About Stratis Kamatsos:
I am lawyer and social entrepreneur who started my business path by reviving my 3-generational, family tradition of olive oil production on the island of Lesvos, Greece, with my company evo3 olive farms. Through my love and knowledge of olive oil, I began to advocate for its health benefits and the role it played in the Greek way of life. I not only promoted olive oil’s health benefits, but also saw that the Greek village diet was much more than just food, but a lifestyle, and I witnessed first-hand that it could make someone live longer, happier and healthier.
Having grown up in the United States, but being of Greek origin, every summer we would go to my parents' villages in Greece (Lesvos) and immerse ourselves in the village way of life. Things that I observed, lived, practiced and learned, stayed with me throughout my life. However, they became thoroughly important when my health slightly suffered as a young adult. It allowed me to alter my path to a healthier lifestyle and aging well. And with all the scientific research that has been done on the subject to show its positive health benefits, it allowed me to invigorate my inspiration to write the book and to share my knowledge about the subject.
I am the founder and CEO of evo3 olive farms. The CSR that underlies evo3 olive farms’ efforts is that for every product sold, a tree is planted in a deforested area in Africa and Haiti putting planet over profit. I work with Eden Reforestation Projects with the tree planting. By teaming up with Eden, evo3 olive farms not only plants trees – through its valued customers and partner – but also gives work to impoverished local people dedicated to earn a supplemental income by planting these trees and reviving their local forests and farmlands.
My olive oil has won many taste and branding awards, including from the New York International Olive Oil Competition, the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition, the London Great Taste awards, the AVPA olive oil competition in France, and Gold in the International Organic Awards.
I am an olive oil sommelier giving olive oil taste lectures on how to taste olive oil and choosing the right one, and also the benefits of using olive oil and the role it plays in the SLOW Life diet.
I was also a TedX speaker. My talk focused on creating a business based on social value rather than only financial value. It is called, “Entrepreneurship and Empathy” (please turn on the subtitles as the original language is Greek).
What inspires you to write?
Passing on knowledge to others. Experience is a powerful tool in your arsenal as a writer. It is what shapes people and makes us grow as individuals. And when someone goes through a process of learning with trial and error, making strides, taking steps back, and then finally making sense of things, this is the school of life. Having the privilege to share this knowledge to help others get inspired and to grow is what inspires me to write.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
From the old writers, I like reading Plato.
From the more modern ones, being a lawyer, I grew up reading John Grisham. And for his thought provoking writing and thorough history of society, Yuval Noah Harari.
Tell us about your writing process.
When I write, I like to make a mental sketch (something of a mental map) of what the book will look like. Then I make an outline (content skeleton) on paper. After this, I take each section/heading one by one and write notes. I then go back and research anything I need to to back up opinions that I make. Lastly, I start writing the book.
What advice would you give other writers?
Although it took me a few years (on and off) in finishing my book, in the end, I did not want to hesitate to "perfect" my book, but to just go ahead and publish it. You need to let go of all the anxieties and worries you may have about what others may think of your book. There will people that will not agree with you or not like what you write, but there will be many others who do. And remember, to stimulate conversation on both sides of the table is what writing is all about and a success for writers. Go for it because you only live once.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I thought that self-publishing, albeit harder to promote, gives you that confidence as a published writer, to learn the process and to continue writing other books. I am also the person that likes to learn and experience new things; something like a Renaissance man. Self-publishing allowed me to learn things about the industry and marketing that if I pursued a publisher, I wouldn't have learned myself. Once I got the wind beneath my wings after self-publishing, now I am beginning to thing broader and wider not only about my book, but about a whole series of books on the subject.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There are many challenges that traditional publishers face today. Nowadays, anyone who wants to publish, can. As quality content becomes more available, content on its own may become less valuable as a driver of sales. Marketing and platform capabilities that help readers discover and engage will be differentiators. Value will also be assigned to aspects of the digital experience—personalization, delivery mediums and options, functionality, and social engagement. There will still need to be a human connection, but most of it will be done digitally.
The next wave of innovation will certainly push publishing further into the digital space. However, this doesn't mean that the print space is dying as many still prefer the nostalgia of holding a book in their hands and read the printed word. However, the printed versions will need to find a way to engage customers and authors to engage with each other digitally. And with the digital trend going to the metaverse, it will be interesting to see how publishers and authors alike bridge the gap between traditional printing, self-publishing and rapid technological advancement.
What genres do you write?: Non-Fiction, Health and Fitness
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Link To Stratis Kamatsos Page On Amazon
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
