Written by: Ilham N. Musayev, 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. “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Based on my conversation with many people over the last 2-3 years and my personal observations, I observe that there is a need for solid improvement in Personal Effectiveness and Efficiency for many people. People I spoke with also admitted that they need to get on top of these skills or habits and asked for some support. Today I will try to uncover this subject, share some examples from my personal experience , and refer or navigate to modern tools and solutions which could be very helpful to resolve this puzzle. Let’s start by exploring definitions of Personal Effectiveness and Personal Efficiency and understand what they mean in simple terms? I decided to refer to some external resources available on the Internet to keep these definitions as objective as possible and not as my personal view. I liked how Personal Effectiveness was simply and accurately covered by Virtual College © (VC) and decided to share. Let’s see below how VC covers it: What Does Personal Effectiveness Mean? "In short, personal effectiveness means getting the best out of yourself. It’s an approach to success that involves utilizing all of your energy, skill, and motivation to develop and reach the goals you set for yourself. Individuals with good personal effectiveness tend to constantly strive to achieve more, advance their careers, and grow in both a personal and professional sense.” I trust that this is simple enough and easy to understand the definition of Personal Effectiveness is helpful and draws some good picture in our minds. And now a question: "How are you Personally Effective?" Have you ever tried to ask this question to yourself? If you try to answer it, then please be honest with yourself! This is the best gift you can ever give to your best self. The good news is that it is never too late to ask that questions and start making improvements. Where to start? Well, we’ll cover the details in a little while during this conversation. Now, let’s try to uncover what does Personal Efficiency means. I found information from kanbanize.com very helpful: “A truly efficient worker is the one who invests their time, efforts and other available resources into value-generating activities. The measure of the efficiency of a person can be expressed through the relationship between the lead and cycle times of their tasks.” To put it simply (according to zippia.com ): Efficiency is doing things the right way, while effectiveness is doing the right things. Something is effective if it produces the intended result, whereas it is efficient if it functions with the least use of resources. It is possible to be effective without being efficient and vice versa. Now, let’s dive into the characteristics of these 2 magic areas and see what qualities they hold so that we can easily identify them: Efficiency: Process-oriented (best possible methods with least wasted resources) Improves current workflow (present-oriented) Measurable using predefined metrics Time-sensitive Input/output ratio matters Primarily concerned with internal mechanisms (using minimal resources for maximum payoff) Effectiveness Goal-oriented (best possible result, regardless of resources used) Improves quality of work (future-oriented) Difficult to measure Not time sensitive Input/output ratio is not important Primarily concerned with external results (competitive position in the market) Right, we now know enough about these two areas so that we are in a position to evaluate ourselves and understand if we are Effective or Efficient and maybe even both or none of them. As I mentioned above, people I interact with frequently ask if I can share recipes of how I manage my time, as they know I have too much on my plate (work, development, family, personal business) to handle. I always ask the same question in exchange: “What tells you that I am good at managing my time and priorities”? Is it really so obvious to you? I wouldn’t say I am good at it.” The thing is that we are as human beings, tend to underestimate our capabilities and skills and never pay attention to some important details unless receiving feedback. So, the answer to my question I ask in exchange on average comes like “We know how busy you are, you keep producing results, and the things you talk about keep moving and completed.” If I get these or similar comments, I usually agree. But, I know personally that there is a big clash in my priorities and these priorities are not only work or development related. Many dimensions of priorities exist as life is happening now, and we cannot put things in a box! So, we must think from the “there is no box” paradigm to be fully on top of all priorities coming our way to be genuinely Efficient and Effective. And that was my caveat when I said above. I am not considering myself completely Effective and Efficient until I have been introduced to Personal Agility System and start implementing it in daily life. I have always been structured and running things based on priorities. However, I knew that I need a well-structured solution, which helps me bring things together and help me see the bigger picture not only for the work or life priorities but also for all together. That would really help me to answer my main question, “What really matters?” Because this system was not available, sometimes I was focusing on areas which require less attention and effort. PAS system and framework really helped me get all the puzzle pieces together and visualized my priorities on various levels. It is now much easier to see “What really matters” and focus on the right work/life activities, which eventually make life much easier and less painful. My main objective was to understand the areas of importance for me to focus on in terms of impact and deal with those activities in the first instance. Focusing on wrong activities equals wasting productive time, and hence unwanted surprises pop up later when I was not ready. I have achieved my bigger goal of bringing all priorities together by using the Personal Agility System and identifying how those activities fit into my busy schedule. There actually were some activities that required a stop rather than a start. However, it is very individual and personal, and I needed to tailor my priority list to serve my specific mission and create the desired balance. Balance is the keyword here! There are many wonderful PAS tools, which helped me get laser focus on “What Really Matters” for me. In Priorities Map mapping activities by personal/work/development & others helped a lot. Also, marking activities with Urgency status helps as well; I can decide which of the activities make me happy, and most importantly, it is possible to visualize and celebrate little successes and see how they are growing up. Celebrate is another keyword here! This is something that most people do not do . And it is wrong. It brings so many happy moments when we celebrate daily . I also liked the Bread Come trailer tool, which helps to see cumulative progress of Done & Completed activities weekly, which boosts up confidence and positivity levels massively. Overall, I liked the philosophy of the PAS. You first help yourself become organized and effective/efficient, and then you help others achieve the same. As they say, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” The more candles we light, the brighter the environment around us, and smarter and happier people will be serving our society. This is a great contribution to growing a healthier, self-confident, and sustained future. Isn’t that beautiful? I now want to recognize the advantage of the “Forces Map.” It is an amazing tool that lets you visualize what is on the horizon for the period beyond 2 weeks and keeps you awake and alert. That way, it becomes possible to link near and long-term priorities and apply the “inspect and adapt” approach as more information becomes available. I personally think that PAS is a great tool for business people, senior managers, and those who have a lot on the plate to handle; this system definitely helps to boost personal effectiveness and efficiency (we now know what they mean 😊) and get on top of the priorities people have on agenda. Either personally or via recognized practitioner training in just within 4-8 weeks , people can change their lives dramatically by learning PAS and how it helps to point laser focus on “What’s really matter” for them. I am very happy and open to connect and guide on this journey those who really want to move from Personal Effectiveness & Efficiency basics straight to Athletics! It is the right time now to ask yourself a question “What Really Matter?” And remember it is never late! For more info, follow Ilham on LinkedIn & Instagram ! Ilham N. Musayev, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ilham N Musayev is a mentor and coach (outside of the company he works for) who helps people unlock their potential in career and personal development. He also helps in the area of personal effectiveness, setting realistic goals, and becoming organized and structured. Ilham also helps to re-gain the [lost] confidence and look to issues and problems from a different perspective. Another area of his support is helping to cultivate servant leadership via coaching and mentoring technics. Overall, he is an energy sector professional with 23 years of the practical experience obtained by working in one of the leader companies in this sector. Ilham’s experience is very multilayered. He worked and gained his experience from the following functions: Wells, PSCM, Operations, Global Projects, by mainly providing project controls support. For the last three years, he worked in Modernization and Transformation and Agile Design Teams and helped his company transform into new working ways . He currently is a part of the Agility team and, as an agile coach, supports the company by implementing agile ways of working. Ilham holds the following professional certifications and accreditations: EMBA, PMP®, ICP-ATF; ICP-ACC; PSPO I; PAL I. He also is a Professional Life Coach and ICF Professional (Member). Ilham’s position is that staying open for support, serving people as a leader, and helping people to grow is what wins hearts and minds and is the only answer to all questions. His mission: “Aspire to inspire before we expire.”

