Written by: Andrea Cristancho, 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. Your Niche is that sweet spot between the people you serve, the situational problem you help them solve, and your signature system. Indeed, the exercise to narrow down your focus and concentrate on those who resonate most with your calling isn’t new. Identifying the sociodemographics of your target audience is a long process that only in time we get to refine, then again when in business for years or for a couple of months, it’s wise to have clarity on whom you’re speaking to. That’s what we call identifying your Niche. Moreover, it doesn’t stop there. The next step is to single out your ideal persona. He or she becomes the single point of focus when creating, writing, speaking to, or directing your marketing efforts to your ideal customer, and this might help the new avenue to explore. Once we have reached the level of being comfortable to speak to one when referring to your ideal clients, we’ve reached that sweet spot of your Niche. Would you like to give it a try? It is easier said than done, I must confess. Hence, I’ll share my top 3 secrets on working with a Niche and why it’s beneficial to any female entrepreneur in any industry. Whether you’ve been in business for years or just started out, this principle applies to you. The difference lies in the feedback your current clients share with you and, what you originally started out doing versus what you’ve discovered your core audience really wants. The commonalities become the golden nuggets every entrepreneur is after. The most frequently asked questions, your top service/s, the highly-rated component of your service, and ultimately the common traits of your favorite clients. Fears Along the process of defining a Niche, you might face the fear of missing out (FOMO), leave someone behind, lose opportunities, insist everyone can use what you have to offer, and my ultimate favorite: myopia on the common traits of your best clients. Why? Why do we get stuck in narrowing doing something that should be quite straight forward? Simply said, because clarity doesn’t come by easily. However, the opportunities you’re going to gain by having a clear, lucrative Niche will astonish you. So, here’s secret # 1: When you go deep into your Niche, you open up a world of possibility that is creative, exciting, and full of opportunities. You’re not going to feel you’re leaving anyone behind or missing opportunities because you’ll be busy helping your ideal people and growing your business. You’ll become a magnet! Tribe Have you ever consider how your service could be potentially beneficial to a category you usually don’t work with? For example, a new group of people that you may not have previously thought of and who have the money to pay for your offer. Keeping an open mind in order to identify specific “communities” of potential ideal clients within your category might serve as a starting point, don’t decide just yet. Instead, think about clients that have the most potential for being lucrative, fun, and plentiful to work with. Bringing us to secret # 2, testing for your Niche. As your brainstorming process is going, ask yourself, is your Niche big enough? Is your service offer in demand or you’re pioneering the market? How important will the people within your niche rank solving the problem you help them with? Do you love working with them? When answering these questions, you’ll be able to identify your tribe. In the words of top renown marketer, Seth Godin, “what people really want is the ability to connect to each other… A tribe helps like-minded people find each other.” So, by identifying the individuals that you’d like to invite to form your tribe, identifying the commonalities of one individual, making him or her feel special, belonging, identified with your offer, you’ll then be able to describe your persona. Now, why do we search for a single person? Just because when we as creators can speak to that “one” person directly in our mind and in person, the creation process becomes smooth, effortless, hence our deliverables resonate with our tribe as the natural solution they seek, and we never run out of ideas to help our audience grow. Let me ask you, as a female entrepreneur, wouldn’t you like to be in constant conversations with your ideal people? If you ask me, I’ll give you a sounding YES because I believe this is the only way you free yourself from a job (even if it’s one created by you) and truly start living what you love doing and making life, not just a living, in your own terms. Message Once you’ve come clear with your persona, the next natural step is to test him/her out by drafting your marketing message. There are 6 components in your message, and that is secret # 3: Whether it’s your elevator pitch or your tag line on your landing page, these six elements should be working simultaneously speaking to your Niche. First, it starts with a single call out to your ideal client, followed by the struggle they face, and their desires. Fourth, the mention of what you bring to the table and how they can achieve results. And last, any other component that is key to your magic (product or service). In a couple of sentences, this message becomes your invitation to whom you are, to work with you, or test out your product, in a simple and straight forward call to action. As the end result, you’ll see it will resonate with some, not all, and that is good. You want to craft your ideal clients in time and foster a close line of communication with them. At this point, the effort of crafting a Niche will only seem as natural and spontaneous. However, as you evolve in your business your Niche will evolve with you, so you want to always keep a close eye on that message, that invitation, you present to the world regularly and let people part ways easily if you no longer speak the same language. So, let’s get into action, are you in for a challenge? Apply the 3 secrets I’ve shared with you just now, and once you’ve crafted your new marketing message, I challenge you to share it with 25 people this week. As responses come back, note the traits these people have in common and next think of 5 new places where you can connect with your new Niche. Get ready to be surprised, welcome new clients, and drop me a line if you’d be interested in getting 1:1 support in this journey to UpLevel your current offer. It’d be my pleasure to guide you through your discovery process, simply book a clarity audit session with me, no cost. To your success! Follow Andrea Cristancho on Facebook, Instagram and visit her website for more info! Read more from Andrea! Andrea Cristancho, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrea Cristancho, founder of www.andreacristancho.com is a Holistic Business Coach helping female entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Through her signature program The UpLevel Method, Andrea integrates the entrepreneurial mindset with practical business tools that re-engineer existing businesses to achieve their next level of growth. As an international business mentor with Latin roots and serial entrepreneur, she has run her own businesses in 3 continents in a number of different industries. In the process, she has discovered that having a signature program, a personal brand and the right mindset is the key to taking off your entrepreneurial success. Learn more about her work by claiming your Free Business Cleanse Checklist here.

