Written by: Andre Young, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I’m honored so many organizations worldwide reach out to me seeking to impact their leaders and employees; eager to enhance their people’s professional leadership, daily leadership skills, and lives outside of work. I’ll share with you, just as I share with them… It’s imperative to start trainings… and this book… with The 5 Points of Your Day! If you want to live the life of your dreams, professionally and personally… and enhance your Leadership & Work/Life Harmony… this is the foundation! Remember, everyone has 24 hours in a day; leaders use theirs differently. Let’s jump in! Point 1: What You Consume When Your Wake Up! Sorry… there’s no fancy name for Point 1! You may be thinking about what you eat or your diet, but that’s not what I mean. Please, by all means, eat healthy, as we only get one life to live. However, I’m referring to what you put in your mind and spirit when you first wake up! I often hear from leaders and employees they wake up grabbing their phone, iPad, or laptop and take it to the bathroom to check and respond to emails. As an employer, it may seem impressive and you may want hundreds or thousands of employees like this. As an employee, it may seem like a logical way to get a jump on the day. However, compound this act… day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade… how’d you think you’d end up feeling about your job… starting your day complaining about an email, who sent it, how dumb someone is, or a sharp email that grinds your gears before you’ve gotten a chance to even brush your teeth… Be Mindful! So, since you’re not starting your day by checking your email or scrolling social media… what to do instead? The answer is… anything that enhances your positivity, your passion, and your production professionally and personally! During my last job as an employee… a coworker came to me and said, “You know how you have one of those bad mornings?”. I thought carefully as I didn’t want to come across cocky. The truth is, I haven’t had a bad morning since 2011. I’ve had busy mornings with having three young kids back then. I’ve had mornings I’d rather stay in bed, but I haven’t had a bad morning since 2011… Why? When I started my business in 2011, I’d go to bed every night looking for positive quotes to post in the morning. When I woke up, I came up with a question related to the quote. As time passed, I started making personal development and leadership videos in the morning and finding short motivational videos to watch. Years of this have made it impossible for me to have a bad morning! Whatever your process, the cherry on top is, whatever your process… it simply starts to become who you are! So, be mindful of what you consume when you wake up. For me, it’s short motivational videos and posting my content. Perhaps yours will be the same… or meditation, prayer, push-ups, or quiet time with your coffee before the rest of the world is up. Whatever it is… be sure it’s making you better, not bitter! Point 2: Organize Your Day! It’s no wonder leaders and employees are so on edge; as you attempt to maintain order of the tornado of things you have to do in a day… I like to say “Get to do”, but you get the point! Organizing your day means you keep a notebook by your computer or wherever you get your work done… with the purpose of writing your list of “Things to Do”. It’s important to get what’s in your head on paper. My list tends to average 15-20 things daily for me to run my business effectively. As a leader, be sure your list is making you “Better” not just “Busy”. Before I pull the covers back in the morning and my feet hit the floor, I say two things to myself. “Let’s be great and have some fun today”… I’ll explain more about that later in the book. The second thing is a question, “What are my wins for the day?”. Having an answer to this question will give your day purpose and allow you to win the day instead of the day beating you! When you make your list… be sure your wins are at the very top; allowing you to cross off wins that propel you, your team, and your organization forward! Organizing your day also involves who you choose to associate with at work. As a leader… you walk in with your head up, eyes up, smiling, greeting, and saying hello to everyone; but you don’t park it and live there with everyone! You know the Negative Nicks & Nacys, Gossipers, and Grouches… be gracious to everyone and keep it moving! Point 3: Relationship Building and Self-Care! Let’s start with Self-Care! No matter how much you love what you do for a living; at some point in the day, we all hit a wall. For some, it may be one o’clock, two o’clock, or whenever… it’s coming! When it happens, it’s time to do something good for YOU. For me, it’s remembering to eat. I love what I get to do for a living and get consumed by it and can easily forget to eat! Perhaps it’s taking a walk, eating with new people, scrolling positive things and people you subscribe to on your phone. Whatever it is, enjoy it! You’ll find Relationship Building to be a gift… for you and your loved ones! What would it take for you to send a nice text to your significant other midday? Not much, right? My wife and I both work from home and from time to time I send her a nice text… even though she’s right upstairs, “Hey Beautiful, I hope your day is going as amazing as you are! I love You!”. Believe me, it sets up the back half of my day very nicely! Maybe you decide to send a nice text to your parents if you’re still lucky enough to have them… your kids, your friends. Let’s be real, we all have the fastest texting thumbs on the planet; let’s put them to good use! I think we all can spare 20 seconds to gift your partner, parents, kids, friends, and your life! Point 4: How You Return Home! If you’re reading this book; I’m assuming you’re in a professional position of leadership or would like to be. So here’s a question… Would you ever purposely hire someone that looked as if they were dragging themselves around, complaining all the time, and looking as if they’d rather be anywhere else? I hope your answer is “No”. Then isn’t it a shame that’s how most of us return home after a day at work… or to the living room after closing the laptop? Dragging ourselves through the door, complaining about the day, your boss, your employees, and everything in between. Let’s be mindful of how we return home and gift our family with the same energy you’d want your employees to exhibit walking through the door or clicking onto a Virtual Call! The key is to know what you need, so you can return home like a leader. For me, it was going to the gym after work; it was the only place where it was ALL ABOUT ME for an hour. It also gave me my second wind and I could return home happy to put my cape on and become Superman, Superhusband, and Superdad! For you, perhaps it’s a shower, a walk, or 15 minutes of personal chill-time. Whatever it is… BE SURE you’re a better person after doing it… this makes it easier for the people in your life to accept what you’re doing… and they will actually want you to do it because they enjoy how you are and who you are when you return! Point 5: “What was my Biggest Accomplishment of the Day?” Monday through Friday, before I close my eyes to go to sleep, I ask myself this question… and I implore you to do the same! It’s one of the most powerful questions you can ever ask yourself and having an answer to this question will allow you to have won the day, instead of the day consistently kicking your butt. I hear from so many people, especially women, that they lay in bed at night thinking of all the things they didn’t get done and ALL the things they have to do the next day. Do you know how much you actually did and accomplished today… and everyday? Your brain is faster than you think and I promise you will have an answer to this question… and most likely more than one! In this quiet time of reflection, give yourself a pat on the back for your Biggest Accomplishment of the day… and for all of the small ones no one may know about! To take it a bit further, ask your significant other… your kids. I guarantee you don’t know their answer! My wife works in land development… I have no idea what she’s talking about when she discusses the grading of land and swales (I hope I spelled it right) … however, when I ask her this question, I know what to hug her for, what to say congrats about, what to celebrate with her, that I’m proud of her, and great job Baby! This is the 5 Points of Your Day! Notice, it’s not a lot of time out of your day. It’s about intent and consistency! You do this consistently, not just when you’re motivated on a Monday or January 1st, and you will evolve professionally and personally! Before you move on in this book to learn concepts to put in your Leader’s Toolbox, answer this quick question… What was your Biggest Takeaway from the 5 Points… which point resonated with you that you will make a homework assignment for yourself RIGHT NOW? Remember… knowing something new, without applying that something new, will lead to nothing new! “Everyone has 24 hours in a day; leaders use theirs differently” – Andre Young As a Leader, how would like to enjoy your work more and worry less about your people and professional issues? Enhance Leadership & Work/Life Harmony for your leaders, employees, teams, you organization… and YOU with Andre Young’s Leadership Trainings & Speaking Engagements; leading to more confident & competent Leaders, improved connection with employees, and an enhanced work-culture? Click https://youevolvingnow.com/contact-us/ to connect, chat, and customize! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit my website. Read more from Andre! Andre Young, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andre Young is a Professional Speaker, Author, Leadership Trainer, and Founder of You Evolving Now. He worked as a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years, played sports at every level from high school to professional, has been an employee, a business owner, and self-employed, and has written 4 books focused on enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony. As Founder of You Evolving Now, it's his mission to enhance Leadership and Work/Life Harmony for organizations, leaders, employees, and teams with his high-energy, interactive, culture-changing leadership training programs and speaking engagements, allowing a professional and personal evolution!

