Written by: Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “Our extraordinary body that nature so graciously and artfully designed has an amazing ability to self-heal. “-Emanuela Visone . Our extraordinary body nature, so graciously and ingeniously designed for your benefit, has a fantastic ability to self-heal. Consider what happens when you cut your finger or nick your skin shaving. Your body automatically coordinates complex systems to clot the blood and stop the bleeding. Lymphocytes are carried to the right places to counter infection. A scab is formed over the wound as a protective barrier, allowing new skin to generate beneath its mantle as ruptured blood vessels heal. If you were to follow this under a microscope, you would be amazed at the “magic” taking place. Medicine has no simple answer for this complicated feat, nor does nature accomplish this using guesswork. It achieves the process with order and incredible precision. The body intrinsically knows how to heal the impaired function. The complexity of this accomplishment is enormous. Most people just consider everything normal until their system malfunctions. They turn to doctors who put them on harsh reactive “anti’s”– antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, antibacterial, anti-inflammatories, and antidiuretics . These drugs are all strangers to the body and have complicated side effects. We have lost our faith in the body’s ability for self-diagnosis and spontaneous self-repair. Therefore, we have lost our natural balance. It is time for us to start trusting our bodies’ fantastic healing capabilities. For our body to reverse and cure degenerative conditions, we must supply it with the natural tools which it needs for healing. We do not heal it, but we can support its inherent self-healing capabilities by providing appropriate ingredients (molecules) from nature. Clean food, water, and air – and the 50+ essential factors they contain – are the natural sources of the healing ingredients. Within six months, most cells in your body are replaced. The body you have today is built almost entirely of what you ate over the past six months. If the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates you consumed were of high quality– chances are, your bones, teeth, muscles, blood, and nervous system are in tip-top shape. It takes about two years for the body to rebuild itself completely. Appropriately done, this is also the time it takes to reverse malnutrition or internal pollution-induced degenerative condition entirely and to remove accumulated toxins from the body. Now that I have had the experience to heal my thyroid reversed my adrenal fatigue as well as completely shrink the mass and nodules on it as well which took less than a year, I have the wisdom to understand that in my new healing journey to reverse the osteoarthritis and restore the torn cartilage in my hip from an injury so I know this would take time. I never realized how painful osteoarthritis felt. As if a fire was shooting from my hip, the radiating pain caused me to limp badly, and I was in excruciating pain. It was unbearable. I started this journey in July of last year after the doctor I saw told me my only solution was a total hip replacement. I was only 49 and knew if I went down this path in my 60’s I would probably need another hip replacement since they only last about 10 years. This again was not a “solution” for me but only a band-aid. I started with removing all inflammatory foods from my diet and adding in a few more plant-based supplements, including wheat sprouts like red clover, kale sprouts, and others like shark cartilage. I upped my turmeric intake and herbs to increase my stem cells. I’ve added to my healing toolkit meditation, reiki which I was already practicing, yoga, myofascial therapy, and electroacupuncture to stimulate blood flow because there is hardly any blood flow in the hips, and lastly, Bio-resonance therapy to restore my electromagnetic energy. In February of this year, I went to see an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and to his amazement, he said to me, “I am intrigued.” He continued by saying, “In looking at your x-rays and MRI, I would say yes, you are a candidate for a hip replacement since you are bone on bone, but when you walked in, I was observing you, and you are hardly limping. Someone in your condition should have a severe limp. In examining you, you have a lot of mobility and flexibility, so I would say that at this point, you do not need a hip replacement, but as I said, you have me intrigued, and I’d like to see you in 3 months to see your progress and ask you more about what you are doing. That is exactly what I knew I would hear and gave me the inspiration to continue my journey. The pain is so much less and, I am hardly limping. I am going back in June, so that I will update you all with more exciting news. It has been 10 months and a lot of work but worth it to feel so much better and not put my body through major surgery. There is no point in return. Recovery by natural or any other means is no longer possible when healing mechanisms or organs have become damaged beyond repair. We do not know where that point is for any disease. The point of “no return” is reached through inappropriate personal care, treatments, or in the end, from natural aging mechanisms taking their inevitable course. Challenge what you read. Think about these points, question them, and understand their meaning. Pick them apart and discuss them with others. You do not need a Ph.D. to understand the biological basis of health and healing. You will come to realize that health is inherent, that is, within limits determined by each person’s unique genetic makeup. You will then begin to understand that disease is a departure from health; at that point, the rest of the natural healing approach follows logically. It is then just a matter of gathering the details and putting a natural healing program into practice for yourself. Detoxification and its importance to healing. Degenerative disease can be caused by nutritional deficiencies and the accumulation of toxins in the human body. It follows that to heal from illness, whether in the form of thyroid disorders, arthritis, ulcers, obesity, or whatever, detoxification must first take place. The healing process takes place in stages. detoxification, breakdown and removal of diseased cells, and rebuilding of tissues. These steps assume the daily intake of proper nutrients and stopping the absorption of toxins from all sources. Detoxification Stage Elimination: This is the discarding of toxins stored throughout the tissues of the body. Elimination occurs once a proper diet provides the minerals and organic nutrients to cells to generate enough energy to carry toxins out of the body via the elimination processes. Toxins are eliminated through various channels; the usual channels with their signs of elimination are: lungs (breathed out, may manifest as bad breath) skin (sweated out, may manifest as body odor) liver/bowel (dark, foul-smelling stools) kidneys (dark, strong-smelling urine) If the normal channels of elimination become overtaxed, the body will use other elimination, or alternative avenues of elimination are sinuses, the lymphatic system, uterus, or digestive tract. Breakdown and removal of diseased cells: Cells diseased from “toxin abuse” are broken down by the body and removed. The breaking down of the infected cells is carried out mainly by the white blood cells. If any of the raw materials of the cells can be salvaged and re-used, they are put into circulation; the rest is eliminated from the body. Rebuilding of tissues: When diseased cells are eliminated, the body will replace them with new healthy specimens. Though this phase begins with the above two phases, most of this activity takes place after the body is well on its way to being “detoxified” and “diseased tissue” free. Before this final, primary rebuilding phase, the body will replace diseased tissues one generation at a time. Each generation of cells will be a little healthier than its predecessors because a cell can only be as healthy as its environment is detoxified. Thus, there is no instant relief in natural healing. Healing occurs on a priority basis. Just as the body was formed and operated on a priority basis, so it heals on a priority basis. This means that the essential parts of the body get the healing attention before the less vital tissues. For this reason, it is of utmost importance not to try to dictate to the body what it needs to work on. For example, if you decided to take some herbs to detoxify your liver, you may interfere with the body’s priorities in the healing process. It could be the body’s priority to work on the heart first. But you redirect the healing energy with the use of the herbs to address the liver first. The energy was robbed from the heart to go to the liver because of the herbs you are using. Significant problems may develop in the heart because of trying to dictate to your body what to work on first. The very least that would take place with the use of potent medicinal/detoxifying herbs is that attention to the heart's health could be delayed and the health of the heart compromised. The body will heal only to the degree that is it has nutrients and energies above and beyond basic living requirements. It is true that during the healing phase, a person may not feel as energetic as he/she usually does. This does not mean the body robbed energy from the vital (cellular) activity for healing. It means the body has taken any excess energy and is channeling it into healing activity. Excess energy is that which is not necessary for survival and to maintain balance (homeostasis). In my healing the first month, as I mentioned earlier, I was extremely fatigued the first month, then I started gaining more energy. Reactivation or retracing For the body to deal with or heal a part of the body, it must bring it into the priority or reactivate it. This means that the body is bringing to the surface a specific gland, organ, system, or tissue for cleansing/rebuilding. Activity that has been “on hold” from healing due to lack of nutrients, emotional stress, other priorities is reinstated. When a diseased or previously injured area of the body is brought back into focus or reactivated for healing, the symptoms that went with that specific stress will again manifest themselves to some degree. Remember that the symptoms the body manifested with the original disease or injury were an attempt at healing. This, of course, was somehow blocked with drugs or stress of some kind. Thus, the symptoms and healing were put ‘on hold.’ Now with reactivation, the same healing symptoms will once again manifest themselves. Look at it this way. It took a while for the nutritional deficiencies and accumulation of toxins that affected you to cause a degenerative condition in your body. It may take a while to undo the effects of all the painful and stressful things that you (knowingly and unconsciously) did to your body. This process is somewhat like a reverse source of pain or discomfort, and this time it is for a good cause. Remember, pain/discomfort isn’t always bad. It can be a warning that something is wrong. It can also be a sign that something good is happening as the muscles, organs, and tissues of your body begin to activate again. Knowing what to expect about beneficial pain/discomfort will help you acknowledge and accept it. After all, it is for a good cause. “Does this discomfort affect everyone the same way?” Not at all. Studies show that four out of five people will pass through the reactivation cycles toward good health with almost no discomfort. But if you are the one who doesn’t, then you can expect reactions that vary from mild to intense. Your response depends to some extent on whether the source of your distress or illness, injury, toxicity, or negative emotions. Probably it is some combination of all three. Your reaction also depends on the severity of your distress or sickness. The pains from the reactivation period are typically less frequent and intense than the original pains. “But these are new aches and pain!” That’s right. When the negative momentum stops, your body turns around and takes the road back to good health. One thing you can be sure of that road is the same as the one you took toward distress and sickness. Still, the symptoms you experience can be entirely new because going back over a bump can be a different experience than hitting it the first time from the opposite direction. Because of the rerouting of your body’s energy as you improve, the symptoms may be as severe as they were before. You can be sure they won’t last nearly as long and that you will be getting better as a result of this reactivation. In my healing journey, I experienced these bumps whereas it almost made me doubt the process, but I trusted my intuition and continued forward, thankfully. “How do I know I am getting better?” There are some definite signs that you are improving. When you begin to experience reactivation, you will generally experience some of the following five symptoms: You may feel dizzy as your body accepts a better balance, and your blood becomes equal. You may have a sudden, acute pain as muscles and organs begin to function more appropriately. You may experience nausea as toxic waste materials are dumped into your bloodstream for elimination. You could have symptoms of a cold or the flu with a loss of appetite (a significant indicator) or stiffness after exercise as the body does a general or specific house-cleaning. You will probably feel a combination of these at different times. It is comforting to realize that these are signs. “Good Signs” that you are traveling the right road to good health. Problems with using Herbal Formulas in Detoxification Process Herbal formulas are used to stimulate or bring on a healing crisis of a particular gland, organ, or system. The problem of engaging in this practice are: The body is forced to rob energy and nutrients from itself to carry out this cleansing. Remember, the body only heals when it has adequate stamina and energy to carry on a healing crisis. An excellent example of this is milk thistle, which detoxifies the liver when the body may not have enough power to carry out this task. The body’s healing priority system is overridden. What can you do to help your body during detoxification? For it to gain the most considerable advantage of a healing crisis, the body must be given all available energy. Keep in mind that the body orchestrates the healing crisis as it has energies and nutrients available. Not before. Therefore, whatever the body dictates through the symptoms during a healing crisis should be heeded best to conserve energy for the body to get the full benefit of the healing cycle. The key is that symptoms are not the enemy but the body’s attempt to overcome the enemy and return to health. To this end and to conserve energy: avoid physical exertion. consume little to no food – let appetite dictate specific foods, juices, and amounts if anything is desired. drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Even more, it is helpful. avoid any medication or other “remedies”; mild exercise is beneficial as the body dictates walking. and extra sleep, rest, and naps. Times to stop the healing crisis. There are a few occasions that a healing crisis is probably best halted once in progress. These times are: When the liver becomes overloaded with cleansing activity and approaches shutdown; the signs of this are: a. stools turn white. b. urine positive for bilirubin or urobilinogen. c. extreme dizziness, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. A person who is emotionally unable to endure the healing crisis may experience: a. fear due to not understanding the healing crisis. b. lack of experience with the healing crisis. c. not ready for the responsibility of health. d. and pressure from uninformed family and friends. How to stop a healing crisis? When necessary, most detox symptoms can be stopped without drug intervention. This is achieved by eating only cooked vegetables, grains, and baked potatoes. If desperate, coffee or some red meat can be consumed and will usually accomplish the healing crisis's desired stoppage. The assurance of symptoms being detoxification symptoms. Often those who have changed their diet for the better want to know if the symptoms they are experiencing (headaches, diarrhea, etc.) are those of detoxification or whether they are a disease process. With few exceptions, you can know that if the diet is better, whatever symptoms come along are of the detoxification/healing variety. In some rare cases, there may be “disease momentum” that was in place before the lifestyle change. Enough right has not caused a halt to its progression. Nonetheless, the body is capable of healing itself, and the healthful diet is not to be blamed for bringing on the disease. “How long until I achieve health?” As always, the answer depends on several things. How sick you are, how long you have been suffering, and your attitude toward being well must be considered. Another consideration is the type of injury or illness you’ve experienced. For example, a person with a back injury that resulted from lifting a lawnmower is likely to get better much faster than someone who suffered a stroke. Bronchitis is likely to respond faster than emphysema. Physical trauma will usually react more quickly than an emotionally induced injury. Whatever the cause and whatever road you are taking toward improvement, your body will never make changes any faster than it can deal with these changes. You are not getting sick; you are getting well. Your body was built to survive. Think of how good you will feel when you have reached the end of the “feeling good” road! Are you ready to break through the brain fog, fatigue, low libido, chronic pain, and overwhelm? Are you ready to wake up energized and hop out of bed, ready to go? Are you ready to feel productive – doing your purpose work here? Are you ready to reconnect with your partner and reclaim your personal power? These are the results my clients get. Book a free breakthrough session today, so you can get crystal clear on what action steps to take to break through the chains that bind you and get the results you have been waiting for. Please visit www.embodyvitality.net and click on the Start Healing Tab. Follow Emanuela on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Emanuela ! Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same, from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on becoming their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health.

Kamladevi Sharma is an award-winning International Speaker and Coach on work-life balance, the co-founder of Revive.Coach, a Career Mentor at the University of Bradford, an Associate Coach at Randstad Risesmart, a wife, mom of 3 boys, and a valued friend to many. Highly intuitive and full of wisdom, her clients describe her as “pithy, witty and deep”. Her expertise in mindset and personal development strategy enables youths, leaders and entrepreneurs globally to get clear on their career aims, eliminate burnout, and achieve balance, fulfillment and success with ease in both their personal and professional lives. Born and grow in Guyana, South America, she is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) General with Bachelor degrees in Business, Social Psychology and Social Research Methods. Her work has benefitted over 4000 leaders globally in personal growth and over 250 businesses have jumped start a momentum for success in her signature momentum training at Revive. A known feature in magazines locally and internationally, her wisdom has been featured on several podcasts on Spotify, Apple, and Google. At Brainz, we have recognized her for her outstanding work in coaching and her ability to thrive despite challenges, resulting in this exclusive interview to learn her secrets in creating a balanced work-life. She is a beautiful, positively-charged soul who believes in “living in full enjoyment”- her personal definition of LIFE. Here is what she shared with us: What lead you to focus on work-life balance? I focus on work-life balance because it was a major challenge in my life at one point in time, especially at the onset of motherhood. My focus really took shape in 2016 when my health was a concern in my first pregnancy, and I had to decide to leave a highly demanding job I had really loved. Continuing personal development work from there and reflecting on ‘why’ life was unfolding as it was for me, I realized that I had the habit of immersing myself completely in whatever I did, and so, I hardly had boundaries in place for work. Work became life. I had also lived by the belief that “I needed to work as hard as possible to be successful in life.” It worked for me, but only for the time, I ignored my well-being. I was incredibly successful, but I was overwhelmed, and I was losing that sense of fulfillment. I used to feel that I needed to go the extra mile every time to prove to myself and others that I can get things done. I simply didn’t know how to say ‘no’ politely or feel enough, and I kept creating that imbalance in my life until I had to choose between my job and my health. It was quite a journey, and I knew that I was not the only person in the world experiencing it, so I started coaching in 2017, and after having three boys in four years, work-life balance continues to be a major theme in my life. Every day I adapt to my kids’ growth, and now with COVID-19 before us, I find that balance is needed more now than ever for many persons worldwide. The more I teach it, the better I get at it, so I stick to it. Many say that there is no such thing as work-life balance. What does work-life balance mean to you, and why is it important for a leader or entrepreneur? For me, work-life balance is largely based on inner balance. It is feeling that ease, flow, and fulfillment in your personal life and still being successful in your professional life- without sacrificing time and energy in either aspect of your life. Balance helps leaders and entrepreneurs to remain connected with their audience, maintain healthy relationships, and experience an overall sense of well-being. Whether it's mental, emotional, or energetic balance, it gives them enough self-control to make decisions that lead to positive outcomes. Self-control in the sense of being able to control their thoughts and emotions by living in the awareness of them and then changing those thoughts that don’t make them feel great to ones that actually make them feel better about themselves and their lives. In particular, since leaders and entrepreneurs have an audience that relies on them for guidance and inspiration when they are imbalanced, they become difficult to approach. This causes relationships to break down- eventually leading to poor performance, lack of engagement, and demotivation among staff. I often find when leaders and entrepreneurs get irritated, frustrated, or angry easily, they lose sight of valuable information that would help them to make better decisions in the office or their business, and this costs them significant resources most of the time. They also make it difficult for staff to process their instructions since emotional outbursts towards staff often require those staff to spend time processing their emotions from that incident, then the instruction. Moreover, caught up in the busyness of their internal world, they lose out on precious moments with family and friends, and they can end up feeling stuck, stressed, and depressed that things are not working out as they expect them to all because their thinking is foggy and emotions veil their focus. Therefore, when leaders or entrepreneurs work on the dis-ease in their internal world, they bring peace, ease, and flow to their outer world. They are easy to work with, forward-thinking, and solution-focused. What is your secret to a balanced work-life? Being unclear about my purpose and direction once in the past, I now spend a lot of time building the vision of my ideal life. However, when