concrete production can be challenging. The mixture is very important and will greatly affect the final product. The 2 final results will either be a dry batch mix, or a wet batch mix. The material used and the job it is used for should dictate the exact type of mix you are using and for what situation. As mentioned, both of these types of mixes have many different purposes, and it is important to understand the differences between them. This guide will illustrate everything you need to know to create the exact concrete you are looking for. Dry Batch Concrete A dry batch of concrete will contain sand, gravel, and cement that all feed into a batch plant. This type of cement is generally done for smaller jobs or jobs that require less transportation. For dry batch concrete, the materials are mixed on-site. The final concrete is then dispersed through a hose-like object with water. Benefits: Does not require water It makes the construction and drying process much quicker If managing a concrete plant, it is easier and cheaper to produce dry mix Wet Mix Concrete The same materials are used for a wet mix, however there is also the inclusion of water and the use of different ratios. A wet concrete plant is different than a dry one as it is capable of producing concrete on its own. Moreover, wet mix concrete generally involves the use of a mixing truck to mix and transport it. Wet mix concrete can be used for all sorts of jobs and it is very portable. When it reaches its destination, the concrete mix is poured through the vehicle funnel and onto its correct location. Benefits: Can produce additional concrete Easier to transport Can be used for all sorts of products.

Written by: Elena Herrera, 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. Were you triggered by what your partner said just this morning, and you lashed out at them in anger even though you promised yourself not to react anymore? I get it. It's hard to juggle life, love, business, and all the things! And there are times when you just lose it. It is easy to be in a relationship when everything is well. But how easy is it when we get triggered? How do you handle the disagreement, fights, misunderstandings, miscommunications, etc? I am sure you have your share of triggers with your partner. A simple word, phrase, or gesture may get you boiling or quaking in fear. Or perhaps you suddenly shut down, becoming silent and withdrawn. Regardless of how you react, recognizing triggers can be an amazing growth opportunity to propel you to more self-mastery - more understanding, unity, and balance in your modern family. All you need is awareness and the right set of tools! What happens when you get triggered? Well, almost instantaneously, you get charged up, and the defense comes up. So instead of responding mindfully, you end up reacting from a place of raw emotion. For example, if you were over-managed as a child, then hearing a simple request from a partner might trigger your anger and resistance. For somebody who might have been overly criticized, such a request triggers a belief “I am not good enough.” Now, add kids, a job, and so many daily responsibilities to the mix, and all the triggers get magnified. Here are where a lot of couples make a mistake. Instead of recognizing the trigger and working through it, they take it personally and react. Now the argument is even bigger, and each partner feels victimized by it. This can spiral into destruction down the road. But what if there is another way to handle triggers? An effective way in which you can turn a destructive cycle into empathy, awareness, trust, and intimacy... That’s right! There is a process that can help you to handle triggers successfully. The following steps are based on insight from Anodea Judith’s book, Charge and the Energy Body . Step 1 - Take a Pause It is very important, yet surprisingly difficult, to take this first step… Recognize that you are triggered and ask for a pause. I am always blown away by how many people have conversations without even knowing that they are triggered. They feel they need to defend their position at that moment. This only leads to more destruction. However, taking a pause allows you to disengage from the situation, feel your own emotion, and come back to your alignment. This can help you to shift from blame to willingness to resolve a conflict/disagreement. The pause can last 5 minutes or a few hours, depending on the person and the situation. But it should always include an agreement to return to an issue after a specified time. For example, “I feel very angry right now. And rather than lashing out at you, I need 15 minutes to cool off, so we can have a more productive conversation.” This way, you are honoring your need at the moment while still acknowledging your partner and the issue. Sometimes it is difficult to pause because you are in the heat of your emotions. But remember, nothing good will get accomplished or resolved when you or your partner are out of alignment. Taking a pause and coming back to a touchy issue after you have had time to fully be with your emotions and give them proper consideration can help to build deeper trust and intimacy in a relationship. Step 2 - Self-Reflect It is crucial to notice your own trigger. What is it doing? What are your body sensations? Do you feel pressure or tension? What do you need to release the build-up? Make sure you don't judge yourself for your experience. Instead, use this opportunity to learn more about yourself. After all, you wouldn't get triggered if it wasn't your personal issue. Reflect on your emotions. Emotions usually have a pattern . Is there a specific emotion you tend to default to during an argument? Some people get angry while others get sad or hurt. Ask yourself if you felt like this before, especially as a child. At the end of the day, most of our emotional patterns have deep roots in our childhood. Reflect on your fears . What are your “negative” emotions trying to tell you? Usually, there is an underlying fear charging your feelings. Are you afraid of being rejected, controlled, trapped, lost, used, abandoned, or maybe feeling insignificant? Write down any words about what you are objecting to and the core fear behind your emotion. For example, maybe you are afraid that your partner is going to leave you if you express your needs during the disagreement. Reflect on your beliefs. What is the story you are telling yourself about an issue? Within that story, there is a set of beliefs . Drop the story to examine your beliefs. For example, if you tell yourself that your partner never listens to you anyway, look into how this belief plays elsewhere in your life. How does this belief disempower you? Most times, the beliefs were formed during an impressionable period when you were young or in your teenage years. They aren't necessarily true, but they can unconsciously run your life. Honor your needs . Beneath our core fears are hidden needs. There is a deep fear that our needs will not be met. And there is some truth to it. Usually, in childhood, we had needs that were not recognized/met by the important people in our life, like our parents. As a result, we gave up on them - burying them deep inside. These needs lay dormant without ever being acknowledged. However, they are still true to us and want to be met. So, it is important to identify your need - to feel connected, respected, seen, valued, etc? Now that you’ve identified the need, it’s important to state it using “I” language. Instead of saying, “You never listen to me!” express your need as... I need to be heard by you. I need your help with my daily responsibilities because I can’t do them on my own. I need you as my team member, so I don't feel I am all alone in this relationship. I need to know that I can speak up and be heard. This keeps you in an empowered position of expressing what you need without having your partner feel blamed and defensive. Step 3 - Return to the Issue Now that you’ve taken your pause and reflected on your trigger and what's underneath it, you can proceed with the discussion with your partner. If you truly took time to be with yourself during the pause, I bet you feel more centered in yourself, your truth, and your needs. Acknowledge what triggered you and how it affected you. For example, “I realized I insulted you during our argument because I was hurt.” Then you can share your deeper experience like fears and beliefs that caused you to act out. Finally, you can apologize for your reaction and express to your partner what you need from them. When you come from this place of truth, clarity, and vulnerability, it allows your partner to drop into their own heart and truth. When both partners are in this heartfelt space, they become willing to resolve their issues together. Don't be afraid of the triggers in the relationships. They are great opportunities for you to look within to resolve your imbalances so you can create deeper intimacy, trust, and connection with yourself and others. If there are issues in your relationship that you want to resolve with your partner to bring more balance and harmony into your union, you may want to begin with yourself. This is what I teach in my custom program, The Radiant Power of a Balanced Woman . Using my compassionate, intuitive guidance, I help women to bring more self-awareness, build a deeper connection to Self, and learn practical, supportive tools. I believe the more balanced you are, the better your relationships will be. If you resonate with my message in this article, please fill out a questionnaire on my website to see how I can support you in the specific issues you are struggling with. Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram or visit my website . I’d love to hear from you. Read more from Elena ! Elena Herrera, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine My personal story of transformation took my life from “unconscious” to “connected and meaningful.” Applying the same tools and modalities I teach today, plus my gift of intuition, I grew from a personal trainer to a full-blown Intuitive Transformational Coach who helps dozens of people to live a life of self-awareness, radiance, and fulfillment.

