Written by: Jordan White, 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 a fixer? Most of us (me included) have probably noticed something in ourselves, another person, system, workplace, etc., and have tried to "fix" that thing we've observed. While "fixing" may come from a place of good intention, it may be worth taking a step back and considering this approach's results. Those who fixate on fixing have traits of compassion, helpfulness, kindness, and a desire to create the best outcome. There's also likely a need to be needed, which usually originates from past experiences of needing help and not receiving it, feeling abandoned, or feeling inadequate. Stepping in and fixing things when it is uninvited can have unintended consequences. Those consequences include crossing boundaries, limiting the human experience (sometimes pain can be our most valuable teacher), coming off as righteous and all-knowing or a "control freak," and taking responsibility and carrying the weight of something that isn't ours. It can also diminish trust because a "fixer" typically looks through the lens created by their own experiences, no matter how relatable the topic may be. It can be tempting to think that our truth is the only one that exists. So, how do we fix being a fixer? The title of this blog begs the question, "Is there such a thing?" A powerful first step in adjusting this behavior is looking within. Is there a gap in your life that you are trying to fill by fixing others and their challenges? Is there an unhealed wound in you that you look for and notice in others? Understanding yourself on an intimate level and ensuring your needs are met as a priority is the fuel to have energy for others. You might even ask someone you trust (with an open mind and heart), "Do I come off as a fixer?" "What's that like for you?" It may or may not be harsh feedback at first, but it can lead to a closeness you never thought was possible if you are open to it. Another idea is to consider the language around this concept. There's a big difference between a fixer and a healer. Consider the connection, love, and trust that might generate by, as a fixer, shifting to a healer instead. Fixer: "Wait, what happened?!?! We need to fix this. Here's what you need to do!" Healer: "Wow, that sounds like a difficult thing you are experiencing. How are you doing with this?" Fixer: "Don't cry. You are better than this. They aren't worth it." Healer: "I am here for you through this and always. What do you need?" Fixer: "You just need to be more outgoing and funnier – then you'll find someone." Healer: "I love your calm demeanor. You're peaceful to be around. Thank you for being you." Lastly, experiment with the idea of letting things go. There is rewarding peacefulness in going with the flow. We would all likely agree that there's a big difference between forcing and flowing. You cannot control others or their emotions. You can, however, influence and empower them by being compassionately curious and present. If you lead with curiosity, you might create a space for others to self-identify and find clarity in what they really want and need in their life. What a gift! Giving others permission to feel and fully experience the good, the bad, and the ugly is a choice we all have. Are there things in others that you are focused on fixing? Something in their life that you are trying to fix for them? What insight into yourself and your life does that reveal? What tension might that be inviting? One of my primary purposes as a coach is to create a healing environment. I am here if you or someone you know could use some support. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jordan! Jordan White, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jordan White is an avowed introvert, experienced leader, and (self) leadership coach. He helps millennial leaders and difference-makers maximize their self-awareness, effectiveness, influence, and value to overcome the stresses of life, love, and leadership. He supports clients in discovering the alignment between their natural assets and how they lead themselves and others. He is recognized by many for his ability to build trust, provide compassionate listening, and create a safe space that inspires hope and growth. As a wisdom-seeker and lifelong learner, he's an avid reader and has a Master's in Communication and Leadership. He is Coach U (ICF accredited) trained and certified in Axiogenics®, MBTI®, and EQ.

Lynn Lessell is a certified health and life coach. Her journey through multiple traumas felt like a rollercoaster of anxiety, exhaustion, and guilt, which caused her to feel a loss of self. When she finally hit rock bottom, she realized something had to change so she could balance personal and business to love her life again. She’s known to her clients as the Identity Coach for helping them discover the secret identity that’s been buried deep within. She is CEO of Itz Why LLC where she helps career moms, like herself, that feel frustrated, exhausted, & guilty from being pulled in multiple directions, to take back control quickly, regain energy & time, and love their life again the way they want to. She is the author of the upcoming book Merging ME, creator of the Level It Up Program, “ME” Monday® and leader of a support group for professionals called Inner Power Partners currently in three cities. Lynn Lessell, Itz Why LLC Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. Who am I? Great question. I could give you a list like I’m a mom, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a partner, etc., but that doesn’t tell you about Lynn Lessell. So, who am I? Today, I’m a health and life coach and an unconventional, creative kind of entrepreneur at heart who worked while raising two wonderful sons that are now successful business professionals themselves. I’m someone that wants others to know that when you feel alone, you aren’t. When it feels like there aren't any options, there are. So, I’m a woman with a mission to help others like me learn how they can neutralize daily stress and take back control of the quality of life they desire. Please don’t misunderstand, who I am now is someone I had to reveal after a long, traumatic journey and I’ve proven it can be done. Stress was continuously playing “whack-a-mole” with my life ( remember that carnival game?). It felt like that at almost every age and every stage of my life. You may ask, “how do you win the game and stop getting whacked?” Well, you have to stop wanting to control everything that happens. You have to want to start looking for the person that got deeply buried under all the stress and bring that person back to the surface. What does that look like? It can be different for everyone and I’ll define what it means for me. I regularly ignored myself because of the belief that I was responsible to fulfill the expectations others had of me. When I realized I was the only one that had a right to have expectations of myself things began to change. Everything has gotten better with less stress. It's not about the awful things we deal with; it’s about who we want to be in spite of it. Many of my clients have expressed the excitement of rediscovering that hidden identity and how it’s changed their life. That’s how I became The Identity Coach. Aside from loving to help others the way I wish someone was there for me, I love living in Florida and living my life like a local tourist. There’s no shortage of fabulous restaurants to dine in and my favorites are the ones by the ocean. I also enjoy writing. Every week my readers get an edition of “ME” Monday® in their inbox and I’m writing a self-help book that includes my story. My creative side keeps me designing one-of-a-kind handcrafted handbags that I make myself while also using my artistic skills for digital imagery. I’ll escape to the beach now and again to clear my mind and relax. Lastly, I’m a big hockey fan! What is your business name and how do you help your clients? Thanks for asking. Itz Why® LLC got its name because I believe your personal 'why’ should be the foundation of everything you do. It sounds simple but it’s more complex than most of us realize and I want to get this message out there. As the Identity Coach, what sets me apart from other coaches, I believe, is what I like to refer to as my "Spidey sense". I've always had this innate ability to hear layers below the surface of what someone says to help them. The multiple certifications and training I've gone through have heightened this ability even more enabling me to determine the best questions to ask my clients; questions they would never think to ask themselves. The discoveries they experience are often about what they didn't know they didn't know about themselves because it was so deeply buried within. Individual clients who work with me as a personal coach focus on a variety of topics and most often aren’t trying to look for a new identity. That’s just a consequence of self-discovery as they uncover choices they never realized they could make and the doors of opportunity that could open for them. Being a mom and having a career while building a business made me realize how much the threat of daily stress was affecting me and holding me back from achieving goals. Since I knew I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, I set out on a mission to find others like me and build a trusted support system. Itz Why® LLC introduced (IPP™) Inner Power Partners™ as a small membership group at the end of last year by asking professionals of various industries one question… “what’s stress costing your business?” IPP™ stands alone from other relationship-building groups because we unconventionally approach the process. Building trust, learning about others as people, and liking those you do business with doesn’t just happen. It takes time and consistency. We share our expertise and experiences in different ways to support each other which results in lower stress levels and better business. Our small group quickly expanded at the start of 2022 into two additional cities and halfway through the year, a fourth location was launched and we’re still growing. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? That’s an interesting question. Most of all, I want to continue helping others transform their lives so they have the quality of life they want while reaching their goals. Whether it’s working with individual clients or the professionals I work with in IPP™ the goal is to ensure the message continues to spread. What message, you may ask? That you can neutralize the daily stress and take back control of your life! It’s hard to believe IPP™ hasn’t hit a one-year milestone yet and we continue to grow at a consistent pace. It’s an incredible community. In 2023, we’re introducing a few new incredible member benefits while membership locations are expected to expand outside the local area both in person and virtually over the next few years. When I risked taking this unconventional approach to networking, I never imagined I could spread the message so quickly. So, at this point, my goal is to do what it takes to keep this community strong with continued growth. It’s about our future, not just mine. What is your work inspired by? That’s an easy answer. It’s inspired by my life journey. I had to dig deep to discover who I wanted to be and how to love that person 100%. Now I choose to love the “ME” that’s a kooky, animated character who dares to be different which was the “ME” that was forbidden by others for decades. Today, I’m living every day with laughter while presenting someone trustworthy, loyal, and reliable. I’ve taken back control of my life and love every minute of it. Though it’s easy for me to share my answer, was it easy to accomplish?-NO. Was it worth it?-ABSOLUTELY! We can’t change anything or anyone around us. You have to make the change from within and find your true identity, the person inside that you want to love 100%. That change eventually can restore you to who you want to be with less stress. After their self-discoveries, clients gave me the name the Identity Coach which is what I go by today. So, now I’m most inspired by the transformations that my clients and community members experience and share with me due to the work we do together. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. Today, I’m most proud of the extraordinary success that’s occurred with IPP™ in such a short time. It took courage to create something no one else was doing the way I believe it had to be done and risk that the message wouldn’t get out. The IPP™ community has revealed that many of us have struggled in silence and that coming together makes us stronger individually and as a group. The power of the IPP™ community enables each member to blossom like a newly planted flower both personally and professionally and witnessing this is the fuel that pushes me forward. I’m told that I’ve turned the networking industry upside-down. Maybe I have. Maybe I haven’t. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. What matters is that our community provides each other the sustenance we all need to take back control of our lives and our businesses and put quality, as we want it, back into everything. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. Simply said...I hit rock bottom ‒ more than once. The chronic stress I experienced from believing I had to ensure everyone else's happiness was toxic and it was unknowingly impairing my health. The very last time I hit the lowest I've ever been, the only way back up was to ask myself some really hard questions and do something I had never done in my life ‒ put myself first! The hardest questions I had to ask myself were who do I want to be and what do I want? I had no idea. I never knew I had the option to ask myself those questions let alone consider that I had my own choices to make. What I didn't realize then, was that I wasn't alone. There are many people like me out there and I'm proof it can be different! What I've learned along this journey is that it is far from selfish to prioritize your wants and needs. We don't need someone else's permission to be happy. We must permit ourselves to make the choices we think are best for us. Both my physical and mental health have significantly improved. It’s the reason I felt becoming both a health and life coach was important. You have to approach a whole person not just a part of them. I believe mental wellness is the foundation of everything so I’ve joined the Mental Wellness Networking Alliance as a member of the board, as well as, co-coordinator and director of recruiting for the business network division of the Alliance. In addition, having a degree in business management and marketing, along with years of experience, enables me to take my work one step further to help the professionals I work with today in IPP™. What do I want the world to know about me, my brand, and my story ‒ it's all connected. One couldn't exist without the other. It's about connecting to who you are deep down with less stress which leads to success. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Lynn!

Written by: Dan Lawson, 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. Goal setting must be one of the most talked about topics in any area of life (second to Crypto these days of course). Are they overrated or still understated? This will be determined by your internal beliefs in connection with previous successes you’ve had with achieving goals which you have set. I invite you to take a moment to notice what is coming up for you with the mention of goal setting right now ‒ personal triggers, assumptions, beliefs, challenges, areas for improvements? Everyone has something. And if you’re anything like I’ve been for the majority of my life, chances are your reaction isn’t the most functional in creating your ideal outcomes with intention. Strong goal setting is one of the traits that all successful people do, yet most people don't. Many are not even taught how to set goals, or just simply skip over doing what is required. But this is not another article to convince once more how great goals are. Rather, this article is to give you the steps that no one taught you that count the most in order to give you the greatest success with achieving your goal! What a great goal setting strategy isn’t ‒ Deciding on something, then writing it down. Maybe even applying SMART? Then going away and continuing on with your life… This is what most people do, and the vast majority are not achieving their goals. And why is this? Because this is jumping straight to ‘implementation’. As with anything we would like to achieve success with, we must consider the (Mental) Environment or the Thinking, and the Structure or what we need to pay attention to along the way. Create the Environment ‒ the thinking or approach to get the intended outcome. If you can't tell me why the intended outcome is important to you specifically and it be in alignment to your values in who it is that you are becoming ‒ I know you will never take care of it. Verses, having taken a serious look at an element of your life you are seriously taking responsibility for and that you’re now emotionally connected with. Referring back to the Wheel of Adventurepreneurship in my previous Brainz Article, this is a great way to gain this clarity. Consider 3-5 things that you have been doing really well in this segment of your life already. This helps to know that even though it’s not the way that you want it, you’re still getting some good results. Draw your attention to these behaviours and continue them! Now consider 3-5 things you aren’t doing so well in this area, some things that you need to do more of, less of, stop tolerating, or make a change within. Notice the themes that appear and that begin to paint a clearer picture of what you are working with here. This will help to shape your goal when it comes to writing it. Structure ‒ What do we need to be attending to ensure that we are successful in fulfilling what we connected with in the Environment section. Similar to my vision or ideal future, when I personally consider a change required in my life, I ask myself ‘who is it that I need to become in order to have achieved this’? Because, being totally honest with myself, if I was already that person I needed to be, I would have already got that outcome. Therefore, it will require an intentional development of a core attribute that was likely lacking or not being demonstrated previously. Depending on the nature of change desired, it will likely be a masculine-driven attribute; ie ‒ Grit, Determination, Drive, Resilience etc. Or if you’re already overly high on these, it might be a Feminine driven attribute; ie ‒ Self Care, Nurture, Compassion, Creativity, Forgiveness, or Rest etc. Connect with what it is that you will require for your journey in making this change in your life and achieving your goal. By challenging yourself in really turning up this attribute that doesn’t come naturally, you’ve developed your character independent of the goal outcome too! Within structure it is probably worth mentioning the S.M.A.R.T criteria. It is proven to be the most common goal setting instruction which does provide a lot of value. To recap, when writing your goal keep in mind to make it Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Implementation ‒ and now we have got to the point of actually writing the goal. This is where most people start, and dare I suggest ‒ possibly already failed, when it comes to setting goals because they haven't taken care of all that comes before this point as we have now done. I trust that you can now appreciate that by the additions we have added into the approach, the goal you choose to write will not only look quite different, but also the outcome has so much more meaning to it also. There are two additional steps that will enrich this exercise even more. Again both are very rarely spoken about but are crucial to apply if you really are serious about your outcome. They include Sensory Acuity and Internal Representation System, along with a systematic actionable strategy to get underway with moving towards achieving the goal. They are both included in the free resources provided below. Grab the full Transformational Growth Workbook and pre-learning modules here for free and accelerate your future ideals starting today! This is the third of a series of articles that each represent a module from my program ‘Reconnect. It is designed to provide the thinking and structure required to create your ideal lifestyle with volition. Stay posted for future articles for more free valuable resources! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dan! Dan Lawson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dan Lawson is a professional in the lifestyle creation space leveraging proven ideologies and approaches to emotionally connect with and create a life that we can fall in love with. As Dan himself is an Entrepreneur, Coach, Business Owner, Author, and Facilitator just to name a few of his professional angles of expertise, he prefers to go by his self-proclaimed title of ‘Adventurepreneur’ which encompasses all of who he can be for those who he serves. Dan is an advocate for proven strategies with clear competencies and metrics for success which he demonstrates himself through tangible guarantees on all his services ‒ which is rarely seen in personal development!

