Get to know Kat and Yianna Velos, the Greek-Australian duo behind Golden Groves. The pair launched Golden Groves as an ode to Mediterranean living by bringing the taste of liquid gold through organic olive oil to your table. Inspired by long leisurely lunches in sleepy tavernas alongside the Aegean Sea, Golden Groves is intended to not only feed your body, but also your soul....
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IG Handles
@goldengrovesco
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Kat- @katvel__
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Yianna- @yiannavel
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Starsign
Kat- Taurus
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Yianna- Virgo
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Why did you start your business?
We started our business as it was something we cared for so deeply. Food is at the heart of everything we do, and Golden Groves married our love of food, travel and storytelling. It was a natural progression, as when we both love something we want others to share the excitement of what we experience, which in this case is the love of our family's olive oil!
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Is there a meaning behind the name Golden Groves?
We often refer to our organic olive oil as liquid gold, because it is exactly that. Everything our olive oil touches is elevated, both in flavor and colour. When you crack open a bottle of olive oil, you will instantly notice the rich golden-green hue of our oil, which is a colour unlike any other olive oil on the market.
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Typical day in your life
Each day for me is different, which is why I schedule a few constants in my day to create a sense of routine. The first thing I do each morning is meditate for 10 minutes. For me, it's really important for me to set the tone of my day, rather than allow social media and world events to impact my mood and early morning thoughts. I will then get my exercise in for the day, which is typically reformer Pilates, hot yoga or Pilates. After I've exercised, eaten breakfast and gotten dressed for the day, I will spend the first half of the morning typically catching up on emails that have come through overnight. The second half of my day is typically spent in meetings or creating content for my personal social platforms. I'll also squeeze in some sort of health-related appointment (i.e. acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.). Most evenings, I will have a press event, business dinner or catch up with friends. On nights where I am not out, I like to unwind by having a sauna at home, going for a long walk without my phone or indulging in a Thai massage.
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...Where does your brand inspiration come from?
Greece. The simplicity of life there, the approach to food, slow living, the reverence for fresh produce, of the sea, and the gusto for life!
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Drink of choice?
Kat- Dirty martini, gin, extra olives. Or a negroni. Or a sparkling water with lemon.
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Yianna- It depends on the time of day! Mornings are for black coffee with mushroom powder and bone broth with lemon. Afternoons are for matcha, and evenings are for dirty olive oil martinis.
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Dream travel destination?
Kat- Greece, always. Right now, it's the island of Amorgos for me.
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Yianna- Egypt - I've always wanted to go and explore the pyramids and sail the Nile. This is definitely the next big trip I want to go on!
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Biggest brand milestone
We have had so many milestones and moments that we are so proud of, that I can't limit our milestones to one. For me, there are three real stand outs, the first one being when we collaborated with Baby Pizza to celebrate the launch of our Golden Groves caviar. This was our first event working with friends of our brand, and it was such a privilege to collaborate with an iconic Australian restaurant group to reconceptualise the way caviar is perceived through a menu we curated. We feel so lucky to be able to share our food and what we love with others. This was actually the event we first met Lana at too! Another highlight was having our brand compared to that viral Miu Miu mini skirt in Harper's Bazaar - that was such a pinch me moment! Finally, last year was the first time we were able to travel back to Greece and shoot for ouur. brand. We flew over and shot with Annika Kafcaloudis and Tim Williams, who we have become so close with since working together on Golden Groves. Sharing our history and family stories with them both, and then being able to broadcast this to the world, was such an unforgettable moment.
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Advice to someone starting their own business
Kat- Just start. Don't think about how old you are, what qualification you do or don't have. At the end of the day, if you have unlimiting self-belief, you'll be able to execute what your heart desires.
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Yianna- Have an unwavering belief in yourself! There will be moments where people doubt you and especially moments where you doubt yourself, but you can't ask people for something you can't provide yourself. People want to have something to believe in, so start believing and advocating for yourself because you deserve and you can have all your hopes and dreams come true, however big they are!
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A quote you live by
Kat- “When you want something, the whole universe conspires in order for you to achieve it”
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Yianna-"Whether you think you can, or think you can't - you're right" - Henry Ford
For me, this quote is so powerful because it shows the only thing that stands between failure or success is our self-belief. I'm of the belief that if you can think of something, you can achieve it. All you need is the self-belief and to take consistent action.
For me, this quote is so powerful because it shows the only thing that stands between failure or success is our self-belief. I'm of the belief that if you can think of something, you can achieve it. All you need is the self-belief and to take consistent action.
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