Written by: Arthur Gluzman , 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. No matter how hard employers try to tailor the interview to the candidate and the role, some questions keep coming up. These basic interview questions are always relevant and eye-opening, no matter what job is at stake. Below are nine common interview questions and an approach to answer each one. You may have undoubtedly seen some of these questions in your career. If they’ve caused you career opportunities in the past, then with the insights from this article, your story will most likely change on your next chance to a successful outcome. These strategies will help you prepare your answers to the most challenging interview questions you may be asked. 1. Tell Me a Little About Yourself? Recruiters often ask this question to begin an interview. Rather than dive straight into the heart of the matter, your interviewer is merely asking you to introduce yourself. Since this is such a general question, what he wants to know is, “how well are you able to express yourself?” While there are many possible ways to answer this question, we recommend you provide a brief career overview covering skills, certifications, and recent jobs. In addition, you can end your answer by giving your interviewer a summary of your hobbies without it becoming the main focus of your response. To prepare for this question, we recommend you write a short professional biography (1 minute or less). You will be amazed at how practical it will be for you. When you have finished reading it, one of the points you mentioned will likely end up in the next question your interviewer will ask you. 2. What Are Your Main Strengths? You will likely lose this question if you gauge your interviewer to tell them what they want to hear. Your best option is to be honest. You cannot construct a response for your interviewer without repercussions. Plus, you risk failure if you don’t keep your word once you’ve been hired. While choosing specific skills that match the job is ideal, your strengths can quickly be straightforward and suitable for any situation. The common strengths encompass working productively despite deadlines, strong communication skills, and promptness to work. These abilities are often worth having, no matter your desired career. 3. What Are Your Major Weaknesses? Contrary to the previous question, this one can be technical since you cannot divulge anything too detrimental that will prompt the employer to revoke their offer. In a situation like this, you must be strategic with your response. For instance, you might land yourself in an unfavorable outcome if you say you tend to procrastinate, which may lead to the undue prolonging of the task. So instead, discuss the positive critiques you have received in the past and the corrections they have prompted you to make. Always be sure to emphasize how you are trying to correct a problem. 4. Why Should We Hire You? This question is the perfect opportunity to highlight your highly relevant skills to the job you are looking for. It’s even better if you manage to emphasize a point that sets you apart from others in your field. Avoid self-centered responses such as “I’ve always wanted to work for you” or “this job will help me advance my career.” Instead, focus on the value you have to offer. 5. What Sets You Apart from Other Candidates? Most of the interviewed candidates likely have comparable skills, so this question is only a variation of the previous question. Your approach to answering them should be the same: highlight your skills and explain the value you will bring to the business. An effective strategy here is to highlight your certifications and interdisciplinary skills, which are not the industry’s norm. Be sure to explain the reasons they make you a better fit for the job, though. 6. Describe a Conflict You Have Been Involved in and How it Was Resolved? This is one of the most dreaded and tricky interview questions on this list. It is difficult for two reasons. First, it forces you to relate the facts on the spot. Second, it might reveal a weakness that you’d rather avoid. It might sound logical, but the best manner to respond to this kind of question is to describe a conflict with a cheerful ending, specifically the one you took responsibility for. For instance, you and your boss disagreed about how to approach a new customer. In the end, you present a revised strategy representing a compromise based on aspects of both visions. In this story, you highlight your positive traits, such as your ability to collaborate and your team spirit. Remember, however, not to disparage and choose a conflict that presents your previous work in a negative light. You will never leave a good impression if you try to destroy others to look good! 7. Where Do You See Yourself in Five or Ten Years? This question determines if the job you are applying for matches your long-term career plan. Will you be gone within a few months? Do you have unrealistic expectations about the future of the role? To answer this question, like many other interview questions, be honest. If you’re hoping to move up to a higher or managerial position, say so, but be realistic. Most interviewers will appreciate your ambition. After all, five years is a long time. 8. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job? If you are leaving for some trivial reason, for example, to try to get a higher job or to get closer to home, be honest, and say so. This question may be riskier if you have been fired or laid off. Even in such a case, honesty is the best policy since your interviewer may contact your previous employer's management. However, remember to end positively and explain what you learned from your mistakes. Never speak badly about your previous or current employers. No matter how much you hate the job and even though your boss might be toxic, always be professional. You will be amazed at how small the world is when looking for a job. A negative attitude can make you seem like a difficult person and suddenly lead to an offer being withdrawn. 9. What Are Your Salary Expectations? You don’t want to get stuck on a specific salary at this stage. Therefore, give a comfortable range, representing a starting point for your employer while leaving you the necessary leeway to negotiate before signing a possible contract. In doing so, you also send the ball back to the court of your prospective employer. It is he who will have to present you with a convincing offer that meets your expectations. Remember that you are only in the first stage of negotiations. It is also essential to find out about salaries before your interview. For example, compare the wages of a few companies before arriving at an amount. Also, remember that salaries vary depending on where you live and your years of experience. Conclusively, there is no doubt that these are just a few of the tough interview questions you will need to answer throughout your career. The best way to solve any interview question (whether or not on this list) is to prepare yourself, especially by undergoing a mock interview test. Then, if you are ready to answer questions on this list, you will be better positioned to answer any questions you will be asked. Remember that the purpose of interviews is to find the right mix between employer and employee. Interviewers want your success as much as you do. They are not there to trip you up or to trick you. They want to convince themselves that they are hiring the right person! Be honest, and you will already be on the right track. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Arthur! Arthur Gluzman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Arthur Gluzman, the founder is the CEO of a million-dollar recruitment company and a career coach. For more than 20 years, Arthur has coached and helped various individuals to get their dream jobs within 30 days. He has also helped top reputable companies recruit the best talent in their organizations. Using his 20 years of recruiting experience, he has helped CEO’s, CFO’s, VP’s, and Talent Acquisition Pros who are looking to hire and retain the best professionals and executives in the known Universe. "I encourage you to take your career to the next level. I believe it’s time for you to receive expert assistance in pinpointing your hidden strengths and passions while building unshakable confidence. Build your brand as an expert in your industry, just like any other leading expert. You will never feel stuck, undervalued, unappreciated, unrecognized, or underpaid ‒ Ever again in your lifetime. So…"

Susie Briscoe, Global Business & Executive Lifestyle & Legacy Coach Mentor founded Acer Coaching Associates in 2004, and has guest appeared on various podcasts and radio stations, including Voice of America. Susie has written two 1 International best-selling books ‒ “Colour Your Legacy” & “Ascension to Legacy”, also contributing to numerous collaborative books. She works via Zoom thus travels the world several times in a day! Susie has dedicated her life to supporting charities, so it is natural that her work includes helping others to see how each of us are creating our legacy each day of our life. Her mission is to ‘’help you find the rainbows of happiness in your life” in order to understand our blessing. Susie Briscoe, International Lifestyle with Legacy Mentor Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. The following few lines are my basic bio, although I get the feeling that you are wanting to probe deeper than that: Susie Briscoe –Chair; Acer Coaching Associates International Business, Executive, Lifestyle & Legacy Mentor/Coach; Author, International \1 Best Seller “Colour Your Legacy” & “Ascension to Legacy as well as author to multiple bestselling anthologies, Susie works globally, with clients across 5 continents, 20 countries, 20+ States & Counties, and has identified 'Leading with Legacy' work as a major part of her passion. “My main buzz is helping entrepreneurs understand their life purpose in such a way as to Live their Legacy as they walk through their life… moving them from a life of success to one of significance.” This is about filling the gap, collaborating with people who have an empty feeling inside themselves for whatever reason and finding a way to give back to the world whilst recognising the importance of not wasting time as the clock continues to tick. Her clients include Chairs of International companies, Olympic athletes, royalty, men, and women globally who want to learn and grow their life ideals. Headhunted by the Nightingale-Conant Corporation in 2008, and subsequently by Brian Tracy Intl., to become their freelance Master Coach outside the U.S., Susie runs her International business whilst remaining actively involved in these charities: Action Medical Research for Children, my first and heart-felt charity (and am currently an International Ambassador with them)… Currently a Trustee of Crossing the Gain Line which is a charity set up to bring leadership skills to the children of Myanmar based around the skills learnt from sports, especially rugby, as well as feeding the communities throughout the Covid lockdown of 2020/21 and ongoing into 2022. Susie is also on the Advisory Board of the WinTrade Global Network, serving especially but not exclusively women around the world. Her role has an emphasis on Legacy and Contribution, focusing on how WinTrade is best able to serve the world. As of the 26th October Susie has been invited to be on the Board of Advisory Directors of Femme 500; this is a relatively new network aimed at highly successful women around the world with an emphasis at the moment on the US and UK, founded by Ungenita Prevost – women who are thriving and want to spend time with people who actually share the same mindset and indeed are walking in those fabled “stiletto’s” and I’m really excited to be a part of these two networks; am especially grateful to be involved at the ground floor level with both. I was invited to become Patron of the charity, Church Homeless Trust (CHT) when I retired, after nearly 30 years, from their Board of Directors in 2015; this was a huge honour for me and is a connection I value greatly having learnt to sofa-surf for a few short months back in 1996 when my late husband and I literally lost everything. I first became aware of homeless men and women as a very small child. We lived over my father’s wholesale and retail newspaper, cigarettes & confectionary shop, and when I looked out of the window, I could see various men and women just sitting on benches with nothing to do and nowhere to go. There were hostels for both sexes along the main road adjacent to where we were and every morning – regardless of the time of year or how inclement the weather, these people would be kicked out onto the street from 6am to 6pm. They would come into the shop to buy one cigarette (we would split open the pack to facilitate the sale for them) or a ha-peth of snuff (that would be a half-penny in old money), measured out using our brass scales (I still have them) into a little cone of greaseproof paper which we made especially so that they could afford it. Sometimes they would be totally out of it, having drunk some turpentine to ‘lift’ their spirits and give a break from the reality of their lives… this would be a poor-man’s gin, perhaps. So, for as long as I can remember, say from 3 years old, I was very aware in a tangible way of what the world looks like. If they were late getting into the hostel, that meant a night on the pavement as their bed would have been allocated to someone else. Bringing us up to date, nothing much has changed, except I like to believe that we are more compassionate to their fate. Certainly, CHT has helped in making this difference. My other love is animals. As a child we had a family dog – an Airedale terrier whose kennel name was ‘Lady Julie of Ashtead.’ I absolutely adored her, and you can only imagine how awful it was when she got lost. Thankfully, she was found at Battersea Dogs’ & Cats’ Home which was just a few miles from us in South London. When I was invited to become a Trustee (Director) of this oldest animal sanctuary in the world I jumped at the opportunity, having first given a lot of thought as to what I would be able to do which would make me worthy of such a distinction. I remained with the charity from 1989-2016 and am happy to have been part of its massive development and growth enabling it to comfortably fit into the 21st century having been founded in 1860. On leaving, the Board created a scholarship – The Susie Briscoe Scholarship – as my retiring gift, which is presented every year to a student who has gone through the latest development with which I participated in creating, the Battersea International Academy, which runs courses internationally to teach the preferred way of treating animals in a sanctuary situation. At one stage we had three Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and five cats and every time I moved, the animal carpet moved with me! In all, my current cats are about numbers 18 and 19 from Battersea. As you may have gathered, charity has been in my DNA virtually from birth and I feel very privileged to have been able to serve and help so many beings that needed that extra boost. I would like to include here that family is most important to me of all. I was fortunate to have married Albert at age 23 in 1970 and our marriage was happy and lasted until his death in 2016, which, as you can imagine this took a toll on me as well as my daughter Lara and grandson, Sebastian [aka Bassy]. We pulled together and support each other, which means everything to me. Lara has recently started her own VA business – ‘YourExecutiveAssistant.co.uk’ – and this also has an International feel in that she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Italian & French which has proved so valuable when working globally. Bassy is at an exciting stage in his life as he is just about to take A levels in the coming year and is looking to work in finance with a view to becoming an entrepreneur once he has acquired the necessary skillsets and expertise. Once married, I retired from working as an Advertising Account Executive in a London Agency and then worked twice as hard as a wife and mother. Early on in our marriage we had problems in getting pregnant and this resulted in ten miscarriages so whilst we wanted four children all our bundles of joy were delivered in one package – Lara! Every cloud has a silver lining, and during this time I was introduced to Action Medical Research. As a result of my own experience, I started fundraising for them and was able to use the skills learnt during my work in advertising and PR – I quickly became known, as the local group of Friends of the charity had some remarkably interesting people on board, one of whom was Greville who would go on to become Lord Mayor of London in 1987. This is when I seized the opportunity and asked if I could have use of ‘The House’ for a day. Permission was sought from and granted by the Court of Common Council allowing ‘monies to change hands in this house.’ We had the most amazing day with the whole of the city of London participating, plus Couture Fashion Designers, and A-list stars from around the world, complete with stilt walkers, clowns, and everything else that would constitute a Fayre and we raised £155,000.00 in one day. It was amazing and at one stage it looked as though Michael Jackson would join the throng. Knowing what I do now, I would have founded a Chair with this money with specific interest in researching into problems in holding on to a baby once conceived and premature birth, but hindsight is always 20:20. My main interest, outside of the above, is also set in doing what I can for ‘saving the planet’ – I say I do it one lightbulb at a time as I hardly ever use my electric lights except when extremely necessary… for example there is no reason to have a light on when on the computer or watching television, hence my one lightbulb at a time motto. Permaculture in its totality is so important for us to embrace if we are to make a real difference so that our grandchildren and beyond will be able to live the life we have enjoyed. Hopefully, we will have learned something in the developed world that we can pass forward to allow this. Whilst the industrial revolution did amazing things for first and second worlds, it has managed to damage so much of the basics of living and here I’m thinking of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. If we are able to live a simpler life, there still may be time to turn things around. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? My business name is Acer Coaching Associates and although I am situated in the UK, I do have a global reach having collaborated with clients on five continents and even as I write that, it still is able to blow my mind. Having reached an age where wisdom allegedly resides in my own mind, I love that I am valued in a way not dissimilar to the Elders of past tribes. Sometimes this is no longer the case in modern society when the emphasis always is geared towards youth. I will take it on the chin if you say my generation were responsible in a way. I was a child of the sixties, and it was exciting being a teenager then and seeing the world change before my very eyes. Fashion and music directed much of this new thinking however I fear that we have pushed that Rubicon beyond its happy limits and hope that some of the old world ‘charm’ will remain amongst all the modernity that is always being pushed towards us. My life experience in all its various forms from living in 3 rooms over my father’s shop to living in a 30-room mansion in West Sussex (UK) countryside within its own small estate – garden, paddock, copse and a larger area of woodland, in all just under 30 acres – and then on losing all that to the trauma of sofa-surfing - and not forgetting my volunteering on the annual committee of 4 individual Lord Mayors of London (think Dick Whittington … and they actually have more clout within the square mile of the City of London than the Monarch) – has given me an extraordinary breadth of experience which I bring to my work with clients. It is my belief that leaving a legacy – which is what my passion is all about – is not something in the preserve of the wealthy. It is something that each of us – from road-sweepers to Monarch’s and everyone in between – actually does each day of our lives. I help people understand that a legacy is created by each of us, as we walk through every day, whether we want to or not… it is being mindful of how we live our lives which decides what is important as to how we will be remembered. I love collaborating with my different clients helping them find what is most important to them and how this can be shaped into something really fulfilling to reflect back on before we cross the Rainbow Bridge. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? I thought I was aiming for an older age group to start with, but reality has shown that some people from 45+ years of age are already thinking about where they are in life, how they got there and what they could have done differently – I encourage them to look at opportunities arising from their life and business experiences and we generally look at beliefs, mindset, and values to ensure there is a completeness to the approach. What are your current goals for your business? For the moment I want to continue working one on one with extremely specific people who feel they have come to a stop in their lives, both in business and how they view their personal life as well. They have usually experienced success in their life and yet there is still that ‘not quite definable nugget’ that is missing. This is when I like to ‘swoop’ in and help them turn their successful life into one of significance. I really enjoy the one-to-one experience and love to see my client rise from what had been a demise into something approaching a phoenix … I’m sure you know what I mean. It is always so amazing for them as well as their family as well, because, of course, everything closely interacts with everything else. I find my clients through referrals, as well as networking. Thank goodness for Zoom, as this was a complete game changer when we entered the stormy days of Covid. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? Many years back I wanted to conquer the world and take no prisoners; however, wisdom prevails at last! I have realised that the Empire is not important to me as much as helping individuals is, which is why I prefer the one-to-one model. Yes, it’s fun to interact with a lot of people, but like all relationships, it is when one realises the importance of actually getting into a real conversation rather than skipping across the surface of a subject, that one can really start to make a difference that has the power to have a lasting effect. That change can be significant simply at a familial level, and also on a broader front depending on how big the vision is. My vision for my clients doesn’t even stop at the horizon – we go far beyond that and aim for the moon, stars, and planets because that way I can be sure that together we will definitely guarantee that we easily jump over the tallest trees. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? Inspiration comes from different people at different times in our lives. It is always family first, and that still holds true… in his lifetime it was my husband, Albert and gradually one realises that at least one other person is involved and for me it is now two others: my daughter and my grandson. I love to lead from the front (as well as being a part of a team) and so I hope to have been modelling a way of life for both of them, just as we are all standing on the shoulders of those giants who came before us and showed each of us the way. HM the late Queen, on a professional level, was a great inspiration: globally, as well as being personal to me, as I was fortunate enough to have been presented to her on several occasions and then in turn tasked with presenting others to her. Her sense of duty was worn lightly and never seemed to be a burden and I think this is true for so many of us when we feel we have the right fit – that we are comfortable in our own skin and understand that there is no point in wanting to be someone else, because all those roles are taken! What is your work inspired by? This question reminds me of when I was studying to become a Coach and I had glanced through all the sections that were covered in the course. Nothing really stood out for me, until I actually got down to writing the answers to all the exam questions. It was when I was attempting to answer the rapport section of questions, and this had me totally stuck… it was like having feet in deep snow on the side of a mountain. I could see the footpath – this did in fact happen to me! – but it still escaped me. I could not overcome the barrier that would show me the way. When I shared this with my fellow students, they couldn’t believe it and it was only after being coached by several of them that the penny dropped: the reason I was having so much trouble with Rapport and how to build it was because I just did it naturally. Duh! No wonder I didn’t know how to write about it; it was just intangible and yet a significant part of me. This is the case with my Legacy work. The whole of my adult life – well actually even whilst at school I was the charity monitor – I have been drawn to doing things voluntarily. To helping others, and my life experiences have guided me in showing me where help is needed. When we lost our home and everything, it was ghastly, and now I see it was a gift. Unpleasant at the time but the lessons learnt from it enabled me to understand what homelessness is really like not just looking out of my parents living room window, but from the inside out. There are other examples of this, but I think the short answer to the question is ‘Life’ in all its rich colours and tapestries. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. Am I able to claim my marriage, my daughter and grandson? Probably not as the question says career. There have been so many over the years and I say that not intending it to be mis-heard or misconceived as being arrogant. When I first started work after college, I went on to become an advertising account executive at a time when women in the office were mainly thought of as being typists, and making coffee for the chaps. I had my own secretary and my own company car all before the age of twenty-three, which as I said is when I ‘retired’. Then, getting involved with married and family life to ensure that everyone – including the dogs, cats, fish, hens, ducks, tortoise, and terrapin… don’t think I’ve forgotten anyone! … was being looked after. Oh yes, Husband! Just teasing. Becoming involved in charity work at a local level before being elevated courtesy of Greville and my other three Lord Mayor’s into a completely different stratosphere, involving several members of The British Royal Family, many of the top people in business in the City as well as A-listers from around the world. I had chaired the 150th Celebrations and Gala evening for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (an event that drew the attention of the Russian media as they enquired about covering us on our red carpet), as well as hosting Prince Michael, for BDCH, on the terrace of the House of Lords at an evening reception we ran there. Putting on some amazing functions at places as diverse as the local village hall to Earl’s Court, at Olympia (which is a massive arena where I hosted a London Antiques Fair for AMR), to Mansion House in London as well as an evening of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s (with Andrew and his wife there, with our guest of honour being the HMT Queen’s sister, HRH Princess Margaret) music at the unbelievable venue of St. Paul’s Cathedral… I had become a Yummy-Mummy before the words had even been coined. As a result of being on the Boards of ‘my’ two charities, and later becoming Chair of a local preparatory school and then on the Council of the world-class Cheltenham Ladies College, many doors were opened to me, including invitations to Receptions at Buckingham Palace. When we were leaving the Palace, I suddenly decided I needed to visit the Ladies Room. My husband said ‘come on … you never need the loo, let’s get home’, to which I replied ‘if you seriously think there is going to be any place here that I’m allowed to visit I’m not going to you are mistaken!’ I should also add here that I’d already insisted I drove our incredibly old Bentley through the gates of BP instead of my little old Peugeot… well he got the message. The Bentley was also driven through the Main gates of Windsor Castle on another private occasion… I started up a small charity with a girlfriend to help educate AIDS orphans and neces sitous children around the world and went to visit schools and orphanages in Kenya and India to see how our money was being spent. Just thinking back, there are so many important episodes it really is hard to just select one. I think this is when I go back to my first response, which was to say that my greatest achievement is having a happy marriage and a healthy, beautiful, intelligent daughter and grandson. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Written by: Patricia Arboleda, 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. Avoid burnout and find joy in your work with these helpful tips on how to maintain a work-life balance. Maintaining a work-life balance might be easier for some than for others, but it’s essential for everyone’s overall well-being ‒ regardless of the work in question. With remote work on the rise post-pandemic, many of us are struggling to establish a routine that equally favors both personal time and professional effort. In much of the Western workforce, workers tend to view themselves as a small part of a whole, which makes it all the more difficult to boost emotional individualism. While listening to yourself isn’t easy in daily practice, it’s even harder to do so when work is involved. The fear of letting a boss or the whole team downplays a large role in influencing how often we cater to our own needs. Taking the time to check in with yourself at the start of the day can be a powerful tool toward setting and achieving goals, as well as addressing any underlying issues with your work environment that are going unresolved. Managing Stress in the Workplace Having these check-ins throughout the day, particularly at times when energy levels might drop, are a good preventative for avoiding burnout. In a survey of over 1000 respondents by Deloitte, 77% say they have experienced burnout at their current job. 91% say that unmanageable stress or frustration impacts the quality of their work, and 83% say burnout can negatively impact personal relationships (*). A sure cure for burnout is taking time off ‒ which sounds much easier than it seems. Many people within the bustling entrepreneurial workforce find it hard to take much-needed time off, which is an inevitable disservice to our own well-being. While some of us might feel that we’re letting our teams down by taking time away, the breaks are a powerful way of increasing productivity and success. Researcher Mark Rosekind of Alertness Solutions found that the respite effect of a vacation can increase performance by 80% (*). If taking long vacations might not be possible for financial or personal reasons, taking breaks throughout the day can certainly be a great alternative. This means actually using your full lunch break, going for a quick walk every couple of hours to increase blood flow, stepping out of the office to take a call, and changing your work environment as often as you can. These changes in routine can regulate energy levels, reduce stress, and increase productivity. Setting Boundaries Keeping in mind that boundary-setting plays a big role in defining work-life balance, this goes for both your professional and personal life. While flexibility is important, letting your leaders and team members know about your schedule and preference is equally and valuable. And guess what? They just might surprise you by respecting those boundaries. This might look like: not bringing your work home with you, keeping communication to specific productivity windows, and setting aside time for things you love without worry of interruption. More tips on setting boundaries here. Setting aside time for the things that bring you joy is at the heart of building a proper work-life balance. Whether they might be hobbies, creative passions, or just a favorite TV show, if it makes you happy chances are it’s going a long way toward building that balance you need. Having a hobby that makes you happy without a connection to what you do for a living has been proven to reduce stress and increase overall joy in your life. It’s like a battery recharge, but made fun. Foster Relationships Of course, fun times can be hard at work, and much of that might have to do with the people you work with. We all have a “work bestie” and some of us might even have a leader we look up to, but fostering relationships outside of work is a foundational part of establishing a strong work-life balance. Spending time with the people you love and respect is a great way to feel centered when work can make you feel off-kilter. If you’ve moved to a new place or find it hard to socialize, partaking in group activities might be a great option to start building relationships and flexing that social muscle. Either way, fostering relationships is a powerful way to bring you back to yourself ‒ which is where work and life come from to begin with. Key Takeaways While on your path to building a stress-free existence, know that there is no perfect work-life balance. The journey isn’t linear, and there certainly isn’t a “right” way to go about discovering what it might look like for you. Finding a work-life balance that makes sense for you and what your goals are will involve a good amount of trial and error. So, don’t be afraid to spend time searching for what that is. Get uncomfortable. Surprise yourself. Take as many breaks as you can. Eventually, you’ll land on something that feels right and that you can stay consistent with…which is where the real work starts. Good luck! If you need help setting healthy boundaries and maintaining a good work-life balance, book a call. I'd love to talk to you. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or visit my website for more info! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Arboleda, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patricia Arboleda is a certified Executive & Leadership Coach, Former Fortune 500 Senior Executive, keynote speaker, and the Founder of Arboleda Coaching. Through her interactive and transformative corporate and individual coaching programs, she empowers driven diverse leaders to accelerate their success, take their careers to the next level, and break through barriers to build the futures that they want and deserve. References: [1] https://www.apollotechnical.com/remote-work-burnout-statistics/#:~:text=In%20a%20survey%20of%20over,can%20negatively%20impact%20personal%20relationships.

Written by: Anna Krzysztoszek , 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 times of a challenging economic situation, fear, doubts, and other difficult emotions may evoke the impression a positive change is completely out of reach. Here are 3 tips on how to keep up the good spirit, hope, and faith despite external difficulties and challenging emotions. 1. Short-, mid-, and long-term goals External circumstances might have changed and changes are stressful but it does not mean professional fulfillment is completely out of reach. Reduce the pressure and define some priorities. What would you like to change as soon as possible and which part of your dream can wait a little longer to come true? It makes sense to reduce the most stressful and painful influence as fast as possible so that some energy-boosting relief can be felt. What is the most stressful factor in your current professional environment? A loud-speaking, irritating colleague sitting next to you or a one-hour drive to the office? Is it possible to make some changes in your office working space or do more home office? You get the point. Rome wasn’t built in a day – short-term shifts of the most irritating factors can uplift our mood and have an energy-boosting effect. 2. Supportive daily routine In one of the affirmations of Ayesha Noelle on YouTube, there is a sentence that says, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity…”. I would even go further and say, “Luck and success is when preparation meets opportunity…”. In times of crisis, it might be impossible to achieve all our professional goals short-term but we can try our best to continuously adjust our daily routine, so we are prepared to take action when the right opportunity comes. In case you cannot afford expensive training currently, plan actions, not results. Do every day the best you can to read, watch content and continue to grow as efficiently as possible under given circumstances. 3. Flexibility & reframing Slowing down and changing the deadlines linked to our goals is not equal to failure. Think about it as a kind of rolling financial forecast. Check continuously, on a regular basis, if your “forecast” is still leading you toward your professional fulfillment. Try to let go of the idea that a career plan is something set in stone. In times of economic crisis, it could be an assumption leading to unnecessary stress. Flexibility, creativity , and continuous, honest self-dialogue and check-ups could help you much more in times of permanent, ongoing changes. Reframe every experience and observation linked to the implementation of your “career forecast”, so they become learning experiences and supportive observations, not judgmental conclusions related to your self-worth or capacities. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna! Anna Krzysztoszek, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Krzysztoszek has more than 20 years of international experience in business ‒ from large corporations to start-ups. She is the owner of Green Butterfly ‒ Coaching & Recruiting. The completion of her German and Dutch studies, her pedagogical education, the certificate of a Psychological Advisor and various business degrees, such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), reflect Anna's main focus and passion: combining her economical expertise with the always present interest in people and the art of making the best of our lives. This especially applies to professional matters ‒ after all, we spend a third of our life at our workplace.

