Written by: Silke Harvey, 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. Life is full of ups and downs, and the path ahead is not always easy. In fact, a road that looked perfectly pleasant and harmless as we wandered along it can suddenly turn into a nightmarish quagmire. Some of the obstacles thrown at us feel like being run down by a steam train, like being caught up in a hurricane of gargantuan proportions. It is all too easy to get overwhelmed and give up when going through a really rough patch, to put your head in the sand and desperately wait for things to pass and smooth over. But doing so makes you the victim of your circumstances and increases the feeling of losing control. So what can you do when faced with a situation that feels so horrible, so desperate, that you wonder how life can ever get better again? Here are some tips that I give to my clients when they ask me these exact questions. They are all based on my own observations when working with people at my workshops and personal sessions and also my own experiences and survival strategies during some horrible situations: 1. Don’t take things personally. Firstly, and most importantly of all, do not take any negativity coming your way personally. It is vital to realize that negative energy, even when directed at you by another person, is never a reflection of you. If you witness a terrible situation, you may feel the effects of the negative forces at work, but you must always remember that they are not directed at you as a person. You are merely picking them up. If, on the other hand, negative energy is directly aimed at you, it is imperative to remind yourself that the person doing so is merely trying to reflect their own negative feelings onto you. This negativity has nothing to do with your own personality, soul, and spirit. By distancing yourself from the negativity you experience, you empower yourself as a whole, strong being and disempower the source of the negative emotions. Let others continue on their negative path, and you don’t have to walk it with them. You are a sovereign being and have the right to reject the behavior and actions of others around you. You can consciously choose to remain positive amongst the storm. 2. Look after No. 1 first. It may sound like an old cliché, but it is crucial to look after yourself first before being of service to others. Even though you may need and want to help another person through a rough patch, you would be of no help to anyone if you burnt yourself out in the effort. Take time out for yourself and breathe. All too often, when faced with adverse situations, it feels like the whole world is coming down around us and we automatically switch into survival mode. This places stress on the body and triggers the flight or fight response. Spending long periods of time-triggered like this causes adrenal overload. The body starts to feel worn out, and the mind becomes fuzzy and unfocused. The human body was never designed to remain under stress for prolonged periods, and the physical and mental ill effects of continuous stress are extremely serious. So to break the stress cycle, take as much time out as you need. Abandon schedules and postpone as much work as you can or delegate it to others. This may seem counterproductive, as stressful times usually go hand in hand with increased activity, the need to organize, do, and make. But in truth, taking the time to take time out will increase your efficiency. You will be much better able to cope with stress and difficult situations if you feel serene and refreshed in mind and body. So take that afternoon nap, go for that run, and have that scrumptious bubble bath. You deserve it, and it will give you the much-needed energy to continue through the storm. 3. Assume a forgiving attitude. It is difficult to feel forgiving when bombarded by the negativity of other people. But always remember that a person who attacks you in any way, who tries to belittle or threaten you, is doing so because they are feeling rotten themselves. Unable to deal with their own stress, they make you their scapegoat onto which they can direct all those excess negative feelings they are unable to process. Even though it does not justify their actions, it makes your own life much easier to remember that these people are going through some tough times themselves. Trying to understand their reasons for doing what they are doing can help you come to terms with the whole situation. Likewise, act with forgiveness toward yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel that you could or should have done something or if you’ve done or said something you later regret. Always remember that you are human after all and that you are allowed to make mistakes. Accept your own imperfection and cut yourself some slack. It is not always easy to implement all of these tips straight away. It takes time and practice. But keep working at it, and you will find that it is much easier to ride those rough times in your life. It goes without saying that you should always seek professional help and assistance from the relevant authorities if faced with physical or mental danger of any kind. Please do always reach out and don’t suffer alone or in silence. Your personal safety and the safety of other persons involved in any situation must always come first. Always remember – there really is a light at the end of every tunnel. No matter how bad things seem, nothing lasts forever and good times are just around the corner. You are a valuable human being, and you are loved. Blessed be. For more details, follow me on Facebook or Instagram, join my Facebook Community or visit my website! Read more from Silke! Silke Harvey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Silke Harvey is the author of The Inner Hippie Club – A Guide for Women Who’ve Lost Their Mojo and Want to Release Their Inner Hippie, That Carefree Teenage Feeling Before Life Got Serious. She has also founded the Inner Hippie Club, Inner Hippie Books and Inner Hippie Music to help strong and amazing women to live their authentic and purposeful lives. Drawing on her colourful past as an energy healer, Rock’n’Roll bass player, corporate employee and freelancer, and bouncing back from burnout on more than one occasion, she has now compiled her wealth of personal and professional knowledge into her debut book to help other women find joy and purpose again. Silke is a certified Reiki Master, Reiki Drum and Seichem Level II practitioner, a graduate of the Diploma in Chakra Dancing and Creative Meditation, HAO Diploma in Animal Healing and HAOK9 Massage, and a member of the Healing Animals Organisation. In the past, she toured all over the UK and Europe in various bands, ran her own indie record label and developed a successful career in financial translation working for one of the Big Four, then going it alone. Silke lives in the UK with her husband and rescue dog and splits her time between her cosy home near the coast and her beautiful country cottage in Bulgaria where she is planning to run retreats.

