Welcome From Founder Kerry Lee Doehr

Kerry Lee Doehr

Welcome to the Engaging Inspiration BLOG!  Here you will find information on leadership excellence, communication, customer experience, education and maybe a few pot-stirring rants to shake things up a bit for the special event and hospitality partner.

Scroll through the posts in their order (newest at the top), or go over to “Categories” on the right of your screen —–>        and look up topics of particular interest.

Experiential Education Events: The Fireside Series

What is there about the element of gathering around a fire for conversation?  Since I was little, I grew up with cozy fires in the fireplace that always encouraged a feeling of open conversation because in the darker lighting with the shadows dancing, everyone felt a bit safer to open up and share.   Later in life after living in France briefly, I learned about the 18th century concept of “the salon”  where people gathered for music, art and conversation in the home.  Great (respectful) debates and learning took place at the Salon.

I’ve always been a natural teacher and had a passion for inspiring others.  I started to give thought to “how” people learn being just as important as the “what” they learn.  In fact, I felt that creating an educational experience to savor, be entertained and also

The 3 Categories of Micro Weddings & Unique Revenue Opportunities

As we enter a new era of discovering that necessity has indeed been the mother of invention and witness new types of events coming forward,  the term “micro wedding” has been used more and more.  It is becoming a catch-phrase for any type of small wedding, but in fact, there are three categories that it “umbrellas”.  Wedding professionals should be prepared to know the difference and guide their inquiries and current clients accordingly:

A “micro wedding” generally refers to

Real Leadership Vs. Just Pretending

What is real leadership?  While many certainly hold a corporate title and run multi billion dollar international companies, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a leader.  It appears that through the years there has been an increase in confusion over real leadership, as society becomes more impressed with power, wealth, and a title.

Whether you run a Fortune 500 company,  small business, are a sole proprietorship, a manager answering to the owner of the company, or are an influencer within your industry, you are in charge in some capacity of inspiring and leading people towards a bigger goal of common purpose.

Virtual Speaking Engagement: “Recharging the Rebound 3.0” Live Webinar

upper left photo: what webinar attendees viewed; right photo: my view  with NASA grade spotlight & my laptop screen

For those who joined in on the national live webinar chat hosted by The Association of Club Catering & Event Professionals(The ACCP) on Tuesday, May 12th, we had a great time, didn’t we!  For those who missed it, this link offers complimentary access to the recorded version.   I was honored to have been a featured guest speaker.  Topics we covered included:

✔️Refunds & Payment Schedules
✔️Micro Weddings
✔️New concerns with postponements
✔️ New Contractual Terms & Conditions to be aware of

And then there were the live, real-time questions from

How Optimism May Be Encouraging Your Demise|The Stockdale Paradox

A version of this article appeared in Special Events Magazine 

As an eternal optimist, I have always relied on promise and hope to pull me through. I thought with the current pandemic it would be no different.  I am also known for being a realist and am able to roll up my sleeves and get uncomfortable when necessary to grow.

That said, when the onset of COVID19 hit, I was optimistic as ever.  Shelter-in and self-quarantine for a few weeks? No problem. I’ve got this.  Let me do my part.  Oh, you need to cancel my next speaking engagement? No problem. I have six more scheduled over the year.  As every social and professional plan I’d made disappeared one by one, as mandatory shelter-in laws extended longer and longer, and as I watched the special events and hospitality industry struggle with “when” for their clients and events- for their very livelihood–

Leadership & Evolution in Times of Crisis: The Disney Way | Finding Opportunity

The following original article by me was submitted to the Disney Institute on April 6th and April 14th , 2020 during the height of  C19  for consideration of publication as a two part series with express wishes for no compensation- just out of my passion for everything they stand for.  It was sent after noticing that their social media went “dark” for weeks, and with the goal/hope that this article may be of inspiration to their fans and potential customers who at this unprecedented time may be craving inspiration more than ever.  Disney Institute is the division of the Disney brand helping outside businesses discover success and longevity through the world-class, tried and true Disney approach to leadership and customer experience. 

Dark and Challenging Times Being Part of the Journey of Success

The relevance of Walt Disney’s model of leadership has never been more relevant than now, in times of crisis.   While the entire world is on pause, the demand for helping organizations and businesses all over the world succeed during a challenging time has never been greater.

If you didn’t know,  Walt Disney himself suffered incredible set-backs during his lifetime and career.  Several of them were quite devastating emotionally and financially, but it was in these darkest of times that made him strongest and pushed him forward.  In his own words, “All the

Join Kerry Lee Doehr as a Featured Guest on The ACCP’s “Supercharging the Rebound 3.0” Live Webinar Chat

Join Kerry Lee Doehr as the featured guest on the Association of Club Catering & Event Professional‘s live Webinar series: “Supercharging The Rebound 3.0“: Let’s Talk Weddings” this coming Wednesday, May 13th: 12pm PDT, 2pm CDT and 3pm EDT for a complimentary, open-to-all (even non-members) live conversation webinar on the hot topics facing wedding professionals at this time.

Topics include, but are not limited to: refunds, payment schedules,

Leadership & Process: 5 Take-Aways From The Living Legends of the Haunted Mansion

In case you missed it, Haunted Orange County hosted an evening of epic quality conversation with two of Disney’s greatest designers and Imagineers (Ms. Tania Norris– Interior Designer for New Orleans Square & Haunted Mansion; and Mr. Bob Gurr, legendary designer for attractions such as Autopia, Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds, People Mover, and more) on a Facebook Livestream Event.     It was a fabulous one hour interview hosted by Bret Iwan, the official voice of Mickey Mouse.

This  livestream event got my attention for several reasons:

1. I have a deep vested interest in and passion for Walt and all he stood for  2.

You Never Have a Second Chance to Make a First Impression | When a Brand Fails & Leaves the Wrong Lasting Impression

I was on social media today and a sponsored ad popped up for a service with whom I’d had multiple experiences many years ago and I found myself rolling my eyes and clicking “hide ad” and marking them as “irrelevant” so it wouldn’t appear in my feed.

In fact, any time someone has asked me for my top 5 recommendations for this type of service over the last 15 years I do not ever refer them.  Why, do you ask?  All because of a series of events that took place over a 5 year period many years ago.  When they say you never have a second chance to make a first impression and people will always remember how you made them feel, pay attention to this.  It can make or break your business, branding and reputation longer than you may realize.  To implement a daily practice of this does not cost any money, but the possible loss of reputation and revenue for not doing it is great. 

My Commitment to Excellence Even When Speaking Pro Bono | Free Is Not “Free”

When I first started out in the special events and hospitality industry over 20 years ago, I often spoke for free.  The goal at the time was to gain experience and get my name out there.  Since then, I have addressed groups which ranged from 14 attendees to 14,000 at Las Vegas international conferences, done private training workshops,  Summits, and addressed a General Manager’s retreat for Crowne Plaza.  While my professional fee is now commensurate with my experience and topic, I always look at the group /entity hiring me and what they are trying to accomplish, what their spending plan is, and work with them for a mutual win in our partnering relationship.

Occasionally, I will offer my services pro-bono as a sponsor or to