Brooke Summer Adams is an Internationally Accredited Transformation Coach and NLP Master Practitioner. Rated 'Top 10 Female Life Coaches to Work With in 2021' by Yahoo Finance, Brooke runs her 'Best Self Blueprint' course, provides expert training in various online communities including her own, and works 1-2-1 with clients to help other women transform into the very best versions of themselves. Following her own personal transformation, Brooke acquired an honors degree in psychology, certification in coaching, business and NLP, an international accreditation in coaching and qualified as an NLP master practitioner in order to truly understand the process of transformation - in a way that could be used to also change other peoples lives. This combination of study, practice and personal experience has allowed her to piece together a step by step process for moving someone from where they are, to where they want to be. Transforming mindset, self-esteem and lifestyle, this process can be applied uniquely to each individual to allow them to step into alignment with the person they've always wanted to become. Brooke Summer Adams, Internationally Accredited Transformation Coach and NLP Master Practitioner Brooke, you're an Internationally Accredited Transformation Coach and NLP Master Practitioner helping women transform into the very best versions of themselves. As you're now joining Brainz magazine as an executive contributor, do you think you could give us some spoilers on what we can expect to see from you? Of course, I'm so excited to be here! My area of expertise is transformation - the process of genuine change within a person's thoughts, feelings, actions and results. For me, I specialize within mindset, self-esteem and lifestyle level transformation. So topic-wise: transforming your thinking, perspectives, levels of self belief, esteem or worth, emotional states, daily routines, habits and topics such as these are all very likely to come up. I'm also a huge believer in process, so expect to see lots of how to's and step, by steps! Something I often hear from those who attend my training (be that members of my own community, or those from communities that I come to train) is that the explanation I provide of the underlying psychological mechanisms of transformation is not something you often hear from training on the topic provided by other coaches, and gives an extra level of understanding that just changes the game for some people. I personally love to understand why something is the way it is, and how something actually works. I feel that this awareness is so valuable, especially within transformation when the work you are actually doing often takes some time to become visible. Understanding this can prevent the loss of motivation and therefore ensures you get to experience the fruits of your labor. So expect to see some psychology too! Above all else, with every session I deliver, training I provide or piece of writing I create, my intention is always to facilitate change. I make a real point to ensure that what I provide can actually be applied to improve the lives of people, so be ready to do that! A lot to look forward to! How did you come to acquire this expertise? A huge proportion of what I know has come from my formal studies. I have an honors degree in psychology, certification in coaching, business and NLP, an international accreditation in coaching, and I am qualified as an NLP practitioner to a master level. However, I honestly believe it to be my own personal experience with transformation that allows me to truly understand what it takes to transform. By my early teens, I was chronically stressed, depressed and suffering from a condition known as body dysmorphia - a byproduct of low self-esteem. This very dark place coupled up with eating disorders and overall un- fulfilment, and this dark place lasted for quite some time. This experience is actually what sparked my passion for understanding the human mind. At the time I was studying Psychology, Sociology, Criminology and Communication and Culture at college. I wanted to know why I was the way I was. I was expecting to find some beautifully simple explanation that could make all my problems make sense, but without shifting the blame on to me. Safe to say, that's not what I found. To cut a long story short, my eyes were opened to the fact that I needed to make some changes if I expected something to change. Today this statement is startlingly obvious but I remember this being rather an epiphany for me. I decided to take some action to improve myself, and my life. There were many things that I did, but the change that did the most? Joining a martial arts gym! This was the point at which everything changed. At one of my kickboxing sessions, by chance, I was partnered with a woman who had a presence like none I had ever felt before. She lit up the room. I didn't understand how someone could be like that, but I knew that I wanted it for myself. Over time, this woman became my friend. Over time, I began to learn more about her, her story and what she does. Over time, she became my coach. This woman transformed me from a shell of myself to the very best version of me - in a matter of weeks. Then I knew, I needed to give this gift that she had given me, to others. I knew right then that I was destined to be a coach. From here I continued to progress in my studies, increase my experience working with clients, and expand my business. Now here we are helping women to transform into their very best versions! That's an interesting story! So how do you actually move someone from where they are, into their best version? I love this question, and it's one I get asked a lot. I have a process! I always start by getting absolutely crystal clear on WHO my clients best version actually is. This bit is crucial, if we don't know where we are heading, we can't expect to find the way! Once we have this clarity, we can begin mapping out that process for change - figuring out what actually needs to be done to move the client from where they currently are, to that very best version. To figure out this process, we use a construct known as 'The Belief Cycle'. The belief cycle states that; Every result you get in life is determined by your actions, your actions are determined by your feelings, your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and your thoughts are determined by your beliefs. The results you get in life then affirm your beliefs, and the cycle continues. This is momentum. It's important to understand that the place a client currently finds themselves is the RESULT of a previous process - being, their life up to this point. Their best version is a different RESULT, therefore it needs a different process. Now we know what result we are after, we can figure out the process to get it. We can figure out what action created that result, we can figure out what feelings created those actions, and we can figure out what kind of thinking and beliefs created those feelings. My job from here on out is to help align the client more and more with this new process, so they can get that result. If the client thinks and believes like their best version, then they will feel like their best version, if they feel like their best version, then they will take action like their best version, and if they take action like their best version then they will get the results of being their best version. You can't do the right process and not get the right results, so it's lovely to be able to relax into this transformation knowing all you need to do from now on is just keep showing up and taking that next step. To align my clients to this new process, I help them re-wire their brains, so they can naturally think in the way their best version would. At the same time, I help my clients manage their emotions, so they can feel the way they need to feel in order to take the action they need to take - and I'll be holding them accountable to that too. Alongside this, we will likely need to do some planning or organising in order to make all the adjustments, so I help my clients to do this as well. It usually takes 90 days to complete the transformation - meaning the client is now operating with their new process (thinking, feeling and taking action like their best version) and so are receiving their new result of being their best version. I actually have great free training that explains this really well, which you can find inside my Facebook group. So what kind of people do you work with? Does this process work for everyone? Every client’s starting point, and the point in which they wish to get to (THEIR best version), is completely unique to that client. However, I generally work with women who feel and know that they are not reaching their full potential, are ready and willing to put the work in to get where they want to be. However, they are stuck with the overwhelm of HOW. We don't know what we don't know, so that's why we find people who do! Essentially, the common theme amongst my clients is that they have the desire to be operating as the best version of themselves, but they don't know how to make that happen. While the specific milestones, goals, lifestyle designs, mindset shifts, changes in identity etc involved within the transformation are all unique to that client, the overall process can be applied to anyone. The only limitations are within the mind of the client. If you are willing and ready to drop the excuses and actually make some changes, this process will get you there. So how is this transformation delivered? Can this only be done 1-2-1? The process I described is the one I use with my 1-2-1 clients. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the only method for transformation into your best version. 1-2-1 coaching is always going to be my first recommendation. You can't replace the value of a second pair of eyes when it comes to seeing things in a different way. 1-2-1 coaching allows for much more accountability, consistency, accurate reflection and tracking of progress within a transformation, and means that every method of change is tailored specifically to you. Obviously, as well as this, working 1-2-1 with a coach who knows how to get you what you want saves you all the time it takes to figure that out yourself. Within my process (for example) I help my clients to literally rewire their brains, it will take some time to do this independently (if that's what you are wanting to do). It's not the only way, but it's definitely the fastest. That being said, there are alternatives with a lesser commitment that can seriously aid an independent transformation, should 1-2-1 coaching be off the table. My Best Self Blueprint Course (for example) is a self-help version of my 1-2-1 process, teaching you how to transform your mindset, lifestyle, and the relationship you have with yourself. There are so many changes you can make to your life independently. Even within 1-2-1 coaching, it's YOU who would actually be making the changes - so don't fall into the trap of thinking there's nothing you can do if you're currently unable to invest in yourself. So many coaches out there offer free information, you're bound to find someone who specifically provides the information you need. Even I have a free Facebook community where I host live training every single week at no cost, and I even dish out free training to my mailing list every week too. There's always something. So many options! We're interested to know, why is it that you do the work that you do? The five most important things to me in the world are freedom, impact, change, love and peace. Helping women become the best versions of themselves allows me to emerge myself in what's most important