Julie and Corey started their company, SB PACE, due to the 2020 pandemic to assist small businesses. Since then, they have expanded into helping start-ups, companies looking to improve, and small business mergers and acquisitions. They wrote the book on small business disaster preparedness and continued to help small businesses by leveraging their knowledge and experience working for Fortune 500 companies and Big Four consulting firms. Julie and Corey are the experts small business owners turn to when looking for sustainable, long-term success. Who are Corey & Julie? Corey: Hey. I’m a Virginia native living in Richmond now, but I’ve bounced around a bit living in Florida, Georgia, and Alaska. I’m a big fan of the outdoors, whether it’s hiking, camping, hunting, or all three at the same time. I love to cook and spent a significant time working in and owning restaurants before getting into business consulting. I also enjoy working with my hands, whether that’s learning some new skill in my workshop or doing projects around the house. Julie: Hi, I’m Julie! I grew up in Minnesota, but am an east coast girl at heart, having lived between New Jersey, Philadelphia, and now Richmond, VA for the past 20 years. I enjoy the outdoors (hiking, biking, running, exploring new areas), and traveling. I’m also an avid reader, focusing on books directed at self-improvement or learning new skills that will help grow our business. I love spending time with my family, which isn’t often enough with all of my siblings living on or near the west coast. What is it that you do for your clients? We teach our clients how to achieve long term sustainable growth for their small businesses. Because so many small businesses start as a hobby or passion project, it’s not uncommon for them to start their business without a solid foundation. We are experts at building strong businesses and at implementing growth strategies. Who should hire/work with you? We love working with passionate business owners who are ready to go from working in their business to on their business. We work with small business owners to help them structure a plan that gets them from where they are today to where they want to be, with achievable steps that show results. This also applies to those business owners who still have a full-time job and would like to make their side project or business their full-time career. We also love working with the aspiring entrepreneur who is ready to start a business but doesn't know where to begin. We help to build solid foundations, ensuring that the business is built to last. We focus on starting strong and having a plan that takes you through the first year of operations. How do you complement each other? The strength of SB PACE is in the way we cannot only work together but also service our clients. Corey is analytical, logical, math-oriented, and process-driven. He can listen to a client to describe a problem, and his brain starts working through solutions almost immediately. Julie is strong on communication, asking questions, developing relationships, understanding how clients (existing and prospects) like to work and communicate. She’s patient and takes the time to build relationships. The result is that clients experience both the logical, process side of business and the essential relationship portion. Julie handles sales and marketing, a lot of strategy and planning. Corey handles infrastructure, back-office support, systems and process, and technology. The complementary skills of Julie and Corey is one of the first things clients comment on when working with SB PACE. What is important to keep in mind when having a business with someone? Always have an operating agreement. This protects the business, the partnership, and, most importantly, the friendship. Everyone goes into business thinking, “this will be great,” but the reality is it is almost always much different. People have different long term visions. They want different things for the business, and having something in place when you start makes it easier to have those conversations. As part of our annual strategic planning, we complete a retrospective on how things are going, reviewing things like where we can communicate better, accountability, and direction for the business. You need to be able to talk about the good things and the bad, and you need to be able to do it openly. You have to be ready to hear difficult things, and you have to hold up your end of the partnership. It’s easy to get off course if one or both people aren’t communicating, so even if the conversation is difficult, find a way to have it. And if there’s a friendship/relationship there that existed before the business did, you should find ways to make that a priority. Not everything can be about the business, or someone’s going to get resentful. There’s nothing wrong with having a life outside of the business. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? Our big goal for SB PACE is to serve, touch, and/or inspire 1 million small businesses over the next 10 years. It’s a huge goal that requires us to be focused on delivering consistent and relevant content, expanding our network and overall reach, and having self-service programs available to small business owners. We are committed, and 100% believe the goal is achievable. Connect with Julie Traxler and Corey Harris on their LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook , or Twitter or visit their website . Read more from Julie Traxler & Corey Harris!

Written by: Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Move over, Tik Tok, the latest sensation to storm the Internet, shows no signs of slowing down. Android users all over the world are tearing their hair out because the latest social media app is so exclusive and so addictive, social media experts and novices alike are singing their praises from the rooftops. The clincher? It’s only available on Apple devices for the moment, though that will change soon. Welcome to Clubhouse. Clubhouse has been described as “podcasting on steroids”, an app that puts you “in the same room” as some of the biggest names out there. You could be listening to a conversation with Will Smith or learning golden nuggets from Amy Porterfield. The idea is that you can roam the rooms that are live (and, of course, tailored to your personal interests), pop in and listen in on conversations happening right now. Moderators control rooms and who can speak; if you want, you can raise your hand and be put in line to ask a question or to make a comment. The app allows you to “follow” your friends and favorite speakers and even get notified when they are “on stage”. You can join “clubs” and be part of a like-minded group of people with a specific commonality. It ranges from language interests to business interests to relationship advice to just plain hanging out. I’ve sat in on conversations about open marriages, business tips, and even about the storming of the Capitol. The diverse range of conversations is truly head-spinning and also heartwarming. My head is literally exploding with ideas; there are so many things we can just talk about if we want to. I’ve already hosted a room, booked a couple more events, and I’ve got three others now looking to collaborate with me on topics varying from Organic Marketing to International Experiences and Mindset Hacking. It’s so interesting-- the very nature of the app is collaborative, meaning that instead of sitting there by yourself hosting a room, we look to connect with others to host together. Q&A’s are more colorful because we can have panel discussions. Live. Once it’s over, it’s over. There’s no getting it back. I remember listening in on a conversation where this woman was dropping so many value bombs, speaking so fast, my head literally spun. I was stunned at her brilliant insight, but I would never be able to find her words back. The next best option? Follow her. What does hosting a room feel like? It feels like being the host of a Zoom room without video and you never know who is going to pop in. Hosting a Q&A session allowed us to meet people from different areas in the business world, at different levels, and offer encouragement and sound advice. So we met a few cool people along the way and gained a couple more followers too! If you haven’t hosted a room yet and are afraid to, let me suggest: stick it out. Get some friends to invite some more friends. It took 15 minutes before a stranger popped in, so be patient! Now, what are you waiting for? Follow me! @beingdutchanese, let’s connect and collaborate! DM me: "Brainz" on Instagram and let’s see what we can do together! Let’s experience the joy of being the front-runners of what is undoubtedly going to be the next big thing. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn Read more from Arna! Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Arna van Goch is a business automation coach. She helps 5 figure entrepreneurs hit 6 figures by streamlining their businesses and strategies to work less & earn more. Over her own entrepreneurial journey, she has worked with online businesses to land 6 figure contracts and supported businesses reaching 7 figures. Besides working online, she has an avid passion for travel, energy work, and awesome Netflix series like Next in Fashion.

