Written by: Cynthia Blackwell, 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. If you want to fill your pipeline with qualified opportunities and close more sales calls, stop talking and ask more questions. As the old saying goes – If you are telling, you are not selling. So true!!! It is all about the Relationship! People do business with people they like and trust, so be that person your prospects like and trust. How do you do that? By being purposeful, sincere, and strategic in your interactions with them – Ask them questions and get to know them. The top 3 ways to accomplish this… Structure your questions to get the information you need to qualify the opportunity. Time is money for you and your prospect, so be purposeful with your questions. Do a little homework and create a list of questions you need to ask to qualify the opportunity properly. Control the urge to talk. That old saying that is so very true is – if you are telling, you are NOT selling. People do not want to be sold to, so don’t do it. YOU should not be doing most of the talking – your prospect should be doing about 90% of the talking. Clean out your ears and use them. Shut up and listen! While that may sound harsh, it is key to relationship building, effective communication, and qualifying opportunities. Your listening skills are so critical to your success. Show your prospect you are listening by taking notes (write down what you hear) and repeating what you heard (the verify game). While my recommendations may seem simplistic and you think there just has to be more, there is NOT more to it. Keep it simple and focus on these 3 Keys, which are crucial to qualifying and closing more sales for your business. After reading this article, if you found value in what I shared, I will be ecstatic and have supported a fellow entrepreneurial dream of success. If you want to discuss HOW to leverage The Magical Power of 3 to create a strategy and plan, contact me, and let’s talk. Or, you can pick up your copy of the book by clicking the link. I welcome the opportunity to support you and your explosive success. Talk to you soon!!! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cynthia! Cynthia Blackwell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cynthia is a coveted speaker, a trusted business coach, mentor, and a respected philanthropist. Attendees leave her presentations excited and empowered with tools they can implement now! Can you imagine what a 1 on 1 coaching session is like with Cynthia?! She is also the author of The Magical Power of 3 – Roadmap to Success, Wealth & Happiness. Her book is a culmination of her experience as a rainmaker, executive coach, trainer, mother, grandmother, and trusted friend. This book is NOT that self-help book of yesterday BUT marries mental health and mindset with business acumen, sales, and leadership tips that are critical to success in today's ever-changing climate. To be released soon!!!

Written by: Brigitte Kaps, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Every CEO aspires to be an assertive leader. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg in his desire to pull Meta out of a disappointing quarter after which the company’s market cap dropped $230 billion, came under fire when he did a call with employees to announce slow hiring and told them this: “Some of you might decide that this place isn’t for you, and that self-selection is OK with me. Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here.” Ouch. While strongly worded communication has yielded results in the past, pressuring employees and using aggressive communication is not healthy in the long run. For many people, fear of losing their job might motivate them to perform better for a while, but it can also lead to a quick attrition rate, not to mention create an atmosphere of unease, and distrust and lead to mental health issues down the road. An alternative to an aggressive stance is positive communication that some CEOs are known to use to motivate their employees. Harsh words and scare tactics might well be the way of the high-flying technology world, but there are alternative ways to communicate. We give four alternate ways you can communicate to your employees to boost productivity. Show empathy – Building strong connections with team members is a sign of emotional intelligence. Empathy in the workplace has shown to result in more productivity in the team and has led to better internal support. Studies have shown that empathetic leaders inspire confidence and loyalty among the team members which leads to overall better performance. At the same time, it’s important to remember that these are unprecedented times and employees are also feeling unmotivated. Leaders need to tell them that it’s okay to feel that way and to inspire them to believe that better times lie ahead. Praise and acknowledge – A study done by the International Journal of Science and Research concluded that there is a direct correlation between rewards and recognition and job satisfaction and motivation. Rewards needn’t be material in form. Even acknowledging the work that employees have done in dire circumstances is enough reward for many of them. Being seen by the leadership for their efforts goes a huge way in transforming their attitude. Being a part of the team – CEOs can truly be team leaders only when they are a part of the team, not apart from the team. Fostering collaboration within the team, helping others achieve their goals and creating a sense of belonging goes a long way in building a sense of community among the team members, engendering loyalty and ascribing more meaning to whatever they are tasked with. Listen to your employees – Employees need to feel psychologically safe about airing their views and offering feedback without fear of being criticised or vilified. But what’s really important to them is that CEOs listen to them and implement changes in the organisation. When employees feel they are being validated, it earns you loyalty and happy, motivated employees. The best resources in any company are its people and when CEOs invest in them in upskilling them, it boosts employee morale, helps them feel secure enough to handle newer challenges and also ensures that everything runs smoothly. With the future looking uncertain, the best way to be prepared for it is by preparing ourselves, and this includes employees. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Brigitte! Brigitte Kaps, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brigitte Kaps is the founder and CEO of Executive PR.ch & Rent a PR.ch. She holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Business Communications and a degree in communications science She has almost 20 years of international experience in management positions with leading foreign banks (ABN Amro, GE, RBS). Before becoming self-employed in 2015, she was responsible for corporate communications at Cembra Money Bank (formerly GE Money Bank) in her capacity as a member of the Executive Board.

Written by: Marianne Beck, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Are you considering where you want to go next in your work life? Maybe you spend your days spinning your wheels feeling like you’re wasting your talents and not accomplishing as much as you would like to. Or perhaps you keep saying yes to opportunities without really considering if those opportunities are the right ones for you. Being caught up in a loop where you’re not happy and fulfilled at work can be very frustrating. But thankfully, there are a number of questions you can ask to steer yourself in the right direction. Working as a career coach, a lot of people who reach out to me for help and guidance to enjoy more rewarding careers find it difficult to explain what their ideal job scenario is. Many have never allowed themselves to really think about it. Others are afraid of failure or even the consequences of success. Hesitant.Gravitating towards the status quo.    And I FULLY understand. Staring into the unknown with no sense of direction can be quite scary. Because how can you find your ideal job, if you don’t know what it is? If you don’t know where you’re headed, you’re not going to get there You have to know what you’re looking for in order to find it. It’s really as simple as that. If you want to reach your full potential and have a career and a life at work that excites you, you’ll need to do some inner work. This means blocking out the noise from external sources and defining success on YOUR terms. You've got to SLOW DOWN before you speed up. It seems counterintuitive, I know, but trust me on this. You can't go full steam ahead when you haven't worked out what your 'destination dream job' looks like. You need to slow down and do the inner work needed to understand who you are, and what success in a successful purpose-built career life looks like for you. What is your ideal job? There are as many concepts and definitions of what an ideal job is as there are people on the planet. No two people are the same. Moreover, the pandemic has changed our general perception of where we work. Pre-2020, a job very often took place in a building with a company name on the front where we would spend 8+ hours a day before returning to our homes. Today, an in-the-office-based job is no longer a given. For some, a prestigious office-based high-paying job is still ideal. Yet, for others, it’s working fully remote 25 hours a week with plenty of time to spend with the family and/or an energy-giving hobby. Or being a digital nomad working from a cafe, a campervan, or the beach somewhere before going hiking, surfing, bird watching, or whatever takes your fancy. Or something completely different. Many would say that their dream job gives them meaning, purpose, fulfillment , freedom, a decent salary, a supportive line manager, a collaborative and respectful working environment and sociable hours. No matter how you define your perfect fit role, it's important to know what matters to you, what your top priorities are and build a job around that. The point is, there are no right or wrong answers...only what makes sense to YOU, how you define success and would like to work now and in the future. So, if you haven't started thinking about it, today is a perfect place to start. Exercise: Defining your ideal job If you have no idea what your dream job looks like, the following exercise is for you. Below, you will find a list of factors worth considering to help you gain clarity on what your ideal job situation looks like. Important Job Factors exercise I strongly recommend that you write your answers down as opposed to just thinking about them. That way, you’ll document your thoughts and reflections. Your thought process is likely to be iterative and having it on paper allows you to track your progress and to go back and amend and update as well as share it with mentors and thought partners of your choice. 1. Development/growth potential : What and how would you like to develop and grow – personally and professionally? 2. Compensation & benefits: What are your expectations in terms of base salary, bonuses, pension scheme, health insurance, car allowance and other benefits? 3. Company size: What company size would suit you and why? 4. Location: What is your ideal work location? And how many days of travel are you prepared to accept, if any? 5. Company culture: What characterizes the company culture that you would like to work in? 6. Working conditions: How many hours per week would you like to work? Would you prefer to work from an office or from home or both? Would you prefer to have your own office, or are you happy to work in an open plan? How many weeks’ paid holiday do you expect to have? What are your expectations in terms of training and development? Any other conditions that are important to you? 7. Boss: How would you describe your ideal boss? What do you expect from him/her in terms of motivation, support, development, etc 8. Team: What would be your ideal team setup? What role(s) do you tend to play in a team? 9. Job content: What would be your ideal job(s)? Which areas of responsibility and tasks would you like to/prefer to have? Please list everything relevant or of interest to you and where you believe your talents can be best put to use. I truly hope you’ll enjoy this exercise and find it rewarding. I’m passionate about helping women be more of who they truly are, so they can have more joy, enthusiasm and fulfillment in their work. If you are serious about taking your work life to the next level, I would like to gift you my guide, which gives you 5 effective steps to elevate your career and transition to the calling that you're truly passionate about. Click HERE to get your free Ebook Do you want to learn more about having a purpose-built career and finding the work you love? Partnering with me gives you the framework, community and professional support to reach a greater understanding of the beliefs you have about yourself, your habits and behaviors and how it impacts your results. I’ll support and challenge you respectfully to make sure you come away from each session with clarity, certainty and confidence in what you’re looking for and the steps you need to take in order to achieve what you truly want. Apply HERE for an opportunity to work with me It's time to design your career life the way YOU want it 👊🏼 Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, for more motivation, inspiration and education on this topic and visit my website for more info! Marianne Beck, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marianne Beck is an Executive Career Coach who helps women in Leadership and Specialist positions find the job that they love, so that they can be more of who they truly are and work in alignment with the lifestyle they want. In 2014, Marianne began to notice signs of burnout and decided to leave the corporate world after a long career in leading HR roles. Driven by her passion for helping others discover their ideal work scenario and how to achieve it, she created her signature programme the Dream Career Method. Marianne now works with private and corporate clients in Europe and the US and is the founder and CEO of Marianne Beck Executive Career Coaching.

