Sarah-Jayne Juniper is a leader in Transformational Life Coaching. After struggling to understand her position in the world and the boundaries placed in front of her regarding academic success, she set out to challenge barriers and the concept of societal norms. Since she accomplished a MSc Psychology, she has traveled the world and launched Sarah-Jayne Life Coach, a company fuelled with determination- reconnecting individuals with themselves, finding balance, and encouraging personal growth and fulfillment. Her clients are those who are ready to take life to the next level, face mental health with a forward-thinking attitude and focus on their full potential. Who is Sarah-Jayne? My name is Sarah-Jayne Juniper. I am a Transformational Life Coach from Kent, England. Despite exhausting and stubborn self-limiting beliefs, I have achieved incredible things, and my journey is only just starting! Growing up, I lived with my mum, dad, and brother, a support network who have forever encouraged me to explore, experience, and embrace whatever path I choose to take. “There are two things children should get from their parents: roots and wings.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I have been incredibly fortunate to have built friendships all over the world, all guiding me to be the person I am today. From school, college, university to traveling the world, I believe every person I have met has taught me the power of being ME. My relationship with school hasn't been the healthiest, a sense of being an outsider, experiencing rejection, and not likely to achieve decent grades kick-started my mighty journey of self-fulfillment. I therefore set out personal challenges to achieve higher than predicted. I sit here today with a MSc in Psychology. I turned other people's judgments and unhealthy beliefs about me into the driving force needed to be where I am today. As a true believer that every day is an adventure, I spend my time learning how to better myself, serve others more powerfully, or learn from my surroundings. An opportunity to grow a little taller is what brings me pure happiness. Nature has been my and is still my greatest healer, a space that nurtures my soul and warms my heart, demonstrating to me the importance of bringing life back to the basics. I love communicating with people, from observing body language to deep conversations that capture the imagination and the magic world we all live in. From these conversations, I connect, find balance and grow in abundance. As a certified Life Coach, I believe my greatest lessons have come from confronting the barriers I placed in front of myself that caused resistance and unhealthy habits. This has driven me forward and allowed me to nurture the damage caused by holding those beliefs so tightly. What is it that you do for your clients? As a Transformational Life Coach, I offer my clients a space to explore, to realign with their beliefs and ideals, as well as challenging behaviors and concepts that no longer serve them powerfully. The process my clients and I go on is led by their emotional releases. This opens them up to unlimited opportunities and guides them to find and build a life they are proud of and satisfied with. A partnership with me is non-judgemental; it is personal and safe. I do not provide a magical solution. However, I challenge and encourage alternative thought processes, allowing them to tap into their innermost self. They become aware of hidden thought processes that they never imagined they held within. I take them outside of themselves so that they can see a different view of their reality. A coaching partnership with Sarah-Jayne Life Coach ‘enlightens you to solutions of your own adversity in a way that empowers you to continue your personal progression.’ Who should hire/work with you? My coaching method is for those who are ready for a life change, are unsure of which direction they want to take, feel out of balance, and lack motivation. You will know if a partnership with me is right for you if you feel curiosity as you read this. If you have a dream, an idea, or emotions of determination to better yourself and better your current reality- I am the coach for you! What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? My big life goal is to be remembered for making a difference in communities on a global scale through education. Ten years from now, I want to be connecting communities globally, to be working with inspirational companies who, at the core, believe that together we can change the way the world communicates and learns. I want to be serving people so powerfully that they inspire others to believe they are capable of achieving their deepest desires. Empowering young people to be the leaders of tomorrow. I want to be the bridge that brings people together, shining the light on individuals, communities, and the world. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Sarah-Jayne!

Written by: Gabriella DeLorenze, 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. Before you can lead, your success is found in growing yourself, so when you step into leadership, you’ll find success in growing others. Being a great leader means you can see your team — the vision/goal at hand, and without bullying, timidness, or arrogance. You can delegate with compassion, offer solutions, and boost each individual's self-esteem in front of you. Warren Bennis states that “the most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” Bennis teaches us that yes, in fact, becoming a leader requires self-work and self-inquiry and, most of all, practice. This fact may also offer hope for you during your quest for leadership. As your leadership skills evolve, it becomes more and more effortless and your ability to lead a diverse group will expand! Becoming a leader isn’t rocket science. It just takes practice. The following 4 Habits to Step into Leadership aren’t going to be easy – that’s the best part about true leaders. They’re in it for the long run, for the nitty and gritty, and the group's betterment and themselves. Tip: Only begin to implement these habits when you’re ready to change, get uncomfortable and put in the work. Before you begin, I invite you to write down your motivation for wanting to evolve in the first place. Write it on a sticky note and place it where it will act as a constant reminder. This will be your anchor in your leadership journey. Why do you want to step into leadership? How will leadership change you? Are you ready? Let’s dive in! The 3rd law of physics , the law of attraction and karma, all these say the same thing, "You attract what you are. " 1. Implement Daily Check In’s This should be done at a personal level and at a team level. Each morning before going to work, identify how you feel. Thinking about the day ahead, identify how you need to feel. Example: You wake up tired/angry. On your schedule is a 9 am meeting with a new prospective client. You need to show up happy and excited about your offer. Please note: I will NEVER tell you not to feel your emotions. Sometimes , especially with work, we need to spin them a little! The next step is to try a tangible tool to help assist your energy shift. Remember, energy can never be created nor destroyed, but it can be altered. What makes you feel energized and excited? For me, it’s movement — dancing, yoga, weightlifting, a brisk walk, and the likes. This sounds a lot like a morning ritual/routine, and it is exactly that! Carve out time, first thing to check in with yourself. Then, as you get to work and begin your day with your team, check in with them! Develop a relationship with your team deeper than “How are you today?” “Good, thanks, and you?” This will hold both you and your team accountable, boost team morale, and overall, enhance productivity! Never in the history of people being told to relax has anyone actually relaxed. Asking someone if they’re stressed out does not cause them to release stress. Most likely, it just causes them to claim the stress you just placed on them! 2. Learn How to Ask the Right Questions Remember a time when someone gave you unsolicited advice. You may have found yourself either upset, rolling your eyes, or moving into your sympathetic nervous system aka fight or flight , and noticing your patterns of protection showing up — defensive, critiquing, blaming, walking away, etc. As a leader, it’s imperative to never assume anything. You’ve hired a group of talented, hardworking individuals. That’s, in fact, why you’re paying them! Allow them to shine in their areas of expertise. One of the simplest ways I know how to do this is to ask multiple, simple, open-ended questions vs. leading or assuming questions. Put Into Action: Ask questions that start with why, how, what, when, or where, followed by another question. You’re never finishing anyone’s sentences nor making assumptions. Example: “What’s the topic for our next speaking gig?” Answer: “Why was that chosen?” Answer: “How do you envision the presentation going?” Example: You notice one of your teammates is stressed. Simply ask, “How are you?” vs. “Are you stressed out?” The “are” assumes and also gifts them that emotion to embody. It’s much more empowering to feel your emotion and call it vs. disagree with someone, especially someone in a leadership position. By phrasing your questions more simply, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of each person on your team as well as their intentions/visions. Then, you have the opportunity to do what you do best, LEAD! Not only can you now change, adapt and pivot anything you need, you have a much clearer understanding of your teammates and how they think and feel. How can you ever know how to treat someone or offer constructive feedback if you don’t get to know them. Ask them what makes them tick and how they best receive praise? 