Written by: Dr. Christopher Ashton , 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. Puzzling, bewildering and tragic is the experience of people, family and loved ones when seeing, against all rationality, the drinker drinks again or the addict starts consuming. We cheer their efforts as they seem to be doing all the right things and showing sincere effort, and yet another round of disaster ensues. Often people die, although it’s often listed as ‘suicide’ not substance use disorder (SUD). Truth is that the two entities often go hand in hand. 7 to 10 day detox programs are almost a certain recipe for failure, although they’re to be commended for providing humanitarian support for people who can’t carry on with the sickness of substances and allow them a reprieve. 12 Step programs are equally ineffective for the vast majority of persons who participate. Nonetheless, they are to be applauded for offering hope, support and occasional success at no cost to suffering people, most of whom cannot afford the price of private rehabs. It’s difficult to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction as a ‘disease’ when households are being torn apart, people are being shot or robbed, or precious lives instantly evaporate as a result of drunk drivers This series will shine light on the ‘whys’ of continued tragedy and offer a rational approach out. People who continue to consume or those who relapse in light of clear evidence that substances are destroying their lives and those around them appear to have no conscience. Rather, in a mammalian sense, they seem to care nothing about getting drunk or high. Despite major attempts, it’s difficult to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction as a ‘disease’ when households are being torn apart, people are being shot or robbed, or precious lives instantly evaporate as a result of drunk drivers. Where does one even start to make sense of this societal mayhem caused by drugs and alcohol? Definitions of disease and disorder vary so widely across associations and professions that they offer little in terms of description. I just call it ‘the monster’ given what it does to people, often seemingly beyond control. Completely baffling in how people can suddenly relapse often without warning signs, it is little wonder that it’s been framed as a spiritual condition, a matter to be managed by higher powers. Fortunately, it can be characterized as something real and comprehensible although there are many components to it. This series takes a reductionist approach initially in hopes that the reader will be able to ‘connect the dots’ after reading chapters down the road. Let’s have another look at the following frightening brain scan (Source: Harvard Medical School, 2021) of someone addicted to cocaine and what it illustrates. Clearly, the yellow part in the front of the brain above the eyes (orbitofrontal cortex or OFC) shows far less activity in the addicted person than the healthy control. Secondly, the purple section in the interior of the brain (mid-brain or limbic system) is far more expanded in the cocaine person. It even looks a bit like a monster. From conception to approximately age 25, the yellow and purple areas codevelop together in aim of survival based on ‘healthy’ or ‘neurotypical’ decisions that are good for people over the life course. Very, very briefly, the yellow area (the prefrontal cortex) is considered the rational part of the brain developed to align with societal values and norms and make decisions in response to motivating stimuli from the purple part (the rest of the limbic system). Also simplified, the yellow area is considered more ‘conscious’ (meaning the person is aware and thus may be able to exert influence). The purple area is ‘subconscious’ and provides energy, stimuli and occasionally instructions based on emotions. The monster affects both, drastically. Motivation for action is through dopamine, a neurotransmitter often confused as imparting reward In neurotypical persons, the deeper limbic system signals want or need (and occasionally directly creates action) and creates motivation for action (through dopamine, a neurotransmitter often confused as imparting reward) to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for processing. The two major regions are in continuous communication with each other. The PFC can roughly be described as a traffic light in response to the inputs from the rest of the limbic system. Largely acting on inhibitory signal strength, the PFC may immediately stop an action motivated by the limbic system (red light), determine it needs further consideration and engage other executive brain structures (yellow light) or approve it immediately (green light). In severe SUD, the PFC signal strength is such that it acts as a green light, allowing actions and behaviors to be dictated by the emotional center of the brain. Overall, decisions and actions are largely based on the relative strength of executive and emotional electrical signals. Persons are essentially powerless for a certain time period; choice regarding substances can be absent Returning back to our diagram from HMS, a characteristic phenomenon of SUD is explained, that is the inexplicable continued consumption of addictive substances despite all rational evidence to abstain. In addicted persons and those who have abstained for minimal time periods, there is simply not enough capacity for signal strength in the PFC to inhibit (red) or even consider consequences (yellow) of exaggerated impulses to indulge in substances from the purple area. Persons are essentially powerless for a certain time period. Nonetheless under the correct conditions, the PFC can reactivate as the emotional centers are slowly normalizing. Estimates are that this neurobiological process isn’t truly in synchrony for at least three months. It is little wonder that detox units are temporizing measures as are the majority of other modalities. Once severe SUD has developed, choice is essentially absent in the early days when the correct cue or stress is presented (often minute in nature). Terrible things happen, usually worse than previous (further chapters in this series will explain why). Nobody or nothing often seems to help. Efforts focused on re-establishing prefrontal cortex capacity can be life saving Fundamentally, efforts focused on re-establishing prefrontal cortex capacity can be life saving. Equally ensuring low stress (stress impairs healing) and safe environments minimizing cues are often paramount. ‘Turning the lights back on’ in the PFC is promoted through general healthy lifestyle measures. Additionally, we have found neurofeedback meditation, cognitive challenge and monitoring, as well as high intensity exercise gives far better outcomes than many conventional approaches through focusing directly on prefrontal cortex activity. The next chapter in this series will discuss the science of altered reward function and the development of a separate anti-reward system as empowering the monster. Follow me on LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Christopher! Dr. Christopher Ashton, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christopher Ashton is a thought leader and truth seeker in all matters pertaining to improving health in individuals, organizations and populations. Educated in engineering physics, medicine and business finance, Christopher is able to connect the dots in multidisciplinary, complex scenarios in a manner few other persons can. Driven by the belief that answers always exist, he is currently making sense of previously incomprehensible human decisions from an organic, scientific basis. His personal goal, create something so creative and discover new truths worthy of consideration for a Nobel prize.

Written by: Tricia Brouk, 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. Being able to support speakers in using their voices for impact is a privilege and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark to discuss why wealth management is more than just money. Mark Fujiwara is a certified portfolio manager, certified exit planning advisor and director at Baird with 30 years of industry experience. He is the author of Superior Results: Maximizing the Value of Your Family Office Just Like the Super-Rich, forthcoming in early 2023 and a guest instructor at the Global School of Entrepreneurship for courses on family office and mergers and acquisitions. Mark, you are in the business of wealth management and financial service. What is the difference between a single-family office and multi-family office? An effective family office is a group of expert professionals to deliver two major categories of expertise: wealth management and family support. The primary difference between a single-family office and a multi-family office is that a single-family office is composed of professionals who exclusively work for one extremely wealthy who’s chief goal is to address the needs, wants, concerns, and preferences of the one family. A multi-family office consists of professionals who work for multiple families. Single-family offices are ideal for maximizing wealth with the highest level of control, assurance of confidentiality and minimal if any conflicts of interest. However, to run an effective single-family office, the family must be willing to spend a large amount for hiring and retaining full-time, exclusive top professionals. Thus, a single-family office is usually suitable for families with net worths of over $250 million. Multi-family offices are less costly and could have a big range of proficiencies since there are a lot more professionals to select. This is why it is imperative to have a consummate professional who could help not only lead your multi-family office but to be the one who selects the other professionals to have a fully functioning team. How did you come to this work? Two big turning points. When I was seven years old, my mother introduced me to the stock pages in the newspaper. With my love of math and a mom who made learning fun, I became quickly hooked. Invested in my first stock shortly after, the stock went up. It doubled in two years. My family owned a very large Chinese restaurant throughout my childhood. Again with my love of numbers and seeing money grow, I started to learn how a business was run and how a business made money. Just as I went off to university to become a portfolio manager, our restaurant was running on all cylinders, our key professional, my Uncle Park who was our chief growth