Written by: 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. Did you set up any New Year’s resolutions? If you're like most people, you might already have set your goals for this year. Exercise more, lose weight, save money, eat healthier, reduce stress, get more sleep, stick to a budget, focus on spiritual growth, travel more, spend more time with family, quit smoking, build friendships, make more money - these are the top new year’s resolutions people make. What about you? What is your resolution this year? Many people like to think of the new year like it is a fresh start. The phrase “new year, new you” firmly settled in our psyche, and we are eager to use the New Year timeline to our advantage. Let me guess, like many other people; you might have probably already started taking the necessary action steps towards your resolution(s), right?! As January rolls in, I am sure you feel strong, determined, and committed to achieving your goals. But as time passes, your resolution might be starting to show some holes. Maybe you skipped a workout thinking that you’d resume the next day, or maybe you started eating more again, thinking that you’d get back on track next week, or maybe you already spent more money than planned. And before you know it, you are back to your old habits feeling frustrated and guilty about not being able to stick to your goals. It is only the beginning of the year, but you are already failing your resolution. You might be tempted to blame a failure on your lack of willpower. I can even hear these thoughts running in your head, “I am not committed enough,” or "I didn't put enough effort.” But are you sure that it is the lack of willpower that caused you to fail? What if I told you that about 80 percent of people fail their new year resolutions. Moreover, most lose their resolve by mid-February. Yes, that’s right! New Year’s resolutions are like a bad boyfriend. They can stick around for a bit, making you feel wonderful initially, but then you approach the stage of true commitment with them, and suddenly they are not there anymore. Poof vanished! Here you are left all alone thinking what you could've done wrong. But let me tell you something...the problem might not actually be you. Yes, you read it correctly! Many resolutions are basically set-ups to fail from the beginning. Why do so many of us set out with good intentions but come up short? Why are we unable to make the changes we want to make and create the life we want to live? 1. Timing. When people start with their resolution on January 1st, they make a change based on a calendar date when they think they are ready to change their lives. This is one of the biggest reasons most resolutions fail. People make resolutions to motivate themselves, but if they aren’t ready to change their habits, particularly bad habits, their goals don't stand a chance. What to do instead: Don’t necessarily wait for the new year to make a resolution. Know that you can start at any time. Connect to your need for a change and to why you want that change. Then you can make it happen based on your timeline when you are ready instead of waiting for January 1st. 2. Lack of emotional connection to your goal. Are you truly clear about why your new year’s resolution is important to you and why you want to achieve it? You’d be surprised how many people set goals for the wrong reasons. Peer pressure and social expectations are big influencing factors for goal setting..and a failure of them. To succeed in achieving your goal, you need to understand your deeper why. It is the emotional aspect (passion) of the goal that drives you to follow through on your actions. How would you like to feel? For example, I want to make $$$ next year. Why? I desire financial freedom. Why? I can invest more into my self-growth as well as developing my business. Why? It is my deepest heart’s desire to have a deep understanding of myself and be fully aligned with my true potential and higher purpose. Why? So I can inspire and guide others to find their truth so that they can live a life of beauty and fulfillment in their own brilliance. No matter how clear and measurable your goal is, if you don't feel emotionally connected to it, most likely you won't achieve it because it would be very hard to stick to the needed actions. What to do instead: Before committing to a goal, connect to your deeper why behind it. How would you like to feel? If you have a hard time doing it, turn to magazines. Cut out pics that make you feel inspired for no reason. You’ll start seeing a pattern of your underlying desire. Follow the rule of 3 Whys (asking the question "why?" three times) to clarify why this desire is truly important to you. 3. Lack of support and accountability. So many people lack motivation and accountability, despite their best intentions. However, they won’t ask for help. There are many reasons why people resist getting support - fear of appearing weak, needy, or incompetent. But trying to achieve your goal without the proper support often leads to failure. What to do instead: You have much higher chances to follow through on your goals when others are witnessing you. To stick with the change, you let others know about your goals and commitments. Close friends, family members, goal-oriented groups, social accounts - these are all great ways to support yourself through change and achieve your goal. Never underestimate the power of social approval. Simply knowing that you will be held accountable for your actions will help you stay focused and consistent. And remember about professional help like a therapist or a life coach. Setting yourself up with this type of support system will help you achieve your goals and bring a profound understanding of yourself so you can radiate your light into the world. When you do this, you can become an inspiration and support for others. And isn't’ it empowering!? So, let’s summarize! Instead of pushing for this New Year resolution, eliminate the pressure by clarifying the key themes you want to expand on, bringing them into focus, and deciding the desired outcomes. As an intuitive transformation coach, I always have many different clients. Some would resist the change as much as they can. Others are eager to change but would fall off the wagon shortly after starting. This doesn't mean that I stop working with them. Instead, I guide them to connect to their resistance to develop a deeper understanding of why they operate the way they do. They can then see how their resistance keeps them stuck in specific “negative,” self-sabotaging, or self-limiting patterns. And when they shift out of their resistance, they can drop into their own truth and experience the greatness of their beautiful being. In the end, it’s an internal job that’s required to sustain your definition of great happiness and success. You can take all the well-advised steps in the world, but unless you connect deeply to your values, beliefs, habits, desires, and greatest fears, it will remain very difficult to reach your most thrilling goals. Set yourself up for success using the strategies in this article, and at the very least, fail forward. Learn from your experiences, and even if you don’t achieve your goal, you’ll still be closer to it than you were at the start of the year. If you need more guidance and support with where you are in life, feel free to fill out a questionnaire on my website. We can then set up a FREE 30-min consultation. I promise you’ll walk away with clarity and determination. 