Written by: Marilda Cutrone, 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. Do you feel that? At work, you feel like your brain is all foggy; maybe you forget details, and you think you are less sharp and proactive than before (having kids). You continuously need coffee and sugary snacks to go on, and so you gain weight more quickly than in the past. You feel impatient or irritable, and you always get sick. You feel hopeless, disconnected from the others, stressed and sad. This condition is real, and it is called adrenal fatigue; it afflicts busy working moms . When you juggle job and family, the struggle is massive because you have loads of responsibilities on your shoulder, plus errands, cooking etc. And you are doing miracles because you manage all these things every day, knowing that you are working so hard for your kids and their future. But eventually, your body claims its price and tells you in many ways that this lifestyle is not sustainable. If you keep ignore it, you'll get to the point of burnout, precisely what happened to me. I loved my job. I could work beyond office hours to complete a task, meet a client's request, or plan my team's work. Then, I got pregnant, and I was crazy with joy! "You're expecting twins ," they said -and I felt LOST. You can imagine why…But it lasted only for a couple of days…. soon I regained my excitement, and I started to dream of all the things I will do with my babies, all the places I will take them, all the games we will play together. My heart was full of expectations and happiness. But after a few months, my kids were born, my nightmare began. I went back to the office, and I was exhausted because I couldn't sleep at night, and during the day, I had to prepare plans, analyze data, and develop projects with strict delivery dates. I couldn't concentrate, and I badly missed my kids; I felt like I was going crazy. They were learning a new word without me; they were discovering new things without me. My guilt got worse every day . I wanted to spend more time with them; still, my job demanded at least 8 hours a day. I couldn't quit because I needed the family's financial resources and because I wanted to work and realize myself professionally. I was not happy, and I also started to notice a hostile attitude from colleagues and employers. It was like I had to prove that the quality of my work was good and that I was productive as before. I saw a promotion go to a male colleague even though I had worked hard for that, and I started to ask myself questions. Are women free to choose? Why should we be forced to leave our kids in other people's care for so many hours a day and stick to the 9-to-5 model? Why motherhood is considered a penalty and is dictated by society? Or, in other words, why dads MUST work and moms MAY work, and to do so, they have to juggle career&family? I think that women are exposed to external pressures all the time. We feel this paternalistic attitude since we are little, and we believe that we have to follow those standard patterns to achieve our goals. What is the way out? Awareness. We need to be aware of the context in which we live, and we have to understand how social conditioning influences our choices. I went through this process, and here are five tips for you: 1. Take responsibility for your choices. 2. Look inside and decide what you want to achieve. 3. Be curious and say Yes to the things that drive progress. 4. Focus on what matters the most. 5. Meet like-minded people. After struggling for so many years, I decided to change my life. I became aware that working in the digital landscape is a win, and developing a set of strong digital skills is one of the MOST impactful things we can do to create a secure future. Therefore, I made a plan to transition from employee to business owner. And I started to learn. Learning new skills is a whole new journey, fascinating but challenging at the same time, and you need to know that you can't jump out there if you're not prepared. For this reason, and learning from my own experience, I tell you that the winning number one idea is to start as an affiliate marketer. What is Affiliate Marketing? When you start this business, you sell products from other companies and get a commission; the great thing is that you don't need an office, you don't need a warehouse, you don't even need an accountant! As an affiliate, the amount of products you can sell is unlimited; you have to choose the one you like best. Once the promotional campaign is set up, possible sales take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This way, you can spend your time with your children or enjoy some me-time while your business continues in the background. Affiliate Marketing is low risk because it requires a little investment. I believe that there is not a better way to make a shift to a new lifestyle. This is the solution to get flexibility and manage time as you see fit; you can carry out an activity that you like, free from prejudices and constraints, and focus on what matters the most: the connection with your kids and yourself. In short: "Stop juggling career & family and live life feeling fully alive." If you're serious about having the freedom to not only work from virtually anywhere