Written by: Anila Bashllari, 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 you are one among 30 million people that have read “The Secret “book, you might be curious on the reasons writing this article. Bear with me! I have read the book as well and I loved it! I was at my early years of exploration about personal development when this book came to life. It challenged me to focus on positive thinking but nevertheless, I was struggling a lot to see results! In fact, it took me years realizing that positive thinking is difficult. Our brain is design by default to focus mostly on “negative” thoughts as a protective mechanism for survival. We have been guided this way for millennia, being in survival mode rather than thriving. Through philosophers and writers, we have heard the importance of a calm and peaceful mind but we were not able to understand the deep meaning of those verses, poems or speeches. We failed to read and know among words what they were trying to germ in our brain: the importance of positive thinking… But not only. Based of ancestor’s philosophies, for years self-help gurus were preaching a repetitive mantra: if you are looking to improve your living conditions and reach your dreams you need to change not only what you think but how you think as well. “Focus only on positive thoughts and your life will improve forever. Visualize often your dream life and you will touch it in reality. Think like a millionaire and you will become one”. Does it sound familiar to you? I am not saying that visualizing yourself having what you want is bad. Or positive thinking is impossible. NO! On the contrary! I do them regularly. What I am trying to say that it is not enough and complete. As I mentioned our brain is designed to focus on negative thoughts by default and the majority of people have difficulties to shift on positive thinking due to their life experiences, external circumstances, or mental processes. Going back to the 19th century, William James was amazed discovering the relationship between emotion and behavior. The way we feel affects our behavior. Feel frustrated, angry, or stressful it would be reflected on the way you interact with others and your performance. But William James went deeper by assuming a two-way street impact. Not only that emotions affect our behavior but also the behavior affects our feelings and thinking as well. In 1979, Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychology professor did an experiment with elderly men, 75 years + for a week. She was testing the impact of thinking “As If” they were living in the year 1959, so 20 years younger. Everything, the environment, furniture, clothes, music, food, talking to each other was As If they were living 20 years before. They were not only thinking “As If” but acting “As If”, so their behavior was reflecting a 20 years younger man. The team took photos of all elder participants before and after the experiment. In addition, they went through overall analyses. The results showed that they looked 3 years younger; behaved more independent and have improved on eyesight, hearing, strength, flexibility, and increased space between bones. This experiment was followed by many others, showing the strong connection between body and mind, the two ways impact of thinking/feelings and behavior/actions. So, it is important to think positively or dream on what you want to have but the most important is to act on that. More than a century ago, William James suggested a different approach to change. Later on research, confirmed his theory that can be applied in almost every aspect of everyday life, and can be used to help people feel happier, stay healthy and fit, be in healthy relationships, increase self-confidence, etc. Positive thinking is desirable, and it takes a lot of work to change the pattern established for years. Another mechanism that can help and affect positive thinking is acting “As If “ you have a positive thought. It might be difficult at the beginning but through practice, little by little you can change your thinking process towards positive thinking. How can you do that? Taking little actions through your body movements can affect your brain and positive thinking. Never forget that one of the wellbeing principles is understanding that mind and body are connected. The following are seven body movements you can do that are proven to affect positively your thinking: 1. Smile for HAPPINESS When you wake up every morning smile for 1 minute, as wide as you can keeping your eyebrow slightly upward. I do this exercise every morning and helps me towards an inspiring day. The face muscles send signals to the brain that things are ok, I feel happy and neurons in the brain connect through new synapses that reflect the state you are projecting through your smile. Don’t trust me, GIVE IT A TRY at least for two weeks. 2. Tense up for increase of WILLPOWER We know that we have a high will power in the morning and as the day goes by, it goes down. So, any time you want to do something and you feel like you don’t have the power to do it, make a fist, contract your biceps, press your thumb and indicating finger together. Simply these movements will change the motivation state you are in through signals to the brain neurons. Or pick up a pen in your hand and start writing. When we write we tense up the same way as I was describing above. 3. Use your non-dominant hand for better DIETING Do you feel difficulties to keep with your diet? Any moment you feel as breaking your diet make this trick for your brain: use non-dominant hand to eat the food. Because you are focused on using well that hand, you are eating less, your appetite goes down and you put into synchro the brain and stomach neurons to coordinate together. Our stomach doesn’t need as much food as our brain indicate us. It takes about 20 minutes to bring into synchroneity our needs for food. 4. Take the first step to reduce PROCRASTINATION All of us procrastinate in a way or another. There are many things we can do to reduce till eliminate procrastination but taking the first step “As If” we are interested in what we have to do or just say yourself “Only for few minutes”. You will notice that as soon as you start, you are inclined to complete that task. I do it frequently when I am not in the mood to exercise. I say to myself:” I will exercise for only five minutes” and I end up doing the whole daily exercise minute. This is an important trick to use to overcome procrastination. 5. Arm crossing on PERSISTENCE and PERFORMANCE It is interesting but body posture imposes our attitude. A study from University of Rochester shows that who sat up straight and folded their arms endure on for almost twice as long as others. That helps a lot to persevere and most people are not aware of the effect of arm crossing on their behavior. You might have noticed from photos taken of leaders with cross-armed. You now understand why! 6. Power pose for building up SELF – ESTEEM & CONFIDENCE There are different ways to increase self–esteem and confidence but let me share a body posture that helps you increase your confidence. This posture can be applied sitting or standing. Interlock your hand behind your head and if you are sitting, lean back. If you are standing keep your feel flat on the floor, push your shoulders back and chest forward. Sure, don’t try this posture during an interview for a job or promotion. You can do it before on your own pace, charge with some level of self-confidence and then go ahead with your daily engagements. 7. Nod, smile and use a soft chair for NEGOTIATION In negotiation it is important to resonate energetically with the other person. We make deals with people we like. So, if you are selling, making a deal or negotiating you can use two things to make it happen: first, make the eye contact and nod your head, expressing that you understand the conversation. When people feel understood they tend to open and be easy to communicate. While true smiling increases the trust to the other person, to conclude the deal it would be good to use soft chairs instead of hard ones. When you sit in a soft chair, you are more flexible and open to come into a deal. Our early matured somatic communication channels with the outside world influence our impressions and as result decision-making. Choose well the place you are having a negotiation, deal or selling! Don’t trust me, just give them a try! For at least a week. I would guarantee, you will see results. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anila! Anila Bashllari, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anila Bashllari is an Executive and Business Coach on mindset enhancement, mental fitness and high performance. She coaches business leaders worldwide on Conscious Leader Framework, supporting them to live a holistic life, grows their business, become real manifestos of their dreams and vision, reconciles the conditioning patterns with true deep inside values through Inner and Outer Game. She has developed strategies how to enhance the mindset for creative thinking and achievement, feel resourceful, manage the inner energy to achieve a meaningful life and purposeful business and thrive during adversity times. Her mission is to create future leaders. References: [1] Maslow was almost the first psychologists that was talking about happiness and how people feel about the future, not only for the past. [2] Govindji, R., & Linley, P. A. (2007). Strengths use, self-concordance and well-being: Implications for strengths coaching and coaching psychologists. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2 (2), 143-153. Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Free Press. Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press. Burke, D., & Linley, P. A. (2007). Enhancing goal self-concordance through coaching. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2 (1), 62-69.

