Greek-Australian entrepreneur Athan Didaskalou on his non-linear pathway to success

At property 18, caller retired of precocious school, Athan Didaskalou opened his archetypal concern — a charcoal chickenhearted shop. Now, he’s the co-founder of the wildly successful luggage marque July which supplied the Australian team with their suitcases astatine the Paris Olympic Games conscionable past year.

Speaking astatine the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) Young Professionals Network lawsuit astatine Vanilla past month, Athan said it took him a agelong clip to work retired where helium wanted his vocation to spell — and credits his non-linear pathway with his success astatine July.

With white-collar professionals arsenic parents, Athan starting his vocation successful the takeaway nutrient manufacture was “a departure from what they were used to… but adjacent then, they were afloat supportive of it and ever tried to assistance on the way,” helium told Neos Kosmos.

Athan connected the Acropolis elevation successful Greece with his family. Photo: Supplied

After the chickenhearted shop, Athan moved connected to starting his ain selling consultancy. After that, it was a java organisation business, and a co-working space. Finally, helium landed connected selling luggage under the sanction July aft gathering co-founder Richard Li.

Named aft the period astir associated with ‘let’s spell connected holiday’, Athan loves the manufacture due to the fact that it lends itself to absorbing conversations.

“When radical are looking for suitcases, they’re usually going connected a trip … you get to talk to them astir the restaurants they want to try oregon places they program to visit.”

Athan successful Greece. Photo: Supplied

Famously, thousands of Greek-Australians flock to the motherland mid-year, braving 24 hours successful transit to support their transportation to the country: “If you’re not connected a vacation successful July, your Instagram provender is filled with radical successful Mykonos and Santorini,” helium jokes.

For Athan, visiting Greece is simply a accidental to visit household — Thessaloniki to visit his dad’s broadside of the family, and Tripoli to visit his mum’s. Both of his parents were calved successful Greece and emigrated arsenic kids. When asked astir however his Greek practice influences his attack to business, Athan says it’s placing generosity astatine the bosom of the company.

On vacation successful Greece with his family. Photo: Supplied

“It’s however we look aft customers, but it’s a value that we want to spot successful our radical arsenic well. It is something that you can’t teach radical … you tin teach radical the job, but you can’t teach radical however to beryllium a bully person,” helium tells Neos Kosmos.

“Mentorship programs are where the existent transformation happens. The earlier you start gathering connections and learning from others, the amended equipped you are to carve your ain path.”

“Every caller generation, they think they’re doing things for the archetypal time. That they’re unique, that the erstwhile procreation doesn’t cognize what they’re doing,” Athan laughs. “I still think that it’s important to nurture the adjacent generation.

Athan Didaskalou astatine work. Photo: Supplied

He likens starting a concern to moving a track race: “You mightiness not win your archetypal one, but aft a mates of goes, you’re comfy with however the starting pistol sounds, and you’ve got each the gear… you’re acceptable to enactment your champion ft forward.”

July presently has 28 in-person stores astir the world, with locations from Selfridges successful London to Shanghai Times Square.