We all have blind spots – unconscious thoughts, feelings, and assumptions that drive ineffective habits and unproductive behavior patterns. Blind spots affect both our personal and professional lives, and in the business world they hold leaders back from mastery – enabling teams to perform at their highest levels, continuously elevating results and driving the organization forward. Unaware of the unconscious root of the problem, leaders can become stuck. This awareness often surfaces too late, in the form of poor team performance, ineffective communication, and substandard company performance. When leaders recognize the unconscious behavioral patterns early and bring them to the surface – moving them from the unconscious to the conscious level – these patterns can be examined and changed. The Road Often Taken: A Superficial Approach Traditional coaching often fails to shine a light on the unconscious, where the roots of behavioral patterns live. The results are typically limited and temporary because these methods work only at the surface level and never reveal the true source of ineffective or uninspired performance. Think of it as the tip of an iceberg peeking out of the ocean. The only issues showing up and being addressed are the ones above the surface when, in fact, there is an entire unconscious level of issues lurking below. Over the long term, leaders remain stuck because they have not changed how they think and act on a deeper level. Common methods usually involve complex assessment systems that graph problematic behaviors and results. This may be useful for analyzing the details of job skills compared to performance, but in terms of leadership development, the effects are most often superficial. Coaches who use these methods typically ask, “What’s the problem?” and “What are your options?” then interject their own solutions, which limits results to the coach’s knowledge and past experience. This well-meaning advice is based on subjective judgements and does not tap into objective, deeper levels where the answers lie that can move leaders forward on a profound level. Diving Beneath the Surface for Lasting Change Lasting leadership development happens by tapping into the unconscious level – that place just beneath the surface where the real barriers to elevated performance exist. This is where the brain’s neurological sequencing, which is based on core beliefs and previous experiences, lives. The scientific principles of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) are highly effective at identifying and changing ineffective behavioral patterns and enhancing the patterns in the unconscious mind that underpin elevated performance. This approach leverages five steps to get below the surface and ensure deep, lasting change (traditional coaching does not explore three of the five which are keys to lasting results): Identify the situation, goals, and objectives. Establish development plans, metrics, and target goal dates for individual leaders. Use neurolinguistic programming to unravel problematic behavioral patterns. Pinpoint patterns, root cause, impact, and resolution options with opened neural pathways. Evaluate and measure accomplishments and determine next step (s). Starting with a completely open mind is vital to a leadership coach’s ability to uncover the past or present experiences that have created the neural pathways that produced a leader’s beliefs and resulting actions. Listening closely and utilizing principles of neurolinguistic programming, an expert coach can pinpoint the behavioral patterns and their origins by examining the words the leader uses. Language typically comes straight from our unconscious and therefore is a window into deeper thought patterns. For instance, phrases such as, “am not,” “can’t, “unable to,” and “must not” reveal an assumption of the impossibility of a desire or goal. NLP-trained coaches listen deeply, not only to the words used but the tone, pace, energy level, and smoothness of speech, as well as the use of fillers, such as “like” and “ya know,” to uncover the experiences that lead to negative neural pathways and the resulting behavioral patterns. Typical questions an expert behavioral and NLP coach ask include: What is the root of the issue? What is really stopping you? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? What is your desired outcome? What is the thing we are not discussing that we should be? (reveals a blind spot.) At an even deeper level, by observing how leaders conduct or participate in meetings, coaches are able to observe them in their “natural habitat,” which reveals behavior patterns the client may not report because they are simply unaware of them. Observation is conducted virtually, making it easier and faster for the coach to melt into the background. The coach reads sensory acuity and words, noting the leadership approach and style as well as the team’s non-verbal reactions. Neuroscience techniques are applied to change the leader’s thought patterns and the resulting behavior. The tangible results come to light once they are aware of their own unique, limiting thoughts and behaviors, and learn how to implement them with this three-step technique: Identify the thought/behavior pattern in the moment. Interrupt it every time it repeats. Run a new, enhanced pattern. Lasting Leadership Development Elevates the Entire Organization The blind spots that hold leaders back, personally and professionally, repeat themselves until unconscious patterns surface at the conscious level where blind spots can be transformed. When leaders have the opportunity to consciously work with their submerged, unconscious behaviors in this way, they can unleash their full potential and make a powerful impact on their organizations. The best part is that, using the neuroscientific approach to coaching, the results are fast-tracked with leaders typically achieving their first round of objectives within five weeks. There’s a lot going on in our unconscious and subconscious minds. Some of it is very positive, while some is holding us back in terms of reaching our ultimate leadership potential. A good leadership coach is one who is not afraid to get out their figurative shovel and dig deep into those areas, uncovering the negative patterns and thoughts that act as speed bumps to our advancement. It’s not just a good way to effect real change. It’s the only way. About the author: Karen Brown, Founder and CEO of Exponential Results, draws upon her experience as a corporate executive, senior executive coach, and behavioral expert to elevate the performance and impact of senior executives. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Written by: Dr. Jackie Lau, Senior Level 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. Life coaching — is it about people’s need to be coached, or a coach’s need to be coaching? In the first article of this 5-part series “Is my story of becoming a coach current?”, we confronted our tendency to adhere to one single story, based on a conceptualized version of self we identified with at a particular point. In this second article, we continue the journey to discover the nature of conditioning and choices. "Why and how did you become a coach?" – a hallmark question that many coaches would answer with a habitual narration of an "at effect" story, often times one of resilience and recovery from the ordeals of life. E.g., I was mistreated by (life events/people), therefore I decided to help others who are/were mistreated to overcome those (life events/people). This certainly serves to inspire others to see the universal nature of what we perceive as life problems, to offer relatedness and sharing when one feels alone and could benefit from the power of togetherness. However, from this vantage point that I boldly over-generalized, would we actually be potentially encouraging the victim "me against the world" mentality? How aware are we that we are unaware? As reflected by the position from which our stories are formed and told, are we setting up a transformational journey for another, which is really just an extension of own unsolved piece? The question is – where are we really? Not in a linear sense of the word “where” measured by chronological or psychological reach, but our readiness to see our own conditioning while we’re so accustomed to identifying others’. The way we perceive and respond to life situations is based on our past conditioning; our responses further shape our self-image, which determines the possibilities we see and the way we approach phenomena. To wit, we are all, to an extent, compelled to think, feel and act based on our past experiences as interpreted by the egoic mind, from which our conceptualized self is derived. It is curious then if most of our knowledge are buried in the unconscious, how aware are we that we are unaware? Are we branding through victimhood or an adaptive defense mechanism? In the context of coaching, our tendency to identify with our journey of becoming a coach can contribute substantially to our self-concept, which forms an unconscious filter through which we perceive everything. It is therefore pivotal to question whether we are branding through victimhood, or unconsciously engaging in the virtuous victim effect, which is our tendency to view victims in any form as possessing more elevated moral characters than non-victims who behave in an identical manner. In a hyper-sensitive culture, our inclination toward victimhood may be rooted in our unconscious tendency to allocate more resources to benefit the victims, where the beneficiaries and benefactors are mutually motivated by the collective ego of a strong moral identity, ultimately derived from a sense of separation. Paradoxically, as far as pop psychological jargon is concerned, victim mentality would be considered a “limiting belief”, precisely the kind of attitude that coaching branding often promises to “destroy”. What if it is actually limiting to think that you have to get rid of your limiting beliefs? What if there is no good or bad, and every response and energy we engage in, whether mental, emotional or physical, serves a purpose for us to respond to our perceived environment? That way, there is nothing to get rid of, nothing to exclude, reject, disown, suppress or replace in our existence, nothing to repress or shove into the unconscious. Rather than reconstructing and reinforcing the ego through gathering the seemingly more approved personality traits according to specific social functions, and re-conditioning the persona through the illusory identification with more momentary and fleeting characters, let’s explore the