As part of our ongoing quest to get you meaningful and powerful stories from the startup ecosystem, we invited yet another passionate and purpose-driven woman entrepreneur – Ridhi Golechha for an exclusive interview with BrilliantRead Media. She is a Psychologist, Mental Health Coach, and Founder & Counselor of Ridhi Golechha. Let’s read more about her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive Interview with her:
Tell us a little bit about your journey and why did you choose to be a coach?
For more than 15 years, I was obsessed with getting thinner- that perfect body- jumping from one diet to another, hours of punishing gym sessions & experimenting with every nutrition fad – to find that one magic pill that would change my life forever.
Unfortunately, I kept failing.
Body image issues & yo-yoing between restriction & overeating was part of my journey. Constant anxiety didn’t help either.
To find my answers, as a psychologist, I specialized my research into why 90% of us are unable to break this eat-repent-repeat cycle & never reach our goals.”
Today, I’ve established a healthy relationship with food & transformed my body into its natural form.
And that’s the reason I want to help other women & men like me.
Why is it important to have a coach/mentor?
If you could be the best version of yourself, minus the overthinking, not obsess about issues like weight, stress, emotional eating, overeating, yo-yo dieting & become the most productive version of yourself, wouldn’t you take all the help needed to do that?
A holistic approach focusing on emotional + physical health is what can help you break lifelong patterns of reacting, & change them to responding.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
My need to create. I have a lot of energy, we all do.
And I like to use my work as a canvas to paint my anxieties & limiting beliefs. Every micro-task I complete, I feel a little more confident.”
And the more sessions I have with my clients, the more lives I can move, the more motivated I get! I love to introspect- and my work gives me a chance to do that, every day.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
I have been yo-yoing between weight, overeating & digestive issues for nearly most of my life. I used to doubt myself, and that would paralyse me from even taking the next step forward.
There have been rejections, criticism. But just realising that not everyone will resonate with your work- and there are some of them who will value it- has helped me with my journey.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Emotions are part of me, part of us. Inevitable.
Money is required. So the combination of money + emotions is a great driving factor.
However, without emotions, money wouldn’t serve its purpose.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I’ve recently learnt the art & importance of organization.
Just having multiple lists, mental or physical & having an action plan. I like to break down my day, my tasks – so that even the most stressful ones become smaller goals & seem more achievable.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
There are so many. But something at the top of my head is to keep learning. I enjoy the nerdy side of me. And that’s what helps me grow.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Success looks different for different people. So first, it’s all about defining what success means to me.
1) Learning
2) Unlearning
Yes, unlearning & letting go of what no longer serves me (whether in my personal, professional or wellness headspace)- does not require precious mental real estate!
It’s hard to let go, but constantly practising it & creating space for new- helps me streamline forward.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Just start! We have a whole bunch of fears sitting in our heads, trying to give us reasons for not taking action right now. Maybe the fear of not being good enough, of not making it, or just of the work seeming too large to accomplish. No matter what, these are just thoughts in your head. They will only make you procrastinate & delay. Convert your thoughts to action. And go for it.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
