Written by: Aimee Teesdale, 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. If you ask a group of business owners what their biggest challenge is, the vast majority of them will tell you: Finding clients and making money. I can certainly relate: this was always my biggest struggle too. I was constantly worried about where my next client was going to come from and wondering, ‘what do I need to do in order to find clients?!’ Eventually, I realized that finding clients had very little to do with what I was doing, and everything to do with who I was being. And who I was being was: ‘I am not valuable.’ Of course, I didn’t say that to people, at least not verbally, anyway. In fact, I didn’t even realize that that was what I believed. But I was saying it non-verbally. It dictated what actions I took (or avoided!) and the quality of those actions. It was my energy. It was only when I shifted my energy, changed who I was being, and saw myself in a different way, that my business finally took off. Five-figure months became the norm, not because my actions changed, but because I changed. If you're in this same situation like I was, not making as much money in your business as you'd love, finding it hard to find clients, then let me share with you one of the secrets to increasing your bank balance: Increase your belief in your value. When you really believe in the value you can offer, you will want to talk about it enthusiastically. You will want people to know about it, and you’ll find it easier to promote. You won't feel the need to convince people because you yourself will already be convinced, which will, in turn, help them feel more confident in what you offer. You will be more focused on serving people than selling to them. You will be the one creating value for other people instead of the one consuming it from others. You will be the one that people come running to. Then you will attract clients. Then you will attract more money. The problem is that you think that your value is YOU. You think that you are selling ‘yourself’. That's why you're afraid of them saying no. That's why you hesitate to put 'yourself' out there and sell because of the reaction you may or not get. If you put yourself out there and people say no, you take it as a personal rejection, as though you yourself must not be valuable to them. That's also why you say you ‘don't know how to find clients,’ because you're really just protecting yourself from the pain of personal rejection. Here’s what you need to understand: Your value is not 'you.' People don't pay to work with you because YOU are valuable to them. They pay to work with you because you are able to help them be, do or have something which is personally valuable to them. You are simply the pathway for them to get what they want. It's not about you. It's about them. It's about what they want. Can you help them be, do or have what they want? Can you see the value that your service (not you!) brings to them? Your bank balance is not a reflection of your value. It's a reflection of your beliefs about your value. Stop waiting for your bank balance to increase before believing in your value. Choose to believe that you and your offer are two separate things. Choose to believe that what you offer is valuable to others. Choose to believe that you get to choose what you believe. Then see how your bank balance increases. Connect with Aimee through her website or Instagram! Read more from Aimee! Aimee Teesdale, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aimee Teesdale is a highly sought-after success coach, speaker, author and champion for love. Using her transformational 5D Method™, she enables purpose-driven business owners to get out of their own way of success, become the person they want to be, and create the life & business of their dreams. Her ability to create rapid transformational results with her clients is due to her personal experience overcoming 20 years of struggle, fear and severely limiting beliefs, and discovering what the secret to success really is: less fear, more love.

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 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. 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, and supports this as a certified and attuned Reiki Master Teacher and a Certified Meditation Teacher. Welcome, Laurence. Firstly, how are you coping with the pandemic and all its impacts? Hi, and thanks for having me here. It certainly is a surreal time we are living in right now, and one very few have seen the likes of before. Thankfully my immediate family and I are all doing well, however we have had a couple of losses in our extended family to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19 as it is more widely known) pandemic and have seen serious health impacts in some of our neighbors who contracted this early on. My experience has been a little contrary because my partner and I have been caring for a set of old folks both in the family and locally. A good friend of ours went into hospital 3 days before the first lockdown with acute leukemia. We were sourcing and delivering supplies to her, so we actually found ourselves going shopping every day, whilst most were remaining indoors. Then, as the lockdown restrictions eased and people started mixing again, we had to protect ourselves and become more isolated, so you could say I am out of phase with the process. On a more professional level, I have unsurprisingly experienced a significant increase in clients struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression, driven primarily by the loss of physical proximity in the social interactivity dimensions of collaborative working. Social isolation, for a species that has a clear psychological requirement for community, as defined in Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Deficiency Need 3: Love and Belonging -Intimacy, Friendship and Community), creates psychological impacts which can often become debilitating over time, and we should be preparing for the significant increase in mental health issues we will see over the next few years, as the longer-term impacts of social isolation start hitting home. It is exactly this issue I work through with clients, both individuals and corporations, to increase awareness and put in place safeguards and tools to avoid, or at least minimize, developing mental health issues. Your work with Mental Health sounds fascinating. How did you first get involved in this area? I had come through the management consulting ‘machine’ with a global consultancy. I progressed to Executive roles, creating and selling on consulting businesses, as well as providing consulting and advisory services to some of the world’s largest and best-known organizations, experiencing the familiar expectations of 60+ hour weeks, 24/7 availability, and ever-increasing demands, seeing people I worked with fall into poor mental health. In a few cases, mental illness, almost entirely caused by workplace stress, with little or no psychological support from management or their organizations, piqued my interest as someone who has always had a fascination for human behavior psychology. It was when I myself succumbed to a full-blown mental breakdown, diagnosed as clinical depression, that I experienced the true depth such a condition can bring, at one point finding myself in a situation where I was actually given a ratio of likelihood of surviving the day. I was extremely fortunate in that I was put under the care of one of the region’s best psychiatrists and his connected psychologist and was treated, guided, and supported back to being a fully functioning member of society. Having gone through such an experience, I started thinking about what had happened at a psychological level, but more importantly, how it could be avoided. This led me to research not just the psychology but the neuroscience associated with brain functioning and stress response, and into the area of prevention rather than symptom treatment, and started developing a pragmatic approach for both companies and individuals to improve mental strength and resilience. Now I deliver proactive mental health training all over the world, with my last in-person workshops delivered in Tokyo and Singapore in 2019 to a global Pharmaceutical company. That is quite a traumatic experience, and I can see why you would want to prevent others from going through it. I imagine success stories are a great source of satisfaction for you. What would be one incident or situation which, for you, epitomizes the reason why you do this? A great question, and you are right. I get far more from seeing people not just avoid the impacts of stress but mentally improve their performance. For me, it is the recovery of individual sufferers that makes everything I do worthwhile, a great example of which was an individual I took on whilst doing some leadership behavior coaching at a large household name company. This person approached me and asked if they could speak to me privately. On sitting down in a quiet office, they broke down in tears and explained they were struggling with work and life, were not getting support from the company or their manager, and didn’t know what to do. When I asked why they had approached me, someone they did not know, they simply said they felt, from watching how I worked with the management team, that I was someone who would care and try to help in any way possible. We agreed to have two 30-minute informal chats, over coffee, each day to talk about things and to find me immediately if they were struggling with something and it could not wait. I could see they felt they were out of options and had no idea what to do. Over the next 6 weeks, our sessions brought out several issues, and I talked her through different ways to think about how to react and deal with them. By the time I finished my coaching of the leadership team and was preparing to leave the organization, she agreed that she felt much stronger and able to cope whilst she still had bad days. The evidence of this, and the answer to your question, is that some 6 months later, I received a message from them telling me they had experienced a particularly low day, after some challenging work issues, and had found themselves stopping halfway across a glass bridge which spanned the atrium some 7 floor up, with thoughts of jumping, but whilst standing there looking down, “heard my voice in their ear” as if talking through her feelings with her right there. She realized it was not the thing to do. She said I had 'literally saved her life.' Even though it was her own mind that had processed the situation using the tools and techniques I had coached her in, the simple fact that those weeks of sessions had led to her not jumping, made every second of it worthwhile, and had again given me a great sense of satisfaction and purpose. Just one such story makes it worth the effort, and for each time this happens, it never lessens the emotions I feel at being able to help someone. I can see how having such a profound impact on someone’s life would motivate me to continue. Now, coming back to today, you have carried out studies on how Executives have handled the Pandemic's challenges and published the first report in 2020. What were the main insights you gained from that? Sure. In 2020, in response to the continued Covid19 impacts, we asked a large group of C-Suite Executives to comment on the effects they had felt and the actions they had taken, and for their learnings from dealing with this unprecedented challenge of our times. 