Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. With a wealth of experience in the field of search, I've had the privilege of engaging with numerous hiring managers, human resource professionals, and executive leaders at various stages of the hiring process. This extensive exposure has allowed me to gain deep insights into their perspectives and evaluation methods, crucial for successful talent acquisition. As a coach, I help job hunters navigate their job search and employers hire more effectively. I use the lessons that I learned as an executive recruiter to streamline the process for both. 46% of new hires fail within 18 months Statistics show approximately 46% of new hires fail within 18 months. In addition, according to a survey reported by Harvard Business Review, nearly half of the leaders who are hired from outside an organization fail within the first 18 months. Worldwide employee engagement is at 15%, based on the findings of Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace” report. No one goes out of their way to attain results like this, but it’s clear to me that no one is hiring with the end in mind. 10 hiring mistakes managers make Here are what I believe are the top 10 hiring mistakes I’ve seen hiring managers make that result in these hiring failures. They are easily correctable and, if you do so, you will eliminate many of the hiring mistakes you might make. 1. Recycling job descriptions Typically, employees resign on a Friday afternoon. Hiring managers then call their recruiting contact or HR business partner and ask, “Do you have the job description we used to hire Maria? She just gave notice. Would you the job description wherever you do, get it out to our recruiting resources, posted on our website, work your magic and see who you can get onto my calendar for Tuesday.” Of course, no one ever updates them. As a result, many people are spinning their wheels evaluating talented individuals who are not quite what you’re looking for. After all, Maria was not the perfect employee. She had skills deficiencies that you want to improve upon. Unfortunately, you haven’t taken the time to think through what you need until you start interviewing people. As a result, a lot of your time and other people’s time within and outside the organization is wasted while you sort out what you need this time. 2. Don't know how to evaluate and lack structure You don’t decide how to evaluate the people you interview or communicate it to the people involved with the interviews. In most fields, you might ask hundreds of questions to assess a person who is being interviewed. The problem is no one knows quite what you are looking for—not even you. As a result, when you ask for the people on your staff to talk to a candidate, they have their own idea of what is needed, which may differ from yours. What some might call spontaneous questioning, others might describe it as being like a game show interview. The interviewer is trying to stump the person being evaluated rather than determining whether a person is qualified to do the job. As a result, you are referred to as the best “contestant” instead of the best possible new hire. 3. You trust your first instincts When you meet someone, they remind you of someone from your past. Maybe it is their appearance that reminds you of that person. Maybe it is the background or, how they talk or what they are wearing. You know nothing about them but ascribe positive or negative qualities to them based on your experience of the other person. Thus, you don’t evaluate them thoroughly. Instead, you take a shortcut that may cause you not to hire the right person or hire the wrong one. Doing this is similar to the psychological concept of projection, where you project attributes onto someone else without basis. 4. Not preparing or coaching hiring managers It is common for hiring managers to be unprepared for how to interview. In addition, HR recruiters may not take the time to coach them about doing it well. Without a process, hiring managers are left to learn through trial and error and make a lot of mistakes. Hiring the wrong person is expensive. Statistics show that most managers believe that they hire the wrong person within 18 months of joining. Thus, being proactive and taking the time to coach them during the hiring process. In addition, too few managers receive coaching about becoming better managers, directors, VPs, and the like. Learning happens after a critical error that causes people to leave and projects to fail if it comes at all. Yet, that is what too many firms do. 6. You talk too much during interviews Candidates often report that they answer one or two interview questions, then must listen to the interviewer talk for 15 or 20 minutes about the job, the team, and their life story while stifling a yawn. The job of an interviewer is to ask great questions to evaluate whether someone is competent or not. One or two questions are not enough to make a decision. The more you talk, the less you were listening to them. The less you listen to them, the more likely you will make the wrong decision. When you do all the talking, you ask them to bask in your grandiosity. Stop yourself and go back to asking questions. 7. Trying to hire team players In most organizations, being a team player means taking direction and not offering their own opinion. On the other hand, a group of “yes people” means no one speaks up when they see something wrong. There are stories of airliner pilots from such cultures who, when told to circle an airport and are low on fuel, do not speak up and eventually crash. No one thinks it’s going to happen to them until it does. Having obedient staff who do the task they are told to do when they are told to do it is nice until you find yourself in a situation where your blind spot about something could have been brought to your attention if only your obedient team players had spoken up. Unfortunately, you decided to value conformity ahead of thinking. 8. You oversell the opportunity and don’t mention the challenges Most jobs are “We want to do the same thing you did for your current employer for us.” However, when you present the opportunity to the job hunter, you describe it as being “an exceptional opportunity with a terrific team of people, all committed to excellence. We’ll move your career forward in ways you can’t imagine (or words to that effect).” You never talk about the friction the new hire will experience in the job, and what happened to the last four people who sat at the desk you asked them to sit at. The new hire joins and discovers from their colleagues and their own experience that there is far more friction in the role than they had been led to believe and regret the decision to join within a few weeks. As a result, they don’t give you their best work because they are disappointed in what you did NOT tell them during the interview. 9. You don’t talk about what success will look like How will they be evaluated once they join you? After 90 days or after one year, what will they have accomplished if they were a terrific hire? If they don’t know the target they’re aiming for, how will someone know they are being successful or failing? If you spring it on them at the annual review, you are setting them and you up for failure and disappointment. During the interview, it is essential to be transparent about evaluating whether they were successful hire. If you scare them off because they think your demands will be too challenging to meet, that is great! At the same time, if you make offers to people who turn them down because those demands exceed what they believe their capabilities are, that’s feedback for you that you should adapt and change. 10. Making a decision takes an eternity You interview five, 10, or 20 people. No one is quite right. That’s all because you are fuzzy about the criteria for filling the position. You can’t decide who to hire because you’ve never become firm about who is qualified, let alone how to evaluate qualifications. The longer you delay, the more costly the process becomes. You invest more and more time interviewing people, which costs time and money by pulling you away from your other responsibilities. Deciding what would make someone qualified and evaluating those skills during interviews is important. More mistakes hiring managers make The mistake hiring managers, HR professionals, directors, VPs, leaders, and business owners make is that you think you can evaluate for fit. Unfortunately, everyone involved with the hiring process is exaggerating their capabilities. As mentioned earlier, most hiring managers talk about having a terrific team of people and a great opportunity. “Did I mention we’re like family here?” Maybe you’re like all the families in those American holiday movies that want to kill one another! If you have hired people before, you know that job hunters exaggerate their capabilities, too. In addition, they are on perfect behavior because they were trained to be courteous, polite, and respectful during interviews. After all, they want the job and were instructed to act that way in all serious situations. As a result, given that you are on good behavior and present your opportunity in a beautiful light, and so are they, how can you possibly decide whether they’ll fit in? The data says you can’t. Hire for qualifications Check references to identify “maniacs.” Ask for secondary references instead of only relying upon the ones provided to you by the potential new hire. Listen for what is said and not said. Then, dig in deeper on both instead of letting their statements stay on the surface. Hiring doesn’t have to be hard, difficult, or painful. It doesn’t need to take a long time or result in constant failure. The skills required to hire effectively differ from those required to manage or lead. Implementing the changes recommended in this article will provide you an organization with a giant leap forward with your hiring. If you would like my advice with hiring more effectively, your job search, managing and leading and/or resolving workplace-related issues, you can schedule time with me at www.TheBigGameHunter.us. If you prefer a more do-it-yourself approach, the blog has thousands of posts that you can watch, listen to, or read… But they are not personalized for you. Follow Jeff on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit his website for more info! Read more from Jeff! Jeff Altman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a career and leadership coach who helps people with their career, including a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading, resolving workplace-related issues while being the person they want to be in life. He has written 9 books and guides to job search and hiring, including "The Ultimate Job Interview Framework" and "The Right Answers to Tough Interview Questions." He is the host of No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the 1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 2100 episodes, as well as JobSearchTV.com on YouTube, Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and 90+ smart sets. Jeff works with clients worldwide and is a popular speaker.

