Written by: Caroline Lewis , 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. You just aren’t good at relationships… it is probably better to just be alone for the rest of your life. Yes, you hate your job, but you probably won’t find a better one. No one will listen to you, even if you speak up. We all have inner protective parts. Do you resonate with any of these messages? Throughout the day, are you aware of the protective thoughts that occur in your mind? Children, especially highly sensitive children, often learn very intelligent ways to protect themselves when circumstances or people become overwhelming. To survive and feel accepted in family and community, humans develop various inner parts or subpersonalities that are self-protective. Subpersonality is a concept developed by the Italian Psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli that defines our “inner” family members. Our various subpersonalities have different names and roles such as the victim, the rebel, or the critic. Subpersonalities can become especially loud when your soul longs to create and express from your highest self. For example, when I began writing this, I had a subpersonality that began talking to me. I was sitting at my desk, stumbling with expressing thoughts on paper, and my inner escapist said, “Caroline, what is the point of writing? No one will probably ever read what you are saying anyway.” I hesitated and then paused. I then thought, “Hmmm. Should I just quit and instead make a cup of tea?” My true, passionate, creative self desired to write; however, I almost made a choice from another part of myself that desired to protect me from the underlying fear that arises when beginning a writing project. Subpersonalities are developed as strategies to feel safe as children. No matter if someone is from a loving and adoring family or if a person has had a much more challenging family environment, humans learn individual ways of coping with painful feelings and situations through developing subpersonalities. Although your subpersonalities can block you sometimes from your highest guidance, they often have protected you from feeling underlying fear, sadness, and anger that was perhaps too painful to feel as children. However, as an integrated adult you can learn how to mindfully engage with your subpersonalities in order to be in the driver’s seat of your life instead of allowing your defenses to take the wheel. You can befriend your inner protective parts to feel more integrated and whole. When you begin to recognize and uncover your subpersonalities, a natural reaction is just to get angry at yourself and try to ignore or push these parts away. Sometimes it can be helpful to have an internal boundary like a boundary you would have with another human being with an inner protective part. However, befriending and holding compassion for your protective parts can provide greater insight into what these personalities are trying to communicate or what they might need. In the example of me writing this, instead of giving up on writing or telling my inner escapist just to shut up and leave me alone, I began to remember that as a kid, I often needed extra encouragement to finish tasks. When I was young, I received a message from my community that girls weren’t as talented or as smart as boys, so I could easily give up on a project and assume myself not to be capable. So, sitting in front of the computer, I comforted my inner escapist. I said, “Caroline, I understand why you want to run away from this, but I think you’ve got this. Just keep trying. I’ll also get you a cup of tea to drink while you write.” Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Caroline! Caroline Lewis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Caroline Lewis (she,they) is a psychotherapist, energy healer, and wilderness guide. She believes true embodied joy is rooted in the courage to embrace sensitivity, opening our hearts through the necessary risks to love, grieve, hope, and transform. Through healing and sacred nature connection, Caroline guides wildly sensitive leaders with aligning with their true purpose and souls' wisdom during this time of ecological transition. She is the founder of Root Awareness which offers transformative experiences through nature adventures, meditation, process groups, and 1:1 healing and coaching sessions.

Written by: Elizabeth Arnold, MAPC , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I stood there, soaked to the skin, gazing at the rebar-secured “stairs” looming in front of us that identified the start of the next 2,000-foot climb. After grueling days of miles in the rain, standing before these stairs, I felt a little undone. For several long moments, I waffled in indecision: should I call it quits for the day, find another way around, skip this section, wait for better weather conditions, or bail on the trail entirely. But in a moment of clarity, I knew what I had to do. The tortoise was right. I would never arrive at my goal by standing still; I had to keep moving forward. Having 809 miles to reflect during my section-hiking excursions has afforded me the mental space to ponder the lessons I learned on the trail and how they directly related to life “off the trail,” especially mental health development. Using “ the journey ” as an analogy for life, with all its different terrain, mountains and valleys, injuries, obstacles, decisions, relationships, and breath-taking summits, I offer my Top Ten Mental Health Lessons from the Appalachian Trail: 1. Going is faster than stopping. This seems obvious until we find ourselves stuck in Indecision Gap or the Status Quo Lodge. However, whether we seek more clarity, peace, resilience, connection, purpose, belonging, fulfillment, or joy, taking consistent steps forward will help us reach our destination. For those of us who get paralyzed by perfectionism or decision fatigue , it’s ok to pick one direction, take that first step, and trust God’s shepherding. Goals are achieved by people in motion; indecision blocks progress. We prayerfully use our God-given resources to put a plan into action and ask God to guide our steps. We will arrive at our destinations by making decisions and continuing to walk in faith. 2. All mountains are climbed one step at a time. When it comes to mental wellness, our goals may appear as insurmountable as mountains. From our vantage point, the destination may seem totally out of reach, especially if we are lacking certain skills or a travel guide. We may be tempted to look for side trails, quick fixes, and any possible options to skip difficult sections, especially as our emotional pain levels increase. However, the journey itself is part of the healing process as we build capacity, resilience, and healthy attachments. Most mountains are navigable solo, but an experienced guide can customize a travel plan to help us reach the summit in the least amount of time and effort possible. Whatever approach we choose, the important thing to remember is to break the mountain into smaller segments. Every mental health goal can be subdivided into smaller, manageable tasks. It’s not complicated or glamorous but requires consistency, dedication, and support. One step at a time will help us reach our destination. 3. Zero days are important to sustain progress. In the backpacking world, zero days are the days we don’t hike, typically to get off the trail, head into town, shower, resupply, eat real food, and rest. The human body has finite resources that must be renewed to function properly. God’s kindness gives us sleep and the gift of Sabbath. Our bodies, minds, and emotions can heal, be restored, and thrive when observing rhythms of rest. In fact, incorporating margin into our lives helps us be more human , living fully into the people we were created to be in this world. For even healthier lives, sprinkle periods of rest throughout your day, week, season, and year. We were designed to enjoy guilt-free respite to unplug from the regular grind to refresh and renew. 4. Success is 80% mental,15% preparation, and 5% execution. Many performance experts tell us showing up is half the battle. However, so much must happen between our ears to even stay on the trail. Long-distance backpacking is largely a mental game; no matter our physique, age, or experience, we will make it to the end of the trail if we think we can. Weather, discomfort, pain, loneliness, or weariness will not win the day when we have a goal and the determination to get there. Our mental health development requires that same commitment and belief in our God to accomplish His transformation in our lives. Belief largely determines action, confidence, and follow-through. Additionally, preparing for a multi-week backpacking trip requires us to research, obtain necessary supplies and equipment, and plan. Once on the trail, the only items available to us are those essentials we’ve stashed in our packs, our traveling companions, periodic resupplies, and God’s natural provisions. Similarly, the structures and strategies we implement for our mental and emotional health will give us the greatest chance of success. Our plans can include the people we enlist for support, accountability partners, dedicated therapy sessions, moments of time carved out to spend with God, and space to journal, worship, and pray. Once we have equipped ourselves with the proper mindset and developed our plan for success, the only thing left to do is show up and work the plan. Execution may still have its challenges, but when the goal has been set and we are equipped for victory, resistance to reaching our destination is practically eliminated. It’s all a matter of taking the next step. Then the next. 5. Reframe, reframe, reframe. One mental exercise we often practice on the trail is reframing obstacles, inconveniences, and generally negative circumstances into things challenging, humorous, and positive. For example, rain becomes liquid sunshine; hours of incline let us savor the steepness, building quads and character; and exhaustion turns 8pm into “hiker midnight.” Reframing can be a powerful tool in our mental health arsenal, allowing us to maintain a more positive mindset and hope for change. For example, the feeling of overwhelm can be the trigger to break things down into baby steps; experiencing confusion and lack of direction can give us permission to step back, pause, and wait upon the LORD’sleading; and when we feel ourselves exhibiting symptoms of depression, that can be the notice to implement our emotional safety plan and reach out for additional support. 6. Celebrate the little things. Colored leaves, an interesting bug, the different shades of green moss, clouds in the sky, dry clothes, wet wipes, a flat campsite, a warm meal, “trail magic,” the next step, the breath-taking view at the top of a grueling climb – all these are gifts of the trail to celebrate and can be found around each bend. Looking for “wow” moments cultivates a heart of gratitude and wonder, keeping us in a positive mindset open for growth and transformation. When we practice being present, we become aware of the miracles surrounding us and have an opportunity to express gratitude for all that is good and right and true. God graciously designed gratitude as a drug-free, physiological mood-enhancer. So, whether we are attuned to external factors in our daily lives or positive internal shifts and discoveries, we can appreciate His goodness to us. We get to thank Him for everything, including warm blankets, five minutes of exercise, baby smiles, sending a note of encouragement, sunshine, a freshly made bed, four hours of uninterrupted sleep, two minutes of meditation, a healthy meal, the next breath, and another glimpse of Jesus. Celebrate all good gifts and rejoice often. 