to me every single day. I've always wanted the world to be in some way different because I was in it, and at this current point in time, my business is my way of ensuring that through the impact it makes. The work I do creates real change for the lives of my clients, and this extends beyond them, on to the lives of others. I'm naturally able to give and receive a lot of love within the work that I do, and of course, being my own boss allows me to live my life in the peaceful way that I want to - which is what I call freedom. I'm very passionate about what I do and very grateful for the life I have created. Have you always felt this way? What were the biggest elements of your transformation into your best self? My values have always been those, though I haven't always been aware of that. It took time to design a lifestyle and find a purpose that's congruent with all of them and that was also a big part of my transformation. By far the biggest element of my transformation would be the change in my mindset. Your entire life changes when you stop identifying as the victim of your life and instead begin identifying as the creator of your life. Learning to love myself was a HUGE part of my journey, everything is better when you support yourself rather than make life harder for yourself. As well as those, I credit so much of my transformation to the daily habits I have implemented in my lifestyle - the power lies in the stuff you do every day. So what does it actually mean to be the best version of yourself? I love this question. So many people that I speak to hold this misconception that your best version is some kind of finished article. If that were true, your best version would never grow, would never learn and would never improve - a way of being which most try to avoid. Your best version is a decision. It's a decision to wake up and be the best version of you that you can be TODAY. It's a decision to think the way your best version would, to feel the way your best version would and to take action the way your best version would. These decisions won't remain the same every single day, because as you grow, these decisions will evolve into something even better. Your best version is a way of being that you can choose to be, today. Today's best version will be different to tomorrow's, tomorrow's will be different to next week's, next week's will be different to next month's and so on. Being your best version is about reaching the maximum potential you have within that day, it's not about being perfect. Yes, my clients have an end goal that we strive towards, a visual of the person they want to be. However, the actual "being" of the best self starts way before we get there, and it continues for long after we reach that point too. My clients are the best versions of themselves as soon as they decide to do the work to become them. By making that choice, they've shown up in the best way possible, today. Then it's all about making that choice every single day. Essentially, being the best version of you means simply showing up for yourself, and the world, in the best way possible - whatever that means to you. Interesting. So what would you recommend to someone who wants to become the best version of themselves? My first recommendation would be to figure out who your best version actually is. What do you want? Once you have this clarity you'll give yourself a direction to start taking steps. Aside from this, my top tip would be to work on your beliefs. Our 'beliefs' are the things we are holding to be true on a subconscious level. Things such as "I'm not good enough", "Success is too hard", "It's selfish to put yourself first" are good examples of the kind of limiting beliefs we can hold about ourselves and our lives. While not all beliefs are limiting, they are all used beneath our awareness to create our experience of life. The beliefs we hold create our perception of the world. They also underpin many thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Without getting too deep, by holding a belief - you make it true. For example, if you believe you are a shy person - you'll forever feel shy. If you believe you'll never succeed - you won't try, and therefore won't ever succeed. If you believe you're not good enough - you won't ever see yourself as enough. It can be a difficult concept to wrap your head around at first, but you'll change your life by changing your beliefs. This is another concept that I have a lot of great training on inside my free Facebook Group. Good recommendations! So how can people connect with you? People can connect with me via Email, Facebook, Instagram or my Website. Wherever you go you’ll find helpful training and info on things transformation.

Written by: Jane Ramsey, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Your passion is your purpose. This is the answer many spiritual teachers give when you ask the timeless question; ‘what am I here to do with my life?’ When you get clear on your purpose, this gives your life meaning. A life of purpose is a life with intention. Your passion drives you. You feel clear on the reason you are here and what you are here to do. What is My Purpose? This question launched me on a journey that became a quest. At some point in our evolution, the question seems inevitable. When it comes, I believe it is a signal or call from your soul. My journey began at the end of a thirty-six-year career. I felt stuck and stagnant. Though work was challenging and time-consuming, I was unfulfilled. I kept wondering; isn’t there more to life? What is my soul’s purpose? What is the larger story of my life? I wondered if I was learning the lessons I was meant to learn. Thinking I had more to give, I realized I was failing to use much of my inner potential. And just as my sudden retirement began, I recognized that I was ready to break free of that feeling, saying “I don’t want to be in the same place next year.” I felt ready to heed ‘the call’ to awaken to a larger reality. Somehow, I felt scared and excited at the same time, and it made me feel more alive. As I bumped along my path during this transition time, I began to ask myself some soul questions. Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? I journaled, created and paid attention to what my art was telling me. The teachers I met on my journey told me that finding your purpose is not always easy. I began to understand that I needed to embrace my quest wholeheartedly. Drawn to explore many different pathways, I allowed myself to learn and expand my horizons. The answers didn’t come immediately, but I got glimmers. I became open to synchronicity and began paying attention when an article or YouTube video seemed to call to me; when there seemed to be a particular message coming through in my paintings. On this spiritual development journey, I felt led to finally explore so many of my passions; human potential, creativity, spiritual awakening, feminine energy, philosophy, wellness, quantum physics, the science of happiness, and more. I studied with amazing teachers around the world and felt myself starting to expand. My teachers explained that my purpose is unique. They said that my desires were clues in identifying what I was here to do. I learned that everyone’s purpose is individual and will evolve as you move through life. My desires were becoming clearer. I wanted to somehow combine my passions of studying spirituality and creativity. Friends and family challenged me. They said; creativity and spirituality; how do you combine those two things? Though I didn’t have an answer, I felt called to keep pursuing this path. And I learned a secret. There is an artist in each of us. We all have an essence in us that seeks self-expression. I was finding my purpose in this idea. As I began to tap into my passion - my purpose - it felt as though I had found the defining thread running through my life. The more I discovered about purpose, the more I recognized that when you live your unique destiny, it makes you feel powerfully alive. You begin to discover your purpose when you deeply pursue the question about your desires. Your passions in life. Deep within you are ideas longing to be expressed. When you act on those things that bring you joy, you begin to discover some important inner truths. Joseph Campbell said; Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls. Exploring my purpose led me to take several steps on my path. I became a Chopra-certified meditation coach. I overcame my fear of self-expression and wrote a book. After making art for years as a hobby, I found the courage to declare myself an artist. I felt as though an inner voice was drawing me along each step in my journey to use more of my potential and live more of my purpose. The Buddha said; your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it. In Eastern religions, they call this divine purpose your dharma. When you explore purpose and destiny, you are really asking; how can I use more of my potential; use my gifts and make a bigger impact in life? When you freely share your gifts with others, your life becomes filled with meaning and purpose. You create significance. As you change and grow, you change the world around you. Another way to ask the question is; how can I serve? Listen to the answers within. Sometimes the answers will surprise and delight you. You have amazing talents to share. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what makes you uniquely you? And, what do you love to do? That type of exploration may help you understand your unique purpose or purposes. Imagine yourself devoting time to passions that inspire, excite, and fulfill you. These meaningful activities can fulfill your life purpose. A purposeful life is filled with significance. The choices you make and the actions you take make a difference in the world. There is no one else on earth who has your exact blend of passions, capabilities, and uniqueness that make you, you. No one else can give birth to what you have to give. Your purpose is as unique as your DNA and your fingerprints. And yet, your purpose is dynamic. It is ever-evolving. Kevin Cashman says; "Purpose is spirit seeking expression." Your purpose exists deep within you. The seeds are planted. They begin to blossom when you take the time to nurture and tend them. If this notion of purpose has awakened something in you, I urge you to act upon it. I believe that honoring your calling is why you were born. Heeding the call can help you unleash your potential and help you feel truly alive. If you would like to get clarity on your purpose in life, I recommend taking the SoulArtMeditation course. Find out more about my journey through my book: Vision Quest - A Journey to Happiness by Jane Ramsey. Find out more about Jane Ramsey on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Jane! Jane Ramsey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jane Ramsey, formerly a business executive for a global Fortune 500 company, is now an author, artist, meditation coach, and Founder of SoulArt Meditation. Upon retirement, Jane embarked on a course of study in philosophy, fitness, health, nutrition, quantum physics, happiness, and spirituality. She has been meditating for more than twenty-five years and is a Chopra-certified meditation coach, helping clients create a strong daily meditation practice. Jane shares her spiritual journey in her book VISION QUEST: a journey to happiness. Her story is inspiring and enlightening. As a part of her journey, Jane has become an avid and accomplished artist. Jane’s quest to get clearer on her purpose in life inspired her to combine creativity with meditation and spirituality, and that’s how her signature class, SoulArt Meditation, was born.

