Written by: Erica Miller, 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. At some point in life, we all have to go through a process to reach our full potential. For example, a car has to go through the process of receiving all of the necessary parts that perfectly suit its build. Thinkengine, brakes, rotors and more for the car to be a fully functional vehicle. The same goes for us as we seek to obtain success in business. Observe any well developed and successful business. Take inventory of the intricacies of its workings and remain conscious of each step involved. You will find that there are multiple aspects of that business that make it a success. Oftentimes this process is powered by a focused and positive mindset from the founder/CEO of the business, and a mindset toward the direct focus of the business. So where does a successful business mind focus? On the customers' needs! Directing your focus on your clients needs will ensure that customers walk away from your business satisfied with the services that you have provided. When your customers are satisfied, you are well on your way to achieving new heights in your business. Now let’s focus a little bit more on this mindset that was talked about earlier. In order to lay down the groundwork for a positive mindset you have to know what you can offer. I recommend that you start with your strengths. Starting with your strengths fosters confidence and the success that you observe will keep you motivated. Being aware of your strengths will ultimately create an environment filled with greater productivity for your business. The awareness of your strengths will also allow you to understand the uniqueness of your skills and those unique attributes will have you standing out from the crowd. Now for all this to work, your mindset will also need to be one of curiosity and ownership. You need to be willing to think outside of the box, push your limits, and break away from conventional molds in your industry. From there, it is important to have ownership over the decisions you make. Own the home runs as well as the strike outs. Both will aid you when creating a successful business. Remember, having a mindset of positivity even in failure will keep you motivated. Ask yourself, what does success look like to you? It is important to identify that. Answering this question will provide you with a goal and open the floodgates of creativity. Meditate on the innovative pathways that you see yourself taking to get to your destination and develop your creative mindset. Look at the obstacles in your industry with different professional perspectives. Your goal in business is to be the go-to person. So meet complex issues with innovative solutions. Having that perspective is often appreciated and trusted by others. Your ability to pivot and shift in today's marketing industry will be appreciated. Though all of this may be true, it is not always easy to make that shift in mindset. So there must be a starting point. After all, one can invent and maintain high confidence then suddenly the market changes as we are currently experiencing in 2021. For this reason a daily affirmation can help to start your journey towards a changed mindset. Learn from your journey and be positive as you transform your mind to capture all positivity and opportunity. It is important to maintain these principles regarding your mindset in order to avoid experiencing unnecessary failure. The alternative is a stagnant mindset which leaves us sitting at the same place feeling frustrated. The right mindset will determine the outcome. Let's change your mindset. 3 ways to effectively improve mindset: Positive self-talk: You should always see yourself in a positive light. No matter what the situation might be, good or bad, remember to maintain a positive mindset. If you are constantly filling your mind with negative thoughts, your outcome will always be negative. Change the way you speak to others about yourself: Upon changing the way you speak to yourself, start to change the way you speak to others about yourself and your work. Paint yourself in a positive light, if you see yourself as a failure, sure enough, others will also see you as a failure. Let your confidence feel contagious to the person you are speaking to. Decide what mindset you want to have. Then others will follow suit. Applying: As someone once said “readers are successful” so read as many books as you can to expand your horizons. Reading not only expands your vocabulary but gives your great insight to how many experts and successful people have gotten to where they are today. Apply yourself daily, let reading be a part of your lifestyle. Stay on track: Last but not least, stay on track with your goals! Push through to the end. Each day, set personal tasks that will keep you on track and accountable. Remember to be patient with yourself, failure is a part of success. Remain positive and keep pushing yourself daily to stay on track. Be sure to meet your goals, make new challenges, and step out of your comfort zone. These challenges will aid in having a positive mindset and a successful business. For more info, follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my web site ! Read more from Erica! Erica Miller, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Erica Miller is the Founder and CEO of Miller Marketing Team. She specializes in developing emerging entrepreneurs, Business owners, Financial Services Professionals, and Network Marketing Professionals who are ready to bring their business to the next level. She also prepares clients to gain skills needed to develop the freedom they truly deserve for their life and business. She helps business professionals to be effective leaders in their industry, how to run a successful business, how to grow their business, how to attract clients, how to increase sales, and more! Her services include business coaching, training, and workshops, online courses, as well as one-on-one consulting with individuals and organizations. She is the go-to specialist when it comes to converting traffic, establishing connections, generating income and building personal brands. She is known for her dedication and results-driven. Her strategic approach is to teach others how to be strategic and innovative while reaching their goals. With the competition within the new digital world, there must be a shift in mindset that will change the game in today’s business. YOUR VISION IS HER MISSION!

Written by: Emily Christine Schield, 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. Whenever I hear someone say they want to start eating healthier, the most common thought boils down to, “Okay, time to go on a diet (and restrict myself from eating the foods I love).” Contrary to popular belief, the word diet comes from a Greek word meaning “way of life,” not “restriction of food.” In today’s world, our food choices are more important than ever in preventing chronic disease and living in a body that is healed and healthy. A body we are confident in and where we are truly in charge of our health and our food choices. It’s helpful to note that changing the way you eat doesn’t need to be difficult or frustrating. When done with the right support, aligned guidance and awareness of underlying thoughts, the transformation of change becomes invigorating, motivating and incredibly fulfilling. Here are what I’ve observed to be the most common mistakes women make when trying to change their eating habits: They take too big of a leap and change too many eating habits all at once This is a big one. When you desire to change the way you eat, it’s easy for your brain to get fixated on a plan, certain foods to eat, a specific diet and following a meal guide. While seemingly helpful, what meal plans don’t address is the difficulty your brain has in keeping up with all the new changes. When you think about how many years it took for you to develop your current eating habits, it’s important to know it will also take time to incorporate new ways of eating. Why? Because the brain is still living in past programming with thought patterns that are deeply rooted in your current eating habits. By taking too big of a leap, it can lead your brain into a state of overwhelm and cause you to give up on all your newfound eating habits in a short amount of time. A better approach is “crowding out” foods that aren’t serving your health goals and including more real food in gradually so your brain has the capacity to fully incorporate new habits. They eat foods they don’t enjoy to adhere to a specific diet Food is a part of our human experience and was always meant to be nourishing, enjoyable, flavorful and shared with others. When you force yourself to consume food that may be good for you, but you don’t enjoy, it will be incredibly difficult to sustain eating in that fashion for a lifetime. Again, the brain is more in charge than you may think and by forcing food down, you will soon