Introducing Dr. Donna Lee, PhD
Living Life in color
Introducing Donna Lee by Design
You are the architect of your life.
Donna Lee is a visionary leader, speaker, and consultant whose career spans more than three decades across multifamily housing, event planning, leadership development, and holistic transformation. With over 30 years of experience in the multifamily industry, she has led initiatives in specialty housing—from Indian reservations to Blind, Deaf, and Veteran communities—while advancing affordable housing, new construction, urban development, and large-scale renovations and repositioning for sale.
As the founder of Donna Lee by Design, Donna brings a unique combination of executive leadership, coaching, and holistic wellness to inspire others to live fully, lead authentically, and create lives by design rather than default.
Professional Achievements
- Multifamily Expertise: Executive leader with deep multifamily expertise, having built and led a full-service consulting firm delivering portfolio optimization, operational turnarounds, leadership development, and performance strategy across diverse assets and markets.
- Professional Speaker, Trainer, Workshops, Retreats, Consulting (Lease - ups, Leasing & Maintenance Training, Leadership & Transitional Training)
- Event & Retreat Leadership: 25 years in event planning including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and After School Programs; 17 years of transformative retreats (2012–present); association and club management; membership development; national and international conference leadership.
- Speaking & Training: International keynote speaker with the National Speakers Association; founder of a consulting company (2000) offering customized training, consulting, and coaching programs; published author (Masters of Success and Lease Like a Pro).
- Credentials & Certifications:
- Doctor of Holistic and Spiritual Medicine
- Certified Neuroscience Coach
- Certified Human Design Practitioner & Neuro-Behavioral Coach
- Certified Cannabis Master (Medical/Organic Marijuana)
- Accredited Community Manager (Manufactured Home Industry)
- Certified Apartment Manager (NAA)
- Certified Training Professional (AMSTD)
- Professional Certified Coach (Business, Life and Ikigia)
- Published Author - Professional Speaker and Presentation Skills Instructor. (National Speakers Association)
- Certified Wedding & Event Planner (25 years of experience with National & International Event Planning)
- Licensed Notary Signing Agent
- Ordained Minister
- SHRM - CP (candidate)
- IREM - CPM (candidate)
Transformation & Coaching
Beyond her corporate leadership, Donna’s personal transformation informs her coaching philosophy. After losing 100 pounds, she turned lived experience into purpose—helping individuals and leaders align health, meaning, and performance. As a life and business coach grounded in Ikigai and neuroscience-based coaching, she integrates brain-based behavior change, mindfulness, and practical strategy to drive sustainable health, resilience, and balanced success.
Passions Beyond the Podium
When Donna is not guiding leaders, building communities, or coaching clients, she is a lifelong adventurer. An avid sailor, skier, and year-round cyclist, she lives her philosophy of vitality, balance, and joy—bringing the same energy and authenticity to every stage, coaching session, and consulting engagement.
Philosophy
Through Donna Lee by Design, Donna embodies her core belief: “You are the architect of your life.” She helps individuals and organizations unlock potential, embrace transformation, and build lives and businesses with purpose, resilience, and impact.
Our history
Our company was founded with one clear purpose: to help people and organizations succeed through guidance, integrity, and real results. What began as a recruiting firm and temporary staffing agency quickly evolved into a training company—because hiring talent is only the first step; developing people is where performance is built.
As demand grew, so did our reach. Through leadership, customer service, and team-building programs, we expanded into a global training and speaking organization, delivering seminars, workshops, and keynotes worldwide while simultaneously building a full-service consulting practice here in the United States.
We navigated economic booms and downturns, including the 2008–2011 real estate crisis—an era that tested resilience, leadership, and resolve. Those years shaped our philosophy: experience matters, adversity teaches, and results are earned through disciplined action. From 2000 to 2011, our teams worked with hundreds of associations and companies nationwide, gaining deep, hands-on insight into what truly works in real organizations.
In the years that followed, we observed growing gaps in leadership development, communication, and workforce training—particularly as HR and management practices continued to shift. That recognition led to deeper study, advanced education, and years of testing, refinement, and real-world application across diverse industries and workplaces.
Today, we bring together decades of experience, advanced education, and neuroscience-informed, evidence-based practices. Our work is experience-filled, education-backed, and science-supported—delivered with humanity, practicality, and a belief that meaningful transformation happens when strategy, people, and purpose align.
Our mission
To help individuals and organizations transform from the inside out by aligning mindset, leadership, and purpose—using experience-led insight, neuroscience-informed coaching, and practical, real-world strategies that create lasting results.