officer, rainmaker, the one who brought in all the large banquets passed away. We did not have a succession plan nor did we have consummate professionals to properly plan and find solutions for the longevity of our restaurant and were forced to close our doors as I was graduating business school. With this heavily on my mind, I started in this business focussing on all the areas of wealth planning especially on risk and succession planning. Your personal story of anxiety and mental health challenges has been a huge part of your calling in the perfect clients. Why is modeling for your clients so important? My effectiveness in connecting and maximizing what I deliver to the client comes down to how deeply my clients share with me. There are two core ways I accomplish this which is to allow the client to speak 80% of the meeting AND to be completely open with my clients on my mental health struggles. The subject of charitable giving comes up in almost every preliminary meeting. I always ask what causes the client to feel strongly and why. The client will answer and then follow with the same reciprocating question about my causes. I will tell them about my big personal cause of mental health and some of the reasons why. My cousin dying of suicide at the age of 15 when I was a senior in college is an example. My struggles with depression, anxiety, and ADHD my entire life and hiding it because of the stigma around mental health is what I can share to connect us deeply. The client who hears this can fully relate, sometimes their own struggles and most often a close family member. They often reveal a bit more about themselves which always improves how I can help them even more. This also has drawn perfectly ideal clients and filtered out wrong character fit clients. In order to rewire your brain, you decided to take on the 100 Days of Your Comfort Zone, mission if you will. Tell us a little about that and why you did this. I had recently sat down with my business coach and realized that my growth in my business was literally non-existent in the past two years. My portfolio performance was subpar. Everything in my life was in a rut. I was just diagnosed with being on the verge of diabetes, low energy, still going through PTSD of my divorce, and feeling constantly anxious, depressed, and at times hopeless and suicidal. I needed to shake things up in my life, so through the inspiration of Ted Talk speaker, best-selling author, Jia Jiang who did 100 days in a row of rejection, I thought what I needed to do was 100 days outside of my comfort zone. I wrote out almost 200 ways to get uncomfortable and committed to do it every single day. From these 100 days, my portfolio performance skyrocketed, focussed on highest value to clients which resulted in a family office practice. Some other amazing outcomes, I met my wife by going out with someone ten years younger than me, qualified for the Boston Marathon, and also started sharing my struggles of mental health to others. This was the biggest one because I feel it is the reason I am here to tell this story. And when you think about financial service and wealth management, how can your story of rewiring your brain help us to think differently about our wealth and the management of it? In the wealth management industry, rewiring is seldom if ever done. The industry continues to make money, lots of money, so many do not see the value of making any changes, getting out of their comfort zone. First on the investment side, switching out of the same allocation models used by all of the advisors out there and modeling the super-rich, I have found investments that create a higher level of return with less risk. It takes work but that’s why our clients are paying us. Getting out of the comfort zone starts with asking how we can do this better. That’s where it started with my practice. Using what the single-family offices are doing and taking that down to the level of the non-billionaire client takes getting uncomfortable. However, with what I experienced with my 100 days of uncomfortable challenges, if we continue to go outside the comfort zone for the betterment of the industry, we can greatly achieve the highest value to our clients. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website! Read more from Tricia! Tricia Brouk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tricia Brouk is an international award-winning director. She has worked in theater, film, and television for three decades. Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. She was the executive producer of Speakers Who Dare and TEDxLincolnSquare and now The Big Talk Live. She is currently being featured in a new documentary called Big Stages, which highlights the transformation of her speakers. Tricia’s commitment and devotion to inclusion are a priority as all of her shows, events, and communities are diverse. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC, The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast on iTunes and YouTube. The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy was a 1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020. She was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance in 2021. Her documentaries have received critical acclaim—winning Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival and Los Angeles Movie Awards. Tricia has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, New York Public Library, I Heart My Life Live, and The National Organization for Rare Disorders.

Alex Sunshine is CEO and founder of Rising Suns Agency, a boutique influencer marketing agency for DTC brands. He builds partnerships between brands and social media influencers with common audiences, helping brands connect with their target market in creative and lucrative ways. Over a span of 4 years, Rising Suns Agency has closed over 234 influencer contracts. Alex has signed Gretchen Rossi, Ali Levine, Jesyka Harris, and worked with brands such as Amazon and Zulily. Alex's work is shaping today's influencer marketing industry to become more widely understood. He believes no brand should ever have to worry about finding their ideal customers again. Hi Alex! Please tell us a little bit about yourself! Growing up in a suburban Jewish neighborhood, I felt very blessed by the opportunities that my family was able to provide me. This included a fancy Bar Mitzvah, summer sleep-away camp, Mets games, ski trips, beach vacations, and multiple visits to DisneyWorld and Universal. These are all things that I still love to do to this day! I grew up with a great Asian leopard Bengal Cat named DJ (after Derek Jeter unfortunately) and I currently have two of my own cats, Mac and Millie (honored by the passing of Mac Miller when they were adopted in 2018). What is your business name and how do you help your clients? The name of my business is Rising Suns Agency, and I am an influencer marketing agency that helps brands partner with social medial influencers. - What kind of audience do you target your business towards? I target both brands and influencers. I want to truly help them collaborate on a mutually beneficial partnership. I've seen both successful and unsuccessful partnerships, so I know what works and what pitfalls to look out for when facilitating these types of partnerships. I help DTC CPG brands in a variety of verticals like baby products, food + bev, financial services, gaming, etc. I predominantly help these brands target women and early-stage mothers (25-34) in the United States. What are your current goals for your business? My current goals for the business are to make small to mid-sized brands feel extremely educated on the current trends in the influencer marketing space. A few big trends I see in 2023 will be the rise of creator-owned brands as well as the focus on YT shorts. Additionally, my goal is to make sure all clients that work with my agency get to know that they work directly with me and utilize my knowledge in order to collaborate on a customized strategy for their brand. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? I want to become a resource of knowledge for influencer marketing as well as entrepreneurship. Influencer Marketing is evolving extremely quickly and as one of the agencies that was an early adopter in the space, I will always be able to reference it’s rich history while simultaneously staying up to date on the most current/future trends. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? Gary Vaynerchuk is a modern-day icon and has been the biggest reason that I have been able to pursue entrepreneurship. His emphasis on having patience, especially in your 20’s, has given me the strength to know that I am on the right path. With my 30th birthday approaching this year I am ready to turn a corner on a business as well as professional level. What is your work inspired by? My work is inspired by Tom Cruise who portrayed the role of an agent in Jerry Maguire. It was always my dream to be a sports agent growing up. Having become an influencer agent is to me a modern-day version of that movie. If a studio ever decides to greenlight a project on the influencer marketing agency space, then I’d love to receive a call to provide the behind the scene scoop. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. My greatest career achievement to date has been the reputation that I have been able to build at Rising Suns Agency. Over the course of 230+ deals I have had the fortune of successfully brokering every single one of them to date and that’s the most important metric that I have for my company. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? The one thing I would change about my industry is the false stigma that comes with being a social media influencer. I know this firsthand because when I introduce myself to people that I am an influencer agent, I hear the feedback that I get about influencers. I think they are extremely misunderstood by the public and only the people in the space understand how hard working and inspiring influencers can be to not just their followers but the people around them every day. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. When I was dating an influencer back in 2018, I used to help her with her photoshoots and brand sponsorships. Additionally, she would invite me to her press events as her plus one. At one of the events, I spoke to an influencer who asked me if I could help her the same way that I was helping my girlfriend. This was my light bulb moment to start my influencer marketing agency.