experience resistance. Unless you understand what real whole foods you truly enjoy cooking and eating on a consistent basis, this cycle of dieting will continue. They aren’t in the mindset of creating long-term habits and instead focus on short-term results When creating sustainable, lifelong transformation, the short-cuts our brain wants to take are not going to get you the result you want for life. Unraveling what thoughts are actually preventing you from creating real change will create a healthy foundation for all eating habits to be stacked on. No one would invest a lot of money and build a home on a rocky foundation, yet this phenomenon happens all the time in nutrition world. Women build new habits on a rocky foundation (her own brain) that isn’t solid enough to sustain the new eating habits. Creating what I like to call a “detoxed brain” where old stories are released and new beliefs are formed is often overlooked, but is truly the starting point for every woman who wants to eat for her body and change her health once and for all. They are following advice that doesn’t actually align with their body Does intermittent fasting feel good for you or leave you light-headed and unwell? Do you miss dairy products and do you feel better eliminating them? Do you restrict yourself from eating sugar and eliminating carbohydrates? Ultimately, the most important question you can ask yourself is this, “Do I feel healthy in my mind and body majority of the time?” The goal of creating eating habits that align with your body is for you to truly feel good and not be constantly thinking of all the things you “should” be doing or not be eating. They aren’t listening to bodily cues and being in tune to inner guidance Our bodies are vessels filled with incredible wisdom, but our own thoughts and feelings can easily block the cues it gives us. One of the most important questions you should ask yourself after meals are if you feel full and truly satisfied after eating? It’s an Okinawan philosophy that you should eat until you are 80% full. I adhere to this wisdom as well, knowing I do not wish to feel “stuffed” (like after so many of our Thanksgiving meals) and that I also do not want a rumbling belly that is still hungry. Eating slowly and mindfully will help your body signal to you what it needs more of and when you are comfortably full. Taking mindful breaths every few minutes is helpful along with ending a meal with peppermint tea which aids in digestion. In conclusion, changing the way you eat is not concrete and is a transformation that takes time, consistency, support and tremendous self-belief. By creating a mind that is truly open to change, the results you desire will be so much easier to build into your life. Healthy eating won’t seem so daunting and complicated and will instead bring a source of joy, peace and freedom to your life. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit my website. Read more from Emily! Emily Christine Schield, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emily Schield is a holistic health and nutrition coach specializing in whole-food eating. After a decade-long battle with cystic acne and gut issues, she found healing in eating real food and set out on a journey to continue to improve her eating habits by attaining a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Culinary Arts from Bastyr University. She is passionate about cultivating a healthy lifestyle and helping women understand how important their mindset is in creating the health they desire. Emily enjoys teaching practical and fun culinary techniques to inspire women to reconnect back to their kitchen, local food, and ultimately themselves. She believes everyone is capable of creating a healthy body and healing is possible when given the right guidance and taking aligned action.

Written by: Michelle Clarke, 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. Authenticity is a word that is bandied about a lot these days in entrepreneurial and business worlds. Authentic messaging, authentic marketing, authentic offers, but what does that really mean? Let's explore. As a soul-led entrepreneur, you will have a strong grasp on what authenticity is, you know who you are, what you want and what you are here to do. You have likely been told to tone it down, to play nice, to color inside the lines, but of course, you cannot, you are a maverick. As a maverick, you are only really comfortable in your skin when you are being authentic, but even for us, there are ways that we turn down the dial occasionally. Let's take a deep dive under the fluffy nod to authenticity and unearth the real story. Authenticity is defined as being genuine, but are the people espousing the use of authenticity in business even aware of what they genuinely stand for, who they really are, or even what they really want? To be genuine is to be a one-off, and if we are one version at home, another with our friends and yet another in our businesses, then which one of those personas is the genuine article? We all have a base nature, core beliefs, and a purpose in this world, but we skirt around the edges of really, truely, expressing those things authentically because we are afraid. We are afraid to offend others - but in truth, your style, your flavor, and your message is just right for the right people. You were never meant to be for everyone! We are afraid to expose our true desires - but by unleashing our desires, we are able to call in what we desire. When you want something, you have to be brave enough to ask for it. We are afraid to be our raw, gritty, messy selves - but showing our realness, our humanness, is what attracts people into our space. When we truly, wholeheartedly share all of the raw, real, authentic sides of ourselves, that is when we become magnetic to the people we are here to serve. Yet even soul-led entrepreneurs can be tempted to tone it down on occasions, although never for long. Are there places in your business offerings that you are toning it down? Are your messages being diluted in any way to fit into society's ideals and expectations? I know for myself, even though I operate at an authentic level, state what and who I am for (and not for), that I have to stay vigilant in my messaging and offerings to ensure my authentic self is front and centre. We have marketing teams who try to steer our content in trending directions, we have business coaches who peddle ‘formulas’ and we copy writers who want to 'tidy up' messages to make them palatable to the masses, yet if you speak to the many you speak to none. So what is the temptation that seems to hook even us mavericks back into 'toning it down'? It is conditioning, it is collective fear, but when we acknowledge that, we shine a mirror on the shade and can avoid the traps. So today, dear fellow soul led entrepreneur, I invite you to examine your offers, messages, and ways of being in the world with these pertinent questions: Who are you really for and what would you say to them if no one else was listening? When you look under the covers, where have you turned down the dial to fit in recently? What are the thoughts that are returning to your mind and soul over and over again that you are not releasing into the world? You, dear soul-led entrepreneur, are here to change the world. You are here to do things in a whole new way, your way! So join me, please, in a collective eye-roll about pretend authenticity and let's show the rest of the business world what real authenticity is. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Clarke, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle is an energy maverick, public speaker, author, and coach obsessed with empowering soul-led entrepreneurs to make more money doing only what they love. She says, "we have been led to believe that we must follow the normal way of doing things to succeed in business and life, but this just isn't true." She believes that the fastest road to success and living a hell yes life on your terms is to break free from the mold, unleash your true self, and sparkle like the leader you are born to be. Michelle is committed to working with women, especially those who have a fear of being visible, feel anxiety about ‘making it’ in case they cannot cope with a booming business and other commitments, and also have deep-rooted fears around allowing money into their lives even though they desire it. Her work is deeply rooted in Outing Imposter Syndrome, Creating Success Structures, and Changing Your Relationship With Money. Michelle says, "The results of what I do lead to FREEDOM. Underneath it all, that is what my tribe seeks, the freedom to be real them, the time freedom, and the money freedom, and they get it!" Michelle gets amazing results by helping soul-led entrepreneurs to dive into quantum energetics + success mindsets + powerful systems & then empowering them to show up as their truest version self to call in their soul clients magnetically.

