Valeriya Vergunova is an internationally recognised model, actress, and beauty queen. Balancing a successful career with motherhood, she inspires with her resilience and passion. From organising mindfulness retreats to embracing the world of cryptocurrency, Valeriya’s journey reflects versatility and a commitment to personal growth. In this interview, she opens up about the challenges and achievements that have shaped her path.
HBZVN: Valeriya, you are a model, actress, and beauty queen who has gained international recognition. What was the most challenging aspect of your career when you were just starting out?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: I faced many challenges at the beginning, the greatest being that when I started my modelling career in Amsterdam, I was also raising my daughter on my own. Balancing castings and shoots while being both a mother and a father was extremely difficult. My daughter is the greatest love and gift in my life, and at times I felt guilty for not being able to spend all my time with her. So, I often took her with me to shoots. Now she jokes that she was raised backstage (laughs).
Another challenge I faced was that some people didn’t believe in me or think I would succeed. I wasn’t tall enough for high fashion, so I focused on commercial work, which eventually led to many commercial publications. It often felt like I was the only one who could see my goal, but I believed in myself and worked hard day after day. When I started, I didn’t speak Dutch, had no connections in the Netherlands, and no prior publications. I began from scratch, knocking on the doors of modelling and acting agencies. Some didn’t believe in me, while others saw my potential.
I never gave up. After working for various brands, even the agencies that initially didn’t believe in me took me on and offered me shoots. The lesson I learned is to never give up on your dreams. Keep going, even if everyone tells you to stop—your heart and soul know best and should lead the way, not society or someone else’s beliefs and perceptions of you.
HBZVN: Which beauty pageant had the biggest impact on your life, and why? What does being a role model mean to you?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: I’ve competed in six beauty pageants and won several awards. I won Mrs Belleza International, which was held in the Dominican Republic, and became the second runner-up at Mrs Europe.
The pageant I won was very intense, as many of the Latin American contestants were highly trained and competitive. I’d say that all of them had a significant impact on me, both positive and negative. On the negative side, I experienced some of the things you hear about, like broken glass in your shoes, a gown being cut into pieces to stop you from shining on stage, jealous contestants trying to ruin your makeup moments before going on, stolen stage outfits, and nasty gossip. On the positive side, I met some truly wonderful women who supported and empowered one another. I had the chance to travel the world, live in the Philippines for a month, learn about different cultures, and participate in charity projects.
Being a role model is a blend of responsibility and gratitude. I believe that when you learn from life and gain wisdom from your experiences, you should share that with the world. For those who resonate with your journey, you become a source of inspiration. When you’re inspired and have a role model, you can move mountains. And when you know what you want and are dedicated to achieving it, the entire universe conspires to help you reach your goal. Being a role model means continuously working on yourself to be the best version of yourself, encouraging others to embrace their unique qualities.
HBZVN: Publicity has become an integral part of your life. How do you perceive the responsibility of being a public figure and an influential person?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: Indeed, publicity has been a part of my life for 20 years now. First and foremost, everything in life is a matter of perception. What one person views as fame is just a small piece of the media puzzle for someone else. The more you achieve, the higher the goals you set for yourself. It’s an endless journey, and it’s not really about the destination—it’s about enjoying the journey itself. The give and take, with appreciation and gratitude, is part of the experience.
I see it as a positive challenge where you constantly work on your internal and external goals. You learn along the way and share that knowledge as you go. Many people perceive the media and social media industries as highly competitive, where you can easily lose motivation or feel uninspired. The key issue arises when people focus too much on external “noise” and others’ opinions, rather than listening to their inner voice and finding peace within.
HBZVN: How do you maintain your energy and creativity in such a demanding industry? What spiritual practices help you stay balanced?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: Everything around us is energy and frequency. I believe the key is maintaining balance—physically, mentally, and energetically. It can be difficult in a competitive environment, but it’s not impossible. I’ve encountered this challenge myself and did extensive research to find the golden formula for balance. Without it, I became stressed, pessimistic, and nervous, with sleep problems and a lack of energy. I realised I was disconnected from myself and began seeking out practices and techniques to regain balance.
I’ve travelled the world, visiting spiritual places and learning from monks and spiritual teachers. Once I healed and found balance within myself, I reached a completely different level of perception, filled with unconditional love, happiness, and harmony. Five years ago, I created a program called Reborn Yourself, which incorporates everything I’ve learned over the past 20 years. Based on this program, I now offer private coaching and arrange mindfulness retreats internationally. Over the years, I’ve helped many people cleanse their minds and bodies, raising their energy levels.
A significant part of the program is sound healing with crystal singing bowls, a practice that promotes inner peace, balances chakras, and alleviates panic attacks, insomnia, neurosis, and depression. I’ve witnessed incredible transformations: people who came to me with suicidal thoughts, utterly lost, left after one session with tears of happiness and new inspiration for life. I can talk for hours about the countless stories I’ve heard—from individuals who found creative solutions for their stalled business plans to those who rediscovered their passion for life. Seeing these people go on to lead beautiful, fulfilled lives is such a joy.
Many people come to me with sleep disorders, which disappear after just one session. Seeing these life-altering changes led me to organise spiritual and mindfulness retreats where people can restore their inner and outer balance, raise their energy to 432Hz, and reconnect with their higher selves.
HBZVN: It sounds like your mindfulness program is leading you to a new business venture. What’s the next step for you?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: At the moment, I’m working on a new project. We’re in the process of building a mindfulness detox retreat where people can come for a complete reset—physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual. I’ve visited many detox retreats and medical healing centres worldwide, and now my dream is to open my own mindfulness centre where like-minded people can come together and heal. I’ll share more about this on my social media once the retreat is ready to open.
HBZVN: Is this your only dream, or do you have more that you’re hoping to achieve?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: Oh no, I have many! From a media perspective, I still dream of playing in an international film that has a positive impact on people. I love fantasy and fairy tales, so it would be amazing to act in an inspirational film.
HBZVN: You shared on social media your charity activities. How has your work in the field of charity influenced your perception of life?
VALERIYA VERGUNOVA: Big part of my income always went to people in needs, I visited many places in Asia, Africa, Latin America for charity purpose. I have goals to open and build more schools around the world to let less fortunate children to have better future. You could give fish to them every day, but isn’t it better to teach them how to fish? Therefore I build my career to become more influential and let new generation to take over and build a beautiful and healthy place on our lovely planet Earth. Live and let live. As I said everything is energy around us, it lives in infinity so if you are given, it is your duty to give further. We are all connected so let the love and high energy take over and lead the way.
Producer: @masha_monstr.
Photographer: @by_maria_kryvobok.
Model: @valeriyavergunova.
Stylist: @rhiakapoor.
MUAH: @kamilla_dan.
Location: @villadestelakecomo.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
