No matter how careful you are on the road, you may still get involved in an accident. In such circumstances, it is crucial to ascertain the party at fault before approaching your insurance companies to make a claim. After all, the burden of accident expenses typically rests on the liable party. However, this is only the case in some states. When you get involved in an accident in a no-fault state like Florida, the insurance companies of the involved parties are required to fulfill certain obligations. Not all financial repercussions fall on the liable party. However, while it should be easy to resolve the issue, your insurance company may give you a hard time. If you are in such a situation, an experienced car accident attorney in Florida will help you through the prescribed processes until you receive your claim. As you seek professional services, here is what you should expect after a car crash in a no-fault state. Personal Injury Protection Like other states across the U.S., no-fault states have set minimum car insurance that all car owners must abide by to drive legally. The insurance package is meant to cater to damages and accruing expenses in case of an accident. In no-fault states, the minimum insurance is modified such that every automobile owner must have personal injury protection coverage. Personal injury protection covers you and your passengers’ medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses, regardless of who caused the accident. You don’t have to file a claim with the other party’s insurance company to get your immediate bills sorted out. However, the extent of the bills sorted by your insurance company depends on your registered package. Determining Fault While your PIP coverage in no-fault states caters to your medical bills and other expenses resulting from an automobile accident, you are not entirely exonerated. You may exhaust your coverage and be forced to fail a claim against the other party to cater for additional charges. Therefore, it is essential to establish the at-fault party, where each state has different thresholds for determining guilty parties. Pure comparative negligence Pure comparative negligence alludes that your insurance claim is determined by your involvement in the accident’s occurrence. According to Florida accident laws, if you were 80% at fault in the accident, your payout would cover an equivalent percentage of the damage caused. In contrast, the other driver covers the remaining 20%. The amount of fault you carry may also affect your insurance rates. Pure contributory negligence No-fault states that adhere to this threshold only award settlements if you can prove you did not have a part in the accident. You lose your claim if the other party can prove you were even slightly negligent. Modified comparative negligence Jurisdictions with modified comparative negligence have a set threshold for eligibility for an insurance payout. In most cases, your claim is justifiable if your contribution to the accident was less than 50%. Expedited Claims Lawsuits involving automobile accident claims take awfully long to settle as parties go back and forth to prove and disprove negligence allegations. However, this rarely happens in no-fault states. The mandatory PIP coverage takes care of various exorbitant bills accrued after an accident, leaving little reason to file a lawsuit. After a car crash in no-fault states, each party files a claim with their respective insurance agencies and has their immediate bills sorted. This takes less time than filing a claim with a negligent party’s insurer, which requires many official records. The only downside is the extra cost of enrolling in PIP coverage. Conclusion Car crashes are scary; they can occur anywhere and time without warning. It is even more intimidating when you are in a no-fault state and don’t know what to expect after the incident. The insurance requirements and negligence determination differ from other states, significantly influencing post-accident events. If you find yourself in such a situation, a car accident attorney in Florida can help you through the process.

Written by: Sabrina Sourjah, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Your one-word answer will give you all the clarity you need. In one of my coach training cohorts, we did an exercise on designing who we wanted to be when we show up for our clients daily. Because we can choose who we show up as. Powerful, Inspiring, Helpful, Loving, Annoying, Ignorant, and Judgemental, to name a few. I told the group that I wanted to be authentic and relaxed. But they asked who my authentic self was. “It’s just me. All of me, with all of my vulnerabilities,” I responded. They weren’t happy with my sloppy answer and kept pushing me. “But who is your authentic self? How would you describe her?” Luckily, we ran out of time, and Zoom kicked us out of our breakout room. Fast forward a few weeks, I heard another version of the same question on a podcast. “Who are you at your core?” the podcast host asked the guest. Since the universe repeatedly tossed this question my way, I started looking for a clear answer. I had to. Some not-so-right answers I’m a writer and coach — In this culture of doing, being productive, and achieving, most of us resort to what we do when we’re asked who we are. Although I love what I do for a living, this is not who I am. I’m a friend, mentor, sister, and daughter — These are important ways that I contribute to loved ones. But there are merely roles I play. Some I play lovingly and warmly. Some because I have no choice. I’m a passionate feminist — This is my passion; women’s issues set my soul on fire. But this also does not capture my essence in full. It also ignores my other passions like psychology, travel, and working with teenagers. I’m a strong believer in human potential — This is very true, but I also believe in the inherent abundance of the universe. And the world being a kind and compassionate place for all. The common thread holding my life together There is a reason I write and coach, a reason why I specifically write in the mental health and social justice niches. There is a common thread between being a feminist and a believer in limitless human potential. I was a transformationalist. (This is a made-up word, but you get the meaning.) I want to transform the world around me. I want to tear patriarchy into bits. I want childhood trauma to be swept off the face of this earth. As a freelance writer, I help mental health startups and therapists to heal people by writing blog posts and website copy. As a career change coach, I want people to leave jobs that aren’t filling them with joy, and I’m their biggest champion in this journey. This is why I worked in change management and technology for a while, even when these were not ideal careers for me. The final test: How does this show up in my personal life? Given our cultural leaning towards working and hustling, it’s easy to answer who we are using what we do for a living or our hobbies. But to make sure our answers are the correct ones, it’s critical to see if the answers hold true in our personal lives. Meaning, our romantic relationships, friendships, and how we interact with our families. In my case, as a transformationalist, I had deliberately transformed my life multiple times. I have immigrated twice, left a marriage that wasn’t working, embraced my gray hair, questioned old friendships, and successfully changed my career. I’m, therefore, a transformationalist in my life, and transformation is what I strive for in all areas of my life. How this answer has helped me Knowing who I am at my core has helped me make better decisions and take actions that align with what I need the most. To up my self-awareness For all types of decision-making Look for the shadow side To pick a future direction I hope you found this post useful. Please subscribe to my Medium page to follow my journey of finding myself. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sabrina! Sabrina Sourjah, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sabrina Sourjah is a certified authenticity coach based in Toronto. She began coaching because of her unshakable belief that we all deserve better jobs, better relationships, and better lives. She gets a genuine high every time her clients progress towards their most authentic life by outdoing their former selves. In her past life, she has worked in various corporate and technology roles. She was mostly stressed at work, no matter how well things were going. Now, Mondays are Fridays for her. This is why she’s on a mission to get you to your most authentic life. Because she knows how wonderful life can be on the other side. When she's free, she loves to read, sing karaoke, go on long walks, and watch the sunset.