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. How often do we feel an impulse to do something, create something, say something...only to be stopped by gut wrenching fear? Can you articulate that moment in your own life where fear impedes in your process and stops you in your tracks? What is something that you have been wanting to make happen in your life personally and/or professionally that those voices of fear have taken hold of and squashed? And, what to do about it? As humans, we are plagued by fear every day to one extent or another. These times have certainly exacerbated this experience for so many, with fear being pumped into our systems from every angle. It can demand a daily, moment-by-moment practice of learning how to unlearn this pattern and orientation towards fear and to imprint our systems with the energy of possibility, love, acceptance, and power. **With this being said, if you are someone who is struggling with deeply seeded emotional imprints of fear, this conversation may not impact you to the degree that it will someone who has moderate moments of fear surfacing. I am in no way minimizing how deeply paralyzing fear can be for so many in their lives. If this is you that I am speaking to, I highly recommend seeking a professional who can give you the proper support to work the fear and transform in your own unique way. I would be honored to be of support (discount code at the end of the article for Brainz readers).** It is my mission to bring women together in sacred and safe spaces where they can heal, grow, and tap into that power from deep within with witness and support. Over the years, I have certainly had my own inner flames of fear fanned by those not happy with my approach. I have had horror stories of women calling me out in the middle of my circles. Women who have created lists of all that I did "wrong" in their eyes and then offered this scalding unsolicited advice to me after an event. I even had a woman *leave* one of my retreats without saying a word to me and then proceeding to send me a barrage of texts about how horrible I am. However, I keep carrying forward. My mission becomes more enlivened by the day, by the event, and by witnessing the incredible transformation that women are experiencing as a result of my guidance. I know that the more visible and verbal I become, the louder the outside world will respond. And not always positively or productively. Yet, the choice to remain small, contained and quiet out of fear is not an option. I know, from deep within my heart and soul, that this work is mine to offer and that it is impossible to make everyone happy. I will never gain the approval of every single woman who chooses to attend my events or book a session with me, or crosses paths with me on any level. That is just not how life works. Allowing fear to run the show is a life sentence of struggle and dissatisfaction. It is a path of dis-ease and dis-connect. It is a track of collapse and pain. Choosing to transform our natural human fears into action is a transformational gesture on our own behalf. And, we have the capacity to meet our lives with the whole of who we are, our most authentic and empowered selves. We can truly transform our fear into power in every crevice of our lives. How can we meet our fears with reverence and continuously take steps forward anyhow? How can we honor the voices of fear and still move towards our dreams, our visions, and our goals? Awareness is key. Being in a state of self-inquiry is essential. Staying curious and open is non-negotiable. Slowing down and noticing those moments when the fear takes charge and the dreams, visions, and impulses dissipate. What is going on for you in those moments? What messages are going through your mind? Are they true? Are they yours? How do you feel in your body? What are the sensations that are coursing through your body? Then, the key is to train ourselves to feel the fear and all that the fear is bringing to the table of our Being. How does it feel to be experiencing this fear? To have the fear take over our vision and intentions? Finally, the most important piece here is to be aware and make the choice to step forward anyhow…despite the fear! Have the conversation, launch the event or program, and take the leap toward the dream that you have been simmering with. It doesn’t mean that the fear is gone, but rather it diminishes in strength and power is returned to YOU. You can transform your life and the entire state of being by working in this way with yourself and your habitual ways of living and being...including the allowance of fear seeping into your life. Are you ready to take some big steps forward in your life? Past the fear and towards the possibility and power? I would be honored to be a guide and support for you. HERE is a link to schedule a Free 20-Minute Clarity Call. As Brainz readers, please use the coupon code: BRAINZLOVE for 10% off all sessions and packages. 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 Wellness 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 to unwind their nervous systems, make peace with their bodies, and remember who they truly are. 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 13-year old son.

Written by: Kathy Grassett, 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 you transition from working for someone else to starting your own service business, you bring with you all the skills, beliefs, and habits you’ve cultivated in your past professional life. Ideally, you’ll have several transferable skills to give yourself an advantage in building your business such as marketing, customer service, or budgeting. Inevitably, though, you will carry forward many programmed thoughts and habits that don’t lend themselves well to your new business venture. I share examples in my article 3 Ways Your Corporate Experience Is Sabotaging Your Entrepreneurial Success. One of the pitfalls of coming from a corporate background is that you’ve been steeped in a culture where you are pressured to deliver more and more value while the resources to do your job become less and less. Budgets get reduced or cut altogether. Teams get scaled back. Training gets eliminated. You were expected to complete the same amount of work, or more, without what you needed to complete it. As a result, you were programmed to deliver more for less. And when ‘do more for less’ is wired into your subconscious, the habit you carry forward as a service entrepreneur is one of over-delivering and under-charging. And it’s one of the biggest and most common mistakes business owners make, costing them time, energy, and money. Running your own business is very different than working for a company. Even if what you did for your employer involved creating, marketing, and selling their products or services, doing it for yourself is not the same. And many consultants and coaches quickly realize that they are completely lost when it comes to figuring out how to package up their expertise, put a price tag on it, and sell it to the world. So, in the absence of the necessary knowledge needed to do these things, their subconscious provides direction. And their subconscious is programmed to over-deliver and under-charge. So, what does that look like? The first thing that happens is that you cram as much as possible into your signature system and package offerings to somehow justify charging people any amount of money for them. When you’re the face of your business and the direct recipient of a client’s money, it can cause new business owners a lot of discomfort. They feel guilty charging the price they want to charge for their services and are compelled to give them more ‘stuff’ to justify the cost. The problem with over-delivering, though, is twofold. One, by loading up on services or program elements, you risk completely overwhelming your clients. Your clients want a simple, straightforward path to their goals. Imparting all the statistics, supporting scientific facts, and nuggets of wisdom you have on a subject is information overload and jeopardizes your clients’ success. If you overwhelm your clients, they may not finish your program or service. If they don’t finish, they don’t get results, nor do they refer you. Worse yet, they share negative information about you, and you lose out on countless financial opportunities from re-enrollments and referral clients. Two, you run the risk of burning out. If you’re providing weekly calls, weekly live training, direct message access, and unlimited email access in the hopes of making your offer more appealing because it has more components, you create a lot of extra work for yourself keeping up across multiple platforms. Plus, you enable your clients’ dependency on you because you’re always available with an answer, which perpetuates their need for access to you. It’s exhausting. Actionable Takeaway Commit to a less-is-more approach to your signature system and service offerings. Include only the steps and supporting information that is necessary to achieve the transformation promised. Your clients want speed, ease, and results. Give them the most direct path and help them become resourceful. Strip away anything that doesn’t directly lead to the desired outcome. You can consider these elements as bonuses that enhance their experience. You will increase the likelihood of your clients’ success and prevent yourself from working crazy hours. The second thing that happens when you have a ‘do more for less’ mentality is you don’t charge what your services are worth. You may charge by the hour instead of based on the outcome you help your clients achieve. You might offer ridiculous discounts or lower your prices when someone says they can’t afford you. Sometimes, you may give your work away for free. You are programmed to be a bargain commodity to appease more people (keeping costs low) while providing a high level of service. The obvious problem with under-charging is that you’re not bringing in enough money to compensate for all the work you’re doing. So, now you’re overworked and overwhelmed with nothing to show for it. There are also more subtle, but equally detrimental, side effects of selling your services for a price much lower than they’re worth. One, your clients may not get the results they desire, even if you’ve scaled back on the unnecessary components. The bigger the investment, the more invested clients are in doing the work. They have more skin in the game. They’re going to show up for themselves more consistently the more they’ve invested upfront. Clients who show up and do the work are the ones that will get the results. And results lead to re-enrollments and referrals. Two, you may even feel resentment toward clients who get so much of your time, energy, and expertise at a bargain price, especially if they’re squandering their opportunity. What a way to lose all motivation in your business! Actionable Takeaway Don’t keep your prices low in the hopes of appealing to more people. There are clients for every price point. Raise your price to reflect the massive value you provide and then uplevel your niche to one that is willing to pay a premium fee for that value. If the jump to your desired price seems too big and daunting, raise it in increments after defined periods or a set number of clients until you reach your price goal. You will need far fewer clients to reach your income goals, so you will reach those goals in far less time, and you will feel excited and empowered by the improved equity of exchange between you and your clients. One of the most difficult things about starting or growing a service business after a long corporate career is making the mental shift from serving as an employee to leading as an entrepreneur. Many of the beliefs and behaviors necessary to achieve corporate goals are counterproductive to growing a business. Ignore making these shifts and your entrepreneurial journey will be slow, overwhelming, and frustrating. But master the shift and you significantly increase your chance of entrepreneurial success to levels far greater than those achieved in corporate, making a lot more money with a lot less effort, in a way that is powerfully authentic to you. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kathy! Kathy Grassett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kathy Grassett is a business coach, speaker, and leader specializing in career reinvention, business growth, and money mastery after a life in corporate. After a successful 20-year corporate career in IT, she had trouble adjusting to life as an entrepreneur and realized her lingering corporate identity was limiting her potential. Kathy now teaches clients her strategies for shedding the corporate layers that are holding them back and creating a simple but lucrative business model that will power them into exciting new levels of impact & income. Kathy’s mission is to help her clients surpass their corporate success by making a lot more money with a lot less effort in a way that is powerfully authentic to them.