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: Theresa Tirk, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression for many years. I also lost my identity after years of people-pleasing. I wrapped up who I was in being a mom, and I had no sense of self outside of that. I spent a lot of time allowing those things to control my life. Until I decided that I was deserving of spending time focusing on myself, I was worthy of discovering who I was and honoring myself. This took time, and that time became sacred to me. I started creating rituals to help me get back in touch with who I am, with my purpose, with my soul. I created the Revive & Thrive Ritual to share with you because I believe 1,000% in the power of rituals and how they can bring you back to yourself. What if there was a way that you could not only survive your day but thrive through it? You would give it a try, right? What’s the worse thing that can happen from allowing yourself 15 - 30 minutes a day all to yourself? This process can help you to start your day from a place of calmness, being thankful and energized. I will break down for you how to incorporate these 5 steps into your day and help you understand why it's important and the difference it can make in your life. So what exactly is Revive & Thrive? The five elements of the ritual are meditation, journaling, gratitude, movement, and hydration. All 5 work together to provide you a foundation of success on which to build your day. Let's start with JOURNALING and a few ideas of why you should give it a try; a few ways it helped me. Heal Vent Goals & Dreams Find Your Inspiration East Stress & Anxiety Journaling doesn't need to be fancy, you don't need a special expensive book, and you do not need to be articulate or concern yourself with proper punctuation. It's all about you getting what you need out and down on paper. There is something powerful about putting words and thoughts to paper. It's a way for you to get out your feelings to allow you to heal from pain or trauma or hurt caused by others. It's a way to vent when you need to get something off your chest but don't want any confrontation. When you want to explore your dreams, writing down your goals to help turn it more into a plan, journaling is the perfect medium to do this activity. You can randomly write daily when you don't know what to say, and this is a perfect way to help find your inspiration. This idea comes from the book "The Artists Way" by Julie Cameron. Getting all your thoughts and feelings out and onto paper is a great method of reducing your stress and anxiety. Doing some additional research on how journaling can benefit you provided some that surprised me. A few of those sharpened memory, improved immune function, solved problems efficiently, and resolved disagreements. A few others reduce stress, boost your mood, cope with depression, clarify your thoughts and feelings, and get to know yourself better. As you can see, the benefits of journaling go far beyond just putting thoughts to paper. When this is something you constantly do, it has amazing emotional, physical, spiritual, and possibly physical benefits. Something that you can do at zero cost that can improve your life? Yes please. The next step on the ritual list is MEDITATION. What even is meditation? It is a practice where you use techniques to train your attention, awareness and achieve mental clarity and an emotionally calm and stable state. Sounds heavenly, right? It's been reported that meditation can be dated to as early as 5,000 BCE, with written evidence of any form first seen in Vedas around 1500 BCE. There have been numerous studies on its effectiveness with anxiety, pain, depression, PTSD, sleep, heart disease, and so much more. It is believed it can positively impact mental and physical health. I love this quote, but I can't tell you who said it. "The quality of your mind determines the quality of your life.” Here are a few ways that a daily meditation practice can help you as it's helped me. Focus Clarity Serenity Breathe Deep, Breath-work Observe Feelings, Inward Connection Of course, these are only a few of the benefits of meditation that helped me personally. A few more that I found listed on The Mayo Clinic are as follows: gaining a new perspective, manage stress, increase self-awareness, help focus on the present, reduce negative emotions, increase creativity, patience & tolerance. I continued my research, and on Healthline.com, I found additional research that had been done that includes even more benefits. Those benefits include decreased blood pressure, pain control, improvement of sleep, fighting addiction, generating kindness, reducing age-related memory loss, lengthen your attention span, and promoting emotional health. The great thing about meditation is you can do it anywhere and for any amount of time. There is no right or wrong way to do it. On my busiest days, I will add it in during a shower. I close my eyes while the water is running over my head, take a few deep breathes, then imagine whatever is blocking me, any negativity taking over, being washed away by the pure, clear water. Then I picture those negative feelings or blocks as a color and watch them go down the drain. Then I visualize the pure, clear water restoring me as it washes over my body. You can find 3-5 minutes in your day to get quiet, breathe deeply and meditate. Let's talk about GRATITUDE. "Gratitude turns what we have into enough." - Melody Beattle There have been scientifically proven benefits to maintaining a gratitude practice. Some of those benefits include opening the door to more relationships. Improve physical and psychological health. Help enhance empathy and reduce aggression. It's been shown to help you sleep better, improve your self-esteem and increase your mental strength. Numerous studies show that grateful people have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress or depression. Those sound like some amazing benefits for an easy practice that doesn't take much time. I started practicing gratitude by saying out loud what I was grateful for every morning. I started to do this before my feet even hit the floor. Then I'd follow up with more positive and thankful thoughts as I finished my morning hygiene routine. You can advance your practice by starting a gratitude journal. The point is to find what works for you. The fourth element of the Thrive Ritual is MOVEMENT. Now, this may not be a favorite of everyone. I know that this one has been a struggle for me. I'm pretty hot or cold when it comes to "exercise," so instead, I started looking at it as movement. My body is happy when I spend a few minutes moving it to start my day. This can be as simple as 5 minutes stretching. A yoga routine. A walk with your dog or by yourself. An actual workout. Whatever level of physical activity you prefer, and if it's something that you resist, start small with stretching or a light yoga routine. Let's go over some of the benefits I found when doing my research. Let's start with my personal favorite, Yoga. It improves strength, balance, and flexibility. It can help manage stress, increase energy and promote better sleep. A general research of exercise benefits returned the following: improve memory, protect against chronic disease, control weight, boost energy, improve your mood, spark your sex life and promote better sleep. While exercise may seem daunting and overwhelming to someone who doesn't have a usual fitness ritual, it can be started in small steps. Like I mentioned above, start with stretching or a 10-minute yoga routine, or a short walk around the neighborhood. Work your way up to exercise equipment or longer, more intense routines. YouTube is a great place to find videos to get you started for any of the above. We have made it to number 5 in the ritual. This is Lemon Water. Water, in general, is a necessity of life. Keeping yourself hydrated promotes cardiovascular health, supple skin, helps muscles and joints work better, keeps your body cool, and cleanses your body both inside & out. So drinking water throughout the day is very key to your overall health and wellbeing. But the benefits of beginning your day with lemon water (yes, before coffee) have been astonishing to me. Here are a few that I have experienced. Helps with digestion Fresher breathe Energy boost Increased hydration throughout the day Lower blood pressure The additional research I found showed that drinking lemon water could supply you with vitamin C, give you a potassium boost, help prevent kidney stones, prevent oxidation, it's weight-loss friendly, help with inflammation, and can improve your skin quality. How should you make it? How much should you drink? The truth is, it doesn't matter. Any way you do, it will be a boost! Start with 1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of water and adjust to your tastes. That’s it. That is the 5 step ritual that you can incorporate into your day in as little as 15-30 minutes to make a massive impact in your life. If you would like a printable PDF of the ritual along with some journaling prompts, click here. For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Theresa! Theresa Tirk, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Through her work as a Spiritual Life Coach and Certified Aromatherapist, Theresa Tirk empowers women everywhere to step out of overwhelm and into joy by awakening to their own validation and strength. Theresa creates massive impacts in her clients’ lives with dynamic daily rituals and simple yet powerful mindset shifts. Theresa was called to coaching through her own spiritual journey of self-discovery following a battle with depression and anxiety. Theresa is the host of The Ritual Queen Podcast and CEO of The Ritual Queen LLC.