Written by: Iria Talladay, 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. Entrepreneurs can endure the hard work that comes with building a business. What sets a successful entrepreneur apart is overcoming challenges and remaining focused on the big picture through the tough times. Mindset is an essential part of building a successful business. When you silence the voices in your head that try to convince you that you are not good enough or that you do not have what it takes to build the company of your dreams, you can listen to the voices that encourage you to keep going no matter what! Starting your own business will require patience; the process is similar to waiting for a seed to turn into a sapling and then a tree that bears fruit. Doing this will require care and nurturing. The pressure is on! When you add a spouse to the mix, things get more interesting! Spoiler alert: creating a new business while being life partners will be difficult. However, there are many benefits to co-owing a company with the person you love versus having a sole proprietorship. Extra love and attention are needed to ensure that the lines between professional and personal life are not dangerously blurred. There will be times when you will both be stressed and lose your patience. You might even ask yourselves, "why did I ever get into this?" (especially during the first year). However, suppose you are willing to put in the work, the love, and the persistence. In that case, you will reap excellent results and create a long-lasting joint business venture (while creating a peaceful home life). Whether you set up a food truck, a coffee shop, or 7 figure out e-commerce, working with your significant other means you both get to be your bosses and do things your way! Managing your schedule and building a life that fits your idea of success is a luxury. Doing so will give you the time to decide how each of your days is spent and to create something that you are proud of and can eventually become a family legacy to improve the lives of future generations. Being romantic partners and business partners is not for the faint of heart. You will have to become a master of time management, balance, and patience. Effective communication is essential if you want to make it work. The following questions will help you decide if building a business with your spouse is a good idea. What is the vision you have for your business? Both you and your partner need to discuss what the goals of your business will be. What kind of business do you want to build? Do you feel more comfortable with small businesses? Will you create something from scratch or buy an existing business or franchise? The first step is to lay out the basic business ideas. Develop a business structure, and stick to it! Doing this will offer you guidance and enable you to channel your talents into making your joint venture succeed. Having similar long-term goals is crucial when it comes to partnerships in general. Please make sure you are on the same page when it comes to the things that matter. A shared vision will guide you and motivate you to keep going when things go uphill. It is always a good idea to set aside some time to discuss the most critical aspects of your business. Here are some examples: Target Audience. Who is your ideal customer? The more familiar you are with your target, the easier it will be to create a product or service they will consider valuable. Market Research. Study consumer behavior, economic trends, and market size. Business Plan. Having a business plan will guide you through the stages of planning and managing your future venture. Branding. Your brand will be your business' DNA and is crucial to standing out. Creating a great brand is the best way to set yourself apart from the competition. Marketing Strategies. Focus on creating a good mix between paid advertising and organic traffic. A great way to do this is to focus on SEO by starting a blog, building an affiliate army, and creating quality social media content. If you consider yourself an amateur in any of the abovementioned areas, do not worry! The important part is being willing to learn instead of feeling intimidated by the new information. Many online courses will help you understand the basics to feel empowered and knowledgeable. How will you make it work financially? Money issues are among the most common causes of divorce. So, you are planning on starting a business as a married couple. In that case, setting up an emergency fund before you start is highly advisable. Doing so will take some of the stress off the table. An emergency fund will give you the peace of mind of knowing that if a period of financial distress presents itself, your family can handle it without going into debt. An emergency fund turns potential disasters into inconveniences that will be more manageable. Your family's needs determine how much money is set apart for this fund. Some finance experts recommend starting small with at least one thousand dollars and working your way up to save 3-6 months' worth of expenses. Make sure you look into a savings account with attractive interest rates to increase your money in the bank over time. Develop a strategy to fund your business. Will this new venture be self-funded? Will you apply for a credit to start? Who can help you set up a partnership agreement? These essential questions need to be covered to have a greater chance of building something long-lasting. Most businesses take time to generate revenue. Make sure you have at least one steady monthly income to allow your future business to grow without having to depend entirely on it to cover basic household expenses (more here). Once your business starts generating enough to cover the monthly basics, consider quitting your full-time job and focusing solely on your new venture. Does your business need an office? Yes! Having a place designated for work means setting clear boundaries and separating time spent as business owners and as a couple. Creating an office space will improve your focus and your mood. Work with what you have if you lack a spare bedroom or the budget to rent an office from the get-go! Solving problems creatively is something entrepreneurs need to master. You are good to go if you have a table, comfortable chairs, and storage space for your documents and tools! Adding things that make you feel happy and calm to your designated office space will make your work shifts more enjoyable. This question will also open the door to visualizing your ideal office and starting to work towards building it. Having your perfect office in mind will give you something to look forward to and can become a fun couples activity. You can start by looking at ideal locations and creating a vision board of everything you want for your own space in the future. What will be your role in the company? One of the essential parts of putting together a work team is clearly defining each member's role and responsibilities within the company. Taking the time to designate positions will help you stay motivated and accountable. This practice will also give each of you a clear idea of what to do. Being a good partner (in relationships and business) means honoring your commitments. Learn how to effectively manage your time to avoid one of you becoming the micro-managing nagging partner (no one enjoys playing this part!). Once you have defined what each person will be in charge of, it will be easier to continue having good communication and avoid the bad times that might arise due to unforeseen complications. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities will be excellent for your relationship and daily work routine. Can you balance constructive criticism and praise? Focus on finding the sweet spot between praising your partner and providing them with constructive criticism. If you are tilting excessively toward either side of this equation, consciously find ways to avoid falling into this trap. Your partner needs to feel appreciated, loved, and understood for the relationship and the business to work. Be honest and thoughtful when providing feedback. Try to be specific. Doing so will help your significant other take concrete actions to improve. When you notice something positive in your partner, let them know! Notice the little things and be vocal about what you love. They will be delighted to see that you admire them and appreciate their daily effort. The balance between praise and constructive criticism will create a positive environment allowing creative ideas to flow. Being able to build a business with someone you love is a blessing! Please don't take it for granted. Motivate each other to be the best version of yourselves. Both your family and your business will significantly benefit from this practice. Is it possible to achieve a work-life balance? Yes, Your family life and your business life can happily coexist! However, you will have to work intentionally on making this happen. Creating a work-life balance has more benefits in the long run than solely focusing on a high-paying salary. Working with your spouse makes it harder to mentally detach from work and be entirely present for personal activities. Focus on logging out from your work computer and spending time away from your phones to connect intimately. Avoiding long hours at work will help you be present for important family activities. If you build a company with your spouse, your marriage and business partnership will be intertwined. The best thing you can do is to remind yourself that they are separate entities and treat them as such. Spend quality time together, play, plan fun dates and remind yourselves that you should strive to be lovers and best friends above all. Prioritize your personal lives by spending time doing things that bring you joy. Making time for you as a couple will ensure you increase your love, connection, and, hopefully, your sales! There is more to life than business and money. Constantly reminding yourselves of this will help keep the mood light and enjoyable. Laugh at yourselves and find humor in tense situations to reduce stress and add a much-needed dose of good vibes to your life and company. Your family members will be thrilled if you prioritize finding balance. Your mental health will benefit from doing so, as will your professional and personal performance. Celebrate reaching milestones by having ice cream, going to the movies, or treating each other to a massage on a regular basis. This way, you will both show up motivated and ready to tackle tasks ahead when it is time to focus on business. Find creative ways to find happiness amid the routine. Take a break from the hustle mentality and genuinely enjoy every step of the way. How will you fill your cup? Personal time highly benefits individuals. Discover what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing. Finding things you like will allow you to unwind and might also help you connect with your strengths and weaknesses (which will be great for your business as well) Even if it seems counterintuitive, spending time apart benefits your relationship. Alone