Written by: Tanja Malovrh, 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 could say it is easier to spend money than earn it when developing your own business. You can turn around your offers endless ways, but if nobody is buying it, where is the point of doing it? While going about our daily routines, we occasionally experience lightbulb moments that lead to brilliant ideas applicable in various life spheres. However, we often lack sufficient knowledge and means to promote it. So, before you grab all your money, trade down to a cheaper car, get a couple of more credit cards, and set to give notice at work, you should most definitely double check your idea and create a simple plan to have the big picture in front of you. You can go through some checkpoints on how to set strategy the right way at one of our previous articles. But now let’s get to the other side as well, discovering the most common mistakes we make each day running our business. Focus on The Money-Making Activities. To grow your business faster, focusing on money-making activities is the key. You will never be done with all the work and having it all sort out perfectly. There are thousands of daily tasks keeping us from doing the real work. Let’s be honest; we are oftentimes busy being busy. What we can do is eliminate the activities that are keeping us from achieving better results. Taking one project at a time and planning ahead – which is already creating the step-by-step action plan choosing the right tactics. Here are the crucial elements to build a successful business long-term: Check your daily activities – Write down the entire business process, observe yourself what you usually spend time on and check all your to-do lists. Put everything out on paper, and you will instantly see where you are at right now. Green dot, red dot system – Once you have your daily activities written down, put a green dot next to the ones that are bringing in the money if they are finished and a red dot if it’s just something that has been there for a long time, not even that important at this moment. Find the right “who” – You DON’T need a bigger office and bigger team, but you need to outsource the right “who” that will do the work for you. Consider outsourcing people to do some of the most time-consuming activities that are important to bring in sales. Get back to the basics – Having a thousand items on your pricelist or always looking to offer more is not always the smartest decision. Make your business simple to understand for everyone that wants to buy from you. Check what is selling best, work on it and ditch the rest. Create a system that works for you – Once you know what your core strength is, it’s time to put everything into a system that works for you. That means looking for solutions that will automate your business and put the burden of admin work off your shoulders. This is just the beginning of the letting go process. Remember that it is more costly to do it yourself than hiring someone else. You must invest time and money to learn how to do it. That is a cost as well – we call it opportunity cost. Stop holding up to things that are around just to keep you busy and giving you that feeling you are doing something. You are now moving from the role of business owner to becoming the CEO of your company! Let us know what you are working on, and reach out to us booking a short 20-minute Clarity Call . Let’s work on moving your business from chaos to clarity together. For more information, follow me on Facebook and visit my website ! Read more from Tanja ! Tanja Malovrh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tanja Malovrh works with professionals within different industries that need support with their business growth and setting strategy the right way. As a Business Strategist, her job is to assess the current set of resources, find the most effective way to use them, and build working business models for her clients. She gained her knowledge being part of the corporate world, holding different positions, building up her own diagnostic clinic from ground zero, and now supporting others with her expert knowledge to scale their business. She is active within European funded projects and having her own research team covering different scientific fields of work.

Michele Ogston is a meditation & mindfulness teacher and a certified intuitive life coach specializing in life purpose & mindset. She works with her clients to empower people to never feel stuck in life. It is her belief that by breaking the patterns that have been holding you back and rebuilding with self-love, purpose and mindset, you can live the life you were intended. After experiencing her own loss through the death of loved ones and a painful divorce, she decided to turn her pain into passion. I'm Michele Ogston, and I am a certified intuitive empath coach. My coaching story begins with when I was stuck! I was unhappy and depressed. I tried everything I was "supposed" to do to make myself happy. I read, worked out, ate healthy, drank plenty of water, spent time with loved ones, but nothing was pulling me out of the downward spiral. It wasn't until a day that started like any other ended with a realization that saved my life. I had dropped my kids off at school and went home to start work and clean up. My depression was robbing me of any motivation. I sat on my bed and started going through my emails. A mass email had gone out from the school. A mother, someone we all knew, had dropped her kids off at school and drove up to a local mountain top and killed herself. I sat there in disbelief! So many thoughts went through my head. What happened? What was going to happen to her kids? Why would she choose that option? She must have been so sad and lost. And then it happened. What if that were me? Could I slip so far into depression that I would leave my kids and choose to die? I had lost someone to suicide 20 years prior, so I was familiar with how quickly depression can take hold. Suddenly, I saw myself in the mother's shoes. I could see it happening around me. I thought of my kids and the pain I felt when suicide took a loved one from me. It was in this moment that life shifted. I picked up the phone and texted a friend who I knew was seeing a therapist. I booked an appointment and my journey to self-healing began. Through the healing process, I realized I never wanted anyone to feel stuck in their life. I wanted to spread the word that we are all one decision away from changing our whole lives. I am happy to say, since that moment, my life has changed drastically. I went through a painful divorce and I did a lot of healing and learning. I can honestly say the peace and security I found within myself after my divorce allowed me to attract the people who were meant for me in my life and allowed me to let go of those who weren't serving me. I became more in touch with who I really am. I strengthened my spiritually and dove into being an empath. I realized some of the patterns I had made in my life were due to the fact that I was not serving myself as an empath. I now use my abilities to have balance and purpose in life. Vibrating at this level enabled me to meet my current husband. I would go through it all again to obtain the level of fulfillment I have now. We live a quiet, loving, peaceful life in Northern California. We have 4 kids and fur babies. I'm no longer stuck. Life is good! What is it that you do for your clients? I help empaths break the habits that hold them back to be able to live an authentic life with purpose and meaning. I turned my pain into my passion by offering clients several ways to work with me. I run a monthly support group for empaths offer 1:1 support. I recently started a weekly life coaching group for empaths to go a little deeper than the monthly support group. This group offers the opportunity to have the camaraderie of a group setting and the depth of 1:1 coaching. Who should hire/work with you? People who feel drained and overwhelmed or people having trouble setting boundaries. People who are looking to empower themselves and have a deeper understanding of their strengths, gifts and abilities. How do you create a purpose-based life? You begin to create a purpose-based life by asking yourself these 4 questions: What is your story? = this is the key to creating intentions. What do you value? = helps you establish boundaries and your non-negotiables What are your natural abilities? = allows you to take the strengths you naturally possess and use them to serve. How can you use your natural gifts to serve you and others? = when you use your natural gifts, you are living the life that was designed for you. This enables you to serve others. This is where your purpose lies. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? My big goal is to be able to empower empaths earlier in life, so the pain, loneliness, and patterns don't allow them to just survive life. It is time to heal. 10 years from now, my husband and I will be traveling and touring and speaking to people about being an empath and how to enhance their lives. I hope to write a book and hold classes as well as work in my groups and with my 1:1 clients. You can connect with Michele on: Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn or visit her website ! Read more from Michele !