Holistic Services
Neuroscience-Based Life & Business Coaching
Purpose-Centered Coaching (Ikigai + Resilience)
Holistic Wellness & Weight-Loss Transformation
1. Leadership & Performance Optimization
Using neuroscience-informed coaching, this service helps leaders strengthen decision-making, emotional regulation, communication, and resilience under pressure. Ideal for executives, managers, and high performers navigating complexity, change, and accountability.
Outcomes: clearer thinking, stronger
1. Leadership & Performance Optimization
Using neuroscience-informed coaching, this service helps leaders strengthen decision-making, emotional regulation, communication, and resilience under pressure. Ideal for executives, managers, and high performers navigating complexity, change, and accountability.
Outcomes: clearer thinking, stronger leadership presence, reduced burnout, improved team dynamics.
2. Sustainable Health, Habit & Behavior Change
Designed for individuals and leaders seeking lasting transformation in health, weight management, stress response, and daily habits. This work focuses on rewiring thought patterns, regulating the nervous system, and building sustainable routines that support long-term wellbeing and performance.
Outcomes: consistent behavior change, improved energy, reduced stress, and sustainable health results.
3. Purpose, Reinvention & Life Alignment (Ikigai-Based)
For those navigating transition, loss, burnout, or reinvention, this service helps clients realign identity, career, and purpose. By integrating neuroscience, lived experience, and Ikigai principles, clients gain clarity around who they are, what they do, and why it matters.
Outcomes: renewed direction, confidence, meaningful work alignment, and resilient life design.
Holistic Wellness & Weight-Loss Transformation
Purpose-Centered Coaching (Ikigai + Resilience)
Holistic Wellness & Weight-Loss Transformation
1. Sustainable Weight-Loss & Metabolic Reset
A neuroscience-informed, whole-person approach to weight loss that addresses mindset, hormones, stress response, and daily behaviors. This service moves clients away from cycles of restriction and relapse and toward sustainable, long-term health.
Outcomes: lasting weight loss, improved metabolic
1. Sustainable Weight-Loss & Metabolic Reset
A neuroscience-informed, whole-person approach to weight loss that addresses mindset, hormones, stress response, and daily behaviors. This service moves clients away from cycles of restriction and relapse and toward sustainable, long-term health.
Outcomes: lasting weight loss, improved metabolic health, reduced inflammation, renewed confidence.
2. Stress, Burnout & Nervous System Regulation
Designed for high-achievers, leaders, and caregivers whose weight, energy, or health is impacted by chronic stress. This service focuses on regulating the nervous system, lowering cortisol, improving sleep, and restoring balance—because weight loss cannot happen in survival mode.
Outcomes: reduced burnout, improved sleep, emotional regulation, healthier stress response.
3. Trauma-Informed Wellness & Body Trust Rebuilding
For individuals whose health challenges are connected to grief, trauma, addiction recovery, or major life transitions. This service integrates neuroscience, mindfulness, and compassionate coaching to rebuild trust with the body and create safe, sustainable change.
Outcomes: emotional healing, restored body awareness, sustainable habits, improved self-relationship.
Purpose-Centered Coaching (Ikigai + Resilience)
Purpose-Centered Coaching (Ikigai + Resilience)
Purpose-Centered Coaching (Ikigai + Resilience)
1. Career & Life Reinvention (Ikigai-Based)
Designed for individuals navigating transition, burnout, or “what’s next” moments. This service helps clients clarify identity, values, strengths, and direction—aligning what they do, who they are, and why it matters using Ikigai-based frameworks and neuroscience-informed coaching.
Outcomes: clari
1. Career & Life Reinvention (Ikigai-Based)
Designed for individuals navigating transition, burnout, or “what’s next” moments. This service helps clients clarify identity, values, strengths, and direction—aligning what they do, who they are, and why it matters using Ikigai-based frameworks and neuroscience-informed coaching.
Outcomes: clarity, renewed confidence, aligned career direction, meaningful next steps.
2. Leadership Identity & Legacy Alignment
For leaders who have achieved success but feel disconnected from purpose or impact. This service supports executives and emerging leaders in redefining how they lead, the culture they create, and the legacy they leave—without sacrificing wellbeing or authenticity.
Outcomes: values-driven leadership, authentic presence, stronger influence, sustainable success.
3. Purpose After Loss, Change & Burnout
A compassionate, structured coaching experience for those rebuilding after grief, divorce, career disruption, or emotional exhaustion. This service integrates meaning-making, resilience, and practical life design to help clients move forward with intention rather than urgency.
Outcomes: emotional resilience, renewed direction, restored sense of meaning, grounded momentum.