Lisa Burkett, CMP Fellow, CMM, HMCC, DES is a veteran of the meeting and events industry. She is presently Manager, Meetings & Events for Palace Travel, responsible for federal government meetings. Previously, she worked for National CASA/GAL, a child welfare organization; The Leadership Institute, a healthcare member organization; and the Child Mind Institute, a mental healthcare provider for children, adolescents, and their families.

Lisa is a 24-year member of Meeting Professionals International, currently serving the Washington State Chapter as Chair of CAST (Committee Against Sex Trafficking.) As a member of the Northern California Chapter from 2001-2022, she served on the Board of Directors and was honored with the Meeting Professional of the Year and Hall of Fame Awards. She holds multiple certifications in the events industry.

In her spare time, Lisa volunteers in her community serving neighbors experiencing mental health issues and homelessness, and as a habitat interpreter at Seattle Aquarium. She is frequently found attending performing arts events, browsing museums, and exploring the great outdoors. Lisa is the proud cat mom of three delightful felines.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

✨ The importance of designing meetings with attendee input and room for meaningful connection

💻 How hybrid and virtual meetings are evolving—and why they’re here to stay

🎤 What makes a speaker truly impactful, plus tips for selecting and vetting speakers

🤖 Using AI tools like ChatGPT effectively in event planning and professional development

Resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-burkett-cmp-fellow-cmm-hmcc-des/

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

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Author of a book called Financial Joy, social media manager for 16 years at Dreamosity, co-founder of LAFTechNW.com and improv fanatic and she runs a meetup called “Developing Digital You”

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🎨 How Marcelle Allen turns financial data into joyful, visual “data art” to help entrepreneurs better understand their profit and momentum.

📱 Creative collaboration strategies for social media content, including storyboarding with teams and engaging more people at live events.

🎭 The power of improv in business, and how saying “yes, and” can lead to more confidence, spontaneity, and success in virtual meetings and marketing.

Resources:

https://dreamosity.com/

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

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Jim Blakemore is the President and CEO of Blakemore and Association in the Oil, Gas and Real Estate industries. He is a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist. He hails from Midland, TX and contributed to a book with such greats as Brian Tracy and Les Brown.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🎯 Jim Blakemore’s journey from oil and gas to real estate and entrepreneurship, and how getting fired led to a life of independence.

📉 How the 2020 pandemic derailed his shipping container housing project, and what he learned pivoting after the shutdown.

💡 Virtual meeting tips that boost credibility, from background choices to lighting and camera framing.

Resources:

https://JamesBlakemore.com

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

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Being guided by the divine hand with guardian angels for wingmen seems to be a way of life for Denny LaVé. His adventures include spending almost two years as a monk in monastery in France, free climbing the outside of a 500 ft radio tower, and attempting to summit Mt. Borah. He recently rode his Road Glide ST from N. Idaho to San Francisco to attend the SailGP grand finale. He’s faced death from many angles, from excessive heat exposure, falling objects, being the falling object, car crashes, and more. These wildly varied experiences coupled with his passion for learning and healing make him a dynamic and compassionate leader. His business career started in custom furniture crafting, then into marketing under the mentorship of Jay Abraham.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🏗️ Denny LaVe’s experience navigating the early days of COVID-19 in Idaho’s construction industry, including how his team stayed operational during shutdowns.

💻 The shift to virtual meetings and how his company upgraded their conference room to stay connected and efficient.

🇺🇸 What led Denny to run for U.S. Senate, including his long-standing sense of calling, prayerful reflection, and support from trusted mentors.

Resources:

https://ppe-llc.com/

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

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Vaibhav Nahata is Managing Director at Speakervideos, a video marketing company for speakers that has helped speakers generate 100M+ views in social media leading to hundreds of engagements.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🎥 Why short-form video is essential for speakers – Learn how vertical videos boost visibility, credibility, and speaking opportunities in today’s social media landscape.

🌍 Happy’s journey from Nepal to 100M+ views – Discover how he built a global business helping speakers grow using video, all from a small city in Nepal.

🧠 Pro tips for engaging virtual audiences – From lighting and mindset to interactive rituals and humor, find out what really works to connect with people online.

Resources:

https://speakervideos.com/

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

Support the show

Lynda is an experienced entrepreneur, having owned 3 businesses. She holds a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience, specialising in unconscious processing of emotion and behavioural change. She is an author, a professional speaker, mentor and works with senior leaders and their teams to communicate ideas. This enables better business relationships, funding and investment opportunities, and spreading their genius to the outside world, something we badly need.

She is Past President of the Professional Speaking Association UK&I and is the founder of Brain & Behaviour Ltd., the Neuroscience Professional Development Programme and the Consciousness Academy designed to debate the huge conundrum of consciousness.

She is also an adventure traveler. Lynda is always informative, fun and extremely practical.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🧠 How neuroscience helps us understand and manage uncertainty in a rapidly changing world
🎤 Why speakers must shift from sharing what they want to say to what audiences need to hear
🔐 The growing concerns of CEOs around cybersecurity in remote and hybrid work environments

Resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndashaw/

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

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Devon Montgomery Pasha, CMP, CED, is an empowering changemaker, Emcee, and Chief Experience Officer at DMP Creative LLC, a firm committed to transforming events into catalysts for growth and impact. Guided by her signature SPARK method, Devon merges event design strategy with dynamic on-stage engagement to create experiences that move audiences, foster connection, and deliver measurable results.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

🎤 The power of authenticity over perfection in keynote speaking and audience connection.
⚙️ How Devon’s SPARK method brings strategy, energy, and storytelling into event design.
🎶 Why emotionally resonant experiences — like Brene Brown's keynote or a Gwen Stefani concert — create lasting impact at live events.

Resources:

https://dmpcreative.llc

Click http://engagingvirtualmeetings.com/meet to meet John Chen.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Also, leave us a rating and review on any podcast platform, I’d really appreciate it.

For more information, visit us at www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

Support the show