Written by: Dr. Christine Sauer, 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 hear it all the time: We need to exercise more, get fit, eat better. We know that exercise can help to prevent or improve chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, even cancer and dementia. Sounds like a good thing, right, sounds like the right thing to do. But there is a problem: This advice doesn’t work, at least not for most people. In this article, I am examining why this is and what we can do to truly address the root causes of these issues. The Statistics Do Not Look Good Here are some data from the CDC: “Current national guidelines for aerobic physical activity recommend for substantial health benefits, adults should participate weekly in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination. Despite the health benefits, fewer than half of United States (U.S.) adults met the minimal guidelines for aerobic activity and almost one-third of adults were physically inactive in 2011.” The financial burden for society, is estimated to be more than 53·8 billion worldwide in 2013 Exercise and physical fitness can be measured and is a powerful predictor of longevity. It’s even worse when it comes to obesity. From the WHO database: “Worldwide obesity rates have almost doubled since 1980. The epidemic of diabetes, which is closely associated with obesity and urbanization, has skyrocketed in rich and poor countries alike. This is a world in which more than 40 million pre-school children are obese or overweight.” So – what happened, and why is it that 90% of all weight loss diets fail? The Root Causes of Obesity I have written before about the surprising root causes of obesity (hint: there are many, and you may not even have considered most of them) and that current recommendations (diet and exercise) won’t solve the problem, but only make it worse. So – check in your own life and that of your family and friends – which group do you fall in? How are you and those around you doing with eating right and exercising regularly? And if you are in the large percentage of people that don’t “measure up to the standards”, don’t despair. Statistics will never be able to predict how YOU will fare as an individual. But if you want to lose weight, if you feel bad about your looks, if you don’t like huffing and puffing going up the stairs, if your doctor told you your sugar is creeping up, you are pre-diabetic or even Type 2 diabetic, you suffer from mood swings, depression, memory issues or chronic disease runs in your family, it is time to explore other options. Did you try diet and exercise before and it didn’t work? Or it didn’t work for long? Now you know why: This doesn’t address the root causes of why you are gaining weight and cannot keep it off. Here is my answers when it comes to exercise: You Cannot Out-Exercise Bad Eating The truth is: The calories you burn during a typical 30 min weight lifting workout are around 100… And a 30 min aerobic workout burns maybe 200 calories. So for 1 hour of exercise, you could eat an additional average of 150 cal, which is about a small sandwich or ½ of a typical cheeseburger, or 1 scoop of ice cream, 30 M&M’s or 2 squares or milk chocolate… Here is a cool calorie burn calculator where you can enter your weight to see how many calories are burned by activity… You Can Lose Weight Without Any Exercise It is true. I lost 150 lbs within 2 years without exercise. I was then still suffering from severe lower back pain due to slipped discs and just didn’t do any exercise. It is harder, as you need to be very creative with your diet, and maybe even consider weight loss surgery as an additional tool (I did with great success), but it is not impossible. What To Do Instead Of “Trying Harder” To Lose Weight So many people try so hard to lose weight, and do everything right, even “perfectly” – for a few weeks or months – and the weight comes off at first, but then it stalls, you reach a plateau, you feel discouraged and end up giving up and the “regular” eating patterns creep back up and so does the weight. What we can do instead is – first: relax. Take it slow. Slow and steady wins the race. Get help. Get good support by someone who knows how to do this, has done it before, won’t judge you, won’t put you down, but will encourage you to keep on doing the things that work for you. A great coach that knows about truly holistic, 5D weight loss and not just diet and exercise is great, but don’t expect stunning results in a few weeks. Results that last a lifetime and lead to lasting better health and wellness, yes, even more happiness – are not achieved in a few months. It takes a year or longer to truly achieve this. And, you know, if you are a human like me, you will need support to be able to maintain this effort and get those results in the long term. I have a coach myself who motivates and supports me in all I endeavor, and I recommend that if your goal is lasting weight loss and optimal health, you hire a coach like me for yourself. The More Often You Failed In The Past, The More Likely You Are To Succeed This Time It is true. We know that from smoking cessation: The more often you failed before, the more likely you are to succeed next time. So: Even if you are a typical YoYo dieter, even if you tried “everything” and are ready to give up… DON’T give up. Success may be just right around the next corner. Try again, explore other options. Go back to the root causes and see which one may be applicable for you… 5D Weight Loss May Be The Solution To Lasting Holistic Weight Loss If an individual is overweight, the reason is not that they eat the wrong things, too many calories or that they don’t exercise enough. As humans, we can’t be simplified to this simple approach, and it is bound to fail. For most humans, weight gain and the potential resulting miseries of disease that follow as a long-term consequence, is much more complex. Any approach that is not truly individualized and at least tries to examine – and then resolve – each of the root causes I identified before, will only benefit certain individuals – and often only be a “band-aid”, a short-term fix, not a real solution. What we need (and contact me to talk with me about your options) is a truly holistic, 5-dimensional weight loss coaching program around all 4 pillars of lasting, brain-driven weight loss. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Christine! Dr. Christine Sauer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Christine Sauer is a German-trained physician and naturopath, as well as a gastrointestinal disease specialist, currently working as a Holistic Brain and Mental Health Professional, Coach, and Educator. Her own struggles with chronic pain, weight loss, and mental health issues have led her to dedicate her life to improving the gut health and brain/mental health of others and enabling them to drop unwanted pounds - all with natural means. She wrote 1 bestselling books and lectures on the topics and coached individuals, groups as well as families. As “The Doctor who Knows how You Feel,” she is known to make a lasting impression and positive difference in the lives of her clients and followers.