Collaborated post Progressing in the career of your choice is a great achievement. It can give you a great sense of accomplishment and take you one step closer to achieving your career goals. As you progress to jobs with more and more responsibility, however, some people can start to doubt their ability to do their job and worry that those around them will notice. Doubting yourself doesn’t mean that you don’t have the ability to do your job to a high standard; you were able to get the job because of your knowledge and experience. Doubting yourself, could, however, have an impact on how well you do your job and how those around you see you, but it doesn’t have to. Following some of the tips below will help you to become a respected colleague, and gain more confidence in yourself and your ability to do your new job. Dress well When you want to feel confident in your workplace, one of the simplest ways of doing so is to dress well. It may sound strange that what you wear can change how you feel about yourself, but it really can. If you work in a more formal workplace, dressing more formally will help you feel like the kind of business person that you want to be. It can lift your mood, help you feel more confident, and affect how you are perceived. Dressing well can also earn you respect from those around you. When you start a new job, it will give everyone a great first impression of you and can establish you as someone whose word should be taken seriously. It doesn’t have to be difficult deciding what to wear for work. Buy outfits especially for work that can be worn over and over again like a uniform. You don’t need to have a lot of options to be able to dress well at work. Be prepared Being prepared at work can mean different things for different people. It could be reading up on various processes, refreshing your training, or researching work that you will be carrying out to refresh your memory. It could be that you work in an industry where you need safety glasses, so you ensure you have your own prescription safety glasses. When your colleagues or employers see them , they may be impressed at your commitment to the job. Taking the time to be more prepared will help you to feel more confident, as you won’t be worrying about all the things that you could have done to make yourself feel better about the job you are doing. Work hard to complete every task on time Working hard will prove to yourself that you are capable of doing your job, but it will also show those around you what you are capable of. When you are at work, make sure you are working and not spending time distracting others, as this will also take away from their work time. Ensuring that your tasks are always complete on time will also show that you are reliable and that people can count on you. It may be challenging to complete some tasks when you first start at a job, but don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it or to push yourself, as that is how you will grow and develop your skills and become more confident in your abilities. Be patience When you are working with others, you have to learn to be patient with them. Collaboration is great when you give everyone a chance to get involved, but you have to remember that everyone works and learns at their own speed. If a task involves you helping others to get to grips with new software, then you will need to show them patience. Show your confidence in what you are teaching them, but don’t expect them to pick it up quickly. You should also be approachable so that nobody will fear asking you for help. Get to know your colleagues Going to work isn’t just about the work, although that is an important part, it is also about the people that you work with. The relationship that you have with your colleagues can affect how you feel about your job. Creating a positive relationship with them will help to improve your job satisfaction, but it will also mean, when you are going through a hard time, they will be there to support you, and when they are going through hard times, you can support them. It will help to create mutual respect and make it easy to collaborate with others and ask for help when necessary. Stay out of workplace gossip Although it is essential to get to know your colleagues, it is important to try and stay out of any office gossip. It may be fun sometimes, but it can usually cause a lot of unnecessary problems. Gossiping may lead to friendliness with some, but it will also give the impression that you will not be able to keep sensitive information to yourself. It won’t lead to people trusting and respecting you, and could also make it seem like you are less dedicated to your work . Handle conflict maturely In any situation where you are working with other people, at some time, there is going to be conflict. How you handle this conflict can determine how your colleagues see you. The best way to handle conflict is by confronting it so that you can come to an amicable resolution. Letting it simmer, or talking about it to others could make things worse in the long run. Handling it directly with those who are involved will ensure that people know you can be professional in any situation, and you will be respected more. Stay organised Just like how the way you dress can make you feel more confident, having a neat and organised workspace can help you to feel more equipped to get on with the job at hand. A cluttered or messy workspace can make it harder to concentrate, and could also give your colleagues a negative impression of you. Keep your space organised so that you can spend your time working on improving your skills and gaining confidence in your work. Fix your mistakes Making a mistake can knock your confidence, but you can learn a lot from them. Everyone has made a mistake at some point in their life, so it isn’t a big deal, but how you deal with the situation can be. The best thing to do is to own up to your mistakes. You will earn respect because it will show that you are humble and confident enough to admit when you do something wrong and apologise when you need to. Fixing the mistake will also help you to learn the correct way to do things. If you need to, you could ask for help, but one thing is for sure, once you take the time to fix the mistake, you probably won’t make the same one again. Ask for feedback It can be nerve-racking to hear about how you are as a worker, but it can help you to gain more confidence and give you the chance to improve in the areas that you need to. The feedback could be from your boss or your clients, but it could also be from your colleagues. Always striving to do the best that you can at work, and taking the time to learn and make improvements will allow you to feel confident in your work.