Written by: Jamie Carroll, 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 love the idea of the Hero’s Journey. The idea essentially that ALL OF US have to be heroes and periodically seek adventure so that we grow and transform. We live in a world where we are encouraged to think we should be proactive and always achieving our goals. And while we should think like this, we should also acknowledge more readily than we do that there are going to be times when fate intervenes, throwing new, life-changing adventures our way. And often these experiences are going to be difficult and painful and force us to confront who we are, who we thought we were, and what we really want. What I like about the idea of the Hero’s / Heroine’s Journey as a motif to live by is that it combines the ideas of taking powerful, scary, decisions while still heading in an unknown direction. It also offers the idea that there is a higher purpose to what we are doing than we are aware of. What is The Hero’s or Heroine’s Journey? The idea of a Hero’s Journey came from American writer and mythologist Joseph Campbell. He observed that a common theme underlying all the myths from around the world is the idea that a(n often reluctant) hero is called on to go on an adventure which will confront them with challenges way beyond what they are used to. If they survive the experience, they return wiser for it, often with new skills or powers. The Hero/Heroine monomyth is saying that we have to periodically seek adventure so that we grow and transform. The word “Adventure” may conjure up ideas of having to throw in your job and live in a jungle in Guatemala. But really the Hero’s Journey is talking about being authentic to yourself. You need to take on new experiences ‒ experiential, psychological and spiritual ‒ which thrust you out of your personal comfort zone and put you on a totally new course. The journey is unique to you. Our spiritual growth depends on embarking on adventures. Many people today are interested in finding their potential and becoming all they may be. Thanks to the self help industry, we’re becoming more aware that the road to happiness and wholeness is connected to living a life that feels filled with purpose and meaning. But whether it's spiritual growth or psychological growth we’re interested in, an infallible law of the universe is that growth doesn’t just happen on its own. Nor does it happen just from reading books about growth. Real growth is experiential. So: first we have to go through a powerful experience, perhaps overcoming friction and resistance, perhaps opening ourselves up to great joy. And then we have to reflect on the experiences and understand what it was about those experiences that connect us to others. We can’t always be living a Hero’s journey; we’d burn out. It’s great to rest a while after a major life change and absorb what we have learned. But we shouldn’t sit on our laurels too long; at periodic intervals, we need to be searching for our next cycle of growth. And this is true even when there are economic, environmental, political or family crises. No One Likes Risk The truth is few of us really want to go on an adventure that takes us out of our comfortable patterns (even if those patterns make us miserable!). We often reject the call. The great storytellers of the past knew human nature. And so in all the myths one of the basic milestones in the story is the Hero or Heroine refusing the call. One of the great modern myths I grew up with was Star Wars. In a crucial scene in the original movie, the young hero Luke Skywalker rejects the call to adventure from the wise old Jedi master Obi-Wan. But fate has other ideas. Shortly after the conversation, Luke’s parents are murdered by the Empire and this is the spark for him to join Obi-Wan on an adventure which sees him truly become Luke Skywalker – a walker among the stars. The movie Erin Brockovich is a true but also powerfully mythic story about a woman who accepted the call to mount a legal fight against an energy corporation, forcing them to accept culpability for contaminating water in Hinkley in California. The story is so inspiring because Erin Brockovich’s courage and persistence is actually so rare. Few would dare follow the call as she did. What happens when you resist the call? If you are lucky, the adventure comes to find you. You can hold fate off for a while but eventually, it bursts in. You suddenly lose the job you hate and have to scurry to find a new one. Or the marriage you had grown to detest ends suddenly ends when your partner leaves you. Sometimes the adventure is horrible in the moment, but you definitely grow because of it. A few years ago I was growing really bored with my job in a company when out of the blue I got made redundant. It was a scary time; there was some emotional turmoil. But I certainly felt more alive! And the change of circumstances eventually led to me finding a new job, finally also starting my own therapy business and then learning hypnotherapy. I doubt any of this would have happened very quickly if I had not been made redundant. If you are really unlucky, you make yourself impervious and nothing happens. You carry on in the same old rituals, fire-fighting the threats to the status quo and slowly making yourself depressed. In the long term, this outcome is maybe the hardest because it leaves you trapped and utterly unprepared for the vitality and force of the energies in the universe that want to connect with you. You certainly don’t grow. Don’t hold Out Too Long In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell notes that the entrances to temples “are flanked and defended by colossal gargoyles: dragons, lions, devil-slayers with drawn swords… These are the threshold guardians to ward away all incapable of encountering the higher silence within.” These guardians of myth and legend are a reminder that we do better to accept the call of a new adventure rather than fight it. Because if we don’t go, we won’t grow, and we won’t be psychologically or spiritually ready for maybe bigger challenges ahead. And the more Hero journeys we go on, the more we realise how much more we still need to keep growing before we can cross the next threshold. Three final questions for you: What have been your great Hero or Heroine journeys? When did you really have to find the courage to embrace the call? Are you currently resisting the call to start a new adventure? Go well and I wish you success and great learning when you start your next Hero Journey! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jamie! Jamie Carroll, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jamie Carroll is a Hypnotherapist and Astrologer. His goal is to deal with the Soul Wound which we all have within us and to activate transformation. Using hypnosis, past life regression and talk therapy, he helps clients move past their blocks – be they depression, anxiety, or a phobia and start to find their authentic selves. He uses Astrology as an adjunct to the therapy, and as a tool in its own right, to explore the hidden forces that drive the client’s personality and unlock their potential. He operates in the UK and internationally (over Zoom).

Written by: Jo Kelly , 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. It can feel like coughs and colds are everywhere in the winter months. So how do you best protect yourself from picking up every bug going? Here are my top 5 tips for keeping your immune system in check! But first things first, why should you boost your immune system? Well actually, you shouldn’t! Boosting our immune system may make it go into overdrive, and may cause significant side effects. So what we should be doing is looking to SUPPORT our immune system. But how? 1. Look after your guts 70-80% of your immune cells are found in the guts. ¹ Which makes it so important to look after your gut health. There are approximately 100 trillion bacteria in the digestive system, ² known as the gut microbiota. These bacteria all need feeding, and what they love is plant-based foods. The key here is variety, so aim for 30 different plant-based foods each week. This can include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs and spices. Easy ways to up your diversity add a handful of mixed seeds to your breakfast or salad have an extra portion of vegetables with each meal snack on mixed nuts instead of one type of nut add extra herbs and spices to your meals. You’ll be up to your 30 before you know it! 2. Sleep Sleep quality and quantity can affect your immune system. Research shows that insufficient sleep can increase your chances of catching a common cold or flu. ³ So how do you get a good night's sleep? It starts in the morning. Get some light exposure first thing in the morning, ideally sunlight. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm. Reduce blue light exposure in the evening. This comes from screens and electronic devices. Ideally, stop using screens 2 hours before you go to bed. Have a good bedtime routine. This gives your body a signal that it’s time to sleep. Have a regular bedtime and wake time, even at weekends. Avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol at night can have a negative impact on sleep. Ensure you have a relaxing comfortable bedroom environment. Keep it dark, quiet and cool. Aim to finish your last meal 4 hours before you go to bed. 3. Get outside A large study ⁴ found that at least 120 minutes per week in nature can significantly boost health. Getting outside can help lower infection rates in the gut, lungs and urinary tract. It can also reduce unwanted inflammation. Getting outside in nature is also great for mental well-being, so what are you waiting for? Get your shoes on and go out for a walk! 4. Antioxidants Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicles in your body. Free radicles are compounds that can be harmful if their levels become too high, and are linked to multiple illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. ⁵ Antioxidants are found in plenty of foods such as: Dairy products Eggs Liver Berries Oranges Peppers Nuts and seeds Green leafy vegetables Carrots Spinach Peas Tomatoes Papaya Whole grains Legumes Green tea Dark chocolate So lots to choose from! Make sure you get plenty of variety for the best immune system support. 5. Stress Studies have shown that stress can produce an inflammatory response, and when this response is persistent, it can contribute to chronic disease. ⁶ Chronic stress can also produce higher than normal levels of cortisol in the body, which can hinder the body’s anti-inflammatory response and increase the risk of infection. So what stress reduction tactics can be put in place? Exercise - any exercise that works for you can help reduce stress. The key is doing what you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t go for a run! If you love walking, do that instead. It all counts. Connect with others - you may feel like isolating yourself when stressed, but reaching out and connecting with others can help relieve your stresses. Laugh - laughter causes positive physical changes in your body, which can help to relieve stress. So get your favourite comedian on and laugh away! Do what you love - doing whatever makes you happy can help relieve stress, whatever that may be. Make time for yourself, and embrace what makes you feel good. Seek support - If self-care measures aren’t relieving your stress, professional support can help you identify your causes of stress, and support with tools to help you cope with it. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Li nkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jo! Jo Kelly, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jo Kelly is a registered Nutritional Therapist, who specialises in supporting people with auto-immune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to name just a few. She uses nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to help her clients with their condition and feel the best version of themselves. Jo studied at the world renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition, and is pleased to have helped hundreds of people since launching Flourish with Nutrition. As a huge foodie herself, Jo appreciates all too well that food must be enjoyable. Therefore, Jo endeavours to ensure clients have fun with their food, and works closely with them to make personalised recommendations that work, and are sustainable. References: (1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/ (2) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-gut-bacteria-improve-your-health (3) https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.201411-2099CI (4) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3? utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_ GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100090071&CJEVENT=bf3d a1b39a6a11ed822501900a18ba72 (5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24587990/ (6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476783/