Written by: Viloshni Moodley, 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 ideal way to define masturbation is being your best lover. The action of self-stimulation of one’s genitals to achieve orgasm is termed as masturbation. Through early childhood development, the discovery of our genitals starts as early as 3 years old to identifying the pleasurable sensation we get from touching our genitals. It is a sad fact that parents stop children from touching themselves, which in turn leaves negative messaging. This impacts the future of masturbation as you grow into your teens, whereby you are programmed to identify it as a shameful, disgusting act regardless of how good it feels. It gets even worse when you are caught masturbating as a teen or young adult. The shame builds on and places a stigma on your self-pleasure. Some Fun Facts on Masturbation Female masturbation can relieve menstrual cramps; Improves blood flow to the genitals; Male masturbation can help to prevent the development of prostate cancer; After masturbation, levels of the hormone Prolactin are lower and makes us feel satisfied; It keeps our sexual organs in good working order; Effective natural cure for insomnia by the release of tension that leads to a deeper, quicker sleep; Burns calories; Relieves headaches and muscle aches; Can work as a laxative, toning and controlling the lower abdominal muscles; Can produce the hormone estrogen, which makes hair shine and skin smooth; An effective anti-depressant as it releases Dopamine, feel-good neurotransmitters from the brain. In addition to the health benefits of masturbation, you develop a healthy relationship with your body. Masturbation is possible if you have a partner. Make sure you take some time for self-pleasure alone, or if you’re comfortable with your partner whilst they are watching, it can build the bond and give them a better understanding of what you enjoy. It can also enhance foreplay. Ready to bust some myths about Masturbation? It does not contribute to any of the following illness: Blindness Feeblemindedness Madness Physical decrepitude Sexual perversion Reduced sexual function Neurotic disorders More Myths about People who masturbate: Only people who “can’t get any” masturbate It’s bad to masturbate every day Masturbation is something you grow out of Men need to do it, and women don’t People in relationships don’t masturbate Men have a limited amount of semen It makes you "lose" your virginity or “ruin” it for intercourse Masturbation is a normal activity that: can de-stress you; allow your fantasies to become the center of your focus; brings you self-confidence and higher self-esteem; explore and appreciate your own body; can be taken as a gift to yourself; you take charge and find your way Masturbation is a recommended treatment for sexual dysfunction in women who are unable to orgasm. This allows them to explore what pleasures them. Men who suffer from premature ejaculation can practice self-control through masturbation. The best way to enjoy masturbation is to prepare for it by ensuring you have privacy, and if you are sharing this experience with your partner, that just adds to the erotic experience. Be prepared to engage all of your five senses. Here I will guide you on how you can indulge your 5 senses: Hearing - soft romantic music or talk to each other with a very soft voice, share your thoughts, what you are feeling, what you are going to do next or what you want to be done. Taste - use of flavored lube, edible flavored powder, chocolate-covered strawberries, oysters, or food with different taste sensations. Smell - lightly scented candles, pheromones that we emit, or use of perfume Sight - dress sexy, soft light, play dress up, or watch a romantic movie, use of a mirror positioned strategically. Touch - close your eyes and relax and use silk, lace, or satin sheets or feathers to stroke and beads. The erogenous zones to touch are: scalp ears mouth (lips) neck hand breast pubic area feet This is merely a guide. You know your body better and what feels good to you. Go ahead, explore and discover pleasure centers that are perhaps not even listed as an erogenous zone. Use different places and positions to masturbate, all as per your preference and what works to get you to orgasm. Some warning signs that you may be a compulsive masturbator: One who avoids relationships because of masturbation One who isolates themselves to masturbate One who masturbates in public One who’s livelihood suffers as a result. One who masturbates daily and frequently until no other sexual activity can satisfy them One who is obsessed with touching themselves One who uses masturbation to avoid problems One becomes preoccupied by masturbation. One who lies to their lover about when/how much they do it One who spends an excessive amount of money on porn so they can masturbate alone If you think you were masturbating too much, then it probably is too much. However, once a day is normal. Don’t isolate yourself from a lover to masturbate. It is a good time to identify if you are doing it to avoid dealing with something or someone. Another indication is if your masturbation is taking up most of your time. There are no physical harmful side effects of masturbation. The only impact can be on relationships and everyday life… so play on! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Viloshni! Viloshni Moodley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Viloshni Moodley is an accredited Sexpert practicing as an Online Intimacy Coach. She is the founder and owner of Ultimacy Online, since leaving her over 25 years of management experience within Corporate. Her passion for empowering individuals with positive sex education and breaking the negative conditioning cycle has influenced her change in career path. She believes relationships are the most important factor to overall well being and thus passionate about making a change to ensure people have more fulfilling relationships. Having a happy, healthy relationship provides balance in individuals and couples. Her work specializes in coaching individuals or couples who wish to achieve certain goals in the bedroom and short courses in different areas of sexuality.

Written by: Susan Francis, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We all know 2020 was not the year anyone expected. It was certainly a year full of lots of challenges, surprises, and lots of distress for many people. Lots of people lost jobs, struggled financially, felt lost and isolated, and quite possibly put on some extra lockdown weight too. (I know I did!) So let me ask you … did you come into 2021 with high hopes? With a list of New year's resolutions? A list of intentions and goals? Were you determined to make 2021 a better year? Perhaps you decided it's the year you will get control of your health, drink less, lose some weight, get fit? Or perhaps you decided it's the year you will start a new business or blow up your existing business and really take it to the next level? It's easy to start the new year with gusto, with excitement, with all the best intentions. It’s halfway through January now, though, which means a lot of that excitement of the new year is starting to wane. The enthusiasm is wearing off. The new exercise routine is probably slipping, and the new business goals might be feeling hard. You see, what you need isn't another New Year's resolution. What you need is a personal revolution. By personal revolution, I mean a shift in identity, in who you are, in what you believe. The reason why most people have given up on their resolutions by the time February rolls around is because they have focused all of their energy on implementing new behaviors, not on their beliefs. They have focused on the new exercise routines, new eating habits, or new marketing strategies in their business, and focusing on behaviors alone is doomed to fail. They haven’t spent any time on shifting their internal reality, their beliefs, or their identity. You see, the way our minds work is that our subconscious mind is always delivering on who we are, on our identity. This means that if you have beliefs that aren't in alignment with your resolutions/goals or desires, then it's difficult to create them. For example, if you have a deep belief that it's hard to lose weight, that being slim means you have to starve yourself, or eat tasteless food, or work out 7 days a week, then you will struggle to create lasting results. Similarly, in business, if you believe reaching that next level goal is hard, that it will require too much time, or skills you don't have, or you don't feel worthy of achieving it, then your subconscious, and ultimately what you are attracting is working against you. Your subconscious mind will always deliver on your identity and the law of attraction will always deliver on how you feel and what you believe, not on what you want. When these are vastly different, we keep creating more of what we don't want, usually more of the same, and fall short of the hopes/dreams/New Year's resolutions that we intended on achieving. Fear not though, all is not lost. In fact, nothing is lost. We are all powerful creators, and if you have the ability to imagine it, then you have the ability to create it. You simply need to approach it differently. Your energy needs to be spent changing your internal reality first, because your external world always reflects your internal world. If you’re ready for a personal revolution, here are my top 3 tips: 1. Tune into your desires. Take some time out to sit with your resolutions or desires. Write them down, close your eyes and tune in to how you feel about them. When you really tune in to how you feel, ask yourself... How much on a scale of 1 to 10 do I really believe I can achieve this? How certain am I? Listen to how you feel in your body, rather than what you think in your head. If you came up with anything less than a 9 or a 10, simply ask yourself… Why don't I believe this is possible? What would stop me? What am I afraid of? Why won’t this happen? Simply listen to what comes up and write it all down. Journaling is such a powerful way to do this. 2. Clear the resistance. All of the thoughts that come up are your limitations to clear. None of these things are true. Even if you haven't created it in the past, even if you have struggled before, that doesn't mean you can't achieve it now. We all do new things all of the time. Your point of attraction is right now. All of your power is in this moment. All of your power is in the thoughts, beliefs, and energy you choose to activate now. Ask yourself… what else do I know to be true that would help soften this limitation? What else could I choose to focus on that would help me to feel better in this moment? How could I choose to see this differently? This is your work. There is always a better feeling story. Always. This is your personal revolution. Shift your internal beliefs (or stories), shift how you feel about your desires, shift your identity. 3. Aligned Action. There is a version of you that shows up when you FULLY believe in yourself and a version of you that shows up when you don't. Your point of attraction and creating everything you desire lie in being the person who fully believes in your desires. The actions will follow. Spend more time focusing on the active stories and beliefs, shifting those, and then following inspired actions. Do what you feel pulled to do. Listen to the guidance. Your intuition will guide you. Often the path of least resistance isn't what we expect it to be. Follow what feels good. Take inspired action. Do this and watch your world shift. If you want 2021 to be unlike any other year, it will require you to change who you are being. If you’re ready for this to be your best year ever, then it's time to take control. Take control of your internal world, and the external world will follow. It's time for a personal revolution! To learn more about this, you can listen to my podcast episode, (#23) Resolution or Revolution Or, if you’re ready to rapidly scale your business in 2021, you can find out more about how to do that here at Soul Aligned Business Babes Academy. To follow Susan, you can find her on F acebook , I nstagram , join the F acebook community for regular live training, learn more on the website , or listen to the Soul Aligned Business Babes podcast . Read more from Susan ! Susan Francis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Susan Francis is a leading Mindset, Manifestation and Business Mentor and Coach empowering female entrepreneurs to create more income and impact their soul-aligned businesses. She helps women unlock the truth of who they are, helps them to fully step into their power, and teaches them the secrets to taking quantum leaps in their success. She believes life was meant to be easy, to feel good, to flow, and you can create anything you damn well want! With a background in senior management in the fashion industry, she escaped the 9 to 5 hustle after her daughter's birth to follow her passion for helping other women create epic time and financial freedom. Trained in NLP and Time Line Therapy, and obsessed with the Law of Attraction, she knows at a very deep level that everything is an inside job, and as she helps clients make shifts in their mindset, and energy they become magnetic to their dream lives and business success.

