Written by: Adelina Stefan, 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. In a world that is constantly changing, the workday is no longer 9 to 5. Research has shown that people expect more than simple job security and a decent salary, want to find meaning in their work, have flexibility regarding where, when, and how they work, embrace challenges and deal with them in a supportive atmosphere. The pandemic made people adapt to work-from-home rapidly, and despite the geographical and physical distance, it appears that people came closer to each other. In other words, we can say that there are no borders anymore. Therefore, it is critical for organizations to look beyond their traditional management structures for development. In today’s VUCA world, employees want to be inspired, heard, motivated to get the work done, and feel they are part of an extended family where they add value and are being valued at the same time. By focusing on culture and putting people first, organizations will create value and drive efficiency and profit. A key element that is required from leaders is empathy – a vital leadership skill. Showing empathy constitutes a key component of emotional intelligence, contributing to effective communication, reducing the risk of burnout, and bringing positive results both on a professional and personal level. Empathy is often confused with sympathy, though their meaning is different. Sympathy entails the feeling concerned about someone, while empathy is the ability to understand people’s emotions and different perspectives on a situation, supporting them to deal with challenging situations for the better. Hence, by being compassionate and connecting with others on a deeper level while being part of a larger system, we design our life in collaboration with others, learning, celebrating, caring for each other, and growing together. By using their empathetic skills, stakeholders can recognize red flags of overwork in their team members and support them when they need it most. My experience as a Professional Coach has shown me that by investing in people to cultivate empathy and become an active listener, people will be able to take the lead, communicate and lead with confidence, get clarity on projects and focus on what really matters both for the organizations as well as for their personal development. These constitute benefits for the employee as well as a development tool for organizations doing business remotely and working in hybrid teams. On the other hand, a lack of empathy, i.e., apathy, in anyone can impact dramatically on everyone else. Although every individual has a different level and capacity for empathy, there are many ways to develop empathy at work. Below you will find 5 tips to cultivate empathy : Be open. Put yourself in the other person’s place and consider their different perspectives without making assumptions about their thoughts or feelings. Be flexible. One approach doesn’t fit everyone! Use an appropriate voice, language, and cultural norms that are appropriate to your speaker. By doing so, you are more likely to create a culture of empowerment and psychological safety. Be curious to learn more about how other people think and what they care about in their life. Invite them to describe how they feel and how they think they might resolve the issue. Asking powerful questions is one simple and direct way to understand other people’s emotions and show sincere interest in their needs, dreams, and hopes. Team members who feel appreciated are more engaged, willing to put more effort and go the extra mile. Be an active listener. Listen with your full senses, paying attention to what is said, and the feelings, behavior, and values shared, including non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, gestures, tone, the pace of speech, and silence. By listening with your ears, heart, mind, and with your gut, people around you will feel respected, and you will build trust in your team. Take action. There is no “one” right way to cultivate empathy as it depends on the situation, individual, culture, interactions, and different emotions at a specific time. Empathy is not something to practice only when facing a crisis, but in any situation where you allow yourself to see the world from different perspectives, give your full attention to what someone is trying to tell you. It is a skill that can be constantly developed through practice, coaching, and different frameworks that will allow you as a leader to keep people on track, developing, listening, and building a genuine rapport with your team. Follow me on Facebook , connect with me on LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Adelina ! Adelina Stefan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adelina Stefan is a Professional Certified Coach & Intercultural Facilitator specialized in Career Development, with deep expertise in international HR recruitment and selection and Training and Development. Having worked for 10+ years across cultures, Adelina seeks to catalyze individuals’ potential, helping them create and implement their unique career blueprint and, at the same time, achieve a healthy work-life balance. She specializes in working with ex-pats and mid-to senior-level executives dealing with challenging work environments that can affect their performance and well-being. She supports organizations in building a corporate coaching culture by highlighting individuals’ maximum potential and engagement to become dedicated and highly successful employees. Her practice includes Career, Life, Executive, and Agile Coaching for individuals and developing and implementing corporate Human Resources practices for improving intercultural relations.

Written by: Andrea Ryan, 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 sat in a meeting and neglected to offer up your opinion, then kick yourself as someone answers exactly what you were thinking? Ever wanted to ask for a promotion but looked at your likely competition and retreated into your corner of the boxing ring? Ever been so paralyzed by your thoughts that you end up leaving your job? It’s time to get into the boxing ring with your imposters, or if you’re looking for a more compassionate approach, invite them round for a cuppa. The latest research on Imposter Syndrome states, "52% of female respondents had struggled with Imposter Syndrome ‘regularly’ or ‘daily’ in the past year." Not only that, but it’s a driving factor of top performers leaving companies. It can affect your attendance, your productivity, and your leadership style and development. On a personal note, it can lead to addictions and mental health challenges. Go Toe to Toe with Your Imposter Many of my clients vary on how well they know and spar with their imposter, from accepting that they don’t need to be the expert, allowing them to move forward and start their own business to thinking of leaving a high paying management role because they think they’re not good enough, despite the trail of success behind them. Be aware that our imposters make life-changing decisions for us and will continue to do so if you don’t knock them out or induce a caffeine coma. Here are 4 Ways Your Imposter is Betting Against You 1. Not putting yourself forward for a role or promotion. The classic ‘I’m not good enough’ and ‘who am I to think I can apply for that’ comes into play here. Your Imposter will tap into your limiting beliefs and serve you all the reasons why you’re not good enough until you go down. Take off the gloves and reveal all the evidence against them of your past and present achievements to have a fighting chance. 2. Turning down opportunities when you really want to go for them. You could have been asked to take part in a pilot project or lead a team on a new initiative or been offered the opportunity to attend a 2-day course with other managers. You find yourself on the ropes as your imposters tell you ‘this is how you’ll get found out,’ ‘you’re a fraud.’ Dodge your imposters by recognizing that you know what you don’t know, and you’ll learn along the way, then push yourself to step into the ring. 3. Not expanding your networks. ‘What if someone asks me what I do? What will I say?’ ‘I have to get my pitch-perfect, so I’ll go next time.’ ‘Let's not pull any punches. You just don’t have the confidence.’ Your imposter will yell. Networking opens up so many opportunities, so put up your dukes and purposefully seek out people you know might be there; have 3 main points about you ready to share, but most of all, be yourself. 4. Not completing important projects. Being in charge of projects and adhering to deadlines is all part of the job, right? You may have just launched a project, getting ready to present findings, or approaching a deadline, but something is stopping you. Your imposter serves you a right hook. If you have to confirm that you’re exposing yourself, then a left hook, it’s not 100% perfect. You’ll need to stay really late tonight. Wear your imposter down by breaking tasks into bite-sized chunks to make them more manageable. If you need a referee between you and your imposter, download my free imposter syndrome booklet or get in touch. How is Imposter Syndrome Affecting Business — 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study by Clare Josa For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my w ebsite ! Read more from Andr ea ! Andrea Ryan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrea Ryan, founder of Limitless Women, is an accredited Women in Leadership Coach and Imposter Hunter, empowering women to step into positions of power and lead within their personal lives, careers and businesses. Andrea is an expert in working with women and companies that want to make big changes. With a 20-year executive career, heading up brand and marketing strategy and leadership across the disability employment sector, sport and as an award-winning business development director in a mental health Not for Profit. She works with smart, successful women to articulate their ‘why’: the core essence of who they are-their personal brand. Her clients are empowered to develop their leadership style, overcome imposter syndrome, build powerful brands, embrace positive psychology, and find purpose.