situations arise that throw me off balance, I apply an easy four-step self-reflective approach to realign with my vision. My EDDS approach encourages all of my clients to use in those moments that they feel cornered by anything in their personal or professional life. EDDS is all about E-motion, D-esire, D-ecisions, and S-trategy. E-motions are the flow of different energies within us. It’s easier to recognize what triggers us negatively by checking in on our emotions. This is so because we are more reactive than proactive in our daily routines since many of our behaviors are automatic and require little introspection or brain processing. Step 1: Recognize the triggers by checking in on your emotions. What are you feeling? Why are you feeling what you are feeling? Is the problem with the person or situation that triggered your emotion, or is it with the inability to process the emotion? D-esires are all about what we want. They are our ideals. Many times we do not spend enough time to define what we want- in terms of our feelings, material possessions, types of relationships, etc., so we end up going through life bumping into people and situations that help us to get clear on what we want (if we are not living in the awareness enough). Step 2: Take control of your emotions and thoughts by staying focused on what you desire at the moment. What do you want to feel? What outcomes would you like to achieve at the moment? The challenge in this step is accepting what you have control over in your life and what is out of your control. Often, our inner turmoil comes from not controlling people’s thought processes and behaviors. People don’t think and behave the way we expect them to at all times. Their values, principles, and understanding of life are different and unique to their exposure to life and information they’ve learned throughout their life. Accepting this helps us to take better control of our thoughts and emotions. D-ecisions help us to tame our focus. However, it needs to be made both at a conscious and subconscious level for the discipline to arise to stick to them. Step 3: Decide to accept what you have control over and what is out of your control in these challenging situations. Then check in on: Who do you want to be in this situation? Are you ready to use it to your advantage to become more experienced and resilient, or do you want to continue resisting it? Many leaders and entrepreneurs easily get caught in a victim mindset when making decisions at this level. This often manifests when you are not willing to face your truth or address your weaknesses. Unconsciously, you maintain distance with your employees and remain outward-focused when criticizing your employees for their mistakes and mishaps. It is at this phase that acceptance of ‘what is’ is crucial for your success onwards. Additionally, empowering yourself through positive self-talk at this phase helps to keep your flow going. This way, you don’t get emotionally stuck and live out of awareness of your experiences. S-trategy entails our game plan for moving forward. After spending time getting to know what triggers us negatively, it is important to plan what we will do the next time we are triggered. Step 4: Train your focus to remain positive and open to the wisdom of anything negative that arises in your life. Train yourself to react to your negative emotions differently as they arise in the future. In other words, plan what you will do when specific situations arise based on what you have experienced in the past. For example, if people have lied to you in the office and that has thrown your work completely off balance, plan how you will react to such situations in the future. It may take some time to reflect and plan in this way, but it is worth avoiding the future emotional and mental upheaval that comes without that inner preparation. Therefore, when you feel overwhelmed, and you’re losing balance in your work-life, consider the emotions you’re feeling, the desires that you have, the decisions that you are making, and the strategy you’ll use to move forward to bring peace, ease, and flow to your life. If a leader or entrepreneur is unable to take this self-reflective approach, how can you help them? That’s a good question because some leaders and entrepreneurs are committed to their busyness and find it impossible to self-reflect. In such instances, I advise persons to hire a coach. Healing and transforming your life is something that you can do on your own because there are tons of free online resources. However, you’ll get results easier and faster when you work with a coach because a coach will know how to lead and direct you based on your mindset and the outcomes you’re looking to achieve. It’s a matter of feeling worthy enough to hire a coach to guide you in this regard. I’ve had many instances where leaders and entrepreneurs feel stigmatized or inadequate when they think they need a coach, but that’s no longer the story in the corporate world. It adds to one’s status quo to have a coach, and it shows your commitment and responsibility for your personal and professional growth. Nonetheless, recommendations are based on what is happening in the person’s inner world. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, emotional freedom technique (tapping), removing attachment chords, guided meditations, and reiki are just a few. In coaching, we find that an adult's beliefs and behaviors in the office are largely based on behaviors that have been modeled to them during childhood- some of them conflicting their roles where they are Parents at work and Bosses at home. It is for these reasons that leaders and entrepreneurs who are ready to achieve work-life balance must commit to living a better quality of life both personally and professionally- even if it means uprooting unhealthy beliefs, nurturing more positive ones, being honest with themselves and ready to take action to have better results. Follow Kamladevi on Facebook and her website. Read more from Kamladevi!

Written by: Natalia Nicholson, 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 . Apple’s plans for introducing changes to their iOS 14.5 system have left Facebook feeling worried, but why is this the case? Apple’s latest intention is to require permission to be sought from developers to ask their users’ permission before collecting any data or tracking their behavior during their app usage. This comes hot on the heels of Apple’s recent introduction of “nutrition” style privacy labels requiring developers to disclose the information they’ve collected about their app’s users in their App Store. While those changes have been applied universally to all app developers, the Facebook team has taken it all rather personally and hasn’t been afraid to make their feelings known. In December, you may have seen full-page adverts taken out by Facebook that claimed Apple was threatening not only small businesses but also an open internet in the way we understand it today. Not only that, but Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, then targeted Apple when making his statements at February’s earnings call, claiming Apple’s actions were, essentially, anti-competitive practices. All of this can all-too-easily be mistaken as a fight about tracking or privacy. However, there’s another reality at play behind all this. So, what is all the fuss really about? The Benefits of Facebook Advertising To really understand the impact of Apple’s changes on Facebook’s business model, you need first to understand the current benefits of Facebook advertising. Many businesses choose to use Facebook’s advertising platform not only because it offers a huge user base across several demographics and across all stages of their target audience’s engagement journey thanks to the wide variety of ad formats but also because of the fact that Facebook allows for the highly measurable performance of those adverts. Advertisers receive metrics about everything from post engagement and page likes to clicks and conversions right through to sales. This is all possible because Facebook is tracking everything that its users do online, and they’re hoping that those users don’t ask too many questions about it. Apple’s New Changes The changes proposed by Apple won’t prevent developers from being able to track their app’s users. Nor is Apple against personalized ads. Apple won’t prevent any individual from sharing their online activities with Facebook, and developers will still be able to collect the Identifier For Advertisers (or IDFA) to track conversions and target ads. All Apple will require is more transparency from developers about the data they’d like to collect and how they’d like to use that data. Oh yes… and then they’ll be required to ask the user’s permission. This is the heart of the true battle – transparency. This is why Facebook’s team is so worried. Opting Out of Tracking Facebook is facing the problem that, when given choices, a lot of people will probably prefer not to permit tracking. In fact, a recent survey has shown that 47% of all users have expressed a preference for opting out of all tracking. Now that’s something that bothers Facebook a lot. Facebook would rather their users don’t think at all about tracking. Furthermore, they don’t want their users to have any choices about whether or not their online behavior is tracked. The transparency problem that Facebook is facing isn’t only with users. Tracking doesn’t just allow Facebook to show targeted adverts based on the user’s activities. Still, it also enables advertisers to see which customers have visited their site and which have purchased something due to an ad. This is something that is absolutely essential since it enables tracking of conversions by advertisers who can then justify the amount they’ve spent on advertising. When Facebook isn’t able to track its users, the advertisers can use the Identifier For Advertisers to match the purchase an individual has made with the advert that they clicked on. Essentially, this reduces the value of Facebook’s advertising platform and is likely to result in a shift of advertisers from Facebook to other platforms like Google Ads, thus reducing Facebook’s revenue exponentially. So, it all comes down to this. Facebook isn’t afraid its business model will collapse due to tracking or privacy. What it’s really worried about is transparency. When lack of transparency is at stake, Facebook’s advertising platform revenue is likely to be put into significant danger, and that signals major issues for the company. With this in mind, it’s pretty easy to see why Facebook is getting so anxious and defensive about Apple’s proposals – wouldn’t you be worried if your business stood to lose money? You can learn more about harnessing the power of marketing to benefit your business by becoming a member of the Women in Digital Business Hub. Now we’re giving you the chance to be one of 100 lucky female subscribers to get free membership WIDB EMPOWER for one month. Just use the coupon code EMPOWER100, and you could be on your way to success! Check it out here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and Twitter ! Read more from Natalia ! Natalia Nicholson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natalia Nicholson is a Serial Entrepreneur, Business and Digital Marketing Coach, and Professional Public Speaker. Natalia has over 20 years of experience working as a digital serial entrepreneur and has had plenty of her own failures and success stories. This has perfectly placed her to offer insight and advice to other women aspiring to become digital entrepreneurs, together with those who have already launched their own businesses. Through her mastermind group, Women in Digital Business, Natalia teaches them the best way to leverage digital marketing potential and helps them learn the best ways of overcoming the challenges that they are facing when it comes to becoming successful online businesswomen. Her passion for online business coaching and digital marketing has inspired her to inspire women from largely overlooked underrepresented groups.

