Written by: Maria-Paz Hornisch, 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 worked in customer analytics in both finance and e-commerce companies for twelve years, so I can tell you a thing or two about the benefits and importance of analyzing customer data. If you have an online shop with different product categories and are trying to increase your sales, avoid trying to do what most online shops do (and even some big ones!): selling everything to everyone. There is so much pressure, especially in these times, to offer all the products to all the customers for equal, sending millions of discount codes to all newsletter subscribers or website visitors, trying to increase sales, while NOT listening to your customers' needs or behavior in your shop. I've seen so many online shops not having a consistent and smart strategy, and that has led them to very bad results. Customer analytics are crucial to a company. A business needs to know their customers in order to understand what to offer them. If you sell everything to everyone and/or offer too much discount or too many voucher codes constantly, then in the long term you’ll end up exhausted feeling that no strategy works and with a brand that might lose its value. Instead of selling everything to everyone, I recommend you try this instead: 1. Study your customers' behavior: you can learn a lot from customers' past purchases or visits to other products in your shop. For example, take a look on what they have in their shopping cart and haven't purchased yet, how many days they have had those products on the shopping cart, what kind of products they have in their wishlist, which categories they browse or buy the most, how did they arrive to your online shop or product page, etc. As you can see, many analyses can be done, and each of them will lead you to an insight that will provide a lot of information to be used in your strategy. 2. See which of your customers are seasonal buyers (only buying on Christmas or special dates) and separate them from your regular offers. When you start analyzing your customers’ data, you might find people who buy in your shop a couple of times a year and always around the same dates. These are called Seasonal Buyers, and when you start finding them, you’ll find the most interesting trends. Some of them buy on certain holidays (Christmas, Easter, Black Friday, etc) while others buy due to a special discount or offer launched by the shop at a certain time of the year. If you find your seasonal buyers, get them aside from your regular customers and target them in the way it works for them the most. There might be customers who react better to Black Friday offers rather than discounts on a random day of the year. 3. Check when was the last time your clients purchased, and focus on those who haven't purchased in a more extended period of time (e.g., 3 to 6 months): if they are not seasonal buyers, there might be a chance you can still get them to buy again from you, by sending them product recommendations, new products in store, price drops on products or categories they have visited in the past, or discounts. If more than nine months have passed from their last purchase, then other strategies should be implemented. 4. Segment your clients: to improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. It’s mandatory to segment your clients. Campaigns should be directed to customers who are most likely to respond to it. For example, suppose you have a pet shop, and you have identified a segment of customers as “dog food buyers”. In that case, you should try a variety of up-sell campaigns (e.g., to encourage customers to buy a more premium or more expensive brand of dog food or dog treats) and cross-sell campaigns (e.g., to encourage customers to buy from other categories, such as dog accessories or dog care products). This approach increases short term sales and long term customer loyalty. For more info, follow Maria-Paz on Facebook ,  Instagram ,  LinkedIn  or visit her website . Read more from Maria-Paz ! Maria-Paz Hornisch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maria-Paz Hornisch is the Business Coach & Digital Marketing Strategist behind The Digital Madl, dedicated to helping ambitious mompreneurs with branding and digital marketing strategies to create a rock-solid presence online and skyrocket sales. Maria-Paz is a bachelor in Business Administration and holds an MBA in Luxury Business from ISC Paris École de Commerce. For twelve years, she developed her career in Chile, France, and Germany, working for a Spanish multinational commercial bank and two German luxury and fashion e-commerce companies. Originally from Santiago de Chile, she now lives in Munich, Germany.

Written by: Isabel Carranza-Gervais, Guest Writer Brainz Magazine Understanding your own personality is important, but more importantly, is to be able to understand your co-workers and people you do business with. Learning how to communicate and work with different personality types can make any job easier and be more successful at it. Putting the time upfront can lead to great business relationships. Reality is that not everyone has the same personality. Introverts don’t see things the same way as extroverts. High detail-oriented people don’t communicate the same way as a salesperson. Many things come into play with someone’s personality type, from cultural upbringing, age, religion, gender, etc.   I have worked in big medical corporations for almost 18 years and in the last five years as an entrepreneur, both in the digital marketing areas and with their own set of difficulties. One thing I have learned throughout my career from dealing with colleagues, vendors, and customers, is that no matter where you work or who you work with, there are always different personality types you will encounter. Some will be difficult to navigate or some that will seem easy. Early on, I realized that in order to be successful at doing my job was to understand how to communicate with others. The sooner you understand this, the easier your job and relationships at work (and at home) will be. At the end of the day, we have to deal with people in our jobs, so we might as well develop the skills that will set us up for success.   The purpose of this article is not to outline every personality type, rather give you some quick tips on how to adapt to any situation easily. I have found that if you apply these quick three easy steps, you will be able to navigate any scenario.   If you are interested in learning about each type of personality, find a free online test - there are many to choose from. Many employers also have personality types of resources to help employees better communicate with their co-workers. Even if you think you know yourself pretty well, you would be surprised what some of these tests uncover about your traits, strengths and weaknesses, and how to relate to others on the opposite side of the spectrum as you. This being said, it is impossible to ask people you deal with on a daily basis what their “personality type” is, so you know how to deal with them. So, I take a more realistic approach based on what’s been successful for me so far.   Let me preface it by, I am not a psychologist, but I am a digital marketer, and have always been fascinated to learn and understand what makes people do or behave a certain way. After all, marketing tactics apply psychology principles to appeal to people and entice them to take action, on a banner, blog, email, etc., you get my point. Here are some tips that have worked for me during my career navigating different personality types. I try to apply them every time I collaborate with someone new (and sometimes with old relationships too – as people change) to help me assess how to better manage the business relationship and work together successfully. 