Written by: Tamara Makar, 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. Hello everyone, I’m new to the Brainz family so let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Tamara Makar, and I’m an IFBB Pro bodybuilder. I have been coaching people for about 15 years on how to achieve their desired physique, and I very much enjoy what I do. Today I would like to talk about two very trendy seasons: the festive season and the flu season. Let’s start with the festive season since Christmas is just around the corner! I am a professional athlete, and my training and diet is my priority since this is my job. However, I have a full understanding of my clients and other people, who just want to stay healthy, and they are on a completely different level of passion for fitness. I understand that they have other priorities, maybe their jobs or their families, and keeping their fitness could be just another ‘chore’ in their lives. Let me first start with this statement: the gym is not for everyone. Some people love it; others hate it. We have different priorities, different mindsets and different goals. If you don’t like the gym, if you don’t like lifting weights, do not do it. It’s hard to keep up something when you don’t enjoy doing it. To keep your health and fitness – however – you have to do something. Find what you enjoy doing. It could be walking, running, cycling, swimming, it could be anything really. You don’t have to lift weights to keep yourself fit and healthy. If you do something that you enjoy doing, you’re more likely to stick to it in the long run, instead of quitting and restarting periodically. However I’ve noticed that most people struggle with sticking to healthy food choices. The holidays are not a very good time to start a diet for most people. There are certain things though that you could do to prevent overeating: Drink lots of water. If you fill up your stomach with water you’re less likely to overeat. Try to eat more vegetables, and less carbs. Again, if you fill up with greens: salads, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber etc you will have no space to overeat the naughty foods. Try to reduce your portions. Usually there are many courses during festive season and if you want to eat all the food, you will definitely overeat. There’s nothing wrong with trying all the dishes on the menu – especially if you’re invited to someone’s home, because you don’t want to offend them by not eating what they’ve prepared. Have a small portion of foods, especially sweets, and try to fill up with vegetables instead of rice, bread or potatoes. Another idea is to serve your food on a smaller plate – a smaller portion of food will look bigger on a smaller plate and that tricks the brain to believe it’s a full size portion. But honestly, if you slide during the holidays, don’t sweat it – try and get back on track as soon as you can. A few days of holiday eating will not make you fat or ruin your work if you’ve been working hard – just like a few days of clean eating will not make you slim and healthy either. A little bit of rest will do good to your body, help with recovery and sometimes breaking the good habit of clean eating can be an advantage for your body. And if you haven’t been eating clean but you’re considering a change from next year, well, then enjoy the holidays and get serious once it’s finished. When it comes to the flu season, I’m a big believer in prevention. It’s always easier to prevent something from happening than dealing with the hassle and consequences when it occurs. We have a great immune system, and we can help this system to guard us from all attacks. For a great immune system, you need enough rest. How many hours do you sleep at night? Do you wake up tired, or do you get some deep rest? If you can’t sleep at night, I recommend you try and take some sleep aid: melatonin or antihistamine, just to mention a few. If the problem is deeper, you might need some professional help. Stress can cause some sleepless nights. There are different products and ways you can deal with stress – if you’re interested, hit me up, and I’ll send you some information about what I recommend. You will boost your immune system by taking vital vitamins. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, Echinacea these all help strengthen your immune system. Multivitamins that suggest taking 1 pill a day are usually not strong enough to stop us from catching any viruses. Especially if you train on a regular basis, you need a higher amount of vitamins and antioxidants for your recovery and immune system. There are some stronger concentration multivitamins that you could take to help your immune system – if you need any recommendation, drop me a message (I’m not endorsing any products here, that’s why I don’t want to put it in the article). And of course, last but not least: working out boosts your immune system. Either the gym, walking, running, swimming, anything that gets your heart pumping. Go for it and enjoy knowing that you're doing something for your own health. If you need any help with your diet or training plans, healthy choice of foods, how to get back on track or start again, please get in touch and I’m more than happy to help you with tips or full online coaching! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and visit my website! Tamara Makar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tamara Makar is a IFBB pro female bodybuilder who is internationally known and recognized after competing at the highest level for many years. She has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years, helping people to achieve their fitness goals and desired physique. Tamara's passion and dedication will help those willing to change their lifestyle as well as mindset. With a huge hunger for achieving results, Tamara has been studying psychology (and specifically sport psychology) to combine her knowledge of fitness and nutrition with the knowledge of how people get motivated and how they can change their mindset to achieve their goals. She is a certified Personal Trainer and an Advanced Sport and Exercise Nutritionist and has worked with some of the best in the industry. Tamara is very much a people's person who thrives off working with people of all ages, backgrounds and desired goals – from beginners to competing athletes, she is relentless to make sure everyone achieves their desired outcome!

Written by: Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The holidays are the best of times and the worst of times. Our tidings of comfort and joy can so easily be devoured by the insatiable stress to do it all, be it all, and buy it all. And that stress is nothing to ho, ho, ho about, either. It increases your risk of illness and even death. One study suggested holiday stress and overindulgence help explain the soaring rate of fatal heart attacks in December and January. Yet it is possible to survive the holiday frenzy without feeling frantic -- if you know how. With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to plan how you will keep your stress at bay for the holiday season. Stress often gets much more intense in the season of holiday joy and goodwill. Planning now around the holiday triggers for stress will make for a much more enjoyable season. The key is to plan now to minimize the stress level as much as possible. These are some of the pitfalls of the season, with suggestions to minimize the stress. 1. Make a plan Creating an action plan can help to relieve stress. Write down all of the things you need to do to prioritize the most important things. You will also be less likely to forget something if you have a list. If you have a list for holiday shopping, you will also tend to spend less if you stick to the plan. 2. Practice Self Care With such a huge focus during the holidays on giving, it can be easy to forget to give back to yourself. Taking care of yourself will improve your mood and make it easier for you to take care of others. Set aside some time to do things you enjoy. To be your most loving self, you must fill your cup first, and then you will have plenty to give out to everyone else that you love. 3. Practice Acceptance The holidays could bring up thoughts and memories of the following: What’s changed. The holidays can highlight everything that’s changed in your life -- a divorce, a death in the family, a son who’s making his first trip back home after starting college. Any of these can unsettle you and add holiday stress. What’s stayed the same. For others, it’s the monotonous sameness of family holiday gatherings that depresses them -- the same faces, the same jokes, the same food on the same china plates. Acceptance keeps things as they are NOW in focus. If we do this, then the history of whatever happened on previous holidays is in perspective. 4. Practice Compassion Compassion allows us to remain open-hearted. And we become more open when we are accepting of the past and see things as they are. We need to take a moment to meditate on how each of us is more similar than we are different. As we do that, we can walk in the other person's shoes and become more compassionate. Every family has old patterns. Practicing compassion allows us to recognize how triggers are from past reactions and not current situations. We need to stop, breathe, and pause so that we aren’t being triggered by a past event and not something happening now. We all want happiness, so if we can see the situation from the other person's perspective, we can react less hostilely. 