We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Lazares and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Coming from a Mediterranean background, I always loved the beauty and elegance of the Mediterranean lifestyle. I would go back to Greece once a year and buy unique, handcrafted jewelry products and resort wear that I couldn’t find in the United States. When I returned from my vacations in the Med, I was uninspired by the large department stores and didn’t want to wear what everyone else was wearing. This sparked my idea to create my own brand that reflected the beauty and elegance of Mediterranean fashion. What is unique about Glendi is that each piece is one of a kind and the styles reflect the latest fashion trends in the Mediterranean region. We are excited to expand the brand to resort wear and other fashion accessories over time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I spent most of my career as a Product Manager at Amazon. I built products from scratch that were Amazon branded and brought them to market. My time there enabled me to learn the skills needed to launch my own business.

My strong suit has always been sales. I went to Amazon with the mindset that I wanted to try a lot of different jobs in areas I was not naturally good at in order to become a more effective CEO some day. This approach was a much harder path because I always felt out of my comfort zone, but it allowed me to build strong instincts in many areas of my own business.

Despite being grateful for my time at Amazon, I quickly learned that the culture at a big company is vastly different from a startup. I had to adapt my leadership style and approach to be more agile and scrappy which was different than the systemization at a big company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently live in Boston but spend a lot of time in Greece and Turkey. For the sake of staying on brand, I’ll give a quick itinerary for a trip to the Greek and Turkish islands:

Day 1: Arrive in Athens. Drive to our hotel, the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Vouliagmeni (a coastal town in Athens). Enjoy a quick lunch of fresh fish and vegetables at Taverna 37 in the hotel and take a dip in the ocean. For dinner, a local taverna with roasted lamb and freshly made Greek potatoes.

Day 2: Visit the Acropolis in Athens and the Acropolis museum. They have a plexiglass floor that is see through to ancient ruins and coins.

Day 3: Fly to Crete for a stay at the Blue Palace Hotel. Book a villa with an infinity pool. Hit the beach early in the morning and reserve seats by the water. The beach is rocky, but you can swim off a private swim ladder and dock. Swim in the ocean and take a boat tour of Spinalonga island which was an old leper colony turned into a museum. Eat at the Blue Door Taverna in the hotel.

Days 4-6: Explore Crete or just relax and soak in the health benefits of the Mediterranean sun and sea.

Day 7: Fly to Bodrum, Turkey and stay at the Caresse hotel or Aman hotel. Visit Gumusluk at sunset, a seaside town with boutiques and restaurants. Eat at Mimoza, a beachside restaurant with handmade gourd lanterns and traditional Aegean food.

Days 8-10: Spend your sunny days at a local beach club called Aktur Inceburun Plaji. Swim in the Mediterranean Sea and read a good book. Order fresh tea and Turkish snacks around 4pm. Must visit dinner restaurants include: Memedof, GemibaşI, Vamps and Keçi.

For amazing shopping, go to Yalıkavak Marina.

Day 11:

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I come from a family of entrepreneurial immigrants. My dad who is 100% Greek is a lifelong entrepreneur, lawyer and former banker and instilled in me a strong work ethic from the time I was young. He helped me launch and operate my business. From idea creation to tax planning, his breadth of experience has helped me to scale and avoid costly mistakes. This shoutout is dedicated to him!

Website: Shop.Glendi.Club

Instagram: GlendiClub

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