time will give you a chance to miss each other. Having separate hobbies will remind you that although you are a part of a marriage (and a business partnership), you are also a unique individual with personal interests and dreams. So make sure you prioritize filling your cup! Remind yourself that you can do it! Starting a business with your spouse is a good idea as long you are ready to do the work. Relationships are a lot like entrepreneurial ventures. They both need care, attention, and devotion. If you take proper care of them, you will be surprised by the joy and independence that might result! If you get it right, you can build something that withstands the test of time (and strengthens your relationship while doing so). Nowadays, some business models require small start-up capital (drop shipping with U.S. Suppliers is one of them) and act as great first-time business ventures. These businesses come with the added benefit of being able to function while you work remotely. This means you can pack your bags and spend some time working from a paradise like Costa Rica (which now offers entrepreneurs a digital nomad visa for up to a year!) Check out our article for 12 tips for running a business with your spouse to have more tools to build this dream together and grow through the ups and downs of running a business. It is possible to create the life you dream of, and it is possible to build a successful business with your spouse. Sure, it will require some work, but so does everything else worth having! Please visit our website to learn more about our project. I would love to network, chat, and share a virtual cup of coffee with you, so feel free to reach out! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and connect with me through my LinkedIn profile. Read more from Iria! Iria Talladay, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Iria is an innovative industry thinker and serial entrepreneur with a strong acumen for e-commerce. She is a Latina, a mother, and the founder of a 7-figure business. Her passion is to empower like-minded individuals to grow incredible brands and business models. This led her to get an MBA, become a coach and create The Bean Online, a business blog and tool kit designed for entrepreneurs. It provides information and resources, allowing them to save time, money, and energy to create new businesses and expand existing ones.

Written by: Carolina Gonzalez, 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. When it comes to channeling messages from the spirits for my customers, one of the pieces of advice I get all the time is one that, I'm sure, will surprise many readers, and it is "You are not as equipped to measure the results of your own work as you think you are." What does this truly mean, and why is this advice given so often? To better illustrate this process, I'll use an example: you do prosperity work for your own business, or you pay someone to do it for you. You do affirmations, meditations, and any rituals that harmonize with your own spiritual path. After a month, you have barely made enough to pay the bills. Your evaluation: this work did not bring me anything of value. Your faith dwindles, you feel isolated from the Spirits and unheard; you feel like you did not do it well, or not enough. You may feel like your investment has been completely lost. The truth that only Spirits see: your work was perfect and needed, and it manifested as well as it could have worked. If you had not done it, events that were in your way would have led you to ending up homeless. The Spirits have been there with you at all times, fighting off those events from your path. You have even made enough to pay all your bills. From their view, this is a complete success, and the point where you continue working on building your future prosperity. You are surrounded by love and protection, and truly thriving. From our small, small perspective as humans, it is extremely difficult to measure our true position in the world; but from the Spirits' position, things are different. If you are walking under their protection, you should always trust them, and trust in the work that is done in their name, whether if you do it yourself, or if you ask a practitioner to perform it for you. And this is one of the most important laws for any spiritual development; that appearances can be deeply misleading, to say the least, and that our faith should never depend on them. Our perception of our reality is only that, a perception, constantly blurred by circumstance, and by our difficulty to gain perspective. To have a spiritual path means to work constantly on strengthening our understanding of this law, and having the courage to live under it. And yes, it is a work of courage. To believe in oneself, and in the success we decree through our spiritual work, is an act of courage. Why? Because it requires that we are ready to accept that we could be completely wrong about where we think we are, and that hurts our ego and its biases, and could destroy our own victim complex and self-abusing narratives. To believe in ourselves is to believe in the Spirits, and in all the forms that Divine Love has, because it means to believe that we are always chosen, heard, and loved. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Carolina! Carolina Gonzalez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Carolina Gonzalez is a Spiritual Counsellor, Spiritual Worker, Master Herbalist, and Holistic Health Counsellor, with over three decades of experience. For the past fifteen, she has offered her services online, mostly doing custom spiritual work, and guiding people to a deeper and more authentic relationship with their spiritual heritage and personal power. Through her social media and blogs, Carolina actively educates on all these topics, to a loyal and self-aware worldwide community of customers.

Written by: Alison Rothman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions. You know the vow of hitting the gym daily and giving up all unhealthy habits immediately… to start strong in one’s resolutions only to have tapered off within the month…falling back into old patterns. This is not sustainable and is a set up for feeling pretty darn shitty with oneself. Rather, I believe so strongly in creating intentions in our lives to support our evolution and growth. Resolving to make changes in one’s life is not nearly as impactful as intending and following that life-enhancing energy of intention. Intention is empowering and provides the opportunity to make choices on our own behalf. To return consistently to our intentions for the year is expansive, creative, and full of possibility. We can continuously pivot in ways that enhance the direction of our lives following that stream of connection. We are not “resolving” anything but rather opening up new channels in our life’s pathways that are honoring and entrusting in oneself and one’s process. There is *not* the option of failure as intention is fluid and supportive of exactly where we are in every given moment. I also love choosing a word for the year ahead. This word that emerges from my heart and subconscious and ends up being my guiding light for the 12 months. I am always in awe of how my chosen word truly informs my year and gives shape to my path. Choosing a word for the year ahead, again, offers possibility and inspiration, rather than contraction and let down. We can choose to hop back on the track of aligned action while holding our intentions and word of the year at the forefront of our movement. Can you feel the difference here? Can you sense the levity and inspiration encapsulated in the energy and impetus of intention vs. resolving to change ourselves or else we have failed? It is a deep sense of allowing…of honoring who we are in our evolution as humans. It is expansive, spacious, and provides room for all of the flavors of our growth process to be what they need to be. As we embark upon this brand new year, brimming with opportunity, I invite you to spend some time with yourselves and create your intentions for the year to come. Feel into yourself and listen for a word to arise as your guiding light moving forward. Trust yourselves and your innate wisdom… You do not need to resolve to modify who you are but rather soften, allow, clarify, and intend on creating empowered evolution and aligned change in yourself from that deep well of inner wisdom that lives in you. As always, I am here in service, in support, and in recognition of your unique, messy, beautiful, and magnificent human selves. Reach out anytime or take the leap this new year and work 1:1 with me! I would be honored to connect. Wherever this time of year finds you, may you access a deeper layer of yourself so as to continue in your evolution as a beautiful human navigating this wild human life. Tap into the medicine of these times. And, as always, if you are struggling, please reach out for support. Take good care of yourselves and be kind to each other. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Alison! Alison Rothman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alison Rothman MA CYT, is a Body-Centered Holistic Empowerment Coach and Transformational Group Facilitator with 25+ years of study and experiences in somatic healing arts and therapy, yoga and meditation, authentic embodiment, and holistic healing. Through her extensive studies, practices, and experiences she provides clients and students with the ability to tap into their innate inner resource and release debilitating life patterns in order to access their truth, power, and reclaim their body, mind, heart, and soul connection. Alison is passionate about supporting and empowering women and men to unwind their nervous systems, make peace with themselves, and remember who they truly are. She is zealous about studying the art of relationship and has a commitment to bridge the gap between men and women so as to bring greater harmony, peace, and love into the world of relationship, partnership, and dating. She has survived several highly traumatizing life events including a house fire and a near death experience. Additionally, Alison has navigated divorce and single motherhood for over a decade, utilizing her practices in support of her own embodiment during times of stress and challenge. She carries with her an embodied understanding of the wisdom and intelligence of the body and brings to her sessions, groups, and writing a deep intimacy with herself, her own process of life experiences, and a passion for supporting and inspiring others in utilizing the magic of everyday living as medicine for growth and healing. Alison is an expert in the realm of trauma, eating disorder and addiction recovery, body image issues, and utilizing holistic wellness practices to attain sustainable, embodied, and empowered healing. In addition to her one-on-one work she facilitates retreats, runs women’s groups (both virtual and in person), writes, speaks and is the host of the podcast "Embodied and Awake." She lives in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with her partner and 13-year old son.