Melitta Campbell is a Business and Communications Coach who guides women in confidently building profitable businesses through her step-by-step programs and coaching. She started her entrepreneurial journey 12 years ago following the birth of her first child. She didn’t know if she had what it took to succeed, but found it a wonderful way to engage in meaningful work and create the flexibility and balance she wanted in life – but not without making a few mistakes along the way… When did you start your first business? Officially, I started my business twelve years ago, when I set myself up as a communications consultant and corporate writer. But I actually ran two businesses as a child, so maybe entrepreneurship has always been in my blood. Aged 14, I ran coloring competitions in a pony magazine, raising more than £200 for a donkey sanctuary. Then aged 15, I ran a Tuck Shop with four friends at school, selling sweets and drinks at break times. We won a Young Enterprise Award for our achievements and made £100 profit each, which felt like a lottery win! How much do you feel your business education has enabled your success? That’s a great question. I gained my first business degree from an art school, which has enabled me to look at business problems with curiosity and challenge myself to consistently find new and better ways to deliver results. Seeing things differently and being able to create innovative solutions has definitely been an asset over the years. Five-years into my career, I gained my CIM postgraduate diploma in Marketing and Communication. This gave me a robust insight into what it takes to build a solid market position and build a business that’s connected to real client needs and desires. I feel this is critical knowledge for all business owners. Having said that, the real learning comes from the experience of putting the theory into practice, pushing its boundaries, reflecting on what works best and refining your thinking and processes accordingly. Then your new knowledge becomes a practical tool. Do you think entrepreneurs need a formal business education? Not necessarily. There are plenty of MBA graduates who have failed in their start-up and business owners who have succeeded without any formal education. Knowledge is great, but success in business is all about action and momentum. If you want to by-pass ‘learning the hard way’, then learning what works through courses, books or a coach is the best way to go. Even if you already have some business knowledge, I believe that success and growth is all about mastery through incremental improvements, so it’s important to embrace life-long learning. How did you know the time was right to start your own business? While I loved my corporate career and I had worked hard to build my position to a leadership level, when I had my first daughter, my priorities changed, and I wanted more flexibility. I had no clue if I could succeed in my own business, but I knew I had to try at least. It’s been an extraordinary journey, which has been incredibly tough at times, but twelve years on, I’m so pleased I took that leap of faith. What has been your biggest challenge since starting your business? My first business was actually quite easy. While I worried about everything initially, I had a good network and a solid reputation within the communications community, so I found my first clients quickly and, through referrals, networking and public speaking, I was able to consistently attract a steady flow of interesting and well-paid work. What I learned, however, is that not all clients are the right clients. As demand for my expertise grew, instead of using that opportunity to refining and elevating my offer for my best clients, I said ‘Yes’ to everyone. This caused me to fall out of love with my work, and I found myself close to burnout. Thankfully I caught myself in time and was able to make changes before the inevitable happened. I took a step back and refocused on my strengths, purpose and what gave me the most joy – which was creating value, meaning and connection through authentic marketing and messaging. That’s also when I decided to use my skills, knowledge and experience to coach small businesses rather than consult for large corporates. Why do you only work with women? In my corporate career, when I landed a promotion that saw me move into a prominent leadership position, I wanted to use that opportunity to inspire more women to move up the career ladder. Typical of most Swiss banks at the time, my company was male-dominated and so my aim was to give members (male and female) access to inspiring female role models, run workshops to help women explore their natural leadership abilities and host panel discussions to find solutions to common challenges. I loved this network and the way it started to change the company culture for the better, making it stronger and more inclusive from the inside out. But when I started my own business, I couldn’t find an equivalent network for female entrepreneurs and that was always in the back of my mind. When I moved into business coaching, I saw my opportunity and created the Driven Female Entrepreneur Club, a free online community to promote networking and discussion amongst female entrepreneurs. I also started a podcast with the same name to give business owners access to inspiring role models. To help more women build a profitable business that feels like their own, I created the ‘Dream Clients Blueprint’, a group business-coaching program that provides clear step-by-step guidance through learning modules and live coaching. I also include regular live sessions with other leading business experts to drill down deeper into topics such as sales, visibility, mindset and pricing. Although this group is exclusively for women, I do work with a handful of male entrepreneurs on a 121 basis – business best practice works the same for men as it does for women. What’s the future for your business? My Dad once gave me this advice: “Whatever decisions you make in life, make sure they result in choices,” and I feel that that’s where I am right now, facing a range of choices in terms of what direction to take my business and community next. I will definitely continue with my existing community and group-program as they are getting fantastic results, often in just a matter of weeks, and having access to a supportive and caring community is more important than ever in these challenging times. In terms of how I plan to deepen the support I offer to Female Entrepreneurs, you’ll have to watch this space. I have some exciting ideas and collaborations on the horizon! What are your top three tips for business success? It’s so hard to narrow success down to just a few tips as there are so many dimensions in play. But these are three aspects I feel are often overlooked: Be Authentic – It’s crucial to know who you are and what’s important to you. Without this, you can’t share your vision and value with the confidence needed to connect with your tribe, and establish a meaningful position in the market. Linked to this will be knowing who you most want to serve and how you want to show up for them. Stay in Action – Nothing happens if nothing happens. That said, it’s important to remain focused on those actions that will take your business forward in ways that are aligned to your vision and values. As I mentioned earlier, consistency and momentum are key to success. Get Support – It takes courage and conviction to launch and thrive in business and it’s hard to achieve this alone. Build a network of inspirational and supportive people around you who get your vision and want to see you succeed – and for whom you want to do the same. I’d also recommend getting a business coach too. I know I’m biased on this point, but having a customized business education (that pays for itself), accountability and ongoing support will help you achieve success faster, and in ways that not only ensure you build a stable and profitable business, but that support your desired lifestyle too. For more information, follow Melitta on Facebook, Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn and visit her website!