Written by: Adriana Kosovska, Guest Writer Brainz Magazine For employees, freelancers, and solopreneurs, Are you an employee who has fallen into a role that you liked, gives you purpose, but it no longer feels like you? In fact, it starts to frustrate you? Are you a freelancer who quit their 9-5 job to claim freedom and joy but now you are working more and longer hours than before? Are you a solopreneur who finds it hard to delegate and outsource? If you answered yes to any of these questions, most likely, you are not playing to your talents and strengths. Discovering your talent DNA can not only help you save time but also get paid for doing what you love. Nine years ago, I was in a role that used to be my dream job. But just two and a half years later, I no longer felt the excitement and happiness. I wanted to find a role that would feel more like me, but I had also decided to start my own business. I knew that I would not be able to do it all by myself (and to be honest, I did not want to). Thanks to discovering my talent DNA, I shaped my future roles and got paid for doing what I love. As a result, I switched from finance, data entries, and number-crunching to people-oriented leadership roles, coaching, or writing in record time. What is talent DNA? Unlike skills or knowledge, which implies learned behavior, talent cannot be learned or acquired. Talent DNA is a combination of your talents that is unique to you. By talents, I don’t mean having talent for arts or sports, but rather naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied. Talents can be developed into strengths. What fascinated me with the strengths-based approach is that it dictates your natural reactions to strategies for success. You may be given the best strategy for success in marketing, sales, execution, or hiring, you name it, but if that proven formula is not aligned with your talents, you can find it hard to implement and benefit from. Similar applies at work. You may be given the best set of instructions on completing a task, but if those steps do not feel natural to you, you most likely find it hard to implement. Why your talent DNA matter? In a nutshell, these are the biggest reasons why I found it pays off to explore and discover what your talents are. It helped me to: To stay focused on my genius, make decisions, and pick strategies tailored to my talents and needs. I found them quicker and easier to implement. It allowed me to focus on what I do best and delegate (outsource) what I do not do well to others to save time and achieve results faster, Find competitive advantage my unique selling point; I was able to define my approach in leadership, coaching, or business activities, no longer seeing my competitors as a threat. Multiply joy and fulfillment from aligning my work with purpose and talents. So how can you discover your Talent DNA? Fast-learning, excellence, and repeated hunger to do what you love are just a few signs that can help you recognize your talents. There is a playful way to discover your talents and then a fast route. If you love decoding your talent DNA playfully, here are 3 tips - sets of questions you can regularly journal on to discover your talents and how they are showing up for you: 1. Excellence - Observe when you achieve excellent results with ease. Achieving excellence does not have to feel hard. When your talent contributes towards your success, it does not feel difficult at all. Contrary, it feels easy, so easy that most of the time, you are not aware of it, often telling yourself, “That was nothing” when others pay you a compliment. Playing to your strengths naturally boosts your energy, motivation, and willingness to face challenging situations. Here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself and journal on: Describe your best (and happiest) day at work. What did that day look like? What went really well? What made it great? Which duties and responsibilities were easy to accomplish? 2. Intuitive fast learning – when your talents show up, you learn very fast even if you hated going to school. It just happens that you can figure out something very quickly. Often it feels so natural that you are not aware of how fast that learning happens. When receiving a compliment for a well-accomplished task quickly, it feels to you like, “How have I actually done it?” Contrary to learning a skill, learning happens naturally and intuitively. Helpful questions to discover your talents are: What were you able to learn very fast? What were you able to learn intuitively? What have you figured out to do without difficulty or frustration? What did you intuitively picked to learn? Which problem did you fix really fast? 3. Joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment – it feels great when your work has a purpose or meaning that gives you satisfaction. After all, in the 21st-century, employees and entrepreneurs are more than aware that regular paycheck and chasing profits do not bring lasting happiness in your working life. That feeling of joy and fulfillment can be magnified when you are engaging your talents daily. In other words, working towards the purpose alone does not guarantee joy and fulfillment unless your day at work is filled with activities or tasks that energize you and bring you joy. Helpful questions to discover your talents: Which activities bring you immediate joy and fulfillment during their execution? What can you not wait to do again very soon, soon after you finish it? What at work or in your business do you enjoy doing, even if it is not a part of your role? If you are also impatient, just like me, you can take the fast route – take a talent assessment but be aware. Receiving your talents report is your starting point to discovering how your talents show up. Report comes with actionable steps on how to implement them into your life, work, or business. With a package of coaching sessions, you will become even more aware of your talents and use them intentionally to re-design your role, career, or business to get paid for doing what you actually love. Follow Adriana on LinkedIn and join her Facebook Group. You can also visit her website to learn more. Adriana Kosovska, Guest Writer, Brainz Magazine Adriana Kosovska is a multi-passionate international career coach, the founder of Zero to Dream Job, and a bestselling co-author. She guides ambitious employees, leaders, and freelancers in their 30s and 40s to re-design their careers to succeed and make positive transformations through talents, purpose, and personal fulfillment.

Written by: Laura Lee Harrison, 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 not hard to see or feel. The world is in pain right now and has been for centuries. However, this pain has been forcibly repressed. We are now seeing generations upon generations of pain and suffering rise to the surface and erupt like volcanoes around the world. This is what happens when repression is present. We are now experiencing the results of this abuse and people are rightfully taking a stand and speaking out about racism. Before I jump into this Interview Article, I want to touch on something. I am a white woman who has my entire life supported black lives. With racism present within my upbringing, and I remember the passion I felt as a young girl regarding this. How upset I would get. I knew the insides of someone with a black skin tone were the same as mine. I didn’t understand why this was even a topic. Why the adults around me didn’t understand this, as well. Now, I must admit, writing this article has pushed me to see my white privilege in a new light. I knew it was there, especially during recent events. Even though I support, love and defend, I truly do not understand, and I never will. However, I will do what I can to support, now and in the future. I have raised my child and will continue to raise my child to accept diversity. To love, respect and protect. To not be afraid to show up and make a difference for someone and share a moment of kindness, regardless of skin color. Hopefully, this article will reach people far and wide and the dynamic work you are about to see will shed some light for you. I understand that writing this article is a very small step, and sharing it only goes so far towards supporting the Black Lives Movement. I hope it reaches people that need to see it. I hope you feel a little more empowered by Andy Hodgson and his team’s work. I hope you decide to share it, so more people can see a different take on the topic of racism towards black lives and gain some powerful education and a new perspective. I recently had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Andy about his film, El Color Negro. What intrigued me most was his passion as he spoke about the film and where the idea was born. One thing he said to me was, “I wanted to do something more than changing my profile photo to a black square.” I think many would agree, Andy and his team did a phenomenal job at showing support and creating an educational tool for the Black Lives Movement. This short film is an incredible take on Black and White and provides a thought-provoking view on color in general, then shifts into what is relevant in our world regarding racism. Powerful imagery by Andy depicts a black and white picture that showcases the greyscale and ultimately how that translates to racism with different skin tones. An empowered woman’s voice narrates, and the actors show the weight of racism in their eyes while also portraying empowered men and women during the 20’s in Western Civilization. The film touches on how the world consumes Black. It is about both popularity around the world and negative connotation in Western Culture. The narrator dives into the scale of black and white with some color education, and ends up posing a very strong question Let me introduce you to Andy and see what he has to say about his short film, El Color Negro. Please Introduce yourself to our readers! My name is Andy Hodgson. I was born in Ecuador and raised in Central America and all over the Middle East. I moved to Vancouver in 2001 to attend film school. Now I am dedicating my life to cinematography and producing films. El Color Negro is my first attempt at directing something that has meaning and a powerful message about what is going on in the world today. This film was created with my personal experiences in mind, how I see racism. My biological father is a Black Central American, and I saw a lot of racism and discrimination happening there throughout the 80s. It still happens. I wanted to have a way to talk about the specific things that are happening around the world right now, especially with racism in the United States. For those who may not know what a Cinematographer does, please share more. Then we will get into your Short Film. I’m a cinematographer and producer. This