Written by: Patrick Smith, 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. Brain Love Health has introduced the first brain health and dementia prevention program of its kind. This innovative virtual format is designed to provide systematic tools and personalized counseling for individuals concerned about brain health, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. The Brain Love Health Team developed the dementia prevention program to support a complete understanding of the lifestyle choices that can undermine a healthy brain and lead to the dreaded suffering of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. The program entails: A complete health history, lifestyle, and risk assessment analysis. A review of daily nutritional intake and dietary choices including essential brain health nutrition and epigenetic testing that will identify areas of concern that need attention and optimization. (Gut health/microbiome, hormonal imbalances, deficiencies, and more) An understanding of the multi factors of the disease and how they can be playing a role in the person’s life. Review of sleep patterns, exercise, and movement dynamics Social interaction activity. Neuroplasticity improvements. The program is designed by the most up-to-date functional medicine approach to identify potential root cause alarms that have been shown scientifically in peer-reviewed research as a causative factor and risk multiplier in the dementia process. Dementia has been shown to begin developing in midlife around menopause and andropause, and over 25 years slowly creating deterioration in the brain. The Brain Love Health Dementia Prevention Program is designed to intervene in this degradation, support the brain and protect it from deterioration. The program is nine weeks in length and will be an hour weekly virtual meeting with a Brain Love Health Certified Practitioner placing all the steps necessary to knowledgeably create brain-loving changes, and reduce anxiety and questions of the brain health journey. We are currently accepting applications for enrollment and we invite you to book a free consultation to discuss any further details here. Prevention is the real cure for dementia, begin protecting the brain today! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn visit my website for more info! Read more from Patrick! Patrick Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patrick S. Smith is an innovative entrepreneur who has worked for over 40 years in the Health Care, pharmaceutical, and medical nutrition arena. His accomplishments span many decades and have been recognized by major healthcare institutions, and he has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree for his pioneering contributions to providing complex patient care in the home setting. He has spoken at over 100 Health Care Conferences and was voted as one of the top Health Care Service CEO’s in the USA by the Wall Street Transcript. His lifelong passion has been to provide game-changing creative solutions to some of society’s most pressing medical problems.

Written by: Dave Sewell, 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. Stress can have a negative impact on our ability to stay psychologically safe. When individuals are under stress, they may be more likely to become defensive, less patient, and less tolerant of other’s opinions, which can lead to a breakdown in communication and trust within a team. Stress can also affect cognitive function and decision-making, which can make it more difficult for individuals to think clearly and react appropriately in a stressful situation. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, which can further exacerbate stress levels and create a negative spiral. Stress can also affect our ability to think positively, which can make it difficult to see the good in others or find solutions to problems. Stress can cause individuals to become more focused on their own problems and to feel less able to empathize with others. This can make it more difficult to create a sense of trust and respect within a team. In addition, stress can also contribute to the development of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which can further negatively impact on psychological safety. People struggling with these conditions may have a harder time connecting with others, may feel less motivated, and may be more prone to feelings of isolation and self-doubt which can further limit their ability to share and to risks. It's important to keep in mind that stress is a normal part of life, but when it becomes chronic (staying in a continuously stressed state over time), it can have a negative impact on both physical and mental health. It's important for individuals and teams to develop strategies to manage stress, such as regular exercise, mindfulness practices, healthy eating and relaxation techniques. Organizations can also support the psychological safety of their employees by addressing the following areas: Stopping demanding they work long hours (research has shown that an excess of 50hrs per week significantly impacts productivity by as much as 30%). Managing workloads so that all employees feel they have successfully contributed to the success of their team and the organisation on a daily basis. Removing onerous processes and systems that detract from an employee’s ability to do what they were hired to do. Ensuring all leaders are upskilled in psychological safety, its approach and the behaviours that lead to them creating that safe environment around them. Once an organisation has put those points in place, should it think of implementing stress-management programs, providing access to mental health services, and promoting a culture that prioritizes the well-being of its employees. How does your organisation manage the stress levels of its employees, is it doing everything it can to minimise those levels? Does it foster a psychologically safe environment for everyone to thrive in? If not, maybe it’s time to consider a change to what has always been done. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or visit my website for more info! Read more from Dave! Dave Sewell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine “Every child deserves a home where they feel safe and loved.” This is what drives Dave Sewell’s research and approach to executive education and facilitation. Sewell’s own life story has led him to question everything he understood about leadership, from the beatings and shame from his own father to the near-complete psychological breakdown at the hands of a ruthless Area Manager in his early twenties. The question burning inside him, “Why do people behave this way?” and “How do we change this?”. Sewell’s research built a deep understanding of human behavior and our need to feel physically and psychologically safe. None of us are at our best when we are under continued levels of stress beyond what we can comfortably cope with. It is when we are in this space that we are often not helpful to others, indeed we can be quite uncivil, causing us to be more aloof, more confrontational, and less tolerant of others. No one wants to be this person in the workplace or this type of parent when we get home, but it is all too common. Having published the learning of his research in his book Safe Leadership – beating stress to drive performance, Sewell is on a mission to make more workplaces psychologically safer so that every worker can go home with enough emotional and mental capacity to spend quality time with their family, creating that psychologically safe space in the home. He does this through a series of leadership workshops, a longitudinal program, and one on one executive coaching.