5. Practice Gratitude Gratitude has the power to change our perspective on everything. It changes our mindset to what is good in our life and avoids what is not. List 5 things every morning during the season that you are grateful for and let the rest go. This way, our minds are filled with what is important and allow us to remain joyful. Practicing gratitude lowers our stress, and it’s a win, win, win. Let others in your life know how grateful you are for them. Stress sets limits on when we are trying to do too much, when we are overspending our budget when we are doing things that we don’t want to do. Learn to say no and be grateful for what we want to do that brings us joy. 6. Prioritize Your Wellness Remember to eat the rainbow and to continue making the majority of your food plant food. Cook Breathe, I use the Dr. Andrew Weil 4-7-8 breathing exercise. You can look it up on YouTube and do it with Dr. Weil. It takes 3 minutes to do 4 rounds. Get enough sleep, at least 7 continuous hours. Move every day, stay limber. Get outdoors and walk, even if only for 15 minutes. Don’t drink too much. Limit yourself to one drink per occasion. You will enjoy your company, and you will feel much better the next morning. No drugs Don’t overeat. Blue zones emphasize only to eat until you are 80% full. Eat a healthy snack and keep an emergency pack close so that you don’t get so hungry you begin to make dumb choices or eat quickly until eating too much catches up with you. If you get “overpeopled,” carve out a little slice of time for yourself to be alone. It could be a hot bath or your walk, but something that rejuvenates you. 7. Honor Loved Ones You Have Lost If you have lost a loved one this year, make sure you take a moment to honor them. You can do this by yourself, or you can do this as a family. This has been an unusual year, so honoring people who have passed is more important than ever. It may be difficult to celebrate the holiday season if you’ve lost someone dear to you, or distance makes it difficult to spend time together. Spend this holiday season reflecting on special memories and how you will honor the person you lost by doing something meaningful in their honor. I like to write a note to my loved one that is gone and have a ceremony and then burn the note to release it into the universe. The ceremony helps me feel closer to the person I have lost and am missing. And I release the sadness so that I can return to the festivities of the season. If you’re unable to spend physical time with loved ones, stay closely in touch virtually. There are so many ways to remain close, even if we are socially isolating. Take selfies and share them, sing Christmas carols on a zoom call. Assign readings to family members and read holiday books together online. Get together and tell family stories. Have a holiday dinner where everyone in the family makes the same meal, set your conference call up onto your TV set, and eat it together. Play holiday games together. Play secret Santa on a zoom call. Open presents together on a call. Stay close to the people you love, whether they are with you in person or virtually. This holiday will make for great new experiences and stories for many years to come. These tips will allow you to remain joyful, cheerful, and filled with love throughout the season. For more information, follow Cheryl on Facebook, Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn! Read more from Cheryl! Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cheryl Meyer suffered from autoimmune disease. By eliminating hundreds of toxins, she reversed her pain. Cheryl has a BA from UC-Berkeley and is a health coach from IIN. Cheryl is an award-winning author, international bestseller, health coach, speaker, local tv host, and guest podcaster. Cheryl has written four books on health and toxins available here. Her podcast is on Voice America. Cheryl specifically works with clients with chronic illness giving them hope and helping them find solutions. It is never too late to start healthy habits. Cheryl is available to speak about the toxins in our world that are making us ill. She is a sought-after expert on toxins, in our food, cleaning, water, minds, including toxic stress and toxic lack of sleep. She also talks about the impact of toxins on our children and our pet’s health. Contact Cheryl for one on one coaching or speaking at cherylmhealthmuse@gmail.com. Eliminating toxins is a crucial step to regain wellness.

An Exclusive Interview with the Entrepreneur and Attorney Terfa Nisébini, CEO and Founder of Mirlex Law Firm Terfa Nisébini is an entrepreneur and attorney who started a law firm immediately after graduating law school and has since then been running her own race. There is no doubt about her strong entrepreneurial drive and Mirlex law firm currently has offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Nyköping, and Örebro and will open in Uppsala, Västerås, Karlstad, and Eskilstuna – some of Sweden's largest cities, at the turn of the year 2020/2021. Terfa Nisébini has in a short time built a strong and fast-growing brand, something that is distinctive in its industry in human law. Her goal with Mirlex law firm is to gradually continue to grow in order to be able to offer help to even more vulnerable people in society. Who is Terfa Nisébini? – I am an entrepreneur and attorney living in Stockholm, Sweden. I originally come from Kurdistan but grew up in Sweden. I came to Sweden as a refugee with my family. In addition to my work, I am a mother and have two boys at the ages of 3.5 and 8 years. One of my closest heart issues besides my work and entrepreneurship is the non-profit work for the Kurdish issue and the freedom struggle. You are both an Entrepreneur and an Attorney, what "came first" and what led you to those paths? – I have always been an entrepreneur. I started a law firm immediately after graduating in law and has since then been running my own race - without a mentor or an older colleague to exchange ideas and thoughts with. "For many, it was crazy and they shook their heads. And with the result in my hands, it was certainly crazy, even though it has de facto gone well. Today I probably had not taken the same path, but just then, it was completely natural for me who grew up in an entrepreneurial family." – I learned everything myself from scratch, although of course it led to detours and long working days with reading and time in the courts to see how a trial works in practice. For many, it was crazy and they shook their heads. And with the result in my hands, it was certainly crazy, even though it has de facto gone well. Today I probably had not taken the same path, but just then, it was completely natural for me who grew up in an entrepreneurial family. I am also an attorney and have a burning commitment to helping people in vulnerable situations, so in answer to the question; I am first and foremost an entrepreneur but I am also an attorney who is passionate about human rights in society. Tell us more about Mirlex Law firm. Who are your typical clients? – I have been running Mirlex Law firm since 2016 and today we are presented with offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Nyköping and Örebro. During the turn of the year 2020/2021, we will also open up in Uppsala, Västerås, Karlstad and Eskilstuna. This means we will be presented in all the largest cities in Sweden. We work very broadly in human law with all kinds of goals. However, we are niched towards languages ​​, and together at the agency, we master a large number of different languages. We also specialize in migration law but also family law such as custody disputes and criminal cases, especially violence in close relationships. Do you have any other big goals for your Entrepreneurial journey? – Lately, I have spent a lot of time creating a functioning law firm and functioning routines. We have grown incredibly fast since the start in 2016. It has been tough challenges for me as the sole owner of the company with such a rapid expansion that is probably considered distinctive in our industry in human law. Today we are 14 employees, 16 if I include extra staff. Today I am happy with what I have achieved and created. My next goal is to expand the business further to other cities in Sweden and launch an online business connected to Mirlex. In addition to Mirlex, I also have other projects as an entrepreneur. So my goal is to continue to grow and continue to be able to help people in vulnerable situations. As an Attorney and Entrepreneur, what are your top 3 pieces of advice for someone who wants to start their own business within the legal field? Make sure you know the law you are dealing with. Read, watch and then act. Success requires hard work. In the meantime - take care of yourself and your loved ones. Be present in the little moments that do not come back. What would you say is and has been your most difficult challenge? – My most difficult challenge has been and is time. That the time has not been enough with the agency's expansion, expansion of offices and employees, and the responsibility it entails. Not feeling sufficient as a manager, lawyer, mother, and partner. Finding time to combine this has not been easy and is still a challenge today. It is a challenge to work practically as an attorney with the cases you undertake and to be able to develop as an attorney/in law and at the same time be an entrepreneur and look after the firm/company itself, as well as to guide and help the employees. I have had a lot of help from my family and my husband who helps me cope with everyday life and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for the fantastic Swedish childcare. What is the most important thing you learned through your journey? You can - if you want - everything is in your head. Name: Terfa Nisébini Age: 36 years Family: Husband and two sons aged 3.5 and 8 Education: Bachelor of Laws at Stockholm University, 2010 Languages: Swedish, English and Kurdish Work: CEO and Founder of Mirlex Law Firm, Attorney - Member of the Swedish Bar Association since November 2015 Mirlex Law Firm is a general law firm with a focus on human law. If you want to know more or need legal help, you can click here to learn more.