Written by: Bridget Richard, 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. Conflict management is one of those things that are unavoidable. You can try to avoid getting into conflicts, but it is impossible to completely avoid them. Now, when I say "conflict,” I don't mean hand-to-hand combat or getting into a bar fight or anything like that. We experience conflicts on a daily basis, and we need to know how to navigate these uncomfortable situations. Notice how I mentioned the word "uncomfortable?" I think it is important for people to not only recognize their feelings of being uncomfortable but also how to respond during those times. Time and time again, I see people either rely on their fight or flight instincts to guide them during these situations. With conflict management, you challenge yourself to function and process things in the midst of being uncomfortable. This is why conflict management is considered a transferrable skill. You will benefit from using it in both your personal and professional life. One thing I have seen quite often is employers having to send their employees to a coach or some kind of counselor for conflict management because the employee got into it with a contractor or something. At some point in our careers, we may witness or be involved in a circumstance of conflict. How we respond is important because it may be the defining factor that decides if anger management is needed or worse: parties go their separate ways. From an employer's standpoint, having a workforce with weak conflict management can be harmful to business. Employees won't know how to deal with times of conflict or confrontations, and if the situation were to escalate, the employer could end up losing the employee or multiple employees. If care isn't taken, the employer could even have to deal with a lawsuit. Now, work can suck on any given day, but when the environment becomes toxic, that's where problems may occur. Conflicts are things we experience daily. They may not be to the point where blood is drawn, but they can be challenging to deal with. It is important that employers give employees the proper training and development they need to be able to handle these challenges when they come up. And trust me, they will come up. Now, some people have the uncanny ability to be able to handle conflict. And when I say handle, I mean all that encompasses it; not just the conflict itself, but the emotions and external factors that go along with that. There are also people who can hide their anxiety and panic very well, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But what happens when people don't have any clue, inkling, or a knack for things like this? Those individuals tend to struggle the most. As employers begin to focus on burnout prevention and employee satisfaction, they must also be sure to provide their employees with proper tools and trainings for these other skills. Conflict management is one of those things that requires time, effort, and practice, but if done right, it can make for a better, stronger workforce. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Bridget! Bridget Richard, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazin Bridget Richard, MA, LISW-S is a Social Worker and Life Coach with 20+ years of experience in the field of mental health. In her work, she is passionate about helping with women to conquer feelings of anxiety and depression caused by burnout. She helps her clients move from being too frustrated and overwhelmed to enjoy life to focused, empowered, and re-energized. Bridget enjoys bringing her message of self-love and determination to virtual and live venues everywhere. She has been featured in the Women's Journal as a "Person You Want to Know" and regularly contributes to Thrive, Medium, and Brainz Magazine. To learn more about working with Bridget schedule your free discovery call at https://calendly.com/bridgetsrichard/freeconsult.

Written by: Jeanne Y. Savelle, 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. This month, in Part 6 of Re-Awaken Your Creativity to Live a Better Life, I’ll share what I’ve learned about how setting intention helps re-awaken your creativity. Creativity Is Intention The infinite creativity of life is always available and ready for you. Life is waiting for you to wake up and participate. Don’t take this to mean you won’t make plans and have goals. Believe instead, that life has your back when you are ready. The process starts with being open to what arises and being willing to jump in. You begin to play as ideas arise from your innate creative thought. Choose an idea, test it, and see if it gels. Consider how the idea makes you feel. You’ll know if you want to continue exploring from the way you feel. If the idea intrigues you and draws you in, set your intention in that direction. Once you make your intention clear, life’s creative energy will envelop you, and unexpected things will happen. Serendipity becomes your friend and the world opens up to support you in unusual ways. If you stay open as you move along a path, you’ll know what the next step is. Keep going with curiosity instead of judgment and expectation. As you create, you get more active, and ideas take shape. Flow eventually takes over. Rest and re-evaluate if you start to feel burdened. You can always change direction. Setting A Direction Harvard child psychologist Paul Harris published research on the difference between asking questions and searching for answers. Children younger than five ask many more questions than adults. Unfortunately, by the time you reach adulthood, you’ve stopped being so curious about the world and asking questions for the simple joy of exploring what excites you. As a result, you lose your connection to your innate curiosity and creativity. Then, you justify why you can’t accomplish what you really want to. Instead of living in the vast reaches of your creative imagination, your life gets smaller and smaller. Humans are natural explorers and creators. All significant discoveries arise from the love of exploring the unknown through asking simple questions. What do you really want? What ignites your creative power? Point yourself in that direction and the path will roll out in front of you. When you abandon yourself to your creative power, you’ll notice new opportunities rising up to meet you. Don’t choose what you think you should or what others expect of you. This will kill your spark. Instead, stay in the unknown until something strikes you. When your mind is open, you’ll channel what the universe has in store for you. In creating from the deepest part of who you are, you’ll learn, make mistakes, change direction, and find your way. My Journey My journey into exploring creativity through setting intentions continues, and I am now in another unexpected place. Unexpected, but in a perfect culmination of my life. With the intention of finding a way to bring to life my transformational coaching, I came across a travel organization focused on personal and societal transformation. Through this organization, I made a new friend and together we are working on a wine, travel, and coaching project. I didn’t know I would find a way to combine my three passions: wine + travel + personal transformation. By opening up to every possibility, then exploring and setting an intention, life responds. My experience shows how intention feeds life’s generous creative power. Exploring Intention Here are some steps for exploring with intention: Start with a blank slate, having no direction or plan in mind. Don’t ignore this fundamental step. Be curious about what you could explore at this moment. Jot down some ideas that come to mind. How does each idea make you feel? Which one is calling to you? Which one excites your curiosity? Which one can’t you wait to explore further? Start experimenting with an idea, staying open to every possibility and permutation of it. The path will be utterly unknown to you, but let it happen without pushing, judging, or self-criticizing. Not every idea will come to fruition, and you can always start again with another idea. Set your intention to keep taking the next step, then the next one. Do not think about the future. Stay in the present with the idea. As long as it excites you, keep going. The path will become clear, and your project will take shape. Eventually, you’ll get into the flow and gain momentum. Be willing to set your intention on what life wants you to create. Don’t speculate about what the world needs because life already knows. Trust that when you are doing what makes you feel alive, what feeds your spirit, you are on the right path. Follow me on LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Jeanne! Jeanne Savelle, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeanne is a Gentle Guide and Transformation Agent living in the Atlanta, GA, area. After 30 years as an international corporate finance executive, she chucked that life to reinvent herself. She is now a transformational coach guiding older adults to living life through their inner creativity. She is a writer and author, writing about transformation, creativity, retirement, and wine. She's earned certifications from The Retirement Coaches Association, The Life Coach School, and Modern Elder Academy. Her previous life included a Masters in International Management from The Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