7. Listen to your body. Pushing ourselves outside our areas of familiarity to reach goals is imperative. However, it’s just as important to become aware of our bodies’ needs. Arriving at the next summit is not a victory if we become dehydrated with heatstroke. We need to learn to listen to our bodies, minds, and souls on our journey and become aware of the early signs of lack of sleep, water, nutrition, and relaxation. We need to give ourselves permission to hold margin around our mental, physical, and emotional reserves that allow us to have capacity for the unexpected and maintain a resilient lifestyle. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to acclimate ourselves to sustainable rhythms. 8. Hydration is seriously underrated. Water is the largest component of the human body: overall our bodies are 60% water, and our brains are comprised of an astounding 73% H2O. As vital as this fluid is to the optimal operation of our bodies, most people find adequate water intake difficult to achieve. During training one season, I decided to experiment on myself and made the suggested amount ‒ 64 ounces of water ‒ my goal. I was shocked by the way my muscles responded – going farther without fatigue and recovering more quickly during breaks . If our mental health goals include clearer minds; enhanced ability to focus; improved sleep; increased nutrient assimilation; more stamina; reduced headaches, brain fog, anxiety, and depression, one low-cost modification we can incorporate into our lives is simple hydration. 9. Community is priceless. Our God exists in perpetual community – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and we have been created in His image. In other words, our need for relationship is hard-wired into our DNA . Almost 100% of the people I’ve met on the trail have support of some kind, either friends or family back home, a hiking partner, or “trail angels” who provide section support. Even the solo hikers typically end up with a “tramily” (i.e., trail family) that look out for each other, provide moral support and encouragement, and are generally willing to assist each other, whatever the need. Each of us desires connection and belonging to something greater than ourselves. When we know another soul has our backs, we can go farther and faster, with more confidence and success, than if we were making the journey alone. Supportive presence is a basic human requirement for healthy mental growth and emotional development. 10. Our efforts will be rewarded. Just like climbing thousands of feet to the summit of a breathtaking view, the journey toward mental and emotional development can be extremely challenging, yet tremendously rewarding. Sometimes we feel like one step forward, two steps back. But don’t give up. I am “confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus ” (Philippians 1:6). God is working in us. We need to be patient with ourselves and actively wait on the LORD and His timing. Psalm 130 sums it up best – “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in His word, I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.” Jesus is our ultimate destination and sweetest reward. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Elizabeth Arnold, MAPC, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Elizabeth Arnold is founder of Reimagine Life, providing an holistic approach to mental health and emotional healing specifically developed for Christian women who have experienced abuse and trauma. Her advanced training as a Christian Mental Health Coach combined with her own experience as a domestic abuse survivor, give her a unique insight into the lives of women struggling to reconcile their circumstances with their faith. With a passion for the health of the Church, Elizabeth is dedicated to helping women overcome the hinderances they currently experience so they might fully embrace their God-designed identities and live lives of peace, meaning, and joy, securely anchored in Jesus Christ.

Written by: Prof. Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr., 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. This article is an extension of my previous articles, “Becoming A Strategic Hustler™” and “The Adaptive Mindset," respectively. It discusses the “G," "Growth Mindset," in A.G.I.L.E., recalling this acronym is the first quality of “The Agile Leadership Framework” that requires seasoned and aspiring leaders to become flexible. The contents will begin a two-part high-level discussion on developing a “Growth Mindset.” My motto is “Leaders Are Born to Be Made!" Achieving the responsibility and accountability of becoming a great leader requires character, awareness, courage, and communication. Developing these pillars of outstanding leadership start with individual growth and then translates into leaders who can grow others. This article introduces these goals for developing a growth mindset. As you read and learn from this article, keep this phrase in mind as it was coined from one of the lessons learned from my college Hall-of-Fame football coach: “Leader of one; Leader of many; If you can’t lead one; you can’t lead any.” ‒ Dr. Frank L. Harper, Jr. Follow me down memory lane as I elaborate on this phrase. My dad gave me my first lesson in having ideas and setting goals—essential to a growth mindset. I will deal with goals in this article and ideas (dreams) in a separate article. But make no mistake: you cannot have far-reaching goals without generating awe-inspiring ideas. It is a process where dreams become a reality starting with writing them down as goals. Back to my dad, his permission was required for me to go anywhere. He would ask me, "Why are you going? What are you going to do when you get there?" Man, talking about being all up in my business; with him, I had none. If I hesitated in my answer or answered, "I don't know," his answer to my request was, “No.” Eventually, maturity gave me the courage to ask why he would say no. He explained, “God has a purpose for you, so you must have a purpose for yourself. That purpose is your goal for going anywhere or doing anything.” After that speech, he would always say, “Shoot for the universe because if you ever miss, you will be among the stars. You serve a big God, which is his purpose for you!" Reflecting on these words, my dad told me to have those awe-inspiring ideas mentioned earlier. Imagine a teenager hearing those words. My dad was a Southern gentleman with a third-grade education. Still, his instilling in me the importance of setting personal goals was my first lesson in developing a growth mindset to becoming a great leader who stands on the pillars of character, awareness, courage, and communication. Growth Goal Setting One of my favorite readings is a book titled Glorious Accidents—How Everyday Americans Create Thriving Companies. Michael J. Glauser, Ph.D., is the author whom I had the pleasure of meeting. As he states, accidents happen, and "glorious accidents" are created! I love the book because it shows how everyday Americans used their ideas to create organizations that have succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations. In every instance, I saw street hustling qualities transformed into strategic hustling ones. The process is only sometimes well planned, but it isn't random either. My takeaway was ten goals to success which I now coin "Ten Growth Goals To Excellence.” Individual growth to become a leader requires achieving the first six (6) goals: understand the terrain, seize the opportunity, find a mentor, radiate zeal, work with tenacity, and give mind-boggling service. This article will address these goals as “Part 1: Growing Yourself.” Once you have become a leader, your role is to develop others. Great leaders accomplish this by achieving the final four (4) goals: build a team, do more with less, notch it upward and onward, and give back to your community. These are topics covered in “Part 2: Growing Others” in a separate article. The more these goals are present in a business and life, the more the practitioner develops. The following presents snippets of information about each. A detailed discussion of each appears in my book, "A.G.I.L.E. L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. with a G.R.I.P.™: A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY JOURNEY: From street Hustler to Strategic Hustler™.” Growth Goal No.1: Understand the terrain Objective: Become educated. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” United Negro College Fund Scholarship program for black students Growth happens through the process of education, either traditional or non-traditional. Reflecting on Dr. Glauser’s book and my experiences, entrepreneurs must begin their journey by knowing and understanding the industry or terrain. There is a difference between knowing and understanding. Knowing is the expertise and skill acquired through experiential learning and learning from experience. At the same time, understanding, a deeper level of knowing, is a cognitive process requiring an individual to know or realize the intended meaning or cause of something. There are many avenues seasoned or aspiring leaders take to become heavily involved in the industry or marketplace. Most worked for another company in the same industry; some were serious and frequent consumers of the products or services. These experiences not only sharpen their saw but also exposes them to the products, services, mentors, customers, networks, opportunities, sources of distribution, significant players, strengths, and competitors' weaknesses, to name a few. I call this "putting on your armor." This entire process involves knowing and understanding. The fact is that you cannot create a successful enterprise in a vacuum. I have never met an entrepreneur who quit a job, refused to work for someone else and sat around trying to think up something to do. While it may happen, it does not happen very often. On the contrary, many of these entrepreneurs were extremely successful in their jobs, well-liked by their companies, and highly regarded in the industry. Being in the thick of the action gave them ideas to contemplate and test while still drawing a paycheck. The higher level of knowing ignited a deeper level of understanding, revealing the missing pieces that led to the ideas that led to new enterprises. Growth Goal No. 2: Seize the opportunity Objective: Be prepared and open-minded to exploit an opportunity. Accomplishing this goal requires achieving the first goal. It would be best if you had the appropriate level of education (knowledge and understanding) to recognize an opportunity. Speaking from being an athlete, scholar, professional, parent, university administrator, professor, investor, entrepreneur, and role model, you must prepare yourself for the spotlight when the right opportunity presents itself. Proper preparation educates, equips, encourages, and empowers you to consider seizing an opportunity. It is deciding to seize it where it pays to be open-minded or have an adaptive mindset. Seizing an opportunity to earn a favorable return on investment (ROI) in international gold futures (IGF) trading may be a great idea. However, further understanding the risks involved, the market fluctuations (volatility), and the number of funds needed to occupy a capital position that mitigates the market fluctuation risks to be profitable may cause you to decide that the opportunity is not for you. Being adaptive is vital. After all, you may move funds from one investment to the IGF investment to obtain that appropriate capital position because you like the risk-reward odds. Companies who engage in expansion and business transformation initiatives are prepared and adaptive to seize opportunities from digital transformation projects that: Automate business processes; Introduce new technology to the business—i.e., artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, Internet of Things, etc. Improve customer experience; Drive