Written by: Jane Christine, 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. Feeling like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster? You have so much energy then you crash and burn? Perhaps you feel so overwhelmed your brain is surrounded by fog, you can’t think clearly, you don’t even know where to start, you are exhausted? If you’ve felt any of these before, chances are you weren’t using your emotional indicators to prevent burnout. What are emotional indicators? I believe our central nervous system is the gateway between our emotions and our body sensations. When we feel an emotion, our body interprets this information and manifests an external bodily response. You can use these bodily sensations to indicate what emotions you are feeling, and with this awareness, you can quickly change course to honour your emotions. I also believe our outwardly manifestation of our emotions is an instinctual way we all relate and communicate with each other collectively, and most experts agree that 70% to 93% of all communication is nonverbal. Emotional association Everything has an emotional association; every place, experience, person, object, task, song, season, it all will bring up an emotional response for you. And this can be amazing, think of the last time you heard a song from your past, didn’t it transport you right back to that moment singing with your friends, you remember who you were with, what you were doing, what season it was, how you were feeling, what was said. This is called an anchor. Like an anchor on a boat – the music is the connection to that experience. Music is a great example of an anchor, but everything has an anchor and an emotional association, a special piece of jewellery, an aunt or uncle, a flower, a specific business task, it all will connect you with an emotion. Both positive and negative emotions can arise, so it makes sense why you may feel drained by some people or tasks. You may have a negative emotional association and that’s preventing you from wanting to be around that person or complete that task. Neuro-physical effect cycle Your mind uses a psychological cycle that fuels your emotions. It works like this; you have an experience, that brings up a past memory, that triggers an emotion, then produces a neuro-physical effect. So, an experience is attached to the memory of the object, task, sound, smell, place, or person that gives you a neuro-physical effect. It’s much easier to feel your body sensations than to try and pinpoint your exact emotion in the moment. For this reason, using your body’s response as your indicator can help you know when you need to pause and recharge before burning out. How to build awareness & connection with your bodily sensations Did you know your body is constantly talking to you? Sometimes you're so busy you're not able to listen. As you now know there is a neuro-physical effect between your mind and your body, this means your body responds to how your brain has interpreted an experience and memory. A study conducted in 2014 by Enrico Glerean and his colleagues, found there are 13 main emotions that correlate with specific body parts similar to that of a heat map when they are active or inactive - this is called body mapping. As studies on this are still fairly recent it may differ from person to person, but as we already know we are all unique and tapping into our intuition to know what feels right is always best. As a guideline here are the 13 emotions and where it can be stimulated within the body: Happiness: activated all over your body Angry: mainly activated upper half of your body and arms, some feet Fear: activated upper body, without arms Disgust: activated in the middle of your torso up to your head Sadness: activated head and chest, with deactivation in lower half of body Surprise: activated in chest and head, with deactivation in legs Anxiety: activated in torso only, with deactivation in lower arms, legs, feet Love: activate all over the body, except legs Depression: deactivation all over the body, except torso Contempt: activated in head and hands, deactivation in pelvic in legs Pride: activated in torso, head, arms Shame: activated head and torso, deactivation in lower arms, legs and feet Envy: activated in upper chest and head, deactivation in upper legs Notice your body's response with these 13 emotions and write down what happens and what experience was associated with making you feel this way. Use your emotional indicators to help establish your boundaries Once you’ve completed your body’s emotional audit and have an idea of where your emotions manifest for you, you can start to assess what experience created this emotion. By taking a step back and looking at the data you’ve collected you will be able to establish your boundaries. I don’t see boundaries as limiting, actually on the contrary, as when you know what your current natural emotional capabilities are you’ll be able to work with specific areas you’d like to expand, purposefully and intentionally. This is the difference between doing everything because you feel you’re being held back and limited by your current emotional awareness and being able to honour yourself before it gets to the point of being all too much and burning out. “You’ll be in alignment with your bodily sensations” When you know your boundaries, you’ll prevent burnout because you’ll be in alignment with your bodily sensations and use them as emotional indicators. If you’d like to explore this in-depth for yourself reach out and let’s get started embracing your emotions and establishing your boundaries. Follow me on Instagram, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jane! Jane Christine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jane Christine is a certified Life Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, and author. Originally from Australia working in the corporate world until she questioned her life's purpose. Jane believed there had to be more to life, so she sold everything she owned and set off for a nomadic lifestyle traveling around the world searching for answers and a place to call home, which she finally found in Spain. Her search and transformation took her to over 37 countries. Life experiences and her own personal growth guided her to become a certified Life Coach. Her travels inspired her quest to learn about the world around us and why we do what we do. Since 2012, Jane Christine has been studying how our pasts shape us, the effects of societal standards, and the impact of values. With Neuro-Linguistics Programming techniques and through the power of transformation, learn how to; bridge the gap, define self-worth, set tangible goals, find comfort through change, and how 1% micro-changes can alter lives. Jane Christine is the author of "How You Know Already: Questions to ask yourself to find the answers within," as she believes we are all unique, and so are each of our paths to follow. She is dedicated to her clients and supporting their growth and journey. Her motto: Design your life, don't just live it!

