About Barbara
Contact Information: 630.207.7530 or corywestmedia@gmail DOT com
Bio . . .
Barbara Rozgonyi owns CoryWest Media, LLC, a Midwest-based strategic marketing consultancy founded in 1990, whose client list includes Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits and small businesses.
Named after Barbara’s mother and grandmother, the company creates business for business and motivates community action in the non-profit sector. As the publisher of www.wiredPRworks.com since June 2006, Barbara reports on ways to grow business, build brands, and connect communities with marketing, social media and public relations.
Listed on Alltop and AdAge Power 150 and mentioned in David Meerman Scott’s book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” Wired PR Works houses over 700 posts and is ranked in the top 100,000 web sites in the US by alexa.com.
The founder of Chicago’s Social Media Club chapter, GM and Chicagonista recognized Barbara as one of Chicago’s social media leaders. Soho Magazine featured Barbara as “Chicago’s Social Media Maven” and NBC Chicago asked her to comment on social media.
Wired PR Works’ best-read post, “How to Quickly Become a Subject Matter Expert Using LinkedIn” was selected for inclusion in the “You’re the Expert” section in Larry Weber’s 2009 book “Sticks & Stones: How Digital Reputations are Created over Time and Lost in a Click.” Named as one of the top 30 PR experts to follow on twitter by ereleases.com,
Barbara is a frequent keynote speaker and an educator on the topics of leadership, communications, marketing and change. An early digital communications pioneer, Barbara launched her first site in 1996; managed the launch of a major retailer’s intranet in 1998; organized the first sold out wired writing conference in Chicago in 2002; led her first digital marketing and blogging workshops in 2004; began publishing her weekly ezine at www.savvysocialmedia.com in 2006; and created a digital marketing execution class for The Academy for Non-Profit Excellence in 2007.
Barbara earned her marketing degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and lives in Chicago’s western suburbs. In summer 2010, Barbara is honored to be featured, along with Chris Brogan, Brian Clark, Mari Smith and others, in Mitch Meyerson’s book, “Success Secrets of Social Media Superstars,” published by Entrepreneur Press. The mother of three, Barbara is friends with all of her children on Facebook. To find out what Barbara is up to – right now – follow her on twitter @wiredprworks.
Engagement Options
Speaking/Training: live, live broadcast or via teleseminar, includes built-in promotion and PR components
Strategy/Coaching: integrated marketing, blogging and public relations
Partnership: collaborative, consulting, creative or joint venture, 630.942.9542 or barbaraATcorywestmediaDOTcom
Top Marketing Content Blogs Junta42.com
#32 world’s top 50 PR blog list
Bio Snapshot
Personal Tag: Communications Explorer Forging New Frontiers
Founder, CoryWest Media, LLC creating business for business and motivating community action since 1990
Faculty, The Academy for Non-Profit Excellence
Photography Credits Include: NICOR, West Suburban Living, District 41, Glen Ellyn Economic Development Corporation, Healthy DuPage
Twitter @wiredprworks or @barbararozgonyi
Location: Western Suburbs of Chicago
Family: Mother of three lively teens, wife of a marathon runner/climber who’s completed 76 runs at or above marathon distance, owner of a miracle cat
Technology Highlights
1992 Submitted sales training project for Parke-Davis via dial-up modem
1996 Entered the Web with first site; up and running with a continuous Web presence
1998 Ran first user lab at Sears; evaluated a vendor’s online training compliance program at CEO’s request
1998 Managed the first intranet site launch for Sears
1999 Contributed to first Web-based recruiting brochure and Website for global consulting firm
2000 Populated content in Sears credit card privacy site
2000 Organized an all day ewriting seminar for writers
2001 Wrote ad concept messaging for a high-tech music/news player aimed at Gen Y
2004 Created the Success Summit Series, a marketing guide with a how-to blog component
2005 Released the Marketing Transformations Process, a 60 to 90 day intensive change-based consulting system
2006
Attended Alex Mandossian & Armand Morin’s Internet Marketing Seminar and Armand Morin’s Big Seminar
Completed Candidate University, a nine month program sponsored by National Speakers Association Illinois
Created and presented Video Marketing 101, one of the first video marketing programs in Chicago
Launched ezine and blog
2007
Launched a virtual PR mastery teleseminar series, Ultimate PR Secrets, featuring eight speakers
Attended Ken McCarthy’s The System Seminar and The System Intensive
Noted as a fastest growing WordPress blog – twice in one week
Ranked at #60 in PR Power Blog Index
Attended BlogHer ’07 on assignment to live blog
Won a trip to BlogWorld and New Media Expo in the LinkedIntelligence contest
Mentioned in David Meerman Scott’s book, “The New Rules of Marketing & PR”
Taught Marketing Execution 301, 16 hours, at The Academy of Nonprofit Excellence for College of DuPage
Quoted in Christian Century about Financial Freedom, a debt management course
Profiled in Liberty Suburban News as “Perpetually Plugged In”
Presented Blogging for Business in Chicago, sponsored by PRO and Harris
Developed an Enlivened Writing Workshop for Women Employed
Created an Online PR presentation to present in Washington, DC
Interview by Elisea Frishberg on KTEK BizRadio Network – again in January 2008
Quoted in O’Reilly’s Women in Technology
2008
Featured as Online PR expert in “Market with Authority”
Featured on womeninbusiness.com
Designed Hands-on Fear-Free How to Blog Workshop live events; presented in May
Attended The System Seminar members-only event in May
Attended Making Media Connections in Chicago
Social Media Events: Jeff Pulver’s Social Media Breakfast, ongoing Tweet-ups
Wired PR Works ranked at 46 on top PR blog list 06.07.08
Podcast: How to Promote Your Business with Amazon Reviews, an interview with Brad Shorr
October Workshop for IWOC: Social Media Sampler: Bite-Size Crunch=Super Size Networking
Multimedia
“Ultimate PR Secrets” virtual PR seminar, interviews with Dave Lakhani, Jody Colvard, Marc Harty, Rick
Frishman, Dan Janal, Jill Lublin, Joan Stewart and Al Lautenslager at http://www.ultimateprsecrets.com
“How to Transform Your Company into a Customer Magnet” mp3 and “How to Fill Seminar Seats Using the Power of Free Publicity,” ebook and mp3
Need a speaker or workshop leader? Check Barbara’s schedule: 630.207.7530
Updated March 2010



