Written by: Maria Tecce , 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. Great speakers are made, not born. ‘Oh, she’s was born to be a speaker.’ ‘He’s such a natural!’ Well… not really. There’s a great myth that makes the rounds every now and then. It purports that there are certain anointed people who came out of the womb with the skills to be amazing speakers and presenters. I’m here to assure you that this is a myth. And a myth that keeps professionals from becoming the amazing, passionate, and powerful speakers they want to be. Yes, if your mother is a chef, you might have an aptitude for cooking. Or, if your Dad is a fisherman, you might have a yearning to spend your life on the sea. But in the main, great speaking and presenting is a skill like any other, like riding a bike, driving a car, or learning to make pasta carbonara. And like any other skill you need the basics, a good teacher, and lots of specific practice. What IS true is that people who make it look easy have worked very hard, learned and observed from the best, and practiced for hours, months, and years to make it look like they were born to do it. Here are 3 strategies to help you become the speaker you want to be and remind you that great speakers are made, not born. Great Speakers Rock Basic Skills And Techniques Learning the basics is a perfect way to start your journey to becoming a great speaker. Every speaker worth their salt has clear strategies they come back to again and again when it comes to presenting and speaking. The basics start with building up your toolbox of skills. This is important because you can use these skills in any communication situation. When you have a full arsenal of communication weapons, you are armed and ready to tackle any speaking situation. First off are physical presence skills , like using your hands, having an open body, using eye contact, and good breathing technique. These skills are pertinent in both face-to-face situations as well as Zoom calls. Your vocal presence techniques are the next stop on the journey in filling up your toolbox. How your that deliver your message, the life, color, and energy in your words, and avoiding a monotone delivery is essential in becoming a great speaker. Practice, Practice, Practice To Be A Great Speaker I remember hearing an interview with Tony Robbins, a top motivational and leadership speaker, and when asked how long it took him to create and practice a 2-hour talk, he said, ‘Months.’. Great speakers are craftsmen. They spend a lot of time crafting their message and crafting the way they deliver that message. And it isn’t just repeating the same thing over and over again for the sake of it; they are specific as to what they are practicing and why . This is where a good coach comes in. No one becomes a great speaker on their own. Great speakers have a team around them that they can bounce ideas off of and get feedback. And they have a clear plan of action to help them practice with purpose and clarity. When you approach practicing and preparing, get a clear plan in place, are so you know what you’re practicing and why. This specificity will save you time because you are being clear about your plan. And you’ll get more value out of that practice because you’re being clear about what and why you're practicing. Great Speakers Steal Like An Artist Now, this isn’t about imitation or plagiarism. This is about watching your heroes and noticing what works for them and trying it for yourself. The American poet Austin Kleon wrote a book called ‘Steal Like An Artist’ which talks about how we learn from and celebrate our heroes. As a creative person (and you are a ‘creative’ when you create and deliver speeches or presentations) you become attuned to watching other people and noticing what they’re doing well that you like. This could be a hand gesture, the way they use eye contact, or the musicality in their vocal delivery. You, in turn, try these observed habits out for yourself. This is the learning process. It’s the way children learn everything from speech, gestures to standing, sitting, and how to hold a fork. You see how Mom does something, you copy it, and then it becomes your own. It’s not about imitation. It’s about learning from watching and then doing. “We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can’t steal. You will take what we give you and you will put it in your own voice and that’s how you will find your voice. And that’s how you begin. And then one day, someone will steal from you.” — Francis Ford Coppola Great Speakers Are Made, Not Born. The skills and techniques you need to become the authentic, memorable, powerful, joyful speaker you want to be are there for the taking. So begin by filling up that toolbox, that arsenal of skills that form the foundation of your presenting and speaking regime. Practice and prepare with purpose and clarity. Get a good coach to stay by your side and guide you every step of the way. And watch and learn from the best. Take what works for you and leave the rest. Great speaking is a skill. And skills can be learned and practiced by anyone. Nobody said it would be easy, but it can be done, and you can do it. Want to learn more from Maria? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website . Read more from Maria ! Maria Tecce, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maria Tecce is a leader in public speaking & voice and speech coaching. After making her living as a professional actor and singer for 20 years, Maria began coaching business professionals and performers a decade ago in the same skills that professional performers use every day. C-Suite and Senior Executives work with her when they want to up their game and show up as powerful, confident, passionate, joyful speakers in their businesses and for the people around them. Her clients include Google, Diageo, Ulster Bank, Bank Of Ireland, Ericsson, KPMG, Smurfit Business School, Johnson & Johnson, Salesforce, and Virgin Media. Maria is dedicated to helping powerful men and women take ownership of their confidence, authentic voice, and joy as speakers and communicators. Her mission states, "Own your voice, own your story, own your space."

Written by: Dr. Raman K. Attri, 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. Every employee has a fundamental urge to progress in the job – in terms of a better position, increased pay, greater recognition, etc. Unless you are self-employed, your manager is one of the most important people in your professional life, or at least at the workplace. Thus, it pays off well if you learn how to work with your manager effectively and be able to ‘manage’ them efficiently. At the individual level, there are two aspects to working effectively with your manager. First, aligning with your manager. Second, managing your manager. 1. Aligning Your Manager The success of an organization as a whole and the individual success of employees depends on how well employees are able to align with their managers. Three tips that can help you to align well with your manager’s work style: Invest in building better relationships The key part of the alignment is a successful relationship with your immediate manager. Such a relationship results in satisfaction at work, chances of growth and increased pay, peace of mind, and general happiness. Conversely, a poor relationship with your manager can inhibit a person’s chances of success at work and will most likely lead to frustration and stress, which in turn affects other areas of life as well. Thus, as an employee, you need to learn the skill of building a fruitful and congenial relationship with your managers. Some ways to master this are to learn skills like self-situational leadership or work with profiling tools like DISC. More corporations are starting to develop their direct reports by imparting them the skills to work effectively with their managers. Leverage those coaching opportunities skillfully. Put yourself in the shoes of a manager You need to put yourself in the shoes of the manager and think from his perspective. Try to see the challenges, expectations, and work environment from a manager’s angle to develop a healthy manager-subordinate relationship. Understand your manager’s ideal value system It is apparent now that a manager’s value system defines his management and leadership styles. As an employee, you need to sense how understanding the value system of a manager could help to build a successful relationship. Keep observing how the manager’s work choices are influenced by his or her value systems. Develop a personal connection with culturally different managers Maintaining a good relationship with a manager coming from a different culture might be one of the most challenging areas to handle. It would be best if you started observing how your managers run the team and the situations where cultural orientations might be coming up. There is nothing wrong with it. Having a good personal connection could do wonders for you. It will allow you to understand how cultural upbringing might be influencing the decisions taken by your manager. Part of this might be associated with the organizational culture too. In some organizations, managers are highly indoctrinated to adopt the particular organization’s culture that, at times, you may fail to notice the hints of their own cultural subtleties. The personal connection may do wonders for you. Depending upon where your manager’s origin, some may talk about your family life, kids and express concerns over the well-being of your family. That is an excellent way to build a personal connection. 