Written by: Laurence 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. I often work with people who are looking for a root cause for issues they are facing, and I find that, on occasions, they can become frustrated at my insistence to keep diving deeper in search of enlightening information. It is most likely that, because the process can be an uncomfortable experience and where they are laying bare their innermost feelings and emotions, any potential opportunity to cut this short is jumped at. Of course, it could also be because when we make a discovery or particular explanation during therapy, they consider it as either validating their own argument or, in some cases, laying blame for their issues at a particular person’s door, or even at anyone else’s door but their own. It would be all too easy to halt the analysis and discovery stage. The knowledge gained provides a clear condition against which to apply various processing, acceptance, and management techniques for addressing the issues and moving forward. This should be avoided! The reason this should be avoided, and the process continued (assuming the therapist does not believe this IS the root cause) is that any associated plan for dealing with these newfound revelations could well include some method of approaching individuals to face certain emotions and if this is NOT the real root cause, or worse; an associated blame or responsibility (as suggested earlier) was derived under a flawed or prematurely terminated thought process, such a potentially confrontational experience can be more damaging for the person in therapy in many ways, including emotionally, when they are shown as having a flawed argument, and socially, as they potentially lose a person in their life who might have proven supportive otherwise. These kinds of consequences can be seen every day when statements are made, which could well, and often do, have an element of truth to them and have caused serious emotional, reputational. Relational damage, but the full details of the situation were never identified because the process of gaining insight was halted prematurely, for one reason or another, such as those I alluded to earlier. Accusations, for example, of conversations held around sensitive or even discriminatory topics, create considerable collateral damage and hurt, and often appear to point clearly to one party is being at fault, but without further knowledge, can be entirely untrue. Who, for example, instigated the conversation? What were their motives for doing so? Are one party’s comments being portrayed as the ‘start’ of the conversation instead of as a response to another party’s incitement? All of these could actually uncover an altogether different situation. So how can this be avoided? Firstly, consider applying some guidelines around when the root cause identification process can appropriately be considered completed. These should include the following, as a set of core details required: Identify the instigator of conversations in which damaging or upsetting statements or discussions are claimed to have taken place and are part of the issue in question. Identify what motivated the discussion or conversation in the first place, particularly for the instigator. Their motives may be altogether different from what they portray. Don’t terminate the discovery process until it reaches a natural but relevant end. Many analyses of root cause contain numerous ends that could be considered a ‘natural’ end, especially when it vindicates or validates something for the person undergoing the process. Still, if questions are left unasked, it might not be the relevant, nor indeed the correct, end. Use techniques like the 5-Why’s to unearth further explanations and levels of cause to identify the core reasons for behaviors and actions. Consider what the consequences are as potential outcomes for ALL parties in the situation. This helps uncover subtly hidden motivations, which could cast a significantly different perspective on the reality of ‘who said and did what and for what reason,’ showing a claimed victim as entirely the opposite. For this very reason, some want to stop the discovery process at this point, as it suits their personal agenda, and going further will only cast them in the opposite light to that they are motivated to achieve. What should be kept in mind is that what seems obvious is not always so, and only by identifying the true root cause, along with any and all motivating factors for all involved, are the real truths likely to surface. Ultimately, only when the objective truth is discovered can all those involved begin to heal and repair, become a stronger and better self, and face up to the realities and responsibilities of actions. Follow me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Laurence! Laurence Nicholson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Laurence Nicholson is the CEO and founder of the N Cubed Group, My Better Life – Mind Coaching, and Exec Mental Health Solutions, through which he works with both Corporate clients and individuals to improve and optimize mental health, performance, and resilience, to realize measurable improvements in business and personal productivity and decision making. A Mind Coach, certified as a Corporate Mental Health Facilitator, holding 'Distinction' grade certifications in Life Coaching, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Depression Counselling, Anger and Aggression Management Counselling, Criminal Psychology, Forensic Psychology, and Corporate Wellness Coaching, Laurence is also trained in Corporate Coaching and Mentoring, Behavioural Analysis, and to the expert level in non-verbal deception detection and analysis. He had spent over 35 years working across corporate environments as both a consultant and leader, and when he was first sent abroad for work way back in the 1990s, he became fascinated by how different people and cultures think and behave in different ways under the same conditions, and quickly became addicted to immersing himself within local environments, to get a true experience of thought processes and event-behavior associations. Human psychology and behavioral patterns became his passion, and he used his corporate consulting work as a way to enable him to travel extensively and to study wide and diverse behaviors, and investigate the ‘how and why’ of our brain’s processes, and more importantly the impacts of stress and change on people, universally. His business education and experience as an advisor and consultant in procurement, finance, law, information technology, organizational change, and executive management, combines with his life experiences and numerous culturally immersive experiences from working in over 14 countries around the world, to provide what his clients consider as a unique appreciation of their individual circumstances. Laurence aligns himself with Jungian psychodynamic theory, with its spiritual element, supporting this as a certified and attuned Reiki Master Teacher and a Certified Meditation Teacher.