1) Listen What I mean by listening is to truly pay attention to what the other person is saying, how they are expressing themselves, how they are coming across, how are they making you feel? Is the situation easy to navigate, is there resistance, conflict, or just impossible? By listening, you will discover if they are the type of people that want to get to know you, make small talk, or get right to the point. For example, people that are straight to the point (like me) can come across rude and uncaring when dealing with more sensitive types. This can be a recipe for disaster. Adjusting the tone of voice, delivery and words used can have a completely different outcome. Being mindful and navigating the conversation where both parties’ needs are met, yet still be business-focus, without being rude or omissive, will result in a more pleasant interaction. 2) Assess (before reacting): Don’t react negatively if the conversation started on the wrong foot, or on the other side overly optimistic. Stop and think about what you are going to say. It goes both ways; all the points I mentioned above. If the conversation or situation is turning to be difficult, this step is crucial to try to turn it around.   Emotional intelligence plays a big role at this point, in my opinion. Encountering aggressive/harsh personalities or someone that is hard to find common ground with, is always good to take a step back and think before responding and making the situation worse. Instead, being kind, present, and measuring the words that are coming out of your mouth to be respectful and changing the dynamic will be a more productive approach. Oftentimes by doing so, the person in the offensive will realize you are not there to fight and make the issue bigger. This being said, you do need to assess if the situation has escalated to the point where HR or a manager needs to get involved. One thing is navigating a difficult situation, and another one is being abusive and bullying. 3) Understand & Response: Instead of jumping into a quick conclusion, ask some quick non-intrusive questions to better understand where they are coming from. Perhaps they had a terrible morning, a situation at home is affecting their mood, they are overworked, or maybe they are just blunt. Whatever it is, don’t judge and try to understand the other person before responding.   Even if you have tried to redirect the conversation into a more productive and positive outcome, it is sometimes just not happening. At this point, it is good to understand why the other person is not easy to work with and step away. Perhaps you caught them in a very stressful time, and would be good to reconvene at a later time, if possible. Understanding the right time and place is important. I remember one of my first bosses saying, other people’s priority is not my priority. I always think about this when I find resistance from a colleague or a client. My advice here is to respectfully state the facts of what is needed, the urgency of the project and reiterate the importance of working together to meet the deadline. Lastly, asking them when a better time is to meet. Giving people the importance of their contributions is important, as it makes them feel part of the “team” and their work will contribute to the greater good for the company or the project at stake.   Remember, we need to learn how to relate to others mindfully, respectfully, and purposefully. We cannot alienate people out of your work life just because our personalities clash. Instead, learn how to navigate them and turn them into a positive relationship. Spending the time upfront to develop quality relationships will always be better than spending double the time trying to fix bad ones. You might be surprised that people have more things in common than what they think they do, by just understanding different personalities.   Hopefully, you find my tips on how to better understand other personality types useful. No matter what the personality is, I believe that if you apply these three steps, it will give you valuable insights on the other person and, in return, a better business relationship. Follow me on: Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and LinkedIn Isabel Carranza-Gervais, Guest Writer Brainz Magazine Isabel has over 20 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, with the last 17+ years working primarily in the medical field. In the last 5 years she has led a boutique digital marketing agency in San Diego, CA – Digital Marketing Integrated . Focusing on providing businesses with customized and targeted digital marketing solutions tailored to their business goals and objectives. Digital marketing solutions may include web design & development, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Vine, Periscope, etc.), inbound marketing, online marketing, ecommerce and more.

Written by: Janet Brent, 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 old systems are crumbling. We are in an extremely unique time to dig deeper and ask ourselves how we truly want to live. What passions do we want to pursue? How can we write our story with complete intention? If we could reset our life and do exactly what we want to do, how would that change? And for those who have ever felt called to write a book, how can we LIVE it to tell the tale? As we are in a transition phase where old and new clash or coexist, the same is true for the publishing world. I may be biased, but I believe self-publishing will only gain in speed, and choosing to go past the gatekeepers of traditional publishing is an advantage for conscious entrepreneurs in the new economy who want to lead the shift to the new paradigm. 1. Self-publishing is faster than traditional publishing Whereas traditional publishing may take 2-3 years, self-publishing can take six months or less from write to publish. This means you can publish your ideas before they feel irrelevant or outdated. In Birth the Book, I help you publish as a bestselling author in 3 months. 2. Have more control with self-publishing More control of your marketing. More control of how you up-sell your book into your other offerings. More control for your freedom of expression as a sovereign being. With self-publishing, you have more control of the creative process, on the design of your book, and the people you hire for editing. 3. Get more royalties with self-publishing One of the most striking differences of having more control of your book and the publishing process with self-publishing is that you get to keep 75% of royalties. Compare that with 8-10% to start in traditional publishing. This is also because traditional publishing gives you an advance based on how many copies the publisher thinks your book will sell. Think of this as an advance against royalties. You don’t earn anything else from your book until the book sells its target amount, and THEN you activate 8-10% because all the other people who worked on your book also get a cut. If you’re thinking about publishing a book, self-publishing is a great way to get your message heard and step up as the leader you are. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read More Janet Brent, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Janet Brent is a 1 international bestselling author and book sales doula for conscious and holistic entrepreneurs who want to grow their platform and get more brand visibility. She helps clients launch solo books and multi-author book collaborations with the Birth the Book program and is passionate about helping women own their stories in their business, brand, and marketing to impact more people. She has been featured in The Guardian and loves to travel, hike, and spend time with her family.