but also to choose the work you do and the hours you do it, remember this: It will not just magically happen. For me, the moment that I made a choice, everything changed. I am not saying that it is easy or fast, and I'd like the privilege of guiding you on a similar journey starting even today. Our three online On-Demand Workshops walk you through specific steps to learn the skills you need to create a profitable online business from scratch. Do I think that is possible? I know it's possible. I did it. If it sounds impossible to you, let me ask you this: Have you ever worked as hard for yourself and your dreams as you have worked for others? Sadly, most women answer no. By the end of this program, you will know how to create your website and social networks, write marketing content, and market your message. Does this work for everyone? No, it doesn't. You need to be committed and focused. You don't need to quit your job now, but you need to dedicate one or two hours a day to the program. If you choose to join us, click here to get the Free Training . Go through all the emails ( Please make sure you check the promotions or spam folder too ) and reach out to me if you need further assistance. We women must be able to choose and not be forced to choose. And remember, where there is no freedom, there is no choice. Follow Marilda on Instagram , find her on Facebook , or visit her website to learn more about the programs. Read more from Marilda! Marilda Cutrone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marilda walked away from a successful 20-year career as Senior Project Manager, as, for many years, she felt unfulfilled: she was continuously struggling to juggle career and family. And eventually found herself drained and depressed. Marilda massively changed her life in 2019 when she realized that developing a new set of skills in the current economy is a must. And here is why: over $2.5 trillion per year is being spent on retail purchases online and, over the last few months, there's been a 25% increase in online sales. By leveraging the digital skills, Marilda created her own business - Living My Digital Life - and reached a whole new level of work-life balance. This shift would not have been possible for Marilda if she had not discovered the power of affiliate marketing. She is now the owner of her time and can build her career around the family (not a life arranged around the job as it used to be). Her mission is to empower other women to stand up for themselves and make the same shift. Hence Marilda offers a program that walks you through specific steps to learn the skills you need to create a profitable online business from scratch.

Written by: Krystal Thompson, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise If you’ve found yourself struggling to stay positive during the holiday season this year, you’re not alone. 2020 has been a year of massive global shifts and disruption, and it is completely normal to find it difficult to get excited about traditions built on connection and sharing space with loved ones at a time when so many of us are unable to do so. I’d like to offer you a map: a start to finish guide for what’s really going on when we’re feeling low vibration emotions, and how to transform them to have a consistently elevated experience - regardless of current circumstances. Whether this season is regularly a challenging time for you or this is the first time you’re experiencing it, let’s talk about how to stay positive during the holidays this year. Clear Your Energy Body Before we can create space for feeling good, we have to understand what has made us feel bad. On its most basic level, anxiety is stuck energy. What manifests as feelings of panic or overwhelm in the body begin as pieces of ourselves that we’ve ignored or responses to outside stimuli that we don’t allow ourselves to fully process. In times of anxiety and overwhelm, there is an invitation to metabolize anything you may previously have been ignoring. This is a beautiful time to begin a digital cleanse to really get clear on what your energy is and what’s coming from outside sources. Some powerful questions to ask yourself: Where are you consuming content that harms or restricts your well-being rather than nourishes it? Are you using social media or television to numb or escape? Where can you give yourself grace and begin to process any emotions that may be present? Clearing your energy is the most important place to start for changing your emotional frequency. Unmemorize Low Vibe Emotions Once you’ve done an honest cleanse of any energy in your life that isn’t truly yours, you can really get clear on what thoughts you are having about the holidays that are then making you feel low. Maybe you are missing family, and that’s making you feel lonely. Perhaps you’re unable to spoil loved ones as you normally would because you’re struggling financially, and that’s making you feel inadequate. Whatever you are feeling is valid, but it is also a memorized response to thoughts that you can learn to have control over. Our emotions - the emotional experiences we have day to day - are created by chemicals. On a biological level, those chemicals fire in patterns depending on what’s been memorized in the