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Raj Girn: Welcome, Belinda. We are finally doing this!

Belinda Ginter: We are. This is a long time in the making, but it is exciting to finally be at this stage, right?

Absolutely, sweetheart. And you know folks, if you are joining us for the first time, you know that during the last two seasons, I have been the host of this podcast, but moving forward – season 3 onwards – you are going to see equal doses of me and Belinda, sometimes we are going to bring in other people to co-host with us. We may even have a Guest host. We’re going to switch things up just so that you get the full scope of experience and expertise that we have at our fingertips. Right, B?

A 100 per cent, yes.

All right, so let’s move right ahead. Before we discuss our transformation, I want to address a question that many of you may have, how did Belinda and I meet? You will hear me refer to her as “B,” because that’s how I call her lovingly. So when I say that, I’m referring to Belinda. So let me just go into that a little bit with you guys.

Me and Belinda – and correct me if I’m wrong, B – we met back around nine-years-ago, I believe it was 2016. She was the Director Of Coaching and a Master Mindset Coach. I came into that kind of ecosystem because I wanted to learn a new skill, because that’s what we always do. Me and B, this is one of the things that aligns her and I is that we are constantly wanting to learn what we don’t know. And here I was, wanting to learn the things I don’t know. Something that I wanted to know. I felt there was something missing within me that I wanted to discover it, even though I’ve done a lot by that time.

I got to tell you guys something, you’re going to laugh when I tell you this, but within the first 5 minutes of me sharing my story, Belinda was like, hold up, hold up, Raj. She cut me, she cut me off, and she immediately established my superpower. She’s that good, guys, and she said to me, and I quote, “Raj, you are a Confidence Coach.”

When I look back at that fateful meeting, it literally changed the course of the rest of my life – but I didn’t know it yet for another couple of years. B, is that how you remember it? I’d love for you to share a little bit about that before we move on.

Yeah, it’s very much how I remember it, and I know that I didn’t do your initial first visit, so that was actually done by one of our supportive coaches in the program. So I just got her notes and then came on and met you, and you’d had a few sessions with her and you just weren’t there yet. So I popped in and once we got to know each other, you were local, which I didn’t have very many local clients at that time. Just knowing you, we’re in the great metropolitan city of Toronto was amazing. So we connected on that first, we had some mutual friends which also helped and some mentors that we both knew and both adored.

And it was just so clear to me. It was clear as day as that is really what you teach. I mean, you do a lot of modalities, but at the end of the day, what the women who work with you are left with, is a greater sense of self and more confidence in their spoken word, in their stories, and amplifying their brand – whatever that is – the common thread through branding and marketing and PR, and all that you’ve brought to the table for over 20 years, was that piece where people walk away stronger than they came and with more confidence than they came.

Oh, Amen to you sister. And you just figured all that out within a nutshell of meeting me. And you’re right, I didn’t remember it, but I remember it now. I had a number of sessions, and I just couldn’t figure out why I was there. It was that one meeting with you that just literally changed the course of my existence. So let’s fast forward to 2020, when we all know the world stood still. We have this time on our hands, and we and all the people that were used to brick and mortar businesses, who all of a sudden didn’t have an opportunity to meet their clients. And what I found was a lot of people found me as a Media Expert, as a PR Expert, as a Communications Expert, because that’s what I’d been doing for the last, you know – oh my God – two decades prior to with ANOKHI, my other brand, which is a media and events company. They would come to me flustered that I don’t know how to find my clients, and I’m too scared to face people. So it was that whole idea, and I just accidentally stumbled across this idea of coaching, which then went into consulting. Yeah, right? Because then coaching goes into consulting because first people need to figure out what they need to figure out, and then they need to figure out what their action steps are for that next milestone in their life. Right, B?

Well, they had to figure out the personal stuff first sometimes and work on themselves, get themselves straight. Once they’ve done that, then we can take them into the consulting piece where they’re either starting a business or they’re climbing the corporate ladder, whatever that piece is to them. That next 3 to 5 year goal is what we would work on. But a lot of times there’s things holding us back and there’s a reason for them holding us back. So you have to work on the personal side a little bit before then. You can advance into your career or your profession or your entrepreneurism.

And I can’t wait for us to get into that in a bit. But I want to just carry on with the journey. So those people who don’t know or the first time here with the academy, I want to bridge that gap for them a little bit. So let me just nutshell that a little bit for everyone. So The Open Chest Confidence Academy, go figure, confidence. All because of B. That was the name that I came up with realising that in fact, all the things that I do does help to instill confidence in people in the sense that this coaching – consulting ecosystem should have the word confidence in it.

