me as well. Yeah. Because the frequency changes and I'm attracting things. I'm attracting good people in the same frequency, which works as well, because everything is energy. So a part of my study right now is this, and I really love it. Of course we all have mentors maybe from books, maybe from websites or YouTube. I think Robert Kiyosaki is a well-known.
George Stroumboulis: Very inspirational.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah. Very inspirational. And what he says, and especially in Greek that works so much with all this things we have in our mind, what money is and how money, it's not at taboo here in Greece still money is a, it's taboo. And although money is everywhere. Money is endless. And we still have this mindset of not being able to collect it and be bad if you collect money, bad. So I follow Garyvee, I love his style talking about.
George Stroumboulis: Great energy.
Thanos Marinis: About love, talking about all the things that he says are, you know, all this gratitude that he shows all this effort that he's does. He doesn't stop as well.
George Stroumboulis: And he's genuine.
Thanos Marinis: He's genuine. Yes.
George Stroumboulis: Yeah. It comes off as genuine, right. Like what he is doing.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. And he follows what he says. This is very important to say, to live as you expose yourself. Of course, I love biographies, but you have to learn a lot of out of biographies. Elon Musk is a genius man that is changing humanity. And I'm following all he does and all he says. And I try to…
George Stroumboulis: Do you think he's getting the credit? Like I feel like we look at other innovators. The last one on that level, in my opinion, was probably like a Steve Jobs that we talked about. Right. He kind of revolutionized that game. And then before that, does it go back to like the Rockefellers and this. But right now, because he's alive, I feel like he's not getting enough credit for what this guy is actually doing. Non-Political, but like I agree. The space, the cars, this genius doesn't even describe what he's doing. He's revolutionary, but right now, people are just kind of, oh, he's buying Twitter to do this. I'm like, oh my God, that's so myopic in what you're looking at.
Thanos Marinis: Exactly.
George Stroumboulis: Pretty remarkable what he's doing.
Thanos Marinis: Ah, he's amazing. He's amazing. And if you follow him, you follow and you’ve the ability to see what is going on. He brings future right on your desk and simplifies it. And you know, it's one of the few people that go out of all this new globalization, out of this, you know, there are five people that control everything. Of course I can. I'm trying to find what he controls. Finally he controls all humanity.
George Stroumboulis: Really.
Thanos Marinis: He's facing governments now. He's over governments. He has superpowers right now. He has the number one satellite network on the universe. Right? He has done so much, so many things out of free…
George Stroumboulis: Free speech. Now he's attacking free speech.
Thanos Marinis: Free speech. Left or right.
George Stroumboulis: Left, or yeah. That's what I'm saying. I'm not, so two years ago, we were fortunate enough, we won a piece of his business at the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, I think like 11 million square foot facility. We got a section of the office space, and there were email trails with his architecture team that we would see him copied on, rejecting or commenting on a certain light fixture that he didn't like the cutoff. He prefers this. We're talking about one of the most powerful men in the world, richest men in the world. Down to that level of detail. Blew my mind. And yet we're running companies and we see people in our circles where they think they're so important. That's my biggest pet peeve. Anyone acting like they're busier than you, or more important, I don't care if you're the prime minister or the guy making my hamburger, we're all human. And it just, that was a real eye-opener. Like, hey, this guy's down on that level in the details and we're acting like assholes. You know what I mean? Like, it blew my mind. And I always use that as an example. Like his name commenting on something so to him, like, doesn't make sense. Come on.
Thanos Marinis: Can you imagine saying 20 years ago that I want to build number one on a space company and send missiles up and down again?
George Stroumboulis: Oh, you're crazy, dude. What are you talking about? That's what you would say. You're crazy. Yeah. And he's doing it.
Thanos Marinis: So he said I will go against all these giants, Toyota, Ford and make electric cars. Yeah. Something cloud or a car. Electric cars. Hundred percent. Yeah. Up the economy change because of him.
George Stroumboulis: He's incredible. While we're talking about it, Athens as a city, it's booming. It's doing great. Tourists coming here. What are some things they should see in Athens? Like from a local. Okay. The Acropolis, the basic stuff, but what are a couple things that people should see? And then we can definitely wrap this up.
Thanos Marinis: Athens is fine. The good thing in Athens is that from 1.5 average thing, and now it's becoming 2.5, it's almost three days that you can spend in Greece. In Athens, sorry. That have good time. Of course. Acropolis, of course, the new museum. I'm expecting so much in 10 years’ time, the new museum that will be built and have 50,000 items there. It's close to Patisia, it's close to Polytechnio.
George Stroumboulis: Okay.
Thanos Marinis: Anyway. So for people coming for a weekend, for three nights, which is a more than enough three nights. Museums, the modern museum is a place to, that works visiting. Cycladic museum is something good that maybe people don't know and get a good boost of, you know, don't have to go to Cyclades to see all the civilization back then.
George Stroumboulis: By the way, did we talk about this? Did we talk about this on the pod or before?