Written by: Adam G. Horlock, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As we start the new year, it is important to think about how your business is using public relations as a sales strategy. Many businesses simply overlook PR or do not think PR will work as part of their overall marketing strategy. However, by using PR, your business can get your message across to a broader audience faster and have the media tell your story as an objective, trusted third party. The Benefits of PR One of the biggest benefits of using public relations as a sales strategy is that it gives you access to large audiences quickly. When you use PR, you are not limited to just one platform; instead, you can reach out through multiple channels including television, radio and print media. This means that more people will see your message and be able to act on it faster than other forms of marketing. Additionally, having the media serve as an objective third party provides credibility for your product or service since it comes from a trusted source. Another benefit of using PR is that it allows you to control the narrative around your product or service. By working with the press and getting positive coverage for what you are offering, you can shape people’s perceptions of your brand and create a positive reputation that will help increase sales. This can also help set you apart from competitors who might be offering similar products or services but don’t have the same level of visibility and credibility that come with being featured in news outlets. Additionally, using PR will give you access to new opportunities that may not have been available before such as interviews, speaking engagements, or even partnerships with other brands in related industries. These all provide additional ways for customers to learn about what you are offering and make them more likely to buy from you directly or indirectly through these relationships. Build Credibility with Consumers and Peers When you have the media covering stories about your company or product/service offering it immediately builds credibility with consumers and peers alike. Even if it’s not positive press coverage – by responding quickly to negative stories (with facts)you can still demonstrate that you care about customer feedback and show that you are open to constructive criticism from the public. This type of transparency helps build trust amongst consumers who may be looking for reasons to buy from you instead of competitors who may not take customerfeedback seriously (or at all). Gain Valuable Insights into Your Market When you are featured in stories from reputable outlets – be it traditional news sources or industry-specific publications – this gives your business valuable insights into what people think about certain products/services within the market overall. It also gives you an idea of what topics are resonating with customers which may influence future campaigns or product offerings depending on customer needs/desires. Having these insights allows marketers to make more data-driven decisions versus relying solely on their own judgment when it comes to campaign execution or product development cycles. Final Thoughts There are many reasons why businesses should consider using PR as part of their overall marketing strategy in 2023. It provides quick access to larger audiences; helps control the narrative around your product or service; and opens up opportunities for partnerships and additional exposure which ultimately leads to increased sales and brand awareness. Don’t overlook the power of public relations as a means of growing any business or organization! If your brand or business is looking for options to incorporate public relations into a marketing strategy, please follow Adam on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and visit his agency’s website: Pinnacle Public RelationsAgency Read more from Adam! Adam G. Horlock, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adam Horlock is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Pinnacle Public Relations Agency, helping brands find and amplify their voice through public relations campaigns, helping develop a public message and find winning strategies to get that message heard. In these efforts, he has made multiple national television appearances, published articles and content on some of the world’s leading business and news platforms, and helped smart brands grow through effective messaging and strategy.

Written by: Rozanna Wyatt, Senior Level Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We laughed so hard that people in the coffee shop stared at us. You know, the type of deep belly laughing your experience when you’re with a friend you connect with on a soulful level. Craig (pseudo-name) was in town, so we connected over steamy vanilla lattes. We enjoyed a few hours full of laughter, high-level dialogue, and vulnerability as we shared what had been happening in our lives over the last 6-months. You know what else we discussed? Goals. And whether we were setting any specific goals for 2023. You might be surprised to hear this, but neither were setting goals on January 1, 2023. That doesn’t mean we don’t have goals. We do. We’re both still in the process of working on the ones we set throughout 2022, and those are leading us in how we go about conducting our personal and professional lives in 2023. Goals can be confusing to people, especially this time of the year. After all, it’s the first week of January, and somewhere along the way, January 1st has signified a drawing in the sand for new beginnings. Motivational gurus encourage you to set goals on January 1st and to have a master plan to execute them. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with setting goals on January 1st or the days following if that’s how you’ve always gone about goal setting. I’ve also used January 1st as an arbitrary benchmark for setting certain goals. But here’s something else to think about… Every day is a new beginning, so you can set goals any day of the year. It might be January 1st, or it could be August 14th. I think this is especially important to remember when goals get sidelined, you get discouraged, or you’re stumbling along the way to bring them to fruition. The key to setting goals is how you go about setting them, including knowing you can always start over! And while there are several steps to setting goals, few people talk about this one essential thing to keep in mind when setting your goals. It can make or break your ability to stay motivated. Goals need to be aligned with your values. Values define how we want to behave and experience life and are essential to creating a meaningful life. Or, said slightly differently, values are the principles that give our lives meaning. Have you ever thought about your values and how they align with any goals you set? Keeping your values top of mind is essential when creating your goals. Otherwise, you might have difficulty staying motivated due to the disconnect between what you say you want to achieve and what matters to you personally and professionally. Let me give you an example. Charlene (pseudo-name) is a driven and ambitious woman with two school-age children. Her partner also works full-time but has a job that affords him a lot of autonomy and flexibility. Charlene has been hyper-focused on a promotion she’s always wanted. This past year, she spent countless hours working on her leadership skills and self-awareness as she prepared for this opportunity. She’s “ticked” every box and goal off her list over the last three years to get ready for this specific milestone. But recently, she started to feel anxious about accepting the VP position if she’s awarded it at the start of the New Year. Charlene didn’t understand what was causing her to feel anxious. She had the technical skills, was confident in her abilities, and this position was a goal on her five-year plan that she had meticulously worked at over the last three specific years. Shouldn’t she be eager to accept it? After discussing the new role, what would be required of Charlene (including working more hours and being out of town more often), and understanding what really mattered to her, we discovered that freedom and family were more important to her. Charlene’s values had changed over time, and what resonated with her was different now. This isn’t uncommon for all of us because who we were yesterday is different from who we are today; thus, your values will likely change throughout your life. While the VP position had always been her goal, it made more sense to remain in her current director position at this point in her life so she was aligned with her evolved values. And for Charlene, her director position was still fulfilling because it aligned with other values important to her – leadership, contribution, mastery, and teamwork. So she was satisfied personally and professionally. Without knowing if you set goals at the ringing of the New Year, or maybe you’re like me in that you’re still working on the goals, you set in 2022. Nonetheless, I encourage you to take inventory of your values and how they align with the goals you set now and in the future. Doing so is incredibly helpful to get clarity on your goals and how you’ll achieve them regardless of what domain they fall into (health, mindset, career, personal, finances, etc.). I know it can be challenging to know which values are important to you, so I’ve included a list at the bottom of this article. I’ve also included a few coaching reflection questions to help you reflect, become aware, and take aligned actions in 2023. I hope that by aligning your goals with your values, including how you pursue them, you’ll start to run