Meet Effie Panagopoulos

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Effie Panagopoulos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with EFFIE below.

EFFIE, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Physical fitness is a huge part of my life, and I’ve experienced quite a few injuries. It’s an analogy for all things in life. I had a major back injury at 19, to being hit by a car in 2007 with 3 herniated disks and 2 ruptured, broken toe in 2013 that was a 6 mo rehab, torn acl in 2020 that I rehabbed non operatively for a year, to a torn meniscus this year that finally got me in the operating room, and I’m 7 weeks now post op.

Being injured can be debilitating. So much of my self esteem is wrapped up in physical fitness, and so much of my joy comes from movement so when that has been inhibited, I have gone into depressive funks. But having experienced said injuries, which were felt fatalistic when they happened, and then coming out on the other side after physical therapy, and being patient in the weight room, has contributed to a serious thickening of skin.

This surgery I had august 12 I went into with a better attitude than when the actual injury happened and the rehab process has actually been enjoyable. Learning to appreciate micro-progressions, and the “process’ to walk again. All this applies to enterprenurial challenges. Every roadblack you hit and circumvent bulds the mental muscle to be prepared for anything.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the founder of a startup, better-for-you alcohol beverage brand called KLEOS Mastiha Spirit. It is a Greek botanical spirit made from an ancient superfood called mastiha (mas-tee-hah, a PDO that grows only in on the island of Chios)

Mastiha kills h. pylori, the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers, gastric cancer, and acid reflux.
Healing properties for the stomach and digestive system are retained in liquor form, making it the ultimate aperitif/digestif.

More importantly it’s absolutely delicious, fabulous in cocktails (being called “bartender’s olive oil” in the press), and is low cal, low abv, and low sugar. It’s a flavorful alternative to vodka meets what VOGUE called, “the latest must-try cocktail ingredient.” We very recently laucnhed in CA and it’s available at Total Wine, Wally’s Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, Mission Liquors, and we’re in scale up mode. I’m in the middle of a small capital raise at the moment!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Stick-to-it-ive-ness: My eureka moment was 2008, and it was March 2018 when I launched my brand in Boston off my mother’s couch.

Industry experience: I’ve been in alc bev for over 20 years. I would have never started this business if I hadnt had so many years in the biz. Become an expert in your field, or get stuck paying for the advice and work of experts.

Relentless perfectionism (both an asset and a weakness): I’m a stickler for having a product with integrity and one that will be best in class. and now it’s tracking #1 in its category (mastiha) in the US on Nielsen. People appreciate well made products. The time you take in developing your brand quality, identity will be reflected in the consumers that buy your product. Cutting corners does not create lifelong brands or luxury brands.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

I’ve actually started doing the Positive Intelligence Quotient program and app. I love physical fitness but this is fitness for the brain. You work on identifying your “Saboteurs”, and opertaing from your “Sage” brain. It’s hard work, but very good work to optimize leadership and sales skill. Always learning and growing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drinkkleos.com
• Instagram: www.instagram/drinkkleos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkkleos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/effiepanagopoulos/

Image Credits

Q consulting