Written by: Maria Jansson, 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. It´s Valentine's month, a month that speaks beautifully to expressing our love towards others, but it also invites us to reflect on the love we have for ourselves, self-love. What does self-love mean to you? There are different ways of perceiving self-love and there is so much more to it than a few words here can express but what it comes down to is when we love ourselves, we know we are worthy and we accept ourselves as worthy of love, our own love and the love of others. From that place, we practice self-care and honor our needs and emotions in a nurturing way on a consistent basis, knowing that we matter. Why? Because our love for ourselves is the basis, the foundation for our life, so much so that all our relationships will be a reflection of how we love and care for ourselves. What we attract into our life, what we are able to express in our relationships, work domains, and generally in life is hugely depending on how we perceive and love ourselves. Often our social or family conditioning is in the way of caring for us on a consistent basis as it has taught us otherwise: Only if we care for others first, we are loved or are getting attention. Only if we put our mother, father first or fulfilled their needs, they looked at us. Only if we had good grades, we were rewarded and so on. As a child, we subconsciously perceive it as: If we do something (for others), we will be loved rather than just be and be loved as the wonderful being we are, unconditionally. This, of course, is nobody’s fault ; it is happening by accident. Our selfless learned behavior without a basis in self-love may work for a while or even a long time, but it eventually may end in a downwards spiral, exhausting us, taking so much from us that there is barely anything left to give. Even though we are doing this for noble reasons, we are -if we are honest- also doing it to get love, to be acknowledged; we are running after it because we need love so desperately. No wonder, when this is how we were programmed. And again, there is nobody at fault. But eventually, we see that we are at the end of our rope, our cup is empty, there is nothing left to give to others. Maybe we experience physical symptoms or are emotionally exhausted…whatever it is, the question is, how can we change this cycle and learn to fill our cup first in order to generously and healthily give. How can we learn to care for ourselves in a loving way, putting ourselves first, not in an egotistical way, not to the expense of others but to honor ourselves and our needs? And what does this really mean? It means that we accept ourselves as we are at any given moment, which doesn’t have to mean that we don’t want to change behaviors, but we still accept ourselves as a person worthy of love, knowing that we are enough just the way we are. It means that we find our innate goodness beyond “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong” but because we are a wonderful, unique person with our special talents and gifts, meant to be here. This may be a lifelong learning process, but we can start today with simple self-care practices to learn to love ourselves in a deeper way by switching our mindset and creating an environment for self-love. What can you do to practice self-love? Here are 7 suggestions to practice self-care as a gateway to self-love: 1.Spend time with just yourself in silence Listen to what comes up in this precious time alone, undisturbed. Maybe uncomfortable feelings or wondrous ideas are arising within you. Be open to feeling them and listen to them, as this is all you, you, this amazing person, who is already whole. It for sure is an adventure, and the idea is to accept and be with all the upcoming feelings without judgment but love . 2. Learn how to forgive yourself I invite you to not judge yourself for the mistakes you have made but to see and evaluate the motivation behind them. Often we can then see that we did our very best in each situation. We can remember that all of this is a portal to more growth. There is no failure, only learning. To forgive yourself for all your shortcomings opens up the space for new ideas, new situations, new projects, or new people to come into your life. 3. Learn to put yourself first and show love for yourself Evaluate what that means for you, how it expresses for you. Maybe it means that you schedule your day in a way that you have time to yourself before you serve your family or your clients. Maybe it means for you to sing, hike, exercise, or take a bath with candles. It is different for all of us. And of course, we will put our children first in most situations as they are dependent on us, but we can recognize that there is always room for ourselves as well, even if it is only a minute. And be aware of all self-destructing thoughts, aka your inner dialogue, be hyper-vigilant with what you say to yourself inwardly and replace it with loving thoughts because the words you say to yourself on a regular basis are the most important words . Our words create our reality. 4. Stand in front of a mirror, look into your own eyes and say, “I love you” to yourself Yes, do it with intent several times, and really feel it. This is quite an exercise but, oh, so valuable. And it will evolve. Notice how it changes over time, how you can learn to love yourself even when there is a difficult situation in your life challenging your self-love. 5. Evaluate influences in your life and shut out negative ones Make a list of people who don’t nourish you. Usually, these are those people who drain you, you feel exhausted after being with them, not enlivened. Think about why you keep them in your life? What is your hidden benefit? Once you are aware of that, it is easier to let go or to consciously decide to keep them. 6. Implement something you love as often as you can, maybe even each day What is it that you love to do or used to love to do? Fishing, rock climbing, painting? Find ways to incorporate that into your day. Start small and extend from there as your nourish your soul. It will give you so much joy because it is a way of self-expression. Enjoy how you indulge in your beautiful self. 7. And lastly, celebrate yourself. Find situations, successes, as small as they seem, to celebrate the wonderful person you are, consciously with intent, not just with a little smile. When you celebrate yourself, you invite more success into your life. How creative can you be in celebrating yourself? Loving ourselves is a beneficial situation for everybody. It replenishes us with inner happiness, confidence, and peace of mind that is not easily achieved by outside events and opinions we learned to listen to. It enables us to make healthier choices and decisions across all areas of our life, from our intimate relationships to our finances, because they are based on self-love. It enables us to genuinely be more loving towards others and to be of greater service to the world at large. Ultimately, the more we love ourselves, the more love will show up in our lives, and everybody we encounter benefits from our loving spark that expresses our uniqueness. If you want to dive deeper into finding more self-love as a foundation to create a happier and more peaceful & successful life, then I invite you to read my just-published book “Spiritpreneur Success Stories for the Soul ,” which I co-authored with 12 other soulful women from around the world. In this book, we share our vulnerable stories about how we rose from rock bottom to shine in our lives and businesses, how each of us overcame adversity, found more self-love, and embraced spirituality to become new, empowered versions of ourselves. We intend to inspire others that no matter what struggle or life challenge you are facing, you can find happiness, peace, and freedom when you heal your past. Click here to order your book: US , UK , AU , CA , and NL . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maria ! Maria Jansson, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Maria Jansson is a global Therapist and Empowerment Coach (RTT, CHT, M.Ed.). She helps ambitious and purpose-driven women all over the world heal from difficult past experiences, reclaim their self-worth, and find more self-love so they can conquer their inner success blocks and stop self-sabotage to unlock their full potential and live a confident life of love, success, and inner freedom, without years of therapy. Maria works with the conscious and subconscious mind and uses a unique mix of rapid subconscious healing, conscious mindset work, inner child healing/inner parts work, and energy work to help her clients transform permanently. By accessing the subconscious mind to directly get to the root cause of what is holding her clients back, she is able to get results very quickly, often in just one month. Maria is very passionate about her work and feels deeply honored to be able to offer her clients real transformation and freedom.