Written by: Hoda Elsobky, 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 are already midway into 2020 and the Pandemic has been the toughest of the challenges we had to face in our age. Lockdown has been the norm, social distancing and remote working have been the new slang of everyday activities. Yet we had a counter dialect emerging fast in our lives too: We had Empathy rising up to the surface, Compassion and Kindness reemerging in our relationships with others. We had simplicity revisited. We had been offered the opportunity to go back to basics, to purity and to rawness, and to get rid of the clutters the sophistication and disruptions of the modern world. Today as the world is reopening again after six months since the first hit of the Coronavirus in Wuhan. Here comes my invitation and my insistence to go back to our true authentic selves, back to nature, back to intuition and back to happiness, true happiness. Yes, we learned to be happy with what we have, we learned to be happy wherever we are and under whichever circumstances. Allow me to ask you to just PAUSE and RESET. Pause exactly here, and start all over again, but start with grace. Have a clear mind and a clean heart. That is all you will need in your new journey; and here is the answer to your golden question: Where is Happiness? Let me tell you, I hope you found it! Happiness is there, you can achieve it, you can own it and you can sustain it; and here is the answer to your long-awaited question: Happiness is all of the above, happiness is the outcome of the Coronavirus-and please don’t get me wrong, nobody can underestimate the losses we had and empathize with-. But, if you haven’t found it yet, then you haven’t benefited from the experience! To make it simple, here is the equation: Compassion + Kindness = Happiness To elaborate more, compassion is a direct route to happiness, and it is the foundation of Kindness. So, both together form the shortest cut to happiness. Study after study recently showed that helping others brings about the same sensational or neurological response in the brain that is normally attained by realizing one’s own wants and lusts. The good question now is: Is compassion a built-in attribute, or it can be acquired? Luckily, studies pointed out that children who are securely attached to their parents tend to be more empathetic with peers. Meanwhile, Parents who use reasoning and rationalization to communicate with their children tend also to have the most sympathetic children. In the end, have I not known the value of empathy, I wouldn’t have nurtured it, until it grew and flourished and gave meaning and purpose to life. 3 Tips to help raising Compassionate Children: When someone is sick in your circle of family or friends, talk to your children about it and encourage them to go and visit him/her with you. Buy them flowers on the way. This will help Children build their own empathetic system. You are the Role Model, be Compassionate and Empathetic and be of help to others. Your Children will follow if not copy exactly. Educate your Children to evaluate things through their real worth and merit, not their price. By that way, you are raising strong, Emotionally Intelligent humans, and not just materialistic beings. Now, that you have all the three pillars to go ahead with your life, are you ready to press the button? Are you ready to reset? Let me tell you one thing before I conclude, I forgot to mention that Happiness like anything else in life; it has its own terms, and amazingly its terms are: Kindness, Compassion, and Empathy. To dig deeper into the true meaning of happiness, download the first chapter of my book for free here! To learn more about Hoda and Happiness - follow her on Facebook, YouTube, Join her free Live every Thursday  and Monday on Instagram, and visit her website. Read more from Hoda Hoda Elsobky, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hoda was born in Cairo, Egypt. Graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majored in Economics and minor in Business Administration. Later, She received her MBA in Marketing. Her greatest interest lies in the fields of philosophy and positive psychology, with a focus on self help and wellness. Above all, she is passionated about happiness as a way of living! She have worked in multinational IT companies in Egypt, like IBM and Oracle, in sales, marketing and business development capacity, from 1994 till 2005. At that point she flew with her husband to live in Vienna for three years and then to Dubai. There she discovered her passion for writing.

Written by: Edna Keep, 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 Raising money from investors is a major milestone for any business. But even getting the chance to talk to an investor is still a huge opportunity, and needs to be taken seriously by any business owner. There are many factors that come into play in order to guide your business venture to success over the years. For example, your own efforts at planning, your well-developed and thoughtful research on a given property, and even your drive and motivation will all play a role in your venture's overall profitability. In Real Estate, if you want to start talking to Investors about capital, first of all it is best if you already have some experience, or are partnering or teaming up with people who have some experience. But a lot of times, even if you have that opportunity, there are still people who will say "Edna, I don't know what to say. I don't know, I just find myself stuck. I don't approach people even when I get a chance to”. so this is what I am going to help you with today. First of all , take the focus off of yourself. A lot of people are worried that they are going to screw up, thinking they´re going to say something wrong. Instead, get to know the other person first and use the power of networking. Find out what it is they are looking for. How can you help them in their lives? It may not be investor-related today, but if you can show other ways that you are a good source of knowledge, you can help them in other ways. They will start looking at you as a different person, and that's when you start building your confidence. For example, let's say that you are really good at vehicles, and if that person says that I have a challenge with my car, and next thing you know, you're working in their garage. They might ask what you do? How is it that you can be home during the day? What's up with that? From there, you could start interacting with them. - you know what, I am a full-time Real Estate Investors and I help people create passive income through Real Estate. And that is how easy the conversation can come up. But if you look at people as if they are your lunch, they might not be open to do business with you. So, where in your life can you start adding value to people? One of the things that I teach to my students is that people need to understand Real Estate before they invest in it. Maybe you start doing Facebook videos, or perhaps you start writing articles or doing some newsletters. And you begin sharing with those people. It could be as easy as you are going through your phone list and trying to figure out who might be interested. And you know you will never know 100% until you ask people. So, don't be scared to ask. One of my students told me he liked both traveling and Real Estates. So, I think it's great that you can have two topics to be interested in. My significant interest is Real Estate and Mindset. I love studying Mindset, so it's a good fit. Or sometimes you want to work on a lifestyle change, and you are talking to somebody you know who is in the same position as you, and you let them know what you're doing to make changes in your life. Or ask them what they are doing to build up their passive income. One of my favorite quotes of all time is: "if you don't build up your passive income, you will work until you die" . Other people don't always know that there are opportunities available for passive income. So, share what you have learned. To learn more on how to develop your confidence to talk to potential investors ; Watch my Facebook Live . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , YouTube and visit my website for more information! Right now: Free Book: Multiple Ways to Wealth (Only Pay Shipping Charge-$7.00) Edna Keep, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Former Certified Financial Planner Edna discovered the power of real estate in 2007. Since then, Edna and her husband Warren have amassed a $60M Real Estate Portfolio primarily multi-family and primary with OPM. Since 2014 she has been training and coaching real estate entrepreneurs who wants to scale their real estate business into multi-family with Investor Capital. Along the way, Edna has learned that Mindset is 90%, or more, of a person’s success and specifically attributes her success to studying and always working at improving her Mindset. Thus, she focuses a lot on her students on Mindset training.