Written by: Nicole Fischer, 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. They say we should not live with regrets, as there’s always a perfect moment for something to happen. Something which might include a decision to reinvent your life or your career - or both! They say if you can’t decide - choose both and, even though this mostly refers to which pair of shoes to add to your already large collection - I applied this principle to my own reinvention. I choose both - Reinventing my life and career. In retrospect, if I could change anything, it would be the amount of time I wasted on not reinventing myself and my business sooner. It is now eviden t to me that I lacked clarity about what I truly wanted to achieve, and I also lacked passion and purpose in my life. I felt uninspired, to say the least, and it is around this time in one's life where these thoughts come more and more to the fore. My life and business lacked sparkle and inspiration, and I knew something had to change – on a big scale! Looking back to the past times of change in my life, I have changed industries, made other life-changing decisions, and changed continents three times. So ‘Reinvention’ was already my dear friend, and it looked like I was overdue for our next rendezvous. I love change, so bring it on, I thought! You might know this feeling, the sense that there’s a greater message inside you and a purpose that needs to be discovered or rediscovered, redefined, and reawakened. In short, a Reinvention. So, I did what I had to do; I dove deep into finding my ‘Why ,’ searching inside my heart and soul, getting back to my values and beliefs, and finding out what the legacy was that I wanted to leave - something that was bigger than me and would truly leave an impact on other people’s lives. My search was not in vain. Reinvention once again proved to be the formula to find greater fulfillment and take one step into the direction of my purpose. This time, though, led me to my dream business, and I felt more inspired than ever before. It is a business that doesn't even feel like work anymore and sets my heart on fire every single morning, no matter the growing pains, the learning curve, or the challenges that I encounter whilst building an international business. Having found my deeper ‘Why,’ it became crystal clear to me what I was meant to do. “Not so fast, grasshopper!” you say, and “What happened? What did you do that lead to the dramatic change from your being uninspired and just going with the motion to finding your ‘Why’ and running your dream business?” Well, here’s what I discovered: I had to interpret the skills that I had accumulated over the years differently , apply them to a different purpose, and combine my expertise with something that I was truly passionate about! So, by doing this, it became my new mission. To work and uplift female entrepreneurs and help them to design a profitable business that they love, based on their very own passion and expertise. And guess what ...my formula worked out beautifully! My many skills from years as a corporate executive, leading teams, and launching brands were there all along, but, quite frankly, I had never thought about using them to find my true purpose. Once I looked at things in this new way, I saw that I already held the keys to living the life I really wanted . I just needed to keep working toward reinventing how I used them. Here is my invitation to you: Do the same thing! Let me help you to develop a profitable business and make a successful life from your own passion and purpose. “Find your passion, become the iconic version of you, and build a profitable business that you love.” Keep reading, and learn the seven steps you can take today to reinvent your life from the “insight” out. Yes, you read that right: “insight .” Inside and insight mixed into one process – and that process will lead to your reinvention. When you feel that tingle and sense of excitement and anticipation, I assure you this is your moment to discover the iconic version of you that is just waiting to be awakened inside your soul so that you can share your important and unique message with the world! Seven Steps to Your Reinvention 1. Reconnect with your inner zone of genius . You can expand from there and connect this to your niche of excellence . Build your life and business around these two elements. 2. Define your ‘Why.’ Make your unique mission crystal clear; discover the raison d’etre that sparks your deeper joy - your joy that goes far beyond simple pleasures and touches you at a very deep level. This is the “Why” that stirs your soul to greatness! From this place, you can move mountains and get your message out to the world, which needs to hear it from you and you alone. 3. Hire the best mentor or business coach possible. Every businessperson, sportswoman, entertainer, and entrepreneur has their own, and this is for a sound reason: Women who invest in themselves go further! 4. Look at your passion from the angle of designing a business around it so that you can have a bigger impact and leverage your time to reach more people. If you fail to do this, your passion might remain a very idealistic and expensive hobby. 5. Build your unique personal brand around the message you stand for, what you believe is possible for your clients, and the results that you commit to achieving for your clients. Creating a personal brand is creating an asset, and it stands out as an expert. 6. Most importantly, learn the business side of coaching so that your mission is on track with becoming a viable, long-term business. The industry of coaching is a $12.7 billion global industry that's growing by 3 percent a year, and you can be part of this exciting industry. 7. Focus on building a long-term profitable business. It is vital and non-negotiable to be profitable as a coach. You can achieve this by applying the business reinvention blueprint principles, which are tailored around service-based businesses. Get going . Keep going! Action has magic in it; thinking has procrastination in it! Allow for imperfect action along the way and adjust your path as you take a step-by-step approach to building your passion-fuelled business. These sum up the path to success that I found in sharing my big message with the world! My main goal is to inspire others to follow the same simple path to becoming the iconic version of themselves. So, I created the REINVENTIONIST WOMEN Entrepreneur movement and an online Academy that teaches women how to build a profitable business around their passion. Who is a Reinventionist Women? You are one if you’re: Ready to embrace your talents, skills, and passion so that you can leave an impact on the world Ambitious and wanting to grow as a female entrepreneur Ready to embark on the journey from passion to profitability in your business Wanting to create an impact in the World Excited about being a businesswoman of note If you’re ready to step into the iconic version you were always meant to be, we would love to welcome you to our global movement on Facebook. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Love, Nicole B. x Nicole B Fischer, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Nicole B Fischer is an international Business Strategist who teaches female coaches, experts, practitioners, and service-based business owners how to build a profitable and sustainable business based on their expertise and passion. She is the founder and CEO of the Reinventionist Woman Success Academy and is passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs on their journey to business success. www.business-reinvention.com Nicole`s Business Reinvention Blueprint is one of her signature business-group coaching programs for coaches, experts, and service providers. In her work with clients at the academy, she utilizes her years of expertise as a corporate marketing executive, working for leading and innovative international organizations, one of which went IPO, and applies her appreciation of women entrepreneurship, which she gained in a high-level marketing position at a billion-dollar company, delivering marketing campaigns to over 27 million consumers. “Find your passion, become the iconic version of you, and build a profitable business that you love.“