Written by: Kyle Gillette, 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 believe all great leaders are SAGE Leaders. In my research studying, experiencing, and being led by great leaders, I’ve found they all have four core mindsets that make them great. These mindsets are Self-Awareness Accountability Growth Empowerment I like to describe how a SAGE leads using the metaphor of a house. The foundation of their leadership is self-awareness. The more self-aware these leaders are, the stronger their leadership foundation. The walls and roof of their leadership house represent the growth mindset. The more a leader believes in their ability to grow, the more actions they take toward this growth. In the leadership house, it is the walls and roof that represent the growth mindset. Next, all SAGE Leaders empower those around them to do, be, and achieve more. In their leadership house, represented by the windows and doors. The windows and doors allow others to step in or out of a leader’s influence. Finally, accountability serves as the nails that hold the leadership house together. No matter how strong the foundation or how much influence a leader has, the whole house will come tumbling down without accountability. SAGE Leaders know this and build uncommon accountability to combat this threat. In short, SAGE Leaders consistently build self-awareness, have uncommon accountability, maintain a growth mindset, and empower others to do, be, and achieve more. Within this leadership, houses are well-defined priorities. These priorities aren’t based on the whims of the day or the week but purposefully chosen to create results. In the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen R. Covey describes a simple matrix for priorities that these SAGE Leaders have learned or intuitively follow. Unfortunately, for many business owners, we get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent. What's important gets shoved aside by the urgent and not important when we feel a bit overwhelmed. Sometimes we just want a break and fall into the trap of not important AND not urgent stuff and watch YouTube, or is that just me? According to Covey, quadrant two is where business owners and leaders need to spend most of their time. Unfortunately, most people spend their time in quadrant one. Whatever is seemingly important and urgent becomes the default priority for too many business owners. Poor time management, unclear goals, and not sticking with your word is the result. This model helps us understand our priorities, but I want to go a layer deeper and help you determine what yours are and what might be out of balance. Let me illustrate with a story. Rocks, Pebbles, & Sand A philosophy professor once got up in front of his class with an enormous empty glass jar. He filled the jar to the brim with large stones and asked if it was full. The students all agreed the jar was full. To ensure the pebbles dispersed, he gently shook the jar. He then asked, "Is the container now full?" The students agreed again the jar was full. The professor then poured sand into the jar to fill up the remaining space. The students now saw that it was actually full. The jar represents your life's and business's priorities, while the pebbles, sand, and rocks represent the significance of those priorities. The rocks represent the most important projects and things you have going on, such as growing your business, leading well, spending time with your family, and maintaining proper health. The pebbles represent the lower priority things in your life that matter but that aren't essential. The pebbles are certain things that give your life meaning (such as your job, house, hobbies, and friendships), but they are not critical for you to have a meaningful life. These things often come and go and are not permanent or essential to your overall well-being. Finally, the sand represents the remaining filler things in your life and material possessions, such as watching television, browsing your favorite social media site, or running errands. These things don't bring meaning to your life, but they are usually the tasks that fill our work and lives the most. The metaphor shows that the jar would still be full. Your life would still have meaning with the loss of pebbles and the sand. If you've ever been to the beach and then come home, you know that sand can get everywhere. We have to be careful that this sand doesn't wreck things and distracts us from the big rocks that are most important to our business. Understanding Your Priorities Get out a piece of paper and write down 5-7 areas of business that you are focused on right now. Leave enough space for two columns next to these categories so you can do some ranking. Once you have your 5-7 categories, I want you to think about how much time you spend on each. Now in the first column next to the list, write at the top “Reality.” Here, rank the list from 1-7 in order of how much actual time you spend on each during a given week. Next to the “Reality” column, create a new column that says “Ideal.” I want you to rank your list based on the ideal amount of time you would spend on each category in this column. If you are like most small business owners, your reality and ideal columns won’t match. Some need to flip the list to give the “rocks” the right amount of time and focus. While I recognize that some categories take longer than others, getting these priorities out of your head and on to paper will help you make some simple adjustments to get things back on track. The “gold” is seeing the difference between ideal and reality then choosing to make a few simple adjustments to get closer to your ideal. As business owners, that is a big win! Do this monthly, and your priorities will stay where you want them to be most of the time. In Conclusion Our priorities will get mixed up and confused from time to time. This is normal in the course of running a business. The problem is when we don’t take the time to look at the jar and see how much sand and pebbles are filling up our day. My suggestion is to add this priority exercise to your calendar and complete it once a month. When our priorities are out before us, we can perform at a much higher level as leaders. Additionally, having your priorities clarified and allocated correctly will help your team and business function better. This may be a simple exercise, but there’s an insight gained every time I do it or have clients do it. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kyle! Kyle Gillette, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kyle Gillette is an expert mindset coach. After working for 9 years in a men's mentoring program and seeing how much the student's mindsets were limiting their success, Kyle created the SAGE Mindset® Framework. He now helps small business owners who are struggling with burnout, feeling overwhelmed with work, or just plain stuck create the habits and mindsets gain the clarity, confidence, and clients they deserve. Kyle is also the creator of the SAGE Mindset App, he's an author, and host of the SAGE Mindset Podcast. He's been coaching and leading people in the non-profit and small business contexts for 20 years. Kyle desires to help his clients become the leaders they were meant to be.

Written by: Elin Byrén , 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. Working many hours are glorified in many corporate jobs and startups. Dare I even say most of them ? Sure - because hustling shows dedication to your work, that you want to do well and advance! That’s why we do it. Not so fast. If I instead ask you who of these two women are working the smartest and impress you the most, Lucy, who spends evenings and weekends finishing a big task, or Jenna, who finishes the same big task in four hours and leaves work early? Then you might re-think and see Jenna as more productive, right? So how come most cred is given to Lucy? Is she really more dedicated than Jenna? Lucy is spending those extra hours because she is a poor planner, isn’t prioritizing, procrastinates on important things, or doesn't ask for help when she needs it. And Jenna was likely able to finish the task in four hours because she had been prioritizing and delegating, so she was able to get into that flow state where time flies by and your creativity and passion are peaking. When our brain has a non-linear output, why is it that so many of us measure our performance or our team's performance in a linear way? A noticeable trend, especially in the digital entrepreneurial space, is to declare how few hours you work and still run a successful business. One contributing factor to this is that they work with their energy ebbs and flows to produce massive results. They focus on the big needle-movers when they are in a flow state and take the rest and recovery to fill up the tank. These are the people we should take inspiration from in leading ourselves and others - because they are building long-term, sustainable success. Here are five tips on how you can work more in alignment with your energy ebbs and flows that can be applied whether you are self-employed or work in a 9-5 job: Drop the story for yourself that you must work those long hours to create success. Hone in on your ebbs and flows and work with them instead of pushing yourself to do a certain number of hours. Fewer hours are not equal to laziness. Do you have a slump mid-day? Take a walk. Are you tired in the morning? Start later. Did you finish a big project? Take the rest of the day off. Make it a habit to ask yourself, "how could I have accomplished that in a faster or easier way"? Did I have too many distractions? Did I try to force it when I really should have just left the computer and get back to it in the morning? Figure out what creates your best work environment and recreate those environments a few times per week. This is where you slot in your big needle-movers, and it can create a massive shift in output because you are creating space for that flow-state. For the managers - reconsider how you evaluate your team’s performance – it’s not about when or how they work, some of us are early birds, and others are night owls. If Bob is working late, instead of thinking "he is dedicated," ask if he needs help prioritizing or if you can support him in any way. And if Anne is leaving early, she might do her best work later in the day. Let your team create the best results on their terms. Consider how you can create a culture where working smarter is encouraged and celebrated. Share within the team in the weekly meetings to encourage a smart work culture. Who found the quickest and easiest solution? Who found a mind hack to get back the energy mid-day? Who finished that big task to a high standard in a short amount of time, and what was their strategy? Do LESS and do it BETTER. Finally - learn how to say no to the things that are not in line with your bigger goal or strategy. Consider delegating, down-prioritizing, do later, or not do at all. Doing all the things creates a false sense of validation that we are so busy doing stuff that must bring us closer to our goals. In the end, it's the quality of your work that will matter. No one ever got promoted or hit a business target only because "they just worked so darn much." No, it’s what they did and what results it led to. Always. Follow Elin on Instagram and visit her website for more info! Elin Byrén, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Elin Byrén is a Career and mindset coach and the founder and CEO of Careers with Elin. With an M.Sc. Degree and background of 10+ years in the corporate world, no matter how hard she worked, she felt like something was missing, and she didn’t get the success she wanted. Everything shifted when she got crystal clear on her goals, worked on her mindset, and took radical action. Now she is a certified NLP coach, and her biggest passion and mission is to help others who feel stuck find a fulfilling job through her signature program Empowered Career Blueprint. She is an advocate for creating success on your own terms, working smarter and not harder to maximize results, and feeling great in the process.