Written by: Patricia Baronowski-Schneider, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What is artificial intelligence and should the job market be afraid? Let’s let facial recognition decide what you think about this. Have you ever wondered how artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology can be used to help us in our everyday lives? From identifying suspects in a criminal investigation to unlocking your phone, facial recognition technology has become an integral part of our world, thanks to advances in machine learning, computer vision, deep learning, image recognition, neural networks, biometrics, face detection, and object recognition. Artificial Intelligence, or “AI” is defined as the replication of human intelligence functions by machines, particularly computer systems. Artificial intelligence’s goal is to improve learning, perception, and reasoning through computers. Expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition, and computer vision are some examples of AI applications. Are there advantages? For sure. A computer program with artificial intelligence can think and learn. For occupations that need attention to detail, AI is highly helpful. Data-intensive processes take less time to complete, the findings are consistent, and AI-powered virtual agents are constantly available. Artificial intelligence can improve accuracy and precision while decreasing human error. By deploying AI robots, humans can overcome various risks. Robots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are more responsible and capable of presenting accurate work. Many dangerous tasks today include the use of artificial intelligence. Any kind of catastrophe, whether manmade or natural, uses it. AI robots can travel to Mars, disarm a bomb, scuba dive to the bottom of the ocean, or dig for colon oil. Artificial intelligence can effectively automate these tedious processes, freeing individuals from them so they may concentrate on being more creative. Your daily applications, including Google Maps, Alexa, Siri, Cortana on Windows, OK Google, taking selfies, placing calls, and responding to emails, all make use of artificial intelligence. Humans require breaks and vacation time to maintain a balance between their job and personal lives, but AI can operate continuously without rest. Robots can multitask while thinking far more quickly than humans and providing precise results. With the assistance of AI algorithms, they can manage tiresome, repetitive tasks with ease. Whether we like it or not, emotions control human behavior. AI lacks emotions and is extremely practical and logical in its approach. Artificial intelligence ensures more accurate decision-making since it lacks bias. What are artificial intelligence’s drawbacks then? Artificial intelligence is used by businesses to manage vast amounts of data that may contain sensitive information. They need to ensure that they are investing in the highest-quality security, or else this can turn into an even bigger significant problem. Even a minor security breach can have serious repercussions for organizations. Google undoubtedly learned this the hard way after the company's AI chatbot made a mistake during a showcase, causing shares to drop by $100 billion. It’s crucial to keep the system updated and secure from errors or cybercrime. Ironically, this is where Cryptocurrency can come into play ‒ Blockchain technology has many built-in security features that make it difficult for hackers to corrupt. AI robots are impersonal and make people apathetic. Sadly, some people were sluggish from the beginning. Since they don't need to memorize information or solve puzzles to complete jobs, robots automate the majority of time-consuming and repetitive tasks. They lessen how much we use our brains. Therefore, future generations may experience issues as a result of artificial intelligence addiction. Because artificial intelligence is a technology built on pre-loaded knowledge and experience, humans cannot create it. AI is good at performing the same work repeatedly, but if we want any modifications or improvements, we must manually change the codes. AI can store an unlimited amount of data, but it cannot be used or accessed in the same way as human intellect. AI robots can be very expensive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. AI requires the most modern technology and software to function. The cost of AI robots is quite high. They call for highly technical knowledge. To create AI tools, they need a finite pool of skilled individuals. They are unable to generalize from one task to another since they only understand what has been demonstrated to them. If AI's logical capabilities are not directed toward useful ends, it may constitute an existential threat to humans. There is a possibility of unemployment as a result of chatbots and robots replacing. Artificial intelligence is unable to acquire the ability to think creatively. With pre-fed data and prior experiences, it can learn over time, but it lacks creativity in its approach. Whether we are aware of it or not, the globe has been using apps that can unlock your phone by learning to identify your face or recognize you in a picture. What transpires, though, when the same technology is employed to identify you in a crowd, monitor your travels, or even form an opinion on what kind of person you are? For good reason, concerns about the drawbacks of facial recognition are becoming more and more prevalent. No one loves technological advancements that can jeopardize their safety, independence, or even freedom. It might be challenging to balance the ethical and dangerous implications of facial recognition. For instance, it would seem logical to use facial recognition technology that can help you personally. Getting your phone unlocked, for example, or demonstrating that you are who you claim you are. What if the technology only benefits certain people while failing to benefit others? Would it be fair if your face didn't match the technology? Particularly if your visage eventually serves as your ID for everything from voting to buying groceries and boarding airplanes! This doesn't sound that good, I guess. What if, however, there were applications that could recognize our faces and alert us when we were about to become ill, mentally exhausted, or even in need of assistance from others? This could assist us to maintain our health and well-being. Unless, of course, you can only get trustworthy counsel if you have the ideal skin tone or certain facial traits. If creators are as responsible as possible for eliminating bias in facial recognition apps and creating them to perform effectively for all users, difficulties like this can be avoided. But what happens when prejudice is a strength rather than a weakness? Imagine, for example, a face-scanning program that promises to be able to determine whether you are lying, whether you have committed a crime, or whether you are likely to do so. Robert Williams, Michael Oliver, and Nijeer Parks were misidentified by facial recognition software that placed them under arrest for crimes they did not commit. This is a clear example of the “cons” associated with facial recognition (pun intended). Imagine that this app makes mistakes or reflects the prejudices of those who designed it, in which case it would support their perceptions of you as a liar or a lawbreaker. Consider the possibility that employers and law enforcement might then act as judge and jury using this app! Face recognition can reinforce our very human preconceptions and biases rather than lessen them in this way. It will take tremendous care to prevent this significant problem in the application of facial recognition. And it will only get worse if technology is used to track every action we take, no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Beyond prejudice, though, what if there were ways that facial recognition might reveal more about us than our five senses alone could? What if, for instance, there was an app that could quickly scan a group of individuals and identify those who had cancer, are dealing with mental illness, are depressed, are joyful, and are...persuadable? Although I'm veering into the realm of speculation, academics are currently investigating how face recognition can reveal information that would otherwise be concealed from us and how this can be exploited, only from images and videos of people. In some circumstances, this can even be advantageous. But tools like these also raise some serious concerns about who has the right to examine you without your permission, especially if they go on to exploit the data against you. Additionally, it makes you vulnerable to social manipulation in which the success of someone else depends on your appearance. Facial recognition technology has a lot of potential uses, but there are also a lot of ethical challenges that must be overcome if the technology is to be developed and applied ethically. And in this case, everyone should have a say in how technology is used and isn't used! This will be interesting, to say the least, in terms of what the future holds for us. While some jobs may be taken over by ChatGPT and AI and Robots, I don’t believe it will affect every job. However, seeing where these discoveries will lead us, and using Facial Recognition as a prime example here, is an interesting road to follow. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and visit my website for more info! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Baronowski-Schneider, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patricia Baronowski-Schneider. I’m the founder of Pristine Advisers, since 2010. I have been in the IR/PR industry for over 35 years. I am a 3 x’s international best-selling published author and have also been featured in various books about IR/PR and Business. I’m a member of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, have been featured in and on the cover of multiple magazines and newspapers and won many awards for my work. I help companies around the world to be in front of the audiences that matter most to their business. Check out my YouTube Channel – Been There/Done That where I offer free advice on trending topics. You can also check out my Podcast “Successful Minds with Patty B”.