Written by: Victoria Kopp, 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. The goal is to live inside of a life that excites you. A life that you would design for yourself. You want to feel peace and joy, create a mindset of abundance; while staying humble and cultivating healthy, lasting relationships. The great thing about this idea is that no matter where you find yourself right now - It's Possible. If you are ready and willing to see the world from a different perspective, from the perspective that is meant just for you... You can begin to create the very life you have dreamed of living. This is a daily step-by-step process that allows you room to make mistakes and do it again, but better this time. It is a moment-by-moment process that makes you more aware of what you do and do not want. From this awareness, you get to remove more of what you do not want and focus more on what you want. This focus will allow you to be filled with ideas, motivations, and energies, making it more and more clear what you get the pleasure of doing. Looking at Step 1. Identify what you have control over. Excitingly enough, you get to have control over your thoughts, your emotions, and your reactions. Begin to take note of how you speak to yourself. Whose voice is this speaking to you? Do you want the things you're saying to be true? If not, how can you change them? What can you tell yourself daily that feels true and good? Can you talk to yourself about how excited you are for the future you're creating for yourself? What place of peace can you create in your mind? In this place, you can begin visualizing being told things that are good and true about you. Now observe how you treat others. Do you treat others the way you would like to be treated? Do you want to learn lessons in a harsh way? Do you harshly speak to others? Or would you rather learn lessons with firm, kind clarity? And do you speak to others with firm, clear kindness? Once you feel that you have explored your areas of control, begin Step 2. Things you enjoy in your life. If you find solace in play, at school, during lessons, while cooking, reading, or writing, then take note of that. If you look forward to lying down in bed at the end of the day, make sure to note that. Or do you look forward to the family vacation every year? Is there a club you are part of that meets once a month that brings you joy? Does taking a shower to relax you or energize you? Do you really enjoy breakfast, or do you prefer dinner? Do you like how soft certain clothes are on your skin? What are the things in your life that you value and bring you delight? Nothing is too small or insignificant. And nothing is too frequent or infrequent. If you enjoy your cup of coffee every morning, then that is a thing to remind yourself of and celebrate! Do not leave anything off of this list. And if you remember more things later on, then make sure that you add them in, as well. Step 3. Begin removing things that don't serve what you enjoy. There may be areas where this will take time. And nothing has to happen overnight. For instance, if you are miserable at your job because you know you were designed for something different and Step 1 did not help change things, it may take several weeks or even a couple of months before switching jobs. That is okay. And even healthy, responsible decision-making. If you can switch jobs right away, that is also great. The beauty is in the choice you can make to go after what serves your highest and best, not the time frame it takes to happen. Sometimes the very thing that is not serving what we enjoy are our thoughts around it. If you love your baby but loathe 3:00 am feedings, it may be the thoughts around the feedings you need to remove. Remind yourself how this bonds the two of you; that these moments go by so quickly, and soon the baby in your arms won't need or even want you to feed them. Take in how your baby smells and the adorable little baby features they have. Just by changing your focus, you remove the thoughts that do not serve your joy, and you are creating more joy instead. Finally, Step 4. Building the life you love. By this point, you are doing it! You have begun to love yourself better and more deeply. You have become a safe space to think through things and tell yourself who you really are. This has allowed you to love others better and more deeply. Giving back to others who they really are from a strong, healthy, genuine place. Your relationships will begin to grow stronger and feel more stable. You have started to cherish the moments that matter to you. You emphasize the big moments that you get the excitement of planning and working towards and the daily moments that sometimes slip through the cracks when we forget to notice how we appreciate them. Things that no longer serve joy in your life have begun to fall away. And some of the things making changes in your life just happened. They did not even require conscious planning on your part. All of these things will allow you to feel more confident, more at ease, and more excited to live—just the way you were created to be. If you would love more tools and tips on a journey, you've already created, follow me on Facebook or Instagram! Visit my website here! Victoria Kopp, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Victoria is one of the most sought-after lifestyle strategists in the online coaching space, helping women overcome their self-doubt and start living inside of their dream life. Through winning her own battles of overcoming PTSD from an assault; altering her feelings of low self-worth; and calming her anxiety she built a life that she is both proud of and happy to live. This journey allowed Victoria to develop a lifestyle program using truth-based systems that have worked in countless situations with various individuals. She is thrilled and excited to help you thrive in life, too.