Written by: Tom Paine, 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. Imposter Syndrome is often triggered by new experiences. Starting a new job, getting promoted, trying something different for the first time. These are typical trigger points for a condition that affects more people than you might think. Take when you get promoted, it feels fantastic at the time. You get the recognition you’ve been searching for and you may even get a pay rise. However, this experience can knock your confidence, suddenly. It can have a long-lasting negative effect. And this manifests by feeling like you shouldn’t be in the position that you’re in, you fear that someone is going to give you a tap on the shoulder at some point, saying: “we’ve made a mistake, can you return to your old position?”. So, how does this unwanted situation happen? Well, high performers can get anxious about their performance, just like anyone. And worrying what others think of them, is not uncommon either. For example, these feelings come up when you’re invited into a new meeting full of very senior people, it can trigger feelings of imposter syndrome. This is the opposite mindset to the one that got these people promoted in the first place. I’ve coached several Directors this year who had lost their confidence. After being promoted, they’d become uncomfortable in their skin. Without warning, they started to keep their ideas to themselves. Because they were experiencing imposter syndrome, they feared giving their opinions. They felt like they had to start again. Prove themselves again. So why is this a problem? Well, feeling like you shouldn’t be in certain meetings, because you are new, doesn’t stack up to the reality of the situation. It just doesn’t. These high performers are in these highly paid positions because they hit targets and act as role models. And because you now lack the confidence to behave proactively, this then affects your performance. It affects how others view your competency in your new position. So how do I help to cure these feelings and get them back on the road to success? Well, to start with, I discuss situations that flare up the feelings of being an imposter. The feeling of being a fraud in the role that you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Believe it or not, it’s a lot of speaking up in meetings. Contributing your ideas or strategy, instead of some of the things they are being spoon-fed. Once again, this is not a quick fix, and recovery is dramatically improved after engaging with a coach. Talking through situations where imposter syndrome can manifest is the first step to identifying what to work on. And this is a temporary state that can be changed by taking the right action. Reshaping your belief system around how to behave in your new post is also a critical step, and hiring a coach who can help you to navigate through this challenge could be the best move that you make. Subscribe to my mailing list for more content like this including exclusive offe rs . Follow me on Linke dIn , Twitter and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tom! Tom Paine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tom Paine is a Certified Life Coach, offering expertise in resilience, confidence growth, and relationship management. Professionally, Tom spent ten years working in the Recruitment sector. He built an excellent reputation as a specialist IT Consultant, eventually becoming a Business Manager, leading sales teams responsible for £8m annual turnover for global and SME organizations, relocating to London and Manchester. Tom’s sales team operated at 18 staff at its peak, ranging from Junior Consultants to Principals, Managers, and Team Leaders. Tom coaches people based on their needs, supporting them to overcome restrictions in their life. Tom's clients experience a renewed sense of confidence, well-being, and energy, enabling them to take control of their lives, to start living with happiness and fulfillment. He blends corporate experience, spirituality, and goal setting to fantastic effect.

Written by: Carmel Murphy, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The rise of video happened whilst many of us were distracted trying to figure out how to make our website, figure out social media, and replace our paychecks all at the same time! As a boomer who escaped the corporate world to pursue dreams of financial freedom and independence, the tech world has proven more time consuming and more frustrating than I ever expected. So when I finally decided to learn how to create marketing videos to promote my biz – I was hesitant… More tech stuff, really!? But the more I ventured into the world of video marketing, the more I realised the leverage video content provides for increasing engagement, conversions and sales. From those ugly first attempts, to crying over my keyboard as I tackled complicated editing suites, to finally finding an easy, fast way to create professional promo videos (in as little as 10 min). Video is now vital to my marketing strategy. Here are five reasons (backed by stats from Wyzowl: www.wyzowl.com/state-of-video-marketing-2021-report/) why using video needs to become a priority for you too… 1: Video Consumption Is Rising - FAST “People watch an average of 18 hours of online video per week… a staggering 7.5-hour increase per week across the past 3 years!” (Wyzowl) I don’t know about you – but I much prefer watching a video to reading text. Video allows for quick message comprehension and appeals to the visual and auditory senses. Plus, you can fast forward, skip and replay whenever you want! Did you know there’s actually a FORMULA for the success of videos? Neither did I until I discovered from a bit of internet sleuthing that Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research had claimed a video is worth 1.8 MILLION words! How did he get to that figure? Well, remember the saying “A picture paints a thousand words”? 1 picture = 1,000 words An HD video is shot at 30 frames per second Therefore, 1 second of video = 30,000 words 30,000 words x 60 seconds (a good length for a promo video) = 1.8 million WORDS! Incredible, right!? 2: Video Increases Engagement “People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, including social media posts, blog posts/articles and product pages.” (Wyzowl) Look back through your messages… if they’re anything like mine, video content dominates. Whether it’s with my business team about new software to try, courses to investigate, or ads that are worth reviewing… down to funny GIFS that say EVERYTHING to my closest friend in a simple animated picture. Video engages people and their emotions. Videos make you laugh, cry, feel excited, optimistic… or even angry. The power of video to be shared FAST and often means it’s a no-brainer to include it in your marketing strategy. Videos stay in the newsfeed longer – the algorithms favour video content – and once it’s up on YouTube or similar – the lifetime of a video is YEARS. Compare that to any text/image post you’ve written… Wouldn’t you like to get the most exposure for your marketing efforts? 