Sofia Athanasiadou
If you visit Santorini Island, you may find Sofia as a hotel and business manager and
maybe even get a chance to hear or watch her on the radio or television. But Sofia is
much more than just what appears to be on the facade. In this interview, Sofia gets
candid about her early life and gives us as insight into the lesser-known verses of her
life.
Could you tell our readers who is Sofia and how would she describe herself?
A woman that been through fire and made it!
How was your life before being an influencer?
I was born and raised in Greece, abused as a child and was an adult survivor of
domestic violence that nearly cost me my life. I had to work hard to study, to
survive, raise my two children and stay focused on my goals.
What was your key to success?
I knew since a very young age that: having patience and never losing faith in your
dreams is the key and I knew that I was going to achieve my dreams.
Did your troubled childhood cause any imbalance in your life?
My abuse caused me a lot of despair and depression that I had to fight through
during the years of my life. But, since I have always focused on the positive side of
every situation, I can say that I made it.
You were nominated for woman of the year in 2012, what is the story behind it?
I always had sensitivity with matters involving women and children in need and
domestic violence and I dedicated many years to assist women and children in
need. I really wanted to help people, so I organised a form of group including Greek
women and women living in Greece and created a helping chain that worked
miracles. We, (at least 98,000 members) have spread awareness and helped families
escape, helped women find work, helped orphanages with clothes and medicines
helped the children who are fighting diseases such as cancer and MDA. For this
reason, I was nominated for one woman of the year award in 2012 and even gave a
TEDx talk in Athens.
Did you always want to be who you are today?
I could work as a stylist and eventually manage to own my own clothing brand but
my love for hospitality and connecting with people won, so now, I am managing 7
boutique hotels and I am the ambassador for many hotels, restaurants and
businesses that offer experiences in Santorini Island, Greece. I am also a TV hostess
for Volcano TV and a radio hostess for Santorini FM 106,4. Radio producing comes
natural to me and it is my hobby that pays off.
Could you tell us a little more about your boutique hotels?
The boutique hotels that I am managing are all located on the beautiful Santorini
Island that offers spectacular views with top concierge services. To be precise, me
and my team offer the best concierge services on the island and my clients get the
full experience of the Santorini Island.
Could you tell us a little about your personal life?
I am a single mom to two beautiful children that I always get with me to work so that
they learn by experience and spend valuable time with me since I work so hard.
How would you define your goal in life?
I have a lot of collaboration with photographers around the world and I love to
travel. Travelling all over the world, studying each country’s highlights and culture
and working on photo projects is my passion and my ultimate goal in life.
Where do you get inspirations for your photoshoots?
My inspiration for the photoshoots come from the need to show each place activities
and beauties with style and class. It is a different and unique way of storytelling and
something that lasts forever, and it is something I always recommend at my
guests to do.
Being an inspiration to not only her children but to many women that became a part of her
world, Sofia proves to be a true motivational person who has risen above all the flames in
her life.
Written by Sonz