Written by: Holly Jackson, 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. Business owners who refuse to use video marketing are missing out. You can’t grow your business when you aren’t marketing to a huge part of the market. Consumers are craving videos year over year. The data shows that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic (Cisco). Business owners who are smart and invest in video marketing will grow their revenue 49% faster than non-video users (WordStream). There are also very simple strategies you can gain value from immediately. If you are new to video marketing, start by placing a video on your landing page. Doing so can boost your conversion rate by up to 80% (WordStream). Still not convinced? One-third of all online activity is spent watching videos (WordStream). One in three people who visit your website is looking for a video. If you don’t have this in place, you are missing out on a huge market opportunity. Don’t make this mistake. I hope you are now convinced that video is important. It’s necessary to grow your business. Let’s dive into why video is so powerful. Why Video is Powerful Video Grabs Your Attention! People are over 27 times more likely to click on an online video ad than static content. When you are scrolling on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook, notice what draws you in. Is it an image? A video? Generally what grabs us is movement. Seeing something change or transform. This is because there is power in the story. Sharing stories engage people. Your ideal clients are 1200% more likely to share videos and stories than text or images combined. When we started the Business Builder Throwdown, we tried launching it on Clubhouse. It didn’t take off. Because it was the wrong platform. So we moved to a livestream platform. Once we began streaming to LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook our engagement and audience grew. Stop denying and resisting the use of video marketing in your business. Accept that it’s valuable and necessary for growth. Stop blaming the medium. Accept it and get your message out there. Share your story through the power of video. Video Drives Traffic to Your Website Companies who use videos on their websites have 41% more web traffic. And as previously mentioned, their conversion rates are much higher. Use quality video that matches your company's mission, vision and how you help clients. This will help you attract quality leads. Stop wasting your time with potential clients that aren’t a match. Use video to attract the best clients for your business. Use video to dispel leads who aren’t a match. Call out what your values are. Share who your services and products are for and who they are NOT for. On my website, I talk about what makes me unique as a holistic business coach. In that video, I also share that “my coaching services are for business owners who are ready to take bold action, get out of their comfort zone and trust my strategies 100%. If this describes you, then let’s talk.” This tells potential clients the qualities I am looking for in potential clients. And if I’m not a match they can keep looking. Be clear in what you represent as a company. What values you hold. Who you love working with. The problems you solve. Do this and you will have a continuous stream of ideal clients coming your way. Video Increases Buying Intent A positive experience from a potential customer with a video ad can increase buying intent by 97%. That’s HUGE! When potential clients have a positive experience on your website, it primes them for wanting to work with you. This is because selling is inviting your potential client into a closer relationship with you. Demonstrate your ability to solve your potential clients problems. This prepares them for getting into action. When you show them you can solve their problem, they will want to work with you. You have shown that they can trust you. You have shown credibility and value. Video is powerful. Use it. Let’s dive into how to engage your audience. Video Engagement Strategies That Work Amplify the Problem or Pain Your Audience is Feeling The best marketers understand what keeps their customers up at night. What is their biggest hurdle today? What are the thoughts racing through their minds? The better you understand your customers' pain points, the easier it is for you to show them how important this is for them to solve. This creates urgency and the pressure valve to take action. In your marketing videos, we want to describe the pain they are experiencing. Articulate this in their words, not yours. Express the problem in detail and in words your customer would use to describe it. What this does is show your potential customer that you understand them. You understand their problem. It also makes them feel like you are reading their mind. To test your messaging out, test out phrases on someone in person or on Zoom. If they lean in, nod their head or ask more because they are interested, you have nailed it. And if it’s not quite landing, keep testing your messaging on your ideal clients. Once you dial this in, it’s something you can use in your elevator pitch at networking events, your opening story at speaking engagements and across all your video marketing. We want to amplify the pain to the point of triggering our potential customers to take action. This means we need our messaging to amplify their pain to a 9 out of 10 (10 being the most painful). This is key. Without amplifying the pain, your potential customer won’t see the need to change. They won’t see the need to do anything different. The problem won't be important enough to solve today. And our goal is to get our potential clients into taking action. Spend the time to get this messaging locked in. It works and it’s worth the investment. Add Value By Sharing Tangible Actions That Provide Quick Wins We must show how we are ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary because it allows our audience and potential client to connect with us. To see us as human. To show that we can relate to where they are. Extraordinary because we want to show that we have learned something. That we have gained a skill set that allows us to solve this problem. This is where we prove our credibility and build trust. One way we can do this is through sharing tangible actions that can provide your audience with a quick win. For example, when I am doing my keynote on From Failure to Prosperity, I share my business compass worksheet. My audience is struggling with a lack of direction, overwhelm and burnout. This stems from not having clear priorities or goals. And from not knowing when and how to say no to things that aren’t aligned. The life and business compass worksheet allow them to map out their life priorities. Outline out their business goals. It helps them get focused. It opens up conversations with family, loved ones and team members on what’s most important to them. It provides a tool for accountability and action. It also acts as an anchor to remind them of the changes they want to make in their life and to their habits. It’s a simple tool that has HUGE implications. It’s easy for them to use which makes it easy for them to take action. Helping your audience have quick wins builds trust. It also builds excitement around taking action. Hope around solving their big problems. And it positions YOU as the leader who has the solutions. Create Activities to Engage and Build Community Our goal with video marketing is to get our potential clients into action. We want them to either decide that yes they want to work with us or no they want to move on and keep looking. We want to create opportunities for our audience to share their experience. To engage and be part of a community. One of the biggest challenges our society is facing today is isolation. The pandemic has created incredible zoom fatigue and increasing numbers of depression. We aren’t able to connect in ways that we desire. Building opportunities for connection and community is solving a problem. This is a worldwide challenge today. It could be as simple as asking them to comment and share their story. Or share the action they are committed to taking. You could ask them to download your free gift. To share how it helped them move forward in a comment. You can ask them to pause the video and take action on something. The idea here is to build engagement and connection. We want them to connect with you and your company. If your service or product has a community element, invite them to connect with the community. Take Action Today No matter what you do, take action today. Do something that will grow your business. That will get your message out there. Build a video for your landing page that differentiates you. Create a video for your next blog article to increase engagement and sharing. Use live video to connect with your community and potential clients. Share videos with powerful stories on social media. Do something that will move you and your business forward. I would love to hear what action you are committed to taking today. Email me at Holly@hollyjeanjackson.com, message me on LinkedIn, or find me online. Feeling Stuck? Consider scheduling a complimentary discovery coaching call today. You will walk away with strategies that work. Clarity on what step you need to take next in your life and business. You will walk away confident and ready to take action that matches the size of your dreams. Let’s chat. Follow Holly on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. You can also visit her website to learn more. Read more from Holly! Holly Jackson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Holly Jackson is a certified Holistic Business Coach. Through Holistic Business Coaching, Holly helps holistic entrepreneurs and business owners start, build or scale their business without burning out. Holly’s clients learn how to cope with stress, define their life priorities, and rediscover their passion for business. She helps them see blind spots that often cost them exposure, clients, and income. Having undertaken a thriving career as an executive in Silicon Valley, Holly chose the road less traveled. She decided to leave the corporate world. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals design the life and business of their dreams. For over 12 years, Holly has provided insights, strategies, and fresh perspectives across multiple industries. Holly states, “My clients can expect accountability, growth, and an individualized step-by-step game plan for success. I believe every professional must develop their internal compass and decide what their legacy will be. Holistic coaching goes beyond helping your business and helps the whole person.”