efficiency and cut costs; Change the company’s culture. Growth Goal No. 3: Find a mentor Objective: Find an individual who earns your trust, respect, and loyalty. My storied life as a scholar, athlete, professional, parent, and role model happened with the help of great mentors. My youth league football coach taught me leadership. My high school and college football coach taught me that “Hard work… Works!” I grew up in an area so heavily burdened by crime that the police labeled it a “Red Zone.” Anything you can think of happened during the ordinary course of the day in “my hood.” I am a first-generation high school and college graduate who was the second oldest of 5 children. All my siblings have served jail time—one for 25 years for a murder he did not commit! Their circumstances forced me into being a role model and legal guardian to 7 nieces and nephews—4 girls and three boys. Being a role model earned me the privilege of being the godfather to 6 girls and four boys. I am an Executive Contributor to a world-renowned magazine, Brainz, because of my mentors. My life and career accomplishments were achieved with the help of caring mentors. I serve as a mentor to many. So while writing this article, the characteristics of a great mentor that will help you in your quest to find a mentor include: S/he should be an excellent active listener. S/he gives constructive feedback. S/he takes a personal interest in their mentee. S/he radiates zeal about their role in your life. S/he respects diversity, equity, and inclusion. S/he are the best leaders; thus, they are skilled teachers. S/he demonstrate responsibility for the person they are mentoring. S/he is non-judgmental. S/he has expertise in a specific field. S/he takes pride in their work. S/he is approachable. S/he is transparent, showing their vulnerability. Growth Goal No. 4: Radiate zeal Objective: Be an energizer When I meet or watch an effective leader, the zeal radiates like a bright sunny day. Zeal is contagious, like the human emotional wave at a football game. One section starts, and you have tens of thousands of people engaged before you know it. Zeal draws people to the idea; it attracts members to the team; it entices customers to buy; it enables an average bunch of folks to beat the more talented teams. Zeal is captivating, infectious, and powerful! I have never seen a new venture get off the ground without a hearty dose of zeal. The key to success is that you must love what you are doing. A love for the product or service is the source of zeal for many leaders. However, the zeal can be for independence, excellence, accomplishment, and success—not the products or services involved. In my case, I never experienced a pounding pulse to go to a foreign country to become one of its most respected contractors and investors. Still, I longed to create an excellent company that could contribute to the well-being of a third-world country. So zeal needs to be there; when it's not, fledgling entrepreneurs will not have the energy to make it up the steep hills. People naturally pessimistic, overly cautious, excessively critical, or unduly obsessed with numbers can never generate the power necessary to make anything new happen. Growth Goal No.5: Work with tenacity Objective: Become a Strategic Hustler™. For 30 years as a football player and coach, I was a two-time youth league football all-star and champion, a two-time 3-year letterman in high school football and track and city champion, a scholarship walk-on to two different college football programs earning two varsity letters, a professional football free agent. I coached youth and high school football—assisting in winning multiple championships. These experiences taught me resiliency and the motto, “Hard work… Works!” Unbeknownst to me, I was being exposed to a new type of “hustler.” This growth was continuously fueled by a 35-plus year professional career in leadership roles directly or indirectly influencing the governing and managing of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to “RUN”, “GROW”, OR “TRANSFORM” businesses, governments, and international institutions of higher education with combine revenues ($1T+); budgets ($4B+); generating savings and growth ($10B+); while achieving a 90+% success rate. My teaching voice and writings have reached over 500,000 professionals and executives in over 65 countries across six continents. During this God blessed journey I was earning two doctorate degrees, two master's degrees, and one bachelor's degree, along with scores of globally recognized professional certifications. The “Strategic Hustler™” was born and created to educate, equip, encourage, and empower others to believe, begin, and become the best version of themselves. To learn more, please revisit my first Brainz article, “Becoming A Strategic Hustler™ ‒ The Agile Leadership Framework.” Growth Goal No.6: Provide mind-boggling service Objective: Become an Adaptive Design Thinker. The key to leading and managing high-performance, results-oriented, and customer-driven teams that consistently deliver value to the customer is: Deliver results that exceed expectations Reinvent yourself Assimilate into the social culture of the organization These comprise my “trilogy of success." It is a three-pronged attack plan to keep you relevant throughout your career. The first component deals with results. You have to deliver outstanding results and do it consistently. If you want to be taken seriously and gain credibility, you must deliver solutions the end user cares about! If you can't provide it, the conversation ends. The second component deals with improving your competencies and capabilities. That's just managing your portfolio of skills, making sure you're committed to lifelong learning, and adding things to your skill set that allow creating value for the end user. Each year you have to add something to your marketable game. The third part is what I call behaviors. Organizations are social institutions. How do you interact with your boss? How do you interact with your colleagues? Do you make the workplace a better place to work? Do you add to the organization? You will learn more about "reputation" in later articles covering leadership behaviors, intelligent behavior, and respecting diversity. Becoming an Adaptive Design Thinker, a discipline around human-centered design provides the tools needed in the new century to deliver mind-boggling service. Back to the earlier phrase “Leader of one; Leader of many; If you can’t lead one; you can’t lead any.” Achieving these goals allows you to become the “Leader of one” to “Lead one.” The second article, “Developing a Growth Mindset Part 2: Growing Others, “ discusses the growth goals of becoming a “Leader of many." Until then, “all the best to continued success.” Excerpts from the book: A.G.I.L.E. L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. with a G.R.I.P.: A Twenty-First Century Journey from Street Hustler to Strategic Hustler; available on Amazon, Amazon.India, Createspace, and Pakistan Representatives. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Prof. Dr. Frank! Prof. Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Frank Lee Harper, Jr. is the founder and world champion of agile leadership concepts. He is President ‒ UBTS International Corp having strategic affiliates in over 55 countries, Provost / Associate Professor ‒ Cambridge Corporate University, having branches in over 25 countries, while serving on for-profit and not-for-profit advisory boards. He is an award-winning IT leader and published author who is adept at influencing and teaching strategic transformations across multiple countries, industries, disciplines, and technologies for businesses having global revenues ($1+ Trillion); savings/growth ($10+ Billion); with budgets ($4+ Billion). His favorite motto is, "Leaders Are Born To Be Made."

Did you end up in the middle of a major car crash in Wisconsin? Or did you face a fender-bender in your grocery store parking lot? Whatever type of car accident you underwent, you can gain compensation from your car insurance claim to help cover medical costs, car repairs, lost wages, and more. However, before you delve into filing an insurance claim, you should check out these car accident laws in Wisconsin that may affect your financial outcome from the insurance claim. For instance, Wisconsin is an at-fault state, which means the victim of a car accident needs to prove the other driver caused the crash or was at fault for the accident before recovering damages. Are you ready to learn more about Wisconsin car accident laws and how it affects your insurance claim? Then keep reading! Wisconsin Law Requirements for Drivers When a driver either sees a car accident or causes a car accident, they have to follow some basic procedures. These procedures include: Stopping or pulling over at the scene of the accident Providing reasonable help to anyone injured during the accident including calling an ambulance Calling the location police station to report the car crash Staying at the scene of the accident to report to the police and provide information to the other driver The Wisconsin Statute for Reporting a Car Accident The Wisconsin Statutes section 346.70 states that the driver of a vehicle who has undergone a car accident that resulted in significant vehicle damage, property damage, the injury of a driver, or the death of a person needs to be reported as quickly as possible to the police department. You may also report it to a traffic department or a state traffic patrol officer. The damaged property should belong to a state or government entity and must total at least $200 in damages. Statute of Limitations for Wisconsin Auto Accident Court Cases The statute of limitations in Wisconsin for automotive accident claims states that the case needs to get filed in the state’s civil court within three years after the car accident occurred. These cases are ones in which one driver may have injured another person. In addition, when it comes to cases where vehicle or property damage took place, you will need to file the claim within three years as well. However, when filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you will need to follow the two-year statute of limitations. Wisconsin Shared Fault Law Wisconsin uses the Shared Fault Law, which means that every driver involved in a car accident has some liability and responsibility for the crash. Sharing part of the liability means that your insurance claim won’t necessarily lead to the entire financial amount that you may seek. To gain any compensation, you will need to prove that the other driver is at least 50 percent at fault for the accident. Wisconsin’s Car Insurance Law The type of car insurance you have purchased also impacts the overall damages you can receive from your claim. In Wisconsin, the safety responsibility law requires drivers to have the financial coverage to pay for the costs associated with a car crash they caused. The minimum car insurance liability coverage required in Wisconsin is: $25,000 for bodily injury or death for each individual $50,000 total for personal injury or death per car wreck $10,000 to cover property damage Wisconsin Rulings for Auto Accident Claims Against Government Bodies Wisconsin has specific requirements while filing automobile accident claims against a government department, which include: Sending a written letter to the attorney general within 120 days of the accident using certified mail Adding all facts, names, injuries, and damages you are pursuing Limiting total damage claims to $250,000 Conclusion Now that you’ve learned about several of the top Wisconsin car accident laws that may impact your overall damages and your specific claim, you’re ready to start filing that claim. Working with a personal injury lawyer specializing in car accidents may get you the damages you seek.

