My whole life I have always been quite the chameleon. Adapting to different things, hobbies, interests, lifestyles and careers.

It began back in year 3 when I came home and told mum and dad I wanted to play the Trumpet. I became the first student to achieve a medal for Australian Music Exam Board in my primary school and fast forward five years and I was on a Music Scholarship to my high school.

But music wasn’t going to be my career, I didn’t know what it was going to be, all I knew is the thing I am most passionate in life about is being Greek. I never hid it; I was known for it! But I guess that will happen when you write your Year 11 speech on why Everyone should want to be Greek, wasn’t too hard at all, 80 per cent of it was everything we invented really.

Come year 12, I found myself completing the subject called Global Politics, I had NO idea where that was going to lead me until I realised I could write assignments on Greece. So I wrote on the Greek financial crisis and it felt AMAZING. I completed my Bachelors, interning with Federal MP Maria Vamvakinou, completing an assignment on The Impact the GFC had on Australia and if Australia could help in any way. I then finished my Masters of International Relations completing a thesis on Media Representations of the Greek Financial Crisis and Their Influence on Australian-Greek Relations.

So if you couldn’t tell, my blood runs blue and white.

In addition to finishing the last year of my Masters, I was transitioned from marketing into a new role at Tabcorp, a Business Development Manager. I was taking care of 120 TAB venues from the NSW border down to Phillip island!

The job was amazing because it meant I could see new people and places every day, it was always changing, I am not the type of person who can work in the same office five days a week!

Come March 2020, our team were stood down from our role.

With the clothing rental/swapping/buying culture growing, I had the idea of a delivery service specified for this for about 6 months. When stood down, I decided I’ll do it.

For four weeks, 7am to 1am, the wheels were rolling. I remember telling my parents about it and then my dad was like, why not do all businesses? Why limit to clothing? I was like… “Don’t tell me what to do… but ok I will!”

Isolation for my family became me asking “how do you do an ABN” “How do I build a website” “Do you like this colour Gotsi? This logo?”.

 

Taxi, cross with Tracking became THE TRAXI.

A Same Day Delivery Service – Born on April 18th, 2020!

I was messaging a lot of businesses, letting them know about this new delivery service and people were interested!

I began with a small delivery radius, me running in and out of the door completing deliveries until eventually I would come home extremely stressed because I was struggling to complete all the deliveries.

Dad turned around and said “hire someone else to driver”. It freaked me out.

Someone Else? What if they can’t do it properly!

But I bit the bullet and hired someone. Then as time went on I realised if I wanted to operate in other areas of Melb, I had to hire more drivers. I reached five drivers, then 10 drivers, then 20 drivers and 30 drivers!! It was nuts. By lockdown three, The business was Inundated.

The adrenalin, the work, the momentum was WILD, but hold on a minute, Tabcorp was calling, it was time to go back.

I balanced both jobs, but I was struggling more than I ever. It was unbearable, I began making mistakes within The Traxi and I knew something had to be done.

The Traxi was never going to leave, so after a conversation with a close work colleague on a Thursday afternoon, I decided I was quitting my full time job the next day…But I did have to tell my Greek parents…

They said “Wait it out a bit.”

I had already written my resignation, knowing no matter what mum and dad said I wouldn’t be changing my mind – I took the leap.

Its funny how fate works:

Exactly one week later, I checked my emails, someone contacted me enquiring about more info on our service.

I searched her name on LinkedIn;

“General Manager of Events and Conferences Crown”

I was in shock. We emailed back and forth, they were interested in The Traxi.

We were trialled with the Crown Restaurant Nobu. We were, and are their first ever delivery service.

In September 2020, it was official.

The Traxi is a contracted partner with Crown Melbourne.

Over Spring Racing we completed over 600 deliveries for Crown, I had 20 drivers in a warehouse loading up and going coming back loading up going.

That was the hardest, more stressful time in my life and the only reason I got through it was family, and specifically my sister Carli.

Who stayed up with me till 2am organising the logistics to meet time requirements, helping me when she had her full time job to deal with too.

Although we were busier in lockdown, the business is still used by hundreds of businesses in need. Corporate offices use our service to connect all their staff working from home by organising us to deliver gifts to them or grazing boxes during Zoom meetings.

The five day lockdown on the week of Valentine’s Day saw our service being utilised for loved ones to still send gifts to one another, connecting the community despite another lockdown.

2021 will see The Traxi app – I am so proud that in just under a year I have been able to excel the business to this level. There is so much more to come.

I am forever grateful to my family for helping me get here over the last year;

My dad for educating me on business, my mum for teaching me patience with myself, and my sister for supporting me in every step of this journey.