3. Get to Know your Team We were all raised differently and experienced a multitude of various triumphs, tribulations, and traumas. Therefore, we all receive praise, constructive criticism and feel love differently. According to Gary Chapman, there are 5 love languages for romantic partners: 1. Physical Touch 2. Words of Affirmation 3. Gifts 4. Quality Time 5. Acts of Service The same is true for business teams: 1. Enneagram 2. Human design 3. Astrology/Zodiac sign (Sun & Moon signs) 4. Love Language (How to Receive Praise) 5. Myers Briggs (Or another Personality Test) Learn how you and each individual on your team is motivated, receives praise, constructive criticism (and yes, always constructive), encouragement, etc. Share this information and discuss with your team about each other, especially those who work closely together on projects. This will boost team morale and help each teammate feel aligned, heard, and seen each day. If we attract what we are, there is no way a company feels this good can fail. We react from where we’ve been . We respond from where we want to go. 4. Learn How to Respond vs. React to Stressful Situations Often, the way we react to both stressful and happy situations is simply because that’s how we’ve always reacted. It’s in your routine/repertoire. Also, the way you reacted to stressful situations as a 10, 18, 22-year-old definitely no longer serve you. For me, my reaction was my defensiveness. I would instantly believe that someone was attacking me vs. simply sharing their experience. I would instantly react from a defensive place, stimulating my fight/flight response in my sympathetic nervous system and cause me to feel attacked. I will tell you; this reaction does not serve my highest self. The work is to find the pause. When you find yourself in stressful situations, notice how your physical body feels. What thoughts begin to play in your head? Does your jaw clench? Hands turn to fist as if you’re going to battle? Does your breath quicken? Or become shallow? If you’re ever going to guide people to become a better version of themselves, you need to put in the work first as leaders do. Notice and call out your patterns of reaction. Begin to practice finding a pause in the form of a breath, a spin of your body, a forward fold, etc. Then, formulate and, with intention, choose a response . If the initial reaction has already taken place, still find your pause, create the intentional awareness and choose your response. Play it fully out in your head. You’ll be ready next time! Becoming a leader involves doing the hard work so you can learn to effortlessly lead people to show up and be the best version of themselves. No one said it would be easy, but I can promise you it will be worth it! If you’re looking to dive deeper into the depths of your reactions, please reach out. I’d love to help safely guide you through your being to commence embodying your emotions and step into effortless leadership. If your team is ready for a shift into effortless communication, enhanced team dynamics, and a boost in productivity, please reach out! The Soul to Sole Team would love to help you out! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , m y Facebook-group and visit my website . Read more from Gabriella ! Gabriella DeLorenze, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gabby is an intuitive embodiment coach for coaches. She is an athletic trainer with a MED in Biomechanics, a life coach, and an E-RYT/YACEP. Gabby has over a decade of experience healing 500+ souls and 1000’s of hours teaching the mind-body connection through coaching, anatomy, and movement/yoga rehabilitation. Through mindset coaching and facilitating healing your emotional and physical bodies, Gabby will teach you to melt your stress and anxieties so you can start living your healthiest and happiest life. Together, we will find tangible tools to heal old relationships, cultivate self-love and create the space for an abundant life.

Written by: Kristian Elmefall, 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. Innovators who work in an established company are often called intrapreneurs. The fact that there is an innovation process, established methods and established forums in an organization make life so much easier for the intrapreneur. When none of this is in place, it is difficult to drive innovation and it is therefore natural for the intrapreneur to get involved in changing the organization. Pursuing innovation is, as we already stated in my previous article, difficult. Changing the way we work in an established organization is also difficult. Conducting innovation work and at the same time implementing an innovation process is, therefore, almost impossible. No matter how difficult it may be, you need to choose between the two. Is the purpose to transform the company into a company that works systematically with innovation and uses established methods and forums to support innovation work? Then support from management is required to carry out the transformation work which goes across the entire organization. HR may most likely need to be involved because incentive models, culture, and governance often need to be changed. This work includes defining an innovation process, in which areas should you innovate, how should you get ideas in, how should these be developed, and what different stages of ideas should you monitor? A very successful way of working when it comes to managing different stages is to set up gates, requirements, where different amounts of resources are made available. From the beginning, an idea receives only extremely little time and money from the organization to produce evidence that it is a good idea, which is required to meet the requirements of the next gate. In the stage after the second gate, a little more resources are made available and the requirements for proof become higher in the third gate to unlock additional resources and so on. Is the purpose instead to run an innovation project that will deliver an innovation? In the best case, only resources are required, a committed team and a sponsor who can defend the project in political discussions and lift the innovation further when it is time to scale up. But the focus will then be on reducing risk in the project. Instead of change work in the organization, the activities now become to formulate hypotheses and validate these by performing experiments and talking to customers. Finally, let us return to the question in the title. Which came first, the innovation or the innovative way of working? There is no given answer to that, but an organization can definitely succeed with one innovation without having an innovation process implemented. To have recurring innovation, however, an innovation process is needed, otherwise, it is very unlikely that the organization succeeds in producing several innovations. The important thing is to distinguish between the work of implementing an innovation process to create an innovative organization and the work of running innovation projects. It requires different skills so it is best done by different teams, but above all, it can not be done at the same time. Those who are currently running an innovation project cannot also drive a transformation work across the organization to make it more innovative. For more information, visit LEAPS and connect with Kristian on LinkedIn ! Read more from Kristian ! Kristian Elmefall, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kristian is a Swedish serial entrepreneur and senior management consultant, with a double degree in Executive MBA and computer science. Kristian has gathered experience in innovation and business from a large number of industries and companies of all sizes over the last 20 years. As co-founder of the consultant firm LEAPS, is he now helping customers to understand how the industries that the customers are operating in is evolving, how to stay relevant and competitive under those circumstances, and how to set up an innovation process to secure reoccurring innovations in line with the company’s strategy.