possibility of transcending into acceptance and inclusion, allowing the true nature of perception and experience. Transcending into acceptance and inclusion To dive deeper into our relationship with coaching, we can invite the understanding of Self into our awareness, by bringing the emotional imprints that we operate through in our unconscious mind into the conscious mind. Let’s start by asking the question ─ to what extent, no matter how little, are we using altruism as a defense mechanism to protect ourselves from experiencing perceived uncomfortable feelings and threats to our self-concept? In other words, to what extent, no matter how minute, are we tricking ourselves into believing we’re growing by coaching other people on personal growth? And compelled to generate ego-based surface achievements and self-images for ourselves and others that are still rooted in victimhood and the search for validation and approval? To approach this in a non-dual, open and creative way, we can tune into the part of us that feels resistance, and the part that feels constant, then the part that feels free. Do we welcome the constant deconstruction of the old self-concept and the associated stories that we identify with? We are continually magnetizing circumstances and situations for us to learn about ourselves, for comparing and contrasting, to observe and witness our choices of interpretation. How would we experience our inspired creation instinctually? How would we truly take responsibility for the circumstances that we call into our awareness, and allow ourselves to tune into an "at cause" place of a freer presence? Stay tuned for Part 3 of this 5-part series… Visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram for more info! Read more from Jackie! Dr. Jackie Lau, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Jackie Lau is a neuroscientist and an experienced international life coach who is fascinated with human behaviors and the mechanisms underlying our mental and emotional states. With a deep appreciation for the integrative approach of modern psychology, neuroscience, and spirituality, Jackie is a top life coach in Australia and has co-created with people all over the world to radically transform into more self-awareness, sense of purpose, and inner freedom. Jackie is trained as a strategic interventionist and breakthrough specialist with Robbins-Madanes Training, directed by Tony Robbins, which combines effective techniques evolved from neurolinguistic, psychological, and therapeutic inter-disciplines. As a curious researcher, Jackie completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia, studying the neural circuits governing motivation and reward. She is currently researching neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease, investigating the molecular basis relating neuroplasticity to cognition. Leveraging her diverse cultural background, Jackie is profoundly devoted to studying Eastern and Western philosophy and literature, learning transformative wisdom from influential life strategists and spiritual teachers. In the fervency of her gratitude, for over a decade, she earnestly empowers people from all walks of life to live our authentic virtuous Self and commit to becoming love. Through ingenious modalities including mindset transformation and meditation, Jackie is inspired to cultivate our connection to a deeper world, one that nourishes our spiritual heart rather than feeds our time-bound predicament of patterns, one that channels our fear of pain into lasting pull to joy, appreciation, and peaceful presence. Jackie loves the art of music and dance. She trained as a classical violinist from a young age, later on, discovered her passion for classical guitar, and has also been a dedicated hip-hop dancer and instructor since her college years. Her creative journey has never ceased to open doors for the extraordinary in the ordinariness of life. Jackie’s vision is to co-create with the human family as part of nature, to tune in consciously and align with our thoughts, emotions, and actions, and to live passionately and playfully with full presence.

Written by: Penelope Layzell, 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. When you are a business owner or employer, employee burnout should be on your radar as a priority. Burnout can have massive consequences for both the employees and employers alike, so it's essential to be aware of the signs and symptoms. Employee burnout can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and even turnover. If you suspect an employee is experiencing burnout, there are steps you can take to help them recover. In this article, we will explore what causes employee burnout and how to prevent it. Employee burnout and its symptoms Employee burnout is a type of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion associated with long-term or excessive stress in the workplace. It is caused by relentless demands on time and energy when spending extended periods working under conditions of high pressure. Symptoms can vary depending on the individual, but they could include feelings of indifference, lack of enthusiasm, diminished productivity, and decreased satisfaction. Other signs of burnout are chronic fatigue, headaches, insomnia, disillusionment with work, and depression. To help prevent it from impacting staff, employers should create and maintain an environment that is conducive to good job performance and provide employees with realistic expectations and manageable workloads. Employee burnout can impact your business Employee burnout has become an increasingly prevalent issue in the modern workplace, and left unchecked it can have significant ramifications on your business. It can decrease the morale, productivity, and customer service levels of the employees who feel its effects, compromising quality standards and leading to a decline in overall results. Burnout can also lead to higher levels of stress among other employees. With heightened stress comes health problems like fatigue, and insomnia, as well as other physical wounds that could require long-term treatment or disability leave. This can further complicate the dynamics within teams and ultimately offset any gains made by those who are not affected. Employers must strive to create a healthy work environment both mentally and physically to enable their staff to perform at their best potential while preserving their longevity in the process. Ways to prevent or reduce employee burnout Employee burnout is a serious issue, but it can be managed through company policies and employee education. One essential way to prevent or reduce employee burnout is to focus on workloads and task organisation. Prioritising assignments, establishing clearly defined roles for each team member, and planning projects properly with realistic timelines can help employees manage their workload more efficiently and reduce stress-induced burnout. It is also important to structure certain workplace elements such as ensuring regular breaks throughout the day, providing flexibility when appropriate, introducing remote work opportunities if feasible, hosting team-building activities regularly, or offering wellness benefits like gym reimbursement or mental health days. Taking proactive steps to create an environment that values work/life balance while still fostering productivity can help positively support employees and help ensure everyone stays healthy and motivated mentally and physically. Creating a healthy work-life balance for employees Establishing a healthy work-life balance for employees is an essential part of fostering an efficient and effective business environment. Not only will it increase overall job satisfaction and staff retention rates, but also encourage productivity levels as workers are allowed to recharge and reconnect with their personal lives. Employers should ensure there are processes in place that allow employees to take regular breaks during the day, limit overtime requirements or extra working hours (beyond what's required by their contracted agreements), and offer flexible working arrangements where appropriate. Doing so not only helps keep those individuals in touch with the important things in life but can be a great way to boost morale across the workplace as a whole. Employee burnout is a serious problem that can have far-reaching consequences for businesses. By definition, employee burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and detachment from work. If left unchecked, employee burnout can lead to high turnover rates, decreased productivity, and a decline in the overall quality of your product or service. Fortunately, there are things you can do as a business owner or manager to prevent or reduce employee burnout. Whenever I do any consultancy for my clients, either leadership or recruitment I keep burnout and the ways to prevent it in mind. With the right policies and practices, businesses can ensure that their staff stay healthy and motivated both mentally and physically. At the end of the day, employers need to take a proactive approach to create an environment that values work-life balance while still fostering productivity. By doing this, employees will be more likely to feel engaged and fulfilled in their work, which can significantly reduce the chances of burnout occurring. They will also be more likely to remain loyal to your company and contribute towards its long-term success. It is therefore important for employers to take steps now to prevent employee burnout, as it can have far-reaching consequences on the overall health and longevity of a business. The bottom line is that employee burnout can have serious consequences for businesses and needs to be taken seriously. Taking proactive steps to create an environment that values work/life balance while still fostering productivity, as well as implementing proper workloads and task management, can help prevent or reduce employee burnout and ensure that your employees remain healthy and motivated. If you need help creating sustainable practices in your organisation whether from the leadership perspective or throughout your recruitment process please book a call, I would love to chat with you and offer advice. Penelope Layzell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine With over 20+ years in the recruitment space, Penelope Layzell is leading the way in revolutionising the corporate workplace. Through her innovative approaches and strategies, she works closely with leaders to build dynamic workplaces that foster collaboration and productivity, cultivating an environment free of stress and burnout.