Those of you who know me from my media space, “Open Chest” was an interview series that I used to have with ANOKHI or the cover stories for the print magazine. We were in print for 12 years across Canada, the US and the UK, and I used to always do the cover stories and they were called “Open Chest with Raj Girn”. And I used to speak with celebrities B – you know this – and they would just “open their chest”. They would spill the beans about things because you know me and my world and those people who know me in this world as well, know that I don’t judge. I’m not here to judge people. I’m here to help them figure out who they need to be. That’s it. And then help them find the tools, the knowledge, and the skill set to get to where they need to be and maybe help them. And this is something B is brilliant at, see a future for themselves that is far larger than they could ever have seen for themselves. And we’ll talk about that in a bit.

But I want to carry on along this journey, guys. The reason why I decided and I’m going to move forward a little bit on this and maybe what I should say B at this point is that, as you mentioned, my area of expertise and what I used to do with the academy, before you came into the picture, was branding, and marketing, and public relations, and media, event production, strategy, sales, and basically helping people build authority. Those were the areas that I lived in. And I did it through coaching, consulting, and then some relationships I had with fulfilment houses. So that was the world of The Open Chest Confidence Academy pre the years of Belinda.

During the early days of the academy, things just really came full circle for me because as you know, Belinda came in search of me and I want to mention this – I want to say this because I couldn’t believe that my then-mentor in 2016 came knocking on my door and wanted my expertise in certain things that she was dealing with. B, that full-circle moment for me – I’ve never shared this with you – but it actually legitimized what I was doing because I wasn’t sure that I was actually doing the right thing.

Oh, wow. I’d never, ever heard you say that.

Yeah, yeah, because you just do the thing and you’re not sure if you’re really good at it. And then here your mentor comes into play – which is who you were for me.

Yes.

And you’re asking me for advice. You’re asking me for counsel. You’re asking me for consultative tips. I’m okay, I guess I’ve got something here. I guess I’m doing something right here. And I got to pay back the woman who changed my professional career years earlier by awakening in me a deep desire to help people identify, and step into their greatness through all the skills and knowledge and resources I had accumulated. And I look back, it is three decades worth accumulation in hospitality, where I started to health, to media, to events. It was really in that order that I accumulated these various skills, not because I had a business degree, not because I had a journalism degree. None of that, guys. It literally was through experience of if there’s any of you watching, listening or reading this thinking you need an MBA, you need to go to Harvard, you need to have done all these things. It helps if you have, but if you haven’t, what trumps that is experience. Am I right, B?

You are 100% accurate. And sometimes people, especially in coaching and consulting prefer experience over books marked. They don’t want someone who’s learned something from a book or a textbook and just regurgitating it to them. They do prefer some life experience and some trials and errors, like I don’t coach or consult with anyone who hasn’t failed a lot.

“What is success? It’s fail, fail, fail, succeed and then fail, fail, fail, succeed again. It’s not a streamlined straight line thing in life. It just isn’t. So I want to work with people who have been through some stuff, and come out the other side.” ~ Belinda Ginter

Yes.

I want someone who’s failed a lot because that is part of success. It’s not like there’s an end destination. What is success? It’s fail, fail, fail, succeed and then fail, fail, fail, succeed again. It’s not a streamlined straight line thing in life. It just isn’t. So I want to work with people who have been through some stuff, you know what I mean? And come out the other side. And I think the public does too.

And just to put a little caveat on what you said there. I believe that what happened to us and our journey really is what The Open Test Confidence Academy is. I think our story is what it is. It’s women supporting women where they are and getting them to that next expert, because we should never have a desire to stop growing or learning or innovating. It’s just having the modesty of admitting you don’t know something and reaching out and getting that support. That is that glass ceiling that everybody talks about. It’s not a secret sauce. It really is being vulnerable enough to ask for help and acknowledge that we don’t know it all. And we shouldn’t be expected to.

So it’s leaning on other women who’ve been there, done that, and can give you concrete steps so that you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. You can just, I always say it’s like going on the shoulders of strong women. They just prop you up to that next level, and you’re standing on their shoulders to get to where you need to go. And that’s how I envision The Open Chest Confidence Academy as well.

And that’s why B is who she is.