Written by: Maria Koropecky, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. After more than a year of watching church services on my laptop every Sunday morning in my pajamas with a mug of black coffee handy, I was finally able to visit St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in person on May 30, 2021. Although it was good news that some of the restrictions around the COVID-19 Pandemic had been lifted in British Columbia, Canada, where I live, the looser guidelines came on the heels of the tragic discovery by the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, who found through ground-penetrating radar, the remains of 215 children on the site of an Indian Residential school in Kamloops, BC, that was run by the Catholic Church from 1890 to 1969. So far, at the time of this writing, the Pope has yet to issue a formal apology for this injustice which now has been added to a host of other scandals currently lingering like heavy soot in the Vatican. My heart goes out to all of the lost children and their families of First Nations ancestry who had suffered and died in this shameful chapter of recent history in my province that robbed Indigenous Peoples of their cultural heritage. I would also like to acknowledge all of the other souls who had similar experiences with people who wrongly used their religious or political authority to justify their actions—misguided thinking at best; immoral behavior at worst. During the sermon, my priest said everyone had a chance to become a saint, and we should be proud to be Christians. As I stood in my pew, I could not help but question my association with a church whose parchment rap sheet scrolled for more than two millennia. I thought about my options. A: Do I stand by and pick and choose what I like about the Catholic Church and discard the rest, or is being a card-carrying member of an organization an all-or-nothing proposition? B: Do I throw my hands up in the air and walk away from the Church for good? Do the corruption, greed, arrogance, dysfunction, and contradictions run too deep? Will the big wigs ever change and update their thinking? In other words, should I stay or should I go? Then I thought about one of the things I liked most about Christianity – the idea of redemption. Everyone likes a good ‘triumph over adversity’ or ‘rags-to-riches’ or ‘sinner-to-saint’ story, and everyone can redeem themselves if they want to. If that is true, I must extend the possibility of redemption to the Church as well. What if the Pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, nuns, priests, and parishioners finally recognized how far off the path they have strayed from Jesus’ golden message of love? What if the Church turned its teachings about love, compassion, forgiveness, making amends, and taking responsibility towards itself? What if, this time, it was the Church’s turn for a miracle transformation? What if we traded places, and they were the ones asking us for forgiveness after losing their way? How forgiving would we be? Can we start fresh after a major overhaul? Here is what I would ask of the Catholic Church if it wanted to come back into my good graces: Honor our ancestors because they endured a lot of hardship so we could live today. Be inclusive of everyone no matter their race, nationality, age, gender, religious upbringing, financial status, health status, marital status, sexual orientation, spoken language, education, political affiliation, disabilities, diet, or past. Accept bio-diversity and multi-culturalism. If God wanted us to all be the same, look the same, and think the same, why are there millions of varieties of flowers, trees, crystals, mushrooms, birds, fish, insects, and mammals covering our planet? Embrace the Divine Feminine (the gatherers) in all of us and let women contribute equally with the Divine Masculine (the hunters), also in all of us, to the conversation. Plus, open up some leadership roles for us, too. Respect children because they are our future. Rather than accumulating more art and properties, give 50% of the Church’s wealth and resources away to all of the groups of people around the world who were denied your assistance when they needed it. Practice what you preach. If Jesus were physically alive today, what would He say about this? Let go of “traditions for traditions” sake way of thinking and help the whole world live into a brave new future, a real demonstration of “On Earth as it is in Heaven.” Love your neighbor as yourself because we all have at least one thing in common – our hearts – and if you saw our humanity and our divinity within each of us and valued all living beings, there is no way you would ever be insensitive, selfish, or destructive again. When I received Communion after all of these months, my eyes welled up unexpectedly. I realized I had some hope for the Catholic Church after all. I believe it is possible for a new Catholic Church to emerge from this pandemic. There is a reason why all of these buried secrets are rising to the surface into our awareness during this plague. The time and opportunity to clean things up and make things right has come. We have a lot of work to do, and I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and do what I can as a coach and writer to help people elevate their own voices, speak for those who have no voice, and share their stories. I feel I’m on my own spiritual journey, and I’m open to meeting people from all walks of life, whose philosophy and daily practices are based on love, and who are on a mission to make the world a better place. To me, love is the life force of the Universe, and it’s up to us to be generous and pass it on. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Maria Koropecky, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maria Koropecky is many things: a Creative Writing Coach, Author, Writer, Storyteller, and Crystal Mapper. She is well aware that 81% of all people want to write a book someday and, as a result, has set out to build a creative writing coaching business that is geared towards helping writers, artists, and introverts discover their own gold, breakthrough writer's blocks, and write the book they've always dreamed of writing so that they can leave a legacy. Maria's own forthcoming novel, Who is Donna Tiva, the first book in a trilogy, was inspired during her solo backpacking trip across Spain at 50. It follows the journey of a single woman as she searches for love, her life being lit up and guided by the colorful characters she meets along the way. Maria feels confident she can help other people in the world, who have also gone on an adventure of a lifetime, to write and share their stories with others. Maria also has a wealth of qualifications that inform what she does, ranging from an Honours BA in English Literature to certifications in Life Coaching & Mentoring, to Spa Therapy as well as Crystal Reading. Her mission is to encourage new voices to enter the arena.

Podcast Host: Mark Sephton Podcast Guest: Rob Angel Listen to the full interview on Spotify! In 1985, ROB ANGEL was a 26-year-old waiter from Seattle. Using a few simple tools, a Webster's paperback dictionary, a No.2 pencil, and a yellow legal pad, he created the phenomenally successful and iconic board game Pictionary®. With no manual to turn to, he made his own rules by relying on his intuition, hard work, and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit to build Pictionary into a global powerhouse. Putting together the first 1000 games by hand in his tiny apartment, Angel mastered all the needed business skills including sales, marketing and distribution. For the next 17 years, Rob shepherded Pictionary to 38,000,000 Pictionary games sold worldwide in over 60 countries representing over $1Billion in sales. Rob’s present and continuing journey is one of spiritual and business exploration and he continues to stay open to whatever adventure and plan the universe has in store for him next. Tell us the story behind Pictionary? While waiting table’s I came up with the idea for creating the International best-selling board game, Pictionary. When I played with my roommates we had so much fun. But It wasn't just a game, it was a positive emotional experience. I wanted to share that feeling with the world. I had no plan or dream. I also didn't overthink it, I just got started and put the first 1000 games together, by hand, in my tiny apartment. There was no manual on how to produce, sell and market a game so my partners and I made our own. We used our intuition to move us forward. Challenges were constant but with focus, determination and holding to our shared vision we succeeded in not only creating a beloved game but a branding company and made Pictionary the biggest selling game in the world, spanning 60 countries and selling 38 million games until we sold it to Mattel in 2001. Today I love speaking to entrepreneurs, college students, and businesses, sharing the many lessons I learned in business and life. I know through my message of being OPEN to grabbing all that life puts in front of you, you can find your passion, your dream and your most successful life. I was also a waiter many moons ago, what do you feel the industry taught you about service and customer experience? When you’re waiting tables, it's about getting the food out to your customers at an efficient time, you have to give people what they want and in a timely manner. So I know the essence of meeting the need and serving the marketplace in order to create that customer experience. You talk about Pictionary being a positive emotional experience do you feel this came from your previous work history? It came from the game, it was something we did as an activity with my buddies, we bottled that energy, we scaled that energy, everything is exciting, you remember the feeling, I really thought if we can bottle this feeling and package it in a way that resonated with others, then I knew we were onto something. I love that you talk about the power of not overthinking. Why do you feel so many people overthink and how can you help those that do? Stop it, hows that for brilliance, overthinking personally is a killer, I lose my creativity, I lose the ability for things to come to me. There is so much knowledge, you can overanalyze so much that it becomes debilitating, I try not to encourage the outside input, it blocks my creativity, so I turn my electronics off and get out in nature. You have to get outside of your own head. In business what do you feel is most important, being logical or following your intuition? Oh, it's Intuition without question. Period. We all have intuition, when you get too many facts it blocks your creativity,. It’s in our gut and in our heart, it then overrides logic, if you feel it's right go for it, that's what I did with Pictionary, there was no internet, it just felt right. 70% of our choices with Pictionary were purely based on intuition because there was no other evidence to support the decisions we were making at the time. You sold Pictionary in 2001 to Mattel, do you regret that decision? No, it had run its course, I spent 20 years in Pictionary, I ran with it for a long time, I had a different lifestyle and different needs, I had reached a point where I was tired and the timing was right. My intuition said “ get the hell out “ It was a balanced decision. I asked Brian, Founder of Uggs, this question, but I think it’s an important question to ask you too. What is it like to sell something which has so many personal emotions associated with it? It's tough, it's really tough, I was lost a little bit if I am honest with you, to not have that physical tie that was grounding me, so after I sold Pictionary I felt rudderless, took me a while to find my footing again. Everyone kept putting me in a box saying, “ Hey Rob you’ve got to launch another game “ I responded by taking some time out and I found myself gravitated to mentoring and traveling, it nourished my soul, I didn’t feel the need to do what other people were telling me, but at first it was hard. I know you speak a lot, what do you love about speaking and what do you feel makes a great speaker? A great speaker is authentic, really just themselves, you have to be so focused on how the audience will feel and is feeling during your talk. You have to think about the customer and the audience first, they will remember how you made them feel. You’ve not so long ago written the book “ Game Changer “ What is the essence of the book and what’s next for you?. The book is my journey, the hardships, the mental struggles I had and me creating Pictionary from inside my apartment to getting it out into the stores. My book “ Game Changer “ I would love to turn into a movie. Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why? Marcus Aurelius In the movie gladiator was the king, he had a philosophy, he said the facts don’t change, it's how you react to them which really matters. I had to figure out how the production of Pictionary would really work. It’s all about how you think, how you see things and how you react. Listen to the full interview with Rob here!