46 executives provided feedback, covering 5 industries across the UK, Europe, SE Asia, US, and Asia Pacific. It is clear that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) has had, and continues to have, profound effects, including communication problems, isolation effects on wellbeing, restructuring of organizations, and new topologies of the employee landscape, which will all eventually establish themselves in a position in which much is familiar, and some are new. The main points of learnings can be condensed into the following areas: Learning to step back and consider the whole situation and potential issues quickly but calmly is paramount to being best protected from the impacts. A Servant Leader style is felt to have resulted in less anxiety and panic from the workforce. Communication by leaders, and active consultation with the workforce, provided a level of confidence and support, which lessened the stress and anxiety. The psychological impact that remote working brings, not just from the isolation from the work environment and colleagues, but also the blurring of work and home boundaries, is placing stress and pressure on relationships. Work-provided counseling was reactive rather than proactive service for all staff members and leaders, and heading off such issues would have been far more effective in addressing them. It should be part of every Corporate Wellness program going forward. During such unprecedented times, leaders can become more vulnerable to self-doubt, and portraying surety and strength to your workforce is a requirement, so managing through such self-doubt requires a new skill set, which has to be learned quickly. Making workplace wellbeing a proactive activity will be both necessary and beneficial to both individual and business productivity. The biggest struggle revolves around the psycho-social effects of isolation restrictions and relying on technology to stay in touch. Research by Jean-Pierre Brun (Director of the Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at the Université de Laval) and the World Health Organization (2020) identified isolated or solitary work as a major factor in increasing stress concerning our need for interpersonal relationships: 'Interpersonal relationships failures (inadequate, inconsiderate or unsupportive supervision, poor relationships with colleagues, bullying/harassment and violence, isolated or solitary work, etc.)’ Those same sources identified that an organizational culture that didn't provide clarity about organizational goals is another cause of increasing stress at work: “One CEO talked about how purpose enabled her to help “people move beyond grief to action” while another emphasized that “by reminding teams of our purpose and why we are working hard, we can do more to handle the crisis and strengthen our reason for existing.” When combined, such rapid reactionary changes and job insecurity mean an increase in stress. Studies into workplace stress have identified it as a significant cost for companies worldwide, running in 2019 at £45 billion a year in the UK and between $80 billion and $100 billion a year in the US. To account for the physical, psychological, and emotional impact of the new work environment and increase employee satisfaction, many experts claim that employee engagement in terms of well-being and happiness will be the only metric that CEOs will worry about in the future. So it highlighted ‘knee-jerk’ reactions, more non-collaborative leadership styles, and lack of open and clear communication as significant improvement opportunities. Yes, that is correct. When such turbulent and uncertain times present almost daily challenges, the more timely, considered, and informed your decisions are, and the more aware your workforce is of the rationale behind them, especially if they have been involved in the decision-making process, the less anxious people are. And I hear you are updating this report for 2021 and are including more Executives in the process. Who can get involved, and how do they do so? Yes, I am going through an exercise of refreshing and updating the report. Now we know more about the impacts that are beginning to show from the actions taken in response to the pandemic. I have sent out invitations to a further 100 SME Leaders, but happy to have more responses if any CEOs or Executives responsible for well-being in their organizations in your audience want to get involved. There is still time, as I will be closing the consultation period at the end of April, so if they head over to ‘https://execmentalhealthsolutions.simplybook.it/v2/’ and choose an appointment time, they will go through a brief 15-minute interview, and their responses will form part of the data set for the update. Great, and I know you have some articles on your websites, so if I was to read your articles or the reports and decide I needed to focus more on my own mental health and that of my workforce, what can I do? Well, I am moving some of my training online, as an 8 week (once a week, 30 minutes) course, to enable learning to continue during travel and gathering restrictions, so if you want to drop me a line, using my website, contact form, or directly by email, I can talk you through the options. Alternatively, the first cohort of the online course will start the 2nd week of April, and pre-registration is open for this at https://ecmht.thinkific.com/, so sign up pre-register for that course. If you are looking for a local resource for such training, I have a good global network of suitably qualified Corporate Mental Health Facilitators, who I could connect you up with. That sounds like something everyone should do. Is it only available to Executives? Absolutely not. The on-site workshops are usually for up to 10 people, quite often whole teams, and can be any group across the organization. I do have a specific set of workshops or online course aimed at Executives, which is the first one going online, that I mentioned just now, but anyone interested in providing this learning opportunity to their wider workforce can contact me, and we can discuss how to set up a standard Corporate Mental Health Training Programme. So, I take it you are a busy guy. How do you apply this to your own life? And when do you get time? Yes, I do get very busy, and I tend to work best like that. However, I apply all the techniques of stress management and performance optimization to the way I work, as well as play, so I never overwhelm myself, because I would not be operating at my best then, and that is not good for me or my clients. I tend to break up my time, so I focus on providing this training and coaching at specific times and on other things at other times. This way, I am not trying to do too many things at once because it is actually impossible to multitask. Our brains cannot function that way, but we end up rapid-switching between tasks, and this can easily lead to lack of adequate focus, attention, and stress reactions as we rapidly become overwhelmed. I would say my time is full-on but organized and structured. You mention ‘other things’ you spend time on. Can you elaborate a bit on that? Of course. As I mentioned I think, I have a lifelong passion for learning and for using my skills to give back, or forward, whenever possible. I am currently in the middle of completing my NCFE CACHE Level 3 Counselling qualification, which will enable me to move toward providing my counseling and therapy services to the NHS so more people can get access to psychological help. I am also on my last modules of a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB), which I chose because of my interest in criminal and forensic psychology, which I have diplomas in, and I am currently in late-stage discussions regarding a Trustee role with a local mental health charity, as part of my volunteering activities. I previously held a voluntary role as a member of the Family Mediation Standards Board of England and Wales. I continue to provide Life and Leadership Coaching and behavioral therapy alongside the holistic services of Reiki Healing and Meditation I offer. Wow. Any time for ‘Play’ in your life? What do you do for Fun? Of course. As they say, all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy, so I always balance my ‘work’ with sufficient ‘play, and I do this in many ways. I regularly practice and occasionally teach, Aikido, which I began some 15 years ago, after moving on from Judo and Jiu Jutsu, which I had practiced since the age of 10. I also enjoy national-level target shooting in smallbore and fullbore disciplines, shooting up to 1200 yards at the National Rifle Ranges at Bisley. I am a lifelong motorcyclist, having been an instructor at a younger age, and I combine this with certain charity works such as The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride each year, where riders of classic motorcycles take to organized rides in over 26 countries worldwide on the same day, to raise money for men’s mental health and prostate cancer support and research. To date, we have raised over US$24M. I also enjoy writing, having published a novel, under a pseudonym, gardening, which we all know and are experiencing more so since lockdown is great for our mental health, and of course, spending time (real presence) with loved ones. Do you not sleep? It sounds like every minute is packed. Despite all this, are there things you want to achieve still? Actually, I don’t sleep much. On average, I have about 2 to 4 hours per night, and have done since I was a young child. You can imagine this is quite annoying to my partner, who likes her sleep a lot. As for what I want to achieve, I always want to do more to improve access to all to counseling, so constantly looking for new ways to provide my skills to those in need both in mental health support and in business and leadership skills for those looking to run or improve the organizations which provide it. It has taken me half a lifetime, but I believe I have finally found what my true purpose is, at least for now, with my work helping prevent people from falling into poor mental health from work and life stresses, and helping those already suffering to improve their lives as much as possible. The more awareness I can bring to these areas through public speaking and training can only be a good thing. On a lighter note, I am trying to learn Japanese, Italian and improve my French, and I would love to learn the piano. Just listening to what you do makes me exhausted. You make it sound like something so easy. So, thinking about what our audience can do, what should we all be mindful of to avoid having similar experiences? I guess as I have been like this all my life, I don’t notice the amount I get through. Even without choosing to take advantage of formal training, people should be mindful of their ability to focus on what they are doing properly, manage their impulse control so as not to make decisions without giving them proper consideration, and practice maintaining attention in the face of often overwhelming interruptions. Spend time to understand how the brain deals with stress and thinking, and learn how to use that knowledge to best effect. Well, as simple as you make it sound, I am sure it requires effort, but I can see it would be an investment well made—an investment in ourselves. Absolutely. All good things require effort, but they also result in the best benefits. We are the best and most important thing in our lives TO invest in. After all, if we don’t feel we are worth investing in, why would anyone else? A good point! So lastly, I am sure our audience, as I know I have, has suffered the anxiety or panic attack we call pre-meeting nerves. You know, the sick feeling, light-headedness, racing pulse… Any tips on how to handle that you can give? Sure. This is a topic I go into in my training, but an easy couple of techniques to calm yourself, part of the arousal control practice, are: 1. 4-7-8 breathing, where you use your breathing to affect your vagal nerve system by taking a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, holding this full breath for 7 seconds, and breathing out slowly through the mouth over 8 seconds. Do this 3 or four times when you feel anxious or panicky, and you should find your heart rate slowing back down and your lightheadedness ease. 2. It is also a good practice to do a mindful 5-minute meditation, something else I teach, which can have similar effects to the 4-7-8 breathing technique. There are many tools and options online for guided 5-minute meditations if you struggle to do this without help. Great. I will definitely try that next time. Many thanks for your time, and remind us of where we can find out more about your services… It has been my pleasure. You can find out about my services at NCUBED Group, My Better Life Coaching, and Exec Mental Health Solutions. You can access a free 30-minute training session. Follow Laurence on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit my websites for more info! Read more from Laurence!