3: Video Generates Leads “84% of video marketers say video has helped them generate leads.” (Wyzowl) So, you’ve created your lead magnet - a PDF, ebook, or webinar to attract new prospects into your world. Now what? Too often, I see people invest an awful amount of time into creating these valuable gifts, but they forget (or avoid?) to promote them consistently. Sure, you can have it on your website home page, waiting for someone to find it… but then you’ve got to ensure your SEO is top-notch… That’s where video comes in! Having videos on your website can increase your SEO. Sure, there are a few tricks to learn – but if you’ve made all that effort to create a freebie – best drive some traffic to it, right!? If anything, having good videos simply SHOWS you’re professional — a tech savvy and forward-thinking business. Remember, first impressions are everything! 4: Video Increases Revenue “84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.” (Wyzowl) You’re in business to make money – so why keep leaving it on the table? You’ve seen people unboxing their products, showing behind the scenes footage, demonstrating how their product works, interviewing past clients about their transformation… why aren’t you? These kinds of ‘revealing’ videos are irresistible to your ideal prospects. What’s in the box? How did they make that? Where did they learn how to do that? Where can I get that too? I want what they’re having! The power to influence and persuade in a non-sleazy, entertaining, and educational way using video could be your ticket to increasing revenues and happy customers too. 5: Videos Are What Consumers Want “85% of people would like to see more video from brands in 2021.” (Wyzowl) People want to see marketing!? Really? Here’s the deal – we live in a hyper consumer world, and people are spending their money. In fact, the average person is likely spending MORE than their income – hello, credit cards! People are driven to find the best options. They want to look the best they can. They’re seeking answers to challenging problems – and they want them solved FAST. Marketing has evolved from annoying self-promotional ads (sure, there’s still plenty of that too) – to content consumers are engaging in. Being entertained by. Sharing with their friends. Consumers become loyal to brands – they feel connected to them. They want to be part of the ‘family’ or ‘team’ or ‘tribe’. What sort of video content could you make to help foster this sense of connection and trust? You may not be a multi-million-dollar brand with a million-dollar marketing budget. But nowadays you don’t have to be, to be seen and make more money! Woah! The stats are pretty convincing. But I bet there’s a little voice inside your head right now saying: “I don’t have the time!” “It’s too expensive.” “I don’t know what to do.” “It’s too hard for me.” “I’m not creative enough.” “Where would I even START?” I get it. I was daunted by all those thoughts too. The first step? Understand the different TYPES of videos you can create. Then choose ONE to start with. The biggest mistake you can make – is not making ANY! I’ve put my top 5 videos in this PDF. Simply download >>The Top 5 Videos To Use In Your Marketing Now To Attract MORE Clients Online<<< and I’ll also tell you which online video maker I use. (Hint: Templates make it much faster!) (And nope – you don’t even have to put your face to the camera if you shudder at the thought!) As I’ve found, video creation can be easy and inexpensive. So, if you know your marketing isn’t as effective as it could be… If you’ve been putting off making the leap into video creation… If you want to keep up with the times – and not fall behind any further… AND grow your business faster… Perhaps it’s time to harness the profit power of video in your business too? Follow Carmel on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit her website for more info! Read more from Carmel! Carmel Murphy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Carmel Murphy is known for being an out-of-the-box thinker and an expert in human behavior, marketing, and business strategies. Carmel’s passion for people, curiosity, know-how, business acumen, and background have come together to develop unique programs around marketing, copywriting, and videos designed to create higher conversion and increase sales and profit in business. Carmel coordinates, hosts, and delivers membership programs, workshops, and events to teach business owners how to build and market a sustainable online business.

Written by: Aimmee Odom , 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. Have you gone through years of asking for abundance, love, happiness, and nothing shows up? Instead, it’s the same cycle of money, emotions, and people in your life? Well, I got the answer you are waiting for, my friend! It’s all about personal growth. See, we are here to learn, grow, and evolve. And the more we put forth the work of being the best versions of ourselves, our vibration raises. As our vibration climbs to a higher level, we attract the frequency we are. Let’s say you want 1 million dollars, yet you never learn about investments, savings, or the stock market. You will keep living paycheck by paycheck until you grow and learn because you stay at that same frequency. Or let’s say you want absolute happiness, yet your emotional home is angry and resentful on a daily. You will never get complete joy until you grow. As you grow, so does your vibration. When you want something, the universe will give it to you. As you ask, so shall you receive. But the caveat is, you will only receive what you’re in resonance with. Are you with me? Another example, if you want to make a massive impact in the world and help people, but you never took the time to look within and learn to love yourself, what would your resonance be? You will not be able to help or love someone fully if you have not grown into your own self-worth and love. The law of attraction is powerful when you ask for things that resonate with your frequency. The more you grow, the higher your frequency is, the more magnificent life becomes. The equation is simple: Grow + ask = receive, then rinse and repeat. Remember, life is growth. As you evolve into the best version of yourself, that brings ultimate happiness. And happiness is the state we crave in life. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama Want more info? Follow Aimmee on her Facebook , Instagram , and Youtube Chann el . You can also visit her website to get in touch. Read more from Aimmee ! Aimmee Odom, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aimmee Odom is on a mission to inspire people to tap into their own uniqueness. To live life to the fullest, we need to look within. After many hardships of life, including weight loss, divorce, and learning disabilities, Aimmee has unlocked the key to fulfillment! Her teachings are a pyramid of change through body, mind, and spirit. This change pyramid will ignite your personal power, get clear on who you want to be, and learn how to listen to that little voice we call intuition. The most powerful key of all is LOVE. Love is the key to enlightenment, joy, and The Uniqueness of You!