2. Managing Your Manager Most organizations focus on teaching skills required to work effectively with the manager through behavior profiling, self-leadership, relationship building, conflict resolution skills, among others. However, not all organizations support the concept of upstream management , which is managing your manager and their managers. A –part of working effectively with the manager includes gaining skills that are needed to manage the managers. Here are two approaches that can help you manage your manager. Consider your manager as a stakeholder I have worked in a matrix environment with multiple managers. I learned one thing very clearly. Managing your manager is like managing your stakeholders for any project. After all, your manager is like a stakeholder to some extent, though he may come across to you as the most important one. Once you start dealing with your manager as a party in the project, instead of someone controlling your paycheck, you could use the same set of techniques, processes, and templates that you typically use for managing your stakeholders like stakeholder analysis, expectation setting, and stakeholder communication. It would help if you learned to drive a complex mesh of stakeholders impartially. Focus on the quality of upstream communication If you look at the psychology of the workplace and organizational structure, you could assess what your manager really wants from you and why. The answer is simple – they want you to keep them posted, show that you are in complete control of things, and alert them where things are not going well. Understand that you are not the only one under pressure; they have managers too. They have to broadcast similar communication upstream, showing that they are in full control too. If you consider it in an objective manner, you will find that managing your manager boils down to exhibiting effective upstream communication. Effective upstream communication needs to be timely, precise, concise, and, more often, at a high level. Learn to communicate that way. In the end, your manager is human, after all. If you take the relationship and emotional approach where it’s needed, you will go a long way, building memories at your workplace. Be aware that working effectively with your manager and managing your manager is just a matter of viewpoint rather than a matter of skills or techniques. Though skills and techniques help you in many ways, you should keep in mind that management is all about viewpoints, philosophy, and the belief system, all integrated together. . Follow me on Faceb ook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Dr. Raman K. Attri, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Raman K Attri is a performance scientist and the world’s leading authority on the science of speed in professional learning and performance. Undeterred by his permanent disability since childhood, he transformed his inability to walk into his niche expertise to teach others how to walk faster in their professional world. Equipped with over two decades of vast research and corporate experience, he guides leaders and professionals on proven strategies to shorten the time to proficiency of the workforce. A prolific author of 20 multi-genre books on business, leadership, training, learning, and performance, he writes about human excellence. As a learning strategist, he innovates state-of-the-art training methodologies to speed up the learning of complex skills at a Fortune 500 technology corporation. As a global training leader, he manages a Hall of the Fame training organization, named one of the top 10 in the world. A highly passionate about accelerated learning since childhood, he earned two doctorates in learning, over 100 international educational credentials, and some of the world’s highest certifications. Among his most recent projects, he has founded the XpertX portal to inspire people to learn the art and science of speed in all walks of their life. As a professional speaker, he speaks at leading international conferences around the globe and shares his research-based insights, and continues to be an inspiring personality.

Written by: Jean Fleming, 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. Asking for a pay rise can often make us feel awkward even if we feel we deserve it. We don’t want to rock the boat, risk ruining our working relationship with our manager or let them think we are not committed. Whatever the reason, you should always expect to be compensated fairly for the work you do. To help you prepare, here are 10 tips to consider: Be clear about your drivers What has triggered your desire to negotiate your package? Have you taken on a new role, additional responsibilities, wider scope, had a promotion? Or is it that you realize you are paid low to market or considerably less than your peers? Consider objectively whether your salary is already in line with the market rate for the job you are doing (both internal market and external)? Just because you have changed your job or responsibilities doesn't automatically entitle you to an increase. Whatever the reason, you need to be clear that this is enough to warrant an increase. Gather your evidence e.g., market data, to support your case. Also, think about your personal why. What will securing this increase get you? Not just more, but why do you need that money? Will it give you security, pay for a child’s education, secure that bigger house? Thinking about the why can often help give you the mindset and courage to open the negotiation. However, these ‘why’ points are not to be used in the negotiation – they are personal to you. Stick to the evidence only in your negotiation. Know your worth Be clear about your strengths, your achievements, and the value you add to the organization. Have tangible examples of how you have positively impacted the organization. Your package Consider all elements of your package when looking at your compensation, not just salary. Do you have a bonus/pension/car arrangement? Does this offset a slightly lower salary? Is this an area you can explore as part of your negotiation? If a salary increase is not possible, could a change to variable pay or other benefits be considered? Terms and Conditions Think about what else you get from the organization that may offset any salary concerns. Are they investing heavily in your development? Are they giving you strong career progression, skill development, career support, visibility, a platform to let your personal brand shine, flexibility, or any other elements that make it a great company to work for? It may not be all about the money. Think about your job title. Is it recognition of status that you are actually looking for? If so, can that be resolved solely with a change of job title or grade? Prepare a business case Help to make the decision easier for your manager. Prepare a business case that they can use to support approval through the various governance levels within the organization. Take your manager through the business case to determine whether they would support your case. Don’t assume anything about what your manager may think. Ask them questions to know their view with the aim of understanding and overcoming any objections they may have. Get clear feedback on what else you would need to do to be successful in gaining their support. If your manager will not support you and you feel you are being treated unfairly, you may want to consider discussing this with HR. Context Be mindful of your company’s context. Are they financially stable? Can they afford pay increases? This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask if it is warranted but present your case with that context in mind. Is there an alternative compromise? For example, deferred implementation date or 2 stages increase over a longer duration? Negotiate Prepare your own position – what would be an acceptable / better / best increase you could hope for? Be flexible – don’t have just one number in mind! Timing Know your boss and when to approach her/him. Don’t go to them at particularly busy times like financial month/quarter/year-end as they won’t be able to give your discussion the time it will deserve. Also, plan your approach only when you have sufficient evidence. Don’t start the discussion before then. You want to be fully prepared to give yourself the best chance of putting forward a strong case. Stay Calm If you get a negative response in the first instance, stay calm and don’t get frustrated. Getting emotional is not going to help you in a negotiation. And finally…. Absolutely do not threaten to leave unless you really mean it. This is extremely unhelpful in negotiation and is likely to generate a defensive response. Also, if you do not leave after threatening to, it reflects on your reputation, your personal brand, and your integrity! Be strategic and objective – research, plan and engage politely to get the best out of your negotiation. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Jean Fleming, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jean Fleming is an Empowerment and Leadership Coach helping women to create the life they want. With over 30 years of business experience, Jean was the first woman to join the Board of a global company – a role she still fulfills 12 years later. Jean is an experienced ICF accredited Coach, a DiSC Profiler, an Emotional Intelligence EQi-2.0 Assessor, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Jean uses her extensive range of skills and experience to bring a dynamic and supportive service to her clients to help them identify and create the life they want.