Written by: Jesi Carroll, 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 cycle that repeats itself. When you are a person who knows you were made for more and meant to do great things, the typical 9-5 desk job can be painful. It can feel like you’re holding back from your true potential and living so inauthentically to what your soul desires. You cry you brush it off, you suppress frustration and resentment for the life you feel trapped by. You tell yourself to just be grateful. “So many would kill to have what you have.” It’s not that you’re not grateful, but you know that if you could just utilize all the gifts and talents you possess, life would flow so much more seamlessly. This is where being a multi-passionate person can be so difficult. So many ideas and possibilities that it’s almost debilitating more than it isn’t because there are so many directions you could go. But which one do you move forward with and what would a first step even be? It’s all too much to take in and feels so overwhelming. The tears come back and the desire to surrender and say EFF comes full force. You reach out with Hail Mary’s and White Flags to all of your friends who could provide any kind of sound advice to make you feel better. And it works. It DOES make you feel better... for a day or so. Suddenly life isn’t too bad. “I’ve got this” “I’ll figure it out somehow” “Everything happens for a reason” “I just need to trust the process” Life feels like it’s going to be okay but the truth is, give it a day or so and the anxiety/stress/overwhelm/feeling of not being or doing enough sinks in again. But this time deeper. “How am I STILL in this same place?” The tears, anger, resentment on top of NEW self-doubt comes back. It all repeats itself. But for how much longer? How much longer are you going to allow yourself to stay in the same endless loop? When is it finally time to make a change? Maybe you don’t know exactly how to make that change, but you know that there are people out there that can help you figure it out. Somewhere, deep inside, you are aware that you don’t have to do life alone and you don’t have to magically have all the answers. This is why Coaches are so powerful. We can help you see your blind spots. We can support you with the accountability you wouldn’t be able to give yourself. We can get you out of “Stuck” and into “I’m so excited about my life.” So my question for you is, which reality are you choosing more into? Said only in pure love- Coach Jesi XO Follow Jesi on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Jesi! Jesi Carroll, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jesi Carroll, Career and Confidence Mastery Coach, is the founder of the Re-Design Your Life Academy and The Goddess Collective; an empowerment community for women. Her purpose is to help women step into their next level self so they can become the woman they aspire to be. To show them what's possible for their life so they can leave the overwhelm behind and walk fiercely into their purpose and true calling. Jesi has been featured in dozens of podcasts, published in major magazines, has helped hundreds of women change their lives through her more than 10 years of combined mentoring and coaching experience, and is in the midst of writing two books that will be published in 2022 and a podcast on the way. She decided that when she finally broke free from the hamster wheel 9-5 life, she was going to show others how to do the same and how to go from "just surviving" to living a life by design.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Rachel Pedersen is a Social Media and Digital Marketing Strategist who partners with entrepreneurs to create disruptive, creative campaigns that generate exponential returns. Pedersen overcame the statistical odds as a college dropout, alcoholic, and single mother in poverty and has dedicated herself to creating life-changing business growth that emulates the radical change in her personal life. Through her digital marketing agency, The Viral Touch, Rachel helps business owners break through the ‘glass ceiling’ of opportunity. Her campaigns bring results that change the narrative, such as achieving 7134% growth for an organic skincare company, generating $3 million in one year for a fitness company, and reaching over 12 million people for a coach. Rachel’s passion for helping others change their life stories is apparent in the energy and wisdom she brings as the founder of Social Media United, the leading online education platform for social media managers. With more than 1100 students from 70+ countries worldwide, Pedersen’s platform supports and trains students - predominantly stay-at-home parents, single moms, and college dropouts - how to develop and leverage their skills to become successful social media managers. Pedersen regularly impacts the world around her by raising support for 90+ single mothers and their children with food and gifts at Christmastime. She also raised funds to bring water and light to those affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and supports Operation Underground Railroad, a non-profit dedicated to rescuing children from sex slavery. Pedersen has landed global coverage in print and digital outlets, including The Today Show, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail, The Huffington Post, Funnel Magazine, and Content Marketing Institute. She is a proud wife and loving mother to three children. Where does your motto “if we are not having fun we are not doing it right“ come from? So many times in business, it often feels stressful and exhausting. I really enjoy adventure, experimenting, and failing at different things, a constant reminder that we can have fun in the midst of stress and tension while we work on and in our business. While things at times can be a little stressful you can mix it up a bit. I love escape rooms, they can be exciting but also stressful. I usually frame my days like an escape room and evaluate the workload by seeing if we can do it within a certain time frame while having fun. What is social media to you? Social media basically means a place where we can, to a certain extent, share our minds, beliefs, and interests. Connecting with people that you couldn’t ordinarily connect with without the media. Social media gives us the ability to learn very quickly, connect and strengthen brands. Social media became a game-changer for businesses. What’s your favorite social media platform and why? It changes sometimes. I most of the time love Tik Tok but right now I am having a love affair with YouTube. I love the calming effect of Youtube. Tik Tok is intense and has lots of bursts of energy and YouTube is more calming and steady. Do we need to be on all social media platforms? If you want to drive yourself crazy then the answer is yes. It’s so much work. I will be honest I am pretty much active everywhere but I wouldn’t recommend it, It’s my zone of genius but for others, it’s not necessary. I recommend people to pick one or two that they love and are great at. If you’ve mastered 1 or 2 I would encourage people to have a third but no more than that. We can create the best piece of content but unless people know about it, what use is it? What are your top 3 tips for sharing content? Firstly, this is a great equalizer, it’s kind of wild. The best content Is sometimes the content that has not been seen. If you can attach a great hook from the get-go it can lead people to the content. Try a different hook! Secondly, we often talk about ourselves and we need to be talking about the consumer of the content. Think about what people can take from what you produce, make it about the person who is reading it, then it becomes a game-changer. Last but not least, this is a wild one, but this is applicable to all platforms. Sometimes we create content based on how we do what we do and then we attract people who want to do what we do. What we all need to do is to take a step back and analyze the customer we want to attract and create content around that analysis. What content do you believe the business world needs right now? Empathy is a big one. The past year and a half have taken a lot out of society. We need to support people and think about what we can do to soften the blow of what the world has gone through whether it’s physically, emotionally, or financially. We really need to consider the mental frame of the reader or listener and create content with empathy at the heart of it. What has been your greatest lesson this year? I would say to just keep going, the wild part of just keep going is some days really were tough. Not every day feels like a grand slam, so many days I felt the weight of the world, I just wish I could fix all of the world’s problems, yet I am tired and have my own challenges, and yet If I can create a couple of Tik Tok’s and if I can help a client’s content to be seen then I am playing my part. It’s so important to be consistent, and serving when you are stuck. For more info, follow Rachel on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and visit her website!

Written by: Lotta Spjut, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Are You Willing to Do what 95% of the people are not ready to Do, for being able to get what most people want but only 5% have? My drive and passion are to inspire and empower people and especially women to get themselves from the 95% and become part of the 5%. I will start today by going back to Nov- 2006, 15 years ago. That year was a “crazy busy” year for me, and it was also the start year for a new chapter in my life. At that time, my profession was for many years as a teacher for schoolyear 7-9 and I was also teaching at the University. I have always loved to learn more, so I also took my Master’s degree in one subject besides my profession. In the evenings I hold courses in health & nutrition for companies and private persons working as a PT and nutrition consultant. I had a quite busy schedule and at that time we had one child and she was 8 years at this time. I believe that most things happen for a reason and one day in Nov- 2006 I met a woman in a store in my town. I remember that day like yesterday. I was going into a store in my town and suddenly a woman, with the biggest white smile “stopped me” and gave me a compliment for my dress. It was wearing a green knitted dress. That meeting led me into me starting my own home-based business. It was not meant from the beginning, and it is a long story to that but not to take now, but I saw the opportunity in it after some time and after 5 months I resigned from my teaching profession and since then I have my home-based business. So, this was the year when I for the first time encountered a home-based business. Today opportunity & statistic Today, November 2021 we have the last 20 months been part of and still are in an uncertain time that many of us have never experienced before- the global pandemic Not only affecting the health of many people around the world but also the global economy. People have lost and are losing their jobs, jobs they thought were secured and the financial situation has drastically changed for many people. What is interesting is, that in all historical crises, we have also seen many opportunities coming up. These opportunities have most often also been here before the crises, but we tend to be more skeptical than open when we don´t feel that we are in "need" of an opportunity, and we don´t prioritize time to explore new business- opportunities when we don't "need" to. A global survey conducted by Gartner, Inc. found that 88% of business organizations all over the world mandated or encouraged all their employees to work from home as the virus started to spread at exponential rates and 52% are working from home minimum once a week. According to US Census Bureau, 7 million people in the US were already working from home before Covid-19. The pandemic has left many people unemployed and suddenly a lot of time to explore new opportunities. This means that when many jobs disappeared because of the pandemic crisis, more people suddenly saw the opportunity with a home-based online business and that has given many, many people a new chance to have work and to have an income. When the pandemic is over, the work from home revolution will most probably increase even more, because both business owners and employees have seen that it is a system that is working very effectively in today's online world and many that started their own home-based business will continue with that. First-time challenges I told You in the beginning that 15 years ago, I decided to go 100% with my home-based business. Was that an easy decision? Both Yes and No. Yes, in the way that I had during the 6 months seen that there were many positive things like working from wherever I wanted and with me deciding the working