Lisa Dublin on Cringey Honesty, Authenticity, and Speaking with Confidence

In this inspiring episode, host Sharon DeKoning welcomes Lisa Dublin, executive coach, speaker, founder of Optimum Success Strategies, host of Basement Chronicles, and performance poet. Lisa shares her journey from Saint Lucia to Edmonton and how she combined coaching, speaking, writing, and entrepreneurship into a career centred around helping people live and lead with confidence. Together, Sharon and Lisa explore the realities of entrepreneurship, including imposter syndrome, failure, making money, finding your strengths, and having the courage to keep going when something doesn’t work the first time. Lisa introduces her powerful three-question postmortem framework: What worked? What didn’t work? What will I do differently next time? She explains how this simple process turns mistakes into practical learning opportunities while preserving what is already working. The conversation then moves into public speaking and commanding a room, where Lisa encourages entrepreneurs to shift their attention away from themselves and toward the people they are there to serve. From sales calls and presentations to podcasts and social media, she reminds listeners that speaking is ultimately a conversation and that confidence grows when you focus on your message, your audience, and the value you can provide. Sharon and Lisa also dig into the authentic advantage and why filtering your personality can limit your influence. Lisa explains that authenticity reveals your values, naturally attracting people who connect with what you stand for while repelling those who don’t, and that can be a good thing. They discuss finding your unique voice, accepting yourself without placing yourself above or beneath others, building relationships through the principle of “know + like + trust = buy,” and finding work that sits in your zone of genius. Lisa’s message for entrepreneurs is clear: learn from what doesn’t work, communicate with confidence, embrace what makes you uniquely you, and pursue the work you genuinely love. **About Lisa Dublin** Lisa Dublin is an executive coach, speaker, trainer, certified life coach, founder of Optimum Success Strategies, host of Basement Chronicles, author, and performance poet. Originally from Saint Lucia, Lisa moved to Edmonton in 2013 and has built her work around helping people live and lead with confidence. Through coaching, speaking engagements, writing, and her signature Speak with Confidence program, she helps individuals strengthen their communication skills and step more confidently into their leadership. Lisa describes her approach as rooted in “cringey honesty”—the belief that the vulnerable, uncomfortable, and imperfect parts of our stories can become some of our greatest assets. Her work combines communication, personal development, authenticity, creativity, and a deep commitment to helping people discover and pursue their calling. **Resources discussed in this episode:** - Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - Master of One by Jordan Raynor **Key Moments:** \[00:02:12] Lisa Dublin’s Story & Entrepreneurial Journey \[00:06:25] Learning from Failure: The Three-Question Postmortem Framework \[00:10:04] Knowing Your Strengths & Learning What to Delegate \[00:11:25] How to Command a Room with Confidence \[00:17:36] Shift the Focus from Selling to Serving Your Customer \[00:19:01] “Know + Like + Trust = Buy” \[00:20:10] The Authentic Advantage: Why Being Yourself Builds Influence \[00:27:24] Finding Your Unique Voice & Owning Your Values \[00:40:09] Creativity, Performance Poetry & Returning to What You Love \[00:45:27] Speak with Confidence, Getting Unstuck & Lisa’s Coaching Approach **Contact Sharon DeKoning | It's Time Promotions:**  - Website: itpromo.ca - LinkedIn: Sharon DeKoning - Facebook: It’s Time Promotions - Google: It’s Time Promotions **Contact Lisa Dublin | Optimum Success Strategies :**  - Website: lisadublin.com - LinkedIn: Lisa Dublin - Podcast: Basement Chronicles