Written by: Rebecca Mason, 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 haven’t hired a Virtual Assistant yet then it should be the next thing on your list! Virtual Assistants (VAs) are remote contractors that can support your business in anything from admin to marketing. Here are 5 reasons why you need one, like, yesterday. 1. They are cheaper than employees. As remote, independent contractors, Virtual Assistants do not require company benefits (health insurance, retirement funds, investment plans, etc.), nor require overhead (office space, office supplies, equipment, Worker’s Compensation, etc). PLUS, they do not require 40 hours of paid work a week, including PTO, paid holidays, and overtime. According to VAnetworking.com, that can be a difference of almost $60,000 a year! If you shy away from working with contractors, then you haven’t found the right VA. They are worth the savings! 2. Businesses need (wo)manpower to grow. You will eventually stunt the growth of your business unless you expand your team. You, alone, cannot do it all. Whether you are a solopreneur or have a small team already, onboarding a Virtual Assistant to increase the human power in your company will unlock exponential growth. 3. You need to focus on being the CEO. Growth equals profit and there are crucial areas of your business that only you can do. Whether that is product creation, networking, or building the vision, the truth is, you shouldn’t be spending your energy on tasks that could be handled by a Virtual Assistant. Remember, you are the CEO. 4. Virtual Assistants give you your precious time back. According to the ServiceNow State of Work report, business owners spend an average of sixteen hours a week on the back-end, nitty-gritty tasks of business. That is almost HALF of a 40-hour workweek! All that time you spend on VA tasks (such as canned emails, tech support, and social media scheduling) could be repurposed into business growth or into spending time with your family! Those are hours that can be done by a Virtual Assistant. Period. 5. Virtual Assistants are full of ideas! Being able to brainstorm and bounce ideas off another person is invaluable for your business. If you hire the right Virtual Assistant, they will understand your vision and your business as well as you do. They also bring a different perspective and set of skills to the virtual table. In addition to handing-off time-consuming tasks to your VA, don’t forget to schedule regular brainstorming sessions. You won’t regret it! Now that you know why your business needs to onboard a virtual assistant, the question is who! I highly recommend working with a Virtual Assistant who you trust, makes your life easier, and shares your values. Therefore, it will be worth it to conduct a thorough hiring process and interview. You will also have the option of hiring VAs at many different investment points. From my experience, you get what you pay for. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Rebecca Mason, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rebecca Mason is a business coach for virtual assistants. She runs the successful Laptop Freedom Program, which empowers women to embrace their dreams and build a remote business. Join thousands of other women in learning how to start your business, find clients, and develop the skills you need. Sign up for her free guide at thewanderlustva.com.

Written by: Natalie Gray , 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 was the first time you really listened to someone? Think about the last time you listened to someone without distraction. I mean really listened to someone. No phone, laptop, passer-by, planning for your next meeting, letting your mind wander, or taking notes distracting you. Can you remember just listening with curiosity and empathy? Now, think about the last time you were really listened to. A time where you felt the other person was 100% focused on what you were saying, considering how you were feeling and just letting you be without interruption or judgment. How did that feel? We all know how it feels when someone cuts in and finishes your sentence, talks over you, nods disinterestedly whilst reading a message on their phone, or interrupts you with annoying, unsolicited advice? While you consider how it makes you feel, is there a chance you might have done the same to someone else? For some of us — being truly listened to and truly listening to others may occur every day, and that's amazing. But, for many of us in modern-day life, the number of conversations you have where you are truly heard and you truly hear the other person are rare. With so much to distract us and so much great information at our fingertips, it's hard to stay in ‘active listening mode’ for long periods - even for those people who are naturally great listeners. By not listening, you may miss out on valuable information, a chance to learn something new, or an opportunity to avoid awkward miscommunication and upsetting misunderstandings. More importantly, you might be missing out on the chance to truly connect with another person, build trust and allow them to open up. We are often so used to be listened to superficially that it can be very powerful to have someone actively listening to us. What is active/deep listening? Quite simply, 'active listening' means focusing not just on the words being spoken. It is awareness of the tone, pace, energy, and feeling of the speaker. It is considering the metaphors a person uses and why. It is a chance to hear what is being said in the silences as well as in words. Active listening means focusing on both verbal and nonverbal messages. Your ability to be an effective listener relies on your ability to notice and understand both types of messages. I have spent most of my life in a rush. The phrase 'hurry up! ' has often been on the tip of my tongue. Speed to get to the point and to get things done was always high on my priority list, and in that, there have been times where I have missed opportunities or learning experiences because I have neglected to really listen. It has taken a lot of learning (feedback, training, reading, and practice) to hone this skill and be able to provide active, careful listening to my coaching clients. Active listening is a skill that is always ongoing and is something I continue to work on so I can be fully present for not just my clients but my friends and family too. After actively working on my listening skills throughout my coaching training and my career, I believe that some people are just naturally great listeners. However, the rest of us can still develop this skill with just a few quick tips; 12 Top Tips To Be A Better Listener "Everyone is interesting if you ask the right questions. If someone is dull and uninteresting, that's on you!" – Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening . 1. Be attentive. Put your phone on silent (or better still, put it away), close your laptop, and try to clear your mind with a few deep breaths. If the person is talking for a long time, you must show them you are still listening and interested by engaging with them. This doesn't mean shifting the focus onto you. Instead, consider eye contact, nodding, or responding with short responses such as yes, I understand, uh-huh, of course, and ok. 2. Stop judging. Embark on all conversations with empathy and openness, allowing the person to feel a sense of trust and respect. People often don't say what they think in fear of judgment, and being quick to leap to a conclusion or make a snap judgment can cloud our understanding. 3. Avoid making assumptions. I know what you are going to say. Avoid going into conversations thinking you already know the outcome or knowing what the person is going to say, think, feel, or have decided to do. 4. Create eye contact. It sounds simple, but make sure you are keeping eye contact. Don't allow your gaze to wander off around the room or over the person's shoulder. 5. Don't interrupt. You may have a burning question or want to tell them that ‘ you know exactly what they mean as it happened to you .' If you do have a relevant question, wait for a natural pause in the conversation. It is important to remember that we all think and speak at different speeds. Think about your speed versus someone else's and adjust your pace for more thoughtful communication. 6. Ask open-ended questions. Allow the person to fully explore their thoughts by giving you longer answers and creating a bigger picture. Open-ended questions simply mean the questions that require more than just a one-word answer, for example; What about that interested you? How did that make you feel? What is important for you? What's next? 7. Do not jump to solve. We all have some great advice to give and want to be helpful by sharing our experiences. However, each person's experience is different. Hold off on comparing how you solved a problem and assuming it will work for them. Remember, sometimes you don't want the answers. You just want someone to listen! 8. Listen not just to what they are saying but how they are saying it. When listening, remember that the words convey only a fraction of the message. Look out for enthusiasm levels, the difference between a nervous and a genuine laugh, a subtle sigh, eyebrow raise, or looking away to understand their message fully. Try to feel what the other person is really feeling. 