We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lyma Dunbar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lyma , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I was raised by my mother and stepfather, however my bio father was always in the lives of my sister and I from an early age. It caused some antagonism between my mother and stepfather, however to this day, my father is an ever present rock and influence in our lives. As I got older, I often told people that I had two fathers, because I also adored my stepfather, who as he got older, I realized that he presented a tough exterior, but his tenderness and kindness, was his core. I quote my mother multiple times, as she taught us quite a lot through her many words of wisdom, such as “freedom of expression is good for the soul” or the Golden Rule “treat people the way you’d want to be treated.” I get my determination from my father, and my deep sense of family from my mother. There is a familiar saying in the Caribbean, I don’t quite know how it is said here, “When mother dead, family done.” On her death bed, she made us promise to look out for one another, and to be there for each other regardless, and to this day, my three older sisters and I continue to do so, and I too have taught my three sons the same value.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My journey is a bit different to most in that I was a professional singer since age sixteen, I migrated to the United States in my mid twenties. While here I opened Disney’s Caribbean Beach as a soloist playing my guitar, then some years later with my band, we performed weekly at Disney’s Pleasure Island, then did about three years at Epcot Center with another group, The Junkanoo Crew. It was there that through boredom I learned to sing in three additional languages, Spanish, Portuguese and Creole, for at least three years, we were the Number One show at Epcot, due to our repertoire and being able to hold the interest of the Brazilian tourists that historically visited the park. Over the years my band did multiple conventions, clubs and private events, and was the weekend house band at Universal Studios back in the day when they first opened up City Walk, as the “night life” response to Disney’s Pleasure Island.

When my sons were about three or four, my mother who still resided in Trinidad and Tobago, said to me one day, “Don’t you think you should go back to school….” I thought about it, and said why not, I’ve got a brain, maybe it’s time to apply it to something else other than music. I was still a full time musician, when I received my AA and my BS in Marketing, Sociology and Communication, I then transitioned into the workplace working 8 to 5 with the Department of Children and Families, then I achieved my Masters in Social Work, so I am also by profession a Clinical Therapist.

Our weekly talk show The Peoples Chat Room, has been on the Air for the past eight years, the last five of those on iChunesradio an online station where we have a sizeable audience that listen to two hours of music and predominantly talk with some of the biggest names in the Caribbean music industry, as well as community leaders and professionals. My transition into the role of talk show host was a smooth one, because it was an extension of what I already do, which is to help others, and this plays itself out in the information we present on the show, and sometimes even in the dialogue with our guests.

Five years ago, the owner of iChunesradio, asked me to be the Editor in chief of the then new online publication, iChunes Entertainment Magazine. Honestly I knew nothing about the role, but the persistence and diligence I learned from both my parents, and all their little nuggets of wisdom, have guided me thus far, plus doing my research, and on occasions never being too full of myself to say “I really don’t know how to do it, but I’m ready to learn”

Through my years as an entertainer, I have learned to show up on time, and always present well, through my profession as a Clinical Therapist I have learned to always start where my clients are, and I incorporate the nugget from my Mom “always treat people the way you’d want to be treated with both my guests on the radio, and my clients in the field.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What has built my reputation is that when I give you my word, it’s as good as done. So I would say I am very dependable.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

https://www.facebook.com/michael.i.arjoon

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepeopleschatroom.com/ https://www.ichunesentertainmentmagazine.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_peopleschatroom/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/ichunesentmag/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thepeopleschatroom/ https://www.facebook.com/Ichunesentmagazine
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyma-dunbar-76a474a
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/chatpeoples https://mobile.twitter.com/ichunesentmag
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thepeopleschatroom