B, thank you so much for what you brought to the table for me, sweetheart. You opened my eyes and I wanted to have this opportunity right here in front of every single person that is going to be watching, reading and listening this. Truly, how magnificent – and how much respect that I have for you – as the woman that you are, and as the professional that you are, and as the mentor that you are, and as the master that you are. You are all these things because you are constantly looking to better yourself. I look at your journey – I look at B as a mom, she’s a serial entrepreneur, she’s a wife, she is a friend, she’s a mentor. She’s all of these wonderful things – and we’re gonna talk a little bit about her journey.

I know you guys are excited as I am to have B share a little bit about that, but I wanted to give you guys a bit of a backstory as to why such an important decision as to bring someone in as my partner to this brand. You know why it was B, you know why it was her? And now I feel that you get a little bit of a sense of that, and you’ll get so much more of a sense of that as you start seeing her more in our world. As I mentioned to you guys, starting this month, you’re going to see a lot more of her. She is going to be writing for our magazine. Go hop on over to TheOpenChestConfidenceAcademy.com to the magazine page to learn more about that.

Also go to our socials. We have been going on about it and by now you would have seen this week that we also launched the very first premiere, cover and story. And it is about what we’re talking about here. It is about the journey that both me and be together in alignment so that we can help you align your lives to where they need to be. And maybe a little bit bigger than that, right B?

Yeah. I can’t wait for all our clients to have that full-circle moment for themselves, it was beautiful for us. And I think it’s actually one of the most beautiful things I love about life is full circle moment. So I can’t wait for clients to start somewhere and have things go full-circle for them to what we facilitate here at TOCCA.

Absolutely, sweetheart. A lot of people ask me B like what? I mean, here you were you doing an okay for all these years, like, why was this needed? Why was this necessary? So let me just answer that question here before we move on – something that would allow us to amalgamate our different yet complementary skill sets.

We knew that we were going to do something big together, something meaningful together. But because you and I are always so in alignment and so in authenticity of who we are. We needed to find that thing that was big enough that could bring our complementary – yet very different – skill sets to the table to help something that we do together grow. Right?

Right, right.

So with that in a nutshell, I have to bring you guys to the present now. What changed for me and why The Open Just Confidence Academy truly is the big focus for me for the next number of years, as is with B, and she will share her side of things. For me, it came when I hit a 20 year milestone with the ANOKHI, my media and events brand, where I was accustomed to dealing with celebrity and multi-national brands. That was the world I lived in. I realised that I wanted to serve the silent heroes who perhaps hadn’t had the opportunities to rise in the public eye due to various challenges or limitations that we have as normal people. But that deserve all the same, just like these big brands do.

“I realised that I wanted to serve the silent heroes who perhaps hadn’t had the opportunities to rise in the public eye due to various challenges or limitations that we have as normal people. But that deserve all the same, just like these big brands do.” ~ Raj Girn

But what was it that I found that working with all of these celebrities, working with all these multinational brands was was one pivotal thing. And that is they’re not particularly more talented or harder working than you and I and everyday people. Now, really what they had at their disposal was oodles of cash. They could buy the expertise and they could open doors that only money can open.

So I went on a mission with The Open Chest Confidence Academy to instill the skills, knowledge, and expertise, and access into everyday brands – people like you and me – to help them rise to their full potential, to instill confidence in them, to access what they deserve and then to run with it. And I did that for the first over three years. In the fourth year, which was last year, I felt through the many different people that I had experienced, that there were certain things I just simply couldn’t do.

After three years of doing this, I realised two things particularly. One was that my passion lay in working with women leaders because I identified the most with them being that I am that woman, because I understand deeply what their struggles are. And secondly, B, you know this, that they needed more than my range of skills to optimise their authority. And that’s what brought me to your table, sweetheart. That’s when I came to Belinda.

I’m capped out at the things that I can do. And sure, I could try and stumble my way through doing the other things that I’m not great at, but that would be a disservice to our community. They need excellence. And when I bring excellence in my arena, we need excellence in the arena that I don’t have the expertise in. And then I came knocking on Belinda’s door. So before we continue with that story and B explains why she felt this was the right move for her, I want to first encapsulate a little bit about her journey. So B, let’s go there. Let’s start by sharing with everyone watching, listening, or reading this a bit about your personal journey. Let’s start with the personal journey so people can best understand the person that you are before we talk about the professional stuff, share a little bit about that.

