Liana Zavo
Contents
Biography
Liana Zavo (born Liana Mikhaylovna Zavolunova, January 17, 1987) is of European and Bukharan descent. She is an international businesswoman, Bukharian-American author, public relations strategist, female founder, celebrity publicist, impact and motivational speaker, media mogul, investor and business influencer. Zavo is the founder and CEO of ZavoMediaPR Group, a global public relations firm based in Manhattan, New York, which she bootstrapped in 2017. Her firm is a woman-run boutique firm that made her the first publicist to own a PR agency in the Bukharian community and the first female entrepreneur in her family. In 2022, her agency expanded internationally, with remote offices in the UAE, United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore, to secure placements for her clients, giving them massive visibility, credibility and substantial media exposure and opportunities. Zavo's talented team helps achieve clients' compelling press campaigns and content strategies to create strong brand awareness.
Zavo is a columnist for Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine and an official member of Forbes Business Council, Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), and Chairwoman of What Makes a Woman Lounge. She recently authored her first self-development book BEPIC: Be Seen & Be Heard, released in December 2021, making her the first Bukharian publicist to become an author in her family. Her one-word acronym teaches her readers this five-step methodology: how to turn belief into reality, develop strong authority, a positive online reputation, find their unique voice, and step out of their comfort zone to land media opportunities. Zavo has successfully generated publicity for her clients in hospitality, professionals, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and fintech startups. She gained her first publicity when she generously sponsored an exclusive Nipsey Hussle event at her family’s restaurant ZAVO in NYC.
Zavo married at 18 and had her son when she was 19 years old. However, she separated from her ex-husband at 20 and decided to drop out of college to become an entrepreneur. But even as a college drop-out and a single mom, she always had her eye on her mission to change the world one brand at a time with confidence, vulnerability and resilience. She developed a solid and consistent brand reputation that gained customers' trust. Her exceptional work and contribution to public relations and digital marketing boosted her career as a PR strategist.
As a PR media mogul and expert, Zavo’s forte in digital storytelling and personal brand development became her arsenal in propelling professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, and social impact brands to position and establish their authority in their niche by controlling the narrative online. Her role in supporting and empowering fellow women entrepreneurs to break the glass ceiling and become the voice of their own brand inspired others to follow in her footsteps.
Early Life
Liana Mikhaylovna Zavolunova was born on January 17, 1987, in Dushanbe, Tadjikistan, when it was still the former Soviet Union. She is one of four children born to Michael, a conglomerate restaurateur, and Valentina, a former gynecologist. When she was four years old, her family left Russia during the disintegration of the Soviet Union and fled to Vienna, Austria, as refugees. They settled in their new home for the next five years, where she started schooling from kindergarten until the second grade. The diverse European culture captivated Zavo’s interests, leading her to discover an ardent passion for art and design. It became the foundation for a dream of working and cultivating her talents in beauty, couture and fashion.
In 1995, Zavo’s family immigrated to Queens, New York, where she continued her studies. She graduated with honors and perfect attendance from Forest High School in 2005 and received a nomination for the award Who’s Who Among American High School Students. Zavo was an avid writer and reader and played tennis and basketball during her free time. She explored various fields of interest from a young age and joined different clubs such as art, dance, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, and AP Biology. In 2005, Zavo attended Queens College and LIU for Speech Pathology. She admitted that she initially considered taking a degree in Public Relations, but it wasn’t popular in her community yet, and her parents swayed her. She always had an entrepreneur mindset, and just like her father, she wanted to follow in his footsteps and become an international businesswoman who owns her own company one day.
In 2004, she met her ex-husband while she was a junior in high school and by September of 2005, Zavo got married. In 2006, Liana had her son at 19 years old but soon dropped out of college two years later after a devastating divorce. Being a married woman and a mother in a conservative Jewish home brought various challenges. She couldn’t pursue her dreams of being a businesswoman; it was not an ordinary thing to do as a married woman in her community. After her separation from her ex-husband, she started living on her own with her one-year-old son, JBM. Liana Zavo’s son JBM is a tech specialist and he is a solopreneur. Zavo eventually finalized her divorce and continued to raise her son with her support system. Now a teenager, her son, JBM, aspires to be an entrepreneur like his mother.