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. A few years ago, I wrote about the dilemma of money and dementia. The boomers had not moved into the older years of old age just yet. Most of them who heard my message were taking care of their parents and didn’t consider that they would be a high-risk group in the near future. However, the future is here! Boomers are now between the ages of 57 – 75. In the next 10 years, nearly half of the oldest boomers face the likelihood of some cognitive impairment. The rates for mild cognitive impairment and dementia rise from a combined 12% for ages 70 – 74 to 45% for those 80 – 84, according to a 2017 report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Even a mild decline “can erode financial capacity,” the center said. Big Money at Stake Boomers own more than half the estimated $50 trillion in total U.S. household financial assets. Of that $26 trillion, roughly a quarter, or $6.5 trillion, is invested on a do-it-yourself basis. A big majority of that DIY total resides at Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab. The challenging math of asset allocation and withdrawal rates from 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts creates “an enormous problem that we are only vaguely aware of,” says David Laibson, an economics professor at Harvard University who co-wrote a study that found financial skills peak at age 53. Without mechanisms in place to delegate such decisions, investors with cognitive decline may “hold on to the reins even more tightly and steer the horse over the cliff.” Do–It–Yourself Boomers Boomers who are calling the shots without help from wealth advisors are more vulnerable to making bad investment decisions. Unaware of the risks aging brains impose on good financial decision-making, boomers may veer from some “set it and forget it” stock and bond allocation into risky margin debt. They are then unlikely to tell anyone of their mistake because they are embarrassed that they made such a miscalculation. Or it may be that they have a stack of unpaid bills that they lose track of, and somebody has to intervene to sort things out. Or it may be that their finances are a chaotic mess. Meredith Stoddard, Fidelity’s vice president of life events planning, says she knew of one investor who died holding “56 accounts at different firms.” Financial groups around the country are aware of these risks and have taken some steps to protect their clients and protect themselves. Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all solution to deal with cognitive decline. People’s family situations and estate size, and complexity vary. Some people may distrust their own children, complicating a power of attorney designation. Since February 2018, brokerage firms have been required to ask customers to designate a ‘trusted contact’ who can be notified of possible problems. But a survey that was released last October indicated that less than 25% of firms’ clients had provided a name. Another rule that was instituted gives firms greater power to step in and temporarily halt disbursements when fraud is suspected. The Dark Cloud Baby boomers themselves have some responsibility to take steps to prepare for a possible future with cognitive decline. A 2014 survey co-sponsored by Merrill Lynch unit of Bank America found that fears about dementia outweighed all other possible illnesses combined. Fear can’t win in this scenario. Developing a plan for the future is a necessity. One key element of a plan is identifying a person or service provider who can help manage one’s financial affairs, preferably under the kind of legal authority embodied in a power-of-attorney or trust. Another idea is collecting for that person – either in a binder or an internet vault – a list of goals and all of the relevant financial account numbers and passwords, as well as regular monthly bills and important records. In the event that you notice that financial skills are declining in yourself or a loved one – get a cognitive assessment and find out what you are dealing with. Preplanning will make the transition go a whole lot smoother. Denial of cognitive decline puts you at risk of financial scams and exploitation. Not acknowledging this situation only results in bigger losses and greater heartache. For more info, follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , and visit my web site ! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Faust, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patricia Faust is a gerontologist specializing in the issues of brain aging, brain health, brain function, and dementia. She has a Masters in Gerontological Studies degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Patricia is certified as a brain health coach and received a certification in Neuroscience and Wellness 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, throughout Europe, and Canada. Patricia’s speaking experience spans the spectrum of audiences 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: Gina Redzanic, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. With no previous network marketing or sales experience, I built a 7 Figure Business. Today I want to share what I call my “Five to Thrive.” I stand behind these 5 areas of focus! On April 26th, 2021, my company recognized me as their 345th Millionaire. This journey has been one of growth. I have maintained growth year over year, and today I am sharing some key factors to my business growth. Implement and practice your VISION. It is not simply enough to set your vision with goals, fancy vision boards, and a mission statement then set it aside only to remind yourself of it occasionally. You must implement it into your daily work. Over time your vision may change, you may be striving or working for new outcomes as you grow, nevertheless keep that vision as the forefront of your business. It will be what drives you on the down days. I have a daily practice of focusing on this every morning, then set my intentions for the day. I also recommend creating a business plan with a 1-, 5- and a 10-year vision. Stamina in your Business. Set a pace in your business that will work for you! I compare it to running a marathon. If you sprint and take off from the get-go, what can happen? You can pull a muscle, lose steam, even quit…why? Because you didn’t pace yourself. I love momentum, and pushing hard in your business is great, but be sure you find the pace you can stick to in order to avoid massive burnout. If you run the marathon too slow and get distracted by everything, what can happen? You won’t have a great result. Same for your business. You can’t be too lackadaisical and distracted. Stamina in your pace at which you work your business is crucial. For me personally, I typically have 1 week in a month I push super hard, then the rest of the 3 weeks I still focus and work, but I make it a work pace that is comfortable and enjoyable. This practice has allowed me to maintain momentum and a healthy balance of work/life (and avoid burnout!) Be BOLD & Intentional : Step into your greatness and show up with certainty. Drop the “I worry about the opinions of others.” Often, we shrink back out of fear of rejection or judgment. Our brains are designed to keep us comfortable. And I am sure you have heard the saying, “Results are found outside of your comfort zone.” Well, I can testify to this… It is true. My growth came each time I stepped out of that comfort zone and acted boldly in my belief. Over time this developed my confidence and posture, and guess what… Now it is not so uncomfortable anymore! I am also very intentional about my habits and also about who I want to attract into my business. Crystal clear intention has been a practice that has definitely benefited my business. Know your Numbers. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business. With a small business and network marketing, people often are forgetting the importance of treating this as a solid income-producing business. And in doing so, you track your numbers. You track numbers with connections, conversations, new customers, retention, and paychecks! I have found this truly positions a network marketer as a serious professional, rather than just a “side hustle.” Commit to Personal Development: By improving your own unique skills, you and those involved in your organization can create far more value, both personally and professionally. Take the initiative by encouraging opportunities for development within your organization as well as for yourself. Talk about setting goals and putting strategies in place to accomplish them, and always be ready and willing to listen and encourage others along the way. Your leadership in your organization can encourage a personal development mindset by supporting opportunities for development. If you are someone looking for leveraged income online and to be a part of a strong network marketing organization with strong mentorship and leadership, I would love to connect. Visit www.ginaredzanic.com . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from G ina ! Gina Redzanic, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gina Redzanic is a self-made network marketing millionaire, Success Coach, and John Maxwell Certified Speaker and Trainer specializing in Leadership Development. As a busy mom of 2 daughters, Gina balances motherhood and her career through many of the habits and practices she teaches her clients and team. Gina has been featured on Yahoo! Finance, named Top 10 Leadership Coaches in Influencive, and is a contributing author in the best-selling network marketing book series, Momentum Makers. Gina is God-driven and Goal-driven and uses personal development techniques to help others break down their business blocks, take control of their future, and reach success without the presence of "burnout."

