Meet the mother-daughter duo behind So Blue Greek Ceramics

Founded in 2002 by Elizabeth Kakouras Chiarel, So Blue Greek Ceramics & Gifts began with a focus on handmade ceramics from the Peloponnisos. Over time, the collection grew to include a diverse array of unique gifts. Elizabeth’s daughter, Maria Chiarel Diamond, has been part of the journey since childhood, and in 2020, she launched So Blue’s e-commerce site, expanding its reach and growing its social media presence.

Keep reading to discover the inspiration behind So Blue, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the journey of building a family business.

What inspired you to start So Blue, and how did you come up with the name?

All my life, I grew up spending summers in Greece. Once I was able to visit different islands, I began noticing various ceramics and started admiring the hand-painted work I would see. While shopping at a warehouse sale of Italian and Hungarian ceramics in the late 1990s, I asked myself, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to find a workshop or two in Greece with similar pieces?”

From that moment, I began my search. I was ecstatic when I happened upon a shop in Skiathos with work I knew would be perfect for my business. I discovered it was made in Patras by the Hatziyannis family. I was able to contact them and eventually traveled to visit their workshop in person. Sadly, this workshop doesn’t exist anymore, but for many years, we bought from them exclusively. Even my two children became part of the business when they traveled with me to select a variety of hand-painted pieces.

As for the name, I always traveled with a camera and loved showing my friends back home in the States the photos I took in Greece. They always asked in awe, “Is the water really so blue?”

Can you share a bit about your background and how it influenced your journey?

Born in Virginia to Greek immigrants from Evritania in Central Greece, I spent my childhood and young adult summers traveling to Greece to visit my grandparents and family in the villages and in Athens. Being the eldest child, I learned Greek as my first language and have always loved Greece—its history and culture. My connection to Greece influenced my choice of college and degree. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University and a Master of Arts in Psychological Services.

Before starting So Blue, I worked as a college and high school guidance counselor and in the high school exchange industry, which sparked my love for education. After my two children were born, I circled back to the idea of doing something that would give me more flexibility and independence while raising my kids. So Blue was born from my love for ceramics and, of course, Greece!

My biggest supporters in starting my business were my parents and my husband, who always encouraged me. Before placing my first order with the ceramics workshop in Patras, my late father visited their operation in person since I couldn’t travel to Greece during my second pregnancy.

What challenges did you face when starting your business, and how did you overcome them?

At the time, it didn’t feel like a challenge because it simply didn’t exist, but social media was not around when I was first starting this business. For the first decade of our business, our main way of “getting the word out” was by participating in Greek festivals, holiday vendor shows, and even home shows where I would invite neighbors, friends, and relatives. Even though we had a “catalog website” in 2005, our e-commerce site came about many years later.

Another challenge was credibility. At my first “show” in 2002, a vendor questioned where the ceramics were from, saying he couldn’t believe they were from Greece. He even said, “I have only ever seen ceramics like this from Italy but never Greece.” 

In recent years, I’ve faced the challenge of “just because I didn’t post about it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” It’s almost hard to believe that my first-ever show was in December 2002! Now, with social media, the challenge has shifted to navigating content creation and curating a brand image. Overcoming this involves consistently putting out content we enjoy and believe our followers and customers will too. This is usually a balance between lifestyle and culture posts and posts promoting the products we sell.

What is your creative process like, from concept to finished product?

As importers, our process is different from the creators whose work we carry. While we are constantly exploring and searching for new artists or brands in Greece, we’ve also maintained relationships with artists for many years. It’s really special to collaborate with these artists to come up with new ideas and see how they bring them to life with their incredible talents.

What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own business in the arts & crafts industry?

Find your community among fellow women in business in your niche. It’s truly beautiful when women uplift and support one another in their crafts.

It's not an original thought but, for me (Elizabeth), growing up in a small town and working in my late father's restaurants, I learned early on that the way you treat others defines your character and integrity. The same motto can be applied in our business today. Above all, treat people well and you will find success in life, whether it's your customers, colleagues or even the artists you support. To quote the author Earl Nightingale "Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails".

Being able to work with my daughter in this business now makes it even more special. Together, we navigate the daily challenges of consistently posting and marketing on social media while also selecting new products from Greece. Having a physical shop together is also a dream come true. Let me also add how amazing it was to hear my daughter conversing in Greek with the artists on our recent buying trip to Greece. It made me incredibly proud to hear her speaking Greek with ease, and it reminded me of my younger days when I first started this business.

What’s your favorite place in Greece?

For us, a piece of our hearts will always be in Evritania, Central Greece. Oftentimes, when someone mentions “Greece,” images of sunny Cycladic islands come to mind, but for us, our thoughts immediately go to the lush green mountains and stunning views from our family home in Mikro Xorio. The priceless memories made here for both myself and my entire family have forever changed our lives.

Favorite food or recipe you would like to share with us?

A treasured recipe is for Pastitsio. It’s one where I’ve been told, “It tastes like my yiayia’s,” but it’s a family secret. It makes me proud to know even my future daughter-in-law makes it!