means I oversee the photography and camera work and am the man behind the camera. As a Film Producer, my main responsibilities are to oversee the budget, timeline and quality of the finished product. I started my career shooting short films and music videos. What I discovered through cinematography was the ability to shoot and produce my own films. This allows me to keep the creative control and be more flexible with projects I want to take on. I now run Red Castle Films, a production company based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We have been producing feature films and music videos since 2013. When did you start doing this, and why is this subject is so interesting to you? I started in 2004, right out of film school. Film is a way for me to express and showcase the talent of storytelling. Film can provide information through vision and audio that we might otherwise not have access to without this medium. What was your vision behind the short film you created? El Color Negro was created taking into consideration recent events happening with the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA. I wanted to do something that wouldn’t bombard the viewer with media and facts, like everybody else seemed to be posting. I wanted to think outside the box and explain this issue in a different direction or tone. As a cinematographer, I deal with a lot of lighting and color . So, I started researching what the color black really means. Not in terms of race or skin tone, but black as an element of the color spectrum. In transitioning the message from color to race, I wanted to show that it’s not only the darkest skin that people are racist towards. Being mulatto myself — half Latino, half Black – I know that there are light-skinned people who are still subjected to extreme racist behavior . Black comes in different shades, which brings us back to the script. Black is the darkest shade on the greyscale, and white is the lightest. I wanted the film to show that all skin tone variations, from the darkest to the lightest, are still Black. You said to me you wanted to do more than put a black square on your profile to show support. What does this mean to you? This goes back to what Western media puts out about what Black is. Always looking down upon Black people in general. So, I thought: “Let’s look at what the rest of the world thinks about Black. One of the lines in the film talks about the color black representing life and rebirth in Ancient Egypt and the Nile being black and fertile. This a really powerful statement. I think the Western world looks at Black differently than any other culture, so it was important for me to make this film here in the western world. Right in our own backyard. Any insight into what we can expect to see from you in the future? Right now, I’m working on my second short film about the same topic. I want to do a trilogy of shorts that have the same meaning and message behind them. You can follow our releases as they come out here and here ! Andy, Thank You for your time with this article and for creating meaningful and impactful work. I look forward to seeing what you create next. You can follow Andy on his Instagram ! Join my Facebook community , follow me on Instagram and visit my Linktree and website for more information! Read more from Laura ! Laura Lee Harrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Laura Lee Harrison is a Confidence & Beauty Strategist who works with professional women to help them deliver their message on stage or on camera effortlessly, by assisting them with their beauty regimens, so they feel beautiful as they are with their unique features. She also guides business owners to their first 6 figures in business with her business partner and their Social Media Agency, Media Exclusive. The agency and scheduling platform help entrepreneurs to show up and scale business with ease and consistency. As a sole parent, multi-business owner and International Best-Selling Co-Author, Laura Lee has had to overcome many obstacles in her life and within her own mindset to get where she is today. Daily she uses her story to inspire and empower entrepreneurs globally, showing them no matter their circumstance in life they can achieve their goals, if they choose to never give up on themselves.

With the vision of creating an ecosystem for women in their career along with pushing for change towards a modern, sustainable, and equal leadership, Women for Leaders take a holistic approach, offering services aimed at both developing and supporting women in their careers as well as actively working with companies to help them become more equal employers. This is done through executive leadership programs, a female network, strategic advice, lectures and workshops. You are the great founders of ”Women for Leaders” - a community with a great mission and purpose that were selected for The Brainz 500 Global List in 2020 for that reason. How did it all start, and what is this mission and purpose behind it? We have our own experiences as leaders - Jeanna as former head of sales at Google and CEO of a digital agency, and Eva's background as a leader in the recruitment industry within IT and tech and CEO in the consulting world - which gave us power, energy and the will to make a real change to get more women in the top leadership positions. We clearly saw that there was a need for diversity and a new inclusive, sustainable and equal leadership and that there was a great untapped potential that needed to be unleashed. Through Eva's interviews in Karriärpodden, which she has conducted since 2014 with Sweden's most successful female leaders, further arguments emerged that what has been done so far is very traditional and has not kept up with developments. Something new, fresh, digital and modern was needed! The extremely rapid pace of change requires a completely different type of leadership - modern leadership - which is characterized by empathy and trust as well as a team-oriented, visionary, value-driven and coaching leadership to achieve the best results. Our executive leadership programs are different in several ways, mainly because they are created by successful female leaders in business through co-creation and they are actively contributing and sharing their knowledge and experience in a spirit of paying it forward. It is simply the program and support that they themselves would have wanted to have before they became CEOs. With Women for Leaders, the goal is to get more women to apply for leading positions, and to increase the proportion of women on companies' managements and boards. The mission and mantra is "Lead the change and change the lead"! One of the things that make your work stand out is that your leadership programs are concrete and actionable rather than theoretical. What are the outcomes and benefits your client has achieved by working with you? Our participants in the programs testify that it is not reminiscent of anything else they have seen. These are experience-based modules that provide concrete tools that can be implemented directly in daily operations. To hear from co-designers' self-perceived challenges and successes and to share this personally with other leaders who face similar challenges provides support and togetherness that they believe is invaluable. The companies that invest in their female leaders get the power, knowledge and energy to drive the change that is required and that most companies and organizations are facing or are in the middle of. Many companies talk about being or wanting to be more equal, few have succeeded so far. By working with us, companies make things happen for real. Why is the duo ”Eva & Jeanna” a successful leadership duo? It was a stroke of luck when we were brought together by a tip from a guest in Karriärpodden! Eva had long been looking for someone to start a business with around female leadership, but only found those who were similar to herself in terms of skills. Jeanna, on the other hand, had an idea to create a new kind of executive search company that was based on a large active network and was looking for someone with that background. We are very different in our experiences and skills that complement each other so well. However, the most important factors have been our drive and passion for building companies, changing and achieving our purpose while having incredible fun! Being an entrepreneur and building a company can sometimes of course, mean hard work and difficult decisions and then it is extra important that you share values ​​and have the same sense of humor and fun at work. What would you say are the most common mistakes leaders make nowadays, and how can they improve? The biggest mistake that leaders make is not understanding the importance of building strong teams through relationships based on transparency and trust. Focusing too much on numbers and results instead of a clear purpose and common visions and a holistic approach. If you would give 6 tips to women who want to become great leaders, what would that be? Be yourself - authenticity always wins Be curious - try things out Speak up about what you want and dare to take the chance when it comes Build on your strengths and show results Build your network - surround yourself with sponsors and mentors who believe in you Make sure to have fun along the way! What is the next big goal or project for Eva Ekedahl and Jeanna Rutherhill? What do you have in front of you? From the very beginning, we have been thinking big and wanted to bring about real change. Now we are building that ecosystem with digital services to reach more women and scale up further. Women for Leaders, together with a third partner, Cecilia Fredriksson, have in the past year started another company to realize their goals and achieve more equal companies - EQ Executive Search, which is a search company that recruits modern leaders with the keywords EQ and EQuality. Follow Women for Leaders on LinkedIn, Instagram och join their Facebook-Group Karriärkvinnor paying it forward! About Karriärpodden The podcast with Sweden's most successful female leaders and role models. Eva Ekedahl, who hosts the podcast, conducts personal and interesting interviews, which go in-depth and are about what is behind the guests' success and what the career journeys have looked like. The guests share their lessons, experiences and life stories and give their best tips. Some of the guests are Hélène Barnekow, Liza Nyberg, Anna Kinberg Batra, Lisa Lindström, Anna Ryott, Ann Hellenius, Lottie Knutson, Magdalena Gerger, Suad Ali, Johanna Frelin, Sissela Kyle, Andra Farhad, Caroline Farberger, Sofia Helin m fl. The career podcast was started in 2014 by Eva Ekedahl, who is also one of the founders of Women for Leaders. There are now over 190 episodes published with an ever-increasing audience.