Written by: Deborah Lynch, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Overthinking kills ideas. It hampers progress. It slams on the brakes and brings many a promising project to a screeching halt. It happens all the time — because overthinking automatically sows the seeds of doubt, puts up barriers to whatever it is you desire in a given project, and will all too often take you right back to Square One. I know many people in business who automatically overthink a situation, but I no longer list myself among them. For example, when writing an article, I usually sit down at the computer with a topic in mind, begin typing, and figure out what I’m going to write as I go along. I may take a wrong turn here and there, but such cul-de-sacs become quickly apparent, and I’m soon back on course. By the end of that seat-of-the-pants exercise, I’ll have an article that’s pretty much ready to go and will only need a touch of fine-tuning before it is published. This method places me firmly in one of two categories of article writers. And I’m pleased to say that I belong with those who jump in at the deep end, start swimming in the sea of words, and emerge triumphant at the end. The other category is those writers who ponder endlessly over what to write and how to write it. They will carefully figure out every element of the article in question. This will lead to a detailed plan of what goes where. But they won’t begin the actual job of writing until they are one hundred percent happy with their blueprint, which will lead to even more tinkering. These writers might be classified as over-thinkers. Even following their carefully constructed stratagem, they might well overthink themselves submitting to an overwhelming doubt and heading straight back to the drawing board. So far today, I’ve written two articles without overthinking. The first, based on a topic that I’m totally familiar with, came relatively easily. The second topic sprang spontaneously out of writing the first. Now I’m now working on the third (this one). Apart from its promising title, I didn’t know what I would write until I got started. Having now produced almost 400 words so far, I can see that my progress is pretty good, and I’m confident of reaching a satisfying conclusion. This is a typical example of taking spontaneous action. Had I sat down to plot out the content item by item, line by line, I would no doubt find myself lost in a great landscape of overthinking. Interestingly, I really enjoy the process of writing this particular article because exploring the unknown is always enjoyable, exciting, and enlightening. It’s never boring! Embrace those different shades of grey In her marvellous book Outrageous Openness, Tosha Silver writes: ‘No matter what you want to achieve, surrender should always be Step One.’ Basically, this means that in wanting to control everything, you literally cultivate a fear which leads to stress and anxiety. In other words, the root cause of overthinking. To overcome this, Tosha recommends surrender. Don’t attempt to control everything. Instead, simply allow good things to happen by eliminating overthinking. I often encounter overthinking among my own clientele. For instance, Rebecca told me: “I’ve never had a real relationship. Every relationship that I had either didn’t include emotional connection or didn’t involve sex.” “Rebecca,” I explained. “That’s called black-and-white thinking. A relationship that doesn’t have an emotional connection or sex isn’t necessarily a bad relationship. There are many different shades of grey in any given situation. As long as a relationship adds value to your life, it’s a successful relationship.” Black-and-white thinking is a symptom of overthinking. The solution to it is to fully embrace those shades of grey. Mind your mindset (or your mind will play tricks on you) According to my own observations, people only start working on their mindset after major trauma in their lives: a horrific breakup… getting fired… a broken family relationship… and so on. But one of my goals is to make self-help something that we all practice in our day-to-day lives. In the future, if someone doesn’t self-help, it will look like they don’t use a smartphone (yes, that’s my goal). I want self-help to become a natural part of everyone’s existence because I know that if you don’t work on your mindset, then sooner or later, your mind will start playing tricks on you! As Gary Vaynerchuk once said: “I don’t like gurus who talk about mind and motivation, and I certainly don’t want to be a motivational speaker, but a person’s mindset actually matters because it’s definitely fundamental to everything.” If you tend to overthink situations, I recommend you begin by working on your mindset. But do so with the knowledge that overthinking is caused by stress and anxiety… which in turn result from fear… which in turn comes from an inability to accept negative experiences. How to get stuff done (the Zuckerberg way) Did you know Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg didn’t even plan to make an absolute fortune? Back in the beginning, his website was created to help guys meet girls on his university campus. But as we all know, Facebook grew from those basic origins (or urges) to become one of the world’s most successful businesses. Mark Zuckerberg simply started out with a good idea and went along with it. He didn’t formulate a 100-page business plan and then implement all its painstaking details. Essentially, he didn’t spend two years overthinking things. If he had done so, we probably wouldn’t have what is arguably the most popular social media platform on the planet today. Clearly, the Zuckerberg example above demonstrates that the first step towards getting stuff done is to take action while fully accepting any potential risks. It certainly isn’t sitting around overthinking things. The power of a soundtrack According to American author Jon Acuff, one real solution to overthinking isn’t to stop thinking, it’s to accompany one’s work time with a suitable soundtrack — as an aid against overthinking. When I was younger, I’d work at my computer in complete silence. The void created by having no suitable soundtrack playing in the background was filled by an overthinking that inevitably slowed me down. I did some research and quickly learned that the best way to curb overthinking when working is to have a lo-fi soundtrack playing somewhere in the background. I found that relaxing background music eliminated any other extraneous noise and helped me stay focused on the task at hand. It is a system I’ve stuck to ever since. Occasionally I’ll listen to songs sung in a language not my own — not understanding the lyrics somehow aids my concentration. Sometimes listening to the sound of the ocean or the patter of rain on leaves on YouTube helps me to stay focused. Don’t waste time chasing perfection Job interview candidates are often asked: “What is your weakness?” After a few moments of thought the candidate, keen to impress the employer, modestly replies: “I guess I’m too much of a perfectionist.” If I were that employer, I wouldn’t be at all impressed by that answer. The pursuit of perfection is an impossible ideal. I’d rather hire someone who admits to suffering from overthinking. At least they are honest. By contrast, the pursuit of perfection is a cruel joke. I know many will not agree with all the sentiments expressed in the above text. But that’s okay — hopefully, this imperfect article will provide food for thought. Writing it without overthinking has certainly helped me to reach my goal of 1300+ words! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Deborah! Deborah Lynch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deborah Lynch is THE global expert on embodying your personal presence (both online and offline) to achieve your dreams, influence hundreds of thousands of people, and achieve self-actualization. Her mission is to help you build a thriving personal Presence that helps you succeed in business, in relationships, and in every area of your life easily – almost effortlessly! She has built a successful speaking business, a successful coaching company, a successful Youtube channel, and a successful eCommerce store, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs succeed in today’s presence-driven online landscape. Deborah’s Story Deborah’s story is one of overcoming poverty to achieving triumph – and it is still evolving to this day! If she can do it, anyone can – including you! At one point in her life, Deborah even found herself homeless, with nothing but a can of carrots to eat. At that point, she found a mentor who trained her on a specific set of skills and began her journey to success. Deborah learned how to become a success both as an entrepreneur and in the corporate world, and eventually discovered the great power of Presence, which she used to become a professional speaker and present for over 150,000 people in 70 countries for 48 different luxury brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and Gucci. Upon reaching the height of her career, she realized she wanted something more. She wanted to use her Presence as a way to help others in every area of their lives – from personal to professional, and beyond. That’s when Instant Wings was born, and along with it her Youtube channel Instant Wings1, where she now has over 51,000 views and over 5,000 hours of playtime (and counting!) Today Now, Deborah has turned her attention to helping you discover your presence. Because people with a powerful, magnetic Presence – and a message that turns their adversities into a superpower – can experience nearly overnight success in almost endeavour. Your powerful personal presence can be used to transform your business, your relationships, your results, your health, and your happiness. Because all of these things depend on how you show up. And that’s exactly what Deborah is here to teach you. Ready to master your Presence?