Written by: Natalia Nicholson , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise You may be surprised to learn that, even in 2020, less than 35% of all SMEs in the UK are female-led. Even more surprisingly, just 5% of these organizations have someone from an underrepresented group at the helm. Worse of all, only 9% of start-up funding for UK businesses is given to businesses led by a woman. It couldn’t be more obvious that something has to change. That is why the Women in Digital Business crowdfunding campaign , backed by NatWest, has been established – so the world of digital enterprise can become more diverse and, in turn, more vibrant and exciting. What Should I Know About The Women in Digital Business Crowdfunding Campaign? Backed by NatWest, this initiative has been set up to raise funds to support women from ethnic minorities and underrepresented groups interested in joining the Women in Digital Business mastermind group to launch or scale-up an online business of their own. The 12-month program consists of a full training day each month for the participants so they can learn how to set up a sales funnel, use social media to its best advantage and create a digital marketing strategy. Participants also benefit from a weekly call during which they can get helpful advice and ask questions so they can keep on track with their new enterprise. The initiative is designed to give a vital boost to women from underrepresented groups who wish to become entrepreneurs in the digital sector but require some additional support and nurturing to help them excel. Raising Money To Support Digital Businesses Individuals and businesses donating to the crowdfunding initiative can rest assured their investment will be going to a worthy cause. Initially, the money will be put towards investment in 10 UK businesses led by women who have participated in the Women in Digital Business program and whose enterprises have been proven to be viable. The funds will help them to start trading effectively and also to help them scale up their operation so they can achieve maximum profitability. Each one of the eligible businesses will receive an award of up to £10,000 so it can make progress towards achieving its goals. Surplus donations will help underrepresented women join the Women in Digital Business mastermind, enabling them to start their own entrepreneurial journey. Donations to the campaign will help to further the overall mission to boost diversity in the sector and work towards a more vibrant online digital world. For those who want to support this campaign, you may send your donations here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter ! Read more from Natalia ! Natalia Nicholson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natalia Nicholson is a Serial Entrepreneur, Business and Digital Marketing Coach, and Professional Public Speaker. Natalia has over 20 years of experience working as a digital serial entrepreneur and has had plenty of her own failures as well as success stories. This has perfectly placed her to be able to offer insight and advice to other women aspiring to become digital entrepreneurs, together with those who have already launched their own businesses. Through her mastermind group Women in Digital Business, Natalia teaches them the best way to leverage the potential of digital marketing and helps them to learn the best ways of overcoming the challenges that they are facing when it comes to becoming a successful online businesswomen. Her passion for online business coaching and digital marketing has inspired her to bring inspiration to women from largely overlooked underrepresented groups.