9. Get comfortable with silence. One of the main things I have learned from my coaching sessions and training is to allow silence. You will be surprised by how much more people have to say if given the time and space. 10. Clarify and confirm. Only ask questions that help you understand the speaker. You want to understand, and the best way to do this is to ask questions that look for confirmation. It may help if you feel they are holding something back. Similarly, you can ask if you have understood correctly. This not only shows them that you are listening but also reduces the chance of you missing something. 11. Give feedback. Demonstrate deep listening by showing that you understand the speaker by reflecting on their thoughts or feeling. Feedback statements such as "I can see that could be hard for you" and " what a great result " can make a real impact. You want to show that you are still listening and understand what is being said. 12. Take Notes Later. Often, we see note-taking as a true sign of listening. However, copiously taking notes and spending the whole time looking at your laptop or notepad means you might be missing out on non-verbal cues and the speaker's body language. Furthermore, your loud typing may distract the speaker, and they may lose their train of thought. Instead, it is better to wait until the conversation to write up any notes you want to refer to later. Getting Into A Listening Mindset As well as considering the listening tips during the conversation, it can help prepare for your conversation and create a listening mindset that you can apply in any conversation. To start with Think about the best listener you know. What do they do well? What questions do they ask? Think about the type of listener you want to be. How would you like people to describe you? Ask yourself what it would take to get there. During the conversation Take time to ask, "How are you?". How often do you ask how someone is, wait for the obligatory 'I am good, thanks' and then jump into the next conversation? Try to stop, pause and maybe ask them again, 'are you really ok?' or asking a more open-ended 'what's going on with you? ' With this, you allow them more time to open up and really believe you care about how they are, rather than simply being polite. Summarise the end of a conversation. This can feel a bit weird (particularly outside of a work-setting) but will show that you have listened and understood the person. Getting used to summarising will show you how well you have listened as well and where you can make improvements in your active listening. Only ask open-ended questions : Try having a 10-15-minute conversation where you only ask open-ended questions. Reflect on how this affected the conversation. Alternatively, if you find that you slip into asking a yes/no question, consider the different ways you could have asked the question to get a more substantial result. Afterward As you develop your listening skills, consider the impact your listening is having on others. For example: Are people telling you things they haven't told others? Check that you are not the one always changing the topic Listen out for phrases like 'oh, I hadn't thought about it like that' or 'yes exactly- you get it! ' Are people thanking you for listening? Are you learning? Looking To Improve Your Listening Or Want To Be Listened To? Are you looking to improve your listening skills at work with your team or at home with your family? Perhaps you're looking for someone who will truly listen to you and help you work towards your goals? As well as being an active listener, I am also a Progress Coach and here to help you get the most out of every situation. Whether you want to develop your listening and understand how active listening can improve both professional and personal relationships, or you're looking to unburden your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with someone that truly gets you, then I'm here for you. Let's start listening today by booking a free consultation call. Connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Natalie Gray, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Natalie Gray is a skilled Leadership & Career Development Coach; her unique no-nonsense approach helps clients to get clear on their vision, take action, and stay committed to progress. Natalie uses her extensive senior leadership experience in fast-paced global corporations to help executives succeed in their business and career goals. Following ICF endorsed professional coach training, Natalie draws on her talent for helping others connect the dots, in both their personal and professional life, enabling clients to move forward with confidence, clarity, and a holistic strategy. With 15 years of experience in innovative, growth-driven organizations such as Facebook and Cisco, Natalie is perfectly placed to draw on her business knowledge, extensive training, and natural communications skills. With Natalie’s understanding of growing and excelling in complex organisational structures, she helps clients see their opportunities from a different perspective, drawing upon her own industry insights to uplevel her clients. In short, Natalie brings out the best in people, ensures revitalized progress, and helps clients get to clear, measurable results.

Written by: Jeanne Agius, 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 think about the hard parts of self-care? The things that we don't openly talk about? Let's move away from what we think of self-care and talk about setting boundaries as an essential self-care practice. As a recovering workaholic and people pleaser, it wasn't easy to create boundaries with me and those around me, but I am working on it daily. Setting boundaries means knowing when or what to say no to and communicating your wants and needs to those around you to make it happen. The most significant shift for me was when I became a mom. I no longer had the luxury of time to do things on my own accord. I was responsible for tiny humans that need me around the clock, but I also know what I need to not only function but to feel good about myself. As a result, it meant having to communicate to those around me (aka my hubby) what my limits are, and for me, as much as I wanted to do it all, I knew it would be hard to do it all at once without compromising something. Although he is my biggest supporter, there are times where I needed to be crystal clear about what I wanted him to do and that his needs are just as important as mine. This included giving me my "me time" to do what I love and to fill me with strength, so we can continue to be power partners in this marriage. Remember, self-care includes creating these healthy boundaries so you can feel your best always! Here are a few tips to help you get started establishing boundaries with your partner so you can continue to be your best self. Be honest and communicate your thoughts and feelings with your partner. It's totally normal to gather your thoughts and feelings until you feel comfortable and ready. You can express your feelings respectfully without worrying about it coming off demanding. Focus on "I feel" statements vs. "you" statements. Don't assume or guess your partner knows what you want. You may feel like he should know, but if you don't be clear and, I mean stupid clear, and ask for what you want, then you can avoid a lot of misunderstanding down the road. Don't break your own boundaries. Following through on those boundaries helps to avoid letting the person think they have an excuse to overstep them. Follow through on things that aren't acceptable to you so that you are reinforcing your need to be taken seriously on your wants. Let go of what you can't control. There are times where even if you put 100% into something and are clear with your desires, and it is not guaranteed that what you want will be reciprocated. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect, and only you can control it. Setting and establishing healthy boundaries is not easy, but remind yourself you are deserving to be loved, respected, and supported, and as long as you're true to yourself, the relationship will only get stronger over time. This includes the relationship you have with yourself. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit my website for more info! Jeanne Agius, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeanne Agius is a former Corporate Escapee turned founder of Self-Care Journey Coaching, every women's Self-Care Coach, wife, mother, healthy lifestyle expert, international speaker, and a certified Holistic Wellness Coach. Since becoming a mom, she has been a frequent speaker on guiding women, especially moms, to prioritize themselves with holistic self-care practices without feeling guilt, despite the many hats they wear. She has been fortunate to help hundreds of women worldwide elevate their lifestyles and optimize their health by using self-care as their superpower to thrive so they can reclaim their time, energy, and confidence. She has built her Survive to Thrive program to help women feel strong and beautiful from the inside out, be confident in their skin, and create healthy lifestyles they love through her signature Self-care System. Her mission is to re-define self-care for today's woman in her upcoming book because she knows self-care isn't always easy but essential.