Written by: Allie Stark, 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. Whether it’s middle age or I’ve just blocked it out, I don’t remember a lot from my younger years. But I do remember Girl Scouts. In the United States, joining the Girl Scouts can be a right of passage. I have fond memories of taking the pledge, selling cookies, going to camp, and, my favorite, singing songs. But, one song sticks out above all the rest. It goes like this: Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long I want to be your friend. Here is my hand, and here is my other. Let’s put them together, and we have each other. That was it. Song sang, “Silver” friendship made. It all seemed so simple back then. Whether it was or it wasn’t. It sure doesn’t seem so simple now. Thankfully, eventually, silver turns to gold. I have a handful of “gold” friends. Ones that I carry in my heart every day. Gold friends often can seem a lot more like family than friends. I have a lot invested in gold. But, these days, I find my cherished gold scattered across the globe. That doesn’t make those friendships less golden, just more challenging to connect face to face with regularly. Which brings us to silver. Why is silver so hard all of a sudden? For me, I think it’s because most of our gold friendships were established before a lot of our major responsibilities came into the picture. We have so much on our plates these days it’s hard to find time for it all. Now, as we get older and meet new people, we mostly talk about who will be the snack mom next week or what we do for a living. We have so little time that superficial conversations are all we seem to be able to manage. I’m sure most of us have been there or someplace similar. A nice woman approaches you, pointing at the soccer field, and asks, “Which one is yours?”. That starts a long conversation about what schools your kids attend, growth spurts, how to get grass stains out of white shorts, and the best pediatricians in the area. You walk away thankful for the lovely exchange, but no real personal connection was actually made in reality. It was all about your kids. The same thing with the introductory, “What do/does you/your husband/wife do for a living?”. It’s a very common ice-breaker question. This might start a nice 10-15 minute conversation about your respective careers, where you walk away thinking that you know that person a little bit better. But do you? Now you know what they do for a living, but not necessarily who they are as a person. This is what I would call “networking,” not friendship building. I think that is why as we get older, most of our silver friends are more casual acquaintances. Like “Jill, from the office,” “Susie, Jimmy’s mom,” or “John, from the gym.” We have to attach where they are from behind their name because they aren’t a part of our real lives. Just maybe a part of a small portion of our lives. So, the real trick is figuring out how to make “Judy, from accounting” just “Judy.” How do you escalate your relationship from an acquaintance into a piece of silver? One key to turning an acquaintance into a friend is to ditch the small talk. So many of us have jobs that require us to be “on” all the time that small talk just feels like meaningless conversations that we are required to have all day long. Shallow banter does nothing to set you apart or help to build a relationship. Start sharing light-hearted stories from your daily life and ask the same of them. And pay attention. Someone who asks meaningful questions about your life and who remembers the details is much more likely to become someone you consider a friend, as opposed to an acquaintance. It is important to remember, though, that building a friendship takes time. Don’t expect it to happen overnight. But, what if we don’t have any acquaintances that we wish to turn into friends? How do you find them? Start by looking online for local friendship groups. Online only friendships can be great, but nothing compares to a face-to-face connection, focusing on groups that hold events locally for members to get to know each other. Sign up for as many events as you feel comfortable, but try to stay true to yourself. Meaning don’t sign up for a softball league if you hate sports. Or, don’t sign up for a book club if you find reading boring. Then, when it's time to show up, show up authentically. Meet new people not as anyone's mother, wife, or possible networking connection, but as yourself—no titles or explanations behind a name. Let the rest fall into place naturally. As we grow older, time is one of our most valuable investments. These past few years, I have invested a lot in silver by spending the time to authentically transform acquaintances into genuine friendships that will eventually surely turn into gold. I recommend giving it a try because now I can say that I’m rich in gold AND silver, and I couldn’t be happier helping others achieve the same. To become a member, go to Moxie and join other successful women in business who are already making connections. Read more from Allie! Allie Stark, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Allie Stark is the Founder and CEO of Moxie. Inspire. Empower. Grow., a social network powered by Mighty Networks, designed specifically for women in business. Moxie brings women from across the globe, together on one app, to support, inspire and empower one another with the goal of helping its members grow in business and beyond. Allie also is the host and producer of a new television show titled “Moxie Inspired with Allie Stark” on the iSheTV network. Airing in late June, this talk show will focus on inspiring people who have found a way to turn their passion in life into prosperity. Allie is passionate about forging meaningful connections and also an administrator of several women’s friendship Facebook groups across the United States and Canada. Allie holds degrees in Psychology and Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and for nearly four years has helped thousands of women make significant and worthwhile connections. Allie resides with her husband and two teenage children in Gilbert, Arizona.

