Written by: Samantha Curbelo & Austin Nichols, 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 the most wonderful time of the year! But also, a little concerning because on average people can gain up to 15 pounds during the holidays. Being around family and loved ones can make this such an uplifting time! Especially if the pandemic ruined your plans last year… It’s a time of indulgence for most and this can knock many off track when it comes to their goals. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be allowed to celebrate with your family, but for those of us working towards reaching a certain fitness goal, we have to enjoy it in moderation. Don't let all of your hard work go to waste, causing you to fall off track, and landing you back at square one after the holiday season. You’ve worked so hard to get here. That being said, here are some tips that my clients are using to make sure they stay on track this holiday season: 1. Keep your goals clear, attainable and realistic. With it being the busiest time of year, many people take time off to spend with their families. But again, this still isn’t a time to slack off. Motivation can be low so it’s important to focus on why you are on this journey. Consider making a vision board or journaling about your goal. Think about what it is you want to achieve. What does it look like? How do you feel? What are you excited to do once you hit these goals? Use these visuals to remind yourself why you started this journey and why you do not want to quit. 2. Pay attention to portion sizes While it is encouraged to absolutely take the time to enjoy yourself at gatherings this year, piling on the potatoes could leave you consuming more calories than expected. To lose weight it’s important to be in a calorie deficit (Check out our previous article on this although many other factors contribute to weight loss, this is very important). Paying attention to how much you are consuming is a great way to make sure you are staying in that caloric deficit and still seeing progress. Here are some visuals you can use to keep an eye on how much you are actually consuming: One serving size of turkey is 3 ounces, which amounts to about the size of a deck of cards. A serving of stuffing is ½ a cup, amounting to the size of a standard scoop of ice cream. For potatoes, a serving would be ½ of a cup or the size of a tennis ball cut in half. You can search on google to find other comparisons that could help you understand what a serving size typically looks like. Again, there are ways to enjoy yourself this holiday season and still stay on track. 3. Be conscious of how much you are snacking while cooking At family get-togethers, at least at my house, are loaded with snacks before the main meal. I’m personally not a huge fan of thanksgiving food (I know, sue me lol) so I can definitely get in the habit of snacking more than expected. When catching up with family and friends, it's easy to graze while you’re talking. And then, next thing you know you've finished half the cheese and crackers board all by yourself! Instead of talking near the appetizers, add a few things to a plate and take it elsewhere to enjoy your conversation. This will make it less tempting to stick your hand in the chip bowl. And since you picked out your snacks in advance, you won't have to worry about keeping track of how much you are consuming while catching up with family. 4. Consider consumption of liquid calories This is applicable for everyday, but most definitely applies to the holidays. Water is the best thing you can drink to hydrate your body and flush out toxins. Although you should treat yourself, watch the sodas, of course, you would be surprised how fast these calories add up. Also, with drinks, it is very easy to forget about calories since you’re not “eating” them. It's sort of an out of sight, out of mind type of thing. Since you aren't eating food directly, it’s easy to forget about the calories a sugary drink contains. Another huge factor to think about is alcohol. A glass of wine sits around 120 calories, give or take depending on what kind of course. A beer is about the same, thoughMichelob Ultra is only 95 calories per bottle A margarita is 310 calories and a Martini is 210calories Anyways you get the picture, these add up quick! Drinking is a social norm and many like to enjoy a drink on occasion. Consider switching out a higher calorie drink for a lower one. Some options include tequila or vodka, these being two of the spirits with the lowest caloric content. Add some seltzer water and fruit, such as limes, oranges, lemon, etc. My cousin loves to make this drink called a “fruit salad”, her own creation. It is an ounce and a half of tequila, fill the cup with ice and seltzer water, and then add all the fruits you have to the drink! You do not have to let this time of year get the better of you. All the progress and positive change you have made is fantastic, and you should not throw that all away for a few meals. It’s all about being conscious about what you are putting in your body and how that is going to affect your well-being. Diets should be sustainable and even though you are “dieting”, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy life along the way. Your goals should work IN TO your lifestyle… you shouldn’t have to feel restricted along the way. Implement these tips into your holiday season this year and you’ll be able to tell a noticeable difference in the way you feel. You got this!! Happy Holidays from all of us at AS Fitness. For more info, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or visit our website! Read more from Samantha and Austin! Samantha Curbelo & Austin Nichole, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Samantha Curbelo and Austin Nichols are leaders in the fitness and health industry. They are certified Fitness and Mindset Coaches who show motivated individuals how to build a physique they love while becoming their most confident self, all without restrictions. After both of them had overcome childhood bullying, being overweight, and severely insecure starting from a young age, Curbelo and Nichols quickly fell in love with fitness and health as a strategy to develop a physique they are proud of, better their mindsets, and perform at their most optimal versions of themselves. They believe that fitness is more than "looks." It is a way to express emotion, create better habits, and live a long and healthy life with those you love. Their expertise allows them to have various clients looking to achieve results from losing weight, gaining muscle mass, overcoming eating disorders, and much more. Their passion for the industry makes it easy for Curbelo and Nichols to help their clients and others around them to create a massive impact in each and every individual.