Written by: Hollis Citron, 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. Some people know what they want since childhood, what college they will go to, what they want to be when they grow up, what their wedding will look like, and how many kids they want to have. I was not that person, were you? As a younger person, up to my 40’s, I would have described myself as a little serious, shy, empathic, and very aware, which made me very sensitive. Now in my 50’s and with some perspective, I noticed some life experiences that could have been disempowering but instead became empowering. Empowering Experience One : Senior year of high school, I applied to art school because I honestly did not know what I wanted to do, but I always enjoyed art classes and found it to be a happy place for me. I had a guidance counselor that was not so supportive and flat out said, “I don’t think that you should apply to art school. You are not good enough to get in”. Well, he was wrong. I graduated with a BFA in Ceramics and later went on to get an MA in art education. Empowering Experience Two : First year of college. We had to take a drawing class. Drawing was never my thing really, I could get my ideas out on paper, but it has not been my area to shine. In this class, the teacher would do something that I promised never to do when I became a teacher. She would “fix” our work by drawing on our paper. It always bothered me, not that I did not need correcting, don't get me wrong. It just felt like a violation. One day I worked up the guts to say, “Please do not draw on my paper. Show me how to fix it on another piece of paper”. Her response to me was, “I don’t think that you are good enough to do it on your own.” As my voice trembled, I said, “I did not ask you if I was good enough, I just asked you not to draw on my paper.” Well needless to say I got a D in the class. Still, to this day, when I became a teacher, I vowed to myself to never draw on anyone’s paper unless I ask permission first and always demonstrate and allow them to try on their own. Empowering Experience Three : I got this amazing ceramic residency at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA. The process of getting there felt like a nightmare at the time coming true. To be considered for a spot, you would have to come in and be interviewed by 15 people determining if you were WORTHY. I turned every shade of purple during the interview, but I got the spot. Despite all of what I perceived as faults, the group saw differently. I felt vulnerable but was honest, and they accepted me for who I was. It was really just a matter of me being open and rising to the challenge. I realized that it was in me this whole time, and it took a process of failing, getting up, and waking up to figure it out Empowering Experience Four : Accepting the residency meant one had to teach adults. Every insecurity bubbled to the surface, and the one screaming was, “I am 22 years old and have to teach adults, why the hell would they listen to me? What do I have to teach them?” The pivotal moment for me was when two women were standing across a table from each other in class. As they were getting ready to glaze their pieces, one asked the other to borrow a paintbrush, and the other said, “Yes, as long as you give it back.” I giggled to myself. Light bulb moment for me! When you are just learning something for the first time, you have that childlike perspective, and in this case, I was the “expert” or one with the most experience. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience, and it really set me off in a career that would lead in many directions, with one mission, to provide a space for expression. Empowering Experience Five : Huge lesson learned in the classroom is that each person is unique and has their own story, which affects how they act in the classroom. This scenario is about an eighth-grade student that was not easy to reach. She was not always willing to participate. She was absent a lot and when in class, would start a fight if provoked. This project she was interested in, but she was getting frustrated. One day before class, she pulled me aside and told me she was not getting it. We talked about different possibilities, and then I tried to explain that a lot of the process is connected with a feeling. It knows something is right when you feel it in the pit of your stomach, like butterflies, then it is right. As I was in front of the class doing a quick intro on what we were doing for the day, I will never forget. Suddenly, I looked over at this girl, and it was like a light bulb went on. Her spine straightened up, and her face just lit up, literally. I smiled and said, “you got it?” Her smile said it all. When we take the time to notice this visceral feeling, when we take the time to breathe and to notice, it has the power to be life-changing. Empowering Experience Six : When teaching at a middle/high school, I realized that I would never have a more difficult audience, and it was a gift to have to learn how to make art class approachable. Determined to make it something that someone at least has enough interest to stick their toe in the water and be willing to try. I truly got to experience the saying, “you never know who you are affecting and how.” This scenario was with a senior that I would see every day, the first period for the whole year. He considered himself an athlete and had to take art to fulfill the requirements to graduate. He would often say, “I really don't care, no offense, I am not an artist.” My response was always,” I get it, really, but since you are here, you have an opportunity to try some different things and explore your interests, so why not use the time well.” As far as “ results' ' went, I would see his ebb and flow with effort, but as I said, he was respectful enough. He did well enough to pass and created some pieces that he was happily surprised with, I think. At graduation that year, he hugged me and said to me, “Mrs. Citron, I will never forget you.” It really took my breath away. When you realize that you are so blessed to have the opportunity to expose people to new possibilities, to allow them to shed their skin and be vulnerable. It is a true honor to be allowed to be part of the process. Having been in many different settings, I have recognized the basic categories of creative expression people fall into. It varies, but it generally looks like this: I am not an “Artist”; I cannot draw a straight line or paint. People often think this is all you need to be creative. By the way, this is not just an adult mindset. Young kids can say this as well, but it is usually because an adult said something to them. I want to do something, but I am not sure what, and I don’t want to make mistakes. I am willing to try these different mediums and am ready to mess up so I can learn along the way. So here are some easy & manageable ways to make you feel excited about tapping into your interests and talents. Carve out at least 15 minutes a day doing something that you like (it does not have to be visual arts. It can be exercise, cooking, writing, brainstorming on your business ideas), start there it will grow in time. If you are not sure what you like, journal it out and get it on paper, as silly or trivial as it all might sound. If you do not know how to do it and need a support system, join a class or get a partner to support you in the journey for accountability. It may sound simple, but it works. Get the ideas out and take time for yourself. I see creativity as your voice as your contribution to humanity. You can either step up and choose to show up, or you can choose to hide and not be noticed. I am not saying that you have to stand in a crowd and scream, “Look at me, it is all about me.” But what you really do have to do is be able to stand in a crowd and scream, “ I have something to say . Look at me. ” To sum up, what have I learned so far in my fifty-three years in this life journey? Get out of your comfort zone. Try new things, revisit old things, do some things you don’t like, maybe you will discover something new, you might be surprised. Learn to own your stuff. If you mess up, say you’re sorry. If you love someone, tell them. If you are turning purple while talking and you feel like you need to acknowledge it because people might think you are going to pass out, make a joke out of it. Life is too short to spend time wondering and thinking, well, I might mess up and not be good at it. If you are not good, then great, you just learned something about yourself and move on. If you happen to discover a talent, when you get those butterflies in your stomach that makes you feel alive, feel it and own it. You are worth it. I wish you to play and discover your voice to shout from the mountain tops or beach if you so prefer, just feel , it is really living! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Hollis Citron, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hollis Citron is on a mission to make creativity accessible to everyone by exposing new possibilities. She has spent nearly 30 years of my life helping students of all ages and in all settings to access their creative expression. I Am Creative & Express Yourself Publishing was born from this passion to help people build their confidence to recognize, encourage and express the innate expression they are born with. Hollis does this through experiential kits, creativity coaching, her podcast: Creative Conversations with Hollis Citron & creating multi-author books to create community and safe space for people to share their stories to empower themselves and the world. Creativity goes beyond a pencil & a paintbrush! It is your voice, your expression, and everyone has one.

