Business of
the Month:
Chicago Home
Improvement
Magazine
Sherry Schultz - NARI Evangelist
Sherry Schultz, NARGC's 2nd Vice President
and member of the Meetings & Programs Committee, is
the owner of Chicago Home Improvement Magazine (CHIM),
covering Chicago and the entire suburban market.
The magazine was launched in July of 2007, and
prior to that she was an Advertising Account Exec/Sales
Manager for two other publications for eleven
years.
CHIM
is dedicated solely to the Home Improvement industry, so
much so that they joined NARI and NKBA immediately upon
starting up the magazine. Sherry jumped at the
chance to serve NARI as a board member and
officer. She attends meetings for both
organizations "like clockwork" so that she can stay
informed on the latest happenings in the industry, and
she shares that information with her current and
potential advertisers.
The
magazine is always looking for editorial submissions
(photos, press releases, Ask the Expert Q&A,
questionnaires returned) which gives authors FREE
exposure. It keeps CHIM relevant, informative and
beautiful to showcase words and work of people in the
industry at no charge to them.
NARI
members receive special discounts to make it easier to
run an advertising campaign. At the end of each
story, the magazine runs a Quick Reference guide that
makes it very easy for readers to call the
advertisers. The strategy is simple: homeowners
read the story, get inspired, learn things they didn't
know they didn't know and then are provided immediately
with a list of reputable local companies who can do the
work for them.
CHIM
is demand distributed, not mailed out, as well as
distributed at the biggest spring/fall home shows.
This means that 100% of the people who receive the
publication are interested in what's inside
Sherry also puts together networking events with all of
the amazing people she's met in the industry. The first
was held in January, 2010.
Sherry has
been married to Jack Schultz for 22 years. They
have two children, Jackson, 21, and Heidi, 19.
They are both Communication majors at Aurora
University.
Sherry and Jack have a band, Acoustic Alternatives, and
all four members of her family are actors. They
frequently perform at the Riverfront Playhouse in
downtown Aurora and in films and commercials.
Sherry is also a Wedding officiant. "I can marry
you - to someone else, I'm already taken."
One
of Sherry's personal goals is to make NARI a household
name, "I want to petition the Board to change my office
title to Evangelist." By putting the NARI logo on
the cover of every issue of CHIM and personally handing
out the NARI handbook, she wants every homeowner to turn
to CHIM knowing that they are their best
resource.