Written by: Leesa Watt, 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. Is it possible that there’s one word that could help our anxiety? Well, it will certainly have a major effect on you, that’s for sure. I’d like to introduce you to the word... NO! We make it so difficult to say such a simple word. Say it with me - no, no, no! We really need to step up and set some boundaries as these are the gatekeepers to your mental health. Boundaries will allow you to protect yourself. This, in turn, will give people access to your best side and lead you to inner peace. Basically, what I’m saying is live your life for yourself, not for anyone else! We hold so much fear of being judged, rejected, disliked, and this stops you from being your incredible self. May I point out? Self-worth isn't how much you do for others. You need to feel in control, not trapped, and this leads to an empowered you, free to take control. So challenge yourself and say no! It appears we have become trapped being agreeable, pleasing everyone to the point where you're stressed or resentful. Hello, it’s time to put YOU first. Is it that you fear rejection? Are you afraid if you say no - that there will be disappointment, you’ll make people angry, maybe hurt their feelings, or is it that you will appear unkind or rude?? Now, this is a heavy burden to carry!! The urge to say yes comes from a lack of self-confidence and self-value. You are worth it. Stop this yes game! I’m here to tell you that saying no doesn't make you a bad person. You are not rude, selfish, or unkind. These unhelpful beliefs are making it harder to say that elusive word - no. Where is this coming from? Please ‘Let It Go’!! I have some helpful tips for you to learn to say NO: be direct - no, I can't OR no, I don't want to don't apologize don't lie no now, then resent later Be polite - thanks for asking but no don't prolong the response as it just adds stress You are very capable of making your own choices - you know the difference between right and wrong. So decide yourself, based on your own discretion, to say no. As a child, it was not polite to say no - we hang on to that belief, don’t we?! It’s time to know your value. AND let me tell you, you are valuable. You get to choose your own opinion about yourself. Don't seek others approval as you will never truly feel free and happy. Let me ask this - is your opinion of yourself low? May I point out that your problems don't define you, it's totally ok to make mistakes (your human), you're unique, valuable, important. That willingness to love others - it makes us great. Be Humble, grow as a person as NO ONE in the world can offer what you can. You are not productive if you have too many commitments, you end up spreading yourself thin, and then nothing gets done. It’s time to: Value your time - know your commitments and how valuable your time is. Know your priorities - if you have spare time, is it how you want to spend it? Know your long-term goals - what do you need to say yes and no to get there? Don't apologize. It sounds weaker, be firm! You have nothing to feel bad about and every right to allow enough time for what is truly important to you. Stop being nice if it hurts you. When it's easy to grab your time, people will do it all the time and continue to do so. With boundaries, they will look for easier targets. Guard your time - be firm and turn down requests that aren't a priority to you. Really when you stop and think, are all those yeses worth it? We commit to something, and then the doubt sets in, so we try to get out of it with either all the excuses, telling the truth, or lies. All of this leads to unnecessary anguish, stress, and resentment. Honestly, we shouldn't be afraid to let others down at the cost of our own happiness!! Say it with me - no, no, no! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Leesa Watt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leesa Watt is an award-winning anxiety coach. She experienced debilitating anxiety and panic attacks for many years which derailed the life she was living and the future she had planned. Instead of accepting a limited fate that was out of her control, Leesa rose to the challenge to make anxiety her Superpower. Thankfully she did as she then set out on the journey to support her own children through varying anxiety diagnoses. Leesa knew she wanted to help others understand that they may experience anxiety but it does not need to control their lives. Her greatest passion is to help the anxious have the confidence to live their best life. Leesa is an author of Amazon No.1 bestseller: 'The Conscious You'.

Written by: Kim Wilkinson, 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. Some of the symptoms of grief include anxiety, depression, anger, overwhelming sadness, sleep disturbance, guilt, forgetfulness, physical distress, and weight change. More specifically, these are symptoms of the UNRESOLVED GRIEF. When most people hear the word GRIEF, they automatically think of someone passing. While death can certainly bring extreme grief, so can over 40 other life experiences. Grief is the normal and natural reaction to loss — loss of a job, loss of a pet, loss of a relationship through divorce or a break-up, being a child of divorce, moving to a new city, graduation, retirement, loss of health, and of course, trauma can all cause GRIEF. It is also what we experience when there is a change in familiar patterns or behaviors. COVID is creating a tremendous amount of GRIEF. Loss of connection, loss of feeling in control, not being able to go to yoga, the gym, out for dinner, or a movie can all cause GRIEF. Our children, not being able to go to school, play with friends, go to hockey, soccer, the pool, and friends' birthday parties or have their own birthday party, creates GRIEF. Having to school children at home is creating GRIEF, for both parents and children. Everything roots to emotion. Most of us, if not all of us, are not taught HOW to take care of our emotional health. We are actually taught to avoid and distract from feeling anything that is not pleasant or good. No wonder there are so many problems with mental health and addictions. How many times have you heard and or said comments like these? Be strong. Just give it time. Keep yourself busy. Boys don’t cry. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Tomorrow is a new day. Just let it go. Just get over it. It wasn’t meant to be. He/she is in a better place now. Forget about him/her. Let's get some food/drinks. Although the intentions behind that are loving and kind as a person says those things to try to make a person feel better, it actually says, “don’t feel the pain.” The simple act of passing someone a Kleenex while crying and sharing feelings with you actually sends a message saying, “don’t cry.” All we really need to do is just listen without judgment or comparison. We don’t even need to respond. We just need to hold space and listen. Once the person has fully shared their feelings and have had time to “feel” them, THEN you could offer a Kleenex or a hug. Doing so too soon simply teaches to avoid and distract. This is the stuff that has the potential to lead to addictions. Like I said, we have been teaching avoidance and distraction for decades. As parents, we only teach what we know. If we don’t know how to take care of our emotions, what are we teaching our children? It is time to break the cycle and end the suffering. From GRIEF RECOVERY, there is freedom from regret, freedom from the pain of past events, freedom from the worry of 'what if,' freedom from the anxiety, the anger, the deep sadness, and freedom from all that holds you back from living a healthy and happy life. GRIEF RECOVERY brings us freedom from past traumas and losses, and it teaches us how to better navigate any future traumas, struggles, and losses. Emotions are like weeds in a garden. There are many different types of weeds, some more toxic than others, some more difficult to deal with. If you just cover the weeds with dirt, they are just hidden, not gone, and eventually will resurface. If you just cut them off at the surface, the roots will still be there, and again, they will resurface. It isn’t until you pull the root that your garden becomes free of weeds. Similarly, your body is your garden while your unprocessed, unresolved emotions/past traumas and UNRESOLVED GRIEF are your weeds. Most of us have a garden FULL of weeds. We literally carry around emotional baggage. As a society, we tend to treat the symptoms and not the root cause. We give medication for anxiety, depression, and other mental health illness. We give a diagnosis that gives us a title or condition that is really just an excuse to accept where we are. Recovery comes from action. At times, we need the medication to bring us to a mindset to “do the work” of recovery. When you pull the weeds of unresolved grief, the healing and transformation that happens is incredible. Not only do you experience emotional healing, but you also experience healing physically and mentally. GRIEF RECOVERY brings you the freedom to live your best life. I know this because I have experienced this myself. We ALL have UNRESOLVED GRIEF. We have ALL experienced some trauma and loss. Within my own family, there were family members with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addiction. There was loss of life when my 22-year-old son died of overdose, Nov 14, 2019. It was the specific approach of the GRIEF RECOVERY METHOD that brought incredible healing, peace, and freedom. It also brought me purpose, and so I am grateful for every opportunity to support others through their GRIEF RECOVERY journey. Too many people are suffering in the world right now. It’s time to take control of our emotional health so we can live the life we desire and deserve. For more information on the Grief Recovery Program, visit my website or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Kim Wilkinson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kim Wilkinson is an expert in Emotional Health and in helping people to move from SUFFERING to EMPOWERMENT. Through her own family struggles with Mental Health, PTSD, Addictions and Traumas, including losing her 22-year-old son to overdose, Kim found healing, recovery and transformation. Most of all, through this journey, what Kim found was purpose and a passion for helping others. Kim's approach with clients is one of compassion, non-judgment and patience. She knows first hand how applying specific tools and techniques can not only bring healing and recovery but can also bring abundance and success in all areas of life. Kim continues to work a few days a week at the Addiction Treatment Centre that her son attended, however, most of her time is focused on supporting people through Grief Recovery (online and in person). A message from Kim "The whole world is grieving right now and we all have unresolved grief. It's time to learn how to take care of our Emotional Health and break the cycle of Mental Health concerns and find an end to our suffering."