Anton Broers is a leading European mindset trainer, coach and speaker and author of the transformational fable “The Robot who became a Human”, and who was recently featured on Dutch national TV. He has been a student of life for decades, learning and practicing the power of ancient wisdom. His learning accelerated when he was living and working in Singapore where he sought and found a unique teacher in the person of Vikas Malkani, The Wisdom Coach. Under the loving and inspiring guidance of his guru, Anton has made wisdom an integral part of his life which has made his life bigger, better, brighter and braver. Upon finding the treasure of wisdom, he transformed his life. He was in a successful corporate career, now he is on a mission! Anton Broers, Mindset Coach & Trainer Who are you? I am born and raised in the Netherlands in Europe. As a child I was a dedicated student at school and an active sports practitioner. I hold a black belt in judo and I was a talented tennis and football player. After graduating from high school, I became a student at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam where I received my master diploma in business economics in 1994. It had been my childhood dream to live and work abroad so I applied for a job with Shell and I was hired. My career with Shell over 25 years brought me to Europe, Asia and the Americas. In my last role in Shell, I was the Finance Director of one of the largest and most challenged companies in the Netherlands. In addition to this ordinary path of life that most of us are walking, I walked another path: the path of seeking inspiration, the path of understanding myself and understanding life better. My search for more clarity and meaning started in my early 20’s. I read books. Books full of inspiration. And I found many messages that resonated. One powerful line that I came across in many wisdom books in particular caught my attention: AS YOU THINK, SO YOU WILL BE. The line intrigued me but I did not understand. When Shell offered me a job in Asia, the birthplace of mind power, my wife Cate and I resolved to seek and find the best teacher who could introduce us further in the importance of thinking. What happened? We arrived in Singapore mid-2007. Soon after, Cate ‘found’ Vikas Malkani at a coffee morning where he gave a brief introduction into the power of the mind. She was hooked. In the evening, she told me that she wanted to learn from this gentleman and that I should visit a free talk Vikas would give a few weeks later. So I did and that is where my learning with him started. Vikas Malkani is a living, modern-day master of life from the Himalayan Master’s lineage. The prime teaching of the Himalayan Masters is: when you master your mind, you will master yourself and your life. Vikas has taught me how to train and master my mind to unlock my best life. The application of his teachings has empowered, elevated and enlightened me. My life has grown in so many ways. Learning to train my mind has been the best investment of my life. An investment that I can recommend to anybody. Through mind training you acquire the most important life skill of all: the skill to take control over your life. When we left Singapore in 2012, I left with the treasure of mind power and with a dream in my heart: to share that treasure with the world! How is mind power a treasure? How does it benefit people? Just look around. The world is suffering from a mental health tsunami. I see so many people who are not enjoying their lives. People who don’t have clarity. People who lack meaning and fulfilment. People who are entangled in difficult relationships. People are unhappy and suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. This is also the case in the corporate world where I came from. Business professionals are susceptible to the same mental health challenges. Leaders, entrepreneurs, team members are living in a world they cannot control but in which they do want to succeed. This causes stress and can seriously deplete people’s effectiveness, well-being and joy in life and business. The solution to our challenges in life does not lie in our external world. It lies in our internal world which starts in the mind. When we learn to use our mind consciously, we can start to direct our life. I teach people how to use the mind in a way that helps their life, that supports their life, that improves their life. I guide people toward a mindset that elevates their spirit and energy and makes life a most enjoyable affair. The value of my work is visible in both the personal lives and the professional lives of my clients. I work with individuals, with corporate leaders, with entrepreneurs, with teams. I coach them to manage stress and anxiety, to deal with challenges in the best possible way, to create happiness and results. I teach people and teams how to unlock the positive power of the mind which will make the whole experience of life sweeter, smoother and better. When you start to use your mind deliberately, you have found the key to take control over your life. You will get more clarity. You will become more confident. You will feel elevated and empowered to go after your dreams. You will become free. You will enjoy more. You will achieve more success and you will be fulfilled. So what is your mission? What do you do? It is my mission to introduce and train people in the power of their mind. We all possess this immense power but we don’t use it because we don’t learn about it. Where at schools are children taught about the importance of their mindset? Where do children learn how to use their mind to their benefit? Nowhere... We don’t learn this most important skill for life. And it is even worse. Not only do we not get trained to think in support of our best life, without us realising we do get trained in many wrong ideas about ourself and about our life. Throughout our life we gather many beliefs and convictions from others that are to our detriment. We acquire many thoughts that don’t help us and that are the root cause for the problems we experience. It is my mission to make people aware of the power of their thinking and to coach and train them how they can grow and develop a mindset that will help them to create an enjoyable and successful life. Can everybody benefit? Yes, everybody can definitely benefit! We are all born with a mind, we are not born with a mindset. Our mindset is the ‘secret’ engine for our life and, as I already explained, it is filled with many unhelpful, wrong ideas. Our mindset is like the software for our life. Just like with a computer, where it is smart to update your software regularly, it is wise to upgrade your mindset and keep your thinking up to date. It will result in a much improved life. We all have this inherent power to change our mindset so yes, training your mind can be of great value for everybody. Why are you the right trainer and coach? That is a good question, especially because there are so many coaches and trainers around these days. They all promise to change your life, to help you, to take away your pain and problems. Investing in the right coach to improve your life is definitely a most worthwhile investment. But how to find the right coach? Let me give you a practical and proven piece of advice that will help you to find the best possible coach for you. When you are looking for a coach, look at the following three things: The teaching – what is the content that you get in the training and coaching? And does it work? The teacher – what does the coach’s life like look? Is the coach’s life reflecting his/her teaching? The teacher’s teacher – who did the teacher learn from? Find the answers and you will get a good insight into the quality of the coach. I will give you my answers to the three coach characteristics to answer your question why I am the right trainer and coach: I teach ancient, proven wisdom made practical for today’s living. The content I share is timeless inspiration made fun and simple that has a proven track record of changing lives. Wisdom is the best possible fuel for your mind. It is the only structural stabiliser and optimiser of life. My life is full of happiness, success, fulfilment, joy, love, positivity, good relationships, progress and freedom. It is one of my personal life objectives to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s wise words: be the change you wish to see. In other words: my life is my teaching. My most important teacher is Vikas Malkani, the Wisdom Coach. He has been my guru, mentor and coach since 2008 and I continue my connection with him to grow and develop myself. I have another valuable piece of advice for you in your search for the right coach: the coach who tells you that he/she will improve your life, is NOT the right coach for you. The right coach will inspire you and share simple and practical insights and guidance. The right coach will give you life strategies and concrete tools and techniques that will help you. But YOU also have a role: YOU will have to take action, YOU will have to apply the guidance and tools to transform your life. Nobody else can do that. Without your involvement and action, there will be no results. The right coach will show you the path. You will have to walk it. How can people connect with you? I coach people both individually and in group classes in person but also virtually (e.g. via Zoom) for people around the world. I coach people who are stressed and anxious, people who have too much negativity in their lives, people who are stuck and face many challenges, people who want more happiness and success, people who want to maximise their inner potential. I also coach people in the business world: CEO’s, entrepreneurs, leadership teams, business teams. Business people and teams who want to be able to stay calm, positive and focused in the storms of life, who want to grow and develop, who want to deliver maximum results. If you want the value and benefit from mind power and wisdom for yourself, for your life and/or for your business, you can get in touch with me via e-mail anton@mindurlife.nl and we will take it from there. If readers want to learn more, what can they do now? Last year October, my first book came out: The Robot Who Became A Human – 10 Wisdom Lessons to Become a Free Human and Live on Your Own Terms. It is a transformational fable based on my life, my learning, my experiences, my mindset, my growth, my transformation. In a way it provides a synopsis of the key lessons that I live by and that have benefitted my life and that I would like every person in the world to know and practice. The book is a great place to start but the most powerful way to improve and transform yourself is to work with the right coach. That is what I do with my clients. For example an entrepreneur who came to me and told me his relationship with his wife was deteriorating because of his often times ‘smart’ behaviours. I coached him to create clarity in his confusion (‘’what is the problem…?”), helped him to see his negative mind and gave him insights and tools to change himself. Over a period of coaching, his mindset changed and after a few months, he told me, with a smile on his face: “Do you know what my wife said to me last week? She said: ‘You are a changed man. You have become so positive. It is a pleasure to be with you again.’” Yes, we can all change and the key is available in our mind! So if you want to know more about the power of the mind and the power of wisdom, get a copy of The Robot Who Became A Human, enjoy the read and be inspired to improve your life. If you want maximum results for your life and business in the most efficient way, please get in touch with me to discuss how I can help you to make sure your mind helps you to create the life and business that you want! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anton!