Dr. Robert Ciprian grew up in a challenging childhood in Queens, NY. Through his transformational journey of healing and wellbeing, he became a doctor of chiropractic & holistic medicine, teacher, author, and executive coach. He has studied various energetic and spiritual healing methods over the past 25 years. Dr. Ciprian has taught across the country to healthcare professionals of multiple disciplines as well as the general public. Dr. Robert Ciprian, Holistic Doctor & Executive Coach Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. I am Dr. Robert Ciprian. Introducing myself always causes me to reflect on the complexities and broad range of the life I am living. My childhood shaped who I am today. I was often very sick with respiratory and immune system problems. On the other hand, I also remember having many mystical experiences such as out of body states, lucid dreaming, and what seemed to be journeys into other planes of reality. I was often quiet and well behaved as a young child and maybe that was because I was also very empathic and intuitive. Once I reached my early teens, things changed drastically. The friends I was hanging out with became a group of thugs and I eventually became an internationally known Graffiti artist in New York City. In those days I witnessed plenty of violence and crime while hanging out in the streets. But there was always a sense that I was somehow protected and destined for something because no devastating harm came unto me. At one point there was a spiritual shift that caused me to leave NYC and pursue a career in helping people. I was on the road to helping people heal their past and have success in their future. After a series of misfortunate events, I suddenly left New York City and moved to Los Angeles to become a doctor. A lot has happened over the course of my education and career. I have been a Doctor of Chiropractic for over twenty years but also studied holistic medicine, mental/ emotional therapies, various energy healing techniques, and shamanism. Through my search for personal healing, I was led to some great teachers and mentors. If something profoundly helped me with the work they did, I studied and mastered it so I could help others with it. I also began to teach healthcare professionals, as well as the general public, about many natural healthcare and well-being methods. Despite spending so much of my life in major urban areas, I love the many aspects of being in nature. I have been snowboarding for over thirty years. Recently I moved close to the water in Miami. I enjoy the arts very much and still paint graffiti-style murals from time to time (legally now though). Art is in my blood and I have to keep up my creative talents in more than one way. I have always been fascinated with spirituality and looking for how to expand and build upon my spiritual life. This way of life adds much to my career of course. In the past few years, I have been working with Sasha Cobra the teacher, healer, and energy worker. During the first retreat of hers that I attended, she named me “Dr. Love” because of the dedication and presence I had while working with other participants. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? My business name is Heal Profoundly. My philosophy is that we already have within ourselves all the resources that are needed in regard to health, relationship, career, and purpose in life. But we accumulate things that block and detour the fulfillment of these things. I don’t do the healing, but I invite my clients to do the work themselves with my guidance, observation, and help while educating them about how they got there in the first place. Then we can see what is needed to move forward with the healing that has occurred, without getting off track again. No matter how complex someone’s problems are, I see them in very elementary ways. The main elements of well-being I use for the framework of helping people are: Mental/emotional Physiology/biochemistry The physical structure of the body Electromagnetic landscape From my perspective, these are the main things that can have dysfunction and cause any problem in life. And there is a holistic synergy between them, so they can affect each other. Furthermore, I see all of these elements as being kept in synergy and controlled by the spiritual Will. When the Will is not there we don’t have the energy to change the problems with any of the elements of well-being. I use many tools to help people rebalance these elements of their well-being and to also help with their will to move forward in more effective ways. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. I see the most pivotal points in my life as spiritual interventions. The most dramatic one was when I was in my mid-twenties in NYC and many things that I held dear to me fell apart over a few months. I took it as a sign from the universe to move on to a new life path and to grow out of my comfort zone. That was when I gave up the life of being around gangs and graffiti to become a doctor. The Decision initialed a series of synchronicities in my life that led me to meet mentors in all areas of well-being, to find healing for myself personally, and to eventually become a teacher and author. Every once in a while a new opportunity arrives in life that causes me to take a new direction. I have learned to embrace the suggestions to grow and flow in life and as a result, I can help many others who are stuck or struggling because I have too been where they are. What is your work inspired by? My work is inspired by my journey and the personal healing I went through, and still, go through. From elementary things like healthy eating, all the way to removing malevolent spirits from people, when something seems to miraculously work for me, I master it and use it to help others. This journey has continued into my professional years of a quarter century and will not end. To me, it is a lifestyle. I keep connecting with new mentors as I go as this helps me to never become complacent and lazy. I continuously strive for my own self-improvement and that inspires me to keep searching, learning, and helping others with enthusiasm. Above all, I care about people and do my best to help them with their challenges. I hold very high standards for myself and am only satisfied with seemingly miraculous results. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. I regularly witness great achievements with my clients or else I would not be doing what I am doing. I have to see wonderful things happening to know I am on my right path. But one significant landmark that I had was speaking at the Secret Service Headquarters in Washington, DC. I was invited to a few health fairs at the headquarters over the years. Then I was approached about doing a lecture for them during Mental Health Awareness Month in 2019. I proposed a talk on the topic of, “Sidestepping the effects of Mental and Emotional stress on your body” because I imagined the agents go through plenty of mental and emotional stress. I have been working with patients on these issues for over twenty years at that point and felt I had a lot to offer in lifestyle adaptation as well as removing the accumulation of mental/emotional stresses. The lecture went well. It was attended by the heads of the medical and psychology departments as well as others. There was also a live video feed to over two hundred agents in the field worldwide. A recording of the talk can be watched on my YouTube channel. To me working with the US Secret Service was more rewarding than working with pro or Olympic athletes. I honor their choice of career and dedication to their overall health and well-being. The ones that I have interacted with personally are very professional, mentally sharp, and at the peak of their health. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? Something that I always look forward to is continuously being able to help people in better and better ways. I don’t feel that we can ever know enough or be skilled enough I will always be working on improving who I am, and the services that I offer, and being an eternal student. I do see myself doing more group events, retreats, writing, and online services for people. I learned a lot from writing my first book, Heal Profoundly, and I am looking forward to writing more. I love working one on one with people but there is plenty of value in working with groups too. If you would like to learn more, feel free to opt into my email list to get a free video on my top five keys to well-being. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Robert!

Written by: Britta Lorenz, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In today's competitive business environment, high-performers understand that everything they need for success is already inside them. Self-leadership, mindset, and mental strength ‒ vital factors in achieving success. Self-Awareness and a growth mindset combined with mental strength are essential leadership skills. Let's dive into these three concepts and how to cultivate them. Self-awareness: The foundation for leadership Self-awareness is one of the cornerstones of strong leadership. Taking the time to cultivate true self-awareness is transformative. It helps you identify what drives your actions and decisions, amplifies your strengths as a leader, uncovers areas for growth within yourself, and encourages an understanding of how any bias or emotion can affect those around you - both positively and negatively. It enables them to understand the impact of their behavior on their team and the organization, and they can identify areas where they need to improve and take steps to develop themselves. Making sure that leaders have a deep knowledge of who they are on all levels – from their emotions to values – allows them to make well-informed choices and decisions. Leaders who practice self-awareness create environments that foster empathy, understanding, and strong relationships within their teams. To elevate your leadership style, become aware of the subtle messages you send through body language or facial expressions. Practicing meditation or journaling can help with increasing your self-awareness. Growth mindset: The roadmap for success The right mindset is key to achieving high performance and reaching your goals. It refers to how we think about ourselves, our abilities, and our potential. A growth mindset, which is the belief that we can learn and improve, is essential for leadership success. It allows us to embrace challenges and push through obstacles rather than giving up. On the other hand, a fixed mindset, which is the belief that our abilities are fixed, can limit our potential and prevent us from achieving our goals. With a growth mindset, success is not only attainable - it's inevitable. Moreover, it is a powerful tool. By embracing challenges as learning opportunities and staying focused on the goals even when the going gets tough, you can unlock potential for growth that was once thought impossible! Recognizing failure as part of the journey instead of something to be ashamed or fearful of and being open to feedback from others, there are no limits to what can be achieved with hard work and dedication. Developing this type of attitude will ensure all endeavors become rewarding experiences rather than obstacles in themselves; regularly reflect upon where you want to go versus how far along you are and watch progress blossom before your eyes! Mental strength: The fuel that powers success Mental strength is often overlooked but is just as important as self-awareness and a growth mindset when it comes to achieving success. Being mentally strong is an invaluable quality for those striving for success. It's about staying calm and focused, viewing challenges with curiosity instead of fear, being confident yet humble under pressure, being persistent in the face of adversity, and not letting emotions overtake your reasoning when it comes to achieving goals. Mentally strong individuals have a resilience that enables them to remain positive and determined in difficult times - key characteristics of successful leaders across all industries! Cultivating mental strength will put you one step ahead toward realizing your ambitions. Work on long-term strategies that help build resilience, such as meditation or mindfulness practices. Surround yourself with inspiring people who will challenge and motivate you. Also, practice gratitude by writing down three things each day that make you feel thankful - this will help shift your focus from negative thoughts to more positive ones. Lastly, exercise regularly as physical activity has been proven time after time again as one of the best ways to reduce stress levels while increasing overall well-being mentally & physically. In conclusion, high-performers understand that the key to their leadership success is inside of them. Are you prepared to unlock the leader inside you and embark on a journey to greater and more tremendous success? Pursuing self-awareness, a growth mindset, and mental strength are essential skills for any successful person in their journey toward leadership. With the right tools, these dynamics will improve decision-making and team productivity, allowing you to reach unimaginable heights! Invest now into unlocking YOUR unique leadership potential by embracing this empowering journey toward lasting greatness and high performance! Create your stronger who, stronger me and stronger we. Ready to elevate your personal and professional growth to become the leader others look up to and trust? Take ownership of the leader within! Unleash the power of higher consciousness through expert one-on-one coaching with me or comprehensive consultation services. Let's embark on this journey together today! Visit my Website, or join me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for guidance. Read more from Britta! Britta Lorenz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Britta Lorenz is a leadership coach, mentor, and consultant. With her human-centric approach, she focuses on the 3 P's - People, Purpose, and Performance. Moreover, Britta is the creator of the C²LEA²R framework for leadership. She founded her company, Britta Lorenz – Be Human, to empower people on their journey to excellence. Britta supports all humans from initially identifying their purpose, values, and vision to synthesizing an action plan to influence change at all levels: individually, teams, and organizations. Her mission is to guide people to reach their leadership potential by embracing human-centric approaches.