toward something instead of away from something. Ultimately, this leads to living life with more purpose, confidence, and inner peace. If you’re ready to take your goals to the next level or want to thrive in all areas of life with more confidence, a calm mind, and greater fulfillment, book a complimentary consultation on the “book a call” page at www.rozannawyatt.com. *Now accepting new therapy clients in Alberta and coaching clients globally. Coaching Reflection Questions If you could wave a magic wand and have your ideal life, what would that look like? What specific things do you need to change in your current life to make it more aligned with what you want? What goal(s) have you set for 2023, or are you still working on from 2022? What makes your goal(s) important to you? How will you feel when you achieve them, and what are the benefits of doing so? Identify your top 6 values from the list below. Then narrow it down to your top 3-4 values. Go back to your answers to questions 1, 2, and 3. Are your values aligned with what you’ve identified in your answers? If not, how can you create goals that are aligned with your values to create more fulfillment in your life? Values List Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website for more info. Read more from Rozanna! Rozanna Wyatt, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rozanna Wyatt is a Licensed Therapist and highly sought Global Coach who specializes in helping ambitious, high-achieving women confidently go after what they want in business and life. Drawing from her sixteen years of experience working those who have done the unimaginable (we're talking murder), entrepreneurs, athletes, professionals and corporate leaders, she enables her clients to experience mindset breakthroughs that allow them to turn their lives around, resolve years of emotional pain, be happy, 10x their business, win national awards, and more. Rozanna has a master’s degree in social work, as well as specialized training in leadership and high performance. Rozanna’s expertise has been featured in the media in Forbes, Addicted2Succcess, Thrive Global, and Authority Magazine. When she’s not keeping up on the latest research around positive psychology and human behavior, you can find her playing with her furbaby or sipping vanilla lattes in her favorite coffee shops in Canada.

Written by: Daphney Poyser , 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. New year, New you? With the start of the year already under wraps, it can feel very enticing to take on new intentions for the relationships you currently have in your life–or even the ones you hope to cultivate. However, as with all resolutions, sometimes things are easier said than actually done. 1. Before you establish any hard and fast commitments, we suggest doing a light background search on the person or people you plan on welcoming into your life. It could be something as simple as a google search or even a more elaborate, standard background check. It’s a hard line to tow, and we never want to make others feel as if we are intruding on their privacy; however, when it comes to protecting your peace it can be helpful to assume your own best interest at first, before anyone else's. 2. Slow and steady wins the race , and while dating isn’t necessarily a competition, there should be something said about not rushing into new endeavors–regardless of how promising they seem. I always recommend that people start slow and really take the time to get to know someone. As they say, the first person out of the starting gates isn’t always the one to win the race. 3. Patience truly is a virtue, and as with all good behaviors, knowing how to practice positive restraint can lead to even higher rewards. The easiest way to keep your eagerness at bay? Establish a solid set of expectations about what you want early into your relationships, and stick close to them, not only with the other person but with yourself too. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself and your future partner is to show a little patience and constraint. 4. There should be something said for having a healthy amount of skepticism towards the new individuals you are welcoming into your life. As you grow older and more established into your life there are certain risks when it comes to creating new relationships, which the majority of us no longer feel comfortable taking–and rightfully so. Setting clear boundaries upfront helps to establish what lines can and can not be crossed in order to continue moving the relationship forward, at whatever pace is beneficial for both parties. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Li nkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Daphney! Daphney Poyser, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Daphney Poyser is the founder and CEO of Fern Connections, a LGBTQIA+ Matchmaking and Coaching company. After noticing a lack of diversity within the world of same-sex specific dating services, Poyser sought out to create her own company founded on the principles of greater gender, sexual, and romantic inclusivity. Fern Connections was started in 2020 and now has headquarters in Texas and Georgia; the company services individuals nationwide within the United States.

Written by: Jen Landry, 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. Regaining the strength in your core, which includes more than just your abdominals, can be the difference in a successful postpartum journey and lifelong health. Often in pregnancy our hormones, our ligaments and joints, and our posture shift and change as we adjust to the growing weight of the baby. These changes often stick around postpartum. These changes occur mostly around your core. The core includes your diaphragm, abdominal wall, back muscles, and your pelvic floor. When one of these parts is out of whack, your whole system is too. Your pelvis changes position to best support your body and the baby, your abs stretch out, your diaphragm and pelvic floor cannot go through full ranges of motion anymore and muscles become weak or tight that were not weak or tight before. The Glute Max is a major muscle in the body and it helps with daily activities like sitting and standing with control, walking and running. You might find that during pregnancy and after the baby arrives, you are squeezing (or clenching)your glutes extra. By doing this you are creating a posterior pelvic tilt (think a bowl spilling out the back), and eliminating the curve in your lower back. This can lead to back pain and make it look like you have a flat butt! Due to the fact that the glute muscles are so large, they can play a huge role in truck stabilization and strength. Often, by tapping into your glutes again postpartum, you gain better access to other areas of the body and immediately free up any postural issues. It is going to be extremely important to learn to lengthen and shorten the glutes through a full range of motion again. If you are someone who is clenching, then you are probably not lengthening all way doing things like loading or unloading the dishwasher, washing your hands, changing a diaper, and other such daily activities. Your glutes can be lazy and let the rest of your body do the work. Take a bicep curl for example, as you bring the weight up you are shortening/contracting and as you lower the weight with control, you are lengthening the bicep. If you never lengthen the bicep, the weight will never lower or if you let the weight just drop rather than controlling it, you could wind up very hurt. If you are not lengthening the glutes when you move and need to, then you are using the hamstrings and lower back too much. Leading to possible pain and issues in those muscles. If you are someone who had a diastasis recti or maybe just struggling to find the strength in your abs again, then it might be important to find the glutes again first. When you can stop clenching, start lengthening, and really find strength again, then your pelvis can be better positioned. This positioning then allows for more access to your abs. By having support from the glutes and the pelvis in a neutral position, then the abs can find the freedom to do their job and work. When your glutes and abs are stronger and more supportive of the pelvis, then your lower back does not have to work as hard. The muscles that might be tight and lead to back pain can relax and ease up. Ultimately leading to less back pain. Then all of this success works up the chain. Better glutes, ab, and back muscles lead to great posture and less shoulder or upper back tension. Ultimately there are going to be many reasons someone might have issues or symptoms after having a baby. However, I have found, that after working with many clients and experiencing my own postpartum back pain, fixing the issues in your glutes is a great first step. Teach those glutes to let go, lengthen, and strengthen again after having a baby and watch the magic happen! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jen! Jen Landry, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jen Landry is a leader in functional fitness. She specializes in pregnant, postpartum, and everyday women. As a mother of two little girls and two pregnancies that left Jen feeling weak, broken, and in need of answers, she discovered the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Certification. Obtaining this certification changed the way Jen looked at pregnancy and postpartum fitness as well as female health in general. It ignited a fire to help as many women as possible, so they could avoid what Jen experienced. She is the CEO and Owner of Moms Fit Life. Her Mission: Teach Moms they can trust their bodies again and rock mom life with confidence!