Written by: Jessica Dahlberg, 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. So you have landed that big project, and life is getting really exciting. Your staff are ready and chomping at the bit to help you make it a success. But you're feeling a little bit stuck. It's feeling a bit daunting and the pressure is mounting. On top of that, your family are demanding your attention! How do you manage this intensity? Let me take you through the three key habits to make sure that you nail those big projects. In fact, if you can learn and master this, you will have the path to growth not just in your business but also in your own personal development. As an entrepreneur’s performance coach, I see how habits like these create greater success in my clients business and generates more happiness in their life. What we all want is a lasting business, a business where people want to come back for more. Let me take you through these three key high-performance habits to making sure that you nail those big projects. The first place where we typically get stuck is at the very beginning of major projects. I recently had this situation with a client where he just wasn't getting going. So what we did was we broke down the first 5 steps that he needed to take, just to get started. Then we agreed that he was going to take those actions on that day, not the next day or the next week, but on that day. That was enough to get the momentum going that he needed to just get started. That's typically the place where we first get stuck. The second point where we can get stuck is about a third way into the project, where we start losing our focus a little bit. We're starting to get a little bit distracted. Maybe there are other projects coming in, or other people's agendas are getting in the way. What do we need to do? We need to make sure that we have a really solid morning routine. So pre-planning our day and getting ourselves mentally and physically ready to be really focused for our day. Whatever your morning routine is, make sure that you have that these included and that you are doing that every single day. That's how we get past that point. Now, the third point where we can tend to get a little bit stuck is about two-thirds into the project, so really on the home run. Maybe you're not seeing the results that you were hoping for, and so you're starting to lose a little bit of energy, not feeling it like you did before. What do you need to do then? You need to tap into your big Why. Why is this product or service going to make a huge difference in your clients' lives? Remembering that and drawing energy from that vision to make sure that you can stay motivated for that last little bit home. Hopefully, this was really useful for you. If you did find it useful, I have a Facebook group called Conscious Ambition, and in there, I go live every week, and I share tips and techniques in high-performance with my members to help them to grow their business. Just click Request to Join and come join like-minded people looking for personal development so you can create a lasting business. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jessica! Jessica Dahlberg, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jess Dahlberg is a coach focused on high performance. After emerging from a personally traumatic time, Jess transformed her life using high-performance methods and insights. Jess is focused on helping entrepreneurs unlock their next level of performance in a sustainable way so they can build a lasting business. She is the Founder of Jess Dahlberg Coaching, and part of a select group of certified high-performance coaches in the world. Her clients are from various industries like tech, wellness, property, coaches and steadily building. Jess is steadily expanding the Sustainable Performance Advantage program. Her mission: Create your optimal Entrepreneurs life.

Written by: Vicki Chisholm, 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. 1. They put everyone else above their own wants/needs 2. They choose to ignore boundaries and people please 3. They focus on all the things they don’t want 4. They talk to themselves as unworthy humans 5. They refuse to acknowledge all the good they already offer to the world As a coach for women, this message couldn’t be any stronger than it is today. (From my heart to yours) I see Facebook Status, Instagram reels/stories and LinkedIn posts filled with exhausted mum’s in business… several even containing the floods of tears emoji, or the stressed-out emoji’s. Mum’s who are running businesses as well as home-schooling through the pandemic has seen stress levels hike, emotional wellbeing deteriorate and if that isn’t enough the whole belief of not being good enough has been heightened, alongside overwhelm, procrastination, fear of failure, fear of success and so much more. One of the main areas I see is the mum guilt… mum guilt is notorious for preventing mums from reaching success. Yet it’s an entirely useless emotion that serves no purpose at all. This underlying guilt impacts women on a core level and promotes the symptoms of imposter syndrome, fear and shame. Yet it’s not just moms who feel this way, women in business generally have this all-round belief that they are not good enough and compare themselves to others. I would love for you to read this blog post today, to know in your heart, you are more than good enough. You are worthy of those dreams you placed on that vision board and more than anything else… you can do this! You will do this… but first let’s get to work. To help you shift out of this funky, exhausting and draining energy, I’ve created several resources to help you. But before I gift you these, I want you to know that you have the power within you to move more mountains than you have ever dreamed of. I know this because I am a woman just like you… I have 3 children all very different needs and if it wasn’t for the resources I’m about to share with you, I would still be stuck ignoring my need for more self-love and sabotaging my own success. My clients have also experienced the benefits of the resources I’m about to share. Take a moment now and place your hands over your heart and repeat: I am loveable, loved and loving x 3. Secondly know that you are doing your best and you are exactly where you are meant to be in the here in and now. Ok, now for some FREE resources that you can dive into right now. Download my FREE Mini Mumpreneurs Survival Guide, which will also give you access to the FREE 5 day EFT Challenge, which could change your life! Pop on over to the Magnificent Mumpreneurs Society, Facebook group and join us in raising that vibration for more self-love. For a more personalized support session, I’m offering a Free 15-minute discovery call to help you step into alignment and out of the funk… CLICK HERE For more information, follow Vicki on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit her website ! Read more from Vicki ! Vicki Chisholm, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vicki Chisholm is an International Personal Power Coach in the UK, combining coaching and holistic therapy to transform mumpreneurs and female entrepreneurs' lives and business development. She is highly engaged in Transforming the Lives and Businesses of Mums and Female entrepreneurs around the world. Vicki transformed her own life from: Domestic Abuse, Autoimmune Disease, Anxiety, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and is also a former successful Virtual Assistant. Vicki’s incredible intuition has guided her to retrain and overcome the impossible in her own life, and now she shares this success with her growing list of clients. Vicki’s passion to lead women back to their inner empowering world is what makes her work priceless.