hours. No, in the way that many people around me thought I was crazy to leave a “real and secured work” to go into the insecurity of having my own business, working from home. And I am very thankful to myself today that I did not listen to all these people giving me “advice” about what to do and NOT to do. When I resigned from my traditional jobs and "only" focus on my home-based business, I turned paralyzed, and my feelings went up and down. I remember that I was thinking, what have I done? What if the people telling me that I was crazy, was right? I remember I was calling my mentor and saying that I am not sure I want to do this, and she said, “Congratulations, this is fully normal! I know exactly what You are going through”. EVERYONE that decides for doing something new, gets into the feeling wheel. For each new decision You will get in there again but then You know how to get out faster. Everyone deciding to explore something new, come into the FEELING WHEEL, many times because of FEAR from the unknown. Though FEAR stands for Forget Everything and rise. From having many, many, many things in my schedule, I suddenly “only” had one thing to give my 100%. From working many professions and being an employee having a boss telling me what to do and now suddenly I was my boss AND employee. Before someone else had thought or told me what to do and the same thing was my 6 first month, working with my home business parallel to my traditional jobs. I just listened to what the people before me had done and followed their advice. They had the knowledge and I had not, I was TEACHABLE. I didn´t have the time not to be and that is one of the most important skills for moving ourselves from 95% to the 5% What people want in life I asked one question in the beginning if You are willing to do what 95% are not ready to do to have the "things" in life that most people want but only 5% have. First of all, what are these "things"? There are many surveys done and they all come up with the same top list: Happiness. Biggest challenge: “Not knowing what I want to do.” Money. Biggest challenge: “Not having enough money or time to accomplish the things I want to do.” Freedom. Biggest challenge: “Having the freedom to find my ‘true purpose’ or being lit up by the day-to-day at work.” Peace. Biggest challenge: “Lack of clarity about who I am and my purpose.” Joy. Biggest challenge: “How to find the right role or position for me now that will bring joy in my work.” What 5% Do Working with a home-based business as an employee and as Your boss is FREEDOM, freedom under the responsibility and I have met so many people during my last 15 years that by seeing this opportunity even before the Covid-19, they have taken themselves from this 95% to the 5% because they, first of all, was open and took the opportunity and that is the first step. Then it is all about what we Do with the opportunity and that is where people will end up in either the 95% or the 5%. I told You before that when I took the decision and made the choice of leaving the “security”, people had a lot of opinions, they called it to advise. Who do You take advice from? I have learned that there are 3 categories of people giving advice: The ones that have no experience and very little knowledge in working from home and these people most often have the most to advise You about it. The ones that might have some experience of working from home, but they did for some reasons not going through with it. They know that it works even if it didn´t work for them. Most often because they lack in the points that I will very soon go through with You. The ones that have a lot of experience, have done it themselves and they have been through challenges and overcome them. They know what daily routines that are needed to be done and they know who to take advice from. The first 2 categories are driven by FEAR. Fear of success or fear of failure and fear of doing something new. They are not teachable at this stage but think that they can teach others without having the experience. When You are stacked in fear, You don´t want others to do something You are afraid for doing. TFAR FEAR is a feeling and You know, a feeling comes AFTER a thought so first I have the thought like “I cannot do it” or “it is nothing for me”. Then comes the feeling and in this case a negative feeling. That leads us to action (some people think that action is only when we do something "good”, but it is not), all feelings lead us to some kind of action. In this case, a negative action, telling others that this is not good, and the RESULT will be that we stay the same. So, I always take advice from people I want to change place with, people that have walked the walk that I will walk. Another break is that many of us start to compare with others. My first month working with my home-based business, I was also doing that. Wondering why "all" the others had fantastic results and not me. Who did I compare with? The ones that have been doing it for a much longer time than I had. We always compare with the "best", not the ones that are where we are when we start. So, I understood that comparing will always make me a loser and I am not a loser. Instead, I started to be inspired by people and watch and listen to what they did for having their results. That changed a lot for me. Also comparing just create excuses, excuses not to do and the only one missing out, was me. The simple and small things Let´s go back to the 5%, what is it more that makes these few % do, what the 95% don´t? They Do the most simple and small things daily, which is so simple that most people tend not to do them because of that. There is a difference between going to Your work every day and knowing what You should do when You arrive there. Working from home, especially when being both your boss and employee is not always have the same work structure. And that is part of the beauty of working from home and at the same time, the challenge. I need to create the work structure and that is easier than we think. As I said, so simple that most people tend not to do it and then they think that they are not “made” for working from home. First of all, You need to have Your WHY very clear. We most often do things without thinking but still, there are reasons behind it. Why do You go to Your regular work? To earn money is one thing. Take for example training, in my profession as a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant, I have worked with many clients about training and nutrition. If You don´t know why You go and buy that gym card, you have only lost money. You buy the gym card because You have a strong why, You want to be stronger, not get tired, gain, or lose weight or another why connected. The same goes for Your home business. You need to know WHY You do it? If this why is not strong enough, You will not become one of the 5% Then You set Your GOALS and connect them to your why. This should be a long-term goal and then also short-term goals connected to my long-term goal. I take the gym card as an example again. You have bought it and You have Your long-term goal, run 5 km in 30 min or lift 10x 40 kg in the bench press. WHEN are Your goals going to be reached? In 10 weeks or 10 years? The same goes for Your home business. What do You want to have an accomplice with your home business in 5 years, 1 year? Then in 1 month, 1 week and every day? That is Your daily action plan, To-Do-List. Without goals and deadlines, You will not get the results You want, You will end up with the 95% When You have Your goals, long term, and short term, You put them into an ACTION PLAN. How often will You go to the gym, what exercises will You do? You can not train biceps every time You go there to reach your overall goal. The same goes for Your home-based business. When are Your working hours? What are the most important daily actions to do to get You to Your weekly goal, Your monthly goal ad so on? I had no experience with TIME MANAGEMENT before. I was one of the persons that could say, I have so much to do, and I don´t have time. Time is one of the few things that are given the same to us all. It is about HOW we use the time and not abuse it. 168 hours/week. Using the 6 Most important thing list has helped me so many times to DO the “right” things instead of the things I felt to do and then feel that I had no time for the important things. I do the list every evening when I am the boss and, in the morning, I am the employee and I do the points written in the list. First thing first and then next and no jumping and always precise so I can box it off and go to the next one. (In my second article for Brainz Magazine I talk more about this simple and powerful “tool”). Doesn´t this sound easy? It is simple but not easy! This is the simplest tool and the power in it, is one of the differences between the 5% and the 95% It is so simple, so we think it is okay not to do it. And of course, the last but not least is to review the plan. If You are not happy with your results, You need to adjust them and remember that buying a gym card does not give You a stronger body and You will probably not say that gyms are not working if You choose not to go there… The same are for Your home-based business, working from home is THE most fantastic opportunity that can create, happiness, money, freedom, peace and joy, the most wanted things people want in life and the great is, that it is up to each and one of us how fast and how far You want to go. Today I see myself among this 5% and that did not happen during one night, it is a process, and it is also during the process I have grown the most and I am still growing and learning and getting new experiences every day. Growth is connected to change and the desire of having a change. Today many people need this change! Summary Know that it is normal to go through the Feeling wheel, though remember TFAR. Take advice from the people You want to change place with. People's FEAR will not bring You forward. Never compare but get inspired instead of coming with excuses. Have Your WHY very strong and clear! Set Your GOALS and break them down. Do Your ACTION PLAN- Time management and the 6 most important things list. Review Your Actions. And all of these are connected by being teachable and having the desire for a change and to learn and grow! DO this and Welcome to the 5% group that will have what 95% want to have, but will not get, because they are not willing to do it. Now You know about it so You cannot say You did not know. AND remember the competition is so low, so why not You? To learn more from Lotta, you can visit her website and connect with her social media accounts; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin. Read more from Lotta! Lotta Spjut, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lotta Spjut has a passion and drives to inspire and empower people around the Globe and to use the skills they have, learn new skills, grow themself and become successful entrepreneurs. She has made hundreds and hundreds of lectures, private and public training, always built on empiric knowledge. Only sharing what she has experienced herself and that inspires many people also to do the same. Not to compare with her or anyone else but to get inspired and understand that if she can, they can. Lotta has done it for one person, smaller groups, bigger groups, and she has done it for millions of people online. The amount is not important for her; it is what each person gets out of it. Lotta is a TEDx speaker, and she was nominated to one of 20 Global Women Leaders to Look up to 2021 by Passion Vista & Unified Brainz. She has today hundreds of thousands of people all over the world that she mentor and train in leadership, personal development, and entrepreneurship. Her background is as an Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working with leadership. She has a Master's Degree in Didactic and Bachelor of Education and many years of experience as a teacher in elementary school and at University. ICF Pro Executive Coach, coaching CEO´s in different businesses. Bachelor's degree as a health and nutrition developer. Worked and educated people in the health, nutrition, and fitness industry. Lottas main business over the last decades has been as a full-time Professional Networker & Business Coach, and Global speaker. Lotta is skilled in Leadership, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Team Building, and Management. Strong business development, and from 2015, she has also developed good knowledge in the area of cryptocurrency. Her favorite quote is from Arthur Ashe: Start where You are, use what You have, and Do what You can! You don´t need to be great to start, but You need to start to be great, and Lotta´s mission is to help as many people as possible to convert their dreams and goals into action and to be the captain of their lives.