Written by: Rosalyn Palmer, 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. Phil Connors is my hero. He is the central character in the movie Groundhog Day, played by Bill Murray. Without explanation, Phil gets trapped in a time warp of waking up repeatedly on the same day (Groundhog Day, February 2) in a small town that he at first despises on an assignment he is contemptuous of (covering the TV reporting of Groundhog Day). Phil is an ambitious TV Weatherman and likes the bright lights and big city. Trapped in this loop, he cannot change his external world or circumstances. The movie follows his reaction to this strange imprisonment as he moves from grief and despair at his predicament to exploitative abandonment as he realizes that there will be no repercussions for his actions, however terrible. It is only when he goes beyond reacting to, and instead embraces, his ‘new normal’ that he grows as a human. Phil realizes that only by changing from within can he change what is around him and in so doing he starts to look out for others and see the good in them. He grows and develops too and sees the same environment with new eyes. Over time, Phil turns the worst day of his life into the best Finally. As a better version of himself, he breaks the loop and wakes up in a future that is far brighter and more filled with love and joy than his past ever was. I’m a coach and therapist. I’ve had over 30 years of being around NLP and hypnotherapy and personal development and I know from my own experiences and training that beyond reacting to what happens to you and embracing change you must also love and look after yourself first. Like the oxygen mask analogy where you have to make sure you are breathing before you can help others, this has never been more important than now. The mantra “I am enough” is well known and this simple statement can overcome much self-doubt as the world around is changing. Yet it takes commitment and repetition to make it familiar, because, via our primitive survival brain hardwiring, we cling onto what is known and familiar even when this is brutal, such as beating yourself up in your head. The last year and a half have put many of us into a seemingly unending tailspin as the old, familiar patterns of our lives and what we believed the world around us comprised, have been stripped away. Deprived of our ‘regular’ world and busy routines this can leave us, like Phil Connors, running a gamut of negative emotions as we face the crisis head-on. However here is an interesting fact: the Chinese word for crisis consists of two characters: wei, which translates “danger,” and ji, which translates as “turning or changing point” or “opportunity.” So, embracing this and any time of change and ‘crisis’ as a weiji moment instead can be a great opportunity to break out of the cycle. What better opportunity in fact, than to connect with ourselves just as Phil Connors did? We are connected beings and are hardwired for this. Our primary and most fundamental human needs are for connection and protection. A human baby, separated from or abandoned by its mother will survive a matter of hours. Our very DNA knows this so we seek connection often at any cost. That is why many of us feel so isolated when we retire. It is why my Great Uncle Bill went to play dominos at the Miners Welfare every week. To be connected and accepted by those he felt familiar with. He hated having to work down in a hot dangerous coal mine but he loved the camaraderie with his colleagues. There are times, perhaps now, when this external connection is impossible. However, the reality is, that no matter what you do on the outside, you have to feel connected in the place where it matters most: inside. The great relationship expert Ester Perel says that what we all crave most in a relationship is intimacy. And this spells out (phonetically) Into Me See. We crave interconnectedness and this has to start with seeing into yourself. Now is the time to practice being grounded and free from too many external distractions as you grow and heal from the inside out, instead of the other way around. Having done this (repeatedly) I admit it is not easy. Jung for one recognized that the fear of the ‘unseen’ is, in reality, a projection of the fear of our own unconscious, those hidden parts in us that we cannot quite understand with our conscious and habitual minds. Those wounded, broken parts of our inner child that we usually keep ourselves busy or numbed away from in order to escape uncomfortable feelings. Now is the time to do that inner work and free yourself from old unwanted patterns of thought and behaviour and break your own Groundhog Day. Take time to be compassionate towards others and start with yourself. Look into the heart of yourself. Hold your hands over your heart and speak a compassion meditation to yourself repeating the phrases “May my heart remain open and protected. May I be at peace. May I know that I am more than enough. May I be happy. May I feel love. May I be well’. Connect to others also from a place of love. I’ve found myself signing off from emails and my newsletters with Love Ros rather than Regards Rosalyn. It just feels right. I start conversations by asking “How are you feeling today?” or “How is the family doing?” and hold space like never before to listen to others in an authentic way. To mention Groundhog Day again, don’t you want to grow from this and take the positive things you’ve learnt (or are learning) forward? I do. Albert Eisenstein said, “To interrupt a habit is to make it visible; it is to turn it from a compulsion to a choice.” By planning now, you can use the time away from any old repetitive life to create a new and better one. Yesterday is a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore to this day. Sanskrit Proverb. You have this. You can make this time into a personal time of victory for you and that is whatever is right for you. Follow Rosalyn on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website for more info. Rosalyn Palmer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rosalyn Palmer is an award-winning transformational coach and therapist, combining advanced rapid transformational therapy/clinical hypnotherapy & NLP-based coaching to create deep desired changes. She works 1-2-1 with clients and via her group courses. As bestselling author of the award-winning self-help book: ‘Reset! A Blueprint for a Better Life’ and three other Amazon bestsellers, Rosalyn makes emotional wellbeing accessible to all. She enables high performers to live their best lives that feel as good inside as they look on the super-successful outside. Rosalyn draws on extensive business experiences - in top London PR & Marcomms (‘retiring’ as a self-made millionaire at age 40 after a stellar career helping clients including Tony Robbins and Edward de Bono) and the insight of being conflicted when the outward vision of your life doesn’t serve you. Added to this are her deeper values and life-experiences born from many challenges including cancer; redundancy; bereavement; menopause; divorce; financial loss that broke her open to finding out what really matters in life and how to live a life of balance and joy. As a natural communicator, she is the well-being expert for radio show Girls Around Town, has a monthly newspaper column, and two podcast series: Monkey Business and Life Alchemy.

Written by: Ashley Van Brabant, 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 used to ask myself this rhetorical question almost daily. In the past, I would use the strength of my willpower to push up against life. I made things happen. I decided the course of my life, or so I thought. What I failed to comprehend was that my experience of life being hard was completely self-made. When I pushed, pulled, and flailed, I caused life to be hard. And while I continued to ask myself the ceaseless question of “why is life so hard,” I never came up with an answer until I was introduced to Belief Re-patterning. The Einstein quote is applicable here. You know the one, “Problems can't be solved by the same thinking that created them.” I needed to shift my perspective and re-pattern my thinking in order to make a change. I recognized I needed to ask a new question. It was then that I asked myself, “what would happen if I shifted my perception of life?”. I gave up being dramatic about my life, and that's when my life stopped being 'always hard' and started being 'sometimes difficult.' I up-leveled my thinking with Belief Re-patterning, and this is what I could finally see about life: Life is not hard - it is sometimes difficult. Let’s explore the difference. Hard, by definition, is something not easily broken, bent, or pierced. An action that is hard is done with a great deal of force or strength. Something that is hard is solid, firm, and rigid. The idea of life hard creating a sense of unyielding and insurmountable challenges. On the other hand, difficult, by definition, needs much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand something. And while difficult still requires exertion, it suggests the idea of resilience and hope. Let me share with you a recent experience to show you an example of the difference between life being hard and life is sometimes difficult. A few months ago, I went hiking in the mountains with my best friend. We reached the most difficult part of the hike up near the top. We were both using our hands and feet to navigate the steep trail. I was gasping for air, and my legs were burning. My brain slipped into default mode and began to offer up thoughts like: "This is too hard - I can't." "My muscles are burning." "I am not going to make it." "We should turn around." I glance up at my friend ahead of me and begin to compare our fitness levels. "Ugh, she is so fit - how does she work out all the time?" "I should have worked out, and it's last week." "Why didn't I prepare more for this?" "This would have been easier if I would have stuck to my workout plan last week." Instead of experiencing the moment as something difficult and challenging, I instead choose to see it as hard. Seeing the moment as hard encouraged further thoughts of rigidity, unbending, and intolerable. In a shining moment of insight, I realized I was taking something difficult and making it hard. I knew I had it within me to finish the hike and reach the summit. I had done it before. I decided to give it up. I let go of the drama inside my thoughts and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I shifted my perspective from hard to a challenge of difficulty. And as we made it to the top, I realized it wasn't hard, only sometimes difficult. I was able to enjoy the view from the summit and recognize the power I had in the way I choose to see the things I experience. We all have moments like this in life. My mountain hike might be your career or family connection, it’s navigating the little moments in life. If you want to better understand how your self-talk affects your experience of life, check out the free resource on my website. Follow Ashley on her Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit her website for more info! Read more from Ashley! Ashley Van Brabant, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ashley Van Brabant is a Belief Re-patterning Practitioner, founder of The Adventurous Spirit, and creator of the Unlearn & Uplevel program. Growing up in rural Alberta, she was a sensitive soul with a passion for horses, nature & spirituality. Now, she is a transformative spirit standing for equality, leadership, hope, and adventure. On any given day, you will find her with her horses, snowboarding, or having hard conversations about environmental, social, and political issues.