Written by: Michelle Greene Rhodes, 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 made several unsuccessful efforts to achieve spiritual wellness? As a nurse, this can especially hard right now in the midst of a pandemic. You can probably relate to how difficult it can be to achieve. Spiritual wellness takes effort and introspection and with all of the suffering and dying over the past year, it can be easy to lose faith and, perhaps, hope. There is indeed a road you can take that leads to spiritual wellness. The journey may be tedious and trying, but it's achievable. Here are a few successful tips for building a foundation of spiritual wellness. While you may want to adopt one element at a time, you also have the option of focusing on a full transformation. This is how I am approaching it, full throttle. I found myself losing connection, so I am going “all in” to get regrounded to my spiritual self. For me, it's not as uplifting when you try to achieve spiritual wellness from one angle. Many conflicts may arise, which could land you right back at square one. Try the following all-inclusive approach to building spiritual wellness: 1. Spend time alone for meditation. Meditation is the perfect medium for connecting to your inner self. It is important to maintain that connection, so you remain in tune with your spiritual beliefs. It's also a great way to help focus on the present. Spending too much time focusing on what happened in the past can affect inner peace. Painful occurrences or disappointments can be discouraging. Train yourself to look at what's right in front of you. Focusing on the present also keeps you from worrying about the future. Uncertainty looms every day, everywhere. But dwelling on the "what ifs" could result in you missing out on great opportunities in front of you. Make value-guided decisions. Living a life in tune with your values is the best way to be true to yourself. In turn, this trueness allows your spiritual life to flourish. 2. Having spiritual wellness also means you can make yourself available to help others. What do you value? Is it honesty and truth? Is it charity? Whatever values are responsible for your spiritual composition should always be consulted. Make your decisions based on what you know sits well with your spirit. Connect with the meaning of situations. Everything happens for a reason! As cliché as it sounds, it's the most accurate explanation for life. What you do with the information presented is another matter. You may not like a situation or even understand it. But instead of reacting, take the time to connect with the deeper meaning. It's important to understand that not everything is built in your favor. 3. Occupying a world with 7 billion other people should allow you to recognize that balance is for all. When you acknowledge that, you can come to terms with situations more easily. Be accepting of the viewpoints of others. The inhabitants of the world are as they are meant to be. In order to achieve true spiritual wellness, it’s important to be willing to accept that. This is especially true when it comes to the views of others. Practicing tolerance allows you to open you mind to a myriad of possibilities. It forces you to consider the true meaning of life. Instead of forcing your beliefs on others, focus on gaining a deeper understanding. You may be surprised by what you find! The road to spiritual wellness is long and complicated, but quite fulfilling! There is a deeper level of peace and understanding to be gained when you travel that road. Experience the journey and see what it feels like to truly accept yourself. Stay connected with who you are on the inside. Allow that connection to dictate your thoughts, words, and actions. With that approach, you are sure to gain the joyful peace of spiritual wellness. I am so glad that I found my purpose and become truly happy with my life. The balance you seek will come when you satisfy your spiritual needs. By taking the steps outlined, you too can put yourself on the right path to spiritual fulfillment. Achieving spiritual wellness isn't an overnight process. With persistence and dedication, you'll find yourself connecting with another aspect of your existence that you never realized aka your “higher self”. More and more things have become clearer for me and I pray you'll start to experience true inner peace, no matter what challenges you're faced with! Let’s engage! Find more steps in my employee wellness book “When the Red Arrow Goes Up: A Guide Towards the Costs of Wellness at Work” will share more tips on how we can remain well at work, in every facet of wellness. I look forward to helping your teams create personalized wellness at work in order to increase efficiency, optimize teams, and create a culture of wellness. Visit our website for more info and connect with us on LinkedIn! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Greene Rhodes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle G. Rhodes is a Corporate Wellness Consultant and is Certified in Managed Care and Licensed as a Registered Nurse. By combining her love for Managed Care/Population Health background with her innate ability to create educational programs and cost savings solutions uniquely designed for each employer, Michelle is sought after for her multiple successes in cost-saving and exceeding targets. She has helped corporations craft wellness programs that offer definite returns on investments and assists them to meet and exceed their annual performance measures and goals. Michelle creates various wellness initiatives for awareness campaigns all the way to the creation of wellness culture transformations. Michelle Rhodes Media LLC is also a continuing education provider for Nurses by the California Board of Nurses and provides workshops for Nurses to learn continuously.

Written by: Sarah Jones , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We’ve all been there. You’ve done the yard hards, put your all into establishing a career, made sacrifices, sharpened your skills, and overcome strenuous learning curves to get where you are today. You’ve established yourself as a professional, an expert, a leader. You have the talent, the expertise. You’ve earned your place, and yet you can’t escape the feeling that it’s all been a fluke. The doubt snowballs into crippling and inherently irrational insecurity. For some absurd reason, you feel like you don’t deserve to be here, and at any moment, the world will discover that you’re a fraud. The good news is that you’re not alone. Around 70% of professionals suffer from Imposter Syndrome. And while self-doubt can be a positive sign that you’re passionate about your career, a bad case of Imposter Syndrome may spiral into a self-fulfilling prophecy, affecting your confidence and getting in the way of what’s most important—doing the work you love. The first step is to identify the signs. This may present as a nagging feeling that your best isn’t good enough—and never will be. You may feel that your colleagues are just waiting for you to make a mistake. You may obsessively compare yourself to others or react with heightened sensitivity to criticisms. The signs include discomfort with praise and an inability to speak out for fear of making mistakes and being humiliated. It’s highly worth exploring the roots of these issues, which stem from childhood wounds. When young children are mocked or scorned despite their best efforts, they often develop a complex around achievement that echoes throughout their adult lives, manifesting as Imposter Syndrome. They become haunted by the illusion of perfectionism, doubling their efforts, and still end up feeling inadequate. Although more women suffer from this complex, men are not immune. Imposter Syndrome is extremely common with young professionals, who are especially sensitive to criticism at the start of their careers. At an age when you should be making mistakes and failing upwards, overwhelming self-doubt can inhibit this vital process and hinder our growth. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome is a journey, and it starts with shifting our self-perception by shifting on the way we speak to ourselves. When the self-doubt creeps in, take a moment to acknowledge everything you’ve accomplished to get to where you are now. Validate your efforts, celebrate your success. Instead of obsessing over the quality of your work, remember that perfection is an illusion. Artists understand this, as the creative field depends on experimentation and learning from mistakes. They try their best and send their work out into the world. Practice the art of letting go, of trusting yourself. The goal was never perfection, but to do the work you’re passionate about. Imposter Syndrome may also be a sign of burnout. It’s important to set healthy boundaries and leave work at the office. Close your laptop at a fixed time, and consider rest as part of the work. It may seem like the rest of the world is always hustling, so it’s important to stop comparing yourself to others. We are each on our own separate journey and timeline. Most importantly, learn to reframe criticism. It is a truth universally acknowledged that we could get too close to our work. There’s nothing more valuable than a fresh pair of eyes and constructive criticisms. Thank your critics for their feedback. Remember that it is not a personal judgment, rather a vital part of the process and an opportunity to expand your expertise. Last but certainly not least, learn to accept praise gracefully. You deserve it. You are enough. The people around you know this, so it’s time to claim your place in the world. You’ve earned it. If you want to help beat imposter syndrome, contact me at sarah@sarah-j.com or visit www.sarah-j.com to book a free call! Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn and Instagram ! Sarah Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sarah Jones - Published author, speaker, accredited personal & executive coach helps motivated, ambitious professionals & executives to improve their career, or find a new career, and helps teams to accelerate success & performance. Due to significant early challenges in her own life, Sarah has always been tenacious, entrepreneurial & unafraid to speak her mind. At times being the only woman in the boardroom amongst in international corporations in her early 30s, she is a beacon of strength for leaders and individuals. In Sarah’s former career, she was a leader in corporate affairs but founded Sarah-J Coaching to help individuals & leaders become their personal best in life and their careers. She is dubbed the phrase 'regroup, reboot, and reinvent' - a three-step change process - having helped to pull out individuals from the trenches & into their own spotlight through her transformative and action-based coaching approach. Her book ‘From Vulnerable to Invincible’ helps readers to identify how to step into their challenges, reframe & learn, to launch themselves to success. She also regularly contributes to the media such as BBC, The Guardian & Sky. She regularly speaks and has delivered empowering talks for Pearson Business School and Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

Written by: Nilima Amit, 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. Affirmations are positive statements. If repeated or written ‘n’ number of times, they help in achieving our goals, desired outcomes. But, do they really work? Most of them will say they don’t. Daily I receive more than 2-3 messages which point that affirmations don’t work. Let’s find the reasons why affirmations don’t work. 1. Use words like “No/ Never/ Not” in the affirmation statement. Subconscious does not understand these words. For example, affirmation for overcoming anger or being short-tempered is framed like “I don’t get angry.” Such statements will make you angry more often. Instead, “I respond in each situation” or “I stay calm and peaceful in each situation” helps create the desired results. 2. Too long statements . The essence of chanting or writing the affirmation is lost if the statement is too long. Along with writing/chanting, we should feel the affirmation to get results quickly. Longer the statement might make us forget a word or two and make it monotonous. 3. Expecting results instantaneously . After a few days of practice and we expect life to change 360 degrees. 4. Doubt is the biggest hurdle . For example, if you say affirmation for money and some unforeseen expense comes up, the first thing that comes to mind is doubt about the affirmation. Instantly, we declare they don’t work. 5. Irregularity in practicing them . You have 100’s of excuses to justify why you missed a day. Remember, a day’s break takes you back 2 steps in the manifestation of the affirmation. 6. Complaining about everything around or being negative for the rest of the day hampers the effectiveness affirmation writing/chanting has created. Easy ways to make it work: 1. Choose affirmations wisely which contain positive words. Avoid words like fear, scared, unwell, dearth, scarcity, or loss. 2. Choose easy, short affirmations. 3. Practice daily without a break. Set time aside daily for writing/chanting. Let the time be fixed. The ideal time is when you wake up or just before sleeping. 4. Have patience and notice the smallest, good thing that happens in your life. Appreciate it. 5. Replace complain and negativity with gratitude . 6. Faith that universe will send only the best to you even if it does not match your expectations. 7. If you cannot relate to an affirmation, add “I intend” at the start of the affirmation. This works wonders. For example, if you cannot relate to the affirmation “I am a money magnet.” Add “I intend to be a money magnet.” This will help your subconscious to align to this and make it your reality. 8. Continue the practice until it becomes a reality in your life. A few of my favorite affirmations are listed below: I am calm and peaceful. I respond in each situation. I accept myself. I am worthy and deserving. My efforts are being supported by a Force greater than me. Life is always working for me. I attract joy in my life. I effectively communicate my needs and desires to my partner. I am grateful to have abundance in my life. I am blessed to have an abundance of health, prosperity, and affirmative willingness. I am attuned to the abundance of success. I welcome all the wealth life offers me. I am enough. I am strong. I have the power to succeed. I trust my abilities. I am unique and brilliant. For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram and visit my website ! Read more from Nilima! Nilima Amit, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nilima Amit is a Bestseller Author, Holistic Life Coach, and Reiki Healer. Her life is a beautiful and interesting journey from having an opportunity to be born to Osho follower parents to self-discovering her own Calling. This journey transmuted in the formation of her company, One Life Many Jouneys™. Coincidentally her bestseller book is also with the same name. The mission of One Life Many Journeys™ is to spread the light and guide souls in their quest in emotional and spiritual quest. Her book, handcrafted workshops, and Reiki infused products like affirmation box, wish box, Money, and Relationship box are created to help in the same.

Written by: Jamie Adamchuk, Founder of UE_Coaching We’ve all heard this stat before. 95% of all business startups fail within the first 5 years. But what about the 5 percent who go on to succeed? What makes them so special? After reviewing countless case studies, working with some of the top minds in the modern business world, and experiencing this success firsthand, I discovered these 5 key differentiating factors that all successful businesses have in common. 1. Purpose: Your Purpose is your business North Star, and having one clearly defined for your business ensures that you and your team are able to take the specific actions that move you further faster towards your outcomes, eliminating the need to chase bright and shiny objects (or other outcomes) that steer you away from your ultimate goals. 2. Mission: Your Mission isn’t simply fancy words on the wall that most team members don’t know. It’s your B.H.A.G., and it’s the ultimate outline of where your business is going and where you’ll be arriving after completing these next 10 upcoming years. A clearly defined mission enables you, the business owner, to focus on your progress, and eliminate any unnecessary stress caused by the lack of a specific direction. 3. Values: Your Values exemplify who you are as a business and what the business stands for. Your values serve as both a forward-facing message to your clients of who you are as a business, and as an internal code of conduct from which all decisions are made. This provides your clients transparency in understanding what they can expect, and it also provides your team complete clarity as to the unwavering standards of the organization. 4. The O.W.N. Achievement Method: Achieving an outcome for your business, especially one that’s not yet been realized, involves a mapping process that clearly defines the exact steps to get there. The O.W.N. Achievement Method, comprised of Outcomes, Why’s and the exact path of Navigation to your outcome, enables you to do this on purpose, on time, every time. 5. Time To Huddle Up: What moves any team closer toward achieving their results is having a rock-solid consistent system of accountability in place. Short daily and weekly team productivity huddles drive this accountability forward while all but eliminating the disengagement experienced from the typical team meetings that so many employees and leaders are accustom to. I share this, because those businesses who have a proven system for growth, who have established a budget for team training and who invest in a reputable coaching and mentorship program are the businesses that go on to succeed. Period. If you’d like to uncover the quickest path to doubling your business productivity, so that you can get even more done, & make more sales than before, then I invite you to watch my free case study here: uecoaching.com/case-study For more info, visit UE_Coaching and follow Jamie on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn . Here is a link to a free productivity case study and a link to the UE Coacing Education Academy . You can read the full interview with Jamie Adamchuk here ! About the Author: Jamie Adamchuk has been in the professional training industry for well over 11 years, serving executive management teams worldwide. He’s worked with multiple industries including healthcare, restaurant & food service, heavy equipment, real estate and coaching, where he specializes in Extraordinary Customer Service and Strategic Business Growth . He's previously served with the Anthony Robbins Group of Companies as a Tony Robbins Certified Master and Platinum Coach, conducting in excess of 7000 coaching sessions, along with providing his services as a Tony Robbins Business Trainer. He’s coached clients in over 30 countries worldwide, on 6 of the 7 continents, and has most recently traveled to Australia to do so. Jamie is an internationally Licensed Neuro-Linguistic Master Practitioner certified by Dr. Richard Bandler, the creator of NLP and one of Tony Robbins original mentors. He has coached thousands of Consultants, Coaches and C-Level Executives on business development, marketing, sales, and most importantly, on how to scale business quickly. Through his training and mentoring program he’s helped those business clients quadruple their monthly income, quickly and efficiently scale their businesses by 75% or more, coached his clients on creating multiple successful business streams that produced 80% increases in profitability and helped those same business owners reduce their time spent working in the business, by as much as 70%. Jamie is a published author and is extremely proud to donate his time to The JASH Foundation where he helps separated and divorcing parents put their kids first

