Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie Wright.
Hi McKenzie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been fascinated by the way experiences can change people. Whether it’s traveling somewhere new, sharing a meal, hearing someone’s story, or gathering in community, I’ve always believed those moments have the power to create lasting connection.
That curiosity led me into hospitality and destination management, where I found myself designing experiences for visitors, corporations, and groups exploring Houston. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to lead large-scale events and work alongside hotels, cultural organizations, and local businesses to showcase what makes our city so unique.
Alongside my professional career, I was also going through my own personal transformation. I began studying wellness, somatics, and the ways movement, nature, culture, and creativity help people reconnect with themselves. I became certified in somatics, wellness tourism and retreat leadership, started writing poetry, and began creating retreats and community experiences rooted in presence and human connection.
Today, those worlds have naturally come together. My work blends hospitality, culture, and wellness. I design experiences that help people experience Houston in a deeper way, whether that’s through cultural tours, hotel wellness programming, community gatherings, or immersive events. My hope is that people don’t just visit a place or attend an event, but leave feeling more connected: to the city, to one another, and to themselves.
Looking back, every step of my journey has been preparing me for the work I’m doing now. Connecting people back to how they feel in moments of aliveness. That’s the compass for my creations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. In many ways, the work I do today was born out of one of the hardest seasons of my life.
Several years ago, I found myself in a deep depression, asking what I think many people ask themselves: Is this really what life is all about? That question became the beginning of a much deeper spiritual journey.
I immersed myself in philosophy, psychology, and spirituality, particularly Joseph Campbell’s work on the Hero’s Journey, which completely shifted my perspective. One of the biggest realizations for me was that I had spent so much of my life searching for things outside of myself, only to discover that the place I had forgotten to look was within.
At the same time, my personal life was unraveling. I was navigating an unhealthy relationship, career uncertainty, and the difficult process of rebuilding my life from the ground up. I also made the decision to come off medications I had been taking for many years, which meant relearning how to understand my body, my emotions, and my intuition in an entirely new way. There were moments that were incredibly painful, but they also became some of my greatest teachers.
Healing wasn’t just one breakthrough moment, it was thousands of small choices. Therapy, somatic practices, retreats, time in nature, movement, writing, community all became part of my healing process. They taught me that healing isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about remembering who you’ve always been beneath everything life has layered on top of you.
Looking back, I wouldn’t choose to relive those years, but I also wouldn’t erase them. They challenged and changed the way I move through the world and ultimately shaped the work I do today. When I create an experience, whether it’s a cultural tour, a wellness program, or a retreat, I’m not just thinking about logistics. I’m thinking about how people feel and the story behind it. I know firsthand that sometimes one meaningful experience, one conversation, or one moment of genuine connection can change the direction of someone’s life.
We all have a story and history. I think the thread that’s always stayed true to me is curiosity, healing, and growth. All the things that have been given to me, I’ve always wanted to give that back into the world in some way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I describe myself as an experience designer. My work lives between hospitality, culture, and wellness, where I create experiences that help people connect more deeply; with a destination, with one another, and with themselves.
In my full-time role as an event producer, I partner with hotels, corporations, and local organizations to design everything from large-scale events and cultural tours to wellness programming and immersive experiences. I love collaborating with local chefs, artists, musicians, nonprofits, and small businesses because I believe the heart of this city is its people.
Alongside my professional work, I write poetry, lead retreats, and create community experiences inspired by the same belief: that meaningful experiences have the power to transform us. Whether someone joins a sound bath, explores Houston’s diverse cultural communities, shares a meal with strangers, or simply slows down long enough to be present, I hope they leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.
What I’m most proud of is helping expand the conversation around what hospitality can be. Increasingly, I’m blending wellness into traditional hospitality by creating experiences that support not only entertainment, but also connection, restoration, and belonging. Seeing hotels, businesses, and communities embrace those ideas has been incredibly rewarding.
I think what sets me apart is that I approach every experience from both a logistical and a human perspective. It’s important that an event runs seamlessly, but what matters most to me is how people feel. I don’t believe people remember an event because everything went perfectly; they remember how it made them feel. That philosophy guides every experience I create.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think most people would be surprised that I still move through life with a childlike sense of wonder. I genuinely believe that a conversation with a stranger, a walk through a new neighborhood, a shared meal, or a spontaneous adventure can change the course of a day or even a life. That perspective shapes almost everything I do. I’m always looking for opportunities to slow down, stay curious, and rediscover the wonder that’s often hiding in ordinary moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mckenziewright.com
- Instagram: @iammckenziewright
- LinkedIn: https://LinkedIn.com/in/mckenziewright