Written by: Danielle Christy, 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. Only one in ten adults is getting enough fruits and vegetables a day. Are you apart of that percentage? Eating more fruit and vegetables can help reduce your risk for chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. Whole fruits and veggies contain fiber, a key nutrient that is important for keeping your gut healthy, which can reduce your risk for autoimmune diseases, fight off pathogens, infections and even improve your mood. The colors we see in our fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, actually represent really powerful, important nutrients that are present. Phytonutrients essentially help us to prevent and heal from disease. The best way to determine which phytonutrients we’re getting is to use the color of the fruit or vegetable we’re eating. Meaning, if we’re always just eating one color, we are only getting those nutrients. Therefore, the more your overall diet resembles the rainbow, the more nutrients you're getting overall! It’s a simple way to look at your shopping list, grocery cart, and weekly meals to gauge what colors you're getting and realize what I am missing. We eat with our eyes first. The more colors you incorporate daily, the more your body will thank you. Red foods: Red peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, red apples, beets, red lentils, kidney beans, red rice, pomegranate, cranberries Red Food Benefits: Anti-aging properties, improved heart health, and protection against breast and prostate cancers. The red foods in your diet are great sources of antioxidants. The phytonutrients present are flavonoids or carotenoids. Both of these phytonutrients have been shown to help prevent sun damage when consumed consistently. Additionally, their antioxidant status means they’re very anti-inflammatory, which can help prevent chronic diseases and improve heart health. Orange foods: Carrots, orange peppers, butternut squash, pumpkin, oranges, nectarines, peaches, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, cantaloupe, winter squash Orange Food Benefits: Improve eyesight. Orange fruits and vegetables have nutrients that the body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, keeping your eyes, bones and immune system healthy. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants, sweeping up disease-promoting free radicals. Yellow foods: Banana, yellow peppers, summer squash, delicata squash, yellow apples, lemon, pineapple, corn, turmeric Yellow Food Benefits: Cancer prevention, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties Curcuminoids are found in yellow fruits and vegetables. They’re the phytonutrients responsible for that potent bright yellow color found in turmeric as well as all the other yellow fruits and vegetables. Because of their anti-cancer, microbial, and inflammatory properties, these yellow food items have been shown to help to heal those with Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and even diabetes. Green foods: Leafy greens, green peppers, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, brussels sprouts, green cabbage, asparagus, green apples, cucumbers, kolrababi, herbs. Green Food Benefits: Eating plenty of greens increases your fiber intake, which supports your digestion daily. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer by amping up the production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body. Again, antioxidants are abundant here, which help to ward off disease or prevent disease in the first place. Blue and purple foods: blueberries, grapes, blackberries, red cabbage, purple carrots, eggplant, purple potatoes, figs, plums, purple cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, purple peppers, red kale, raisins, purple cabbage, radishes. Blue and Purple Food Benefits: Improve heart health and cancer prevention. The blue and purple colors you see in an abundance of plant-foods are likely due to the flavonoids present. These have been studied over the years in association with coronary heart disease prevention and anticancer activity. Adding more blue and purple food items to your diet can help improve your heart health and reduce your chances of developing certain types of cancer. Brown and white foods: Ground flax, lentils, jicama, ginger, garlic, onions, chickpeas, legumes, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, Daikon Radish, potatoes, parsnips White and Brown Food Benefits: Strengthen bones and reduce menopausal symptoms. The phytonutrients lignan is present in many brown/white food items. Lignans have been shown to help reduce the chances of osteoporosis development over time. Not only that, but their antioxidant properties have shown that they may help to reduce heart health, cancer prevention, immunity boosts, digestive tract health, and metabolism. Some tips and ways to add more colors into your day: Keep your favorite fruits and vegetables on hand and at eye level in the fridge or a bowl on the kitchen counter. Add one to two new fruits or vegetables to your list a week and add them to your favorite meals. Take advantage of produce that comes in multiple colors carrots, peppers, apples, etc., offer different nutrients for each color. Head to the freezer section and get fruits and vegetables but make sure it's only the produce you are buying and there are no added ingredients. Making “eat the rainbow” a fun and enjoyable process and habit for the entire family uses all your senses and brings the color and love back into the kitchen. For more information, follow me on Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Danielle! Danielle Christy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Danielle Christy is a holistic health coach and self-taught personal chef dedicated to helping families and people around the world stop feeling overwhelmed with healthy cooking by showing and coaching them on how to stock their kitchens with healthy ingredients, meal plan and get back to having family meals again. Danielle holds a BA in Hospitality from Northern Arizona University and Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She has helped families of all shapes and sizes create and establish a concrete strategy to ultimate health through learning what individually works for them and using whole real food as the medicine of life.

Written by: Judith Viado, 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 there’s one thing that 2020 has taught us, it’s to prioritize our health over everything else. With the start of a new year comes another opportunity to make ourselves better and improve our lifestyles. We all know that it’s never just about finding the motivation to start exercising because a healthy lifestyle is all about realizing that health doesn’t just refer to fitness. It refers to our overall well-being, including how we present ourselves, how we think, how we manage our time, and how we react. Most importantly, a healthy lifestyle comes down to what we consume. In one way or another, we mean food; but never disregard the value of the products we use to cook our food. Nothing brings passion to our souls more than talking about healthy cooking and how the cookware we use affects our health. We cannot emphasize this enough—Nutricraft Cookware uses only the best and the safest materials In our cookware. We did our homework and have studied metal toxicity extensively, so we understand the risks and dangers of toxic cookware. We do not want you and your family to suffer the way we did BEFORE we shifted to safe cookware, so we are sharing our lessons and tips with everyone. We realized it wasn’t enough to just sell cookware – we want to help educate families about safe cooking, healthy eating, having better food choices. And so, a few months ago, we launched Nutricraft Academy. Nutricraft Academy is an online resource of valuable information that our customers and audiences can use to help them in their journey to better health. Putting together all the latest researches, our personal experiences, and all the trends in health and wellness, you’re bound to learn a thing or two from our courses. It's free to sign up! So if this is the year you are really getting serious about the health of your family, becoming part of the Nutricraft Academy would be a perfect complement. After all, it’s not enough to just use safe cookware. You have to know how to use it and care for it properly. You have to have cooking skills so you can enjoy your tools. And finally, you have to have an arsenal of healthy recipes to enjoy healthy living to the fullest! Pandemic or no pandemic, our FREE courses are built to benefit your health throughout any state. Start the course by learning more about the five simple steps you can take to live a healthier life. Soon enough, you’ll learn more about how to protect your family from unknown health risks of dangers in everyday cooking. Click here to learn more about Nutricraft Academy and our courses. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and visit our website for more information! Read more from Judith! Judith Viado, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Judith is a highly accomplished Oracle NetSuite specialist and global online business entrepreneur. She has a background in Science, worked in Public Health, and recently been accepted as a Health and Nutrition Educator by a Scientific Community in Australia. She has cross-discipline technical expertise in various areas, including Financial Accounting, Taxation, IT project management, E-commerce, Property Wealth Creation, On-site Residential Property Management, NetSuite specialist, and Strata Management. While Judith enjoys her full-time job and managing her global online stores, she and her husband Richard started their own cookware brand with a simple goal of changing peoples’ lives. On the weekends, Judith and her family teach people healthy food preparation methods without using oil, salt, artificial seasoning, and how to prevent contamination. She promotes keeping ingredients in their purest form, enhancing their natural flavors and maximum nutritional value. Judith strongly believes that since this cooking style has dramatically changed her family’s lifestyle, it will likewise have a huge impact on others’ lives. She aims to educate more people to learn to eat well, live well, and free from metal toxicity.