Nicola Blackstock, CEO of Nik Makeup Artist, is an Author, lecturer, multi-award-winning makeup-artist, beauty expert, stylist and creative director. Her work has been featured in numerous magazine publications worldwide, and she has a passion for teaching and passing on her skills to others. In 2020 she is launching her new Pro brush line, a book, and accredited makeup courses to help women and men worldwide understand how to use the correct tools for makeup applications. Whether you're a complete novice or a makeup maestro, Nik Makeup Artist has a course and mentorship membership program suited to anyone looking to succeed and excel in the beauty industry. Who is Nicola? Please introduce yourself - That is a good question, and I can only reason why I can answer it is because I have been on a path to self-discovery these past few years after losing my mother very traumatically. It changed me and my perspective forever. - I am a mum myself to my adorable son James aged 5, and wife to my new husband Peter (married October 2019 - engaged since 2009!!!). These two keep me going and focused on my goals; they are my driving force. - I am a caring and loving soul who wants to help others overcome traumatic experiences by explaining how I overcame mines, and offering guidance along the way. My passion is makeup and beauty, and I really like helping others succeed in the Industry and create dynamic solutions to makeup and beauty related problems. We live in a flat in Paisley town center, the place the Paisley pattern was born. The flat is currently on the market and we plan to move to our dream home by the sea imminently. You graduated from James Watt college in 2012 with an HND in Makeup Artistry. What was it that made you so interested in Makeup? ​ - I've always had a passion for makeup, and even though I was known as the local Tomboy; Growing up, at friends sleepovers, I was always the one doing the makeovers. Strange to think how now, as an adult, I have made such a successful career out of it! I also decided to quit my career as an air hostess when I met my new husband back in 2010 as I knew if I wanted a happy family life, creating a flexible business was the ideal setting for us. When did you start with this artistry, and do you know why this subject is so exciting to you? - Makeup is so transformative and being creative, I knew I found my calling the first day of the HND makeup course. I love how woman's self-confidence can be skyrocketed by applying the correct types of makeup for their skin type and age. It really fills me with joy to see their reaction and hear how they felt with the makeup on at their events!!! I love dreaming up a look in my head and implementing a team to see the creative project through. The absolute buzz when the designs end up in magazines all over the world, I sometimes got to stop and remind myself that this came out of my head and now it is all over the news! Reading on your website, it is clear that you made a career within the industry pretty fast. Why do you think you were so successful? - I noticed in college very early on that I had a talent for makeup, and also it was clear how competitive the industry was. I am so driven and as I decided to quit a career in the skies to pursue my dreams, I knew I had to succeed and prove all the naysayers wrong! I also found once I focused on my work and not of other people around me, my career hit new heights. At one point, you decided to become a freelance. How was it compared to being employed? - I am not going to lie here. It was frightening, hard, terrifying, challenging and exhilarating. All at the same time. You go from having paid holidays and security to be a one-man-band, which can sometimes get lonely, but the trick was to keep pushing and follow my dreams. Slowly but surely, the more successful I became and the less lonely it was. It really all started to fall into place. It is easy to say that you´ve built a powerful brand of yourself. Could you share your three best tips to our readers? - Set goals, meditate, take action! We are thrilled to have you on board here on Brainz Magazine. What can our readers expect from you? - Honest accounts of what being in the beauty biz is like, all the best makeup and beauty tips from a working professional and how success is not easy, but if you work hard, you will get there, my friend. What is your big goal? Do you have a dream? Where are you in 10 years from now? - The BIG goal is to help women and men worldwide by growing my courses and having makeup learning centers globally, supported by an innovative makeup product and brush line. Follow Nicola on Facebook, Instagram and visit mer website for more information! Read more from Nicola!