Written by: Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How do you feel when you don’t get a good night’s sleep? When I don’t get enough sleep, I feel sluggish, unable to concentrate, cranky, no drive to do anything and just unmotivated. Now imagine you are like so many others out there that have this happen to them on a nightly basis. There are many theories by experts as to why insomnia or sleep disorders are a challenge to many of us today. I find Sidney Baker's, M.D., explanation in his latest book, Detoxification and Healing to be one of the most logical. Here's what he said: "We go about our daily chores without conscious attention to the molecular details of our body's management of toxins, allergens and other waste, but if our sanitation department did make itself known to us - say by making a noise - it would drown out all the comparable noises of walking, thinking, and talking. Imagine the machinery of detoxification, mostly in the liver, emitting an enormous grinding, groaning, gurgling sound that would dwarf our loudest intestinal rumblings and belches. Considering that most detoxification goes on at night, the noise of our sanitation department would surely keep us up if we're able to give forth sounds comparable to the work it does. As it is, a faulty detoxification system is a common reason for poor sleep (or sleep disorders). We sometimes reach too quickly for a sedative for our nerves when it is our liver that needs help" (p.141). Sleep disorders and the liver: Dr. Jeffrey Bland explains how the liver gets overburdened with toxins. He says that there is a relationship between a faulty digestive system and a faulty detoxification system in the liver. So, before you address detoxification of your liver, you might consider first addressing how to regain balance in your digestive system (Nichols, Ed., pp. 105-106). Dr. Bland explains further by saying that one of the body's key means of detoxifying harmful chemicals is the liver's specialized enzymes, which scrub chemicals out of the blood. This process depends on specific nutrients that must be present for this chemical interaction to take place. Most people lack these essential nutrients in their bodies because of nutrient depleted foods. Therefore, most people are less able to detoxify foreign chemicals and their liver becomes overburdened (pp. 107-108). In addition to handicapping the liver detoxification system, nutritional deficiencies contribute to other health problems. The gut's mucosa normally shields the rest of the body from many toxins but is weakened by medications, alcohol, food allergies and auto immune disorders. When the mucosa is damaged, more toxins get through, placing more stress on the liver to detoxify them (pp. 107-108). Here are some harmful substances to our health, and specifically to our liver. If you are sleeping poorly or have sleep disorders, you need to examine your lifestyle and avoid the following toxins: Aluminum: Enters our bodies through aluminum pots, deodorants, antacids, and food additives (Baker, p. 144). Lead: THE MOST INSIDIOUS OF TOXINS. Found in artificial sweeteners (saccharine for example is extracted from coal tar and tens of thousands of foods today have artificial sweeteners as ingredients), lead paint, etc., (Baker, p.145). Caffeine: Found in coffee, chocolate, or over-the-counter stay-awake pills such as NoDoz (Baker, p. 146). Acetaminophen: Commonly found in pain medicines. Aspirin. Sodium benzoate: A common food preservative (Baker, p. 146). Alcohol: Alcohol is not a food. It is toxic to the body and the body must burn it to get rid of it. Unlike foods, the body cannot treat alcohol as something to be saved for later and stored as fat. Another reason that alcohol is toxic is that it interferes with the many different enzymes, specifically the detoxification enzymes of the liver. Dr. Sidney Baker has good advice for all of us about alcohol. He says, "Next time you go past the liquor store, replace in your mind's eye the sign that says Frank’s Spirit Shop' with one that says Fungal Toxins Sold By the Bottle" (p. 30). There are many other toxins that can affect the ability of the liver to function optimally, but the above toxins are the ones you would want to address first and are most likely to give you noticeable relief. Here are some nutritional strategies for a healthy liver: Maintain a healthy "gut": Use acidophilus, bifidus... and other transient and non-transient friendly bacteria in large amounts. Use plant-based enzymes with each cooked meal. Take virgin coconut oil for its antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-parasitical activity. Use herbs known to be helpful in repairing the intestinal tract such as anise, caraway, ginger, and fennel. (You can make a very effective tea with these herbal ingredients). Nourish your body with nutrient-rich foods: blue green algae, sea vegetables (wakame, kombu, hijiki, arame and nori), bee pollen, wheatgrass, and fresh organically grown fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Reduce oxidative stress: use antioxidants such as Coenzyme Q10 (abundant in sardines, spinach, and peanuts) and wheat sprouts supplements micro-blended with red sea algae and freshwater blue-green algae (wild-crafted). Eat specific liver-friendly foods: Turmeric and cumin. Both have anti-mutagenic agents that support the liver in the detoxification of carcinogens and help to block environmental carcinogens. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, radish, cabbage, and collard greens because they are abundant with indoles which help the body to produce detoxification enzymes that help to neutralize the effects of harmful chemicals. Detoxify your liver: Do the other steps first before you try this liver detoxification drink. Use organic apple cider vinegar, organic whole lemons, organic maple syrup and hot water. Begin with one tablespoon of vinegar, the juice of one-half lemon, enough maple syrup to make your drink tasty and hot water (not boiling). Drink this 20 minutes after taking your friendly bacteria and wait another 20 minutes before you eat. Gradually, increase the vinegar to 3 tablespoons per day and continue to drink this mixture for 30 days. At any time if you feel your body is telling you to stop this drink (you'll actually develop an aversion to the taste), then stop. Your body is getting ready to do a major cleanse. Always listen to your body. This drink may seem like it has harmless ingredients, but vinegar, lemon and maple syrup combined in this drink are very potent liver detoxifiers. A couple of final tips that will help you sleep better: Take some turmeric just before bedtime. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and swallow the powder with some water. If the taste is too bitter put the powder in capsules. In a few days, increase the turmeric to 1/2 teaspoon and get to the point where you can take one flat teaspoon of turmeric (four capsules) every day before bedtime. Many people noted that turmeric helps them sleep soundly and for those who had sleep disorders, their symptoms were greatly reduced. Squeeze fresh lemon and add to a glass of water and drink before bed time. Lemon benefits bile formation and therefore supports liver function. I hope these health tips are helpful for understanding why some individuals experience insomnia or sleep disorders and what to do so you can again have restful sleep. Sweet Dreams. If you’d like to learn more, I’d be happy to schedule a zoom meeting, email me at embodyvitalityconsulting@gmail.com or call me on cell 917-597-3512. My book Healing Through Nature’s Medicine, A Story of Hope will also give you a step-by-step guide on how naturally restoring your health is possible and how to achieve it. Follow Emanuela on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Emanuela! Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same, from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on how to become their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health. References: Baker, Sidney. (1997). Detoxification and Healing. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing, Inc. Nichols, Trent (Ed.). (1999). Optimal Digestion. New York: Avon Books, Inc.

Written by: Nida Leardprasopsuk, 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. Entrepreneurs are great at what they do and that usually puts them into a trap. Your advantage becomes your disadvantage. You resist delegating what you believe you can do best and you tie your self worth to the tasks you do. You become the bottleneck of your own business and this prevents you from growing and making more impact. To get out of this trap, you need to become aware of what you should and should not be spending your time on. You also need to have a strategy to start hiring people, whether part-time, freelance, fulltime, or outsource the tasks that you are currently completing. Here are the steps you can follow to transition into your CEO role and set the path for exponential growth. Step 1: List out everything you do List everything business-related you do from the moment you wake up until the time you fall asleep. Don’t cheat or leave anything out!I literally mean everything. Don’t cheat! Besides every task, write down how much time you used for that activity. Do this for a week. Step 2: Categorize it For every single task, what impact would it have on your business if you didn’t complete those activities? For example, plan 2023 strategy. If you didn’t complete this, would you experience an immediate negative impact in your business or would it take several months to realize the impact? In this example, Another example, reply to clients’ emails and requests. If this was not completed, of course, you would experience immediate impact within a day or two. The negative impact is that your client would be frustrated and it would affect your client satisfaction. When you start your business it is very common to be the “doer” or implementer in your business. But as you grow and expand your business, you need to shift to the role of the “architect” in your business. As the architect, you are to focus on things that are more long-term rather than being involved in the day-to-day activities of the business like finding clients, sales consultation calls, or serving clients. I use the Value Builder Assessment as one of the tools to help my clients assess the value and growth areas in their business. Part of the assessment focuses on evaluating whether they are spending their limited time and energy on the general day-to-day tasks or specific CEO related tasks involved with longer-term strategies and brand asset building. You can assess the value of your business with this tool for free here on my website. It will provide you with many insights into your business. Step 3: Time to take back control and delegate For all the tasks that you have written down that have an immediate impact or experiences a negative consequence in the short term if not completed; you need to remove them from your task list. If you can find some else to complete instead of you, delegate immediately. For tasks that you don’t have anyone to complete yet, you need to make a plan to either hire or outsource. Letting go of the tasks that you find joy and purpose in doing feels uncomfortable. Letting someone else complete it instead of you feels like a risk. What if they don’t do it as well as I do you keep asking yourself. But we know success lies outside of our comfort zone and shifting into a bigger role where you are truly creating a masterpiece and making the most impact is where you need to be in order to grow to the next level. I hope this article was helpful for you to embrace your CEO role. Follow me for other articles and resources on growing your legacy business. Assess the value of your business here (for free): Value Builder Assessment If you are a coach, consultant, expert, or service-based entrepreneur; discover your Entrepreneur edge by completing this 2-min quiz Listen to the One to Millions Entrepreneur Podcast on Apple, and Spotify to learn valuable strategies to implement in your business. Follow Nida on Instagram, Facebook, Clubhouse, Linkedin, and visit her website for more info! Read more from Nida! Nida Leardprasopsuk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nida is a top-tier business consultant, mindset coach, and former Fortune 500 executive with more than two decades of experience in marketing, business, research, consumer behavior, and human psychology. Her consulting and coaching business centers around innovation and customer centricity, a key factor in her own success. She helps forward thinking and purpose driven coaches, consultants, experts, thought leaders, and service-providers reinvent, innovate, differentiate themselves from the rest of the competition and become a category of one by: 1.) Discovering and utilizing their ultra-geniuses 2.) Creating groundbreaking solutions that solve clients’ problems in an innovative way 3.) Using a short and long-term innovative marketing strategy that magnifies their thought leadership overtime and 4.) Help entrepreneurs innovate their business and build a culture of excellence. She is the author of the One to Millions Entrepreneur and host of the One to Millions Entrepreneur Podcast show. She also has a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing and is currently completing her research for a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. Nida offers 1:1 consulting and coaching services that help forward thinking and purpose driven entrepreneurs build a world-class legacy brand and hyper-grow their businesses through innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.