Written by: Marques Ogden, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It's that time of year when business owners look back on the past year and think about how to grow their business even more in the coming year. Students and people who don't own a business can also think about the past year (or semester) and make plans for the next quarter or semester. Everyone has goals and dreams, but not everyone works hard enough to reach them. If you do these 5 things, they will help you reach your goals. 1. Having clear goals helps you get exactly what you want If you write down your goals, you won't wake up every morning not knowing what to do. Instead, you can make a daily to-do list with tasks that will help you reach your goal. Don't "fly by the seat of your pants" any more. Instead, stick to your action plan or checklist and focus on important tasks instead of busy work. 2. Keep your focus on your objectives and think about them every day When you see a vision board in your office, it reminds you of your WHY—why you are working so hard. What do you hope to get done? Even if you just write down a few simple goals, put them right next to your desk so you can see them every day. Keeping a list hidden in your desk or in a file somewhere on your desktop doesn't work as well; you'll forget about the list and get off track. 3. Get ready for a few bumps along the way No one has an easy life, especially not in business. Most of the time, these problems come up just when you think you have everything under control. Find a way to fix the problem and get back on track with your goals as soon as possible instead of letting these things ruin your day. Write down the solution to the problem once you've fixed it, in case you run into a similar problem again in the future. It's much less stressful to have a list of possible solutions than to not know what to do. 4. Find a person you can count on Declaring your goals to a partner brings them to life and compels you to do the effort or face the embarrassment of having to tell your partner you didn't reach your goals. A good accountability partner will ask follow-up questions and won't be afraid to hold them accountable at anytime. One way to make this partnership more enjoyable is to come up with a consequence for individuals who don't meet their weekly goals. Whether it's paying for lunch or giving money to a good cause, that raises the bar a bit. 5. Know and understand what your goals are really for This step usually requires delving a little deeper into your life and WHY. Why do you want to make a six-figure salary? To pay for your high schooler's college education so that they can graduate debt-free? So you can relocate your family to your ideal house? So you can make donations to local charities? There are no correct or incorrect answers. Your response will emphasize the significance of these objectives to YOU. So, now ask yourself these difficult questions: What are your current whereabouts? Where would you like to be? What action steps will you need to take to get there? Who will accompany you on your journey? Visit my website for more info! Read more from Marques! Marques Ogden, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marques Ogden is a leader in leadership, marketing and sales, diversity and inclusion, mindset enhancement and overcoming adversity. After losing everything he owned in a bad business deal in 2013, he filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy, lost his home, his car, and all of his money and ended up taking a job as a janitor for $8.25 an hour working in the graveyard shift. After his "spoiled milk" moment, Marques decided to take accountability and responsibility for his life and he decided to turn his pain into his purpose to become an inspirational keynote speaker. Since April 2016, he has spoken for over 35 fortune 500 companies and he is a coach, a consultant, a best-selling author, a podcast co-host and more.

Written by: Craig Stanland, 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. Don't wait for the bottom to fall out before changing your life. Instead, start today to create an extraordinary tomorrow. These 12 lessons will guide you on your own personal reinvention. My life changed forever on October 1st, 2013. I had just walked into my new job when I received this voicemail, "Mr. Stanland, this is Special Agent McTiernan with the FBI. We are at your residence and have a warrant for your arrest. You will need to call us and come home immediately, or we will issue an APB with the federal marshals for your arrest." It was, without a doubt, one of the most terrifying days of my life so far. For just under a year, I committed fraud against one of the largest tech companies in the world. In that one moment, my life was no longer my own. It belonged to the agents, the faceless people working behind the scenes, and the judge I had yet to meet. I pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and was sentenced to two years of federal prison. I watched helplessly as the life I knew grew smaller and fainter as I descended into the abyss of uncertainty. I watched as the dark cloud of shame enveloped my life and cast everything in its shadow. I watched the bottom fall out every single time I thought I had hit bottom. I watched as I walked down the darkest of paths, planning how I would take my life. And I watched what happened when I chose to step out of the burnt ashes of what was and into a new life. Stepping out of the ashes was another terrifying moment; I was leaving the known, even if it was terrible, for the unknown. But there was something incredible waiting for me when I did. There's a gift when you hit rock bottom and come out the other side. It's the wisdom and perspective that can only come from staring into the eyes of the worst version of yourself and despising what you see. And instead of trying to kill it, you acknowledge its existence, accept its existence, and learn to love its existence. But you don't allow its existence to define you. It's through this often painful process that I completely reinvented my life. I've spent the past decade transforming prison into purpose, and I've found my life's mission, and now I help others do the same. I don't make as much as I did in the corporate world. But I have what I was chasing for all those years, and I was too blind to see I'd never catch. Purpose Meaning Fulfillment Inner Freedom Emotional Peace There have been many lessons learned over the years, and I'll revisit this subject often; for now, these are the top 12 lessons I've learned from reinventing my life after prison. Acceptance is Freedom: I spent my days in prison, wishing I wasn't in prison. I spent my days wishing I didn't make the choices I made that landed me in prison. I wished and dreamed for life to be anything other than it was. I was fighting against a past and circumstance that couldn't be changed. I would never have the freedom to start over and reinvent if I continued to fight for what can't be changed. I had to do what I was so afraid to do. I had to accept reality. I didn't want to. It felt like giving up; it felt passive. Fighting equals progress. But does it? What was I fighting against? As much as I wish there were, there is no such thing as a time machine Delorean. Accepting reality isn't giving up; it isn't passive. It was an act of courage for me to say, "I accept that I betrayed myself and chose to commit a crime. I hit the "enter" button, the single keystroke that started it all. I accept I made the choice to continue in the face of the universe screaming at me to stop. I accept that I am in prison. I accept that I hurt the woman I love, my family, my friends..." A weight lifted off of me when I wrote that. I wasn't trapped in the past. Instead, I felt something I thought was impossible in prison, freedom. It's the freedom that comes when you're no longer locked in the past. And when you're no longer locked in the past, your future is so longer stained by the colors of the past. Self-Trust is a Must: My fraud required thousands of choices to keep it going. Each one of those choices was made in the face of my heart, saying, "Stop, don't do this. This isn't the way." I ignored my heart, violated my voice, and I paid the price. My inner voice disappeared, and I didn't trust myself to make the easiest decisions. What to eat, and what exercises I would do in the gym. I was paralyzed by the torture of self-mistrust. I had to learn to trust myself again, which was one of the most challenging tasks ever. And it all