Jane Christine is a certified NLP Master Practitioner and Mindset Coach. Originally from Australia, she was working her way up the corporate ladder as a Project Manager, until she questioned her life's purpose. Jane believed there had to be more to life, so she sold everything she owned and set off for a nomadic lifestyle traveling around the world searching for answers and a place to call home, which she finally found in Valencia, Spain. Her search and transformation took her to over 40+ countries. Through incredible life experiences and her own personal growth journey, this guided her to help other women live their dream life with confidence, abundance, and mindfulness. Her travels inspired her quest to learn about the world around us and why we do what we do. Jane Christine, Top Mindset Coach for Highly Sensitive Female Entrepreneurs Since 2012, Jane Christine has been studying the link between our thoughts and behaviors, how our pasts shape us, the stories we tell ourselves, the effects of societal standards, mental strategies with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and the impact of your mindset. Jane believes we are all unique and so are each of our paths to follow. She is dedicated to her clients and supporting their growth and journey. Her motto: Design your life, don't just live it! Tell us a little about your coaching business to help female entrepreneurs grow their confidence, business, and income. Sure, well I help female entrepreneurs, specifically highly sensitive people, scale their business with confidence, alignment & freedom without the grind, second-guessing & uncertainty. I teach mental strategies to help my clients reach their goals with a fearless mindset which allows them to be confident while making aligned decisions that enhance their lives not only their business. Some of the main themes that I guide my clients through are overcome limiting beliefs, perfectionism, procrastination, self-sabotage, overthinking, imposter syndrome, feeling overwhelmed, and to expand their comfort zone not to “step of out” it in order to succeed. I understand that every action starts with a thought. And I believe that behind every action is a positive intention. It’s amazing that our unconscious mind makes 16,000 decisions for us a day, this is great but we can only change that which is in our conscious mind. So shining a light onto our unconscious is where true transformation is at. Not many know but we all have our internal maps of reality, and this is made up of everything we consume, through personal vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and societal standards. So, this is projected externally and these are the perceptual filters we see our world through. If it’s no longer serving you then you have the opportunity to change these filters, and the way you view the world and this will create the experience you want to live in. You know by having your mindset aligned it actually projects into the world and this is what grows my clients' businesses and scales their income as they feel confident internally and in complete harmony within. Mindset is key to everything including wealth, happiness, and confidence. How did you originally get into your coaching business, and what made you inspired to leave your corporate job for the entrepreneur life? Well, I was working up the corporate ladder as a Project Manager in Australia, but it wasn’t completely satisfied. I mean I loved my job and felt so lucky to have that position at such a young age, that was until I questioned my life's purpose. I was actually on a holiday in Egypt when I realized that there had to be more to life than a 9-5 job and waiting until the weekend to truly live. Also, I’d always been interested in psychology and why we do what we do, my curious nature kept me always searching for answers. So, in 2012 when I returned to Australia, I sold everything I owned and set off for a nomadic lifestyle traveling around the world searching for answers and a place to call home, which I finally found in Valencia, Spain. Since then, I’ve been studying all things mindset, neuroscience, behaviors, and the links to thoughts. Actually, my search and transformation took me to over 40+ countries. Through all these incredible life experiences and my own personal growth journey, this guided me to help others live their dream life with confidence, abundance, and mindfulness. Not thinking they have to conform the societal standards and live life unsatisfied. I’ve always had a calling to help and serve others, people have always opened up to me and asked for advice, so it was a natural fit to start my coaching business. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, live by my own values, and not compromise for another. I wanted freedom, travel, limitless income, to decide who I work with, you know I’ve always been motivated but working for a company I had my ideas held back, now I get to play and be creative, I have the full responsibility for each step and so many amazing lessons learnt along the way. Did you initially go it alone or did you receive the support of a coach? I knew it was important to have support from the start, and from different sides of the entrepreneurial life; from a business coach, NLP mentors, group programs for like-minded people in a community, to my own personal healing and growth through therapy. Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) myself I understand the importance of support and guidance especially the responsibility of being your own boss. Of course, you can get there on your own but why not get there faster with guidance and a cheerleader cheering you on, celebrating your successes, the small ones not only big ones. And especially when it comes to mindset work, understanding and learning about the way the mind works is crucial for awareness as this is where true change happens. When you pair that with learning mental strategy techniques to truly transform and stop unproductive and unresourceful patterns from continuing. Breaking those cycles from the root cause is key. But using your intuition is so important as a feminine entrepreneur. It’s also important to “stay in your lane” to not follow how others gained their success as they too had their own limiting beliefs, so you could be holding yourself back by following them. For those who are still in their 9-5 job explain to our readers how it felt to land your first client? Absolutely, I understand the fear and concern when you have that secure monthly income and thinking about taking that leap of faith into your dream job. But when you are in alignment with your purpose, the thing that you are most passionate about, and what gives you energy, your life takes on a new meaning. Honestly, my first client felt like coming home, like I’d finally reached the place I was searching for. And I landed her by talking authentically and connecting in a real and non-salesy way. When you are passionate about your programs, they sell themselves, as people feel your energy and the confidence you have in them. For example, my high-ticket programs are an investment not only in the program but within yourself, you’re telling yourself you are worthy, ready, and dedicated to your evolution. For this reason, I offer a complimentary NLP session to discover if we are a right fit, as I’m very particular with who I work with and for this reason, we both have to feel that connection, trust, and authentic soul to soul understanding. I’m so excited for all the growth and self-realizations my clients are about to discover to live the life they so desired and deserved. That’s why I created my signature FEARLESS FEMALE. program because we all deserve to live a life that is filled with joy, purpose, abundance, love (of self and of others), and the unlimited possibilities to try new things, to view failure not as something negative but as a tool for growth and expansion. I also specifically work with Highly Sensitive People (HSP) as this has been a part of my journey and I believe that our sensitivity is a gift. Even though the entrepreneur industry claims you need to be strong and resilient, I know that by being sensitive you can connect on a deeper level with your clients. It’s all about managing your energy level and boundaries. As HSP can become more overwhelmed than others due to our abilities to notice everything, all the subtleties. This means we can pick up on more things and this is an asset when you can embrace and harness this skill. You know it’s possible to take that leap of faith confidently and fearlessly knowing that you have the skills to learn everything you need in order to reach your goals and desires. Why do you feel that mindset coaching is so crucial to people who want to live the entrepreneurial life? Well specifically with mindset coaching it is the only thing holding you back from truly living the life of your dreams. You can learn all the business strategies and blueprints and still not have the success you see others having using the same strategies. Why is that? Mindset is the key. We all do the best with what we currently have but saying “either you have it or you don’t” come from a fixed mindset. Working with a mindset coach can help you retrain your mental strategies, you can learn how you make choices unconsciously, how to overcome fear, and what’s holding you back. This mindfulness allows you to step into your growth mindset, which is filled with abundance, confidence, a beginner’s mind that is open to all possibilities fearlessly. Every action starts with a thought, and I have noticed an increase in other coaches adding in mindset modules in their programs as they see the worth and need for mindset work, to have an empire that is sustainable and enjoyable. How would you describe the life of an entrepreneur to our readers? Well, it depends on what path you take. You could take the usual path, following blueprints, courses, and copying others that came before you, and by consuming social media and focusing on what others are doing. Or you could choose to follow your own unique path and really uncover your harmony within. Allowing your intuition to guide you and ensuring your both your values and actions are in alignment. For example, my clients' lives after working with me are filled with the heart and mind connection, this attracts abundance and wealth, but it’s more than just the expansion of income, which is a by-product of the deep inner work. It’s actually priceless how their mindset has opened them up to a world filled with fun, and pleasure without the need to grind or feeling they have to struggle their way to the top. They are confident within themselves, they have a clear understanding of how their emotions manifest in their bodily response and being able to read their feeling indicators and use the NLP tools they’ve learnt to consciously course correct. They have aligned their unconscious goals with their new conscious goals to there is no longer internal conflict. And they have freedom of time for family, friends, travel, and creating special moments with loved ones, which is a huge reason why my clients want to be their own CEO along with wanting to make a positive impact on the world and sharing their unique gifts because they know it is united with their life’s purpose. They have freedom in all aspects of their lives. But most importantly they are no longer held back from limiting beliefs and fear. This is how I would describe the life of being a fearless female entrepreneur. What has been the most invaluable life lessons you've learnt from building your own business? Trust yourself! It sounds so simple but listen to your intuition. I know most associate our intuitions with our guts, that spiritual knowing, however from a neuroscience and NLP perspective this is a collection of experiences, data, knowledge in our unconscious that makes risk assessment decisions faster than you could ever process consciously. It’s because of this we don’t know why we feel something we just “know” it feels right because our mind is so powerful and our unconscious mind will always win against our conscious mind. And getting to know how your mind works and the strategies it uses to behaviour and take action is life-changing. I’ve also learnt to lean into “failure” which I don’t like to use this word, I prefer to say “moments of learning”. I believe that rejection is the universes protection, and this allows me to reflect and realign with my goals and come back to my fundamental motivation and values. It’s so easy to get swept up in the masculine energy of strategies, struggle, hustle, grind but that is a form of pushing and you could be pushing away soul clients. It’s true that I’ve been conditioned by the corporate world that the only way to succeed is by acting from the masculine energy – I disagree wholeheartedly! I’ve learnt to lean into my feminine energy, go with the flow of my 4 phases in each month and use them to my advantage. I no longer fit into my schedule but I create my schedule around my natural energy phases. Being an HSP it’s imperative to honour your energy boundaries and to go slow to prevent the burnout and overwhelm associated with the hustle and grind mentality. I also have learnt to not consume things that doesn’t align with where I am going, and including who you surround yourself with, as this has a direct influence on how you show up in the world and use your perceptual filters we spoke about earlier. So, when you’re not building your female empire where do you like to spend most of your time? It’s so important for that work/life balance, actually no, it’s more life than work! Of course, in the beginning, most entrepreneurs get caught in the trap of spending every waking moment in that grind getting their business off the ground, but usually, they are focused on the wrong aspects. I fell into that trap also because I was following the strategies that say you need a website and all the backend stuff that none of your clients really care about. They just want results. But isn’t that why we all wanted this entrepreneurial life, to really live it?! So, you can usually find me in nature with my husband and dog hiking mountains, or at the beach. Luckily, we live in Spain, so we have the best of both worlds! I love breathwork and yoga to manage my energy levels and ensure I stay grounded and do not get overwhelmed, and I love running by the lake, playing tennis, and working out. We are a very active family! I love to flex my mind and body to see the limits they have, it is incredible what our bodies will do with the right mindset. We also are motorcycle lovers, so we are often on the open road having adventures or traveling to see new places, cultures, people, and food. We love trying new cuisines! Where can people find you online? The best place to catch me is on Instagram, @hijanechristine, or directly on my website. Can’t wait to meet my Highly Sensitivity People wanting to live their dream life effortlessly and in alignment, see you soon. You may also connect with Jane on her LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Jane!