Debra Whitson is the CEO/Owner of WhitsonLaw, PLLC. as well as the CEO/Owner of Mediated Online Solutions, LLC. She spent the first half of her career as a prosecutor and has spent the last 28 years specializing in Matrimonial and Family Law. She is an experienced mediator and collaborative divorce practitioner as well as a recognized expert in working with victims of domestic violence. For years, divorce attorneys have been encouraging litigation as the only way to resolve the divorce process. This has cost clients thousands of dollars, sleepless nights and subjected their children to becoming collateral damage in their divorce. Many people who are on the brink of divorcing, fear financial ruin and how it will disrupt their lives. That's why she recently decided to publish her new Divorce Book "Divorce Like A Pro: A Better Way To Break Up", actively promoting and educating people from all walks of life about the different options you have when it comes to divorcing. Her new book revolutionizes divorce, providing people with an amicable resolution to their divorce process and ensuring a peaceful transition to their post-divorce lives, saving them time, money and giving them peace of mind. Debra Whitson, Attorney, Mediator, Certified Divorce Specialist™ What Prompted the Decision to Specialize in Family Law? When I was a freshman in high school, my brother’s good friend was murdered. In the criminal case that ensued, various legal technicalities excluded compelling evidence of guilt from being used in court, and the confessed murderer very nearly escaped being held accountable for the heinous crime. This opened my eyes to the idea that the system must be broken, and I was determined to fix it. From that point forward—at the age of just 14—I had my sights on becoming an attorney and a prosecutor. And I did; my first job out of law school was as a prosecutor working on domestic violence and child sex abuse cases. I became a recognized expert in dealing with and responding to domestic violence and sexual assault and began to champion community efforts toward raising awareness about and trying to eradicate domestic violence. I trained judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, first responders, and community advocates. When it came time to wind down my career in public service, it seemed natural to slide into matrimonial and family law. I felt an affinity for serving families, many of which face the same types of issues I saw as a prosecutor (e.g., family violence, child neglect or abuse). In the community where I practice, and where I have spent all 28 years of my legal career, litigation has been the primary mode of family law. While I have carried over a strong litigator’s mindset from my years as a prosecutor, I see the value in helping people avoid the additional trauma and financial burden of protracted litigation through other means like mediation and collaboration. Why Write a Book? I firmly believe that any modality that couples can use to stay out of court or minimize their involvement with the court can be of benefit. This is one of the main messages I would like to relay throughout the book, that there are easier, healthier, and more economical alternatives to litigation. I want people to understand that there are better options ‒ like mediation and collaboration. The more people are informed of and made to understand other options, the more likely they are to consider them seriously. This book is designed to help people do just that. Everyone can benefit from finding self-directed, peaceful ways to resolve family disputes without resorting to court. What Would You Tell Clients to Consider Before Getting Divorced? It is vital to consider how prepared you are mentally, physically, and financially before concluding your marriage. In most cases, the income that once supported a single household may need to cover two while in the process of divorce. Going through a divorce is without a doubt a life-altering decision. It can be liberating depending on the circumstances, but, in any case, you will still be needing a strong support network. Everyone going through a separation or divorce NEEDS an experienced mental health counsellor to help them process the complex emotions of divorce. At WhitsonLaw, we provide free resource guides to help those considering divorce, or who are in the process of divorcing, to make (more) informed decisions. While nothing can truly prepare you for discontinuing a part of your life that you built with someone, there are ways to minimize the emotional and financial devastation it may entail, and that is what we are here for. Why Do You Often Suggest Mediation to Your Clients Instead of Litigation? With mediation, the parties engage a mediator who serves as a neutral facilitator in maintaining civil and respectful communications and ensuring open disclosure of all information. An attorney mediator would inform both parties of their rights to child support, spousal support, and other matters in their jurisdiction. In the State of New York, a successful mediation will save you from appearing in court. The mediation process comes at a low cost and allows the parties to maintain a high level of control over the decision-making process. Having a good mediator will also facilitate good communication between you and your spouse to foster a space where your needs and expectations are regarded. With mediation, children are also kept far from the conflict and stress of dealing with the courts. What Makes WhitsonLaw, PLLC. Different From Other Family Law Firms? At my law firm, WhitsonLaw, PLLC, I have surrounded myself with equally passionate people that share my vision and mission. Everyone has taken Certified Divorce Specialist training and I want to ensure that our clients receive level best each step of the way. Our core values at WhitsonLaw are to constantly improve ourselves so that we can improve how we deliver services to our clients to improve their lives. People need to rely on the advice given by people who have expertise in what they are dealing with, and who can truly help them navigate the emotional waters of the divorce process in a way that is sensible and keeps their dignity intact. At WhitsonLaw, we provide legal services primarily and coaching and co-parent coaching as an ancillary service to offer well-rounded options to clients. We also strongly believe that someone who is going through a divorce really needs a therapist in their corner. Anyone who chooses the team at WhitsonLaw can rely on our advice and expertise when it comes to achieving their goals. We help our clients understand their options and choose the path of their divorce that best aligns with their goals, their values, their budget and their tolerance for stress and drama. We know clients are real people who are going through a very stressful life transition that impacts every aspect of their life. That is why we support our clients in ways that traditional law firms who focus narrowly just on the clients’ legal issues do not. We view our clients as important members of the team that will help them achieve their goals and make them an integral part of the overall process of resolving their legal matters. We work WITH our clients, not just FOR them. Be sure to check out all the information and resources on our law firm website, and the website of our sister company, Mediated Online Solutions, LLC. www.whitsonlawfirm.com www.mediatedonlinesolutions.com Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Debra!

Written by: Emily Bissen, 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. "You should quit your job." It may have been blunt when I was saying it to folks that I'd network with back in Wisconsin, but it was true. Many of the people I ran into were out at every event trying to drum up business and focused on the sale. There was no fire or passion for the work, and it was heartbreaking to witness. But isn't that what networking is all about? Sure, but the first conversation isn't about you. It's the discovery phase. Think about it. If you start a conversation with "Do you want to buy from me?" it's like going on a first date and asking someone if they want to marry you. Yikes. You are likely going to come off as desperate and not give that prospect the impression you intended. The person you're talking to must know, like, and trust you before they buy. And that's not likely to happen in that first conversation. When you come into the conversation focused on making the sale, you miss opportunities to add value to the person across from you. Here are a few tips to get you from the networking phase to the sales call phase: Get curious: What lights them up? What's getting in the way of them reaching their goal? Listen: Not for your turn to talk, but for opportunities! Offer Support: Is there anyone you can connect them with? Could you solve the problem or challenge they are facing? As a business development strategist of almost 5 years, I've met many people. We all have a unique story. And in this ultra-connected... but not.. world, we are desperate for real human connection. The person you are sitting across from is giving you their time, their most valuable resource. Use it wisely. If you're not interested in getting to know the person across from you on a level deeper than sales, you're in the wrong line of work. Relationship-based sales take time. But if you are genuine and authentic and truly want to uncover opportunities to strengthen relationships, you will build referral partners. In addition, you'll build a reputation for being a connector and it will be easier for your to have conversations with your ideal prospects. Create win-win opportunities and you will win more often. If you are looking to hone your business development and sales strategy and would like to learn more about how we could help you overcome your challenges and find your flow, follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Emily Bissen, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine When it comes to connections, conversations, and having fun making things happen, Emily Bissen your gal. She created this business to help founders, business development, and sales professionals find the right strategies that help them connect with their ideal prospects with success and ease.

