Through her passion for lifting others up, Anthea offers hope and inspiration for those seeking to make all aspects of their lives more satisfying and fulfilling.
A box of letters. A timeless love story. Two people separated by war build an unbreakable bond.
When Anthea C. Stratigos discovered an ornate chinoiserie box owned by her late mother-in-law, Irene, she didn’t realize she had stumbled upon an epic love story. Inside were bundles of letters, tucked in their envelopes and wrapped in ribbons. When she opened and read them, the letters revealed an entire courtship through correspondence between a young Irene and a soldier named Gus—who, after meeting only a few times in person, she would marry.
In 1941, America was reeling after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gus was quickly dispatched to Hawaii, but on the way there he stopped over in San Francisco, where he met Irene, a beautiful young woman working in her family’s coffee shop. Through their shared Greek heritage and the letters they sent to each other in those early years, they forged a bond that would last for the rest of their lives.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most pivotal times in American history, My Darling Naki is a collection of Gus’s transcribed letters to Irene. From the rain-soaked tropics to the mountains of Tennessee—and from soldier to officer, bachelor to husband—Gus wrote to Irene nearly every week for years.
Read as a collection, the letters reveal a blossoming love and a timeless, tenderhearted story filled with hardship, loss, suspense, and joy—and insight about how two people stayed married for sixty-four years.
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Through her passion for lifting others up, Anthea offers hope and inspiration for those seeking to make all aspects of their lives more satisfying and fulfilling.
How do you want to “do life”?
We are bombarded with messages to do more, be better, and live a life worth living, but how do we do this in an increasingly complicated and fast-paced world?
These are the questions Anthea Stratigos has been asking herself for more than twenty years. And the answers she provides here have fostered a way of living and working that’s led to an immensely satisfying result. Through ten guiding principles, her stories share simple changes you can start making today to follow your heart and find your opportunities to thrive.
From a humble upbringing, Anthea built a career and a business serving some of the Fortune 500’s most successful companies, all while raising a blended family and nurturing her relationships. The brightest minds across industries turn to Anthea for trusted advice and leadership, but she didn’t achieve this success by “doing it all,” as they say. She prioritized, set boundaries, and made choices that made magic from the ordinary aspects of life. Enhanced by her grandson’s illustrations that capture the essence of her advice, this book offers the same poignant stories and wisdom Anthea has shared with her friends and colleagues.
Where will you find your magic in the mundane?
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Praise for Magic in the Mundane
“A beautiful, simply remarkable read on every dimension. Anthea powerfully combines personal storytelling with actionable, concise guidance relevant to any person at any stage of life. Her voice is authentic, her insights are real, and the book is one I will share with my family and colleagues and return to myself across every phase of my own career and life journey.”
—Mike Lewis, author, When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn't the Life You Want
“Like a sage Greek philosopher from centuries past, Anthea Stratigos shares her wisdom accumulated through adversity, success, family, and friends. Magic in the Mundane is a deeply thoughtful, approachable, and actionable book for all of us in this modern, chaotic world. It's a guide to living a fulfilling life, for all the right reasons.”
—Scott Parazynski, MD, Founder & CEO of Fluidity Technologies, astronaut, Mt. Everest climber, pilot, inventor, author, keynote speaker
“As a businesswoman, mother, daughter, sibling and friend to many, I have certainly spent a lot of my life ‘trying to juggle it all’ and be perfect at everything. I have just spent the weekend reading Magic in the Mundane and I haven’t smiled so much in a long time. All I could picture was Anthea—these are so her words—full of love, care, and insights, and so down to earth. Her honesty in her stories and learnings is special. I wish I could have read this book when I was thirty years old. There is no question it would have really helped me on my journey.”
—Sharon Rowlands, CEO of Web.com
“Anthea’s book is filled with easily digestible bite-sized nuggets of life’s simple lessons—but don’t be fooled, her messages are transformative, deeply nourishing, and long-lasting. A great read for every gender and every generation!”