Written by: Chi Quita Mack, MSW, 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 understand what it is like to juggle a career, side business, kids sports schedule, and trying to stay sexy for the hubby. By the time your day is over, you have nothing left to give yourself because you have just poured it into everyone else’s cup! My favorite phrase used to be, “If only I had more time!” Listen, sis! You have to make the time! Understand that if your tank is empty, that means you cannot be what you need to be for everyone else. Think of it like a car...Can your car run on “Empty”? I mean you could probably get like 50 more miles when that light comes on, but after that...you are about to be pushing your car mad as ever because you passed like 10 gas stations, but didn’t have “time” to stop. This is the same for your body! It has a way of “turning that gas light on” to let you know it’s time to fill up! I used to not participate in self-care because: I did not think I was worthy. I thought that as a mother, your job was to ONLY pour into your motherhood duties. I felt guilty. Listen Beautiful, do not feel guilty for doing whatever you feel you need to do that is necessary to function and get your mind together! Let’s get started: 1. Learn to say “No”! - It’s ok to focus on YOU! The most important word you will ever learn! Stop feeling guilty for setting boundaries! It is important to recognize when you are in need of a break. Trust me when I say these two simple letters will have the greatest impact in your self-discovery process. 2. Splurge- Yes, Treat yourself! How many times have you gone to the store and realized you have bought everyone something EXCEPT yourself! Really? OR you buy yourself those nice pair of heels and you immediately feel GUILTY! I know, I know! Listen, you deserve nice things too! Invest in yourself, take care of yourself! It’s time to love yourself! 3. Clear out the Clutter...and I don’t mean just “STUFF”- Yup! I said it! Clutter is not always “STUFF”. Sometimes it’s people too! Your environment...the people around play a huge part in your ability to be successful, rest, and have peace! Not everyone is meant to go on your journey! If they no longer fit your space...Let them go! You control your peace and happiness. 4. Self-Reflection: PAUSE- That’s it...Just Pause! Sometimes we have to just stop to realize where we have been, where we are going, and where we are headed! Slow down! Enjoy the moment! 5. Spend 30 minutes on your favorite activity or Try Something New- Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our day to day! Get back to those things you used to enjoy! It's ok to smile and enjoy you! Better yet, get adventurous and try one thing that you have always wanted to do! This will definitely be a game changer! You are worthy, You are beautiful, and You are deserving! If you are interested in continuing your journey, I encourage you to check out My FREE 30-Day Self-Care Challenge. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Chi Quita! Chi Quita Mack, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Meet Chi Quita Mack, MSW: A Major in the United States Army, Social Worker, Author, Life Coach, wife, and mother of 3. She currently holds a Master of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University, a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Military Science from West Virginia State University-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Chi Quita is the founder and CEO of The Chi Quita Mack, LLC, a safe place she created for all women to come relax, get empowered, and be constantly reminded they have not lost the ability to be who they once were. Chi Quita reminds women that they are more than just mommies and with a positive mindset, attitude, and motivation all those dreams that were set aside can come true. Chi Quita just released her workbook called “The Beauty in You: A Guide Created To Help You Discover The Best Version of You."

Kelly founded the Sports Science Education Institute and is the author of Coaching Children: Sports Science Essentials. She is a qualified Sports Scientist. In 2014, after experiencing a major set-back she discovered a gap in her resilience and counselling skills impacted business performance and continuity. So, she went back to study in this field. Today she is an Australian Counselling Association Registered Counsellor and creator of the Business Women’s Resilience Program. She also works in the sports industry as a sports science academic sessional with the University of Notre Dame, an Industry Development Manager - Sport, Fitness and Recreation for FutureNow and Chairs the Sport, Fitness and Recreation Industry Network Advisory group. She attributes her business and career successes to her improved resilience and counselling skills. Kelly Perry, ACA Registered Counsellor And Creator Of The Business Women’s Resilience In your course, you focus on resilience. Why is that so important? After running my business, the Sports Science Education Institute, I discovered it wasn’t my technical knowledge or business development that had the most significant impact on my business performance. Whilst these can be extremely important, my missing resilience and counselling skills led to being the most impactful on business performance and continuity. As a result, I was determined to rectify this gap in my skillset and have since gone on to strengthen my business performance and leadership through increased counselling and resilience skills. I believe these are even more important now in our business world which has constant set-backs and changes we need to navigate. Why did you choose to target your course to businesswomen? I chose to create the Business Women’s Resilience Program because I felt driven to make a difference to support women reach their potential, especially in their careers. As I discovered firsthand, when counselling and resilience skills are missing, or are not at an adequate level, it can be significantly impactful on your business journey. Even though I have three university degrees, it wasn’t until I formally studied counselling and resilience that I gained this skill set. Often our technical and business courses don’t cover these aspects. Plus, we don’t always have resilient role models around us, or that we can learn off. I remember being amazed when I studied counselling that there was such an array of different therapeutic evidence-based techniques. I wanted to tailor my program for the busy businesswoman in short course and self-paced online format. What is your ultimate goal with the Business Women’s Resilience Program? My ultimate goal is that when set-backs and challenges arise for businesswomen they have the skill set to be able to cope effectively with these situations and create the best business and personal decisions to suit them. I want them to have evidence-based techniques. There are so many talented businesswomen I don’t want the lack of counselling or resilience skills be the barrier to them reaching their potential. What are your 3 biggest tips for businesswomen experiencing set-backs? After set-backs, our natural tendency can be overwhelm, fear and avoidance, which often are not the best mindset to see possible solutions and opportunities. Our minds can transition into what we call a “problem saturated” state and instead of resolving the problem it just goes around and around in circles. My 3 biggest tips when this occurs is to go outwards and speak to your business and support network that you trust. By talking about the issue and sharing it with others it can often help you see other perspectives and possibilities. Secondly, taking time out to re-gain balance, especially through flow activities and being in nature. A flow activity is something you enjoy doing and becomes so engaged in the activity you don’t think about anything else. You are in a state of mindfulness. Plus being out in nature can help ground us, giving us some mindset space. My third biggest tip is a cognitive behavioural therapy technique. It is about helping to overcome the fear that arises when we experience a big set-back. It is about finding a lot of small steps to re-positioning yourself to be where you want to be. Of course, given all this, it’s still important to recognise with set-backs there is often grief and loss so being kind to yourself and arranging ways to deal with those aspects is super important too. How do counselling skills differ from resilience skills? Resilience skills fall within positive psychology. Within counselling, there are a whole array of different therapies and techniques. The main ones I use are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. As well as skills from my sports science and high-performance background. I prefer to take a holistic approach given that we’re all individuals and no one technique will suit everyone. Where to from here for you? My goal is to continue increasing awareness about the Business Women’s Resilience Program and to ideally offer women the chance to attend a face-to-face event on these topics. Follow me on Facebook, and visit my website for more info! Read more for Kelly!