Written by: Alek Angelov & Robert Murray, 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 future of successful businesses is personal. More and more people are noticing that successful businesses have a face. Take the likes of Gary Vee, Elon Musk, Bill Gates... the list is endless. The majority of businesses that succeed are all driven by people. It would be foolish, in an age of personal branding, to sleep on this opportunity. Which is why in this article, I will show how you can grow your personal brand, and use it to help you meet fortune and fame. 1. Identify your zone of genius Knowing where you excel most is going to act as the biggest driver for your personal brand. You need to know where you excel, and where your weaknesses lie. This will give you clarity on what to focus on, and what to delegate. Grab your notepad, or fire up a word document on your computer, I want you to note this down: Take 5 minutes to identify what other people compliment you for. Take 1 minute to think about what activities you get lost in. Take 1 more minute to ask yourself if it's profitable. Take 2 minutes to ask yourself if it's sustainable. Make sure you can do this for a long time. Take 1 more minute to write down what types of people would benefit most from this. Now let's cut out what you dislike. Spend 2 minutes acknowledging where people have said you're not great at. Spend 1 minute writing down what tasks and activities you dislike with a passion. Spend 2 minutes to consider what tasks you need to do to keep your business running. Anything else should either go, or delegate it. 2. Be a mentor There are plenty of people who are stuck. They are looking to get to the next level, but there's one piece of advice or information that's missing. This is where you come in. By being of service to people a few steps behind you, you'll notice people learning with you. Growing from what you have to share. When people grow as a result of your efforts, they will remember you. 3. Grow your network It sounds cliché, but if you want to go far go together. Many of my own connections have went on to refer business, and even become employees. Finding the right people comes down to what you put out into the world. This is why being intentional is important. Take specific actions that align with who you want to attract. Want to attract people that are kind and caring. Put it out there. Want to attract people that are bold and ruthless. Put it out there. Want to find yourself in a room with smart, intelligent people... Your vibe will attract your tribe. 4. Create a common enemy Using a common enemy is the oldest and most effective trick in the book. Storytellers like Disney use this to get you invested in the protagonist of their story. It works equally as well when building your personal brand, why: People advocate for brands with a clear enemy. It makes your audience feel like you're on their side. It makes your audience & customers feel heard. Think back to your favourite movie, what made you love the main character. The bad qualities of the bad guy often heighten the good qualities of the good guy. This is why when building your personal brand, you should: Personify the problems your audience faces. Stretch out those problems for greater impact. Use the problems to stress the importance of the solutions you offer. 5. Learn human psychology The better you understand how people think and feel, the greater advantage you have. An understanding of psychology will help you improve communication with your audience. It will help you navigate conflict and challenges within your team. All this will ensure your business is going in the right direction. I could write a whole article on psychology principles you can use to help you make money and build your brand. To prevent you reading for 10+ hours, I will keep it simple by sharing resources. These are my go to psychology books: For Sales & Persuasion skills: Influence by Robert Cialdini The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy Neuromarketing by Patrick Renvoise and Christophe Morin For Marketing Skills: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Contagious by Jonah Berger Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath For Communication & Leadership skills: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown by Daniel Coyle 6. Write a compelling brand story The most successful personal brands have a story to share. This will help you connect on an emotional level with your desired audience and turn them into fans. Chris Do for example, tells the story of his career – combining his past achievements with the mission he’s focused on now. It serves as a clear direction to attract people that identify with his background, and where he is now. To help you craft your own personal brand story, here are some prompts: What is your background? How long have you been in your field? What obstacles have you faced on your journey? Out of those struggles, which ones do you believe most people struggle with too? How did you overcome those obstacles? What solution did you find that helped? What mistakes did you make when trying to find the solution? How did finding the solution change your life? How do you prevent others facing those obstacles today? This will give you a solid base to start sharing your own meaningful story with your audience. 7. Document your journey One thing that's important to remember about your brand story is that it's always evolving. As you experience new challenges and struggles, share them. Share all the things that didn't work, and all the things that did. This acts as a roadmap for others to follow. 8. Follow the rule of 5 Also referred to as the Golden Rule. World-renowned business leaders such as Bill Gates, didn't get lucky. They were intentional. By planning out exactly what your vision looks like, you can take informed steps to reach your goal. This is where your rule of 5 comes in. Identify 5 actions that you can take every day that move the needle, here are some guidelines: Have a huge goal you wish to achieve, remember it, live it and breath it daily. Reverse engineer your large goal and break it into 5 actionable steps each day. Ensure that these smaller tasks fit your vision and will lead to a greater win in the future. Each goal should enable you to become 1% better each day, if any of them don’t, replace it. Commit to them daily! You break your rule of 5, you break your success! 9. Build your brand identity Building a memorable brand identity will help people to differentiate yourself from others. We are visual creatures after all, so the way we dress, what we say, how we act all play their part. Here are some useful tips to differentiate your brand online. 1. Use custom patterns or shapes in static content. 2. Create customised save/share/heart icons. 3. Try 2-3 colours in your profile photo. 4. Use photos of you in your static content on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter etc. 5. Become renowned for using a specific emoji. 6. Create a signature sign off. Remember Looney Tunes, "That's all folks". It has the same effect, simple phrases are memorable. 7. Identify a font people in your space aren't using. 8. Speak passionately about a cause you believe in. 9. Be controversial... (but, don’t go overboard). 10. Use the same songs/sounds in your video content to build familiarity. 11. Write your content how you would talk. 12. Track your competition and outperform their efforts. 13. Align your brand identity across all social platforms. Use a similar photo, banners, covers, post style and personality in your content. 14. Make your business cards a different shape. 15. Niche your services to a particular customer and industry. 10. Build Marketing Systems Without a clear marketing plan, you can have the best laid out brand strategy, but no audience to interact with. This is where your marketing comes in to grow your audience and make money online. I am going to share with you our marketing roadmap. This has built an audience of over 350,000 people across social media, and it's proven to work. 1. Start with your audience Identify critical information on who they are, their struggles, desires, and their income. 2. Interact with that audience personally Engage by message, build a connection with them and learn what they need. 3. Create an offer Based on their feedback, you should have a good understanding of what they need. Note down their biggest pains. Capture critical recurring themes such as time, happiness, health, wealth, security. These are fundamental human wants and drive people's motivations. Add these themes into our marketing message. 4. Create a Freebie Solve one small problem for your audience with a quick actionable guide. Make sure you are capturing people's emails with your freebie. Freebie ideas: A 15 minute masterclass An actionable guide. A 1-page cheatsheet. An interactive quiz. 5. Market your Freebie Use social media to push your freebie out to your desired audience. Create content that demonstrates a problem your audience faces. Then present the freebie as a solution. Make the freebie easy to access. Meaning doesn't make people jump through hoops to get it. Include your freebie in your link in bio. 6. Grow your email list Your email list to this day is still your biggest asset. If social media were to disappear tomorrow you will have nothing. Look at what happened to Andrew Tate, lost all his accounts in a heartbeat. Social media is not yours, and it can end in an instant, which is why building an email list is essential. Use your freebie to collect emails. Have a newsletter people can sign up to. Ask people to sign up often. 7. Market your offer in private Social media is all about being social. People don't want to be sold to. When your customers ask for your help, that's when you sell. They have given you permission to. Your content on social media should: Show your ability to solve a problem. Help your audience's day-to-day life. Allow your audience to come to the decision they need your help. 8. Set automations in place Tools such as Manychat help you guide your customer through your sales process. This ensures greater success rates when converting strangers into buyers.This is my go-to tool for qualifying customers. Learn what your customer needs. Qualify their budget. Then get them on a discovery call. 9. Establish your premium offer If you want to scale your business, you have 3 choices: raise the prices, sell to more people, or leverage systems. 84% of people are undercharging their services. If 6 out of 10 people who buy from you, don’t say it’s expensive, you are probably charging less than what you could. Lower prices often signal lower value of offer too. Therefore consider increasing your prices, as this would also mean growing your business. Selling to more people comes down to either finding a mass-selling method through inbound techniques or a magnetic referral system. To achieve the second, which has proven wonders for our business, you simply need to do 2 things: Deliver a phenomenal service. Ask your current clients WHO do they know that you can help further. Get a name, contact them and close the deal. Finally, use leverage to increase the money generated. We all have 24 hours a day, but not all of us achieve the same results. Extremely successful entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, all use a type of leverage. Human Leverage (staff) Capital Leverage (investments) Media Leverage (Social Media) Code Leverage (software creation) Those 4 are the most essential ways for you to use leverage in order to scale your business further. Some of them are free, such as social media, while others require a particular skill (coding), and others may require more money (human + capital leverage). Start with the one you can excel at now, before jumping on to hiring staff without having automations and systems set in place. Validate the offer, and only then, consider hiring to get more hours back in the day. 10. Start selling high-ticket As we already covered, one of the ways to increase the revenue of your business is by increasing the prices. If you will charge more, you need to provide more value. As a rule, we recommend having 10x the amount of value compared to the price ($1000 offer, should have at least $10,000 value). When it comes to selling higher value, dependant on your experience, you can sell a programme between $5000 and $75,000. To achieve that, package an experience that doesn’t just provide information, but provides a transformation for your clients. Information can easily be found on Google, but a unique transformation can only be delivered by you. Therefore, have a clear promise, that 10x the price of your offer. This way, you are building an irresistible offer that can easily be sold. When it comes to selling your programme, we recommend you getting on a Sales call and leveraging the following tips to get better results: Listen more than you talk. Most people just want to be heard. Showcase understanding and empathy. Acknowledge people’s problems, take them into account and provide them with solutions. Problem solving attitude. Do not say you ‘can’t, or don’t want to do something’, instead explore HOW you can do it. Stay calm. If people showed on a sales call, it means they have a problem. Remind them of it, and how you can help them alleviate their pain. Be a doctor. Before prescribing medicine, actually diagnose the problem. Only then, proceed to offer a solution. 11. And Repeat Repeat steps 5-10, stay on top of all leads that download your freebie and you will have a winning marketing plan. Final thoughts With that all wrapped up let’s leave you with a parting gift. These are our Favourite tools that speed up the process of building your brand online. Video editing: Inshot Video captions: Capcut Content creation: Canva Trending ideas: Exploding Topics Finding free images: Unsplash Finding free video: Pexels If you follow these steps you will build your own successful brand online. For more advice on marketing, brand-building and making money online; Follow @therobbiemurray and @alek.octopus on Instagram. Thanks for reading. An article by Alek Angelov – Sales and Marketing Expert and Robbie Murray – Brand Strategist and Social Media Marketing from CEO Sphere. Follow them on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and visit their website for more info! Read more from Alek & Robert! Alek Angelov & Robert Murray, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alek Angelov and Robbie Murray are partners and business coaches of CEO Sphere, an Online Community and Coaching Service that has a mission of helping 1 million entrepreneurs live a financially stress-free life. Through their combined 18 years experience, they have merged their collective knowledge in sales, marketing, and branding to deliver up-to-date and practical business knowledge. Having already helped thousands of entrepreneurs build their businesses, grow their presence online, and increase profit margins, if you are looking to increase your businesses potential, they are certain they can help.