Written by: Julie Pecarski, 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. How many times have you beat yourself up or told yourself that you’ll “start over on Monday” because of something you ate that was "bad" or "not on the plan" or "insert- your-guilty-pleasure-here"? And did all that punishing help you to get back on track? After years of working with women, I’ve come to understand that we have cravings completely backwards. We think that when we’ve over-eaten or consumed something that we shouldn’t, it’s our fault, that we have no willpower, and that we’ve failed. That's insane. Do you know what will stop cravings and help you feel more satisfied and satiated? Understanding your biology. Knowing how your body works. Figuring out why you're getting the craving in the first place. Then applying it. It can be a number of things that are impacting your metabolism and then creating a biological response such as cravings. Cravings are just that biological response to something that you’re doing, including many of the following that I see women doing: skipping meals, especially breakfast not enough protein throughout the day over-exercising poor sleep stress too many refined carbohydrates fasting the same way, every day It’s important to understand that our appetite is ruled by hormones. If you are in your reproductive years and you have a cycle, your hormones fluctuate throughout the month and therefore, your caloric intake will also fluctuate. This is why, if you’re skipping meals or consuming low-carb, all-day and every day, eventually, cravings will catch up to you because let’s face it…you’re hungry! Your cravings will minimize if you understand how to bio-hack them in the first place and it’s a lot simpler than you think. And, here’s where I can help. If you are ready to smash your cravings and master your metabolism without restriction and food rules, join me in my free 5-day challenge. I'm going to share the EXACT formula that I give to my clients to support their metabolism, and to get leaner and stronger than before. ⁠ These strategies do not include giving up sugar, giving up your coffee or fasting through breakfast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Instead, you'll be given small, impactful daily nutrition and mindset habits that we'll build on to get you results including fewer cravings, more resilient energy and a boosted metabolism! ⁠ ⁠Sign up for free here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more ways that I can support you! Read more from Julie! Julie Pecarski, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Julie Pecarski is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Weight Loss Coach in the business of helping women feel stronger and more confident as they step into the next season of their lives. While working in the corporate world, Julie put her body through the extremes of eating too little and trying on the latest fad diets in an attempt to make herself look and feel a certain way, not realizing that this was a disaster for her metabolism. Julie now coaches other high-performing women lose weight and regain confidence through a balanced approach that restores metabolism and super-charges energy levels.

Written by: Kari Kling , 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. “Did you hear about the boy who complained about his shoes until he met the boy who didn’t have any feet?” Growing up, this was a question that my mother asked me on a consistent basis. As a little girl, I remember wondering why she would always ask it. In reflection, I now realize that it was all about my mom’s intention of instilling gratitude in me. Fast forward…I’m now a mom of almost 21-year-old twin boys and believe that teaching and modeling gratitude is one of the greatest gifts a parent may ever bestow on their children. Feeling grateful for what we have and not focusing on what we don't have. It all seems so simple, yes? But the truth is, for so many people, it’s just not. I truly understand that not every person has wonderful health, a loving family or a beautiful home... and that's the point. It's about modeling for and teaching our children that no matter what situation they may find themselves in life, it’s always imperative to focus on feeling gratitude for what they already have. The study of neuroscience tells us that having a mindset of gratitude is associated with the release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, which are beneficial at preventing depression, enhancing our mood, and feelings of motivation. Over the past decade, it has been have found that people who consciously count their blessings and focus on gratitude, tend to be happier and less depressed. (Brown, Ph.D & Wong, Ph.D, both from Indiana University: Greater Good Science-Based Magazine, 2017) Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California-Davis, is the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He states that “when life is going well, gratitude allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. But what about when life is going badly?” Dr. Emmons reminds us that “during the difficult times, gratitude may not come easily or naturally, but that it is in the face of feeling ‘broken,’ that it is gratitude that can give us the power to heal.” How does gratitude support us in our lives? Having a mindset of gratitude adds to… *increased happiness *greater self-confidence *a more positive outlook on life *development of 'Emotional Intelligence' *resiliency in all areas *a 'growth mindset' *positive relationships *a strong immune system *increases financial stability (because one won’t keep feeling that they need to continually purchase ‘things’ to feel good) We live in a world where 'instant gratification' may be the norm, making it difficult for some young children and teens to experience feelings of intense gratitude for the everyday ‘gifts’ in their lives. Do you ever feel like your kids take things for granted? Do you ever feel like your kids only focus on what they want and not what they already have? Do you ever feel that your children are focused on instant gratification and may not want to wait or work for what they want in their lives? Do you want to teach gratitude in your family but aren’t sure where to begin? If you answered ‘yes’ to even one of these questions, I can assure you that you are not alone. As a parent coach who works one-to-one with families globally, I can promise you that parents everywhere are feeling this struggle. More Than ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ Gratitude is a learned mindset and pattern of behaviors. Our children aren’t just born understanding this. So how do we teach this to our children? No matter the ages of the children in your life, I recommend using my plan that I created for parents, ‘Gratitude: My 5 Step Plan To SHOUT It Out!’ Yes, the goal of teaching gratitude to children is that they become so jubilant in realizing all that they have, they’ll want to SHOUT it out to the world! Teaching Our Children To SHOUT It Out Teaching gratitude begins with some very basic examples. We won’t be able to help children recognize how to feel grateful for the bigger things in life if they don’t realize the smaller, core foundations of what they have each moment of every day. S is for Self ‒ I believe that we start with what is closest to our children, their own bodies. Most children may not ever pay attention to the wonders of the miracles that their bodies produce daily. THIS is the beginning of learning gratitude in life. Some examples of how we can begin to have gratitude for our bodies can include teaching your child to recognize and be able to verbalize: *My body can take in 'fuel' in the form of food and get rid of its own waste. *I was able to get out of bed by myself today. *My arms and legs allow me to get from one place to another, to feed myself, and to reach things so that I may dress myself and complete other daily tasks. *My body can heal from a wound or illness. *My body can grow and become stronger if I take care of it. H is for Heart ‒ When you think of the ‘heart’ of gratitude, think of your family and your home. Ask your child to generate examples of this based on their own lives. Some examples may include: *I’m so lucky to have a family and people who care about me in my life. *I’m so fortunate to have a place to live, food to eat and a bed to sleep in. *It makes me so happy that I have toys and games to play with in my home. *My home has heat or air conditioning to help me feel comfortable. *I have a pet to love. (if applicable) O is for Our Community – When you think about your community, encourage your child to think about their school, neighborhood, sports or religious communities. Once again, the ideas your children brainstorm will be specific to their ages and lives. Some examples may include: *There are so many resources and people around me that I can learn from. *In my neighborhood, I have friends and people who care about me. *I want to volunteer to help others in my community to help make it a better place. *My school or community center offers programs or sports teams that I may participate in. *The people who work at the stores in my neighborhood are helpful and care about the families who shop there. U is for Unique Responses – When you think about ‘unique responses’ focus on the ability that your child has to express their own gratitude, verbally or in written form, to others and to be able to actively listen to hear how others are sharing their gratitude toward your child. Examples may include: *The man at the store held the door open for me and helped me bagged my groceries, so I told him how much I appreciated his kindness. *My neighbor watered my plants for me while I was away so I wrote him a ‘thank you’ note to show my appreciation. *My teacher helped me by giving me extra help on my math assignment so I brought her a flower to show my gratitude. T is for Time ‒ When we think about time and how it relates to living a life of gratitude, it’s important to help our children realize that not everything we may want or need in life will happen instantly. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, many of our children live in a world of instant gratification, creating little patience and perhaps a skewed view of how long a ‘normal’ amount of time is to work or wait for something. In many places in the world, an item may be ordered online and simply appear at one’s doorstep in a matter of hours or a couple of days. I always encourage parents to set long-term goals for giving their children time to save for wanted items and to choose the longest delivery time for an ordered item. Examples for ‘Time’ may include: *I really wanted a new skateboard, so I saved my money from my babysitting job for over 2 months to be able to buy one. *I didn’t have enough cash to buy a new bicycle, so instead of charging it on my parents’ credit card and having to pay interest, I waited until I had enough money saved to pay for it. *I took the extra time to write a thank you note to my friend who gave me a birthday gift. *We used the longer shipping method on our order to save the money it would have cost to have it delivered faster. Additional Strategies To Teach Gratitude To Your Children In addition to ‘My 5 Step Plan To SHOUT It Out’ to instill gratitude in your children, here are some additional parenting strategies: *Family conversations about what everyone is grateful for *Verbalize your thinking about how gratitude has positively impacted your life *Gratitude Journal-Keep a family or individual gratitude journal in which you can document what you/family members are grateful for on that day. You may then use this as a springboard for family discussions. *Gratitude Jar- A 'Family Gratitude Jar' models the same idea. Family members can write what he/she feels gratitude for on a small piece of paper and then put the papers in the jar. When the jar begins to fill up, take turns pulling out one of the papers at a time. Then, read and discuss what is written on the various papers during a meal or other family time. *Gratitude Hunt-When going out with your child or even while watching a TV show or movie, watch observantly to identify how other people are displaying gratitude towards another person. The Goal Teaching our children about how to live a life of gratitude is so much more than simply saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ It’s about our internal conversations, how we choose to face our problems, our perspectives about life and our true happiness. Perhaps John F. Kennedy said it best, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John F. Kennedy If you would like a complimentary copy of my graphic “Gratitude: My 5 Step Plan To SHOUT It Out,” please send me an email at kari@karikling.com with the word ‘SHOUT’ and I’d be happy to have a copy sent to you. Thank you! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Linked In , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kari! Kari Kling, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kari Kling, M.Ed., Parent Coach Kari’s 40 years of experience as an internationally recognized educator, counselor, parent coach, and author/speaker has given her the expertise to guide thousands of parents to reach their parenting goals. Kari’s solid understanding of how we behave and learn is grounded in neuroscience. Kari is a sought-after keynote and featured speaker for national and international conferences. She loves to meet and work with parents and their families in her home state of Arizona, nationally, and globally. Kari states that her most powerful learning experience about parenting has been being the mom to her 20-year-old twin boys, as they have been her greatest teachers. You can email Kari to learn more about her parent coaching services at: kari@karikling.com or check out her website and social media.

Written by: Rasha Afifi-Talleh, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever been asked a question that left you speechless? Not because you had nothing to say but because it simply felt like a door to so much more that lies inside. One of the most powerful tools we rely on in coaching conversations is asking powerful questions. The purpose of a powerful question is to create more clarity, deepen the client's learning, and build awareness. When we ask these questions, we are not looking for the details that fill our curiosity or the details that the client already knows. We ask the questions that meet them where they're at and help them go deeper. What makes a question so powerful is that it comes from a place of deep listening, without judgment, from complete curiosity in service of the client's journey. I had one of those opportunities a couple of months ago where I got to experience the full impact of a powerful question. During a casual conversation with fellow coaches sharing our different experiences and learning from one another, I shared something with them that I found challenging lately. Then, in a kind and encouraging voice, comes one of my colleagues with a question that made me pause. "Rasha, what are you owning in this that is not yours own?" I remember asking her to repeat her question, needing a minute to let this one sync. Reaching for my pen to write it down, I knew this question required more unpacking. I couldn't possibly begin to answer it at that moment; it just felt too big. That's when I knew I'd been hit with a powerful question. Go Deeper In the following weeks, I gave myself multiple opportunities to sit and reflect on this one question. Like most coaches, I've heard and worked with many similar questions before; What are you carrying that is not yours to carry? What roles are you filling that are not yours to fill? And the list goes on. However, the more I thought about this specific question, the more I realized that it was the word owning that held so much power and depth for me. In life, we often tend to carry a load that is not ours, shouldering problems and filling in roles to support those in our lives. It is part of our humanity to feel for others and share their problems, pain, and struggles. So, we find ourselves stepping in to help carry that load because we either feel like we can or must. However, where is the line? When do we cross from carrying, supporting, sharing, and helping to owning? At what point do the lines blur, and we end up owning that load, pain, and that struggle? When does it become our own? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it came down to my boundaries with myself. Those boundaries help me show up for others, support, and give without giving too much where I lose sight of myself. Though easier said than done. Here, I realize, is where my colleague's question leads to, a door to the beginning of the necessary real work around boundaries within myself. Ultimately, these powerful questions are not about one specific correct answer. It's about the journey of going deeper, reflecting, and peeling the layers. They are about finding new insights and building awareness to know yourself more so that, in time, you become more intentional and purposeful in your life. You increase your awareness and recognize where you can do better and grow. The next time you find yourself pondering a question that needs more reflection and depth, I invite you to sit with it, visit it multiple times, and allow it to open doors for you. See where it can take you, let yourself peel some layers, and notice what lies beneath. These questions are doors to so much growth. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Rasha! Rasha Afifi-Talleh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rasha Afifi-Talleh is an Executive Coach, a Team Coach, and a Workshop Facilitator. Rasha’s core belief is that our shared humanity is the moving force for creating real change and impact in our organizations, communities, and the world. Her passion is to work with leaders and organizations looking to create impactful change in the world and their communities. Her mission is to help build awareness of the value of creating human-centered organizations and putting the focus back on the people. Rasha helps leaders and executives better understand who they are as leaders, connect with their purpose, and develop their leadership skills to create the desired impact in their lives, teams, and organizations.