Written by: Tina Brigley, 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. Forget the saying, “Fake it until you make it .” I decided I was going to fake it until I be it — a TEDX speaker. But not before I had a WTF moment. “What? Are you joking? You chose ME?” These were the first words out of my mouth when I was told I was chosen to be a TEDX Windsor Speaker. My worst fear was coming true — I would have to speak publicly — in front of a live audience. I had a fleeting thought, “How do I get myself out of this?” I didn’t really believe they would pick me. I just wanted to send in the audition video to get over my fear of doing a video. That certainly backfired, and now I had to face my fear of public speaking. Please know this, I didn’t get fame or a million followers by doing a TED Talk. In fact, I got very few views on my talk but what I got was the belief that fear would not stop me. Little did I know that this small action would create a snowball effect that would help me create a 7 figure coaching business. It wasn’t easy to fake it until I became it. I practiced for months — in the shower, car, on the treadmill, in my mirror, in front of my family and friends. I practiced in my sleep and in front of my kids' stuffed animals. (Don’t laugh, it helped!) Then time finally came to present in front of the coaches. I walked to the front of the room, and four people were sitting in chairs facing me. I had my cue cards in my hand and was asked to begin. I opened my mouth, and NOTHING came out. NOTHING. I could feel my face turn red, and I was sweating. I was either going to cry or run away. I was paralyzed by fears and doubts and worries about being judged and laughed at. I couldn’t do it, "What was I going to do?" So I read my cue cards. I READ THE CARDS! Messy. Fumbling. I didn’t lookup. I just told myself, “18 minutes. Just keep going”. The event was in two weeks! What was I going to do? I kept facing my fears. I went back to the coaches and did it again. And again, until it wasn’t as paralyzing. On the day of the event, I was behind the curtain looking at the audience, and the paralyzing fear came back. My palms were sweaty. My heart was racing, and my worst fear entered my mind: “What if I fail? What if I can’t “BE” it?” Then I heard a voice from within say, “You’re the one. Share your story.” I stepped out onto the red carpet. Blinded by the lights, a nervous laughter and an inside thought exited my mouth, which broke the tension. There I was, voice trembling, knees shaking, 150 sets of eyes were all looking at me. I looked out at the audience, and like a deer in headlights, I was overcome by fear, stuck in mind chatter, and yet words were also coming out of my mouth. Then in a moment, the thoughts stopped racing. The audience faded in the distance, and the voice came to me again, “Just share your story. It’s not about you.” And I did share my story, imperfectly. A bit messy and exactly how it was. I believe that willingness to do it scared helped me build a 7-figure coaching business. You see, if I didn’t have the courage to make the video, I wouldn’t have gotten over my fear of public speaking. If I hadn’t gotten over my fear, I wouldn’t have started doing Facebook Lives or speaking at networking events. If I didn’t have the courage to do things scared, I may not have invested in a program to grow my business. You get the point! Being a TEDX Speaker taught me and ultimately helped me build a 7-figure coaching business during a pandemic. These are the three lessons I learned, and I want to share them with you. 1. The only difference between fear and excitement is the exhale. When we are scared, we hold our breath. Like when we hear the first pop of fireworks. When we see the beauty in the fireworks, we let out an “Ah” and exhale. It’s true, I felt scared, but I also felt proud and excited. So many times, while growing my business, I felt fear — like when I made a huge investment to get help to grow my business. Or when I was asked to leave my personal coaching business to join High Performing Coach, the business that helped me to blow up my business and the one that I am now Co-founder. These things felt scary but being a TEDX speaker taught me to transform the fear to excitement and just BREATHE. Repeat after me, “Just breathe. I got this!” 2. Share Your Story Even if Your Thoughts Tell You Nobody Wants to Listen It was 1 am, and I woke up out of a dead sleep with my speech completely prepared in my mind. In my dream, my TED Talk idea presented itself. In my waking state, I just started writing, and all the ideas flowed. When I read my notes back the next day, I thought, “Why would anyone want to listen to this? Nobody cares about my story.” That wasn’t true. Those were beliefs that were trying to limit me! After my talk, a woman reached out and thanked me. She said she recognized her story in hearing mine, and it changed her life. She shared with me that despite years of therapy, she couldn’t travel long distances by car or plane because of her fears. But after my 18-minute TED talk, she said her life transformed. Not only did she see the origins of her fear, but she now coaches others to overcome their fears. Repeat after me, “My story transforms lives.” 3. Where you are is exactly where you are supposed to be. On the day of the TEDX event, I met a very successful coach that I aspired to be like. Meeting her and seeing her confidence, and hearing her success made it hard not to compare and make myself feel bad about where I was in my journey. It was easy to want to fast track my journey and try to “catch up to her.” But that day after the event, I felt the power of being in the now. People were inspired by me — as I am . They admired me as I am, and at that moment, I knew I was exactly where I am supposed to be. Repeat after me, "Where I am now is exactly where I am to be." You see, growing a 7-figure business isn’t just about taking committed actions and finding the right support and accountability. We must be willing to fake it until we be it — scared shitless and doing it anyway! Who would have thought one video would snowball into everything else. Let me leave you with this one question, "What action would you take right now if you were willing to do the thing that scares you?" We are proud to have helped 2,000+ coaches build their business by helping them believe in themselves and take on their fears. Click here to discover how at our next free workshop for coaches. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or Facebook , and visit my website for free resources to help you grow your coaching business. If you’re curious about how our stories create our biology, watch my TEDx Talk . Tina Brigley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tina Brigley, is a TedX Speaker, storyteller at heart and the personal development trainer to coaches around the world. After leaving her career in education to follow her passion to become a coach, she realized that the stories she told herself were keeping her stuck. Determined to rewrite her narrative, she embarked on a personal development journey that transformed her life and business. Since discovering the power of stories, she has helped thousands of coaches around the world discover what's stopping them from showing up as leaders. As Co-founder and Head of Social Influence at High Performing Coach Tina's mission is simple: To help every passionate coach to powerfully share themselves and their stories with the world.