Written by: Jane Tarrant, 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. A couple of months ago, I noticed that although I was coping well with quite a lot, I was recognizing the first signs of overwhelm. At 32, I have a 2-year-old (with a husband on shift work), and at the time of this overwhelm a 97-year-old Grandparent who was sadly declining rapidly towards the end of life care. From all sides, I had responsibilities requiring a lot of time, effort and emotional energy. I was dealing with this alongside a 3 day a week job and my own business, LiNK BREATHING, which had to slow its growth to accommodate additional family responsibilities. I really needed to find some creativity in my own business to make more incremental progress but knew I was expecting too much of myself with so much pulling on my energy. I was keen to write a book but just couldn't get in the zone. So I went for a walk with a friend and talked through these feelings. I realized that being premenstrual, which is a time I like to escape from my family for a few hours, that I needed to give myself the permission to step back completely from responsibility. It so happened that my husband had a day off. I booked myself 24 hours away the very next day, staying in an Airbnb. It cost me £75 for a room in a beautiful home, and it was 30 minutes from my home. When I got there, I was able to enjoy a chat, a cuppa and some lunch without time pressure or a toddler all over me. I was able to roll out my yoga mat twice! I was able to walk without the need to check my messages, plug into a podcast or expect myself back at any time. I was able to draw for the sake of drawing, not just to entertain my daughter. I put no pressure on myself to achieve anything. The very fact that I had stepped away from all responsibility for 24 hours allowed me to fill my energy levels back up and unlock my creative blocks. By allowing myself this space to be fully plugged in to my needs and without any worries for anyone or anything else, I found my greatest creativity. I left there having put down on paper the first draft of a children's book around the topic of my business. It came to me when I was least expecting it. I even redesigned a room at home in my head. I managed to take time for myself without feeling remotely guilty. I had absorbed the energy and creative visuals of what was around me. By doing less, I achieved more and did it in a way that filled me up. I came back as a better business owner, mother, wife, granddaughter, employee, etc. What did I miss out on? I missed one email from a journalist from the Guardian looking to ask me some questions on breathing with a same-day deadline. How did I feel about this? For a second, I was gutted, as this would have been good for my business, but in no way do I regret my priorities: My health is my number one priority, even if I miss out on opportunities occasionally. If you are looking for an excuse to give yourself permission. Take it from me. I was totally happy with just some time off and nothing to come of it. The fact I gained more during the actual time off was a bonus. I have gained so much more since I've been back at home. I hope this inspires you to step completely away for a day. I’d love to hear from you if you do. P.S. I give myself regular hours off throughout the week. It is not about the need to rest or find an ounce of time for myself. This is a necessity for anyone. It is about being able to step away from the huge amount of pressure we put on ourselves and put ourselves first utterly and completely. One day away felt like the benefit of an entire week's vacation. Because let's face it, we are all trying to find a way to be efficient, and I just saved myself 6 days and the financial cost of that. P.P.S. The reason I had managed to cope so well for so long is due to the level of self-awareness I have. I regularly track my body and mood to ensure habit changes where necessary, just as I teach my breathing and awareness coaching clients through LiNK BREATHING. It is important to recognize, however, that no one is immune to overwhelm of raising its head. The trick is to recognize it and shift direction fast enough that overwhelm does not become the norm. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Jane Tarrant, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jane Tarrant is a UK-based Breathing and Awareness Coach specializing in one-to-one and corporate breathing coaching. She is passionate about supporting others to feel empowered to improve their own health in a way that is incremental, accessible, habit-driven, and based on awareness. Jane supports her clients to address dysfunctional breathing and breathing pattern disorders (aka unhealthy breathing) as well as improve general body awareness. Jane loves to raise awareness of issues that stop us from living more of a life. She hosts the LIVING MORE OF A LIFE podcast, creating a space to discuss important and taboo topics as well as provide a space to share free education on breathing and body awareness. Ultimately, she wants to improve the education we provide to our kids when it comes to taking control of our health and the importance of doing so.

Written by: Karin Brauner, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How many times have you wanted to say “no” or “not right now” to someone and said “yes” instead? How did you feel? I know I have done that in the past, and still have to remind myself that it’s OK to say “no” once in a while. The results of not saying “no” when all of our being is screaming for us to do that might be deeper than we thought. Here are a few to think about: You’ll end up in a situation where you wish you weren’t, looking at the time or planning for the next available moment where you can leave and do what you wanted to do in the first place. You’ll resent yourself and feel awful for not listening to your gut feelings. You’ll resent the person or people you said “yes” to for even asking you to do something you didn’t want to do. Your mental health might suffer because you’re not being true to yourself. But what about the guilt that comes with saying “no”? Good question! Dealing with the guilt is a big part of setting boundaries. Here are a few things that might be bringing the guilt up when you choose to say “no”: Not meeting societal expectations where we have to be there and be everything for everyone else, to our own detriment. We’ve been raised to think we’re selfish when we think of ourselves. We are “people pleasers” that can’t stand feeling like we let someone down. We’ve put ourselves on the side or in the background for so long that putting ourselves first is an alien concept. People we say “no” to are not used to us doing that, so they will guilt-trip us into saying “yes” (how convenient for them if you cave, right!) Some simple things you can start doing to minimize guilt and maximize being true to yourself, and therefore setting boundaries and saying “no”: Is society living your life? Is your friend or family member living your life? Do they know your life circumstances or your immediate needs? Maybe you are really tired or need some space, but they can’t see it because you’ve not voiced it. The only way to get our needs met is to set boundaries. Saying “no” doesn’t mean you don’t like or love someone. It just means you’re choosing to love yourself first and honour yourself first. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to help – sometimes it does – it just means you’re being true to yourself and preventing resentment of yourself and others. Self-care is not selfish. It’s essential. Setting boundaries and meeting our own needs are essential. If we look after ourselves before others, we will have more emotional, mental, and physical energy to help them with the things they want us to help them with. Bring yourself back to the forefront of your life. You can do this by weighing your options, listening to your gut feelings about each request that comes your way, go to therapy for the sole purpose of figuring out what you want out of life, what you need in your relationships, and how you want to achieve those things. Stand firm when your boundaries are challenged. You better than anybody else know where you are at this particular point in life. You know why you’re saying “no” or “no, later” right now. Honour that, and if you stand firm, people will start to honour it too. I’ve written 20 Self-Care Habits with lots more practical ways for you to set clear boundaries and meet your needs. It’s now available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Karin Brauner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karin Brauner is passionate about helping people get on track – or back on track – in their personal and professional lives through practical tools and inspirational conversations in a variety of settings. Karin teaches tools that she’s learned and developed throughout her own life and career. She knows how hard things can get, but also how great things can be once you move through to the other side. She now shares the knowledge she’s gained, through various mediums, to show people a path to better self-care, support when processing their past, and working out their present so they can lead an improved life and thrive in their personal and professional relationships.