Yunlong Wang, is apart from being the CEO & Founder of Vikcess Business Group, also a VC, Writer, and Startup Coach. His main focus is on how the innovation tech changes the business and our world. He devotes most of his time to innovation management, achievement transformation to adapt new markets, technology transfer to apply in a wide range of industries, and startups acceleration with the support of capital. He is playing the role of a bridge, as Vikcess does, which connects Europe and China, to pursuit communication, collaboration, opportunities, and the future. Tell us more about yourself. What kind of person are you? – I came from China 6 years ago. Before that, I studied and worked in Beijing (PPSUC, the Top 1 university for police education in China) for 10 years. Later I studied political science at Gothenburg University (European Studies program) and I started to run my own business when I move to Sweden. – I am a person who is fundamentally optimistic in life and keep my passion for work. I am intensely curious about all creative things, innovative tech, crazy ideas, and persist it with no fear of failure. I enjoy social time and love to work with peoples who has different backgrounds and ideas. I am reading voraciously, constantly updating myself with the latest information, and I like sharing my experiences. I am keen on exercise and have participated in 7 Marathons already. Try to describe yourself in 3 words only. – It is hard to say, well… I think the words would be: perseverance, creative, ambitious. What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur? – I want to create change. – You know, “Entrepreneurship”, for me, is a symbol that gives you the possibility to work with your passion, but it also comes with responsibilities. You should work on it to create change, for your family, our society, environment, even the world, to make things better. That is the key meaning for me as an entrepreneur. How did you come up with the idea and concept of your business? – Well, I have been doing business in Europe for years, we understand the needs of different markets. Originally, we planned to do local incubators for startups with some VCs partners in both China and Europe. But in the process, we saw the infinite possibilities created by the largest market in the world, I mean China. Now both China and Europe are accelerating industrial upgrading, developing towards digitalization and intelligence. Simultaneously, the Internet Industry is wavering too, towards emerging technology that combines big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence... This trend will bring a new round of technological revolution and industrial cycle, also a trillion-scale market in the future. So, I decided to build a “bridge” between Europe and China to meet the demands from all directions. – I got inspired and started Vikcess, aiming to serve the innovation, and assist the companies in Europe and China to explore more opportunities, to boost more potential connections and cooperation, and achieve win-win. Considering the fierce competition in Today’s business world, how would you highlight your company’s competitive advantages? What makes it stand out from the crowd? – We know China, very much. "We devoted most of our time to try to establish the best sort of resources and networks in China – and we did it." – In fact, we're a young business, but we're growing very fast. We have a solid foundation and a huge business network in China. At present, we are working with some of the top enterprises, business groups, capital groups in China, such as ZGC Information Valley (one of the largest Tech Community in the world, according to Forbes), Bluefocus (Top 1 marketing enterprise in Asia), K&WM (TOP 1 Legal Firm in China). Moreover, we and Nudge Technology and other 10 tech+capital companies set up CEICLC (“China-EU Innovation Capital Linkage Center”) in Shanghai this year. We collaborate with 13 VC and Fund firms in the EU, China, and Silicon Valley as partners, and have raised more than 3 Billion Euros to support startups in need of early phase or growth investment. We also work with 200 Billion Euro Industrial Funds with our partners, mostly are Enterprises Groups, Listed Companies, and Industrial Parks in China, to accelerate the business with the power of capital. – We devoted most of our time to try to establish the best sort of resources and networks in China, and we did it. How is your life in Sweden? Do you like it? – I love Sweden where I can easily find my inner peace. Now Gothenburg is my second hometown. It has been rated as the Top 1 Sustainable City in the world for three years in a row since I moved there. I like the city, it is creative, international, and friendly. I love the food here, and the lovely people. – Now I have my own family here, my wife Yang, she is a talented, brilliant data scientist. My son Dino and my little girl Qiqi. Also, my big guy, Kaisa, a strong Alaska malamute. – I feel free to focus on my own things here. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur? – Not like a formula, I think there are key mindsets which the successful entrepreneur has. – They have the courage to face the obstacles, loneliness and darkest moment. They have ruthless persistence, they have strong ambitions and never give up. They like challenges, they create the changes and capture the opportunities from risks. They focus on the things that really matters, and learn from the failures. "You Can Never Cross The Ocean Unless You Have The Courage To Lose Sight Of The Shore” – Christopher Columbus. I have many friends who are excellent entrepreneurs in their field, both in Europe and China. I admire them and learn from them. They are smart and they're working hard. What keeps you motivated? "Being a father is more difficult and meaningful than being a boss." – My family. My wife supports me a lot from end to end, and motivate me all the time. Also, I want to be a good role model for my children. – You know, being a father is more difficult and meaningful than being a boss. Who would you say is your role model in entrepreneurship? – For me, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. I remember he was once in an interview, and he was asked “What made you so audacious to invent the future”, and he replied: “I don’t really think of these things as audacious, they seem like natural things to do. Sort of long-term optimization, rather than a short-term one”. – From Tesla to launch rockets by Space X, it seems that Elon Musk is successfully realizing his crazy ideas. I admired his extraordinary personality characteristics as an entrepreneur. Dream Big, never forget that! What is your 5-10 year plan for the future of Vikcess? – We hope to transform into an innovative technology service type company in the next 3 years. And we plan to found our own Innovation Base in Nordic, Spain and China in 5 years. If everything goes as expected, we are planning to go public in 8 years. What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out? Take action, and move fast. Don't be afraid of failure, making mistakes, and losing face. Stay focused. Be passionate. Dream big. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it? – That is a good question. I'm literally preparing to write a book, about my life and work from Beijing to Sweden. It includes stories about the culture of Scandinavia, the travel in the North, and also the startup experience. About the name, “All the way north”, maybe. To learn more about Yunlong, you can visit his LinkedIn or contact him at: yunlong.wang@vikcess.com