Written by: Stephanie Martin, 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 have all at some point in our lives questioned what our purpose in life truly is. It is typical human nature to feel like you were meant for so much more. To seek out what our purpose in life is. Life is so much more meaningful when you have found and started to follow your purpose in life. There are a million different ways to find your purpose. Still, there is an ever-growing list of things that can block your path in life. When you seek your purpose in life, you must start at the beginning, where all foundations are started. 1. Your mindset is everything when you are finding your purpose. There is nothing that can stop you more than your old mindset. We pretend that it isn’t a real thing so often that we never move past our own mindset. We shut down before we every start figuring out what is actually stopping us from moving forward. When you start by changing your mindset that anything you want is possible. Your whole world will change in a matter of moments. New doors open, New people come into your life, and the shift causes your purpose to become more apparent than ever. When you change your mindset, you can truly change your world. 2. Life is ever-changing, and that can be a scary thing . Many people see change as an unnecessary and scary thing. They avoid it at all cost, pretending that to change is not a necessary action to have a life worth living. The truth is that you can not find your purpose unless you are willing to change every area of your life. Growth happens when you decide that change is not only an empowering thing, but also a very necessary fact of life. When you change even one thing in your life, it causes a change reaction for change in all areas of your life. Embracing change in life is the only way you will ever find your purpose in life. 3. You have an endless supply of knowledge right at your fingertips. There is nothing that you can’t do with a little determination and the internet. Finding your purpose has never been as easy as it is right now. Even though this year seems to have gone a little nuts with all the never-ending things going on, we can still find and follow our purpose in life even from the comfort of our homes. The best thing about living in a time where the internet can answer so many problems is that if you want to learn a new skill or change your path in life. You are just one google search away from figuring out your next step in life. To find a new book, a journal to change your life, or if you’re lucky, it can even get delivered to your inbox. Finding your purpose is so much more than just sitting around and wishing for someone to give you all the answers. You must embrace a new mindset, change the things that aren’t making you happy, and learn new skills. Even if they scare you, sometimes you just have to embrace the suck. Connect with me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Stephanie Martin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Stephanie is a driven, empowering, powerhouse. She's a Purpose and Business Coach, owning The Path Is Yours Coaching. She's a Certified Life Coach and Neuro-Linguistics Programming Master Practitioner. Her passion for helping women find and follow their dreams in life is unmatched. Stephanie is a mother of four beautiful children and wife to an active-duty soldier. Running and growing her business where ever the Military lifestyle might take her family.

Written by: Lisa Kindle, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Each of us has a creator within us. Still, many of us shut this part of ourselves away as we “grow up” and become more practical about how we spend our time, even down to our career choices. It’s a common misconception that some people are simply born creative, and others are not. I am here to challenge this sort of thinking. Think about what you most enjoyed doing as a child. What was the “one thing” you could do for hours and lose complete track of time? That’s a clue to what fills your creative fuel tank! Ways to Fuel Your Creative Soul: Keep a journal of ideas that inspire creativity and write them down when you have them. Morning Pages, a daily writing practice from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Make a special place in your home where you can work on projects. Schedule your creative time into your calendar and treat it as a priority. Embrace creativity as part of your identity and truest self. Get out in nature, explore, meditate, take photos Actively pursuing creative outlets in your daily life will reap great benefits to your personal, mental, and physical health – not to mention, work-life success and satisfaction. It’s as important as regular body movement and eating right to your overall well-being. A way I work this into my life is by taking daily walks. I love walking around the lake and discovering new areas around the town where I live. Part of the walking experience that brings me the most joy is taking photos I share with others. Here are a few recent ones from around Minnesota where I live: Benefits of Creative Practises Feel more engaged in your work or career. Find more inspiration in daily life experiences. Bring more enthusiasm to your relationships. Reduce anxiety levels. Develop the mindset of a deep thinker. Overall physical health and well-being. As a Therapeutic Art Life Coach and Creative Lifestyle Guru, I highly recommend taking time out of your day to reconnect with that place within yourself where creativity lives. By recognizing and implementing daily creative practices into your life, a great journey will unfold that is limited only by your imagination and the courage to embrace it. I invite people of all ages and walks of life to join me in experiencing the transformative power of the creative process through art-making, mindful walking and other adventures around the globe to meet up with friends and see many wondrous sites. Want to super -charge your life? Take the first step today to reconnect with your inner-creator. Remember that thing you haven’t done since you were a kid? I double-dog dare you to go out and do it again this week. Or better yet – how about today. I’d love to hear what your “one thing” is and what you did in response to this article. Share it using one of my links below: Facebook - Instagram Lisa M. Kindle, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lisa Kindle, a therapeutic art life coach and leader in building a creative community that inspires people worldwide, is dedicated to a creative lifestyle with a personable approach and an artsy twist! She now coaches one-on-one and in group settings, including retreats and workshops. With over 25 years of professional experience as a corporate designer, photographer, graphic designer, small business owner, and all-around visionary, Lisa's creative spirit shines through connecting people and ideas.