Written by: LeAnn Smith, 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 hate to break it to you, but hiring a Coach, Trainer, Nutritionist, or other health-related professional does not guarantee you will be successful. It does not mean the work will be easier. It does not mean you will automatically achieve your goals. Hiring a health and wellness professional means you want guidance, support, education, motivation, inspiration, and accountability. The reality is, if you aren’t willing to show up for yourself and do the work, you won’t be successful. The work doesn’t start with how many pushups you do or how many salads you eat. It doesn’t start with drinking more water or going to bed earlier, either. "The real work starts with mindset." Your mindset affects your behaviors which, in turn, creates the transformation you desire. Your equation to success looks something like this: Mindset + Behavior = Transformation There are two types of mindsets: fixed mindset and growth mindset. A fixed mindset believes that there are things about you that can’t be changed. It means you have limiting beliefs about what you can learn or do. Whereas a growth mindset means you believe that you are capable of expanding your intelligence, abilities, and talents. A growth mindset believes that people can learn, grow, and change. A person with a fixed mindset believes that they have limitations. They blame obstacles, challenges, or limitations for their setbacks. They see these limitations as what is keeping them from achieving their goals. A fixed mindset will keep you in a never-ending cycle of frustration, resentment, and negativity. On the other hand, as a person with a growth mindset, you feel capable of learning, growing, expanding, and evolving. Your behaviors will reflect that. You will embrace change and challenges. You don’t see limitations but, rather, opportunities to learn. You accept that change doesn’t come easy and requires work, which results in achieving your goals. Your mindset will, in turn, affect your behaviors. Think of your behaviors as the action part of your mindset. It’s how you will respond to situations, how you will conduct yourself and how you will interact with others. So, in essence, your behaviors could be considered ‘fixed’ or ‘growth.’ Someone with ‘fixed’ behavior will take limited or no action, respond negatively to change, challenges or learning. They will have excuses for not putting in the effort it takes to achieve their desired goals. On the flip side, an individual with ‘growth’ behavior will actively pursue ways to reach their goals. Their behavior will be open, and they have a ‘can do’ attitude to any challenge or obstacle they will face. Let’s go back to the individual hiring a Coach or Trainer. A fixed-minded individual will look to the Coach or Trainer as the answer to the desired results or transformation. When the Coach or Trainer doesn’t turn out to be a savior, the fixed-minded individual gets bitter, frustrated, and possibly blames them. A growth-minded individual will hire a Coach or Trainer for the ‘value-added’ to support, guide, and educate them to achieve their desired results. The individual is willing to learn, grow and try new things. They know they need to work toward their goals and adapt along the way. They view the Coach or Trainer as a support system and embrace the challenges offered. You can live the life you desire and aspire to reach your goals. If you continuously get the same results, it’s time to take a pause, step back and re-evaluate your mindset. Ask yourself: How do I see my setbacks? Am I blaming other people or things? Do I see setbacks as an opportunity to learn? Am I open to trying new things? Am I really taking responsibility for my life? Change and evolving into our best selves isn’t an easy process. Transformation requires time and effort. It requires that you show up for yourself and do the work day in and day out. To embrace the lessons along the way. To be willing to grow and change. Are you ready? Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my websit e ! Read more from LeAnn! LeAnn Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine LeAnn works with clients that are ‘stuck’ in their wellness journey either by injury, illness, disease, or otherwise. Her approach is to meet you where you are, partner together to create a customized plan to support your goals and lifestyle. With over eleven years of experience, LeAnn provides a full spectrum approach of wellness modalities to her clients, such as Personal Training, Yoga Instruction, Health & Nutrition Coaching. Her motto: Welcome home, your vibrant self awaits! LeAnn also offers Corporate Wellness solutions for organizations of all sizes. With over fourteen years of corporate Human Resources experience, she brings a wealth of corporate, organizational knowledge and understanding and the ability to provide customized and engaging health and wellness solutions.

Written by: Vicki Ravangard, 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 in the past 12 months have you been asked this infamous question, “What is your Why?” If you are anything like me and have also been consumed by the personal development world in recent times, you will probably have been asked this several times from many different sources. I mean, even my Oracle cards are asking me this now! Every time this question was put forward to me by coaches and mentors, I drew a blank. Well ok, that’s not entirely true. I did manage to find things to justify what I thought my why was, but now I see that I wrote down what I thought they wanted to hear, like how passionate I was about my then Network Marketing gig, or how I was driven by building my business to serve others. These were my truths for a moment in time, but I realize now that I was not living them in alignment with my true Why. The thing is, at the time, I really did want to make things work in my Network Marketing business, and to this day, my intention remains to serve the masses and change the world with my message. I wasn’t seeing that you can serve people in so many different ways. Without getting deep enough into what you are really passionate about, it is easy to follow other people’s blueprint of what success looks like and lose yourself in the process. This really clicked for me recently when I was watching the latest season of American Idol. As I watched Katy Perry share her spiritual wisdom and give advice to the contestants, I realized that the work we do is really the same. The way she uses her voice to connect with others and teach through her music, makes her a Spiritual mentor in my eyes. She is fulfilling her soul work through the gift she has been given in this life. She is helping others to grow and inspire them to find themselves on their path through music. This was the missing puzzle piece for me; I thought there was only one way to be a Spiritual mentor for such a long time. I thought you had to be in the online space, creating courses and signing 1:1 clients, but watching American Idol that night gave me back my sense of freedom and hope. It reignited my dream of impacting people with the gifts I have been given and to break out of this box I somehow found myself in. It’s no secret that Spirituality has become the latest fashion trend for so many people, but it's a way of life for so many of you and me. Discovering your soul purpose, facing your shadows, and doing work that makes a difference in the world is something I am deeply committed to, and it’s taken me all of the wrong turns to arrive at this conclusion. Where you are right now is the only place that you can ever truly operate from. You don’t know what you don’t know, but you can (and must) take the time to reflect on those moments so you can expand your horizons and push the boundaries of where you have been before. Dive deeper beneath the surface and you will see the true beauty of the ocean. As I look back now, I can see the common theme that was present every time I tried to identify my Why. I was confusing my Why with my How. I was trying to respond to this question with the logical solution, what made sense (aka the How) instead of the real reasons why I wanted to do what I was doing. This may seem simple or obvious, but it has been possibly one of the biggest breakthroughs for me to be able to see so clearly where I was blocking myself from moving forward by not getting specific enough about what I wanted and not allowing myself to believe that I could have whatever I desired. I kept myself small, I kept my Why within the confines of the situation I was in, and I would not allow myself to look outside of it because I was afraid. Afraid of not knowing the how, afraid to trust that it could really happen, and afraid to surrender my desires over to the Universe, because if I was not in control of them, then who would be?! My advice to you is, whatever you think your Why is – go deeper. It’s going to take a lot to crack the protective layers you have been guarding yourself with for all of these years. You are not going to have all of the answers, you are going to face the fears and doubts that you thought that you had dealt with and stuffed away but remember that breaking down leads to breaking open. Here are some journal prompts to help you to dig deeper into your why: What did 7-year-old you dream of becoming? What makes you feel energized? What would you do if money was not an object? How have you been trying to fit everyone else’s label of what a Spiritual Mentor looks like? What message do you have to share with the world? How can you be of service? Unity with source gives us the ability to be present and open to the solutions presented to us in every moment. Affirmation: I release the need to know How and I trust in the divine guidance that is available to me. Follow me on my Instagram, Facebook, and visit both my Facebook-Group and page. You can also find more information on my website. Read more from Vicki! Vicki Ravangard, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vicki Ravangard is an Intuitive Mentor, Certified Angel Tarot Reader & Part Qualified Accountant. Vicki spent 10 years working in corporate finance, and 2020 was placed furloughed from her job. She took this opportunity to follow her soul calling and birth her spiritual business - Take Her To The Moon, to serve her clients through divine guidance and mentoring, energy healing & tarot, helping them truly align, connect & transform their life and raise their consciousness. Vicki has a huge passion for creating music, writing, traveling & Disney and is continuously inspired to blend the magic of these tools into her life & business.