Written by: Marc de Bruin, 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 I undertook training in the mindfulness school of thought years ago, I learned one life and mindful principle that I turned into a leadership principle for myself and my clients. It is this one: no one can make you feel anything; only you can. Or, to put it differently: no one is responsible for your feelings; only you are. I realise that’s quite a statement, even from a mindfulness perspective. We all are subjected to (sometimes very) unpleasant experiences in our personal and professional lives. And we automatically tend to look to external causes for the way we feel rather than (first) taking full responsibility for our feelings. We think we feel bad because we have been mistreated by people in authority; we may think that someone or something else is to blame for our feelings; we may point fingers at the government, the economy, climate change, dictators, bad luck, or whatever else, and claim that those are the cause of our current emotional state. In corporate settings, we may point at workplace culture, hierarchical structures, the industry standards we work under, or blame staff morale, staff personalities, workload, or other pressures for our strong emotions. In all cases, when we do this, we give the power to make us feel anything to external factors. We seem to become a ‘victim of circumstance(s)’, which feels quite disempowering. Here’s a seemingly odd question from a mindfulness and counselling perspective, though: how do you actually KNOW you are experiencing feelings like sadness, excitement, anger, happiness, etc.? How come you know that THAT is what you are feeling? Many, less emotionally aware people would describe their emotions in terms of behaviour: I slam a door; I stomp my feet; I make a fist; I jump up and down; I punch in the air; I cry; I laugh; I scream. More important is, though, that we feel sensations in our bodies: we get hot; our faces go red; we start to shake; our heart rate goes up; our breathing speeds up and becomes shallow; our stomach churns; our muscles get tight; we feel heavy in the shoulders; we feel an electric shock go through us, etc., etc. This is crucial: sensations in our bodies are a very important part of our emotional apparatus. In fact, a common realisation in counselling and psychological circles has been for some time that without sensations in our bodies, we could not feel any emotion. That’s why I call them ‘e-motions’; energies in motion! More modern neuroscience approaches agree that body sensations are paramount to feeling emotions; we react more to the body sensations than we do to the situation at hand, it seems. Obviously, our thoughts are another important element in this mix. Body sensations ‘co-emerge’ with thoughts we attach value or importance to. In fact, the more important the thoughts we are thinking are to us, the stronger you will experience body sensations. Simple example: the thought “it is 20 degrees Celsius today” will probably not create strong body sensations. The thought “I’m going to get fired” will most likely produce very strong sensations in your body! Why is knowing all this so important? Well, without going into too many details -this will be a whole article in itself- the long and the short of it is that we are the first recipients of what our brains and bodies think and feel about what we are facing. Our “initial emotional input” has very little to do with what is being done or said per se, more with how it is being processed in our brains and bodies. If we like what we think and feel, our first instincts are to respond favourably. If we don’t like what we think and feel, our first reaction is to respond unfavourably. In effect, we are a closed-loop system when it comes to our emotions and feelings. Unless we are being touched, NOTHING and NO-ONE can make us 'feel’ anything; feeling takes place inside our brain and body first and foremost; as said: it’s a closed-loop system. This system has been trained to interpret things in a particular way, influenced by our culture, our parents, our peers, our personal experiences, our education, our mentors etc., etc. It is already ‘pre-programmed’ through nature and nurture elements to guide our initial responses. So here you are as a leader. You are in a tough conversation with a direct report who is not performing well and has to be let go of. This conversation had been coming for a while. Your heart rate is up; your temperature is up; you can feel the ‘buzz’ of adrenaline in your body; your hands are actually trembling a little. The employee has voiced his/her disagreement in strong words and with very hostile body language. This is not a fun conversation. Many people don’t like ‘confrontation’ and react to it immediately. What do you now do? Well, ideally, you remain ‒ outwardly ‒ calm and keep interacting with the staff member in a respectful yet determined way. That is a very deliberate, mindful leadership decision, where you choose to ACT calm even though you don’t FEEL calm. Many people in other circumstances regularly let their actions be dictated by their feelings. For instance: if someone is being hostile, you react back with similar hostility. You had a bad day; you down a bottle of wine. The workload stresses you out; you work more hours without a break and do more work at night, letting go of healthy coping strategies. Someone is angry at you; you fire back or run away. All examples of where feelings dictate the next step. If you are able to maintain your cool, even though you feel quite ‘heightened’ on the inside, you are practicing a skill called ‘experiential ownership.’ You OWN your own experiences (thoughts, body sensations, action urges based on feelings), yet let your actions be decided by what is most functional and effective, not by what you ‘feel like’ doing or saying next. Experiential ownership as a leader also means that you can leave other people’s emotional reactions with them. You don’t have to take them personally, even though they might be directed at you. Someone who has just been told by you that they’ve lost their job might very well NOT own their own experiences at that time. They may internally ‘feel like’ blaming you or letting their anger go at you and actually do so, without more deliberate decision-making preventing that. When this happens, remember your own experiential ownership: own what happens in your brain and body, and aim to remain composed. Realise what is happening to the other person, and choose compassion for their reaction (rather than reacting to their reaction!). That is experiential ownership in action. Owning your own experiences; disowning other people’s experiences. Using experiential ownership, we can learn that we actually have a high degree of choice in leadership and other life situations. We may be attached to certain expectations that influence our feelings. We may have ideas about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ ‘just’ and ‘unjust,’ ‘good’ and ‘bad’ that make us react negatively to certain events. We may have beliefs about how life ‘should be’ or how people should be treated (and treat us). Those factors could make us ‘feel’ all sorts of strong sensations in our system. Now, don’t take this to an extreme. Obviously, there are plenty of events (certain crimes, trauma, assault, abuse, war, genocide, etc.) that would cause pretty much all of us to experience very negative emotions and feelings. Nevertheless, the basic principle remains: emotions and feelings are created INSIDE us, not by outside circumstances or people. This also provides a choice point: if my body-brain caused me to feel one way, I could learn to feel another way about this using that same body-brain. This could explain why some people feel totally devasted by traumatic events or other people’s actions, for instance, where other people seem to come out of similar events relatively ok or work through them effectively over time. Start off by realising it’s your ideas, your thoughts, your beliefs and convictions that filter and interpret everything that happens and everything people say. This goes for both your position as a leader in your industry and in other areas of your life. You, therefore, also have the power -the experiential ownership- to choose your response to these events and people and don’t have to react instantly. Perhaps impatience or frustration IS the most functional response. Perhaps being upset is entirely justified. Nevertheless, build in that little ‘choice-point’ before you react. Own your experience; disown the other’s experience. Choose your response mindfully, based on what seems to be most effective or functional in that context; it may make a big difference in the end result. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marc! Marc de Bruin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marc is a Registered International Counsellor, Supervisor and Educator "with a twist". If you're looking for a run-of-the-mill mental health professional, feel free to contact one of his very capable colleagues. Marc looks at life through a different lens, with a transpersonal, even "spiritual" filter. Expect to discuss your life from a bigger perspective, while still being very practical (Marc is an ex-litigation lawyer, too, so very solution-focused); and expect to work from the inside out: YOU will change before your circumstances will. In order for things to change, you'll be the one to change some things. If that sounds like something you are up for, Marc is ready for you.