Written by: Serena A. Carbonell, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. My former fear. We, as souls, all have a fear or two or more. Yes? If we didn’t, well then, we would not be human. I’ll start with one of mine — well, a former fear that is. Flying. The safest form of travel. As a nomadic woman who has been blessed in traversing many a wonderful landscape since youth, and continues to do so, I became fearful of flying in my mid-20’s (I am now 47). Oddly enough, it was soon after I met my ex-husband who pursued a career as a pilot where my fear of flying soared. Perhaps it was living in Hawaii and being a distance from the mainland so I knew traveling even to California would be lengthy (especially over a vast deep dark ocean that I could not see), or the myriad of flight training manuals that always caught my eye, or just learning, during that time, about the world of aviation and aircraft functionality that triggered anxiety in my soul — even though I knew I had absolutely nothing to be concerned about. I can recall numerous flights (domestic and international) where the slightest amount of turbulence (or “rough air” as it is now called) would send my entire mind and body into an — armrest or hand or whatever I could grab — clenching gripping dither. A glass of wine or two never seemed to numb the fear and I used to ask myself if I knew too much about flying having been married to a pilot. Too much that was always safety first and precautionary, yet somehow I would lose my sense of self and be ill at ease (even if a gracious flight attendant or merely a relaxed kind passenger would try to aid in calming my nerves). It was years later that I was finally able to pin-point WHY I feared flying. Control. Control Souls fear not being in control — having the “ability or perception of their ability to affect themselves, others, their conditions, their environment or some other circumstance.” (Wikipedia) There is a delicate balance between our subconsciousness and consciousness that triggers this sense of needing to be in control. As individual souls, we tend to rise everyday with the innate “knowing” that we are, or have the capability of, controlling our own sacred journey, our own destinies, our own actions, our own emotions. From a psychological perspective, our ego is also part of this equation. Oh let’s leave it to the ego — that which has its pros and cons — stirring up anxiety and creating nervousness due to it wanting to be, according to the renowned Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung, the “commander in chief.” Now from an astrological perspective, our personalities are considered to be pre-determined so that, too, has an impact on our passion for control. “Astrology sees mankind as being not only influenced by hereditary factors and the environment, but also by the state of our solar system at the moment of birth. The planets are regarded as basic life forces, the tools we live by as well as the basis of our very substance. These planetary forces take on different forms, depending on their zodiacal position and on the way they relate to one another.” (astrodienst) Either way we look at it — control exists and often times can be more detrimental than loving for our overall mind, body, spirit and soul. When it came to my fear of flying, though I was always internally a nervous wreck and from the outside tried to be graciously composed as much as possible, I suffered because I was not able to be in the pilot seat, control the aircraft, steer the plane safely and see what vast landscape lay ahead of me. I was NOT the “commander in chief,” dammit! It dawned on me that I clearly did not have full faith and trust in the pilots, and who was I to have such beliefs? Pilots go through a significant amount of formal, lengthy and dedicated aircraft and safety training. I, on the other hand, learned minimally about aviation in the setting of a conversation piece, if you will. Another classic example ‒ traffic. Yes! Our “beloved” traffic which is honestly, for many (including I at times), one of the most aggravating and fearful experiences that we have NO control over. You are sitting behind the wheel (or even riding as a passenger) and your destination awaits — you are not moving, or merely moving at a snails pace. Anxiety may kick in for some souls who need to be at their destination at a certain time and know they may be late, for others it may be the inability to be able to tell the other drivers to move faster, others may suffer a panic attack due to their irrational fear of claustrophobia, and then there is also the frustrated “horn honker” to add stimulus because what else is there to do? The answer — embrace your fear! Embracing your fear In order to fully embrace your fear(s) you must be mindful in having integrity by being honest with yourself, other souls and the universe. The first step, which is never easy (trust me!), is to make the decision in wanting to come to terms with understanding what triggers your soul and causes you to live in a space of anxiety, stress, frustration and of course, fear. It is very important and valuable to recognize and acknowledge that throughout your sacred life you will have absolutely NO control over most situations, events and souls. Like traffic or flying (unless you are an aviator) or even aspects of relationships with friends, family members, work colleagues, classmates, sports teammates, you name it — when you begin to dissect what or whom you do have control over, you will begin to realize that it is merely YOU and only YOU for the most part. By choosing to accept your own choices as your own and other souls choices as their own you will experience a massive shift that will impact your life and your relationships with others forever. Some souls are always going to want to have their way, are overly competitive, self-absorbed, attention-seekers, be unkind, be unfaithful, be devious, lack morals, lack class, lack proper decision-making skills, glass-empty — yadayadayada — who cares — let them have it! They are the ones who are suffering with insecurities, jealousy, unhappiness and not checking their ego(s) at the door. The "me me me" syndrome. I often times wish we could literally have an "ego" check — like a coat check. Now that would be f#@king awe-some! By having faith and trust in your own amazing and incredible self, you will start to see life from a clearer and more peaceful perspective. Also having faith and trust in others will develop a better sense of creating community. The beauty of life: you are given a golden opportunity to explore yourself at a dive deep level (that many find scary) which ultimately gives you the power and courage to be willing to say to yourself … “it’s time to CHANGE.” Change Most souls are apprehensive to experience change because they are afraid to face and embrace their fears. There is, by all means, a difference between releasing natural emotions versus being negative, and we expend more energy when we emit negativity versus positivity. A lot more. How? Well, it takes a nanosecond to make someone feel good — you may smile at them or better yet, you say hello and wish them a blessed happy day or give them a compliment. You, in essence, recognize them in a positive light. You give them attention from your heart. You care. To be negative — you have to "think" about the negative thought which is not only holistically exhausting, you are also weakening your serotonin levels. In addition to anger and frustration increasing, your overall mood shifts to a depressive controlling space — only eager to have the end result be more in your favor than with whom or what you are communicating with. So if it is less taxing on our minds, bodies, spirits and souls to be positive and happy — then why not surrender to that? Right? It is actually more simple than you may believe. If you reflect on ALL of the delightful and bountiful opportunities you are able to experience and enjoy, and then start to practice them (if you are not already) — that is the perfect beginning. “Sacred techniques” on how to enhance change for the better: LOVE & RESPECT yourself and others PRACTICE POSITIVITY — altering your language by using more influential and powerful uplifting words (i.e. I can do this versus I can’t do this, I love versus I hate, I am successful versus I am useless, etc.) EXAMINE what your FEARS are, why you are fearful, what and/or who triggers this stressful emotion in you LEARN from your fears — this will expand your mind, your communal network, and enhance growth — take up that random sport you have always wanted to try though never had the confidence or feel you are “too old” … or take lessons on that instrument you have always wanted to play even though you may be slightly tone deaf ASK what CONTROL means to you, why you are wanting to be in control and of whom and/or what SPEND quality time with NON-TOXIC souls by surrounding yourself with others who lift you up, bring you joy and are super FUN ADDICTION(S) — social media, shopping, drugs, alcohol, etc. — are you subject to abusing, addicted to a source that may not be beneficial for you in healing, ask yourself why and how is this aiding in your lifestyle JOURNAL about your sacred life and your fears FOLLOW your INTUITION — that “gut” feeling is usually absolutely spot on PRACTICE INTEGRITY — lying will get you nowhere (except into a deep dark abyss — literally) INCREASE your EXERCISE level — get those endorphins moving! WORK-LIFE BALANCE — know when to shut it down and celebrate, enjoy, rest, be YOU NUTRITION/DIET — are you drinking enough water, feeding your soul properly PARTICIPATE in ACTIVITIES that you are a PASSIONATE about — reading, writing, cooking, traveling, gardening, yoga, socializing — endless options MEDITATE — take time for yourself to quiet the mind which can be done not always in the “formal” sense — washing the dishes is a great example of meditation UPGRADE to a HOLISTIC lifestyle CONNECT to the divine or higher energy/sacred source LET GO of that which is holding you back Time is your soul friend and evolving does not happen overnight, and age is JUST a number. We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination as imperfections are what make us whole. So, if you