Written by: Jelena Radonjic, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We’ve all had to bite the rejection bullet in our lives, but that does not make rejection easier to deal with. It hurts. And it hurts because it’s keeping us from something we’ve wanted to do or to have, whether that’s our career or our personal lives. It is a primal feeling as humans have felt the need for acceptance and validation since ancient times, according to psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, M.F.T . While rejection in our personal lives means we can call a friend, or open a bottle of wine, or hibernate for a couple of weeks until we get back out there, rejection on a career level can sometimes feel like a door has been closed forever. Yet, rejection is not always a bad thing. For instance, humourist and writer Fran Lebowitz admitted that she tried to get a book of poetry published when she was young and is glad she was rejected, as she now deems it bad (Takome Voice, June 2011). This shows that sometimes rejection is necessary for us to grow, edit and rethink, take a different approach, and achieve more. Sometimes it can be exactly the push we needed. However, very often, it’s also determined by external factors completely outside of our control, and we still internalize it because rejection feels personal. The first lesson we can take from rejection, though, is: 1. It’s not about you. If you have been rejected from your dream role, fret not. Sometimes, it’s just not about you. There can be dozens of perfect candidates, and you could have been one of them, but there are external forces in your way. A role can be advertised just because it has to be so, although there is already an internal candidate in the company. Or sometimes, you might have all the relevant skills, but personal connections favor someone else. Sometimes, there are budget cuts, and the company cannot even recruit for this role anymore. Or rejection always feels personal because work is personal. Because you can pour your heart, passion, and time into it, and although it is easy to let yourself be affected by it, it is vital to remember that it’s not always your doing. Instead of internalizing the belief of personal failure or spiraling into a cycle of lowered self-confidence, acknowledge the validity of these feelings, allow yourself to feel them, and then find ways to move past them and tackle a new role. As Roxanne Gray said about being a writer (and it applies in any profession, really): “ rejection is the rule, not the exception .” Secondly, you can find consolation in the fact that you could have been rejected because: 2. It’s not the right fit. Sometimes, we apply for roles just for the sake of applying. We can feel stuck, or the job market can be so overwhelming that we grapple with anything that’s on the market. If you are being rejected, ask yourself: Did I really want this? Rejection can often save us the pain of working in an environment we do not fit in. This can relate to personal working relationships, or company values, or any other facet. When it comes to the role, are you clear that you would enjoy all or most aspects of it? Do you really, truly align with the industry and the ethos of the company? I have often seen clients who spent years or even decades in an industry or company that did not align with their core values around sustainability, fairness, and equal opportunities. Of course, they grew progressively unhappy. Equally, if you are shooting for roles in companies that operate in a space that contradicts your personal moral code to some extent, the doubt, uncertainty, or lack of enthusiasm will come through during the selection process. If, however, you feel like you would have enjoyed this position in all its aspects, maybe you can ask yourself why you have been rejected? Which brings us to the final point: 3. It is about you. Your work, as said before, is about you, after all. And while it does not make up the entirety of your day or your being as a whole, it is a vital part of it. It is vital that you keep track of all your applications, interviews, and feedback you received. Then you will be able to get answers to these questions: Is there a pattern? Is it the application or the interview? Are there any essential skills for the role I have been going for that you need to brush up on? Do you have any gaps to fill? While it is a cliché, it is true. Any rejection can be a learning experience. If you identify any skills gap, do not despair. More often than not, career progression requires new skills or new levels of existing skills. You can get more clarity on whether you need to “upskill” or “reskill” in my latest Forbes article . I have already referred to some famous, wise women and what they had to say on rejection, taken from this article in The Cut . Here are some of my favorites - How do we deal with rejection, and what can we learn from it? “Never, ever assume that you’re going to get something… And never assume you aren’t going to get it either.” – Cheryl Strayed . Essentially, this is about balance: stay open to the possibility of success and rejection, and either way, acknowledge what worked and what you could do differently. “Allow yourself to grieve and move on.” – Gillian Jacobs . That means if that rejection hits, acknowledge your feelings and their validity to go then and grow from there. “I mean, I think rejection isn’t really a rejection, it’s just a need to redirect.”- Margaret Cho Review, regroup and go again! And as Sylvia Plath wonders: “We get rejections. Isn’t this the world telling us we shouldn’t bother to be writers? How can we know if we work now hard and develop ourselves, we will be more than mediocre? Isn’t this the world’s revenge on us for sticking our neck out? We can never know until we’ve worked, written...” ...which is a wake-up call for us to do it, nonetheless. So, if you get that next rejection, stick your neck out even further and get back at the world! For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my web site ! Jelena Radonjic, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jelena is an award-winning Career Fulfilment and Leadership Development coach, helping conscious, aspiring professionals thrive in the careers they love. With over 25 years in international recruitment and education management, Jelena has held managerial and business development roles with P&L accountability, working with corporate clients from all over the world. Having started her corporate career in Japan, Jelena has lived and worked in 3 countries. She is a Forbes Coaches Council contributor, speaker, and author. Jelena has also worked with spiritual teachers such as John DeMartini and Deepak Chopra and infuses love, joy, and spirit into her coaching and everything she does. Her powerful blend of personal, career, and business coaching, as well as personal development and spiritual practice, has brought transformational results to hundreds of her clients.

Written by: Andrea Cristancho, 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. Selling your knowledge in a nicely wrapped tight container is a thing. Are you part of the trend? It was April 2021, and around 6 am in the middle of my baby feeds, I decided to grab my phone in the dark to check the Facebook feed. Yes, I know I shouldn’t have done that, but hey, no Miss Perfect on this side of the screen. Back to my story! As I was scrolling down, oh my God, I felt an invasion of Ads coming at me. Hello retargeting, you got me, but come on! Give me some room here to gossip about my friend's life for a few minutes at least. Well, no! Every other Ad was showing me a digital product in the range of $7 to 47. It was right then that it hit me. Yes, I’ve consumed more paid information than your normal cyber citizen. True! But also, I witnessed a pattern and a trend at the same time. It was 6:20 am, and here I was, still scrolling down, switching sides, and my boy and I continued our search. I must confess my weakness is books but used to be high-heel shoes when I lived in Asia. I had to think if I was being retargeted this aggressively. I must have purchased a lot of these products recently, I told myself. So, I closed that window and went to my courses folder to count how many digital courses I’ve consumed and from how many more digital programs I’ve graduated. I was shocked! I doubled my high heels collection! Around 6:50 am, I had the choice to put the phone away and go back to sleep or carry on in this scavenger hunt. I chose the latter, and that’s when it hit me. Information products had a huge chance to succeed for many entrepreneurs. Why? Because we can package them in a nicely wrapped tight container, price it, and place it in cyberspace, and for a price, let Zuckerberg do his thing - thank you, FB peeps. It was 7:15 am. I already had a cup of coffee, pen, and paper on hand dissecting the elements of the digital products I had purchased from 2013 to date. By 8:00 am I was already exploring meta text on Amazon and looking inside the published books on information products. To my surprise, none were recent. I continue exploring the realm of digital nomads and online business, and more recently, published options came up. It was 8:30 am when my daughter came up to hug me and give me my good morning kiss. And, at that point, my book had a name, a decision was made, the one book I’ve been thinking about writing for my people. And so, I scheduled writing time, and that’s when The Expat Infopreneur book outline came to life. But that’s not the reason why I wrote the book. It was time for me to stop spinning down that rabbit hole. I put my stuff away and started my day. Needless to say that I couldn’t stop thinking about the topic, and since for a few weeks to this point, I had been researching and having conversations on co-authoring a book for Expats, my head kept on spinning. Until 5:00 pm that very same day, I hop on the phone with an author/book coach to learn more about her offer. After learning the ins and outs of this industry, I got challenged to write my own. And so I did in 10 days. That very night I started writing! Is it okay if I share what I’ve learned by writing a book about becoming an infopreneur? I hope it is because I feel this information got to be shared across and wide. First, designing digital assets makes people’s lives better because you solve real people’s problems with them. Second, information products can be targeted, improved, and scaled at the pace or even faster than your business's wildest dreams. Third, the