Written by: Debbie Gill, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you harbor resentments allowing them space in your mind? Do you have stress, anger, or other negative emotions that weigh on you? Or is there something else that blocks you? Do you want to let go of them, but you just don't know how? I have taught, led, mentored, and coached hundreds, if not a thousand, people over the past 20 years, and there's one thing I find that occurs more often than not; people think they've let go of resentments when they haven't. To go a step further, many believe they've forgiven an abusive parent when all they've done is rationalize it. A client of mine said she had let go of her resentment toward her husband for something he did. When I asked her to recollect the occurrence and reply how she felt about it, she acknowledged she still experienced an unfavorable reaction. I told her she had not let it go; she only told herself she did. You know you have let go of something when you recall the event, and you have zero emotional reaction to it. Although they've been hurt, some people have made the decision to view the incident as a factual event that occurred, and you can't do anything about it. Others may stay victimized and never heal from their wound. When coaching a young woman whose mother physically and verbally abused her, she told me she had forgiven her. She knew her mother was only repeating a behavior pattern she endured as a child. I agreed but said to her that although she forgave her mother, the 4-year-old little girl inside her didn't; she didn't know how to. And it prevented her heart from being open. (I would then lead in the process of Rescuing the Inner Child, where she learns to re-parent herself.) As a recovering alcoholic, I learned the importance of letting go of anything, and it was challenging—everything I ever let go of had claw marks on it! I tried to control everything in my life: people, places, and things. When I decided to let go, and it is only a decision, my life began to change. Miracles that occurred regularly became apparent to me. My anger drained; I was thoughtful, secure, and grateful. I lived more in the present time. I didn't react to other people's actions that triggered me; thus, there was no need to let go of them. I began to change. And you can, too. Here are a few simple steps to begin the process of letting go of an emotion, relationship, or incident you no longer want to wreak havoc in your head: Identify what it is you want to let go. Do you want to let go of anger, resentment, fear? Perhaps it is anger at someone who did something you thought was out of line and was hurtful. Where in your body do you feel the rage? Ask yourself, "Do I enjoy this feeling of anger in my heart (or another body part?)." You've got to name it to claim it. Know you have a choice. You can choose to hold onto your anger, negative emotion, unhealthy relationship, etc., or you can consciously decide to let it go. If you've been wronged, put yourself in that person's life at the time. Consider that they are coming from a place of pain themselves. Remind yourself of one or two of their redeeming qualities. Forgiveness is the key. Develop and expand your forgiveness and compassion. End the blame game. Give up the reason to know why things happen as they do; they just do. When you choose to forgive and then consciously take action to let go, you are not doing it for them, nor are you condoning their actions. Forgiveness is a vital process for opening your heart to love. Be better, not bitter. Acceptance of what is. Accepting something doesn't mean you have to like it, but it does make life easier. Acceptance is the answer to all of your problems today because the problem isn't with someone or something else; it lies within you. You can't change anything except yourself: your attitudes and outlook on life, your circumstances. Finally, live in the present moment. When you hold onto something, you allow it to reside in your mind, making for deeper, more painful wounds. In essence, you are creating a fantasy that doesn't exist. If you dwell on past grievances, you're living in the past. Don't sit on the sidelines watching the game of life; be a participant down on the field, living in the present. I have found that these steps are simple but not always easy. The following poem, She Let Go, by Safire Rose, beautifully sums it up. She Let Go She let go. She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go. She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the right reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go. She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go. She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all the memories that held her back. She let go of all the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right. She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go. She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go. No one was around when it happened There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go. There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good, and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, and it is just that. In all the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her hair. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Debbie Gill, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Debbie Gill is the founder of Go Within Spiritual Coaching and Go Within Yoga. She integrates her knowledge and experience as a spiritual coach and yoga teacher with the wisdom of Caroline Myss, a Medical Intuitive and five-time New York Times bestselling author, Anodea Judith, an expert on the Chakra System, somatic therapy, and yoga, and Lion Goodman, creator of the Clear Beliefs® Process. As a Certified Clear Beliefs® Coach, Debbie can assist you with clearing core beliefs that hold you back from becoming your true self and living your true purpose through the Clear Beliefs Process® (CBP). The CBP is a set of tools and techniques that frees you from past limitations so you can freely choose your beliefs and live an empowered and more fulfilling life. Debbie is the author of, Struck by Lightning: My Journey from the Shadow to the Light, where she chronicles her life’s struggles with her shadow aspects and addictions. The spiritual memoir reflects her emergence from the shadow caused by traumatic wounds to the light where truth brings awareness and healing. A grateful recovering alcoholic since June 6, 2000, she lives the 12-Steps of AA and practices its principles in her daily life, and continues her study at CMED with Myss and Judith, and Goodman.

Written by: Louisa Havers, 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. Ever heard the old saying, like attracts like? As with all age-old wisdom, there’s more than just a grain of truth in it. In short, the current situation you find yourself in is the outward manifestation and echo of your inner beliefs and thoughts being reflected back at you. It’s what I like to term, mirrors and magnets. So, if you’re wondering why business is suddenly tough, or you’re working with difficult and hard to please clients, I invite you to look deeper at yourself and the current (hidden) beliefs you may be holding. It’s these that could be causing the issues and it’s these that need to be released for you to move into a space where you’re able to attract more of what you truly want with more ease. For those who may be skeptical, did you know that the Law of Attraction has its base in Quantum Physics? There is nothing “fluffy” about this science. It is built around four irrefutable facts: a. Everything is energy b. Everything has a vibration c. Like energies attract like energies d. Your thoughts and feelings create your vibrations To put it simply, it means that if you’re worried about the state of your business, a relationship, or feeling as though work is hard, or that your ability to attract new clients has faltered, you’re functioning in a vibration of anxiety. Subconsciously, this worry is where your focus is. It’s the energy you’re giving out to the universe. This means that it’s also the energy you’re attracting back to you. The key to changing this situation is to re-calibrate your mindset and turbocharge your vibrational set-point so that you increase your capacity to receive more of your desires and dreams. In order to do this, it’s important to fully understand the concept of mirrors and magnets and how you can use it to your advantage. To start, here are four pieces of advice for you to ponder, which can help you, wherever you are on your wealth and business journey, start to attract bigger and better things: 1. Clearly, and carefully, identify your intention Words are very important here. For instance, you might say to yourself, “I need to work with more clients.” Can you notice where your attention is? It is on your needs i.e. lack of enough clients . Subconsciously you are focusing on this and so attracting more of the very thing you wish to be free from! You need to re-frame how you think and how you see things so that you do not focus on your lack of something! Instead, why not try this: “I have the capacity to contribute to more clients and make a bigger impact.” In this instance, the focus is on making a bigger difference and working with more clients. Can you feel the instant upbeat change in your energy when you refresh your thinking? 2. The why behind the desire Once you’ve clarified your intention, it’s important to feel into the WHY behind the desire. Injecting this WHY with strong emotion makes your thoughts even more magnetic, taking your attraction set-point a few notches higher. For instance, “I have decided to earn multi six figures easily because it gives me the financial freedom to buy the house of my dreams, donate more to charity and have loads of fun,” is far more magnetic than saying, “I want to be rich.” The statement of your intent has a real injection of the WHY; the true emotions behind your desire. You need to really feel how amazing it is to be living in your dream home, enjoying yourself, whilst helping those in need at the same time. Let the feelings of this belief fill you up. Remember, it’s all mirrors and magnets. If you dream it and believe it….it is yours! 3. Manage the delay, and clear all beliefs that no longer serve you Once you’ve established your intention and felt into the emotion behind the desire, so it resonates fully, then it’s time to check if you have any opposing beliefs to receiving. If you do, clear them. This is vital. If your desire for a more successful business and a multi-six to seven-figure income is aligned with all the beliefs you hold inside, it’s not a problem. However, if you’re subconsciously holding any negative beliefs such as, “rich people are bad people” or “rich people are always unhappy,” you’ll create resistance around your dreams for a multi six to seven-figure business, as whilst you want to manifest the wealth you don’t want to be unhappy or be seen to be bad. Remember, The Law of Attraction is always working. Many clients have come to me because they’ve found themselves in just this sort of situation: that despite their best efforts to align to their intentions, their situation has not improved and they are frustrated. Using Energy Kinesiology – discussed HERE – which involves using your body as a kinesiology dousing rod, we’re able to flush out all the limiting beliefs they never knew they had! This could be anything: from traumas from previous business experiences that created hidden limiting beliefs impacting growth now - to- listening to their parents talking about there never being enough money, or that life is a struggle, or that money doesn’t equal happiness. You’d be amazed at some of the pesky hidden thoughts that we unearth, especially when it comes to money and success. These sneaky beliefs are acting like a magnet – attracting the very things you want to be rid of. The trick is to identify each limiting thought your monkey mind has hidden away and then clear it using Energy Kinesiology. Only then can you truly start to be in alignment with your desires. 4. Be Unattached to the Outcome Now here is the last, often forgotten, tip you need to remember. Be unattached to the outcome, desire it and let it go. Where people can trip themselves up, is by being attached to the when and how it happens, which pushes the outcome away. Desperately wanting something is attracting the wrong vibration. Desperately being the keyword here…. because, like attracts like. If you’re detached and operating in the spirit of curiosity, then you’re far more likely to receive the conclusion you most desire. Let me explain. Imagine going to a new business meeting. You’ve prepared well and are positive. What you need to remember is that you cannot control the outcome. So the invitation is to let go of the outcome “has'' to come from this meeting. The outcome is coming, you will receive it. All you have to do is focus on your desire, and the simple intention that everything will go well and whatever happens, the universe has your back. You’re far more likely to magnetize what you truly want if you work from a place of openness, gratitude, appreciation and learning. And it may just be that the desired outcome or better is coming, but it’s not from that meeting. Putting these tips into practice is a great place to start on your journey to attracting your dreams and desires…. from whatever vibrational space your money and business currently inhabit. But remember, these are only the tip of the iceberg. If you’d like to know more about developing an alignment with prosperity and becoming a magnet for wealth, then why not find out more on my FREE Align to Wealth Masterclass….We’re going to spend 10 days together in a private forum where I coach you via 5 powerful masterclasses on how to align to wealth so that you create a breakthrough in your income. It could be your next step on the way to achieving the next level of the financial success of your dreams. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Louisa! Louisa Havers, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Louisa Havers is an internationally renowned Master Transformational Coach, Master Manifesting teacher, Master Akashic Records teacher (Soul Journeys® Method), and business mentor. She enables high achievers and coaches to unlock their superpowers, turbo-charge soul-aligned magnetism, and "lift the ceiling" in both their lives and businesses. It’s a journey Louisa knows works as she’s personally undertaken it. Years spent leading change in the highly pressurized and stressful social services sector led to shingles and chronic fatigue, compelling her to break free from the corporate matrix of overwork. It was the first step to creating her own life of freedom and dream business income. Louisa enables clients across the globe to activate quantum leaps to success in their journey to fulfillment, self-love, and a six / seven-figure income. Daring to live your life’s purpose is genuinely possible under Louisa’s loving, powerful and insightful guidance.

