Finding my purpose didn’t just happen overnight. It wasn’t some epiphany that came to me in a dream, or some other non-realistic discovery that movies will lead you to believe occur. Rather it was a series of moments and events over the course of many years that helped establish my driving purpose.
Moving to Greece
The first of these moments was my move to Greece. After college, I moved to my parent’s hometown, Zakynthos, and took a job in sales. I quickly learned that I had a knack for sales, but with this discovery came the realization that I disagreed with so many of the ways the company I was working for chose to handle business. Backroom deals and decisions made only to benefit the company’s owners left me perplexed and unfulfilled. What about each of my teammates’ welfare? Why weren’t the individuals contributing day in and day out to the bottom line being taken into consideration? I knew there had to be a better way to operate.
Maria
After moving back to the US, I took a job with my brother Nick at a staffing company. My days were filled with long hours learning the business of staffing, and my nights were filled with dinners and happy hours. It was one of those dinners that I happened upon Maria, who would later become my wife. The rest is history! Simply put, Maria is my rock. She’s been by my side from day one, pushing me to be the best version of myself, inspiring and supporting me. She’s the pillar that we’ve built our family around, and she’s the best life partner and mother I could have ever dreamt of.
My Medix Teammates
Medix was born on January 24, 2001, and as anyone who’s started a new business will tell you, the beginning stages of new business ownership were hard. Early mornings, late nights and practically no downtime can take a toll. Sprinkle in the birth of Maria’s and my firstborn, Denin, and I was downright exhausted. And to make things just outright overwhelming, my parents have moved back to Greece, and my mother was suffering from pancreatic cancer. Truthfully, there were days that were just a blur. Meetings were a haze, and just simply getting through from sun up to sun down was hard enough. The support of my Medix teammates through these hard times was invaluable. They had my back through one of the most chaotic times of my life and truly taught me what it means to have a family at work.
Being There for Others
During this time of my life, there were so many individuals who taught me what it truly means to be there for someone. The concept of showing up for others during their darkest hour was something I came to fully understand as a result of all the kind, generous acts from the people in life. This lesson is now something I practice and instill in others at Medix, as well as throughout my life.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was my purpose. It was a long, and difficult road that lead me to finding my purpose and one that still continues today.
What events or moments in your life have lead you to discovering your purpose?