To be authentic and real, to be open and tell the truth, to ask for help, even say no and speak up for ourselves, and be able to confront (and handle being confronted) when needed, are conversations that many of us find challenging and difficult. We need to be brave enough to take risks and trust enough to feel vulnerable, in order to achieve greater clarity and honesty.
And it’s this authenticity and courage that makes us shine.
These real conversations are the ones that move things forward and it is through relationship that we learn about ourselves – what we are capable of, where we fall short and hide our light, and where we shine. Also, it is working with and through others that we get to contribute to the world.
It doesn’t have to be so hard to have these conversations that count. Or to find direction in your life and your exciting way of shining and contributing your light to the world.
What if you could have someone help you work it all out? To understand and overcome what really holds you back?
ABOUT TELANA
Transformational Coach for Courageous Conversations
After 20 years of coaching and my own journey from debilitating communication anxiety to confident leadership, I’ve discovered that speaking up isn’t about techniques—it’s about transforming your relationship with yourself.
I help talented professionals overcome their fear of difficult conversations through a unique approach combining psychology, neuroscience, and proven coaching methods. Whether you’re seeking career advancement, stronger relationships, or personal growth, I’ll help you build the unshakeable self-worth that makes crucial conversations feel natural.
I work with people who:
- Feel held back by self-consciousness in meetings and presentations
- Want to advance their careers but struggle to speak up
- Dream of starting a business but fear rejection
- Need to have important conversations they’ve been avoiding
- Want to improve their relationships through better communication
- Are ready to transform fear into confidence and action
My approach combines scientific understanding of mind-body connections with practical tools for building courage. As someone who overcame severe communication anxiety myself, I understand both the challenges and the path to transformation.
COURSES
My approach in the coaching & training I offer, combines the science of fear & communication with proven methods for building unshakeable self-worth.
Be Courageous with Telana’s Transformative Coaching
Discover your courage, confidence, and communication potential with tailored programs designed for personal and professional growth:
- Holistic Coaching: Overcome challenges, build confidence, and express your potential.
- Learning Journeys: Master communication, relationships, and influence.
- Specialized Sessions: Targeted Breakthrough and Live Coaching for faster results.
- Masterclasses: Insights on Confidence, Impostor Syndrome, and more.
- Bravery School (next intake 2025): Flexible membership options to live and communicate courageously.
Available online via Zoom or in-person in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Start here with a Readiness Session to explore which option suits your needs, taking your first step toward transformation today!
Download your free guide “7 Top Tips for more Courageous Conversations”
Join the Courage Circle to change our worlds, one courageous conversation at a time.
NEWS & VIEWS
Explore actionable insights on having life-changing conversations, building strong self confidence, and transforming self-worth. From overcoming communication anxiety to mastering difficult dialogues, discover evidence-based strategies for personal and professional growth.
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“I honestly did not know what to expect, I came there with an open mind. During the process though I realized that the coaching does not bring overnight transformation. Telana is not a Fairy God Mother with a magic wand, if you want the changes you have to put in the work and it’s continuous journey and the sessions have equipped me with the necessary tools for my journey. My experience was incredible even though there were some challenging moments, Telana reassured me that everything I am feeling is normal and she was there cheering me on and offering me support.” – TK May 2017 About the Coaching for Excellence Programme
“From my coaching I specifically gained an overall evaluation and insight of what was holding me back to reach ultimate goals. Telana has assisted me to explore ways to prevent limitations and experience living in the moment more. She is vibrant, energetic and so dedicated to her role. She inspires and finds ways to assist you to overcome the challenge you are faced with. I found Telana extremely knowledgeable about the content she discussed through each session. She is a person who empowers people to be greater than they are. The coaching gives you an opportunity to monitor and watch your progress and is a “hands on” process which deals with an individual’s development area. I found myself learning new things after each session and once I implemented the guidelines I witnessed immediate results. It exceeded my expectations as I have attained the goals I set out before the coaching. Thank you Telana for the amazing experience. I am so much more confident. I am speaking publically more often, you have reinstated the value I thought I lost in myself. I cannot repay you for the self belief you have restored in my personal and corporate life. My recommendation to others considering coaching is to go for it. The only thing holding you back is your own fear to become a better individual.”
Rumisha Motilal May 2015
Testimonial about the Live Coaching Programme
My testimonial of the “Vibrant Life: Build your confidence and esteem” is: definitely a course that every woman should empower herself with. I believe that, we as women are sometimes so hard on ourselves that we end up taking the blame for mistakes of others. This course has taught me so much about myself and relating to other people. It is worth it indeed. The best thing about it is that it applies to every aspect of one’s life and relationships they might have. For me, it has opened the door to a life changing journey I wish I had taken a long time ago. – Tshegofatso Koma, Attorney, August 2015 About the Vibrant Life: Develop your Confidence and Esteem course.
