As you might be able to tell from my name, I am Greek. But, I am not just Greek. I am Spartan. This is what I heard over and over again from my mother after we came to the United States. 

My mother brought my siblings and me to the U.S. from Sparta, Greece when I was 11 years old. We left our home and everything we knew for what my parents had promised to be a better life. In the beginning, life did not live up to that promise.   

It's September 1988 in Richmond, VA. I got thrown into 6th grade and had no choice but to figure out how to survive in my new environment. The first day of school was unmanageable. The school bell rang, and I was the only one in the hallway because I didn't know where to go. I saw the principal approaching me, and I started bawling, pointing at my class schedule, and saying, "no understand, no speak English." 

That first year was grueling, but I got through it. I remember my mom always telling me that "you can do it" from a young age. "You are Spartan." That phrase gave me strength. I felt special, different… because I was. I was an outsider. But that was ok; I could handle it.  

I am Spartan. 

After that rough start at school, I learned the English language, continued to excel in academics, and became the first one in my family to graduate college.   

Without really knowing it, the phrase “I am Spartan” had become my identity. I felt like I could do anything. I had my mom in my corner telling me I am strong, I am intelligent, I am beautiful, I can do anything. She would constantly push us and see how far we could go, whether that was running laps around the track or challenging the four of us to dive in the ocean headfirst on a cold winter day in Greece.   

You see, my mom was always there for me! She helped push me to start my first business after I had the good luck of getting laid off at 23. 

I am Spartan. I have to get back up and fight. It’s who I am. 

That voice in my head helped me overcome unimaginable adversities and see huge successes in my life. 

At 23, I opened a kiosk at a local mall. And within a few years, in my mid-20s, I had multiple locations making six figures.   

That's when I decided to get into real estate. I wanted to invest and do something with the money I was making. 

The early 2000s were amazing! I got my real estate license, bought my first house, and started buying rental properties while growing my business. In 2002 I got married. In 2005, we started a family, and I sold my business.    

Things were going as planned: we had two handsome little boys, we had upgraded, and we were living in our dream home. Guess what happened? My husband gets laid off. It's 2008, and the economy crashes! We had just found out that we were pregnant again with our third son, and we were both without a job. What do we do? 

We purchased a franchise that was not successful. It took us six months to realize that we were losing money every month. We were struggling financially.