Leadership Visibility & Personal Branding Keynote Speaker | Marketing Futurist | Creator of Brighter Presence™
Hello there! I’m glad you’re here.
Here’s the problem I’ve spent my whole career solving: brilliant people and businesses stay invisible, not because they lack expertise, but because their message never gets out clearly enough for the right people to notice. I’ve watched it happen to executives, entrepreneurs, and entire organizations. And once, it almost happened to me.
I woke up alone in a hotel in St. Louis on my first Mother’s Day. My ten-month-old daughter and my husband were back home in Chicago, and I was on the road again as a national sales trainer, the job that had once felt like proof I’d made it. That morning, something in me just knew there had to be a better way to build a career without missing my own life.
I quit. No safety net, no guaranteed clients, just a decision that being home mattered more than the paycheck I was walking away from. In August 1990, I opened CoryWest Marketing Communications, a home-based business named after my mother and grandmother, at a time when almost nobody worked from home, least of all moms.
That leap turned into more than three decades of helping people and organizations say what they do in a way the world can actually hear. Along the way, I’ve spoken to thousands of people, worked with hundreds of businesses ranging from solo entrepreneurs to major corporations, launched one of the first corporate intranets for a Fortune 100 company, founded Social Media Club Chicago in 2008, represented the U.S. at Social Media Week Berlin, presented on global eCommerce for a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and published wiredPRworks.com since 2006. I raised three kids while doing it, and working from home meant I was there for every milestone. I’d do it exactly the same way again.
In 2019, I made another leap, moving my business from the Chicago area to Charlotte in a matter of weeks. It was messy and a little terrifying, and it also reminded me that reinvention is something I know how to do, not just something I coach other people through.
Book a discovery session with me.
Everything I do now, as a keynote speaker, strategic advisor, and coach, comes back to the same thing I learned the hard way: you can be exceptional at what you do and still be completely overlooked if your visibility hasn’t caught up to your expertise. I call that the Expert Gap, and closing it is the work I love most.
Who I Get to Work With
It’s great to see you here, whoever brought you to this page. I speak and collaborate with:
- Associations
- Conferences
- Leadership teams
- Marketing organizations
- Professional services firms
- B2B companies
- Executive teams
- Thought leaders and experts
Organizations including AMA, PRSA, MPI, IMEX, DigiMarCon, Association Forum, MDRT, Bosch, Boston Scientific, the Federal Reserve, and HuFriedyGroup have invited me to share insights on visibility, leadership, trust, communication, and AI. If your organization is anywhere on that spectrum, we’re probably a good fit.
Speaking Topics
My programs include:
- Close the Expert Gap (flagship keynote)
- The Power of Authenticity
- From Underestimated to Unmistakable: Hi-Def Visibility for Women Leaders
- LinkedIn Mastery
- From Hidden to Hi-Res Potential: Personal Branding and LinkedIn Visibility for Rising Managers
Explore program formats, descriptions, and what each audience walks away with.
Leadership and Personal Branding Keynote Speaker Programs
Team Training Programs for Sales, Personal Branding, Leadership, Brand Marketing
Why Clients Invite Me Back
I combine strategic insight with practical application. My presentations blend original photography, real-world case studies, audience interaction, and actionable frameworks that help people move from ideas to implementation. The same eye I use behind a camera, deciding what to bring into focus and what to let fall away, is what I bring to every talk: a clear, sharp point instead of a blur of everything I could say.
Attendees leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately to strengthen visibility, credibility, and influence, and planners tell me that’s exactly why they bring me back.
About Brighter Presence™
Brighter Presence is my signature philosophy for helping leaders and organizations build trust, authority, and opportunity.
The goal is simple:
Become easier to find.
Natural to trust.
Impossible to ignore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you speak about?
I speak on AI, visibility, leadership, thought leadership, executive presence, LinkedIn strategy, marketing, public relations, and communication.
Are you available for keynotes, workshops, and emcee engagements?
Yes. I work with associations, corporations, conferences, leadership teams, and special events.
Do you provide consulting?
Yes. I offer strategic consulting, LinkedIn and visibility strategy, brand and reputation strategy, and executive positioning through Strategic AI, PR, Marketing Consulting.
Do you offer one-on-one coaching?
Yes. If you’re looking for private leadership presence, communication, or media coaching rather than organizational consulting, visit Voice of Influence Coaching.
Let’s Find the Right Fit
Book Me for a Keynote
Give your audience a future-focused talk on AI, visibility, leadership, and influence that they’re still talking about after the event ends.
Bring Me to Your Event
Whether it’s a conference, a leadership retreat, a workshop, or you need someone to keep the whole day moving as emcee, I’d love to be part of what you’re building.
Have Me on Your Podcast
I show up ready to go deep, not recite talking points, on visibility, thought leadership, AI, marketing, PR, and leadership.
Work Through Strategic Advisory
If you need an outside strategist in your corner on marketing, LinkedIn, brand, or executive visibility, this is where we roll up our sleeves together.
Work With Me One-on-One
If what you want is private coaching on your own presence and voice, Voice of Influence Coaching is built just for that.
Let’s Connect
Whatever brought you to this page, I’m genuinely glad you’re here, and I’d love to hear what you’re building next. Whether you’re planning a conference, exploring a keynote, seeking an event emcee, or looking for a strategic visibility partner, let’s talk about how to close your Expert Gap with a Brighter Presence.