Written by: Michelle Schafer, 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. The beautiful scarf I'm wearing in the photo below is no ordinary item purchased in a store or online. It was made by hand, and with a whole lot of appreciation, by Jennie, a talented leadership coach colleague and fellow small business owner. Jennie and I had several conversations early last year. As a fellow sole proprietor, it's always enjoyable for me to collaborate, share information or answer questions. Jennie was grateful for the value of these conversations and crocheted this gorgeous scarf as a thank-you. I instantly loved it – not just because it’s a beautiful item I know I’d enjoy wearing, but for what it represents. I think of Jennie’s gratitude every time I wear it. It made me feel good to know I had helped someone in such an impactful and memorable way. How are you showing appreciation to your network? My experience has shown me that people want to help – and they especially love to know how they have helped. Whether you are a job seeker looking for work, or a new leader who is receiving mentorship, you likely have had many people help you on your career journey. While you don't need to crochet a scarf for every person who helps you, there are lots of ways you can show your appreciation: Send an email and highlight one thing your network contact shared that was of value to you Take the other person out for a coffee Share an article which you think would be of interest to them Be available for them when they need assistance from you ...and more! What would you add to this list? Is there someone in your life whom you are grateful for – and you haven’t shared this with them? Show them your appreciation today. They will be glad you did. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle Schafer is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and Facilitator specializing in career transition and leadership. She is the owner and founder of Michelle Schafer Coaching, empowering people to achieve career fulfillment. Michelle has personally experienced two significant career transitions through restructuring and has reinvented herself for new careers both times. She deeply understands the physical, emotional and mental impact associated with a job search. Michelle is passionate about people and inspired by their progress, working with clients at all levels of an organization and across sectors including federal and municipal government, high tech, not-for-profit and financial services. Michelle offers coaching 1:1 in groups and recently was certified in the foundations of team coaching with the Global Team Coaching Institute.

Written by: Marie Christine, 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. Intuition is a powerful tool that can help improve your life in many ways. By learning to listen to your intuition, you can make better decisions, achieve goals faster, and live a more fulfilling life. We all have intuition, but some are more in touch with it than others. Fortunately, becoming an adept intuitive is a learned skill; therefore, the more you practice it, the better you will become. The following are five ways to start developing and strengthening your intuition today. 1. Meditation One of the best ways to hear with your intuition is through meditation. Meditation quiets the mind and emotions, which allows your internal environment to become centered and focused. This inner stillness helps you to tap into your intuition more easily. Intuitive knowledge comes from a place beyond mental and emotional processes, making meditation a perfect complement to allow your intuitive intelligence to come forward. Any type of meditation that quiets your mind will be an excellent support for accessing your intuition. Pick your favorite one, and experiment with intuitive listening. Especially look for inspiration and ah-ha moments as you quietly listen within. 2. Exercise Exercise is a great way to get in touch with your body and release any tension you may be holding onto. Exercise helps reduce stress and increase the clarity of thought, making it easier to hear your intuition. Intentional movement of the body naturally focuses the mind and helps release trapped emotions, which are crucial for hearing the still inner voice that guides you. Before you begin your workout routine: Set an intention to get intuitive clarity on a current situation. As you move around, be aware of intuitive inspiration. Once you receive an intuitive understanding of something, record it into your phone as soon as possible. It is common to quickly forget intuitive insights, so this step is critical for accurately remembering this valuable information. 3. Dreams Paying attention to your dreams can also be a helpful way to connect with your intuition. Dreams sometimes contain beneficial messages from the subconscious mind and higher self. You can receive these messages by setting an intention before bed that, in your dream, you would like to receive intuitive guidance regarding a particular situation. Then as soon as you awake, write down what happened in your dream and follow through on any useful action items received. Tip: When setting the intention for intuitive guidance while sleeping, ask that you clearly remember and understand your dream's meaning. 4. Connect with Nature Spending time in nature can help you feel more grounded and connected to the world. Earth's awe-inspiring beauty will naturally bring you into the present moment, making it easier to tune into your intuition. When used with intention, the four natural elements of water, air, earth, and fire can reveal powerful, intuitive knowledge. Next time you take a bath, are wrapped in a warm wind, hold a genuine crystal, or stare intently at a campfire, quiet your mind and listen for your inner wisdom to come through. 5. Intuitive Readings Seeking an intuitive reading from a trusted psychic can help you hear your intuition. An experienced reader will tune into your energy and assist you in receiving messages from the higher self. It is a game-changer to have an expert intuitive help you weed out what is helpful for you to focus on and what is not. I provide clients with intuitive clarity and support in my 1-1 sessions. If interested, subscribe to my email list and receive a discount on your first intuitive reading. I also teach skills on how to do an intuitive reading on yourself. In my Intuition Builder App, you will learn extrasensory techniques specifically designed to connect with your higher self for intuitive guidance. It is a worthwhile investment of your time to learn and practice the invaluable life skill of intuitive listening. Because when listening to your intuition, you tap into a powerful knowledge and wisdom source which will support you in achieving goals and creating a thriving lifestyle. As you can see, there are many ways to connect with your intuition. Regardless of your chosen method, consistently setting aside time to connect with your intuition can be a powerful way to receive much-needed guidance and focus in an ever-changing world. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marie! Marie Christine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marie Christine, M.A. in Spiritual Psychology, is an Intuitive Coach and the creator of the Intuition Builder app. With over 12 years of intuitive experience, Marie helps her clients connect with their inner wisdom through powerful 1-1 online sessions. Marie is passionate about sharing her intuitive skill set so that others may learn how to use their intuition for guidance and support in everyday life. Expert in her field, Marie teaches her intuitive skill set in conscious-expanding courses found in her Intuition Builder app.