Written by: Michelle Di Muria, 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 thought about what it might be like for someone who survived being sexually assaulted/raped? What goes through the mind as they deal with the aftermath of what happened to them? As we approach April, known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I wanted to provide some insight into my own journey of what it is like a victim and now a survivor of rape. I will also share the impact it had on my mental health. Waring Possible Triggers In the beginning, after I remembered everything that happened to me when I was raped, I felt numb. I think the hardest part for me at the time was trying to understand the why? Why did this happen to me? And why did my brain wait so long for me to remember? While I am not an expert, I have my own personal theory. My theory is because of how bad the rape was. Without going into too much detail, as a result of the rape, my back was broken. On the flip side, I am now a bionic woman, rods in my back, and I feel so much better. You will notice, I tend to use a lot of humor when I share my story. It is one of my coping mechanisms with my rape and my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It helps me get myself centered and focused on what is important in my life. It even helped me when I had my back surgery. Providing me just enough comfort before I went under the knife. Shortly after my back surgery in 2018, I started to fall down the rabbit hole once again. As I shared in one of my early articles, I contemplated suicide in 2017. It had gotten to the point where I had written my goodbye letters, had the pills in my hand, and was ready to say goodbye to this cruel world. Even though I did not contemplate suicide this time around, it felt like I was drowning, and no one would save me. I felt trapped because I could not do what I wanted. I was laid up in bed for almost two months. It felt like a lifetime. I was scared I would not be able to defend myself if someone tried to harm me once again. But I got through, and for the first time, I felt like a survivor. I was back on my feet, working on my foundation and continuing to heal. Sharing my story with whoever would list it was very therapeutic and still is to this day. Today, I consider myself a survivor of rape. My attacker no longer has a hold on me, but I still have a long way to go in the healing process. I am only in the beginning stages of the next phase in my healing process. It has not been easy, and there are days I want to throw in the towel. Days that I am angry with what happened to me. Frustrated when people ask me the same questions over and over, making me feel invisible. These are some of my own personal tips of things I have experienced throughout my journey. Tip No.1 – Do not ask a rape survivor why we did not fight back. “Every time someone asks me this question, it makes me feel weak, and it frustrates me.” Tip No.2 – Do not judge us for how we handle our rape. “I’ve had so many people tell me it was my fault that I deserved what happened to me. That I need to get over it and move on. Believe me, if I could snap my fingers and make it disappear, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I cannot. This will always be with me for the rest of my life, but it will get easier with time.” Tip No.3 – Be patient. “It’s not easy for me to trust someone right away, especially if it’s a guy. No, I do not think every guy is horrible. It just takes me some time to let my guard down and let people in. But if you are patient and you give me time, you can have a friend for life!” Tip No.4 – Be upfront and honest. “If I trust you enough to share what happened to me, and it is too much for you to handle, be honest and tell me what you’re feeling or if you need time to process it. Please do not pretend. I rather you tell me you do not want to hear about that part of my life, or it is too much for us to be in each other’s lives, then for you to make me believe you like having me around. I promise I will respect you more as a person.” Tip No.5 – Check-in. “If we have become friends, check in occasionally. Sometimes it just takes a text from someone in my BEE tribe to make all the difference in the world. It is still hard for me to ask for help, but I am getting better. One of the biggest reasons? I am afraid people are going to walk away. When you have been burned or let down, and you have been through what I have been through. It is not easy to let your guard and trust someone. It takes time, and I tend to make it hard. I want to know who is going to stick around for the long haul.” These past four years have taught me a lot about myself, both the good and the bad. It has not been easy. There are days I fall down the rabbit hole, and there are some days I curl up in a ball and cry. But it is the little victories in life that remind me, and things are getting better. It is the ones who check-in and remind me, I still matter in this world. The ones who will jump on zoom with me while I bawl my eyes out. The ones I can pick up the phone and call, not carrying what time it might be. The ones I can text random GIFS, the ones who make me laugh, the ones who do not judge me. We all have a purpose in life. My purpose in life is to continue telling my story and being the voice for those who are not quite ready to share their story. You will get there when the time is right. And when you do, I will be right there, cheering you on from the sidelines. For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Michelle! Michelle DiMuria, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle DiMuria, is a survivor of rape and the founder and CEO of the BEE Daring Foundation. Graduating with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice (2016), and a Master’s of Criminal Justice in 2017. After being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in 2017, Michelle contemplated suicide. Shortly after her guardian angel saved her, Michelle realized her calling in life. Creating her foundation sooner than later. The BEE Daring Foundation focuses on the civilian side of mental health, providing workshops, resources, events, and more. Launching her own digital mental health magazine, Michelle has crossed paths with over 6,000 people. This year, Michelle launched her podcast BEE Real and self-published her first comic book! Michelle’s goal, to eradicate these stigmas that surround mental health.

Written by: Lisa Bonner, 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. Everyone faces tricky questions sometimes. How do you respond to a left-field interview question without hurting your chances of getting hired? How do you handle a difficult conversation with a co-worker or supervisor and maintain your professionalism? No matter your position or with whom you’re talking, it’s important to keep your cool. Here’s some advice to tackle some of those tough questions. Listen Carefully Know that it’s about them, not you. Think about and find out what their intention really is. Remember to watch for tone and body language – remember, 93% of communication is nonverbal. Tune in to your Fight/Flight/Freeze response. This can directly impact how you acknowledge the question. Reframe your response as an opportunity to demonstrate who you are. Ask Questions Ask questions to learn more and better understand the other person’s viewpoint. Saying “tell me more” or “help me understand” can open pathways to a deeper conversation. Don’t get defensive. Instead, focus on the problem, not the person. Ask open-ended questions to find out what they’re looking for. Your only perspective should be to solve the problem. Don’t take it personally. It’s simply a question, so don’t read more into it than that. Remember to see the good in the other person. Stay Calm Adjust your response based on the temperature of your relationship. Your response to a superior or new acquaintance will be different from a trusted peer or close friend. Flex your style to meet the other person halfway and establish common ground. Your manner and tone should be positive and empowering. Avoid taking a defensive stance, driving home a point, or displaying negative emotions. Count to 10 if you have to. Don’t jump in to close a silent gap – that’s a common trap to get you to say anything. Choose your words carefully. Be Diplomatic But Direct Think about the long-term relationship. Avoid burning bridges you may need later. Don’t be wishy-washy and try to couch your words, so they lose meaning. Don’t apologize if you don’t need to. Instead, be confident and clear in your communication. If the conversation becomes heated or upsetting, disengage and gather your thoughts. Set up a time to pick up the conversation again once tempers have calmed. This is another human being. In the end, the essentials conveyed in your answer reveal your values and character. Be Honest Look the other person in the eye. Be true to yourself because pretending and lying will hurt your self-esteem and confidence in the end. And remember, people can smell horse shit a mile away. Don’t be a doormat. Stand up for your values. Use the PICKLE™ Strategy When you receive a question that seems to come from left field or one that appears pointless, stop and take a moment to consider the PICKLE. P – Pause and gather yourself before responding. I – It does not matter why they asked the question. C – Control your emotions – no eye-rolling or frustrated sighs. K – Keep in mind that this is a team member. L – Let go of any attitudes or annoyances, and respond in a professional, courteous and Blissiplined manner. E – Express your answer with honesty and civility, no matter how silly the question. Use this strategy to move you forward and past the PICKLE. For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website! Read More Lisa Bonner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lisa Bonner is THE Blissiplined Coach. She is a business mental health coach (MHP, MNLP, CBT, Business Coach) and creator of GetBlissiplined. Lisa has more than 20 years actively teaching Executives, Human Resources, Managers, and Owners how to be blissiplined: "controlled or possessing extreme happiness; spiritual joy"! Through her casual, non-corporate, no-nonsense approach to coaching, Lisa teaches you how to create workforces they and their employees love, achieve goals, and live & work a life of perpetual positive success. Lisa's bliss is found in cheesecake, her rescue dog and cat, and everyday acts of kindness.

