Costa Vasili’s story is similar to the stories of many other young entrepreneurs. What sets him apart? Success. With the help of the EO Accelerator program for early-stage entrepreneurs, Costa is running a values-driven translation business that aims to make a difference in the world. 

Costa Vasili is a son of migrant parents. His father, who was born in Cyprus, moved to Australia at 13 years old. It’s where he met Costa’s mother, who is also of Cypriot descent, and where Costa was born.

To ensure that Costa had the best chance of success in Australia, his parents spoke to him and his brother mostly in English rather than in Greek. The choice made it hard for Costa to communicate deeply with his Greek-speaking grandparents, but it did help him discover his entrepreneurial path.

During his university years, he was introduced to the language services industry. Costa soon launched his own translation company at just 20 years old, while still in university.

With no previous experience in owning or running a business and only limited work in the corporate world, he soon realized that the entrepreneur’s path has no roadmap or playbook. He relied mostly on himself to establish and grow his business—until, that is, he met up with EO Melbourne and the EO Accelerator program.

1 critical life lesson

“Your life and the business journey are a matter of micro-choices or decisions,” says Costa. He learned this from his philosophy class in university, which he considers a pivotal learning moment in his life. The facilitator gave a difficult and uncomfortable scenario, to which Costa responded. As he was probed deeper, he ended up saying,“I have no choice.” The facilitator corrected him, telling him that there is always a choice.