When I was just a little girl, I was taught that the most important thing in life was to fit in. If you didn’t, it meant there was something wrong with you. So, I’ve created a version of myself that I thought was expected of me and presented it to the world. It received a lot of approval and I fell in love with it. I called it “my true self”. It served me well. By the time I reached my mid-thirties I had all I used to dream about: loving husband, three beautiful children, a dream house, and a financial stability. But somehow, instead of joy and happiness, all I could feel was an utter emptiness. I was slowly sinking into a very painful and deep depression. It took hours of therapy, life-coaching, and healing to make me realise that I was completely disconnected from my authentic self. I lived my life thinking that I was truly being myself but being “yourself” doesn’t mean being authentic. What I called “myself” was an identity created by the expectations of others and my need to be liked by them. One of the outcomes of my healing journey was the ability to identify certain behaviours, feelings and thoughts I noticed in my old self, which I used to create a list of 5 signs that you might be disconnected from your authentic self: 1. You feel empty inside. Although from outside your life looks like you have absolutely everything to make you happy, deep inside you know there is something missing. Very often that missing part is your authentic self, its wants, dreams, and desires. For over 30 years I tried so hard to please others that I never learned how to be kind to myself. 2. You don’t feel good enough. You constantly compare yourself to the people around you, feeling that you are not as good as them. When you spend your childhood constantly trying to fit in to be accepted, you learn one very important “survival” skill: comparison. It became my habit. It was so well programmed into my brain that I wasn’t aware that it ruled my life. 3. You are unable to be vulnerable. You find it difficult to open up and talk about your true feelings even with your closest friends. I would always choose to deal with my pain and emotional struggles in solitude rather than letting others see that I was failing. Now I understand that I was simply scared to show my “true” face in case they rejected it. 4. You constantly try to impress others. You find yourself daydreaming about doing something amazing and get the recognition you desire. By the time I was a teenager, I have already accepted that I would never be as good as others, so I created my own imaginary world, my dream self. She was beautiful and admired by others. I would run away into that place, whenever real life felt too mundane to handle and I dreamed about recreating that feeling in reality. 5. You don’t take action. You dream big, but you take no actions towards your desires. I have always been a dreamer. But for a long time I was giving all my attention to another master: Fear. I was simply scared of failing. The idea of being judged by others and the potential of embarrassment would paralyze my every attempt at taking the first step. After hitting the biggest rock bottom of my life, I knew I couldn’t continue to be the same person that got me there, so I started my quest to find my authentic self. Here are some tips that I learned along: Authenticity starts where your identity ends. Your identity can easily become your prison. The moment you let go of the need to be “yourself”, your freedom begins, and your authentic self is being born. Being authentic is accepting of your humanity, with its limits, its traumas, its early childhood programming. It is being aware that they are a part of you and will creep up on you when you are tired, stressed or emotionally drained. Authenticity starts when you decide to no longer impress anybody and accept the discomfort of what your old self would define as embarrassment, failure, or judgement. It will be messy, and you will bounce back and forth a lot, and you will go through a rollercoaster of feelings, and it will most likely get worse just before it gets better but I promise you one thing – this will be the dream adventure of your lifetime. You can read more about how I help people stuck at a crossroads become authentically confident on my website! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Written by: Kasia Nissanka, Guest Writer Brainz Magazine Kasia is an accredited life and career coach helping people stuck at the crossroads meet their authentic selves. She supports her clients through individual 1:1 coaching sessions and online workshops. In 2021 Kasia published her first e-book “Awaken Your Confident Self. Find Your True Self and Become Authentically Confident” ( link here: https://www.kasianissanka.co.uk/new-page-88) where she shares her definition of authentic confidence and how to start your journey to your true self. Kasia has a MSc in organisational psychology and is passionate about implementing coaching and psychological safety culture across modern organisations. She is currently working as an Organisational Development and Leadership Faculty Project Manager at the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy.

Neel Singh is an entrepreneur, business leader and creative with over 20 years of experience in the intersection of brand strategy, change management and design thinking. Neel consults organizations helping them become a driving innovator in their industries and he regularly mentors entrepreneurs on their growth. Neel co-founded Tropoly, a brand transformation and strategy firm and is an advisor to YELL, an organization bringing entrepreneurial learning to high schools. Hi Neel! Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hello! I'm Neel Singh, an entrepreneurial soul hailing from Vancouver. Growing up with two parents who are highly accomplished writers, the fire of creativity was instilled in me from a young age. My sister, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy only furthered my appreciation for intellectual curiosity. I've got what some might call a "multipotentiality" gene, which means I’m naturally driven to explore many areas of interest and become talented in several of them. Throughout my life, I’ve immersed myself in drawing, animation, music, writing, and photography. And professionally I’ve successfully built my repertoire across strategy, marketing, operations, technology and creative. I've been both an entrepreneur and an executive, and I continue to develop a path that is unconventional to most. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? What kind of audience do you target your business towards? My firm is Tropoly which I founded recently alongside two partners. We work with future-facing organizations that are looking to disrupt their industry. We provide brand transformation services which range from strategic branding to business model innovation to change management. What makes us different is the unique intersection of our experiences and our ability to harness technology and AI to augment our solutions. We focus on working with high-growth companies that are heading towards a large milestone such as funding or an M&A, and we also work with established organizations that need external expertise to help them position and innovate into new areas. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? For Tropoly we would like to make a difference in transforming industries such as education, finance, health and the environment to push humanity toward a future that thrives as the best version of our collective selves. As a personal goal: It’s beyond me why we still teach kids through a system based on the industrial revolution which is so far outdated by the world we live in today. This needs to change drastically and urgently. I’ll be pushing to make an impact in the areas of education and entrepreneurship with the hopes of creating a symmetry between the education system and the “real world.” Some of this will be done through the work we do through Tropoly, and some will be done through my independent activities. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. I have led over 100 branding and positioning projects. Additionally, I’ve been an exec at a start-up in which we scaled through hyper-growth and into a publicly listed company. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. With my non-linear path, I felt a loss of identity in my younger days. I knew I was creative so I applied to a well-known art and design school in Vancouver, only to have my application rejected. The projects I submitted were received very well, however, I didn’t show the thought processes and planning behind the work, so they docked enough points to deny my application. I was shattered. I felt my true calling was in a creative field, and a certification from this school would validate that for me. However, this rejection was a blessing in disguise - it sent me down a path toward pragmatic thinking to supplement my creative work. I taped the letter of rejection on my desk, so it stared at me every day reminding me to ‘show my work’. As I progressed in my career, the methods I used to show my thinking morphed into the ability to design bespoke frameworks and models leading to strategic and creative outcomes. This has helped me tremendously across areas like research, strategy, creative development, pitching to CEO’s and presenting at keynotes. For more information, connect with Neel on LinkedIn and visit his website!