Well, nice to meet you, I’m Belinda. I grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. And I grew up with no means. We were on welfare and Ontario housing or Peterborough Housing. We very much had very little but had everything we needed, if that all makes sense. I came from a mum who was a very tough woman – and a fighter – who was one of the first women jail guards in Ontario at a time where there was not women jail guards. And she had to fight and claw and climb that ladder to get us out of poverty and to get us back on top. So I feel that watching her instilled something in me, but I also was just born with a knowing, I can’t take credit for, if that makes any sense. I’ve tried to make sense of it many times in my life and then just gave up.

There’s some things that we just don’t need to know the answer to that we can just accept and love about ourselves. But as I was growing up in poverty and seeing the poverty cycle, which was, you know, people would grow up and then take over their parents house in poverty. And it was rapid. I could see certain patterns in their lifestyles, in how they spoke and who they hung out with, who their circle of influence was that was landing in them into the exact same spot over and over and over again. So that really, as a young child, I guess I was very observant because I was able to identify those things. And the big thing was that adults didn’t really want to hear from a seven-year-old how to fix their lives.

To my dismay, because I could see it so clearly, and I think back then it was probably considered rude. But I was really coming from a place of love, coming a place of good intent. But I could so clearly see that if they made these certain changes that their lives would be instantly better. There was always practical steps they could take, that literally within days, they would feel some relief from the burdens that were carrying them in life, or those dead ends they kept hitting. So I’ve always just had that, and that was where I grew up from. From there, I’ve been blessed to have a beautiful career and to take that. And then there was a time where people wanted to hear from that seven-year-old, who was now in her 30s, and could easily pinpoint those areas. But it was a lot of observation – that was something a school could never have taught me.

You know, B, feel like you’ve already answered this question. But just to clarify it, what from your personal journey do you feel you glean from when working with your clients – before we go into the professional stuff?

Oh, of course, of course. It’s that having that burning desire and not knowing what to do with it. It’s a having a skill or a talent or purpose that’s been placed on your heart and just not knowing that the next steps. I think it is having a lot of questions, but not even knowing how to put them into a sentence to ask for help. Sometimes you know you want help, but you don’t even know what the question is. You need to ask to get to that next step. And I really relate with women in that piece. Having the confidence that you’re enough to take whatever that you know, God-given passion that’s been placed on your heart and turned into a skill that to take it to the world. It takes a ton of bravery, a ton of courage, and a ton of confidence, which most of us don’t start out with if were honest. So I really see myself in them, to be honest. And I take every piece that every failure, every success, every no, every denial, every single thing that has happened to me in my life and I give it back to my clients 100%.

Yes, you 100% do B. And we wouldn’t be sitting here today if you hadn’t changed my life. I’m one of thousands of of people that have had the experience of Belinda. And I hope that you, if you are listening to this, and this is resonating with you, or someone in your ecosystem that really needs to watch, listen or read to this first inaugural season 3 podcast with me and Belinda, can you please share this with them. It’s important that you do. And the other thing is, is that go hop on over to TheOpenChestConfidenceAcademy.com, go sign up to our Newsletter, because other than a slew of VIP experiences that you’ll have as a member, it’s for free. And every single week we hop into your inbox. So you don’t need to worry or get FOMO about what may have you missed that we’ve been doing in our world, right? That you just get it one time, you can go in when you want to go, and not when we are coming into your world because I’m that person. I just want to come and check you out when I’m good and ready. This is for you. Also, go over to our socials, we’re everywhere @TheOpenChestConfidenceAcademy. Very important that you do that because it’s things that we do and we share that we don’t do anywhere else, right B?

Right. And I just want to get across the meaning like we’re doing this for you. We both have other companies, many other companies going it on, but we have this huge passion to give back to go up the stairs and go up that ladder. And then once you’ve, I think we both got to a place of contentment where we did all the things we really wanted to do, and then it was like time to turn back around and grab the hand of the next woman that is coming up and make it easier for her. And I think it’s not about leaving anybody out because we work with women, but it is really just staying in our zone-genius. With what we can fully understand and what we fully lived. And I haven’t lived in a male body. I don’t know all the challenges they face. So we really decided that our best focus is to play in the area where we can do the most good and we have the most knowledge and expertise. So I just make that clear too. It’s not that you trying to exclude anyone. It’s just if I can’t give the best and most expert advice on something, then I don’t want to do it.

Yeah.