Written by: Moira Hutchison, 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 often view negative emotions as things that happen to us. However, emotions are phenomena that we create. Emotions can have an external trigger, but there are things you must do to experience and maintain a full-blown emotion. Emotions are not an external condition that has to be endured. In fact, your negative emotions can be incredibly useful if you know how to use them effectively. Your negative emotions can save you from a lot of grief and provide an opportunity to make your life even better. Use these strategies to allow your negative emotions to serve you: 1. Recognize that negative emotions are a sign. A negative emotion is simply a part of your brain telling you that it thinks something is wrong. Fear is just a message that there might be a danger. Anger suggests that someone may have violated your expectations or values View negative emotions as a message that needs your attention. 2. Identify the emotion. Name your emotion. What exactly are you feeling? Are you scared, anxious, upset, discombobulated, furious, sad? It is easier to work with a negative emotion if you name it first. 3. Identify the reason for the negative emotion. What is causing you to feel this way? Did someone lie to you? Do you have more bills than you can pay? Is your life not what you expected it to be? Did your partner leave you? When you know the cause of a negative emotion, you can begin to figure out how to handle it 4. Determine what, if anything, you can do about the situation. Some situations are beyond your control, and there is little you can do. In these situations, there is no value in feeling a negative emotion or worrying about what to do next If you can determine that there is something you can do to make the situation better, your negative emotion has served its purpose. 5. Focus on solutions. Turn your attention to finding a possible solution to your situation. If you don’t have enough money, you might look for a higher-paying job, find a second job, or reduce your spending. Avoid dwelling upon your anxiety and focus upon the solution. Have a solution for the current situation and the future. Dealing with the current situation is one thing. Actively preventing the same situation from occurring is what highly successful people do. 6. Make a plan. Make a detailed plan to address the cause of your negative emotion. Following the plan is crucial. Many people are great at making plans, but poor at fulfilling them. You don’t want to be one of those people. Make a plan and follow it. You will be surprised by how much you can accomplish if you make a committed effort to do something as well as you can over time. 7. Let go of the negative emotion. If a negative emotion is just a message, there is no reason to hold onto it after you have received the message. Just relax and let it go. Whether you can improve the situation or not, the negative emotion is no longer of value. Just move on. Negative emotions can certainly be unpleasant and even overwhelming at times. What is important is to recognize that a negative emotion is just a message to pay attention. Determine what that message is and react appropriately. Strong emotions limit your ability to make good choices. Once you have received the message, release the emotion, and put your solution into place. Your negative emotions can serve you. Use an intelligent decision-making process when choosing a course of action. For more information and tips on accessing your inner guidance to align with YOUR best success, follow Moira on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, join her Facebook Community, or visit her website! Read more from Moira! Moira Hutchison, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine As an Intuitive Coach, Mindset Mentor, Energy Healer, Meditation Teacher & Tarot Card Reader, Moira Hutchison guides her clients to access the innate power they have available when they ignite their personal trinity of trust, inner awareness, and self-confidence. Moira works with professionals who feel that there is something better in life for them, but they have no idea how to access it. However, they have a yearning to be guided by their intuition and align with their unique calling. What makes her distinctive and different in this work is that she has developed the ability to take complex, energetic, and spiritual ideas and interpret them in ways that people find easy to understand, integrate and implement.