Written by: Nicky Burke, 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. Safety is the key - It is what we desire in life, to feel safe is to feel good, feel inspired, feel aligned with our inner being and of course feel loved! When we lose that feeling of safety all of our internal beliefs and programmes fire up like the great wall of China. So the big question is, how do we decipher which of these programmes serve our wellbeing and which stop us from living our heart? Intuition is the KEY! Before I claimed my own free will and changed my life with intuitive tools I made bad choices. PERIOD! I did what I thought the outside world expected of me, I leaned on those who appeared powerful and made decisions that put my safety at risk. With tools I learned to walk the path of listening to my gut, my higher self, I accessed my internal guidance system and the power of my third eye and oh my … once she was aligned with my heart’s desires, life changed in EVERY single department. ( Right now I am giving the universe a big high five and yippee!!!!!) Here is the most important part … our beliefs, dysfunctional creations, wound or ego ( there are so many names for the lower consciousness) do NOT know the difference between REAL danger such as stepping out onto a busy road or a dark alleyway at night and a “made up danger” such as raising your hand in a meeting or asking that person out on a date. If your beliefs are ruling your life and you have a fear of upsetting the authority then you will continue to allow your brilliant ideas to forever remain in your head. To ego, the REAL danger is being shut down by the authority or discouraged when in REALITY this is one of limitless possibilities and your offering could be of huge value to you and your team. So, when it comes to dancing, painting, self expression, sex, create anything that is outside of your usual box which we like to call our Identity; ego will give you endless reasons why you shouldn’t follow your heart but the great news is that YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THAT!!!! “I’ll never be heard, seen, liked or worthy” whatever your inner talk is this is not a REAL danger, it’s just egos way of keeping you safe - instead of allowing the fullness of you to blossom. In truth, it is important to be able to recognise the difference between don’t walk across the road now it's busy and don’t go into that dance class they will make fun of you. My advice, get your intuitive tools out each morning ( I like to think of it as my intuitive jacket) and as you step into the world, feel into what is REAL potential danger and what is just keeping you away from your heart. A LOT of people slate ego but it does have a purpose and with tools, we can live an intuitive life making choices that serve our safety in the world and guide us to follow our hearts. WE CAN HAVE IT ALL!!!!! When I’m working with clients one to one we can get REAL deeeeeeeeep and into the juicy stuff, the personal “AHA” moments are a joy to peel away like an onion; sometimes with crying as we relieve the tension and all is perfection! For those of you in REAL time reading this article, the one tool I value most is meditation and as I recently learned from Dr Joe Dispenza meditation means to “become familiar with.” To become familiar with one's self, with the patterns, the beliefs, recognising it and choosing something else with your own free will IS THE SECRET to moving through old and creating a new heart leading life. The life you were born to live. If you feel afraid to dance or express yourself in any way, ask yourself why? Are you giving your power away to the illusive authority of ego or are you going to make a choice to align with your vision, your third eye and your heart? So that you can live a life of magic and express your unique gifts in the world. Here’s to your magic! Blessings, Nicky Burke Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nicky! Nicky Burke, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine "Nicky Burke is a Professional Artist, Choreographer, Creative Director & Intuitive Coach for Film, TV & Theatre. Her clients include the BBC, SKY TV, ITV, Sony Music Entertainment, Channel 5 & ExCeL London, including Uber Eats, Harry Hills Tea Time Series 1 & 2, Lip Sync Battle UK, Britains' Got Talent, Scouting for Girls, NYC Time Square Hard Rock Cafe & the UK's leading pawnbroker H&T. She also enjoys her time working on feature films & guiding singer/songwriters worldwide. Nicky's passion for dancing has led her to share the joy of movement with people all over the world, of all ages and abilities! Her teachings support shifting old belief systems and subconscious blockages so you can open up to accelerate and live a life of your own unique gifts. Nicky brings her wisdom and compassion to every board meeting, set, and coaching session knowing that each person is on their own individual journey. You can hire Nicky for private and group sessions, both online & in person, enquire today to reveal your SUPERPOWERS!"

Written by: Maria Koropecky, 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. Do you remember the song by the Beatles, Paperback Writer? Have you ever wondered what Billy Joel means by “Real Estate novelist” in his song, the Piano Man? Has written a book been a lifelong dream for you but you just haven’t written anything yet? Many people (about 80% of Americans) have wanted to write and publish a book — but fewer than 0.1% have actually done it. If you think you have a book inside you, take these steps to get the ballpoint pen rolling: 1. Keep a notebook or take photos of things that inspire you When I was in my twenties living in Europe, I carried a little notebook around with me to capture all of those little thoughts that sprung up in my head in the moment as they occurred to me. Later on, if I was stuck on a writing project, I flipped through the pages of my book and got re-inspired really quickly. Now that technology has advanced, these days, I collect my ideas on Pinterest. 2. Find your “big idea” It’s difficult to write a novel without having a story idea first. If you have an idea that you’re excited about, please do yourself a favour and dive into it right away because the longer you wait, the less you’ll remember. If you’re stuck, ask yourself questions like: What do I really want to write about? What kinds of stories do I like to read? What’s important to me? What interests me? What inspires me? 3. Research your genre Knowing your genre from the get-go will save you tons of confusion later as you shop your book around for a publisher. Is your story fiction (like Young Adult, Sci-Fi, or Magical Realism) or non-fiction (like memoirs, travel guides, or cookbooks)? Without knowing the genre, booksellers won’t know where to put your book and therefore it will be harder to find your readers. Also, each genre has its own conventions, (which avid readers expect) so make sure you include them along the way as you write as well. 4. Create an outline of the plot If you’re someone who likes to know where you’re going when you jump into the car for a road trip, having the outline can be a helpful road map. Of course, others just play it by ear and like to see where the road takes them. I wrote my first book from my head but when I outlined my second book at the early stages of writing with important plot beats, the pressure lifted and I now I am able to write more freely. 5. Follow a published author’s lead When I sat down to write the first novel of my Donna Tiva series, I didn’t know how to open the story. I remembered the first line in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851) "Call me Ishmael" and then I noticed that other books also started with a character’s name. Using my main character’s name helped me put something on the page and gave me some understanding of my character, but eventually, I wrote a better scene as an introduction. If you don’t like starting with a name, you can also look at other opening lines of novels and see if their words give you something to work with (without copying, of course) and then write a paragraph that will grab your reader’s attention right off the hop. 6. Use writing prompts A few years before my father passed away, I gave him a book called Once Upon a Lifetime that includes 1001 questions he could answer in the hopes of encouraging him to write his memoir. Writing prompts, which you can easily find online, can really get the creative juices flowing. Here’s question number 532 from the book above: “Did you [or your character] receive any special honors or awards?” Here’s a topic that I give at my How To Overcome Writer’s Blocks with Gifts from Mother Nature workshops: write about a piece of jewelry. Here’s a jump off sentence: “At the age of twenty-eight, Dr. Juvenal Urbino had been the most desirable of bachelors. He had returned from a long stay in Paris, where he had completed advanced studies in medicine and surgery, and from the time he set foot on solid ground he gave overwhelming indications that he had not wasted a minute of his time.” Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, page 105 – the novel I’m currently reading. 7. Write with the reader in mind By all means, when you’re writing your first draft, let yourself go off on tangents because who knows where they may lead. However, once your story starts taking shape, read every sentence and ask yourself, “Does the reader need to know this?” As Kurt Vonnegut said, “Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.” To avoid knocking your reader out of the narrative, make sure each one of your sentences serves a purpose and isn’t just your own ramblings. 