Written by: Camilla Fellas Arnold, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We’ve all been there at some point. Things are not going well. We’re struggling, feeling frustrated, and it feels like we’ll never get to where we want to go in life. Outcomes the inner critic asking, ‘what’s wrong with me?’ Perhaps you’ve made a simple mistake, and someone has said accusingly, ‘what is wrong with you?’ We’ve been conditioned over time to look for these wrong parts of ourselves and lock them away because we assume they must be the reason for our mistakes. They must be the reason things aren’t working out as we want them to be. But what if the things you thought were wrong with you were exactly what was right with you? That your unique way of doing something or looking at the world is something, you could use to your advantage instead of feeling like it’s a handicap to your success. The truth is, up until a few months ago, I was in the ‘something is definitely wrong with me’ boat. I was convinced that my inability to be successful was down to my inability to stick with something very long. I had spent years trying out different creative careers, starting up new business ventures, and abandoning them within years, sometimes only months, when success didn’t feel forthcoming. I felt like a ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’ It’s All In The Reframe Then one day a few months ago when I was lamenting all the failed attempts, and when I was beginning, once again, to feel directionless and confused in my business, a dear friend said, in an offhand way, ‘what’s wrong with you, is usually what’s right with you.’ I didn’t understand it. How could that be possible? My friend was convinced it was true. So I started to explore what I’d really been doing when I’d originally thought I was being flighty, doubtful, and self-abandoning. What I found was I had been exploring. I had been learning. Like a wanderer on their travels, I had read widely, experimented, both failed, and succeeded spectacularly in gathering a wealth of knowledge and experience. Armed with this new perspective, suddenly, all the pieces of my life fit together in a new way. I saw that as I support and coach emerging writers and creative talent, I can bring my knowledge of aesthetics and elite branding to the table from my previous pursuits in graphic design to elevate the level of work they produce. I bring business intelligence to the arena due to my understanding of streamlining and templating that will support creatives in becoming so much more efficient, relaxed, and free-flowing creatively. I reframe sharing on social media into a way that lets them feel embodied and makes the content feel natural and organic rather than forced and formulaic. By flipping what I thought was wrong with me, what I thought were weaknesses, and turning them into strengths, I found renewed passion and vigour for what I do. I’ve rewritten my entire business from the ground up and am excited to relaunch. But most of all, I feel confident, capable, and empowered by what I do. I no longer feel apologetic, and I know what I do genuinely helps people. To put it simply, it’s been a life-changing reframe for my mindset, and here are my top tips for you to do the same. How You Can Turn What’s Wrong With You Into What’s Right With You Remember that it wouldn’t do us any good to all be the same. Variety is the spice of life, and your unique experiences, interests, knowledge, approach, and perspectives are what makes you YOU! Celebrate your uniqueness rather than wanting to blend in with the crowd – that’s boring! Ask yourself how you can turn a weakness into your greatest strength. Have you gathered up some really interesting life experiences that you can use to inspire or teach? Does your unique approach to doing something make you more efficient or has unexpected outcomes? Perhaps instead of thinking your sensitivity makes you weak, reframe it to being an incredible empath that can build deep connections and rapport with people or that being in tune with your emotions allows you to release them quicker rather than bottling them up inside. Get out of your head. Too often, we can’t see the wood for the trees, and it’s hard to be objective when it's personal. Talk to a trusted friend, colleague, or mentor about what you perceive as wrong or weak – what do they see instead? Sometimes the things we think of as being the worst parts of ourselves are what other people admire and wish they could do themselves. Ditch the naysayers. It’s bad enough that we all walk around with our own worst inner critic, but you don’t need that negativity coming from other people either. If someone says something is wrong with you, walk away. Their criticism is more of a reflection on them than it is you, so free yourself from toxicity and find the people who love you as you are. Be passionate about all the parts of you. If anyone has ever called one of your hobbies weird, but you adore it, and it lights you up, keep doing it. Love all the elements that make up the rare and wonderful you and share them with passion in the world. The more you radiate your truth, the more you fully align with the values that make you tick. You become a magnet for the people that will love you for exactly who you are, and those people won’t think anything is wrong with you either. Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website! Read more from Camilla! Camilla Fellas Arnold, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Camilla Fellas Arnold is the founder of a hybrid book publishing house, a writing coach, and a writer with British and Cypriot heritage. She is currently writing her own fictional series and a non-fiction book, The Meraki Life, on the concept of 'meraki,' a Greek word in which she teaches ways to live life with love, joy, and soul. A lifelong book lover with a passion for storytelling, she studied Design for Publishing, worked as a freelance book designer at a small press learning about the publishing industry, and honed her communication skills as a freelance writer and wedding photographer. It was a panic attack at a wedding that was the push she needed to return to the world of stories, setting up Tecassia as a hybrid publisher in late 2019, handling book production and distribution for visionary leaders, and coaching authors through the book writing process. Her vision is to provide a platform for authors to share their voices that they otherwise might not be able to access through traditional publishing. Co-publishing in a collaborative way, it is her mission to publish extraordinary books from incredible leaders that inspire and change lives.

Written by: Dominic Emerson, 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. Master your voice and claim the victory. You have a voice that is ready to shout for the victory but, are you willing to go through the process to become the master of your voice? Using your voice in times such as these is how the victory will be won. See when you master the inner self and the inner voice that’s been waiting to be unleashed for victory and success in life. You are setting yourself free to dream and believing that the words that you speak have the power to change and the power to uplift and the power to encourage others to have a voice of victory. What does that victory look like? Who are you encouraging? How has your voice brung victory into your life and other lives? I challenge you today to be unapologetic and speak up and speak out that today is the day that you have the victory and you are going to use your voice to be a change agent you're going to be someone who is going to inspire and going to motivate. Because you are the voice of victory. Let your voice roar loud like a Lion that is uncaged and free. Curtis Armstrong said, “without a plan, there’s no attack, without attack there’s no victory. We must attack every obstacle that stands in the way of our victory. No matter how hard or how long the battle we must realize that there is no surrender or retreat, victory in all that we do is the only objective for success. Lift your voice. Bill Russell said, “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory." How deeply are you concentrating on the victory that you want and desire. See if you are going to fight to master your voice then your going to have to fight until you can’t fight anymore. Because success and the victory is just on the other side of whatever battle your facing. Run the race. Walk the mile. Enjoy the journey. Just don’t stop. To have the Master Mentality you must be brutally honest with yourself in order to improve who you are. See words can render you powerless. It can steal your dream. It can rob you of your self-esteem. For this reason creating and maintaining your voice of victory is important for long term success. You have to be so passionate about what you are doing that you have no time to think about what others are saying. When we focus on self and the growth of our voices we build a wall that blocks out all negative thoughts and ideas. You are the master of your voice now claim the victory. We don’t get to sit back and wait or someone giving us a handout which is rare these days, so you have to get up and get to moving. You must start to think about what direction you’re going in, then plan it out. I find that writing it down and putting it in a visible spot where you can see it gives you the motivation to act upon it. You have to begin to have clarity about your goal, see you have a voice that’s victorious what is holding you back from using it. Someone once asked me, am I a conversationalist and I said yes because I realized that my voice is important to me and for me. What’s the one thing that you desire the most for yourself? If you can answer that question then you have a starting point. To be able to use your voice or the given skill, you have there must be a starting foundation. I spoke with an architect about how does one build a building and he said it’s simple with a plan then survey the land test the dirt before you dig and once it is all together then you start the process of the work. Have you started the process of the work? Trust me when I say that the greatest thing one can do for themselves is to start working on ones goals and be intentional about them. Your mind will start to change and when that does your voice will start to grow more confident towards achieving that victory of the success and life you want. I found that success comes in all forms not just monetary, sometimes it’s the small wins throughout the day that you have created that shows you that success is evident. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website ! Dominic Emerson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine He is a servant to others. He has been a keynote speaker. He has a passion for transforming thoughts and encouraging others to have a Master Mentality. He is a published author. He is someone who seeks to help bring out one’s desires.