Written by: Tara Best, 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. Did you know that thinking positively can actually help boost your physical health? A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2017 found that the 70,000 women they followed from 20004 to 2012 were at lower risk of dying from strokes, heart disease, several types of cancer and respiratory infections if they were optimistic. That on top of all the mental health benefits to taking a rosy outlook on life. But if you’re busy, stressed, or down in the dumps, how can you, injecting some positivity into your daily life to empower yourself and banish negativity? Here are 3 small steps you can take today which will help you start down the path towards empowering positivity. They are habits that I have developed and stick to religiously since I discovered how powerful my mindset is and how important it is to work on it. Try them, and let me know how you get on! 1. Positive Self-Talk Would you tell your best friend they're not good at what they do? Unworthy? A failure? I'd guess not. Yet it's amazing how often we'll say negative things like this to ourselves, especially when we’re stressed or down. The thing is, the unconscious part of your mind doesn't know the difference between reality and what you tell it, so if you're always beating yourself up and telling yourself that you're no good, too busy, or not coping, that’s what you're going to believe. The good news is, the same applies to found positivity! So, if you can start to incorporate affirmations into your routine, those powerful "I am" statements, then you'll start to show up in a more positive light. So try to change "Things are going wrong today" to "It’s going to be a great day!" or "I'm not coping" to "I can handle whatever comes my way" Tell yourself these affirmations daily (and really begin to FEEL what you're saying) and you'll begin to change how you feel. 2. A Morning Routine Start your day the RIGHT way! Your mind is like a sponge in the first hour of the day so I want to encourage you to think about what it is that you're filling it up with. Are you scrolling social? Reading emails? Watching the news? Or are you listening to motivational YouTube videos, starting your day with gratitude, affirmations, that? And setting your intention for the day? Create a bespoke morning routine that works for your lifestyle My morning routine is generally 20-30 minutes long, but if you've only got 5 minutes while the kettle boils, I would still aim to not be on your phone and to be doing things that set yourself up for success. Plus, you're 40% less productive if you check your email and social media in the first hour of the day! 3. Make Time for Happy Moments You might have heard people online saying how important it is to prioritize self-care. That’s 100% true, but it can sound like you need to make time for big things like a spa day or meal out. But small changes have an impact too. Things like popping some lippy on, playing your favorite music, opening windows, or lighting candles can change how we feel. If you feel jaded at work, don’t scroll social media on your break. Instead, head outside for a walk and maybe even leave the phone behind. The sunshine can be such a good mood enhancer - I sometimes permit myself to have an hour off if I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed and instead go and read in the garden. Small changes make such a big difference! I truly hope you can fit these into your day, as I know they help people start seeing life from a more positive place. After all, what’s the alternative? Staying stressed and down in the dumps is no way to live, so make these changes today and see how you get on. See, you loved these tips and find that you are seeing a shift towards empowered positivity. Why not join my next G.O.A.L.S Methodfree found virtual retreat? Over 7 days of live teachings and amazing content, we remove limiting beliefs, learn how to set goals, and make plans to smash them. It’s the ultimate blend of mindset and marketing, and I know you’ll love it! It kicks off on the 11th of October, so follow me on Facebook or Instagram to be the first to hear when it’s time to sign up. For more mindset and productivity tips and some brilliant marketing inspiration, make sure you listen to my podcast Tara Talks, follow me on Instagram , and check out my website . Read more from Tara! Tara Best, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tara Best of Tara Punter Coaching and Tara Punter PR is incredibly passionate about all things mindset and marketing and helping business owners thrive while taking control of those limiting beliefs likely to hold them back in business. As a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach, NLP Practitioner, Practitioner of Time Line Therapy, and Hypnotherapist, she has the tools required to help clients rewire their subconscious mind, to help them create unlimited success. She combines this with her marketing and public relations expertise to truly help her audience thrive. Best is also the voice behind the popular podcast Tara Talks and soon to be a published author.

Written by: Victoria Chardon, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When I was a child, I always wanted to learn an instrument. I begged for violin lessons, but my mum refused (on reflection, I can understand why she didn’t want me scraping strings in our tiny apartment). I had a brief but intense love affair with the drum kit in the music room at school, but that had even less chance of receiving my mother’s approval. I was allowed to learn the recorder, but that doesn’t really count as an instrument. What I really, really wanted was to learn the piano. I had an over-achieving friend at school who was already at Grade 8 proficiency and, to me, played as beautifully as Beethoven. She would gather us around the piano before class and play songs from the Titanic soundtrack, making our twelve-year-old hearts swoon (I went to a girls’ school, Leo was our God.) I longed to be able to make my fingers dance over the keys like she could, reading the strange code on the music sheets and turning it into tunes that would make my heart soar. Let’s fast-forward twenty-something years. My musical dreams were long-abandoned, but never forgotten. I found myself in a position to finally do something about them. We were in the middle of a lockdown; our collective social life had shriveled up, and I realized I had the things I needed to make my dream come true: time, space, and cash. Excited, I bought an electric piano which I set up in my office, and I hired a teacher. My husband was dubious — he’s witnessed my ‘fads’ for the past eight years and thought this was a passing craze. I gave him a piece of my mind and told him that as he decided to marry me, he’s contractually required to support my artistic endeavors. And with that, I threw myself into Piano Grade 1. Reader, it was so much harder than I expected. My inner twelve-year-old thought this would be a form of creative expression. My adult self realized that learning piano was more mechanical and - shock, horror - mathematical than I expected. I knew it was going to take commitment, daily practice, and self-motivation to make any progress. And indeed, for the first few months, I had an abundance of those things. I studied the theory, did my homework, and played one particular song from the Grade 1 book so many times that I heard it in my sleep. There was something cozy about sitting at the keys, the rain pattering softly against the window, the dog snoring gently beside me. But as the months wore on, the theory became more complicated as we moved into Grade 2, the lockdowns eased, and my enthusiasm to keep playing ‘Taking A Naughty Dog For A Walk’ waned. I realized that my heart didn’t want to go on. I was never going to play Titanic on the piano. After seven months, I quit my lessons. My husband rejoiced in his ‘I told you so’s’ as he listed the piano on eBay. But I don’t see my decision to stop as a failure. Quite the opposite, actually. There’s an important life lesson in this story. I’m sure you thought from the title of this article that the lesson was going to be about commitment, never giving up, and overcoming difficulty. This isn’t that article or that lesson. The lesson here is about jumping into curiosity, being prepared to succeed OR fail, and not letting the expectations of others weigh you down as you follow your heart. I could have given up on the dream to learn an instrument forever, and spent my entire life wondering whether I’d be any good at it. I could have let the fear of judgment from others stop me from going for it in the first place or keep me plowing at something I wasn’t enjoying anymore. I could have kept struggling through, paying for lessons, and feeling worse the more I failed to master it. I didn’t do any of those things. Instead, I embraced the opportunity to try something new. I ignored my nay-sayer and my own inner critic and let my inner leader dictate what she wanted to do. She wanted to learn. I learned how to read music, which was always a mystery to me. I even learned how to play with both hands, which felt like a victory! I became good friends with my piano teacher and developed a genuine respect for anyone who can play like my friend at school could. Perhaps most importantly, I recognized the moment when it was time to let go and fully accepted it. I didn’t emerge from the experience as a failure. I emerged more educated, and most importantly, without a big ‘what if?’ hanging over my head for the rest of my life. I had satisfied my curiosity, and it felt good. When was the last time you