Written by: Katarzyna Terlecka, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I bet you participate in challenging meetings all the time! I can imagine HOW YOU FEEL BEFORE a meeting. Is your body tight, your stomach a bit sick sometimes and your mind is coming up wbeith many alternative scenarios of what could go wrong? Do you PREPARE FOR HOURS sometimes …? Especially if you are involved in some kind of negotiation. No matter how hard you prepare, you still don’t know what the outcome will be. As a former attorney with over twenty years of experience in negotiating international deals, I know exactly how you feel. I was sitting in conference/board rooms for hours sometimes with a number of different parties involved. I could feel their energy (at that time not knowing that I feel it). I used to come back home feeling totally EXHAUSTED. I used to think that the exhaustion was caused by too much stress. Now, I know that this was not stress only. I know that there is an EXCHANGE OF ENERGY between people in a room and that other people's energy can affect how we feel. Even if we do not realize that. Especially, if the “difficult” emotions are coming up, there is tension, pushing and even anger. You may feel those emotions and their low frequency in your body but probably think that this is just a difficult situation or a peculiar person. I want to help you PREPARE for such meetings and also tell you how to behave during and after, so that your ENERGY is PROTECTED, and you don’t feel that exhaustion afterward. Before the meeting There are a number of techniques that will help you to prepare yourself energetically to a meeting, I want to share with you three of them that work for me: Intention Everything around us is energy, the Universe is just a big quantum field where everything exists, but it is not materialized yet (it has a form of energy). Our focus on something, our specific intention is one of the ways to materialize this, what is already available in a form of energy. So, make sure that you have a quiet moment before an important meeting. Take few deep breaths and see yourself coming out of it relaxed, peaceful and satisfied. Visualize how you look like in that moment, how your body feels and most importantly, what EMOTIONS you FEEL. Is it joy? Or maybe it is just this internal peace you have not felt for a long time? Feel them and notice how your body responds. Then just trust and be open for the best result coming. Grounding Fear is an emotion of low vibrations. You don’t want to feel fear, especially before an important meeting and especially if you just sat down with your visualization practice/ intentions. It will block the flow of energy. Fear also affects your first energetic center (so-called root chakra), and you need to feel safe and stable during the meeting. My favorite practice for that is grounding. If you have a chance and time, go for a WALK, lean on a TREE in a park, feel the stability the tree gives you. If there is no time for that, imagine that you are standing on the ground or grass and ROOTS are coming out of your feet. Feel and see them going inside the earth, giving you balance and stability. Give yourself some time to really feel and see them. Try it! It works so well! Also, during a meeting, when someone takes you OUT OF YOUR COMFORT zone, do the roots before you respond. You will see the difference. Aligned energy And finally, feel that your energy is aligned. Feel like there is UNIVERSAL ENERGY coming through your body vertically from above, through your head, whole body, and down to your feet. Sense if there are any misalignments and if there are, bring the alignment back. During the meeting One thing is to prepare for a meeting and feel good about it, and another is to react to another person’s body language, words, and energy. I know exactly how challenging it is to stay aligned and grounded sometimes! What works for my clients and me are the following simple rules: Avoid being “on push” Are you used to being “on push”? You have a task to complete and you need to get it done asap. Do you think that you need to push things to make them happen? Being “on push” is not a good strategy. Being on too much push can even make you lose the point, even if you are right. If you are “on push”, you are acting from your mind’s perspective and this can be limiting. See my article . Also, there is no space for things to happen. Things that you visualized just a few hours before the meeting. You need to LEAVE A SPACE, a space for the Universe to respond to your requests, especially in some kind of a deadlock situation, when you raise one argument after another and nothing changes. The other side just does not want to hear your point. Try to just STEP BACK then and allow things to happen. How to do it? See point below Your body position matters Your body should be relaxed. Don’t lean forward in the direction of your counterparty. You are pushing your energy out this way. Lean outward and place your back at the chair. In a deadlock situation, just lean outward, ALLOW for some SILENCE in the room and let things happen. People unconsciously (or sometimes consciously) send energetic cords to their counterparties. You definitely don’t want that, as it will be difficult for you to stay balanced and neutral towards that person. So, as much as you can, avoid sitting exactly opposite your counterparty, SIT SIDEWAY. Come back to your body In the moment you feel confused, angry or you feel that another challenging emotion is coming up, come back to your body. Ask yourself, WHERE you feel this emotion. You may also do a quick BODY SCANNING or the ROOTS exercise I mentioned in part one above. It may seem impossible during a meeting when you are active and surrounded by people. But it is just your mind scared of something new, something unusual for you. Do it once and you will see that you will keep coming back to it! After the meeting Ok, so you had that meeting and even though it went quite well, you keep coming back to some situations that occurred there or maybe you keep thinking of one of the persons that you had a particularly tough exchange of opinions with? What can you do about that? Intend to cut off from another people energy Take few deep breaths, imagine the relevant person and intend to cut yourself off from her/his energy. You can also do a move with your hand like you would be cutting a cord between yourself and that person. Do it once and check how it feels. Keep coming back to this exercise until you FEEL that you are not connected anymore. Take a warm bath with salt. My favorite ritual, after a challenging meeting, is a warm, 20-minute bath with salt. It REMOVES toxins from your body, relaxes you and CLEARS you energetically. The best will be if you go to bed immediately after. You will feel like a newborn the next day! If this what I wrote resonates with you and you would like to learn more, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Katarzyna Terlecka, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katarzyna Terlecka is an Authentic Empowerment Coach for career and entrepreneur women. As a former attorney with over twenty years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and working with the top leaders around the world negotiating complex international transactions, she is able to unite highly practical systems with an intuitive energy approach to inspire and empower women in their personal development. Applying active listening, intuitive, energy and coaching skills, paired with her knowledge of the corporate world and the woman’s role in it, she leads women to discover their unique inner power, activate their intuition and confidence and express the depth of their feminine wisdom.