Written by: Thokozile Eunice Mahlaola, 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 individual has a right to live a life full of peace and happiness, and the way to achieve such a life is through expressing peace from within us. Yet how can we express peace when we are faced with so much negativity? One way of expressing this inner peace is through forgiveness because it cleanses away the negativity that stands in the way of what we believe we can do with our lives. I have come to find that forgiveness is expressed in three ways. 1. Fore give “Fore” means before; therefore, the “fore” in “forgive” means before we give. We need to do this before we can give whatever it is that we want to give to the Creator, ourselves, our children, our spouses, our clients, and all of humanity. What causes unforgiveness might not be between us and those we want to give to, yet if we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts, it affects everything else in our lives. This is because unforgiveness is tied to negative emotions that bring heaviness such as sicknesses, addictions, and death to the soul. Giving before we forgive is a waste of time, energy, and resources because our gifts carry all that negativity from us to those who receive us. This is because we do not just give physically but from our spirits and souls also, and if we are burdened by carrying unresolved issues, heaviness gets attached to those we serve. 2. For give The “for” in “forgive” indicates that we give for the sake of giving or we give for something. In other words, it is a reason for doing something. Now the first reason we give is because our Creator first gave us life; the second reason is that we are created to be like Him, so it is our God-given nature to extend ourselves and our gifts to others in service. The thing with giving is, it fills our hearts with goodness, and it benefits us because the more we give, the more we receive. Yet, we should not give with the aim of gaining because giving needs an open spirit and an open heart. Therefore, we should give as if we have never been hurt or rejected before. We should understand that giving does not mean the receiver is perfect but that our gifts can help them. 3. Forgive To forgive means to pardon; to give another chance, or to grant a do-over. It is about going back to the beginning and sorting out whatever issues we have so we can give freely. It means to stop feeling the negative emotions and let go of whoever or whatever incident that brought those emotions about. When we realize that we are not angels but human beings, life starts to be better because we start to accept that we all have faults. We can then treat each other with kindness rather than with judgment. When we give each other chances to do better, we help each other to be better. This shows that forgiveness demands us to shift our focus from how people treat us to how we process their treatment because that is the only thing we can control. Most times, when we consider forgiveness, we think of it in terms of other people. Yet, we also need to forgive ourselves for the bad decisions or mistakes we make. We need to forgive ourselves when we doubt ourselves and believe that we are not enough; for thinking that we are perfect while seeing others as imperfect, for what others did to us and for what we did to others, and many other incidents in our lives. All this may sound like it is nothing but the void these unresolved incidents cause stays with us until we deal with them. We need to realize that forgiveness opens our lives up for abundance to flow in while unforgiveness closes us off spiritually, soulfully, and physically. Whatever we do with a heavy heart does not bear healthy fruit; instead, it makes us bitter and robs us off our inheritance. It also keeps us locked up in the past instead of allowing us to experience the possibility of a new day. It causes us to hurt others because we are hurt. It causes us to think that everyone and everything is against us when they are not. It makes us hold on to the hurt to remind us to protect ourselves from perceived future dangers. But the answers to our healing, breakthroughs, promotions, success, happiness, marriages, pregnancies, businesses are tied to our forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a feeling but a choice. We do not forgive and immediately step into happiness because it is a decision we continuously take until we are fully freed from the heaviness. The good thing about forgiveness is that it takes away the heaviness and gives us peace of heart and mind; healing and happiness, freedom and restoration, as well as abundance and fulfillment. Also, remember that forgiveness does not mean that we are right and others are wrong. It only conveys that we are done with holding on to this hurt or disappointment and that we are ready to allow healing, peace, and freedom to flow into our lives. This is important because healing happens when we declutter our spaces just as the sun shines the brightest through a clean window. Now let us empty our loads and spring clean our hearts, minds, spirits, and lives to experience lasting peace and happiness. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my YouTube-Channel! Read more from Thokozile! Thokozile Eunice Mahlaola, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Thokozile Eunice Mahlaola is the founder of The CherryBlue House, a consortium where they deal with career development, personal development, content writing, and music entertainment. Since 2015 she has self-published three books and has two books and a music album coming out in 2020. Her online courses have changed the lives of people from different parts of the world. She has studied Creative Writing and Editing through the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism and Language and Literature and Public Relations Management both through the University of South Africa. The eighteen years of combined corporate and entrepreneurial experience she has gathered has prepared her to work with individuals, employees, and new entrepreneurs who want to know their life’s purpose; align their priorities with their values and be more productive in their lives, work, and businesses.

Written by: Kiesha King-Brown, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In my son’s favorite video game, Nintendo’s Super Smash Brother’s, the challenge is to overcome each unforeseen obstacle and get better at your character’s skills utilizing their strengths. To be even better, you must constantly observe and learn the moves of and defeat each competitor until you level up and become the champion. Gamers can track their performance with a score that is constantly providing feedback based on their performance. If gamers play enough, they can eventually learn to be effective and even beat the game through trial and error. They can make educated guesses or repeat levels to master them. Or they could be more strategic…like my 6-year-old. I found my son in his room oddly quiet with his tablet. He said he was asking Google to show him videos of how to make special moves on his video game so he could make surprise attacks and beat the game faster. He was literally analyzing and studying the videos and the tactics of his opponents. He was also taking note of how much “damage” or point impact each move had. The gamer’s version of knowing the metrics. Not your typical 1st grader… While video games may be animated and played with a controller, they are a strategy experience. They are experienced with increasingly complex challenges that require gamers to adapt to in order to continue to be successful. In many ways, these games parallel circumstances and situations business leaders deal with on a regular basis. Varying challenges are commonplace to business leaders. Just when we think we’ve seen it all, there is another unique and more difficult situation we have to figure out how to lead through. Just like the gamer, a business leader could eventually meet all desired goals through trial and error, educated guesses, or informal plans. But this gives the competition an advantage. There also seems to be a misconception with many business owners that their business size means they don’t need an actual strategy. Only 23% of businesses use a formal strategic planning process. However, a strategic plan is the shortest route between goals and execution. The best leaders invest in self-development, stay aware of what the competition is doing, and track financial trends to be as prepared as possible for uncertainty. A strategic plan minimizes the impact of uncertainty and detours on the route to execution. Familiar detours include reacting to unexpected changes vs. anticipating them, getting caught up in tasks that could be delegated, engaging in unnecessary meetings, pandemics, etc. A strategic plan brings clarity to execution that enables the vision. Doing analysis, aligning focus, building prioritized strategy, implementing strategy, and following up enables business leaders to meet goals and maximize success. Businesses that plan grow 30% faster and are 12% more profitable. And…the ability to maximize that success is about the quality of the strategy and its execution, not just the fact that one exists. Strategic planning and execution is a change-oriented process, not a task. The perspective provided by the process enhances clarity. And, the execution allows leaders and the business to grow, and to ‘level up.’ Differentiated Consulting partners with its clients to provide them Data-Driven, Strategic Plans and Implementation coupled with guidance to improve results. We are positioning our clients for improved growth in the ‘new normal’ and long-term. We’re here for those ready to ‘level up.’ For more info, follow Kiesha on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit her website! Read more from Kiesha! Kiesha King-Brown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kiesha King-Brown is an experienced Business Executive that partners to help small business owners accelerate growth with strategic, AI-enhanced consulting so they can spend more time working on the business than in the business, and spend more time doing the things they enjoy. She has an MBA in Management, BSBA in Marketing, and holds certifications in Consulting and Executive Coaching. She draws her inspiration from 20 years experience at Fortune 200 companies in Executive Leadership and HR positions helping leaders build strategies, enhance development, and grow their business. Kiesha is author of "Differentiated Leadership", an Advisory Board Member for a Talent Management SaaS company, and Chief Relationship Development Officer for a Business Development SaaS company.

