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Jun-Mar | 15 Business Personal best
GREAT GREEKS ABROAD
arianna the great
Arianna Huffington, the soul of the Huffington Post and an international persona, speaks
to 2board about HuffPost Greece and her personal Athens. | Η ARIANNA huffingtoν, ψυχη ΤΗΣ
HUFFINGTON POST kai προσωπικοτητα διεθνουσ βεληνεκουσ, μιλαει στο 2board για την ελληνικη
huffpost greece αλλα και για τη δικη τησ αθηνα.
Y ou have stated that you wanted to
launch Huffington Post in Greece I would love to see the marbles back where
“for emotional reasons”. How do they belong, for reasons of both consequence
you feel today, now that Huff Post and symbolism.
Greece is here? What is the image of Greece abroad these
days? Are opinions still dominated by the sun,
For me, launching HuffPost Greece sea and Zorba the Greek stereotype, or are we
has been the ultimate homecoming, not only starting to see a new “brand” emerge?
because this is where I was born but because Those Greek images are timeless, but Greece’s
HuffPost is very firmly rooted in a Greek tradi- steep challenges have highlighted another na-
tion of bringing people together and facilitating tional trait, resilience. I’ve witnessed that Greek
interesting conversations. When we began our resilience firsthand many times in my life. In the
international expansion more than three years summer of 2011, I spent many nights in Syntag-
ago, I knew that one day HuffPost’s own od- ma Square, directly across from the Greek par-
yssey (to borrow from one of my compatriots) liament. The protesting crowd was mixed, full
would lead us to Greece. And I couldn’t be hap- of young people and old, the self-employed, the
pier that that day has finally come. unemployed, activists and pensioners, demand-
Successful writer, insightful businesswom- ing the opportunity to live out their own versions
an, mother of two. How do you balance your of a good life. And now the rest of the world is
roles? If you had to prioritize, what would the coming to see the resilience of the Greek peo-
ranking look like? ple, too – and no doubt updating those some-
Well, it’s more a matter of prioritizing than bal- what shopworn stereotypes.
ance, which implies you can “have it all,” a phrase It is well known that the Huffington Post pro-
we need to banish. And my priorities are, first, especially when it comes to failure, because I motes Greece as a tourist destination through
my daughters, who come before anything and have failed many times in my life. I watched a variety of features. Do you feel like an am-
everything else in my life. And I try always to HuffPost come alive to mixed reviews, includ- bassador for Greece?
keep my work in perspective. Contrary to what ing some very negative ones, like the review- Not exactly – but if that’s the effect, I’m cer-
we (especially woman) are usually told, family er who called the site “the movie equivalent of tainly thrilled with it (at least in America, I may
can actually be a great thing for your career, by Gigli, Ishtar, and Heaven’s Gate.” be more an ambassador for Greek accents!)
giving us perspective and the ability to be more And many women are afraid of failure – partly Like all our international editions, HuffPost
detached from our working lives’ daily ups and because women are still judged more harshly Greece is committed to telling the stories that
downs. Because, hey, we have something better for failure – but I hope I can be example of how matter most there and, just as important, help-
waiting for us at home. Just knowing I’m going it can be useful. ing Greeks tell their stories themselves. And
to see my daughters at the end of the day puts My mother used to tell me, “failure is not the op- while HuffPost Greece is reporting relentlessly
my whole work day in a different light. Even a posite of success, it’s a stepping stone to success.” on the impact of austerity and all that is dys-
phone call from one of my daughters during the So at some point, I learned not to dread failure. functional and not working, we’re also telling
day can center me like nothing else. I’m far less I strongly believe that we are not put on this earth the stories of what is working – and that in-
likely to get stressed over a setback – and have just to accumulate victories and trophies and avoid cludes Greece’s many offerings to tourists from EDITOR: ELIANA CHRISIKOPOULOU
you ever had a day without setbacks? failures; but rather to be whittled and sandpapered around the world.
Your name is often included in the lists of the down until what’s left is who we truly are. What impressed you the most during your
most powerful and influential women. Do you By chance or not, the presentation of the Greek recent visit to Athens for the launch of Huff-
feel like a representative of feminism? Do you edition of the Huffington Post took place at Post Greece and the presentation of your book
think women can learn from and be inspired the Acropolis Museum. What is your position “Thrive”?
by your path? regarding the return of the Parthenon mar- Even if I wasn’t surprised, I was so impressed
I wouldn’t claim to be a representative, but I bles? Would it be an action of consequence, by the Greek spirit that we must live each mo-
do hope women can learn from my example, or a symbolic gesture? ment fully.