Written by: Bandana Jain, 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. From book clubs and competitions to creative writing, here are tips for leading family members on a voyage of discovery through books. These ideas are in tandem with promoting reading in line with supporting society members as they choose to stay home and abide by the physical distancing policies in place due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. A well-organized and indexed library A home library plays a vital role in bringing family and books together. Hence, it should be well-organized and indexed to provide all family members with easy access to knowledge. All members should be encouraged to enrich the library with new titles. An index, within a home library setting that classifies books by genre, will encourage family members to look for and pick up their favorite books easily. Book clubs and competitions The joy of reading does not end with turning the last page of a book. The love for the stories should be further enhanced through discussion. Creation of a ‘Family Book Club’ that encourages every member to read a chosen book and then discussing it together is a great idea. It is an inspiring way to encourage young kids to read independently, and to connect and bond over great books. Competitions amongst family members are also important tools to motivate the practice of reading, and to create a positive environment that enriches the reading experience. Encourage role-playing To further promote the reading habit, the inclusion of fun activities to go along with reading books. For instance, role-play of fictional characters is bound to increase the reader’s interaction with the content. An imaginative and creative interpretation of stories and novels through role-play has a key role in helping children understand the message of the story and nurtures their creativity at an early age. Use a notebook Get into the habit of taking notes and exchanging comments on the books you read. This is an effective way to expand knowledge, and share information and thoughts about that book with other readers, which may encourage them to want to read it. Read different topics Open your mind and expand your knowledge by reading up on different topics spanning culture, science, philosophy, history, and other disciplines. Reading is a journey of discovery that uncovers hidden treasures within the pages of books. Encourage children to write Children have tremendous inborn capabilities and potential, but how do you unleash this and nurture their talents? You can do so by encouraging them to write stories on their own. This will improve their creative writing skills and enable them to turn more ideas into stories. Rewarding them for their efforts is an effective way to inspire children and motivate them to work to the best of their abilities. Multi-volume book series Boost a love of reading from an early age with engaging, educational stories that can be accessed through a range of multi-volume book series. These books often carry adventurous, entertaining stories with colorful illustrations that holds the interest of the young ones. Some books also contain hidden mysteries and treasures on every page, waiting to be discovered. Setting up a reading reward chart for every member of the family is an added motivational tool to cultivate a life-long love of reading. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website Bandana Jain, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Bandana Jain is a Dubai based lifestyle and travel journalist for the past two decades. She’s also a passionate lifestyle blogger, photographer and loves pursuing modelling as a hobby. One of the aspects of her journalistic life that she thoroughly enjoys is rubbing shoulders with Bollywood celebrities. Having said this, her community journalist status ensures that she loves interacting with people from different strata of the society. She loves the limelight on stage sometimes as an anchor, whilst on other occasions as a public speaker. When she is not pursuing any of the above, you can find her shopping in Dubai’s famous malls or chilling by the beach with her favorite cup of tea. Travel is her passion, creativity her morale booster and enriching conversations are enough to give her the necessary thrust in life.

Written by: Michelle Greene Rhodes, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As we navigate through these incredibly stressful and uncertain times, the idea of self-care may seem insignificant. However, entrepreneurs facing high degrees of psychological distress should prioritize self-care by investing in themselves. This will allow them to recharge and ensure that they are best equipped to handle the challenges of each day as their business adapts to the evolving economic conditions. Entrepreneurism can often be lonely. Hence, it is important to seek support from a community network that gives a sense of connectedness for mental well-being. Given the state of ambiguity, it is crucial to provide emotional support by responding to the crisis with empathy and compassion. Entrepreneurs must strive to use positive coping mechanisms to combat negative emotions. They need to remind themselves to take time out of their busy schedules and put their mental health first. Self-care takes many forms, and it’s different for everyone. It can entail practicing hobbies such as gardening, drawing, cooking, bicycling, or even just taking a walk around the neighborhood. "Incorporating physical activity in our schedule has multiple health benefits." Simultaneously, it is important to have a positive mindset as individuals adapt to a new normal. Making a conscious effort to practice self-care and mindfulness is key. Meditation can help reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Additionally, exercise reduces stress by balancing cortisol levels in the body and is a great way to uplift one’s mood by healthily channeling one’s energy. Incorporating physical activity in our schedule has multiple health benefits. These include improvement in blood circulation, weight management and reduced risk of chronic illnesses. Additionally, exercising the brain by reading, playing puzzles and learning vocabulary increases blood flow to the areas of the brain associated with focusing on tasks. Read more about the benefits of meditation here Maintaining a healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourish the brain and protect it from oxidative stress. This can help prevent depression and cognitive impairment. Eating dark leafy vegetables, fish, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, while avoiding sugars and flour can be beneficial. Meanwhile, healthy sleep of an adequate duration, sleeping pattern without fragmentation and deep sleep is essential to rejuvenate the body. Practicing a bedtime routine that removes anxiety-inducing objects from the bedroom and turning off digital devices a couple of hours before sleeping may significantly improve sleep quality. Furthermore, it can be challenging to separate professional life from personal life working remotely. Hence, dedicating an office space will help to leave work behind when it is time to sign off. Meanwhile, turning off notifications on mobile devices may help prevent burnout and resist the urge to work beyond official work hours. In the long-run, these techniques can benefit individual mental health and assist entrepreneurs in overcoming challenges at work. Visit our website for more info and connect with us on LinkedIn! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Greene Rhodes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle G. Rhodes is a Corporate Wellness Consultant and is Certified in Managed Care and Licensed as a Registered Nurse. By combining her love for Managed Care/Population Health background with her innate ability to create educational programs and cost savings solutions that are uniquely designed for each employer, Michelle is sought after for her multiple successes in cost saving and exceeding targets. She has helped corporations craft wellness programs that offer definite returns on investments and assists them in meeting and exceeding their annual performance measures and goals. Michelle creates various wellness initiatives for awareness campaigns all the way to the creation of wellness culture transformations. Michelle Rhodes Media LLC is also a continuing education provider for Nurses, by the California Board of Nurses, and provide workshops for Nurses to learn continuously.