Written by: Danielle Perlin-Good, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In my 12+ years of writing and editing, I’ve determined what truly makes up a good story. Some folks will tell you that you need the Five W’s. Some will adamantly insist that you need five components: the characters, the setting, the plot, the conflict, and the resolution. Others will tell you to incorporate the five elements of memoir: Truth, Theme, Voice, POV, and Musing. They’re all right in their own ways. But what these key story elements don’t include are the pillars—the idea of breaking down what needs to happen before the story takes place—before the story is even written down. When I work with clients privately, we discuss the four pillars of the story and how these pillars affect their own writing and their book. Without these pillars, the story simply will not come to life. Time When we think about time management, we can easily become fearful, overwhelmed, and just simply exhausted. But keeping track of our time doesn’t have to feel like a burden. When we utilize our time efficiently and effectively, we can actually increase the amount of time we have in our daily lives to accomplish our goals. Energy Humans have a finite amount of energy. We also have the ability to increase or improve, our energy levels, but we need to commit to a healthier living standard for ourselves. Once we do so, we can have more energy to undertake significant tasks and projects, one of which may be to write a book. Mindset There are plenty of books and articles on the value of mindset and mindfulness. However, mindset plays a significant role in shaping your story. If we’re not crystal clear on our vision for the creative project we want to tackle, and if our mindset isn’t in the right place, it will be significantly more difficult to write our story with a clear voice. Ask yourself how your thoughts are impacting your voice on the page. Value We place value on possessions. We place a high value on the relationships we cultivate. We also can utilize value when it comes to our stories. Ask yourself, what value do you place on your own ideas, and how does that translate into your story’s value? Conclusion Once you have a sense of what these four pillars of the story mean for you, your written work, and your goals, I guarantee you will learn your way of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself, no matter what they are. Follow me on Instagram, join my Facebook-group and visit my website for more info! Read more from Danielle! Danielle Perlin-Good, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Danielle Perlin-Good is The Written Legacy Coach. She helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and speakers elevate their credibility by unleashing their powerful legacies so they can transform and inspire lives. Since 2008, Danielle has edited hundreds of articles, books, social media content, e-newsletters, and more. She went from working overnight shifts at the Tribune Company to corporate digital marketing gigs, one of which was at Albert Whitman & Co., an esteemed children's publishing house. Danielle uses mindset techniques, exceptional editing skills, and visualization exercises to ensure her clients develop a beautifully crafted and publishable book that they will forever cherish.

Written by: Anna Vogel, 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. So I admit it. I'm a perfectionist in many ways, and there's almost no limit to how long I can prepare, plan, and practice. In my mind, there's always a voice saying: "It's alright, but you can do better." This voice is super helpful for learning and continually improving, but it's not very helpful for releasing stuff I create. No matter if it's a course, a song, a podcast, or a talk, there will ALWAYS be ways to make it better (and that's the cool thing about creating - there's no limit to how far you can go), which means that I won't release anything if the aim is perfection. So in the last ten years, I've changed strategy. I realized it was better to put my work out there, sharing my process, going through the whole vulnerability process, let it grow, and get some feedback. After that, I could go back to the drawing table if I wanted to, upgrade, and make changes for the next release. Something that entrepreneurs and innovation consultants have known for years. "Launch and iterate." "Start before you are ready." Yup, I think you've heard the quotes before. So WHY is this so important? Well. Number 1. Something happens when you release your work, and it meets the user, audience, or whoever is the recipient of what you do. You will get feedback. Valuable information on how you can move forward. You might even (yes, this IS the possibility you as a perfectionist certainly didn't think of) find that people like/love/learn from what you share, that you HELP people with sharing your work (even if you didn't do the last two percent you thought were important...) Number 2. You give release panic a kick in the butt. It's not unusual that JUST the second before you release something, you get the idea that it's not good enough. Why? Because onur brains are there to protect us from danger. Showing your creation is like holding up big warning signs (in neon and with sound effects) for the protective brain. Fear kicks in. Will people like it? (Will people like ME?). Will they buy it? (Am I still valuable/part of the group?). It doesn't necessarily mean that your work is not ready. It's your brain doing what it's supposed to do - informing you of all potential danger. Number 3. Perfection is boring. Yup, this might be my very personal opinion. But being human is a fun, messy, confusing, diverse, and non-perfect experience. And I believe that when we show the human parts of ourselves, it makes connecting to other people easier. I see myself in you when you share your work in progress or share your process. And a little note for the perfectionists out there. You might worry that you will suddenly release sloppy work into the world by starting before you feel ready. Don't worry. Aiming for perfection and aiming for quality are two different things. When you strive for quality, you can still come to a point when it's good enough. On the other hand, perfectionism makes us feel that we are never ready to share our work with the world! So what would you share with us if you knew it didn't have to be perfect? What value would you bring to the world? For more details and other tips for creativity, health, and self-awareness, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website ! Hey Creative Mindstudio Instagram For Swedish readers: Join my online course Sju strategier för inre kraft och hållbarhet Anna Vogel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Vogel is a coach, a mindfulness instructor, and a singer based in Stockholm, Sweden. She's passionate about helping women create a work-life they love. She's also helping individuals and teams access better health, inner strength, creativity, and internal motivation. She's the founder of Hey Creative Mind Studio, an online learning space, and Women in Business, a one on one coaching program for women. "With a higher degree of self awareness, we can work proactively with our health, goals, and mission in life. Let's say goodbye to burn out, overwhelm, and pressure. And let's say hey and hello to creativity, playfulness, and ease."

