Meet Lisa Morales | Owner & Editor-in-Chief

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Morales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Trust your instincts is probably the most important factor behind my success. When it comes to marketing and public relations, I think that it’s easy to get lost in theory and analytics. Yes, we definitely can’t market a business effectively without data. However, I like to tap into a client’s vibe and use my skills to communicate their passion. People want personal connections and concepts that they relate to. That’s what resonates and builds customer loyalty. When I write for publications, I apply this same concept. A writer has the power to help make the world a little smaller by seeking out stories that are relatable and filled with passion.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Allegory PR Services is a boutique public relations, marketing and social media management company. I started the business in 2010 just doing the work myself, but it has grown quite a bit in the past few years. I now have two part-time employees who have strong academic and professional backgrounds in PR and a support team for marketing services when needed, such as website development, graphic design, photography and video production. (We are all local and own small businesses.) I don’t think running any business is easy. However, when you’re small I’ve learned to know what opportunities to turn down. I can usually tell in the first fifteen minutes of a conversation with a potential client whether or not a partnership would work. It’s not always about the money, but the right fit. Also, I don’t take on any more work than we can handle as a team. I think of myself as a creative with a business mind. My creative side needs mental “open spaces.” Therefore, quality over quantity may sound cliché, but to me it’s key. The Editor-in-Chief position at Live in Italy Magazine totally satisfies my creative side. I love to seek out great stories and social media has given me access to millions of people who have something interesting to share. Our writers are “story hunters” and the publication is a conduit. We primarily talk to expats living in Italy and proud and passionate Italians. There are many, so we have our work cut out for us! From a business perspective, running a media publication is tough. There has been a significant investment in creating a 360 degree marketing strategy. If you’re not familiar with that term, it means finding your audience by opening up all digital avenues. For us, it is a fully optimized website; Google ads; strategic social media and targeted advertising; a podcast called “Italy Answered”; video component; and a digital edition. The latter is a digital flip book that you can download and read offline on either your phone or tablet and we’ve kept the file small so it doesn’t take up too much memory space. In addition, we built in multiple links, so that when you’re back online you can read, for example, the full interview, recipe, or feature story. The main idea is recognizing that we all have our preferred way to find news and want to choose when and how we want it. Live in Italy Magazine hopes to supply it all! Finally, COVID-19 put us in a position to quickly think “out of the box” to save not only the travel industry, but also the sense of community that travel gives us. We asked ourselves, how can we keep the lines of communication open when we can’t travel? So many people love Italy and Live in Italy Magazine encourages people to take this at-home time to learn Italian, cook a regional recipe or read interviews with Italians and expats who can show us how to live a bit more authentically or La Bella Vita. We’ll give you both tips if living in Italy is your plan or if you just want a vacation.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Driving over the Julia Tuttle Causeway always takes my breath away. It’s like flying and I have yet to find a “where ocean meets sky” location that moves me like it does. So, if my guest has not seen Miami Beach, I will first drive him/her over the intracoastal and then if he/she likes art like me, we’d go to the Bass Museum of Art. While Miami has some great art galleries and museums, I think the Bass puts together some of the best intellectually stimulating exhibitions in the city. I also like to visit Miami Ironside and the surrounding Little River (Little Haiti) district. I’m originally from Toronto, a large multicultural city so I love areas that are filled with soul. Then, we’d head south to the Design District. It’s one of the best places in Miami to experience art in public spaces and great architecture and design. A lot of people go to shop, but you’ll find me staring and noting how Miami’s gorgeous blue sky provides the perfect backdrop for angles and arches. (Yes, I can be very nerdy.)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First of all my family and a few close friends. My personal network is small, but not a day goes by that I don’t feel the love and encouragement that gets me through even the most challenging moments. I also have a great professional team – we are all very driven and creative people and surrounding myself with this energy ensures that projects are always evolving. I really dislike it when things feel stagnant. I believe that it’s too easy to blame stagnancy on others. It’s up to us to own it and find ways to relight the fire. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a book that deserves a shout-out. Although, professionally I feel satisfied with what I have achieved so far, emotionally, I am the Crystal Merchant who settled on comfort rather than pursuing his Personal Legend. I need a little work, but I think one day I’ll get there!

Website: www.allegorypr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allegorypr/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allegorypr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/allegorypr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllegoryPR
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_fhkjKEY0k1XadFIXt7-ZQ
Other: https://liveinitalymag.com/ https://www.instagram.com/liveinitalymag/ https://www.facebook.com/LiveInItalyMag https://twitter.com/LiveinItalyMag https://www.pinterest.com/liveinitalymag/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/live-in-italy-mag/