Written by: Nicole Liammari, 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. Gut Health... Gut Microbiome... Gut-Brain Axis...Probiotics… Do these buzzwords sound familiar? They may or may not, but you have landed in the right place to learn more and why it is important. Did you know that 14.8 million Americans have been diagnosed with ulcers? Maybe you are reading this right now and saying “wow, that's sad, but what the heck does this have to do with me?” Quite simply, Americans are not taking care of their guts, and it is a problem. Join me in this movement of making Americans healthy again. With the pandemic still in play, now more than ever, we need to focus on our health. And guess what? Surprise, it begins in the gut! For years, I personally struggled with managing my health and staying healthy. Starting from childhood, I struggled with my health. From asthma to autoimmune diseases, to depression, anxiety and other physical issues stemming from car accidents and other incidents, I have struggled with feeling strong and healthy from day today. In a quest to feel normal, I tried it all. When the conventional medicine route unfortunately proved to be far from life-changing, I decided to take my health into my own hands. I read, studied, and began managing my own stress through some very practical tactics and I was able to heal myself completely. Since that time, I have been helping others become their own advocate to feel their best. Here is what you need to know right now. Our bodies are truly resilient and when given the right tools and maintaining a focus on being in the right environment, our body can, in fact, heal and thrive. I learned that gut health is the most important aspect of one’s overall health and wellness. So, let’s dig in and get to why and what you can do to level up your health…. First things first... Our body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses and yes, fungi. All of which are known as the “microbiome,” and most of which live in the gut and on the skin. We call these “microbes.” Here is an interesting fact, our bodies are made up of more bacteria than human cells. Our bodies have approximately 40 trillion bacterial cells and approximately 30 trillion human cells. Bacteria is a big thing when it comes to our bodies. Simply put, the gut is our control center managing the digestion of food, our immune system, central nervous system, and other bodily processes. Research shows there are more signals going from the gut to the brain than from the brain to the gut! It does much more than most people think. So now is the time for you to choose a healthy life. Yes, you can heal yourself if you can treat your gut the way you do everything else that is important to you. With love, care, and attention. As a nation, we have seen a huge increase in autoimmune diseases year after year. Some people do not even know they have an issue until it is too late. Starting today, IBS, acid reflux, GERD and other digestive disorders can be a thing of the past. More to come on this topic. So, what can you do starting today to optimize your gut health to either heal or prevent the not so fun symptoms that affect your daily life? 1. Watch your sugar intake Sugar wreaks havoc on the gut and can lead to gut dysbiosis (imbalance of gut microbes). This also includes artificial sweeteners and alternatives. Sugar and sugar alternatives are hidden in processed foods... so be sure to read the labels. Raw honey or maple syrup is a great alternative. 2 Know your Antibiotics In society, it seems antibiotics are prescribed like candy, when maybe it is not exactly necessary. Antibiotics can disrupt the gut flora in the sense that it kills the good and the bad bacteria which leads to gut imbalance and can cause issues later. So, if antibiotics are a must, be sure to have a plan to restore and repopulate your good gut bacteria. 3. Manage Stress Stress is part of life. However, one key aspect of staying healthy is to manage it as best as possible. Research shows stress does create digestive issues and major health concerns. Things like a trauma suffered (any type) can still be affecting our body even if it happened in the past. Breathing, yoga and movement are great tools to implement in your life as you prepare to transform your body so you can feel amazing. 4. Take a Natural Probiotic Every. Single. Day. It is crucial to protect and support our gut microbiome from daily stressors. It promotes healthy bacteria. Fermented dairy is king in this department as it is the most diverse in strains, unlike man-made pills. You can make your own or use an option that is versatile, hassle-free, all-natural and tastes delicious. Click here for the 1 Natural Probiotic. I hope you find these tips helpful! These are a great start to loving your gut daily. If you want to learn more about my gut journey or how to start yours, I would love to chat! Click here and tell me more about yourself and let's connect. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Nicole Liammari, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nicole Liammari, Founder + CEO of My Gut Hut, is a leader in the mind + gut + body + soul connection. From a young age, Nicole struggled with severe asthma and allergies. Being on multiple medications, missing out on fun childhood activities and never knowing when an asthma attack would strike, left her uneasy and vulnerable. Fast forward to adulthood, she survived a major car accident, diagnosed with autoimmune disorders, depression, anxiety and prescribed multiple prescription drugs, putting her once again fighting for her life. After conventional medicine failed her and hitting rock bottom, Nicole decided to take matters into her own hands because she knew life wasn’t meant to be lived in such pain and angst. She became her own advocate and avid researcher, leading her to heal completely, defying all the odds. She quickly realized how the body is so magnificently interconnected and how past trauma, thoughts, food and more play a vital role in wellness. With that, Nicole made it her mission to help inspire and empower others as she saw so many missing links in how illness is addressed and how it does not have to be a life sentence. She is able to connect on a deep level with others, mentoring them through their journey via her tailor-made Protocol that encompasses the true pillars of wellness, focusing on the gut + mind coherence leading ones to heal themselves and living a life they deserve. Nicole’s motto is “ Heal your Gut, Heal your Mind – Heal your Mind, Heal your Gut”

Written by: Laura Flanagan, 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 word, Ayurveda, is from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, and literally means "Knowledge of Life." The Ayurvedic approach to life involves listening to and addressing the unique needs of your body, recognizing and balancing your mental and emotional states, and deepening your connection with your spirit, your essential self. The raw food diet is based on the principle that eating a diet high in raw food will normalize and alkalize your body. This, in turn, connects the mind with the body; thus, Ayurveda and the Raw Food diet are very similar. This article will hopefully provide a brief guide on how you could connect the two in a way that is optimal for your health. In Ayurveda, the idea is that you eat according to your ‘dosha’; vata, pitta and kapha. Vata is composed of the elements of air and ether Pitta is composed of the elements of fire and water Kapha is composed of the elements of water and earth Vata types are generally thin and find it hard to gain weight. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo things, as they can tire easily. Pitta types are generally medium-sized and well proportioned. They also tend to be intelligent, with a sharp wit. Kapha types tend to have sturdy, heavy frames. They are prone to gain weight easily. They often tend to have a positive outlook on life. So, what does this mean, and how does it apply to you? In Ayurveda, it is believed that each person is governed by one dominant dosha, and you should eat according to that dosha. However, this article is concerned with Ayurveda and Raw Food, so I will only mention the foods that coincide with both these diets. Vata Balances: Sweet fruits, apricots, avocado, bananas, berries, grapes, melons, asparagus, beets, cucumber, garlic, radishes, zucchini. Aggravates: Dried fruits, apples, cranberries, pears, watermelons, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, raw onions. Pitta Balances: Sweet fruits, avocado, coconut, figs, mango, prunes, sweet and bitter vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, okra, potatoes. Aggravates: Sour fruits, berries, bananas, plums, oranges, lemon, pungent vegetables, garlic, onions. Kapha Balances: Apples, apricots, berries, cherries, cranberries, mangos, peaches, pungent and bitter vegetables, broccoli, celery, garlic, onion. Aggravates: Sweet and sour fruits, bananas, coconut, melons, papaya, sweet and