Written by: Noel Powers, 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. "Without Vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18 As a new president, John F. Kennedy (JFK) was energetically dedicated to furthering the great causes of the American legacy, but he saw what rightfully concerned him about doing so based on the state of the union, an anxious nation with no clear direction. A people of great capacity, of unparalleled drive, innovation, and industry that suffered from no collective goal to which they could apply that capacity for unity and achievement. He was in a position all leaders find themselves. He saw a lack of direction and felt the weight of responsibility to decisively lead others to their best future, securing stability, welfare, and success through a defined purpose. The people were without vision and had begun to perish, and the evidence was the products of uncertainty, doubt, tension, and unease, a process of slow decay where the disengaged became the disenchanted. Kennedy's Vision for America Kennedy understood that to lead effectively. He must posit a vision that was worthy of the people it affected. To provide a new horizon. A destination that made people look “Up.” One that required them to reach and stretch and grow. He chose the moon . Key experts, politicians, researchers, and agency heads warned him this mission was impossible, that they simply lacked the resources, the science, the talent, the ability to connect the disparate organizations that it would dispirit the people proposing the attainment of such a great accomplishment that could not be realized given present circumstances . The first step he took was stepping out of the shadow of his own doubt into the light of inspiration and then invited others to do the same. In his words, "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." What his vision accomplished: Americans looked up at a promising achievement, not around at conditions that led nowhere. They understood that fulfilling the vision was impossible without their individual contribution . They understood implicitly that it was a vote of confidence for Kennedy to choose the most demanding and rewarding goal- and it brought out the best in people because they were reaching for greatness and It proved that when you commit to a goal that is impossible now , the potential to achieve it flies back in time , unlocking peoples' desire and capacity to achieve it. In the end, it wasn't science, technology, or mathematics that closed the distance of 238,900 miles from the Earth to the moon- it was the vision. What stops you from pursuing your vision? As a leader, your greatest accomplishment is providing a vision for others, choosing an elevated destination and a blueprint, select ideals, goals with fantastic tangible and intangible benefits that trigger engagement from people to invest in your "what is possible" to develop and contribute based on their unique, and growing aptitudes. Too often, people assume leadership positions, become entrepreneurs, CEOs, and other roles because they are inspired to make a positive impact on other people's lives. They are driven by human elements of inspiration, collaboration, optimism, and the excitement of growing to the size of the next challenge. Then after initial success start to resemble the nay-sayers of the Kennedy era. They are removed from their source of personal inspiration and the nexus of traits that accompany it that make accomplishment possible, creating goals based on present resources and circumstances as the sole decider of aspiration. You can pick the status quo or excellence. Are you driving the curve or merely trying to catch up? Most leaders eventually embrace the status quo over excellence and exceptionalism. Vision and inspiration slowly leave them, and another version of them emerges, someone that is limited in their thinking, personally removed, who asks for inspired actions from others without providing any as the lead role model. This trend relegates them from inspiring and aspiring leaders to average, complacent, dated authorities who wonder why their company follows suit, struggling for meaning, fading in relevance, a slow march of decline after a sprint of success. They remove an all-encompassing vision, the source of human engagement, and wonder why people suffer, why uncertainty creeps in, promoting doubt, tension, and unease. Making a once exceptional team part of the general low-trust business culture that never looks beyond numbers on a ledger, a disharmonious blend of people with no reason to lead and no reason to follow . Take the first step to lead with vision. If you lead with vision, the people will flourish . Decide today what inspired destination will be your company's chief aim. Look inside yourself for the most meaningful enterprise to plug into the operation of a business. Follow the example of great visionaries like President Kennedy, never heed what the experts deem realistic only to trail perpetually behind others, reaping average returns but instead step out of the shadow of your own doubt and share a vision with others that let them know the “extra” they give is a personal contribution to greatness to a cause worthy of their best efforts. Be bold, focus on your ideals, find a solution for some problem, engaging the higher energies and aspirations of the teams you gather. Let the possibilities unlock with their potential as you push and drive others forward to gather increasing support and reward on the new trail you blaze. When you teach others to look “Up,” you will always lead the next best trend, your company reaping the profit, prestige, and preeminence based on your legacy of excellence benefitting those you love to serve most. Noel Powers is a Business Vision Coach, speaker, and writer of 20 years and a 2021 Brainz CREA Award nominee. If you are inspired to provide a Vision for your company to maximize engagement and profit, book a free 15-minute discovery call to uncover your best leadership capacity today! Download the free PDF Vision to Profit and receive weekly keys that unlock your power as an entrepreneur. Npoweredlife.com Follow Noel on Facebook, Linkedin and subscribe to her Youtube Channel for more information. Read more from Noel ! Noel Powers, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Her lifelong passion for helping entrepreneurs unlock their potential by discovering their vision and leadership style inspired her to create NFactor Coaching, combining the best practices from her 20 years of training and teaching in some of the world's largest business training circuits, including BNI and Peak Potentials. Noel takes clients through a unique Vision-to-Profit process, identical to the thinking and habits that led many of the leaders of today's top companies (like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Sarah Blakely) from inspired start-ups to industry dominance. Noel facilitates this process, teaching Entrepreneurs and CEOs the unique traits (she has coined "E" traits) that UNLOCK their power to instantly lead and grow their companies with Vision with a convenient, online Trademarked 12-Week Shakedown. This interview with Coach Noel will share powerful tips that help you employ the human elements of Visionary Leadership to build a brand people want to buy so that you can transform your company's vision into profit.

