PHOTO: Dawn Ledet, author, coach, and speaker, dedicated to guiding others with clarity, compassion, and the power of self-trust.
Empowering Words Of Wisdom And Faith
Dawn Ledet shares her journey from hospitality executive to coach and author, exploring themes of self-trust, leadership, faith, and transformation through her books, coaching work, and lived experiences.
Dawn Ledet writes with the rare blend of candour and clarity that can only come from lived experience. Her work, whether in the boardroom or on the page, circles back to a single, powerful theme: self-trust. For her, this is not a lofty ideal or motivational catchphrase but a practical, embodied way of living—a compass for decision-making, leadership, and even faith.
With Master Your Inner Dialogue, she offers readers a grounded path to self-led growth, helping them recognise the quiet but persistent patterns of thought that shape their lives. In Trust. Surrender. Obey., she turns to her rescue dogs for inspiration, uncovering moments of divine presence in the ordinary and reminding us that grace often arrives in the smallest gestures. Both books are deeply different in scope yet united by the same thread: the invitation to listen inwardly and act with quiet confidence.
Ledet’s background as a hospitality executive and her thousands of hours as a coach lend her writing a rare balance of strategy and soul. She does not separate the practical from the spiritual, nor the professional from the personal. Instead, she brings them into dialogue, showing that true clarity and resilience are born when the inner voice is no longer an adversary but an ally.
In her presence—whether through her books, coaching, or public speaking—readers and clients alike are reminded that they are not broken, not behind, not in need of proving. They are simply invited to trust. To take the next step. And to discover, perhaps for the first time, that the path forward has been within them all along.
What inspired you to focus your work on the theme of self-trust, and how has it shaped your writing journey?
Self-trust has literally changed my life so it’s only natural it became the foundation of my work. I spent years second-guessing my ideas, waiting for external validation, and over-delivering from a place of doubt and proving, instead of confidence. As I coached more high-achievers, I saw the same patterns: brilliant people shrinking their vision because they didn’t fully trust themselves to follow through. I created The Self Trust Solution to break that cycle and my writing reflects that mission. Whether it’s business strategy or spiritual surrender, self-trust is the thread that ties it all together.
How did your transition from hospitality executive to coach and author influence your perspective on leadership and personal growth?
I have always had a heart for service and, being in New Orleans, hospitality is a natural application. I learned to lead through positive and negative experiences as I rose in the industry. I also learned how easy it is to burn out when your worth is tied to productivity and praise and how your very own self-talk can create internal chaos and unnecessary suffering. Coaching and my subsequent certification training taught me that leadership starts within. Applying the work to myself and then hundreds of others over thousands of hours, I developed frameworks and tools to help entrepreneurs and service professionals lead more effectively and powerfully, fueled by self-trust. Writing gave me a platform to share that message with more people to say, “You don’t need more friction. There is certainly enough out in the world to deal with. What you need is a unified internal front to face the highs and lows with security.”
What was the most surprising lesson you learned from writing Master Your Inner Dialogue?
That I couldn’t write a book about self-trust without practicing it every step of the way. Master Your Inner Dialogue was born from my own wrestle with doubt, wondering if I had anything new to say, if it would help anyone, or if it was too simple. But the tools I share in the book reminded me that clarity doesn’t come from overthinking; it comes from action. The most surprising lesson? How deeply our thoughts shape our results and how powerfully that shifts when we learn to relate differently to our inner voice instead of battling it.
In Trust. Surrender. Obey., what has been the most meaningful spiritual lesson your dogs have taught you?
That God meets us in the mundane. The lessons in Trust. Surrender. Obey. aren’t just metaphors, they’re moments. A former feral dog leaning in for affection, a missed walk becoming a divine appointment, a torn-up pillow revealing a deeper need for connection. My dogs, Laney and Marie, taught me to pay attention. To slow down. To see the sacred in the ordinary. And to trust that obedience isn’t about control; it’s about love. That lesson still brings me to my knees.
How do you balance the strategic, practical side of coaching with the deeply personal and faith-driven aspects of your work?
Honestly, I don’t separate them. Strategy without soul is shallow, and faith without practical action often stalls. I’ve found the sweet spot is helping clients hear their own wisdom clearly and then make aligned decisions they actually follow through on. That’s what The Self Trust Solution does: it bridges insight and execution. Whether I’m coaching a CEO through a business shift or someone navigating a season of uncertainty, the work is always both grounded and sacred.
What role does storytelling play in helping people reframe their inner dialogue and build self-trust?
Storytelling is how we remember who we are. When we share a story, we offer a mirror. Someone sees themselves and says, “Oh… I’m not the only one.” That resonance builds trust…first in the storyteller, then in themselves. My stories aren’t always polished; sometimes they’re messy, vulnerable, even funny. But they’re real. And when someone reads about a moment I felt lost and then chose trust, it gives them permission to do the same.
When readers finish your books, what do you hope they carry with them into their everyday lives?
I hope they carry the quiet confidence of knowing they can trust themselves again. That self-trust isn’t reserved for the “healed” or the “ready”. That it isn’t isolating or myopic self-reliance. That trust is a gift we give ourselves and others. It’s a choice and it’s available in every decision, every setback, every next step. Whether they’re leading a company, raising a family, writing a book, or rebuilding their faith, I want them to remember this: you’re not the problem, you’re the path.
What advice would you give to other authors who want to weave both personal experience and professional expertise into their writing?
Don’t wait until you feel “qualified.” Write from where you are. Blend the messy middle with the mastery. Let your frameworks be lived-in, not just taught. In my humble opinion, readers don’t need another expert preaching from a pedestal; they need a guide who’s walked through the fire and lived to tell the truth. When you write with that kind of honesty, your work becomes more than content, it becomes connection.