Written by: Alex Sunshine For the better part of a decade, influencer marketing has established itself as the premiere marketing channel for Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) brands. The birth of any social media platform was fundamentally created to build a sense of social community online. Over time, it became clear that there was a ton of consumer attention on the platforms that both businesses, as well as its users, found opportunities to foster their products and services. These users are now referred to as influencers. For the sake of comprehending the size of the global marketplace, Instagram and Tik Tok have 1.4 billion and 1 billion users respectively. Additionally, Instagram and Tik Tok have 500,000 and 100,000 influencers respectively. In 2023, there are no shortages of potential influencer partners who can make for the perfect fit with your brand. I will share my top 3 tips to know when hiring an influencer for your brand. 1. Be Selective My first tip is to be extremely selective about partnering with influencers who are the correct fit for your brand. In the early days of influencer marketing, the influencers who were early adopters had an early mover advantage and became hot commodities for brands. A fashion blogger with a few million followers was going to sell out any type of product line because the algorithm allowed them to reach most of their followers. It didn’t even matter if they spoke about a product that wasn’t of interest to them or aligned with their niche or branded expertise. Fast forward to today, and you will find it challenging to find success in any partnership that doesn’t align with the content creator’s genuine interest or expertise based on the content they are already creating. Furthermore, always know that a fashion blogger creating content around fashion will have a base of followers who also love fashion. This increases the probability of sales conversions as well as engagement from the influencer’s community. Long story short, if you are selling vitamins, it is extremely important to do your due diligence on finding creators who are actively creating content about their health and attracting people who are also trying to do the same thing. 2. Deal structures My second tip for hiring an influencer is to make sure to get extremely creative about the variety of deal structures that you can offer to a talent. There are a lot of industry professionals, including myself, who claim to have the secret sauce to the exact dollar amount you can offer to each influencer. Our claims are that we have benchmark projections like CPM’s, demographics, as well as previous case studies to truly predict the outcome of a campaign. To clarify, all you need to do is follow a single pricing strategy and find influencers who are the right fit for your brand correct? Wrong. While there are industry standard benchmarks for deal valuations, there are a variety of different variables such as the creative(s), algorithm, timing of the post, product quality, product price point, and so much more that can impact the overall valuation of working with an influencer. To make things even more complex, each creator has different preferences in compensation. For example, some creators want to work only on a long-term deal and will offer flexible pricing. Other creators might place a heavier value on the time it takes to make the content rather than the actual distribution strategy of the content and vice versa. I’ve even seen creators become accustomed to getting certain rates based on previous campaigns, even if it doesn’t resemble what the metrics of their posts reflect today. The last thing to consider, is whether you want to pay a creator on a fixed fee, pay-per-view, or pay for the usage rights to run ads with their content. In any event, there are so many ways to make a deal with an influencer so don’t just ask for pricing but rather find out what type of compensation is valuable to an influencer and if they would be open to different types of deal structures. 3. Picking the right platform How to pick and choose the platforms that make the most sense for an influencer and brand to create content on? The third and final tip that I can provide for your brand when contracting an influencer is to be thoughtful about the social media platforms that you are choosing to work on when creating influencer content. Effectively, breaking down your influencer marketing spend percentages across each social media platform is crucial. So how do we know which platforms to pick and choose? Let’s use a fashion brand as an example when determining the ideal social platform. For example, a fashion brand doesn’t require a lot of languages so eliminate podcasts. A fashion brand needs models, who are mainly found on IG, and can create static images or short-form videos. In short, don’t try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to selecting a platform that makes the most sense for your brand. Save the creativity for the type of content being made, which will always be the ultimate variable. Another example can be a brand selling an eco-friendly and high-quality sustainable product. These types of products are quite popular with Gen Z so I would recommend marketing these products on Tik Tok where you can find a high concentration of Gen Z users. If you don’t know who your ideal customer is then you are flying your influencer marketing plane blindly and it will crash. To learn more, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit our website! About the author: Alex Sunshine is CEO and founder of Rising Suns Agency, a boutique influencer marketing agency for DTC brands. He builds partnerships between brands and social media influencers with common audiences, helping brands connect with their target market in creative and lucrative ways. Over a span of 4 years, Rising Suns Agency has closed over 234 influencer contracts, totaling over $823,000 in revenue to date. Alex has signed Gretchen Rossi, Ali Levine, Jesyka Harris, and worked with brands such as Amazon and Zulily. Alex's work is shaping today's influencer marketing industry to become more widely understood. He believes no brand should ever have to worry about finding their ideal customers again.