Asim Aliloski is an Austrian bestselling author, transformational speaker, spiritual leader, and award-winning business and life coach. Asim has been listed amongst the 101 Most Fabulous Coaches in the World 2020, Top 20 Business Coaches 2021 and he is a proud winner of the European Enterprise Awards 2020. Asim's mission is to share spiritual wisdom that uplifts the energy and consciousness of people and businesses. He has been working with influential leaders, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and creatives helping them to unleash their intuition and spiritual intelligence to create personal fulfillment, ultimate abundance, and divine greatness along with a high-end lifestyle. Asim, CEO of Asim Aliloski International, founded his coaching and consulting business at the age of 25 and has been exploring the power of consciousness for several decades. He has been featured by international media and has been publishing over 100 articles about personal and professional development. The native Viennese with Greek-Macedonian origins combines in his work elements from ancient Greek philosophy with universal spirituality rooted in Sufism and Buddhism along with transformative coaching. Coming from an underprivileged family living on welfare, he mastered becoming one of the most recognized spiritual coaches and leaders in the world. Asim Aliloski, The Spiritual Shapeshifter Asim, you come from an underprivileged family. How did you go through this transformation? My parents immigrated to Austria in the 70s. I grew up with my brothers and sisters in a studio apartment with no warm water and a proper bathroom. The toilet was in the hallways. We had enough to eat but life was hard. However, I always had this inner feeling, even as a child. THIS voice in me saying that I am meant for greatness. Can you remember a situation where this little voice talked to you? Well, I remember one situation with my father where this little voice talked rather THROUGH me. He wanted me to help him wash his car. I said that I am not interested in cleaning. He got surprised while insisting that I should learn to wash a car because I will need it when I am older. I answered: “I won’t need to wash my car by myself if I don’t want to.” I was almost 6 years old. Don’t get me wrong! I am not against cleaning. I occasionally clean my apartment. And I like it. I just didn’t like the idea that I wouldn’t have a choice because we were poor. You mentioned once that you lived on welfare after your business failure. How was that for you? I founded my coaching business at the age of 25 but nobody wanted to work with me. So I was living on welfare for a short time. I think I also needed to recover from my father’s mental illness and suicide at this point. Together with my partner, we stayed in a tiny apartment in Vienna trying to make it somehow. I remember, one day, I went to a hospital for a coccyx contusion but they sent me back because I didn’t have health insurance. It was hard but I knew that I want to master my life, not just finances but every area. People hear you say that you have a low level of tolerance. What do you mean by that? True. I have a very low level of tolerance. If I don’t like a situation or something in my life, I hardly compromise or settle for it. I don’t tolerate the situation as my destiny. So I am willing to do everything I can to transform it. Even if it means that I need to change myself. Thus, I can be very persistent with my goals. I don’t care if it takes days or decades. Sometimes you talk about healthy egoism. Why is it good to have a healthy egoism? I was fighting for my recognition, dignity, freedom, and abundance. I know it sounds egoistic. People will tell you that you’re here for others and to help others. But I think it’s an act of self-love to want the great things in life just for yourself. Simply because you honor and respect yourself enough. I don’t want to be successful just for my parents or anybody else. I want it for myself. So here is what I want: I am here to unleash my greatness. I am here to unfold my own truest and highest versions of myself. I am here to discover my own greatest potentials and possibilities. I love upgrading my lifestyle. I am here to live an abundant life with meaningful success. I believe if I want to grow and become a greater version of myself, I will inevitably be in greater service for others. Do you think it is easy for others to get along with you? And why do you describe yourself as a spiritual shapeshifter? I am pretty easygoing. Even as an introvert, I enjoy being around the right people, if it’s not for too long. But I think people sometimes don’t understand me really because I don’t fit anywhere fully. Today, I can meditate in a simple monastery, and tomorrow I can spend my day on a superyacht. I feel comfortable around billionaires and also with hippies. I am kind of a spiritual shapeshifter and some might have difficulties pinning me down. In the beginning, I thought that something is wrong with me because I never feel like I fully belong to a certain community. But now I know that I don’t need to fit in. I can be anywhere and nowhere. I can be where I want to be at this moment. I am not limited. And this is true freedom. What helped you to transform your life? Well, there is one thing I was good at: Asking for help. I had my first mentor at the age of 19 and thank God I didn’t need to pay her for coaching me since I didn’t have the money. I am still so grateful for her help. I think asking for support is an act of strength. I’ve never stopped asking for inner and outer guidance. When I first met wealthy people who were balanced at the same time, I was surprised to see that they had support for almost everything. They don’t say it out loud on TV but I saw them have help for their mental health, their nutrition, their brain performance, wealth, children, travel, household…. everything. My experience is if you allow help and support in your life, you will receive it. Because life itself is here to deeply support you. You don’t necessarily give away your responsibility when you ask for help. You just become better at managing what you are responsible for. Who are your ideal clients? My clients enjoy being successful and wealthy. They live a high-end luxury lifestyle or go for it. At the same time, they look for their inner divinity. They want to unleash their greatness and make a positive impact in the world while creating meaningful success with more ease and flow. My job is to guide them through their inner and outer journey of achievements, setbacks, healings, and transformations. I have been working with wonderful leaders, entrepreneurs, millennials, celebrities, and creatives of all genders, colors, nationalities, and sexual identities. It’s a privilege to be a chief witness of people’s lives. You call yourself a spiritual business and life coach. What does spirituality mean for you? I grew up in a family where neither religion nor spirituality wasn’t truly practiced. I graduated from Business University in Vienna and wanted to work in the finance industry. But there was a feeling in me saying that I am more than just my personality. I am something beyond my conditioning. More than my past. I am a divine being, a co-creator of my reality. So I started discovering my own spiritual roots. I found them in a country called North Macedonia where my parents originally come from. So I began studying its Sufism and Greek philosophy. Then I lived in Bali where I got in touch with Buddhism and Hinduism. For me, true spirituality is simply a feeling of deep connection with a higher supportive power residing in and around us. If you let this higher power flow through you, you can be unfolding the highest and truest versions of yourself which include your gifts, your talents, your purpose, and the lifestyle you desire. What are the best coaching tips you want to share with our readers? Heal your past! Be honest with your soul’s deepest desires! Lower your tolerance! Dare greatly! Don’t be afraid to ask for support! Get better at enjoying life and having fun! Align with your divinity! Don’t stop growing! Live your life by your design! And live an amazing lifestyle! Thank you, Asim, for sharing your story with us. My pleasure! Thank you so much. Follow Asim on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit his website for more info!

Written by: Aryana K. Rollins, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How often have you been on fire about a project - enthusiastic, excited, engaged, and then fell into a “procrastination dead zone” in near-record time? You felt like two different people. One passionately wanted to achieve, be more, do more; the other was fearful, operating from a plan that your visionary self didn’t choose. Your progress was inconsistent. On good days, you could take three steps forward and two steps back, but on bad days, you moved forward and backward at the same time. A whole lot of doing but getting nowhere. What’s happening? The short answer is that you are out of alignment with your True Self. (The long answer on how that happened would take me hours to explain ☺.) First, a quick definition, "Your True Self" is a state of awareness. You can call it your inner voice, intuition, or higher self. It’s your inner spirit that intrinsically knows what is for your highest good. When you align with your essence, your True Self, you have a source of powerful energy that assists you in creating your vision and bringing it into reality. Your True Self is your cheerleader, your champion, your growth teacher, and much more. However, since birth, your True Self has likely taken some hard knocks. The echoes of your “schooled brain” — the voices of teachers, parents, siblings, spouses — create noise and can disconnect you from your True Self. ALL of your internal struggles come from a failure to align your relationships, work, and health choices to your True Self. Here are Six Signs of Failure to Align With Your True Self: You often feel tired. You’ve lost your mojo—your drive and enthusiasm have evaporated. You doubt yourself and second-guess your decisions. You are highly self-conscious, constantly wondering what others think of you. You procrastinate, putting off projects and decisions. You tell yourself stories those things aren’t so bad in painful areas of your life. You need to understand that when you continue to ignore your True Self’s attempts to get your attention, life continues to be a struggle. When you neglect the above six signs, health symptoms and negative messages grow stronger. All of this sounds pretty grim. Let’s look at what living is like when the struggle is released, and your True Self is in the driver’s seat. When you are listening to your True Self, you become aligned with your core nature. You operate and create your life from what is natural for you, your place of EASE. You are more in love with yourself, your spouse, your children, and your work. Your personal and work realities suit who you are, and you become less inclined to respond and react to the harsh taskmaster of your internalized critical parent. The feelings you had as a young child, so in love with life that you bounced out of bed each morning eager for the day’s adventures, are your constant companion. That probably sounds like bliss, right? At this point, you are probably asking, “How do I align with my True Self?” First, bear in mind that you may have been ignoring True Self’s messages for a very long time, and True Self has stopped trusting you to listen. Imagine that you have a friend who calls you, wants to get together, and you are consistently unavailable. Phone call after call, you ignore their calls. Eventually, your friend stops reaching out. If you want to reestablish the friendship, you must pursue it actively. The same applies to your True Self. After years of tugging at your shirttails, pleading for a voice, and being ignored, it no longer believes that you will listen, so it has gone silent. You must coax it out again. Here are 3 Ways to Reconnect with your True Self: For the next week, observe yourself and make note of things, perhaps in a True Self journal, that are important to you that you aren’t doing (or saying). This process sends a message to your True Self that you are paying attention and want to listen to its voice again. After you complete this exercise, read your notes. Then choose to move forward on something you’ve been putting off. Taking action does two things. First, it gives you a sense of empowerment over your life AND sends a clear message to True Self you listen and take action. Your action can be finishing a project, delegating, or releasing a project, clearing some clutter, or having a crucial conversation important to your wellbeing. Once you have established some communication with your True Self, take care to spend your time with people who support and motivate you to follow its voice. Be aware of (and avoid, if possible) people who sap your energy and dismiss your dreams or try to take charge of your life. These steps will help you reconnect to who you are at your core, and you’ll experience results. However, bear in mind that if your “critical parent/schooled voice” continues to echo, it will drown out the soft voice of your True Self. To silence those echoes permanently and find your path of ease, I invite you to make space for inner dialogues with your True Self on an ongoing basis. Now, fast-forward to the end of your life. You can say to yourself, with a smile on your face, “I am so glad I chose to live MY life, to chase the important things, to step away from my fear and truly create my life as I wanted it to be.” That is what I so passionately want you to experience—the freedom to BE who you are and move away from the constant struggle of DOING. If you resonate with anything you’ve read I intuit that your True Self might be starting to talk to you again. Please don’t put it back to sleep or push it away! To support you in reconnecting with your True Self-state of awareness, I invite you to request access to my True Self Confidence Formula . It’s free and a proven way to boost confidence in yourself. "For me Aryana is a catalyst for connecting to True Self, catalyzing authenticity and true power. You are also a lighthouse; a guiding light and your energy transforms my energy." — Lutz S., Online Marketer and Webmaster Enjoy and USE these steps to help you reconnect with who you are at your core. Release your struggles by aligning with your True Self. Want to learn more from Aryana? Follow her on Facebook, Youtube, Linkedin and visit her website. Aryana K. Rollins, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aryana K. Rollins is gifted in helping people connect to their True Self and manifest their personal, professional, and spiritual intentions. Clearing blocks from the unconscious mind to genuinely succeed is foundational to her success with clients. One of her specialties is working with entrepreneurs on a spiritual path as an Intuitive Guide, so they can build businesses that make a positive contribution to the world. Clients find that Aryana walks her talk in all ways. She is an internationally recognized facilitator of Cybernetic Transposition since 2005. Aryana is the founder of Higher True Self, offering unique, original programs and resources like “Align with True Self,” “Manifesting Guide for Intuitive People,” eBooks, podcasts, and blogs. Her expertise comes from her intuition and life experiences, including management consulting in Europe and South America, a psychology degree from Rutgers, and over 40 years of extensive human development knowledge.