design process pulls out your best intellectual material when designing it. Fourth, you can create one asset and multiple income streams to monetize upon. Fifth, the creation process is fun and can be simple with proper guidance. Sixth, you go on to build a list of paying clients that, in time, become raving fans of your work. Seventh, you get to stay focused on building digital assets that meet your ideal people where they are at by designing an offer ladder always from your zone of joy. Even if you’re not in the service industry, I still believe you can pair up a physical product with a digital asset to enhance your clients’ experience. I could continue, but I feel you get the point. I believe that if you’re a teacher at heart, information products are for you. Okay, I am biased, but I have to say it, I think every single expert in the service space could have a digital asset to position herself in their industry. The way I teach this process in my program is a walk down step by step in the path built from my business expertise, having run my own businesses internationally in the past years. However, what’s particularly relevant is the focus I teach. I encourage you, my clients, and everyone that I welcome into my world to use the power of focus. Focus on one. I recommend building a name in the industry with your information product. Squeeze the lemon out of one digital asset before moving onto the next. How? Get curious, get creative, and stay focused. Inside my program, Flagship Ready, you walk in with a business idea to design a digital asset and walk away with a minimum viable product in 5 weeks. You do need expertise in your own field to join but not necessarily business experience. But if you have both, you’re in for a fun group ride! I’m not a mind reader, but I know what you’re thinking right now. There are one hundred thousand information products out there. You said it yourself Andrea, why should I put the time and effort to build one now. I can’t possibly get everything I know into a single product. I would have to build a whole library. And, my favorite, I already have a library collecting digital dust out there. What’s your take on this? Here it is, are you investing energy, time, money, and effort in positioning your digital asset in front of the right people? Did you build your asset following your signature system? If your answer is yes, then you have got to be cheering for info products as well in your world. And, if your answer is no, I suggest you invest in the latter in that order with what you have created. And, if you do not have an information product designed now, what are you waiting for? It’s time to join the trend. There are programs, coaches, communities, even ghostwriters that can help you get there. Your job is to decide what you’d like to build your name around it and go for it. Just to name a few of my favorite information products out of the many available, really, it’s all up to your preference and criteria delivering an experience to your people. So here my top 7 list: email mini-courses/courses/challenges, private podcasts, short video recordings paired with interactive workbooks, audio-only bundles (I feel it’s like having the expert on the go), interactive eBooks, paid programs with active communities of like-minded people, VIP Days with direct access to the experts. It’s all about designing an experience for your ideal people. I encourage you to complete this list with your own favorite ones. Let's say the best way you consume information is most likely what you’d like to create and put out there with your name. If you need help deciding and designing, you know where to find me. I hope next time I go down a rabbit hole in cyberspace in the middle of a feed, I get to find your info product beautifully branded, attracting your people into your world and monetizing like crazy for your business. Until the next feed, then! You can also visit her website for more info and join her Facebook Group here. Read more from Andrea! Andrea Cristancho, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrea Cristancho, the founder of www.andreacristancho.com, is a Holistic Business Coach helping female entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Through her signature program, The UpLevel Method, Andrea integrates the entrepreneurial mindset with practical business tools that re-engineer existing businesses to achieve their next growth level. As an international business mentor with Latin roots and serial entrepreneur, she has run her own businesses in 3 continents in many different industries. In the process, she has discovered that having a signature program, a personal brand, and the right mindset is the key to taking off your entrepreneurial success.

Written by: Marisa Guthrie, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How many times have you heard about your “USP” importance in business and how you have to find one?! USPs or your Unique Selling Point (or Proposition), your ‘niche’ is supposed to be the holy grail of your business, the thing that everything else revolves around. As someone who has been in business for over 25 years, I don’t really believe in USPs, or at least not in the way you think. And this is why; most of us are operating in very busy marketplaces, by which I mean that many people are doing the same thing that we do; architects, caterers, jewelry makers, web designers, business coaches! So when we try and describe what we do in terms of uniqueness, it can be pretty hard to do IF we solely look at attributes and features. But yet this is the trap that we can fall into in our haste to define our USP. And this is the issue I have with the quest for the USP because it is something that business owners get really hung up on, and it distracts them from bringing their authenticity and who they are to their work, which is much more important. Let’s look at this using me as an example. If you look at what I offer, on the surface, I’m not all that different from 1000 other business coaches out there, so how do I or any other business coach make any money?! And more importantly, how does anyone distinguish us from each other? How do prospects choose who to work with? The myth I want to dispel is that people work with us because of what we DO, what features we offer in our work. It may be a factor, but it is not the whole picture. In fact, the real reason people choose to work with us is because of who we are, and what our values are, the things that we are committed to, and what we embody in our business. They will be drawn to us because we resonate with them on some level. Our story connects with them and speaks to their experience. The important things to them are important to us, and we are on the same level. The mistake that we all make (and hands up, I’ve done it too!) is that when we try and focus on purely selling the features, the nuts, and bolts of what we do, we are missing a vital opportunity to connect with our audience on a more meaningful level, and this is the danger of trying to find the USP and define our business around it. The truth is people want to connect with us, not the attributes of what we offer. Saying the Surprising Thing When you land on my website, you will see a video where I talk about how business was something I was never interested in. Now I’m guessing that this is not what you were expecting to hear from a business coach! And that’s the thing; if I say what people expect a business coach to say, all the usual stuff around achieving your potential, reaching your goals, transforming your business, it’s going to be pretty hard for them to figure out whether they should invest their money working with me, as opposed to any other coach. But, when I bring my unique and authentic story (it’s true, I wasn’t interested in business at all!), it gives them an insight into who I am. More than that, it actually tells them something about themselves, and this will make them feel heard and understood, which creates trust and connection. When I tell my story and talk about my journey from being that person who wasn’t interested in business at all to being a business coach of 10+ years, they can see what led me to that point and, most importantly, why I do what I do, which is what they really want to know. And it is that not my USP that helps them decide whether to work with me or not. So instead of getting bogged down in figuring out the features of your USP and what you think makes you different, tell your story because that is the unique thing about you. Ask the following questions: What are my values, and what does my business stand for What is my story? What’s important to me? Why did I choose to start this business? Be honest and bring your authenticity to your marketing. As they say, “The one thing your competition cannot steal is your story.” But they can steal your USP. I remember when I changed how I marketed myself and brought more story and authenticity to my work, a client came to me and said, “I wanted to work with you because I felt we shared the same values.” It meant everything to me because I knew I was on the right track, and I have never looked back. “People buy people.” Talk about your personal and professional journey, what has bought you to this place. Remember that in telling your story, you will be telling your audience something about themselves. When we focus on selling our USP, we make the client do all the hard work figuring out our values. Who we really are. When we bring our authenticity, tell our unique story, and sell our values, we create an emotional connection that makes it easy for our clients and customers to understand who we are and why they should work with us. Have the courage to share your story, and you will never worry about your USP ever again. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website! Marisa Guthrie, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Before setting up her coaching and mentoring business in 2008, Marisa was involved in running businesses for nearly 20 years. A serial entrepreneur, Marisa has set up several businesses and social enterprises, including a cross-party think tank and a business networking organization for women. She was also CEO for a health charity and a business policy advisor for the local and national government. Marisa's work closely supports entrepreneurs in bringing their authentic selves to their work and help them feel comfortable in their professional identity and business brand. Her mission is for small business owners to do business differently.