Written by: Clare England , 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. Plant-based, plant-powered, and plant-strong terms have become mainstream amid a food revolution. Information everywhere tells us that we need to eat more plants. So, what are these plants and why are we eating them? What are plants? Plants are living things that are not animals. We’re talking about trees, grasses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and fungi. There are over 400,000 plants on earth of which 300,000 are edible, yet we only eat around 200 species globally. One reason for limiting our selection of plants is that many are poisonous. Our forefathers learnt the hard way which were safe, and which were not. They also learnt which grew well and which were particularly hard to cultivate. Over the many generations that we have been growing and eating plants, we have selectively bred them to taste better and perform better. We have worked to ensure the tastier plants grow more abundantly and on a very large scale. This has led us to have some very robust, colourful and nutrient-rich plants available to us throughout the year. Think of the fruit and vegetable section in the grocery store or supermarket. Think of the local farmer’s markets. They are filled with beautiful varieties of plants. We must also remember the canned or tinned section with beans, lentils, peas and corn. The snack section with nuts and dried fruit, and the frozen section with frozen fruits and vegetables. Plants are everywhere, so why should we eat more and what are they doing for us? Plants contain nutrients. Plants are some of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat, they are packed full of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals have the role of keeping the body working properly, whether it be building bone with calcium, healing wounds with vitamin c, or keeping our skin healthy with vitamin a, we need all these vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamin a, vitamin c, and minerals such as potassium and calcium. According to USDA food data, eating one serving of broccoli will give us all the vitamin c we need for a day plus some iron, calcium and magnesium. Eating a 100g serving of chickpeas will give us over a third of the iron we need in a day plus vitamin b6, calcium and magnesium. Eating an array of fruits and vegetables can quickly meet the recommended quantities of vitamins and minerals to keep us functioning at our best. Plants contain phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds found within plants that act as antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory agents with other additional benefits to our health. Polyphenols, flavonoids, bioflavonoids, anthocyanidins, phytoestrogens, and carotenoids are some of the antioxidant-rich phytochemicals. They give us health benefits in a multitude of ways: reducing cell damage from free radicals caused by pollution; giving protection against some cancers by reducing DNA damage, mutation and transformation; reducing the risk of heart disease by reducing plaque build-up in blood vessels; and suppressing the growth of some tumours. These different phytochemicals are contained in the cells of plants, and during the process of digestion, they are made available for our bodies to use. We can eat the plants raw or cooked, steamed, stir-fried or boiled, and we still get the benefits of these amazing compounds. Plants contain fibre. All plants contain fibre. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that we cannot digest and comes in two varieties, soluble and insoluble. Both varieties are beneficial for our health. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and can help lower blood glucose levels. It forms a gel in the intestines and slows digestion. We find it in lentils, peas, oats, barley, nuts and seeds, to name a few. Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water and helps food move through the digestive system. Insoluble fibre can speed up digestion, adding bulk to be pushed through the system. It is found in whole wheat, wheat bran, whole grains, and many vegetables. Fibre is important to our health; as such, recommendations are made for how much we should eat every day. Unfortunately, not many of us are meeting those recommendations. Eating more plants is a way to increase our fibre intake, which in turn reduces our risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Whilst fibre plays a major role in our health, in the last decade we have found that fibre could be the key to health and that eating a wide variety of different plants could give us massive health benefits. Effects on the microbiome. Fibre wends its way through our digestive system to get to the colon. Here, gut bacteria use it as food. Our gut bacteria are very important to our overall health. We need to feed them with fibre to keep them alive. However, we have lots of different strains of bacteria and they all need different food. If we eat lots of different plants this will feed all the different types of bacteria in the gut. We recommend eating 30 different types of plants each week to keep gut bacteria thriving. Gut bacteria positively affect blood sugar control and the metabolism of fats. They reduce inflammation and improve overall immune function. It seems very clear that if we look after our gut by feeding it fibre, it will take care of us in a multitude of ways. Eat more plants. Eating plants should not be a chore. Get creative. Plants are packed full of flavour as well as nutrients. They are colourful, fun and so, so good for us. Snack on plants, feast on plants, and share plants with your friends and family. Embrace these fibre-filled, nutrient-packed, gut-loving foods. Aim for 30 different plants in a week, explore new varieties, and enjoy every mouthful, your body will love you for it. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Clare! Clare England, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Clare England MSc is a Registered Associate Nutritionist specialising in plant based nutrition and living. She is a talented recipe developer with specialist knowledge in chocolate, vegan, and non-dairy innovations. Clare takes great pleasure in sharing the joy of chocolate and educating people in the art of plant based living. A lifetime learner, Clare is always seeking to improve her knowledge and skills through continued research and education. She has a passion for sharing this learning and does so with warmth and integrity.

Written by: Jeff Altman, 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. Leading an organization during times of layoffs can be one of the most challenging and difficult tasks for any senior leader. It requires a delicate balance of empathy, communication, and strategic thinking to navigate the complexities of downsizing while maintaining the morale and productivity of the remaining workforce. People join organizations believing this company, this organization has their interests in their hearts and minds, too, because, like in dating, there is a seduction to persuade someone to join and stay with the organization. Like with many divorces, layoffs feel like an emotional betrayal. I have been on the receiving end of countless calls, emails, and texts from people after being laid off. No matter how decently they may have been treated by an employer at the time they were laid off, few heard the corporate message that accompanied their layoff. They think of all the reviews from their manager that praised their performance where they were told they had a future with your company. Many were brought into conference rooms and auditoriums and told. In the last few years, mass video conference firings became a vogue until the examples of company presidents emoting guilt became the subject of ridicule. Now, we have a new vogue—email firings or just being locked out of systems as a way to let people know their service to a firm were no longer required. For you as a leader, one of the new things to contend with is that your former employees have a way to easily communicate their very real human stories of being laid off. I suspect most of us have read about the person with 20 years at one firm being let go, the husband and wife, and the woman a few hours after having a baby. They are not “collateral damage.” They are real people whose stories will damage your brand and recruiting efforts for years to come. What can you do? When it comes to layoffs, employees want to know the reason behind the decision and the process that was followed. Communicating clearly will help reduce the layoffs’ impact and ensure that employees understand what is happening. The first step in clear communication is to explain the reason behind the layoffs. This could be due to a reduction in demand for goods and services, changes in the market, or the need to reduce costs. Whatever the reason, it is important to be honest and transparent about it. This will help employees to understand why the layoffs are necessary and why their job is at risk or eliminated. This honesty helps to build trust with employees and offers to set the tone for a more positive outcome for your firm. Additionally, being transparent about the company's future plans helps mitigate the remaining employees' fear and uncertainty. At times like these, senior leadership should lead with empathy and compassion when facing the difficult task of laying off employees. This is a critical time for both the employees and the company, and it is important to approach the situation with sensitivity and understanding. By showing empathy and offering support to the employees who are losing their jobs, you can help to ease the transition and ensure that the impact is as minimal as possible. One way to demonstrate empathy is by acknowledging the challenges the employees may face and offering support to help them through this difficult time. This can include things such as offering the career counseling and resume writing services, providing financial advice and helping to connect them with job opportunities. By providing these resources, you can show the employees that you care about their well-being and are committed to helping them succeed, even after they leave the company. Do not ignore mental health services for your former employees. A study reported by The Lancet says that across 26 European Union countries, rapid and large increases in unemployment were associated with a significant increase in suicide rates. Imagine the news story in your local newspaper, favorite online publication, or social media site with the headline, “Recently Laid Off (YOUR COMPANY NAME) Employee Dead from Suicide.” Then, shocked, you read the story about this young person leaving behind a wife/husband/partner and three young children. No one should learn to live with that. It is also critical to focus on maintaining the morale of the remaining employees during layoffs. In times of organizational change, it's easy for employees to become discouraged and demotivated, which can negatively impact their productivity and overall job satisfaction. To mitigate this, it's important to have clear and transparent communication about the company's goals and vision moving forward, and to engage the remaining employees in shaping this new direction. Creating opportunities for employees to build relationships and collaborate with each other can also help foster a sense of community and belonging within the organization. This could include team-building activities, cross-functional projects, and open forums for discussion and feedback. Additionally, recognizing and rewarding the hard work and dedication of employees who are staying with the company during difficult times is a powerful way to boost morale and show appreciation for their contributions. In short, by focusing on maintaining the morale of the remaining employees and providing them with a sense of purpose, you can ensure that your organization is well-positioned to thrive in the future. Top of Form I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of impulsive and poorly executed layoffs. These actions can result in a loss of morale and trust among remaining employees, a negative impact on the company's reputation, and the potential for legal repercussions. I suspect you have seen that in other organizations, too. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance for a senior leader to approach layoffs with a clear plan and strategy in place. This plan should be thorough and well thought-out, taking into consideration not just the financial implications, but also the impact on employees, the company culture, and the future success of the organization. Working with your primary consulting firm and accounting firm, as well as other senior leaders with your firm will help avoid blind spots in devising your plans such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and age that can prove damaging after layoffs occur. In conclusion, leading during times of layoffs requires a delicate balance between being transparent and compassionate, and being firm in making difficult decisions. By effectively communicating the rationale for the layoffs, addressing the concerns of the remaining employees, and engaging them in driving the business forward, the C Suite executive can help to maintain morale and productivity, and build a more resilient and motivated workforce. Follow Jeff on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit his website for more info! Read more from Jeff! Jeff Altman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a career and leadership coach who helps people with their careers, including job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading, and resolving workplace-related issues while being the person they want to be in life. He has written 9 books and guides to job search and hiring, including "The Ultimate Job Interview Framework" and "The Right Answers to Tough Interview Questions." He is the host of No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the 1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 2100 episodes, as well as JobSearchTV.com on YouTube, Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and 90+ smart sets. Jeff works with clients worldwide and is a popular speaker.