Written by: Jacinta Gallant, 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 am a divorce lawyer and habitual problem-solver. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably a good problem-solver, too! Perhaps you naturally fall into this role personally and professionally, with clients, friends and family seeming to appreciate your guidance, advocacy, and support. You’re a “fixer” and they like it! Until they don’t. We have all had moments when our efforts to guide, advocate or support seem to fuel resistance or build resentment. We say, “Hey. I’m just trying to help!” only to find that this leads to more resistance. What’s a fixer to do? I’m Just Trying to Help! Pause for a moment and consider how you respond when you meet resistance – use your professional life for context. Let’s say you offer helpful services to a client and you really believe this will help them have a better life. They resist and justify their resistance with, “That won’t work. I’ve already tried it. I thought you had something different to offer. Your website looked so promising!” How do you respond? Do you explain (again) how your services can help and provide more special details? Do you offer reassurance? “I really believe this can help. I have a lot of experience working with this problem.” Do you offer more information – some tips, a brochure or a book recommendation? Sometimes this helps, but the tricky part is that usually it doesn’t – it leads to more resisting and defending behaviours – all of which are normal human reactions to a perception of threat. When we feel threatened we defend ourselves. Why Reassurance Often Doesn’t Help It’s like this: I resist your attempt to alleviate my sense of threat because your explaining and reassuring tell me you have no idea how serious this is to me – you just don’t understand (and you probably don’t even care)! Think of a time you have felt really stressed and worried, and someone tried to re-explain, give you more information, problem-solve, or reassure you: “It’ll be all right”. Did it help – or leave you feeling more defensive? For most of us, the answer is “more defensive”. Now consider what would help you in that moment? Most of us will say, “I want you to listen and try to understand.” Some of us might want a quiet hug. Hardly anyone wants to be fixed or told. It’s not time for problem-solving! When we are resisting or reacting defensively, we are not thinking clearly as our minds are preoccupied with a perceived threat. We are probably not conscious that we are reacting to a sense of threat and we usually won’t be able to articulate the threat – not in that moment. This is classic “fight or flight”. How Curiosity Can Help The research on curiosity helps. It turns out that curiosity calms. It reduces stress and increases people’s sense of well-being. And the bonus is that curiosity has this positive benefit on the receiver and the giver of curiosity – so there’s something in it for everyone! If we can notice defending behaviours and stop trying to fix or tell, then we can harness the power of curiosity. The next time you meet resistance from a client, harness the power of curiosity. Notice the defensive behaviour that signals “resistance”. Drop all assumptions about what might be behind the behaviour. Put aside your agenda or plan for how the meeting should go. Focus on the person in front of you. Be curious. State your intention to hear and understand. Ask. “What is most upsetting about all of this?” or “What is feeling threatened right now?” Listen to the response. Stay open. Don’t explain or inform. Don’t ask “How can I help?” (yet). The client who experiences your sincere curiosity will benefit from a sense of calm, relieving tension and opening- up. And then it might be time to ask a problem-solving question like: How can I be most helpful? What more do you want me to know? If you think you know what’s going on, you won’t ask. That’s the problem with problem-solving. Being more curious can deepen your already excellent communication skills and make it easier for people to open up to you, and with you. And check out my podcast, The Authentic Professional, to learn more about how to do more asking, and less telling! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jacinta! Jacinta Gallant, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jacinta Gallant is a respected lawyer, mediator and educator, recognized internationally for her innovative approach to conflict resolution training. Jacinta’s resources for divorce professionals, Our Family in Two Homes, help clients prepare for effective dispute resolution. Her podcast, The Authentic Professional, focuses on how professionals can bring more of who they are to what they do and her latest book, Going Steady, helps engage couples in conversations that sustain and nourish their relationship. Grounded in her home on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and with a global vision, Jacinta Gallant is an innovator who inspires other professionals to be more authentic and effective in work and life.

Written by: Ilaria Storch, 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. Most of us certainly have some “pet” habits – like things we like to do a certain way – and it might look like we are talking about pets and animals here – yet it´s not the case! We do want to keep it fun and cheerful though, when implementing new routines and habits for the year ahead, from expanding a positive mindset, to new places to travel around the globe. And by the way, cats and dogs are certainly creatures of habits, and very playful as well, and can inspire us humans. Usually, habits are hard to give up, and introducing new ones is not so smooth either. And this applies to many things in your life, from how you organize your drawers, or how many times you brush your teeth, to the consistent hour you wake up in the morning, or go to sleep at night, to how you handle work and personal assignments. Fist it´s important to be sincere and ask yourself – is this habit helping me, or blocking, damaging, keeping me stuck in some way? There are usually two routes to take, in my point of view, to tackle change, start a new habit and also to pause and redirect. One is related to the more masculine way of seeing things and taking action. The other, in the more feminine sphere, is when we need to go under the radar, sort things out in our hearts and minds, before course-correcting and taking new decisions, in our professional and personal life. Below, I quote some lines from two amazing authors and just like one book was written back in the 90s and the other only some years ago, it means that no matter where you are right now, motivation and steps can find you mostly anywhere, and at any time! Read the quotes, see which one gets you through to yourself and your fulfillment, and mix a little bit of each idea, whatever works for your inspiration and contemplation. The tasks of exploring your options and transformation are so exciting and necessary as much as traveling to new places and releasing others that are just not making you happy anymore. Like old and new habits. Resources and Willpower – book “The One Thing” ‒ by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan “Everyone accepts that limited resources must be managed, yet we fail to recognize that willpower is one of them. We act as though our supply of willpower were endless. As a result, we don´t consider it a personal resource to be managed, like food or sleep. This repeatedly puts us in a tight spot, for when we need our willpower the most it may not be there.” “If you are what you repeatedly do, then achievement isn´t an action you take but a habit you forge into your life. You don´t have to seek out success. Harness the power of selected discipline to build the right habit, and extraordinary results will find you.” Back to Yourself – book “The Heroine’s Journey” – by Maureen Murdock. “Women find their way back to themselves not by moving up and out into the light like men, but by moving down into the depths of their being. Her metaphor of digging the earth to find the way back to herself expresses woman´s initiation process. The spiritual experience for women is one of moving more deeply into self rather than out of self.” “When a woman stops doing, she must learn how to simply be. Being is not a luxury, it is a discipline. The heroine must listen carefully to her true inner voice. That means silencing the other voices anxious to tell her what to do. She must be willing to hold the tension until the new form emerges. Anything less than that absorbs growth, denies change, and reverses transformation.” Remember, travel (even to a new neighborhood, or mini trip – it does not have to be huge and far away if you´re not up to it), and transformation, can both help you with new habits and reorganize yourself towards your goals. Helping you navigate major life transitions with confidence towards your big goals and best life, wherever you are! Remember to get your “Free 7 Tips to Feel at Home Anywhere” on the site. Read more about longing and inspiration here. You can connect with me also at Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Ilaria! Ilaria Storch, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ilaria Storch, a Life Coach Nomad, is the creator of Life Coach Nomads, where she shares her passion for travel and for inspiring people everywhere to access their true center and find more connection and energy on the way to more joy, fun, and fulfillment. She practices that following your emotions, wrapped up in a personal structure that can connect your goals, desires, and love, is the path to all real and true growth. Wherever you are, change is nomadic by essence, and it takes time, support and starts inside you when you absolutely desire to develop yourself and move on. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising, speaks many languages, won a Fashion Illustration Award during College, and loves coaching her clients towards their expressive life journey.