juicy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes. There are many suggestions in Ayurveda, which are very easily translated to a Raw Food Diet. Such suggestions are: Eat mainly seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains Eat according to your constitution, or dosha Fast for one day every two weeks Establish a regular eating routine Eliminate or limit caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic beverages from your life Drink herbal tea, fruit and vegetable juices As you think about your overall health, don’t forget the importance of meditation, exercise, and proper sleep! Now more than ever, we are being called to be proactive rather than reactive about our health. After all, no one can possibly care as much about how you feel than YOU! Follow me on Instagram, YouTube and visit my website for more info! Read more from Laura! Laura Flanagan MS, RYT, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Laura Flanagan is a Scientist by education and career, but she recently left her corporate job and moved to Costa Rica with her horse to open an Equine Therapy Center. Concurrently with her career as a scientist, she has been teaching Yoga and Meditation for over 18 years. Laura is a Yoga Instructor, Yamuna Body Rolling Instructor, Meditation Teacher, and Director of the Socrates Center in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica. She has helped thousands of clients with physical pain through her certification with Yamuna who uses a form of small ball therapy. She has used her Yoga, Body Rolling, and Meditation practices to assist in her own recovery from breast cancer. She is also enrolled in the Functional Nutrition Counselor program through the Functional Nutrition Alliance. https://fxnutrition.com/

Written by: Florence His , 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. Coaching mission-driven founders is a very peculiar journey, one I am deeply grateful for and definitely not for the faint of heart. Integrating a Purpose dimension to the Entrepreneurship equation makes for a more meaningful yet more challenging experience, as if choosing an entrepreneurial path was not sufficiently demanding per se. Any coach embracing this magic evolutionary path understands he/she is embarking for something greater than him/herself, with a founder (or founding team) who is on a deep self – actualization quest that requires the design of a generative-ecosystem that will allow him/her to manifest and deliver, in the outer world, his/her contribution for the greater good, while nourishing his/her developmental inner-quest. This is not “only” (excuse my French…) about finding product/service/founder market-fit and scaling sustainably, which in itself already constitutes an amazing achievement; considering that a staggering 90% of start-ups and new businesses fail and for one main reason: lack of product/market-fit [1] . Solving the world’s most pregnant issues as illustrated in the 17 SDGs table (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) requires addressing considerations such as magnitude (e.g., serving an entire country or even the world population) and complexity (Stages of economic development, education, belief systems, cultures, and people, technology and infrastructure, multi-lateral relationships, multi-level interconnections, constant change …) that do not respond well to the proverbial “the riches are in the niches” modern-marketing-mantra according to which, businesses with adequate market-positioning and congruent offerings for their niches, find their market-fit zone and therefore thrive economically. Serving a narrow niche profitably is not the purpose here. When observing how most businesses are operated, a disconcerting and pervasive scenario is at play. Analytical skills get diligently applied to unrelated areas of expertise and create silos instead of flow. Outdated paradigms, technical solutions based on historical data and past experiences are relied upon unquestioned about their actual relevance. Leaders depend heavily on linear goal-and-strategy setting frameworks (developed by distinguished practitioners in their own times) to manage companies and steer them into the future. In contrast, such tools are mainly suitable for achieving simple outcomes and implementing simple tasks governed by “cause & effect rules.” Indeed, reality rarely unfolds in a linear manner and according to plans built on over-simplifying constructs and assumptions to the tune of “everything else being equal” [2] . Constant change is the tempo of our modern times. The rate of change is accelerating exponentially, and businesses now need to Reinvent themselves every 3 years on average to thrive in the current competitive landscape [3] . Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, founder of The Chief Reinvention Officer, developed tools and methods that are particularly relevant in times of instability and uncertainty. Designing for Impact requires non-linear, human-centric, context-integrative, iterative approaches that mobilize interpersonal and envisioning skills, acute levels of awareness, and intimate understanding and experience of the underlying mechanisms and forces controlling/influencing existing problems to recalibrate action taking in the moment and solve those problems. Design thinking methods are particularly adapted to designing for impact. They have been developed and implemented widely. I share an introduction video to Design Thinking by Professor Jeanne Liedtka at the University of Virginia (yes, I am biased, UVA being my alma mater). Another resourceful place to learn about design thinking is IDEO U . At this level of consciousness, an entrepreneur is not trying to make things happen or get things done alone by “hustling” hard and pushing against “what is” without discernment. On the contrary, business ventures become channels through which what is already wanting to emerge is allowed to come forth and form a supportive ecosystem . Not surprisingly, women-founders are naturally gifted at birthing the new and harnessing their creative feminine energies, strengths, and power. Theory U [4] , developed by Otto Scharmer at the Presencing Institute, provides a useful map for entrepreneurs who want to Lead From the Future As It Emerges . The quality of relationships built around alignment, common values and trust, a granular knowledge of the situation to be solved, connectedness at the team level as well as to the wider ecosystem of stakeholders who can form a resourceful movement of support for the entrepreneur seeking to impact the world, constitutes the portal to entrepreneurial value creation when purpose and the greater good are at stake. Mindset mastery is critical for entrepreneurs. They will be deploying significant amounts of energy and efforts to implement a vision and project milestones that most probably will not meet profitability in the short to medium term and will have difficulty accessing traditional commercial sources of financing to scale. Entrepreneurial “Impact” goes beyond the traditional definition of what a successful business is by considering the environmental, social, and financial benefits delivered by the business. Entrepreneurs engaging on the Impact path usually seek out like-minded Impact Investors who share their vision of the world. However, gaining support from all parts of society and combining resources (also referred to as blended finance), including various sources/nature of funding (including equity, debt, catalytic capital, grants, and guarantee mechanisms … ), is the only way to tackle the world’s most pressing issues, thus the importance of going beyond one’s impact-inner-circle of relationships and engaging at large. By Coaching mission-driven entrepreneurs and supporting impact investors, particularly at the fundraising stage, I can scale my personal impact, self-actualize, and fulfill my destiny. This is why I would not trade places despite the challenges of the path I have chosen. I believe this piece came to me so that I would shed more light on the critical part mission-driven entrepreneurs can take in shaping the future of civilizations. Follow me on LinkedIn , Instagram and visit my website for more info! Florence His, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Florence leads Business4People, an advisory, marketing, coaching and investor relations platform she founded in Paris (FR) to support Mission-Driven Founders and Impact Investors internationally. She serves as Director of Marketing and Head of Impact Investment at Crito Capital, a boutique Placement Agent headquartered in New-York with a presence in London and focused on providing advice and capital raising services to small/mid-cap Private Fund Managers and Companies in the US, Europe and Emerging Markets. Finally, she is also active as a Mentor and Global Partner at the Entrepreneurs Institute on their GeniusU online-education platform. Florence spent over 17 years in the investment, private equity, M&A and risk management functional disciplines leading multi-disciplinary teams prior to embracing the entrepreneurial path. She holds an undergraduate degree in organizational psychology from Yale University, an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Administration, a Masters degree in Sustainable Studies from the International Institute of Management in Paris and speaks six languages. References: [1] https://hustlelife.net/startup-failure-rate-statistics/ [2] https://fs.blog/knowledge-project/roger-martin/ [3] https://chiefreinventionofficer.com/ [4] https://www.presencing.org/