Written by: Eleanor Oliver-Edmonds, Senior Level 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. One of the many challenges busy, entrepreneurial women encounter is working alone in a silo without the benefit of consistent access to other successful women. Access is as good as currency, it exposes you to people, knowledge, and opportunities you may not be able to develop on your own. Whether you are starting your career, are a seasoned professional, a business leader, or an entrepreneur, surrounding yourself with like-minded women who are pursuing their dreams and goals is one of the fastest ways for you to grow professionally and personally. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “you are the average of the 5 people closest to you.” Businesses create advisory boards comprised of individuals from diverse areas of expertise, industries, and backgrounds whose collective insights benefit the organization. You can create your own advisory board or empowering inner circle. Imagine having a trusted board of advisors who you can call upon when you need high-level answers or support. How could having such a group shift the trajectory of your career or business journey? How quickly could you apply their shared knowledge to close your skill gaps, build momentum, and avoid setbacks? You can intentionally curate a powerful circle of 5 women with specific skills, knowledge, and expertise to help you accelerate your growth. So where do you find these five amazing goddesses? They are likely in your life already; they are the women you respect, trust, and admire. You will want to select one person to fill a specific role that aligns with your vision or mission. Here are 5 key Power Roles for Your Power Circle Mentor The person to fill this role may be a respected co-worker, a former boss, or a friend whose professional guidance you know and trust. Ideally, choose someone from a similar industry who models behavior and habits you would like to adopt. Here are some qualities to look for: an ability to build and maintain professional relationships, management and leadership skills, a keen understanding of organizational culture. She has “been there” so she can help you avoid pitfalls as you navigate unfamiliar (to you) territory. Mentors offer support, feedback encouragement, and accountability. If switching careers, choose a mentor from or familiar with your intended field to gain industry insights and introductions to potential contacts. Connector We all have that one friend whose six degrees of separation is more like two. She has access to a plethora of resources and is more than happy to share. Connectors thrive in networking situations so if you haven’t met her yet, that’s a wonderful setting to start. When you meet a connector, be clear on how this person can support you: the resources, people, or information you are seeking. For your part, once your connector delivers, the next step is up to you. As the saying goes, “the fortune is in the follow through.” Connectors are great allies to have in your inner circle, especially if you are relocating, launching, or scaling a business and quality contacts are in short supply. Hypewoman A hypewoman is the supportive friend who always has your back. She’s the one who showers you with compliments, encouragement and is the first to endorse your dreams. She’s more than a cheerleader, she’s the person who will hype up your latest accomplishments when you’re out in public. She’s a good match for introverts or for those who feel uncomfortable promoting themselves. Your hypewoman offers positive third-party validation so do not take her role lightly. To fully maximize the talents of your hypewoman, it’s best to let her know how she can best represent or “promote” you. Offer details and talking points for her to share on your behalf. Supporter A supporter is a friend who’s there for you lifting you up behind the scenes. She’s a person commenting on your social media posts, she may pick up your kids from school, she’s one you call when you need a good cry or to join you on a girls’ weekend away. The person filling this role is likely someone close to you and knows you well enough to offer “keep it real” feedback. Her role is as vital and essential as the others. A supporter can be a friend or family member who believes in your dream even when you may have doubts. Coach Life-changing events can happen by design when you seek a promotion, decide to start a business, or choose to change careers. Other times life-altering events may happen without warning, like getting laid off from a job, divorce or learning your company is relocating to another city. These changes can bring a myriad of overwhelming emotions. Hiring a coach to help you navigate these transitions will keep you focused on what’s important so you can remain productive and stress-free. A coach will become your trusted guide and accountability partner who supports you as you stretch outside of your comfort zone. Your coach will help you identify meaningful and manageable actions steps towards your desired outcome. Like your mentor, a coach supports professional development. Having a coach can help you identify and overcome blind spots and limiting beliefs so you can achieve sustainable success. Once you’ve created your power circle, schedule a time to introduce the group to one another and explain how each will be serving you. Share your expectations for each, the frequency of when you will meet with them and how you will be accountable to them. You may choose to meet once a month or once per quarter depending on the nature of your overarching goal or objectives. Scheduled meetings with your mentor and coach will likely happen on a more frequent cadence. As you achieve your goals and your needs change, some roles and relationships may no longer be needed as a result. These trusted advisors understand your vision and are in place to ensure you successfully achieve your objectives. It can be said opportunities arise from being in the right place at the right time, however, having access to successful women may ignite that process. When you recognize the value of having a brain trust in place, you will understand how you can leverage this powerful tool. As you build community with your empowerment inner circle, look for opportunities where you can serve in an advisory role for another woman. Could you benefit from having a coach in your empowering inner circle? How could having a coach in your empowering inner circle help you accelerate your goals? Schedule a complimentary clarity session to learn more. Click here. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Eleanor! Eleanor Oliver-Edmonds, Senior Level Brainz Magazine Executive Contributor Elle (Eleanor) Oliver-Edmonds is a writer, speaker, and certified virtual coach. She pivoted from her advertising/marketing career as a creative strategist crafting consumer-directed messaging for top household brands and applied her creative problem-solving expertise to coaching individuals. She’s the founder and creator of the S.H.I.F.T. Factor, an online transformational space where Elle empowers women over 40 to reconnect with their dreams, overcome barriers, and strategize a path to success. The five-part inside-out process is based on the guiding principles, tools, and resources Elle successfully used to reimagine and redesign her own life after losing of job, marriage, home, and business. She now lives a life where every day looks like a vacation. She relocated from hectic city life in Los Angeles to the Palm Desert area where she lives with her husband and is affectionately referred to as “Coach Elle in Coachella” by her clients. Elle is the proud mom of two entrepreneurs who inspire her to follow her passion of living with intention and creating a ripple effect.