Written by: Nicky Espinosa, 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 biggest complaint I get from CEOs and other Executives is… There is no time to think. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of the daily operations of your business. One day turns into another and another. Before you know it, months can go by and you haven’t made a single strategic move. Worse…You can look up and find problems that you’ve been ignoring. Conflict between key team members. Performance issues that need to be addressed. Turnover that’s halting your progress. Environmental changes that you’ve missed. There’s a secret to making this work. This a secret that the best CEOs have been touting for years, but no one believes us! Why? Because it sounds a little woo-woo to some of you. I get it. I thought the same thing at first. The best thing you can do for yourself is to…get over it. Sorry for the harshness. But it’s the only way some of you are going to hear this. If you want to be the most successful leader you can be, it’s time to open your mind. You need time to reflect, assess and make the best decisions. You need time to think. Even if that feels a little woo-woo at first. Some CEOs use meditation to create time. Others use exercise as thinking time. I love a good drive when I really need to think. You’re the CEO, you have a responsibility to lead yourself first. Make time! And before you brush this off as ‘not my thing’…You’ve already done this before, but you might not recognize it. Think back to a time when you’ve been in your office, alone, late in the day. Everyone else has left for the day. Something special starts to happen. You lose track of time. You are flowing through your to-do list, checking things off like a badass! Ideas start to flow. You’re making notes on your whiteboard. You feel the tingle of excitement as a new idea forms. At some point, you probably get pulled out of this scene. You’ve got to get home, out to dinner, whatever. You leave feeling accomplished, but the spell is broken. Back to reality. Back to the bustle of your life. You have just experienced wisdom in the quiet. You turned on your creative side. You opened your perspective to see things most clearly. It’s a skill that is honed through years of practice and mentorship. We have to be able to listen to more than what’s being said. Listen to what you’re NOT hearing. Listen to your gut. Listen to your doubts. Listen to your ideas. Listen for signals. They are there. You can try this right now. Think about something that allows you to have some peace. Maybe it’s a walk in the woods. Go do that! Today. Right now. Go! Ok, ok…so maybe you’re sort of busy right now, but you get my point. You decide what is a priority and what is not. If you don’t make it a priority to create time to think, then it never will be. If it’s not a priority, then you’ll keep going through the motions, wrapped up in the daily chaos. Busy, but not making the strategic moves you need to succeed. So why don’t we make it a priority? Because years of experience have taught us that hard work creates success. We are conditioned to believe that thinking isn’t a productive activity. It’s just daydreaming. So we tend to avoid quiet time. We get irritated because we’re not ‘doing anything’. We try to apply action words to thinking time so we won’t feel guilty about it. Words like ‘brainstorming’, ‘map it out’, ‘let’s whiteboard this’. The truth is you NEED to create time to think if you are to be a successful CEO. It makes you a better leader. It prepares you to respond to stressful situations. It makes life as a leader more balanced and fun. So, what are you doing today to create time to think? Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nicky! Nicky Espinosa, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nicky Espinosa is a leadership expert and executive coach specializing in supporting women executives to reach their full potential. She is a former healthcare executive, author, and professional speaker with 20+ years of senior leadership experience. She is on a mission to close the gender gap in the C-suite by empowering women to confidently level the playing field.

Written by: Andre Young, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever shopped at a store and when it was time to be served or checked out it was as if the employee was angry at you for making them do their job or aggravated they had to stop their conversation with their coworker to assist you? Or, my favorite… the no eye contact, no smile, no greeting, their employer must have woke them up at gunpoint and dragged them to work to help you service? It always leaves me wondering, how did this person get the job? Who else was interviewing that this person was the best option? And, what’s the plan to improve and upgrade the hiring process, training process, and standards? As an organization, I know pickings may be slim regarding the number of people who want to work, want to work for you, and bodies are sometimes hired to keep everything afloat or satisfy massive growth; but please remember… who you bring in + what you expect + what you tolerate = your culture! These negative experiences mixed with the wonderful employee experiences I’ve encountered made it simple for me to know the 3 BIG P’s I was looking for when I started bringing people into my business years ago. So, what are they? Positive Anyone I hired in the past, outsource with now, or partner with my be Positive! I define positive as having their head up, eyes up, smiling, upbeat, creative, willing to learn, possesses initiative, and in general when they walk into a room… the room is uplifted and people are better for having them around. As a leader, it’s important to understand everyone will have their bad day… even you… due to organizational issues, personal issues, sometimes customer/client issues. Leaders bounce back quicker and better than everyone else and that’s what you’re looking for! I once worked in a very demanding facility where the work was tough, but very rewarding. I was a Mental Health Therapist and took pride in our building and the culture we created… too bad leadership didn’t. When staff members for the company that worked outside of our building did a bad job, were the opposite of Positive, or had simply burnt-out they weren’t let go or mandated to attend proper trainings… they were simply relocated to our building to either further burn-out and quit or disappear… can you believe that? Needless to say, these individuals, although good people, were not positive, were not happy about the move to the “Dreaded Place”, and it showed as they looked miserable interacting with our clients, led nothing, and exacerbated many volatile situations making it harder for everyone else! Bringing in Positive people is key; as they will be the face of your organization, your leadership, and a model for your clients and customers as well. I love getting to speak and train around the world and even when attendees in the crowd have masks on, I can still tell the Positive people by their eyes… it’s a truly amazing thing. Inherently, these Positive people sometimes approach me afterward and ask if they can have a job within my company. It’s an overwhelming honor and I wish I could hire them all; instead I may provide them coaching and/or connect them with companies I know are Positive and would allow them the opportunity, culture, and growth they’re seeking! Remember, Positivity is great… however one P without the other two doesn’t work! Passionate Positivity can take you far, while passion + positivity is like hitting the Nitro Button! I laugh as I write this because I know nothing about cars. However, I do know that when I’m at the arcade with my kids and we play the car racing game and I hit that Nitro Button… ZOOOOOM… off I go! Passionate means not only are they positive, they also care about the work they’re doing… they believe in it at their core or at the least, the good it will do for the organization, client/customer, and the world! When I hired my Virtual Assistant, I had the privilege of interviewing 3 candidates. They were all great and I asked my seven Leader’s Interview Questions to them all individually. When it came down to the questions, “What’s your Dream?”, “What do you like most about the job?”, and “What do you like least about your job?” one person stood out above the rest! Two candidates had other aspirations professionally and they wanted or needed a job and there’s nothing wrong with that… I’ve been there. However, one candidate stated with passion she loved helping people see their dreams come true and enjoyed being a part of that! She also shared her dreams of running her own business one day and that the worst part of here job was not knowing what was expected of her because she wanted to be great at what she did and that’s not possible without great leadership. I‘d like to thank the world’s best Virtual Assistant, Nichole, for all of the behind-the-scenes stuff it takes to run a business and literally getting me to where I need to be, helping me to lead, being positive, passionate, and the final P! Productive Being Positive and Passionate without being Productive will not work! At the end of the day, business and leadership is about results! Can you… and will you… do what you said you were going to do and beyond? My job is to over-deliver! Most organizations have hesitations about bringing in a “so-called” Professional Speaker or Leadership Trainer… as would I. Unless you know them or they’re some huge name like Tony Robbins, you have no idea what you’re going to get. Productive means you get the job done, you follow through, people and the organization can trust you, and you’ve made your name synonymous with your craft! However, beware… Productive isn’t meant to stand alone. I’m sure you’ve worked with an individual or two that was productive, but they weren’t Positive… I have! For example, their sales numbers are through the roof; however they cheated their coworkers, stole clients, bullied customers/clients, etc. Terrell Owens, former NFL wide receiver superstar, maybe the best example of this. He was ultra-productive everywhere he went, was one of the best wide receivers of all time… and is struggling to get into the NFL Football Hall-of-Fame because he was Productive and Passionate… but wasn’t Positive; as he broke apart locker rooms, teams, and became an intentional distraction… making it and everything all about him everywhere he went until team after team decided Production wasn’t enough and it’d be best for him to take his singular “P” of Production elsewhere! As a leader, are you being Positive, Passionate, and Productive? Not only in the ways you want to be; but also marrying it with the ways your people, team, and organization need from you most right now? As a Front-Line Employee, are you being Positive, Passionate, and Productive? Not only in the ways you want to be; but marrying it with the ways your leaders, team, and organization need from you most right now? It’s not only about doing and being this way when you start, or when you’re motivated on a Monday, or on January 1st as a New Year’s Resolution, or when things are going your way… this is an ongoing expectation and the specific exception within my Leader’s 3 of having a Vision & Vision Factors, Expectations, and Rules. Model the P’s, Expect the P’s, and Enjoy you’re your professional and personal evolution!!! “Bringing in positive people is key; as they will be the face of your organization, your leadership, and a model for your clients and customers as well” – Andre Young You’re a busy leader that cares about your people; the level of change they’re experiencing, their burn-out, and need for Leadership Training and Work/Life Harmony but not sure where to turn or who to bring in… Look no further, click here for my customizable speaking engagements and leadership trainings!!! https://youevolvingnow.com/andreyoungsleadershiptrainings/ Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit my website. Read more from Andre! Andre Young, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andre Young is a Professional Speaker, Author, Leadership Trainer, and Founder of You Evolving Now. He worked as a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years, played sports at every level from high school to professional, has been an employee, a business owner, and self-employed, and has written 4 books focused on enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony. As Founder of You Evolving Now, it's his mission to enhance Leadership and Work/Life Harmony for organizations, leaders, employees, and teams with his high-energy, interactive, culture-changing leadership training programs and speaking engagements, allowing a professional and personal evolution!

