A Creative Life: Green Rainbow Shop

I could relate (as I bet all of you can too) to Eva's honest remark about how there is really no balance between family and business and that she works at night from 10pm-1am when the little ones are snoozing. Exhausting I know...but isn't it nice to know that our creative urges compel us to somehow find a way through thick and thin? Hope you enjoy reading about Eva and her Green Rainbow Shop today for our Creative Life. Click here to visit her site!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background

I was born and raised in Katerini, a small town near mount Olympus (the mountain of the 12 gods of Greek mythology) in Greece. I finished my studies and got a bachelors degree in Marketing, while working to a company that provided internet services and web design. That is where I learned lots of ways of researching.

In 1999 I was asked by my many years friend and lover to follow him and start our life together in New York. Who could deny that?!?!

We now have 2 kids, Spiro and Anna who are our motivations and my inspirations. I consider myself as a very stable person, at least in relationships and business. I have been working for over 9 years with a multi tasking businessman and engineer. Learned a great deal in the business part but something was missing…

How did Green Rainbow start?

…Working in New York City, your personal and family time is basically eliminated. Right after we had our son Spiro in 2006 and then Anna in 2008, I realized that I needed more time spent with my kids and family. I also found out that I needed more space for my own creative needs. So, in 2009 I started Green Rainbow Shop.

It is the place where I can research for green and eco-friendly products. It is the place to promote and give another portal to local eco-friendly designers to expose their creations or handmade and natural products. The inspiration for the name was Spiro, he is the rainbow in our life, through his personality, and little Anna is our sunshine!

How do you balance family life and running an online business?

I really do not think that there is ever going to be balance between family and business, even if it is an online one. My best time to work and create? After both of the little ones are asleep, and I have finished with bathing, then get my mac in my lap and start my last shift of work. Between 10 pm- 1am. That is the only time that I find balance and actually I find it to be the most creative and productive time as well!

How do you incorporate green living with your family and little ones?

We have been always trying to live the “green life”, in our own terms. And we believe that every year we become better, since we get to learn more on how to become greener. Since our kids are so young, the first steps and the first lesson we taught them, was using less water when we are washing our hands. Or when we take our bath. The best way to do that is by telling them that other kids want to use the water and it will not be enough if we let it run for a long time. It seems to be working. They definitely take under consideration the fact that other kids will have dirty hands and will need to have them cleaned for eating their lunch!

Greatest reward/challenge of owning your own business?

My greatest challenge is to find my own clients. Seems like when you do it for somebody else it is “easier”. When you are the boss of yourself it is tougher. Why is that?My biggest reward would be working on my own schedule.

Tell us what a typical day-in-your-life is like

The kids and me, wake up between 7 -7:30am and have breakfast, daddy has already started his day. I get to take Spiro to nursery school and Anna stays home with my mother in law- yes we are a typical greek family, having the mother in law babysit the kids while we are at work.- We consider ourselves very happy of having this luxury. The day goes on with emails, readings, phone calls and sales. I drink lots of coffee throughout the day, which is my major guilt but cannot ever resist. At lunchtime I will pick up Spiro from school and go home. Then going back to work and end up coming back home around 6:30 -7 pm. Feeling guilty about that as well… We always try to have dinner altogether. We consider that sitting around the table, even if someone is not hungry is lesson by itself, among other we can give. After the kids are fallen asleep, Green Rainbow will take over again for me, and I will do my final touch ups of the day, answer emails and read some blogs. As of June 1^st , I will be dedicated 100% to Green Rainbow Shop, meaning that I will have more time to express even my own creativity through some new ideas that have been running around my head for a green rainbow design line…even may have more time for a personal blog…