Written by: Joana Orvalho Are you nervous about that interview you feel so lucky to have secured when changing careers, as although you have so many years of experience, you have none in that specific area? It's absolutely normal to feel that way as one thing is to apply for a role for which you have tons of work experience, but it's a totally different story if you are applying for a role for which you have no direct working experience. As with everything, preparation is key! So, how should you prepare for an interview that is more similar to the ones you had at the start of your working life, when you already have 10 plus years of experience? Below are three key things you must consider. 1. Share your personality Be prepared to share more about your personality and personal interests than you would normally do: as you are changing careers, it is key that your employer understands why you are dramatically changing your path and be assured that this exactly what you want! There is nothing employers love most than a member of their team that is 100% motivated by the work they do! In addition, you want your potential employer to know that you are not just "trying out" this area to see if you'll like it – you want him/ her to leave the interview room knowing that working in that area is definitely your passion and that you will secure a role in that area sooner or later! 2. Show your transferrable skills What has your past experience taught you that you can add to this new role? Think in particular about something that a person that has always worked in this area might not have experience in; simultaneously, what our your innate/ personality traits that will ensure you are a success in what you've applied for? – these will be your USP (Unique Selling Point)! In addition, if you have volunteered to do some projects either inside or outside work that is somehow linked to this new area, make sure you mention them and emphasize how much they taught you and re-iterated your interest in the area. 3. Demonstrate how to overcome your weakness Understand your weaknesses before the interview and be prepared to demonstrate how quickly and easily you can overcome these by sharing examples from other areas of your life. This is similar to what we do in the first interviews we secure, straight after Uni, when all we had to share our own capabilities were Uni projects, part-time jobs, or personal interests. It is extremely important that you analyze the role you are applying to and understand the potential weaknesses from the outset, as this way you can start to pre-empty any points that might be raised during the interview. Even if these points are not raised, being prepared will automatically increase your confidence! These are practical tips that will help you succeed in an interview in a number of ways – not only these will help you to be prepared for all the questions you might get (particularly the ones linked to the fact that you are changing careers), but will also increase your confidence and your positive attitude throughout the whole interview! In addition to the above, a great technique to increase your confidence in an interview is to visualize it before it happens! This technique can also be applied to any stressful and predictable/ planned situation in your life and what it involves is that you imagine the interview in your head before it starts – envision yourself in the way that you want the interview to flow: - You would be confident (but not arrogant), able to create rapport with the person(s) interviewing you and you would leave the room knowing that you've created an amazing impression - that you have shown your full potential and that the employer would absolutely be lucky to have you! If you are able to visualize the interview before it takes place and truly believe that it will go exactly as you desire, then it's 100% certain that the interview will be a success! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Joana Orvalho, Guest Writer I'm Joana Fonseca Orvalho and I am a career & mindset coach, focusing on helping women to identify and GET a career they are passionate about. I am originally from Portugal, but live in London since 2008. I am married and have a son (currently 18 months old). I am an intuitive and direct person who takes deep reward in seeing the transformation in my clients' lives. I have worked for over 12 years in Banking and completed my coaching qualification in the World Coach Institute (WCI) in 2018, in the same year that I've launched my business.

Collaborative post If you run a business, then you have to make sure that it is running like a well-oiled machine. It needs to be fine-tuned and it also needs to be running all the time. The problem is that inefficiency is certainly a reality, and if you want to avoid it then you need to do everything you can to make the right changes at the right time. If you don’t then this could cause you major problems in the future. Start with What Isn’t Working Before you even think about changing anything, you need to identify any inefficient processes that might be present within your current company model. You may find that inefficiency pops up in all kinds of places, whether you have a redundant process or whether you are not serving your customers well enough. Either way, you need to get to the root of the problem before you start implementing changes. Explore the Digital World Inefficiency in digital integration costs 25% of businesses dearly. You need to make sure you’re your business is not one of them. You need to try and utilise mobile apps and you also need to try and work with people who are just as like-minded as you are. If you are able to integrate the right digital solutions, then this will help you to improve your efficiency in various ways. You will be able to take advantage of faster and easier communication , and you will also be able to solve any issues that might arise along the way. Build an End Solution Consider your entire machine and how your business fits into the bigger picture. You need to understand where your services come from, how they are used and if there is anything you can do to cut out the middleman. If you are able to do this then you will be able to meet your customer needs much more efficiently and you will also be able to save money. This may involve hiring new DSC personnel , but the amount you pay will eventually be returned to your business through ROI. Build a Community One of the best things that you can do for your company is try and create a community. At the end of the day, you cannot put a price on this. The people who you meet are a reflection of how successful you will be overall. Opportunities tend to arise naturally, but you may feel as though it’s necessary to foster community development. This can be as simple as creating a public forum where people can discuss or it may be that you need to create a system where your employees can give feedback. Either way, a community can be difficult to manage at times. This can be the case if it encompasses members who are outside your structure, because if you do not provide a quality service then your reputation can easily be tarnished. Ask your Team It’s vital that you do everything you can to talk to your team so that you can ask them about the problems they are having and how they feel as though they can help. If you do this then you will soon find that it is easier than ever for you to get a great result out of your company model.