allowed yourself to let go of all that fear and judgment and just DO something? This isn’t the first time for me - my husband was right about my fads. And I’m unapologetic about that. Life is rich with experiences; there’s no rulebook that says that we can only start things we’re prepared to do forever (the same goes for reading books, by the way - who says you have to make it to the end, if you aren’t enjoying it? Isn’t life too short for that?) Yesterday, I sold the piano. A tiny part of me was sad to see it go. But the wise part of me knows it’s time to move on, to seek out the next lesson, to have the next experience. Now, who can tell me about the violin? For more information, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Victoria! Victoria Chardon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Victoria Chardon specializes in fulfillment, confidence-building, and making big dreams become a reality. As well as being a Google leader who manages an international team, she is the co-founder of Rising Star Leadership, a consultancy that creates personalized coaching programs for groups, individuals, and corporations. Victoria helps people to connect with themselves on a deeper level than they usually would, pulling them away from 'life on the surface' and helping them claim their powerful, unique individuality. She also works with leaders to help them incorporate vulnerability and compassion into their leadership style. She is a vocal advocate on wellbeing and mental health and has taken to the stage on several occasions to share her personal journey and break down the stigma of mental health in the workplace.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Tricia Brouk is an international award-winning director. She has worked in theater, film, and television for three decades. Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. Tricia’s commitment and devotion to inclusion are a priority as all of her shows, events, and communities are diverse. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC, The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast on iTunes and YouTube. The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy was a #1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020. She was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance in 2021 and the Empowered Women Award in 2021 by the IOATP. Her documentaries have received critical acclaim—winning Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival and Los Angeles Movie Awards. Tricia has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, The New York Public Library, Barnes and Noble, Ellevate, The Jumbo African Support Hub, and The National Organization for Rare Disorders. You’re a Director, Writer, Producer, Coach, TEDx mentor, and Founder of The Big Talk Academy. It is a very impressive list of merits! Can you tell us more about your work and how ended up in the industry? I have been in showbiz my entire life. I moved to New York City from Arnold, Missouri to pursue a career in dance where I went on to have a very successful career performing at Opera Houses all over the world including Paris, Vienna, Palermo, Lisbon, and Lincoln Center in NYC. When I realized that my impact was limited to the number of people in the theater and the length of time I was on stage, I decided to move into choreographing, writing, and directing. Being behind the camera instead of in front of it allowed me to create a ripple effect of impact because I could make more work on other people. I could create more plays, more documentaries, more musicals that would reach more people, having a lasting legacy. This is what I was doing when a friend reached out to direct her TEDx Talk. I approached this work just like I did with the one-person shows I had been directing. I did script analysis, objective, and action (the acting technique I use), choreography, and blocking, with her and it was amazing. What was different in this experience, is that she is a thought leader who’s making a difference in the world with her message. Don’t get me wrong, theater and art are vital to the health of our world. And being able to also curate thought leadership by packaging storytelling to create media luminaries, was bigger than me and I knew I had to fully step into this role. Once I fully embodied adding "speaker mentor" to my CV, I had all these speakers and no place to put them. The best stage for speakers is TED, so I became the Executive Producer of TEDxLincolnSquare in New York City. I produced this event for two years. Now I mentor speakers onto other TEDx stages. I have put more than 50 speakers onto TEDx stages in under four years. And because the thought-leaders I mentor are so passionate about leaving their lasting legacy, I’ve become the strategic advisor to many of these folks in order to build out their speaker platform in a much bigger way. Is there something special that keeps you motivated? I have always been motivated. I’m a dancer. And I also know that life is precious and short. I was always conscious of this truth. And the grit, discipline, and fearlessness with which I lived my life as a dancer are directly related to my success now. Because I became extremely comfortable with hearing “no” after countless auditions, my resiliency muscle was constantly being flexed. Nothing took me out, and this kept my motivation intact. The motivation I have now, however, is directly related to amplifying and elevating the voices of people who want to have a global impact and make the world a better place. When I think about anyone who does not feel safe to speak or is not allowed to speak their truth or share their message, it motivates me even more profoundly because every voice matters. This week, Brainz Magazine posted an article listing "10 Top TEDx talks you don't want to miss". To our readers that might be interested in doing a TEDx talk, do you have any tips on how to start developing a TEDx talk and what to think about? If you desire fame, by taking a TED stage, you are approaching this artform all wrong. If you desire to step into the red circle because you know the TED brand will give you credibility and the opportunity to share your powerful idea worth spreading with more people so that you can change and even save a life, then you are doing this for the right reason What I would share with the reader is that you need to understand what a TED-style talk is like. Chris Anderson’s book, TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking is the bible when it comes to the artform of a TED Talk. Start there and you’ll get the language of TED clearly unpacked. What you also need to be clear on is that a TEDx Talk is not a pitch for you or your business. It is not a promotion for your book. And it is absolutely not a bullet-pointed talk that is going to teach me how to x,y,z. These talks are meant to get us to think differently. They are meant to move us into action. I have seen these stages become promotional and that is on the organizer. This leads me to my next point. You must vet the organizers. So many organizers do not know how to produce a show. You are going to be online for the rest of eternity, so be sure the video is going to represent you at the highest level possible. Once you’ve gotten clear on the language of TED and you have vetted the events, then allow your point of view to be the catalyst in crafting your idea worth spreading. There is only one you. And that makes your talk unique and powerful. I also encourage speakers to think outside of the box. I recently supported one of my speakers who was asked to speak at a virtual TEDx event in India. When she shared that it would be a pre-recorded Livestream, the world opened to us creatively. Since we could produce her speaking the way we wanted, not just live streaming from her computer, I suggested we hire a film crew with two cameras, a drone, and shoot on location in Sedona. We shot b-roll, used voiceovers, added music, and created a mini-feature film of her talk. Anything is possible now and I encourage all speakers to push the boundaries of their talk in order to stand out. What makes a great TED Talk is when your mind is opened up, changed, and moved into action by hearing this big idea. And if you think of this as what I call theatrical academia, you’ll hit the mark. You wrote a book called The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy. What was your inspiration behind this? I was supposed to be on holiday with my husband, Joe, in Mexico for ten days in June of 2020. And instead, I wrote a book. The systemic racism in the United States, the undignified language coming from the White House, the impeachment hearings, and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd called me to write a book about these injustices and why our words matter. By sharing my personal story of speaking the truth and having the courage to do so, it is my hope that this book can inspire the reader to acknowledge the power in all of our voices, and that anyone can be an influential voice. And by leaving a lasting legacy along with having humility, curiosity and love is how we make the world a better place, together. What are your key initiatives in order to succeed? Success can be defined in a million ways. For me, it’s about knowing I’ve shown up authentically and been able to really make a difference in someone’s life with this work. It’s far more than speaking. The work I do with my community and speakers is transformational. I want to have a small part in creating better human beings with this work. I live by the mottos, “Keep the story moving” and “No means not yet”. If you can’t keep moving forward, you