We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Veronica Droulia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Veronica with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Being your own cheerleader is definitely not an easy feat. When you start a business in your early 20’s, it sounds really glamorous (and some parts are!) but there are some days that you have to push yourself to keep going. I am grateful to follow in the footsteps of some truly inspirational people. Unfortunately I was never able to meet them, but their individuality and grit was instilled into me at a very young age from the stories passed down from my family members. My great-grandfather on my grandmother’s side was an immigrant from Greece who came from a very small village in The Peloponnese. He came to America with pretty much nothing to his name. He ended up working his way up to achieve some very significant and incredible accolades within the oil and gas and horse racing industries. My grandfather, George Andre Droulia, was also an immigrant from Athens, Greece. He came to New York, became an attorney, a linguist, and eventually landed a role at NBC as their Greek correspondent. I only recently found out about his endeavors in radio, and I truly think I get my passion for audio and podcasting from him. I feel really blessed to follow in the footsteps of some incredible leaders in my family.
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 started a swimwear line in 2021 called NOA Collective with 2 childhood friends. We were all Hurricane Katrina victims as children and reconnected to launch our debut collection in November 2021. We ultimately decided to give proceeds back to natural disaster relief organizations and take on a new approach to “nature’s own art” by creating pieces that are inspired by the Earth’s beauty.
In December of 2023, I decided to launch a podcast called Martinis & Bikinis. I interview people who have opted to go the “unconventional” route in life whether that be fashion, modeling, entrepreneurship, content creation, or anything in between! I am extremely inspired by those who are able to take risk and do something outside of the status quo. I like to get deep into conversation – internal battles, the trial and error, and make it as real and raw as possible to help others feel seen or heard – and sometimes a martini is a great way to get that conversation flowing, I have my guest’s drink of choice in a martini glass that we will enjoy throughout the recording, this ranges from filthy dirty martinis all the way to cold-pressed green juice.
The show is a space for those navigating their 20’s from a healthy, energetic, and positive place – but I feel as if it’s important for us to not confine ourselves to a box. I enjoy a crazy, wild night out with friends like any other 20-something, but I also heavily enjoy my skincare routine and I think I’m addicted to group fitness. Your 20’s are all about experimentation and especially in my solo episodes I enjoy expressing those aspects of my life and feeling like I am a shoulder to lean on for my listeners, whether they’re living alone in their apartment and want to feel like talking to a long-time friend, or maybe they’re out on a walk trying to decompress – Martinis & Bikinis is a place to learn, grow, celebrate uniqueness, and feel heard.
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?
Undoubtedly these are the top 3 qualities that I think have strengthened my journey as a podcast host and a business owner:
1. The Willingness to “Just Go For It”
Thankfully, I am one of those people that has an idea and immediately follows through with it – it’s just the way my brain works, but it can definitely be a blessing and a curse. However, I think sometimes people harbor these limiting beliefs that truly get in the way of what we are meant to do here in this lifetime. From what I know, we only have one, so you just have to try. If you fall flat on your face, so what? You’ll have a funny story later when things eventually work out. One of my favorite quotes is, “A billionaire isn’t going to judge you for starting your own business, a content creator isn’t going to judge you for making a post on Instagram, the only people that will judge you are the average people, and those are the people that just want you to stay average with them”.
2. Asking for help
Outsource, outsource, outsource. Even at the early stages if you can! It’s the best investment you can make, because you can focus on your strengths within the brand or business and have someone else take care of the things that are not your strong suits. My first hire was a virtual assistant – which was honestly a very cost-effective hire. So your first hire doesn’t have to break the bank, and can actually lead to a great ROI.
3. Adaptability
Things are bound to come up out of the blue, change completely, transition, or even ride a trend and crash. You have to be strong enough to pick up the pieces, work through transitional times, and come out on the other side even better. If you can develop an adaptable mindset, you will be a powerhouse in any space. Even with the podcast, I’ve made so many changes, rebrands, experienced epiphanies that altered the way I look at it, and it’s only been for the better. Sometimes you have to accept change, and look at it as a positive, learning, and growing experience.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking for new guests to have on the show! If you are interested in fashion, lifestyle, dating, health and wellness, celebrating individuality, or have a fun-loving and balanced approach to life – you may be the perfect candidate! Feel free to reach out to @martinisandbikinispod on Instagram and let’s chat.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/show/47TeAh86fVfjRwGLGOhqC8
- Instagram: @veronicadroulia @martinisandbikinispod @noathecollective
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0S0QkwB-Cstptq7dyN1oA
Image Credits
Carl Nard, @carlnard Kate Andreya, @kate_andreya