Career
Zavo decided to pursue a cosmetology degree in 2008. Her persistence, resilience and passion became the first step toward pursuing bigger dreams and goals. She always believed in making it big, no matter how many adversities she faced at the time. After some time working for high-end hotels and salons, she decided to launch her styling concierge company Le Chic Image LLC - where she styled celebrities and guests from all over the world for events. After learning the styling and cosmetology business, Zavo gained her independence and became a business owner at age 24. She traveled globally for fashion week and attended top-tier shows. Eventually, she fell in love with public relations in fashion and started learning more about that industry. She is a student of life and paves her way to success with openness and curiosity. Zavo decided to dive deep into public relations, which she had wanted to pursue since high school. She met incredible mentors and renowned experts and gained insights that proved helpful to her chosen career. After owning her styling concierge company for six years, she pivoted into PR and digital storytelling. She took courses on e-Cornell in Strategic PR Planning and learned how to position personal brands and businesses to succeed in the press and media.
In 2017, Zavo bootstrapped ZavoMediaPR Group with only five thousand dollars and a spirit of determination to pursue her passion. The PR and digital branding boutique agency became the stepping stone for female entrepreneurs to gain a voice, authority, and visibility in a male-dominated business world. Zavo is responsible for designing PR campaigns and personal brand strategies to drive growth and for helping leaders navigate complexity with confidence and clarity of thought. She harnessed over 10 years of experience as a renowned digital storyteller and PR expert through executive leadership, consulting work, keynoting, and thought leadership. Additionally, she spoke at summits and C-Suite conferences. She launched her successful business podcast called What Makes a Woman[], which became a pedestal for executive female mentors and professionals to offer guidance and tips to women who want to embark on or continue their entrepreneurship journey.
Zavo is the chairwoman of WMW LOUNGE and a female advocate who supports and empowers other women to believe in their abilities. She is the epitome of a strong, independent woman who integrated and materialized her ‘dream come true’ corporate story as a mother, entrepreneur, writer, online personality, and speaker. Through the WMW LOUNGE, Zavo and her team are working toward formulating a platform for the stream of future female entrepreneurs from various walks of life who are still young and on their journey to pursuing academic degrees. However, an incredible story lies behind her company's glitz, glam, and social success. Her family background in hospitality and catering always pushed her to achieve greater heights in business and entrepreneurship. Zavo instinctively knew she had to lead the way for women and young girls. Without guidance, every success story temporarily goes through the test of time. As a result, she successfully mentored 2200 girls in the last three years. Her mission is to mentor one million young girls from high school, colleges and orphanages in the next five years. These hours of hardship prepared her to groom herself and become a role model to women who struggle with identity, confidence, and the fulfillment of single-handed professionalism.
Zavo continued to soar high in her career when she became a member of the Forbes Business Council and Entrepreneur Magazine in 2020 and the Young Entrepreneur Council in 2021. The years spent building her brand as a thought leader and media mogul led to more opportunities that enabled her to continue her advocacy for empowering female entrepreneurs and teaching them how to be seen and heard. By the end of 2021, Zavo published and released her book titled BEPIC: Be Seen & Be Heard, which is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. Shortly after, she became the first female author with a one-word acronym to have her own NFT book. Her article published in Forbes about the underrepresentation of women in the NFT space caught the attention of BBC News in London and invited her for an interview.
Recently in 2022, Zavo attended the Dubai Expo 2020 and integrated the learnings that empowered her to achieve the next milestone. ZavoMediaPR Group became an international brand to expand Zavo’s influence a few months later. She aimed to inspire the next generation of female leaders and entrepreneurs to amplify their voices through storytelling. She expertly attracts the necessary target market to close more deals by creating social media presence with the right amount of editorial content, interviews, and podcast placement. With over 10 years of experience and expertise under her belt, Zavo successfully helped executives navigate complexity with confidence and clarity of thought to attract the best attention and boost their brand.