Written by Brenda Johnston , High-Performance Mindset Coach After being chained to the same corporate job for close to 14 years and living with debt for most of her adult life, Brenda decided it was time to stop playing small. When I was younger, I wondered why some people seemed to be able to attract (and keep) abundance, specifically money in such an effortless way. I had always been able to manifest (aka make real) money when I needed it, but I never seemed to be able to keep it. The money would come in, and then an unexpected bill would show up, or something would need to be fixed and I was back thinking, “maybe I just wasn’t meant to keep the money?”. It wasn’t until I started transforming my own money stories and studying the subconscious mind that I realized, I had some massive money and success blocks. I had literally been sabotaging my own success without even realizing it. A money and success block is a negative subconscious belief that limits you from achieving your conscious desires. What makes them tricky is that they can be hard to spot because we don’t realize we have them. When it comes to money and success, women especially tend to have a lot of blocks around their ability to create and have money. I hear things like this from women all the time: "Oh, I'm just not meant to be wealthy." "There is no way I could make that much money." "My husband is the smart one with money. He makes all of the money." "I could never make as much money as my husband (or ex-husband)." Everyone has money blocks in some way shape or form, and having more money doesn’t get rid of them. The first step in clearing your blocks is to identify them. Here are three common money and success blocks and how you can start to work through them: 1. You’re an over-giver: You give, give, give and that means you are not actually open to receiving. This might show up as feeling uncomfortable or even guilty about charging people money so you undercharge or you give things away for free. Maybe it shows up as you never letting anyone else pay for things when you go out. “Oh don’t worry, I’ve got that”. Being an over-giving, non-receiver can show up in a much simpler way as well. Ask yourself this, when someone gives you a compliment, how do you react? Do you get all weird and awkward, or do you feel like you need to give one right back? If that sounds like you, you’re not open to receiving, and that’s going to be a challenge in all areas of life. Especially when it comes to money and success. Working through this block starts with learning to say yes to yourself; this can be as simple as blocking of “me time” once a week for yourself. On a deeper level, practice simply saying “thank you” when someone compliments you, offers to pay, or gives you a gift. 2. You’re surrounded by low-vibe, lack, and scarcity mindset people: Like attracts like so if you surround yourself with people who focus on lack and scarcity vs. abundance and wealth you will reflect that. This one can show up in a few different ways, you attract or keep clients that don’t value you, but you feel bad about letting them go. You hang around people who complain about how expensive things are or how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. You allow your success to get side-tracked by the negative opinions of family and friends. Working through this starts by removing yourself or limiting your exposure to situations where you are surrounded by people who would rather bitch and complain vs. taking action to improve their circumstances. Next, start spending time with people who have an abundance and wealth mindset. I recommend joining a business mastermind group with like-minded people that includes high-level coaching; these have been a game-changer for the growth of my business. 3. You say or think things like “It’s not all about the money”: Money is energy, it has no meaning except the meaning you give it. Not valuing and respecting the money you have (or don’t have) right now shuts your subconscious mind down to finding opportunities for you to attract and keep more money. Why would it waste time on that when it’s not important to you? Saying things like this can also be a great excuse for people who don’t want to take control of their finances. That was totally me. I had a horrible relationship with my money and didn’t want to look at what a disaster my finances were in. Working through this belief starts but changing your perspective on money; it’s a tool that can allow you to help others. The more you have, the more you can help others. Next, you need to build a relationship with your finances just like you would with a friend. It sounds weird, but it’s actually very liberating and allows you to acknowledge any worry you may have around money so you can take action and move forward. If you’re ready to start your journey from Worry-to-Wealth I have created a FREE program based on one of my three-step transformational processes. You can access it here Let’s get social, connect with me on Instagram , visit my website or check out The Limitless Life Podcast . Read more from Brenda Johnston ! Brenda Johnston, High-Performance Mindset Coach After being chained to the same corporate job for close to 14 years and living with debt for most of her adult life, Brenda decided it was time to stop playing small. She changed her relationship with money and success (and more importantly herself) to turn her passion into profit. Within 7 months of leaving her corporate job, she had built a successful 6-figure business. As a High-Performance Mindset Coach, and the host of The Limitless Life podcast Brenda helps other driven Women tap into the power of their subconscious minds so they can access their full manifesting potential. She does this by helping transform limiting beliefs and fears that are creating patterns of self-sabotage so they can create an abundance mindset and go from worry to wealth.