Written by: Barbara van Heerden, 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. Having grown up in arguably the most culturally diverse country in the world, South Africa, I have had a fascination from a young age regarding different cultures and how they manifest in the world. I entered the workforce over 40 years ago and have worked as a programme manager delivering products and services across cultures since 2008. I started to cross cultural coaching in 2007 coaching 3 executives for BP in Angola. I have had the privilege of coaching executives who were leaders in a large conglomerate operating in many countries including Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. It was this exposure that resulted in a quest to understand intercultural sensitivity and competence. I have learnt from my experience that cultural diversity in the workplace is often seen as a problem to be solved rather than an enriching opportunity. Learning intercultural competence can effectively enrich one’s life as a leader and increase effective teamwork resulting in meeting business goals. Without intercultural sensibility and competence, projects can be highjacked or fail due to confusion, misunderstanding and conflict between culturally diverse team members. Globalisation has increased multi-cultural and cross-cultural engagements within the modern workplace which, in turn, has led to various challenges in contemporary leadership. The global COVID pandemic increased many people in the workforce working from home thus increasing skills to work online and the opportunity for businesses to offer products and services to every corner of the globe. To manage, amongst others, multinational subsidiaries, global projects, and to lead a culturally diverse workforce, business leaders increasingly must learn intercultural sensitivity leading to intercultural competence for their businesses to thrive. Without a solid framework to understand the culture and how the varying cultural orientation of the workforce affects our worldview, work ethic, work practice, communication and teamwork, it is likely to lead to confusion and conflict between colleagues resulting in failed endeavours To address this gap, the aim of my PhD was to explore, describe and understand the development of intercultural competence, utilising leadership coaching as a developmental approach. The experiences of seven African business leaders from five different African countries as recipients of this leadership coaching provided deep insights into using leadership coaching as an effective methodology resulting in being able to work effectively across cultures. The following significant findings emerged from the research (i) Six of the seven participants developed intercultural competence after participating in a cross-cultural leadership coaching programme for 12 months. (ii) The participants acquired intercultural competence through an action–reflection learning based coaching model which led to transformative learning on a cognitive, affective and behavioural level. (iii) The participants had to be prepared to engage in active reflexivity for the transformative learning to take place, by accessing and understanding their own cultural orientation. (iv) All participants indicated a change in cognition, affect and behaviour resulting from a consistent and identifiable set of critical moments or triggers present either in the environment or included in the design of the coaching process. (v) The findings suggest that the use of a simple cultural orientation framework aided the learning process. (vi) For leaders to learn intercultural competence they need some experience of working across cultures as a prerequisite to starting the coaching process. (vii) Given the dynamic nature of culture itself, intercultural competence requires the effective negotiating of new realities, in multiple and varied cross-cultural settings. As far as I could ascertain limited empirical research is available regarding leadership coaching for the development of intercultural competence, particularly in the African context. Given that this continent is widely seen as an emerging market (Richman & Wiggenhorn, 2005; McKinsey, 2013) the Cross-cultural Leadership Coaching Model proposed here offers a meaningful framework for businesses planning an expansion into these markets. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Barbara! Barbara van Heerden, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine “Coaching is change management one person at a time”. Jenny Mc Nulty. Regarding coaching, she specialises in business leadership coaching but can work within any organisational context. Her personal passion is leadership coaching to equip leaders to effectively lead multi-cultural and cross-cultural teams. She follows a strengths-based leadership coaching model that enables leaders to harness their strengths in such a way that their weaknesses become insignificant. She successfully concluded of a PhD in Leadership Coaching Towards Intercultural Competence in 2016. Working across cultures is often seen as a problem to be solved rather than an opportunity to be explored. She is also an experienced programme and change manager. She has led large-scale programmes in corporate South Africa over the last 25 years and has worked in seven different African Countries.

Written by: Michaela Shaffer, 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. Diet culture is a $60 billion industry, with a 95% failure rate. We (especially women) are surrounded by the media telling us we need to look a certain way or else we are deemed unworthy. We are constantly sold this idea that if we shed “X” amount of weight, or “shrink down” to a certain pant size we then we will be beautiful, worthy and happy. That’s absolute bull. Our happiness, worth and beauty do NOT come from outside sources; that is where we get lost. If we attach our happiness or worth to something outside of ourselves (body weight, shape, clothing, houses, cars, people etc.) we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. Anything outside of you can be taken away at any time without any explanation, if we have all of our happiness or sense of self-worth in an outside source and it is taken away, we then lose that sense of self and happiness and stay on that draining cycle of finding another source of happiness. That’s exactly what diet culture does. It manipulates us into believing that if we purchase their product or program then we are guaranteed our greatest desires. We then blindly trust these companies and buy into their BS, attaching our worth and happiness to the outcome they “promise.” Here’s the kicker: diets are made to fail us. If diets actually worked and were sustainable we wouldn’t be continually buying them. Think about it, these diets and products are created to give you that short term gratification, the company gets their money and it seems like a win-win. However, their approach is only short term or created so that you have to rely on them for the rest of your life. Who wants to live their life like that?! Truthfully it’s not even living at that point, it’s just a motion of survival. If you truly want to be happy and find your self-worth then you must do some inner work. As cliche as it sounds, happiness comes from within; like I mentioned previously if your happiness is only attached to an outside source(s) then it will forever be irregular and you will forever be searching. But if you’re able to find that happiness from within it will never run out. Ever. When you are able to step into life with a new found sense of gratitude, understanding, acceptance and appreciation for yourself, your body and life as a whole you become a magnet for happiness, health and abundance that everyone is attracted to! When you are able to take your power back into your own hands, say no to the lies and limiting beliefs that hold you back, it is then you have opened the doorway to eternal happiness. You don’t need a certain diet to make that happen, but you do need the right approach for you. Finding a lifestyle that can adapt, evolve and support you in every aspect of your life (body, mind and soul) is the key to attaining that happiness, reaffirming your worth and recognizing your beauty. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin , Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Michaela Shaffer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michaela Shaffer is a Body Image Coach who helps women ditch fad diets, destructive eating habits and negative self talk to embody a life of health, happiness and utter confidence. Before she became an expert in the relationship to the body, she too battled negative body image, mindset and destructive eating habits. For years she tried to attain the "perfect" body, going to extreme lengths to try and change her appearance, size and weight so she could then be accepted, loved and found worthy. However, things took a turn for the better when she formulated a proven holistic way to heal her relationship to her body, mind and even her emotions to find worth from within. As a result she became the happiest, healthies and most confident version of herself. With these proven steps in her online programs, "Sassy, Sexy & Confident" "Nourished Soul Collective" and "Back to Basics" she's been able to serve women and help them break free from diet culture, false beliefs, negative view of self and guide them to a life of freedom, confidence, health and happiness.