Written by: Alaina Schwartz, 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. Unf*ckwithable confidence results from becoming unconsciously competent. People believe that they need to be good at something first, and then they develop confidence. But it’s actually the inverse. You develop confidence by building the plane as you fly it. In other words, taking consistent action and seeing improvement in your results builds confidence. It requires moving through fear and into action. What does it take to be able to move through fear into action? Feeling the fear and doing it anyway. People often think the way to deal with fear is by becoming fearless. NO SUCH THING! There’s nothing wrong with fear. Let’s make it okay to feel fear. It’s just an indicator, a guide to help you understand what to do. It’s important to learn how to interpret fear and not perceive it as an indicator to take your foot off the gas. As entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses, they are moving out of their comfort zones on a regular basis. They’re becoming more visible and moving into uncertain territory. It means at each new level. They might experience fear of the unknown, and their confidence may waver. It happens because our minds are like a database, an archive of all the meanings we gave all past experiences. So the next time you experience something that feels unfamiliar to any past experience, your mind searches the database and looks for how it’s done it before and survived. It wants to ascribe the same meaning you gave the past experience to the current experience. Except there’s no past experience in the database because you’re doing something you’ve never done before - it’s in the unknown. So your subconscious mind feels fear because it doesn’t feel safe. If it doesn’t know it’s done something before and survived, it will try to put the brakes on to keep you alive. Because the subconscious mind’s primary job is to keep you safe and alive. Here are 3 things that help you move through fear to cultivate Unf*ckwithable Confidence: Faith . Faith is the ability to believe in something, even though we can’t see it yet. Faith is a muscle you build. I’m not talking about blind faith. When you shift your limiting paradigm and become aware of Universal Truths, faith becomes a natural extension of the growth of your awareness. Courage . You must develop courage. Some people seem to be born with courage. Most of us, however, need to cultivate it. And it can be as easy as making a decision to go for it. Courage allows you to move through fear into action. Action . Once you grow courage and faith, it’s far easier to move into action and take risks. And by rinsing and repeating with consistency , you build Unconscious Competence. You learn to trust yourself. Faith + Courage + Consistent Action = Unf*ckwithable Confidence. Imagine what your business would look like 3 months from now if you had Unshakable Faith and Confidence, you absolutely knew that everything you really desired was unfolding?! If you’d like to take a quantum leap in your income with lightning speed while shaving 10-30 hours off of your work week so you can live the bigger purpose and lifestyle you started your business for, please join me for this training Wednesday, June 2nd, register here! For more info, I invite you to connect with me here on LinkedIn or visit Alaina Schwartz and follow Alaina on Facebook and Instagra m . Here’s a free case study to watch. Read more from Alaina ! Alaina Schwartz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alaina Schwartz is the Founder & CEO of Alaina Schwartz Enterprises. She’s a speaker, author, and Business & Mindset Mentor. At 14, Alaina suffered a traumatic brain injury, and her mother was told she’d have permanent brain damage. Her mother retrained Alaina’s brain for a full recovery. Then, after 18 years as an attorney in the music industry and the EVP and Exec Board Member of the largest independent music company globally, she walked away from it all to discover her purpose. Her personal life completely unraveled. She became hyper-focused on building her life purpose and rewiring her brain again for success and fulfillment. She has created multiple six-figure companies and a beautiful life since. As a business and mindset coach/mentor, she uses those experiences and her training as the foundation of her work with entrepreneurs, helping them scale their income & impact while working 20+ hours a week less. Alaina’s mission is to help people remember who they truly are so they can live their purpose and full potential.

Written by: Sara Loureiro, 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. Manifestation and energetic work can be incredibly powerful for business. It’s the kind of work that makes clients show up in your DMs without you even feeling like you did a ton of work to bring them to the sale. But when we just take their teachings at face value, they have the potential to really slow us down. Here are 4 myths to keep in mind: Intuition is the best strategy Sure, we all love the saying you need to feel it in your gut, but if you don’t know the right strategy, to begin with, how will your intuition know what to do next? How will your intuition be able to guide you to a step-by-step strategy that serves you better? If you don’t know anything about marketing strategy, this is bound to fail. And oftentimes, a small tweak in strategy can make a huge difference in the trajectory of your business. Also, a lot of us mistaken our fear for intuition, so if intuition truly is a strategy at all, we need to know if the voice we’re listening to is the one we need to be. Ask, and it is given. Once again assumes there is no work going into what you do. You can ask for a 6 figure launch all you want, but it won’t be given if you don’t have the audience size for it, if your messaging is off point, or if your sales strategy isn’t planned out, you may have a lot more difficulties executing it and frustrations even if your belief is at an all-time high. Business is a 90% mindset. I fall privy to this one too. It’s true, so much of what we do in our business comes from what we believe, but this is also very misleading for someone who’s very practical and follows the rules. Sometimes a change in strategy is literally what it takes to turn everything around. Yes, we need to do mindset work, and it’s pivotal to our success. However, suggesting it’s more mindset than strategic marketing could be costing you the pivotal new strategy you need to really see more clients coming in. If you’re in high energetic vibration and are in full belief that it’s possible, it will happen. This has been the peril for so much shame that my clients experience for not hitting launch numbers and feeling like they’re just not good enough. The very first time I personally did this and “believed” all the way through, I had about half of the expected people I really wanted in my launch. The second time I broke even with the investments I made in my launch, and I was a wreck. The truth is that sometimes it doesn’t happen even when you put full belief into what you’re doing. As a soulful business coach, I’ve likely said all of these 4 things at some point in time in my coaching with clients, and while they can be helpful, they absolutely must come with a caveat. I highly recommend using manifestation and spirituality in business as long as it’s used alongside practical marketing. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Sara Loureiro, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sara is a Soulful Business Coach who specializes in helping online service-based entrepreneurs sign-on higher-paying clients and hit 6-7 figures through a combination of strategic marketing, neurolinguistic programming, and energetic work. After bringing her own business to 6 figures and quitting her 9-5 to move from Toronto to sunny and tropical Nicaragua, she isn't shy about walking the talk and living a freedom-based life. She is the CEO of sarajloureiro.com and has inspired thousands of women all over the world to quit their 9-5s, step into their leadership, and do purpose-driven work while getting paid abundantly for it through her numerous free training, extensive social media presence, and her work as the host of "The Uplevel Your Online Business Show" podcast. Her mission: to inspire women to take up space, make more money and step into their fullest potential.