And neither does Raj.

Absolutely, sweetheart.

We align on that.

We so do, we align on so many things that matter. And the great thing about me and B, and you’ll learn this as we go along, you’ll distinctly see a massive difference between who we are. And you’ll distinctly see why we align and how the important bigger picture of things is something that we are razor sharp focus and absolutely twins when it comes to that. Right B?

Right, 100%. And it’s our differences that make up The Confidence Academy as well. We want every shape size, ethnicity, income brained, to feel at home in this place. And we have that wide range between us and how we grew up and in our cultures and everything, which is great because I think it just sets the tone for people to feel really comfortable within our community.

Absolutely, and you just brought something to my mind B, and the other thing that you’ll also notice with us, even though we’re like hardcore business women and we are A-type like that.

Both of us.

There is. Yeah, there is no ,we understand because we’ve already been there and we’ve already proven our worth to ourselves as women, as intimately as we possibly can. But we don’t feel like we need to interfere or tell each other anything that is in each other’s arena. What we do is we impart our perspectives, and then we just let it be in the area of the person that is most aligned with the experience of being able to make the right decision. This is where A-type women always seem to not be able to align, right B?

Is that they don’t know.

We get it wrong. But yeah.

Exactly. Please share a little bit of perspective that.

Where we get it wrong from good intent. I just think society has taught us we have to fight for that one place at the table, which is total B.S.

Yes.

There is a whole table and if we don’t have room in the table, we can pull another one over. It’s not one seat like we’re told. We don’t have to fight each other to get to where we want to go. We can collaborate over compete, and when we get in that mind space, when we get in that mindset, everything changes. Competition is for the weak. It is not where we need to be as women. And it’s not, I think, where we were designed naturally to be either. If we were just left to our own devices, I don’t think we would have got there we’re too nurturing. Yeah, but we have been banded against each other because they didn’t want to give up all the seats. But at this point I’m just like, move over.

Yeah.

I have no time, like move over for me and my sisters.

Amen to that. Me and B also another thing we align in, and you’ll learn this as you journey along with us, which we really hope you do. You’re going to love hanging out with us. We’re brutally honest, we’re fiercely loyal, and we are very vulnerable. And you’re going to learn that about us. Another thing that I wanted to mention to you guys, and then I want to move on to talk a little bit about B’s professional career, which has been very different than mine. And then that will close the gap between this is what I do and this is what B does, so we can move forward and talk a little bit about The Open Confidence Academy’s full re-imagined rebrand based off of me and B, and based off of what all women need, and based off of the historical data that we’ve gotten over the course of our careers, as well as at The Open Chest Confidence Academy.

And it’s this: she and I understand that everything that we do is always for a higher purpose, for a higher energy plane, for a higher version of who we are aligned with our spiritual journeys to God. I wanted to put that out there B, it just this coming to me and I feel like I want to share it. I want people to understand that this is for us isn’t just a bunch of actions to get somewhere. This is truly about the transformative journey that is going to get you there. Comment on that B.

I don’t work for man or woman. I’m done with that. I literally get up today, every day and give thanks for the gifts I’ve been given and just want to serve humanity. I’m probably brutal too, because I don’t even care about the money aspect anymore. It’s gone that far. I just want to be of service. I want to take the knowledge that I’ve gained and I want to help others, and that is all that’s in my heart. That is what fills me up. And it also frees me to, to really be blunt. You don’t want a consultant that tells you yes to everything. You don’t want yes people around you, you want people in your corner that will make you think differently, that will give you different perspectives, that will point out things that maybe you missed. But always in a kind and loving way, so that you can hear it and then make changes.

“There is a whole table and if we don’t have room on the table, we can pull another one over. We don’t have to fight each other to get to where we want to go. We can collaborate over compete. Competition is for the weak.” ~ Belinda Ginter

But if I’m working for you to like me and love me all the time, then I cannot do my job efficiently. I have to be okay with maybe it’s stinging once or twice. Because sometimes when we get uncomfortable is when we can make the most growth and change – whether that’s professionally or personally – or things like that. So I think both Raj and I were over that, instant gratification we’re over, the applause we’re over, the shoutouts we’re over that thing. We just want you to have success. And that’s why even though we have a lot things going on, doing a lot of other things, we made time for this because it was important. We saw the confidence gap. We saw these things happening that haven’t been resolved, we had the solution.

