Meeting professionals packed the house at Washington, D.C.’s Omni Hotel on March 7, 2025, for our annual speaker showcase INSPIRE, which was held in partnership with Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). We welcomed attendees for a day of networking, ideas, and inspiration, headlined by captivating keynotes from the following LAI exclusive speakers:

• Dr. Michael Sorrell, Visionary Leader, Institutional Change Agent, President of Paul Quinn College
• Jenny Wood, Former Google Executive Who Inspires “Wild Courage”
• Justin Michael Williams, Grammy Nominated Musician and Author & Authenticity Advocate
• Carla Hall, Celebrity Chef and Television Personality

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Michael Sorrell Ignites the Room with a Vision for Bold, Human-Centered Leadership

Inspiring leader Dr. Michael Sorrell kicked off INSPIRE 2025 with a rousing and heartfelt keynote that set the tone for a day filled with inspiration, challenge, and deep purpose.

Blending humor with hard-earned wisdom, he emphasized boldness, selflessness, and solutions in leadership. One bold idea, born from a chance meeting with real estate mogul Trammell Crow, led him to transform the school’s defunct football field into a thriving community farm. That single act saved the college and it redefined its role.

Dr. Sorrell shared his philosophy that true leadership begins with dreaming on behalf of others. “No one is an effective leader if they just think about what this does for themselves,” he said.

Jenny Wood Champions “Wild Courage” and Reimagines What It Means to Lead

Executive coach, former Google leader, and bestselling author Jenny Wood took the stage with a story that began on a crowded New York subway and unfolded into a powerful message about Wild Courage. From chasing down the stranger who became her husband to launching one of Google’s most successful career programs, Jenny’s message was clear: “Wild courage closes the gap between what you want and what you get.”

She shared how this mindset helped her rise through Google, pivot into coaching, and inspire tens of thousands through her “Own Your Career” program. Her talk focused on the fears that quietly hold us back—fear of judgment, failure, and uncertainty—and how they form an “invisible cage” of labels we avoid. Jenny encouraged attendees to reclaim those labels, reframing them into positive attributes:

• Bossy: courage to lead with listening
• Brutal: courage to protect your energy
• Obsessed: courage to raise your own bar

With vulnerable personal stories and practical tools that she demonstrates live (like the “Monday Manifesto” and “Tame the Octopus”) Jenny gave the audience clear steps to lead with courage.

Justin Michael Williams Encourages Us to Dream Bigger Than Your Circumstances

Justin Michael Williams shared a message that hit home: authenticity isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a skill. Through personal stories, music, and science-backed tools, he showed how to lead with vulnerability, build trust, and dream beyond our limits.

His story began with a life-changing question from his grandmother (“Baka”) during her final days: “If you knew you were going to die in two months, what would you do?” For Justin, the answer was music—a dream he’d buried beneath fear and self-doubt. That promise launched a journey from corporate marketer to Grammy-nominated artist and youth empowerment leader.

Justin taught three core skills for authentic leadership:

• Speak the unsaid: He urged attendees to bring their “background conversations” into the open, using a hilarious rewrite of Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time” to show how inauthenticity kills connection.
• Turn complaints into requests: He guided attendees through a values-based way to reframe frustrations into clear, actionable asks complete with an interactive Mad Libs-style worksheet.
• Dream beyond limits: A visualization and written exercise helped attendees reconnect with their purpose.

Live renditions of “Stand By Me” and “Imagine” turned the session into a shared moment of hope and clarity. Justin’s message was simple but powerful: “When you show up authentically, you give others permission to do the same — and that’s how we change the world.”

Carla Hall: Take What You Need Without the Guilt

Carla Hall brought humor, heart, and real talk to the INSPIRE stage with a powerful message: burnout is not a badge of honor. Known for her work on Top Chef and The Chew, Carla encouraged attendees to stop waiting for permission and start taking what they need to stay energized, inspired, and true to themselves.

From quitting her corporate job to making it big on TV, she shared her journey and reminded us that the path to fulfillment isn’t about rigid plans, but intentions.

Carla introduced the Power of “Re”:

• Recharge: Rest isn’t a reward—it’s fuel.
• Reflect: Growth comes from awareness.
• React: Every challenge is a chance to adjust and re-engage.

She ended with a challenge for the audience: name one thing you’ll take for yourself this year—not someday, but today.

Another successful INSPIRE is in the books and the positive feelings from the event are still running high. Our esteemed speakers shared actionable takeaways and meaningful lessons on bold leadership, authenticity, and prioritizing self-care that we won’t soon forget.