Aubry Alvarez, Ph.D. is a therapist and mindset coach with 15 years’ experience guiding women and teenage girls into the highest, most authentic version of themselves. Dirk Bakker, M.Sc. is a computer scientist. During the first ten years of his career, he built software tools to serve the needs of businesses, and now consults on bringing people and technology together. Read the full interview with the loving couple and business partners below! You guys have a pretty unique personal story. Tell us about it. Aubry: – Yes, people always tell us we should write a book! We’ve known each other for so long that our story has quite a few chapters. Our first chapter started back when we were kids. I grew up in Miami and he grew up in Belgium, and we met in the 1990s when he was visiting the States for the first time. We exchanged e-mails - luckily e-mails had just become a thing - and we remained penpals for over 20 years. Dirk: – I also remember all the prepaid phone cards we used to talk on the phone. I Remember how the automated voice would say, “you have one minute remaining?” We’re spoiled now with video chatting on mobile wherever we are in the world. In a way, our personal life helped train us for our current business setup, which is a global operation. That is because we are a blended family raising our three children across two continents. Aubry: – Our personal journey really fuels what we do. We had to dream big and be brave to make this life happen, and truly live a life by design, not default. Helping others do the same is the core mission of our business. What is a “day in the life” like for you? Aubry: – Well, the first thing to take into account is the time difference - when we’re not physically together, Dirk’s day starts six hours before mine. Over the years, we’ve found a way to beat the time difference by using voice messages! Every night before I go to sleep, while Dirk is still sleeping, I record a voice message for him sharing my evening, thoughts, plans, ideas, things like that. Then, while I’m sleeping, his morning starts with a voice message from me, keeping us super close. – He does the same, so I also have a voice message to start the morning. The rest of the day is pretty normal, because luckily we can eat our meals as a family at about the same time. It is one of my favorite times of the day because we all video chat while we eat. All of the kids interact exactly how you would expect them to in person. It’s the best. Then every night, our oldest children go to bed while our youngest child naps, we do the sleep routine together, and then Dirk and I get some alone time. It’s a system that works perfectly for us for now. We use Google calendar and note everything in it, so we always know who is where, whether it’s a work meeting or a swimming lesson. Dirk: – We try to keep business and personal life separate. It’s hard sometimes because when you are excited about an idea, you want to share that immediately. But when we are busy (or asleep), we use a different app to communicate about business. Otherwise, the two mix together too much. It’s important to have that balance. It’s also refreshing to note that our time difference is advantageous when it comes to productivity in our business. When I’m sleeping, she’s working, and when she’s sleeping, I’m working. That allows us to run our business 24/7 with zero burnout. So tell us more about your business. What is MOVMNT? Aubry: – MOVMNT itself is an acronym for make space, open up to inspiration, visualize, manifest, and note-take. It is a method for gaining clarity on what you want, making space for it in your life, and making it real. I developed it over the last 15 years while working in the therapy and coaching space. We wrote a workbook that dives deep into the science and spirituality behind the method. As a therapist and coach, I work one on one with ambitious women and teenage girls to bring their deepest goals to life. I use the MOVMNT Method in all of that. It helps with everything from self-love, to overcoming mindset blocks and fears, to crushing the hardest of goals. It’s super results-oriented. Dirk: – I’m a scientist by heart, and the science of what Aubry does really resonates with me. I love to figure stuff out and my biggest puzzle piece I want to finish is the universe. Every day I learn something new, making the puzzle clearer from the tiniest bits, the quantum realm, to the big picture being able to visualize the filaments of the universe, ‘The Cosmic Web.’ When you study these things, you learn that everything in the universe is connected. Because we live in the universe, it means we are connected with everything. That is a big piece of our method, and before you use it, you come to understand that on a foundational level. Besides my passion, I’ve been working as a computer scientist for more than ten years. – I started off building applications, then transitioned to configuring applications so they fit business needs, and in the last few years, I combined that with giving business advice to look at the bigger picture. Making sure the right applications are used but, more importantly, that they are working together by connecting them. This web of apps is also very powerful for our business to help it run on automation. And this is what I teach to some of our clients who want to start an online business. My role is to show our clients how to start an online business of their own, which works for them and their lifestyle. So many people have a passion and a skill set, but get shy around the tech stuff. I help them overcome that by teaching them ways to run an online business with zero to little coding so they can focus on their craft. That sounds like a powerful mix. What is the future of MOVMNT? Dirk: – It’s an exciting time to think about the future because the pandemic has been an incubation period for our business, allowing us to slow down and focus on our core mission, which is helping people to live a life by design. We’ve focused on virtual sessions, and love how it connects us with people across the globe, and we are positively surprised at how effective virtual sessions are. On top of that, we are excited to expand out into live spaces soon with workshops, and even retreats. Aubry: – Yes! One of our dreams is offering retreats, especially for families. I see us working across generations, offering soulful retreats for daughters, mothers, and grandmothers, for example, and of course, for blended families like ours. Eventually, we would love to set up a foundation for entrepreneurial single parents. That’s the dream! Follow Dirk and Aubry on their Instagram or visit their website to learn more, and stay tuned for their upcoming articles!