Written by: Kelly Hater, 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. Time is an intriguing concept. People are fascinated by time so much so that countless books, movies, and stories about time travel have been imagined. Almost universally, it is understood that our past can affect our present, and what we do in the present, whether learned from an experience or not, can affect our future. Time is a precious entity, no matter how you slice it. It is arguably one of the greatest and most important gifts you can give yourself or your loved ones. Spending quality time with others is even considered an expression of love. I know that I appreciate when others want to spend their most precious resource and time with me. After all, time is limited. This is precisely why it is vital to engage in the here and now. Why spend the limited time you have dwelling on anything other than the present moment? Living fully in the present moment is the key to unlocking joy. I invite you to spend a few minutes here and read on about how you can better live in the moment and be present for those who need you. “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” — Henry David Thoreau. What does it mean to live in the present moment? Living in the present moment means that you are fully engaged, aware, and mindful of what is happening here and now. It sounds really easy. Frankly, it is easy. The present moment is all we truly need. What we need is most definitely different than what we want. For example, I am sure you can relate to this phrase, “I need a cookie.” We all know that no one truly needs a cookie. The phrase probably should go more like this, “I want a cookie.” You can, however, say that you need a glass of water. That is most certainly something that you need to live. See the difference? You want a cookie, and you need water. The same goes for expressions of time. We need the present. The past and the future indeed have a role in our lives, but the present moment is critical to our existence. Without acknowledging what lies before us in each moment, opportunities will escape. New memories can never be made. Everything that happens in the present moment. Why is it important? By deciding to be totally aligned with the present moment, you are deciding to be truly happy. Happiness is not tied to things that have happened to you in the past or the future. This is not to say that you cannot reflect on happy memories from your past nor look forward to something in the future. Finding yourself in those thoughts momentarily is healthy. Ruminating in these thoughts endlessly, though, is a recipe for disaster. Happiness comes from your mindset. Your attitude. The good news is that you are 100% in control of what you think all the time. You can choose happiness, and you can choose to live in the present moment. What are the barriers to living in the moment? The answer to why it is difficult to live in the present moment is simple: You cannot let go of the past, and you are always worrying about the future. Accepting Your Past Thoughts about past experiences can have a strong grip on your present self. We all go through things, hard things at times, and hopefully learn from them. We only truly know if we learn from our past by experiencing difficult situations in the present. Not accepting the possibility that you have changed from your former self can keep you from trying new things. Harboring negative thoughts about your past can shrink your comfort zone, and you and your friends and family suffer the consequences in present moments when you may be needed the most. Learning to accept an imperfect version of yourself from the past is not always easy. Sometimes we know that we could have handled situations better, or you regret things you may or may not have done or said. The key is to pick out positive bits of your past, such as you made it through whatever it is you are holding on to, and you came out on the other side, and keep those pieces with you, as they will help you in the present. Burdening yourself too much with the past can be very damaging to your psyche. It can cause you to be depressed, flat affected, and miss out on everything around you. Accepting where you come from and what you have done is key to a stable grounding in the present. Be Present in the Mundane Present thoughts can be less engaging from day to day as many of these thoughts are about getting through the day and meeting everyone's needs: your needs, your spouse’s needs, your kid’s needs, your boss’s needs, etc. Then there are the moments in which you are making meals, paying bills, transporting yourself and others safely and on time, taking care of personal hygiene, etc. Honestly, it is no secret that these are not the most fun or intriguing things to get hung up on, yet they are the present moment. These mundane tasks are important, which is why you do them in the first place. It is easy to want to drift away from these mundane tasks back into the past or looking longingly into the future. DON’T! It can be a facade for your current situation in the present. Drifting thoughts are an escape from reality. You must present in the here and now. It is where the opportunity for pure deep joy can be found. If you are absent in the present, then you are not moving forward or backward. You are merely standing still. Just existing, not truly living. Think about the future enough to plan for the present Future thoughts are fun! Be careful, though, because when you spend too much time in this headspace, you more than likely have not done the appropriate amount of work in the present to bring it to fruition. Looking forward to something such as a future goal can be a great motivator in your present moments. Looking too far into the future can cause you to move too fast through your present moments; thereby, causing your future to be emptier than you imagined. Also, not every future thought is exciting. The future can be scary. Spending too much time thinking about it can cause you more anxiety than you really need. Look to the future, but only to know what to plan for in the present. 6 Practical Ways to Live in the Moment 1. Ground yourself by savoring moments! Being present is nothing more than having the skill to keep your thoughts in the present moment. When you catch yourself drifting into the past or worrying about the future, you need to have a way to stop and ground yourself in the moment. When you notice your thoughts have drifted out of the present moment, try using a countdown such as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to bring the drifting thoughts to a pause. Then once you have paused the thoughts, you need to find something to savor in the present moment. Savor is a term psychologists use to describe what happens when you find something in the present moment that anchors your thoughts. It does not have to be anything extravagant, just something the present in which you can focus on and appreciate. 2. Balance your past, present, and future thoughts. Keeping everything in balance, not dwelling on the past, and not daydreaming about the future is a constant struggle. A good way to find balance in these three dimensions of time is through forgiveness. 3. Do nothing for 5 minutes every day. If spending five minutes doing nothing is so good for you, then is it nothing? No. It is everything! Take some time to do nothing literally. You will be amazed at how your brain will figure some things out while you are doing nothing. 4. Journal Writing down your thoughts can be a great way to accept the past and let go of things that are not worth holding onto. It is a great way to spend some of your present moment completing, and you can always refer to your journal entries in the future if you find yourself lost and forget how you got to where you are. 5. Meditate Meditation is a formal exercise for your brain. When you meditate, you spend intimate time with your thoughts, analyzing them and categorizing them. After meditation, you may feel clearer-minded and at peace with either the past or the future. The awareness provided by meditation allows us the space to better understand how and why we think or feel, ultimately rounding out our perspective, leaving us with a healthier existence alongside our thoughts. Meditation also fosters compassion. It offers time to reflect on our thoughts in a nonjudgmental scenario. Encouraging kindness towards ourselves and directing kindness to others. 6. Practice Mindfulness Mindfulness is a great way to practice aligning yourself with the present moment. Instead of just going through the motions, you allow all your senses to be aware of your thoughts and emotions. When we engage in mindfulness, we pay more attention to what we do. As we discussed the concept of time, a coach can save you time and guide you to self-actualization. Follow Kelly on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and visit her website. Read more from Kelly! Kelly Hater, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Kelly Hater, owner of Mama Bear Domain, has over 15 years of coaching experience and a B.S. in Health Promotion specialized in Exercise Science. She specializes in helping clients overcome mom burnout, providing a clear, decisive plan that leads her clients on a path of success. Her clients no longer let mom guilt steal their identity and goals. Moms deserve to be happy and live a fulfilling life. She personally has overcome overwhelming struggles herself. Get the accountability needed to take action. As a mom of two, she gets it.