Written by: Vivien Hudson, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Communication is something all of us do every day. Once you reach a certain age, you might assume you’re pretty good at it right? Effective communication is not always easy and it’s a skill that requires ongoing practice and improvement. Communication (or lack thereof) is often the root cause of our frustrations, both in work and family life. Communication is something that happens continuously throughout our day and includes the self-talk that goes on in our own minds, as well as the conversations we have with others. When we communicate well, we improve our self-awareness and the quality of our relationships. Effective communication allows us to assert our boundaries, express our needs, and connect with ourselves and others. However, when communication breakdowns occur, we may be tempted to blame others, become upset or angry, or speak about others in a condescending manner. You know you have done this, maybe even as recently as today. By focusing on improving our communication skills, we can learn to navigate our relationship challenges. Here are four questions to ask ourselves that can improve communication both at work and at home. Did I clearly communicate? A participant in one of the classes I recently ran said it best: ‘soon is not a time frame, and few is not a number.’ It is easy for the giver of the information to know what they mean, but the recipient has a lot of poetic license in their interpretation. Does your soon line up with their soon? I have been guilty of not clearly communicating. This can include lacking specifics around expectations of when work or projects will be delivered, not asking enough questions to better understand what others want of me, or not defining what a clean bathroom looks like when it is time for my kids to clean their bathroom. Assumptions are often the medium of where clear communication breaks down. When you are communicating with others, what are you assuming and where could some clarity of expectations or needs be shared. Is their here, your here, or their there, your there? Did you set a clear boundary? Do they have the information they need, and can they safely get support if they get stuck? Sidenote: this is important marital advice as we often expect our partners to know what it is we need or expect and then get annoyed when they seem oblivious. What is it I really want or need? Gaining clarity on what our needs are is a good first step before you open your mouth. In the workplace this can include a conversation with peers or team members to align on what the common goals are and what must be achieved. Teams often breakdown when individuals seek to fulfill their own agenda rather than considering what the team and the organization needs are. A question I often asked myself in my own business was ‘What is the best thing for the business?’ That question gifted me greater clarity on what needed to be done and was also a useful question I could ask when aligning my team. For managers performing one on ones, ask your direct reports – ‘what is it you really want or need and how do you see this working for the business?’ They will appreciate this question and it can help them think about what they can achieve, and what is truly possible. What question can I ask? Questions are a brilliant way to get ourselves and others to think differently. Questions can help people problem-solve for themselves by verbalizing their thoughts. When you speak things out loud with a good listener as a sounding board, it is amazing what challenges can be overcome. Solutions can piece themselves together as you speak them into existence and help get all those thoughts into your head out. The quality of our questions will also come from what mindset we frame them. Questions can easily become a witch hunt for who is responsible if you want to take a judgement point of view. This is never helpful in building relationships with yourself or others. Instead, a solution or learner focus is where we look for underlying causes or assumptions and how they can be remedied. Curiosity is the best quality to use here. A great book by Marilee Adams ‘Change Your Questions, Change Your Life’ is the perfect read to get better at this. Am I approaching this in a positive or negative light? If being curious is a challenge and you have been too hardwired to look at things from the voice of judgment, ask yourself what are you really looking for? Are you looking for someone to blame or shame (this could include yourself – remember self-talk is something you do all day) OR are you looking for a way to make things better, an opportunity for you or others to learn and improve? Effective communication is an essential skill in both personal and professional settings. By using the four questions in this blog post you can build stronger relationships, become better connected to those around you, and resolve conflict. With a little effort and practice, these questions will come to you easily and help you navigate a wide range of situations and relationships more effectively. You will reap the rewards in both your personal and professional life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Vivien! Vivien Hudson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vivien Hudson is a reformed pharmacist who went through her own journey of discovery when she trained as a life coach, moved hemispheres, and achieved her Masters in Business Adversity. This training enlightened her to how much change we can affect in our lives by understanding stress, the stories we tell ourselves, and how we show up in our bodies. Self-awareness, finding purpose, and living authentically are at the heart of effective change and leadership. Vivien combines her experience in health and wellbeing, business ownership, and the challenges she has faced in her own life to bring depth and diversity to her work She is trained as a life and performance ontological coach, brain fitness practitioner, on purpose presenter, speaker, and corporate trainer. Her purpose is instilling courage to help those she touches live a life well-lived.

Written by: Catherine Finger, 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. Each new year ushers in the opportunity to refresh, recommit, and transform “destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future.” Faith traditions offer various routes to transformation of the mind, body, and soul. My own Judeo-Christian faith beliefs lead me to a “constructive thoughtfulness” as laid out in Romans 12:1-2, (NASB version) as follows: I urge you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect. Transformation begins by examining our day-to-day habits and routines. How is your physical health? How is your nutrition? Are you getting enough rest and relaxation? How is your daily physical movement coming along? If you could take two daily steps to improve your physical vitality in the new year, what would they be? Our physical selves reflect our Creator—we can honor the Divine by treating our bodies with respect and implementing healthful habits. “Presenting ourselves in a manner acceptable to God” can be as simple as beginning your day in prayer and meditation. Inviting God to lead you and asking Him for the strength to live according to His will for you today is a “spiritual service of worship.” God is in the business of connecting, speaking, and leading us if we would but turn to Him with the slightest nod of even the hardest of hearts. Offer yourself to Him as you are—and incline your inner ear to His still, small voice. If you’re willing to stop and listen—you will hear His call to you. James 4:8 (NASB) says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Try it! Renewing our minds has never been more critical than it is in today’s climate of constant distraction. Develop and reinforce positive mental habits by reading uplifting and challenging content every day—starting with the Bible or other faith-based information that will strengthen your daily journey. Starting each day with a practice of gratitude, prayer, meditation, and reading or listening to something uplifting and thought-provoking can help set you on a positive path for the day. Writing your intentions for the day and then engaging in a quick review at the end of your day reinforces your habits and helps you renew your mind by engaging in new practices as you explore new mental models. Transformation is the result of inner renewal. Renewal is the result of engaging in positive spiritual, mental, and physical health habits and behaviors. How do we know we are on the right path—or how do we know the will of God for our lives? I love the simplicity of the will of God as listed in Romans 12:2 (NASB:) “that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.” Boom! That’s how we prove the will of God. Is the practice in which you are engaging good, acceptable, and perfect? Is the relationship you are considering good, acceptable, and perfect? Are your current habits and practices of day-to-day living good, acceptable, and perfect? For me this is a simple test—if something in my life doesn’t even reach the threshold of “good,” it surely won’t grow into the categories of “acceptable or perfect.” And so, I receive the invitation to change, to renewal, to transformation. I encourage you to be on the lookout for subtle invitations to growth from the Divine as you step out into your own Irresistible Future with Him in 2023. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Catherine! Catherine Finger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Award-winning author Catherine Finger contributes to the well-being of others by offering executive, personal, and author coaching services. Throughout her career as a public-school leader, mentoring current and emerging leaders was one of her greatest joys. This experience, coupled with her passion to instill hope for leadership, love, and life led her to launch Loving the Leading, an executive coaching and consulting business in 2020. Her years of successful experience as an educational leader, board member, adjunct professor, award-winning author, law enforcement chaplain and community leader equip her with unique insights and deep intuition on both organizations and individuals. During her educational career

