Going out on my own? It was all Greek to me.
I'll come clean right out the gate and admit that I am, in no biological way, Greek. I am, however, pretty Greek in every other way by choice...and I'll admit, by a lotta bit of circumstance.
Seventeen years ago I met my husband and his extremely big, rather fit Greek family and fell deeply in love with the sassy, judgy, tasty, dancey, tradition-heavy culture. For anyone who's ever attended a Greek wedding or baptism, you get it. One night of circle dancing as a live band plays deafeningly loud, money being thrown into dangerously slippery piles on the dance floor, Papous and Theos stomping and kicking their age-defying limbs, and a dessert table full of decadent sweets is all it takes to pull you in, for good. Greeks are deeply proud, uncompromisingly stubborn, and universally self-declared ancient historians. While some of the cultural tendencies lean towards histrionics and can feel performative at times, I assure you amidst all the occasional bluster, Greeks are unfailingly authentic.
That is what I loved most - just how real it all felt - how natural "being Greek" came to everyone. My red hair, freckles, and pink hued skin painted me as the poster child for Ireland, but I never intuitively knew what it meant to be English-Irish-Italian. I certainly didn't feel like any of them. And what I learned early on is that Greeks feel everything. They feel it all loudly, proudly, quickly, and unapologetically. I wanted that so badly. It rang of freedom, especially when held in contrast to my repressed, unexpressive Roman Catholic upbringing.
So, now, after nearly two decades, I can confidently say I am a GbO - "Greek by Osmosis".
Fifteen years ago, I converted and was chrismated in the Greek Orthodox church. Rather coincidentally, I had been confirmed as a pre-teen in the Catholic Church and chose the name "Iris" as my confirmation name. I couldn't have possibly known how common the name 'Iris' is in Greek at the time, but it sure made for my easy "orthodox" name selecting a decade and a half later. The Greek equivalent is "Aristeia" - a beautiful, ancient name with countless cameos in several of history's greatest classics.
In the ancient epics, 'aristeia' marked a warrior’s shining moment — a time when their actions defined their legacy.
It comes from the Greek word aristos which means "the best" and it is often used to describe a hero's moment of greatest glory. In essence, it refers to a hero's arrival - their crowning display of excellence.
All of this is to say, that it's probably not hard to see why I immediately thought of it when the time came to name my strategic communications consultancy. It really nails the whole 'sales meeting inspo' aesthetic, right?
The truth is, I needed a bit of that stereotypical, slightly heavy-handed, militarized motivational sales meeting speak to get me into the right headspace. Venturing out on my own was not really a path I envisioned possible for myself six months ago, and it's daunting, to say the least.
But, it's also insanely invigorating and empowering. Going through the process these last weeks has been enlightening. It is, in fact, a total self actualization process that requires the shedding of all the self-limiting shackles you've acquired over decades. I found that on the other side of all that uncomfortable self-doubt, fear, and imposter syndrome, after I dealt with all the negative self-talk and battled my inner nay-sayer until we were both bloodied and broken, was the feeling I'd been chasing and looking for these last few years: confidence. Of course I could go out on my own doing the things I'm good at. Why on earth would I think I couldn't? And the best part? Once you kick your own ass in a battle of the wills, there is literally no one left to stand in your way.
It is now my modus operandi to use no less than 1000 words in these posts to make announcements. Therefore, I will now make it official. I have created a strategic communications consultancy called Aristeia Communications LLC, and I cannot wait to get started.
Just like the epics described, every hero has a moment. And I believe that every moment - big or small - holds a story; a chance to excel.
My brand promise is to help you make the most of each and every one.
Check out my website to learn a little more - or better yet, send me a message so we can chat.
www.aristeiacommunications.com
Follow my company page, too! https://www.linkedin.com/company/aristeia-communications