started by making and keeping commitments to myself. The more commitments I made and kept, the more I became the person who did what they said they would do. I reconnected with my inner voice. I Didn't Know Where to Begin, But That Wasn't a Reason Not to Start: I was drawn to give meaning to my circumstance and the suffering I caused. I knew I wanted to share my story, both written and spoken, and I knew I wanted to help others. But I had no idea how the hell to start. Writing a book seemed like an insurmountable goal. Conquering my fear of public speaking did too. I could have easily remained frozen in fear, not knowing where to begin, but I knew I couldn't do that. I lowered the barrier of entry by breaking the massive into the micro. Writing a book begins with one word. Conquering public speaking started with a Google search. I journaled, wrote idea lists, and chipped away piece by piece. I Can't Control the Outcome, Only the Effort I Put In My entire life before prison was predicated on outcomes. Closing a deal, buying the next shiny object, landing a new client. And I'd feel great for a moment when the outcome was achieved. But, quick highs fade quickly. Then it was back to chasing another outcome. By breaking the massive into the micro, I learned to focus on what was in front of me, nothing more. I learned to go all in on that small step, and I learned the journey is the reward, the accomplishment of the goal? The icing on the cake. I Had to Shed My Skin: I was so attached to my former life, which was nothing but a memory. I used to be a Senior Executive Account Manager. I used to be a VIP at some of the best restaurants in town. I used to have a "watch guy" that was also Tom Brady's "watch guy." I used to be many things, but I'm not anymore. I had to practice acceptance and shed my skin. The new would never be able to come in as long as the old stood in its way. I spent a lot of time in limbo, without knowing who I was, but that's the only way I could connect back to who I truly am. Execute My Fears: Fear was a primary driver behind my choice to commit a crime. It was easier to commit fraud and violate my inner voice than to be honest, with myself and my wife at the time. I understood fear landed me in prison and that I could leverage fear to reinvent my life after prison. I made a list of all my fears, and inside my prison cube, I committed to executing them one by one. My 1 fear? Public speaking. It took five years, but I landed on the TEDx stage. This was when I executed that fear. Behind this process were acceptance, self-trust, and breaking the massive into the micro. Extreme Responsibility: I understood if I was going to reinvent my life from scratch, I needed to seize responsibility for my life. That meant accepting responsibility for the choices that landed me in prison. Yes, the prosecutor made false statements at sentencing. Yes, the FBI made mistakes and ignored evidence. Yes, there was unfair media coverage. None of that would have ever happened had I not knocked the 1st domino down. I made the choice to commit the fraud—no one else. The buck stops with me. Everything that happened after falls directly on me and my choices. I seized control over my life when I understood this and stopped pointing the finger at anyone other than myself. I gave myself the gift of freedom inside prison. Gratitude is a Superpower: I was sitting in the prison library with nothing to my name. I lost everything. My marriage, my career, my money, my homes, and my cars. I lost my identity and self-worth. And yet, one crisp early morning, the sunrise was spectacular. I put pen to paper and wrote, "I'm grateful for this morning's sunrise." I found something to be grateful for in my most challenging time. I cannot express how important that truly is. Self-Forgiveness is a Priority: It's not a luxury; it's a necessity. I was carrying so much shame for my actions and the damage I caused. My hate for my choices, through the lens of shame, was actually hate for myself. I couldn't separate my choices from myself; that's what shame does. My choices were made in the past; the person who made those choices doesn't exist anymore, yet I was keeping him alive by not forgiving myself. How could I ever move forward if I remained in the past? Forgiveness is one of the most extraordinary acts of compassion and love we can extend to ourselves. To create and live an extraordinary life, we must forgive ourselves. Forgiveness cultivates self-worth. Vulnerability is The Gateway to Freedom Before prison, I believed being vulnerable was the ultimate expression of weakness. I'm a man, and men bottle everything up. My best friend Sean and I had a joke when too much vulnerability started to enter the conversation: "Let's shove that down as deep inside as we can and just add it to the big black ball of cancer in our chest." Not funny, but it's what we did. I was consumed by shame to the point of planning how I'd take my life. I knew that if I didn't learn to own my story, it would own me for the rest of my life. A life consumed by shame is a life destined for regret. It's merely existing; it's not living. I had to do the thing I had always been afraid to do. I had to express all the feelings I buried inside sincerely, honestly, and transparently. All the fears I had around doing this? Unfounded. What I found instead was freedom. Have a Mission I thought I had a mission before prison. Make as much money as possible and spend it all on fancy things. That wasn't a mission. It was what I thought I should be doing, not what I wanted to do. Only when I started writing my 1st book and pursuing public speaking did I understand what a mission truly is. A mission is something I'm willing to sacrifice all the short-term shots of happiness (drinking, social media, Netflix) in pursuit of long-term purpose, meaning, and fulfillment ‒ with an unknown outcome. A mission is something more significant than myself and serves a greater good outside myself. My desire behind the book and the TEDx? To help one person. That's my mission to this day. Stop Chasing/Start Creating Pre-prison, I chased happiness, purpose, meaning, and fulfillment at the bottom of a bottle and the swipe of my American Express Platinum card. I was on The Golden Treadmill, racing furiously to a finish line I'd never reach. Purpose, meaning, and fulfillment aren't chased; they're created. And when I take the time to focus on what really matters to me and align my actions with that, I create them. And happiness naturally ensues as a result. The funny thing about these lessons is this: They're what I learned from going to prison, losing everything, and reinventing from scratch, but they're universal. They apply to any one of us at any time. We don't need to go to prison to implement these lessons to create the life we want to live. Nor do I suggest you wait for the bottom to fall out before implementing them in your own lives. Start now to create an extraordinary future. If you're ready to invest in 1:1 support so you can connect with your Life’s Calling and create your extraordinary second half, let's talk. Join me for your Free Reinvention Clarity Call. My best-selling book, "Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison," is available on Amazon. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Craig! Craig Stanland, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Craig Stanland is a Reinvention Architect & Mindset Coach, TEDx & Keynote Speaker, and Best-Selling Author. In 2012, Craig Stanland made a choice that would cost him everything. After exploiting the warranty policy of one of the largest tech companies in the world for almost a year, the FBI finally knocked on his door. He was arrested and sentenced to 2 years of Federal Prison, followed by 3 years of Supervised Release, and ordered to pay $834,307 in restitution. He lost his wife, his home, his cars, his career, and even his identity. He wanted nothing more than to die. A well-timed prison visit from his best friend of over thirty years turned his life around. Craig rebuilt and reinvented his life from rock bottom to a life of meaning and fulfillment. As a Reinvention Architect, Craig leverages his experiences and personal reinvention to work 1:1 with clients so they can re-architect their lives with freedom, passion, purpose, fulfillment, and meaning.Craig's mission is to help people cultivate the courage to pursue their calling so they can live meaningful lives. His book, "Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison" is available on Amazon.

