Cos in New York: The Story of an American Dream Come True

An interview with Cos, founder of Delichos, exploring his journey from Bacău to New York, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and how he turned the American Dream into a business for the Romanian community.

Cos in New York – whose real name is George Cosmin Palade – is a young man born and raised in the city of Bacău. Ever since he was a child, his dream was to live his life in America. During middle school and high school, he was passionate about basketball and video games. At the age of 16, he began to get involved in nightlife, which marked the beginning of his DJ career. Starting out as a DJ at private events, he gained experience and eventually organized his own parties at clubs such as Kremlin and Summer, and ultimately became a DJ at music festivals like Young Island Festival. After graduating from high school, he continued his studies in Denmark, majoring in Business & Management, Music Festival Organizer. After completing his studies, Cos returned to Romania and enrolled in a second degree program at ASE. One day, he received the opportunity to fulfill his dream and move to America. Knowing that he had opened a business, Delichos, I contacted him to talk about it, and our discussion went as follows:

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment so far in Delichos’ journey, and how did you overcome it?
Cosmin: The most difficult moment was establishing the company. I wanted to learn how to open it myself, without using the online services that do this. It was hard. I didn’t know anything—how the law works, what documents are needed, how much it costs, etc. But after many hours of reading and many discussions with ChatGPT, I finally managed to open the business. I say “managed to open” because there are two of us involved: me and my business partner, Sergiu.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, no matter the obstacles?
Cosmin: Yes. The dream of living in America. For many, it’s nothing special, but for me it has always been a dream. The “American Dream” exists, but it requires work. A lot of work. Besides that, I have the desire to have a family that lacks nothing. I was a child who never went without anything, and that’s what I want to offer my children.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of the journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed since then?
Cosmin: Honestly, I’m the same person. The only difference is that now I’m slowly learning what “business” truly means. Since I’m still at the beginning, I still make mistakes, I still have errors, but one thing I know for sure: I will always remain the same person who wanted to offer Romanians a small part of America at the lowest possible price.

C&B: If we were to meet your clients, what do you think they would say about you?
Cosmin: I believe they would have only words of praise. I say this because, being a “personal shopper” concept, we must talk individually with each client. We are always punctual with deliveries, but if there are delays from couriers or other issues not caused by us, we still try to offer a premium service by giving clients: a discount on shipping, a commission discount, or, if the situation allows, a free product. On our website, www.delichos.ro, we have a reviews section where clients openly leave feedback.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Cosmin: The most important decision was moving to America, but if we’re talking strictly about business, it was giving up going out, parties, and distractions so I could fully focus on this business.

C&B: What are the most popular products brought through Delichos, and what attracts clients to them the most?
Cosmin: The most popular products are the lotions from EOS. Specifically, EOS Vanilla Cashmere. It’s a body lotion with a very delicate vanilla scent and a very low price. About 500ml of cream for $25 – a price that includes Delichos’ commission, shipping, and all taxes. When it’s sale season, Bath & Body Works is highly ordered again. Even though it exists in Romania, there are many fragrances that are sold only on the American market.

C&B: Why did you choose the sweets and beauty products segment? Is there a connection between them, or more of a business opportunity you identified?
Cosmin: At first, we tried to focus on sweets. We calculated shipping based on weight. One day, I walked into the famous store “Ulta Beauty” and realized that makeup products are very light, so automatically our clients could order many items at a low shipping cost. I posted a TikTok about this and saw that the feedback was positive and the reach was huge, so we decided to focus on beauty products. We deliver anything—from candy to clothes, supplements, even cars. But beauty products have the biggest reach.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Cosmin: For now, I still have a regular job. I work in audio-video and tech. Mostly the hardware side—I’m a technician. A normal day starts at 6:30 am. I wake up, do my morning routine, and between 7:00 am and 8:00 am, I check clients’ messages. I reply to everyone, look for the products they’re interested in, and head to work. During the hour I spend in the car, subway, or bus on the way to work, I continue handling potential clients, current orders, or anything that needs to be done. From 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, I work at my job, and during my lunch break, I return to clients. From 6 pm, when I finish work, until around 11 pm, I complete everything I need to do for the day and then rest. The moment that makes me happiest is when I wake up, open WhatsApp, and see it full of messages from clients. That proves that, slowly but surely, my business is growing and my work is paying off.

C&B: What challenges do you face in the import process — from logistics and costs to bureaucracy and regulations?
Cosmin: The biggest challenge we face weekly is the punctuality of couriers in both America and Romania. We have shipping contracts with airlines that guarantee the products arrive in Romania within a certain timeframe. Usually, there are no issues when leaving America. Most problems occur in Romania. There are a variety of reasons why clients’ parcels may be delayed: it’s too crowded at customs, the courier company we work with in Romania has errors, and so on. But there’s nothing we can do except hope that everyone does their job properly.

C&B: How was Delichos born, and what inspired you to bring products from the US to Romania, a market completely different from the local one?
Cosmin: Delichos was born, amusingly, because of a TikTok. A young woman posted a TikTok saying she wanted to try American sweets without paying the high prices at specialty physical stores in Romania. That’s when I realized how lucky I am to enjoy Reese’s or any other American product at any time. I wanted Romanians to have this experience without having to spend huge amounts of money, because many people wish they had the possibility I have. One thing I have never tolerated is people taking advantage of a situation to get rich. When the “Labubu” trend happened, Romanians sold it for 500–1000 RON just because it was limited stock. So I decided to sell Labubu at its real price, 250 RON. But here was the catch: each client could buy only one piece, to avoid reselling. I was losing 50 lei on each order. I had around 100 orders, I lost money, but at least I know that at the end of the day, I made several kids happy who might not have been able to afford such an expensive toy.

C&B: What plans do you have for expanding Delichos — do you want a physical store, your own product line, or partnerships with local retailers?
Cosmin: Delichos, unfortunately, is not a retailer. We operate on the “personal shopper” model, so from the options you mentioned, the only profitable one is partnerships with local retailers. We already collaborate with several restaurants and fast-food places. In the future, we are considering opening a physical store in Bucharest, but the road to that point is still long. Personally, I would love to have my own perfume. That is one of my passions—fragrances. Maybe in the future we’ll have Delichoux – Eau de parfum, hahaha.

Cos’s story proves that dreams come true when fueled by hard work, perseverance, and a genuine desire to create value.