trust in the process, love and respect yourself, are patient (breathe) and have the strength you will then begin to experience a grand enlightenment of inner peace and feel bliss. As Joseph Campbell, the remarkable spirited writer and former professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College, expressed in his many essays and teachings —“Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.” Freedom from suffering is now on the horizon. Woohoo! Freedom from Suffering We’re given this gift of life — let’s celebrate it! So how did I conquer my fear of flying you may be asking yourself? In definitely using several of my “sacred techniques” I shared. As previously noted, I also continued to remind myself that all pilots go through extensive training to become licensed and know what they are doing in the cockpit as well as aviation mechanics who are skilled in aircraft maintenance. (This literally goes for any career position that requires licensure). Trusting those who were/are there to assist in getting me to many of my favorite destinations was also very key. At the same time, as a spiritualist, I believe that when it is my time to transition on, it is my time to transition on. In essence, death is a natural inevitable experience that I also realized, during this process, I cannot fear (yes, another fear!). You cannot hide from death, cannot run from it, cannot escape it and cannot control it. So why not just accept it? Well, that is easier said than done because we are human, have hearts, feel love, feel compassion and have emotions that attach us to other souls (even that of non-human form) whom we connect with on a living level. We are also attached to our own living being. It is very sad when souls transition on, especially those who have suffered, and grieving is part of our natural healing process in letting go. As an intuitive, I have a gift in being able to connect with souls who have transitioned on. This certainly has helped aid in my knowing that we are generally eternally protected and safe. A sense of security and peace if you will, and yes, I do believe we all have this gift of "tapping in" on some level— you just have to learn how to channel it (that lesson will be for another time). By manifesting your dreams, enabling change and healing from your fears — your spirit is free. A blessing beyond words that as you know does take time (is not an overnight sensation), and if you also have faith, well, you are now going to have the time of your life. As the stellar musical 80’s artist, George Michael, believed: “it’s kind of another word for my HOPE and OPTIMISM” … “because i gotta have faith, faith, faith, i gotta have faith, faith, faith.” Remember — you’ve got this & I LOVE you! Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website for more info! Read more from Serena! Serena A. Carbonell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Serena is the founder of Spiritual Living with Serena (SLS) ‒ a holistic intuitive healing coaching & spiritual advisor service providing a simple approach for high performers in achieving happiness. Her name is pronounced akin to "Serenity" with a short second e. Serena utilizes her expansive certified therapeutic background to serve those who strive for excellence and have the challenge of living a more stress-free, rewarding, meaningful and holistic soulful life. She typically works with high-level executives, professional athletic coaches and successful competitive athletes. Always celebrating with a positive, loving zest for life, Serena is eternally in touch with her healing spirit: body, mind & soul.

Written by: Remya Warrior, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The kitchen is often considered the heart of a home, where meals are cooked, meaningful conversations are had, and memories are made. As such, it is essential to have a well-designed kitchen that is both functional and visually appealing. While some people may be tempted to take on kitchen design as a DIY project, there are many benefits to working with an experienced kitchen designer. 1. Saves Time and Money One of the most significant advantages of working with an experienced kitchen designer is that it can save you time and money. Kitchen designers have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can help them create a design that is beautiful and functional. They can also recommend products and materials that fit your budget, preventing you from overspending on unnecessary items. 2. Creates a Cohesive Design A kitchen designer can help you create a cohesive design for your kitchen that fits with the rest of your home. They will consider your style, preferences, and needs and create a design that complements your home's overall aesthetic. This can help ensure that your kitchen is not an eyesore but a beautiful and functional addition to your home. 3. Maximizes Functionality Kitchen designers are experts at maximizing functionality. They can help you make the most of your kitchen space, ensuring that it is designed to meet your specific needs. They will consider factors such as workflow, storage, and lighting and create a design that makes the most of your available space. 4. Provides Access to Industry Trends and Products Kitchen designers are always up-to-date on the latest industry trends and products. They can provide access to new and innovative products you may not have known otherwise. This can help ensure that your kitchen is functional and beautiful and features the latest and greatest in kitchen design. 5. Offers Expertise and Knowledge The biggest advantage of working with an experienced kitchen designer is that you get access to their expertise and knowledge. Kitchen designers have years of experience in kitchen design and can provide valuable advice and insights throughout the design process. This can help you avoid common mistakes (that could cost you a lot to fix) and ensure that your kitchen is designed to meet your specific needs. In conclusion, working with an experienced kitchen designer can be a valuable investment that can save you time, money, and stress. By creating a cohesive design, maximizing functionality, and providing access to the latest trends and products, a kitchen designer can help you create a beautiful and functional space that you will love for years to come. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Remya! Remya Warrior, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Remya is a space planning expert with over 15 years of experience & a master's degree in design. She is the owner and lead designer of Kitchen Designers NJ, a brick-and-mortar store located in Red Bank, NJ. She believes in collaborations where everyone wins. She has specialized in kitchen design for over a decade & helped many homeowners think big and achieve their dream home. Recently she was included in the one of NYC Journal's 50 under 50 entrepreneurs making a difference in their respective fields.

Written by: Matt Skallerud, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I always enjoy starting a business article with a truly fitting “once upon a time” scenario. Once upon a time, to reach the LGBTQ+ market, any organization (large or small) needed to work with an LGBTQ+ media company. In order to educate the community about their products, services, or larger organization, this path was a necessity because there were a host of intermediaries between the media company and the organization. This included creative ad agencies helping to develop a stunning message, media placement agencies focusing on where to place this newly developed creative, and a whole array of other freelancers such as graphic designers, videographers, and others developing amazing LGBTQ+ content. Over the past few years, the media ecosystem has been transformed by technology, ultimately changing how people consume their information and shape their personal and professional stories and worldviews. Just recently, the National Enquirer was sold, and its sale marked the end of the era where people turn to print media for gossip-style news. Now people consume this style of content quickly and with a wider variety on TikTok, Twitter, and other online sources. This transformation to social technology played out in the LGBTQ+ media marketplace in several ways. Over the past few years, there has been a migration from banner advertising to “content as media” advertising. Companies have increasingly begun working with LGBTQ+ influencers, focusing on the content the influencers could develop and create, rather than developing ads. This strategy also focused on the influencer's follower count and reach, which enabled them to be as competitive as the visitor count of an LGBTQ+ website, or the print run of an LGBTQ+ publication. On another front, larger advertising agencies traditionally worked directly with LGBTQ+ media companies and smaller, boutique LGBTQ+ ad agencies in order to reach the community. They would rely on these LGBTQ+ companies for access to these consumers as well as advice, knowledge, and experience from a creative and editorial perspective. This was how the larger organizations learned how to ‘talk’ to the LGBTQ+ community. With the advent of programmatic ad placement, there is less of a dependency on LGBTQ+ media companies and agencies. There is a plethora of data at a marketer’s fingertips, and now ads can be placed in a centralized fashion through a single platform. This works with any medium and with any niche, targeted group, including the LGBTQ+ community. Taking this a step further, more and more companies are placing ads directly, with large firms like Proctor & Gamble leading the way. Public relations and communications have also changed dramatically, as organizations are using self-service PR tools to bring marketing messages directly to their target audiences via social media. These organizations are bypassing the previously utilized LGBTQ+ media companies, yet they’re still getting incredible visibility in the marketplace, and reaching their LGBTQ+ customers directly. So now LGBTQ+ media and advertising agencies essentially have thousands of “competitors” rather than just a handful of other agencies with which to contend. As an example, let’s turn to the world of HIV