Thanos Marinis: You said something about…
George Stroumboulis: We talked about this in. Yeah.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. Its 4,000 years old. Amazing. Nice restaurants, I would suggest nice restaurants. There are plenty of nice restaurants in Athens right now.
George Stroumboulis: Now. Oh, good.
Thanos Marinis: Even Michelin Star once, but even and it's good that finally you don't have to go to Plica to have dinner. This steak in a small plate is not the Greek Athenian thing that you should go to. Don't forget to go to Poseidon Temple in Sounion.
George Stroumboulis: Yes. It's worth a drive out there and go for a swim.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. What else guys? And try to find as many rooftops as you can to enjoy Parton, Acropolis and all the area. We had the breakfast before. You see how beautiful, you can see even the islands from Athens in a clear sky.
George Stroumboulis: There's nothing more magical than that. Still speechless. How do people stay in contact with you?
Thanos Marinis: puremade.gr, our Instagram is a really funny page. Instagram. I'm planning now after your support, because you pushed me a lot to have a, also a podcast or a YouTube channel. More organized to see the before and after because in our business, before and after is nothing. We see a totally demolished house and we see the final picture in front of us. But for a client, for someone that is out of the business, this before and after is amazing. Yes.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely. And the process from the before and after.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah. So we'll try to, as Garry said, to take as much material as we can and educate people and also give material to the people to understand a few things. So we'll be there as well, star channel to enjoy my show, powerboat charters to charter one of our boats during summer or winter. Trust me, winter is beautiful. It is going out to, in two hours and spend a weekend there. You can understand, you know, the islands during winter are beautiful. And if you come to Greece for a week, try days in any island from Aegina to a more distance one. And of course, I hope that if we put the planes as well, the hydroplanes. Much more so. And I wish hydroplanes take cover as well. So many more smaller islands without any airport will be more…
George Stroumboulis: Accessible.
Thanos Marinis: Yeah. Patmos is a beautiful island. Greece is beautiful and go get some assets right now. While Greece is still cheap, the return is going to be huge. I believe in Greece, very much not because I'm Greek. I don't know if in total all this interview and chat with you. I don't know what the idea of Greece is giving to our friends out there, but…
George Stroumboulis: The phone's going to be ringing off the hook. People want to throw their money in the country.
Thanos Marinis: Thank you, Buddy. It's a really beautiful country. We have really good quality of life and product as well. We shouldn't forget about that. You can get, if you admit delicious meat, Greek meat, goat, sheep, milk, vegetables. This is what kept us in Greece, to be honest with you.
George Stroumboulis: Mediterranean diet.
Thanos Marinis: Mediterranean diet and the access. You know, I have really good relationships with my Australian cousins and the George, my cousin said, have you understand? And my cousin from Australia calls me and says, you should have any problem in your life. You're half an hour away from Santorini. Can you believe that you're half away? Yeah. Half an hour away from Santorini. And I said, oh my God. Yes, he's right.
George Stroumboulis: He’s right. In Australia, you're half an hour wait and nothing still or in Canada, you know.
Thanos Marinis: Although he's well made, he's waiting for two weeks in his life during the year to come and spend five days in Santorini and have a coffee in front of this beautiful view. Yeah.
George Stroumboulis: For a second. That's it.
Thanos Marinis: So yes, we're lucky to be here. We have a lot of work to do. And thanks God. People like you bring more good reputation in Greece and I hope good money as well. And I see Greece is becoming hot after sixties, was during sixties, Greece was a really hit in fashion, even in trend.
George Stroumboulis: Neo Narcisi years.
Thanos Marinis: Yes. I don't want to live with the past. We have to create a new era for Greeks, a new lifestyle, a new, you know, I have, for example, I had Nargila to see everywhere Nargila in, so this is not Greek. Of course. I support in, of course, Arab friends are welcome. They're beautiful people that they know how to have fun and they do good investments as well.
George Stroumboulis: But that's not.
Thanos Marinis: No more Nargillas in Greece. In Greek taverns. Why?
George Stroumboulis: You're right. You're absolutely right. Look, I'm lucky to have met you. I'm lucky to be sitting here in Athens drinking a coffee with you. The other night we went, we had a beautiful dinner. And this is what I like doing. I don't care if you are a designer, contractor. This person runs a restaurant. I love bringing people together, right. Having good dinners and good things always happen of it. You met this guy who's a professor. This guy met this guy. And I just love doing that stuff. I want to continue doing that. And we just keep building our network together.
Thanos Marinis: You're a beautiful guy. And this is something that Greece don't have, they don't want to, we still don't have it as Greeks. I don't know why, we don't have this connection. We don't encourage this connection with each other. It's something that now starts to change and introduce people and create communities and have all these things that there was a lot of privacy, a lot of “I Katsika Tou Gitona”. I don't know.
George Stroumboulis: The neighbors go. Yeah.
Thanos Marinis: The neighbors go. I mean we take care of all of your house and your garden and nothing else. No, I believe in common. Common good.
