From Skeptic to Champion: How Empathy and Community Drove MediaKind’s Concur Success

What happens when a self-proclaimed Concur skeptic is suddenly put in charge of implementing it? For MediaKind’s Amber Lee, it meant going from fiercely defending her beloved expense spreadsheet to becoming one of the biggest champions of SAP Concur.

Now Corporate Travel and Expense Manager at MediaKind, Amber has spent over 15 years refining the art of driving user adoption, turning resistance into enthusiasm, simplifying complex processes, and creating a global community of admins who solve problems together.

In a recent episode of SAP Concur Conversations, Amber shared the mindset shifts, change management tactics, and unexpected wins that shaped her journey. From winning over the most reluctant users (yes, even the “bagel guy”) to showing why community is a game-changer, her story is proof that Concur can be a catalyst for smarter, easier, and more compliant spend management.

Here are three lessons from Amber’s experience that every travel and expense (T&E) leader can put into practice.

You can listen to this episode on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite place to find podcasts.

Change is Hard, but Empathy and Context Make All the Difference

Amber started her journey faithful to spreadsheets. Like many employees, she wasn’t thrilled about having to learn a new system, and she understood firsthand how intimidating it could be to leave behind a familiar process. That experience shaped how she later approached adoption. Instead of dismissing resistance as stubbornness, she recognized it as a natural reaction to change.

Her strategy? Leading with empathy and support. “People don't like change. I was one of them. If I can go to somebody and empathize or sympathize and say, I have been there…And get down to their level. I'm not forcing them to make a sudden change. I'm getting down with them and climbing up the ladder with them.” Amber explains. “Change is hard, but it's so worth it.”

By providing context and showing respect for employees’ concerns, Amber was able to transform skepticism into understanding. Rather than forcing compliance, she focused on building trust, which in turn encouraged employees to embrace the system. Her lesson is clear: adoption isn’t just about technology, it’s about people, and meeting them where they are at.

Empowering Users Builds Long-Term Success

For Amber, empowerment doesn’t just mean helping users click the right buttons. It means helping them understand the bigger picture behind every process. If employees know why a policy exists, they’re far more likely to follow it and feel confident in their choices. Without that context, compliance can feel arbitrary and frustrating.

“If you tell me to do something and I say, ‘Why,’ and you can't explain it, if it doesn't make sense, it's harder for me to get on board. But the easiest thing I tell people, or the most broad, is, ‘My job is to keep executives out of prison’” Amber says.

By reframing rules in terms of real-world consequences, Amber helps employees see how their actions directly support the organization’s integrity and success. That shift not only reduces pushback but also empowers users to take ownership of the process. Over time, this approach builds a stronger, more confident user base that understands compliance isn’t just red tape, but a shared responsibility.

Community is a Critical (and Underrated) Tool

For many T&E admins, the role can feel isolating. You’re the single point of contact for a complex system, and it can seem like no one else truly understands the challenges you’re juggling. Amber admits she once felt like she was on an island. That changed when she discovered the power of community. “The community is a game changer. It has saved me so many times.” Amber shares.

Through connecting with peers at Fusion and engaging in the SAP Concur admin community, Amber realized she wasn’t alone, and she didn’t always need to reinvent the wheel. That network of shared experience not only made her job easier but also gave her new strategies and ideas to bring back to her organization.

Jeanne Dion, Vice President of the Value Experience Group at SAP Concur and host of the SAP Concur Conversations podcast, echoes this point: “Unless we know to ask, we may not know to pass it on to another customer, so I love the idea of the community being together and being able to speak to each other and problem solve together.”

For Amber, community became more than just a support system. It was a catalyst for innovation, confidence, and adoption. By connecting with others, she amplified her own success and helped others do the same.

The Takeaway

Amber’s story proves that even the most skeptical users can become advocates when given empathy, empowerment, and a sense of community. For organizations striving to boost adoption and maximize the value of their T&E program, these lessons are powerful reminders that success is as much about people as it is about process.

🎧 Listen to Amber’s full conversation on SAP Concur Conversations to hear more about her journey and how you can apply these strategies in your own organization.