prevention. Ten to twenty years ago, organizations such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the SF AIDS Foundation may have received grants from local and federal government programs in order to reach a specific subset of the LGBTQ+ community. They would have partnered with LGBTQ+ media companies for this outreach, but now they often do it themselves. This allows the organizations to keep a considerably higher percentage of the grant revenue instead of spending it on agencies, and this outreach is primarily done via social media. Many LGBTQ+ organizations have followed these health groups and also do their own direct outreach. Many notable ones include Lambda Legal, HRC, GLAAD, and the LA LGBT Center. They have all cultivated a very large, engaged following, and they can directly interact to educate around their programs, services, events, and more. The bottom line is that LGBTQ+ media companies are no longer necessary to reach the community, and companies don’t need to rely on LGBTQ+ agencies to get the word out. When you add the new skill sets organizations are developing with their creation of content, the future for LGBTQ+ media companies is called into question, as is that of influencers and agencies. This brings us to the real question, which is "where does an LGBTQ+ media company or agency fit within this new environment?" The answer is content creation and the subsequent targeted distribution of that content. Organizations have a story to tell, and they need an LGBTQ+ audience to hear it. As mentioned, there are various tools at their disposal, but some cutting-edge LGBTQ+ media and agencies are bringing new, fresh perspectives and storytelling mechanisms that the organizations may not have considered. In this environment, relationships are becoming partnerships, working together to develop and distribute unique, specific content that resonates with their target market. In addition, utilizing a client’s advertising channels with that of an LGBTQ+ media entity provides a winning recipe for everybody as it expands the message’s reach and impact. We are confident that content is the primary, most dominant "ad unit" in 2023 and beyond. The LGBTQ+ media and advertising/PR agencies that can create (or partner on creating) compelling content will be the ones to succeed. Success will also be for those who ensure the right people are engaging with that content, every day, and these organizations will become the dominant LGBTQ+ outreach specialists for the foreseeable future. There are many options for what content should be developed, and by whom, including both substance and style. There are a lot of people publishing content, and it’s important to analyze what’s out there and cater it to an agency or client’s own unique business lens. Understanding this voice is the first step to take when beginning a content creation marketing journey. Video creation is currently front and center, and there are many important options to consider such as how long a story is told, how it’s broken up, and if it’s optimized for horizontal or vertical display. These options, and how video fits into the larger marketing mix, warrant a deeper dive into how best to use this medium to create elevated content. These will make for excellent topics for our next article on this subject, to be continued. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Youtube, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Matt! Matt Skallerud, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media, specializes in LGBTQ+ online marketing, targeting gays & lesbians via content marketing, social media, programmatic ad banners, mobile smartphone apps and more. He also specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), key word/search advertising (PPC) and social media analytics. He's been in the LGBTQ+ online industry for over 25 years now.

Malissa Veroni is the founding CEO and lead therapist at Keep’N It Real Solutions. For the past 15 years Malissa has been a foot soldier in the field of social work; teaching, and serving students and clients alike. She is a published author, mentor, and mental health therapist who focuses on combining theory, practical approach and individual quality holistic care to help clients heal and grow from a variety of concerns. Malissa is known as a specialist in the field of Narcissistic Abuse, Intimate Partner Violence, the LGBTQ2s Community, and in Sex Therapy. She is also a Designated Capacity Assessor and a mentor to several social workers worldwide. Malissa Veroni, Founding CEO & Lead Therapist Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. My name is Malissa Veroni, and I am the Founding CEO and lead therapist at Keep’N It Real Solutions. I am a social worker by training and have been in the field for over 15 years. I have completed my master’s in Social Work as well as several specialized trainings to best serve people who are brave enough to get help. In my personal life, I am soon to be married and have beautiful bonus children and grandchildren I learn from daily. I call them bonuses – because I am not a “step” of anything. And more importantly, because they are beautiful additions to my life, and I hope they can say the same about me for their lives. In my limited free time, I love to travel the world with my loving partner, we have been to 13 different countries so far. I also love to cook, attend cultural events, learn something new, and volunteer to help the greater community, and I live for music. I am the inaugural Ms. Italy World Universal and placed runner-up in internationals. I was also a final contestant for Ms. Canada World Universal 2022. I am seeing a theme here – I am a first-born Veroni female in over 72 years. What is your business name, and how do you help your clients? My business is Keep’N It Real Solutions, a virtual mental wellness service that removes barriers for people ages three and up to access high-quality specialized mental health care in Canada. Our team is fantastic, and we specialize in several issues, including and not limited to: trauma, intimate partner violence, sex therapy, couples counselling, LGBTQ2s care, and surviving narcissistic abuse. We also provide capacity assessments for adults in Alberta and are looking to expand services based on popular demands. What are your current goals for your business? I am doing it! I rebranded to align more with my approach while working on my fears with a fantastic coach. Stay tuned for more! What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? That’s easy; I would love to continue to expand! We need excellent mental health services and accessible, high-quality, trained people to help us along our life’s journey. I would love to have more people working for me. I am also working on my first-ever book to help reach individuals who may not otherwise be able to join our sessions. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? I have been limited and blessed by the people in my life. The people that inspired me the most to be who I am today are my papa, my late honoree uncle (Don Irvine), my past partner, and of course my fantastic soon-to-be spouse. All of these people have played a part in helping to shape who I am today. The biggest inspirations come from the clients, interns, and students I am honored to serve. I learn so much from them, can see myself in their journeys (because I lived it too), and know I am in the blessed position to walk alongside them during their difficult times. Nothing feels better than seeing people reach their therapeutic goals and live their best lives while owning their awesomeness. What is your work inspired by? Pain. The pain I felt and the pain the clients I serve feel. I like to think that my stubborn nature, even as a child, I knew things could and should be better – and that is how I live my life. No one deserves to live that way. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? This comes easy to me as I serve a lot of other therapists, doctors, and other helping professionals in my clinic. Social work is always dear to my heart and is in my blood, though it is a challenging and thankless job. I would develop a mentorship student debt removal program in Canada and hopefully transfer it to other countries. My colleagues in the field, especially in the United States, have substantial debt, years of training, and struggle to pay their bills. I am flabbergasted that there are Facebook groups for social workers who need 2-3 more jobs to pay bills. Social workers go where the police sometimes won’t go. Social workers deal with the most fragile and challenging situations and populations. If we do not care for ourselves and do not allow other people and organizations to treat us properly, we are serving from empty, which is a dangerous hill to climb. Because of this, we lose great social workers and sadly even see high rates of suicide, mental health, and additions in the field. Tragically we know of social workers who lost their lives on the job. This is where I hope a program like this would implement positive change. It would involve working with local and national governments to allow newly graduated social workers to work in remote or harder-to-serve populations ‒ like mental health and addictions (it would be a great base knowledge building for any practice of social work) and provide a good living wage. After completing two years of work, under the support of great mentors, new graduates will leave with more skills, more excellent knowledge of the field, a strong network, and no student debt to worry about! If someone knows how to make this happen, please give me a call. I would love to chat! Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. Wow, you know how to ask the good ones, don’t you? There are many pivotal movements in my life, and I cannot choose just one. In looking at all of them, there is a theme. These fundamental movements happen when I have no choice but to push through or lay down, and when expected or non-expecting people lend their faith in me until I can regain my faith in myself. With that, I had surpassed my traumas, trials, and tribulations ‒ even when I did not think I could. And I am just starting! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Malissa!