Written by: LaToya Larkin, 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. To operate a successful organization, there has to be a level of respect for all positions to make things possible. Let’s take the example in education. The bus driver is one of the most important roles in a school district because the driver not only picks up students but in most cases, they are the first and last person that the students see. Every school district or public transportation organization should update the job description to mention the essential key things about the character and importance of the driver. They should be ready and willing to provide friendly and quality customer service. Get Involved In Things Outside of Comfort Zone One of my favorite sayings, "you have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable." Many people are only comfortable with doing things that are familiar to them. They talk about stepping outside of your proverbial comfort zone. One thing that was unanimous across the board was fundraising. Most people tend to be uncomfortable with fundraising, but the reality is that you should challenge yourself to be better at fundraising because, in all honesty, there is never an abundance of too many funds. Maintaining Talent/Long-Term Leadership Excellent workers and employees are hard to find. Therefore, there should be work put in to retain the talent that is on hand. On average, most millennials will change jobs every 2-5 years, and Baby Boomers are retiring. It is cheaper to keep and retain because it costs around 20% of the salary of the person you are getting rid of. Implementing continuing education, providing opportunities for advancement, networking events, industry news, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and any positive milestone in an employee’s life are all a few examples of effective ways to engage employees. Creative Compensation Outside of direct compensation such as salary, bonus, and commissions, there should be some creative compensation in place for the sake of retaining employees. A good benefits package should be in addition to the salary because entry-level to mid-level salaries tend to be lower and offset with offered benefits. Insurance plans (health, life, dental, vision, long-term care, short-term disability (STD), paid time off leave (PTO-vacations, holidays, sick leave ), educational reimbursements, retirement savings plans, company events (picnics, holiday parties, and such). The work environment and climate with ½ days on Friday or the ability to work from home. Technology incentives such as laptop, tablet/iPad, or company cell phone. Alternatively, even paid continuing education incentives with allowing employees one company paid a trip for professional development. Communication is Key Any message delivered to the organization needs to be addressed to reach everyone that may receive and process messages differently. Conveying the news the same way as you would with other essential details to the organization. However, make sure that everyone will be able to take in all the information coming their way to keep everyone on one accord. Strong and Supportive Board Strong board/CEO relationships put the organization and its mission first and recognize what they can achieve through joint efforts. Like any winning team, successful boards and their CEOs demonstrate mutual respect and support for one another's roles and responsibilities. Micromanaging can become a problem when trustees pay too much attention to details and not enough attention to the “big picture” strategic issues and implications. For more information, follow me on Instagram and visit my website ! Read more from LaToya ! LaToya Larkin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chef LaToya Larkin, CCE, is the Program Coordinator of the Culinary Arts Program at Spring High School while being the first African American Female Chef in the district (Spring ISD) in Spring, TX. Her 20 years of expansive knowledge and culinary passion have led to lifetime achievement opportunities. She received her MBA (Nonprofit Management) from Springfield College, BS (Culinary Management) from The Art Institute of Atlanta, and AAS (Culinary Arts) from The Art Institute of Houston. Besides the education field, Chef Larkin operates three businesses that reflect her passions in life. Tamale product line “Black Girl Tamales” of signature fusion tamales, Not Enough Thyme Personal Chef Services, a personal chef/catering business, clothing line Divah Chef Apparel of shirts & aprons, and It’s Thyme 4a Change, is a non-profit organization catering to at-risk youth to mentor and guide while planting the positive seed to exemplify the vast opportunities of culinary. She’s devoted to inspiring the youth to be all they can be so that everyone can connect to eternal love, which is the reason for our existence, and reach their full potential. Sharing her wisdom, knowledge, life experiences, and triumphs commits her to making a difference in the lives of others. She’s happy to embrace the opportunity to take part in the uplifting and happiness of others.

Written by: Kylie Mort, 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. There comes a time in one’s life when one must face some hard truths. Not the vicious aggression of an egotistical family member with an unknown agenda, but the liberating truth of taking a deep breath and realizing one’s path is more convoluted than first expected, however uncomfortable that may be. The hard truth, the cold, harsh reality, is that in the real world, effort is not rewarded. It matters not how hard you strived and the battle scars you may bear to prove your stoic tenacity. It is pointless to focus on the generosity or the good intentions that paved your journey, nor how your toils have benefited others in a gorgeous ripple effect that will just keep on giving. It is all for naught if you do not secure the desired outcome. Results are rewarded, not effort. Comparatively, the human baby is born into this world an underdeveloped and vulnerable species. Equipped only with basic reflexes and instincts, they will remain helpless and physically dependent on older caregivers for many years. Psychologically, this dependency could last decades, and as seen in the modern family unit, children are encouraged to grow and develop in healthy ways through believing in myths. Stories that may skew the data and embellish the facts for a brief period will inevitably encourage the expanding mind to grow in crystallized and fluid intelligence. Children are encouraged in their formative years through the resounding myth that effort counts. Why do we do this? To build the resilience necessary to deal with the real world. We must foster a child’s tenacity and proactive attempts through positive reinforcement and beguiling encouragement. If at first you do not succeed…adapt, evolve, and overcome; with the faltering baby-steps of someone who feels they are making genuine progress. Because at what point would a young person give up all hope if they were faced only with the sheer frustrating wall of failure at every turn? To educate the pre-adult mind is to reward effort, building within that individual’s nature the resilience to bounce back from defeat with grace and determination. Yet, gradually during schooling, the continuum will slide until the effort so proudly displayed and commended resigns as the poor cousin of results. There will come a time when effort no longer achieves a purpose. It is but a contributor, a skill that one either utilizes or lacks in an endeavor that seeks only the spotlight of success. Thus the question, at what point is effort knocked from its prestigious throne? And how do we build this resilience that will see us through the transition? How do we deal with the failure when the pain of effort is so resolute? Remember, it is not about you. It was but the action that was judged, not the person. Your actions are measured and qualified, not your character. You must separate yourself from your efforts, clearly, distinctly, and without blame. The effort you made was a decision you produced at a specific point in time, and it has now been judged, qualified, and inevitably forgotten by all involved. If not here and now, in time, it will be relegated to the past. To accept one’s efforts to be inextricably, yet compassionately bound with failure, one must make space for subjective contemplation. Move on calmly from failure, comfortable knowing that given effort and judgment are but a moment in time. Ask yourself these 4 key questions, writing down your answers as instructions to yourself, and focus on the lesson presented: 1. Is the judgment significant in the short term? Example: Not securing this contract is not important in the short term as I will still have other work 2. Does the judgment have repercussions in the long term? Example: Yet the long-term repercussions of not securing this contract means I will not have the additional money for my holiday 3. Can you negate these repercussions with future effort? Example: To negate the repercussions, I can work weekends, applying for additional contracts to supplement my income 4. Do you have a clear goal now you have utilized the knowledge? Example: Yes, I have a goal and can now take the necessary steps with positivity and confidence, taking the lessons from my last attempt to improve my next Then, let it go. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more information! Read more from Kylie! Kylie Mort, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Kylie Mort works with individuals of all ages to embrace and support the Academic Mind, Self-Awareness & the Mind-Body Connection. Assisting individuals by tailoring bespoke mentoring packages supporting academic, physical, and personal advancement and success. Kylie is an 1 Amazon Best-Selling International Author and Writer for Global Magazines, writing both academically and creatively to connect with those who seek guidance and inspiration to be their best selves. A former Secondary School Teacher & VCE Leader with 20 years of teaching experience, Kylie is a qualified & registered: School Teacher, Yoga Teacher & Performance Coach. She is also an entrepreneur, leading multiple-award-winning companies. She is currently studying Psychological Science at Deakin University to better provide holistic mentoring to her clients, having spent decades honing her skills in face-to-face teaching, mentoring, and business & company development. Now, she is focused on the human mind and its power to empower through reimaging, redesigning, and recreating. Discover more at www.kyliemort.com.au

Written by: Dez Stephens, 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. As a child, did you ever throw a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples radiate from where the stone hit the surface of the water? You were probably just doing something that felt completely natural to you. You didn’t think about it much. You just did it, and the effects of your actions rippled outwards. It doesn’t matter if you intentionally threw a rock in or accidentally knocked a rock into the water. The end result is the same. The rock will create ripples. This is a great metaphor to describe the social impact our actions can have on others and the world as a whole. It’s a topic that’s near and dear to my heart and is something I do holistically through my business and initiatives. Accidental social activism in Honduras Social impact isn’t always an intentional act you set out to do (like setting aside 10% of your profits to support a charity). Sometimes it comes from unexpected places or from a seed someone plants in your mind. I didn’t set out to purposefully create a social impact in my work. I like to say I’m an accidental social activist. In 2013, I was visiting Honduras and I noticed that many women didn’t have jobs outside of the home. I was talking to a dear friend about this and she ever so casually said, “Dez, you should train them to become holistic coaches.” At that moment, I realized that I could give them the foundation for a flexible career where they could become financially independent while benefiting their community. Her idea rippled inside me as I thought of all possible ways that training even one coach could impact the community. The coaches I train could coach their neighbors who are struggling. They could coach tourists. They could coach pro-bono in their communities to make the ripple extend further. The potential impact of a one-week training, coupled with the drive and passion of the women who raised their hand and said, “Yes!” was all I needed to say, “Yes!”, too. So, in 2015 we found 50 interested women, and we taught them to become ICF (International Coaching Federation) Accredited Holistic Coaches. We’ve since trained over 120 women and men in Honduras. The ripples keep radiating for those 120 internationally certified holistic coaches. From those initial 50 women, one became a best-selling author and started running marathons. One started a nonprofit for women. Another one started a different nonprofit in 2017 that I co-founded with her and her family. Each one is impacting their local communities in so many inspirational ways! It all started with one seed and a deep-rooted belief that by changing one life, you can change many! What’s your impact on the world? We’re all making a social impact, whether intended or not. You see, social impact looks at the net effect of our actions on other people and the community as a whole. Everything you say and do has an effect on those around you and has the potential to be a force for good. The key is that it comes from a genuine desire to do good, regardless of the potential for recognition or accolades. There are three ways you can make a social impact: Look for opportunities to make change. Accept and act on a seed you’ve been given. Wait to see what fate puts in your path and act. It doesn’t matter if you purposely act to have a social impact or it just happens based on someone you meet or circumstances in your life. The point is that your social impact, no matter how big or small, will have ripple effects. If you struggle to see how you’re making a social impact, then here are some examples that you may relate to or that inspire you: Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through (in one example of this, drivers in a Dairy Queen in Canada “paid it forward” for 900 straight cars through the day). Start or volunteer for a non-profit related to a cause you believe in. Teach others a craft or skill so they can thrive and go on to teach others. Hold open the door for the person behind you. Support a business that’s doing good things for your community by purchasing from them or spreading awareness that they exist. Stand up for someone being bullied. Ask others what they need and step up to meet them. You may not always see the impact you make, but it’s there, rippling through time and changing the lives of others. What ripples will you create? So today I ask you, what kind of ripples do you want to make in the world’s pond? Even the seemingly “little” things can make a significant impact and change the lives of others. For the women in Honduras who are now trained Holistic Life Coaches , they provide a better life for their families and help other families do the same so that their whole community thrives. For the drivers in that Dairy Queen drive-through , they paid it forward to the next person in line, 900 times. It may have also inspired them to pay it forward in other ways throughout their day. For all those I train and certify to become Holistic Coaches, they are supporting hundreds of thousands of people to live happier lives and step into their true potential around the world. In his presidential inauguration speech in January 2021, President Biden said, “There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you.” Fate dealt me the right combination of people, experience, and seeds of inspiration at the right time. This opened the door for me to directly impact the over 500 holistic coaches in over 10 countries I’ve trained through Radiant Coaches Academy. Everything flowed with relative ease, and now these coaches are creating their own ripples in their communities. No matter what fate sends your way, you have the choice to make a positive social impact in your personal life or your business. If you have a choice, then choose to create ripples in ponds that are near and dear to your heart. For more information, follow Dez on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit her YouTube-Channel and website! Read more from Dez ! Dez Stephens, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Dez Stephens is the Founder and CEO of Radiant Coaches Academy, a social enterprise and prominent international coach training school that certifies individuals to create vibrant, professional, private practices as holistic life coaches, wellness coaches, and business coaches. She is a certified + credentialed coach, master trainer, and marketing strategist. Dez is a social justice entrepreneur, peoples advocate, and planetary activist. She is a co-executive producer of the documentary film "End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock," highlighting Native women fighting to keep clean water on their Native lands in North Dakota and beyond. She is passionate and sincere in helping people live more meaningful lives as a dedicated global humanitarian and social entrepreneur.