Written by: Deborah Lynch, 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. Back in the 1980s, if you needed to research a project, you went to the library and spent hour after hour searching for small pieces of vital information. Nowadays, such research is easily accomplished, often within seconds, via Google. That means the amount of daily work achievable today is significantly higher than was in the era of big hair, giant shoulder pads, and Yuppies. Yet are we really more productive now than we were around 40 years ago? In this brief guide, I address this question by championing the power of a structured life as a means to achieving much more every single day. This applies not only in work situations but also in maximising your accomplishments and maintaining your personal happiness level… Fast-track to peak productivity: The gift of THREE days for the price of ONE American author Ed Mylett is well-known for his highly effective time management strategy, i.e., in Ed’s reality, you can get the equivalent of THREE days of work done in a SINGLE day. From 6 a.m. to 12 noon — he does the equivalent of a full day’s work. From 12 noon to 6 p.m. — a time for connection, relationships, and getting things done: meetings, calls, interviews, and so on. 6 p.m. to midnight — is occupied by yet more of the same activities. This mind-blowing method really works. According to many high achievers who have adopted this special schedule the results are incredible. Just think of the amazing effect that 21 days’ worth of work done in ONE week could have on your life. Stack that up over five years and your world is going to be dramatically different! Such a high level of productivity will transform your working life, enabling you to achieve your goals faster, make more relationships, and accumulate many great memories along the way. But it all takes discipline and commitment. Unfortunately, a lot of would-be high flyers don't realise that entrepreneurship burns-up way more time and effort than a standard 9-to-5 career. Many newbies cherish their freedom and assume their time is their own — which is probably the biggest fallacy on the planet. As an entrepreneur, you will have more obligations, more responsibilities, and more accountability than ever before. You most certainly do not have all the free time in the world. In reality, becoming an entrepreneur means taking on four or five extra roles. It is likely that when you get started, you will mess up a few times. But if you remain committed to this strategy for several weeks, the new schedule will gradually become second nature to you. The unexpected benefit of a structured life You already know that having a structured life characterised by peak performance and high productivity will likely improve your life and career in general. Nonetheless, there is a hidden benefit that almost nobody talks about: According to leading New York psychologist, Dr. Steven Phillipson, unemployment is a mental health problem because an unemployed person doesn’t have a structured life. Similarly, not having a relationship can be a mental health problem too. Let’s say someone has a job, but no relationship to go home to after work. This also looks like an issue because this person also needs a structured life after work. I know this theory doesn’t sound politically correct, but it makes sense to those who have experienced unemployment and the singleton life for a long time. Also, a major study shows that the recently retired tend to have more anxiety and depression as well, simply because they no longer have a structured life. Among the many individuals who have recently turned to entrepreneurship, the most common challenge is: “Okay, now I can plan my schedule, but it seems incredibly hard because now I must have self-discipline, momentum, and the consistency to be well-organized! Just thinking about those elements are causing me great anxiety.” Fact is, when self-employed, you must create a structured life by yourself — because no one now tells you what to do every day (yes, I said must, not should). In other words, a structured life improves a person’s mental health. This is extremely important as good mental health not only influences your state of mind and motivation but also directly impacts your physical health. In his book Lifespan: Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To, Australian biologist David Sinclair states that he was very nervous in his 20s and 30s. Then, after studying more about the biology of ageing and lifespan extension, he became a very calm guy in his 40s and 50s. Now at 53, he looks like a 37-year-old. David says anxiety causes too much cortisol in the body and this accelerates aging. The easiest way to deal with this is to monitor your gastrointestinal system. You may experience nausea or diarrhea due to too many stress hormones — and recent research shows that due to high levels of cortisol, heartburn is becoming increasingly common among younger people. Hence, everyone would be well-advised to look after their mental health so they can live longer. A structured life helps to maintain the balance in mind and body, which is good for your longevity! Use the 80/20 rule to your advantage In business, success is much more important than busyness, which is why the 80/20 rule is very well-known. In essence this rule purports that since 80% of your results are created by 20% of your efforts, you should focus on the 20%. If you are an ambitious entrepreneur who loves being in the thick of the action, chances are you’ve already wasted a great deal of time doing things that haven’t directly contributed to the results you are seeking. Perhaps you got caught up in the excitement of organising events that don’t add to your bottom line. Perhaps you’ve been networking with people who aren’t high-quality customers/clients/business partners. Perhaps you’ve been carrying out plans that don’t put real money in the bank. In such cases, the 80/20 rule will change the way you operate — you don’t have to be perfect in every way to have a profitable business. If you want to achieve more without getting burnt out, the most important action you need to take right now is to clarify the 20% of your efforts that bring 80% of your results. More exactly: 20% of your marketing efforts brings in 80% of the new business you get. 20% of your tasks lead to 80% of your business success — measured in dollars, new customers, business growth, and other numbers Defining the 20% of tasks that produce 80% of your results, will free up time, energy, and resources and enable you to become more productive and effective! That being said, simply knowing the 80/20 rule wouldn’t make a difference. It’s doing it that matters. Now I’m going to show you how to identify the 20% of your tasks that are high-leverage activities in your business. In the left-hand column on a piece of paper, list all the tasks you do in your business — e.g. talking to clients on the telephone, writing marketing emails, and so forth. In the right-hand column, list all your business’s Big Wins, e.g., getting a book deal, landing a VIP client, and so on. Now draw a line linking only those left column tasks that contributed to each of the Big Wins on the right. Now you can easily see which tasks contributed to your Big Wins. These are the 20% of tasks you have to focus on. (By the way, in your business it may be a 75/25 rule or 89/11 rule. The principle is flexible.) Don’t forget that the 80/20 rule also applies to specific areas in your business: 20% of your revenue streams bring in 80% of your actual income 20% of your clients/customers bring in 80% of your revenue 20% of your clients/customers bring you 80% of your headaches! Indeed, if you spend your precious time more wisely, you will have more time to spend on important things, e.g., quality time with family and friends, self-care, etc. Which tasks are you going to get rid of because you know they don’t bring results? Duties to delegate Many new entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed by having too many things to do each day. That’s why you would be well-advised to delegate tasks strategically. Let’s analyse all the tasks in your business by filling in the table below: Which tasks in your business are challenging/comfortable and which are energising/depleting? Here is an example (Dorothy’s analysis table): In actuality, everything in the right-hand columns should be delegated. That is to say, any activity that is depleting should be delegated to someone else (something you dislike doing might well be another person’s favourite task). Also, chances are you don’t like what you are not good at, so find someone good at those tasks and delegate to them. I advised Dorothy to delegate everything in the right-hand column to someone else. As a result, since everything in Dorothy’s business is digital, she now has a virtual assistant currently doing online marketing and copywriting for her. This assistant is also responsible for admin work, responding to potential clients’ email inquiries, and filing business documents. (I recommended VirtualStaffFinder.com to Dorothy. This platform has many high-quality virtual assistants, mostly based in the Philippines). Last but not least, let’s figure out how to manage the challenging/energising and the comfortable/energising tasks in the left-hand columns. Frankly, you should want to be deeply involved in these categories which are at the very heart of your business. They should energise you. (I’d advise tackling ‘challenging’ tasks when your energy level is high and dealing with the ‘comfortable’ ones when your energy level is lower.) Dorothy, for instance, writes her strategic sales and marketing plan and works with VIP clients from 6 a.m. to noon on ‘Day 1’ when her energy level is high. Her meetings happen after lunch. If she needs to do bank reconciliation, she does so after meetings, and that is her ‘Day 2‘ (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.). During ‘Day 3’ (from 6 p.m. to midnight), she reads books and spends quality time with her husband. Now, Dorothy is a happy entrepreneur running a successful business — all thanks to a properly structured life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Deborah! Deborah Lynch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deborah Lynch is THE global expert on embodying your personal presence (both online and offline) to achieve your dreams, influence hundreds of thousands of people, and achieve self-actualization. Her mission is to help you build a thriving personal Presence that helps you succeed in business, in relationships, and in every area of your life easily – almost effortlessly! She has built a successful speaking business, a successful coaching company, a successful Youtube channel, and a successful eCommerce store, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs succeed in today’s presence-driven online landscape. Deborah’s Story Deborah’s story is one of overcoming poverty to achieving triumph – and it is still evolving to this day! If she can do it, anyone can – including you! At one point in her life, Deborah even found herself homeless, with nothing but a can of carrots to eat. At that point, she found a mentor who trained her on a specific set of skills and began her journey to success. Deborah learned how to become a success both as an entrepreneur and in the corporate world, and eventually discovered the great power of Presence, which she used to become a professional speaker and present for over 150,000 people in 70 countries for 48 different luxury brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and Gucci. Upon reaching the height of her career, she realized she wanted something more. She wanted to use her Presence as a way to help others in every area of their lives – from personal to professional, and beyond. That’s when Instant Wings was born, and along with it her Youtube channel Instant Wings1, where she now has over 51,000 views and over 5,000 hours of playtime (and counting!) Today Now, Deborah has turned her attention to helping you discover your presence. Because people with a powerful, magnetic Presence – and a message that turns their adversities into a superpower – can experience nearly overnight success in almost endeavour. Your powerful personal presence can be used to transform your business, your relationships, your results, your health, and your happiness. Because all of these things depend on how you show up. And that’s exactly what Deborah is here to teach you. Ready to master your Presence?