8. Set word count or time goals At the beginning of each writing session, make a note of your current word count and see if you can add another 500 words or so. Alternatively, give yourself an hour and see what you can write in that time. You’ll be surprised by how quickly your words and pages grow. I’ve made tremendous progress writing just a few paragraphs each day. 9. Establish a writing routine Having a writing routine is just like working out at the gym. Writing is not just a one and done. You have to build the muscles and the habit over time. When I first started writing my novel in the months before the pandemic struck, I had a great writing routine. I woke up every day at 6:00 am, made some coffee, went to the kitchen table and wrote till about 8:00 am before getting ready for my day job. In six months, I had written over 300 typed pages! 10. Set up a writing space Having a designated writing space is super important because that way, you can easily pick up your project where you left off without having to look for, or rearrange, all of your props. I personally like to have just the essentials within arms’ reach – things like reference books, journals, pens, crystals, and snacks, and ideally, I prefer a calm, quiet and clear area to hustle, bustle and clutter. Sometimes I listen to ambient music to tune out distractions, other times I put essential oils in my diffuser to clear the air. I also like to sit at a big table in a room with ample light. 11. Practice self-care Something happens when we tell our story. First, it may stir up emotional stuff but then, writing our story and expressing ourselves can also be very healing. When writing something difficult, make sure you take time for yourself between writing sessions and give yourself some nurturing self-care. Self-care is the antidote to emotional upheaval and it’s another form of creativity. Do whatever you like – maybe it’s getting a massage, maybe it’s going dancing, maybe it’s drinking a cup of tea. Whatever you do, acknowledge your progress and enjoy! 12. Work with a writing coach Working with a coach can shave years off your finish date. As a Creative Writing Coach, I help writers and storytellers discover their own gold, breakthrough writer’s blocks and write the book they’ve always dreamed of writing so they can leave a legacy. I have a wonderful coaching program called, “The Spiritual Practice of Creative Writing: How the Energy of Colours, Chakras and Crystals Can Help Light the Way” and it’s designed to help writers establish a crystal clear vision for their book, raise their vibe to open the creative channel, and write with flow. Book a call with me here to explore your options and next steps. I’d love to help you on your writing journey! And whatever you do, keep writing! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maria! Maria Koropecky, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maria Koropecky is many things: a Creative Writing Coach, Author, Writer, Storyteller, and Crystal Mapper. She is well aware that 81% of all people want to write a book someday and, as a result, has set out to build a creative writing coaching business that is geared towards helping writers, artists, and introverts discover their own gold, breakthrough writer's blocks, and write the book they've always dreamed of writing so that they can leave a legacy. Maria's own forthcoming novel, Who is Donna Tiva, the first book in a trilogy, was inspired during her solo backpacking trip across Spain at 50. It follows the journey of a single woman as she searches for love, her life being lit up and guided by the colorful characters she meets along the way. Maria feels confident she can help other people in the world, who have also gone on an adventure of a lifetime, to write and share their stories with others. Maria also has a wealth of qualifications that inform what she does, ranging from an Honours BA in English Literature to certifications in Life Coaching & Mentoring, to Spa Therapy as well as Crystal Reading. Her mission is to encourage new voices to enter the arena.

Written by: Natasha Stephens, 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 can't win for losing" is a catchphrase that means that losing keeps you from winning; you can't win because things keep going wrong. People would say it when something unexpected or a bit of bad luck spoiled their plans. But what if I told you those losses are necessary and shaping you for your win? Yeah, I know, it doesn't feel like it because you seem to be moving backwards instead of forward. if we had it our way, everything would go perfectly, we'd never have to lose anything, and we would win at all times. “All I do is win, win, win, no matter what…” Though dated, this popular track can still be heard blaring from sports stadiums and arenas to nightclubs, or from the occasional passing car of the local high school neighborhood teenager. It is evident we all love the idea of winning. Understandably, because it gives one a sense of accomplishment, success and/or exclusivity. It is evidence that whatever you are doing to reach your endeavors is working. Winning actually has a biological effect as it increases testosterone that elevates dopamine, the neurotransmitter that gives us feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. The same chemical released during sex. Unarguably, the sense of winning is addictive. Psychologists suggest that winning is the single most important thing in shaping people’s lives. They say those who win have improved mental function, health, and mood. Case and point, in Hollywood, it is proven that Academy Award-winners live on average, four years longer than other actors. Wow! There’s a lot to be said about how much the sense of winning impacts how long we live and the quality of those years lived. Now that’s a win win! Pardon the pun. As a society, we are more inclined to celebrate winners without considering what it took to get them there. How many losses did it take them to finally win? What sacrifices did they have to make? How many things went wrong before they could celebrate a win? Well, I’d venture to say more than we know. Losing or loss plays an integral role in our wins in life, a lot more than we want to admit because what’s glamorous about losing or sacrificing? Remember, everything is about perspective. If we want to change our reality, we must first change our perception of our reality. I may have already lost the attention of some with the title but for those still reading, if we look at loss as gain this just might keep your attention. Let’s be honest, we all hate giving up something to get something, even if the latter is greater than the former, mainly because most of us are surrendered to the moment. We bow to the god of convenience and comfort never discovering the greater world that exists outside of our comfort zones. The uncertainty of when and if the greater ever comes makes sacrificing what we possess now, less appealing. We automatically assume something is wrong with us if we lose a relationship, job, or friendship. Other instances can be popularity, or esteem for simply thinking outside of the box and speaking a truth that may not be popular opinion. Rule of thumb: in life, you can’t lose what is meant for you. Therefore, if you lose something either it wasn’t right for you, the timing isn’t right, or you’ve held on to it for so long it has expired and no longer serves a purpose. Whatever the case, it must be released to create space for something new, to gain that which is better suited for you. How do we do this? In three ways: 1. Visualize what you really want, then write it down. What is winning to you? You have to perceive it before it becomes tangible. This can be a reminder of your “why” when losing YOUR way to find THE way gets uncomfortable and doesn’t seem to make sense. “Write the vision and make it plain, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2 KJV 2. Trust the process. Trust and develop faith in a vision that still remains aloof. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:3 Don’t trust your feelings at first glance. When seeing loss as a necessity in our process, our feelings will then align with this truth making our journey a little easier. If you let it go, it will return if it is meant for you. The best part about this is you don’t have to make the decision. Just don’t prevent it and the process will do it for you. 3. Realizing that you have to lose what isn’t working to win what will, then you will understand that a loss always precedes a win. Another food for thought, since the loss is a necessary part of gaining, then the loss is considered gain. I can guarantee this perspective will give you a better grasp on life. Lastly, It’s what we focus on that is magnified. Focusing on what we will gain in the long run overshadows the losses it takes to get us there. I will end with this quote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliott Missionary/Martyr. Be wise my friends. You have a date with destiny, make sure you’re on time! Want to learn more from Natasha? Follow her on Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube or visit her website. Read more from Natasha! Natasha Stephens, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natasha, a retired dental hygienist turned entrepreneur as owner of Transformational Coaching with Natasha and a women's athleisure clothing brand, Ripped and Restored, is committed to the transformational journey as she discovers new ways of being and higher than realized levels of existence through the power of pain and using it to her advantage as a springboard to create an ideal life for herself. Along the way, she answered the call to empower others with this revelation. She is dedicated, with fiery passion and authentic advocacy to revolutionize mental health and fitness by embracing the pain of conflict and resistance in whatever form, as a weapon for good. Realizing that thoughts shape reality, Natasha's coaching model is built around mindset shifts resulting in realized potential. In her spare time she loves to volunteer in local and global dental missions, physical exercise, and travel.