“I recommend Telana and her programme for anyone wanting to understand the world and for personal growth. The world makes more sense to me now and I understand why people do what they do.” -Melanie Davies, Receptionist, Chartwell Veternary Hospital May 2017 About the I ♥ my life! Programme
“I found the seminar extremely enlightening. It has provided me with a much broader view of how I use filters and interpretations to decode life. The course provides tools and exercises, which I find very useful to improve my outlook and attitude. I feel that I have now obtained direction and a way forward in my goal of “finding my own space” in life and living more freely.” – Ralph Whittal, Software Programmer, June 2016 About the Vibrant Life: Develop your Confidence and Esteem course.
My testimonial of my experience is…… “Exceptional and empowering.” – Chuene Ramphele Manager Business Development Development Bank of Southern Africa June 2016 (About the Leadership Coaching Programme)
“Assuming you too believe your life is about a journey of growing yourself closer to serving God (or truth or the positive powers of the universe as may see it). Personal coaching is a way to share a part of that personal journey with a special someone. Coaching helps reveal you to better ways you may serve all you love in already discovered ways and in new ways too. It is fun, it unleashes creative and spiritual energy and it’s exhilarating and liberating to deliberately concentrate on building your inner strength. Choose a special someone you can trust, who is not afraid to challenge you and who is dedicated and skilled in sharing new ways of learning to help you a few steps of the way and who can enjoy a part of your journey with you. A journey calls for bravery and what you seek in coaching is truly what you will receive. Coaching is an opportunity – an open door leading to a potential million more in an infinite universe of personal discovery.”– Julie Clarke
Environmental Analyst, Development Bank of South Africa
June 2018(About the ‘[be real]’ Coaching Programme)
“My testimonial of my Inner Coaching experience is new energy, greater sense of fun, professional, independence and knowing more about life and me. Most of us know what we know and know what we don’t know, but all too often we don’t know what we don’t know. I could have missed out on so much – I have discovered so much about life and myself through coaching. Scary to think what would have happened if I didn’t discover Telana!”– Cathy Taitz, Owner -The Learning Material Expert
July 2007Testimonial about the Coaching for Excellence programme.
Inner Coaching is “an excellent experience that will assist you in becoming a more actualized individual. The word that immediately springs to mind to describe my coaching experience is ‘enlightening’. The coaching with Telana had many ’a-ha’ moments. Telana is a good coach, focused on ensuring the best for the client. Dedicated to ensuring the coaching experience was impactful.” – Anonymous, Manager: Credit & Market Risk Monitoring, Development Bank of Southern Africa May 2017 (About the Leadership Coaching Programme)
“Vibrant Life is a brilliant course that provided insight to how my thoughts and behaviours stifled my potential at work and at home. It then provided me with the tools and information to embrace my emotions and with 100% self-esteem, valuing who I am and what I have to offer the world, as well as valuing others. It has helped me to practice courage and confidence in all that I do. Mostly it helped me to think about how I react to stimuli and how to use filters to promote healthy behaviour, as well as be in control of my emotions and not allow others to control how I feel. It is a life-changing course. Thank you Telana.” – Natasha Chetty, Business Development Manager, May 2016 About the Vibrant Life: Develop your Confidence and Esteem course.
“It is actually a tough situation to evaluate your behavior, particularly if you own your decisions and realise you are 100% responsible for them. However, at the same time it gives you a new perspective of how to handle things differently moving forward. It takes courage, but if you considering coaching it is most probably the right time to use this approach for personal development.” – Business Manager and Entrepreneur, May 2015, About a personalised Coaching Programme
“I found the small, intimate format much more engaging than other courses I’ve had that have classes of 10 or more participants. It was much easier to ask questions and to relate to both the answers and my fellow participants. I appreciated that we weren’t expected to participate in role-play, but to actually experience the various states and encouraged to reach inside and bring forth positive memories that helped make the practise sessions more real. There’s still work to be done, of course – it’s not a magic bullet – but this is a great grounding course from which to start improving my life. And I have started implementing the Power Pose and the Appreciation state already!” – Sue-Ann Cooper, Digital Marketing Specialist July 2016 About the Vibrant Life: Develop your Confidence and Esteem course.
“Inner Coaching really changed my life, now I am a happy and an excited person. I am no longer sad like I used to be, I look forward to the future and every challenges that life will throw at me to handle them the best way that I can, Inner Coaching is really worth it.” DL, Nursing student July 2016 Testimonial about the Coaching for Excellence programme.
“Telana ran a successful workshop for the Future Females community in April 2019. Her insights on mastering fear and overcoming our limiting beliefs were both enlightening and inspirational. She is an engaging facilitator and a valuable resource.” – Atishca Makan“Telana was such a joy to work with and she was received unbelievably well by her audience. Her calm, but inspirational manner in which she addresses her topics makes it easy and exciting to learn from her. Her message was clear and insightful and left the room feeling energised and inspired by the end of the workshop. We so enjoyed having her as part of the team!” – Dani Donald,
“I was battling to think through certain issues around work, life and achieving my level of desired success and no matter how much I thought this through, I was not getting to any concrete results. The Inner Coaching experience allowed me through the right questioning to get to these answers. It also assisted me to understand where the “gaps” were and how to close these gaps. I would encourage everyone to attend a coaching programme at some stage during their lives.” – Paul Bouchier Sales Director, SSA (Pty) Ltd April 2015 Testimonial about the Live Coaching Programme