Absolutely, B. Let’s talk a little bit about your professional milestones. Let’s journey people a little bit through that so they can actually get the full-circle of me and you and I can move forward, share a little bit. Can you take us back through the various milestones of your professional career that you feel needs to be brought to the table here.

Right. This is me being vulnerable and transparent because I hate this part. So I’m just like you guys are now. Hey, talking about myself, I’m like, can we not get to why we’re here? But really, my professional career started out in medical from a very young age I started running medical clinics, which worked up to one person doctor’s offices to the biggest I had, I think it was 24 practitioners I responsible for all of their schedules, everything to do with the operations of their clinic. It was an integrated clinic, so it was both medical and natural. So seeing both those sides of things, helping to open an integrated centre for Cancer Care in Ottawa, running the Integrated Health Care Centre in part of the Natural Pacific University in Toronto. So it blew from just a simple receptionist right into a business consultant for a medical over the years, overseeing and doing everything, to be honest.

Then it went into when I met my husband, we opened our own clinics. So we’ve opened several chiropractic massage therapy clinics and acupuncture clinics. And then from the point of starting it from scratch to selling it and taking it beyond there, even when I tried. This will make you laugh when I tried to go to University to become chiropractor. What happened to me in all my classes when my professors kept hiring me? So they kept saying my clinics aren’t running smoothly, can you come take a look? Will you help me with my office manager or a manuals? Can you help me hire an onboard someone that’s like you. Can you create more efficiencies within my clinic? And it just kept happening to the point that the president of the school was hiring me to help get the phones ringing, because our enrolment down was in our down and our University to the Vice President of the University hiring me because he wanted to run for office.

And so I ran this whole campaign to be President of the American Chiropractic Association. At one point I just gave up and I’m like, okay, I’m paying a lot of money out here, and this is obviously not where I need to be. It’s a love of mine, but it’s not where I need to be. I will stay focused on continuing to do business consulting and so from that I started my own businesses. I was a mindset expert for years and years and years, consulting on both business side of mindset as well as personal – that’s where we had met. And then really started to realise that my zone of genius and I think we’re always honing down.

There’s lots of things that we can do. But really, getting quite enough to find out what we should do is what really happened to me over the last two years. Although I found everything I did absolutely fulfilling, there was nothing that was missing, so to speak. I just felt like I hadn’t quite nailed it yet. I hadn’t honed it down enough in realising with growing up with an entrepreneurial father, I think I was just born an entrepreneur. And I love working with entrepreneurs. But because I’ve had the corporate training too, I love also like helping people reach the next step in their corporate careers. So I decided, okay, at this point I’m going to stop really focusing on people’s personal growth. And I’m really going to hone in on their professional. I was trying to add it up before this podcast. I’m close to 8000 hours – clinical hours – I’ve logged coaching and consulting in both the business and professional areas. But how they linked together not one separate than the other, but how they blend. And getting certified as a Scalable Business Advisor, now helping thousands of CEOs that are making 3000 and higher, not plateau, which is a probable…

A million.

Yes. And higher. It’s like now I know that’s where my sweet spot is. I love, love and efficiency, I love innovation, I love creating new solutions. I love getting in there and figuring out what the real problem is, not what the problem seems to be, and then correcting it in businesses, because the minute you correct that one thing, it just sets the business on fire and they can now start to like, climb again and feel alive. So one thing I’ve learned about entrepreneurs and career women is when we’re not in momentum, we die a bit.

I had a mentor, Alec Shaffer, and teach me that that the secret actually to success isn’t this big, flashy thing that everybody’s trying to pay for the next marketing idea. It is actually staying in momentum all the time so that we can continue to grow. The minute we stop is when we feel like a part of us is dying off. And it’s that literal. So really, now leaning into the business consulting side and staying there, I can still address mindset issues as part of that, of course. Of course are hand in hand. But I think that was where I really landed. Now in 2025, where I am using every single skill that I’ve ever used, whether that be in different industries and now can help people in all industries, because I can acclimate everything together and make it really powerful.

Oh my gosh. For those of you who are just joining us, I am in conversation with my magnificent mentor – partner at The Open Chest Confidence Academy. We are currently into the fifth year of this incredible organic brand that is here to serve women who are in leadership positions, or who are striving to be in leadership positions, right B, because we have been the other version of that, which is trying to figuring out, yeah.

