My name is Nikolaos Psyllakis and I am the founder of Tofillo, a family business from Crete that grows, processes, and exports organic Cretan herbs. From the beginning, my goal has been simple: to build trust. We cultivate our own herbs with sustainable practices and full transparency at every stage. We value genuine partnerships, honest communication, and long-term thinking. Quality and respect for nature guide everything we do. From Crete, we share our herbs and our values with people and companies around the world.
Company: Nikolaos Psyllakis Co LP
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Nikolaos Psyllakis: I am Nikolaos Psyllakis, founder of a family-owned company from Crete that, since 2014, cultivates, processes, and exports organic Cretan herbs. Our story began at the foothills of the White Mountains, with a mission to highlight the richness of the Cretan land by building a fully integrated production model with transparency and traceability. Our collaboration with local growers quickly followed, driven by our belief in a strong and sustainable future for our region and our industry.
In international markets where trust can be challenged, we focus on long-term partnerships and direct, honest communication. Our goal is quality, ethical growth, and a sustainable future in wellness and nutrition.
What role did your local community play in the early days of your business, and how did those roots shape your company’s mission or growth strategy?
Nikolaos Psyllakis: The local community played a fundamental role in the early stages of our business. Crete has a deep tradition in nutrition and herbal knowledge, and it is not simply our place of origin, it is the foundation of our expertise, identity and culture. From the outset, our goal was to share some of the island’s natural “treasures” with the world, including endemic herbs such as Malotira and Dittany of Crete, praised since ancient times by Hippocrates, Aristotle and Dioscorides.
Herbs offer a unique opportunity for the mountainous regions of Crete, a sustainable, outward-looking path of development. Our challenge from day one was to highlight the natural and cultural wealth of our land while honoring the values of respect, collaboration and transparency. For this reason, Tofillo’s growth strategy has always been built on sustainable partnerships, support of local producers, and the promotion of Cretan tradition and biodiversity on a global scale.
Can you share a specific community initiative or partnership that significantly boosted your business’s credibility or reach, and how it paved the way for global expansion?
Nikolaos Psyllakis: Our growth has been significantly strengthened by initiatives and partnerships rooted in the Cretan community. Tourism has been an important platform for communicating our philosophy through collaborations with local organizations and businesses. The Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete, as well as selected olive mills and wineries that share similar values and vision, have been key allies on this journey.
We also maintain ongoing collaboration with small producers, exchanging knowledge and encouraging them to cultivate high-quality raw materials, which we support both technically and commercially. In parallel, we have built strong connections with educational institutions at all levels: in primary and secondary education, we aim to help young people learn about the island’s biodiversity and the importance of nature for both physical and mental wellbeing; in universities, we actively support research and the development of new cultivation practices, contributing to the long-term sustainability of our sector and giving back to the local community.
These partnerships enhanced our credibility, made our mission widely understood and appreciated and created a strong foundation for our global expansion.
How do you balance maintaining authentic local ties with the demands of scaling your business to a global audience?
Nikolaos Psyllakis: We maintain this balance by staying true to our core values: respect for our land, our people and our product. We remain closely connected to the local community, support our growers, and operate with transparency. At the same time, we adopt international quality standards, certifications and modern processes that allow us to meet global market requirements without compromising our identity.
Tourism, which has long been a major pillar of the local economy, naturally strengthens outward-looking activity and aligns with our mission. Our role as producers on the island does not create imbalance; on the contrary, it provides alternative employment opportunities and supports an authentic way of life what we call the “real Crete.”
What’s one unexpected challenge you faced when leveraging community support, and how did you overcome it to strengthen your business?
Nikolaos Psyllakis: The most unexpected challenge was the time required for everyone to align around shared values and a common vision. Transitioning from traditional practices to a model with strict traceability and international standards demanded patience, education and continuous communication. We navigated this through consistent presence, open dialogue and genuine support for our local community.
However, the greatest challenge ahead is the impact of climate change, which affects us all. At Tofillo, we have already begun implementing regenerative agriculture practices to improve water management and enhance soil and plant nutrition, preparing our cultivation systems for the future.
What advice would you give to other CEOs looking to build strong local roots as a springboard for global success?
Nikolaos Psyllakis: A leader within a company must be able to see the bigger picture of the market and respond using the tools and strengths provided by the place in which they operate. For us, this means the island’s biodiversity with its unique endemic herbs, the level of quality we can produce, and the collaboration with other local companies and producers, where each can add value to the other.
One of the most demanding aspects was the extended time needed for the team to fully embrace shared values and a unified strategic direction. The transition from traditional practices to a model grounded in strict traceability and international standards demanded patience, education, and continuous communication. We addressed this by maintaining a consistent presence, encouraging open dialogue, and offering tangible support to the local community.