Written by: Katherine Mackenzie-Smith, 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. Just like school and the workplace, most business strategies and systems are set up to suit more extroverted people, without consideration for the different needs and strengths of introverts. If you’re an introvert and you’ve been trying to build a business following the strategies and steps of more extroverted leaders, you might have found yourself feeling overwhelmed, burnout, comparisonitis, and constantly trying to implement strategies that just don’t suit you. Or worse, spending thousands on programs and courses hoping that we can just become more extroverted. Here are 5 things your introvert-friendly business needs to be sustainable and successful (on your terms). 1. Know your mission, vision, and values. As much as we all want to make money and most likely achieve some level of what society has told us success should look like, most introverted types aren’t actually as motivated by external achievements (the usual markers for success). We need to tap into something more internally aligned, and having an awareness of our own needs, strengths, mission, vision, and values for our business is incredibly important to stay connected and inspired in the work that we do. Take some time to establish the mission, vision, and values in your business, the strengths and skills you have (and who you might need to hire to help you with things that aren’t natural for you), and what your role needs to be in the business to stay aligned with these important factors. 2. Make Time For Deep And Meaningful Connections One myth of introverts is that we hate people but, in fact, it’s very much the opposite. Humans, in general, are hardwired for connection - it’s just that the traditional version of networking and connecting can be exhausting for those who get their energy from time spent alone. What introverts often need is deep connection and meaningful conversations with like-minded people. This is true in business as well and can be a great way to build a network and community of customers and collaborators. Instead of following the advice of extroverts when it comes to networking (in person or online), work out what is most energising to you. Do you prefer meeting one new person a month, or connecting with people in a different way? Figuring out what works for you is the most genuine way to connect with others and avoid the burnout that comes from trying to do it in a more extroverted way. 3. Create Introvert-Friendly Systems and Space In Your Business Overwhelm and burnout usually comes from trying to operate as the extroverts of the world do. And whilst some people can do back-to-back meetings, see clients every day of the week, or even work 10-12 hours a day, introverts really need to create time and space to re-energise. This might look like batching calls onto one or two days so there are days for quiet business activities, thinking, and space from being ‘on’ all the time. It might look like having systems or people in roles that take some of the busy work or back and forth communications so that you have the energy to focus on the most important tasks and calls. Work out the tasks and roles that drain your energy, don’t play to your strengths, or cause procrastination and exhaustion, and delegate or systematise those tasks so that your energy can go where it's most needed (and most effective). Not there yet? That’s okay, keep a record and start creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) so that as soon as your business is ready for it, you can hand those parts over straight away. 4. Review and Renew During The Year Every business needs to check in throughout the year and review how things are going, what’s working, what needs to be changed or done differently next time, and what’s coming up for the next month/quarter/year. But this is especially important for introverts in business. More introverted types can definitely get up in our heads and sometimes find it difficult to see the woods from the trees, so taking time to step back, get some perspective and set a plan for the next phase can be especially helpful to stay on track and in alignment with our bigger mission and vision. In an extroverted world, we can get sidetracked from what others are doing, what’s trending in our industry, and whether we should change course to keep up with that. The important thing for an introvert-friendly business is that we stay in our lane and in alignment with the inner guidance system instead of getting distracted by what others are doing. Schedule in review times throughout the month and year and keep checking in with that bigger mission and vision before changing course. Block out times before and after big business events like launches and travel because it’s not energizing to keep pushing through without the downtime to rest and renew. 5. Introvert-Friendly Strategies It’s all good and well for Internet marketers and business strategists to tell everyone to follow their ‘steps for success’ but - at the end of the day - they are usually a one-size-fits-all methodology that just doesn’t necessarily suit a more introverted leader. Does that mean that introverts can’t be successful? No. Think of incredibly successful introverts such as Oprah, Shonda Rhimes, Brene Brown, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet (to name a few). The most important thing is finding what works for you, instead of trying to do it someone else’s way. We all have different strengths, abilities, and skills that we bring to the roles we play in our businesses but we can forget, get caught up in what we THINK we should be good at, and assume everyone else can do what we can (they can’t). Take some time to list things that feel easy and natural for you, and maybe even things you find more difficult to get some self-awareness around strategies that may or may not work for you. What do you love to do? What do your friends, peers, and clients always ask you for help with? Tapping into your innate strengths and build strategies around them in your business instead of trying to follow the latest business trend or hack is going to make a huge difference in your energy and your impact. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Katherine Mackenzie-Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katherine Mackenzie-Smith is a business coach and strategist for introverts and highly sensitive souls, an ideas alchemist, energy and soul medicine practitioner, and host of the popular League of Extraordinary Introverts podcast. Through her 1:1 mentoring, Emerge and Expand business membership, speaking and writing, Katherine supports quiet leaders to create successful, sustainable businesses through their own innate wisdom and strengths, without feeling like they have to change who they are. Katherine has been named a ‘self help guru’ by Elle Magazine, featured on the covers of Happiness and Wellbeing magazine and Inspired Coach magazine, as well as being featured in a number of publications, podcasts, and websites including Cleo Magazine, Collective Hub, The Introvert Entrepreneur, and One Woman Shop.