We’ve been all the things. And that’s the best part about having us in your corner, because there’s nothing you can tell us that would be embarrassing or would be shameful or it’s just come as you are and tell us where you want to go, and we’ll help strategize to get you there. Really, it’s as simple as that. Let’s just look 3 to 5 years ahead and then just make a plan that we keep our eye on the prize and that we have a way to track that we can actually get you the success you desire.

Absolutely. And you know all of what you just heard, guys, let’s get beat to encapsulate that a little bit. So you just know razor sharp what it is that B actually brings to the table B, in a snapshot. Who is the professional you?

I am an expert in business that can pinpoint where you are right now, what the next best steps are for you to take, and then designing a way to get there over the next 3 to 5 years where you have really transformed your business. Or I can really zero in on what those skills are that you have, that we can then take to the corporate world and start applying for the jobs that you really should be applying for that you haven’t been, and that you need someone to push you into applying for and really getting you climbing that that corporate ladder. It’s both, to be honest with you,Raj.

It is sweetheart. And and it’s even so much more than that because even before you can get there and you said this earlier on in the show, is that what is all about personal stuff that’s getting in the way of you getting here, which is where you want to be.

We all have it. So that’s the other thing it says, if you come and you be vulnerable, and you share, and you really let us in, that’s when we can do the most good. Because then we can, no shame in the game. Just tell me where you’re starting from. Let’s get you to where you want to be, and let’s get you on the quickest version there, because there’s lots of ways to get there, but I don’t know about you. I want to get there in the quickest way.

The quickest and the most enjoyable way. That’s the other piece of this, right B?

A lot of people arrive at their destination and they’re miserable, and so there’s no point in that. What is the point of working so hard – blood, sweat and tears – putting time and energy into something if you’re going to be miserable with the end result? We want to make sure, and that’s an open chest part, like really cracking you open – what you’re capable of, how you’re going to get there, but getting there in the most joyful, peaceful.

Yeah, I love the all of that, all of the above. I mean, it’s exciting, right sweetheart? If I wish I had us when we were starting.

I had to do grind and hustle and all those words I hate. And I had to find my own way. And I had to push a boulder up a freaking mountain. That’s what we want to avoid. We want to make that boulder a marble, like for you.

I love that analogy! So, guys now, you know, when you see Belinda, what she brings to the table, guys, you see how perfectly she compliments me and I compliment her and as such has allowed us to spend the whole of last year 2024 when we first met and I want to go to that part where B is going to tell you why. But before we talk about the why, I want to talk a little bit about the fact that what we did decide that we’re going to do this together, which was a year ago exactly this month, actually February.

We didn’t realise the year that we were going to have to be very, very honest. So we thought that because I know what I know and she knows what she knows, that we just in another month, boom, we’re going to be in business. Things are going to be tickety boo. But that’s not what happened. We had a year to brain, heart and soul dump a full comparative analysis of her life, of my life, of what each of us bring to the table of what each of us has the capacity to do so that we do it right and not spread ourselves thin, which is what we do when we first start our career. Right?

What all women do, we do.

And the other key part for us was that we wanted to make sure that we weren’t just doing everything we loved that we were good at, but we wanted to do everything that we actually had a passion to do. This is how much we’ve done right as humans. This is how much we’re good at. This is how much passion we have in what we’re good at. This is what I do. This is what B does. And this is what all the people that we bought into our ecosystem to serve you are doing. So together, you’re getting all of the best passion and experience and know how that you possibly could, right B?

“A lot of people arrive at their destination and they’re miserable, and so there’s no point in that. What is the point of working so hard – blood, sweat and tears – putting time and energy into something if you’re going to be miserable with the end result? We want you to know what you’re capable of, how you’re going to get there.” ~ Belinda Ginter

Yeah. Nobody’s playing outside the lines. At TOCCA, we stay to our own level of genius. And we only play there. We have no interest in being a jack of all trades. We want to only bring you our very best, which means we have to be very selective of what that is. And it is that 1% that we do differently than anyone else out there that you get.

And that’s what The Open Chest Confidence Academy‘s extensive rebrand that we launched in February, this last month that you’ve seen on our socials, you’ve seen in our newsletter community, if you’re a member of our newsletter community, and if you are not, what are you going to TheOpenChestConfidenceAcademy.com, go join up for the newsletter. Honestly guys, it’s going to be the best decision you have made this year so far.