118
GREAT GREEKS ABROAD
arianna the great
Arianna Huffington, the soul of the Huffington Post and an international persona, speaks
to 2board about HuffPost Greece and her personal Athens. | Η ARIANNA huffingtoν, ψυχη ΤΗΣ
HUFFINGTON POST kai προσωπικοτητα διεθνουσ βεληνεκουσ, μιλαει στο 2board για την ελληνικη
huffpost greece αλλα και για τη δικη τησ αθηνα.
Y ou have stated that you wanted to
launch Huffington Post in Greece I would love to see the marbles back where
“for emotional reasons”. How do they belong, for reasons of both consequence
you feel today, now that Huff Post and symbolism.
Greece is here? What is the image of Greece abroad these
days? Are opinions still dominated by the sun,
For me, launching HuffPost Greece sea and Zorba the Greek stereotype, or are we
has been the ultimate homecoming, not only starting to see a new “brand” emerge?
because this is where I was born but because Those Greek images are timeless, but Greece’s
HuffPost is very firmly rooted in a Greek tradi- steep challenges have highlighted another na-
tion of bringing people together and facilitating tional trait, resilience. I’ve witnessed that Greek
interesting conversations. When we began our resilience firsthand many times in my life. In the
international expansion more than three years summer of 2011, I spent many nights in Syntag-
ago, I knew that one day HuffPost’s own od- ma Square, directly across from the Greek par-
yssey (to borrow from one of my compatriots) liament. The protesting crowd was mixed, full
would lead us to Greece. And I couldn’t be hap- of young people and old, the self-employed, the
pier that that day has finally come. unemployed, activists and pensioners, demand-
Successful writer, insightful businesswom- ing the opportunity to live out their own versions
an, mother of two. How do you balance your of a good life. And now the rest of the world is
roles? If you had to prioritize, what would the coming to see the resilience of the Greek peo-
ranking look like? ple, too – and no doubt updating those some-
Well, it’s more a matter of prioritizing than bal- what shopworn stereotypes.
ance, which implies you can “have it all,” a phrase It is well known that the Huffington Post pro-
we need to banish. And my priorities are, first, especially when it comes to failure, because I motes Greece as a tourist destination through
my daughters, who come before anything and have failed many times in my life. I watched a variety of features. Do you feel like an am-
everything else in my life. And I try always to HuffPost come alive to mixed reviews, includ- bassador for Greece?
keep my work in perspective. Contrary to what ing some very negative ones, like the review- Not exactly – but if that’s the effect, I’m cer-
we (especially woman) are usually told, family er who called the site “the movie equivalent of tainly thrilled with it (at least in America, I may
can actually be a great thing for your career, by Gigli, Ishtar, and Heaven’s Gate.” be more an ambassador for Greek accents!)
giving us perspective and the ability to be more And many women are afraid of failure – partly Like all our international editions, HuffPost
detached from our working lives’ daily ups and because women are still judged more harshly Greece is committed to telling the stories that
downs. Because, hey, we have something better for failure – but I hope I can be example of how matter most there and, just as important, help-
waiting for us at home. Just knowing I’m going it can be useful. ing Greeks tell their stories themselves. And
to see my daughters at the end of the day puts My mother used to tell me, “failure is not the op- while HuffPost Greece is reporting relentlessly
my whole work day in a different light. Even a posite of success, it’s a stepping stone to success.” on the impact of austerity and all that is dys-
phone call from one of my daughters during the So at some point, I learned not to dread failure. functional and not working, we’re also telling
day can center me like nothing else. I’m far less I strongly believe that we are not put on this earth the stories of what is working – and that in-
likely to get stressed over a setback – and have just to accumulate victories and trophies and avoid cludes Greece’s many offerings to tourists from EDITOR: ELIANA CHRISIKOPOULOU
you ever had a day without setbacks? failures; but rather to be whittled and sandpapered around the world.
Your name is often included in the lists of the down until what’s left is who we truly are. What impressed you the most during your
most powerful and influential women. Do you By chance or not, the presentation of the Greek recent visit to Athens for the launch of Huff-
feel like a representative of feminism? Do you edition of the Huffington Post took place at Post Greece and the presentation of your book
think women can learn from and be inspired the Acropolis Museum. What is your position “Thrive”?
by your path? regarding the return of the Parthenon mar- Even if I wasn’t surprised, I was so impressed
I wouldn’t claim to be a representative, but I bles? Would it be an action of consequence, by the Greek spirit that we must live each mo-
do hope women can learn from my example, or a symbolic gesture? ment fully.
118
