Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mona Elyafi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Mona thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
Champagne has always been my to-go drink and one day I decided to learn more about it – the region of Champagne and the wine. I started reading as many books as I could get my hands on to learn and educate myself about the history, the champagne elaboration process and the geology. I realized it actually was actually quite a massive enterprise and an extensive field of study. When Covid hit, I had to put my PR company (ILDK Media) on hiatus as the majority of the PR campaigns I was handling were in the field of “special Events”. I took that opportunity to see if there were Champagne studies I could undertake. That’s when I came across The Wine Scholar Guild and the Champagne Master Level Program they offer. I enrolled and spent 2 years studiously immersing myself into the world of Champagne. I always loved studying even as a child but this what on a different level of enjoyment because it was something I had chosen to do. The program was intense, thorough and laborious but I loved every minute of it. I took a few trips to Champagne and continued to read and keep myself informed. I then started to conduct interviews with some of the well-known movers and shakers in Champagne and completely dove into the world of Champagne.
I gained the knowledge, expertise and confidence to start sharing my passion with others. That’s how I create ChampagnePLZ.com and proceeded to host webinars, champagne tasting events and presentations.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am the founder of ILDK Media, a boutique Public Relations and Digital Communications agency with expertise in Entertainment Publicity and Special Events PR. I have successfully kept the agency at the forefront of change pioneering PR campaigns that have been enormously been instrumental in propelling LGBTQ+ agendas into mainstream culture, making front-page news (Forbes, LA Times, NBC.com, NY Times, CNN, Elle Magazine, Marie-Claire, Cosmopolitan, etc.).
I have been leading ILDK Media in the design and execution of corporate & female-driven large-scale special events for flagship clients such as The Dinah (the biggest and longest running LGBTQ+ Music Festival for queer women), Los Angeles Equality Fashion Week and Velvet Ibiza, among others.
I am also a Champagne specialist, educator, writer & journalist.
I am WSET Level 2 Award in Wines certified (with Merit) and also have a Champagne Master Level Certification by the Wine Scholar Guild (with highest honors).
A French Lebanese, I proudly bring a rich multicultural background to her profession. She was born in Beirut, Lebanon, raised in Paris, France, and pursued my master studies in Journalism at NYU in New York City before calling Los Angeles home. I have been featured in Forbes.com, The Advocate, and The Los Angeles Business Journal, to name a few.
I brings more than 25 years of large-scale high-end Special Events experience, my passion & knowledge of the global luxury industry to my role as Champagne specialist, educator and journalist.
A former Huffington Post contributor, I currently contributs articles to Fromthevinetowine.com, AglassofBubbly.com and Champagneplz.com covering the wines, vineyards and winemakers of Champagne, France.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Following a back surgery, I battled a drug addiction for three years. As a crack cocaine addict I spent most of my days in my car getting high and venturing myself through alleys in Venice Beach and downtown LA to score more drugs.
At the age 33, I luckily hit rock bottom, picked myself up and commenced the long road to recovery which led to the launched my own PR firm, ILDK Media, in 2004.
ILDK Media did not originally start as a PR firm specifically specializing in LGBTQ+ campaign but the challenge to fight for the underdog and give minority communities a voice quickly became my heartfelt mission.
ILDK Media is a one- woman owned business. It was created 17 years ago with one tiny seed and over a decade later turned into a widely respected expert in LGBTQ+ PR strategies with a focus on diversity & inclusion as well as global Women Empowerment campaigns.
I am grateful for the trials and triumph that have paved my journey to date.
I was born in Beirut Lebanon and immigrated to Paris France in 1975 when the civil war started. I was raised in Paris benefiting from a mix of both a European and Middle Eastern culture. With a muslim father and a catholic mother, I grew up exposed to both religions – its traditions, celebrations and beliefs. I moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to pursue a BA in Political Science. I left LA to for New York City where I attended New York University to complete a Masters in Liberal Arts (with a minor in Journalism). I then returned to LA and started my PR career at the Lee Solters Company with the famed Lee Solters (credited to have created the field of PR).
The drive in me to amplify women’s voices runs in the family. Of course my maternal grandmother was my mentor & role-model and epitomized the definition of women empowerment. But also on my father’s side, my great uncle, Abdallah El Yafi, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, was a pioneer in defending women’s rights & equality.
He was at the forefront of the struggle to give women the right to vote, which he was able to achieve with his cabinet in power in 1952. This is a man who had quite an ‘avant-garde’ ring to conservative Muslim ears.
As we talk about women empowerment, diversity and inclusion, my profile tells the uplifting story about hope and the realization that nothing is impossible.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
When you do what you love in life, you do not look at it as work but as you sharing your passion. I love talking about Champagne, the region and champagne, the wine. There’s so much more than meets the eye when you look at a bottle. Once you start digging inside you see the history and heritage that comes with each and every single bottle that you find on the market. Every bottle and every bubble tell a story. I want to share it with whomever is willing to listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.champagneplz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/champagnepleaze/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona-elyafi-2619481b4/
Image Credits
ChampagnePLZ.com