EngageX

04/22/2026

Hospitality, event, and travel professionals: the door is open.🚪

Tickets are now up for a one-of-a-kind edutainment experience with MPI Oregon Chapter on May 19 in Portland at the Oregon Convention Center.

This is far more than a typical keynote. Think afternoon dining, education, interactive learning, and networking with hospitality leaders and professionals from across Oregon — all wrapped in a curious, slightly mysterious, Wonderland-inspired experience.

Created with today’s hospitality and event professionals in mind, this future-facing session explores the real-world pushback, resistance, and communication challenges shaping our industry right now — and equips attendees with solid, actionable strategies to handle them with clarity, confidence, and skill.

Keynote Session: "Mastering Pushback: A Curious Fall Into the Art of Resistance"
This immersive storytelling experience uses vivid metaphors, humor, and actionable tools to explore the dynamics of pushback — decoding the Queens, Rabbits, and Hatters we meet in business and life, and showing how resistance can actually guide us toward more creative and collaborative breakthroughs.

A few of the learning outcomes:
• understand the real root causes of pushback
• turn resistance into collaboration and momentum
• recognize communication styles and resistance personas
• strengthen empathy, patience, and influence
• see resistance in a completely new way

This experience is being led by former founding CEO Kerry Lee Doehr — a newly minted PNW resident- bringing an impressive mix of hospitality leadership, event expertise, storytelling, and standout credentials to the stage.

Already joining the attendee list are leading hospitality, event and travel professionals from all over, including Eugene, Salem, Portland, and beyond. We hope you will join them.

With the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) joining MPI to help host, this promises to be an unforgettable afternoon of connection, insight, and a little unexpected magic.

Ticket details and information link are in the comments.

10/13/2025

Once upon a time, this page was the main stage.
Now the spotlight’s over at my Website, LInkedIn, & Instagram— where I share what’s new in leadership, experience design, and a little bit of pixie dust along the way. Handles below.⬇️

10/13/2025

New name. Same mission—elevating experiences that connect and inspire.

Engaging Inspiration evolves into EngageX — a bold step forward focused on innovation, leadership, and the X factor that transforms experience into impact.

✨ Here’s to what’s next.

07/23/2022

It is with great pleasure that I announce my full time career segue to The Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks Experiences and Products. For more information, please follow me on my IG handle at @ KLDinSB.

Dare greatly. Do the work. Dreams do come true. ✨✨✨✨✨

I am still available for limited speaking engagements (please see engaginginspiration.com for topics and more information).

05/29/2022

Number 4 as your guiding "compass" for all decisions. 😉

Starting event planning with purpose and the deeper “why” the client is gathering is my new secret to leveling up special events as some of the most successful and stunning in my career. My Top 4 T…

05/08/2022

Every Mother’s Day former Disney Executive Lee Cockerell would share his post about the qualities of motherhood translating to good leadership skills. This always inspired and made an impression on me.

This year, while telling a colleague about Lee’s post and how difficult it can be for some mothers who chose to stay at home and raise their children to now re-enter the workplace, the colleague said to me, mothers are super important, Kerry Lee, but you can probably understand how they have lost touch with an essential skill set aren’t the best choice to start out in a leadership role until they prove themselves in a more basic setting."

To this individual, I dedicate this post. I also dedicate it to all mothers, working outside or inside the home. The world needs more of your leadership. Don't you dare underestimate yourselves and the power of what you have to offer.

Mother’s Day | May 8, 2022 Every Mother’s Day former Disney Executive Lee Cockerell would share his post about the qualities of motherhood translating to good leadership skills. This alw…

04/01/2022

"Awkwarrrrd! Five Responses That Are Better Than Ghosting" | Here are some responses you can try that will honor your boundaries but also give the courtesy of a response to the recipient.

Side note: I fully acknowledge there are a few circumstances and individuals who may have earned a distinguished place in the Circle of “You Don’t Deserve Any Response” (and good on you for getting rid of any toxic relationships that wreak havoc on your life- I have a few of those myself), but for the rest of those with whom we have to interact and have held a trust-based relationship or with whom we wish to continue a relationship, going silent on a response is unacceptable. Even if unintended, it comes across as rude and may actually damage a relationship.

Ever had someone ask you a question and the answer was too complex or you weren’t sure how to say no or just didn’t want to give an answer at that time? Or worse, maybe you answered eve…

03/29/2022

In a recent interview, I was asked how I handle push-back. My answer was the result of a lifetime career where push-back is part of the job description. You either succumb & crumble to it, or you learn to master it and turn each circumstance into an opportunity for both sides to ask better questions and in the process foster more effective communication, trust, stronger organizations, team work, and long term client relationships.

I share a few of my thoughts here on my latest blog post. See what you think and join the conversation. Have you encountered push-back in your career? How does it make you feel and how do you handle it?

Leadership and anyone in the business of being creative encounters “push back” in various forms throughout their career. No department within the special event & hospitality industr…