Written by: Katie Stoddart, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever noticed that when you are obsessed with a project, it turns into reality? Maybe, you were dreaming about having your own business, or about buying a house or moving to another country, and then one day, you wake up and you have reached that goal! How does this work? Can we just wish ourselves into a new reality? Not quite. Yet somehow, our thoughts can become our reality. In this article, I will break it down into three key pillars: why we underestimate the power of our mind, the link between our thoughts and our goals, and how we can use this correlation to our advantage. 1. We underestimate the power of our mind Today, we have learned to appreciate what we pay money for and take everything else for granted. Somehow, we appreciate something more because we pay for it. Yet, if we pause for a moment, we can quickly realize that all the best things in life are free: our mind, love, nature, and the sunshine… Along the way, we have taken them for granted. So, if we are told that thinking about something and using our minds can get us to a goal, it seems too easy, it seems like the price to pay is not high enough and we underestimate how much our thoughts and patterns of thinking influence our results. Aside from discounting it because we haven’t paid a price for it, we are also skeptical of solutions that are: A. too simple and B. not tangible. In this cartesian world, the power of thought and belief seems intangible, fluffy, and not concrete enough (I should know – I have an engineering background!). If the solution to a problem is a high-end fee for a training program combined with a 50-page framework filled with details and statistics, we are more likely to trust it than if somebody tells us it is all in our thoughts. Quick note though: that program and 50-page framework may have an impact – because it will influence our thinking! 2. The link between our thoughts and our goals So how does it work? How can our thoughts enable us to reach our goals? Firstly, we need to realize that we only perceive reality through the lens of thoughts – therefore, our mind is the connection between the outside world and our inner world. Everything we see, hear, and feel is filtered through our minds and this filtering process impacts us and our results. When we think about something, this turns into feelings & emotions. And these feelings make us take a certain action (or not take action), then the combination of these actions leads to results. Let’s take two concrete examples: Amelia keeps thinking about writing a book. When she thinks about the book, other thoughts come in and she feels unworthy of the project, an impostor, and not good enough. This makes her feel disempowered and anxious. Therefore, she does not start to write. Days go by – years go by, and as a result, she had not written a single word. Her thoughts (not good enough as a writer) become the reality (no writing). Anna, on the other hand, also wants to write a book. Whenever she thinks about it, she thinks that it would be a fun project. This makes her feel excited, energized and empowered. The more she thinks about it, the more excited she feels. One day, she begins to write. And after a few weeks, she builds the habit of writing. As a result, a year later, she has written a book. Her thoughts (want to write and this is fun) became the reality (the book is written). These examples are a short form simplification of the mind’s processes but roughly illustrate how our thoughts become our reality. Why do people struggle to reach a goal that they want? Because they have beliefs (that are also thoughts!) saying that they can’t/ are not worthy/ it is too tough etc. Wanting a goal or outcome is not enough. Thinking about it is not enough. What works is to think about the goal, believe that it is possible, and take action. What’s interesting is the more obsessive a thought becomes, the more this ignites this fire in us to take action, and then this turns into our reality. 3. Make this work for you How can you make it work for you? Most people underestimate the power of their minds and their thinking. By doing so, they are missing out on the greatest power they have. There is no greater force out there that can help you to achieve what you want in life. All the coaches and programs work because they shift your thinking – so it comes down to the power of the mind. A few key aspects can help you to use this to your advantage: Notice your thoughts: Start to pay attention to what is going on in your mind and what you are thinking. Do you blame others and circumstances, or do you feel empowered to create change in your life? Most self-leadership comes down to managing your thoughts. Take control of your thinking. Many people believe they cannot change their thoughts ‒ that they are a victim of their thoughts. We can control our thinking. If you read now: ‘think of a pink elephant, you will see a pink elephant in your mind. If you read: ‘Think of your greatest goal,’ you will see your goal in your mind’s eye. Choose what you want to dedicate your thinking to and orient your thoughts in that direction (through auditive and visual prompts, for example). Notice which thoughts hold you back. This is what ‘limiting beliefs’ is all about – realizing that some thought patterns are discouraging, disempowering, and prevent you from taking action. Work on these beliefs (through journaling, working with a coach, etc.) and notice how this affects the outside world too. As we are always seeking to confirm our own beliefs, when our beliefs shift, we notice different things around us. Celebrate your manifesting. When you manage to manifest outcomes in your life ‒ think your way to a new reality ‒ take a moment to celebrate this. Notice what your initial thoughts were and how this led you to take action and then achieve the outcomes you desire. Follow your intuition. Too often, we rely on our logical brains to figure things out in life for us. As such, we forget or underestimate the power of our intuition. Given that over 90% of our thoughts are subconscious, we have a lot more information stored in us than what is directly accessible to us through our conscious minds. Our intuition comes from some of this hidden information and is often far more powerful than our rational mind. Nurture your thinking. Once you understand just how powerful thoughts are, you can nurture your thinking by feeding it what you want to think about. This means choosing podcasts, videos, books, and people around you that will shift your thinking towards a new way of thinking. This is what I love most about hosting my podcast, the conversations shift my view of business & life. Train your perception. Start using stoicism, meditation, and reflection to change your perception of the world. As your perception (group of thoughts and beliefs) changes, this will also impact your reality. ‘Nothing is right or wrong, but thinking makes it so.’ (Shakespeare). I think about this quote daily to enable me to shift perception when needed. Last Thoughts Since I have raised my awareness of the power of thought, many things have changed in my life: from feeling more empowered to create transformation in my business; to moving to my dream town; and feeling more at peace and fulfilled in life. There is great strength in this message, and I sincerely feel that every single person in the world can benefit by shifting their thoughts and beliefs. All our results come from somewhere – if not from our thoughts, then from where? It all comes back to our thinking, thought patterns, beliefs, and perception – to what goes on inside our heads. Once you take control of your mind and your thinking, there is no limit to the results you can obtain. As Napoleon Hill put it: ‘What you can believe, you can achieve.’ For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website! Read more from Katie! Katie Stoddart, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katie Stoddart, founder of ‘The Focus Bee’ is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach, speaker and podcast host. Katie supports leaders and business owners to reach & sustain peak performance in their business. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews leading experts in high performance. Passionate about living intentionally; Katie challenges each and every person she works with to re-focus on what matters most. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & workshops on: Focus, Leadership & Performance.