Dax Grant is a lead authority on entrepreneurial c-suite leadership within international and global organisations as CEO, Global Transform, Dax is a renowned Woman in Technology, recognised Keynote speaker and societal voice. Listed in the Global CIO 100, Cranfield School of Management’s 100 Women to Watch, and CxO Outlook magazine’s 10 Most Influential Business Leaders, Dax is also a CREA Global Award winner, a 100 Successful Women in Business award winner, and a Power list 100 Keynote speaker. An invitation only member of the Forbes Technology Council. Dax has held a variety of influential CIO and COO positions including CIO, Global Operations, HSBC. With significant remits in well-regarded organizations, Dax has experience leading global functions accountable for day-to-day services provided through a variety of key technology platforms, together with driving digitization across the organisations and financial services institutions. bank. Dax has a variety of interests and areas of expertise, in addition to her dedication to driving technology-based businesses from the ground up, Dax is active in driving equality and diversity at both industry and organisational level. Mother of two, a qualified coach Dax also found the time to complete three degrees and become an author. Dax’s latest book: The Entrepreneurial Quotient, focuses her passion for entrepreneurship with the focus on Humanizing Business through Societal Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills. Whilst Dax already has a distinguished career and accomplishments she came from a humble Bosnian background, her farther a coalminer and the mother a shepherdess. Not able to speak English when she joined her first state school Dax moved to walk the hallowed grounds of Cambridge, attend Cranfield School of Management and Harvard Business School. Passionate about international culture, sport, and art Dax enjoys a round of golf at her local club. Dax remains devoted to her philanthropic activities supporting causes close to her heart to support others. The opportunity to interview Dax and learn more about the woman behind the story revelled some interesting personal insights and perspectives on the world. Dax Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Global Transform Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better I’m passionate about business, entrepreneurship, technology and supporting others in the areas that I pursue. I love getting to know people and cultures that’s always been at the heart of life. That drive has led me to lots of interesting places from building school sporting facilities to leading an operations and technology function within a leading charity to being responsible for the technology for global payments associations and banks. Life hasn’t always been easy though and I still remember the days where I sat at school not able to speak a word of English. My mum had to leave school at age 8 to be a shepherdess on the family farm and dad had a similar story. Alongside my commitment to contribute to the world, I am a devoted mother of two. I love sports – I enjoy watching rugby and tennis and maintain my love for golf. I love learning about new technology and whilst I am a physicist and mathematician by background, I became Chartered Banker. Equally I have always been quite artistic and literary. My art teacher was disappointed that I did not take art as a GCSE, though my belief was that as an artist I did not require a qualification to practice are and can still create an artistic picture with ease. What types of businesses have you worked with and how do you help the businesses? I have worked a range of businesses, as a chartered banker I looked after a portfolio of businesses and enjoyed learning how there worked. I have worked with venture firms, global multinationals, right the way through to charitable organisations. Having looked after operations and technology functions, I am often called into those areas, whether on the ground to fix or turnaround an initiative, function, or area, equally I am often called in at board level. Over the years I have accumulated lots of knowledge across different sectors and types and sizes of business – I am practical about what works and what doesn’t and am able to add value with swift practical action. Of course, the nature of the action is specific to the organisational circumstances, maturity and the question that I am brought in to solve. You recently authored The Entrepreneurial Quotient (e2-Quotient) that’s igniting lots of conversation – can you tell us about it? I wrote the book as a conversation starter, and it has taken me on an interesting journey about entrepreneurship and business. explores both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill, diving into the factors that enable you to assess how your organization measures up against the entrepreneurial quotient. explores both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill, diving into the factors that enable you to assess how your organization measures up against the entrepreneurial quotient. I have had a book inside me for years though it became my ‘post lockdown’ project. Through lots of conversations, I recognised that the boardroom conversation in high-performance FTSE, Fortune 500, and venture-capital-based organizations has shifted. Yesterday’s good performance is today’s average. Post-pandemic, the impact of business leadership on society is distinguishing the exceptional from the merely good C-suite executives. The most enlightened senior leaders realize that, irrespective of the size of the business, building entrepreneurship into the DNA of the organization is essential. Equally, technology is enabling an increasingly connected world, giving customers and employees the ability to vote with their feet as more purpose-centred organizations gain traction. Humanizing business has a pivotal role in enabling a sustainable future and creating the foundations for an organization to leapfrog into the next new norm. You talk about a ‘significant life’ in the book, could you say more on that? In today’s connected society, purpose-led leadership is only increasing in importance. Moreover, the most visionary societal entrepreneurs are already combining a deep understanding of their own personal purpose and values into the legacy they are here to deliver. The most progressive societal entrepreneurs are taking the global view as the North Star and centering that with localized causes, commitments, and beliefs. These leaders are the ones that lead a life of significance in the communities they choose to serve and their legacy will be remembered. The definition of a significant life is a personal view though in aligning your personal understanding of what significance means to you are more likely to achieve your goals and have alignment in life with the impact you as a societal entrepreneur create for the societies you serve. What is some advice you offer businesses? There is always tailored advice specific to each business. However, if I were to narrow it down to some key areas. The essence of societal entrepreneurship: Today’s successful e2-Quotient organizations are focused on both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill. Those organizations that can humanize their business are naturally creating a competitive advantage for the future in retaining and attracting talent In addition, humanized organizations have better customer connectivity on average, so humanization is exceptionally good for business and organizational growth. Focus on both societal leadership, entrepreneurial skill and humanizing your business At Board level Ensure you are building an entrepreneurial leadership within the board Ensure you are clear on the purpose, market position and core capabilities of the organisation. Prioritize value and values! Ensure you a balance of enterprise and functional conversations Create the oversight frameworks to ensure a regular review the business in a balanced manner And then specifically for the operations and technology functions Ensure you are building functions genuinely focused on the customer Ensure you have good leadership in place in combination with technology and operational expertise Ensure that you have clear future proof architecture in place Build a strong cyber capability and reward both those that run the technology and operation in parallel with wins in digitization Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dax!