Written by: Sayali Bedeker Patil, 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. Let’s face it! OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) such as hotels.com, booking.com, Make My Trip, and others are a necessary evil. They are an absolute boon for small, boutique hotels with little or no brand clout and paltry marketing budgets. With their mighty traffic and booking stats, and their huge marketing budgets, OTAs bring in a ton of bookings for most hotels and resorts out there. But OTAs aren’t cheap. For small and independent hotels with no bargaining power, OTA booking commissions can be as high as 30 percent! For the Holiday Inns and the Radissons, for example, despite their brand clout, these commissions can still be between 15 to 25 percent. And that’s per booking! And we won’t even start on the ‘blocked rooms’ system for now. So, do you see the problem here? It is a catch 22; can’t do with, can’t do without kind of relationship between hotels and these online travel platforms. But what if I told you that your independent hotel could do certain things consistently and patiently and gain an advantage over even the mightiest of OTAs. What if I told you that you could indeed steal back a chunk of bookings from these OTAs and save on commissions by making direct bookings while building up your brand, improving your visibility, and more? Would you believe me? Well, you should. The internet is littered with these successful case studies. But let’s talk action, rather than theory, shall we? Would you like to know of some fail-safe strategies that set your hotel up for ‘direct booking’ success without having to pay an expert? Here are 5 sure-fire digital marketing tips that will set your hotel up for increased direct bookings and lower OTA dependencies. 1. Get Yourself a Website It is not just any website, but one that is geared to take bookings and is asking explicitly for them. In other words, a high-converting, non-static website. If you have an existing website, tweak it to be conversion-oriented by offering users a visual treat and a value-packed offer that compels conversion. Your website is your first weapon for this David vs. Goliath battle, so make sure it is sharp. Master the art of storytelling. Your web property is yours to own, one where you can tell your story and draw people in. It is also your own keyword pool, one you power. So mix your static site elements with an agile and dynamic blog and leverage it for its SEO juice. Your blog will allow you to play around with keywords. And not just any keywords, but keywords that have not yet been targeted by your OTA travel partners. Your blog is where you have the power to create and publish content around data-backed, researched keywords that will boost your entire site’s SEO. Engaging blogs also invite organic backlinks when promoted properly. 2. Identify Your True Products No, your rooms are not your product. Neither is your spa, nor is it your heated pool. Get over the business mindset where it is all about you and your product. Start thinking about the travel shopper, your ideal customer. Tweak your product to cater to your potential guest, and you’ll see the magic happen in the booking numbers. Was that too vague? Here’s the real deal. The travel space has evolved beyond the basics now. Travel shoppers are no longer looking for a good place to spend the night while enjoying their planned adventures during the day. Things like Insta-worthy photos, magical experiences, gastronomy, and ‘that couple’s surprise’ matter now more than ever before. So, your product is no longer your room, your pool, and your spa. It is the package, the experiential package. The more value you add to your package, the more attractively it will be perceived. Working on your offered package is much easier than it sounds to be for hotels. Try bundling your services or offering an experience for starters. Give free airport transfers, or free breakfasts, or a free star-gazing session, or just about anything that makes your offer stand higher and taller than others in perceived value. If nothing else, offer discounts to nearby attractions and activities or even free itineraries. In short, refine your product with tangible or intangible value to elevate your appeal. 3. Show Yourself Consistently on Social Media There is no being away from social media if you are keen to market your hotel. Set up your business accounts, optimize your buttons, and be available. Post frequently and consistently, and don’t just market your wares. If you offer genuine value by sharing graphics, articles, tips, and even laughs, that’s your opportunity to convert followers into fans. Most importantly, set up your buttons and your calls to action. Optimize your buttons to grow your mailing lists or Whatsapp inquiries or whatever works for you. But give your audience something easier than typing your name in an OTA platform’s search bar. Incentivize them to get directly in touch with you. 4. Let Go of Your Google Fetish Well, not exactly let go. But loosen up rather. There is gold beyond Google, for Google is NOT the only search engine, and your obsession may be preventing you from looking at far easier and cheaper alternatives. Google is difficult to rank organically. And that’s a fact. But have you looked at Pinterest or Youtube? Both are search engines that value visuals, and you, of all the people, already know that the travel and hospitality niche works first on visual enticement. You can rank faster, higher, and for much cheaper on Pinterest and Youtube. Just look up the stats if you don’t believe me. Personally, I am a big Pinterest ambassador. If you must dance to the tunes of a search engine’s algorithm, make it Pinterest, and that’s my straight-up personal recommendation for 2021. With basic SEO and a visually appealing pin, your hotel can gain an exponential reach growth even in a short time frame. And ranking on Pinterest will also help you rank higher on Google too, go figure. 5. Don’t Be Stingy with Paid Promotions It is understandable that with so many monetary outflows on things that are not really your core products, you are hesitant to add to your marketing budgets for paid promotions. But when you look at the return on investment numbers, putting in the money for influencer marketing and paid promotions seems like a better bet than spending on Google ads. As marketing becomes more and more innovative and challenging, the more basics come into play. Marketing basics, like ‘word of mouth works,’ still hold true. Influencer marketing is just that, and it allows you to reach larger audiences through your chosen influencer. Paid promotions on social media work great for posts that hold viral value, such as content, offers, and freebies. Then there’s PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising. When based on a dynamic and continuously evolving strategy, PPC advertising is a tried and tested method of competing with OTAs. After all, these players are already bidding on keywords too. So there is no getting around these. But looking at these strategies and making data-backed decisions ensure that you go further for every coin you spend. 2020 may have been that spoke in your wheel, with all the travel bans and jittery travelers. But 2021 is now an opportunity unlike another. Travelers are raring to go, and how? They want to make up for their lost year. Are you geared up to rope in that increased footfall? Now that’s the real question. For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Sayali Bedekar Patil, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sayali Bedekar Patil is a digital strategist who loves to build and convey brand stories over social media. Sayali quit her 9-to-5, smuggled her favourite tea mug out of the premises, consolidated her decade-long experience in the online content marketing space and took the leap of faith during this pandemic with her own digital marketing startup YOTRIPP. YOTRIPP offers digital marketing (and a host of other a la carte services) to hotels, resorts, tours and other travel players. Sayali and her team help travel-related businesses put together a powerful brand message through persuasive storytelling. She then devises the strategy for slow-dripping that right message in the right form and at the right time, on the right digital platforms and social media, to get the best visibility, engagement and conversion results for the investment made. If you thought old-school, pen-and-paper thinking does not work today, Sayali is ready to prove you wrong. Your brand need not be bland and Sayali shows you exactly how to infuse it with some spice.

Written by: Judith Viado , 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. Nutricraft Cookware has recently launched its newest nutrition and health channel, the Nutricraft Academy. The e-learning platform of Nutricraft offers free admission to online courses in nutrition, health, and wellness. Free online courses are designed to inform and educate the consumers and netizens on safe, smart, and healthy cooking. Food preparation and consumption is one of the compelling topics being tackled for a better understanding of its impact on physical health. Nutricraft Academy initially positions itself as a knowledge-based resource center for e-learners and will eventually be offering formal courses. It covers providing solutions in the form of preventive measures, how-to guides , home remedies, and lichen innovations. Spearheaded by the co-founder and chief finance officer, Judith Viado also acts as the principal coach of the Nutricraft Academy. The nutrition and health coach explained,” Our advocacy and passion in nutrition education led to the birth of the Nutricraft Academy.” One of the free online courses being offered by the education arm of Nutricraft tackles the prevention of food poisoning, revealing the hidden, unknown dangers of unsafe and unhealthy cooking. Judith added, “Our webinars are mainly catering to the general audience. It will be further developed into a customizable module for specific groups of audiences like parents, kids, and nosiness owners.’ Nutricraft Academy is envisioned to educate the consumers with useful knowledge and skills that can benefit their everyday living. Through nutrition and health education, Nutricraft is optimistic about bringing valuable learnings into homes, workplaces, and businesses. Future plans for expanding the Nutricraft Academy are in the pipeline, including pooling of industry experts, curriculum and program development, and professional workshops. As the carrier of a multi-award-winning brand, Nutricraft Cookware remains strong in its commitment to product development, service excellence, and nutrition education. For media relations, please send queries to: contactus@nutricraftcookware.com . Nutricraft is a cookware company where its main office is situated in Australia. The direct-to-consumer brand offers a wide array of cookware products and services to consumers worldwide. Because of superior quality, Nutricraft received national and international awards . To date, Nutricraft continues to strengthen its core values in research and development, customer service, and nutrition education. Follow us on Facebook , Instagram and visit our website for more information! Read more from Judith ! Judith Viado, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Judith is a highly accomplished Oracle NetSuite specialist and global online business entrepreneur. She has a background in Science, worked in Public Health, and recently been accepted as a Health and Nutrition Educator by a Scientific Community in Australia. She has cross-discipline technical expertise in various areas, including Financial Accounting, Taxation, IT project management, E-commerce, Property Wealth Creation, On-site Residential Property Management, NetSuite specialist, and Strata Management. While Judith enjoys her full-time job and managing her global online stores, she and her husband Richard started their own cookware brand with a simple goal of changing peoples’ lives. On the weekends, Judith and her family teach people healthy food preparation methods without using oil, salt, artificial seasoning and how to prevent contamination. She promotes keeping ingredients in their purest form, enhancing their natural flavors and maximum nutritional value. Judith strongly believes that since this cooking style has dramatically changed her family’s lifestyle, it will likewise have a huge impact on others’ lives. She aims to educate more people to learn to eat well, live well, and free from metal toxicity.