Written by: Claire Maynard, 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 business owners and entrepreneurs we know how important it is to operate outside of our comfort zones, that that is how our business grows and how we impact more people. We are full of ideas and potential projects, buzzing from all the ways that we can help people. We start or maybe even finish, books, courses, articles, collaboration proposals, group programs, new products. Then we freeze, the mindset monkeys kick in, will this work? Is it any good? Will they like it? Will they buy it? And so the projects and creations we were so excited about and have worked so hard on, stay sat on our laptops, helping no one. This actually happened to me recently, I spent months putting together a pocketbook full of tips and guidance on mindset, confidence, motivation and inspiration. The concept was “a pocket-sized pick me up”, I loved the idea and worked hard on it. Then when the moment came to share it with the world, I froze. Eventually, I bit the bullet and uploaded it to Amazon, when the email arrived to say it was live I felt nervous and scared rather than excited and accomplished, it took me 2 days before I told anyone it was there or started to promote it. When I shared it on my social media I was open about my nerves in sharing this but said it wouldn’t help anyone just sat on my laptop! This prompted someone to reach out to me and say how tempting it is to sit with creations and that my bravery was inspiring. That is why I wanted to write this article, to help others to bite the bullet and share their creations with the world So how do we do this? How do we share our creations and zone of genius with the world? Firstly, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as failure, everything we do, every new thing we try, we either succeed, learn or grow. I say this first because fear of failure is the biggest reason for not following through with things and not getting outside of our comfort zones. So if you can realise that failure doesn’t exist, you can remove that crippling fear. Next, we need to have confidence, confidence in ourselves, in our abilities and in our creations. To do this we need to believe in ourselves and our work, trust ourselves and recognise that we are learning and building skills and ability on an ongoing basis. Ask yourself, why am I doubting this? Is that actually true? Why do I feel this way about the project? Get to the bottom of what’s knocking your confidence and then face it head on. You will most likely find it just lies your subconscious is telling you to try to keep you safe, but it’s not serving you, it’s holding you back. Now my next point is one that many in the business world will struggle with- let go of perfectionism! Shocking I know! But really, nothing’s ever perfect, or ever will be, so holding back on certain things because they’re not perfect is a sure fire way to stay stuck exactly where you are. And to be honest, perfectionism is overrated, we know that people buy people and buy from people that they like, know and trust, people who are relatable to themselves in some way. Very few people can relate to perfection, we’re all a little flawed and like to know that others are too. And most of the time the only person that will know to notice it’s not perfect is you! Another very important thing to avoid is comparison, or comparison-its, as I like to call it. Comparing ourselves to others can be our downfall, it causes self-doubt, insecurities, lack of confidence, procrastination, imposter syndrome and stops us from taking action. It’s a disease! Ways to avoid this are to stay in your lane, have your goals and action plan and stay laser-focused on reaching them, don’t look up to see what others doing. Don’t compare the start or middle of you’re journey to someone else’s end, you don’t know how long they’ve been working on their business, you don’t know what they’ve sacrificed to get it, you don’t know who’s helped them and you don’t know what their starting point was. Remember that you are your superpower, no one else can be you and you can’t be anymore else. There are people out there who want what you are offering, who will be drawn to you and your personality over others, however, they will be less likely to be drawn to you trying to be like someone else. And finally, stop making it about you, it’s not about you! Sorry, I know that one stings! But really, the work you do, the unfinished projects, the unpublished work, the secret products, they’re not about you, they’re there for the people you want to help. How many people do you have the potential to be helping right now with the “thing” you’re not sharing? Think about them and the impact it could have on them, the difference it could make. Don’t be selfish, share it with the world! And remember, if it isn’t received as well as you’d hoped, art doesn’t sell as much as you’d like, it’s not personal, it’s not a reflection on you, because it’s not about you. If people aren’t interested in your business, your products, or service, it’s not that they don’t like you, or you’re not good enough (or whatever fibs your mindset monkeys are telling you), it’s just that they don’t need what you’re selling right now. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Claire Maynard, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Claire is a qualified and accredited life coach & confidence coach, specialising in mindset & visibility coaching for women in business. Claire is a featured guest expert, live trainer, guest author, guest blogger, magazine contributor and Amazon best selling author. Claire is passionate about helping and empowering women to believe in themselves and achieve their goals. To develop their confidence & mindset, to become visible with their business and live the life they desire.

Written by: Mahara Wayman, 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 remember when I met my Inner Saboteur and Diva. I was chatting with some new friends at a retreat and had an epiphany that, true to form, rocked my world. Perhaps it will rock yours too. Before I get into that, let me give you some background. I am a happy, successful entrepreneur who is known for wearing a few hats. I'm a motivational speaker, author and empowerment coach supporting and teaching women to harness their voice, declare their worth and flourish in their careers. I'm passionate about the importance of listening to your inner dialogue, owning your truth without judgement and rewriting your story if the feelings and emotions it evokes no longer serve you. With that in mind, can you imagine my surprise when it became glaringly apparent that I, myself, desperately needed my coaching? That was a mic-drop moment. As I participated in the retreat, I absorbed the lessons, activities and soul-stirring conversations. I began to hear - maybe for the first time - my Inner Saboteur and Inner Diva speak in a low gravel tone that sent shivers down my spine. I heard things like "You aren't good enough" and "I don't believe in you." Let me be clear; I am very cognizant of how I speak to myself, but I never understood who was behind the voice I was hearing or that those speakers were doing so behind a beautiful mask of helpfulness and, "I got your back girlfriend!" vibes. The ultimate betrayal to my battered psyche understands now that not only did they wear that mask with pride, but I am the one that fashioned it and gave it to them with power. Oh, the indignity of that realization! I imagine it began with a furtive whisper as a child in the dark under blankets or in a lonely classroom; "Hello? Is anyone there?" How could I have created and then conceded to these scathing attacks? More importantly, I now recognize them for what they are, so how could I allow it to continue, even one minute longer? I couldn't, and this was the birth of my epiphany. Regaining my power, when I realized these old friends and constant companions were, in essence, nasty parts of me that threatened my happiness, I chose to relate to them differently. While they may have been with me from an early age, witnessed me performing at my best and worst, they no longer have the final say in anything I do. No matter how I look at our relationship, I only see a supporting role for them moving forward; they no longer have ringside seats to my life. Instead, various nurturing people have taken those front row center spots at my proverbial table; my faithful supporters have that privilege. My Inner Saboteur and Inner Diva can now look forward to a life with long bouts of silence. While they probably will be chit-chatting to each other in the background, I won't hear them as loudly as I once did. When their voices begin to pick up steam, once again, I will listen but then gently explain why they are mistaken and who I truly am. I am sure they will be wondering what they did and why I am so mad at them, but that's OK. I don't need to explain my actions, thoughts or decisions to them. With a twinkle in my eye, I acknowledge that I gave them free rein, and now I have regained that power and, instead, am the driving force behind my motivation. I know. I know! That sounds cruel, especially in light of how hard my Inner Saboteur has worked over the years to protect me. I will never forget how insidiously she shared her opinion on my abilities and supposed transgressions, time and time again. Her best friend, Inner Diva, loved to finish my sentences and create whole narratives to support her instead of me. Talk about adding insult to injury! However, Inner Diva knew me so well that I often let her talk because I was too lazy or scared to speak for myself. God, what a storyteller she was. Inner Diva had a way with words and had me convinced every time. Do you know what is interesting, though? Despite both of their claims to the contrary, neither of them is very smart. I say that because it only took one well-crafted afternoon of conversation to dismantle years of deception; theirs, not mine. All I needed were the proper conversations with the right women at the perfect time to see them for what they are. Inner Saboteur and Inner Diva are simply the voices of my fears, twisted observations and incorrect assumptions created through the lens of a child. I know they will never leave me altogether, but I have made it known that they must be prepared to work with me instead of against me. Whenever I'm interrupted or an attempt to silence me arises, it is them, not me, who risks being summarily dismissed. My goal today is to listen and then remind them I am in charge. You see, part of the magic of that fateful afternoon of conversation was a recognition of my sacred voice, and it will roar on my invitation. It will drown out any protestations or vulgar platitudes that spew from their mouths. My divine voice squashes their squeaks, their throw-aways and their lies—my divine voice blankets theirs with loving forgiveness. So I invite them to stand silently beside me as I move into my purpose. I want Inner Saboteur and Inner Diva to be closed-mouthed and opened-hearted observers of my greatness. I want them to nod their heads and look at each other with pride as I tiptoe gently and then march with knees high into a life full of fearless passion and unfiltered creativity. When I am bursting with excitement, they will be silently bursting with excitement too. When I am crying with frustration, they will be silently crying with frustration along with me. As I embrace the unknown with trepidation, they, too, will silently embrace the unknown. I hope they are not too crestfallen, for they had their time in my head, and I thank them for their efforts in trying to protect and keep me safe. Here are four things you can do when you meet your Inner Saboteur and Diva: Recognize them for what they are; parts of you that are no longer needed. Thank them for their efforts to keep you safe. Take away their power by silencing them at every opportunity. Use them to hone your divine voice. A momentous thing happened that day, and it has forever changed my life. If this article resonated with you and you would like more content like this, please connect with me via Instagram, Facebook, Website, Linkedin. If you think an Inner Saboteur or Inner Diva is causing havoc as you strive to move forward in your life and career, then book a complimentary empowerment breakthrough session with me. I would love to help you have a life-changing moment also. Read more from Mahara! Mahara Wayman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mahara began her coaching career working for a global health and wellness company, helping thousands transform their lives. Recently she decided to pursue her passion for helping women and started her company, Mindfulness With Mahara. She couples her years of experience with powerful techniques and her innate curiosity to help professional women find happiness in their careers and with themselves.