Written by: Arna Van Goch, 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. Marie Kondo, pretty file folders, maybe a filing cabinet with some colored tabs? Maybe it’s a clearly organized kitchen with a little 3-ring binder for this week’s recipes? Or maybe you’re one of those people who buy uniform herb bottles with custom labels? Whatever your definition of organization is to you, there will undoubtedly be a little bit of chaos in your life because that is, inevitably, the life of a solopreneur. Being a solopreneur means that you have your pulse on all aspects of your business. You need to be simultaneously the finance department, HR, marketing, product, engineering, sales, and CEO. It’s a tough nut to crack, especially when you consider how much time is put into selling (Ideally, you are spending 80% of your time selling). When it comes to organizing your business, the first thing you need to do is compartmentalize. Sales and Marketing are your big focuses. They should always be working in tandem together. I’m not a big proponent of going “all in” or “burning your boats.” I prefer a much steadier approach to gear up eventually. When you’re first starting, you shouldn’t hire a team immediately because you really need to understand your business's different aspects. When you’re first starting, you shouldn’t spend more on advertising than you are bringing in. That’s what organic social media marketing is for. And let me be the first to tell you: there will be growing pains. There will be tear-your-hair-out moments. But this is your baby. So take care of it like it is. Desktop So, let’s start with your desktop! Computer experts have told me this, so I’m not making this up: but a clean desktop is a happy computer. And a happy computer gets more work done. Besides, you want to be saving stuff in the cloud. So pick one (or two): One Drive, DropBox, AWS, or even Google Drive. I use a combination of One Drive (you get a terabyte with your Office subscription) and Google Docs. Next, pick specific places for specific things. One Drive is where I save my important documents/storage and where I handle finance. Google Docs is what I use to interact with my clients and store information I share out like freebies and blogs and my media kit. I think I even have a meditation folder in there somewhere that I share with clients and friends. Folders within folders Next up, we have folders within folders. I’m a mac user, and I love the columns view on my Finder. It means that I can easily follow my train of storage. I have main folders to start that splinter into smaller folders. Let me give you an example: BeingDutchanese → BD - SM → UPW Miami 19 → Roadtrip In this sequence, I can find road trip photos in my UPW Miami 19 folder, which sits in my social media folder, which sits under my BeingDutchanese brand. Or, you can find my Chatbot clients in my clients folder, which sits under BeingDutchanese. These are no more than 3 or 4 steps, but they make it super easy to find and compartmentalize different aspects of my business. Tagging Yo, I can’t even stress this enough. Tag everything. Everywhere! On Facebook (several times over!), on your email list, in your inbox, and even in your notes. I use several different systems with my clients. Some are paid, some free. One of my favorite tools is also one of the easiest ones to keep track of and one that reaps the biggest reward: the Facebook Friends List. When you first start doing it, it will take a while, especially if your friend count is high. But once you’ve done it and do regular upkeep, you’ll be able to use it to your advantage like no other. When you go to a friend’s profile on Facebook, you’ll be able to click on the button that says “Friends” and then “edit friends list.” Some of my favorite (and key) lists are: Friends / Family Potential Clients Potential Partners/Coaches *Insert name of online course you’re in * *Insert name of membership club you pay for * I also have lists for my Uni friends, high school friends, or specific subsections of potential clients for my biz's specific parts. I also had lists for people related to my ex-clients so I could share updates with them without letting my whole feed know that “tonight’s webinar is canceled.” This way, when you are navigating through Facebook daily, you can do simple things like post something only your Friends / Family can see by limiting the audience (remember to change the settings back before you post again!) You can go to your potential clients' newsfeed and only see posts from potential clients you interact with and do the same for your fellow coursemates/clubmates. You can become that super awesome friend/ coach/ networker without having to remember a bunch of names or connections. This is a super useful feature to have. In essence, being super organized is about understanding how your brain works and how it can be easier for you to compartmentalize. There are a myriad of things that can be done, including even organizing your phone apps to suit you best in your time of productivity. Not everyone will find what I do use, but you know what? It’s not about me. It’s about you! If you want to know more about how to be organized as a solopreneur and get some 1:1 support, I’ll be sharing so much more in the Brainz Magazine Exclusive Club, and I’d love to hear your perspectives and answer your questions! When: March 22, at 11.20 UTC Where: Brainz Magazine Exclusive Club (on Clubhouse) How: Join our Brainz Club or follow @Beingdutchanese and hit that notification button! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn. Read more from Arna! Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Arna van Goch is a business automation coach. She helps 5 figure entrepreneurs hit 6 figures by streamlining their businesses and strategies to work less & earn more. Over her own entrepreneurial journey, she has worked with online businesses to land 6 figure contracts and supported businesses reaching 7 figures. Besides working online, she has an avid passion for travel, energy work, and awesome Netflix series like Next in Fashion.

Written by: Tara Best, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How do you feel as we head into spring? Here in the UK, we’re only just starting to emerge from our third national lockdown, and thanks to the short days and cold weather of winter, it’s been a tough one. The pandemic has affected everyone differently, so I’d say you’re definitely forgiven if you’ve been looking after number 1 instead of making plans to take over the world! I’ve been fortunate that I’ve maintained the positivity and energy needed to keep helping my clients, supporting them as they grow their businesses and smash their goals. Right now, the sun is shining, the days are noticeably longer, and we’re only days away from the clocks springing forward! The birds are singing, and daffodils are popping up in the hedgerows around the farm. We’re so close to being able to see our friends and loved ones, meeting people for lunch, and get some really rather basic freedoms back. Now that is something to be positive about, isn’t it? The return of warmer weather, longer, lighter days, and the tantalizing possibility of life becoming more sociable really fills me with joy. It also fires me up and makes me start dreaming of where I can take my business this year. Spring is a time for hope and new life, so it’s the perfect time to harness natural vibes and energy to drive change. Whether you’ve set exciting goals for self-development this summer or you’re aiming to take your business to the next level, you’re feeling revved up and ready to go! But how can you balance life, work, and hobbies and still stay positive and productive? Do you struggle to fit everything in and worry that your goals, which should make you so happy, are leading to overwhelm? We all get the same 24 hours in a day, but we don’t all use them the same way. If you’ve ever looked at someone else and wondered how they get everything done, this article is for you. If you feel excited about the year ahead, but worry that overwhelm could sabotage your success, this article is for you. Let’s dive in! 1. Plan, plan, and then plan some more. I love my business and wouldn’t do anything else in the world, but I still have to plan my time carefully. I take some time every Sunday to make a clear plan for the week ahead. I know the weekends are for play, but that 30 minutes is all I need to make the week ahead just flow perfectly. It means that every morning I know exactly what I need to do to move the needle closer to achieving my goals. The same applies to any of your dreams and aims, regardless of whether they are linked to your business, health, home, or relationships. Make a plan for the weeks or even months ahead so that you know what you need to focus on every week. 2. Nail that morning routine. Develop a morning routine that puts you in a positive frame of mind at the start of every working day. Positive affirmations, meditation, and journaling are all tools I use every single day. Ensure your routine also reminds you of your ‘why,’ perhaps in the form of a vision board. What are you trying to achieve, and why did you start down that path? What will success look and feel like? Make sure you take the time to feel what it will feel like in every way - what can you see, smell, feel and hear? Make your vision vivid and real, and you’ll connect to it far better. Remind yourself of those things, and you’ll set yourself up for a productive day ahead. 3. Take action, however small. Have you heard the expression “you don't have to be good to start ... you just have to start to be good”!? It’s SO true - amazing ideas are only ever going to be ideas if you never get started. The best way to beat overwhelm and get things done is to, well... start getting things done. Crossing off tasks on your to-do list will feel so good that you’ll want more and more of that buzz, and just like that, you’re productive and moving ever closer to your goals! 4. Remove distractions. How many hours a day do you spend looking at your phone? Our screen reports can make for some really scary reading, but there are ways you can still enjoy your favorite social media networks and be productive. I love to work in one-hour blocks, putting my mobile out of reach, on silent, and just focusing on the job I’m doing. This will help you be even more productive! I also delete the apps when I want to totally ignore social, for example, at the weekend. So, put your phone away when you’re cracking on with work, fitness, or self-development, and don’t scroll for the sake of it! Enjoy communicating and learning online, but don’t let it rule your life. You will be amazed at how much extra time you have. 5. Don’t try to multitask. Being present and focusing on one task at a time is so important to boost your productivity. It’s proven then if we try to juggle several tasks at the same time, the net result is that it takes us longer to complete them all than it would if we just did them separately. This rule applies to every aspect of life, not just work - do one job well at a time, not lots of jobs badly. 6. Drop the idea that you have to be busy to be successful. The phrase 'if you’re not busy, you’re not successful' is so far off the mark it’s unreal! For me, success means I can choose how to spend my time, and you can be sure some of it will be away from my desk! I go out for lunch when I fancy it, book in spa days, and ride my horse. I outsource tasks I don’t enjoy or aren’t in my zone of genius and spend my time on tasks that really move the needle. Success does not have to come at the expense of your health, wellbeing, and sanity. Ensure your vision of success fits in with a fulfilling, sustainable life and is YOUR vision, nobody else's. 7. Don’t keep telling yourself you’re busy If you keep telling yourself how busy you are and that you never have any spare time, you’ll 100% believe it before long, and it WILL be your reality. I know how powerful the subconscious human brain is and the chances are you’ve taught it that you’re just too busy to manage much more. Instead, why not tell yourself how much you’re achieving and how much more you can get done! Get out of the ‘I’m busy and stressed’ mindset because it won’t be helping your productivity. You’ll be amazed at the difference a little bit of positivity and a calmer focus makes. I really hope these tips help you make the most of the spring and summer ahead so that you can savor every moment with your friends and family. We’ve been waiting a long time for life to go back to something like normal, so make sure you’re in the right place to enjoy it! For more mindset and productivity tips and some brilliant marketing inspiration, make sure you listen to my podcast Tara Talks, follow me on Instagram and check out my website . Read more from Tara! Tara Best, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tara Best of Tara Punter Coaching and Tara Punter PR is incredibly passionate about all things mindset and marketing and helping business owners thrive while taking control of those limiting beliefs likely to hold them back in business. As a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach, NLP Practitioner, Practitioner of Time Line Therapy and Hypnotherapist, she has the tools required to help clients rewire their subconscious mind, to help them create unlimited success. She combines this with her marketing and public relations expertise to truly help her audience thrive. Best is also the voice behind the popular podcast Tara Talks and soon to be a published author.

