Today, March 25, is Greek Independence Day.
March 25 1821 is the day the revolution began against four centuries of Ottoman rule. Independence was finally gained in 1830.
I grew up with this painting. It still hangs in my mum’s living room.
It depicts the women of the battles of Mesolongi and Souli who took up arms and fought for their freedom. The women of Souli became legendary for choosing death over captivity - they danced before throwing themselves from the cliffs.
In 1911, my father’s grandfather Athanasios Tsensopulos won this painting in a raffle. It hung in the house in Cyprus that my Dad grew up in. The wars came - the painting disappeared.
When my Dad moved to England, through the Greek Cypriot community (the most active intelligence network in London), he heard that the painting was here. He found it and bought it. It was damaged and was going to cost over £800 to restore, which back then was a lot of money. My Dad at the time was the pianist at one of London’s most prestigious clubs in Mayfair - the 21 Room Club. An art gallery owner who was a member of the Club and fond of my Dad restored it for the cost of materials alone - £120. It has been on our wall ever since.
Women were instrumental to the Greek revolution. Laskarina Bouboulina commanded a fleet of warships she built with her own money. Manto Mavrogenous sold everything she owned to fund troops, then wrote to European leaders to rally support. Both died in poverty.
Today when I look at this painting I think about the Greek women who fought for my freedom. And the many women around the world currently fighting for theirs who continue to dance in defiance.
Thank you to the multitude of women who have lifted me up at over the many seasons & many places I call home.
It is not lost on me how I wish Instagram carousels were longer - I could go on and on. Though in some cases we need to first take some half decent photos - looking at you @cripple_girl .
Thinking of the many women around the world fighting for their rights & freedoms, and the many women who fought to grant me the rights I have today.
I just stepped into the future of healthcare.
I kicked off the new year with an intention, like many do, to take better care of myself. I just had my second Neko scan, and even knowing what was coming, I was still blown away.
✨ The feeling: You walk in and your body relaxes before your brain catches up. Calm, intentional, considered. Scandinavian Spa meets Apple Store.
🫀 The heart: I heard my own heartbeat. Literally. There is something quietly moving about hearing your body doing its job.
🩻 The images: 2,104 images taken in minutes. Every mole mapped and tracked. One needed a closer look. Neko examined it further and within 24 hours I knew it was thankfully benign.
🧠 The intelligence: Bloods. ECG. Eye pressure. Muscle mass. Grip strength. Blood pressure. All in one visit. The tissue analysis made me feel like I was in a sci-fi movie.
👨⚕️The conversation: By the time I got dressed again, Dr Arish (who also works with the NHS) was waiting to talk me through my results - zooming in on my own avatar.
⏱️ The time: 55 minutes start to finish.
💵 The cost: Having lived in America for so long, I know this would normally cost thousands. Neko costs less than 500 bucks. To be specific: £299 for my first scan and £249 for my second (I know how lucky I am to be able to afford that). I’ve already booked in for January 2027.
Thank you @eldsjal , @hnilsonne , @shak and the whole @nekohealth team. There is one thing my setting an intention to take care of my health. It’s a whole other thing having an experience that actually helps you do it where you’re smiling all the whole way through - even during the blood test.
It’s amazing what you find in your drafts folder.
Cannes 2025: ☀️🤖🙋🏻♀️✨💬🧠⚡️ 🍽️🏖️🍫🪩
Thank you 2025. There have been highs & lows and lots of learnings along the way.
2026 note to self: check your drafts.
A 2025 highlight was being invited by the one and only @sethmatlins to speak at the @forbes CMO Summit in London.
I’ve spent much of this year sitting at the intersection of AI, culture and creativity, and the provocation I shared at the Summit is one I keep returning to:
“Can AI have taste?”
In a world where AI makes producing creative relatively cheap, taste becomes increasingly expensive. Taste in all its forms - art, judgement, restraint. Case in point, Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year - “slop”.
When creation is infinite, curation itself becomes the creative act.
AI can generate endlessly, but it can’t feel a room.
It can’t read silence, laughter, or timing.
Or heart.
And speaking of heart, Seth curates community with real intention. I feel lucky to be part of the Forbes CMO community Seth’s built across both the US and Europe - learning & sharing with friends old & new.
Though he does swear it was completely unintentional that the panel I was on turned out to be entirely Greek 🇬🇷
1 million views in 5 hours.
I have built campaigns across many sectors and cultures - from tech to entertainment to sport to gaming to politics. This one is special.
‘The Beyond Type’ celebrates real people and real stories - triathlete @kugo_type1 , karate kid champion #MehrinRana, pastry chef @chefnishantamin , toy designer @_shreyaj , actor @induthampy and vegetable vendor and marathon runner @harit1champion . Their stories show that Type 1 diabetes does not define you.
Through my fractional advisory NYLON LAB, I co-led and exec produced a new campaign that launched today in India with @priyankachopra & @nickjonas for Nick and @julietdebaubigny ’s @beyondtype1 , led by the one and only @deb_dugan .
A big thank you to @bensbrother1 , @ragnboneman and @nickmonsonmusic . Their song ‘Human’ became another character in this film, giving the campaign its heartbeat.
Thank you @ogilvyindia and the BT1 team.
Every campaign takes a team and for this one it was a Tiger Team.
#TheBeyondType #TigerTeam
“Between The Mountain and the Sky” is an incredible documentary being considered for an Oscar nomination.
It’s about the phenomenal @maggiedoyne , who went to Nepal on a gap year to volunteer in an orphanage and never left. She has raised 53 children, building a family filled with love and laughter, humanity and healing. This film is a love letter, directed by Maggie’s husband @jeremy_power_regimbal .
Thank you Shauna and @maggiedoyne for inviting me to introduce your breathtaking story at a special screening at Soho House last night. Afterwards, Maggie and Benedict Cumberbatch held a beautiful Q&A about love, community…and margaritas.
The film has been winning hearts around the world, from Telluride to NYC to Amsterdam - London joined the list last night. Executive produced by @markduplass and championed by @edwardnortonofficial , Shauna Robertson and everyone who watches it. It’s available to stream via their website for a limited time.
For friends who vote in the Academy, @betweenthemountain is a special one.
I ❤️ London
Our cultural & creative economy is now worth £6.3 billion a year, 12% of the London economy. In no small part thanks to the brilliant @justinesimons .
🧥London Fashion Week: @iamfods@labrumlondon stunning presentation is always the #LFW highlight. Telling the richness of the African & immigrant diaspora through art, community & couture, this is more than a fashion show. It is a gathering of souls & stories. Congrats my friend.
🎨 Kerry James Marshall’s exhibition at @royalacademyarts curated by @markgodfrey1973 is beyond breathtaking. A must see.
📷 A joy to see the incredible @tylersphotos at his fantastic book signing @gagosian .