Written by: Marilda Cutrone, 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. Marilda cuts another cookie with her sons doing their own messy shapes next to her. If only life could always be that easy, she thinks and smiles; but then she remembers tomorrow is another Monday in the office. She exhales, and a shadow darkens her smile. Her son looks at her and says, “Why are you always so sad, mommy?” . Her breath stops, her heart breaks into pieces. They know. They feel it. Despite the smiling mask she wears, kids have realized how unhappy she is. It comes as a shock. Do I want to give them this vision of life? How am I influencing my children? She is scared. And concerned. Marilda is a Senior Project Manager, she got her graduation, traveled for a while to learn new languages and improve her knowledge, and then started to work 40 hours per week. Everything according to “plan,” or everything following the standard patterns and expectations. She shares one or two freshly baked cookies with her sons and kiss them goodnight. Then, thoughts swirling in her head, she cleans the kitchen, presses a suit for tomorrow’s meeting, tides up the mess, check the agenda for the coming week, and drops heavily into bed. She needs to recover some energy to work another day. It’s for kids, for family, she thinks. She abruptly falls asleep while her husband is still talking to her, so exhausted she is . The next day, after a meeting with a critical customer, she thinks, "It's going to be another late night." Tears fill her heart, but she doesn't cry, not here in the office, never lose your Wonder Woman mask, she says to herself. She clicks on a motivational video to uplift her spirit, and an Ad grabs her attention. You don’t need to have employees, an accountant, or your own product to start a digital business . She clicks to register, feeling curious and tempted. Late that night, and the following days, she speeds through the workshops and thinks, “I could change my life .” Something deep inside pushes her to take the next step despite fears and skepticism. Intuition? Hope? She cannot name it, but she knows that she should follow that idea. She pictures her sons’ faces and, for the first time in ages, her own face smiling. She imagines all family living a whole different routine, and she dreams of time spent together with them, no more juggling job & family, no more sadness. But.. how to make this change? She understands that developing a set of strong digital skills is one of the most impactful things she can do to make the change and create a new lifestyle, so she buys the program and starts learning. The new journey has started, and it is challenging because she adds this activity to the long list of tasks. But she meets many like-minded people in the community who can hold her back, who pushes her through the steps giving her inspiration, motivation and faith. She still doesn't believe in herself and questions every move she makes, but as she starts digging into the digital marketing and builds the foundation, she also finds a way to go within and understands her "why" and her true intentions and purposes in life. Marilda understands how badly she has been affected by the social conditioning and how blindly she has followed the rules dictated by her education and environment. The more she progresses in the program, the more she grows as a person , she finds her strengths, and the idea of a more sustainable and meaningful future begins to form vividly in her mind. She starts a blog and can build a website by herself; all this is new to her. There is frustration at times, but every little win is so empowering. It is another baby-step forward. And then she makes her first sale . Filled with excitement, she hugs her family tight and smile. This could be my future, she thinks. Her business still seems flickering, so she decides to upgrade to the next level program. Thanks to this, she can pinpoint her core values, skills and talents; she feels more confident and ready to take another step out of her comfort zone. Through this process and the support of mentors and community, she understands better the value of her message and how she can empower other women struggling in the same situation. Step by step, she follows the program, develops a solid plan and keeps repeating to herself the big “why”: she wants to be happy and fulfilled not only for herself but, above all, for her family. Marilda wants her sons never to see her sad again. The most significant change is the shift to a different mindset . Now she can build a career around what matters the most, life, and stop struggling in the attempts to adapt and arrange life around her job. She can see a whole new level of work-life balance, and she is determined to make it a reality. She continues to invest in learning, earns as an affiliate, and also starts to develop her own business idea. She interacts more and more often with the other people following the same program and feels the power of this community . It’s like a vault of positivity and inspiration, and she doesn’t miss the old office and the old colleagues at all! There is a huge gap now between her and her ex-colleagues: they continue to stick to the 9-to-5 corporate job rules and complain all the time and feel unlucky, while she sees new opportunities, new challenges, and new rewarding outcomes. This new journey is full of surprises (or unexpected discoveries). The greatest challenge lies in the fight against mind and destructive-self, which is that constant voice "You can't make it," "You are not good enough" that leads her to self-sabotage, but the community supports her, and she can rise after every failure. And when the results come, the feeling is so rewarding. Today Marilda can play on the carpet with kids, surrounded by Lego and laughter while her business is running in the background. She can go to the SPA and enjoy some me-time, knowing that the campaign, once planned, does the work 24/7. She can see her kids' school play without asking for an hour's leave from her boss, and she can even take a nap if she is tired—a whole new level of work-life balance, an authentic new connection with herself and family. A dream turned into reality. Earning money (more smartly) while living life. How awesome is that! Marilda is also helping other women to find the courage to free themselves from limitations and reinvent themselves through the same program that got her started. She is making more impact on other women's life than she had ever thought possible. While others start their journey and achieve their goals, she grows in accountability and ultimately in fulfillment. It’s not only about money, of course; making money with less working hours and being able to enjoy some extra luxury is great, but serving other people is a blessing. Marilda is me, I am the founder of Living My Digital Life, and I am helping women to achieve their goals through this program. But you too can be Marilda if you are determined and want to commit to making the shift. Look inside. Are you ready to start the journey and see real results? Follow Marilda on Instagram , find her on Facebook or visit her website to learn more about the programs. Marilda Cutrone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marilda walked away from a successful 20-year career as Senior Project Manager, as, for many years, she felt unfulfilled: she was continuously struggling to juggle career and family. And eventually found herself drained and depressed. Marilda massively changed her life in 2019, when she realized that developing a new set of skills in the current economy is a must. And here is why: over $2.5 trillion per year is being spent on retail purchases online and, over the last few months, there's been a 25% increase in online sales. By leveraging the digital skills, Marilda was able to create her own business - Living My Digital Life - and reached a whole new level of work-life balance. This shift would not have been possible for Marilda if she had not discovered the power of affiliate marketing. She is now the owner of her time and can build her career around the family (not a life arranged around the job as it used to be). Her mission is to empower other women to stand up for themselves and make the same shift. Hence Marilda offers a program that walks you through specific steps to learn the skills you need to create a profitable online business from scratch.