Written by: Anton Broers, 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 want to release anger and frustration and bring more calm and peace in your life? There is something you should know about what causes these negative and unhelpful emotions. We can learn to be calm and peaceful irrespective the circumstances. We have the power to take control over how we feel. Read how inspiration is so much more powerful than information. Be inspired by one of the big wisdom lessons I learned and learn a proven technique that will help you to release anger, disappointment, and frustration and bring calm and peace instead. The power of inspiration When I was four years old, my school career started at kindergarten with a lot of play. When I was six years old, things started to get more serious. It was time to learn to read and write and to do math. Over the years, more subjects were added like history, geography, biology and later on I also learned foreign languages, physics, chemistry, economics. I took in big amounts of information and passed various tests. At eighteen, I graduated from Dutch ‘high school’ and I chose to go to university to study business economics. I processed and re-produced even bigger amounts of information to pass my bachelor's and receive my master’s degree. My regular education in various schools lasted more than twenty years. My corporate career brought me and my family to Singapore in 2007. My wife Cate and I had been active students of life for many years. We were vivid readers of universal inspiration shared by teachers like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Paulo Coelho. For our time in Asia, we resolved to step-up our search for truth and wisdom. We would look for and find the right teacher to deepen our understanding. Soon after we arrived, Cate visited a coffee morning at an expensive carpet shop where a gentleman came to speak about the power of the mind and the power of wisdom. Within twenty minutes, Cate knew she had found our teacher: Vikas Malkani, the Wisdom Coach. Vikas has been our guru, mentor and coach ever since. My learning with Vikas started in January 2008. Based on Vikas’ practical guidance, I started understanding how my life always starts with myself. Vikas made me aware of my inner power and I started to make wisdom an integral part of my life. That is where my transformation started. Cate and I took various wisdom courses from Vikas. We learned a great deal. About ourselves, about life, about becoming the author of our own life story, about finding our unique purpose, about living a life full of happiness, success, fulfilment, and freedom. Our lives changed and improved significantly. When I left Singapore, I calculated that I had taken some sixty (60) days of wisdom teachings during our five years there. And I concluded that I had learned more about what truly helps in life in those sixty days than I had learned in twenty years at school. The power of true inspiration! We all have a different reality! I experience this power every day of my life and I love to share my learning. One of the important lessons I learned is that our thoughts create our feelings. Most people think that their emotions are caused by other people or by events or circumstances. But that is not true. Our feelings are caused by the way we think about these people, these events, these circumstances. Shakespeare says it very wisely in Hamlet, act 2, scene 2: ‘Nothing is good or bad, your thinking makes it so.’ Thoughts, not things cause how you feel. People regularly suffer from anger, disappointment, frustrations. Much of these negative emotions are triggered – not caused! – by our relationships with other people. The cause always is the way we think about the other person or about what he said or what she did. I have looked deeply into relationship issues and I have found what is actually happening here. Our anger, disappointment, and frustration is caused by the invisible expectation that we carry that other people have to be and have to do exactly as us. This expectation will never be met. Other people think differently. Other people have different perspectives on things. Other people act differently. We ask ourselves: How can this be? Why does he not understand me? Why does she act in such a way? And every time our expectations are not met, we feel hurt. Here is the thing: nobody will ever be exactly like you because we all have different minds! Our mind holds our expectations. Our mind decides our choices and perspectives. Our mind judges other people and our experiences. The fact that nobody has the same mind means that nobody will ever be and do exactly like you. We all have a different reality because we have different perspectives. If we hold on to our invisible expectations, we are guaranteed to frequently suffer from anger and frustration because our expectations will frequently not be met. We suffer. The Different Perspective practice: a proven, simple technique to release your anger and frustration So what to do? There is a simple way to get rid of this suffering. When we let go of our invisible expectation that other people have to be exactly like us, we instantaneously release a huge amount of anger and frustration from our lives. When we get rid of that expectation, we take away the root cause for all these negative emotions triggered by our dealings with others. Here is a practical technique – the Different Perspective practice – that you can use and that will bring peace and calm in your life. Whenever you feel negatively triggered by something to do with another person, remind yourself: this person has a different mind and this person thus has a Different Perspective; After bringing this awareness, say to yourself: I accept the fact that people have Different Perspectives. Just like I am allowed to have my perspective, other people are entitled to their views. This appreciation will bring stability and calm to you instead of anger or disappointment; Then, leveraging your inner peace, ask yourself: what is the most effective response I can give in this particular situation? You make a conscious choice and from there you take deliberate action. When we apply the Different Perspectives practise, we let go of our invisible expectation that other people must be like us. Rather, we become more accepting and empathetic toward others which results in an automatic release of much anger and frustration and the creation of more peace and calm. Application of this practice benefits your daily experience of life. Guaranteed. Start today with the Different Perspective practice and enjoy more calm and peace in your life! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anton! Anton Broers, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anton Broers is a leading mindset coach and trainer based in Europe. He is a former senior business leader at a global brand who spent time in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Anton is a keen student of ancient spiritual wisdom made simple for modern-day application. As the CEO of Mind ur Life in the Netherlands, he helps children, adults, and businesses toward happiness, success, fulfilment, and freedom. Anton’s mission is to introduce the world to the power of the mind to create the life and results we desire.