And before we actually talk about 2.0, B can you share, let’s get there, can you share what it was about what I shared with you about what was in my heart, in my soul, in my thought process and what I wanted to do with the academy, which you then came along and then just times ten that, by the way folks, let’s put that out there, that made you sure that you wanted to partner up, first of all, with me. I wanted to grow and expand the offerings and services here at the academy. Like, share that piece for everyone.

Well, in all transparency, I shouldn’t even have taken the Zoom call. I shouldn’t have taken the meeting, I was full capacity-wise, and that’s full transparency. But there was, we go from that spiritual part of us, and I felt that deep within me, I needed to take this meeting. If only to hear what exciting things you’re working on and how I could support you through referrals or through collaboration or partnership or something like that. So I took the call and it was just so nice to connect. I mean, every time we’re together, it feels like family. So that was the first indication, right?

And really, Raj, you could have been saying you were doing anything. To be honest, I had enough respect for you, I had enough. I’d seen you in a number of different scenarios to know where your integrity is at, and so it was a no brainer for me. I know your drive. We both have that same grit where we just don’t give up. You get it from probably coming into a new country and acclimating and having to make it. Where I get it from, coming from welfare and from poverty and what but we both had that. And I knew if we combined that love for humanity, yes, we combined it on a purpose where, just as you said, we stay within our guidelines of what we do best, that we could really help a lot of people. So it wasn’t really the offer, to be honest it was. It was a mutual respect and understanding and a true knowing someone’s heart for service. So that I was like, okay, we will find time for this, and we will make it work and we will make it amazing for these women who come into our ecosystem.

Absolutely. And I want to add something before we now talk about a 2.0 when this whole rebrand and what this is all about. What I want to share is this there’s this magical thing that me and B do behind the scenes that people don’t know about, that I want to share right now because it’s it goes against everything that you’re taught in business. And it’s this, when B needs to step back, or if I need to step back, or because life happens, or something else in our in one of our other businesses requires us, or we have to change the way we are doing things, we flow through that together.

There have been times when I’ve had to drop everything last year because of the personal scenarios. But just step right in, swooped in and just kept things moving along. Because the big thing that me and B believe in is keeping the momentum of the spirit, the culture, within our team always consistent and supported. Right B? So even though there was erratic things happening in my life as, as things do, as they were happening also in B’s life, luckily for us, we were able to swoop in and just take charge. And this is something very different from what we’re taught in any ecosystem. B, you work with millionaires in your scalable side of the world, right? How many times have you come across people that just don’t understand that flow is important in leadership positions?

They just don’t see it, to be honest. And I think it’s a very female thing because the women’s lib was amazing for us, hands down. It opened opportunities we didn’t quite understand, I don’t think when we were signing up for that, that it meant that we could have the career, but then we had to do everything else as well, right? But that’s what it was and that is what it is for, for every woman out there. So it’s like we go through the challenges that you go through. We are also wives, mothers, sisters, friends. There’s always going to be something that’s coming up and going down within our families, within our businesses, it is just a fact of life. And you can either pretend that doesn’t happen and end up getting frustrated and annoyed, or you can just call it out like it is the open and transparent and share where you’re at all the time with people so that they know how, where to meet you at and then where you guys can go from there.

I worked for a doctor years ago, who still happens to be my medical doctor who I love dearly and when we worked together years and years ago, he said, we are going to be around each other more than I’m around my actual family, eight hours a day straight focus hanging out serving people. We need to talk at the beginning of the day about anything that we’re experiencing, so we can have a quick discussion about it. We can clear whatever we need to, and then we can set it aside so we can serve all day. And at the end of the day, we can decide whether we’re going to pick that up and take it home, or whether we’re just going to leave it and trash it.

But what open communication really taught me something. Sometimes I over communicate I think at times, which may freak people out, but I’d rather be that open book, and I’d rather share everything that I’m feeling than not tell you and have problems come up within business or anything like that. And that’s really, again, that open chest part of The Open Chest Confidence Academy. It’s like really taking transparency into your personal lives and taking transparency into your businesses as well.

Absolutely, sweetheart. So with that said, let’s talk about transparently the three major service suites that we are launching in 2025. The first one is, we’re calling it Hire Our Experts and there’s a reason for it. We have two cohorts and they’re based largely off of Belinda’s guidance and also off of my experience in coaching and consulting as well. One cohort is called Business Consultancy. The other one is called Personal Growth Coaching. I’m going let B lead with this a little bit so she can explain off more from a high point perspective what to expect in the worlds of these two cohorts.