Written by: Gillian Jones-Williams, 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. Menopause is rarely a topic of open discussion in the workplace ‒ despite the fact that nearly half of the world’s population experiences or will experience this biological transition, which marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and fertility. Menopause has always been around, but menopausal women are now the fastest growing workforce demographic. Thankfully we have started to see a shift, with some companies organising workplace webinars, changing policies and offering support at work, but it is still not changing fast enough. Before lockdown, I presented at a Legal IT Conference and had the pleasure of having dinner with the group in the evening – no surprise that out of the 50 CIO’s attending, 43 were men. During dinner one of the delegates asked me if I could shed any light on why they seemed to lose women employees in their 50’s and what they could do. I said there were two reasons – firstly when women got to this age, they started to re-evaluate their life and their career as their children may have finished university and become independent so they can think about themselves more. He nodded sagely as he considered this information. Secondly, I told him, was menopause. A few of the men on the table coughed and searched for the wine list but this enlightened man was truly interested and curious to understand more. It is so important that organisations are cognisant of the aging workforce. Since the start of time, menopause has been demonised and used to describe this phase of a female’s life in a derogatory way. But menopause is more than a collection of physical events. It is also a psychological process that moves women into a new phase of their lives and can be an initiation into them being even better than before. It is a time of enormous growth and opportunity which is followed by something called Second Spring. The concept of Second Spring originates in Chinese Medicine and breaks life down into different segments, which depict the different phases of youth, puberty and then the winter of a woman’s life, described as surrender and emergence. Once a woman goes through the winter and the depths of menopause and moves into post-menopause it can bring many of the qualities of that first teenage spring. As they regain their energy and explore who they are again it often brings a renewed zest for life and time for reinvention. In Chinese Medicine, this time of a woman’s life is referred to as “The Second Spring,” which shows that menopause doesn’t mean in any shape or form that a woman is “past her prime.” However, when a woman is deep in perimenopause or menopause it can be difficult to imagine how to transition through the daily experiences into a place where they feel better. Menopause and perimenopause can affect women through overwhelming symptoms, causing daily problems from anxiety, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping and more. This can have a profound impact on work and home life. I have coached many highly successful women through menopause, who have achieved great successes at work, and are now feeling so bad they told me they just wanted to throw it all away and live in a smallholding in Cornwall. How does menopause impact work? Understandably it is hard for men to relate to this. It really needs to be experienced to realise the impact that lack of sleep, constant hot flushes, brain fog, and emotional mood swings (to name but a few symptoms) can have on a person’s ability to perform at work. And what woman wants to publicly announce she is going through a very difficult time in her life in a world where women are already fighting to maintain their place in the workplace and retain their dignity? Women are now working well into their sixties so this is an increasing issue and the debate needs to become more public. Some women will just be able to manage it, others will experience severe and wide-ranging symptoms – for each one it is different, but others may really struggle with the effects of menopause and need additional help. One of the problems with menopause is that it lasts such a long time that women often don’t know when they are experiencing it. They could experience a lot of psychological and mental symptoms before the physical symptoms. If they are also experiencing stress at work or at home, they may confuse this with symptoms and/or find it difficult to separate the two. This could mean that both the woman and the manager may be trying to find solutions to the wrong problems. Below are some of the issues that women face and examples of how employers can assist in the workplace: Hot flushes are the most common symptoms and can cause issues if the workplace temperature or ventilation is uncomfortable. If your staff have to wear protective clothing or a uniform this could make it worse. Many women suffer from dizziness and fatigue. Water infections can become more frequent, resulting in an increased need to use the toilet. In a lot of cases, women experience increased levels of stress due to the changes occurring in their bodies. A woman can also experience confidence issues, so heavy workloads, inflexible hours and a lack of understanding can have a huge impact. Some women may also suffer from exhaustion, depression and anxiety attacks due to the change in their hormone levels and this may affect their ability to concentrate. Other symptoms may include nausea, depression, irritability, indigestion and headaches which may also affect their ability to attend work. One of the worst symptoms that most women experience is Brain Fog Brain fog is a real thing! Brain fog is the inability to have a sharp memory or to lack a clear focus. Women just really feel like they are not themselves and they are unable to think clearly. I suffered badly with this through my menopause and it is horribly frustrating when you can’t remember the end of your sentence or find you’ve put your keys in the fridge! It can be really embarrassing for a woman when she is in the middle of an important meeting or conversation and simply cannot remember a simple word. Dehydration can cause more brain fog. Apparently, we are 25% more effective when we are properly hydrated. This is why it is so important that water is freely available. Lack of sleep will exacerbate this – apparently, the brain cleans itself when asleep but the cycle takes 8 hours – which menopausal women rarely get as they have broken sleep and night sweats interrupting the cycle. So, what should employers be doing? Take the taboo away from the subject so that people feel they can openly discuss it Find a comfortable way to educate people by raising understanding and awareness of the menopause Ensure there are guidelines or guidance documents for line managers and colleagues but also ensure managers recognise that all women may experience symptoms in a different way Ensure managers make people feel comfortable about talking to them if they have symptoms that are impacting on them Ensure there is access to occupational health if required Offer appropriate reasonable adjustments and support, considering related symptoms in the workplace environment e.g., facilities and uniforms, adequate ventilation, cold drinking water, rest areas and desk fans. Be accommodating to any flexible working requests A change to the pattern of hours worked Permission to perform work from home (sometimes at short notice) A reduction in working hours More frequent breaks Medical appointments If approaching formal performance processes, consider that menopause symptoms could be classed as disablement to ensure you deal with issues in a fair and reasonable way If there is an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place, regularly communicate the services that female employees might find useful It is also important that any sickness absences related to menopause are recorded as an ongoing issue rather than a number of short-term absences which may cause the sickness absence procedure to be implemented. Above all, we need to remember that menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life. Some women sail through menopause, while others will need more support. And as we know that more women are now returning to work after having children, it is important for employers to ensure that they have sufficient support in place to give women the support they need through the menopause transition. And to recognise that women, during and after menopause, should not be written off as they have a huge amount to offer in the workplace. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit her website. Read more from Gillian! Gillian Jones-Williams, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gillian is Managing Director of Emerge Development Consultancy, which she founded 25 years ago. She is a master executive coach working with many CEOs and managing Directors globally. She is also an international speaker and in 2020, was named by f: Entrepreneur as one of the leading UK Female Entrepreneurs in the Ialso campaign. Gillian founded the RISE Women’s Development Programme, which is delivered both in the UK and the Middle East, and Saudi and is her absolute passion. Emerge deliver coaching for women at all stages of their life and career, including maternity and menopause. She is also the co-author of How to Create a Coaching Culture, 50 Top Tools for Coaching, and the author of Locked Down but Not Out, which is a diary of the first 3 months of the pandemic to raise money for the bereaved families of the NHS workers who died during COVID-19.

Written by: Sarah Keena, 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. Over the years, there have been many names for this process, including spiritual awakening, rebirth, transformative crisis, dark night of the soul, spiritual emergency, ascension, and hitting rock bottom. It can't be denied that right now, this process of rapid transformation is on the rise across the globe. Although some of the most profound life-changing transformations come from this experience, the process itself can be grueling, painful, and scary. During the pandemic, many people were forced to slow down and sit with themselves, this offered the perfect breeding conditions for awakening. Without the distraction of a busy lifestyle, for many, their deepest wounds came to the surface to be processed. Working with hallucinogens and plant medicines can also have a similar effect by allowing access to the subconscious mind and deepening the connection with spirit. When these medicine journeys are not thoroughly integrated, some people are left feeling ungrounded, raw, and vulnerable. Self Compassion Learning to be kind to yourself in the midst of struggle is one of the most underutilized tools for personal development; self-compassion offers a solid foundation for the healing journey. Without self-compassion, it is too easy to be drawn into self-deprecation and unhealthy coping tactics. Cultivating gentle self-acceptance creates space to heal and process traumatic experiences without unnecessary guilt, shame and negative judgments. This means being gentle, caring and kind to yourself, especially when hurting or processing setbacks. Instead of becoming a drill sergeant insisting that working harder is the only way forward, self-compassion embraces slowing down and attuning to your individual needs. Making space to tend to your wounds, reaffirming that no matter what you are going through at any moment, you are still good enough. The healing process continues throughout your whole life (or over many lifetimes) there is no need to rush. The healthiest way forward is going at a pace that feels emotionally safe. To learn more about self-compassion, check out Kristen Neff. Connect with your body For many, especially those socialized as females growing up, feeling disconnected from or even punishing the body is common. For some, the body may even feel like the enemy at times. This is no surprise with all of the messages received about how your body ‘should’ look or behave in order to feel loved and accepted in today’s society. It is time to change this narrative and tap into the beauty and knowledge that is held within your sacred vessel. The body knows the best path for you, and it can be a guide in how to mind yourself when you learn to listen. If you have experienced trauma of the body, it may feel uncomfortable to tap into the sensations and signals your body sends you. Aiming to go slowly and seeking support can help soften this. Building awareness of the nervous system helps you to understand what is happening within and assists in expanding your self-care toolbox. The nervous system reacts based on lived experience, it may feel as if it is not reacting appropriately to some situations, but when you tune into yourself, you will realize that it is trying to protect you from a perceived threat. Nervous system responses are wired throughout childhood and even while developing in the womb. Learn more about regulating the nervous system regulation here. Rest You may need more rest, especially if you are feeling lethargic and fatigued. Some may feel that rest is not necessary, especially if they are feeling energized or even manic. Whichever way this is for you is perfectly fine. Everyone experiences these things in their own unique way. Do your best to remember that sleep is a basic human need and should always be prioritized. Healing and changing take a lot of mental energy, which can be physically draining. Without adequate rest, you may find yourself feeling confused, clumsy, or forgetful as your cognitive energy is being used to process emotions and strengthen new neural pathways. Track your cycle If you menstruate, it's a good idea to track your cycle and pay attention to how your energy ebbs and flows throughout each phase. Your physical and emotional energy dips and rises naturally throughout your cycle. Some days require rest and nourishment, while others are best for getting more taxing tasks done. Denying this fact and disconnecting from your natural energy flow can lead to burnout, painful periods and more intense PMS symptoms. Planning your monthly activities around your bleed can help deepen your connection with yourself and reduces shame around your body’s natural rhythm. Tracking your cycle with the moon's phases can help to tune into the natural rhythm of nature and to work with the natural energies available to you. To learn more about menstrual cycle awareness, check out Menstruality Mentor Kitty Maguire. Time in Nature Nature heals, studies show that spending time in nature can help calm and soothe the nervous system, boost mood, reduce anxiety and can even help lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels. Spending as little as fifteen minutes connecting with nature helps to stimulate the parts of the brain associated with love and empathy. If it is difficult for you to regularly spend time in nature, try listening to nature sounds, adding flowers and plants to your home or workspace, or watching nature documentaries. Support It is common to feel alone, isolated, or like no one understands you when in the midst of a spiritual awakening. This can feel especially painful when feeling the call to connect to the community but not knowing where to find them. Finding a space where you feel understood and accepted can help to ease some of this discomfort. Search online for drumming circles or sharing circles in your area, sign up to a spiritual workshop, find a therapist or mentor who understand this process. Remember you are never alone in this process, even if it feels that way sometimes, your soul tribe is out there waiting for you. For more information on mental wellness and spiritual development, check out my Instagram and Facebook. And if you are interested in working with me, check out the services I provide on my website. Sarah Keena, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sarah Keena, is an accredited Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist and a Spiritual Mentor. She has studied Reiki at master level as well as Celtic and Native American Shamanism. Sarah is passionate about empowering women by helping them to heal themselves and to develop their spiritual practices. She helps her clients to process and release trauma and emotional wounds which prevent them from stepping into their truest authentic selves and loving themselves in all that they are.