Written by: Sara Sheehan, 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. In this article, I would like to share with you three research studies and one HBR article that supports the overwhelming return-on-investment value of executive coaching. These research studies and articles support the impact of executive coaching and the benefits it provides for overall business performance and employee performance. The support of executive coaching, especially through business and employee performance is so strong that each individual or organization seeking to make significant changes in their zone of excellence should engage an executive coach as soon as possible. Engaging an executive coach can deliver positive tangible and intangible benefits that you wished could have been integrated sooner, discovering that an executive coach is a secret weapon you’ve been seeking to exceed business objectives and outcomes. Executive coaching can also provide significant results in improved relationships with reports, stakeholders, peers, and clients. While this is an intangible benefit, it’s an absolute competitive advantage to anyone that wants to increase sales, build better teams, or take on a higher level or more challenging leadership role. The top four tangible benefits include productivity increase, quality improvement, organizational strength, and customer service. These deliver remarkable results and real top-line and bottom-line business growth. Working with an executive coach helps you become more aware, helps you understand how others perceive you and can help you solve dilemmas with an objective, third-party advisor. When you take all of this into consideration, why wouldn’t every organization want to be focused on building a culture of employee development? Astronomical Return-On-Investment The first and most widely quoted study on the return on investment for executive coaching is one performed by a Fortune 500 firm, Pyramid Consulting Group, a coaching services firm and MetrixGlobal LLC. The findings from the study were published in November of 2001 (Executive Briefing: Case Study on the Return on Investment of executive coaching. Merrill C. Anderson, Ph.D., MetrixGlobal, LLC, SlideShare.net posted on Nov 23, 2011). The bottom line in the report is that coaching produced a 529% return on investment and significant business benefits. Including the financial benefits from employee retention boosted the overall ROI to 788%. The study provided powerful new insights into how to maximize the business benefits of executive coaching. The two main research questions in the study: How did coaching add value to the business and what was the return on investment? How could coaching be best leveraged in the future, especially if coaching was to be expanded to other business regions? Rather than getting into the details of the study, I’d like to focus on the findings and the staying power of the return-on-investment research 20-plus years later. Benefits Drive Significant Business Value The second study with similar findings is by Manchester Consulting. They surveyed 100 executives, most of which were from Fortune 1000 companies. Their research showed that a company’s investment in Executive Coaching realized an average ROI of almost six times the cost of coaching. (Maximizing the Impact of Executive Coaching, The Manchester Review, 2001, Volume 6, Number 1, Joy McGovern, et.al.) Both studies by MetrixGlobal LLC and Manchester Consulting reveal very consistent findings across the board with the actual percentages included below from the Manchester study. The tangible business impacts include: Productivity Increased 53% Quality Improvements 48% Organizational Strength 48% Customer Service 39% Reduced Complaints 34% Employee Retention 32% Cost Reduction 23% Bottom Line Profitability 22% Top Line Revenue 14% Reduced Turnover 12% Other Business 7% Intangible business impacts included: Improved Relationships: reports 77% Improved Relationships: stakeholders 71% Improved Teamwork 67% Improved Relationships: peers 63% Improved Job Satisfaction 61% Reduced Conflict 52% Increased Organizational Commitment 44% Improved Relationships: clients 37% Other business 31% Improved Performance and Desire to Continue Working with a Coach Third, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) reports the following statistics on the benefits of executive coaching based on their own research: 70% increase in individual performance along with measurable goal attainment, clearer communication, and higher satisfaction. 50% increase in team performance evidenced through better conversations, improved collaborations, and enhanced work performance. 48% increase in organizational performance through business results of an increase in revenue, increase in employee retention, and higher customer satisfaction and customer advocacy. 86% of organizations saw an ROI on their Coaching engagements, and 96% of those who had an Executive Coach said they would repeat the process again. Focus on Employee Development Drives Shareholder Value The final piece of data I’d like to share is from an HBR article. In “How’s Your Return on People?” (Harvard Business Review, March 2004), Laurie Bassi and Daniel McMurrer note that three stock portfolios filled with only companies that "spend aggressively on employee development" outperformed the S&P 500 by 17 - 35% during 2003. When your company invests in coaching and the growth of its people, tangible business benefits follow. That’s a remarkable increase in business performance! Invest in Your Future and Get a Huge Return-On-Investment Consider the facts about how an executive coach could impact your performance and your business results. Let’s take a look at how this investment could impact your life and career trajectory. You are a senior leader in a mid-sized company and you have not been promoted in a number of years. You are not challenged at work, and you have raised your hand for some stretch opportunities and initiatives. You finally take action and engage an executive coach on your own. You commit to six months of coaching with the option to extend based on the results you realize. Here’s an example of what you would be committing to do, using my Pinnacle Executive Coaching program over six months as an example: Meet weekly for up to an hour. Complete a couple of assessments that help shine a light on your strengths, how you interact with others, and how others perceive you. Talk through your performance feedback, as well as what your aspirations are. Create at least three goals, as well as the strategies and actions to achieve them. Start to work on the plan to achieve your goals. Be accountable for the actions you are taking each week. Increase your visibility at work with strategic actions. Demonstrate thought leadership to differentiate yourself from your peers. Take the time to rebuild relationships and resolve conflict. Set up an advisory team to help you be even more successful. One of my clients saved her company one million dollars in just twelve weeks of coaching. Many coachees get recruited into new companies with at least a 20% increase in compensation or get promoted within their organization. The research supports a significant return on investment. If you planned consistent action with a trusted coach, what could you accomplish? Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Sara Sheehan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sara Sheehan, PCC, is a consultant and Executive Coach who works with C-Level executive leaders designing organizations, developing business strategies, managing change, optimizing talent and leadership development, and solving complex human performance problems. Through executive coaching, Sara helps leaders sprint their way up the corporate ladder and increase their performance.

Written by: Martin J. Fisher, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Your brand is your audience's first impression of you. And just like any first impression, you want it to be a good one. It's not about colors, fonts or logos (although those things are important, too). Your brand is about what you stand for and the values you represent. Creating a strong personal brand will help you attract your ideal clients and customers. It will also make it easier for people to remember you and recommend you to others. 4 tips to create a strong personal brand 1. Get clear on your values Your values should dictate everything you do, from the way you interact with clients to the way you market your business. So it's important that you spend some time thinking about them. Determining your values takes a lot of self-reflection, but here are a few questions that can help you get started: How do you want people to feel when they work with you? What do you want to be known for? What are your non-negotiables? What do you believe in, even if it's not popular? Answering these questions will help you get clear on what you stand for. And once you know that, everything else will fall into place. 2. Find your niche Trying to appeal to everyone is a surefire way to fail. You're not going to be able to please everyone, so you might as well focus on the people who will appreciate what you do. Finding your niche will help you attract your ideal clients and customers. It will also make it easier for you to stand out from the crowd. There are a few different ways to find your niche. One is to look at your values and see which groups of people would be most drawn to them. Another is to look at your skills and experiences and see which groups of people would benefit from them the most. Once you've found your niche, focus on serving them to the best of your ability. 3. Be authentic People can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. So if you're not being genuine, they're going to be able to tell. The more authentic you are, the more people will be drawn to you. They'll trust you, and they'll feel like they can relate to you. And that will make them much more likely to do business with you. The key here is to be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. And don't try to copy someone else's style. Just be YOU. 4. Hone in on your message You want people to be able to understand what you do and what you stand for right away. So make sure your message is clear and concise. Think about what you want people to know about you. And then find a way to communicate that in a clear and concise way. Your message is simple: what you do and who you serve. It's the elevator pitch for your personal brand. Conclusion Keep these four tips in mind as you work on building your personal brand. They'll help you attract your ideal clients and customers, and they'll make it easier for you to stand out from the crowd. If you need help getting started, or if you're not sure how to take your brand to the next level, I can help. Send me an email and let's chat about how I can help you build a strong personal brand. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, and YouTube, or visit my website. Read more from Martin! Martin J. Fisher, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Martin is a Life Results Coach with a proven track record as a healthcare professional and corporate executive. He left that all behind to follow his calling to serve clients to create fulfilling lives they love. His expertise in health & wellness, pivoting & developing careers, and life patterns unite into the perfect holistic approach when creating your new life.