Written by: Tracey Lee Cook, Senior Level Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Podcasts are primarily about the listening experience. People normally listen to podcasts while they go about their busy day, and you want their experience to be as smooth as possible. You want to sound good. You don’t want to send shivers down your listener’s spine. Unless, of course, that’s the effect you’re trying to achieve (horror podcasts, anyone?). Assuming you’ve got a good microphone and pop filter in place, here are the top 5 tips you can follow to sound better on your podcast. 1. Just be natural When you’re starting out, you may find it weird to find yourself talking to a microphone. You may be self-conscious, and your speech may sound stilted and forced. The end result is you’ll sound pretty much like a robot. If you want to avoid sounding like one, then it’s best to just act as natural as possible, like you’re having a conversation with your friends! 2. Talk to one person Another thing you can do to sound better on your podcast is to talk like you’re speaking to only one person. If you’re recording your show all by yourself, then you can pretend that the microphone is your friend. Or you can put up an image of your audience persona right in front of you. You can prop up your phone, tablet or laptop and display a photo of your persona and pretend like you’re having a conversation with him or her! 3. Allow spontaneity Even if you’re following a script, you can still leave some room for spontaneity. You can insert some random ad-libs if they make sense. You can laugh at some funny parts. You can admonish yourself if you find yourself rambling on and on about nothing in particular. You can edit it, of course, but if it helps you sound more human, then I see no harm with leaving those spontaneous parts in! 4. Smile You don’t need to sound so serious on your podcast. People can tell when you’re smiling and when you’re not. Put a mirror on your table and look at yourself when you speak into the microphone. If you catch yourself frowning, pause for a bit, and get that smile back in there! 5. Forget the script Scripts are useful to help organize your podcast content, but sometimes, they can be quite restrictive. You don’t need to totally forget your script, but in some cases, you may need to veer off topic. Just go with the flow. When you go in to edit your audio later on, you can always remove the parts that don’t add any value to your podcast. If you are ready to share your story, the time is now! Take action and take on that driver's seat to catch that expressway to healing and being the leader and achiever that you are. To know more about me and my podcasts, catch me on my website or check out my socials on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Read more from Tracey! Tracey Lee Cook, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tracey Cook is a leader in Brand Storytelling & Podcast Creation. She has unique expertise in helping free-driven entrepreneurs from old beliefs & success blockers by implementing her unique framework of storytelling, speaking, social media & strategy. Tracey has seen her clients increase followers, subscribers, and revenue, to brand their stories & get booked on global podcasts & virtual stages with confidence and authenticity. Working only with people who genuinely want to create a positive impact in the world. Tracey's message is powerful, "Wear your story like a superhero cape & not an anchor!". Tracey's podcast Victim to Victory is a testimony to leveraging your story for passion, purpose & profit.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Dr Zuzana Winter (BScHons), DClinPsych, CPsychol, is a Lead Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Consultant, Executive Coach, and Founder of Dr Zuzana. She is currently fulfilling two roles. The first one is in the public sector, running a mental health service in a social care setting. The second role involves running her own consultancy and therapeutic business with a focus around mental health and organisation toxicity which are used as a catalyst for creating lasting change Further activities include volunteering for a charity - acting as a consultant around MH strategy and safeguards From Slovakia to London, how did you end up there? Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey up to today? I was just 20 when I came to the UK in 2000 as a nanny at a time when there was a lot of international buzzes on in London. When I first arrived, in my mind I was coming here for a short break and did not expect that I would make a life here for myself. I spoke English but not very well and I quickly learned that the UK was so different from my country of origin in so many wonderful ways, especially the way people related to one another. That was fascinating to me. I quickly realised that speaking English was not the only important mode of communication and adaptation. Instead, at least for me, it was crucial to observe what was going on around me, to embrace the customs and nuances of this beautiful country and the people in it who came from all around the world. I learned that when I’m pushed into a new environment, you can either sink or swim and I chose to swim without even knowing how or what the ultimate outcome was going to be. But I had this inner compass that was somehow guiding me and in that sense, it was rather easy. I fell in love with this country and what it had to offer. I felt grateful for the plethora of opportunities, the generosity of others around me, and the learning I was undertaking each and every day. In all honesty, coming to the UK has been the making of me as a grown woman who’s learned to appreciate who she is and what she stands for. Having both the UK and more ‘traditional’ European values installed in me has been so enriching to me and has given me an edge I never thought possible. How did you end up becoming a clinical psychologist? The first suggestion for me to become a clinical psychologist came from my friend who said I was a good listener, always made her and others feel heard, seen, and acknowledged, and gave them good advice. My initial reaction was something along the lines of, “No, I’m not doing that! I’m not going to be sitting people down on a coach like Sigmund Freud acting psychoanalysing them from my ivory tower …” But then I reflected on my friend’s suggestion and I thought about my journey thus far and the moments as a child that have always linked my up with psychology .. Like the time when my mum would have had a book lying around the house about emotional intelligence or psychoanalytic stories which always drew my curiosity and as a child I would spend hours reading about the human mind and human experience. Then I thought about my artistic side and thirst for exploration and interest in others’ real-life stories, and my compassion towards others and passion to make a difference. So I thought, “Why not …, there must be something in this and the only way to find out is if I follow this path and see what comes out of this”. So there was this sense of taking a risk, whilst being true to myself and embracing the unknown in knowledge and faith that all will be alright. And boy, what an enriching, energising, and challenging journey this has been so far (and the journey is still ongoing which is so exciting). For me being a clinical psychologist is less about the label itself, although for sure it brings a certain amount of credentials and signals about one’s expertise with it. For me, it’s more about what I bring to the table. I am not here to blindly tell somebody what they need to do. I see myself as a collaborator, an agent of change who makes effort to expose what needs to be spoken about in a compassionate, yet focused, down-to-earth way in order to create a well-deserved change. This is both in terms of my personal evolution as a human being who’s constantly learning, re-evaluating, and progressing. Secondly, this is about me giving back to others and helping others along the way to make a change that is meaningful to them. As a clinical psychologist, I am so privileged as I get to contribute to other people’s lives and be enriched by their experiences on a daily basis. In that way, I am living my dream. After having seen more than 30,000 cases over the last 15 years, what have you learned about the human being? In my experience of working with people from all walks of life and different levels of distress and circumstances, I’ve always been struck by one thing. Making a change that is needed is one of the hardest things to do … Our unconscious mind will do whatever it takes to create an environment that is comfortable to us and that spares us as much psychological pain and uncomfortableness as possible, selling us the fantasy of unsafe certainty that in the long run works against us rather than for us, creating barriers between what we deserve and need, ultimately impoverishing our human experience. This is the ‘resistance to change’ as some would call it. This is part of my role that I really enjoy, coming alongside the individual in order for them to face their truths and embrace the process of change for their benefit, not mine, in order to get the most out of their experience. This process unfolds in different contexts from individual therapeutic cases I’ve seen to larger-scale systems, including families and corporate settings. I have dealt with quite a variety of cases most of which were complex and difficult to handle (e.g. rape, domestic violence, murders, child abuse, personality disorders, psychosis, suicidality, etc). When it comes to human beings, I deal with the full spectrum of narcissism. For some of the cases, the reports I produced were used in the context of legal proceedings or other major decision-making platforms. The stakes have been high in many cases because my assessments, therapeutic interventions, and recommendations would have impacted significantly the life of a patient. Each recommendation must be backed up by a full report I need to produce. This means I have had to produce numerous reports weekly. This is quite an intense job because not only it is demanding, but also somewhat I hold life or destiny in my hands. While I provide one-to-one therapy to countless numbers of clients, I also oversee 100+ cases across a team of therapists weekly as a