Tell us something about the outset story of your organization.
Growing up, I received my first taste of entrepreneurship from my family business. My family owns multiple restaurants and catering halls throughout New York. Even though it would have seemed to be the obvious choice to continue in my family’s footsteps and work within the business, I had the dreams I needed to chase. I wanted to create a legacy of my own and not take the easy way out and work for my family. So, I started my PR and digital marketing boutique agency, ZavoMedia, on the strength of my industry experience in marketing strategies and public relations with the mindset to assist female entrepreneurs within their journeys and inspire women to live out their goals and dreams. Additionally, I developed a platform of podcasts and interviews of executive female mentors who offer successful tips and guidance to women as they embark or continue the entrepreneurship journey. These platforms concentrate on personal branding, content marketing, brand awareness, leading with confidence, authenticity, and how to push through various obstacles of adversity.
What motivates and inspires you as a young entrepreneur?
As I remember my journey to get to where I am today, my two primary sources of inspiration are my son and the future generations of professionals. My son is my first source of inspiration because I not only want to provide choices and opportunities for him that I did not have when I was young, but I want to show him that anybody can make a difference in the world. Anything is possible with hard work and dedication. My second source of inspiration is providing a successful example to other women and proving that they can make their dreams a reality if they stay focused on the goal. I believe we all have a voice within us that can be powerful and impactful to others when heard. For some, it is life-changing. Speaking up endows more self-confidence and brings in newfound peace and growth. Being in the media industry for over a decade, I’ve witnessed and went through different scenarios that tested my voice as a publicist and Entrepreneur. It wasn’t an easy journey, I admit, but by learning from my experience and extracting the moral lessons, I didn’t end up empty-handed. There were situations when I felt unheard, powerless, and limited by my surroundings. However, it was in those struggles that I pushed myself to step up. I broke through my limits, and from then on, I didn’t allow anyone to trample on who I am and what I am capable of doing. Fueled with the desire to succeed, I decided to step forward and start speaking up for myself rather than staying in the shadows, and my goal is to inspire others to do the same.
How does your company uphold its uniqueness and individuality?
I believe the uniqueness of my company comes from my coaching principles and PR hacks. For example, I formulated my acronym – B. E. P. I. C. – which helped me overcome moments of weakness to this day. I teach this method to my mentees so they can find their confidence and their inner voice to carry them through their journey. At the end of the day, my company’s primary goal is to carve an avenue for women in this male-dominated world continuously. I have stood firm on that goal and stayed committed to not only providing resources to educate women further but also to give them the tools and skills needed to become competent professionals. It is also important to me to not only educate but inspire. As a result, I have utilized my network over the years to give solid examples of what could happen with hard work, persistence, and dedication. Today, I am known as the millennial PR strategist, a media mogul, and a branding maven.
Kindly mention some of the notable recognitions and accreditations received by your organization.
The first honorable accomplishment that I cherish is becoming the first female Entrepreneur and businesswoman in my family. I am an official member of the Forbes Business Council and Chairwoman of WMW Lounge in New York. I am also one of the latest members of the Young Entrepreneur Council, the editor and chief of my lifestyle magazine, and a celebrated keynote speaker. However, out of all of my accomplishments and accolades, my most outstanding achievement is helping women create their own space and succeed in their entrepreneurship journey. I started the podcast “What Makes a Woman.”, and have penned multiple columns for various prestigious outlets such as Entrepreneur, and have appeared on notable platforms such as Forbes, Huffington Post, INC and more. More recently, I mentor girls from orphanages by providing them the necessary resources to educate them on the art of entrepreneurship. I feel that if I reach back and help future generations, the cycle will continue, and I have made my mark on this world.
The pandemic turned the tables for every sector of the economy, telling us something about your market and its scope for growth.
Covid-19 has changed the structure of business for everyone. Thankfully, my team and I could adopt more technology and create a digital avenue that allows us to reach a bigger audience and develop more effective and profitable services for these times. We were able to pivot my platform during a pandemic and carve out a new way to reach women on the one latest and aggressively growing apps, Clubhouse. The idea and overwhelming response from the platform motivated me to start a virtual public relations academy, Zavo PR Academy, which transforms professionals, entrepreneurs, and executives from being unknown to becoming unrecognizable by teaching proper industry strategies for boosting personal brands. The academy also uses a specific method to help magnify and monetize a message, how to find your unique voice, and how to develop an authority in your niche. As a result, we were able to broaden my audience and help more women create a better life for themselves and their families without losing any of our team members.
Where do you see your organization in the years to come?
Going forward, my organization and I plan to take my brand and mission to the next level. Zavo Media Group is becoming a global company by establishing offices in Paris and Dubai in the Spring of 2022. We will capitalize on technology so we can reach an even larger audience and help more women tap into their unique voice and story to share with the world. I plan to continue to educate and inspire those who know that there is more to life than doing the bare minimum and those that want to live instead of merely existing. Overall, I will remain persistent in creating more avenues and preparing the next generation of successful entrepreneurs for their greatness. I love the idea of giving voice to the voiceless, and I love the idea of storytelling and the power behind someone’s message. As a result, I plan to continue creating a brand that is aligned with the things that I am extremely passionate about.
Entrepreneurship is an art, what is your take on that?
I agree that entrepreneurship is an art because this journey is not for everyone. It takes a skillful and passionate person to understand the balance of talent, dedication, and the need for patience to trust the process of birthing a dream. Most people give up because of the dark and narrow roads of entrepreneurship, mainly because there are no guarantees, no safety nets, and no one or nothing to fall back on. Everything rests on the entrepreneur’s shoulders, and not everyone can bear that amount of weight. For example, before I started my company, I was a college dropout and a single mom at age 20. I knew I wanted more so I decided to learn for myself the art of storytelling and how to get it out to the public. I wanted to share my story with the world so others can learn from my experience and become inspired. When PR initially piqued my interest, I had no knowledge of the industry, but I decided to partner with a firm in NYC under one condition: I would introduce new clients from my family’s restaurant, and in return, they will let me shadow and learn everything there is to know about PR. I gave myself a year, and during that year, it was nothing but hard work, grit, and determination. By the end of the year, I learned the ins and outs of PR and hired a mentor to teach me the business aspect, and started my journey. With only $5000 and a spirit of determination, I started my bootstrap startup company in 2017 without any partners to assist.
I want to encourage people not to quit on themselves and to trust the process. Every task, every mistake, every pitfall, and every move is pushing you closer and closer to your dream, and you will see that one day, it was worth it.
