Speaking That Sparks Connection and Courage
Margie DuBois delivers engaging, research-backed keynotes — which she calls “Spark Sessions” — that challenge the way people think about confidence, leadership, and workplace culture. At her core, she's a relationship builder who seeks genuine human connection, helping audiences understand what's holding them back, what's possible for them, and how to move forward with confidence and courage.
Her Spark Sessions are always a shared learning experience: as much as she's teaching, she's learning right alongside the room, inviting people to turn to one another, share their own stories, and grow together. Audiences leave inspired by what's possible and equipped with practical tools they can put into practice right away. Scroll down to learn about Margie’s signature sessions, or contact us to schedule her for your next event.
Margie’s Spark Sessions
Magnetic Leadership: How to Become the Leader People Want to Work For
Managers shape nearly every part of the employee experience – how people collaborate, handle conflict, and decide whether to stay.
Yet most managers are promoted because they were strong individual contributors, not because they were taught how to lead people. The cost of that gap is real: managers account for approximately 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement, making them one of the greatest levers organizations have for lasting change.
The good news? Great leadership isn't something you're born with. It's a set of behaviors anyone can learn and practice.
In this practical, research-backed keynote, Margie DuBois introduces the Five-Star Manager™ Framework, a behavior-based model built on five human-centered leadership competencies: emotional intelligence, belonging, coaching, accountability, and celebration. Participants discover the everyday behaviors that help people thrive while strengthening culture, performance, and retention.
Because leadership isn't measured by what you accomplish. It's measured by who becomes stronger because you led them.
The Confidence Advantage: Building Better Teams, One Human at a Time
Confidence is one of the most overlooked skills behind high-performing leaders and happy teams. It shapes how people communicate, handle feedback, make decisions, and support one another under pressure. When confidence is strong, collaboration improves and trust grows. When it’s lacking, even the most talented organizations can struggle with hesitation, conflict, and disengagement. Simply put, confidence isn’t a personality trait — it’s a lifelong skill that directly impacts performance and culture.
This interactive session introduces the 7 Habits of Confident Humans, a behavior-based framework for building emotionally intelligent, self-led individuals at every level of an organization. Grounded in research and used in coaching, trainings, and retreats across industries, the tool helps participants identify how their current habits – and the behaviors they observe in others – are influencing team dynamics, shaping culture, and driving results.
Whether you are an individual contributor, people leader, or curious learner, this session offers a powerful shift: confidence as a skill you can build — and the foundation for building healthier, happier teams.
Speaker Bio
Margie (Thirlby) DuBois helps organizations build confident leaders, emotionally intelligent teams, and cultures where people want to stay. As a leadership trainer, facilitator, and confidence coach, she blends research-backed tools with practical strategies to teach the human behaviors that drive belonging, performance, and retention.
Margie is the creator of the 7 Habits of Confident Humans™ and The Five Star Manager™ frameworks, used by individuals, people leaders, and HR professionals to develop self-led employees who strengthen workplace culture through everyday leadership behaviors. Her trainings, retreats, and coaching programs are known for being interactive, emotionally resonant, and immediately applicable.
With 12 years of executive leadership experience, along with lived experience navigating workplace bullying and cognitive diversity, Margie knows what it means to lead with resilience. Her experiences sparked a lifelong commitment to helping others lead with courage, not fear. Today, she partners with companies across industries to make confidence and human-centered leadership teachable skills and cultural advantages. You can follow Margie on LinkedIn or at Instagram @margietdubois.