Written by: Allison Castle, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever noticed or answered the questions “How are you?” or “How have you been?” with “I’ve been busy” or “Staying busy”. Lately, I have become aware of that response and how often I say it. Then I might follow up and elaborate on what has been keeping me busy; client appointments, kids’ activities, projects around the house, etc. In my typical fashion awareness tends to lead to reflection and analysis! So why do I choose the word busy to describe how I am or how things are going rather than saying I’m great or I’m happy or I’m enjoying life? What am I intending to communicate to the asker? Do I want them to have a certain perception of me and my life? Am I worried about judgment or do I perhaps want some sort of validation? Busy can be a badge of honor. Society seems to glorify and reward busyness. If I am busy, I am working hard and working hard has been a highly desirable characteristics in our world. If I am not working hard and putting in the hours, am I lazy? If I am lazy, what am I doing with my life, what is my purpose? If I am not busy, if I am not doing, am I good enough, am I worthy? It is also easy to actually really feel busy all of the time. There are endless to do lists, overbooked calendars, constant connection to everything and everyone. This connection can bring the assumption of constant availability and make everything an emergency. Do you remember the days where you could leave your work at work and not have it follow you home on your phone? Do you remember the days when people had to leave a message on your answering machine when you were out of the house and may have to wait several hours or even days for your response? It makes sense that busy is a word we might regularly use to describe life. It is easy to get swept up in the hustle, the rush, the busyness. The word busy feels like there is barely time to breathe. It makes me wonder how often we are actually enjoying the moment we are in rather than racing towards the next one. Living at that pace feels like wishing time away. So, from my analysis I know that I want to continue to embrace something different. I want my life to be fulfilling and fun! I want to work to feel more like play. I want to glorify rest and recharge. I want to be as fully present as I can be in every moment. I want my purpose to be more about being and less about doing and having. This doesn’t mean that I just suddenly drop everything. I still have my to-do lists and may still have more colored areas than blank space on my calendar. But I can choose to be intentional with what is on my to-do list and what is on my calendar. I chose to honor my no and have healthy boundaries. I can choose to have the mindset of what I get to do rather than what I have to do. I chose to recognize my intrinsic worth rather than seeking validation from others. I am choosing a life that’s full instead of busy. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my Website for more info! Read more from Allison! Allison Castle, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Allison Castle is a Mastery Certified Transformational Coach, Meditation Teacher, and Certified Public Accountant. After years of following the "expected path," chasing the traditional standards of success, and coming up short on feeling successful or fulfilled, Allison created her Life Alignment Coaching Program to help women stop waiting until they reach that milestone (number on a scale, job title, income level, etc.) to finally find the feeling of fulfillment and success that they have been working so hard for. Her mission: Don't wait for the destination. Enjoy the Journey!

Written by: Victoria Baylor, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What makes a voice powerful? When I was young I remember one of my earliest encounters hearing a Powerful voice... and it's not what you think. I went to the zoo in elementary school with my classmates. I stepped off the bus and into the zoo observing the elephants and monkeys. And without warning, I heard a sound that sent shivers down my spine. It was a lion's roar. The lion was all the way at the back of the zoo – miles away, yet its roar could be heard the loudest. Did you know that a lion's roar can literally travel 5 miles? What a powerful voice! I had a similar "powerful voice" encounter years later when I heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech during his March on Washington. He spoke to over 250,000 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to peacefully protest racial injustice and demand unity. His voice was powerful and his voice carried a message that has lived on in my heart and the fiber of my being until this day. It's easy to recognize a powerful voice when you hear it. It moves you both physically, and emotionally and stirs you mentally. A powerful voice ALWAYS carries a message. You have a POWERFUL voice too! It's your tool to share the thoughts and ideas you carry and connect them to the world. But you have to open up and boldly use your voice. Let's be honest – have you always used it? I think we can all admit we haven't. But there is no greater opportunity than in this new year! This 2022 year holds so many possibilities and much potential. Your voice is the gateway. Your voice has much more power than you may even recognize. I don't know about you but society, family, and other situations can make a woman question the power of her voice. Maybe you've felt that way. Perhaps you've tried to use it and have had it ignored, minimized, or "mansplained" away. If this has been your experience I'm sorry that you've dealt with that. But your voice is powerful and I admonish you to NEVER let anyone silence it. Maybe you want to use your Powerful voice to start a new business or climb up the corporate ladder. Maybe you want to use it to start an organization, serve on the board of a charity or write a book. No matter what you want to do your powerful voice is the vehicle to get you there. So don't underestimate it. If anything you want to develop it on a greater level. I want to offer you 3 ways to find your voice on a deeper level. 1. Recognize your Rareness Do you know what the most expensive instrument in the world is? It's the MacDonald Stradivarius Viola and it is roughly $45 million dollars. Do you know why it's so expensive? It's expensive because it's rare. The Big question for you is – What makes you RARE? Have you ever stopped to think of that? Don't you think it's worth exploring? Some clues include your Personality, experiences, talents, strengths, values, creativity, intelligence, story, beliefs, etc. What can you do that others can't? What makes you different? Being rare makes you desirable & Valuable. It gives you the content & platform to use your Powerful Voice. But you have to figure it out! That's one thing I LOVE helping amazing women get clear on – their uniqueness! When you don't know you're rare you don't know your value. When you don't know your value you will underestimate your value and allow others to do the same. Find out what makes you rare and you will find your powerful voice and message. 2. Don't listen to the nay-sayers There has been a myth for years that bees shouldn't be able to fly. The myth dates back to the 1930s when the French entomologist August Magnan noted that a bee's flight should be impossible due to its big body and small wings. In the middle of that controversy, do you know what the bees kept doing? It kept flying. And scientists finally figured out they had it all wrong. So Let me draw your attention back to the honey bee. While all of this negative talk was going on the bee kept on flying. Who else here agrees that the bee knew its ASSIGNMENT? You see they solve a problem nothing else can solve. You're the same way. You are gifted to solve a problem. And that opens the door for you to use your Powerful Voice in a more impactful way. When you discover what it is don't let anyone else deter you. They may not be able to explain how you can do what you can do. It may not make sense to them but they keep on flying anyway. No matter what anyone says, you have to believe there is space and room for Your Voice. Your success is not dependent upon everyone's validation. Know your assignment. 3. Believe in Yourself The phrase "Believe in yourself" is often said so much that it may sound cliche. But it's not! The National Science Foundation did a study that revealed we think between 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Per day! For many people, 80% of those thoughts are negative. What do you think about yourself? Your thoughts will determine whether you have the courage to use your Powerful Voice! What do you believe about yourself? True BELIEF takes ACTION! When you have positive beliefs about yourself, they fuel you to take action. What steps are you willing to take to own the power of your voice? You can't wait on the world to give you an opportunity you need to find ways to make it happen for yourself. Create your own platform for your Powerful Voice to be heard. This is your year and I'm cheering you on! Use your voice powerfully! Want to learn more from Victoria? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website. Read more from Victoria! Victoria Baylor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Driven by a profound sense to help High-Performing Leaders excel and showcase their Brilliance, Victoria Baylor offers her expertise in the fields of leadership development, mindset growth, and personal branding to help entrepreneurs, professionals, & organizational leaders gain the Clarity + Confidence to get out of their heads and excel in leadership. She is a Certified Mindset & Clarity Coach, NLP Practitioner, TEDx Speaker & 1 Amazon Best Selling Author whose holistic approach to coaching, speaking, and writing helps others accelerate their growth and push past their limitations. After 15 years in research science, Victoria found her True Calling and purpose in behavioral science when she realized how easy it is for Women to lose their identities to the roles they serve in. She shares her insights & story in her TEDx talk, "You Are Who You Are, Not What You Do". This experience led her to focus on providing Coaching to help entrepreneurial & professionals (men and women) move beyond their mindset blocks and gain the personal brand clarity and strong mindset needed to operate as high-level leaders. She also offers organizational interventions in the form of trainings, seminars, and/or team building to polish brilliant leaders. She is a writer for multiple publications and a podcast host. She serves on several boards and non-profit organizations. For fun, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and reading. She lives in Savannah Georgia with her husband and 14-year-old daughter, Reilly.