—Karyn Schoenbart, CEO of NPD Group
“About fifteen years ago, Anthea and I were chatting, and she casually said: “Clutter is visual noise.” Wow. What a powerful yet simple concept! I always remembered what Anthea told me. When my wife and I decided to renovate and expand our home, we had a long discussion about clutter and decided to make our home clutter-free. Thanks to Anthea’s teaching, we have a rule that we cannot introduce new furniture or knickknacks to our home independently; instead we must both agree on the new addition to our surroundings. Our life is more enjoyable because of the lack of clutter. That’s just one of the extraordinary ideas found in Magic in the Mundane. Anthea has a beautiful (and clutter-free!) writing style paired perfectly with wonderful illustrations by Grant August Walston that make her ideas on building a life worth living in our increasingly polarized and real-time world come alive in all their glory. Magic in the Mundane is an important book on how to slow down and celebrate what you love in order to live better.”
—David Meerman Scott, business-growth strategist and international best-selling author of New Rules of Marketing & PR and Fanocracy
“Life is all about attitude, and this book is a perfect example of how attitude shapes each person’s performance and happiness. Anthea has a perspective that is well rounded and formed by life experiences in a most positive way. Anthea creates magic all around her, and it’s fun watching her do it.”
—Wilma Jordan, founder and CEO of JEGI
“Anthea captures the zeitgeist of the world today and has written a beautiful book that touches on every important aspect of women’s lives. It is honest, straightforward, and wickedly smart. Her observances are exactly right, and there is learning on every page. I look forward to more writing from Anthea.”
—Cathie Black, former president of Hearst Magazines
“Anthea pours her life in a centrifuge, spins it vigorously, and produces seventy-one bite-sized teachings on how to cultivate a thoughtful, self-styled, unapologetic, and genuinely fulfilling existence. Magic in the Mundane is a master class for all who desire to live more deliberately and rediscover what is essential (but often elusive). Anthea’s gift is meant not simply to be read but to be used: Go back, re-imbibe each vignette as a short daily meditation; take notes in the pages provided; make ‘resolve’ a personal prayer—and experience the magic, as I have.”
—Jack Abuhoff, CEO of Innodata Inc.
“Magic in the Mundane is a look inside our daily lives—with Anthea Stratigos’s uncanny and insightful ability to provide wisdom, hope, light, and inspiration to our lives. Reading the book is like taking a lesson in how to lead your best life, written by a woman who is, by example, leading a beautiful life. It is truly a must-read for anyone who wants to better appreciate and understand how each day in our journey can be extraordinary when viewed through Anthea’s remarkable lens.”
—Carin Warner, founder of Warner Communications
“Anthea delivers a gift of knowledge, tactical steps, and frankly a different take on the stress of our day-to-day. Since reading, I’ve gutted my home of clutter, rethought and structured my calendar for the upcoming year, and adopted a form of mindfulness that will pay dividends to come.”
—Ben Sampson, cofounder and CEO of WeHero
“We often think that complex, multi-role lives in our networked society need fresh rules and new protocols to make things work . Yet Anthea Stratigos, looking at her own hugely successful business and family life, argues convincingly that good analysis, appropriate perspective, and a large dose of common sense can enable us to function with simplicity wherever complexity takes us.”
—David Worlock, Digital Strategies Advisor
“Those who know Anthea Stratigos know she lives by her own code. And here it is in all of its magnificent simplicity and everyday sagacity. These little life lessons, drawn from her own experiences and insights, come garbed in a prose style that is at once vivid and fetching. Follow Anthea Stratigos through the unvarnished vignettes of her Magic in the Mundane, and the result inevitably will be a higher degree of wisdom—for the here and now, and for the ages.”
—Robert Merry, author and former CEO of Congressional Quarterly Inc.
“There’s a lot in the world right now to bring you down. Author Anthea Stratigos makes abundantly clear the value of keeping your mind open to the possibilities and magic in everyday life. [Magic in the Mundane] is a wonderfully inspiring read filled with life lessons about the powers of curiosity, creativity, and fundamentally trusting the universe. I need my family and colleagues to read this too!”
—Jessica Zoob, CEO of Morgan Stanley Fund Services
“Magic in the Mundane is so full of life, wisdom, and great advice. A real treasure.”
—Anne Busquet, founder of AMB Advisors
“Magic in the Mundane is an awesome must-read book by the most amazing woman I know. It is an autobiographical memoir, a self-help wellness book, a mentoring/coaching book, and a very personal look (with pictures from her grandson!) at what it takes to be successful in today’s tough business environment.”
—Katina Strauch, editor at Against the Grain, convener of the Charleston Library Conference
“In Magic in the Mundane, Anthea shares the lessons she has collected from a life worth living. A thoughtfully inspiring book and easy read, outlining the guiding principles that have allowed Anthea to excel in all aspects of life—as an individual, a mother, a friend, and an executive—while maintaining an intoxicating serenity and pure joy for life.”