Written by: Rozanna Wyatt, 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. Let’s cut to the chase: You’re looking for more fulfillment in your life. You feel stuck and dissatisfied with your success despite having accomplished more than most. When the lights go out at night, and you stare at the top of the ceiling, you secretly wish your life would amount to something more. You want to feel passion, purpose, and be inspired by what you do. As a high-achiever, your natural tendency is to engage in more “outward doing action” where you set and achieve another goal, hoping that your life will finally feel complete. If it were this simple, you would already feel fulfilled and satisfied with all of those incredible accomplishments you have achieved. You’re experiencing what I call the Fulfillment Gap. It develops when there is a lack of inner acceptance and an inability to embrace the totality of who you are and all you can be. The truth is: Fulfillment starts and ends when you embrace the totality of who you are and all you can be. This is when you breakthrough limitations, become unstoppable, and experience success that genuinely satisfies your soul. Empowering Steps To Embrace The Totality Of Who You Are Inner acceptance is the foundation required to embrace the totality of who you are and all you can be. If you’re struggling with this, start with these steps. Identify your strengths and talents. Get crystal clear on your strengths and talents that are unique to you. In addition to knowing what they are, understand how they make you feel when you use them. Tap into this feeling to motivate you to integrate them without holding back. When you do this, you will start to show up more powerfully and feel way more satisfied by your work. Embrace your story. Make peace with your story because it does not define you, rather, it shines a light on how and why you have led yourself to where you are. Accepting your story says, I am worthy of being seen by myself and by others. When you feel worthy, you authentically show up as your truest self which fosters connection and inspiration. Where there is connection and inspiration, you can create change. Develop calm confidence. Create a positive affirmation such as, “I am, I always have been, and I always will be enough.” When you tell yourself this every day, you are rewiring your brain to look for evidence to support this new belief. When you know you are enough, you will lead with calm confidence, and you will be open to possibilities that inspire you to show up as an unstoppable you. Align with your dreams. Write down your vision for your life, get clear on your why, and remind yourself of your why daily. Anchoring yourself in your why helps you to fearlessly pursue your dreams even when pushback from your doubts tries to surface. The result - you won’t give up on yourself, or your dreams, when outcomes take longer than you want. Commit to you. Empower yourself by committing to work on yourself from the inside out. By resolving the blocks that are limiting you from embracing the totality of who you are and all you can be, you are opening the confidence floodgates to swim in a reservoir of potential, breakthrough limitations, and become unstoppable. True success is when, without limits, you embrace the totality of who you are and all you can be - the key to experiencing fulfillment and claiming success that genuinely satisfies your soul. Let this article fuel your courage to walk the path of success from the inside-out, and ask yourself: “What do I need to let go of to embrace the totality of who I am and all I can be?” Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website for more info. Read more from Rozanna! Rozanna Wyatt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rozanna Wyatt is a Licensed Therapist and highly sought Global Coach who specializes in helping ambitious, high-achieving women confidently go after what they want in business and life. Drawing from her sixteen years of experience working those who have done the unimaginable (we're talking murder), entrepreneurs, athletes, professionals and corporate leaders, she enables her clients to experience mindset breakthroughs that allow them to turn their lives around, resolve years of emotional pain, be happy, 10x their business, win national awards, and more. Rozanna has a master’s degree in social work, as well as specialized training in leadership and high performance. Rozanna’s expertise has been featured in the media in Forbes, Addicted2Succcess, Thrive Global, and Authority Magazine. When she’s not keeping up on the latest research around positive psychology and human behavior, you can find her playing with her furbaby or sipping vanilla lattes in her favorite coffee shops in Canada.