Written by: Jen Barnes , 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. Putting everyone and everything before yourself may be the worst way to offer compassionate, quality care for your patients. In fact, putting everyone and everything else first may be the worst practice advice to follow. Look, I get why you would think that ‒ I've been there too. We've been taught for a long time that it is the mark of a caring person to put everyone else before ourselves. This message is reinforced in our workplaces. But that's like using your cell phone without ever charging it and wondering why it doesn't work the same when your battery dies. And if you continue putting everyone and everything before yourself, which is probably what you've been doing, you could continue to stay stuck feeling dead to the world ‒ so tired you have no energy for anything else ‒ for months, maybe even years. So what do we do when our cell phone battery dies or is getting low? We charge it. And, it works best when we charge it daily. How do you do that for yourself? You start with step one which is to release stuck stress from your body. When we are constantly stressed, we end up chronically in our fight/flight response or shutdown response (or vacillating between the two). Through these responses, as a way to protect us our body floods us with chemicals and hormones. But the thing is, since the stress we face is rarely life-threatening the energy our body gathers to fight or flee doesn't get used. Instead, it gets stuck and builds up in the body. This is a big piece of why you likely feel so awful. So to feel better, we need to release it. Then, we need to focus on how to regulate our nervous system so we can cope with the ups and downs of life ‒ including our work ‒ without living from our protective responses. Building resilience isn't about being able to handle more and more stress or being able to always be calm and peaceful. It's about being able to encounter stressful situations, or even be submerged in them, notice the messages from our nervous system about our inner experience, and then apply tools specific to our experience to help us return to a state of flow, a state of calm. Another essential piece is to address the underlying stressors ‒ those things causing or contributing to our stress ‒ so that we aren't constantly triggered into our protective responses by the outside world. When we do this, it is important to recognize that there are some stressors outside of our control that require unique tools to be addressed effectively. For those stressors within our control, we can apply intentional problem solving, celebrate small wins, and/or practice compassionate boundaries to reduce or completely remove these types of stressors. Lastly, we want to make sure we know how to follow through. That is, we want to learn an effective way to help us do these things that will help us feel better instead of just adding to our long list of things we "should do". So often in our culture of "just do it" we rely on willpower to get ourselves to do things that would help us. It doesn't take an expert to see this is ineffective at best and harmful at worst given the shame we can experience when we can't get ourselves to be consistent. If you don't believe me, take a look at the packed-full gyms in January versus the emptying gyms in March. It's not that the people who stop going are bad or lazy, it's that they don't have an effective strategy to follow through on the things they want to do that will help them feel better. Building resilience in healthcare is no different. Often we know some of the things that would help us, and even recommend them to our patients. Yet bringing them into our own life can be an entirely different story, but it doesn't have to be when we combine our motivational tendency with the laws of behavior change. So let me ask you, do you want to continue putting everyone and everything else before yourself and continue to feel drained and less compassionate towards your patients and loved ones? Or are you ready to focus on caring for yourself so you can feel good in your body, enjoy your life, and offer high-quality, compassionate care? If you're ready to make a change and start feeling the best you've likely felt in years, then click the link below to join the Priority Notification List for my in-depth program The Resilient Nurse™ showing you exactly how to do this, step by step, so you can feel better in your body, take back your life, and maybe even enjoy nursing again! The underlying focus throughout will be how to get yourself to follow through on using the tools and doing the things you know you need, including a special section dedicated to learning a super effective process for getting yourself to do stuff. Click the link below and I will see you there! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Jen Barnes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jen Barnes is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Minneapolis, MN. She specializes in complex trauma, PTSD, stress, and grief. The daughter and sister of nurses she has a passion for empowering nurses to build resilience. She has worked with nurses 1:1 hoping to expand her reaching to a broader audience. In 2021 she completed the Dare to Lead certificate program in order to more effectively address organizational challenges in healthcare. Most recently she spoke at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’s 2022 NTI conference on Building Resilience in Nursing.

Written by: Connor Dales, 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. With rising inflation and interest rates at levels not seen in over 40 years and the prolonged covid-19 pandemic that cost us greatly in human life and unintended financial consequences. The current global economic crisis is starting to become one of the most difficult events in nearly half a century. That said, that’s no excuse or reason to be paralyzed by fear, anxiety, pessimism, and the great ominous unknown. Just accept it as the new reality and continue going forward. In past recessions, naturally, many businesses failed, but the fact is that quite a few survived (many new innovative ones were created) and even thrived. How is that possible? Because in tough times, great endeavors and companies have the chance to rise above the noise and discord. The strong, smartest, most efficient, and most agile companies will survive amid the chaotic times. For example, Google raised capital following the Dot-com bubble and grew in the downturn. Uber also enjoyed a similar trajectory in the 2008-09 recession, and of course, Zoom skyrocketed to fame and success during the economic downtown in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we’re (mostly) putting the pandemic fears and lockdowns behind us, the global economy across all industries and sectors is now experiencing an extended period of market contraction. For instance, Tech has been dealt a heavy blow in this regard. As a result of high-interest rates and accelerated unsustainable growth, companies have had to belt tighten and think of ways to reduce costs fast. The most recent example of this is Shopify decreasing its current existing headcount by 10%. They overestimated the growth pattern trends for online shopping, with the sentiment being that ecommerce was going to be on a never-ending path of endless exponential growth and thus overstaffing in duplicate and other non-essential roles in turbulent market conditions. Now, the question you need to ask yourself is: What are you made of? What’s your level of grit? Are you one of the victors, or will you be among those confused and hapless souls going down with their ship? If you’re reading this article, then I’m sure that you want to be one of the winners and succeed. Almost 14 years have passed since the last major economic downturn, and as I mentioned above, the pandemic also saw the global economy sputter and freeze. This current crisis, however, is unique in many ways, such as the fact that it comes amid a global energy crisis and a new Cold War between Russia and NATO. Compounded by a global chip shortage which has caused consumer appliances, electronics like laptops and iPhones to go up in price, and most notably, to complement the high gas prices, used cars have gone up more than half in price. This puts a country like Taiwan in a leveraged position for dominant market share as it’s one of the top countries in the world that manufactures and distributes semiconductors for almost everything we use in day-to-day life. Below is a list of 10 tips that I’ve composed for you to function as a sort of roadmap as you adapt and evolve to the new economic environment. Of course, every company is unique and faces different circumstances. So, please note that this is not a one-fits-all solution. Take the parts that pertain to your business and needs. Adjust it based on your industry model to fit new and existing demands. I hope it helps you to ride the violent waves. Get pumped up to outperform the competition During a recession, your competitors are an even greater threat to your survival and prosperity. Be creative and find opportunities. Look for ways to win more customers away from your competitors. Try to differentiate your brand in a meaningful way — maybe lower your prices, provide better quality products or service, or overall make a better customer experience. Stand out in various ways that really matter to your target audience and which will secure their trust and enhance your credibility. If you don’t have a loyalty and referral program already, then certainly start one. Trim expenses Slash or entirely remove secondary and non-essential expenses. For example, you might want a moratorium on business travel since that often leads to many other extra bills. Or have your workforce go remote or even adopt the hybrid model of work. Next, decide which employees are crucial to your operation and who is less vital. This process is hard for obvious reasons, so to ensure relations aren’t strained, sit down with that employee and be honest about the circumstances and do what you can to offer support as they transition out, such as offer a generous severance package or educational resources that involve them taking classes and courses to help them upskill and new skill development for future work opportunities. Digital tools can replace extraneous employees. Or perhaps one excellent employee can do the work of three. Also, ask suppliers for discounts in return for loyalty. Prioritize your investment strategy After you understand where you can cut costs, make sure that you know where you should not cut and where you need to invest so you can grow sustainably. Then, come up with a strategy to deal with this period of austerity. Remember, you