Written by: Brigitte Kaps, 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. Successful CEOs radiate the image of being in control, but leadership is a juggling act between several factors and somewhere along the way, it’s entirely possible for a few balls to slip. One of these is responding to emails in a timely manner. Many CEOs don’t reply to emails that arrive in their inbox and the reasons for this are manifold – they haven’t actually seen the email, they have read it and dismissed it, they are still formulating a reply but forget to actually do it, or they are not bothered. Ignoring cold emails is understandable, but what about emails that come from people they have already interacted with, with whom they have a business relationship? Leaders and CEOs are indeed busy people but what is the cost of digitally ignoring someone? One of the important aspects of communication is that it is a two-way street and the expectation of a response is valid. Not responding to emails gives out signals that might impart a negative impression of the leaders. What message does it give? Standard face-to-face communication has other cues to complete meaning, such as visual expressions, tone of voice and body language. When it comes to written communication, especially email, understanding such metamessages can be hard to track. When a CEO doesn’t respond, it sends out a metamessage of its own that impacts its reputation negatively. Senders can assume that the CEO is indifferent or that they devalue the sender’s time and effort. The longer it takes them to get back, the deeper this perception becomes engendered. To the CEO, not replying might be because they are not interested or forgot but it can have deeper repercussions. From reputation to reliability and trust, all of this is affected when there is no response to an email. Some people might argue that ‘no response is the new no’ but truthfully speaking, this is passive-aggressive behaviour and also rude. What can be done? Understanding that there is a need for change is the first step in shifting away from this new disturbing culture of communication. It’s reasonable to believe that CEOs are busy people with hardly enough free time on their hands. They are deluged by emails which can keep multiplying until addressing it seems like an insurmountable task. Here are some of the ways in which CEOs can prevent this from happening Give themselves a deadline – Sometimes, a deadline is what works best. If they have all the required information to respond to an email, they should give themselves a deadline of 24 hours at least. Inbox Zero is possible with the right amount of effort. Make it part of their to-do list or task – Being organised is important and CEOs especially have tasks and to-do lists to get them through the day. When answering emails is included in this list, it makes it easier and doable. Save time with text expanders – Answering time can be reduced to seconds with the help of text expanders that can be used to send standardised responses. Delegate – Sometimes, none of these options might be feasible and will undeniably add to the CEO’s workload. Maybe, then it’s time to delegate the task to an assistant or a subordinate. Communication has evolved over the decades but the expectation of receiving a response to an email is natural. Responding to emails or not, might seem like a small issue, especially for an important personage such as the CEO but in the larger picture, it is invaluable in creating the right impression about leadership. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Brigitte! Brigitte Kaps, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brigitte Kaps is the founder and CEO of Executive PR.ch & Rent a PR.ch. She holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Business Communications and a degree in communications science She has almost 20 years of international experience in management positions with leading foreign banks (ABN Amro, GE, RBS). Before becoming self-employed in 2015, she was responsible for corporate communications at Cembra Money Bank (formerly GE Money Bank) in her capacity as a member of the Executive Board.

Written by: Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Stress is something that everyone experiences, as a natural reaction to pressure or feeling threatened. It usually happens when we’re in a situation that we feel we cannot manage or control. Whilst a little stress can sometimes help us, too much can lead to burnout and impact our well-being. What is burnout? Burnout occurs at the point of physical and mental exhaustion. It is far more than feeling a little stressed, as it generally happens over a prolonged period. This could be the result of a drastically increased workload or being unable to take a break away from a constant source of stress. Burnout is commonly talked about as an issue in the workplace, but it can occur in our social and home life too. Signs of burnout Burnout can present itself in different ways, some people may experience a whole range of symptoms, whilst others may have only a few. Some of the most well-recognised signs of burnout include: Feeling helpless or defeated Feeling drained most of the time (no matter how much sleep you get) Frequent headaches Feeling overwhelmed Taking longer to get even small tasks done How to recover from burnout using strengths Using our draining Learned Behaviours regularly can add to burnout as these are tasks or activities which we are good at but don’t enjoy. Unfortunately, we often mistake these for our strengths, so we keep doing them. We also want to keep getting recognised for a good job so we may not want to give these activities up, especially if our colleagues rely on us for these Learned Behaviours. Likewise, if we are trying too often to overcome our Weaknesses, we will experience a lack of achievement and energy, bringing on further burnout. Taking a strengths-based approach to everyday tasks can help to combat burnout, especially when you call on a range of your Realised and Unrealised Strengths to help you achieve them. Start by mapping out your Unrealised Strengths (the things you love but don’t do often) to the tasks you don’t enjoy. This will help you to approach them differently and with renewed energy. When we are stressed, we tend to focus on what’s going wrong, rather than what’s going right. Strengths can help us to reframe our perspective. Try reflecting on the positive things you’ve achieved this week. Think about what made you feel good, or what sparked joy, and consider which strengths you used. Try using these strengths more in everyday life to bring back some of your energy. The more we use our strengths, the more we will benefit from their impact leading to greater self-esteem and goal achievement. What have you put off due to lack of energy that you would love to start doing again or try for the first time? Discover those Unrealised Strengths waiting to be unlocked. Jot down your strengths use over the week. Perhaps you organised a meal out with friends, a business meeting that was successful. Think about how this made you feel and think about ways you can draw on that strength again. By understanding our strengths and putting them to use in our everyday lives, we will be able to increase our outputs, whilst having more energy and enjoyment getting things done. If you’d like to learn more about your own strengths and how to apply them, take a look at our Introductory and Expert Profiles . You can also find out more about how we’ve helped individuals, organisations, and coaches to take a strengths-based approach to their own everyday tasks and development. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Trudy! Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trudy Bateman is an expert in strengths and their applications. As Director of Strengths Profile, Trudy works with coaches, organizations, and universities to help them understand the strengths of their people, so they can develop them – ensuring not just a successful career, but one they love. Having led the team responsible for the implementation of successful product strategy and delivery of strengths-based assessments for over 13 years, Trudy has delivered thousands of strengths solutions through coaching, facilitating, and consulting, including the accreditation of over 3,000 Strengths Profile practitioners. She is a key speaker, author of The Strengths Profile Book, and resident expert in strengths.

Ciara Clark is a Level 2 Integrative Health Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach, Certified Yoga Instructor, and Plant-Based Expert. As a former Scientist by trade, she suffered from years of debilitating digestive distress, which led her on a personal journey to achieving optimal wellness. Through the power of mindset, movement, plant-based nutrition, and functional medicine, Ciara blends her scientific and holistic expertise to create customized wellness approaches, empowering her clients to find strength in healing their own bodies. She utilizes an individualistic approach to focusing on their unique biochemical needs to restore the body on a cellular level. Ciara is the founder of Ciara Clark Wellness, where she helps high-achieving leaders to amplify their gut health and achieve their goals to bring vitality back into their bodies again. Her intention is to support busy professionals with developing a deeper understanding of their biological footprint, and the food and lifestyle choices that work best for them, while improving their overall energy, balance, health, and well-being. Ciara Clark, Integrative Health Practitioner Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. My name is Ciara and I’m a Level 2 integrative health practitioner, holistic health coach, yoga instructor, and plant-based expert. I’m also a former Scientist by trade, having worked on all stages of immunology, oncology, and cellular-based therapeutic programs. I live outside of Boston, MA with my husband and our son who is my world. I live a very simple life, enjoying every little ounce of peace and serenity that I can infuse into my being. I’ve always had a passion for helping people, which is why I was so drawn toward becoming a Scientist at 14 years old. At one point during my career, I wanted to become a field Scientist, supporting African nations with AIDS research and analyses. This is when I decided to start traveling to such places as Africa and Nepal to offer my support as a volunteer. My passion for wellness and helping people has always been in me. After encountering my own personal challenges with my health and gaining deeper insight into what it really meant to live a healthy lifestyle, I changed my trajectory toward supporting other high-achieving women who are on a similar life path. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? Ciara Clark Wellness was founded with the intention of helping high-achieving leaders, mostly women, to eliminate their bloat, amplify their gut health, and achieve their goals to bring vitality back into their bodies again. I support them by incorporating the six pillars of my business, which include mindset, movement, plant-based nutrition, helping clients to reduce their toxic load, stress management, and sleep hygiene. My intention is to really support busy professionals by developing a deeper understanding of their biological footprint, and the food and lifestyle choices that work best for them, while improving their overall energy, balance, health, and well-being. What differentiates me from your traditional health coach is that I’m a former Scientist by trade. I’ve worked in the Biopharmaceutical industry for over 10 years, and I know how to look at the latest research and decipher it with ease. I also incorporate functional medicine lab testing into my practice, which helps my clients get to the root cause of why they are not feeling their absolute best. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? As cliche as it may be, my son truly inspires me to be the best human that I can be. Children have a way of resurfacing all your deep-rooted traumas while bringing this sense of joy and lightness into your world. He's literally the sweetest and kindest soul that I've ever met, and I honestly believe that he is here to teach me some invaluable lessons. For my own personal expansion really. Whether or not I'm here to receive it, every day presents a teachable lesson. What is your work inspired by? My business was born out of my own personal struggles with my health. As a former Scientist, I suffered from years of debilitative digestive distress, which led me on a personal journey to achieving optimal wellness. I've suffered from horrible acne on my face, issues with thyroid dysfunction, high levels of stress which wreaked havoc on my cortisol levels, and eczema on the back of my neck and legs, which are all rooted in poor gut dysfunction. So, I really work to blend my scientific and holistic expertise to create customized wellness approaches, empowering my clients to find strength in healing their own bodies. I utilize an individualistic approach to focusing on their unique biochemical needs to restore the body on a cellular level. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. My greatest career achievement isn't monetary or tied to a specific accolade. Simply put, it's perseverance. I started to build my business when I was 6 months pregnant, phasing out of teaching in-studio yoga classes, and working a full-time job in the biopharmaceutical industry. I didn't anticipate the challenges that were ahead of me, particularly with a little one to take care of and without the support of childcare. Four years later, I'm happy to say that perseverance is paying off. Over the years, I've learned that building a business is truly about the experience of the journey. The level of internal growth and expansion that is developed along the way is one of the most invaluable experiences during my entrepreneurial journey. Also, it's been wonderful seeing my clients thrive through our work together. Experiencing their newfound joy and confidence has been quite rewarding. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? The wellness industry is so intertwined with the privilege to the point where it almost seems like it’s inaccessible, particularly to marginalized communities. My version of wellness is based on the foundation of how we can create the best environment for our mind, body, and spirit with the resources that we have right in front of us. I don't want people to think that they’re not affluent enough to get well or that their skin is not fair enough to be recognized or deemed worthy of receiving such privileges, or even being a part of the conversation. As a woman of color, I think it's important for us to be a part of the conversation about what it means to “live well” and create space where women can continue to learn, grow, thrive, and build community. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. When my father passed away when I was 19, it changed everything. I became depressed. I took time off from school and isolated myself from family and friends. I had no sense of purpose. I wanted to be healthy (mind, body, and spirit) and so began my extensive journey toward learning how to nourish my body for health versus physicalities. To reframe my mental state for proper well-being and to educate others who were on a similar life journey. Little did I know how much he would shape me into the person that I am today. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ciara!