Written by: Sruti Kanabar, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We sometimes think oh this is just a small negative comment that I have made about my appearance, or it’s ok to say that someone always behaves in the same way when we feel angry. This may meet our human need for certainty though we meet it in an unskillful way and limit our desire to explore life along the way. Whether you are a coach, author or speaker we know how important it is to be aware of our own viewpoint of life so we do not lead our clients away from their inner guidance. However, how often do we use our past viewpoints to talk us out of pursuing our dreams? We naively say: ‘This seems beyond my grasp now!’ ‘Yeah right do you remember what happened last time!’ By saying such things we think we are stating our present reality or harmlessly proclaiming a past state of events to a loved one or bystander but to our mind we are saying that these instances are concrete pieces of evidence to why we should not take action into the unknown. The mind then takes this command and ferociously brings to us more evidence to support the belief that: what we desire is impossible and then the default routine continues into the next day. If we are mindful during the frustration of living the same day again we realise that we have become trapped by the conditioning of ‘making things’ happen rather than letting things happen from a place of inner alignment. For me I have realised that the best strategy for my life and business is to focus on my inner alignment so profusely that the guidance comes from within and shows me the undeniable next step towards what I truly desire. This has been a scary change for me because I used to go into my head a lot to try and figure out what the next 10 steps would be ahead of time, making me feel anxious and then step back into a state of shame. I had continued this habit for so many years thinking that this was a normal way of living as I would attract others into my reality who would believe the same. Let's face it we can all see destructive behaviors everywhere we go and although we are on a journey of healing and enlightenment, the suffering comes when we start to make an identity from these habits which then stops us from taking the next intuitive step. The next intuitive step to a more, healthier and happier version of ourselves. This identity formation leads us to talk in absolute terms and the cycle continues of lack, relying on others to fill the void we feel, numbing our darker emotions and not living our potential. Here’s a poem I have written to illustrate the above topic: Talking in absolutes means loving in absolutes... I realise when I talk in absolutes, it reduces my capacity for uncertainty! Yes it feels so good to say ‒ They always react in this way However, it cuts off the umbilical cord of understanding which promotes nourishment to my life’s purpose which is always expanding. What if there was another way? What if we healed the parts of ourselves which are showing us that there is a void within? Then we wouldn’t look outside for others to bring what can be cultivated within We would love ourselves more abundantly and give more freely. As whoever is meant to be in our lives is taken care of by our capacity to let go and surrender deeply What came up for you? For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website! Read more from Sruti! Sruti Kanabar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sruti Kanabar is a distinguished Life and Small Business Coach. During her journey with Depression and Anxiety, she has found her purpose in helping women accept that they are good enough to live the life and build the business they want. She transforms women by increasing their shame resilience, helping them heal from minor and major traumas from the past, and connecting to a great purpose in life. When setbacks, obstacles, and failures come, they are seen as a beautiful part of the journey than being internalized. She empowers women through wisdom and knowledge nuggets from multiple faiths and disciplines to get the right solution to their challenges in life.

Written by: Ginger Carlson , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I have spent many years supporting vision creation, the casting of visions, and the work to bring them to life for organizations around the world, but the most powerful visioning I have ever done has been for my intimate relationship. This article will show you how to do it for yourself, so you can chart a path toward the life that brings you most alive . As the proverb goes, “without a vision, the people perish.” Any successful business is built on a vision, a north star, a compass, and a guide to our goals. Visions help us make financial decisions and help us test organizational alignment. We build marketing campaigns around that vision. A vision keeps us focused instead of scattered. It gives us a way to backward plan, to make a roadmap of the steps we need to take to reach our organizational goals. Many people also do persona l visioning . Where do you see yourself in five or ten years? What does your career look like? What kind of home do you live in? Where and how often do you travel? This kind of visioning is also not uncommon. We do it because we know visioning is important, vital even. It keeps our “eyes on the prize,” as they say. A vision helps us dream and imagine so we can make what can sometimes feel like the impossible a real and actionable possibility. Yet, what we don’t see very often is people taking the time to thoughtfully craft a Relationship Vision, a detailed statement that truly articulates what they want for their connection with another human, their intimacy, their communication, and their life together. What the research shows us though is that those who are most happy and fulfilled in their relationships are the ones who also take risks to make changes and make things happen in all the other aspects of their lives. That makes fulfilling relationships an important condition for everything else in our lives. So, if we are going to alchemize our lives , that is to transform them into what we most desire, we need to do it for all areas of our lives. That includes our relationships. And it starts with getting clear about what elements we most desire in them. This is true whether you are in a relationship or not. Whether you are starting from scratch with a relationship vision or reimagining and reinvigorating the relationship you’ve been in for decades, articulating what you imagine for that connection is a powerful process. Here are a few tips to get you started: Ask yourself, and then journal, on some important aspects. As my yoga teacher often reminds us, “You must feel it to heal it.” You are more likely to reach a goal if you can feel what it is like to have achieved it, even long before you have. Take some time, perhaps in nature or a place that inspires you the most, and write in as much detail as possible about: how you connect; how you will communicate, and when; what you do together; how it feels; how you solve issues; the values that are important to you both; what you share; and, who else supports you (your community). Use impactful action words in your vision. The words you choose to describe the relationship of your dreams matter. Make it descriptive. Make it juicy. Use words that help you feel the characteristics of the relationship. Make it both detailed and easily graspable . That’s right, you can make two versions of your vision, one that is a snapshot version and one that is a more thoughtful, descriptive, detailed version. Keep them both accessible, in different ways. You may want the snapshot version in a place where you will see it regularly. I pin the detailed version of my relationship vision at the top of my notes app on my phone. Rereading it from time to time gives it even more glue. Realize that it is an individual journey before it is a shared journey . You might be asking yourself why you would craft an individual relationship vision. You of course may at some point also want to have a written shared vision, but knowing and loving yourself is an enormously important first step to being able to fully give yourself to another person. Your personal relationship vision is also a great way to communicate what you are looking for, and test out compatibility, in the clearest way possible. See the vision as a compass and then set the course. The whole point is to imagine and project the ultimate life together. Be clear and articulate about what you desire. What is most important? Bring it to the front. And once you do that, you can plan backward and take action. Ask yourself… What are the conditions I need to create for this kind of love to blossom? Who do I need to be first before I can share this with another? What healing do I need to be the person who can love this way? What are the pieces I need to put into place for me to be able to be the person who can love like this? And the punctuation for many people is, Who do I really need to be so that I can be completely loved in this way? Imagine for a moment your whole life in relationship And hold it sacred Let’s be the audacious sunset Our journey to the verbs that drive us Using our honest bodies To express fully Dreams ain't just for dreamers baby, but for those of us who can envision them, there is significance beyond imagination This is Love Alchemy. Once you have the vision, step by step, take action. After all, Bliss is a VERB! Would you like a sample? Check out Ginger’s Instagram @dr.gingercarlson to hear her read her personal relationship vision. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ginger! Ginger Carlson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Ginger Carlson is a thinker and creator. She transforms challenges into possibilities, division into bridges, and tragedy into triumph. Her motto: Bliss is a Verb!