Written by: Tom Paine, 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. Being out of work is hard enough, then the pandemic hit, creating mass unemployment. In some sectors, finding a new job has never been tougher. Even finding an interview is can be hard. Unemployment in the UK was at 5.1% in Feb 2021, the highest since 2016. Now, throw some recruiters into the mix, and you’ve got a whole ocean of challenges facing you. Notorious for being elusive, recruitment consultants work on behalf of companies to find their perfect candidate. They offer a high-value service, but this can often be at the expense of vulnerable job seekers, who’ve become jaded by unemployment. Having worked in the Recruitment Sector for over 10 years, you’ll be pleased to know that there is a way to get your CV in front of hiring managers. You can get your name to the top of the CV shortlist. It’s not easy, but there are things that you can do as a job seeker to give you the best chance of being seen. Here are a few examples of the kind of issues you may experience with a recruiter: 1. Little to no interest in your CV. The recruiter ignores your key experience for the position, choosing not to process your application. 2. Your CV gets lost in the hundreds of applicants applying for the same post. You receive no communication on whether you’ve made the shortlist. 3. You feel like you’re just a number. The recruiter doesn’t seem to get you or your experience On both sides of the fence, I've been there as a job seeker and a recruiter. It can be hard to see things from the recruiter’s perspective. They are under immense pressure to make sales, which can come at the expense of the right levels of customer service. From their point of view, they might say that they’re being bombarded with CVs. They may also point out that they don’t have the time to speak to everyone who shows interest in the role. Try not to get sucked into this, though, as there is a lot that you can do for your chances. Here are few tricks of the trade to help you get noticed. Here’s how to work with a recruiter in 2021: First off, make sure you call them to explain why you are right for the position. Your CV could get lost in a pile of applications if you don’t do this. Second, give them specific examples of when you have done the job before, be explicit. The recruiter isn’t the expert in the process. Help them to understand why you are the best fit. Finally, get references from former employers. These should specifically say when you performed in the role that you are applying for. Encourage the recruiter to use these references to sell your application. Everyone loves a recommendation! Hurdles in life are crossed by taking decisive action towards an end goal. If you are struggling to find work, these tips will help you to influence your recruiter and get right in front of hiring managers that hold the opportunities! Follow me on LinkedIn , Twitter and visit my website for more info! Tom Paine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tom Paine is a Certified Life Coach, offering expertise in resilience, confidence growth and relationship management. Professionally, Tom spent 10 years working in the Recruitment sector, where he built an excellent reputation as a specialist IT Consultant, eventually becoming a Business Manager, leading sales teams responsible for £8m annual turnover for global and SME organizations, relocating to London and Manchester. At its peak, Tom’s sales team operated at 18 staff, ranging from Junior Consultants to Principals, Managers and Team Leaders. Tom coaches people based on their needs, supporting them to overcome restrictions in their life. Tom's clients experience a renewed sense of confidence, well-being and energy enabling them to take a control of their lives, to start living with happiness and fulfillment. He blends corporate experience, spirituality and goal setting to amazing effect.

Written by: Christine Hansen, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When I started my first business in 2016, the online business market was swamped with what is now called bro marketing . Now, if you have never come across the term, then here are some definitions for you: noun. bro·mar·ket·ing \ ˈbrō-mär-kə-tiŋ 📘 Definition: Ego-driven marketing—it's a philosophy that reveals itself in self-serving, short-sighted, toxic business tactics. To be very clear, this thing I call “Bro-Marketing” is not based on anyone's gender, use of slang, or luxury car ownership. /brō märkədiNG/ 1. masculine approach to marketing that manipulates human psychological triggers to compel a desired action (usually a purchase) 2. uses false scarcity, short deadlines, overinflated promises, complicated funnels, blueprints, and a constant cycle of launches 3. created by men for men, but also used by women who disguise their Bro’ Marketing tactics with feminine touches such as pink “flat lay” images and glittery, metallic flourishes 4. so pervasive it’s widely thought of as “marketing.” Bro-Marketing can be summed up simply as: Aspiration marketing using inflated imagery or statements to present a desirable future or unmissable value. In a nutshell, sales were pushed through pressure, tactical funnels, FOMO, price stacking, quite aggressive and pushy arguments, and speed. It was, and still is, impressive, don’t get me wrong, and as a newbie, it was so easy to get sucked into that vortex. The testimonials, the promises, the “proof” was just too tempting to resist. It was all about making the most money in the shortest amount of time, and it was (and often still is) so convincing. But here is the thing, most of it was just not true. You could do it all but here is the truth: it always takes time! So what often happened was people investing highly, sometimes recklessly, and expecting the promised results in time to restock their finances, and when that didn’t happen — heartache, panic, disillusionment. I was talking about the subject with a friend recently. She told me how she was at a webinar of a “bro marketer” who took questions from his new clients. One candidate admitted how she had spent 5-figure on everything he had taught her BUT she didn’t have a single audience member yet. She had it all stacked on Facebook Ads, the magical tool he had promised would deliver instantly. This person had literally spent all her savings because she believed the sales promise. And why wouldn’t she? Why would anyone lie? (Btw there were men in the same situation). It happened to me too — multiple times. And it wasn’t just bros. Women marketed that way too. And the worst of it all made you want to market the same way even if it completely went against your gut feeling. That is because it had such a male energy versus a feminine energy that is a lot calmer, often more slow and patient, graceful... completely different. Neither one or the other is working on its own. You need to balance both. But here, the feminine was completely left out. So how can you avoid bro marketing keeping you from selling in integrity? 1. The first step is to investigate whether you are actually suffering bro marketing trauma. I see this happening with my clients all the time, and what I mean by that is that when we have become victims of this strategy. Afterward, we are often so disillusioned, ashamed, and hence traumatized that we keep ourselves from doing the same at all costs. And that often means selling at all—no matter at what price points. It keeps us from showing up online. It keeps us from talking and promoting our offers, and most often, it keeps us from charging decent price tags because if we do, aren’t we the same as “them” then? (Newsflash: no we are not) If you recognize your own experience here, then you have some work to do to overcome this and move on gracefully. This can be done through coaching, journaling, and other personal development resources. 2. The second step is to slow down the pace. Bro marketing often works well because it promises speed. It trains us to act quickly, and why there is absolutely something to be said to make decisions rapidly, there is a huge difference between quick and confident versus quick and in panic mode. Too many business owners bend and twist to please their clients. No matter which clients. Desperation and neediness start to creep in, and suddenly you only attract nightmare clients, and you undercharge, and they demand overserving. It is not a good place to be in. So slow down. Remember your value and trust that when you communicate honestly versus false promises, the right people will connect with you. 3. Remember how amazing you are. We often forget our achievements. So keep them close by. Screenshot compliments about your work on social media, in private messages, in your inbox and whenever you feel panic coming or pull them out, have a look and remember. Being gentle with yourself and selling out of service, with patience, clarity, and making sure that the client is right for YOU and not only you for them will help you make sales easy, fun, and beautiful. It also helps to have someone to remind you of our successes and your awesomeness. A good coach will help you be in alignment, overcome past trauma and create a business you will love instead of a monster that isn’t even you. If this resonates with you, feel absolutely welcome to reach out to me and let me know how I can help. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Christine ! Christine Hansen, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christine Hansen is an award-winning business coach & consultant for online entrepreneurs who want to embrace their inner lazy, profit like a pro, and add philanthropist to their list of credentials—without ever undercharging or feeling like they have to be anyone but themselves again. She combines hardcore strategy with lush personal development so that entrepreneurs can build and scale businesses that are still soul-aligned all the way. With 10+ years as a sought-after TedX France and keynote speaker, Christine’s work is featured in Forbes, Business Insider, National Geographic, and more. Having built two successful online businesses herself, Christine found out the hard way—like losing money on sketchy business investments and ruined “put your damn laptop away!” vacation moments—that most entrepreneurs are closer to burnout than they are to reaching 6-figures. (And they’re still worrying, “Am I overcharging?!”) Christine is famous for sharing cautionary tales from the trenches, tell-it-like-it-is tips, her all-time go-to (no-brainer) tech tools she uses to get twice as much done in half the time, and gushing her best secrets to help you bust past your blind spots, be true to yourself, and breakthrough to 6-figures in under a year...all while donating to charity, taking vacations every 6 weeks, and spoiling yourself with something nice on a very regular basis.