still NEED to grow as a business. You can’t be intimidated by the economic crisis. What are your strategic objectives and goals? Do you absolutely need to invest in R&D, or what about Marketing and PR? Long-term branding, PR, and marketing strategies, such as social media, might not pay off immediately, but they have a much higher return on investment (ROI) than short-term strategies. When the economy picks up again, you’ll have the chance to gain a bigger share of the market than you never thought possible. Diversify revenue streams Increase your chances of survival by diversifying revenue streams. For the short-term, create new means of generating income; this way, if the recession wipes out one revenue stream, you'll be supplemented with ample backups to keep your business afloat. Minimize risk by having plenty of options. For example, you could start selling new types of goods, start a blog with advertising or an online course or program or offer new services to your customers. This is only a temporary measure because, ideally, you should focus on your core business activity. Be creative with capital Fundraise with a more cautious plan than you did previously. Show a path to profitability and convince existing investors to set aside more money if needed. It’s better to raise money at a low valuation than to go bankrupt. Startups, for example, should consider alternatives to the VC funding model. One option is revenue-based financing. Under this model, startups can raise capital from a financier who claims a percentage of their future revenue. Another option is venture lending, which is a type of loan offered by commercial private banks and nonbank lenders that is designed specifically for early-stage, high-growth companies with venture capital backing. While this option isn’t best suited for those businesses undercapitalized, it serves as I viable option for companies who don’t want to dilute themselves out of existence. Build a team — contractors & freelancers Freelancers are less expensive than full-time workers who expect benefits. In contrast, a recent study found that 67% of freelancers preferred better salaries and fewer benefits; they value and thrive on being independent and versatile. The portion of full-time freelancers in the U.S. has climbed from 17% in 2014 to 28% in 2019. Today, there are 57 million freelancers in the U.S. This option allows you to tap into excellent labor opportunities at minimum cost and headache. Now, that doesn’t mean employees aren’t valuable and worthy. Having the proper incentives they desire goes beyond paying them more money. An increased salary is just only one of the critical incentives that earn their loyalty and tenure. Allowing them a flexible work schedule where they can work remotely from home or an independent location while managing the expectations of when they need to be on company premises (for those businesses that have a physical HQ), giving them more autonomy through added responsibilities and empowered leadership will indicate a deeper level of trust between you and your employees when they go above and beyond in their roles reward them through promotion and doing challenges for prizes. Most of all, what’s always overlooked is simply acknowledging them for their hard work and saying two magical words “thank you.” Invest in education and ongoing professional development Recession or not, continuous skill upgrades and learning are essential for staying relevant. Now, if you’re more cash-strapped than other business owners, you can turn to free resources such as YouTube or certain free courses on platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. Attend some evening workshops held at your local chamber of commerce and even the public library. Depending on what exactly is the gap in your business preventing you from moving forward, it may require you to take an accounting refresher course, digital marketing, and even design thinking which has become a skill growing in popularity and demand. Focus on what makes you most unique at doing what is your best and upskill yourself to have a leading competitive advantage. Network, Network, Network Networking during an economic downturn can be useful for understanding how other businesses are coping. You may also discover new opportunities, customers & clients, staff, suppliers, and business partners with minimal cost to your business. Attending professional business events through Meetup, Toastmasters, and BNI networking groups is a wonderful no-cost to a minimal-cost way of expanding your visibility and sphere of influence. Going to regular trade associations, conferences and other event types is great as well. If you are able to do so, start your own series of networking events, or if you lack the bandwidth to do it alone, partner with someone who’s well experienced in doing this you’ll be able to leverage their own network for your benefit as well. You could also charge attendees to access and attend such events, which makes a great revenue-generating stream once you get enough traction and demand for more events. Gradually over time, you can increase those ticket prices by featuring and inviting special guest speakers and experts to talk about specific hot topics. Consider forming alliances with other businesses, for example, by offering complementary services and discounts. Automate your systems and processes Apart from the commonsense element, if you plan on successfully surviving (and thriving) in your business as well as the ongoing economic climate, then it’s vital that you have well-formed habits of meticulous process documentation down to an art form and scientific method. Easy yet overlooked examples like keeping track of what activities are in your calendar or planner, such as client and team meetings or traveling to specific events. Organizing and prioritizing which emails are urgent that take priority over important ones that aren’t as time-sensitive. This prevents clutter and bottleneck bulk build-up in your inbox. Small and medium-sized businesses now have more opportunities to strategically automate critical areas of their operations. By using these technologies, you can grow your business. By lowering costs, optimizing processes, minimizing human errors, and improving productivity, you’ll be able to improve your bottom line and drive profit growth. Here are just a few of the key ways that automation technologies will benefit your small or medium-sized business: Automate repetitive tasks Optimize your internal processes Reduce human error Cost savings Improved marketing initiatives Enhance the roles of your employee Improve collaboration Increase employee satisfaction Deliver a super customer experience (CX) And much more! How can I automate my small business’s processes? There is a wide range of operational processes that you can automate, but here I’ve listed the top five simplest ways to implement automation into your processes so you can get the ball rolling. 1 - Automate invoicing requirements Approving, managing, and monitoring invoice payments is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. You can ensure this process runs seamlessly on time and have more control over business costs by automating your invoicing requirements. This includes everything from costs associated with fixed assets, expenses, full-time employees, billed tasks and much more. 2 - Automate your marketing initiatives Marketing is a broad category, and it takes time to create assets, manage your program and analyze performance. Marketing automation tools can make this process easier and give you greater control over your program. Through technology, you can automate anything from lead generation, social media posts and email marketing. 3 - Automate your internal operations Automating your business operations is a fantastic way to boost the efficiency of your entire organization. Automating your workflow will help you to seamlessly delegate tasks, manage projects, streamline communications and much more. This helps your entire team to work more efficiently and effectively. 4 - Automate your sales process Want to focus on profits? Then you need to enhance your sales team to make more sales. Automating your sales processes is a fantastic way to let your sales team know where a customer is in the sales funnel. Automation tools can tell your sales team at the exact moment a prospect has reached the buying point, helping your small to medium-sized business increase profits. 5 - Automate your quality assurance Most companies have some form of quality assurance (QA) step in place, ensuring complete satisfaction for their customers. The problem is, that QA can be subjective and human errors can easily occur during the process, resulting in inconsistent end products. By automating this process, you can feel confident that your own quality measurement standards are being met for your products or services. To best understand what automation technologies your business needs, you should start by evaluating your internal processes. This will give you an idea of the areas in which you use the most time and resources to complete and where you’ll gain the most efficiencies and money savings. Believe in the future Finally, even if your situation looks bleak, continue to focus on the long-term and believe that you’re going to make it. Don’t get down on yourself. Chances are that you’ll pull through, provided you play to your strengths and leverage resources around you that focus on the areas you don’t excel in. If you’ve been able to cut costs to a reasonable level and as long as you’re not bleeding piles of cash, continue to go forward and hang in there. Eventually, many of your competitors won’t have that stamina and they’ll fold, and you’ll be one of the few still standing. Good luck, be uncompromising in your resilience, ride that wave and enjoy the ride! It might be bumpy, but we will make it! Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Connor! Connor Dales, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Connor Dales, is a serial entrepreneur, business coach-consultant and a leader in leveraging systems for small, medium, and large sized businesses in addition to serving its owners by facilitating and cultivating strong leadership growth. He's an accredited ICF Certified Coach and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in business and personal/professional development. Connor is passionately committed to ensuring business owners and their teams breakthrough their bottlenecks and challenges to maximize their profitability and elevate their levels of impact! He is the founder of Meta View Coaching Solutions, a coaching-consulting company and online education business on a mission to transform companies from ordinary to extraordinary.