Written by: Antonio Esposito, 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. A couple of weeks ago, I was out running. It was still dark and chill, and the stable pace of my feet touching the ground was the only audible sound on the street. Immersed in my own thoughts, I was listening to the warm voice of a podcast host telling a story. Father and Daughter time Hidden behind the daily newspaper, Mike listens to his daughter Michelle, walking around the room complaining about her life. "I will never make it. I am tired of fighting and struggling with everything all the time. As soon as a problem seems to be solved, something else gets in the way. I am exhausted." Those words caught my attention. I saw myself in that woman's behaviour. Just like her, I have lived most of my life complaining. All the years of studying, coaching and applying all sorts of personal development techniques on acceptance, gratitude, forgiveness and living in the moment have not silenced the persistent voice in my head that keeps reminding me of all the things that could be better, including those I still don’t accept about myself. I don't usually complain loudly, though, so people's image of me is that of a person blessed with a Zen-like approach to life. They see me as a person who has fully mastered the skills of acceptance, patience and tolerance and who peacefully moves toward his goals! However, the reality is that my inner world is often made of doubts, insecurities, lots of fears and a long list of things I hate, I don't tolerate, and I would like to change inside and outside of myself. After he has folded his newspaper and left it on the couch, Mike invites his daughter to follow him into the kitchen. "Please take a seat..." he asks, "I would like to show you something". Intrigued, Michelle takes her place at the kitchen table while her father fills three pots with water and puts them on a stove with the fire on. "Dad, what are you doing?" Michelle asks, with an annoyed tone of voice. "Be patient, my dear, you'll see", Mike replies while placing some potatoes in the first pot, a couple of eggs in the second, and some ground coffee beans in the last. Then, without saying a word, he sits next to his daughter at the kitchen table, waiting for the water in the three pots to reach the boiling point. After roughly twenty minutes of awkward silence, Mike finally turns off the fires, puts the potatoes and the eggs in two different bowls and pours the coffee into a mug. Looking at his daughter, who is very annoyed by that strange behaviour, Mike asks: “My dear, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee?”, she impatiently replies. “Look closer", Mike says, “and please, touch the potatoes.” She does, and remarks that now the potatoes have become very soft. Then Mike asks her to take an egg, break it, and peel the shell off. Again, she does as requested, discovering, without any surprise, a simple hard-boiled egg. Then, Mike says: “Now, take a sip of coffee.” She obeys, and that coffee's rich aroma immediately places a relaxed smile on her face. “Dad, please, what does this all mean?”, she asks. Mike then takes a sit next to his daughter and, holding her hand, explains: “The potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans have faced the same problem – the boiling water. That problem, in some way, has changed them, but each one of them has reacted to that adversity in a very different way. The potato, naturally strong and hard, was softened and made weaker by the boiling water. The egg, known as a very fragile thing, protected only by a thin shell, became hard inside. The ground coffee, instead, reacted differently. After being exposed to the same situation as the potatoes and the egg, it changed, creating something completely new. Now my question for you, Michelle: Which of those three are you? Are you the potato that seems initially strong but, under the pressure of adversity, grows soft and loses strength? Are you the egg that starts with a shapeable core, but a loss, a breakup, an illness or a financial issue break you and, although you look the same on the outside, you have a broken and hardened heart? Or are you the coffee bean that has the ability to change adversity, Michelle? That transforms that boiling water into something new and quite extraordinary? Remember: no matter what challenges you are facing in life, you are always able to choose between feeling sorry for yourself and complaining about them without doing anything or proactively taking some actions to improve, to grow, to shape yourself into something better.” Is it possible to avoid adversities in life? The answer is a big fat NO! In life, it's impossible to avoid adversities. Sometimes we cause them, and sometimes life, people, misfortune, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time can cause us to suffer. Sooner or later, we find ourselves in a pot full of boiling water with no possibility of getting out of it. It will happen, and it's inevitable. What will make the difference, though, is our attitude and our approach to dealing with that particular adversity. How can I change while I am in this mess and who do I want to become once I am out of it? Of course, this is not an easy task. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where nothing can be done: we might be dealing with a terminal disease, with the loss of a loved one, with the results of a natural disaster, or, as we are seeing right now, with a useless war. We can't change those circumstances, and complaining about them won't change anything either, but we can try our best to shape those moments into growth opportunities and into the possibility to change our nature and become something new, something extraordinary! “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” John C. Maxwell If you enjoyed this article, I would like to know more about your insights and breakthroughs from reading it; then, if you are up to the challenge of mastering your Emotional Intelligence, bringing your life to the next level; book a one-to-one 30-minute FREE Consultation with me! For more info, visit my website or follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Read more from Antonio! Antonio Esposito, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Antonio is a Life Performance Coach, a Mentor, and an NLP Practitioner certified expert in the field of Emotional Intelligence and Eating Psychology. Moved to the United Kingdom from Italy in 2006, after enjoying 20+ years of experience in the corporate world as a senior web and graphic designer, Antonio is now the CEO and Founder of TheThinkingMind Coaching Ltd, a United Kingdom-based firm specializing in offering Coaching, Training and Personal Development services. Antonio's mission is to change the world one person at a time. Antonio's target is to facilitate the transformation of all those harmful and destructive mental processes by discovering one's inner self. Through Life Coaching, Personal Development, and Behavioural Psychology techniques, Antonio enables individuals to master their Emotional Intelligence and, through a set of empowering, transformative, and life-changing strategies and actions, help, support, and motivate people in achieving their most important goals. Antonio has a unique perspective on personal growth and happiness. He is recognized for his ability to lead others to maximize their full potential through living a life of purpose, balance, and significance. Since 2017, Antonio is also a member of the prestigious team of Mentors at The Coaching Academy, where he has coached and mentored hundreds of students worldwide to successfully complete their training journey as Professional Certified Life and Executive Business coaches.

Written by: Sally Higoe, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Organising an effective hybrid work setup can be challenging for business leaders. Ensuring efficiency and productivity whilst maintaining a happy and balanced workforce between in-house staff and your external remote team could be confusing (and possibly make you dizzy!) at times. However, by following some simple tips, it is possible to create a hybrid working environment that is both productive and comfortable. And this is a win-win for everyone involved, hooray! This article will explore some of the best ways to organise a hybrid work setup. What is a hybrid workforce? A hybrid workforce is a mix of employees who work both remotely and on-site. The term "hybrid workforce" is often used in organisations transitioning from traditional office settings to more flexible remote work models. For example, a company may allow its employees to telework one or two days per week while requiring them to come to the office for face-to-face meetings and collaboration. The hybrid model can provide the best of both worlds for employers and employees: the flexibility and autonomy of working from home with the social interaction and support of an office environment. While many organisations struggled to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hybrid workforce model may be the key to maintaining productivity and morale moving forward. Tips for successfully managing a hybrid workforce As more and more businesses transition to a hybrid work setup, it's becoming increasingly important to know how to manage this type of environment properly. After all, many moving parts are involved in keeping an office and a remote workforce up and running. Effective communication — The most critical aspect of managing a hybrid work setup. This means setting clear expectations for on-site and remote employees and providing regular updates on company news and changes. Provide feedback — It's imperative that you have reliable employee feedback channels in place, so everyone feels heard and valued. Maintain a high level of flexibility — Since employees will be working in both physical and virtual spaces, it's important to be able to accommodate their needs as they change. This might mean offering more flexible hours or giving employees the option to work from home on extra days as required. Proper management — Just because people are in different locations doesn't mean that regular check-ins and collaboration should be neglected. It's also important to pay attention to different work styles and types of people to ensure everyone's needs are met. And finally, resourceful thinking by the leader is essential to empower the team and avoid micromanagement. As the workforce starts to shift back towards in-person work, it's important to remember the lessons we've learned about hybrid work setups during the pandemic. By following these guidelines, we can ensure that hybrid work setups are successful and productive. Benefits of handling your hybrid workforce well With proper management, a hybrid workforce can increase productivity and efficiency while reducing overhead costs. Who wouldn’t want that, right? Here are some of the benefits of handling your hybrid workforce well: Better work-life balance: When employees have the option to telework or work remotely, they often have a better work-life balance. This can specifically lead to increased productivity and efficiency as employees are less likely to feel burned out. Reduced overhead costs: A hybrid workforce helps to reduce overhead costs due to fewer on-site employees, thus requiring less office space, lower power supply and less overall supplies. Increased talent pool: You can tap into a larger talent pool by allowing employees to work remotely. This is especially beneficial if you're looking for specialised skill sets. How can business leaders better handle a hybrid work setup? Let’s face it, it’s possible that not all managers are experienced in a hybrid work setup, and that’s fine! Business leaders can aim to learn more about this setup as they go and can access training in line with the hybrid work arrangement. According to an article from Cerely, a workforce management software company, better managers mean better organisations. This is why companies are encouraged to invest in honing the skills and knowledge of their managers. This is recommended not because of their lack of skills, but to provide a fresh perspective in managing a hybrid workforce as well as ideas managers can utilise. Doing this helps create positive results for each team/department and can contribute a lot to the organisation as a whole, even in a hybrid work arrangement. In this day and age, a leader must build the skill set of handling a hybrid work setup. Some companies will provide specific training for this skill. Business leaders can also develop their own knowledge through workshops or outsourced services, like professional coaching. Such options can improve their vision and planning, communication, hiring process, and all-round approach whilst develop personally as well. In my coaching relationships at Team Resilience Method, I include an insightful mentor framework, ways to improve your relationship with uncertainty, strategies to navigate change, effective approaches to establishing trust, and an improved ability to think through challenges. Keep these points in mind if you're considering implementing a hybrid workforce or if you are already handling this type of arrangement. A hybrid workforce can be a critical competitive advantage with proper management. Don’t be frustrated if it’s not smooth from the start. Learn from your mistakes and take note of what works for you and the business. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sally! Sally Higoe, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sally is uniquely world-experienced in building resilience, emotional fitness, and quality sustainable practices in leadership. Her experience across multiple countries leading high-performing teams in high-pressure outlying remote environments has amplified her ability to know what it takes to connect a conscious leader to their team, with outstanding results. Having spent decades on diverse projects in every climate imaginable, Sally discovered the critical aspects of authentic leadership and team alignment. She has now blended research-based, proven methodology with her pragmatic approach and ability to 'be herself' to create the transformative Align & Shine program. There, she guides formerly flustered, confused, and internally insecure leaders, to tap into their true classic selves, without the need to conform to outside pressures, helping them become bold, present, courageous, and energized leaders who genuinely connect with their team AND their business. Sally is co-author of Resilience in Leadership, Pt 1 of the book series, leader of both community and international hardship projects, and accredited in scientifically proven Human Behavioural Profiling and Meta Dynamics ' thinking-based methodology, adding to her Practitioner of Coaching credentials. Most importantly though, Sally, Founder of Team Resilience Method, is now on a mission to show striving leaders how to shine, gain clarity and create a ripple of positive change, from the inside out.