Written by: Janifer Wheeler, 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. Alright, Alright, Alright! Side Hustlers, solopreneurs, and small biz owners, it’s time to get your business systems in check. You may feel overwhelmed by the thought of re-evaluating your current setup or starting from scratch, but don’t worry—we got you! Here are some tips on reviewing your business systems for efficiency, functionality, and flexibility so you can get back to running the show like the BADASS woman you are! This is the year of getting your shit together (literally!), which means taking a hard look at the systems you have in place for your business. What works? What doesn’t? Where can you make improvements? And how do you review your systems without feeling like a complete failure? We’re here to tell you that re-evaluating your business systems is actually an incredibly empowering process that – if done with intention – can save time, money, and sanity. Here are a few of our tips on how to get started. Figure Out What You Need Before You Invest in New Systems or Tools Before replacing or investing in new systems, take an honest inventory of what you need from them. Do you need tools that help automate processes? Are there tools that do what you want more efficiently than you currently use? Is there anything missing from the toolkit you already have? Taking stock of what you need and what already exists will help keep costs down and streamline the entire process. Make Sure Your Systems are Flexible Enough to Accommodate Growth & Change As your business grows, so should its systems. Take some time to evaluate how easily your current setup can evolve as needed; could it accommodate additional staff members or revenue streams? Could it handle bigger projects or more complex tasks? If not, then it may be time to rethink things. Remember that investments made now will likely pay off when it comes time to scale up operations. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help! You don’t have to go through all this alone! There are plenty of people out there who specialize in helping entrepreneurs like yourself overhaul their business systems – people who know exactly where to start and how best to move forward, no matter where your business is currently at. So don’t be afraid to seek help if needed; having someone walk beside you through the process can make all the difference between success and failure. In fact, The JOYFull BadAPP is nearly finished and ready for her close-up! Designed specifically for Introverts by an Introvert so that the tips, training, and resources align with your energy – No Zoom calls, Facebook lives, or other bullshit that makes us tired Assess your Systems with The JOY|Money Micro – our signature tool for evaluating your life and biz so you can find and fix the gaps Free & Paid Options– Monthly Articles; Micro Courses with Mini Lessons; 7 Day Challenges, Meet Me in the Ladies Room Podcast, tools, and assessments to help you EFF Burnout with systems that are Efficient, Functional, and Flexible BadAss Nation Membership – our community of like-minded individuals; and support from the JOYFull BadApp team – all through the APP – no FB groups! Self-Directed – 24/7 Access Available for download on the App Store and Google Play Re-evaluating your business systems isn’t always easy, but staying competitive in an ever-changing market is incredibly important. Take some time today to review what works for your biz, identify areas for improvement, invest in flexible solutions for growth, and reach out for help as needed. The JOYFull BadAss always has your back. Doing so will free up more time, energy, and cash for actual work — which is far better than spending hours spinning wheels trying to figure things out on our own (been there!). Stay focused on creating great results while still enjoying the ride – if it’s not JOYFull, why do it? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Janifer! Janifer Wheeler, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After retiring from teaching, Janifer Wheeler realized she had a bigger calling. She now brings her 20+ years of experience in education to the production industry to help entrepreneurs and teams find the proverbial work-life balance by following her JOYfully method. She’s also founded The JOYFully BadAss Academy, where they teach people how not only to do more but enjoy every minute of their workday — without taking any excuses or guilt home with them either (we know what it’s like). Give me 30 days, and you won’t regret it! Click here to learn more.