Written by: Suzanne Ratti, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. With Covid-19 now a part of our daily lives, many executives and salespeople are struggling with the question of “Should you be selling during a crisis?” Not only are these challenging times for businesses, but also for salespeople who are tasked with increasing sales and hitting quotas. It can be challenging to find the right approach, so here is one easy way to adapt making it easier for your sales team and potentially increasing loyalty from your customer base. Should You Be Selling During a Crisis? It’s a good question that really has to be answered with another question, “Are you selling something or solving something?” The approach to selling during a crisis is key to how comfortable and natural the process feels, to both your sales team and your prospect. Are You Selling or Solving? The biggest obstacle for selling anytime, but especially during a crisis, comes when we are actively selling vs. solving. If we approach sales with a mindset of solving vs. selling, we are already changing the approach. In the selling role, salespeople are focused on their own mission – selling! In the solving role, salespeople are focused on the client’s challenges – solving! Here is an example of how the two different approaches work. Selling Imagine a small business that has furloughed half their staff. But, you have a quota to meet, right? So, you are tasked with calling clients or prospects to sell your widget. For this example, let’s say you are selling promotional products. So, you tweak your regular “sales” approach and maybe have a conversation like: YOU: “I wanted to let you know that we have some really great specials on promotional products.” CUSTOMER: “Thanks, but we are really not in a position to buy your widgets right now.” Insensitive? Awkward? End of sale, right? There are a couple of things to notice. First, the salesperson is using the phrase ‘we’ vs. ‘you’ – focused on sales vs. the client. It’s a conflict of whose needs are being met – the salesperson or the client? So, when we start with this approach, the simple answer is “NO – you shouldn’t be selling during a crisis.” After all, when a company or community is in crisis, your widgets are likely the last thing on their mind. Solving During a crisis, solving is helpful and authentic. It means that we are seeking to identify a problem or pain point and provide a solution. Identifying the problem means we get back to basic relational sales skills by asking questions. Let’s explore how SOLVING changes that conversation. Here is the same conversation, from a solving approach – notice how the salesperson uses “you and your” vs. “us and we”: YOU: “What are your biggest challenges right now?” CUSTOMER: “Getting our employees back to work and trying to offer an easy way for customers to buy our products.” YOU: “How are you doing that?” CUSTOMER: “Offering curbside pickup, sidewalk sales, etc.” YOU: “Have you thought about including a small gift with each purchase? Something folks could really use right now?” CUSTOMER: “Hmmm, like what?” YOU: “Branded hand sanitizer, a branded mask, or even a roll of toilet paper?” CUSTOMER: “That’s creative! I like that idea!” And, low and behold, you’ve just solved a problem and sold something in the process! More importantly, you’ve probably created a relationship where the customer sees you as a resource vs. a salesperson. That is the big difference between selling and solving! Solving may require more thought, training or even ‘coaching up’ your sales team with new ideas, products, and services to serve client needs right now. However, the investment in this thought process could not only sustain your business now, but position you to overtake the competition in the long run! So, are you selling during a crisis, or solving? Do you need more creative ideas for Sales & Marketing? Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin and visit our website! Suzanne Ratti, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Suzanne Ratti is a Sales & Marketing Strategist, a proven performer and an entrepreneur with a passion for helping businesses revolutionize the way they deliver their products and services to their target audience.  Her background in Sales and Marketing for powerhouses like Xerox and SmartCEO allows her to translate real-world experience, critical skill sets and proven results for businesses in virtually every industry and setting.  Suzanne provides engaging coaching and presentations that can inspire, motivate and empower business owners, solopreneurs, and their sales teams to think differently.

Collaborative post The coronavirus put many construction businesses on hold temporarily. The government shutdown of worksites meant that firms had to take a break. Now, though, many are getting back to action. With social distancing in place for employees on-site (as much as is possible), the industry is back in business. 2020 was set up to be a growth year. With the following techniques, it still can be. Here’s how to build your construction company. Make Your Construction Company More Resilient All successful businesses are built on strong foundations. That’s why so many construction companies were able to pull through the last recession. They conserved their resources and made the right decisions at the management level. There were lay-offs, but eventually, many firms returned to their former strength, once the contracts started rolling in. Make Quality Your Core Mission Clients know that regular construction companies cut corners during the building process. It is often easier than to do the job correctly. Firms that put quality at the centre of everything they do, however, can differentiate themselves from the competition and get ahead of the game. Remember, when you prioritise quality, you reduce the need to go back and rework old projects, allowing you to take on new work faster. Secure Your Suppliers If the coronavirus pandemic taught the construction industry anything, it was that it should secure its suppliers. Red diesel suppliers are already warning that changes in government policy could make it hard for firms to get vehicle fuel they need. Thus, we could see supply problems up and down the chain, especially for firms who rely on imported materials. Focus On Customer Service Customer service isn’t a traditional focal point of the construction industry. But providing it makes a massive difference in how your customers perceive you, primarily because they don’t expect it. If you can afford it, hire somebody to be available over the phone during regular office hours. Furthermore, make sure that you build a safety margin into your quotes. You don’t want to wind up in a situation where you have to go back to the client to ask them for more money, even though you shook on a deal. Embrace Change The construction industry needs to move forward if it is going to remain competitive in the future. With the rise of new building technologies, it is ripe for disruption. Change, though, can be a good thing. It is challenging to do during the process itself. But once you adjust your business model, everyone benefits. Shareholders and owners receive higher profits. Workers have more secure jobs. And customers are happier because they get high quality finished products and better overall service. Be Selective You don’t have to take on every project that comes your way. In fact, doing this is probably a bad idea, especially if you don’t have any particular expertise in the area. Instead, be selective and double-down on your strengths. Be the best at a specific type of construction activity. Don’t try to do it all.