Written by: Lauren Hirsch Williams, 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. Why the Buddy System worked when you were 5 years old and works again as an adult for the benefit of your business. The buddy system is a procedure in which two individuals, the "buddies," operate together as a single unit so that they can monitor and help each other. Sometimes it's hard to recall things our teachers had us do in elementary school. It was their duty and job to help mold and prepare us for the world. Teaching us knowledge, safety, camaraderie, fair play, and teamwork. As well as working with others in a productive manner at the earliest of ages to embed into our psyche the ability to function in school, society, work, and family constructively. Those days may have become distant memories, but it would behoove us to think back from time to time and realize how the lessons apply now in our adult work life. Sometimes, they're even more applicable now than they were then. These early lessons are also the cornerstone of ultimate success in all areas of our life. Yes, the good old buddy system. Did you discard the importance of those critical lessons? Many of us have forgotten the basics of working in the buddy system because so much has changed. Some things seem almost trivial in today's fast-paced world. Connecting simplistic principles in our complex world was not something anyone could fathom back in elementary school (pre-internet days, of course). As I sit back and think of what's working for me now in business and life, I go back to Miss Patterson (one of my favorite teachers) and how she was the catalyst in developing my brain all those years ago. The basics she taught us emanating from the efficient buddy system still resonates in more ways than you could imagine. I can still hear the tone of her voice and remember the gestures she used. But I do wish I had paid more attention to the pure and innocent buddy system that was essential as children. Why? Because, like you, I've experienced many hard-knock lessons of success and failure and, after decades in the workplace, realize one of the best tools for achieving goals is that very point made when I was just five years old ‒ the fundamental simplicity and brilliance of the buddy system. I'm not talking about making friends and going out for fajitas and margaritas at the end of a long day at the office! (Although I did have a lot of those crazy occasions!) The Buddy System transcends cultures and works in all countries. It may have been called by another name or phrase – but the basic principles are vital and valuable no matter the environment. Perhaps our parents, teachers, and school administrators considered it a method for ensuring safety when out on school trips, but the buddy system transcends that as we travel through life. Each child was assigned (or selected) another child to hold hands with. There would be a long line of kids holding hands while waiting to board a bus, cross a street, or enter a museum. Visually, this made it workable for the teachers and chaperones to monitor potential chaos. They had just to make sure there were no single children for any reason. It was easy to spot rows of "pairs," and there was an inherent monitoring system since each child only had to keep an eye (and hand) on just one classmate. Brilliant if you dig deep. As kids, we were told that our 'buddy' was someone to hold onto and look out for. To make sure they didn't get lost or absent-mindedly drift away from the group. Handholding was key because these young, innocent pupils could misinterpret communication skills, simple words, or following instructions. As a professional adult, it's a pleasant journey to return to those memories, lessons, and fundamental significances and pull them forward and replicate them in seeking your business and life goals. It sounds simple… and, perhaps, inconsequential. Oh, but it's not. Au contraire! Our society has focused a lot on independence, maturity, and getting the job done. And getting it done well. We're taught to be competitive to get ahead. To prove our worth. To make sure we stand out – in the office, society, social media, and your duties as a family member. To be in control and capable and a whiz at whatever we do. The pressure to perform perfectly nowadays is suffocating. But it's a reality we must contend with. Yet it's difficult and contrary to good common sense and logic in many ways. You do exactly that when you stand alone in a room and pitch your ideas, concepts, or thoughts. Stand-alone – quite vulnerable and exposed. But think about it. What does that imply, and how Herculean is any one person meant to be? How much can one person do on their own? How many balls can one person juggle at a time… daily? How many balls are piled upon them with the stress and pressure to perform? How many clues and signals can one person see while trying to juggle? How is one person tasked with winning a room if they don't have some help? (if you want to learn more about Winning A Room, you’ll find it in my recent book ONE SENSE AHEAD) We can all juggle. If you're an entrepreneur, an accomplished employee, or a senior executive, you've already proven that. It's the right of passage and a required skill to advance in many forms of business. But at what point does a ball fall to the floor? Perhaps an important one. If you're truthful, you'll admit that it happens all the time. We miss deadlines. We don't achieve our sales agenda. We delay and procrastinate (all with good reason, of course… because, come on, Netflix came out with yet another fantastic docuseries that we simply MUST binge!). We make mistakes and do our best to hide missteps, but that backfires, and we end up dropping another ball. Juggling was always part of the clown act at the circus. And that's where it belongs… not the office, a meeting, or the boardroom. The buddy system of our childhood should be reconsidered as a fundamental or staple of any business venture. Even if you're an artist wanting to focus on your creative products, you still need someone to help sell your work for you or give you another perspective on the journey to perfection. Think about how much more you achieve in a meeting when you have someone on the same side of the table as you (whether in person or not). Do they catch things you missed? Can they help guide you back on course when you get sidetracked by that curveball someone threw at you mid-presentation? Don't they cheer you on when you need it most and speak up with that point you forgot to make when you were nervous? The buddy system is not only a nursery or elementary school system of safety. It's a highly critical method for achievement and one we almost all overlook when building our business or plan our ascent to the top of a corporation. There's a saying, "we all need friends." That's not what the buddy system is about. It's not about finding social friendships and camaraderie (although that's also important in life/work balance) or someone who will slip in a favor or get you in a door. The Buddy System goes so far beyond that, and if you're wise and genuinely focused on achieving greatness, you will add it to the existing list you already created. You know, the list that includes: Secure funding/investment Manufacture a quality product Devise solid strategies to support your vision or mission Solidify partnerships or affiliates Gain education in technology or marketing or sales (or whatever area is needed) Develop powerful interpersonal skills Become a strong leader, presenter, and visionary Fill in the blanks here for your specific industry. But where is the Buddy System on that list? You may call it by another name 20, 30, or 40 years later – such as an affiliate, a joint venture, or a partnership, but it remains the Buddy System. We aren't taught nearly enough about keeping that system in place as we graduate nursery school and face the world to grow and mature in life and business. We need to have the Tim Cook to Steve Jobs, the Paul Allen to Bill Gates, the Michelle Obama to Barack Obama. These are undisputed geniuses… but they didn't do it alone. They had that Buddy System firmly in place (whether they knew it or not), and I'm sure that's a big part of why they had ongoing success. It's time to go back (in your mind) to nursery school and Miss Patterson's wise words, "Don't EVER let go of your buddy's hand." Wise words even now, eh? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Lauren! Lauren Hirsch Williams, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lauren Hirsch Williams is a Business Relevance Strategist, Pitch Stylist, International Bestselling Author, and Award-Winning Screenwriter. With decades of experience, which includes Worldwide Director of Advertising at PepsiCo, Founder of MovieHatch, and Creator of the new MyTurn TV Network for empowering women, she’s been on all sides of the “table”. She teaches others to find their inner strength by using their senses in an uncommon way. Her recent bestseller, ONE SENSE AHEAD, explains the protocol to start that process.

Written by: Maria Papacosta, 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. Labelling, to put it simply, is describing someone in a word or short phrase. For example, the label “consultant" is usually used to describe someone who provides professional or expert advice in a particular field of science or business to organizations or individuals. By labelling someone as a consultant, most of us immediately think of a person who is strictly professional, possibly of higher social status, well-educated, meticulous and not particularly funny. Similarly, by labelling someone as an “artist” we usually think of a person who is creative, inspiring, interesting, free-spirited, but weak in analytical thinking or understanding how organizations work. We’ve grown accustomed to putting labels on people in order to describe their work or even who they are as individuals. Labelling has become a tool to ease communication and in many cases our interaction with each other. However, labelling is a description for just one aspect of our lives rather than something intrinsic and multi-dimensional. Human beings are complex beings, gifted with multiple identities, talents, passions and perceptions regarding the world and themselves. One of the most common concerns I face from my clients when designing their personal brands is exactly that. How to label themselves. “Should I call myself a consultant or a trusted advisor?” “Should I mention that I’m an artist or will that ruin my reputation as a thought leader?” “I play in a rock band, but work as an executive coach, should I hide the rock band from my bio?” “I’m passionate in Shamanic Constellations, but when I mention this to my clients they seem to stop taking me seriously as an expert in my area of work.” As you can imagine the list of concerns is endless and it all has to do with how we want to be perceived by others, in a constant struggle to bury our vibrant multifaceted personality and distress our wellbeing. We live in a world where diversity has finally become a priority. We’re beginning to consolidate that labels are misguiding, let alone offensive. We’ve also started to seek new ways of doing things by bringing to the table different ideas, backgrounds and experiences. Don’t you think it’s about time to reveal to the world your true colors and allow others to benefit from your multiple talents and experiences? When designing your personal brand, the foundation is to understand that it has nothing to do with designing how others are supposed to perceive you. The priority is in designing your ideal self and then presenting your authentic self to the world. Designing our ideal self and embracing our aspirations is critical for our motivation and ongoing development. It’s what boosts intentional change. In the process of designing a better version of ourselves we can’t exclude how we want to be perceived by others – it’s part of our identity. The key here is to not fall into the trap of designing our better self or even reinventing ourselves by solely thinking what others expect from us. Successful transformation only derives when you as an individual know what you expect of yourself. When you know your purpose and are committed to your values, you’ll start embracing and in some cases rejecting the various aspects that constitute who you are. Struggling to identify yourself as others would like to perceive you won’t get you very far. Instead, allow the world to see the amazing diversity you possess and realize that your varied talents, skills and experiences are what make you unique and invaluable to your clients, community and overall society. You’ll still need to label yourself to identify your main profession or expertise, for business purposes, but there is no need to hide your passions. You can be a consultant and an artist. You can be a teacher and a dancer. You can be a lawyer and a philosopher. You can be anything you want. Remember that labelling yourself helps communication in the business world, but it’s not who you are. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maria! Maria Papacosta, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maria Papacosta is a leading expert on Presence and Inspired Leadership and an acclaimed personal branding strategist. Her practical, high-energy talks and workshops provide tangible results that help people design a better version of themselves and excel in their work and life. Maria is the co-founder of MSC Marketing Bureau. Her branding strategies have helped some of the leading thinkers of our time to spread their messages and make an impact. Maria's mission is to help people create a better version of themselves.