Written by: Marcus Brown, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever heard the saying “Getting your heart and mind to agree is the biggest challenge in life”? Or have you ever seen the photo of the balance beam with the heart and mind? Well, let’s talk about the science behind what we have only viewed from an emotional level regarding the dialogue between the Heart and the Brain. Heart and brain coherence refers to a harmonious relationship between the physiological activity of the heart and brain, leading to improved health, well-being, and performance. In recent years, research has shown that the heart and brain work together in complex and dynamic ways, influencing each other's functioning. The concept of heart and brain coherence has gained traction in various domains, including medicine, psychology, and spirituality. The heart and brain communicate through the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate. The heart generates its own electrical field, which is 60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical activity of the brain. This means that the heart's signals can influence the brain, and vice versa. The heart's rhythm patterns, known as heart rate variability (HRV), provide a window into the interplay between the heart and brain. HRV refers to the variation in time between successive heart beats and is an indicator of the adaptability of the autonomic nervous system. One of the first studies on heart and brain coherence was conducted by Dr. Rollin McCraty, Director of Research at the HeartMath Institute. McCraty and his team found that positive emotions, such as gratitude and appreciation, increase HRV and create a state of heart and brain coherence, while negative emotions, such as anger and frustration, decrease HRV and disrupt coherence. This research showed that the heart and brain are closely linked and that our emotional state affects the physiological functioning of the heart and brain. Further studies have demonstrated the benefits of heart and brain coherence in various domains. For example, research has shown that heart and brain coherence can improve physical and mental health, leading to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. In a study published in the International Journal of Cardiology, participants who practiced heart-focused breathing techniques showed significant reductions in stress and anxiety, as well as improved HRV. In the realm of sports and performance, heart and brain coherence has been shown to enhance physical performance, improve mental clarity, and increase resilience. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that elite athletes who practiced heart-focused breathing techniques experienced significant improvements in performance, including enhanced athletic ability, better mental focus, and reduced stress. Additionally, heart and brain coherence has been shown to improve cognitive functioning and creativity. In a study published in the journal Intelligence, participants who practiced heart-focused breathing techniques experienced significant improvements in cognitive functioning, including better memory, learning, and problem-solving skills. While research on heart and brain coherence is still in its early stages, the findings so far are promising. The concept of heart and brain coherence has implications for various domains, including medicine, psychology, and spirituality. It highlights the importance of the relationship between the heart and brain and provides a framework for understanding the interplay between our emotions, thoughts, and physiological functioning. In conclusion, heart and brain coherence refers to the harmonious relationship between the physiological activity of the heart and brain, leading to improved health, well-being, and performance. Research has shown that the heart and brain work together, influencing each other's functioning, and that positive emotions increase HRV and create a state of coherence, while negative emotions decrease HRV and disrupt coherence. The concept of heart and brain coherence provides a framework for understanding the interplay between our emotions, thoughts, and physiological functioning and has implications for various domains, including medicine, psychology, and spirituality. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marcus! Marcus Brown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rev. Marcus Brown, also known as "Metaphysical Marc," is a spiritual advisor, life coach, and social media marketing expert. He is a dynamic and inspiring speaker who has helped countless individuals tap into their inner power and achieve their goals. With his unique blend of spirituality, psychology, and marketing, Rev. Brown has become a sought-after expert in the field of personal development. His mission is to empower people to live their best lives and reach their full potential. He is a dedicated, compassionate and a motivational speaker who has helped thousands of people around the globe to change their lives for the better. Sources: McCraty, R., & Childre, D. (2014). The coherent heart: Heart-brain interactions, psychophysiological coherence, and the emergence of system-wide order

Written by: Martin Cunningham , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Interviewing for a C-Suite executive position can be an intimidating prospect. With so much at stake and the competition often fierce, it is essential to do research and practice to stand out from the other applicants. In this article, we will explore how you can best prepare for a C-Suite executive interview – by researching the company and its culture, anticipating questions, understanding the interviewer’s goals, reviewing case studies, and more. By taking these steps ahead of time, you’ll be able to go into your interview confidently and make sure you get noticed! Overview of the Importance of C-Suit Level Interviews The C-Suite executive interview process can be a daunting one! As the stakes are high and the competition is fierce, preparing for this interview is an essential step to stand out from the rest of the applicants. This level of interview typically involves in-depth questions about your experience and qualifications, as well as how you would fit in with company culture. It’s important to be well-prepared for these interviews, as gaining this position can provide an opportunity for career advancement and increased compensation. Researching The Company and Culture Researching the company and its culture before your interview is an important step in adequately preparing for a C-Suite executive interview! It can give you valuable insight into how the organisation operates, what its core values are, and how your skills and experience might fit into the organisational structure. To help your research efforts, try to reach out to current and past employees to understand the company’s culture. It can also be helpful to read any press releases or articles and social media about the position for which you are interviewing. Anticipating Questions You May Be Asked In The Interview Anticipating potential questions in a C-Suite executive interview is an essential part of the preparation process! You should anticipate difficult questions that will be asked regarding your experience, qualifications, and skills. Questions may also focus on knowledge of the company’s organisational structure, key initiatives and objectives, and how you will contribute to success. It is important to do your best to anticipate what questions you might be asked so that you can prepare in advance and deliver a confident response. Understanding The Interviewer’s Goals Understanding the interviewer’s goals for the meeting is a key component of adequately preparing for a C-Suite executive interview. It is important to understand what the interviewer is looking for and how they may assess your qualifications, experience, and skills. This can help you more effectively present yourself during the interview. When understanding the interviewer’s goals, it can also be helpful to consider their expectations regarding how you will contribute to the company’s success. This can include topics such as organisational structure, key initiatives and objectives, and any relevant case studies. Reviewing Case Studies To Prepare For Situational Questions Reviewing case studies is a great way to prepare for situational questions that may arise during a C-Suite executive interview. Case studies can give insight into how the company and their competition have addressed specific challenges and allow you to develop thoughtful responses to potential questions. It can also help you understand the organisation’s business strategy, so you can more effectively demonstrate how you will contribute to the company’s success. Practising With A Friend Or Mentor To Build Confidence Practising with a friend, mentor, or coach is an effective way to build confidence in the lead-up to a C-Suite executive interview. Having someone else review and provide feedback on your responses can help identify areas that need improvement, as well as alleviate any anxiety you may have about the interview. It can also be beneficial to practice responding to potential questions with someone who has knowledge of the organisation and its culture. Impress on the Day! Ensuring you arrive on time, dressed appropriately, and ready to impress is an essential part of preparing for a C-Suite executive interview. Arriving at the interview early, looking professional, and being prepared to make an impression will help demonstrate that you are taking the opportunity seriously. Tips For Following Up After an Executive Interview Following up after an executive interview is an essential part of the process and can be a crucial factor in securing the job. Even though it may seem daunting at first, there are some simple tips to remember when following up. First and foremost, send a thank you email or note within 24 hours of the interview. This demonstrates that you’re still interested in the job and appreciate their time. Secondly, reach out to any contacts within the organisation whom you have prior relationships with. This can help remind the interviewer of your qualifications, experience, and skills. Finally, use social media platforms like LinkedIn to stay connected with the interviewer and other contacts within the organisation, it doesn’t have to be obvious, but commenting and liking posts by them or others in the company will have you popping up from time to time and be a useful reminder. This can help keep your name in front of the interviewer and show that you are still interested in the job. Conclusion Preparing for a C-Suite executive interview can be daunting, as the stakes are high and the competition is fierce. You must do your research and practice to stand out from other applicants. Doing so requires researching the company and its culture, anticipating questions, understanding the interviewer’s goals, reviewing case studies, practising with a friend or mentor to build confidence, arriving on time dressed appropriately, making an impression during the interview itself and following up afterwards. Taking these steps will help you successfully prepare for any C-Level executive interviews that come your way! Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Martin! Martin Cunningham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine From policing roots to a 20-year Senior Management career, with over 30 years of coaching and mentoring, Martin has seen at first hand the triumph of high achievement and felt the pain and disappointment of getting it wrong and being unsuccessful. As a senior manager in security and justice sector reform in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans, he coached at General Director and Ministerial level in politically charged situations. Martin understands what it's like to want more from your challenging career in an uncertain world. He's learnt the lessons and has the skills to help you make a lasting impact in a fulfilling career while making the world a safer place. Martin knows that until we fully embrace the voices of women we will not achieve the sustainable peace and freedoms we all deserve, it is why he is on a mission to increase the meaningful participation of women and men who share this mission who are working in Security and Justice Sector Reform countries in or emerging from conflict.