Written by: Denise Stegall, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What is the one thing that you think of every day? Several times a day, perhaps. You wake up thinking about it, daydream about it. You even plan shopping trips and take vacations to find it. You spend hours planning and preparing for it. What is this one thing that has our minds so preoccupied? Good food! Good food is one thing that we think of constantly. Maybe not minute by minute, but certainly more often than you even realize. How many times, just after breakfast, have you asked your spouse, "What do you want for dinner?" Nothing brings us together the way "good food" does. We gather around tables at home, with friends, in restaurants surrounded by the people we love. It fills our bellies and warms our souls. The good food you eat (foods that are good for you) nurtures your body and gives it what it needs to function optimally. It sharpens your mind, increases energy, keeps you feeling great! It'll even help you maintain a healthy weight or, if need be, lose weight, too! Bookstores are filled with cookbooks on good food, and the internet is loaded with recipes for good food, yet the term "Good Food" means something different to everyone. I recently polled my family, and some of their answers surprised me. Overwhelmingly, their "good foods" included mashed potatoes, pasta, pizza, tacos, burritos, and ribs: comfort foods or easy foods. It seems that comfort foods are mainly thought of as good food—heavy foods, smothered with butter, cream, cheese, tons of calories that lack nutrition. When you think of good food, does an image of a bowl full of greens with pomegranates, tomatoes, and chickpeas pop into your mind? Probably not. Why do so many of us think that foods that are good for us: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legume, nuts seed, fatty fish, and lean meats don't taste good? The answer to that is multifactorial. The foods you ate growing up can dictate your likes and dislikes. Where you live, family background, and income level play a role. If, as a child, you weren't encouraged to try new foods like fish, Brussel sprouts, or even grapefruit, your palate never had the opportunity to acquire a taste for them. When my nephew was little, he would not eat a vegetable, any vegetable. His dad didn't eat vegetables either, which made a poor case for "veggies being good for you," a true challenge for my sister. As an adult in his 20's, he still isn't keen on vegetables but will eat them smothered with cheese or Ranch dressing. Which, BTW, defeats the point of the wholesomeness of the veggies. But, at least it's a start. Interestingly, the same nephew loves sushi rolls so. Maybe there is still hope for his taste buds. Another factor that plays a role in us believing that foods that are good for us don't taste good is how they are prepared. Most of us home cooks have basic cooking skills like frying, baking, or boiling. We have never learned the advanced techniques (advanced, not difficult) that can transform a boring leek into a creamy, delicious, and satisfying soup or a basket of mushrooms into a sweet and sassy topping for steak. Instead, we boil or fry them into oblivion with tons of butter and oil. Not that butter and oil are bad, they absolutely have their place in cooking, just not so much or so often. The finesse of using herbs and spices mystifies many of us. Go into any household, and I can bet you'll find a salt and pepper shaker in the kitchen. Maybe a few random spice jars are hidden in the back of a cabinet, probably past their prime. Herbs and spices are an afterthought instead of part of the planning and cooking process. With herbs and spices, you can take a head of lettuce and turn it into a scrumptious meal. That olive oil I mentioned earlier will come in handy here! Condiments and sauces in the United States are pretty benign. Mayo, mustard, and ketchup are the most popular and, let's be honest, the most boring! I am encouraged, however, by the influx of international condiments found in the local supermarkets. Sriracha anyone? Growing up in New York, I thought the sauce was red, thick, and took hours to cook on the stove. It was not until I was in college that I expanded my culinary skills and began experimenting with sauces like beurre blanc, chimichurri, and pesto. They may sound complicated and exotic, but I assure you if an 18-year-old college kid could master them in 10 minutes, you can too! Our food choices have always dictated how we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally and determine our overall health and wellness. In this time of uncertainty, it's never been more important! The sad truth is that many of us are not living a healthy, happy, fulfilling life. Heart disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes are wreaking havoc on so many of us, 13.7, and that number grows as we age. It's time to focus on good food- real food! The foods that lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help us lose and maintain a healthy weight, and feel vibrant? So, what is real food? They are whole foods that are mostly unprocessed, free of chemical additives, and rich in nutrients. These are the foods our grandparents ate before the 20th century when processed, packaged, and ready-to-eat meals became the bulk of the western diet. Eat Real Food's basic premise is consuming foods the way nature intended them (or as close as possible). It's a lifestyle philosophy, not a diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, lean meat, poultry, and fish are the staples of a healthy diet of real food. Depending on who you ask, Dairy is always a controversial topic with health experts. Milk is a whole food. Processed cheese (the stuff that comes in a can or a big orange block) is not. Regular cheese and yogurt are minimally processed, with the "processing" caused mainly by bacteria and molds. Some people find dairy difficult to digest. So, listen to your gut- literally. If minimally processed dairy works for you, then great. Just make sure you are not overindulging; dairy products are high in fat and calories. I know, I know. You think that these are the foods that don't taste good. I assure you that they do. Your taste buds don't realize it. After years of eating processed foods with added artificial flavors, sugars, HFCS, canola/vegetable oil, and chemical additives, your taste buds are numb! Anything you eat that isn't super sugary and salty seems to lack flavor. The wonderful, natural flavor is there, but you can't taste it. As soon as you stop eating processed foods, you notice carrots' sweetness, and strawberries no longer need to be sprinkled with sugar or drowned in whipped cream. You'll find that a little bit of good quality olive oil has an amazing flavor and that a little goes a long way. The question now is how will you incorporate real food into your diet? To begin, don't try to make a complete switch at once. You will feel overwhelmed and quit before you really get started. You're aiming for better, not perfect! Pay attention to the number of empty carbohydrates you eat, like white bread, pasta, cakes, and cookies. Oh, and sugary drinks, too. Then replace half of them with something else (that is healthier) that you enjoy. Size does matter! Learn proper portion sizes for carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Learn more about portion control on my podcast, The Crooked Climb with Suzanne and Denise, and here is a helpful visual guide. Finally, focus on Eating Real Foods 80% of the time, and your life will change. You will feel better, think more clearly, your joints are less stiff, and you have more energy to do the things you enjoy and live the life you love! Healthy Living, Happy Life, Denise CEO & Curator, Living Healthy List Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn! Denise Stegall, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Denise Stegall is the CEO and curator of Living Healthy List.com. As an inspirational thought leader, she is determined to provide Living Healthy List readers with honest, reliable, research-backed information in health, wellness, personal development, and fun that can be implemented in real life. Denise began her career with a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant, business management with a focus on nutrition. She’s condensed 25 years of experience and study in nutrition, cooking, exercise, and coaching to help women find a happy, healthy, lifestyle that works for them. Her experience in cooking and nutrition delivers a unique perspective on what works (and doesn’t work) for most people. Her philosophy revolves around three fundamentals: Eat Real Food, Make Good Decisions, and Be Accountable.