Written by: Dr. Faye Borja , 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. If someone told me over 20 years ago that I would be single with no kids, I might have cried, thinking there is no way possible that this was going to be true. I used to write letters to myself about where I would be at certain times in life. For instance, at 15 years old I wrote a letter to myself with the following list of goals that I was to accomplish by the time I was 24 years old: Have a motorcycle Have a job where I get to dress up Be married to (insert name of the high school sweetheart that I thought I would be with forever) The list may have included other superficial or adrenaline-junky-type activities. However, the main goal I so wished to be true (at the time that I wrote it) was to be married with kids. I used to imagine what kind of mother I would be. I pictured being as supportive a wife as my mother was. She cooked meals every day, kept the house clean, and hand-washed my dad’s military uniforms. Our home was so full of life with my four siblings all singing, dancing, and running around the house. I wanted just as much ruckus in my own home. Now, fast forward to the age of 40, I often get asked the question “When are you going to get married?” Another question is “How come you don’t have kids?” Well, as I mentioned, there was a time when I wanted all of that. I was engaged before, and the plan was to get an early start on building a family. Yet something in my gut kept telling me that I could do/have/be more. That in no way implies that the person I was with treated me any less than I deserved. He was ready to give me the world. Maybe I was not ready, or maybe I had an inkling that being with your high school sweetheart forever was not a likely occurrence. Whatever the case, I decided not to go the “traditional route” of a life expected of a woman in a serious relationship and childbearing age. According to Goldberg Jones , the millennial marriage rate at 26% is “the lowest in years,” with Gen X at 35%, and baby boomers at 48%. One of the reasons for this pattern is the focus on education and career. If I am being completely honest, I gave up my potential military spouse’s life to pursue my education at the university of my choice. I did not want to follow another person’s career. I did not want to focus on the kids that I know would get my undivided attention and love, thus putting my aspirations on hold. These are choices that I made, and there have been times that I’ve pondered over the “what if’s,” but I do not regret a thing. I am proud to be a millennial because of the opportunities that I was able to foresee. What does a fulfilled life by myself look like? Here are 7 tips: Focusing on friendships. Companionship can come from various relationships. Building effective communication skills and strong connections can be practiced with family and friends. Satisfying this Sense of Belonging decreases overall anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Changing your perspective . Life can get uncomfortable. Sometimes being alone is uncomfortable, and that is okay. Experience the feelings and breathe through them. What are some things we can appreciate in the moment or in our lives? Learning to enjoy solitude in private. Individuality is what makes us unique. It is beneficial to build a relationship with ourselves and appreciate our ideas, imagination, skills, and so on. This can be in the form of meditation or watching your favorite show/movie. Learning to enjoy solitude in public. While sitting with our thoughts and hobbies can be fun, we sometimes feel the need to group or be around others. Try going to a bookstore or coffee shop and sitting. Read a book by yourself or simply observe. Feel the sunlight. Hear the birds (or traffic) and allow yourself just to be . Now ask yourself, am I truly “alone” in this world? Learning a new hobby. A craft, a card trick, a language, a new aquarium…there are so many wonderful and interesting things to do! Finding a purpose. Getting outside of ourselves and doing activities that benefit others always feels good. Volunteer work is an excellent contribution. Perhaps your job gives you purpose, or even teaching someone a new hobby you have learned gives you purpose. Identifying characteristics that you like about yourself. This is often the hardest task for many. It is easy to point out our flaws because we naturally want to be a part of and accepted by others. Repeat after me: “ I am awesome .” The anxiety over the pressures of societal expectations is still heightened for many. If you feel that anxiety or depression is getting in the way of your daily activities, it is best to reach out for professional help. At therapeutic practices such as GO! Therapeutic Services & Supervision, LLC or The Hardy Clinic , expert therapists help you manage anxiety and learn skills that will help you reduce negative thoughts or behaviors. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Faye! Dr. Faye Borja, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Faye Borja is a licensed psychotherapist. Her years of experience in mental healthcare and in leadership has allowed her the opportunity to share her insight within supervisory, training and mentorship roles. She values integrity, honesty, kindness and growth. Running her first marathon is what led her to her doctoral journey. She often says, “if you can achieve any distance, you can go even further.” She owns GO! Therapeutic Services & Supervision, LLC, and is also the Clinical Manager at The Hardy Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Written by: Leannda Shearer , 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. Burnout has become quite the buzzword these days. What many people need to include about burnout is that, yes, part of it stems from just trying to do too much, but a lot of it is also based on not doing enough of the things you want to be doing. These five tips will make it easy for you to start conquering burnout, so let’s get you back to a thriving calmer life you enjoy! Step one: Let go of expectations Expectations kill the joy of any situation. The only thing you have any direct control over is yourself. Whether it's work, family, or simply feeling like you have to make this list to be successful, start looking at what you can let go of. Is there some old limiting belief that is holding you back? Do you let the influence of other people keep you grinding on something you don’t even enjoy? Find ways to be more accepting of the things you don’t have control over but start taking your power back with the things you can control. Step 2: Dismiss the belief that help is a dirty word Somewhere along the line, we have been taught that asking for help makes you weak or that you shouldn’t burden others with it. We all need help sometimes, whether moving furniture, needing a couple of hours without our kids, or simply needing a friend to vent to. Start accepting the use offered; most people who provide service genuinely want to, so why not take it? You are not only unloading some of your burdens off of yourself but also giving the gift of helping you; it’s a win-win. Sit for a second and think about something you could use some help with, and then find a way to ask for it, whether it’s a co-worker, spouse, or friend. Yes, there is the possibility they could say no, but they could also say yes. Step 3: Change your inner and outer dialogue Make any of these sound familiar: I can’t do that, I’m too busy, I am so overwhelmed, I am taken advantage of, everything is always so hard. Chances are if you’re reading this that at least one of those is repeated over and over throughout your day. I am here to tell you that a better way starts simply by changing what you say. We will always be shown what we focus on, and if we only focus on all the ways our lives are running us instead of the other way around, we will be on that hamster ride forever. Start small if you need to but start changing your dialogue. Of course, there will be bad days or days when things don’t go your way, but make those exceptions, not the rule. Step 4: Spend time doing what you love I get it; your schedule is packed. But how much of it is filled with things you like doing? Not just stuff you tolerate but things that make you feel alive and that make you feel connected to yourself. Or have you completely negated all those things for everything you think you have to do? I am here to tell you; you need to change that. You can take an hour a week to do something you love; the real question is will you have the fire to fight for it? It’s so familiar with this that we think we can’t possibly have enough time to get a massage, do yoga, hang with friends, throw axes at a bar, whatever is your jam, but that is a choice. You are actively choosing something else; once again, start small and regain your power. Step 5: Treat yourself the way you want everyone to treat you… with kindness We are our hardest critics and our judge's judges. We often think that one misstep is a failure and might as well give up. For goodness sake, be nice to yourself. Not so nice that you never take action but be gentle with yourself. If you’re reading this and thinking this is my life; how did I let it get this way? I’m a terrible person, etc. stop. We do our best until we know more and choose to do better. It might be controversial to say but being in a state of burnout is a choice. Please use these five steps to start taking actionable steps to get you out of your burnt-out hamster wheel. On the other side is a thriving, peaceful life. I’ll see you there. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram , LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Leannda! Leannda Shearer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leannda Shearer is a resilience coach currently living in Traverse City with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. She is an Idaho native who loves the beach, yoga, rock climbing, and designing flowers. Past experiences combined with her life as a military spouse have led her to create her own business, The Resilience Coach. She is passionate about helping those who are overwhelmed, over-scheduled, and feeling stuck. Leannda helps her clients build their boundaries, cultivate strong mindsets and reawaken their creativity.