Written by: Bianca E. Solitaire, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. ‘The Great Resignation’ phenomenon signaled a mass outcry from the working population that they have had enough. Too many late nights and early mornings focused on priorities that did not consider workers and their well-being. People all over the world started to re-evaluate their personal value systems and found their limit with how much energy they wanted to expend in life on work. During this period of work/life balance ‘enlightenment’, many quit and ran to other companies in the hopes of finding refuge and understanding. But unfortunately, as some have found out, some of the feelings that prompted them to leave the first job, were awaiting them at the new one. Among the myriad of reasons employees choose to leave a company, feeling burnt out is the one found near the top of many lists. It is so common that the World Health Organization even classified burn-out as an occupationally-related syndrome back in 2019 in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The main symptoms of Burn-out syndrome ¹ in the ICD-11 are: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job reduced professional efficacy The last word, efficacy, ² refers to the power a person has to produce an effect. Basically, lowered efficacy makes a person feel like they have less ability to do their job well. Feeling purposeless at a job for too long can lead into more serious mental health conditions such as depression. Now, it is easy to solely blame the work environment for how you feel. Sometimes it truly is TOO MUCH. But let’s not avoid taking some personal accountability for the power that you may have unconsciously given away, or in the very least, did not properly protect. With anything that requires energy to function, it needs to replenish the energy it uses. Our body’s way to recharge is through rest. Our minds work the same way in that, it needs mental rest from all the distressing thoughts we can conjure up in a day. Burn-out is the ultimate consequence for not restoring the energy given out over time. Prior to getting to the place of burn-out though, we must first learn to catch ourselves when we are burning and do what we can to limit the damage. So, what are some signs that you are burning out? Some examples are: Dragging yourself out of bed in the morning even after sleeping for 7-8 hours Less desire to groom yourself (i.e., comb hair, get a haircut, put on make-up etc.) Finding yourself randomly staring off into space or staring at the computer screen Having less energy to talk to others or complete simple tasks at home (ex. tidying the kitchen, folding/putting away clean clothes) Having a harder time remembering tasks that you typically do on regular basis Becoming easily overwhelmed with the number of tasks needing to be done in a day Increased need to ‘zone out’ by looking at social media or watching TV Feeling more pessimistic about work and life in general If you are noticing any of the things listed above, then it is time for you to start taking some breaks. I mean real breaks, not the ones where you switch to doing a bunch of other, non-work-related things. As strange of a concept taking regular breaks may be – especially to those who value being ‘productive’ – research has shown that just taking short amounts of time to do focused breathing can lower stress, improve immune functioning, and increase mental alertness. ³ Essentially, taking breaks can enable you to be more productive when working. For clarification, taking a break is more than just not physically moving your body. When you are not slowing down your thoughts as well, then the ‘break’ does not fully feel like one. As we’ve all come to know, feelings play a major part in how we think and behave. Mindfulness, ⁴ a popular word these days, is just a fancy way of saying that you are intentionally paying attention to the here and now in a way that is non-judgmental. You are ‘present’ in the moment and not concerned about the past or the future. Being mindful during a break can help you find a sense of peace, clarity, and control over emotional stress. Having mindfulness skills allows you to make the most out of your breaks, so that you may function and focus better than before. Below are a few techniques to help you build your mindfulness skills. Square Breathing Before you start this technique, ensure that you are in a quiet environment where you are not likely to be interrupted. You can either sit up straight in a comfortable chair, or stand. Your eyes do not need to be closed, but I find that doing this enhances the experience. Step 1: Inhale air through your nose while slowly counting to four in your head. Focus on the air going in your nose, down into your lungs, and filling your abdomen. Step 2: Hold your breath for another count of four. Step 3: Exhale through your mouth while again slowly counting to four. Focus on how the air feels as it leaves your body. Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 four times. 5-4-3-2-1 Method This grounding method helps to engage the five senses and encourages you to observe what is around you in greater detail. This technique helps to bring you out of your thoughts and into the present moment. You can be creative and do this in different environments in or outside of your home to add a varied experience to the method. Start by asking yourself: What are 5 things I can see? (Look for small details that you may tend to overlook such as the ceiling, paint on the wall, or a light fixture.) What are 4 things I can feel (physically)? (Start to notice things like how your clothes feel on your body, how your chair feels underneath you, or how the floor feels under your feet.) What are 3 things I can hear? (Pay close attention to sounds that you tend to tune out like a chirping bird, a fan or heating/cooling system, or a ticking clock.) What are 2 things I can smell? (If you are outside, try to notice the scent of the grass. If you are inside, you may look for objects that have a scent like a candle or an air freshener.) What is 1 thing I can taste? (You can add a small piece of candy, a mint, or chewing gum to this step. Focus on the flavors and how the item feels in your mouth.) Body Scanning This technique involves you taking notice of how of your body feels by focusing on a particular area of it, one part at a time. This can be done by sitting, laying down, or other postures. You can do this technique on your own, but what I find particularly helpful, is listening to a guided body scan meditation via an online video or meditation app. This way, all you need to do is relax and focus on what is being said to you by the guide. Happiness.com, is one place where you can learn more about this technique and how it is practiced click here. Those are just a few of the ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your day. The most important thing to remember is to make taking mindful breaks a HABIT. With time and practice, you may start wondering how in the world you were functioning before, at anything, without including rest. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Bianca! Bianca E. Solitaire, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Bianca E. Solitaire is an innovative leader often sought out for her distinct viewpoints on mental health and well-being. A passionate advocate for self-empowerment, Bianca has counseled many people on overcoming fear and self-doubt in order to transform their circumstances. During her career as a Licensed Therapist, Bianca also spearheaded youth development programs that educated the next generation on life skills, financial literacy, and emotional wellness. She now imparts career resilience skills to millennial and Gen Z professionals via her company, Clear Cut Coaching LLC. She believes that once you become clear about who you are and where you want to go, the universe will align to get you there. References: [1] https://manage.editorx.com/dashboard/1a71d539-46f2-4ae2-9dad-1219fb36d93a/blog/6175fc8b-e005-465f-9148-36566b626bc0/1.%09https:/www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases#:~:text=%E2%80%9CBurn%2Dout%20is%20a%20syndrome,related%20to%20one's%20job%3B%20and [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efficacy [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/well/mind/breathe-exhale-repeat-the-benefits-of-controlled-breathing.html#:~:text=Controlled%20breathing%2C%20like%20what%20you,a%20way%20to%20reach%20enlightenment. [4] https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/

Written by: Melissa Deally, 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. Do you struggle with heartburn and indigestion? If you do, you are not alone, in fact antacids were the No.3 most frequently sold over-the-counter drug in the US in 2018, generating revenues of $3.2 billion! That is a lot of money being spent to resolve this very common issue, but is it really helping you in the long run? I have so many clients come to me that have been popping antacids like candy for months, even years, until I help them ditch them for good! Are you aware the label says that they shouldn’t be used for more than 2 weeks at the maximum dose without consulting your doctor? It’s in the fine print, which often doesn’t get read. Let me share why antacids are not a long term solution, and what has really caused the problem, so you can address that instead. Antacids do exactly what their name suggests, they stop the body from producing stomach acid! However, your body NEEDS stomach acid to properly digest your meals. Stomach acid also helps fend off bacteria and pathogens such as H.Pylori and parasites, but when your stomach acid levels are low, it cannot properly digest your meal or protect you from pathogens. When stomach acid levels are low, your meals will take longer to be broken down, if they get fully broken down at all, which means you aren’t getting the nutrients you should from your meals, and this can leave you feeling low in energy and unsatiated. This can often result in you eating again sooner than should be necessary, taking in more calories than needed. Meanwhile, the food you ate during your last meal is still trying to work it’s way through your digestive system, but it’s taking too long, so it starts to ferment, which can cause bloating and gas and it really isn’t pleasant inside your digestive tract at this point! With a healthy digestive system and good levels of stomach acid your meals should be fully digested in about 2 - 3 hours (eating a steak can take longer). On average, this is how long it will take a healthy digestive system to digest various foods: Liquid: 1 - 30 minutes Light protein (eggs, fish): 1 - 2 hours Fruit: 30 - 60 minutes Heavy protein: 2 - 3+ hours Starch: 60 minutes Vegetables 2 - 3+ hours (These time frames are also impacted by how much you chew each mouthful, the size of your meal and whether the food is raw or cooked). When we stop our body producing stomach acid, we prevent this entire process from happening properly. When our body can’t break down our food properly, it will either store some undigested food in our fat closets, or we end up with diarrhea or constipation as the body struggles to complete the process fully. Before I get to what you can do instead, I want to share with you why your heartburn isn’t actually caused by too much stomach acid, instead it is caused by STRESS. With functional medicine the purpose is to always get to the root cause by asking “why?”