Written by: Guest Writer Sri Haritha Ramadugu Yes, you read that right. The lack of mental health awareness has been a silent killer all along, which we fail to recognize. WHO says - "Suicide trends in developing countries differ from those recorded in Europe and North America. For example, compared to high-income countries where suicide among males is predominant, China, India and Pacific island countries report a proportionately higher number of female suicides. There are also noticeable differences in the age distribution of suicide, with young people at greater risk in India and the Pacific islands and elderly people of growing concern in Asia. As in high-income countries, hanging is among the most common suicide methods; however, a large number of suicide deaths throughout Asia and the Pacific also occur through ingestion of toxic substances, such as agricultural pesticides, and inhalation of burning charcoal fumes. These distinctions between risk groups and suicide methods not only indicate the urgent need for suicide research and intervention, but also raise the question of whether the strategies designed for populations in high-income countries are appropriate for developing countries and culturally diverse settings." There are more suicide deaths than malaria, breast cancer, war, or even homicide, according to the WHO. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds, in 2016. I myself belong to a developing nation like India, I was curious about the actual statistics of suicide deaths and COVID. The results have shocked me. The COVID deaths in the country are 2.83L, whereas the suicide deaths are 1.39L in 2019 (according to the sources with an average of 381 suicide deaths per day.), which made me realize that with or without the COVID situation in the country, there are more than 1L deaths happening. Then why is that we're only worried about the recent pandemic and not about this silent killer and which is prevalent for years? Probably just because it's not contagious. Maybe because the mental health issues are not transferable. Are we in a situation to expect help from the government or any external sources? NO! Looking at the trend in the developing nations, the countries and their people are looking forward to STEM education and technology advancement. Young professionals waiting for opportunities in tech. Entrepreneurs with tech start-ups. The world is running behind the tech advancement. But is that the only priority while there are people willingly ending their lives every day? Yes, technology integration is super important in every field, but that's not it. It's time for one wing of the people to focus on ourselves first. It's time for the new STEM education to step in. S - Self Awareness T - Talent recognition/retention E - Emotional Intelligence M - Mindset How's this new STEM education effective, and how can you help bring the change? Today's world is much connected to tech, not prioritizing self passion and TALENT, which would never let people think anything otherwise as they enjoy whatever they do, and this directs the way to a positive MINDSET and Buildsup EMOTIONAL STRENGTH. In this way, we could create and effectively utilize the new REFORMING STEM and AMEND it to our lives. Being greatly influenced and habituated to the current system and not being able to handle the change, a question arises how one would achieve this? Here comes the need for coaching and the COACH who would help you meet your inner self, promote SELF AWARENESS through which TALENT can be recognised and making use of it, thereby promoting EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE and finally a PROPER MINDSET. With that said, anyone who's willing for a career change, waiting to restart their career, or simply someone who wants to bring the change that's needed with the passion for working towards it needs to look forward to working for the coaching industry. But, can anyone become a Coach? - Yes, anyone can become a coach. But that's not just enough to have a successful career as a coach while impacting others life helping bring the change. Your education and the knowledge you have plays a very important role in surviving as a coach. There are different aspects of the new age STEM (Self-awareness, Talent recognition/retention, Emotional Intelligence, Mindset). Anyone who mastered or is willing to master a skill and help others gain relevant skills can become a coach and as well monetize your skills. It's time we take a step towards the most important aspect in our life, which is not only our PHYSICAL health, but the crucial MENTAL health which leads us throughout our life. The COVID situation might come under control very soon because of the science and tech advancement. Still, this INVISIBLE PANDEMIC that's been silently prevalent among us can only be controlled with our help. It's time we take charge. As said, people can reach the moon and conquer the galaxy wherein they fail to recognize the inner galaxy, our MIND realizing what we are. While reaching other planets symbolizes the advancement in tech, SELF-AWARENESS creates a path to the most underrated INNER STRENGTH. NOTE : Anyone who is willing to curate the new STEM education and help others can contact me for guidance as I'm working towards the same goal as well. Follow me on Instagram & LinkedIn for more info! Written by: Sri Haritha Ramadugu, Life Coach and NLP Practitioner helping people with mindset to achieve their goals.

Written by: Felicia Shanken, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Here is my take on things. Look at your circle of friends or influencers. Do they have the same tendencies as you? No? Then, let me help you get to your “aha” moment. Ready? Let’s go! Go back to a time in your life when you started adding friends into your circle. Remember “Susie” who liked the same dolls, “George” who liked the same flavor ice cream, that first boyfriend or girlfriend who wanted the same toppings on pizza as you? Ok, these may be a little extreme or even to the left, but the reality is we are what we attract. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of drama all the time? Have you asked yourself why? We are continuously drawn to the things that are familiar to us unconsciously – that friendship, that relationship with another, that job and so on. It’s your safe haven. Your “they get me” space, your non-judgment zone, so to speak. Whether you believe it or not, the energy you put into the universe is what comes back to you. So, if you are a negative or positive person, that is the energy that you will receive. You may have looked at other’s lives and wondered, “why are they always smiling or prosperous in everything that they do?” It’s simple. This is what they attract. One of the greatest gifts that God gave all of us humans, is “free will.” The Free will to dictate how our life is going to play out. We all must remember that the gift of life is so short. In a second, it can be taken away. You know the saying,“misery loves company?” Why can’t that be turned around to “happiness loves company.” The power of words. OK, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, there are those, no matter what you do or say, choose to be miserable. Here is where I challenge all of you. What is behind that misery in a person’s life? Is he or she broken, hurt, depressed, or could it be a combination of all three? No one knows for sure what another human being is going through on this life’s journey, Right? We all know that “hurt” people “hurt” people unconsciously most of the time. There are a lot of people who are out here in life that is “broken” and never will take the time to get themselves fixed. And most of the time, these are the ones who keep attracting the same things – people, jobs and relationships – into their lives. We as human beings don’t take the time to truly analyze or try to fix ourselves because we are too busy waiting for others to do that for us. At some point, you must break the cycle of madness! At some point, you must realize that it is not everyone else, but it is us! Self-reflection is a hard thing. It forces us to pull back the curtains and be raw with ourselves. To see the ugliness, the pain, not loving ourselves, comparisons, insecurities and so on. Trust me, we all will have to do it at some point in our lives. Some may get there before we do, but eventually, it will happen. Once you find yourself on the other side, that is when you give the universe time to heal and work with you. The only positive thing that comes from a place of brokenness is when we realize that we are broken. That is the first rule of healing and starting to move forward while attracting those things, people and relationships in life that we really want, deserve and need. We can’t go back to yesterday and change what has happened or how we feel, we can only plan for today! You must live each day as if it was your last, because it could be. Do you want people to remember you as broken, hurt, unloving, or do you want them to remember you as the loving, caring and authentic person that you can become? So, ask yourself, what and who in life am I attracting? If you find that you are attracting the same type of people, relationships, friendships etc. then you know it’s probably not them, it’s probably you. So here comes the real task. What are you going to do to change things? Remember, if you want to “keep getting what you are getting, then keep doing what you are doing.” Positive or negative, the outcome is the same. If you find yourself in this situation, take back your life. Start creating those positive thoughts and relationships that you deserve. Everyone in this world has the same 24 hours every day. It is up to you how you plan to use them. Wasted time you will never get back, so if you must waste time, “BE HAPPY.” What do you have to lose, or better yet, what do you have to gain? Life is a gift. Enjoy and treasure it as long as you can. So, my friends, I hope I shed some light on your own life, gave you an “aha” moment and made you dig a little deeper into yourself. My hope and wish for you moving forward are that you start attracting what you are. Be the light that you want to see in others, give the love that you so crave, give the compassion that you need and most of all, pray for the wisdom and understanding of others as we go through this thing called LIFE! I wish you all blessings on your journey. Have a great day on purpose! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website! Read more from Felicia! Felicia Shanken, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Felicia Shanken is a Women Strategist and Builder. She is the Founder/CEO of the Philadelphia Women's Network Connection, LLC and PWNC Foundation 501(c)(3). PWNC is about helping local businesswomen build their business, connect with like-minded individuals and benefit from shared resources. The Foundation is committed to assisting women in growing a business as solo entrepreneurs transition from full-time or part-time to full-time entrepreneurship. Felicia has also been recognized and honored by "Fun Times Magazine" in their March/April 2020 edition for being "2020 Philadelphia Who's Who Black Women of Influence". Felicia had the opportunity in September 2019 to have her show on RVNTV, a digital television platform called "Power Up Your Passion," where she brings guests on to talk about their passion in life and how it lead to where they are now. Felicia was raised in Queens, New York. She moved to Philadelphia over 20 years ago, where she met her husband, Paul, a native Philadelphian. They live in the Fairmont area of Center City, Philadelphia.