Written by: Daphney Poyser, 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. Between planning dates, surprise arrangements, and buying gifts the day of love can leave us feeling a bit lackluster. Which is why this Valentine’s Day we are advocating for a celebration with the one person who supports us most: Ourselves. Treat your body, mind and spirit to something nice this February. 1. Flower Subscription Celebrate the commitment you have to yourself this Valentine’s Day with a weekly or monthly floral subscription. Give yourself the gift you’ve always wanted, how and when you want it. The days of waiting for others to do what we can best do ourselves, are long over. 2. Surprise Yourself For each of us there is that one special thing that we hold close to our hearts, yet never do. It might be a trip, a course, what name you–there is an action out there we are holding back from doing. This Valentine’s Day take a moment to surprise yourself and commit to being brave enough to do what you have always wanted. Because at the end of the day, there are few greater gifts than peace of mind. 3. Spa day & Staycation at a Five Star Hotel The idea of spa days–whether at home or in a salon–have become almost synonymous with the idea of self-care. However, as they say, if it’s not broken…elevate. Step up your spa day into a staycation at a fine or boutique hotel of your choice. Spend the night, or even the weekend, indulging in new experiences and forms of relaxation. Your body and mind will thank you later. 4. Tasting Menu For those of us who spend the majority of our time in our own company, eating a meal alone is nothing new. Therefore, when it comes to romanticizing something the majority of us do over a thousand times a year, you have to get creative. Tasting menus are a great way to enhance your eating experience, while also expanding your creative palate. It allows you to throw yourself outside of your comfort zone and into something far more indulgent. 5. Attend a Silent Retreat With everything that we often take onto our plates there can, at the end of the day, be little room left to serve ourselves. Making it even more important to take a moment to step back from everything and everyone, to exist only in your own thoughts and intentions. This act, while small, is one of the clearest, yet complex commitments we can make to our own health. Silent retreats remind us that the most important cup we fill first is always our own. Only then can we find ways to be the better selves we all hope to be in our relationships, and with our partners. 6. Better Yourself For those of us who can’t, or don’t want to find time to commit to a silent retreat, we suggest engaging in at home options. Coaching can be a great way to collaborate with a professional on ways you want to improve different elements of your life. Including the relationship, you have with the most important person in your life: yourself. One of the pinnacle pillars of our coaching system is focusing on how to become the best partner you can be to yourself, so that one day you can reciprocate the same, to someone else. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website to schedule a time to discover more about putting yourself first with our coaching expert. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Daphney! Daphney Poyser, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Daphney Poyser is the founder and CEO of Fern Connections, a LGBTQIA+ Matchmaking and Coaching company. After noticing a lack of diversity within the world of same-sex specific dating services, Poyser sought out to create her own company founded on the principles of greater gender, sexual, and romantic inclusivity. Fern Connections was started in 2020 and now has headquarters in Texas and Georgia; the company services individuals nationwide within the United States.

Written by: Patricia Renovato, 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. Our thoughts become things. A belief is a collection of thoughts. We live by a guideline of beliefs. It sets the boundaries that we choose to live by and it defines what is possible for us in this lifetime. Our thoughts tell us who we are, shapes the world around us and it’s our companion every minute of the day. Acknowledging this idea can feel empowering or stressful…depending on the type of thoughts you gravitate towards. The good news is that thoughts are fleeting and you can choose a new one at this very moment. I’m going to share new ideas that can help you reprogram your thought patterns so that they serve you better. And the “better” is up to you to interpret. Scientists have been studying the ungraspable idea of thought, its origin, and the overall function of the brain for centuries. We have learned that the creation of new habits can take 3-4 weeks when enforced by repetition. The moment that you can do a task with minimal conscious awareness, you know you’ve succeeded in incorporating it into your life. Another way of measuring this is by the degree of resistance you experience. It is when you no longer consider the new task as a “task,” that you know you have accomplished your goal. The key to living the life of your dreams starts with dispelling the idea that you have to wait to start living it. You don’t have to wait to be happy, you can be happy now. The biggest mistake that we make is by waiting, putting conditions on our state of being. I will feel happy when X happens. If you decide to embark on this journey, you will soon realize that it’s an endless chase because the moment X happens, Y is right around the corner. Becoming aware of your thoughts and beliefs, allows you to start choosing how you want to feel and what you want to focus on, instead of letting untamed thoughts take the reign. Shifting from a lack of control to owning your narrative should feel freeing and empowering. Having the understanding that we can choose and control the patterns of our thoughts leads us to the art of manifestation. We have all manifested but may not have been aware of it. Manifesting is the practice of visualization. Visualization is creating imagery of something you want to experience inside your mind and focusing on it. Everyone approaches this with varying degrees of engagement; some feel it, others can see the entire scene, some can add color and others can add smell. There’s no right or wrong way of doing it. Many people do this while meditating or with the help of their vision board. You can do whatever feels authentic to you as long as it’s believable to you. You can do this any time of day, anywhere and for as long as you want. Once the vision is clear, you have to let it go and continue on with your life. You don’t need to obsess about how the vision will become part of your reality. The more you try to control “the how” the longer it will take to manifest. This is because you must feel it while you visualize, you have to let go of resistance that tells you it’s not possible for you. It won’t show up until you’re ready to receive it. I’ve started incorporating visualization methods into my life in the past 5 years and have used vision boards throughout my life for over 2 decades. My connection to these habits has evolved and become more aligned with my personal goals. And I