are wasting time thinking about the past and what didn’t work. And no, truly does mean not yet. One of my current speakers applied to my TEDx event three years ago. She was a “not yet”. Now we are working together privately, and she’s booked three TEDx stages in less than six months. Keep showing up. And if you desire to make an impact in the world, then you must relentlessly go after this dream daily. If you do not speak, you are preventing that one person from hearing from you. Remember, when you share your powerful story, you can change and even save a life. I also take extremely good care of myself by going to bed at 7:30 pm and getting up at 4 am consistently. I drink a gallon of water every day, eat extremely well, work out daily, meditate and work my mindset. Just like the plies I did as a dancer. I flex my mindset muscle every single day. What are the most common mistakes people make when speaking in front of an audience, and how do you avoid them? The five biggest mistakes I see over and over are: Being someone you’re not. Unintentional movement. Apologizing from the stage. Making it about you. Using air quotes When you go out on a stage and try to be someone you’re not, the audience won’t trust you. They won’t know why exactly, but they won’t. And they may even like what you are saying, but if you are not being authentic, an audience can feel it and they will disconnect. If you are not clear on why you are moving and when, the audience will be watching you pace back and forth instead of hearing your powerful message. I wrote an entire chapter on performance in The Influential Voice. Moving on stage is choreography and when you are intentional in when you move and when you are still, your talk will make a far greater impact. If you fall, if the mic flies out of your hand, if the slides advance without your knowledge, never apologize. You are the expert. You are the person the audience is looking to learn from. If you apologize, you are undermining yourself and confusing the audience. When something goes wrong, because it will, ask for help. “I’d love to have the AV team come up here and help me with the microphone.” “Thank you for your patience here, as I reset my slides to best serve you.” There is always a better way of communicating when something goes wrong. It’s not “I’m sorry.” When you are taking a big stage and sharing your big talk, it needs to be about serving the audience. When you share your powerful story in service, you become the channel. You become the vehicle with which the powerful ideas are being shared. Checking your ego at the door also allows you to coexist with the fear, because you are no longer wondering, “What if they don’t like me? What if my idea is dumb? What if I epically fail?” Making it about the audience and how to serve them at the highest level, keeps your ego and fear in check. Now that I’m pointing it out, you are going to be shocked at how often people use air quotes when they speak. And most of the time, incorrectly. I think using air quotes is lazy speak. If you are a speaker, choose a better more powerful language. When you use another word that has more impact and allows for creativity, you will connect more deeply to your audience. Have you encountered any major challenges during your journey and how have these affected you? When the pandemic prevented our physical stages from being stepped on, I realized that I needed to innovate for my community in an even bigger way. Living in New York City at the height of COVID was no joke. For me, it meant owning the urgency of my work with my community and giving them an even bigger platform to speak. The live event I was producing became a feature film that I directed and live-streamed. Instead of having these speakers in front of 150 people in a small theater, they spoke to 150 countries. This challenge forced me to find a solution that ultimately had more impact. Being locked down meant being even more vigilant with my self-care routine so that I could show up for my community when they needed me most. They had stories to tell. They had talks to be written and performed, so it was my mission and duty to make this possible during what was a chaotic and uncertain time. And what was birthed were hundreds of amazing talks, transformed lives, and community building that continues to blow my mind. Just this past weekend, I had three speakers at the live TEDxFarmingdale event that I emceed. Three of the community members were speaking on stage and six of the speakers from the community were in the audience supporting. In The Big Talk Community, you might be on stage alone, but you are never by yourself. This was proof in real-time. Do you have any new upcoming projects, and how can someone get in contact with you? I’m currently editing the final episode of my three-part docu-series The Big Talk Over Dinner, on Gender. The Big Talk Academy, my signature speaker training and certification program is available. The Speaker Salon Showcase is happening live on November 10th in NYC for the first time since 2019, and I’m taking applications for 2022. The audiobook of The Influential Voice is being scored by my long-time composer/lyricist and friend Andrew David Sotomayor. You can get in touch with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and on my website. I’d love to offer a complimentary chapter of my book The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy. Check it out HERE.

Written by: Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As humans, we have a natural capacity to allow negative thought patterns to affect our moods and emotions. We are often not present at all. Instead, we recycle through irrational worries, fear, anger, and even sadness from the past or future state. We can criticize ourselves, put ourselves down, feel shame, guilt, or unworthy of receiving the good things in life. These negative thought patterns prevent us from living in the present and hold us back from being in a joyful, happy state. They create imbalance, worry, and fear about things that are never likely to happen. When we stop and pause and become consciously aware of what we are thinking about, we then realize the myriad of scenarios we have on instant replay going through our minds. Often with little relief. How do you quiet the mind and let go of the fear, worry, and emotional pain you have on instant replay? Developing the Practice of Mindfulness Being consciously aware of what we are saying to ourselves helps us recognize negative patterns of thought. It's good to then look at where the thoughts are coming from and consider whether it is a: Fear, worry, concern, or irrational thought? Emotion - like sadness, anger, shame, guilt, frustration, irritation, hurt, hate, disgust, loneliness, feeling unloved or unworthy? The difference between them is that fears and worries are easier to control and manage using mindfulness practices. How Mindfulness Works: For a short time, allow yourself to feel any emotions versus pushing them down, and then gently let them float away, consciously. You can choose to name the story that keeps coming up for you to help raise your conscious awareness of recycling through the same old thought patterns. When it comes up for you again, remind yourself that you are telling the same old story and to pack it up! The more you redirect yourself from painful emotions, criticisms, and fear-based thoughts back to the present moment, these memories and feelings will reduce in intensity and frequency over time. You can also use positive affirmations to replace negative thoughts and emotions as a pattern interrupt to retrain your thought processes. You start to become more of an observer to your feelings rather than be disturbed by them. You can effectively start to disengage from the mental clutter happening and manage and control your emotions more effectively. Benefits of Mindfulness Practice Mindfulness helps you let go of thoughts and feelings that make us feel trapped in past problems or experiences. The more you practice mindfulness, the more you can let go and release the things that have been holding you back from leading a happy life. When you engage in mindfulness practices, you start to retrain your brain and associated neural pathways. The more you do it, the less you will be bothered by negative thought patterns. Liberating yourself from negative thought patterns allows us to live in a state of balance, peace, and joy. Mindfulness enables you to be more present and aware in the moment. And it helps you gain more pleasure from activities and boosts your concentration. Mindfulness practice can reduce stress, anxiety, depression and help you cope better with adverse situations. It puts some space between our thoughts and ourselves to help us break out of conditioned responses. To respond to situations rather than react. For mindfulness to work, we need to bring ourselves back again and again to the present moment. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , and visit my webs ite ! Read more from Rose! Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rose Burnett is a Certified Transformational Coach, Leader, and NLP Practitioner. An Advanced Usui Reiki Practitioner and specializes in Mind Body Soul Balance. With a keen interest in fitness, diet, and nutrition, mind-body-soul connection, and spirituality. Rose works with clients all around the world in Transformational coaching, Empowerment, chakra healing and balance, revitalization of Chi Energy, Soul Light, and Inner Child Healing from Emotional and Karmic Trauma. Rose has a large Astrology & Inspirational YouTube Channel and is the Founder, Warrior Spirit Activewear for Women.