—David DeWolf, president and CEO of 3Pillar Global
“For anyone working on a better version of themselves, Magic in the Mundane is packed with thriving tips to bring out our best selves. Anthea guides us through intuitive life lessons, illustrating the power of our choices.”
—Lara Boro, CEO
“Magic in the Mundane is chock full of life lessons and life directions—everyday strategies for living a purposeful and fulfilling life in our always-changing world. It’s a gem!”
—Gabrielle L. Kurlander, president and CEO of All Stars Project Inc.
“A joyful narration of life through the lens of emphasizing meaningful connections and simplifying your actions. I shared much of it with my children as good advice to navigate life.”
—Lisa Dallmer, mother of two boys
“Read this book. While most of us are waiting for something big to change our lives, Anthea shares how daily happenings—family, career, and even playtime—are the most influential in creating the blueprint for a well-designed life.”
—Emily Pilk, special events planner
“This book will do for you what Anthea has done for me. It’s packed with simple and powerful tips she shares to help spark joy and peace in every aspect of your life. It’s ‘right time’—read this now, and then pay it forward! It’s a breath of fresh air and should be required reading for everyone needing to slow down to speed up.”
—Leigh Watson Healy, chief analyst emeritus at Outsell Inc., founder of Cornhouse Creek LLC
“Everyone can relate to and learn from Magic in the Mundane. Anthea Stratigos speaks from the heart, allows herself to be vulnerable, and in doing so enables all of us to learn from her experience. Her stories teach us to think a bit harder about how we manage life’s day-to-day (the mundane) to find real magic in our lives! An excellent read with exceptional and thought-provoking lessons.”
—Clare Hart, CEO of Williams Lea
“Anthea has compiled a stunningly simple, straight forward set of every day decisions and small considerations that put the joy and meaning back into our hectic lives. I love it! Not complex at all.... but a way to be mindful.....simplifying our lives in a meaningful way!! Congrats!!!”
Jocelyn Cunningham
“Loved this book!”
—Anonymous
“Congrats Anthea. I enjoyed picking through all the chapters of your book. Healthy insights and especially relevant to today's environment.”
—Anonymous
“This book is enlightening. I find it even more relevant given the current environment.”
—Anonymous
“I just read your book and wanted to thank you. Full of very palatable and easy to introduce improvements. I’m at a bit of a crossroads and reading it on this rainy day reminded me of some things I need to reevaluate. I get so goal-focused ... but at what cost? Anyway, thank you for the wisdom. Much appreciated.”
—Anonymous
“I read your book. I really enjoyed it. Made me think of a lot and I see myself in some of your examples. During this Covid-19 time we are actually enjoying the slow down.”
—Anonymous
“Thank you for the special copy of your book. It took me awhile to read it because I liked to contemplate each chapter before reading the next. I have many favorite nuggets of wisdom that I shared as I found them. This is a book that will provoke introspection and I'm so glad to have read it. Congratulations!”
—Anonymous
“What a wonderful message...so many chapters resonated with me...and gave me a wake-up call I needed.”
—Anonymous
“Just saw Little Women and Jo, watching the publisher hand stitch and bind the pages with thread and leather and gold leaf. I thought of you and your recent book, accomplished. And I thought of the lives of women now, so much changed; freedom to choose the wild and wonderful paths we take. We still must choose, but the choices, much more now for so many of us, are our own. And for those for whom it isn’t, we do what we can to foster their freedom as well.”
—Anonymous
“What can I say? You are so inspiring to me. I have always looked up to you because of your work ethic and joy of life. To have this book in my possession for the duration of 'me' on this planet is one of the most energy giving gifts life can give you, let alone from a dear friend. I will forever feel a part of you is with me. Thank you my dearest friend.”
—Anonymous
“I ponder your points long after I finished a chapter. I am also struck by the personal voice in which it is written - I am enjoying learning more about your journey(quest?). Clarity with compassion really resonated with me - it explains some of the reactions I get as I am not clear as I process out loud and in the moment.”
—Anonymous
“I am absolutely loving your book. Thank you for writing it. I am collecting my favorite sign-off phrases. They are really good. I’ve given your book to my brother. My children are next! Thanks again for writing a much-needed book. It’s terrific.”