. So why are you feeling heartburn or indigestion? It is because stomach acid is getting into your esophagus, but why is that? It is because your lower esophageal sphincter, a little flap at the top of your stomach cavity that is supposed to be a “one-way’ gate, allowing your food that you’ve just chewed up and swallowed to get into your stomach cavity and then it is supposed to seal up nice and tight again so that nothing gets back out. However, chronic stress causes that sphincter to get loose and weaken, so that it no longer seals up nice and tight after letting food pass through which means stomach acid can sneak up into the esophagus, making us “think” we have too much stomach acid. The reality is that if we’re living in a state of chronic stress or “fight or flight” then we know digestion is turned off, as it is only turned on when we get out of that state and into our “rest and digest” state. When digestion is turned off, stomach acid and digestive enzymes are not being produced by the body, as they are not needed, in fight or flight, it’s much more important to receive cortisol and adrenaline so we can get to safety than it is to produce stomach acid and digestive enzymes. The body can’t do everything at once, especially in a state of fight or flight, because it has to produce so much energy to ensure you can get to safety and to do this it actually shuts down other systems that use energy, such as the immune system and digestive system. So we know that under high stress we aren’t producing stomach acid, and we know that high stress causes the lower esophageal sphincter to become loose, and let what little stomach acid you do have escape and give you heartburn. Then you pop some antacids, to prevent any further stomach acid from being produced even if you get into your ‘rest and digest’ state. Now you’ve just slowed down your entire digestive system, preventing it from doing its job effectively and efficiently. This isn’t taught in medical schools, doctors aren’t taught about lifestyle factors affecting your health such as stress, sleep, nutrition, hydration, just like I haven't been taught about surgery. We all have our areas of expertise and one of mine is digestive health! I speak about this topic often and I see all the “ah-ha” reactions on the faces in the audience. Now that it’s been explained to you, I hope what I’m sharing makes sense. So what can you do? Learn how to turn on your digestive system BEFORE every meal Support your digestive system while you eat Reduce the stress levels in your life Avoid common trigger foods Time Your Meals Properly 1. Turn on digestion before every meal There are few quick steps you can take to ensure digestion is turned on before you start eating your meal: Drink 8oz of lemon water, or an Apple Cider Vinegar cocktail about 10 - 15 minutes before starting to eat: Lemon water = 8oz of water + juice of ½ lemon. This has many benefits including helping your body to start producing digestive enzymes and stomach acid, as well as flushing out toxins, another of my favorite topics to speak about. To learn more, you can read my previous article “Are Your Trashcans Overflowing?”. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Cocktail: 8oz of water + 1 tbsp of ACV + a slice of fresh ginger and a pinch of cayenne pepper and the juice of ½ lemon or lime. This is a great way to turn on digestion as the ginger and cayenne pepper create heat in your digestive tract which is like a furnace and the more heat, the more efficient it is. Use digestive enzymes for harder to digest meals Take these 15 - 20 minutes before eating in order to provide the enzymes needed to break down your meal. There are also some specific ones you can get to support digesting gluten & dairy, if you know you struggle to digest those particular foods. 5-5-7 breathing This is a simple but effective technique at “tricking” your brain into switching on your “rest & digest state”. It takes less than 5 minutes and can be done anywhere as you always have your breath with you! You simply inhale for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, and then exhale for a count of 7. Do this 10 times. By the 10th time your brain is thinking”hmmm, I thought I was stressed out, but I’m breathing like a “safe” person, I must be safe and it will switch off “fight or flight” and switch on “rest and digest”. The reason this works so well is because the exhale is longer than the inhale. Think about it, if you’re running away from a lion, you will be huffing and puffing, with short, rapid breaths. So when your exhale is longer than your inhale, it signals that you are safe! Also this technique helps release stressful thoughts as you are so focused on all that counting, your brain can't think of anything else! 2. Support your digestive system while you eat Many people think their digestive system starts in their stomach, but in reality it starts with the eyes seeing food and then the nose smelling the food as that will trigger the brain to start producing salivary enzymes to start breaking the food down. Usually, once we put the food in our mouth, because we are always in a rush, we tend to chew each mouthful 3 - 5 times and swallow. This puts great strain on the rest of our digestive system! Our teeth and jaw are extremely powerful and as such we need to use them more to support digestion. When we consciously slow down and chew each mouthful at least 20 times, we not only get more flavor from the food, we also reduce the stress on the rest of the digestive system, as the teeth have done much more of the work breaking down the food. If you know your digestive system is unhappy or weakend, then you also want to choose foods to eat that are easy to digest. You can assess this by putting foods through the “fork test”. If you push the back of the fork into the food, and food oozes up between the prongs, it passes the test and is easy on digestion, if it doesn’t, then don’t eat that food as it will take much more effort for your body to digest that food and break it down. Some examples of foods that Pass the “fork test” Mashed potatoes/yams Soups/stews Cooked veggies Don’t pass the “fork test” spinach or other leafy greens animal protein raw veggies 3. Reduce the stress levels in your life There are many things you can do to lower your stress. Here is a list, which is by no means exhaustive, it’s just some of the things I’ve done myself and you can choose ones that resonate with you and bring you joy: Yoga Meditate Deep breathing Get out in nature for a walk or to just sit and be still Take a bath Call a girlfriend just to catch up and laugh Watch a funny movie or show EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) otherwise known as “Tapping” Take a social media vacation ‒ leave the phone behind for a while! (The constant ping of alerts can set off your nervous system and put you in the stress state!) Improve your diet to give you more energy, improve your digestion to lower the stress on your body of breaking down your food Get someone else to come to clean your house or watch the kids, to give you a much needed break. 4. Avoid Common Trigger Foods Coffee / caffeine (herbal, black and green teas are generally okay). Acidic juices Alcohol (especially acidic wines) Carbonated beverages Fried Foods Tomatoes sauces / ketchup Dairy / cheeses Spicy foods Sauteed onions Chocolate Mint 5. Time Your Meals Properly Meals should be 3.5 - 4 hours apart to allow for digestion to completely finish before the next meal is put into the body! Allow digestion to completely finish before going to bed at night. Do not eat and then go lie down as that makes it even more likely stomach acid will get into the esophagus when you go horizontal with a full belly! During my Health Kickstart + Detox course I teach all of this and more to my clients, and I love that in just 21 days clients that previously struggled with heartburn and digestion no longer struggle. Even better than that, if it should happen again, they know exactly what to do in order to alleviate it on their own! If you’d like to know feel free to reach out to me at melissa@yourguidedhealthjourney.com. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Melissa! Melissa Deally, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Melissa Deally is an Integrative Health Practitioner & Registered Health Coach, dedicated to helping her clients get to the root cause of their health issues and truly heal. Melissa’s business is 100% virtual, and she works with the entire English-speaking world. Melissa uses a 2 prong approach: Discover your toxic load and lower it Discover your body’s imbalances and support them with natural supplements and herbs so the body can come back into balance, at which point it will heal itself. This is done through the use of Functional Medicine lab tests, mailed to your home! Melissa offers a very high level of support, to ensure her clients’ success, as we navigate the path of bringing the body back into balance while creating new lifestyle habits to ensure lasting results. Melissa is the winner of the 2021 Quality Care Award by Businesses From The Heart and has been featured in Pursuit 365, and Fresh Magazine, featuring 365 Canadian Women who lead by example in the everyday pursuit of success, happiness, and achievement. Melissa is also the host of the “Don’t Wait For Your Wake Up Call!” podcast, a podcast offering practical education around health, which ranked in the top 5% of Global podcasts by Listen Notes in the first 3 months of launching.