Written by: Juliette Marhofer-Dugger, 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. Are you living without non-negotiables in your life? Frequently evaluating our non-negotiables cultivates clarity and elevates creativity. Clearly defining and placing priority on what is meant for us, gives way to manifesting the blueprint for the life we desire to live personally and professionally. These two questions are my starting point: What can I not live without? And why? Prioritizing Soul-Care and Self-Care reinforces your non-negotiables and supports wellness for your whole-being. Consider amplifying the definition to these areas of your life and write them in a journal: Clearly Defined Boundaries: This supports high-level living! This allows you to nurture a healthy and sustainable life amid building powerful, meaningful relationships. Releasing: Consider living with an open hand to release what’s not meant for you and an open mind to engage what is! Judgement Free Zone: Consider creating a judgment free zone for yourself and others to protect your energy and not fight battles unintended for you. Follow Your Convictions: Consider not compromising your convictions, yet holding onto compassion for yourself and others. Create space for perspective; you reserve the right to change your mind. The Power of Forgiveness: Consider paying attention to the velocity of forgiveness toward yourself and others. Releasing and forgiving cultivates freedom and love in your life. Explore: Consider paying attention to your intention towards what matters most. Then, as you journal your experience, share the alignment you feel impacting your spirit, soul, and body. A life defined by love is a life well lived. Life is beautiful and unpredictable. Let’s change the way we think about ourselves and the positive impact we can offer others. Approaching our day confident of possibilities positions us to create beauty from a space which others may deem impossible. We were never created to live beneath the surface with shame, it carries the power to destroy our creativity! Shame can silence us and fear can paralyze us. Fear and shame are feelings, they are not the truth. Choosing our non-negotiables, disarms these lies while communicating to ourselves and others that we are worthy of Soul-Care and Self-Care. To be better, we must do better. Don’t forget to check out my brand new book, Watershed Warrior, available now on Amazon, Kindle, iTunes, and Audible! Until next time, cheers friend! Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more information! Read more from Juliette! Juliette Marhofer-Dugger, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Juliette Marhofer Dugger, is a mother, coach, speaker, author, entrepreneur, thought leader, and philanthropist whose obsession with Soul Care points others to rewrite their story and not to relive history. After childhood and adulthood trauma caused a collision of abandonment and intimate belonging in her soul, she created dialogue to radically transform her narrative. Juliette has committed her life to help others unleash their creativity in the middle of the war in their soul not after it ends! She is the Founder of WildWell Company and the Master Coach and Creator of Detox Dialogue™, a movement of personal transformation through soul care for females whose private and professional lives have been impacted by systemic cycles and patterns, mental, emotional, and spiritual abuse, and betrayal trauma. She is a published author and host of YELLOWSOUL, an interview-based podcast holding rogue conversations for women to know “if it's defined you, it matters, let’s talk about it”. Juliette is passionate about reframing soul hygiene to disrupt the view of how we connect to faith, ourselves, and others to create a life of wonder!

Written by: Dale Halm, 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. According to a recent Gallup study, sixty percent of employees don't know what their organization stands for. That’s bad news. Most leaders take it for granted that everybody knows the company agenda and that all employees are committed to excellence. If your organization’s game plan does not include explicit behavioral standards, you are likely performing at a sub-optimal level. This article explores four things you can do to establish a blueprint for excellence. 1. Know Your Agenda What’s your organization's agenda? What’s your personal agenda? Most people are unable to provide an immediate, crystal-clear response to these questions. Their sense of purpose and contribution disappear in an endless sea of to-do’s. This is true for both individuals and organizations. What is an agenda? It is your indispensable plan or goal that guides your behavior. Your agenda represents the things you must act on to accomplish your objectives. Leadership’s job is to simplify and clarify the organization’s agenda so that every employee can understand it and realize how their work contributes to it – period. Anything less leads to organizational mediocrity, not excellence. 2. Define Excellence What does it take to achieve organizational excellence? Obviously, it takes many things. Most importantly, it takes people who can collaborate in an exceptional manner. I define organizational excellence as the ability to achieve outstanding results by people working together in uncommon and highly effective ways. Let that definition sink in for a moment. Many companies have brilliant strategies, leading-edge design and manufacturing capabilities, advanced technologies, or other competitive advantages. Yet, they fail to operate at true levels of excellence. I have never met a leader who did not want his or her organization to excel. It is hard to find an employee who does not aspire to be part of a prominent organization. So, why is this so difficult to achieve? A fundamental reason is that we don’t define our terms. Saying you strive to be a high-performance organization without defining what it really means leads to dysfunction. You must clearly define what you mean and what it looks like to be an exceptional organization. Then do the heavy lifting of holding yourself and others accountable to those standards. That’s how you start to move toward excellence! 3. Know What Matters Most The main reason most enterprises fail to achieve organizational excellence is because they don't pay attention to what matters most. What matters most is the way people interact, how they work together to produce results, and their ability to shape their own destiny. Whether it is a relationship between two people or an entire organization, success boils down to two fundamental things. How people think and act ‒ that's culture. Creating a winning culture is not about attaining an ideal state where everything is perfect. It is not about being content with your relationships, co-workers, or the workplace. It is about challenging your habitual ways of interacting and applying an alternative approach resulting in higher levels of excellence and more effective relationships. As an American management consultant and author Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Think about that for a moment. For a business to prosper, you must implement new processes and realize cost savings. You need to upgrade equipment and technology to stay competitive. But nothing noteworthy will occur without employees working together in extremely constructive ways. Yet this is often missing as a stated objective. It is not on the organization’s agenda. Without talented workers interacting efficiently to produce sustainable results, organizations never maximize their true potential. You simply don't get superior results without people being highly cooperative. Companies on Fortune's Best Companies to Work for List have cultures where employees approach business and each other differently. 4. Behaviors Triumph Systems If you look under the hood of companies like these (i.e., Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Wegmans Food Markets, Accenture, etc.), you'll find cultures of accountability and partnership. The distinction is that individuals in these organizations work together in unique and powerful ways. They emphasize company goals over personal objectives. Team members are honest and direct instead of misleading. Co-workers truly commit to decisions instead of sabotaging them after they are implemented. I can assure you, there is nothing ordinary about these behaviors. Yes, operational, marketing, cash flow, people management, and procurement systems are vital. You can have the best systems online and on paper but if people don’t honor them confusion, blame, and excuses erupt. Companies that establish cultures of excellence understand that employee behavior, not processes or systems, is the ultimate driver of success. So, what's on your organization's agenda? Does it include excellence? Dale Halm, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dale Halm is the Founder of Dale Halm Consulting, LLC. He has held leadership positions for a Fortune 500 company and has contributed significantly to record-setting start-up operations resulting in multi-million dollar cost savings. Dale's extensive experience includes various training and organization development roles at Intel, Freescale (NXP), and Arizona Public Service Company. He is the author of The Excellence Agenda and specializes in transforming workplaces and maximizing human potential. Dale has been a speaker at numerous conferences and holds both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University.