have experienced significant success in moving my visions into reality. The hardest part for me in this process has been letting go of the “how.” And to help me with this resistance, I have inserted different reminders into my day to help re-train my brain. Here’s an insight into how I incorporate these habits into my day: Wake up ‒ gratitude I don’t get out of bed until I list the things that I’m grateful for Meditation Depending on my schedule, I will meditate for 3 to 15 minutes. And I’ll either do this while still in bed or sitting down with a crystal (preferred) Journaling I journal for 1-2 minutes in the morning. I’ve learned to not look at my phone before I’ve established a state of gratitude and excitement for the day 10 am reminder I have a reminder on my phone that simply says “I have good feelings.” This pulls me away from whatever task I’m deep into and it encourages me to shift my focus to a good-feeling place 2:30 pm mantra My current mantra is “I deserve the best in the world” and that shows up as a reminder for me every day at 2:30pm. It’s a beautiful reminder for me to think about all the amazing things that I am experiencing in my life and it always puts a smile on my face Nighttime I review all the experiences of the day that I’m grateful for before I fall asleep I encourage you to be mindful of your day. You can start by creating a schedule that serves the areas of your brain that you’re trying re-program. You can modify your schedule at any time and as often as you like. Once you find where resistance shows up for you, it becomes clear which thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors have been preventing you from living the life of your dreams. Experiencing and living your dreams isn’t something that you do subconsciously while you’re sleeping. Or something that you have to wait for because it’s dependent on something external to you. On the contrary, it is a highly engaging experience that you can have today. Pro Tip: Esther Hicks is a master manifester and has been one of my key teachers in the past year. I’ve read her books, listened to her CDs in the car, and I’ve listened to her videos on YouTube. I practice applying her teaching to my own life. And often consult her YouTube videos when I’m struggling with something so that I can recenter my energy. She offers live workshops, cruises, and online broadcasts. For more information, click here. If you want to learn how to implement these ideas and be coached by me, you can email me here to schedule a discovery call. Follow Patricia on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit her website for more info! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Renovato, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine For over a decade, Patricia kept ignoring the growing sensation that she could do more to serve the world. It was daunting to think about dramatically changing her life without direction. After spending some time searching for the answer, Patricia found her calling as a Life Coach. This became the vehicle for her to facilitate the transformation of people who felt stuck in their life, not knowing how to begin a new journey. Patricia dedicates her time to connecting people with their genuine passion for living a passionate and purposeful life. Patricia’s innate ability to see people’s potential beyond their purview inspires clients to work through the inner blocks preventing them from living their dream.

Written by: Natalia Jansen, 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 most extraordinary things about human beings is metacognition. We are the only species that can be self-aware. To notice our thoughts and recognize that we are not our thoughts, we simply have thoughts. Yet, most humans are not taking advantage of this extraordinary ability and thus live in a perpetual cycle of mindlessly and unconsciously reacting to outside conditions and stimuli. A person, who spends no or too little time figuring out how their mind works, is subject to a constant barrage of perpetually changing conditions, situations, and circumstances outside of their control. As a result, they experience more stress, and struggle, and are perpetually tossed around on the emotional roller-coaster feeling victimized and out of control. Just a few minutes a day of becoming familiar with our thoughts and creating a little bit of space between the thought and response gives us a much-needed sense of empowerment and control over our behavior. A slight deviation in a trajectory would land the arrow far off target, so can implementing one small mindfulness habit change the trajectory of the course of one’s life over time. There are many ways to begin your self-discovery journey and the path is unique and custom tailored to each individual. I offer one such path for people who are creatively inclined and are open to embracing fun, imagination, and acting games as tools for personal evolution and transformation. Whether you realize this or not, your life is a story and you mostly improvise your way through it picking up information, messages, and habits as you grow. We each start as a blank page, and as we experience the world observing our parents, learning from our teachers, interacting with friends, and millions of other stimuli that we are bombarded with daily in our modern-day tech world, we form patterns and habits accompanied by thoughts, emotions and ensuing reactions. Each new experience is a brainstorming session in which various drafts of the script are explored and as you move towards a satisfying solution the final draft is adopted. Once the script is in place, we play that scene out automatically without thinking next time a similar situation shows up. In order to rewrite the old script, we have to master the ability to become present and notice our thoughts, feelings, and actions in the moment, and pause long enough to examine them to choose a different response. To help my clients begging the process of self-examination in order to discover their thinking patterns and better understand how their unique mind works, I like to begin by drawing their attention to their body through an activity called character walk. Many adults are wholly disconnected from their body awareness throughout their busy day, so this exercise can be a powerful nudge out of their comfort zone. It’s an exploration activity that’s designed to help a person be present in the moment and notice things. In some ways, it’s similar to a walking meditation, with added elements of fun. At first, I have my clients simply walk casually across the room in any direction. Then I ask them to explore walking with their heads up as if they were proud and confident, then I ask them to lead with their forehead, then leading with one shoulder, or lifting their knees really high, etc. There are endless possibilities to explore. The goal is to be aware of open spaces and other people in the room as well as their bodies and feelings when they move across the space in different ways. If someone seems to be getting too close, they simply change direction. Many people feel awkward at first and tend to follow the crowd and begin walking in the same direction. That’s where I as a facilitator guide them with suggestions like