Written by: Alysha Smith, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How many of you knew from a young age that you wanted children one day? As a young girl, I knew that my “life’s plan” would include children someday, but I didn’t realize that by actually having a child, it would lead me down a road of healing I never knew I needed (allow me to explain). The day I found out I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with joy, but it was also met with feeling petrified. Early into my pregnancy, my physical body changed drastically, quickly, and people began to notice. Comments such as “your hips are bigger” and “you are carrying a lot of water weight” were expressed throughout my pregnancy. This was triggering, heartbreaking and hurtful to hear for someone who was “silently grieving” the entire nine months. YES, you heard me correctly, I was grieving, in silence. Through my grief, my pain, and my triggers that helped me recognize a wounded little girl within me and through conceiving and mothering my baby, it brought me to healing. On one hand, I was grateful that my body was healthy enough to carry and grow this magnificent human being. On the other hand, I was grieving the loss of my body, identity, sleep, freedom, finances, time, dignity, and intimate connections. I came to a harsh realization that many parts of me were still unhealed. So how did motherhood help me heal? Becoming a mother to my beautiful baby girl made me realize that my own inner child was wounded and screaming for help. I became self-aware and paid attention to my triggers. My triggers helped me understand that it was significant for me to heal my old wounds so that I didn’t pass them along to my daughter. Becoming a mother helped me reveal the following parts of me that required significant healing: learning to regulate my emotions learning patience healing people-pleasing behaviors healing the part of me that didn’t feel worthy healing the approval-seeking behaviors learning how to create healthy boundaries in my life working through my suppressed anger and resentment learning how to trust healing my need for approval, love, and codependency My daughter depends on me. She relies on me for comfort, for love, for affection, for learning, for growth, and so it is my obligation to heal these parts of me so that my daughter has a clean slate to work from in her life. My daughter chose me to be her mom, and it is up to me to show up for her as the healed version of myself. Steps to healing your wounded inner child: 1. Pay attention to your triggers 2. Pay attention to your current patterns/behaviors that are no longer serving you 3. Choose appropriate tools that support your unique form of healing 4. Permit yourself to do the deep, hard, inner work. Choose to break generational cycles. 5. Be gentle with yourself while healing your inner wounded child 6. Take your power back by taking responsibility for your actions that may have caused harm to yourself or your loved ones. Do this through apology, forgiveness, and expressing all of the unsaid things you have held onto within your being 7. Release and let go so your heart can be free from the pain, resentment, anger, sadness, and heartache, and so you can live from a place of gratitude and love. Let’s show up with compassion, knowing that most humans are walking around with grief, pain, unhealed pieces, emotions, thoughts that contribute to their behaviors, and how they show up in the world. One of the best things you can do for your children and your relationships is heal yourself from the losses, pain, heartache, and grief within your soul. Remember that life is happening for you, not to you, and there are many blessings hidden within our circumstances. Permit yourself to heal the wounded child that has been silenced for too long. You deserve healing. You matter. Your heart matters. There has never been a better time than right now to choose the path of healing. - Alysha Smith, Grief Goddess For more information, follow me on Facebook and Instagram ! Read more from Alysha ! Alysha Smith, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Alysha Smith is an Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist whose purpose is to support others on their unique healing journeys through grief and loss. After experiencing unique losses in Alysha’s life, including abandonment, death, grief within pregnancy, and grief within living relationships, she decided to take action towards healing her heart from the pain, anger, sadness, and resentment she had carried for years. After using her Social Work degree for four years, Alysha ventured into business on her own to provide tools for healing and transformation to clients on a deeper level and is referred to as a Grief Goddess. Alysha is also a devoted mother and the author of New Beginnings. Writing New Beginnings played a significant role in Alysha’s unique healing journey. Alysha lives her passion and purpose every day and shows up as a beacon of love and light in the world.

Written by: Jenny Gattinger, 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. A new year, new beginnings! What better time to get your finances organized and start putting your money to work for you? Enough saying that you’ll do it tomorrow. There’s really no better time to start than today. 5 tips to level up your finances this year 1. Determine your money goals Ask yourself what your financial priorities are for the upcoming year. Are you looking to get serious about paying down debt? Do you feel secure with the amount of money in your emergency fund? Maybe you’ve decided that it’s time to finally start investing for your retirement. Whatever your goals, make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). Let’s look at an example. From the SMART perspective, saying that you want to “start saving for retirement” is not enough. Deciding that you want to put 10% of your salary into your 401(k) every month is both specific and measurable. Furthermore, you can take a look at your current budget and spending habits to determine if contributing 10% of your salary is indeed achievable and realistic in your situation. Finally, your timeline for this goal would be 2021, or 1 year. 2. Look at your current expenditures Being aware of where your money goes is a fundamental step in improving your finances. Look through your financial statements to see how much you have spent each month on housing, food, transport, insurance, entertainment, etc. Also, take a look at what subscriptions and recurring expenses you currently have. While you’re at it, make sure to cancel any of those memberships that you are not getting full use of. Start the new year off strong by tracking your expenses with the Goodbudget expense tracking app or the like. Tracking as you go will keep you on top of your expenses and prevent you from finding unwanted surprises later down the road. 3. Review your current portfolio Are the financial goals that you’ve previously set still on track? If not, make tweaks to your portfolio accordingly. 4. Automate your savings/investments Take a few minutes to set up automatic transfers from your checking account into your separate savings and/or investment accounts each month. Not only can you “set it and forget it,” but by not actually having access to the money, it makes it harder to spend. So, before you pay the cable guy, Netflix, and invite your friends out to dinner, automatically set aside money just after receiving your payday deposits to pay yourself first! 5. Beef up your emergency fund There has been no better year than 2020 to illustrate the importance of having an emergency fund. While financial professionals traditionally recommend having a 3-6 month emergency fund set aside, considering the current state of the pandemic and the unknowingness of the upcoming year, you may feel more comfortable having up to 1 year of expenses socked away. If you find yourself in a situation where you know that you have room for improvement but are unsure where to start, it’s your time to take action. You can do that by diving into one of the recommended financial books or scheduling a free 10-15 minute chat to discuss your goals. What better way to kick off the new year than by feeling more confident about your finances? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jenny! Jenny Gattinger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenny is a personal financial coach with a passion for helping millennials reach their financial goals. Having completed a degree in Economics, along with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Coach Master Training, she teaches them how to organize their money and put it to work so that one day, sooner rather than later, they won’t have to. A millennial herself, Jenny’s financial savviness has allowed her to follow her dreams of travel and visit 50+ countries as well as compete internationally in two different sports, all while maintaining a sense of financial wellbeing.