lead clinical psychologist. I make judgement calls on what should happen next and consult on how the therapists and other professionals can do their job better. Overall, what I have learned is that challenges, whether these are personal challenges around mental health or larger scale problems, such as organisational toxicity and conflict are actually extremely important and should be embraced because they offer a glimpse into what could be possible if we were brave enough and committed enough to look in rather than turning away. These trigger points are a catalyst for change. They point directly at those areas that are deserving of our attention in order to make changes in the right direction to create a new, improved reality and state of thriving rather than just existing. This applies across the spectrum from individual to organisational systems. In terms of large corporations, I have empathy for the complexity of what is at stake here. It can be difficult to have a frank look at what is and what isn’t working well. Particularly, when there are signals of toxicity … Who’d want to put their hand up and say, “Hey, my name is so and so and I’m a CEO of a toxic organisation”. Understandably, we tend to plaster over these cracks with various initiatives from spending time on training and personal development to team away days. But we often miss the inevitable, which is the vital opportunity for understanding these trigger points and their roots in order to allow for a true transformation and evolution which will ultimately deliver benefits for all both in terms of monetary gains and well-being. Have you seen any new emerging patterns in terms of what employees face in the office, throughout your cases? Employees are human beings and they are increasingly aware of what kind of environments are right for them. Apart from the ever-increasing focus on employees’ personal well-being, there is also the focus on how they want and deserve to be treated. This is where the spotlight on narcissism and toxic leadership comes into play and many of my clients talk about it quite explicitly. They share with me their first-hand experiences of being on a receiving end of a narcissistic employer or a work colleague, or they talk about a toxic work culture. Of course, these are not new phenomena. But in the post-pandemic world with the ever-increasing speed of information exchange, learning, competition, and focus on well-being, the quality of leadership has never been more important. Furthermore, many employees are actually millennials and generation Z who are expecting quick results with more focus on living the best life right here, right now rather than being married to a job for life, loyally waiting for things to change in the future. Narcissism and toxicity in the workplace then become a very risky strategy with hugely devastating effects at all levels. In terms of employees, we are talking about extreme levels of stress, poor physical and mental health, reduced productivity and collaboration, and ultimately large staff attrition rates. From the employer's point of view, we are talking about the loss of professional reputation, innovation, and ultimately loss of earnings at the expense of competitors edging ahead. To me, being able to appreciate what narcissism brings to a workplace and understanding what talents a person with narcissistic traits brings to a workplace are crucial. This is not to say that narcissism is a welcome state of being. Rather to me, if I look at narcissism as something that has at some point in time been celebrated and has been extremely important to an organisation, I can then collaborate with the decision makers around using these talents differently without excess and spreading of toxicity. In another way, we are not all marathon runners, right? We all come with our own unique set of skills. Trying to make us all marathon runners would be a wasted effort. Instead, it’s about discovering and celebrating what the employee's skill set is at this point in time and combining it with other’s unique contributions to make a thriving workplace. Through my varied clinical experience with different populations with complex presentations, including personality disorders I have developed an approach to therapy that aims to deliver quick results within months and weeks rather than years. This approach is also highly applicable in the corporate sector. How did you develop your therapeutic style? For me, developing my style is a combination of being a scientific practitioner, gaining and rehearsing expert therapeutic skills, evaluating evidence, and applying what I gather in practice whilst also being true to myself as an individual and human being. I spent 1000s of hours in training, personal therapy, supervision, developing specific skills, and then scientifically practicing these with 1000s of clients and also on myself. I’ve always been very creative with a big imagination and spent my childhood and teenage years practicing fine arts. I love this part of my skillset and personality as it continues to drive my curiosity in my clinical work. It allows me to be flexible, open-minded and see things from many different vantage points. This is a key aspect of my strong problem-solving skills, where I can find shortcuts and creative solutions to very complex problems, oftentimes yielding quick results. I combine these skills with my personal convictions and common sense approach. I believe in collaboration rather than dictatorship. This means, genuinely seeing the other side of the coin of another individual rather than forcing my own truth and expertise on somebody. Having said that, I am rather plain speaking and active in my approach, saying what needs to be said but with an essential ingredient of compassion, always checking in with myself about my motivation. As said above, we as human beings are driven to avoid suffering. This includes avoiding taking steps toward our goals even if we know not doing so is a form of self-sabotage. My role in therapy, coaching, and consultancy is to keep us to the task at hand with compassion and clarity of purpose so that it is not me who’s driving the process but rather the client is in a driving seat with me by their side. A crucial part of my therapeutic offer is the use of all the information at our disposal from body, mind, and intellect. The role of emotions and emotional intelligence is particularly crucial here as it’s an essential part of any executive decision-making, after all, emotions oftentimes kickstart the process that determines our decisions. I oftentimes receive a remark from my clients that they don’t use their emotions; in fact, they see the use of emotions as somehow weak or irrelevant as they use their intellect and pride themselves on being rational. In my clinical, research, and personal experience, the avoidance of emotions is a huge misunderstanding as it robs one of being able to make the most educated decision possible and in that sense, the logic of not using emotions goes against any person who wants to use logic and facts. Did you feel pulled into the corporate world by your clients and patients? Absolutely, this is something that has organically become a focus of my work, with me providing more and more collaboration to corporate clients, bringing in my expertise to resolve complex dynamics and problems in organisations in order to turn negatives into positives and help organisations thrive rather than survive. This is a natural calling for me because of the overlap between what individual clients and patients experience and what organisations and those working in the experience. After all, organisations are made up of human beings … More specifically though, there’s been a paradigm shift both in the experiences of individual clients and the corporate sector as a whole towards well-being and away from dysfunctionality, narcissism, and workplace toxicity. There is growing awareness that companies can achieve much more without sticking with the old-fashioned ways of managing others, including narcissistic leadership styles. Long gone are days with a company’s know-how and its working practices were kept behind closed doors and where arguments such as “this is a cut-through environment and if you don’t like it, find another job” would actually be taken seriously. These days, there is a lot at stake for large corporations which are barely surviving in an increasingly fast-paced environment where know-how flows so easily and education is at the touch of a button for literally everybody. Moving onto another job or starting your own entrepreneurship is just a click away. Why is the corporate world a natural fit for you? Some of it flows from what I’ve already said. In the post-covid work era, large corporations now need to maximise the well-being of their employees in order to retain them and this means minimising toxicity at work. Well-being starts with the human being which affects the group, which impacts the leader and the corporate culture and foundations, and vice versa. And addressing toxicity is what I’ve been doing on a daily basis with my clients and patients for more than 15 years. This need to minimise toxicity requires a new type of profile when it comes to change management because if done wrong, things can go terribly wrong, especially where the UK corporate labour world has become more of a litigation minefield. This cannot be left to chance or trial and error. Corporations need proven strategies to minimise toxicity. And this is where my long-standing experience in this field comes in. All the therapeutic strategies I implemented for all these years have already been tested day in and day out. I know what works and what doesn’t for each of my clients. For corporations, this is invaluable because it saves time and importantly it spares the company from making costly errors. On the other end, I have had increasing referrals from clients looking to help them handle toxicity at work and looking to quit their jobs. I have seen how employees have grown less tolerant of working in a toxic environment and especially working for a narcissistic manager or culture. Overall, I am at the forefront of this labor attrition issue from an employee perspective. For more info, follow Dr Zuzana on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and visit her website!