Debbie’s story is anything but linear. From helping classmates in grade nine math, to leaving university, working in banking, following her dream onto cruise ships, moving to England, building a 25-year career in IT, running a daycare so she could be home with her children, investing in real estate, losing her home in a fire, being laid off shortly after, and rebuilding her life and business through resilience and faith — Debbie’s journey is a powerful example of what it means to keep moving forward.

Today, Debbie helps real estate investors build credibility, visibility, and trust so they can create a pipeline of qualified investors who are ready to say yes to their next deal.

This conversation explores the real human side of entrepreneurship: pivoting when life changes, trusting yourself, learning through failure, rebuilding after loss, choosing your passion, and understanding why success is rarely “luck.”

Debbie also breaks down why real estate investors should not wait until they have a deal before building relationships with potential capital partners. Instead, she teaches investors how to build trust before they need funding, share their journey authentically, create visibility, and position themselves as credible operators long before the opportunity appears.

We also talk about Debbie’s son, Brandon Balfour, a successful men’s lifestyle content creator, and how Debbie’s philosophy of “try it, learn from it, and keep going” helped shape her children into entrepreneurs as well.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Debbie’s early love of teaching and helping others
• Why being good at something does not always mean it is your calling
• Leaving university and choosing a different path
• Working on cruise ships and following a dream before the internet made it easy
• Why success often looks like “luck” to people who did not see the work
• Building a 25-year career in IT without a computer science degree
• Motherhood, burnout, childcare, and building flexibility as an entrepreneur
• Pivoting from corporate work to real estate investing
• Buying investment properties in BC, Alberta, and Ontario
• Short-term rentals, co-living, and adapting when regulations change
• Losing her home in a fire and rebuilding after trauma
• Being laid off after 16 years and choosing not to go back
• Building a coaching business from lived experience
• Why real estate investors need credibility before they need capital
• How to build visibility and trust with future investors
• Why capital raising starts before the deal
• The power of podcasting, networking, writing, and community
• Why trying and failing is better than living with “what if”

Debbie’s message is clear: if something has been sitting in the back of your mind, start learning, start exploring, and start trying. As long as it will not cost you your home, your safety, or your life — try it.

Connect with Debbie Balfour:

Website:

www.debbiebalfour.ca

Email:

Debbie@DebbieBalfour.com

Facebook:

Debbie Balfour

LinkedIn:

Debbie Balfour

Free Training, Resources, Social Links & Booking:

www.debbiebalfour.ca

Brandon Balfour:

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonBalfour

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brandonbalfourr/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@brandonbalfourr

Subscribe to the PowerHaus Podcast for real conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and high performers who are building powerful lives on their own terms.

#PowerHausPodcast #DebbieBalfour #RealEstateInvesting #RealEstateInvestor #RealEstateCoach #CanadianRealEstate #WomenInRealEstate #InvestorCredibility #CapitalRaising #RaiseCapital #RealEstateEntrepreneur #BuildTrust #InvestorRelations #EntrepreneurMindset #FinancialFreedom #WealthBuilding #RealEstateEducation #CoLiving #ShortTermRentals #BusinessCoach #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #LiveYourPassion

What does it really take to build wealth, pivot careers, and create a life on your own terms?

In this episode of the PowerHaus Podcast, Gabrielle Caine sits down with real estate investor, coach, and entrepreneur John Brook for a raw, practical conversation about business, reinvention, and learning how to make smarter investment decisions with confidence.

John shares his journey from tool and die, steel, and a demanding bread route in downtown Toronto to home inspections, real estate coaching, and launching Pinnacle Real Estate Investing. Along the way, he breaks down what most people get wrong about entrepreneurship, why networking and relationship-building matter more than people think, and how to stop letting fear and uncertainty keep you stuck.

They also dive into:

• how John built businesses from scratch
• the power of showing up and putting yourself out there
• why most people are not financially prepared for retirement
• how to think about risk, cash flow, passive income, and long-term growth
• the difference between coaching, consulting, and mentoring
• how to make your money work for you
• what investors should know about income properties, private lending, REITs, land development, and Mexico real estate opportunities

This episode is packed with practical insight for anyone interested in real estate investing, entrepreneurship, wealth building, retirement planning, and financial freedom.

Follow John Brook:

pinnaclerei.ca@gmail.com

https://www.pinnaclerealestateinvesting.ca/

Book your free consultation meeting

https://calendly.com/pinnaclerei-ca/new-meeting

Listen now, subscribe, and share with someone who’s ready to build smarter.

Annmarie shares her journey from preschool education to project management, her years working at BlackBerry, and the personal growth journey that eventually led her into real estate investing. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, investing heavily in real estate education, and choosing to move through fear instead of around it, Annmarie and her husband purchased their first fiveplex using creative financing, mentorship, and a vendor take-back strategy.