Danielle Christy is a holistic health coach and self-taught personal chef. She is dedicated to helping families and people around the world to stop feeling overwhelmed with healthy cooking. She shows and coach them how to stock their kitchens with healthy ingredients, meal plans and get back to having family meals again. Danielle holds a BA in Hospitality from Northern Arizona University. She is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She has helped families of all shapes and sizes and created and established a concrete strategy to ultimate health through learning what individually works for them and using whole real food as the medicine of life. Danielle Christy You have a big passion for health and cooking, and you are the Founder of Savor The Kitchen. Can you let the readers know more about your story and background and what Savor The Kitchen is all about? Food and homemade meals has always been the center of my family. Growing up, my mom always made dinner every night. It wasn’t always something fancy, but it was nourishing and made with love. Every Sunday, we would go to my Irish grandparents and have family dinner, usually a pot roast, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. My grandparents also grew vegetables in their backyard and really instilled in me the love of cooking and nourishing your body with homemade food. My relationship changed a bit with food from the ages of 9-18. I started cutting food out and overexercising and developed anorexia. It was a very unhealthy time in my life where I got used to not eating to control all aspects of my life. Around 17, I was so tired of starving myself and decided. I finally wanted help and sought treatment at UCLA, and I am proud to say I have healed myself again. Now, I have a healthy relationship with food. I have always had my hands in the kitchen since I could help my grandma pickled beets and peeled potatoes. My love of cooking has only deepened since these times, which brings me where I am today. I became a health coach a few years ago to further my knowledge as well as help as many people as I could develop healthy relationships with food and get back to home cooking. I have realized how important food is when cooked at home. It’s not only healthier for you, but also it gives love and comfort to those that eat it. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and the more we surround ourselves with healthy ingredients, routines, and community, the more fulfilled life will be. Although I am not professionally trained, I am self-taught. Last year, I took a leap, left my hotel career to pursue my love of cooking, and helped get families back to eating healthy meals at home. I became a personal chef as well as started a recipe blog, Savor the Kitchen. I am sharing some family favorite recipes and a ton of new ones weekly. I love to focus on seasonal ingredients, eating the rainbow, and offering kitchen tips and tricks for home cooking. My hope is to inspire more family dinners, just like I had when I was little. I am teaching the importance of whole real foods and bringing love back into the kitchen one bite at a time. Healthy food and nutrition is something many people think is important but somehow seem to struggle with. Why is that? And can you name a few specific tips on how to make healthy eating much easier? Healthy eating is a struggle for most because we think it has to be complicated, and we feel we can only become healthy by going on an extreme diet. Our society has so many food rules, distractions, and diet noise that it can be frustrating and confusing even to know where to begin. My perspective on healthy eating is that it is a marathon, not a sprint, and a life long journey. The small changes we can make daily can lead to huge results. Focusing on one thing at a time and nourishing your body and mind with healthy foods will lead to ultimate health. A few tips to making healthy eating easier are meal planning, drinking enough water, stocking your pantry and fridge with whole real foods, and being mindful of what you are putting into your body. Balance meals with protein, fat, and fiber will help reduce cravings and give your body the fuel it needs to thrive. The more whole real foods incorporated into daily meals will reduce cravings for processed foods and snacks. Sneak vegetables into meals like smoothies, stir-fries, riced veggies mix with rice, and mix of mashed vegetables with potatoes. My final tip is to make sure you have fun in the kitchen and enjoy what you are eating! Just by looking at your website www.savorthekitchen.com you’ll get hungry. All your meals look delicious. What is the secret behind visually good looking meals while at the same time making these meals healthy? The secret to visually good looking meals while keeping them healthy is color, texture, salt, fresh herbs, and spices. One of the biggest things I see people do when they cook is not salt their food properly. Salt is really a game-changer for flavor development, and it’s key to salt throughout the cooking process. I love to use Himalayan sea salt. It provides great flavor and nutritional benefits as well. Color and texture are also keys; the more variety, the better. I love to always have something roasted, something raw and something pickled. It balances out textures and flavors. Fresh herbs and spices really take a dish from basic to a flavor bomb. You can simply make a Gremolata, which is fresh herbs mixed with lemon zest and garlic, or you can bloom your spices in fat like olive oil or ghee. Blooming spices is traditional in Indian cuisine but works for all spices and caters to whatever you are making. Use this flavored oil to drizzle on your protein or meal before serving. How would you define a healthy person? Healthy is from the inside out. Someone who nourishes their body with whole real foods and intuitively knows what makes them thrive. They take pride in living in a healthy environment, cooking meals at home, and cherishing relationships with family and friends. As important as food is to be healthy, the mind is equally or more important. A healthy mind equals a healthy body. Exercise, mindfulness, continues learning and pushing themselves to be the best they can be. We are 100% in charge of what happens to us in life, and the least we can do is fuel our bodies and minds with healthy foods, relationships, kindness, and love. So, if someones want to become a person like that, how can you and your work help them achieve that? If someone wants to become their healthiest selves, I would not only help them in the kitchen but even outside the kitchen. We would work together to get the food their body needs and teach them how to read nutrition labels, navigate the grocery store, and prepare meals for the family at home. Outside of the kitchen, I would help them work through any food rules they have and what emotional habits block them from being their best selves. Work from the inside out and build tiny healthy habits that lead to long term results. Finally, what do you have in front of you, and what’s your next big goal or project? I am so excited I am finally launching an online course to help others get healthy products in their pantries, understand how to read nutrition labels, teach how to meal prep and plan, and cook basic recipes that can be made in no time. Really help relieve the stress and thoughts of what’s for dinner and bring ease back into the kitchen. Share a ton of recipes and build a community through love and food. A long term goal is to get nutrition classes back into schools and find someone to help me develop my product idea for healthy kitchens. Ultimately bring health and joy back into the kitchen through home cooking and eating real foods. For more information, follow me on Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Danielle Christy!