Written by: Trevor Folgering, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You’ve tried every diet under the sun and just can’t seem to lose the excess belly fat permanently. Life doesn’t seem fair! You diet hard and go to the gym when you can… Why can’t you lose this fat, you think? Well, the problem is that dieting puts your body in a state of shock! Dieting kicks in the body’s survival mode, slowing down the natural biological reactions in the body. When you go on a typical “diet” your body will naturally reduce the amount of “fuel” that it needs to survive. This is called the Basal Metabolic Rate and is tied directly to the amount of body fat you are carrying. If your BMR is low, the amount of body fat you are carrying will be high. Conversely, if your BMR is high, then your body fat will be low. So, to lose weight and fat easily, you must drive up your Basal metabolic Rate. How do you do this? Introducing the Power Of Biohacking At Biohacked, we focus on driving up your basal metabolic rate by giving you the correct food combinations and timing those meals every four hours throughout the day. We call this the “Science of Weight loss” because to lose your belly fat permanently you need to follow the very precise scientific principals of weight loss. Within our Biohacking system, we give you meals that work with your body’s natural biology, so that you will be eating the right types of foods each day. By combining the right types of foods together you will be able to switch your body from a sluggish, stubborn fat-storing machine… To a robust, energetic fat-burning machine! Biohacking is changing how the body operates internally, by switching the body metabolic pathways from the Glycolytic system to the metabolic pathway of Lipolysis! Lipolysis is the bodies natural way of breaking down your fat stores. The problem when you “diet” is that you do not enter the metabolic pathway of lipolysis. You remain a “sugar burner” – using glucose to fuel your cells and the only way you can lose weight as a sugar burner is to lower calories, which as you have discovered does not work as a long-term weight loss To shrink your belly fat and achieve the health you desire, you have to become a Biohacker. By combining the right foods together, and eating MORE calories, you will lower Insulin levels in the body. Once you lower Insulin levels, your body will signal the pancreas to secrete Glucagon, an immensely powerful signaling hormone, that will signal the body to start to release body fat from the adipose stores. When this happens, your body will magically switch metabolic pathways and you will start to lose body fat like crazy! One of the main problems I see in the weight loss industry, is that no one is teaching you how to properly put the right food combinations to drive your body into this strong fat-burning metabolism. You do not know what foods to combine to make this happen inside your body. Sure, you can try it on your own, or look online on Instagram or Pinterest to find those illustrious fat-burning meals… But again, these generic meals are not designed for your unique metabolism. When you become a Biohacker and enter into our weight loss system, you will complete two biological assessments so that your biohacking coach can see what is happening at the cellular level of your body. This way we can craft the right meal plans for your body and you will experience mind-blowing weight loss results. Once you become a Biohacker in our system, you will lose 30 – 60 lbs. of belly fat without the need to go on a restrictive caloric diet. The most amazing thing is you won’t be put on a typical low-calorie diet. You will be given personalized meal plans with foods that you enjoy eating and you will feel satisfied all day long. No more hunger pains or feeling deprived. Gone are the days of eating bland salads or plain rice and chicken breasts. You will be eating meals that are so tasty, you can’t believe that these foods will help you lose weight! Now is the time to experience the “No dieting” approach to healthy and sustainable weight loss. If you are tired of dieting, and want to experience the power of Biohacking to super enhance your weight loss results, then click the link below to get started. https://www.biohackthefat.com/biohack-your-fat It’s time to experience the power of Biohacking for yourself! Get off the Dieting rollercoaster and achieve all your weight loss and health goals as a Biohacker For more information, follow me on Fa cebook , Instagram , Linked In and visit my websit e ! Read more from Trevor! Trevor Folgering, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trevor Folgering is a leader in the weight loss and nutrition industry. For over 22 years, Trevor has relentlessly pursued the truth regarding losing body fat correctly. By uncovering the truth about how our bodies utilize body fat, Trevor created particular nutritional protocols that allowed him to tap into his own body fat stores and lose 40 lbs. of body fat in a concise period of time. He achieved this without going on a low caloric diet or restricting the foods that he ate. He now helps men and women achieve the body and health that they truly deserve through the science of Biohacking. He is CEO of Biohacked, global online health and body transformation company. His mission: To shift the weight loss industry's paradigm and re-educate the world on the proper methodologies of losing excess body fat correctly.

