Interview With Author Stratis Kamatsos
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
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.
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).
The is the first book I have written and published, and thus, it is a new and exciting journey for me.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is SLOW Life Diet – Greek Village Living: The Pathway to a Healthier Lifestyle, Healthy Habits, and a Happier You.
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.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call them unusual (or at least from my perspective!), but 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 authors, or books have influenced you?
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.
What are you working on now?
As I have just recently published my first book, I am trying to market it and get more readership for it. In the near future, I will look to expand this series with other books talking about the SLOW life diet and Greek village living.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that generally, platforms like Awesome Gang, which connect authors to readers and other authors in an authentic way, are extremely valuable to budding authors. These platforms will become even more promising in the future of publishing and for promoting books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
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.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything is impossible until you do it.
What are you reading now?
Keep Sharp: How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Dr. Sanjay Gupta
What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to build upon the momentum of my first book; to write a whole series on the subject and to keep increasing my knowledge on the subject.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Laws by Plato
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Author Websites and Profiles
Stratis Kamatsos Amazon Profile
Stratis Kamatsos’s Social Media Links