Written by: Dr. Sydney Ceruto, 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. Identify your dealbreakers. What core values do you hold that you aren’t willing to compromise on no matter what? What in your life isn’t negotiable? What can’t be bought with money, fame, or attention? If you know the answer to that question, you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary problems and compromises in life. Identifying your “dealbreakers” helps you make smarter choices in multiple areas in life, especially your relationships, work, and personal happiness. For example, ask yourself: “What is my 1 dealbreaker when it comes to relationships or dating?” “What is my 1 dealbreaker when it comes to a job or career?” “What is my 1 dealbreaker when it comes to my lifestyle or personal interests?” Try to think of just one huge dealbreaker or “red flag” that you absolutely can’t compromise on – a clear sign that something isn’t for you. With relationships, maybe your dealbreaker is a history of cheating, or certain political or religious beliefs, or someone who doesn’t share the same vision of the future as you (like not wanting to get married or have kids). With a job or career, maybe your dealbreaker is having to work in a corporate office setting, or spending too much time away from family, or working for a company you find unethical. There are many other types of dealbreakers too, such as certain lifestyle choices, personal habits, or where you want to live. No matter what choice you’re making in life, it’s important to consider where you draw the line. You can filter out a lot of unnecessary options quicker if you know what you aren’t willing to compromise on. When you have a clear idea of what you DO NOT want in your life, then you can cut off potential choices sooner rather than waiting for things to “work out,” especially when you know there is a fundamental incompatibility. In fact, it’s often best to start your decision-making process with a dealbreaker. By doing this, you can screen out any unsuitable options and save yourself the maximal time and effort. Dealbreakers can be used as a cognitive heuristic to save you from unnecessary over-thinking and cost/benefit analysis. When you know “X = Dealbreaker,” then you don’t have to entertain all the other factors going into a decision. It cuts right to the chase. Knowing what you DON’T want is a good starting point toward knowing what you DO want. If you’re creating an online dating profile, then it’s often best to mention your dealbreakers right away. That ultimately saves both you and potential matches from wasting their time – you’re doing everyone a favor when you’re honest about what you want. The same goes for job searching, be upfront about what you’re looking for. This will save you from applying to jobs you know will make you miserable. It also means being honest about your dealbreakers during job interviews (which are just as much about finding out if you’re right for a job, as if a job is right for you). Everyone’s dealbreakers will be different. Sometimes it means going against certain social norms and social pressures; but if they are real dealbreakers, then the rewards will outweigh the costs in the long-term. You can technically break any social norm you want as long as it’s consistent with your values and you’re willing to pay the potential social costs. I was lucky enough to recognize a dealbreaker very early in my life and I stuck to it ferociously. Since I was 10-12, I knew I always wanted to become a doctor. I had no idea what I actually wanted to specialize in, but I knew my main career path was being a doctor and helping people. I also knew that I didn't want to be employed by a hospital, but unequivocally knew I somehow had to merge medicine with self-employment. I simply craved the independence and flexibility. Ultimately, I decided on helping people to improve their lives and mental wellbeing through the use of neuroscience and neuroplasticity. Hence the creation of MindLAB Neuroscience. At times, I had to settle for a lot less money and a lot less stability to follow my path. People would ask me, “So Sydney, how is private practice going?” and I’d say I’m perfecting my technique so when i do get a client, I am able to employ the most cutting-edge techniques. Then they’d reply, “Cool…so when do you will finally get a patient?” Ouch. A part of me could’ve given up at any time to be a normal person with a normal job. But over two decades later, I’m glad I didn’t. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made (so far) – and it’s because I knew what I really wanted. There were costs and pain, but it was also “easy” because I knew there weren’t any other paths that were right for me – that concentrates your focus and energy. Long-term compromise on that core value simply wasn’t on the table. Not negotiable. Dealbreaker. Of course, compromise is necessary in life – no one gets everything they want – the key is knowing what things you aren’t willing to give up. Some things are easier to compromise on than others. Maybe someone you marry isn’t as attractive as you’d like them to be, or your job has some annoying coworkers, or your current home isn’t as big or nice as you wish. Most people learn to be happy with these “imperfect” choices because they know there are more important things in life. The ultimate question is: What’s most important to you? One sign that something is a real dealbreaker is that you can’t even imagine yourself being able to live that way in the future. Take a moment to “zoom out” and try to picture yourself in the future 5 or 10 years from now. What would it look like if you didn’t compromise on that value? What if you did? If you want to build a better future for yourself, identifying your dealbreakers is a smart place to start. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Sydney! Dr. Sydney Ceruto, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Sydney Ceruto has completed her doctoral education in the field of Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience & is a leading specialist in using your brains natural ability to change neuroplasticity to ensure you reach your desired goals. Her specialty is in helping clients recognize their faulty thinking patterns, change undesirable behaviors, developmental & emotional resiliency, & gain mental clarity. When Dr. Ceruto was a teenager, she tragically lost both parents. As an only child, the loss of family completely broke her. She became profoundly depressed & began suffering from chronic anxiety. Sydney felt lost, & any form of happiness, confidence, or clarity seemed a long way off. Soon after, she began to pursue her education in medicine at Yale & obtained three masters in psychology & two Ph.D.’s in both cognitive & behavioral neuroscience at NYU. Studying the mind-brain connection was indeed the paradigm for her healing & growth. Dr. Sydney Ceruto created MindLAB Neuroscience over two decades ago. She pioneered an integrative approach based on hard science that has genuinely changed the way people make positive &, more importantly, permanent changes in all areas of their lives. Her program is highly venerated & has debunked all the myths regarding the efficacy of “traditional therapy” & the sad misnomer that you need to be on a counselor’s couch for years or even decades. Several publications have Dr. Sydney Ceruto on staff as a senior writer. She is a proud member of the Forbes Executive Council, Positive Performance Alliance, Wharton Executive Education Program, and Executive Writer for Alternatives Watch and Brainz Magazine. She has an avid intellect, a keen understanding of human nature, & an uncanny ability to connect deeply with clients. Dr. Ceruto is hands-on, accessible, highly intuitive, compassionate & is told … pretty funny! One of her passions is traveling, which she has done extensively. Dr. Ceruto is an avid sports enthusiast and watches everything from football to Formula 1 racing. She plays golf whenever she can and enjoys exploring other cultures. Dr. Ceruto has one son who graduated from Princeton University and is studying to become a corporate attorney. She also has an affinity for animals and is an adoring mom to her 1.5-pound Micro Cuban Chihuahua, Lolita.