Georgie Maroudas, founder of www.georgiemaroudas.com is a certified ThetaHealer Practitioner and Instructor. Using the Theta Brainwave, Georgie helps men and women release any fears, limiting beliefs, self-sabotaging behaviors and/or trauma that are limiting and no longer serving them. She is a big believer that our inner world of thoughts, beliefs and emotions create every aspect of our outer world and is passionate about helping and empowering every human being. Her mission is to empower individuals by teaching them the skills and abilities they need to be able to release what is no longer serving them, so that they can create a life they love! Read the full interview with Georgie Below! Introduce yourself. Who is Georgie? – My name is Georgie Maroudas, and I’m a ThetaHealer, Educator and Mentor. I was born in Melbourne, Australia, and I always knew from a young age that I wanted to help people, but it took me a while to figure out how. Before I started my ThetaHealing business, I worked as a Tennis coach, a Makeup Artist, a Personal Trainer and a Binge Eating Coach. My passion in each one of these fields lead me to where I am today! For those who don't know, what is ThetaHealing? – ThetaHealing is a spiritual philosophy, meditation technique and a healing modality. It is a training method for the mind, body and spirit that allows you to clear limiting beliefs and live a positive lifestyle. Through ThetaHealing, intuitive abilities can be used to bring about instantaneous physical and emotional wellbeing. What can you help your clients with? – I can help my clients in two ways. Firstly I can be a messenger of divine guidance for them. By tapping into their energy, I can share with them what they are creating with their current energy and what they can do to change their reality and their future. – Secondly, I can help my clients release any blocks or limitations they may be experiencing in any area of their lives, so they can be free of those limitations. A question I get a lot is, “how do I know I have a block or limitation in my life?” My answer to this question is: “We are all instant manifestors, so if there is something you want to manifest into your reality, but you don’t see it manifest, there is an energetic block there stopping your manifestation from being brought into your life. – An example of this would be; You have your own business and you have wanted to manifest an extra $100,000 in revenue, but so far, nothing has changed and your revenue is the same! If you had no blocks or limitations, this extra $100,000 would easily come into your life. You could have fears about what might happen if you manifest the extra $100,000, or you could hold limiting beliefs about how long it takes to manifest $100,000. In a session, we would identify what the blocks are for you and release them so you can easily manifest all that you want.” At a younger age, you had body-issues. Tell us a little bit about that, and what you did that made you get out of that cycle? – When I was really young, I played a lot of tennis. It wasn’t until I stopped playing tennis that I began to gain a lot of weight, because I had gone from playing 15 hours a week to 0 hours of physical activity. Out of boredom, I also started eating unhealthy foods and my weight increased drastically and very quickly. With that weight gain, my insecurities increased, and my self-confidence disappeared. Around the same time, I manifested a very unhealthy relationship where my insecurities and body issues were highlighted every day. I was told I was too fat and that I needed to lose weight from certain parts of my body! When I finally got the courage to end that relationship, I was left broken and feeling unworthy. – I tried to fix these issues at the beginning of my journey by changing my external appearance. I became a personal trainer, started dieting, and even got into bodybuilding to change myself. I thought that if I changed my body, no one could ever tell me again how fat I was! The only problem with this approach was that even when I got to my ideal weight, I still thought I was fat in my mind. I realized I needed to change what was on the inside, not what was on the outside. That is when I began my self-development journey. I read books, attending seminars, completed online courses, and eventually, I came across ThetaHealing! – I was able to use this technique first on myself to discover and release a lot of the hurt, pain, suffering, abuse and limitations I was holding onto that created all of those past experiences. It was never my intention to become a ThetaHealer, but the techniques within ThetaHealing helped me get to the root cause of everything that created pain in my life. It helped free me and that’s why I decided to use ThetaHealing to help others. It took me eight years to get to where I am today. I wouldn’t change a thing though! Everything I have gone through allows me to have such a deep understanding of all of my clients and what they are going through in their lives. I am who I am today because of all my past experiences, but I’m finally at a point in my life where I can look back and have so much gratitude and appreciation for everything I’ve gone through! What is it that you like the most with empowering others? – I’m a big believer that every single person on this earth is worthy and deserving of freedom and love. Everyone deserves to be loved unconditionally, and everyone deserves to be free to create anything and everything they want in their lives. – I know what it feels like to feel unworthy of both of these things. I was able to find a teacher that showed me so much love and kindness. When I opened up and shared my experiences and the pain I was holding onto, there was no judgment in her eyes, and all she showed me was unconditional love, compassion and kindness. Her love made me feel safe enough to grow and change and let go of all that I was holding onto. I hope that I can be that person for someone else. I do what I do so that I can give others the same opportunity I was given. What is the biggest difference in your life having your own business, compared to being employed? – The biggest difference is freedom and passion. When you work for someone else, there are some constraints and restrictions you have to abide by because it’s their business and they make the rules. In my own business, as I am my own boss, I get to run my business the way I want. I get to make the final decisions as to how I help people. In this way, I help them, what information I put out into the universe, without any limitations. Also, my business is my passion and I love what I do. I really love helping people and it brings me a lot of joy! From your own experience, if I feel like my life is "Out of control". What would you advise me to do? – My biggest advice is to look within. Become your own inner detective. Have a look at your childhood between the ages of 2-7 years of age and begin to look at what you observed and what you learned at the period from the adults in your life. Also, have a look at your parent's childhood. What did they go through as children, what did they observe and learn through their parents? Taking time to reflect on this will give you such insight into your own life and why you do what you do. – Here are some questions you can ask yourself if you feel like your life is out of control: - When was the very first time I felt like my life was out on control? What was happening in my life at that time? - Who tried to control me when I was between the ages of 2-7 years of age? - What circumstances events occurred in my life when I was young that made me feel like I had no control over the outcome? - What did I learn from all of these experiences? Because everything we experience in life is teaching us something! – The answers to every single experience we have in our reality are within us, all we have to do is look and we shall find the answers we seek! Follow Georgie on Facebook, Instagram and visit her website for more info! Read more from Georgie!