This conversation goes deep into the realities most people don’t see: fear, debt, uncomfortable phone calls, imposter syndrome, difficult tenants, joint venture lessons, rent-to-own deals, knowing when to walk away, and why your professional team matters.

Annmarie also shares the mindset that has shaped her success: there are no shortcuts, you have to believe in yourself, and growth only happens when you’re willing to get uncomfortable.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, real estate investors, aspiring investors, coaches, women in business, and anyone who knows they are meant for more but hasn’t taken the first step yet.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Career reinvention and trusting your gut
• Leaving corporate life and building something of your own
• Real estate investing as a path to freedom
• Buying a fiveplex with creative financing
• Vendor take-back mortgages and mentorship
• Rent-to-own, joint ventures, and property management lessons
• Why fear does not mean stop
• The importance of believing in yourself
• How to build confidence by taking action
• Why there are no shortcuts to becoming the person you want to be

Connect with Annmarie:

LinkedIn: Annmarie Bordin-Kuch

Email: sweetwaterpminc@gmail.com

Subscribe to the PowerHaus Podcast for real conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and high performers who are building powerful lives on their own terms.

Hashtags:

#PowerHausPodcast #AnnmarieBordinKuch #RealEstateInvesting #WomenInRealEstate #EntrepreneurMindset #RealEstateInvestor #RealEstateCoach #CanadianRealEstate #VendorTakeBack #CreativeFinancing #RentToOwn #JointVentures #WealthBuilding #PersonalGrowth #BelieveInYourself #TakeAction #CareerReinvention #Entrepreneurship #FinancialFreedom

About Mathieu Lapalme

Mathieu Lapalme is a senior architect, business owner, investor, world traveler, adventurer, and proud father. As co-founder of his architectural firm, he has spent the past 25 years building expertise in design, project management, construction, and business leadership. He is known for managing complex projects with clarity, precision, and strong strategic oversight.

Connect with Mathieu

Website: http://www.l-atelier.ca

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/atelier-architectes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latelier.architectes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GroupeLRAAetACSL/

Deanna shares her journey from the corporate world into real estate investing, how she and her husband built their portfolio step by step, and the lessons she learned through uncertainty, setbacks, changing markets, and major life pivots. She also opens up about the creation of Real Power, a community built to empower women in business and investing, and why finding the right people around you can change everything.

This conversation is filled with honest insight on partnerships, decision-making, personal growth, taking messy action, and trusting that small steps can lead to big results.

If you have ever felt like the dream is bigger than your current reality, this episode will remind you that you do not need to have it all figured out to get started. You just need to take the next step.

Nick shares his journey from touring the world in the music industry and earning a platinum record, to building a real estate portfolio across Canada and the U.S., and helping businesses scale through investor capital. He opens up about rejection, resilience, risk, identity, and the mindset required to keep going when success feels far away.

This conversation goes far beyond business. Nick speaks honestly about the difference between chasing money and chasing freedom, why time matters more than status, how integrity and trust shape every opportunity, and why true success means staying aligned with your values. He also shares how his passion for music, simple living, and animal advocacy continue to guide the life he is building today.

If you’ve ever wondered how successful people keep moving forward through uncertainty, criticism, and discomfort, this episode is for you.

Website is www.nickskalkos.com

For inquiries / partnerships:

info@powerhauspodcast.com

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Ronnie's approach is to remove all limiting beliefs, gain the confidence and knowledge required to achieve the success you desire.

Website https://www.ronniefisherconsulting.com

FB : https://www.facebook.com/share/19MWKa9BUR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

IG https://www.instagram.com/ronnie__fisher?igsh=MXZyeDV4ZzBjdTcxeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/ronnie-fisher-195a61170

What happens when a layoff one week before your firstborn forces you to reinvent everything? In this episode, Gabrielle Caine sits down with Ronnie Fisher — real estate investor, entrepreneur, and success coach from Niagara Falls — to trace his journey from construction worker to life-changing coach.

Ronnie shares the mindset shift that turned a devastating job loss into a launchpad, the success formula from Think and Grow Rich that changed his trajectory, and why surrounding yourself with the right people matters more than most people realize. He also opens up about the hard lessons learned from a business partnership gone wrong, the cost of neglecting balance while chasing success, and how he now helps others discover their passion, purpose, and path forward.

If you've ever felt paralyzed by doubt, overwhelmed by the gap between where you are and where you want to be, or unsure of your first step — this episode is for you.

What does it really take to become an entrepreneur and walk away from the job that no longer fits?

In this episode, Gabrielle Caine sits down with Sarah LeRiche to talk about her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she faced along the way, and how she ultimately quit her job to take back her time and create more freedom in her life.

This conversation is for anyone who wants more control over their future, is navigating obstacles, or is building toward a life on their own terms.

Connect with Sarah:

sarah.leriche@hotmail.com

Follow PowerHaus Podcast:

Website: powerhauspodcast.com

Instagram: @thepowerhauspodcast

YouTube: PowerHaus Podcast

X: @PowerHausPod

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