Meet Lisa Morales | Owner of Allegory PR Services; Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Live in Italy Magazine

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

Hi Lisa, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Allegory PR Services emerged from my passion for storytelling and helping businesses amplify their brand creatively. I seek out the unique strengths of each client and find the perfect moments to pitch their stories. PR, traditional marketing, and social media are all intertwined in my approach.

In addition to PR, I’ve had the pleasure of covering Art Basel Miami Beach, satellite fairs, and museum exhibitions for Widewalls, a UK-based visual arts publication, and the Food Wine Travel magazine as an IFWTWA member. With a WSET 2 certification and a love for cooking, my diverse interests have shaped my career.

During the pandemic, I ventured into a food blog, which eventually led me to create something bigger: Live in Italy Magazine. This magazine combines my passions for travel, writing, and Italian culture, offering a richer storytelling platform.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run two businesses. The first, Allegory PR Services, is a boutique public relations and marketing agency. We specialize in event promotion, visual arts, luxury and commercial real estate, and food and wine. PR is more than crafting pitches; it’s about uncovering meaningful stories and leveraging digital tools to connect clients with their audiences. As a PR specialist and full-time writer, I collaborate with passionate individuals, often working with limited budgets to achieve earned media placement. Early on, I integrated SEO strategies into press releases, utilizing platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and now Instagram and TikTok. Instagram has become a key lead generator and a place to meet amazing people, including some of our writers for Live in Italy Magazine.

** Live in Italy Magazine **

In late 2020, amid the pandemic and losing my main PR income from event promotions, I turned to YouTube for virtual travel. Discovering Italy’s 1 Euro House program sparked my interest in merging my love for Italy with writing and PR. Recognizing a niche in storytelling about why people are drawn to live in Italy for ‘la dolce vita,’ beyond just affordable housing, inspired me to launch Live in Italy Magazine. Alongside a global team, we cover travel, food and wine, art and culture, real estate, and the unique stories of expats and Italians through features like “Chat with an Expat.”

Today, Live in Italy Magazine boasts over 20,000 unique monthly visitors, primarily from the U.S., Italy, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Recognized as the Top Italy Magazine by Feedspot and a verified Google News site, I am proud of our growth and the team’s dedication. Our YouTube channel has also been quite successful, and we recently launched a podcast on Spotify to further expand our reach.

** The Challenges **

Public relations, in an ever-changing media landscape, demands consistency and adaptation. Convincing clients of the value of PR amidst budget constraints and navigating the unpredictability of media coverage has been ongoing.

Monetizing Live in Italy Magazine without compromising content integrity has been another hurdle. While we’ve attracted sponsors, my goal is sustainable reader support through platforms like Patreon or finding a sponsor aligned with our mission.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Miami is an exciting city. Although I live in Broward, I feel the food scene, museums, and shopping, etc. are far superior in Miami. I would love to take someone through the Magic City during Miami Art Week. I’d show them the art galleries and fairs, and invite them to exclusive events I attend as a journalist. Everything is done in true Miami style – glossy and flashy, yet sophisticated and luxurious.

Here are the art fairs I recommend:

Art Basel Miami Beach
Untitled and Scope art fairs (side by side)
Design Miami
Art Miami
NADA
INK

The Design District hosts great parties and PAMM (Perez Art Museum Miami) also has a fantastic one. However, the most exclusive ones are often on Miami Beach.

After the hustle and bustle of Miami Art Week, I’d suggest a relaxing day or two in Broward. Las Olas has great restaurants like Casa Sensei and Bombay Darbar. Running in Dania Beach/Hollywood or Fort Lauderdale Beach is amazing. I also love kayaking at Whiskey Creek Hideout.

For Miami dining, some great spots are Michael’s Genuine, La Mar by Gastón Acurio, Niu Kitchen, KYU Miami, Novikov Miami, Zucca, and Salumeria 104. But with the traffic, I prefer a relaxing dinner close to home and lunch outings in Miami.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Shoutout is dedicated to my youngest son Aaron. He has shown me that anything can be overcome with self-reflection, self-work, and persistence. Although only twenty-four, he has always offered me professional and personal advice beyond his years. Aaron has never followed a conventional path, yet today he’s a success story as a Cloud Support Engineer with Amazon Web Services and my running coach. I am incredibly proud of him.

Website: https://liveinitalymag.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveinitalymag/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/live-in-italy-mag

Twitter: https://x.com/liveinitalymag

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveInItalyMag

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/liveinitalymagazine

Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zJX2Vu83ow6cqfRBwGaKL?si=21ffb7046603434f

Image Credits
Armando Colls, Antoine Martin, Michelle Vantine, Feuza Reis, Simona Morales