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. “When and how should I start investing?”, “I want to buy a different car. How should I pay for it?”, “How much should I put down on a new house?” These seem like simple enough questions. With access to thousands of people in our Facebook groups at our fingertips, it is only a matter of minutes before our phone starts dinging with notifications of all the free advice coming in. Simple, free and easy, right?! Seeing some of the responses to these seemingly simple financial questions as I scroll through my social media feed makes me nervous for the original poster. While I’m willing to bet that the majority of people offering advice have good intentions, it’s important to take the advice you receive from social media strangers with caution. Let’s break it down. First of all, when you ask social media strangers for advice, they only see the face value of the question you are asking. They’re not looking at your entire financial picture. Hence, they, more often than not, will answer your question based on what they’d do in their situation. Surely their intentions are great. But you have to ask yourself a couple of questions. Are they in the same place financially as you? Do they have the same financial goals as you? Chances are, they do not. Simply put, what may be a good move for them, may not be the best move for you. Then, you have to wonder about the financial situation of the people giving the advice. Do the people offering advice have their finances in order themselves? According to this article, CNBC posted an unexpected expense of $1,000 or more would put 60% of Americans into debt. Are the people giving you advice amongst them? Statistically speaking, if you’re living in the United States, 6 out of 10 people indeed are. Also, keep in mind that just because peoples’ Facebook profiles make it look like they live a lavish life, it does not necessarily mean that they do, and furthermore, it does not necessarily mean that they are doing so debt-free. Look at it this way. Would you take free medical advice from your Uber driver? Your financial future is no less important. A bad financial decision or two could ultimately mean having to work more years, whereas making solid financial choices now could have you kicking your feet up in the sand several years sooner. What may be surprising to many (myself included as of a couple years ago) is important to note. This has to do with the free advice from the financial advisor. Now that sounds like it’d surely be solid advice, right? Not necessarily. You see, not all financial advisors are created equal. Some work in a fiduciary capacity, which means that they pledge to work in their clients’ best interests. Other, non-fiduciary advisors, however, are not held to these same standards. What does this mean? This means that they work on the premise of making “suitable” recommendations for their clients. Those “suitable” recommendations are not necessarily in their clients’ best interest. These advisors are ultimately salespeople trying to sell products to earn commissions. In doing so, many advisors will offer “free” financial consultations before reeling in clients to buy their products. Does this mean that all the advice that they give is bad? No. However, you should realize and take into consideration the fact that you may very well be receiving “suitable” advice. Free financial consultation offers like this appear all too often in Facebook groups today. The last thing you want to do is to end up buying a financial product that you don’t actually need. After all, the money you would spend in years of useless insurance premiums would be much better off invested. Needless to say, following this “free” advice and buying useless products will only take you further away from your financial goals and end up costing you in the long run. So, is it possible to get free, quality financial advice? The good news is that YES, IT IS! You can start off by heading to your local library and checking out Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. Not only will these books teach you about personal finance principles, they will help you grow more confident in making your own financial decisions. Don’t like to read? You can also check out group and individual financial coaching options by clicking here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more info! 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: Susan Van Staden, 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. Anyone can be an entrepreneur. It’s what you believe, whether it’s achievable that counts, your perception of business success. But business is not always straightforward, and over the years, the popularity of certain assumptions has become the norm in business, clouding the obvious natural way of doing. Assumption: You will be able to make an impact once you are known or are influential. You need to be popular in the business world and have thousands of followers on the internet to succeed. Truth: It may be helpful, but you become known or influential because you have already impacted. Anytime you interact with another person, no matter who, the first words in your head should be: How do I help this person? Imagine how a single life transformed starts a butterfly effect. If for the next year, you touch 52 lives by reaching out to help. Fifty-two individuals touched. That is one life a week, absolutely do-able. Those 52 people are going to talk about it… thus you are helping yourself by doing well to others. Assumption: You need to be a Genius at marketing yourself and do it constantly to be successful. There are no two ways about it; marketing is important for growth. But constantly talking to the masses won’t necessarily bring results. “Going viral is not an outcome. It’s only a happening”– Lori Taylor. Truth: Hundred bad products won’t sell with good marketing. Good products create their own marketing; you only need one. Speaking earnestly about it, believing in your product will sell it. In the late 1800s, a man named Samuel Fay was looking for a way to attach claim tickets to fabric. He didn’t want to use a pin because they’d pierce the fabric. In a moment of inspiration, he picked up a piece of wire nearby that bent it into an X shape and slid the ticket and the fabric together. He didn’t create the paperclip to become rich but to solve an immediate problem. His product proved to be ingenious, and today everybody uses it. Assumption: You need to be perfect, better than your competitor. It is called Social Comparison. “Social comparison theory states that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others they perceive as somehow faring better or worse.” The danger of social comparison is the feeling of not doing enough, not being enough, of not being successful, which is not true. Truth: Marie Forleo, businesswoman and author, wrote: “You don’t have to get it perfect. You just have to get it going”. Every small victory is a success, your success, not someone else’s. Once you start comparing or “stacking” these successes, comparing YOU to your own successes, over time it builds your confidence, you will slowly but surely find enough evidence that you ARE good enough, smart enough, very successful! “Successful people are the ones who do obvious things once they decide what they want to do” In the book “Obvious Adams” published in 1916, Robert R. Updegraff - traces the life of Oliver B. Adams, who began his life in a grocery store and became known to the world as “Obvious Adams”, a successful businessman. At every step of his life, Adams, once he decided to work on something, did pretty much the obvious thing that people might not even think about and went about in a complex way. When Adams decides to work for a world-famous advertising agency James B Oswald, he does the obvious. He arranges a meeting to meet with Oswald directly, at first reluctant to talk to Adams, Oswald gives in when he realize Adams’s logic of doing the obvious. Once employed in the firm, Adams solves most of the problems through a simple, common-sense approach. The takeaway from the book – Picking out the obvious analysis of thinking for yourself. Hence taking obvious decisions that lead to success is not all that easy, but at the same time, it is one of the most crucial factors for a great business. The book concludes with: “There is no secret to success. Just do the obvious.” Your beliefs are tripping your success, turn your assumptions into truth. Success begins with the power of thinking for yourself. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn! Susan Van Staden, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Susan is a Reformer, People of this personality type are essentially looking to make things better. Susan started Efficio Business Consulting wanting to offer her over 25 years’ experience to reach and help Coach as many Start-up Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners with a with a program that concentrates not only on the business and growth, but helping the owner step into that roll—building a bridge between builder and business. She lives in the beautiful scenic George, Garden Route, South Africa and has two successful adult daughters, her inspiration, pride and joy.