find your own path, be a leader, and look for open spaces. After each different walk, we pause and explore what they observed and how they felt. This noticing and paying attention is a fun way to begin developing the inner noticer, the ability to exercise mindfulness, and body awareness. Speaking and naming the feelings and impressions helps create a sense of control and separates the emotion from the reaction. It creates space for examination and rational thought. Another great exercise in building one’s awareness and focus on the present moment is an exercise called a mirror. It’s a partner activity where two people face one another, looking each other directly in the eyes. One person begins to move their hands, arms, head, body or feet in a super slow motion and their partner using peripheral vision and focused concentration imitates the movement like a reflection in the mirror does. The goal is to move so in sync that the observers can’t tell who is the leader and who is mirroring the motion. The way to succeed in this exercise is total focus on what is happening right now in front of you. If you let your mind wonder with random thoughts or judgments, you lose synchronicity. It’s about feeling the energy of your partner and going with the flow. There are numerous fun theatre games that I like to use to help my clients build self-awareness, master their concentration, and develop their imagination. Each game helps them discover more about who they are as human beings and what they are capable of. They learn from other people’s shares and discoveries as well, which enhances the experience exponentially. Once they begin to see the possibilities in this safe and supportive space that I hold for each and every one of my clients, they can easily transfer and apply these skills to their daily life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Natalia! Natalia Jansen, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natalia combines her rigorous certification training with Brave Thinking Institute by Mary Morrissey, her 20 years of experience as an educator and theatre artist with her passion for personal development and spiritual transformation to her mission to teach women ‒ especially single moms ‒ to embrace their spiritual nature, re-ignite their dreams, take charge of their life, and design the life they truly love living.

Written by: Jamie Caroccio, 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 been putting off creating content because you don’t know what your audience wants or needs to hear? On average, only about 20% of your content gets read, you don’t want to waste effort and energy writing a 1500-word article nobody’s going to read. The solution? It’s insanely simple and much less work than you think. But most coaches and consultants won’t do it. If you don’t know what your people want ‒ ask! The only way to know what will motivate your audience to click, open, read, share, and ultimately buy is by asking them what they need and want. The best way to do that? Is through market research. How to Conduct Simple Market Research to Make Your Content More Relevant 1. List 5-10 ideal clients. They can be past clients, current clients, or connections from your network. The important thing here is that they’re your ideal clients. The insights you acquire from your research will form the foundation of your content, which will help you attract more of that type of person, so make sure it’s the type you want to work with! 2. Reach out to request a quick interview. Position your ask as beneficial to both parties. There are a couple of ways you can do this. The first is to share that you’re writing an article and ask if they want to contribute. An article feature will give them increased visibility and publicity. Or, you can offer a brief coaching session in exchange for their time. I prefer the article approach (it’s the perfect way to start creating more content). Here’s a done-for-you message for the article option: Hey [name], I’m working on something & thought of you. I’m looking to interview a few [ideal clients] on their top struggles with [what you help people with] for an article I’m writing. Would you be interested in contributing? It’d only require about a 15 min convo. There’s no pitch; I’m simply doing this for market research. Please let me know ‒ thanks! Be sure to let them know there will be no pitch. People are much more likely to respond – and say yes – if they know it will not be a sales call they didn’t request. Once they respond and say yes, get them on the calendar immediately. 3. Conduct the interviews. Remember, this is not the time to pitch your services. If this process is done right, you’ll have an opportunity to do that later, but it’s time to fulfill what you promised – conducting a short interview. You can set up a separate call if they ask about your services. Ask these questions: What are your top 3 frustrations regarding [what you help clients with]? What’s your 1 goal for [what you help clients with]? What kind of [what you help with] support have you hired in the past? What was your experience like? Have you been burned by any experts, programs, etc., before? What is your big vision for your life? For your business? 4. Create content based on what you learn. Once you collect insights from your interviews using the questions above, you should have a clear idea of what your ideal client is struggling with, what they want, and what’s holding them back. Now you can create content on those topics. Be sure to follow through and write the article. You can tag them when it goes live and thank them for contributing. This way their network will see it too! This article was inspired by an interview I conducted with a client following this process. One of his top frustrations? Not knowing how to create content his audience actually wants and needs to hear. When you actively listen to what your ideal clients have to say, they essentially write your copy for you. But you have to be listening. This is a simple, highly effective process. But again, most won’t do it. Does it take a little time upfront? Yes, but less than you think. The hardest part is always getting started. Once you do it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long. Don’t waste your time creating content nobody wants to read. Ask your audience. You might be surprised to see what you learn. To learn more of my best tips to transform boring, bland copy into tasty treats customers crave in just 5 minutes a day, sign up for my free Coffee & Copy Tips ☕📝. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my Website for more info! Read more from Jamie! Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jamie Caroccio is a Copy Coach & Copywriter. She helps coaches attract more high-end clients online with copywriting that is simple, fun, and profitable. Over the past 7+ years, she’s worked with hundreds of coaches across industries (business, executive, health, leadership, and more.) She’s helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space. She was a guest speaker for the Be Social Change Future of Social Impact Marketing panel. She’s also the Founder of “Coffee & Copy Tips,” a free newsletter that teaches you how to write better copy in just 5 minutes a day.