Written by: Felicia Shanken, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As a small business owner, we must be accountable to and for our business. Not taking responsibility will hurt you in the long run. You are the face of your business. This is not the typical article I write, however, it is important to talk about. The Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection, LLC (PWNC) is a small business organization consisting of more than 1,200 women-owned businesses. We have women all across the spectrum, from start-ups to seasoned business owners. Our group is very diverse, and we supply as much information to them as we can pertaining to their needs. Often as business owners are setting up their business, they overlook the help that is out there for them while on their entrepreneurial journey. I always say to my community, why go it alone when you have help? There are so many programs in place these days to help you with whatever it is that you need in your business, including: great resources, free webinars, free business building classes, business financing for those that qualify, grants, mentorship programs, etc. Are you taking advantage of these resources? If not, then why not? We all are responsible and accountable when it comes to our businesses. Right? I often say to my community, “I can supply the plate of food and utensils, but it is up to you to eat the meal.” I believe often we get complacent in our business and that is where the problem lies. We put expectations on everyone else to grow our business while we give less than 100%. I have seen and heard this too many times, “ the program didn’t work” or “they couldn’t help me.” Was it the program that didn’t work, or did you stop putting in the effort required for your business to be successful? Let’s keep it real here, you can say what you want, but the truth is the TRUTH! Do you love the idea of saying you have a business, or do you really have a business that you work on every day to make it the best it can be? Do you know your WHY for doing your business? What keeps you up at night about your business? What is the overall goal in 3 -5 years for your business? Who are you helping? Do you sell a product or service? Are you making money in your business? These are just a few key questions that you should know the answers to. Realistically, how much time do you spend on your business during the week or even in a day? Are you getting the results you want with the time that you are putting in? If the answer is no, then guess what? You have to revise a new plan. The status quo for a business to be successful is they have to last at least five years before they start to see real results. How many of you are ready to make that sacrifice and commitment? Again, we go back to that question, what is your WHY? Do you want to retire from your corporate job, travel more with your family, take care of an aging love one or create a better lifestyle for you and your family? Whatever your reason is, it should be a realistic one. Hoping, wishing, and praying without putting the work in never helped anyone in the business world. Success doesn’t come knocking on your door saying, “here I am.” There are so many organizations these days that have programs in place that are set up to help you in your small business. Most of them are free, especially in the Philadelphia-area such as, Power Up Your Business , Score , The Biz Center , Temple Small Business Development Center and so much more. Do your research there are tons of programs available. Excuses are easy. They give you a pass when you don’t want to work on your business. You know the saying, “ You can’t have excuses and success at the same time.” Everyone must pay their dues. There are no shortcuts. My analogy on things is this. People tend to show up in their business the same way they show up in their lives. If you are unorganized, complacent, not serious, can’t commit, not focused, not a team player, have problems with communication or delegation, etc. It shows up in all aspects of your lives. You can tell a lot about someone by watching how they run their business. Do they take the time necessary to make sure that their business is offering the best service, product, or presence? Is the website up to date? Do you know the mission of the business? What are the benefits of being a member of the organization? How can they help you in your business and so on. You get the idea. One of my pet peeves is when a business, whether it’s big or small, doesn’t take the time to check their work before it is sent out or published. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in articles, whereas my name was spelled incorrectly, my social media handles were incorrect, my website was incorrect or misspelled, or I was misquoted. These are very important! What may not seem like a big deal to you can make a world of difference to a small business owner who is out here trying to survive. Would you want to do business with them again? So, moving forward , I hope you will be mindful when dealing with other business owners. Make sure you have a website and your website is up to date. There are so many websites today to manage and help you build your own website for free or a nominal fee. If you can’t afford a professional website builder right now, I suggest looking into one of these. I have worked with some of these to name a few, Weebly , Wix , Google , WordPress and so much more. Your website is your company’s resume, it should tell everyone about you and your business. First impressions are best impressions, right? The world is waiting for you and what you offer with bated breath. They want to work with someone who they know takes pride and is accountable in their business. Your business, again, reflects you and to offer the BEST products or services, you must be the BEST . There are tons of businesses out there like yours, so what makes you different, what sets you apart from everyone else, how will your product or service be better than anyone else’s. What do you bring to the table to not only attract clients but keep them? What I do in PWNC is set down quarterly or sometimes semi-annually to see what is working and what is not. Where can I add on or get rid of it completely? Where should I focus my time more, or maybe not at all? Your business should always be in a state of transformation, otherwise it gets old and stale. So, my friends I gave you a lot of information to digest today, I hope you walk away after reading this with a clear picture of yourself and your business. Be the best you can be in everything that you do! Have a great day on purpose! For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my webs ite ! Read more from Fel icia ! Felicia Shanken, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Felicia Shanken is a Women Strategist and Builder. She is the Founder/CEO of the Philadelphia Women's Network Connection, LLC and PWNC Foundation 501(c)(3). PWNC is about helping local businesswomen build their business, connect with like-minded individuals and benefit from shared resources. The Foundation is committed to assisting women in growing a business as solo entrepreneurs transition from full-time or part-time to full-time entrepreneurship. Felicia has also been recognized and honored by " Fun Times Magazine " in their March/April 2020 edition for being " 2020 Philadelphia Who's Who Black Women of Influence". Felicia had the opportunity in September 2019 to have her show on RVNTV , a digital television platform called " Power Up Your Passion," where she brings guests on to talk about their passion in life and how it lead to where they are now. Felicia was raised in Queens, New York. She moved to Philadelphia over 20 years ago, where she met her husband, Paul, a native Philadelphian. They live in the Fairmont area of Center City, Philadelphia.