Written by: Jenny Gattinger, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We all know them—the kids who have everything. Bedrooms and playrooms full of toys, and you wonder what you can possibly get them that they don’t already have. And there’s the budget. You want to stay under budget. So, what exactly is intentional giving? Having its roots in minimalism , intentional giving is taking the time to really think about the gift you’re giving to others. It’s thinking in terms of quality over quantity and looking past the latest fads while making sure to choose something that adds value to the receiver’s life. That said, let’s take a look at 10 intentional gifts for kids that won’t break the bank. 1. Activity Coupon Book You can create a coupon book for the kids on your list based on activities you think they would really enjoy. Adding coupons such as staying up late, playing a favorite game, throwing an impromptu dance party, a day without chores, a dinner of choice, etc., are popular, but the ideas are endless. Best of all, the price is free. 2. A “cool” version of something they need Have the parents expressed interest in the child receiving new school supplies, clothing items, or the like? Rather than gifting the more normal, everyday version, splurge a little bit and get them that specially designed water bottle or backpack that you know they’d love. 3. Classes and/or lessons Is there some activity at school or in the community that the child wants to take part in or a certain skill that they’ve wanted to learn? Now could be the perfect time to gift them that experience. These could be either one-off or several week classes. Similarly, if there’s something of interest that you could teach the child, it could double as a bonding experience with them. Additionally, if you’re keen on giving the child something to open, you could gift them an accompanying item to go with their classes that would get them even more excited as they await the start date. 4. Toys that foster imagination and creativity As opposed to buying a toy that is played with for a week and then thrown into a pile with other untouched toys, these are toys for open-ended play. Think along the lines of sidewalk chalk, craft supplies, Legos, STEM toys, etc. A box of Legos can be used to make a racetrack one day, castle another, and favorite animal the next. Not to mention, building toys help teach logic, problem-solving, and hand-eye coordination, among others. 5. Items for life skills While pricier than some of the other things listed, these are items that will be used time and time again. Some popular ideas include a bike, sewing machine, digital camera, art supplies, etc. Again, quality over quantity. 6. That 1 toy that keeps coming back It’s one thing for a child to randomly say that they want a specific toy because they heard about it from a school friend. It’s another if they have been asking for the same thing over a longer period of time. If it’s something that they keep mentioning, chances are it’s actually something that they’ll really enjoy and put to good use. 7. Excursions This could be anything from a day on the town to a week-long family trip. Maybe you want to gift that special child a day with you, where they get to pick from different activities. Some cheaper and easier options may include going on hikes, eating at a favorite restaurant, checking out a museum they’ve shown interest in, etc. You may have several kids in the same family and want to take them on a special day trip or week-long trip altogether. Not only will children get to enjoy the actual gift, but the anticipation leading up to excursion time will cause great excitement for days to come. 8. Memberships Here’s another gift that keeps giving (throughout the year at least!). Are there any fun and interesting museums, zoos, amusement parks, or local attractions in the area? A membership to one of these places could provide memorable experiences for the entire year to come. 9. Financial gift Nothing to get kids thinking about good financial habits from a young age than by sticking a couple of stock shares into their stockings. Not only will the gift be unique, but actually holding shares themselves creates the possibility of igniting interest in finances and investing from a young age. The price of stock shares varies—financial education, priceless. Similarly, for the younger kids on your list, a cute piggy bank with divisions for spend, save, and donate could be an interesting and fun gift (even more so if you start it off with a small amount of money already in there!). Getting kids thinking about and becoming intentional with money from a young age will help them create good money habits for the future. 10. Items related to a favorite hobby Is the child an aspiring athlete, scientist, actor, or the next Van Gogh? Whatever their hobby, a great gift idea could be an accessory related to it. For the next Ronaldo, it could be something as small as a new soccer ball or as pricey as a soccer jersey signed by their favorite player. Regardless, these items are bound to be loved by the child. There you have it! Giving these types of intentional gifts will not only make kids happy but will keep their parents and your bank account smiling as well. Speaking of being intentional, what better way to kick off the New Year than by becoming more intentional with your own finances. Check out our group coaching program starting in January 2021, where we will dive into financial goals, budgeting, saving strategies, passive income, side hustles, and retirement numbers and options. Reserve your spot by Sunday, December 6, 2020, and receive a 40% Cyber Week discount! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jennifer ! Jenny Gattinger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenny is a personal financial coach with a passion for helping millennials reach their financial goals. Having completed a degree in Economics, along with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Coach Master Training, she teaches them how to organize their money and put it to work so that one day, sooner rather than later, they won’t have to. A millennial herself, Jenny’s financial savviness has allowed her to follow her dreams of travel and visit 50+ countries as well as compete internationally in two different sports, all while maintaining a sense of financial wellbeing.

Written by: Clare Tries , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise . The Disruption I was one of those who believed that a few weeks of lockdown would be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wasn't concerned when things closed down, and I felt lucky. Working from home full-time pre-pandemic, I didn't have to worry about losing my income. When the schools closed, it was tough having three kids at home while trying to work. But, it was short-term, so I knew I could survive this. Then March turned into April, which turned into May, and the reality of how a pandemic unfolds hit me hard. That dawning realization that this wasn't going to be over anytime soon felt like a sucker punch. It manifested itself in a lot of anger and bitterness. I was short-tempered, I cried a lot, and I questioned everything about my new reality. The Change Leaving a stable job amid an economic crisis wasn't my first plan. However, it ended up being the change I needed. I was laid off a few weeks into the lockdown. Juggling full-time work with two kids was tough. Add online learning with a newly crawling baby to the mix; dedicating myself to an 8-5 became impossible. On top of that, my job was not fulfilling. I longed to focus the little energy I had on something that fueled my soul. When it came time to decide if I would go back, I chose not to. It was time for me to start something new, to build something that would make me proud. Reality Check: Part 2 Saying goodbye to a stable income during such an uncertain time in the world was cathartic. If I could build a successful business during a pandemic, I could do anything! But could I do this? Hello, impostor syndrome. Who did I think I was taking such a gamble during this chaotic time? What if I fail and my family suffers? Maybe I should have stuck with a comfortable, stable income and made this change after COVID-19 was over. The constant self-doubt was a real struggle! The Secret The only way to overcome self-doubt is to keep taking action and celebrating the small wins. I was digging out in the garden one morning and listening to a podcast talking about a training course. Covered in dirt and sweat, I felt a determination to keep propelling myself forward. So, I enrolled in the training. Then, I built a website. After that, I collected testimonials from previous work experience. I started talking about what I was doing on all of my social media accounts. After signing my first client through a freelancer platform for TERRIBLE pay, I celebrated anyway. After an awful experience with the first graphic designer I partnered with, I refused to give up. I joined Facebook groups and kept looking until I found the fantastic graphic designer I partner with today. No matter what obstacles I faced, I kept taking steps forward. And, I celebrated every win along the way, no matter how small. The Future Three months into my new business venture, I signed my first big client. They came to me through spreading the word on social media. They needed help with their marketing initiatives, and I couldn't have been more excited to tell their story. This win was the confidence booster I needed to focus on the "right" type of client. I stopped saying "yes" to every opportunity that came my way. I said goodbye to all the low-paying work I was doing on freelancer platforms. Soon, I sought opportunities to speak for groups of companies that fit my ideal client profile. My business gained momentum that I couldn't stop. Today, I write this article in the dark and quiet early morning hours. It's been five months since I started my journey. I have a team of five people who work with me on multiple projects. I have doubled the comfortable, stable income that I was afraid of leaving behind. More than all of that, I have the pleasure of focusing my energy on work that I love every day. And I have the flexibility to support my children and spend more time with my family. I have found happiness and fulfillment during a worldwide pandemic. Who would have thought that was possible? How You Can Do It Too If you feel uninspired, tired, burnt out, unfulfilled, and unhappy about the work you are doing, maybe it's time for a change. Give yourself some quiet space to focus inward. What would you feel happy dedicating your energy to for the foreseeable future? Is it time for something new? If you are ready to take a leap of faith in yourself, here are some tips to get you started: Cover your bases. I was lucky to have a partner earning a stable income when I started my journey. This stability allowed us to lose my income for a few months before I started bringing in regular work. Make a plan for your finances. Or, dedicate yourself part-time to your new venture until you can afford to leave your job. Also, don't forget to look into government grants that might be available to you. Grants or financial help might be a great way to get your new business off the ground. Keep moving forward . Building a business from the ground-up can be a grind. Don't lose faith and don't lose momentum. Keep doing at least one thing every day to move forward, even if it's small. On days when you feel inspired, get as much done as you can! Educate yourself. Don't be afraid to invest in yourself. Seek out training programs that will help you position yourself as a capable expert. But, be careful not to fall victim to well-advertised program ads on social media. There are a LOT of training programs out there; take your time, and do your research to ensure the training is right for you. Read books regularly – at least one per month is an excellent place to start. Get an Audible subscription so you can listen to books and easily take notes. Get addicted to learning! Look after yourself . As a mom starting a business during a pandemic, life was hard to juggle! There were days when I would realize I couldn't remember the last time I showered. Don't forget to take some time for yourself, or you will burn out fast. I started practicing mindfulness meditations and going for walks every day. The stress of enduring a pandemic while building a business caused significant anxiety for me. I had to find a way to mitigate that. Carve out time for yourself to do something just for you. Talk about what you are doing . When you decide to dedicate yourself to building a new business, share this news with the entire world—post about it on all of your social media accounts. Join groups on Facebook and in your local business community. And most importantly, bring value by sharing as much free information as you can. When you join groups and offer valuable information that helps the other members, people will notice. When you join groups and post-sales pitches with links to your website, you will get lost in the noise. Don't give away everything, but make sure what you share is genuinely helpful. Fear and Courage I allowed fear to stop me from launching my business a lot sooner than I could have, and that's okay. The point is, I started. It doesn't matter when you decide to fight fear with action. All that matters is that you eventually find the courage to take that first step into the unknown. So, what are you waiting for? As Charles Dederich once said, "today is the first day of the rest of your life." For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Clare Tries, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Clare Tries is an internationally sought after copywriter and marketing strategist who helps organizations harness the power of marketing to grow their business. She does this by clarifying their story and creating a clear, concise message to guide all marketing initiatives. Clare has a BAH in psychology from Queen’s University. She served in leadership roles for multiple Canadian corporations and today owns a marketing agency called Clash Copy Corp. Clash Copy provides marketing services for businesses of any size or industry, but they have a unique specialization serving technology companies.