Written by: JL Keez , 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. Permission. When permission for happiness finally reigns within the soul. The belief that held the opposite. Has yielded, at last, from despair. To free the one once confined. Lining the eating disorder are fears that determine the decisions made as to how one lives their life. Recovery involves identifying each fear with the view of turning each into a lesson for learning about how we have interpreted the fear and hence, the role it plays. It also means challenging the fear of truth to see if we are able to redefine this in a way that sees permission reign. “Permission is the process of allowing yourself to undertake a particular action” As I travelled the road of recovery I discovered I carried several blocks steeped in ‘not allowed to’. With a controlled up bring telling me what I could and couldn’t do, and with punishment the frightening entity held as the determiner for behaviour, it was not surprising I ended up down a tunnel where permission for happiness was trapped with me! Endeavouring to climb out and thrive, I experienced great difficulty when asked to replace fear driven behaviours with those that supported and filled my life with happiness; to allow permission to exist so I could live my way. I remember struggling with what I was allowed to do and what I wasn’t allowed to do. This sounds bazaar now. But as I navigated recovery I acknowledged I was overwhelmed with ensuring I made decisions that meant I would not be punished in some way. To site an example, attending social engagements where alcohol was served was a huge ‘no, no’! I learnt that this was bad. As a child I took this on as a punishable decision should I ever inhabit places like front bars or parties where alcohol flowed. I felt the weight of punishment heavily. As I explored this fear I needed to do some research! I asked those who had lives where alcohol existed. I asked their learnings and opinions. I observed the lack of punishment ‒ unless you include the sore heads endured the next day! Discovering that, indeed, the consumption of alcohol did not come with a huge stick, I gradually gave myself permission to enter the premises where alcohol was served. Fear accompanied me at first, and I awaited the dreadful repercussion. Repercussion did not turn up. Over time, giving myself permission to make an alternate decision became easier. Eventually, my body relaxed. I recall the moment when challenged regarding alcohol at my wedding ‒ gosh, that was tough. My parents made it clear this was not an option, yet my husband to be’s family consumed alcohol socially ‒ and certainly at weddings! Coming up against family boundaries meant fighting against time held ideals. I did come under fire! How did I eventually solve this one and give myself permission to have alcohol in my life? Through observation and renewed mindset. I came to understand that alcohol is a choice not punishable for its existence. Consuming such does not come with needing to hide from punishment. Of course, I caution to add, that alcohol has its demons when inappropriately used, but where administered through education I could see I was allowed to decide how this would be in my life … or not! Peace finally found me ‒ on this one! Where an aspect of eating disorder development is characterised by blocks built upon the heavy hand of, “You are not allowed to”, releasing the reigns of control can be inextricably massive. How then do we achieve this necessary end? Before stepping through the process of granting oneself permission , it is a useful exercise to outline what punishment looks like. This will be an individual assessment defined by different words. Each, however, are as important, and real, as the next. For me it was a hand that hit, a voice that yelled, a look that terrified and a berating that infiltrated every cell of my body. I wore punishment like a glove that could not be removed and hence, grew tighter as the years passed by. Giving punishment a definition allows us to have a starting point for recovery. It provides us with the depth and detail we are working with. It provides those supporting us with a parameter by which to measure the pace we go in unravelling this hold. Through delving deeper into the definition we are also able to begin to identify where the fears lie ‒ exactly what we are up against. With definition in place, there may well be the need to explore the reality of the description spoken. Pulling it apart to assess the truth of the perception, to replace it with a softer approach, or a more real idea, will ensure the task of overturning punishment will be an easier road to travel. With punishment redefined to an acceptable level, let’s explore how we can overturn the blocks it creates so we can live a healthy life lined with ‘allowed to’ rather than, ‘not allowed to!’ Where permission is a natural unfolding … Step 1: Do your research. Open up the discussion with a range of people prepared to share their views. Do they believe in punishment for certain behaviours or choices? Explore where their ideas generate from. How do they describe punishment? As you do so you will undoubtedly find a whole range of thoughts regarding how we live on this earth. Family beliefs, culture, environment, education and life events will form a strong base for ideas. Your responsibility, to you, is to apply those learnings and ideas that resonate with you . Remove punishment and see how this changes your thinking and approach to a behaviour you are considering. Design a new approach. Once in place you will then find your lane in life alongside those people who share your truths. This will be your happy place where happiness reigns. And yes, you will develop ideas different to others. That is absolutely ok. As long as you are at peace with your choices , and that big stick remains in the closet, all will be well in your world! For those experiencing eating disorders, where acceptance is at the top of our agendas, I know and understand from experience, that this is where you will find it. Removing the blocks of perceived punishment, replacing each with, ‘I am allowed to do that!’ sees despair and confinement retreat. Freedom to simply be, where permission is a given, prevails. Step 2: Ask permission its purpose; that is, why the need for permission even exists in the first place. All fear-based concerns have a purpose. Many are in place to protect the owner from a fear; initially. I suggest sitting in the silence, clearing the mind of all thought, and quietly asking, “Why am I afraid to allow myself to …?” I found conversing with permission opened the door to understanding exactly why I carried this. I cared greatly for my safety and through adopting and maintaining the messages regarding what I was not allowed to do, I kept safe. Going beyond the confines meant punishment; that was not the preferred option! Once I redefined punishment for me and explored the associated fear for truth, permission to live differently emerged. The belief holding the opposite thought then had no other option but to yield to the new thought. It was a win win for both of us. I was finding peace in being me, and permission had finally found rest within me. Step 3: Give yourself permission to make decisions that align with your recovered life. Give yourself permission to 'trial and error’ new choices ‒ as long as you are safe! Draw up a list of those ‘not allowed to’s’. Start with the easiest. Cross it off once 'trialled and errored’. Design your new list of ‘allowed to’s’. This will always be up for change of course. That is the beauty of life … we can change our minds. Life is not a stagnant journey. Take deep breaths should fear arise, and do it anyway. Your confidence will grow as a punishment simply does not eventuate. Step 4: This was the step that finally found me letting go of punishment and the ‘not allowed to’s’. Ask yourself, is what I am about to do infringing upon the rights of others? Will it adversely impact those I connect with. Where the answer is “No!’, enjoy! Where the answer is “Yes” I suggest you give this choice some serious thought. Chances are, if this impacts others it may well ultimately impact you; and not in a good way! What I call ‘educated allowed to’s’ as opposed to ‘uneducated allowed to’s’ will be your guide moving forward. Eating disorders are entities consumed by an array of fears influencing the depth and detail of the eating disorder. Our task is to identify the array pertinent to our individual experience. Permission may well be high on the list. Seemingly insurmountable, it does not need to be the defining end to recovery. Educating the self in how to release the hold of ‘not allowed to’s’ so ‘allowed to’s’ reign is imperative. Establishing understanding to gather useful tools and skills to eliminate your list is the method to be followed to remove the blocks; permission then yields to desired freedom sought. The tunnel of despair falls away. When happiness becomes the experience this is when you know permission is guiding you in the right direction … Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from JL! JL Keez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J.L Keez survived a nine-year struggle with anorexia nervosa. She endured years of mental illness, including suicidal depression, OCD and depersonalisation. Today, she is the Director of JL Keez Anorexia Unlocked, a passionate speaker, author and Thought Leader in her field. In her role as a Reality Therapy Coach and influential teacher she empowers others to heal their lives through delivering the understanding required to do so.