Written by: Anne Germain, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What’s all this about psychics in business; are we all meant to grab tarot cards? Before you all run away shouting, we’ve got a mad one here, or flip the virtual pages, let me explain a little bit about the title. Did you realise all human beings are born with psychic abilities? Take my word for it, it gets called many different things for example ‘gut instinct’, ‘intuition’ or ‘just knowing’ to hide that word psychic. This is, they believe, an ability from prehistoric man, it gave them the ‘instinct’ to know when they were in danger or just ‘knowing’ how to experiment with tools. Over the thousands of intervening years, we have allowed these natural abilities to fade into the background, sadly those abilities have become so faint that it’s almost impossible for them to be ‘used’ in any meaningful way. So, maybe now you’re asking what on earth has that got to do with businesses, well, many USA companies along with investors (and UK ones but don’t tell anyone) use the skills of psychics in making big decisions and to a lesser extent around the the world. Not that you’d get many of the businesses or individuals admitting to it publicly. I’m not writing about employing the use of psychics, although it’s not a bad idea. I’m talking about some of our top entrepreneurs who have naturally honed their psychic abilities in their business decision making processes, all this without even realising it. This is right across from the board room CEO, through Finance, and Human Resources (HR) just to mention a few from the top but even the cleaner and post room staff maybe demonstrating their psychic abilities. Finance Directors, who instinctively know before reading financial reports of another company whether that bottom line has received a massage prior to publication. Seeing ways of financial housekeeping before being tasked to review company processes and procedures around organic growth. Human Resource Director instinctively knowing when to step in with line management mentoring, diversity development or even spotting hidden talent in the workforce. These are just a minute example and because of the complexities involved and a natural unwillingness to admit to the ‘esoterically’ influenced side of themselves and how it can enhance their business globally, it’s difficult to measure the true depth of influence and value these skills and abilities have between thriving, verses failing companies. Even as a HR professional I would find it difficult to measure the effect ‘gut instinct’ has in business; and boy do HR know how to measure anything and everything normally to do with people and their impact on the bottom line. As you can imagine I’m not just referring to managements use of their natural intuition or gut instincts, but also for the many companies now who are embracing the need to see their employees not just as assets or liabilities to the business but as actual human beings who are able to bring great worth if they feel valued and their emotional, mental, and intelligent health is nurtured to the best level, I don’t mean go all pink and fluffy on them, they need to be able to produce work and support the best interest in the business; just that they will do that a whole lot better if they feel they are actually a vital part in that business and not just the gofa or a mushroom (kept in the dark). I hear you all saying the same thing, “yea, yea, blablabla I’ve heard it all before and don’t need to get the repeat again” and probably if my career hadn’t taken a total 360° in 2006, then again in 2009, then never expecting to do yet another change it did in 2012 I’d be saying the same as you; even now the pandemic has resulted in so many of us yet again rethinking our business focus to remote working, introducing much more flexibility in the working day around core hours and the mental health of our teams working remotely, not to mention the issues around the variations in the reliability in the surreal world of remote meetings, including the challenge of children, animals and unstable WIFI links and frozen conversations. So, what are you or, what can you to do that isn’t exorbitantly priced, take up valuable business time but still enhance the abilities of your teams, your managers and ultimately yourself? There are so many things suggested in business magazines and corporate awaydays that it can leave you with your mind boggling, that along with it an expensive bill for in many people’s opinion 'experimental’ self-help new age fads. I was one of those in business in the late 1970’s into the 1980’s with the enormous shoulder pads, power dressing and big hair (oh the shame) I’ve done the team building, I’ve done the hours of sitting through lectures on how to be pink and fluffy, then hard as nails attempting to get the best from my business model, the end result was total confusion and not having any idea whether I should be holding a box of tissues or organising the severance pay of 90% of the staff me included (I even made myself redundant once submitting a ‘honest’ HR report on staffing levels in regional offices). Well here comes the link with the psychics in business bit; yes, I know it’s taken an age to get here but bear with me; so, to get the best out of any person who is involved in your business that includes yourself, you need to nurture all sides of that person. The psychic side needs to be able to work with a fluidity to enable it to function for you and your workforce then ultimately your business. Our human minds (our brain) very quickly become overloaded with noise, external and internal, I don’t mean the kind of noise from the radio or even from a factory floor, but the internal conversations we have with ourselves. For us to be able to function properly we need to build into our daily life a way of providing our minds quiet, a quiet that isn’t just a physical quietness but also building in a quietness to our emotional and overstressed brains. This is something I have been working on for the last 20 plus years, finding a way to realistically put that quiet into the lives of stressed and overwhelmed business professionals and their teams. It is something that in reality when implemented and encouraged can bring a new vitality to emotionally tired and burnt-out brains, it can bring a new enthusiasm for making a difference, not just in your business but in the world as well. The psychic side of our human brains needs quiet, but how can we build that quiet time into our busy life. So, do we need to set aside an hour a day, 30 minutes a day, 10 minutes a day when you don’t even have the time to set 2 minutes aside to go to the bathroom? Initially, it may take you 20 minutes to get the quiet into your brain but with practice, you’ll be able to do it in 2 minutes, so can even multitask with a bathroom visit. I’m ever mindful that time costs money. OK, I’m getting there, the best way to achieve quiet of the mind is meditation, I don’t mean sitting on the floor with legs crossed going Omm, but if that rocks your boat go for it. I’m talking about just stopping what you’re doing for one moment and focusing on your breathing, breathing deep into your lower abdomen. As humans we are basically lazy creatures and can’t be bothered to breathe effectively so many only breathe using the top part of our lung capacity, leading to us to be living our life in the fight or flight mode 24/7, not good, it will result in our brains not functioning properly then overtime and with the constant raised level in the body of the natural adrenalin hormone and stress hormone cortisol result in the failure of that body of yours. Following years of medical research, with these two hormones we know that the human body isn’t good living on them constantly, it will in time if you’re unlucky bring on that early heart attack, stroke, or anxiety, even depression; many will turn to substance abuse in its many different forms. These are all things I have seen in business over the years as an HR professional many leading to sadly early medical retirement, dismissal due to gross misconduct, dismissal due to performance issues and the most distressing to the families are the medical emergencies sometimes leading to a very early and unexpected death. Obviously, not all these things can be prevented just by taking those few minutes to meditate, but it can help bring the stress and resulting distress down to a more manageable level for the person suffering. I have now taught many hundreds of individuals in business and outside of business how to meditate, how to still the mind and then become better able to hear their natural intuition around their business, their family, their everyday life. Some have gone from just being able to survive in their jobs to being able to develop their abilities and become more creative and thus amazingly productive during some of the most challenging times. How do you introduce this to your business? Can you force individuals to take part in this? No, its hard to force anyone to do something they see as a waste of time and energy, when you regularly meet with your senior and even junior teams you can introduce it as a concept, trying it first as management then to do that you need to get buy in from the top; not easy I know, but if you lead by example you can achieve it. Many of boardroom level will say that they get their relaxation on the golf course, swimming, gym, sailing or many other manner of ways; but get them to try doing this breathing at the beginning of everyday in the office until it becomes a habit, they and you will notice the difference. You will all become sharper, more focused and the natural ability to come up with innovative ideas (tapping into the psychic side of your brains). I have to say the first few times of trying to introduce it at the beginning of a meeting you will be met with strange looks and sadly, also maybe a lot of negativity but slowly they will settle and begin to introduce the technique for the times they feel stressed or need to focus on a major issue whether that is in their personal life or business life. Let’s bring proper breathing techniques back into our lives and the lives of our colleagues then, they in turn will bring that renewed energy and vigour into the workplace. If you introduce it to your kids who are suffering study and exam stress at any age you will find they have a renewed capacity to not only learn but retain that knowledge as well. So, what now? Well let’s not go down the line of another fad or quirky team building exercise. It’s time to focus on the real basics that our bodies need, really understand how to breathe, understand how it lifts us, how it brings us down to a normal reality, its not like drugs it doesn’t bring you down with a crash it brings you down slowly and introduces a calmness that our bodies are screaming out for. In every line of business, we know if we get the basics right everything else follows…… how much more basic can you get than breathing? Anne Germain Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info. Read more from Anne! AAnne Germain, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anne Germain, leading from the front since being a small child in an unconventional way; in 1992, she started working within the Metropolitan Police as a member of Civil Staff, successfully achieving promotions from Administrative Officer up to Higher Executive Officer, Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, and Cert.Ed, Dip.H, M.A.E.P.E; Leaving on promotion to the Home Office as a Human Resource Business Partner in 2005. In 2006, she opened her own consultancy bringing together her business experience, coaching, mentoring, holistic skills, and mediumship abilities. Soon she was touring initially around the UK providing her very down-to-earth and simple take on what may believe to be ‘strange’ at best, if not more than a little odd. Her travels included Europe with Portugal and her first TV show, followed by Spain her second TV show, followed by sold-out theatre tours, invitations to speak at some of Spain’s most prestigious holistic congresses and charity events; 2011 saw the publication of her first book. Anyone attending the theatre tour or congresses were introduced Annes’ abilities of being an excellent orator, with a special way of making anyone attending and listening to her as if she was talking only to them; with expansion into training courses for developing abilities to link with their latent psychic skills something she is passionate about. Anne is now living in Spain, where the Anne Germain Institute opened its doors in 2019, she still fits in touring, but even further afield adding the USA, with negotiations for several south American county visits for 2022 & 2023. In Annes own words, “not bad for a below average schoolgirl written off by her teachers as only expected to marry at 16 and produce a hoard of children.” Annes’ Mission: “Creating an environment of inclusion for those living outside the box."