Written by: Theresa Tirk, 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 have, about a million times! And it probably took me that long to really, truly understand the meaning. If everything is energy and if energy goes where attention flows, then to me, it makes sense to say you should protect your own energy. An empath is someone who deeply feels what other people around them feel and experience. However, you don’t necessarily have to identify as an empath to “feel the energy” of those around you or what is happening around you. Let’s get into an example, have you ever been at an event or in a room where someone says, “Can you feel the energy in here?” My best example of this would be a sporting event where your team is winning, and the crowd is energized. The “energy” in the room is electric, and I’d guess just about anyone would tell you that without truly understanding what it means. To most people, the “energy” of a room is more so just a saying. But if you really dig into it, there is so much more to it than that. According to the Universal Laws, of which there are 12, the Law of Vibration states that in the Universe, everything moves, vibrates, and travels and requires energy to do so. When you get a vibe, have a vibe, have low energy, have high energy, feel the energy in a room, etc., then what you are experiencing is part of a Universal Law that states everything is energy. Once again, if everything is energy and it’s constantly in motion, it would make sense that you should always work to protect your energy. Let's say you are at a gathering, dinner, work meeting, whatever, and you are surrounded by people who are not in the same energy space or vibration that you are. They are feeling negative or unhappy. If you start to focus your own energy on them, maybe try to make them feel better or help them shift, or even you start to go along with their thinking and their energy, then that is what is going to flow back to you. Another example, you wake up late for work, school, whatever. You are starting your day off in a energy of being rushed, out of sorts, and before you know it, your entire day follows the same path. What can go wrong, does in fact, go wrong. It’s what we would call a shit storm of a day. Ever had one of those? Of course you have. We all have. It’s because you woke up in a state of panic and distress, and that is where your focus spent the day. Energy goes where attention flows... What you want to do is always make sure that your own space, your own energy is protected. You will be unable to make a difference in anyone else’s life if you are in a low vibration or low energy field. It is important to know how to manage yourself before helping shift or heal someone else’s energy. It’s natural to want to help someone when they feel down, depressed, defeated, or just outright having a bad day. The key to remember is if you don’t have a ritual of starting your day off with a protection prayer or your own specific ritual, you can take on that which is around you. If you get sucked into the vortex of someone else's negativity, make sure you take steps to restore yourself. Let’s get into some steps you can take to protect your energy, shall we? 1. Cleanse with sage, smudge spray, music, Palo Santo, whatever method you prefer. 2. Crystals. I like Selenite for my energy practice, but you use what works for you. I charge my crystals with the moonlight, so when I'm feeling depleted, I like to hold them while I cleanse myself and my space or meditate. 3. Just breathe. When things get tense or stressful, we tend to hold our breath, scrunch our shoulders up, tighten up our neck or stomach muscles. This just restricts our energy flow and causes more problems. Relax your body and breathe. Be mindful and take deep, full belly breathes. If you can exhale from your mouth and sigh, do it. (If you are in an area where that makes you uncomfortable, just exhale normally) But really, who cares what the hell other people think? This is for YOU, baby! 4. Visualize. When my energy is feeling depleted or starting to go down the rabbit hole of darkness, visualizing always helps. It can be as simple as visualizing my favorite place in the world, the beach. Or it may be me visualizing my goals, my dreams. Sometimes I visualize myself being encased in a giant orb of sparkly white light with rainbow glitter all around like a snow globe. It's very helpful. Someone that is very prone to taking on the energies of those around them may wish to have a cleansing prayer to say at the end of the day. Try something like this: “I release all energies that are not rooted in love. I wish to free my mind and body of that which no longer serves me. I return to Mother Earth any energies that are not mine. I anchor into myself and the present moment.” Next time you feel lost, drained, negative, sucked into a vortex of negativity, or have a shitty fucking day at work, try these steps out and see if you don't feel much better. For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram and visit my websi te ! Read more from Theresa! Theresa Tirk, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Through her work as a Spiritual Life Coach and Certified Aromatherapist, Theresa Tirk empowers women everywhere to step out of overwhelm and into joy by awakening to their own validation and strength. Theresa creates massive impacts in her clients’ lives with dynamic daily rituals and simple yet powerful mindset shifts. Theresa was called to coaching through her own spiritual journey of self-discovery following a battle with depression and anxiety. Theresa is the host of The Ritual Queen Podcast and CEO of The Ritual Queen LLC.

Written by: Amanda Rose, 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’m frequently approached by new entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs who have been trying to build their business for some time without much success. They ask what the “secret” to success is. I immediately sympathize with them because I struggled for years and years before my business took off. I grew up struggling with depression and obesity. In my teens, I developed anorexia which nearly killed me and left me fighting for mental wellness for over a decade to follow. I’d always had big dreams and big goals for my life. I was a dedicated student, and I always applied myself. I did great at school, but after college, I could not even get a job flipping burgers in the real world. I felt embarrassed, and I was also left wondering if I couldn’t succeed – the girl who was a valedictorian, on the honor role, and a Governor General Award recipient – what was wrong with me? I graduated in 2008 into the recession, and it felt at the time like all my dreams had been stolen because of the downturn in the economy. My parents generously floated me financially for a year until I was finally able to land a part-time job making door-to-door sales, certainly not what I’d imagined for my life. Over the next few years, I went from job to job, retail, then another sales job, until I finally hit burnout in 2013. I was working insane hours, we had a terrible manager take over, and I had enough. I turned in my notice in July of that year with very little savings in the bank and no idea what I was going to do with my life. I just knew that I could no longer work for anyone else. I ended up signing up to join a Network Marketing Company, which had helped me lose 138lbs so that I could work from home and help people lose weight in a healthy way instead of going down the dark road I had gone down with eating disorders. Even though I was excellent at sales, selling online was a completely different experience; people walk into a store intending to buy things, but people didn’t go on social media to buy. Bridging that gap, understanding how to sell well online was a major hurdle. I failed in every way possible, and I’m pretty sure I made up new ways to fail while I was at it! In my first month as an entrepreneur , I made $60 and just $600 as my own boss for the rest of 2013. Despite the slow and grueling start, I was determined to succeed. Failing was helping me learn. Every time