Written by: Vicki Ravangard, 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 no secret that I am a Disney addict, but as I have begun experiencing life more deeply, I started to see things in these movies from a different perspective. They were no longer just feel good films (let’s face it, most of them have us reaching for the tissues anyway!), but I began to internalize the message and see it so much more clearly. My latest obsession is with Moana. The film was released in 2016, yet it never spoke to me the way it does now and it’s no coincidence that in the last 6 months, as I have been on my own journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening, this film now speaks very directly to my soul. It tells the story that in the beginning, there is only an ocean and when earth (Te Fiti) was formed, the power of her heart became the creator of beauty. As I watched on, I quickly determined that the ocean represents the Spirit world (the I Am) and Te Fiti represents Mother Earth as we know it today. Humans saw the creations of Earth and thought that if they could have the heart, they too would be able to create all that they desired. This leads to Maui stealing the heart and returning it to the humans to please them. This makes sense as we later understand in his story. The reason he did this was to fulfill his desire to be loved and admired by the humans who once abandoned him. Maui didn’t realise that in taking the heart, he ripped the heartbeat from the Creator and so everything started dying. Without the love & light came the darkness, in the form of fire, natural disasters and separation from source. This is such a powerful message which really sets the scene for the whole movie, but more than that, it is hauntingly reflective of our materialistic human needs and the impact it has had on Mother Earth. The duality of light & dark was born, but we separated from love along the way. We forgot who we truly are and that we were always meant to return to our oneness. The shadow self is sent to us so that we can learn to love every perspective of our self unconditionally. It has been sent here to serve you, not to destroy you. It’s the reason why your biggest obstacles often lead to your greatest success, because we are being shown the things that our soul needs to learn, but we don’t all recognize it. When you know who you truly are, you can create what you truly love. A key message that we can all take from this is that real beauty lies within. We all have our own unique gifts to share with the world. You do not need to replicate what others are doing. You need to go inwards and discover what gifts you have to offer the world. This darkness created fear. Fears that spread far and wide throughout the community and Moana’s father projected his fears onto her, which held her back from doing what felt so natural. He created rules that kept them safe and showed her why she needed to stay to fit his narrative of the world. He created a small life for her and stopped her from pursuing her dreams, but deep down, she knew there was more and her Grandma encouraged this. It’s important to recognize her father acted from a place of love. He was trying to protect her and give her the best life possible. After all, it was enough for everybody else, so why wouldn’t it be enough for her? Why would she question it? This represents thousands and thousands of years of our ancestors’ pain and fears holding us back. Somewhere along the way, we got so used to following the rules that we forgot who we are and if, like Grandma, you do follow your heart, it’s entirely possible you will be seen as the crazy village lady! As Mother Earth is ascending into a higher consciousness at this time, we are remembering. We are waking up to the fact there is more and questioning the status quo. We are being guided back to the voice inside; that is who we are. What is calling you? What doors have you closed off in fear? You will always be guided and supported when you are on the right path Moana listened to her Grandma and she voyaged once again to find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti. The ocean chose her and it supported her, but that didn’t mean that she got a free pass. Moana learns that in pursuing her soul purpose, it was part of her mission led by Spirit to restore the heart, but she also faced difficulties along the way. It may feel like everything on your journey is going wrong, even when you are on the right path and this is when we bring everything into question. We constantly doubt ourselves and often perceive these challenges as reasons to quit and run away from our dreams, not realizing that if it was easy, we wouldn’t be learning the lessons that we need in order to expand and grow into who we want to become. As Moana starts to feel hopeless on her mission, her Grandma connects with her. I believe this represents the connection between Earth and the Spirit realm. The unconditional love and support that Spirit and our ancestors have for us, no matter where we are or what we decide. As she tries to return home, she stops herself. She knew there was something inside that was stopping her from leaving. She listened to her voice inside, and even through all of the turmoil and heartache, she found the courage to journey on. By allowing ourselves to trust in the divine timing of the Universe, we can have faith that there is a plan far greater than our own. You can only move from where you are at any given moment and as you cultivate a deep acceptance of who you are, you will start to discover that it is your journey that shapes you, not your destination. There will be times when you feel like all of the odds are against you, but know that your darkest moment can reveal who you truly are. We have become so attached to the outcome that we lose sight of the power of where we are and that our journey is part of the destination. There is no endpoint; there is only infinite growth and opportunity to experience all that we desire. What will you do when your vision is compromised or when you face obstacles? Will you do what it takes to cross the ocean? Will you allow your voice to be heard? Will you step up and lead your people? “They have stolen the heart from inside you – but this does not define you. This is not who you are, You know who you are .” We come full circle as Moana faces Te Ka and for me, this is the greatest twist in this story and the perfect demonstration of who we are. We learn that Te Ka is Te fiti and this whole time, she was separated from herself because she was fighting for what she lost. Your shadow does not define who you are. You are not your anger, your hurt, your pain or your suffering. You have the capacity to return to love, and at any given moment, you can choose compassion over resentment and faith over fear. By taking the first step on your journey, you have the power to break the chains of your past and lead the way for others, showing them what is possible and allowing them the freedom to become who they are by discovering yourself. How are you leading first? Speak your Truth Break the Chains Lead the way. Follow me on my Instagram , Facebook , and visit both my Facebook-Group and page . You can also find more information on my website . Read more from Vicki ! Vicki Ravangard, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After 10 years of working my way up in my corporate career, I am a Part Qualified accountant who works as a Finance Analyst for a UK Airline. I am also a Spiritual Mindset Coach. So how did I go from corporate to coaching? My coaching business 'Take Her To The Moon' was born after embarking on my own spiritual mindset journey where I discovered the art of creating a life with intention and the power of conscious thinking, which positively influenced all areas of my life, including my corporate career. My Business focus is helping women who have lost their direction in life, to master their mindset & discover their soul purpose. I put my own unique spin on some of the greatest spiritual teachings and use these to help my clients experience greater success. I have a huge passion for Music & Travel, which is where I draw a lot of my inspiration from - and I am also a Disney lover!