Written by: Jolyn Maniaci, 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. Self-love. It’s not fluff. Yet, as it has become a buzzword and its popularity increased, its understanding has not. Love is one of the most overused, under-clarified words in our language—which is great for fluidity and casual table conversation; but not great for building relationships or businesses. Being an entrepreneur is tough. Building your business requires you to put yourself “out there,” living out of your comfort zone…Which is exactly the place where your wounds and rough edges are going to get rubbed; where the insecurities are going to get embellished and emphasized. And if we don’t have self-love, we are going to face plant, give up, or do the two steps forward/back dance indefinitely. The way out is through. The way the tough keep going when the going gets tough (without burnout!) is by learning to love themselves through the process, through the funks and sticky spots, and into the flow. Self-love isn’t fluff; it’s essential. So what is self-love? LOVE, in general, is the inclusion and synergy of these 3 elements: fondness, affection, and gratitude. Fondness is having a preference for someone or something, which generally comes from having familiarity with the same. In general, we like what we are familiar with, which requires exposure. Affection is a willingness to be vulnerable, display kindness and intimacy. (We often reserve this for other people.) Gratitude is an appreciation for being or having and receiving the same without any barrier; no strings or conditions attached. It is the recognition that the being or existence of someone or something is a contribution to your life. And, it is an alchemical agent that can even change brain physiology. Self-love is simply applying this to YOU. To do this, we need to set aside time to “expose” ourselves to ourselves, to get to know ourselves. We must be affectionate and kind—kind words, kind touches, sweet gestures with an open heart. We need to put ourselves on the gratitude list and appreciate our contribution to creating our lives and businesses. When we do this, we grow in self-esteem. Self-respect follows, and it becomes easier to make healthier choices for food and company; to follow through with actions that will create greater outcomes, even if we have to endure a little more time or inconvenience in the meantime. We become a priority, and we can contribute and show up for others without burnout because we are sourced from the within. Unfortunately, for most of us, love has been conditional—we like ourselves when we perform, look a certain way, or achieve a certain outcome—or it’s reserved for someone else. However, when something is “stuck” in our lives or businesses, we need more love, not more criticism, pressure, or trying. So how do you “do” self-love? The relationship with ourselves is often based on outdated information or neglected and needs to be restored. Therefore, there is no way to get around the requirement of a little effort and time. Below are a few suggestions to maximize your time to get the best results. First, take some time to review your standards—the “deal breakers.” Because we often know more about love in a relationship with someone else, start there. What are some of the “lines in the sand” that, if crossed, means reconciliation or reparation is required, or it’s over? Then take a look at that and see if you meet your criteria or where you might need to apologize and/or take corrective action to reconcile with yourself. Next, take some time to be with yourself without distraction and get curious about what lights you up and brings you joy? Joy is amazing “fuel” for process and progress, and it is actually more of what makes you unique than any problem you think defines you. Joy is what we came to experience and bring, and it makes the process of learning and growing—which can be painful at times—easier to handle and fun in between. Finally, if you don’t already, get to know the why behind what you do. Is the success you are going for based on you? If it’s not, if you aren’t in it and behind it, that’s a big reason as to why the success you’re looking for might not be flowing the way you’d like. A little time to get in touch with what success means for you will go a long way. You will know you are “doing it right” because self-love feels good. It’s light and expansive. There is quiet in your mind, peace in your heart, and ease in your breath. Feeling good is actually the reward in itself and worthy of the endeavor; however, the wealth it attracts makes it all the more inviting. Give it a try. Here are a few other ideas for self-love that don’t cost much time or money: 1. Smile in the mirror-like you would do to someone else. And receive it. (You wouldn’t criticize anyone else’s smile for smiling at you, so don’t do that to you.) 2. Dress up. Give you some attention and highlight your beauty. It’s not about getting anyone else’s attention. It’s about doting on you and walking around feeling pretty and confident. 3. Create a sanctuary, a space or place that is organized, pretty, comfortable, quiet, where you can go and feel safe. 4. Nature is the best example of abundance and free from judgment—take a walk, hug a tree, smell a flower to connect with nature, and let her rejuvenate you. 5. Journal to get to know you, get familiar with you—you become more likable to yourself. See what you’re telling yourself (it makes sense incomplete in your head, but when it comes out, you can see the holes, the inaccuracies or incompleteness or meanness of it and correct it). You can see what you like and use it to daydream and put some creativity into the future you are becoming, claiming, creating, and looking like and feel like to have it. 6. Meditation—quiet time to let your feelings come up. Let you have your feelings without reacting or trying to make them go away. Connect with your body and the messages it is giving you (your body gives you messages through emotions). 7. Say Yes/No based on what feels good, not what makes sense. 8. Brag book—it’s like a gratitude journal to celebrate YOU—choices you made, responses that have changed, compliments you received, etc. 9. Pick a love song and sing it to you. This is something we do in the 90 Day Relationship Remodel. We often know how to love someone else, so this is one way to give love to ourselves. 10. Ask, “What would unconditional love do?” This is one of my favorite tools that created a great deal of change for me and my business. Basically, if you don’t know something, ask. We know conditional love but are less acquainted with unconditional love. So ask, and the awareness for new possibilities on new ways to respond or handle things will show up. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website for more info! Jolyn Maniaci, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Dr. Joylyn Maniaci is an expert in communication and relationship dynamics; creatrix and founder of the HAPPINESS clinic. Combining her personal experience of childhood abuse, eating disorder, depression and suicide with her training in naturopathic medicine, psychology, improv comedy, (and more) she developed her Future-Forward Focus coaching technique that makes happiness the marker and measure of success. She has developed innovative coaching programs, such as the 90 Day Relationship Remodel, Venus In Motion, Improv It to Improve It (Marriage Improv). She gets results—for individuals, groups, and couples—because she keeps the focus on the future and the most important thing in the world (and the relationship with whom all others depend): YOU! This self-described “word nerd” can identify why you feel out of touch and unhappy and give you to the tools to be confident in yourself, happy, and know without a doubt that things don’t happen to you, YOU happen to things.