Written by: Marika Humphreys, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever received news that totally changed everything in an instant? One minute your life is going along as expected and the next everything has been turned upside down? Well, that is exactly what happened to me. Totally Unexpected News It was mid-July in California and it was hot. I was coming home from a work trip. I was meeting my husband and my 5-year-old at a town about 45 minutes from the airport. There was a Peach Festival going on and we were going to walk around and spend a nice afternoon before heading home. We had a nice time and were chatting as we drove home. Then, out of the blue, my husband glanced at me in the car and said those dreaded words no wife wants to hear. “There is something I need to tell you.” My heart sank. We had a good marriage, and I had no reason to doubt it, but there was something about his tone of voice... I felt like he was about to tell me he’d had an affair and I unconsciously braced for what I expected him to say. I was wholly unprepared for what he told me instead. “They found a cancerous tumor in my arm.” What? I couldn’t even process that information. He had been seeing a physical therapist for what we thought was a rotator cuff injury. Cancer? It felt like overnight, the rug was pulled out from under us. Over the next weeks and months, everything shifted for us. Our whole life changed. Our future, which had seemed so predictable, was now filled with uncertainty. The Long Haul Getting the initial news of your partner’s cancer diagnosis is life-altering. In one moment, everything you thought you knew about your life and your future changes. Over time, as you adjust to living with cancer as a shadow over your life, sometimes for years, it is a different kind of challenge. It’s like running a marathon you never trained for. What Made The Difference Somehow we got through the first couple of years. He had chemo, then surgery, then more chemo… It was hell, but we got through it. Then life slowly went back to a new normal. A few years go by. And then he got a brain tumor. While in the hospital, we found out the cancer from before had spread to his chest. I remembered the utter grief I felt and the prospect of going through it all again. This was his second cancer in 3 years and we were reeling. Stress was high as he recovered from brain surgery, went through radiation, and we contemplated how to approach the cancer in his chest. We had been arguing in the car as we drove to a specialist several hours away. To take his mind off things, he searched for a podcast and found The Life Coach School podcast. As I napped in the car, he listened and after just an hour or so, his mood totally changed. He shared it with me and we both became avid listeners. From just what we learned in the podcast alone, we both started to change our outlook and our thinking. We both started feeling like we actually did have control in what felt like a chaotic situation. A New Beginning We were both so impacted by what we were learning on the podcast that we decided to join The Life Coach School’s coaching program. It was a big decision as all our money was being spent on medical bills. But after discussing it, we both felt it was worth the investment. It totally was. It would be years before I realized it, but that one decision, to invest in our mental health, would change the course of my life forever. Lesson 1 - I’m in charge of how I think. The first concept that completely blew my mind was learning that my thoughts are separate from the circumstances in my life. My husband had stage IV cancer. That was the fact of my situation. However, I could decide what I thought about that. I could decide what I would make it mean. I had no idea I had this power! To actually choose how to think about all of it… I had just been going on default and I was miserable. Once I learned what I could control, I started paying attention to my thoughts. I started to write them out each day, so I could take a look and see how they were affecting me. I started looking at my situation differently. I started seeing that I had a choice about how I viewed things. I started realizing that I had more control over my own life than I realized. I realized how stagnant I had become, even before my husband got cancer. This one concept alone started to change my life. In the midst of his recovery from the brain tumor and us starting to figure out how to fight the spread of his cancer, I started taking back control of my life… Lesson 2 - I’m responsible for my own emotions. Another revelation I had came later in our journey. My husband and I had decided we both wanted to become life coaches because of the amazing impact these lessons and tools were having in our lives. The training was intense and we not only learn concepts and tools, but we were both learning more about ourselves. During one session, I was being coached in front of a room full of people and I was sharing how much I hated seeing my husband in pain and how frustrating it was for me. My coach looked at me and said, “You're blaming him for your emotions. He’s not responsible for how you feel. You are responsible for your own emotions.” I was floored. I didn’t even realize that I had become so tangled up in him and his condition, that I was basing how I felt on how he felt. And I was starting to resent him for it! Recognizing that I’m the one responsible for my emotions was at first shocking, but then became empowering. It took a while and lots of reminders to break out of my habits, but I relished knowing that I’m responsible for myself. It gave me my power back. Lesson 3 - Life is always 50/50. The other life-shifting lesson I learned during that time is that life isn’t supposed to be good all the time. Rather, life is always going to be part good and part bad. That 50% of the time, things will be great and the other 50%, things will be terrible. It may sound weird, but looking at life this way brought me huge relief. I always felt that life is supposed to be good and I’m supposed to be happy. So, when I wasn’t happy and life was hard, I resisted it and felt like something was wrong. Resisting reality takes so much energy… and gets you nowhere! There is supposed to be contrast in life and it doesn’t mean that something has gone wrong. Moving Forward Over the next several years, as my husband battled stage IV cancer, these three lessons helped me deal with this very difficult situation, but also made me a better parent, more capable employee, and more confident individual. In the midst of it all, I actually got a long sought after a promotion at work because I had developed confidence in myself and my leadership ability. My husband passed away from cancer after a 5-year battle. Adjusting to becoming a widow and single parent while also dealing with grief was its own challenge. However, I continued to rely on a coach to help me through. I now help other people, unexpected caregivers, learn the resiliency skills that made such a huge difference in my life. I coach others through this difficult time and help them develop the resiliency skills they need to not just cope with their partner’s cancer, but actually develop their inner strength so that they can face anything that comes their way. For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit my website! Marika Humphreys, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marika Humphreys is a Resiliency Coach. At the age of 40, while working full time and raising a 5 year old, her late husband was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next 5 years as her husband battled multiple cancers she took on many roles including spouse, employee, mom, and caregiver. Marika believes caregiving is one of the toughest jobs out there and it’s easy to become depleted and feel like you have no control. Through coaching she learned that she could still be in charge of her life, even while caregiving to her husband. Coaching helped her discover her own power, strength, and resilience and now she helps her clients do the same. She believes that even in the midst of a challenge like having a spouse with cancer, you can build resiliency skills and take control of your life.