Written by: Sally Higoe, 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. Communication is largely considered to be the backbone of an organisation. However, people have distinctive communication styles shaped by dynamics like culture, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, and class. Therefore, as the world progressively leans towards diversity, it is obvious that we are likely to suffer communication breakdown and misunderstanding. Without a smooth flow of communication, a company is likely to falter in its productivity. Your team’s morale is likely to go down due to poor communication. Miscommunication also ignites unnecessary conflicts in an organisation. The first step towards ensuring your business has effective communication is looking at the various styles and types of communication and then settling on the best communication model. You need to assess your employees, find out their communication styles, meet halfway, and work towards building a uniform communication model across the organisation. Many businesses go to great, expensive lengths to conduct assessments. However, to easily assess people’s communication styles, you can use the Extended DISC assessment. One of the most useful Extended DISC assessments is the individual behavioural assessment that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your team members. It can measure at a deeper unconscious level to exclude the impact of the current environment in which your team are experiencing. Regarding your organisation’s communication style, the Extended DISC assessment system will help you to: Understand your team members’ differences and develop a uniform communication model Develop your organisation’s communication culture Follow up on your team members’ communication performance Reduce the effects of poor communication like conflict and turnovers A leader must adjust their communication style to meet their team members’ style and thus motivate, inspire, and effectively complete tasks to the best possible outcome. You need to understand two basic perspectives of communication: style and types of communication. There are four basic styles of communication: Passive communication ‒ passive communicators keep it all to themselves and avoid expressing their grievances or giving their opinions. Aggressive communication ‒ aggressive communicators are more radical and domineering in expressing their opinions and may infringe on other people’s rights. Passive-aggressive communication involves expressing negative feelings indirectly, mostly appearing passive on the outside but very aggressive on the inside. Passive-aggressive communicators are likely to use body language to communicate. Assertive communication ‒ assertive communicators express their feelings clearly and directly while respecting other people’s feelings and opinions. As a leader, you should adjust towards being an assertive communicator. Assertive communication is respectful and dictates that you should be a good listener, respect other people’s opinions and feelings, and be authentic. An organisation with assertive communicators is a critical-thinking and problem-solving organisation. For example, by using assertive communication, you are inclined to listen to and articulate opinions better and agree on what helps the organisation achieve the common goal. Consequently, assertive communication will encourage teamwork and create strong bonds among members. Communication is also divided into five types: Verbal ‒ transmitted via word of mouth Non-verbal ‒ body language, eye contact, and touch Written ‒ emails, letters, texts Visual communication ‒ photographs, graphs As a leader, it is important to understand that your team members may individually prefer different communication types. For example, some members may prefer a presentation of graphs and videos rather than long meetings or emails. Generally, to adjust your communication style to your team members’ style, you may need to do the following: Use a variety of communication styles, for example, the same message in meetings, emails, and slide presentations. This will help you accommodate every team member. Reach a consensus with your team members. You may agree to negotiate with your team members and decide what is best for the business. You may forego your personal preferences and improve your decoding skills, for example, forgoing verbal communication as your personal preference and having to improve on coding and decoding graphs. Be courteous. Like in assertive communication, you need to respect other people’s opinions. Listen to feedback. You should listen to what your team members say about your mode of communication, what they prefer, and what you should change. Train your team members on the contemporary styles of communication that are mandatory. For example, using PowerPoint presentations and videos in meetings should not be a problem for a team member in organisations where it is considered standard. Conclusion Organisations are increasingly becoming diverse, and it is important to have well-defined communication models. Team members and leaders should use a uniform communication model to facilitate smooth communication. As a leader, ensure you use the communication style you want the rest of your staff to use. It is advisable to use assertive communication and bargain on the best communication from verbal, non-verbal, written, and visual communication or use combinations. If you’d like to chat about this further and understand more about Extended DISC assessments, reach out and email me, I love to have a chat to support and inspire leaders on how they can best serve their team whilst being true to themselves, and then work out the best way that you can do that. Being trained and qualified in both individual and team assessments places me in the perfect place to assist you to create the right path and hold your assessments should you wish. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sally! Sally Higoe, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sally is uniquely world-experienced in building resilience, emotional fitness, and quality sustainable practices in leadership. Her experience across multiple countries leading high-performing teams in high-pressure outlying remote environments has amplified her ability to know what it takes to connect a conscious leader to their team, with outstanding results. Having spent decades on diverse projects in every climate imaginable, Sally discovered the critical aspects of authentic leadership and team alignment. She has now blended research-based, proven methodology with her pragmatic approach and ability to 'be herself' to create the transformative Align & Shine program. There, she guides formerly flustered, confused, and internally insecure leaders, to tap into their true classic selves, without the need to conform to outside pressures, helping them become bold, present, courageous, and energized leaders who genuinely connect with their team AND their business. Sally is co-author of Resilience in Leadership, Pt 1 of the book series, leader of both community and international hardship projects, and accredited in scientifically proven Human Behavioural Profiling and Meta Dynamics ' thinking-based methodology, adding to her Practitioner of Coaching credentials. Most importantly though, Sally, Founder of Team Resilience Method, is now on a mission to show striving leaders how to shine, gain clarity and create a ripple of positive change, from the inside out.