Written by: Patricia Faust, MGS, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It looked like we were on the road to recovery. The world was starting to breathe sighs of relief regarding the spread of the pandemic. We here in the United States were finding joy as we resumed our normal lives. But it was just in this return to normalization that we were caught off-guard by our feelings and emotions. All the losses we had sustained, the isolation we felt, and the accommodations we made to survive this pandemic resulted in open wounds. At this point in time when everything is falling apart again how are we doing? We have a few crises that we can choose from, all of which can bring us to our knees. After a year of intense stress many of us are at the burnout stage and unable to function. Who are the people that experienced this intense stress and fear but have managed to show resilience in a fractured recovery? And who are the people who cannot rally and even function day-to-day? How specifically does our mind respond to a crisis? Mindfulness experts Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, show how the mind responds to a crisis is a choice that we control. All of us are involved in this crisis. We have been witnessing throughout the world, the spread of the COVID virus, and been witnessing and experiencing the spread of worry, anxiety, and instability. Our brain naturally goes to the negative side of any event. Focus and concentration become difficult to maintain. Hougaard and Carter’s study found that 58% of employees reported an inability to regulate their attention at work. Research has shown that as the mind wanders, it gets trapped into patterns and negative thinking. During a time of extreme stress, such as now, the mind becomes even more hooked by obsessive thinking and feelings of fear and helplessness. In this state a chain reaction occurs. Fear begins to narrow your field of vision, and it becomes harder to see the bigger picture and the creative possibilities in front of you. As our perspective shrinks, so does our tendency to connect with others. Anxiety about getting the virus, worries that our loved ones will get it, worries about financial implications and all the other dark scenarios flooding the news and social media – is to a large extent of our own making. Mental resilience, especially in challenging times like now, means managing our minds in a way to face our fear head on. (Hougaard, R., Carter, J., Mohan, M. Build Your Resilience in the Face of a Crisis. March 19, 2020. Harvard Business Review). The fear we understand because it has been a part of our lives for over a year now. But learning how to be resilient in the face of fear is a skill we are just incorporating into our lives. Understanding that no matter how devastating this horrible stress can be, we must believe that it will leave us stronger than we were before. But we must be intentional on how this will shape us. Resilience is a responsive agility that intentionally adapts to the compressive stress that we are experiencing to form us into something better, stronger, and more adept. We choose our actions. We cannot control the situation, but we can control our response to it and determine how the outcome affects us. We take some ownership over the crisis and create our own outcome. Personally, we can practice social distancing, good hygiene, and be calm for our benefit and the benefit of those around us. These life lessons will always serve us. The knowledge we gather as we experience these difficult events will be available for recall for the next catastrophe. It can serve as our template for surviving the next crisis and allow us to be fearless. For more info, follow me on Fac ebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , and visit my web site ! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Faust, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patricia Faust is a gerontologist specializing in brain aging, brain health, brain function, and dementia. She has a Masters'sin Gerontological Studies degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Patricia is certified as a brain health coach and received a Neuroscience and Wellness certification through Dr. Sarah McKay and the Neuroscience Academy. My Boomer Brain, founded in 2015, is the vehicle that Patricia utilizes to teach, coach, and consult about brain aging, brain health, and brain function. Her newsletter, My Boomer Brain, has international readers from South Africa, Australia, Europe, and Canada. Patricia’s speaking experience spans the audiences' spectrum as she addresses corporate executives on brain function, regional financial professionals on client diminished capacity, and various senior venues concerning issues around brain aging and brain health.

Written by: Lauraine McDonald, 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. First, my business is constantly evolving. It is a living entity. It is not static, but rather energy in constant movement, just like us and just like the world we live in. I am learning that following my intuition and staying curious is key. I used to be one for planning everything out. And I mean everything. I had daily planners and to-do lists. I was the organization queen. Not so much now, because it was me trying to be in control of life. The reality is that I am not, and I am not in control of how my business wants to flow either. By listening and following intuition and staying curious about what is going to happen next, my intention is that I can then stay open and see the opportunities that will be presented to me. I can only do this if I am in a place of 'not knowing'. 2. I had to get exceptionally clear on my values. I see my business as an extension of myself—everything I do impacts my business in some way, shape, and form. If I am not living in alignment with who I truly am on a daily basis, my business will not be either. And I desire my business to expand, grow and develop into an empire so that I can help as many people as I can. Getting clear on my values helps me make decisions for myself, whether it be on a personal or professional level. It helps me live with the boundaries that I create, it is easier to make choices, and it allows me to see myself at an even deeper level. 3. I have put value into my time. My time is important and valuable. Time is my greatest resource, and it is the one thing that I will not get back if I waste it. I now prioritize my life and business in a way that resonates with me. I get to work hard in my business, but it is just as important to allow myself to live in the moment and make sure it is not the only thing I am doing. I value work-life balance, always have, and always will. And because I know this, I can constantly check in and see what needs to shift and change so that I honor this part of me and don’t burn out. 4. I get to walk my talk daily. 'They' say that you teach what you need most, and 'they' are correct. It has become very clear to me that if I don’t do my own work, especially if it is on areas that my clients are coming to me for help with, I am no good to them or to myself. I have committed to a life of self-development, and the more I work on myself, the more I love life. Perseverance, trust, and determination pay off. 5. There is no such thing as failure. I can only fail if I lie down on the ground and give up. Running a business is trial and error, just like living life, so if I can take each error as a lesson, I will only gain. 6. Risk-taking has become a must. I am not averse to taking risks but definitely struggle when the risks related to being seen and heard. Success comes from doing the very thing that scares me to my core. And there have been times where I have taken action in my life and my business whilst shaking. It is those actions that have brought me the most rewards. 7. Running a business is the hardest thing I have ever done, but so is life, right? It pushes every single one of my buttons. It is imperative to allow myself to continuously grow, expand, and up-level so that my business can too. In order to do this, being real, honest, and vulnerable with myself and with my clients every single day is imperative. It takes listening to myself wholeheartedly and doing what I feel is best for myself, even when those around me do not agree with what I am doing. 8. Running a business is the most rewarding thing I have done, but so is life, right? I have chosen a way of life that means I get to live my life how I want, and I get to do the things I love every single day. My business and my life are an expression of my heart and soul. It is most certainly not easy all the time, but isn’t this what life is all about; to challenge ourselves, to break free from societal norms, cultures, and behaviors from a family of origin that no longer serve? To actually feel free, content, and whole. When I see my clients accomplishing this, and when I feel it in myself, I feel so much joy and gratitude. I get reminded of my ‘why’ for business and for life. I am truly living the life I am meant to be living in all of its entirety. There is limitless potential, and it is available to all of us. Are you open to finding out more? Message me and let’s chat. Follow Lauraine on her Fac ebook , Instagram , Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more fr om Lauraine ! Lauraine McDonald, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lauraine McDonald is an intuitive guide and empathic healer who has been working with Energy for over 15 years. She has two degrees in Psychology and relishes every opportunity to bridge the gap between the mind and body. Due to many traumatic experiences, she has dedicated her life to helping people connect authentically to themselves and the world around them. She does this by helping you to release past traumas, break free from cultural and societal boxes and innately see and express who you are. Deeply rooted in the Native American Way of Life, Lauraine brings a holistic approach to her work. Lauraine is also a Sexual Abuse Advocate and looks forward to bringing light to the mental health stigma of keeping quiet and holding on to secrets that belong out in the open. Her mission is, "Become you, speak your truth, reclaim your power and step into who you were born to be."