Written by: Lynn MacDonald, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You’ve been driving to work on the same highway for 12 years, navigating the heavy traffic, careless drivers and never-ending road construction mazes while encountering delays and unexpected detours. To continue to be in good standing with your time conscious boss, you have to leave 50 minutes earlier so you can be at work “just in time”. One day, you run across someone who unexpectedly awakens you to a new route that was invisible to you. Though it was always there, but you weren’t aware of it. This new scenic path is all back roads, smooth, no traffic, no trucks, no construction and detour-free and is 45 minutes shorter! The best part, your quality of life improves effortlessly because you can sleep in longer and enjoy breakfast with your partner. You scratch your head and ponder, “Why didn’t I know this before?” You are not alone, we don’t know what we don’t know until we do. What if everything you think about emotions can be looked at from a new direction? A new direction never known before. A new direction never seen before. Before I introduce you, can I ask a favor? I invite you to read the rest of this article with nothing on your mind, absent of judgment and criticism. I ask because I care about you. An open mind that is relaxed is primed for insights. One insight alone has the power to transform your life! I recently hung out with my 8-month old granddaughter Ava. She’s so happy, she’s smiles and is so curious and inquisitive as she explores her musical toys and is captivated when read too. In a flash, she can just drop that quivering lower lip or shed a few tears, then the next moment, she’s happy again! She just flows freely moment to moment as her feelings change. Happy...sad…tired...hungry…satisfied...playful…laughing...crying She doesn’t analyze her thinking, she doesn’t try to fix it, monitor it or change it and she certainly doesn’t ask why she’s feeling a certain way. She doesn’t worry about not having the confidence to place her hands on her small box so she can stand up. She doesn’t agonize over being judged as she takes one step at a time using her walker as everyone cheers her on to victory! We’ve all been given this beautiful spiritual gift of thought at birth. Without thought we have the inability to experience life. A baby operates from pure consciousness, unfiltered, no contamination of thought. A baby doesn’t put ingredients in the neutrality of thought. Ingredients of blaming a person, event or circumstance for how their life turned out. Ingredients of I am not confident, I am not good enough, I doubt myself, etc. I am sure you get the picture. You see, a baby is our BEST teacher! Here’s what we can all learn from a baby as we all are living as spiritual beings having a human experience: A baby isn’t aware of their thoughts. They just allow themselves to have emotions/feelings flow through them. No attachment. They don’t analyze or ask why am I feeling like this? A baby doesn’t grip thought, so if they don’t like how they are feeling, fresh new thinking comes in literally moment to moment (for all humans) compliments of spiritual intelligence. A baby doesn’t have lots of extraneous thinking around thinking. This thought is good; this emotion is bad. This anxiety thought, is bad; I have to do something with it. A baby doesn’t blame anyone, including the weather, for how they feel. They don’t know they do this, but when they are crabby and in a low mood, they don’t dwell, don’t think something is wrong with them, and don’t panic simply float to a better mood. This means their thinking shifted and changed compliments of the spiritual intelligence and the nature of thought. A baby doesn’t protect their personality because they know its fluid. They know that how they think, how they feel, and how they act creates their personal reality known as their personality. Our personality changes moment to moment based upon thoughts flowing through. A baby warmly smiles when you walk in the room. They welcome you with open arms; they hold no grudges (which is just a thought), they forgive because they see you only with love and understanding. Party-bag-take-a-ways: We are always and only experiencing our thinking (via thought) not from an outside circumstance, person, the past, etc. If we are not thinking about it (something), we are not feeling it! The simple realization, of the fact that we think, you’ll spend more time living from a good feeling. The place of your birthright, innate well-being (mental health, we all have it. It’s never lost, stolen or broken), innate wisdom and innate resilience. 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜, 𝐒𝐲𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬. “𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝”. Once this percolates, please feel free to share your insights or what bubbled up at the surface for you. I can be reached at missionpossibleyou@gmail.com With gratitude, Lynn Follow me on Facebook for more information! Lynn MacDonald, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine I’ve been a corporate trainer for a Fortune 500 company. I’ve been a yoga teacher with consistently sold-out classes and a professional hypnotherapist successfully curing some of the biggest fears and phobias people have. All of this, plus studying with some of the highest level teachers on the planet, has led me to an understanding of human nature that I use to help strong professional women shed their old beliefs and become the potent, prosperous leaders they’re here to be.