Written by: Dr. Mary J. Huntley, 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 ever awakened with a sense of excitement because you planned to have an amazingly rewarding day in the office? However, as the day progressed you noticed that you were losing steam and not achieving the goals you had set for the day. Your excitement quickly turned to frustration and disappointment. And you probably felt unfulfilled. How did this happen? What went wrong? In some instances, you did not maintain your focus on your goal. I think that it is safe to say that everyone has experienced an unproductive day. Though we may awaken bright eyed and excited with great intentions, we allow distractions to come along and derail our productivity. That friend or colleague who stops by the office for an unscheduled meeting can easily cause us to get off course from our daily schedule. If we continue this unhealthy behavior, we will definitively sabotage ourselves and not reach our goals. It is paramount that we are cognizant of time wasters and distractions that will derail our productivity and leave us feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. Prioritization is a very vital element that will determine our success and productivity. Therefore, it is up to us to prioritize our day to ensure optimum performance. Once we begin to prioritize our tasks, we should begin to see increased productivity. And of course, this allows us to feel fulfilled. Please take note of the following working definitions that will help reach our goals. Urgent: These activities demand immediate attention but are often associated with someone else’s goals rather than our own. In some instances, team members may pass on their work to you as urgent because they have procrastinated (by not meeting company deadlines/timelines). Then they label the work as urgent to attempt to make up for the procrastination and speed up the process. Important: These are activities that lead to achieving our goals and have the greatest impact on our lives. This concept, coined the Eisenhower Principle, is said to be how former President Dwight Eisenhower organized his tasks. It was rediscovered and brought into the mainstream as the Urgent/Important Matrix by Stephen Covey in his 1994 business classic, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Now we can prioritize our tasks as follows based on the Urgent/Important Matrix. Urgent and Important: Activities in this area relate to dealing with critical issues as they arise and meeting significant commitments. Perform these duties now. Important, But Not Urgent: These success-oriented tasks are critical to achieving goals. Plan to do these tasks next. Urgent But Not Important: These tasks/assignments do not move you forward toward your own goals. Manage by delaying them, cutting them short and rejecting requests from others. Postpone these tasks/assignments. Not Urgent and Not Important: These trivial interruptions are just a distraction and should be avoided if possible. However, be careful not to mislabel things like time with and family and recreational activities as not important. Once we prioritize tasks based on the Urgent/Important Matrix we should also steer clear of the following time wasters. Time waster No.1–lack of priorities. When we do not prioritize, this becomes a very subtle way to major in the minors instead of laser-focusing on a specific task or assignment. Always seek to plan and prioritize your day when possible. Time waster No.2–not accepting help. Though you may be the project manager it is wise to allow your team to utilize their expertise in order to meet the goal. Delegation and relegation of assignments can be a win-win for everyone! According to world renowned leadership guru Dr. John Maxwell “the true measure of leadership is influence” and “teamwork makes the dream work.” And remember that the success of great corporations, families, and businesses hinge upon great leadership. Time waster No.3—worrying about what others will say. People will always have opinions, comments, and thoughts. So do not get distracted by their hype. Focus on the goal and what works best for you and your team. At the end of the day will you be satisfied knowing that you put forth your best effort to meet your goal? If you answer yes, then you will probably be fulfilled. And that is particularly important! Time waster No.4—complaining. Know that complaining alone will not help BUT making changes will definitively help. So, look into the necessary choices that will help you reach your goal. Then prioritize the choices and proceed to make it happen. So, if you recently experienced an unproductive day at the office, you now have tools and strategies to enable you to experience optimal productivity. Once executed these strategies will help you to better manage your time and avoid time wasters. And you will also have an amazing sense of fulfillment that will motivate you to continue this successful process! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Mary! Dr. Mary J. Huntley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Mary J. Huntley is a servant leader and Chief Executive/Encouragement Officer of Certified an exclusive consulting organization. She is also CEO of Trinity Global Empowerment Ministries, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) organization and Certified Academic Institution under the National Christian Counselors Association. She is an Amazon 5X international bestselling author and Amazon 10X bestselling author. She is a multi-award winner including the 2019 Indy Author Legacy Award Winner and 2 governor citations. She has earned Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Ministry Degrees. She is a Board-Certified Master Life Coach, certified women's motivational speaker, and licensed professional counselor with 6 advanced certifications. She serves as an international representative and clinical supervisor of various organizations. She is honored to be the wife of 47 years to Dr. Ronald Lee Huntley.

Written by: Nikki Langman, 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 is most important to you? Your core values determine how you answer this question. Your core values guide your behavior, providing you with a personal code of conduct. They highlight your standards and represent the essence of you. There is tremendous power in values. When people live by their values, they experience greater connection to their authentic self, which leads to increased fulfillment and happiness. When people don’t honor their values, they create internal conflict and their mental, emotional, and physical health suffers. The problem is, most people don’t know what their core values are or what’s important to them. Or worse, they do know and consciously choose to ignore them. Instead, we put priority and focus on what our society, culture, and media tell us to value. A Lesson in Values from a Small-Business Owner I buy essential oils from a small-business owner in Australia named Jane. Jane has a notably personal touch with all of her customers that attracted me from the first time I placed an order from her shop. Her authenticity is extraordinary and is one of the reasons I will continue to buy from her and recommend her business to others. Jane recently sent an email to her client base apologizing for not replying to the people who had left a product review on her site over the previous two years and promised a response in the coming days. She explained that when she added review software to her store, she listened to the advice of marketing professionals who insisted it is best to not comment on reviews unless it is a direct question. For two years, Jane felt rude and ungrateful and it caused her torment because she was acting out of alignment with her core values. Impressed, I reached out to Jane to applaud her for listening to her heart. She responded, “It can be so easy to lose yourself in business and stray off the path. It seems our values and ethics are layered with ‘what we should be doing’ rather than what we actually feel. I remember my Buddhist teacher telling me years ago that if you do not fully believe in something, research it, and if it still does not sit well with you then chuck it out. I find that easier to do in my personal life, but harder in business. I was so relieved to send that email.” “ If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own. ” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist What Are Your Core Values? Can you name your core values off the top of your head? Unless you have gone through a discovery process or actively prioritize awareness of your core values, it’s challenging to readily identify what is important to you. It’s easy to get confused with what you think you should value because you have many streams of input coming at you from all directions telling you different things – your family, your religion, your profession, your friends, the media, etc. Tuning out the white noise and leaning into who you authentically are and what your unique core values are takes a lot of effort. Getting In Touch with Your Authentic Self Ask yourself questions when you are selecting what you feel is important to you so that you are focusing on your authentic self, not your desired self-image. What commendations have you received that are the most meaningful to you? How does it make you feel when you are complimented on your appearance, your quality of work, your parenting skills, or the way you show up for others? All endorsements are nice, but a few will stand out for you. Explore those. Conversely, what makes you really angry – like, blood boiling angry? How do you respond differently to some offenses? I am a vocally expressive person. When I get mad, my volume goes up and I verbally attack. When one of my values has been violated, I go silent and retreat into myself. I joke with my family, “If I yell, I’ll get over it; if I get quiet, worry.” I am acutely aware of the difference between an irritation and something that cuts to my core. Your Core Values Should Be Your Blueprint for Your Behaviors, Decisions, and Actions. When you know what you value, you can align your choices accordingly. Put your core values in a place(s) where they are visible to you daily. Sticky notes, reminder apps, and screen savers are great for this. My core values are bravery, integrity, grit, and humor. I wear a necklace that has those four words etched onto interlinked rings, so my core values are literally next to my heart every day. You will also find them displayed on my website and on many of my business communications. Your core values are a huge part of your authentic self so live and breathe them in everything you do. Over your lifetime there will be thousands of things that are important to you and that you will value, so remember it this way: everything that’s important to you can be written in your biography. Your core values are what you want to be written on your tombstone. Follow me on Faceb ook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Nikki! Nikki Langman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nikki Langman is an International Speaker, Author, Thought Leader on Emotional Intelligence and Self-Mastery, and Business Consultant and Facilitator. She is passionate about personal transformation and self-leadership. She believes that our potential for impact and influence with others is dependent on how effectively we understand and lead ourselves first. As a Business Consultant and Facilitator, Nikki is committed to guiding organizations to achieve higher, sustainable levels of business excellence. She has led successful emotional intelligence and leadership programs for many global organizations with exceptional executive and team leadership results, personal empowerment, culture enhancement, and significantly improved workplace safety. Nikki is often called on to speak at industry events, schools, sporting groups, and conferences globally on the topics of self-mastery, resilience and overcoming adversity, emotional intelligence, nonverbal communication, and leadership. Nikki empowers and inspires audiences with her engaging core message that no matter what your starting point is or what you believe your obstacles are, you can become your most powerful self and a highly influential and effective leader with the right amount of daily “badassery.” Nikki is the author of the recently released book, "How to be a BADASS: Navigating Your Road to Self-Mastery."