Kathy Fritz helps women in perimenopause and menopause experience relief from hormonal symptoms like fatigue, hot flashes, moodiness, and sleeplessness through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle choices. Her clients lose weight, rediscover their energy, feel sexy, and define themselves on their terms as they become wise women who trust their intuition. In addition to helping individuals, Kathy is also working to change the negative narrative surrounding middle age. She is part of a movement to reclaim and redefine this time of life as one of joy, intimacy, and ease. What is a hormone coach? I help women understand and manage the symptoms they experience in their late 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. I look closely at each client’s hormonal landscape to understand how to best approach her path to hormone balance. Hormones drive the body’s functions, yet they do not get enough attention at our yearly physicals. That’s where I come in. I think of myself as the option between doing nothing and starting HRT (hormone replacement therapy). After experiencing my own hormonal imbalance for years, I’ve been able to resolve my symptoms through methods that are available to anyone and without a prescription. I teach my clients not only how their hormones are working in their bodies, but also that the narrative they’ve been hearing about how difficult and unpleasant this time of their lives is going to be is FALSE. Together, we rewrite that narrative to one of ease, confidence, and happiness. Can you tell me more about your approach? Happy to! I use 4 Pillars to guide my work with clients. They are: Food Movement Essential Oils and Supplements Toxic Burden Relief We start with food because it is the most impactful pillar- your hormonal landscape is directly impacted by what you eat. I help clients discover their trigger foods and replace eating choices that do not serve them with ones that do. I used to call the second pillar “Exercise,” but I changed its name to “Movement” because I teach my clients that daily, low-impact movement is as important as lifting weights or taking a yoga class. Essential oils are my jam, and I love personalizing them for each client’s symptoms. Supplements are an overwhelming topic, so I give each client clear direction to address her symptoms. The last pillar includes a variety of topics: decreasing exposure to external toxins, using mindfulness to address internal stress, tools for managing toxic load, and more. Toxins absolutely impact our hormones, so I make sure all of my clients complete their programs with a box of tools for this pillar. My clients always say it best. “Kathy’s wealth of knowledge, encouraging coaching style, and practical suggestions empowered me to make changes that left me energized, happier, healthier (and not experiencing hot flashes!). I’m so glad I had the opportunity to work with Kathy. I feel armed with the right tools as I enter this new decade and embrace a healthier version of myself.” -Erin M., 40 What programs do you offer? I work privately and in groups. Private coaching is for the woman who needs help now. She receives what I call her “hormonal IEP”- an individualized plan every week for 12 weeks. That plan includes: Education in the 4 Pillars Action items in the 4 Pillars Voxer and email support Weekly meetings Hormone nutrition education Easy recipes and meal plans that support hormones Exercise recommendations that balance rather than hijack hormones A personalized approach to using essential oils and supplements A full home and personal care product toxicity assessment Stress management strategies for anxiety and mood support Guidance for self-care I offer group coaching at certain times throughout the year, and it’s for the woman who is looking to balance her hormones within a community of women. Much of the material I share in private coaching is included in group coaching; it’s just not individualized. Group coaching includes: Education in the 4 Pillars Action items in the 4 Pillars Email support A private Facebook group Weekly questionnaires to document progress Weekly Facebook lives Recipes that support hormones Exercise recommendations that balance rather than hijack hormones Information about using essential oils and supplements Stress management strategies for anxiety and mood support Guidance for self-care How do I get started? I’d love to start teaching you about hormones with my FREE Peri & Menopause Action Guide. If you want to see if I can meet your needs, schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Come on over to my Instagram where I share tips and tricks, teach on a variety of topics, and invite special guests to share their expertise. If there was one thing you would want every woman to know, what would it be? You do not need to suffer. It’s 100% optional. Follow Kathy on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit her website!

Written by: Tracey Fallow, 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. One of my pet peeves is when people are always negative, so I will start by speaking of positive trends. Unfortunately, these positive trends are not good news. Statistics show in 2016, over 60% of our population in Canada were overweight (BMI > 25), with approximately 25% in the obese category (BMI >30). Also of note, 1 in 3 children (age 6-16) was overweight or obese compared to 1 in 4 in 1978. The trends don’t lie, and the trend is going up. Sadly this positive trend does not bode well for the health of our population. The same could be said of the increase in cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. There is also an entire subset of other chronic health issues people are plagued with, like high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and COPD, also on the rise. Why are people in this day and age, where knowledge is readily available, unhealthy, and completely oblivious? Screen time, processed food, smoking, and motorized vehicles are among the culprits on my list of things that are to blame. Sedentary jobs are causing a host of chronic back and neck problems, where people are in a continual hunched-over posture. Sitting is the new smoking, and before it is too late, we will evolve into a population with hunchbacks who can’t look up at the sky anymore. Working as an RN in an optimization clinic to prepare patients for hip and knee replacements, I see many people who have continued lifestyles into adulthood that should have been altered in their 20’s. More than once, I have seen patients with high blood pressure, who are obese and are dealing with diabetes, who do not want to decrease their sugar or alcohol intake, and have strokes while waiting for their surgery. I have also witnessed patients who use their surgery as a great “why” to turn their life around. I believe the key is the “why,” and if they don’t figure that out, they may start to drop pounds off their body but will never continue a healthy lifestyle in the post-operative period. My healthiest patients walk consistently, and they are also the patients that have the best outcome after surgery. That’s right, walking. They have good muscle tone, good nutritional habits, and have grit. Their “why” goes beyond their surgery. Their “why” has been a lifestyle choice. They chose to be their best version of themselves long before they needed surgery, and more often than not, their weight is not what has caused their osteoarthritis. You, too, can achieve this. The hardest part will be getting started. Walking every day will not give you ultimate beach body status, train you for a marathon or cure your prostate cancer. What It will do for you is give hope, and we could all use some of that. When done consistently, it will lighten your mood, get you secreting endorphins, the feel-good hormones that you get from a bag of chips. Yes, that is why you can’t put the bag down, and the key is not to start. I digress. Walking and a better mood will, in turn, dial back the weigh scale, dial down the insulin you take for your type 2 diabetes, increase your water intake and eventually dial down the dosage of your high blood pressure medication. You might feel so good that you want to walk farther and faster and be encouraged to stop smoking because it just doesn’t suit you anymore. Before you know it, you are seeing physiotherapists because your neck and back pain from your poor posture is getting in the way of your walking routine, and you learn to strengthen and correct this. You might even find yourself improving your nutrition and mindfully nourishing your body instead of just filling the void in your stomach. In time you will have more energy to play with the children or grandchildren, thus, in turn, improving your relationships. Holidays with physical activities that you can participate in will follow, and you might even find the anti-depressants you take are not necessary anymore. The trickle-down effect is significant. So, where does one start? Here are some tips. If you have not been walking but feel this is something you want to incorporate into your daily routine, I recommend seeing a professional first. Start slowly but routinely. Start with a 10-minute walk every day. If you don’t feel any pain in your joints the next week, you can increase either the intensity of the walk (greater distance in the same amount of time) or the length of time by 10-15%. If there is a pain in your muscles, this is normal, especially if you haven’t been using these muscles. It is a build-up of lactic acid and eventually will be a welcome sign that you worked hard. If there is a pain in the joints, back off to the intensity of the previous week. This is very important. Your tendons and ligaments don’t improve at the same level as your muscles and need time to catch up to their vascular muscle friends. In less than 4 months, you will be walking 30 minutes a day. At the clinic I work at, we recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately strenuous activity per week. Get yourself some good walking shoes. They need to be comfortable and be able to absorb the impact you put on them. By the way, losing just 1 pound will take 3-4 pounds of weight off of your joints. This is significant when it comes to pain control. Speaking of pain control, take your pain medications (if you usually need them) before you exercise. Pain is a deterrent that you don’t want or need. Get an accountability partner, your spouse, preferably for the added benefit of just “being” together. The conversations you have on a walk will improve your relationship. If you don’t have a spouse, ask a friend or buy a dog. Dog owners have a responsibility and will often do things for others before themselves. If you are one of those people that puts the needs of others before themselves, I am speaking to you. Pick up some walking poles and make sure they are fitted for you and your height. These will offload some weight that your core and upper body can take on. They help you walk with a normal gait, which is very important for rehabilitation. After 10,000 hours, our bodies' movements become habitual, even after the original problem has been fixed. If you are limping, this means you. Get a nice waterproof walking jacket. Rain will not be an excuse either. After all, you are not made of sugar, and who doesn’t love some new swag? Could it be that walking is the answer to our obesity epidemic? Can we walk away from our type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure? Could taking 30 minutes out of 1440 that are available in a day relieve our depression? One thing I know for sure, and it is this, we all are equals when it comes to time, and all the money in the world cannot buy you more. What you do with your time is up to you. I believe we all can afford to spend 30 minutes taking care of ourselves with a walking routine, I guarantee it will be worth the investment, and in fact, it can literally save your life. Follow me on Instagram, or visit my website for more info! Tracey Fallow, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tracey Fallow is an intuitive life coach and mind-body practitioner. A lifelong learner, Tracey has been on a path that led her from self-loathing\ and frustration to peace and joy. She is an RN and an advocate for meditation, manifesting, energy work, and physical fitness. In the past 3 years, along with walking and hiking, she has become an avid mountain biker, which she enjoys with her husband a group of friends. Join her free Facebook group “Heart Universe City” where she often does live breath-work and meditation exercises. She often hosts a free workshop on emotional fitness that Tracey feels is just as important as physical fitness. In the fall, she will be launching a 90-day program, “When to Zen,” where you will have plenty of accountability partners for meditation, mindset homework to destroy your limiting beliefs, and opportunities to establish a morning routine that will set you up for success. You can find her on Instagram @heartuniversecity and her website www.heartuniversecity.ca