Written by: J. Francàis , 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 shopping online with COVID-19 on the rise? Since the pandemic began in March, a lot has changed with E-Commerce. Clothing stores were forced to close due to government-issued orders. Online shopping has increased significantly because more people are at home working remotely. I am a fashion designer, store owner of J. Francais. Just like millions of other brick-and-mortars, they were in the same boat as I was. Clothing retailers were temporarily closed and I witnessed a change in my business. I relied on customers coming into J.Francais but this was the time that I needed to increase my online exposure. I had to implement new strategies to attract customers to my website. I would ask people on social media to subscribe to my email list, direct messaging potential customers, and emailing large corporations to show the products and services I offered. So they say, “Social media is it!” There are billions of people utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tiktok! How can I reach these potential customers for my brand? I have amazing products, I will always deliver exceptional customer service, but one of my goals is to have tons of traffic driven to my website! Now I’m thinking of ideas such as: Collaborating with another designer, hosting a contest-prize-give away, and connecting with an influencer. By doing this, I will increase exposure to my business and gain new customers. I will stay consistent, and greatness will follow! Learn more on Facebook , Instagram and visit ShopDesignCode ! J. Francàis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J. Francàis. the collegiate jacket guru, fashion designer, and handbag designer. J. Francàis flagship store opened in December 2018 in San Pedro, California. She specializes in designing custom collegiate jackets for historically black colleges & universities (HBCU’s,) Ivy League schools, and other sports affiliated teams.

Janet Henson is globally sought-after Divorce Coach, dedicated to guide men and women through one of life’s most traumatic emotional events - divorce. Janet quest is to banish the stigma that still surrounds divorce and prove that the end of a marriage can be the most empowering, life changing and affirming event ever to happened to you. Her coaching experience coupled with her own divorce experience enable her to develop coaching programmes designed to help individuals transform their lives by taking control of their minds, she equips them with the strategies and tools they need in order to successfully deal with this major life event, enabling them to navigate and cope with their journey with positivity and to confidently transitioning into the next phase of their life. Janet specialises in divorces involving narcissistic abuse, high conflict, divorce in later life and expat divorces. Who is Janet? I am a globally sought-after Divorce and narcissistic abuse Coach dedicated to guide men and women through one of life’s most traumatic emotional events – divorce. I currently divide my time between Cyprus, Switzerland and Wales – not an easy task in the last year as travel has been, to say the least interesting! I am dyslexic, something I found out about later in life. It was not recognized when I was young. Being dyslexic enables me to be very visual and think outside the box to see the bigger picture. I was born in England but left over 20 years ago. I have lived in over 7 countries, which has given me a global outlook on life. I love to travel and enjoy embracing new cultures. During my own divorce, I had therapy but I found that no one specialized in divorce coaching. I found therapy and counseling was more about the ‘why’ not the ‘how’. I needed coaching in 'how' to move forward, not 'why' it happened. Quite often in a divorce and break-up situation, this can trigger flashbacks that hinder progress. Therapy and Counselling take you from dysfunctional to functional whilst divorce coaching takes you from functional to optimal. Following my unmet needs, I found out about divorce coaching and re-trained and became accredited. My wish was to provide the emotional and practical support I wanted and needed in my divorce. I feel passionate about my job and helping clients move on. I am the bridge over emotionally troubled waters. The lyrics of Bridge over Troubled Waters by Simon and Garfunkel mean so much for me and it's what I wish to achieve for my clients. What is it that you do for your clients? My quest is to banish the stigma that still surrounds divorce and prove that the end of a marriage can be the most empowering, life-changing and affirming event ever to happen to you, at any age. As a divorcee myself I understand the emotional rollercoaster that hits you like a freight train. I have been there and know how hard the journey back to happiness is. My coaching experience, coupled with my own divorce experience, enabled me to develop programs designed to help individuals transform their lives by taking control of their minds and equipping them with the strategies and tools they need in order to successfully deal with divorce. My approach is holistic as I am a great believer in the mind and body working together. What is in your body is in your brain. I believe you need to harmonize your body with your mind to operate at full capacity. Divorce Coaching is action-based, so I guide you through this major life transition by breaking through mental barriers. I do not tell clients what to do. I enable them to harness their own ability to accomplish better results and give them the skills to rebuild their confidence and get their life back on track. Who should hire/work with you? I coach in any break up whether it involves a divorce or not. I coach individuals thinking about divorce, those in the divorce process, those who are already divorced but still coming to terms with the emotional fallout. I specialize in divorces involving controlling behavior, narcissistic abuse, high conflict, divorce in later life and expat divorces. In my role as a narcissistic recovery coach I also coach clients who are dealing with a narcissist at work, or a parent or in a social setting. This side of my coaching was a natural transition due to my high level of expertise in narcissistic behavior. As an expert, what are the top 3 biggest "warnings-signals" that a relationship is going downhill? Controlling toxic behavior by a partner – this increases over time, often resulting in co-dependency and trauma bonding. So you stop liking and respecting the controlling partner, but you find it extremely difficult to leave the relationship. Infidelity by one of the partners, once trust is lost its really hard to make a relationship work. Lack of communication in the relationship coupled by withholding affection and attention. In a relationship, silence is certainly not golden. The more you communicate, the better you will feel. Communication is the single most important thing in a relationship, bar none. If you do not have good communication, you cannot have a good relationship. What is your big goal? My biggest goal is to help as many people as possible overcome a break-up, narcissistic abuse and re-embrace happiness. Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? I see myself continuing in a loving, happy relationship. I used my own techniques to rebuild my life after divorce late in life, to once again find love and happiness. For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more Janet!