George Stroumboulis: Even good competitors, even back in the states, I'll have dinners with clients who may be competing in the island. And it's like, guys, we're still human at the end of the day. And if we have a connection, what's an hour and a half dinner? Right? You could converse and we go back to it. There's enough, we sell lighting. Okay, you sell construction services and this type of, there's always going to be competitors, right? But you could still talk and then you go and compete.
Thanos Marinis: I believe in competition. But on the other hand, that's one of my best things that my dad learned me. You should be worried when the pie is all yours. You have to cut the pieces and try to take the larger one. Of course. But the pie belongs to many, if the pie is yours, the pie can go off and you have nothing.
George Stroumboulis: Whole pie. Yeah. It's a great one.
Thanos Marinis: You know, its number one rule in business as well. Never have only one producer and only one client.
George Stroumboulis: Absolutely. And I've fallen flat on my face having one main client paying for everything over the course of my career. It's dangerous, but it's also hard when you're in the middle of it and they're paying your bills and you're busy. But when they go, they go.
Thanos Marinis: More to come, my friends. Thank you so much.
George Stroumboulis: Appreciate it, brother. Thank you so much, man.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis. Please hit the ‘Subscribe’ and ‘Like’ buttons 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 INTRO
00:01:00 MEET THANOS MARINIS OF GREECE
00:01:35 WINNER OF TRUMP'S APPRENTICE SHOW IN GREECE
00:06:35 FRAPPE VS. FREDDO ESPRESSO IN GREECE
00:09:00 GREEK CRISIS VS. GLOBAL PANDEMIC
00:19:00 COSTS TO BUILD HOME IN GREEK ISLANDS
00:25:00 GREEK FILOTIMO DEFINED
00:32:10 CASH OR TRASH ON STAR TV GREECE
00:51:00 BEING ON GREEK TIME
00:53:15 ADVICE TO BECOME A BETTER LEADER
00:58:00 ELON MUSK PICKING LIGHTING FOR HIS GIGAFACTORY
01:00:25 WHAT TO DO FOR 3 DAYS IN ATHENS
01:06:24 BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO NETWORK
MORE ON STARTING YOUR OWN DESIGN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN GREECE
To run a construction and design company in Greece, you need to consider several key requirements and factors. Here are some important aspects to consider:
Business Registration: Start by registering your construction and design company as a legal entity in Greece. Consult with a lawyer or business advisor to determine the appropriate legal structure, such as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a Sole Proprietorship. Follow the necessary procedures to obtain the required licenses and permits.
Professional Qualifications: Ensure that you and your team have the necessary qualifications and certifications to operate in the construction and design industry. Familiarize yourself with the professional requirements and regulations set by the relevant authorities in Greece. This may include having licensed architects, engineers, or other specialized professionals on your team.
Insurance and Liability Coverage: Obtain the appropriate insurance coverage for your construction and design company. This typically includes liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and construction-related coverage. Consult with insurance professionals to determine the specific insurance requirements for your business.
Compliance with Building Codes and Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the building codes, regulations, and standards set by the Greek government and local municipalities. Ensure that your construction and design practices align with these requirements to ensure compliance and safety.
Construction Equipment and Resources: Acquire the necessary construction equipment, tools, and resources to carry out your projects effectively. This may include purchasing or leasing equipment such as excavators, scaffolding, concrete mixers, and other specialized machinery.
Skilled Workforce: Build a skilled and qualified workforce comprising architects, engineers, project managers, skilled laborers, and other professionals relevant to your industry. Ensure that your team has the necessary expertise and experience to handle construction and design projects effectively.
Subcontractors and Suppliers: Develop relationships with reliable subcontractors and suppliers who can provide specialized services or materials needed for your projects. Establish clear contracts and agreements to ensure smooth collaboration and timely delivery of goods and services.
Financial Management: Establish sound financial management practices for your construction and design company. Develop a budget, monitor expenses, track project costs, and establish transparent accounting processes. Consider working with an accountant or financial advisor to ensure proper financial management.
Project Management: Implement effective project management systems to oversee and coordinate construction and design projects. This includes planning, scheduling, budgeting, and monitoring project progress. Utilize project management software and tools to streamline operations and ensure efficient project execution.
Safety Measures: Prioritize safety in all construction activities. Develop and implement robust safety protocols, provide necessary safety training to employees, and ensure compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. Regularly inspect construction sites and address any safety concerns promptly.
Client Relations and Contracts: Build strong relationships with clients and prioritize customer satisfaction. Develop clear and comprehensive contracts that outline project scope, timelines, deliverables, and payment terms. Ensure effective communication and maintain a high level of professionalism throughout the project lifecycle.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Stay updated on industry trends, technological advancements, and best practices in construction and design. Continuously invest in professional development and encourage your team to enhance their skills and knowledge. Adapt your strategies and processes to meet evolving market demands.
It is advisable to consult with professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and industry experts who are familiar with the specific legal and regulatory requirements for running a construction and design company in Greece. They can provide tailored guidance and ensure compliance with local laws and practices.
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