Written by: Caroline Tapken, 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. As Expats, we never really know when we will be returning home, but that does not mean we should be unprepared. Here are ten things, in no particular order, that can be prepared and maintained in advance, regardless when you plan on leaving your expat life behind. 1. Bank Accounts If you already have bank accounts in your home country, make sure you keep up to date with correspondence and status. Keep credit cards active and use them once in a while. Use your account when on holiday. Change passwords frequently. If you don’t already have bank accounts, open one on your next visit home. Open them for the children when they are young too! WHY? Building a credit rating and establishing a presence is so much more difficult if you have to start from scratch again. 2. Address Everything you do needs proof of address! Using a ‘care of’ address is quite common for expats – and is normally a relative or close friend. WHY? Maintaining or establishing one is vital for ID purposes. 3. Financials Review investment portfolios & encashment dates, rules around portfolios and property ownership well before your planned return home. A Financial Planner can help in tax mitigation (not avoidance!) and will be invaluable when planning your financial future. WHY? Taxes and residency rules! 4. Pets Ensure you know the rules around vaccination requirements, and pet passports, start crate training early and put money aside for relocation of your pets. WHY? No one wants to abandon their much the loved pets due to lack of funds or forward planning 5. Declutter Garage sales, charity donations and flea markets are best done well ahead of a moving date. Decluttering is more fun when done without the pressure. Planning in advance ensures you don’t throw out things of importance to you, and don’t keep unnecessary stuff! WHY? Shipping, and storage, is expensive. Houses (and furniture) might be larger where you are currently living than where you move home to. 6. Up-Skilling Do you need to brush up on certain skills, acquire new skills, or update yourself on industry regulations before taking a job back home? WHY? Things change! Being prepared well in advance, or staying on top of a changing environment is much easier than trying to cram in the last weeks before a stressful move, or finding it hard to get a job because of lack of current knowledge 7. Clothes Potentially moving from a hot to a cold climate, or cold to hot? By planning ahead, and buying clothes in the sales in advance, you could reduce the cost of a move. Think ‘big stuff’ like coats, boots and thermals! WHY? There are never sales when you really need them! 8. Play Tourist Take advantage of wherever you are now, and make time to do all those things that tourists do! Sometimes we get so busy with our lives, we forget to explore. Play tourist ‘back home’ too! Explore the area you plan on moving back to, to make sure it is where you want to be. WHY? Going back to do all the touristy things you never got around to while you lived there is expensive (and silly!) 9. Networking Update that LinkedIn profile NOW and start connecting with people who can be helpful in the future. Interact and engage with them BEFORE you start looking for a job. Build that Know/Like/Trust relationship NOW, before you need it. WHY? The job search is so much easier when you have already established the relevant network, and have been visible & engaged. 10. Cultivate Friendships Have you been a little lazy with old friendships, or new ones? Thinking that there will always be time to get back in touch? Focus on those who are really important to you, and rebuild those connections near and far. WHY? Friendship is like a flower – it needs cultivating, watering and feeding to stay alive. You can’t simply walk back into someone’s life after a long absence and no contact, and expect them to welcome you with open arms. And you are going to need friends when you face the changes ahead! Hope these tips help! You will notice I have not mentioned children here… There are so many things to consider around moving them across continents, an entire article could be dedicated to that! Final word of advice: Enjoy where you are. Make the most of the experience. You never know when change is coming. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Caroline! Caroline Tapken, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Caroline works with Expats and Repats to help them plan their future, so they can enjoy the retirement they deserve. She is a seasoned expat herself, with 35+ years of living and working in the Caribbean, the USA, Asia and the Middle East, and a marketing & communications professional with a strong hospitality and travel background. Caroline is Mum to two third-culture-kids (TCKs) and a rescue Basenji-Saluki mix. She recently returned to live in the UK and is Listener-in-Chief at Joy & Purpose Life Coach.

Written by: Anna London, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What Is the CMMC? The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a new cybersecurity framework by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for the DoD supply chain and its contractors. The goal of the new CMMC compliance requirement is to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). This new umbrella standard includes requirements from NIST SP 800-171, the Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR) document 52.204-21, and beyond. The latest iteration CMMC 2.0 was announced on November 4th, 2021 and includes three levels of compliance. Each level requires more practices and controls than the previous. Most organizations will have to comply with either Level 1 or Level 2. Who Needs CMMC Certification? Any company and its subcontractors that bid on a DoD contract that contains Federal Contract Information (FCI) and/or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) will be required to be CMMC compliant. Which Level of CMMC Will You Need? The CMMC level mandated will be stated in the contract information. The majority of contracts will require a Level 1 or Level 2 compliance. As a general rule: If your company will receive exclusively FCI under the contract, then your will need CMMC Level 1 implementation and certification. However, if your organization will receive CUI in addition, then CMMC Level 2 will be required as a minimum. CMMC Assessments Depending on the CMMC levels you will need to comply with, the implementation and compliance status will be verified via a self-assessment that needs to be submitted to the SPRS, a Certified 3rd Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO), or DOD officials. While the outside assessments will be valid for three years, any self-assessments will have to be conducted annually and need to be accompanied by an annual affirmation from a senior company official that the company is meeting requirements. When Will This Be Required? Due to the significant changes in the latest CMMC 2.0 iteration the DoD suspended any CMMC requirements for new contracts until the rulemaking process for CMMC 2.0 is completed. In May 2022 CMMC director Stacy Bostjanick announced that the Pentagon plans to publish the CMMC ‘interim rule’ in early 2023, with initial requirements showing up in DoD contracts starting in May 2023. In the meantime, DFARS 252.204-7012 and -7019 are still in effect and require each organization to have a NIST SP 800-171 Assessment performed, the resulting score submitted to the SPRS, and a System Security Plan (SSP) as well as a Plan of Actions & Milestones (PoA&M) document in place. New DoD contracts might have minimum requirements for the organization’s NIST SP 800-171 assessment score. Although the CMMC compliance requirements are still several months away, we highly recommend that companies who plan to bid on DoD contracts start preparations for their CMMC assessment now. The early adopters of CMMC will have a clear competitive advantage – especially considering that implementation will take several months and compliance is required at the time of contract award. After years of delays, the CMMC rulemaking process seems to be on track and the latest update by CMMC director Stacy Bostjanick indicated that it is progressing faster than initially announced. Considering the upcoming May 2023 date (revised from July 2023) for CMMC contract requirements we expect a rush with availability of the C3PAOsbecoming a bottleneck. In other words– it’s time to get ready sooner than later. Currently, the DoD is discussing different incentives for those companies that become compliant before CMMC is mandatory. Assessments on a voluntary basis started late August 2022. How Long Does It Take to Implement CMMC? The implementation time-frame depends on these main factors: The level of certification you are required to comply with The current state of your NIST SP 800-171 implementation The size and scope of your system and architecture (e.g., multi-site, small, medium or large organization, et al.) For example, after an initial Gap Analysis, it will take most organizations 6-12 months to achieve CMMC Level 2 compliance and to be ready for the certification assessment. CMMC Level 1 compliance can be accomplished in a much shorter time-frame. What Is the CMMC Cost? The cost of achieving CMMC compliance depends on the same factors as listed above. You have to consider expenses for these steps: Support by companies like Chrysallis.AI for help with implementation and training CMMC implementation cost CMMC Assessment by a CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO)if you are required to do so (CMMC Level 2 and Level 3) We advise companies wishing to work with the DoD in the future to expect some ongoing expenses in addition to the initial cost of becoming compliant. CMMC Compliance & Existing Cybersecurity Requirements While there is a lot of buzz about CMMC, the reality is that it adds hardly any new requirements. We thought it would be helpful to take a step back and summarize all the existing cybersecurity requirements for contractors in the DoD supply chain. Our latest report gives a high-level overview of these existing FAR & DFARS requirements, how they relate to each other and to CMMC 2.0. How We Are Prepared To Help You Chrysallis.AI is a Licensed TrainingProvider vetted by the Cyber AB (formerly called the CMMC Accreditation Body) to be among the first companies qualified to help you to become CMMC compliant. Depending on your organization’s current cybersecurity status and the CMMC Level required, implementation of the new standard can take from several weeks to a few months. Starting now will save you valuable time and will get you ahead of the competition. We offer CMMC Consulting Services to get you CMMC compliant through training and compliance support. CMMC Organization and Individual Training and Certification: We will work around your schedule on weekdays, weekends and/or evenings to accommodate your schedule. CMMC Gap Analysis & Pre-Assessment Consulting Services: Think of it as a mock audit. We will verify that everything is in place, mature, and can be proven to an auditor. If we find issues we will help you fix them. If your company needs to be assessed by a C3PAO or DoD official we will recommend to schedule the actual audit once we are confident that you are ready for the CMMC Assessment. CMMC Post-Assessment Support (Findings Remediation and Sustainment Planning) f your company needs to be assessed by a C3PAO or DoD official we help you prepare for the audit, gather & organize evidence for a smooth assessment. We will be at your side throughout the process a and through post-assessment activities. To discuss your CMMC requirements and schedule a complimentary 15 min consultation, email us at info@chrysallis.ai or give us a call at 703-576-0791. Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna! Anna London, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna London is an US Army Veteran, Colon Cancer Survivor, Educator, Cyber Security Expert, Entrepreneur.