Who is Champagne PR?

Champagne PR is a boutique size PR and Marketing Communications firm based in Chicago, IL. The firm creates and implements smart, strategic media campaigns for its clients that position them as newsworthy experts in their field, through a variety of media outlets including print, television, radio, and the web. The firm delivers results beyond expectations and provides its clients with the attention they deserve.
Champagne PR’s team not only has a passion for what they do, but also brings creativity, knowledge, and enthusiasm to each project.

Lisa Schuble, President and founder of Champagne PR

Lisa Schuble has worked with some of the top publishers in the nation and has created and managed a variety of publicity campaigns and tours for authors signed by John Wiley & Sons, St. Martin's Press, Virgin Books, and Kaplan Publishing. She has also consulted for a variety of insurance agencies, financial advisors and tax accounting firms including Deloitte. 

Lisa began her career at Dickinson Group, a boutique PR firm that specializes in Marketing and Publicity for residential and commercial real estate developers, architects, and interior designers. Some of her clients included Centrum Properties, The Heritage at Millennium Park, and Lohan Caprile & Goetch. While at Dickinson Group, she secured media placements in some of the top national and local real estate magazines which resulted in her clients winning real estate awards. After leaving Dickinson Group, Lisa joined Blanco & Peace Public Relations, a Chicago-based PR firm that focused on publicity for books, authors and restaurants. There she managed publicity campaigns and secured nationwide media for Best Selling Authors including Jodee Blanco, author of Please Stop Laughing at Me (Adams Media, March 2003) and William Sloane Coffin author of Credo (Westminster John Knox, December 2003) and worked with some of the top publishers in the nation.  

After leaving Blanco & Peace, Lisa joined Kaplan Publishing where she worked on real estate, personal finance, marketing, and entrepreneur books. She secured nationwide media including CBS's The Early Show, Business Talk Radio Network, Satellite Radio Network, and a variety of print placements. Schuble also managed the new Kaplan Architecture, Construction, and Engineering line of titles.  

Pursuing her love for the hospitality industry, she served as Marketing Director for Culinary Classics, a made-to-order culinary apparel company based in Chicago. There she created the annual catalog, monthly e-newsletters, and promotional flyers and postcards. She also managed and marketed nearly over a dozen tradeshows including NRA (National Restaurant Association) the largest restaurant and hospitality trade show in the nation, and secured a variety of company sponsorships.  

Following her dream of having her own PR firm, Lisa created Champagne PR in September 2007 by combining her passion and knowledge for PR and marketing and experience in a variety of industries.  

Schuble has a B.A. in Marketing Communications with a concentration in public relations from Columbia College Chicago. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America.

Martin Oleksy, Account Supervisor/Creative Director

Martin's experience is the best of both worlds. Martin Oleksy has worked for the giants of both PR and Advertising industries, including Golin Harris and DRAFT FCB. During his 5 years at Golin Harris, Martin was a member of the Award-winning McDonald's Consumer Brand's Team. He worked special events locally and nationally, edited and wrote copy as well as created presentation storyboards. While at DRAFT FCB, Martin worked with the USPS, NOKIA and CVS accounts.  

Independently, thru his own startup "AGENCY 77," Martin created promotional copy and ad campaigns that were seen in print publications as well as TV commercials.  

Martin is passionate about brainstorming. (He collects storyboards as works of art.) But his true strengths lie in his humor and knowledge of culture. Martin has the  ability to embed the subject matter into the minds of the intended markets. His vast knowledge of history and pop culture are applied to each topic. The result is a successful marketing strategy--that makes sense. 

Martin Oleksy has a B.A in History with a minor in Communications from Loyola University of Chicago.

Kim Mechem, Marketing Consultant

Kim's passion for the culinary industry started by growing up in Iowa, watching her dad farm corn and soybeans while her mother gardened vegetables for dinner. After obtaining her BS in Public Health, she started writing research projects at the Iowa Department of Health and later relocated to Indianapolis where she produced educational and marketing newsletters for the National Institute for Fitness & Sport. Kim then moved to Chicago and worked in Sales and Marketing at Lakeshore Athletic Club. There she worked with Foutune 500 companies to spearhead the gorilla marketing concept as well as plan member events to increase member retention, and diverse corporate wellness packages.

Then through chance she found Culinary Classics, a combination of fashion and food--two of her favorite things. There she exceled in sales and marketing by focusing on customer needs and bringing a fresh taste to concept. She worked with Big 10 universities, represented her company at food shows around the country, edited Culinary Classics newsletters as well as annual print catalog and assisted at the largest restaurant show in the country: the NRA, National Restaurant Assocation. Kim currently lives and works in Chicago and focuses on the restaurant marketing/consulting arena as well as freelance writing. Her love for culture, fashion, beauty, quality food, and entertainment keep her interest peeked brought her to Champagne PR.