Written by: Amber Trail, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What comes to mind when you think of empathy? Someone who is selfless and understands the feelings of others, right? Now you’re probably thinking, “What does empathy have to do with the workplace?” Don’t worry – I’ll get to that. But first, I want to dive a bit more into empathy and what it truly means. Empathy is essentially putting yourself in the position of another to understand what they need in that moment and how you can provide that for them. We all need to embrace empathy. What if, instead of feeling bad for someone else – we transform ourselves into understanding what that individual needs to help make them feel less alone in their current situation? That’s the million-dollar question of the day, and technically every day. Your friends or family may provide empathetic feelings, but do you feel empathy in the workplace? Is it a necessary emotion to even have or bring into the workplace? If you see a co-worker or employee clearly upset, should you or should you not express empathy towards them? The short answer is, everyone is human, and empathy is typically accepted in the workplace. But is it cultivated/executed correctly? Find out! Some companies bring experts in for formal trainings on this subject. But what if training isn't possible? It's safe to say that it's okay for co-workers and employees to express empathy to one another, but they must keep personal space and social queues in mind when doing so. This is 'professional empathy .' Be supportive without being pushy. Be wary, though, that once an empathetic work culture has been cultivated, it does not get abused or overused or even underused. Hence, why keeping a professional empathy workplace is important. Open your door, open your heart, open your ears. But remember that professionally, there always needs to be boundaries. Never pry someone unless they are very willing to discuss their feelings. Never make them feel uncomfortable or that their feelings are not important. Just ask, listen, and notice body language or other social queues. Emotional intelligence also plays an important factor in the workplace alongside of empathy. Have you ever encountered an easily-irritated manager that gets disgruntled over every bump in the road? Does this encounter make you feel anxious or as if you are a burden to the company? That right, there is what we call emotional contagion. Emotions can easily be transferred among individuals, and if not controlled, this can create a bad workplace culture. As a leader, you should be able to properly manage your emotions and collaborate with your employees in a professional manner. The most important thing to remember here is how our emotions can affect other people. Emotions spread like wildfire. Once we have an angry boss, everyone follows. We can begin to control this phenomenon once we recognize and understand the emotions in ourselves and one another. Psychologists coined the term “labeling” for properly defining our emotions. One should consider the intensity of the emotion and reflect on this feeling. As we become aware of this, we can get to know these negative emotions and their roots and how to manage them at any given time. This can allow leaders to make better decisions and solve problems. Another important factor is having empathy in the workplace . It is crucial to put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to understand how they are feeling. Once you can process their thoughts, you should show compassion and understanding. You will gain the respect of your subordinates and your bosses with this empathetic understanding of all. Emotional intelligence is one of the most important skills that leaders can possess in the workplace. It is not easy to do, but once we take the extra effort to understand these feelings and react professionally, success in both you and the business will follow. At the end of the day, empathy in the workplace creates an environment that is more welcoming and positive and leads to the possibilities of creating a more efficient and productive workplace. And who doesn’t want a work environment that’s more open and warm? My thoughts exactly! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Amber ! Amber Trail. Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Amber Trail, MBA, SHRM-CP is the founder and consultant for her human resources consulting company, The HR Trail, LLC. With over a decade of HR experience and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Amber brings her passion and knowledge of human resources to small businesses nationwide. She realized that not all businesses need nor can they afford a full-time HR professional, and that's why she decided to create The HR Trail. To provide various human resource consulting services such as recruitment, coaching, company handbook development, event planning, and more. Her motto is creativity + passion = purpose, and she thrives on successfully helping small businesses accomplish their human resources needs!

Written by: Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It’s one of those things that they tell you when you start selling services online: get a signature program! Make sure you have a 5-step plan you can easily sell! Most coaching programs offer you their “proven 6-step system to generate 5 figure sales” or “the signature system that magically makes your fart smell like roses.” But… when it comes to programs, I have experienced all too often over the years is course fatigue. I have a special folder in my browser bookmarks called “Courses” … what I should really name it is: “Courses I’m Ignoring.” That would be more honest. And you know what? I’ve even attempted making them. I say attempted because let me give you the skinny, as a business coach: THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL. Yeah, that’s right. No one magic pill makes your business appear amazing overnight. No one system is going to get you there. You’re not going to jump up 1000% if you sign up for this course. Every time I have attempted to make a signature system, I’ve thrown in the towel. I’m not going to promise the same thing for everyone. It simply doesn’t work, especially not in automation, where everyone’s starting line is so varied. You know what will get you there though? YOU. You are the secret sauce, my friend, and don’t you ever let anybody tell you different. NO, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that those courses are crack or that they are all terrible, or that you should never believe them. There are some proper gems out there, and they’ll help you along very nicely! I’ve learned a lot from them too. What I’m saying is you need to believe in yourself FIRST. You need to choose yourself FIRST. If you’ve been in the online game long enough, there comes a time when it’s just not necessary to keep getting the next fad course. You know what is necessary though? Taking stock. Figuring it out for yourself. Thinking deeply. This all needs to happen before you do anything else. This comes first. This is why I believe so much in coaching, especially 1 on 1 coaching. While most coaches are trying to scale to group models where they don’t have to take 1:1’s, I’m actively seeking the opposite. I like introducing people to my method in a larger scale environment so that they can seek me out 1:1. I personally believe that 1:1’s hold the most integrity, give you the most accountability; heck, gives your coach a run for their money too! There is nothing I love more than cracking a belief or a problem with a client. Nothing more satisfying than, “Oh my God, WE DID IT!” And I gently remind my clients, no, doll, YOU did it. YOU did it. When you hit your first 5 figure month, when you hit your 6 figures...that’s not going to be because you followed the Unicorn Method by John Doe. It’s because you followed your heart. You understood your offer, what you are after, and how you are interacting with the world. You come with honesty, joy, excitement, and people believed in it enough to make you a success. And yes, coaches can get you there faster. But ultimately, it’s down to YOU and your grit. Your hard work. And when you do, I’ll be there in the background, cheering you on. If you want to find out more about what it looks like to work with me 1:1, let’s have a chat first! Book a call here! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn Read more from Arna! Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Arna van Goch is a business automation coach. She helps 5 figure entrepreneurs hit 6 figures by streamlining their businesses and strategies to work less & earn more. Over her own entrepreneurial journey, she has worked with online businesses to land 6 figure contracts and supported businesses reaching 7 figures. Besides working online, she has an avid passion for travel, energy work, and awesome Netflix series like Next in Fashion.