Written by: Alex Bravo, 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 is my third article of the Mindfulness at the workplace saga. As it was explained on the first article, I’ll be elaborating on the benefits that disciplined meditators ‒ that have participated on “The 8 Week Mindfulness program”, which I facilitate ‒ have reported working on 7 competencies that Gallup has defined to be key for a successful leader. We’ll explore the behaviors, traits and results that leaders that operate on an “auto-pilot” mode have versus the ones that "mindful leaders” have. Throughout the Mindfulness at the Workplace saga, I will consistently recall that meditation is the path to mindfulness. Even when there are very pragmatical mindfulness tools that leaders can use on a daily basis, it is the formal meditation practice that will allow leaders to almost automatically make a pause whenever they are experimenting a stressor or a difficultsituation, take a breath, start recognizing the sensations, emotions, stories and ideas that are arriving to their minds so they can welcome them, accept them, investigate how those sensations, emotions, stories or ideas feel in the body and understand what is really happening in the present moment and finally, identify all the options that they have to proceed, shutting down the auto-pilot mode and its limited vision. It is also important to remember what Mindfulness is: The practice of maintaining a nonjudgemental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, ideas, stories and sensations on a moment-to-moment basis. The competence to be explored on this article is to develop talent. As departure point it is worthy to revise what does develop talent means. Talent development refers to the organizational process of positioning employees for career advancement in a way that aligns with the company’s goals building upon employee’s existing skills while identifying relevant new skills and opportunities. Talent development program activities can range from mentoring and coaching to formal training, leadership development, succession planning, on-the-job learning and more. Talent development should be understood as a win-win situation. It offers advantages to employees while providing value to the organization. Today’s employees are spending more time at work at the same time as they are craving more balance in their lives. Talent development initiatives offer employees an opportunity to learn and expand in their areas of interest. This, in turn, makes them happier and more productive ‒ and more likely to continue in an organization. The “auto-pilot mode” of some leaders can ruin all the efforts of the organization developing talent. These are some of the behaviors that leaders working on an “auto-pilot mode” might experiment developing talent. They might ignore how relevant is to have talent development conversations with their teams. They might expect that someone else or the organizational context defines who should move from one position to another and what training opportunities should be available to someone. They might be targeting always the same group of employees whenever they are managing talent development, ignoring a relevant part of the team or leaving them with very limited opportunities. They do not dedicate significant time to assess the existing skills that their teams have, therefore, they might not be in a good position to identify what are the new skills that should be acquired individually and collectively. They do not match the new skills that should be developed with the organizational goals, having as a result to develop skills that are not relevant to the organization and might not be relevant also to the career advancement of their teams. They can have a very limited approach when they try to develop talent. The effort might be limited to a coaching session, to a random training, to on-the-job training or to a mentoring session. They can focus their effort on delivering talent development based on what they believe is good for the organization and for the team members, without having a conversation in order to understand whether that development is aspirational and relevant to the team members individually. A frequent pitfall is a tendency to over-focus on theoretical approaches at the expense of the practical needs of the business. This might generate that associates being promoted might not be working at expected levels of competence. They might undervalue experience and history. Many companies are likely to hire leadership positions from outside the organization, rather than promoting from within. This may cause talent managers to underrate the value of the experience, context and organizational knowledge that existing employees can bring into a new position. They ignore the upskilling ‒ employees that have already basic skills that you can focus on developing ‒ and reskilling ‒ if there are jobs at risk of becoming obsolete while other roles are emerging ‒ concepts. They are not interested on getting buy-in from company's top executives in order to provide the best talent development strategy. On the other hand, these are the behaviors that leaders that have attended to The 8 Week Mindfulness Program have expressed to practice developing talent: They have thoughtful and meaningful talent development conversations with their team members taking accountability of leading and owning such a relevant process ensuring they match current and future skills with the organizational goals and getting the buy-in of senior management to make it happen. They interview employees to discover hidden talents and interests. They understand that talent development interviews provide an opportunity for employees to reveal existing capabilities, as well as the ones they are interested in developing. They understand the meaning of meritocracy and have transparent communication with the team letting them know that performance, ethics and attitudes matter whenever talent development is managed. They provide different learning options and methods. They understand that talent development isn’t just about formal training. It can also include other methods like on-the-job learning, mentorship programs, coaching, e-learning, self-learning, and more. They involve managers in the process and create directories of learning resources that are readily available to the team members. They embrace continuous learning. They encourage active learning and focus on developing adaptability. They motivate employees to find time to learn every day. Make continuous learning a cultural core value and find ways to instill this mindset into the team. They include leadership development. It’s clear to them how relevant is to start identifying the future leaders of the company and prepare a leadership development plan for them developing a leadership talent pipeline. They put employees in an environment that plays to their strengths. Effective development of leadership talent within a company depends on the careful placement of emerging leaders into positions that suit their functional expertise and leadership strengths. They recognize that not every high-potential employee is suited to every task is necessary in order to place individuals in situations that promote gradual and sustainable improvement, allowing them to develop and expand their areas of specialization without being spread to thin across the spectrum of management competencies. They let their direct reports own their processes. They encourage the development of confidence, judgement and initiate in their employees. They balance new perspectives with experienced employees according to business needs. If the business is making consistent headway against well-understood challenges, a balance in favor of internal promotions might provide a new crop of leaders with a solid concept of the goals of the organization. This is just a sample of a list of behaviors that disciplined meditators practice within the corporate arena when they develop talent. There might be more behaviors that could be included. Meditation benefits arrive to its practitioners in different ways but if there is something in common is the ability they have to shut down the “auto-pilot mode” to find that there’s always a set of options to consider before making a decision. Understanding this fact is a game changer. Stay tuned. We’ll elaborate on leading change in the next article. Follow me on LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Alex! Alex Bravo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alex Bravo combines 22 years' experience as Sr Director leading CX, Innovation, Transformation and large Operations teams mainly within the Financial Services Industry with 15 years' experience as Sr Executive Coach and Mindfulness Teacher. Given his struggle with anxiety and depression at some point of his career, his purpose is to instill the importance of assessing mental health in the corporate arena and recall to his colleagues that the way they deal with their inner world defines the way they show to themselves, how they interact with others, how they lead and how they love. He is a Harvard Business School Grad and holds a BSc in industrial and Systems Engineering and a MSc in Quality and Productivity.

Written by: Dan Davis, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you struggle to set boundaries? Do you notice people walking all over you? Does it ever feel like people expect too much from you? In this article, you will learn what a boundary is, how to set boundaries, and how to maintain them. Personal boundaries have been defined by Therapist Aid as the limits and rules that we expect within a relationship, healthy boundary setting means that you can say no to others if you feel uncomfortable. Imagine that you have a castle defending your values, standards and expectations of the world but people around you are launching their own agendas over the wall without asking for your permission or even considering you. This is very common for people to do and it can take conscious effort to restore your walls and erect new ones as your interests, values and standards change. As you start to become more aware of your boundaries then you will start noticing the discomfort you feel when someone steps over one of them, it will feel uncomfortable and wrong. You might have been raised by your parents/caregivers to not “step on anyone’s toes” which might have caused your people pleasing tendencies to develop. It can feel uncomfortable to set boundaries and stand up for what you believe in, but if you continue to let people walk over you then you will continue to feel unworthy, unhappy, and unable to make decisions that benefit you. A good starting point is identifying what a boundary is and what different types of boundaries are out there, as you read through this worksheet you might start to notice different moments in your life where someone has walked over your boundaries, you might even be able to identify an emotion that this experience elicited for you. Without shaming yourself, identify how you handled this situation (write it down on a piece of paper), underneath your reaction, write down how you would have liked to handle this situation (channeling your authentic self). Another important aspect of boundary setting is identifying your values, this can help you recognise where you stand in relation to the situation that is presenting itself. You need to remind yourself that setting boundaries is healthy in any relationship and if someone can not respect your boundaries, then that is a breach of your boundaries; you might need to reconsider who you spend your time with. When it comes to setting boundaries, it is important to practice how you are going to communicate your boundaries to people. I would suggest using the setting boundaries resource to practice setting boundaries with someone that you feel comfortable around; reminding yourself that boundary setting is a crucial step towards your happiness. Can you think of someone that you have met that is great at setting boundaries, what do they do? How do people react to their boundary setting? Is there something about their approach that you can model or learn from? It is now time for you to practice boundary setting, start by setting small, manageable boundaries that you can apply to everyone that you interact with, maybe you say yes to everything due to fear of rejection or judgement, try to say no when you don’t want to do something, journal about it, and reflect on what comes up for you. Then you can reflect on how it felt to have the power to say no, and how you were able to do something for yourself instead of trying to please others. If you need support with setting, maintaining, or practicing boundary setting then reach out to Dan from Meta Minds Therapy for confidential, accessible and affordable online and after hours counselling. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dan! Dan Davis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dan Davis is deeply passionate about helping people master their mindset. He is the host of 2 leading mental health podcasts, Meta Minds and The Power of Showing Up. Dan is also the host of Australia's 1 ranked drone YouTube channel, DansTube.TV. Dan has worked within the mental health and counselling industries for 5+ years, and has been dedicated to empowering clients through his counselling practice, Meta Minds Therapy. Dan has made it his mission to empower people to live the life of their dreams!