Dr. Elena Paweta is an executive communication coach, speaker, TEDx organizer, and university professor. She conducts courses, trainings, and workshops on effective communication and business presentations internationally. As a TEDx organizer, she coached top speakers who achieved over 1 million views of their talks. Now she is lecturing at leading business schools and working with managers and CEOs on their business presentations. Elena is also a marathon runner and mother of 2 daughters. Elena Paweta, Executive Communication Coach Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. My name is Elena Paweta. I wear many hats ‒ I’m an executive communication consultant, university lecturer, TEDx organizer and coach, book author, mom of 2 wonderful daughters, marathon runner and many more. I love travelling and working in different countries around the world. I consider myself a global citizen, currently I am based in Warsaw with my family. What is your business and how do you help your clients? As a communication coach and consultant, I am helping business professionals to communicate with clarity and confidence, so that they can achieve more in business. I am passionate about making people heard, giving them confidence to express their opinions and share their ideas freely. I am also working with startup owners helping them to prepare investor pitches, and with international experts who want to share their ideas on big stages like TEDx. You have organized TEDx events for 8 years? How to get on this big stage? First of all you need to have an idea worth spreading. I wrote an article about it some time ago in Brainz Magazine. Make sure that your idea is new, unique and relevant for the audience. If you have it, you can look for the events nearby and reach out to organisers. I also recommend to contact a TEDx coach or a team member before and discuss your idea. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn in this matter. What are your current goals for your business? Currently I am growing business internationally and developing outside of the European market. I have more business clients in the US and in the Arabic market. I am opening up for international cooperation. Among my plans for the upcoming future is speaking on big international stages. I don’t want to come back to travelling non stop though as I did before 2020. Healthy work-life balance is very important for me, as I want to spend more time with my daughters who are growing up and need a lot of attention and quality time with their mom. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? I have a vision that we have more confident women in business, who are not afraid to speak up and express their opinion, who can influence, persuade, motivate, inspire. Everything I do is devoted to this vision – working with young students, startup owners, business professionals and executives on their confidence and communication and leadership skills. I hope that my work will contribute to this bold vision and we will make this world a better place. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Elena!

Written by: Tomas Svitorka, 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. Succeed this year by avoiding these three tempting mistakes. New Year's resolutions are a time-honored tradition for many people, a chance to set goals and make positive changes in their lives. However, for many, these resolutions quickly fall by the wayside, and before long, they find themselves back where they started. In this article, we will explore three common mistakes that people make when trying to achieve their New Year's resolutions and offer tips on how to overcome them. Whether you're looking to lose weight, save money, or improve your relationships, these mistakes can be a major obstacle to achieving your goals. By understanding and avoiding these mistakes, you'll be well on your way to making your resolutions a reality. Mistake 1: Thinking: this time, you’ve got it. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to New Year's resolutions is thinking that this time, they've got it. They believe that they can achieve their goals without changing their approach, but unfortunately, this is often not the case. The same challenges that have stopped them in the past will likely continue to do so unless they make a conscious effort to improve their approach. For example, if someone has made a resolution to lose weight, but they've tried and failed multiple times before, simply deciding to eat less and exercise more is not likely to be enough. They need to take a closer look at the reasons why they've failed in the past, and make changes that will address those underlying issues. This might mean finding a new type of exercise that they enjoy, or addressing emotional eating habits that have been holding them back. It's important to remember that simply wanting to change is not enough. To succeed, you must be willing to improve your approach and take action in a different way. It's okay to fail, but it's not okay to give up. By taking a different approach, you can achieve your goals. Mistake 2: Keeping it secret. Another common mistake that people make when it comes to New Year's resolutions is keeping it secret. Many people believe that "working in silence" is the key to achieving their goals, but in reality, keeping your resolutions a secret can actually make it easier to quit. Without anyone to hold you accountable, it's too easy to make excuses and let your resolve slip. When you don't tell anyone about your goals, you don't have anyone to share your progress with or anyone to keep you motivated. Without the support and encouragement of friends and family, it can be easy to lose sight of why you started in the first place. Additionally, if you don't share your resolutions with anyone, you might not have anyone to celebrate your successes with. On the other hand, when you share your goals with others, you are more likely to stick to them. You are more likely to feel accountable and motivated. When you tell others about your goals, they can keep you on track, and support you when you're feeling down. They can also help you make a plan, and hold you accountable when you're not following through. Sharing your goals with others can make the journey easier, more fun, and more rewarding. So, don't be afraid to share your resolutions with the people around you. You'll be surprised at how much support you'll receive. Mistake 3: Your goals are too scary. Another common mistake that people make when setting New Year's resolutions is setting their goals too scary. Many people believe that in order to achieve something great, they must set big, ambitious goals. While this may be true in some cases, setting your goals too high can actually be a major obstacle to achieving them. When people set goals that are too big and unrealistic, it can quickly become obvious that they are not achievable. This can lead to feelings of discouragement and demotivation, making it even harder to make progress. Instead, your goals should be just big enough to excite you, motivate you and keep you feeling like they are achievable. It's also important to remember that easy goals are not motivating. It's important to find the balance between setting a goal that is challenging and achievable. A goal that is too easy will not provide the sense of accomplishment or fulfillment that you're looking for, and it may not be that much motivating. In short, it's important to set realistic and achievable goals that excite and motivate you. When you set goals that are just the right size, you'll be more likely to stay on track and make progress. Don't be afraid to think big, but make sure your goals are also realistic and achievable. In conclusion, when setting New Year's resolutions, it's important to avoid common mistakes that can prevent you from achieving your goals. These include thinking that this time, you've got it and not changing your approach, keeping your goals a secret, and setting them too big and unrealistic. By understanding these pitfalls, you can take a more effective approach to achieving your goals. Remember to set realistic and achievable goals that excite and motivate you, share your goals with others, and be willing to improve your approach. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to making your New Year's resolutions a reality. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tomas! Tomas Svitorka, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tomas is a peak performance coach, business mentor, speaker, and award-winning entrepreneur. He is the founder of the OK is NOT enough coaching method and the Unbreakable Self-Discipline Bootcamp. He’s highly passionate about helping ambitious professionals and entrepreneurs achieve the highest level of personal and professional performance. Tomas has built his reputation by coaching hundreds of clients, including industry leaders, billionaire entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley CEOs, rising stars in global corporations, and influencers at the top of their game. Tomas has been interviewed in dozens of podcasts, including The Unconventionalists, and has been featured in various publications such as The Guardian, GQ, Virgin Media, Coach Magazine, and Vice.

Written by: Ashley-Victoria 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. It’s a new year and if you own a business you want to grow and scale that business but also analyze what has been working, what isn’t working and what could be improved and one of those might just be your PR department; or do you even have one? I do believe that every business/brand, sooner or later, should invest in public relations whether it's outsourcing an agency or hiring in-house. I asked eight different publicists and firms what businesses need to look for when hiring an agency, what to expect, and ultimately understanding the investment, and here’s their advice. Prior to Hiring If you are not prepared to get an influx of traffic to your website, social media, and sales it is not the right time to invest in an agency or publicist. For example, If Oprah were to list your products as one of her Oprah's Favorite Things List and you got a large influx of orders, is your team prepared to fulfill those orders? If the answer is no, you need to focus on that first. The last thing you want to be dealing with is bad reviews and unhappy customers. A bad reputation will lead you to hire a publicist for crisis management. - ‒ Des Dickerson of Uncommon Collective. PR is a marathon, not a sprint. Please do not wait until the week before a big event or product launch to begin vetting PR firms. Your publicist will need some time to develop your strategy and make any adjustments to your brand voice, gather all of your assets, receive and distribute your product samples (if you have any), write and send out pitches, and conduct rounds of follow-ups, to name a few. An interview you do today, may not go live until a few weeks, to a few months after the fact! ‒ Charlotte Silverstein Publicist & Founder of Lena Rose PR Before you should expect to see consistent media coverage, you'll first need to have the foundations of PR established. Is your owned media (i.e. website, blogs, etc.) all saying the same message and SEO optimized? Is your team trained up and organized to field written, spoken and video interview requests with journalists? Do you have a consistent trickle of new products, data, or insights to share with the media?” ‒ Tori Gates, Director of Operations at NisonCo Brands should understand what public relations are and how it works before hiring PR representation. While media coverage isn't guaranteed, that's left to advertising, the right PR placement can make a big difference to a company by driving consumers to its website and increasing sales. A solid PR plan requires strategy and execution. ‒ Elaine Marshall, Co-Founder & Chief PR Strategist of Altalunas If you are a product-based brand, you will need to have samples available to send to editors if they are requested. ‒ Olivia Bishop, Publicist at May Marketing Relations Paid vs. Earned Media Advertising gives out participation trophies. You buy an ad, you get to see it. PR is a competition where only the best stories, crafted by strong PR pros, make it onto the podium. ‒ Bill Byrne, Director at Remedy Communications Your marketing mix can include earned (Public Relations), owned (Social Media Marketing, e-newsletters, Email Marketing) and paid media (advertising). Earned media is the most valuable because it must be earned. It must pass through the gatekeeper (the editor, writer, producer), who adds their reputation, credibility and endorsement when they share it. That’s a huge part of the value of your Public Relations program. ‒ Jayne Moorehouse, President of Jayne & Company Investment & ROI Brands need to know that PR is one tool to get the message out, and that the resulting third-party, editorial endorsements are highly valuable. Yet, you cannot just "do a little PR" and expect big results. PR is a deliberate and targeted practice that takes intention, time and commitment. Good PR programs build over time, as the practice of Public Relations is a combination of setting goals, employing tactics, intuition, art, science and analytics. It takes work, and it takes time. ‒ Lisa Adams Walter, Publicist at Adams Walter Communications So, what are you waiting for? Look into these above publicists & their firms, ask for case studies or set up a call; 90 days from now you’ll be glad you did. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ashley-Victoria! Ashley-Victoria Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ashley-Victoria Smith is a serial entrepreneur and creative genius. Named one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders in 2013, Smith has helped female-owned brands and businesses spearhead their marketing, branding and public relation efforts, helping them to tell their stories and become both profitable and sustainable.

Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr. is the founder and world champion of agile leadership concepts. He is President ‒ UBTS International Corp having strategic affiliates in over 55 countries, Provost / Associate Professor ‒ Cambridge Corporate University, having branches in over 25 countries, while serving on for-profit and not-for-profit advisory boards. He is an award-winning IT leader and published author who is adept at influencing and teaching strategic transformations across multiple countries, industries, disciplines, and technologies for businesses having global revenues ($1+ Trillion); savings/growth ($10+ Billion); with budgets ($4+ Billion). His favorite motto is, "Leaders Are Born To Be Made." Prof. Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr, President and Global Chief Governance Officer Please introduce yourself to the reader. My name is Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr. I am a former “street hustler” who, through God's grace and mercy, transformed into a “Strategic Hustler™.” Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, the second oldest of five, I lived in a public housing complex on a block categorized as part of a red zone by the police because it was one of the most crime-ridden inner-city areas in New Haven. Anything that you can imagine was a regular activity in the area. I had my moments where fate kept me from becoming a statistic. These experiences contributed to my "street smarts.” To take save haven required making a ten-minute walk from my hood to the campus of one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Yale University. But as fate would have it, that ten-minute walk to Yale University as a spectator would become one of being a participator. From the fifth to the eleventh grade, I participated year-round in the Ulysses S. Grant Foundation Program sponsored by and held at Yale University. Attending this academic program exposed me to higher education, athletics, and social mores. These pre-teen and teenage experiences were significant contributors and the turning point in developing the leadership necessary to become a first-generation high school and college graduate. Sports played a significant role in my personal and professional growth, giving me many life lessons. The biggest lesson was one of resiliency. Van Spruill, a semi-professional football player, and my youth league football coach gave me my first lessons on becoming an outstanding leader. In leading the team to Coach Spruill’s first championship, the coaches and the team awarded me an "Outstanding Leadership" trophy. My leadership skills continued to sharpen when as a senior attending James Hillhouse High School (New Haven, CT), I was ranked 10th in a class of 279; named "Athlete of the Year," along with other athletic (football and track) honors such as a team captain of both sports; and academic awards, including the "Bausch Lomb Optical Science Award” which was the highest science award given to high school students nationwide. I graduated as “one of the most highly decorated student-athletes in James Hillhouse High School history.” Though offered academic/football scholarships to schools like Yale University, West Point University, Boston College, Harvard University, University of Connecticut, and Wesleyan University, I accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play football at Purdue University. A significant misstep resulted in my becoming a football scholarship walk-on at Virginia State University, a historically black college and university (HBCU). Eventually, I overcame many trials and tribulations to become the first African American graduate with a BS in Computer Technology (Cum Laude) from the University of New Haven (UNH)—debt free. I also was the first African American undergraduate from UNH to be named Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Later I became the first African American to graduate from UNH’s Dual Masters Program with an MBA in Marketing and MSc in Industrial Engineering. Besides being blessed with a storied professional career, my community service has been just as gratifying. For 22 years, I served as a youth league and high school football coach for at-risk kids. In addition, I taught Sunday School for 14 years to kids whose ages ranged from 4 to 12 years old. Finally, for over 30 years, I have been a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, serving on various committees fulfilling our cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Uplift, and Perseverance. My dad, Frank Lee Harper, Sr., aka "Frank Sr." was my role model and hero. He was a spiritual man born in Royston, Georgia, with a 3rd-grade education who loved the Lord. “Frank Sr.” always encouraged me to “Put God First.” His wisdom, guidance, and discipline kept my family together as my mother had mental health issues, and my siblings suffered. My dad worked 43 years at Winchester in New Haven before retiring as an award-winning Chief Gun Inspector. He served as the Director of the Men's Choir of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church, the oldest missionary Baptist church in Connecticut. He was my biggest cheerleader as I overcame many hurdles to become the family’s first high school and college graduate who would eventually earn a doctorate. My passion for leadership, serving people, and living my best life are because of this fabulous role model—who I affectionately called “Ole Buddy!” What is your business name, and how do you help your clients? I serve in executive leadership roles in the following business: Universal Broadband & Technology Services (UBTS) International Corp. President and Global Chief Governance Officer UBTS is a global tech & data think tank architected to design, develop, and deliver telecom infrastructures, digital platforms, and economic development programs to least developed and emerging communities. A collaboration between UBTS and a local telecom licensed affiliate company focuses on executing the economic development program. Intelligent Systems Services LLC Founder, Chief Learning Officer, Principal Consultant Intelligent Systems Services was founded based on my career and recognition as a disruptive organizational & technology thought leader. The company is a boutique advisory, consulting, and training firm that trains, coaches, and mentors “champions” in businesses, governments, and civil societies to deliver on transformation ambitions to result in breakthrough outcomes. Cambridge Corporate University Provost & Vice Chancellor; Associate Professor of Agile Leadership and Project Management Cambridge Corporate University is an international scholarly research and teaching University based in Lucerne, Switzerland. CCU is recognized in over 25 countries across four continents as the world leader in corporate education. The University’s world-class faculty enables students to earn, online or onsite, accredited degrees and certificates to solve real-world problems in their regions of the world. Executives and professionals attend CCU because they are educated, equipped, encouraged, and empowered to create a better world in business, government, and civil society. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? UBTS International Corp. services and lines of business target customer segments located in the least developed and emerging communities. The specifics for each segment are determined using Adaptive Design Thinking (ADT) techniques. UBTS Cameroon, SA is the first government-licensed telecom affiliate established in Douala, Cameroon, located on the continent of Africa. Over 10,000 Cameroonians have been connected to a fast, affordable, reliable broadband network using WiFi6 and WiFi 6E, OpenRoaming™, and other emerging technologies involving artificial intelligence and machine learning. Leveraging ADT, the services offered to customers serve as a strategic roadmap to creating a Digital Economy consisting of the following: Intelligent Systems Services LLC training and mentoring services target a global audience seeking customized training to solve daily problems in their respective industries. The company partners with global training companies to deliver proprietary online and onsite training and follow-up coaching and mentoring in agile development, quality/process improvement, project/program management, enterprise IT governance, business transformation, operations excellence, and organizational change management. I am most proud of the large percentage (92%) of professionals, executives, and leaders employed in Fortune 1000, startups, B2C, B2B, and governments, worldwide who have passed their certification exams (PMP, ITIL, CGEIT, SCRUM), on the FIRST try! One of my students earned the highest passing CGEIT grade in the world! Others have scored in the top 20% in the US! Cambridge Corporate University's target audience consists of executives and professionals working for businesses, governments, and civil societies in Switzerland and from abroad. These students apply for admission to one of the undergraduate or graduate degrees, programs, or certifications at the different schools and institutes in the University. They are intrigued by the University's reputation for graduating SUPERHUMANS who govern the future. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? My inspiration to be the best I can come from three sources. The first source of inspiration comes from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At an early age, my dad and his ministry instilled in me that I was "a child of God, and the anointing on my life is for success. You must keep the faith and serve by putting the Holy Spirit (God) first in all you do!” So as a pre-teen, I understood the importance of being a servant leader. Also, I learned that a focused vision is not a human concoction. A focused vision comes from the Holy Spirit (God). My ability to survive, grow and thrive from the street room to the school room to the board room and all the points in between are based on my understanding. Also, I believe, “What God produces, God parents and purifies, because I am predestined.” In the end, I trust God! My following is the second source of inspiration. Each follower could be a relative, friend, student, former player, professional, executive, or fan. The lectures, speeches (keynote and guest), webinars, and radio & TV appearances have allowed reaching over 500,000 in over 35 countries across four continents. The inspiration motivates me to disseminate the correct and uplifting information to educate, equip, encourage, and empower them so they can dare to dream, achieve, and transfer. Finally, my third source of inspiration is my desire to be the best. I have played high school and college football for Hall-of-Fame coaches at both levels. This phrase has driven me throughout my life: “Good, Better, Best. Never take a Rest. Until your Good is your Better and your Better is your Best!" My lifelong ambition is to earn that ultimate proclamation, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant!" What is your work inspired by? A friend and mentor, the late Dr. Moses C. Norman, who, while mentoring me to create an award-winning computer literacy program called CompuKamp™, said to me, “Never be afraid to be great amongst the greatest of men!” These words inspire my desire to help create a better world. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. My greatest career achievement so far is being able to master the agile leadership and management skills necessary to direct the growth of the following three organizations: Cambridge Corporate University (CCU): My CCU journey began when hired to join the University’s international faculty as an Associate Professor of Business Administration, Agile Leadership, and Project Management. During my nine-year career, in addition to my professorial duties, I have progressed from Senior Academic Board Member to Vice President of Academic Affairs to my current roles as Provost and Vice-Chancellor for this Switzerland-based University whose model for corporate education is recognized worldwide. I serve a crucial role in leading an unprecedented expansion and business transformation strategy that enables CCU to reach students in more than 25 countries worldwide. I enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program to conduct research within CCU's corporate education model. After two years, I am a doctoral candidate researching innovation management and digital transformation. My accomplishments at the University earned me a Presidential Scholarship which covers the program's total cost. My doctoral work will focus on structuring the agile leadership concepts I had founded within a framework that can be applied to create and grow a Digital Economy. UBTS International Corp: As a Founding Member, President, and Global Chief Governance Officer, I am the visionary and architect of a global tech & data think tank empowering communities in the least developed and emerging regions worldwide using the transformative power of technology. Leveraging our global ecosystem and local talent, we have connected over 10,000 people in Africa using the latest WiFi and Broadband technologies. Intelligent Systems Services LLC: As the Founder and Chief Learning Officer, many executives and professionals (500,000+) worldwide have been trained in agile leadership concepts, agile development, quality/process improvement, project/program management, enterprise IT governance, business transformation, operations excellence, and organization change management. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. A pivotal moment in my life that brought me to where I am today was when I decided to write and self-publish the first edition of my first book, entitled “A.G.I.L.E. L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. with a G.R.I.P.™ A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY JOURNEY: From Street Hustler to Strategic Hustler™.” This writing aimed to help aspiring and seasoned leaders turn their dreams into reality. The book received excellent reviews worldwide from thought leaders, executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs. One reviewer, an award-winning author, and a technology executive stated the book was a "leadership bible." In contrast, another, who is a globally recognized strategy thought leader in Belgium, wrote, “I recommend for everyone who is looking for an in-depth book about leadership!” The book’s Facebook page reached a following of over 165,000 living in over 35 countries. The thousands of followers (8,000+) living in Egypt caught my attention. I reached out to a LinkedIn connection, who was a former Presidential Candidate for Egypt, to learn more about leadership in Egypt. Building this strategic relationship resulted in being offered an Associate Professorship within the international faculty of Cambridge Corporate University located in Lucerne, Switzerland. I have since emerged and been recognized as the founder of Agile Leadership Concepts worldwide. My position at CCU has made the world my oyster as my life’s mission aligns with the University’s mission to work hard to create a better world. Not bad for an inner-city kid who once was labeled a statistic. All I can say is, "Look at God!" Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Prof. Dr. Frank!

Written by: Janet Macaluso, 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're almost through January. Does your calendar reflect your 2023 aspirations? Or, are you living your one-precious life based on automated calendar software, outdated assumptions, or others' agendas? Regenerate Your Calendar To Reflect Who You’re Becoming... Free your energy to focus on what's important now ‒ to you and your stakeholders with this audit: Do meetings have specific goals that align with your purpose and strategic direction? Will the meeting build your stakeholders' capability to achieve their aspirations? (Either directly or indirectly). In a world of complexity and change, we need more exploratory dialogues. Are meeting conversations a free-for-all? Do you use an underlying structure or Thinking Frameworks to manage ambiguity? Or does the loudest voice prevail? Do you talk for 30 or 60 minutes because that's what the computer automatically scheduled? Do you need more/less time? Or are you living your life based on an automated calendar tool? Consider holding a "stand up" meeting. Notice if the conversation is more focused on what's core when you're on your feet vs. bums. Could you schedule a walk and talk? Ask yourself if you'd lose any personal goodwill, connection, or nuance if you wrote an email or picked up the phone vs. calling a meeting. Identify the calendar items that someone else invited you to. Do you know the Desired Outcomes and the relevance of your being there? Don't outsource control of your time ‒ understand others' rationale for inviting you. What percentage of your week/month is unscheduled? Have you blocked important "Thinking Time" to process, plan and strategize? Look at your regularly-scheduled meetings. Do you need to be there? Could you send someone else on your behalf (so they grow from the experience)? As you scan your calendar, sense your gut and upper torso (where emotions hang out). Identify the calendar items you look forward to. How can you schedule more of that work? If you had to remove one calendar item, which would it be? Your answer can inform you if you need to make changes. Now, a challenge. Consider sharing this with your team - ask them to add to or edit the list. Then test this for one month: Start every morning reviewing your list and commit to doing the one thing that: you've avoided scares you will build your next-stage potential This calendar audit is just a snippet of the practical work inside the Third Line Mastermind. (Yet we go much deeper on underlying patterns, hidden paradigms, building new capabilities...) Learn more here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube and visit my website for more info! Read more from Janet! Janet Macaluso, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After a 25-year corporate career developing executives, teams, and organizations, Janet founded Learning2LEAD, a Regenerative Leadership Development practice based in Cambridge, USA, and Malaga, Spain. No stranger to personal regeneration, Janet reinvented herself from a college dropout to a flight attendant and aerobic instructor to an award-winning coach and global executive with three academic degrees. Janet created Learning2LEAD to reflect on the life, legacy, and impact she wants to leave. Applying modern science and ancient wisdom, Janet stewards successful mid-life change-makers, leaders, and rabble-rousers ready to transform their "1st-half" successes into "2nd-half" significance. Whether in virtual workshops or leadership hiking retreats in Spain, Janet nudges clients to move toward their Best Future Self Now - so they can do the same for their people and places. Her mission: To Ban Average!