Written by: Charlotte Ratcliffe, 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. Entrusting your brand’s content to a freelance writer can seem like a leap of faith. After all, they will adopt the voice and continue the message you’ve built around your business. That’s a big deal. The good news is that excellent writers are ready to get started on content that adds genuine value to your brand. They’re the experts who will take your goals and transform them into engaging copy. To find content writers who are perfect for your brand, there are four key steps to take. In this article, we’ll show you how it’s done. Types of Content Writers Not every content writer will suit every business. Whilst some writers adapt to a comprehensive range of styles and topics, most will specialize. Here are just some of the types of writers you might encounter on your search: Technical Writers As the name suggests, technical writers have in-depth knowledge of a specific subject. They also have a knack for transforming complex ideas into content that’s easy for the lay reader to understand. If you aim to give relatively dry concepts a human side or engage a wider audience with niche ideas, a technical writer might be the right fit. Bloggers Most companies with an online presence have a blog, and the best ensure that it’s updated regularly. However, for busy entrepreneurs and their teams, there may not be time to dedicate to writing blog posts. This is where a blogger can step in. They have the skills to write enticing titles, catchy content and maintain a brand-appropriate narrative that connects with its intended audience. Don’t think of blogs as a bit of fluff; they’re actually tried-and-tested tools for valuable audience engagement. Blogs also act as an easy-accessible knowledge base that helps establish you as an expert in your field. Social Media Content Creators You might be wondering, what’s the difference between a blogger and a social media content creator? Aren’t they both just making stuff for online channels? That’s partly right. Yes, both roles center their work on the internet, but their styles are completely different. Bloggers have the scope to write anything from a listicle through to a long-form piece – and everything in between. Social media creators are working to a much tighter word count, with a totally different style. They must deliver a message in as few words as possible whilst retaining the voice, tone, and ethos of the brand. They must also know how to form a close connection with the audience, creating and maintaining trust. Social media experts work in a rapidly-changing sector; thus, they have to be on top of every trend and know precisely if and how it will work for their clients. Journalists You may require written or visual work that needs the investigative expertise of a journalist. Some might even have connections with popular publications that are relevant to your industry. Journalists are also excellent press release writers, so if there’s something your brand is keen to announce, it can help bring a journalist on board. Scriptwriters If you’re planning to create video content for your brand, it helps to have a script ready – that way, none of the messages will be missed, and the whole endeavor will be considerably more professional. When we talk about scriptwriters, we’re not thinking about Oscar winners. If your budget extends to Tarantino, all well and good! However, a scriptwriter with an online content experience is your best bet. They will know exactly how to develop scenes that connect with an audience and deliver your brand voice. 4 Tips to Find a Content Writer to Fit Your Brand Voice 1. Understand Your Brand Voice It’s impossible to give a writer an idea of the voice you’d like your brand to project, if you don’t already know what this is. Finding a consistent brand voice can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. You don’t have to do this alone. Involve a writer from the start; they will transform your ideas into a clear, congruous narrative. You might also want to bring in a branding specialist. This can seem like a big investment – particularly if your brand is new – but an investment is exactly what this is. Like any good investment, you’ll receive a return. In this case, it’s consistent branding from the start – a very valuable concept! 2. Conduct a Trial with New Writers There’s only one sure-fire way to know if a writer is perfect for your brand, and that’s to test out their skills! Writers are familiar with this process and won’t be offended if you ask for a trial piece! Have a clear brief ready (see point 4 for more on this) and provide as much detail as you can. This helps the writer to understand the voice, style, and intended narrative. In turn, a trial allows you to assess whether the writer will adhere correctly to your brief – 500 to 1,000 words is generally enough for a test article. One final note about trials – pay your writers. This isn’t an opportunity to score free content. Quality writers deserve quality pay, and that starts from the trial. 3. Be Prepared for Editing Rounds Even the best writer in the world needs to work on edits at some point. Don’t be disheartened if you find there’s scope for improvement in a trial or assigned article – this is an opportunity to develop the writer’s understanding of your brand voice. It takes one or two rounds of edits to know whether a writer can hit the brief correctly. The process would be as follows: ● First draft ● First round of editing ● Second draft If action items remain after the second round, it’s a sign that the writer isn’t a good match for your brand. 4. Prepare Your Brief Sheet This is the document that will guide the content your writer produces. Describe your vision for the piece, as well as links or attachments to information you’d like to include and styles you’d like to emulate, if available. You should also mention any keywords or terminology that fits your brand and the purpose of the piece. Fine details create the right tone of voice – and a decent writer will pick up on that. Final Thoughts Finding the perfect writer for your brand can take some trial and error. Understand that if your brand doesn’t gel with a writer – or vice versa – this isn’t anyone’s fault. It doesn’t indicate a bad writer, nor does it signal a demanding client. It’s simply not a match. Once you find content writers that can confidently communicate with your brand’s voice, you’re all set to get your message out there. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Charlotte Ratcliffe, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine With over 10 years of experience writing for businesses across a variety of industries, Charlotte Ratcliffe founded Silhouette Creatives as a way to bring affordable content and copywriting to SMEs. Focused on content strategies and writing that see results, she has spent the last several years writing for the technological sector and has since become CMO of several technological organizations. Offering Marketing Strategy and Content Strategies to startups.

Betsy Kauffman is a globally recognized Leadership and Organizational Agility Coach with more than 20 years of experience working in Fortune 500 companies. Her company, Cross Impact Coaching, helps leaders create innovative, aligned, and disruptive agile organizations. Betsy has observed and worked with hundreds of CxO leaders. She has seen just about every variation of how Leadership Teams operate and execute (both successfully and not so successfully). She deeply understands and has experienced firsthand that when the team of individuals charged with leading the organization aren't aligned, focused, and working as one, the rest of the organization suffers. She is a published author, providing thought leadership to agile and project management communities and speaks internationally on leadership, corporate culture, and organizational agility. Who is Betsy Kauffman? I am a leadership coach and organizational agility consultant. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, with my husband, two teenage sons, and two Labrador retrievers. For fun, we love to travel internationally (the past year has definitely been hard not being able to do that), enjoy boating and swimming in the lake near our home, hiking, cooking, and playing with our dogs. The mission of my work is for people to wake up each morning feeling motivated and inspired by their work so they feel fulfilled and valued. This work mantra was one of the things that inspired my TED Talk, which was released in January 2021. The Ted Talk was titled: 4 tips to Kickstarting Honest Conversations at Work. It is centered around equipping people with the tools to speak up and bring up the tough conversations when needed instead of holding back or having side conversations with their peers. By doing this, they are one step closer to achieving that ultimate fulfillment and value personally and professionally. What is it that you do for your clients? I support and coach leadership teams to become aligned and resolve the big issues that impede their organization’s agility. This work also includes coaching individuals (leaders, mid-level managers, and individual contributors) in a one-on-one setting to navigate and lead with greater awareness, clarity, and confidence. I am passionate about naming and discussing the “elephants in the room” so that conversations and work are productive and focused on solving the right problems and delivering valuable products and services to their customers. The services I offer include Courage and Confidence Workshops on a number of topics to support individuals personally and professionally, Align and Execute Planning Workshops for Leadership Teams, 1:1 Coaching to support individuals to lead powerfully. Who should hire/work with you? Leaders of mid-and large-sized organizations who need support on how to get their teams aligned and who are serious about executing their quarterly and annual goals, company transformations, and/or product roadmaps. Additionally, any individuals who want 1:1 support understanding their blind spots and leveraging their strengths so they can navigate and lead with clarity and confidence. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? My big goal is to be a household name, globally recognized as a thought leader for the work I do with organizations and individuals to make work fun, engaging, psychologically safe, and fulfilling. Ideally, these organizations will be able to leverage my books (still on the “to do” list to get the first one written), my talks, podcasts, blogs, etc., and have me support them in their efforts at their organizations. I would also love to spend 4-6 weeks a year (if not more) living like a local in various countries, immersing myself in their cultures and daily lives. Betsy completed her first TED talk - “4 Tips to Kickstart Honest Conversations at Work” in September 2020 in conjunction with the TED@PMI partnership and was selected by the TED editors to have her talk brought to the mainstage– check it out at TED.com! Follow Betsy on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Betsy completed her first TED talk - “4 Tips to Kickstart Honest Conversations at Work” in September 2020 in conjunction with the TED@PMI partnership and was selected by the TED editors to have her talk brought to the mainstage– check it out at TED.com! Read more from Betsy!