Written by: Tugce Ozdeger, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We all human beings have a passion for being a service to others with our competencies and expertise. The more we feel confident about ourselves and our unique talents, the more we will grow in our careers no matter where we are currently in our careers. We can serve others in the extent we respect, accept and strive for being the best version ourselves and therefore, personal development has a direct impact on your career, business and finances as well. It’s very essential to give ourselves time and care to get to know ourselves, the things that make us excited, our values, the things that matter to us, our unique gift(s) we were born with, and foremost, why we are on this beautiful planet, the Earth. Everything we experienced in our career, the promotions, failures, the learnings, praises, everything mirrors how we feel inside. The more we are aware of our shadow and light and love ourselves anyway, our career will exponentially grow and people around us will notice the energetic shift, the inner work we are committed to unleashing our full potential in life and in whatever we choose to do in order to contribute to the development of this planet. We all have a tendency to hide ourselves and think whatever we experienced only happened to us because we think we are lacking e.g. skills, education, degree, money etc. In fact, everything in life happened for us to grow and take the next leap in our life and career. Having someone beside you who has already gone the path you are seeking to create will make a big difference in your career and that’s what a mentor’s intention is to guide you to look into your life and your career from a different angle. The question “Do we allow us to get all the support and help we need to take the leap”? There is an obvious difference between doing a job because you have to, and you choose to be on a mission to accomplish something that is aligned with your values and who you are at the core. Everything we desire in our life and career is to take the courage to decide what our next step will be in our life and career. Would you like to stay in your comfort zone and continue what you are used to with comfort and leave your comfort zone and explore what it is that you can co-create with the universe and let the universe express itself through your unique gifts and story. I hope you chose the latter :) For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Read more from Tugce ! Tugce Ozdeger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tugce Ozdeger, is a Senior Software Engineer and a Career Acceleration Mentor for Women in Tech. After a long corporate career, Tugce created strategies to level up her tech career on her own terms. She has since dedicated her life to helping women to unleash their full potential by defining a lucrative career that allows them to experience the life of their dreams in tech. She is the founder of Heart-Centric Tech Mentoring, an online tech career mentoring academy with students from many different countries. Tugce was featured on various digital publications and podcasts. She was a speaker at SweTugg which is one of the prestigious tech conferences in Stockholm. Tugce was also the project leader for one of the most appreciated IT-Conferences for Women in Tech in Sweden which was arranged completely digital. Her mission: More women in tech.

Written by: Mona AlHebsi, 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 favorite quotes of all times is the one by Martin Luther King, Jr. that goes: “The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.” If you would like to become a person of influence in your life and career, then you need to speak up and have your say in important matters. You won’t go very far in your life if your goal is to do just enough to get by and agree to everything being said to you to avoid conflict. This is not to say; go and argue with every other person you are talking to. In fact, the real wisdom is in bypassing the small stuff and staying focused on your main goals. However, there are occasions in life when saying “yes” or remaining quiet is not an option. Everyone among us will get tested at some point during our life by coming across some critical ethical scenarios that will reveal us to ourselves before others. The intent is not to prove anything to anyone; it’s more to act on what we have always been chanting about courage, integrity, and being truthful. These scenarios will confirm what we stand for and expose our core values in action. Because whether you have decided to be neutral or take a stand, they both reveal a set of different values in you. Again, taking a stand doesn’t always have to be noisy; on occasions, not feeding a negative scenario or news with unnecessary words or actions can be the bravest thing you do and exactly what is needed to initiate positive change or at least save your energy from being sucked. However, I believe everyone of us can have an impact, especially if you are in a position of power or can improve the quality of someone’s life, i.e., a loved one, a friend, a colleague, or a customer, etc. You will ask now, so what am I supposed to do? The answer is simple when you encounter a situation in where you feel the need to speak up or take a certain stand, first listen to your inner guide or what we call “Intuition”; and do as it tells you. If you are not sure whether this pressing sound is intuition or your nagging fears are surfacing, then I will give you another compass that I’ve gathered from my life experiences, and it almost always worked. This compass is called “The Majority VS The Minority” rule. This simply means that you will notice first what view the majority in the room are adopting, and you will defend the opposing view! Well, perhaps you understood where I’m going with this, as almost all of us have been part of meetings or work-related scenarios where everyone is sick and tired and just wants to nod with the popular choice decision to be made. In most cases, if you dig deeper about the commonly voted view, it may not necessarily be the best decision for the company or its people. It can likely be the easiest one to implement or the way things have always been done in the organization i.e., the norm. If you follow the mainstream, you will be the one out of many. However, if you know how to gracefully disagree and defend your unpopular view, you will stimulate other people’s thinking, help them to see things from a new perspective, and encourage meaningful conversations that will inspire innovative ways to do things in your organization. And so to say, there is more fun in being the one who always inspires people to think differently and try out creative solutions to enhance the performance of your organization in the sight of key stakeholders and the wider community you are operating in. In fact, you really don’t want to be the one who says yes to everything because you will develop a reputation of being agreeable and thus easily dispensable after some time as you are not adding any real input or value to your company. You will see your colleagues (who generally are a handful in any organization) get more respect and included in key discussions because their contributions are priceless to your organization. Of course, one key element is to present your view with respect while having a holistic approach to the matter at hand and being assertive. So, the essence of this concept is really to do what is right (by following your intuition) and then apply the second validation technique, which is to defend the unpopular view with a strong basis or argument. A word of caution, when you start walking down this track consistently, you will start becoming a person of influence. You will enjoy all the associated rewards, so be ready for that. On the other hand, you will start noticing some people who will try to criticize you or your efforts, belittle you or your achievements, just notice them and continue what you are doing, never bother; they will disappear with time. In this regard, my last few words, learning the art of disagreeing in life and specifically at work, is very important because it distinguishes you from others and shows your individuality. You can’t agree with everyone all the time, and I like to believe that you would like to leave your unique footprint on every endeavor you engage within your life. For that, you need to constantly strive to be you and speak your mind to contribute to completing the jigsaw puzzle. You definitely won’t be able to do so if you have a duplicated piece like your other colleague! If you find yourself struggling to overcome toxic work patterns and feel stuck in a mediocre job, know that you are not alone. Career & Success Coaches like myself can help you be aware of your blind spots while guiding you towards career options that will make you achieve personal effectiveness and fulfillment. You can email me at info@monaalhebsi.com. For more personal effectiveness and career success tips, visit my website. Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook! You can also subscribe to my channel on YouTube. Read more from Mona! Mona AlHebsi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mona AlHebsi, is an Award-Winning Hotelier, HR Practitioner, Success Coach, Renowned Author, and Speaker. She has recently been named “Most Influential Woman in Hospitality Human Capital” and "Inspirational Female Leader" due to her eminent contributions to the hospitality industry and Human Resources profession. Through her book “Beat The Odds,” Mona aims to provide a roadmap to all hoteliers and working professionals on making their work a vehicle to delivering excellence and achieving astounding success. She instinctively knows how to ignite the courage in others to stay true to their values and capitalize on their strengths, which will ultimately steer them towards success and fulfillment. Mona's life mantra is, "The more odds you beat, the greater will be your feat!"