Written by: Karalynne Call , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It’s that time of year again where we get bombarded by New Year’s resolutions and all kinds of restrictive diets and quick fixes, promising to make the new year your healthiest year yet. Well, I can’t promise this will be your healthiest year – that’s up to you – but I can share with you 10 tips for living a healthy life in 2023 . Why Live a Healthy Life? Your health is one of the most precious things you have. It’s the root of everything in your life. It dictates how you show up in the world, how you show up for yourself, for the people you love, for your community. When you don’t feel your best, it’s hard to be the best version of you, whether that’s as a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a friend, and the list goes on. You owe it to yourself to live a healthy, happy life. And, if that’s not the type of motivation that works for you, you owe it to the people who depend on you. So, where to begin? Say Goodbye to New Year’s Resolutions While studies show that New Year’s Resolutions aren’t the best way to achieve your health goals , taking small steps toward living a healthy life is a much more effective route to go. With that in mind, these 10 health tips are meant to serve as small steps to get you started on your health journey. Don’t feel like you need to implement all these changes at once. That’s a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. Instead, try these tactics: Pick 3-5 tips to focus on implementing at first. Once they’ve become part of your daily routine, come back and choose another 3-5 to work on. This will help you build confidence in achieving your goals and keep you progressing in your health journey. Make a plan. That might look like adding more fruits or veggies to your weekly grocery list or waking up an hour earlier to get your workout in before the kids are up. With a plan in place, you’re more likely to add these changes into your daily life. Ask for support. When people are on board with your lifestyle changes, it makes it that much easier to implement them. For example, if you’re eliminating processed foods from your diet, it helps if your family is doing the same so processed foods aren’t even present in your home. Give it time. Studies show it takes about 10 weeks to build a habit . Which means, it’s going to take time. And likely, there’s going to be days that you might mess up. Give yourself a little grace and keep going. In building healthy habits, you don’t have to do it perfectly, you just have to do it consistently. 10 Tips for Living a Healthy Life 1. Eat fruits and veggies daily. Even if it’s just adding some fruit to your breakfast and cooking a veggie with your dinner, incorporating fruits and vegetables into your daily diet comes with countless benefits . As an important piece of a healthy diet, this dynamic duo can help give your body the nutrients and nourishment it needs. 2. Filter your water. Drinking water is one of the best (and easiest) things you can do for yourself, but if you’re not filtering your water, you’re exposing yourself to hundreds of harmful contaminants including BPA, mercury, chlorine, PFAS, pesticides, lead, VOCs, arsenic, pharmaceuticals, and possibly more. EWG even found that flowing water to about 85% of the US contained 316 contaminants . Investing in a quality water filter is a great next step in investing in your long-term health. 3. Cook with non-inflammatory oils. Corn oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil are all high in omega 6s, which contribute to inflammation, a root cause of many common diseases today such as depression, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, migraines, joint pain, chronic fatigue, auto-immune issues, and so much more. Try cooking and baking with non-inflammatory oils like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or ghee. This will either help your body heal from inflammation or prevent inflammation from occurring later down the line. 4. If buying processed foods, buy ones that are made from whole food ingredients. Heavily processed foods often have unhealthy levels of sugar, sodium, and fat. They lack nutritional value and are full of artificial ingredients, and when consumed long-term, they pose an increased risk for cancer . Look for processed foods that contain whole food ingredients – these will still provide nutritional value and likely have less or no artificial ingredients. A general rule of thumb, the longer the ingredients list, the more processed. The shorter the ingredients list (and full of ingredients you’re familiar with), the more likely it’s made from whole food ingredients. 5. Move your body and prioritize your sleep. Movement is medicine. Exercise is so good for so many different areas of health, including your heart, hormones, immune system, muscles, lymphatic system, blood pressure, energy, stress, sleep quality, and the list goes on and on. There’s a reason the Mayo Clinic recommends aiming for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. While it might be one of the harder steps to implement in your daily life, it will certainly be the most transformative. And the opposite of movement, sleep, is just as important. Sleep gives our bodies a chance to rest and recharge. It’s no secret that we feel our best after a night of good, quality sleep, but that’s often not always achievable. Having a solid nighttime routine can help improve sleep quality: Minimize electronic use before bed. Journal or "brain dump" before trying to fall asleep. Try to go to bed at the same night every night. Don’t eat 3-4 hours before bed. Create a comfortable, cool sleeping space. Reduce daily sugar consumption. 6. Nourish your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health. While this step is going to look different for everyone, it’s so important to recognize each of these different components to health. A lot of trendy New Year’s resolutions focus on physical health (as do a lot of the items on this list), but that’s only one factor that contributes to your overall health. So, for this step, I challenge you to take the time to reflect on these four components. Take stock of where you are for each and where you’d like to be. Then make a plan to nourish the areas that might need a little more attention. Remember, this is a lifelong part of the journey and will look different for everyone. 7. If you’re battling a health issue, figure out the root cause and address it. We live in a world where there are quick fixes everywhere. Unfortunately, a lot of these quick fixes are only addressing the symptoms of what might be a larger health issue. If you’re battling a health issue, dig to find the root cause. Once you’ve uncovered what the source of the issue is, you can treat it and heal. In my own experience, and countless stories I’ve heard from people I’ve had the privilege of helping, treating the root cause of your health issue often clears up multiple symptoms, sometimes symptoms you didn’t even realize were affecting you. 8. Value your health. Your health is priceless. Nourish your body so that in return, your body can do the best for you. When you start to internalize this belief, it’s easier to opt for water instead of soda, or spend your 30 minutes of free time going for a walk instead of watching TV. If you’re struggling to value your health, try leaving sticky note reminders for yourself around the house, or journal about it before bed. It can also be helpful to talk to a mental health professional to understand what is keeping you from truly valuing your health. 9. Strengthen and support your immune system . Living a healthy lifestyle automatically leads to having a stronger immune system, but it’s important to recognize that you have the power to strengthen and support it. Here are a few things you can do to help strengthen it: Reduce sugar Increase fruits and vegetables Increase fiber Exercise Spend time in the sun Drink filtered water Get quality sleep Reduce stress Improve your gut health Avoid alcohol and tobacco Supplement with zinc, elderberry, and vitamins C and D 10. Love others, love yourself, spread kindness. This one might be a little more aspirational than the other steps, but it’s true. Loving yourself and others helps you feel more connected to the world. And according to a study by Stanford, those that feel more connected to others report lower levels of anxiety and depression . “Social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being” the study says. That’s where spreading kindness comes into play. Performing acts of kindness triggers the release of feel-good hormones in our brains, which can help lower levels of depression and anxiety. Your Healthy Journey Keep in mind, some of these are goals to work towards throughout your healthy journey (aka your entire life), not something meant to be achieved overnight. So, be sure to give yourself a lot of grace. Change can be hard, even if it is for the better. Just be sure to stick with it and keep taking those small steps. Wishing you the best of luck on your healthy journey! I’ll be rooting for you. Join me on Instagram @just.ingredients for daily inspiration, tips, and swaps, to help you live your healthiest life yet. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Karalynne! Karalynne Call, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karalynne Call is the Owner of Just Ingredients, a chart-topping podcast host, Certified Nutritionist, and mom of 6. She began her health journey 15 years ago as she battled severe depression, and has helped many others begin their own health journey. She shares the how-to’s and why’s behind choosing better, whole, clean ingredients in your diet and daily product use. Over 800 thousand people follow her Instagram account @just.ingredients to find helpful advice on how to make small changes in their lives to make a long-term benefit in their own health. In addition to her impact on socials, she launched her own successful product line of clean beauty products, protein powder, pre-workout, and more.