This article is dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement in memoriam of George Floyd. George Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, (ironically listed as the 46th largest city in America). George tragically lost his life on May 25th, 2020 after he was handcuffed and pinned to the floor by a U.S Police Officer, who knelt over his neck for a total of 8 minutes and 46 seconds until he lost consciousness and stopped breathing. "I Can't Breathe" Many have been sharing Floyd’s last words in protest against police brutality in the United States, however having watched the footage for myself, the moment which really gets me is when the officer yells at George to get up and get in the car while still kneeling on his neck. George gasped, “I will” yet the officer never let him move. A moment of hope, taken away by white supremacy. A moment which I will never fully understand. In times like this, I turn to my inner guidance and ask, how did we get here? How have we let white privilege dominate our society before our very eyes? Have we all been so blind to see what has been going on? Have we contributed to part of this problem? More importantly, what can we do to change it. ““Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” - Martin Luther King Jr I am not white, but perhaps I am still privileged. I can get pulled over by the police and not fear for my safety or my life I can go to the shop and not feel like I am being followed or watched I can turn on the TV and see people of my race widely represented I can count on my skin colour not to work against the appearance of my financial responsibility I can easily buy books, movies, magazines and toys featuring people of my race I can buy makeup in shades that mostly match my skin colour I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race I can voice concern about racism without being seen as self-seeking I have struggled my whole life with not being white enough to be white or black enough to be black. Someone once called me ‘half black’ in response to me sharing that my ethnicity is half Persian. I have been so used to sitting on the fence that I didn’t realize by not taking a side I was part of the problem. I have learned a very valuable lesson this week…It is no longer acceptable to stay silent. It is no longer ok to remove ourselves from what is happening in the world and turn a blind eye because it doesn’t affect us. We must all find our voice within and contribute to making this society an equal playing field for Black Lives. We must all become part of the solution. I have been following the Instagram account @soyouwanttotalkabout for some informative insights on what White Privilege actually means. This terminology alone can be very triggering for white people who are not comfortable being described by their race and also for white people who have grown up with their own, non-race related struggles. Here are some key messages that I have learned throughout the last week about White Privilege: What is White Privilege? Societal privileges that benefit white people over people of color, under the same social, political and economic circumstances White Privilege exists as a direct result of both historic and enduring racism, biases and practices designed to oppress people of color White Privilege does not mean you have not suffered in your life, but it does mean that you have not suffered because of the color of your skin. Systematic Racism exists on every level of society: - Black Graduates are 2x more likely to be unemployed - The typical Net Worth of a White family is nearly 10x greater than that of a Black family - Black Americans are 30% more likely to be pulled over - More than 60% of people in prison are people of color - 5 in 10 black children live in poverty - Black women are 4x more likely to die during childbirth (Source: Brookings Institute, United States of America) What is the difference between White Privilege and White Supremacy? White Privilege is the belief that something is not a problem because it does not affect you. White Supremacy is the system that protects White Privilege. It is not enough for us to keep quiet because this strengthens the notion that we do not need change, and that is the opposite of what we need right now. How can we recognize our Privilege and do better? Learning about our privilege should not be a burden or a source of guilt. Instead, we can use it as an opportunity to learn and educate ourselves about how we can do better and create the change that the world so desperately needs to see. Less judgment  Judgment is the fuel that will keep this fire burning. More fire is not what we need right now. Release your judgment and focus on what you can do to help. Honor how you feel Judgment, guilt, and shame could be coming up for you right now, but these will not help you heal or grow. Honor your feelings, lean into them, journal and meditate. Growth is a messy and uncomfortable but necessary process to move forward. Educating ourselves with love Be kind to yourself and recognize that you are experiencing an awakening. Become inquisitive and educate yourself on the questions that you have. Be open to listen and learn Willingness to learn today moves us a step ahead of where we were yesterday. Seek out activists in your local area and learn more about what is going on. Oneness is our true nature Acknowledging that we are all Brothers & Sisters and our energy all exists in the same Universe. We are one. If you have a voice and a platform of any kind, I urge you to use it to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter campaign. Black lives have suffered enough at the hands of White Privilege and it is now upon us all to enact change.

Collaborative post As time goes by, the benefits of remote work shine through and gain appreciation from both employers and employees. It provides a win-win solution to modern-day work with minimum challenges that can easily be resolved if you know and have access to the right technology. As glamorous as the benefits of remote work may seem, when the appropriate procedures and support are not made available, it proves to be a challenge with terrible consequences that include a decline in workers’ productivity. To avoid a situation like this, here are ways you can improve the productivity of remote workers. 1. Set goals Unlike a traditional office setting where you can keep an eye on your team members, remote work does not provide that. However, you can use goals to track employees' work and measure success. Encourage team members to meet their goals by providing the necessary support needed and resolving issues timely. 2. Communicate Communication is vital if you want to improve the productivity of remote workers. It has to be consistent, transparent, and well-tailored for each individual. The consequence of inadequate communication is wrong decisions and conclusions. So, you must make sure that your workers are clear on all that is expected of them and how to go about it, so they do not have to repeat tasks or get confused. You can set up regular morning meetings to check in on team members and take advantage of chat rooms for video calls. 3. Provide efficient productivity There is no way your team is going to succeed if you do not provide them with the necessary work tools. Evaluate the tasks your team will need to carry out alongside what they need to fulfil them; then, you can go ahead and make provisions for this. For instance, to ensure uniformity in documents and maintain company standards, sites like https://www.templafy.com/ can help tremendously. More so, ensure all team members have fast and reliable internet; all software is up to date and they have a functional environment to work from home. 4. Encourage team building exercises The importance of team-building exercises may not be evident to many employers; however, creating a safe space for team members to talk about non-work related matters like news and hobbies, helps them build better connections. There are several ways you can go about doing this, and an example is hosting regular virtual happy hours or exercises. 5. Be respectful and provide support Always try to be mindful of the background, time zone, and situation of your team members. This will allow you to personalize the type of support you provide for them. Working from home can contribute to feelings of loneliness and a decline in mental health if it is not well managed. So, as a confident leader, you should ensure that the workplace is a level-headed space and encourage self-care among team members. Especially do this for people who you notice are struggling to adjust to remote work. Remote work comes with its challenges, but the proper application of these tips will help keep your team members engaged, connected, and productive.