Written by: Motti Wein, 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. "Harassment" is perhaps the most feared word in business today. Each Human Resources department around the world invests countless hours and dollars into training and other preventive measurements to avoid it. What if there is a much cheaper and less time-consuming way to protect oneself and one's business from harassment difficulties? By no means do I wish to impose my Jewish observance onto others. One's religion is a personal choice that must always be respected. At the same time, one must realize the traditional Jewish ways of men & women interacting in business together, if properly followed, serve as the best protection in this area. To sum it up, in layman's terms, "familiarity" between un-related men and women is one of the three Biblical prohibitions we are commanded to give up our lives from violating. Un-related men and women are, by nature, attracted to one another. This is a drive that, if controlled properly, allows us to treat our spouses with the ultimate respect & loyalty, but if G-d forbid isn't controlled properly will have devastating consequences with hurt and betrayal being on top. While one cannot open a newspaper today without reading about a public figure who fails in this area leading to many women in tears asking for a divorce, a simple stroll down the streets of heavily Jewish neighborhoods during daylight hours will see many women smiling from ear to ear in pure happiness, enjoying the priceless time with their families. To avoid "familiarity" between un-related men and women goes beyond its strictest definition of adultery. It includes behavior which is reserved between husbands & wives which, by limiting to husbands & wives, will serve as a protective fence from those un-related of the opposite gender. Such protection will prevent harassment in the workplace from even being a possibility. Today's article will focus on first names. Our Sages teach that a man referring to an un-related woman by her first name incites improper thoughts. Of course, the same applies to a woman referring to an un-related man by his first name. Up until recently, it was unheard of for men and women un-related to one another referring to each other on a first-name basis. A man referring to an un-related woman by her last name reminds everyone involved in the conversation she is either a single daughter or a married wife. It ensures the relationship remains purely business. Every business should be on a strict last-name-only basis. For those concerned with potential legal issues involved, a document was created by Wein Realty, LLC in memory of my mother, a career attorney, which was approved by multiple legal experts today, ensuring having such an office policy is in full legal compliance. Please contact me for further information. One of the many things learned from the Coronavirus pandemic is money & businesses come & go. Our earned "good name" stays with us forever. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more tips in future issues. Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website for more info! Motti Wein, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Founded in 2015 by Motti Wein, we don't view honesty as the best policy, rather we view it as the foundation for all policies. Let us use our cumulative decades of experience in overcoming adversary, leadership, trust, real estate, customer service, business acumen, family values and our good name to help you manage and grow your NJ real estate investment portfolio. We may be reached at 732-415-8446 or emailed at WeinRealtyLLC@gmail.com. Wein Holdings, Wein Consulting, Wein Management and Wein Lending are all divisions of Wein Realty, LLC. Please note we are a proud member of "Mem Dalet"--an initiative to encourage traditional Jewish workplace values in an ever-increasing nation-wide culture of harassment & assault against women and general hostility towards religion. For more information, please contact us. Regarding Mr. Wein's work in kosher supervision, please email Wein.ChaimM@gmail.com or MWein@JewishHomeFreehold.org.

Written by: Eva Medilek, 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 my youngest daughter was around 6 or 7 years old, she came home from school one day, visibly upset. The apparent source of her outrage was the elderly crossing guard from her elementary school. How could a sweet, elderly crossing guard cause such drama in a first-grader? Seeing her level of anger, justifiable in her young mind, warranted further investigation. "Why are you so upset, honey? What happened?" I asked. Apparently, this villainous crossing guard was stupid and didn't know what she was doing, which caused my child to 'hate' said crossing guard. Now, having been a crossing guard myself, at the ripe old age of 13, I knew there was some safety training involved to keep the children safe. What could this crossing guard have possibly done that was so wrong, to have my sweet 7-year-old so upset? After all, she did arrive home safe, alive, and unhurt. So, being the determined investigator that I am, I pressed on. "Hate is a strong word honey, what did she do?" "SHE TOLD ME TO HURRY UP!" Hmmm, I still didn't see how hurry up could cause such feeling and emotion from a 7-year-old, so I pressed on. "What was wrong with that?" I asked. Her reply, "She's so stupid. The sign said SLOW CHILDREN, so I was going slow. She told me to hurry up. She doesn't know what she's doing!" As cute as her misunderstanding of thinking that the sign "slow children" was meant for her to go slow, the unearthed feelings in her are similar to feelings that most of us feel when we feel unheard, unseen, and unsafe. When expectations aren't met, many people have feelings of anger and disappointment surface, leading to further misunderstandings, anger, and disappointments. It's important to recognize what we are really feeling and what expectation is not being met, that's contributing to that feeling. For some folks, all they can feel is anger. But what's really happening is sadness over being disappointed or other feelings lying beneath the surface. Becoming aware of what we are feeling and why we'll open up the doors for more effective communication, understanding, and of times, compassion. The next day I was able to walk my daughter to school to see the signage that caused such a great level of misunderstanding that had labeled the crossing guard incompetent, if you will. I explained to my child that the sign was for the drivers in the cars to go slow because children were present, and then it's the job of the crossing guards to hurry the children across the street so that the people in the cars have a clear path to move forward. It took some convincing, but she eventually got it. We were able to have a conversation that opened up her understanding. There are so many lessons in life that we can learn from children. Assumptions, misunderstandings and the hate that they cause is a valuable lesson for today's experiences. We can all think of times when a simple misunderstanding caused unnecessary drama or hurt feelings in our lives. Some of us may still have unresolved drama because we haven’t moved from accusation to conversation. In the case of my young daughter and her accusations leveled at the unsuspecting crossing guard, having a conversation about her feelings led to an understanding of her expectations and how a misreading of a sign created an emotional reaction. A seven-year-old has not yet developed emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, some adults have not as well. How can we take responsibility to open up conversations when accusations abound? You will be misunderstood. People will misread your intentions. Having a conversation in a way that people can hear your heart is very difficult to do behind the keyboard. Conversations are the key to deeper connection and understanding in every area of your life. Have the conversations. For more details on how to be influential at home, at work, and in your communities, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and visit my Website. Read more from Eva! Eva Medilek, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Eva Medilek is a Certified High-Performance Coach and a Relationship Success Coach. She has coached both men and women in personal development, leadership, and mastering habits for success. She specializes in helping powerful and successful women have happier, healthier, more intimate connections in their relationships without giving up their power. Eva knows firsthand how a driven personality type can leave you feeling lonely, disappointed, frustrated, and resentful. You can achieve higher levels of success without sacrificing your health, well-being, and relationships. She uses her personal experiences along with her leadership, transformational, and high-performance training to teach you the pillars of high performance as well as showing you how to communicate in a way that fosters intimacy, influence, and connection in your personal and professional life. High performance is succeeding consistently over the long term while maintaining a healthy life full of positive emotions and relationships.