something didn’t work, I would try something else, and inevitably through trying, I would discover methods that produced good results. I spent most of my 20’s living below the poverty line as I was figuring out this whole entrepreneur thing. I had a very challenging time building a business. It can be very disheartening and hard to show up every day when it is a struggle, yet it was through persevering and a willingness to learn that eventually, things turned around. Initially, as an entrepreneur, I was solely focused on strategy. I was convinced millionaires, and successful business owners just had a secret strategy I had to figure out. It seemed like trying to solve a riddle; at least, that is how I saw it. What I discovered was that the missing link was mindset work. About years into building my business, my husband came home one day and handed me a piece of paper that said he’d been let go from his job. Now, at the time, I was only early, about $800-1000 a month through my online business, not nearly enough to have the mortgage, car payments, and daily living expenses all fall on my shoulders. At that moment, I knew I either had to figure out my money issues or figure out how to file for bankruptcy; I chose to figure out my money issues. Honestly, it was at this time when I was overcoming the 6-inches between my own ears (my thoughts) that was the biggest game-changer in not only my business but in my life. Initially, as an entrepreneur, I was solely focused on strategy. I was convinced millionaires and successful business owners just had a secret strategy I had to figure out. It seemed like trying to solve a riddle; at least, that is how I saw it. What I discovered was that the missing link was mindset work. Within 6 months of shifting from solely focusing on strategy to plunging wholly into mindset work, we manifested over 6-figures. Now, I’m not saying mindset is the end-all-be-all you DO need to learn about strategy, but it is working on your mindset that will get you to take regular big-brave action on implementing those strategies and avoid self-sabotage. My business took off in an entirely new direction at this stage, and while it was hard work, it felt like it was flowing rather than forced. So, let’s dig into the 5-steps for you to implement to experience success within your own business! Step 1: Mindset While many entrepreneurs want to dismiss mindset as “woo-woo,” the science backs it up. Whether we look at it from a Psychological or Quantum Physics point-of-view, our thoughts create our realities. Example: If you are thinking, “Oh, I need to go get the laundry,” you will get up and go get the laundry, not randomly perform rocket science. Our actions follow our thoughts. Now, you might get up to go and get the laundry and, along the way, get distracted by something, but it is your mind that gets distracted and takes you on the path to perform another action. Thought precedes action. Beliefs = Thoughts = Emotions = Actions = Results Let’s say the next actionable step that needs to happen for you to make money in your business is getting on sales calls. The action itself is straightforward. But if deep down you have a fear of failure, you’ll start making excuses not to get on that phone call, “I just don’t feel that great today. I’ll do it tomorrow.” In Quantum Physics, where scientists study sub-atomic particles, they discovered that the particles would always appear where they expected them to. Their thoughts influenced the behavior of the particle. The quintessential manifestation quote, “thoughts become things,” is quite literal in meaning. When you commit to master your mind, you end up mastering your life. Step 2: Focus Winners look to the finish line, and losers stare at the person ahead of them. It is particularly challenging being an entrepreneur in the online space because it appears as if everyone else is successful (especially if you frequent entrepreneurial hang-out spots on social media). Despite everyone “appearing” to be doing well, the statistics show us the truth behind the scenes. Statistics by the Kauffman Foundation found that: More than 50% of all business owners never exceed $25,000 annually. Only 6% of all entrepreneurs ever achieve 6 figure businesses. Just 2% of businesses ever achieve 7 figure success. It may look like everyone and their dog is running a 6-Figure+ Business in the online space, but the truth is that very few ever attain that level of success. It’s really easy to fall into comparing ourselves to everyone else in our field, yet that’s very unhelpful. Keep your eyes on your own lane. You are not running a race against others; you are running a marathon by yourself. The power of focus is best illustrated by your Reticular Activating System [RAS]. Your subconscious mind is aware of approximately 400 billion bits of information per second. Your conscious mind is aware of about 2000 bits of information per second. So, which 2000 out of 400,000,000,000 does your mind know to focus on? Answer: The ones you tell it to! Your mind works like Google. If you put in the Google search engine “savory vegan recipes,” you will see it pop up with countless results for savory vegan recipes. It won’t show you how to do an oil change, quantum physicals, medical info, movie box office stats, or anything else, EVEN though Google has access to ALL of that (and much more). It will ONLY show you what you searched for. Your mind works exactly the same way. If you’re focused on what’s wrong or you’re thinking, “Building a business is hard,” then your mind is searching for answers that support that search criteria. Instead, you must start getting your mind to focus on what you want to create. Step 3: Simplication I frequently see new entrepreneurs drown themselves by signing up for every freebie, buying tons of books, downloading all software types, purchasing a domain and attempting to build a website, e-mail list, funnels, and trying to start 6-projects all at once. That strategy is doomed to fail. Our minds are only good at focusing on one thing at a time. Despite how awesome you think you are at multi-tasking, many studies have been done that all tell us the same thing: we are not good at focusing on more than one thing at a time. On top of that, paying for all of the business tools upfront is a huge financial burden that will not have an ROI for a while. Instead, simplify. Get your idea hammered out and focus on marketing and selling it. Get money coming in first (with as little expense upfront as possible) and then expand. I didn’t have a website until years into running my business. While it’s a nice tool, it alone won’t sell for you. Get your organic marketing and sales process in place, and then you can automate it. Step 4: Do the Right Actions It’s all too easy to be busy but busy doing the wrong activities. While keeping busy doing things like checking e-mails, scrolling your news feed, and learning new systems for your business can feel like progress, it isn’t translating into cash in the bank. The real question that entrepreneurs need to ask themselves is, “What are the income-producing activities in my business?” Inevitably income-producing activities boil down to sales and marketing. These are the lifeblood of any business. Busy work gets you nowhere. Income-producing activities build a business. Once you know what activities generate revenue for your business, put 80% of your attention on them. Step 5: Outsource & Automate At first, in building a business, most entrepreneurs are “solopreneurs,” as they wear all their business hats. While this may be necessary to get the business going, it does not bode well for long-term growth. The faster you can outsource non-income producing activities that still need doing, the better. You might do this by hiring an accountant, virtual assistant or automating your business through systems or paid advertising. I am a huge fan of Kajabi for service-based entrepreneurs. Having an all-in-one platform, especially one that’s designed so well like Kajabi is, allows entrepreneurs to save time, have their website, e-mail marketing, CRM, courses, memberships, checkout pages, sales pages, affiliate program, etc. all in one spot saves money and allows them to have exponential growth. Kajabi Free Trial: Get an Extended 30-day FREE Trial when you sign up by March 29th, 2021! Lay the Foundation of a 6-Figure Business Some clickable media, usually the book recommendations, are affiliate links, and should you choose to buy through using those links, then The Infinite Power of You Inc. may earn an affiliate payout commission. This is at no additional expense to you. For more information, visit my website and follow me on Faceboo k ! Read more from Amand a ! Amanda Rose, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Amanda Rose is the founder & director of The Infinite Power of You Inc. It is a multi-published multi-genre author, business, wealth, & mindset coach, actor, motivational speaker, and online course creator. She is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who has been in the online space since 2013 and a sales expert for over 10 years. It's her passion to help her clients build lives of freedom and joy, and thriving businesses with multiple revenue sources, through strategies combined with mindset mastery. Amanda's mission to shift human consciousness to create soulful abundance through mindset practices.