Written by: Inez Jordan, 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. Recent research has shown that the skills commonly referred to as Soft skills are the deal-breakers to career elevation and success in the workplace. A more accurate description or label for these highly required skills is People Skills. Everyone understands the value of technical skills. They are the talents and knowledge base that we need to do our jobs. However, the research shows that technical knowledge is a far less valuable asset when it comes to being successful in the workplace. I have found numerous social media top skill lists for success in leadership and building relationships in the workplace. It was interesting to note that the skills considered must-have, top-priority characteristics on each list were related to working successfully with people or what I will refer to as a People skill. Please note that technical and knowledge-type skills were much further down on the top skill list. The People skills included Communicating well, clearly sharing your thoughts and opinions Collaborating with others to share ideas Showing empathy for others Building connections, which leads to establishing relationships. Open to listening to varying opinions or ideas Sharing leadership and responsibility Growth minded, open to learning new things Confident, independent thinker Dependable and focused Do we lessen the value of the skills listed above when referring to these skills and behaviors as "Soft"? If the skills to communicate, connect, and collaborate with others are lacking, the ability to build trusting relationships, manage conflicts, and get along well with our peers and colleagues will be nonexistent. Effective people skills are required in the workplace and team skills provide qualities that can make or break your career. Therefore, we should highlight, reward, and encourage our leaders and team members to focus on mastering their agers and leaders when it comes to building the level of trust required to influence and inspire their teams. We all need technical skills to get the job done. However, people skills provide qualities that can make or break your career. Therefore, we should highlight, reward, and encourage our leaders and team members to focus on mastering their people skills in addition to their technical skills in daily interactions. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Inez! Inez Jordan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jordan is a Certified Emotional Intelligence coach, with concentrations in Individual Leadership / Professional Development and Group Coaching for Career Success. Inez enjoys working with leaders and professionals to identify blind-spots, overcome challenges and individual saboteurs to build a strong personal presence and successfully achieve their goals. With over 20 years of Executive Program Management and Client Engagement experience, Inez is a recognized thought leader, panelist and speaker on topics of Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Team Motivation, and Personal Presence. Passionate about benefits of Emotional Intelligence, Inez challenges her clients to focus on understanding how they are perceived and impact others and inspires them to constantly improve "How They Show Up" in all of their relationships.

Written by: Vince Morales, 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 a coach and consultant, one of the things I always keep the focus on is making distinctions that will open opportunities for my clients to find that place in their lives where personal transformation and self-actualization can ignite. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is categorized as the highest level of psychological development (Pichère & Cadiat, 2015). As we progress on our journey together, clients may discover lost power because their perception, perspective, or mental model was overdue for a coach's tune-up. I love coaching my clients to make precise distinctions for their lives, personal and professional. Making proper distinctions profoundly changes my client's perspective, evoking clarity while empowering new choices and transforming personal (and professional). Distinctions are intellectually stimulating, and they contribute to my own expanding self-awareness. As I consult in leadership development with emerging leaders, they develop the ability to make distinctions. They experience leadership transformation that is exciting and inspiring to see. Naturally, the most common thread that runs through most successful businesspeople is their ability to make distinctions. I see it in all my friends and colleagues who are successful coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs. Let me ask this rhetorical question: Why do most of us get stuck in a pattern from time to time? Before you answer that question, consider Tony Robbins' point, "Intelligence is the measure of the number and quality of distinctions you have in a given situation." The answer is straightforward — people get into stuck patterns because of a lack of distinctions. Do you know the ability to make distinctions also marks our level of emotional, spiritual, conversation, adaptability, and relationship intelligence? Dr. Derek Cabrera (2016) says, "Distinctions are not things but negotiated boundaries between ideas and things. A boundary between the identity and another area occurs in the fractal, which means across scale but in the same pattern. The critical skill in distinction-making is ensuring that you and others are not calling the same thing by different terms or exact words. When we make an identity, we automatically create a boundary that marginalizes the other. Sometimes this marginalization is trivial, but sometimes it is egregious." – Cabrera, 2016 "What we choose to see is also what we choose not to see." – Derek Cabrera Distinction-making is not as much about the terminology or the semantics we often use. We are going to find that it is more about the concepts and about meaning. It is about seeing the broader details while not missing the noise details on the outside (Cabrera, 2016). Cabrera (2016) says "If we use different words to mean the same thing but are aware of it, that is not as much of a problem as using the exact terms and meaning other things, using different words, and meaning the same thing but not knowing about it." – Cabrera, 2016 To be effective at making distinctions requires slowing down and being intentional about seeing the boundary differences and the noise space in between (Cabrera, 2016). Coach Leza Danly describes distinctions as intellectually stimulating. I could not agree more. In Powerful Distinctions, Danly (2016) gives examples of areas in that distinction-making can play a vital role: Acceptance vs. Forgiveness Self-Discipline vs. Self-Control Power vs. Strength Dream vs. Vision Expectation vs. Demand Innocence vs. Immaturity Skill vs. Talent Self-Worth vs. Self-Esteem I addition to Daly's list, I would add distinctions between Kindness & Love vs. People Pleasing, Fact vs. Truth, and Teaching Students How to Think vs. Teaching Students What to Think. The distinction-making rule can be complex, but the big takeaway is that we tend to miss something else when we see something. Derek Cabrera says it best, "What we choose to see is also what we choose not to see" – Cabrera, 2016 Here are three questions to ask yourself: Are you making distinctions today? What distinctions are you making? What areas of your life do you think you need to make more significant distinctions? As you look around your life and your metron of influence and you choose to see something, what are you choosing not to see? I hope this helped you to begin understanding distinctions on a fundamental level. For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and visit my website! Vince Morales, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vince Morales is a mindset, self-image, and resilience coach. In addition, he is skilled in leadership consultation and development. From April 2016 to June 2017, Vince was a homeless veteran in San Diego, CA. While homeless he made a powerful decision to change his thinking and mindset launching into life coaching. He developed a niche for resilience and mindset coaching. The growth of his business ultimately led to the end of his homelessness. Vince is Founder of Validus Coaching & Consulting, formerly Zoe Transformation. His story has been featured in online articles and online news outlets all over the U.S. He is a certified John Maxwell Team Coach, Trainer, & Speaker as well as a motivational speaker. In 2021, Vince earned his Master's degree in Psychology of Leadership from Penn State University and is currently a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in Performance Psychology. He is a 2020 inductee in The National Society of Leadership and Success.