body in conjunction with them. Consider this example: watching the news fires stress chemicals which turns on the anxiety loop, and suddenly your morning is ruined by panic or racing thoughts. Sounds familiar, right? Every emotion you experience that feels automatic or out of your control is actually a memorized pattern. So the most important place to start when releasing these patterns is understanding how they work. Some powerful questions to ask yourself for this process: What neutral experience (the condition, i.e. having a different holiday season than the “norm”) am I assigning automatic emotions to (i.e. sadness)? Why am I doing this? What thoughts or beliefs do I have that are validating the unwanted emotional association? How can I start to loosen those? When I’m feeling (x) about the holidays, what do I feel I’m missing out on? How can I cultivate those feelings and experiences for myself regardless of the current circumstances? Funnel Freed Energy Into Positive Change So you’ve cleared your energetic space, you’ve begun to loosen up low vibe emotions, now what? This final step is the most important piece, and the one that most people miss. For many of us, the loops of anxiety and struggle and low vibration emotions are all we know. So once you successfully remove them, there is a moment when we don’t quite know what to do with ourselves. These blank slate moments are where you create true, long-lasting transformation. These are the places where you learn to use your energy differently than you ever have before - namely, where you use your energy to create the emotional experience you actually want to have, rather than perpetuating the one that leaves you feeling low. So at this stage, your beautiful invitation is to begin practicing the states and emotions you actually want to experience. Excitement, connection, joy, fulfillment, peace - ask yourself how you actually want to feel, then start practicing. Start memorizing those feelings in your body and associating them with positive thoughts, and they will eventually become as habituated as the sadness or stress or anxiety used to be. For example, if you want to feel excited, recall times in your life when you deeply felt that way. Revisit and explore and enjoy the memories until the feeling of excitement is active in your body, then project it into your present experience: What are three things to be excited about right now? What is one thing I could do today that would excite me? What’s something exciting I want to happen in the future, and how can I use my energy today to work towards that? Regularly getting into a state of high vibration emotions not only feels good in the moment, but it also literally builds new patterns. We think our emotions come from observing the world, but it’s actually the other way around: how we observe the world depends on the emotions that are memorized in our body. Conclusion You have so much more agency over your experience than you think you do. If you’ve found yourself struggling to stay positive during the holiday season this year, bookmark this page and give yourself permission to move through these exercises anytime you’re feeling low. You do not have to wait for any circumstance to change in order to feel the way you want to. You can connect with Krystal and learn more about starting your own journey by visiting her website and connecting with her on Facebook and Instagram Read more from Krystal! Krystal Thompson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Krystal Thompson is a Los Angeles-based Human Design Reader and Board-Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. Her readings and services are a unique blend of conscious mindset work, subconscious reprogramming, energy healing, and inspired action coaching. Everything she teaches is a process she has been through in her own transformation, and is done with one goal in mind: to elevate the collective by reigniting the individual. By uncovering what’s kept them stuck and creating new neural networks for change, Krystal helps her clients and community tap into the clarity, confidence, and empowerment to build the life they want - not the one they think they have to settle for.

Written by: Sukanya Datta, 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. Want to do all work by yourself? and still be productive? The answer is MAYBE or MAYBE NOT. Time management is really important for everyone in every industry. Most of us only plan and keep planning. How do you plan? Just in the mind or taking notes, every now and then? It may not be the most correct way to balance work and life, especially if you are an early-stage entrepreneur. The topmost priority is planning, scheduling, budgeting. Stage 1 is planning that most of us are good at it. Most business owners plan well ahead of time that might create friction with work when plans get uncertain in the future. Yes, I have personally experienced that planning may not always work the way we want. Many of us might be juggling between full-time jobs and business ideas from a totally different field other than your own work profile. Maybe you have never explored the field in-depth and still want to do it? So here is how to proceed. Develop a scope that outlines the work the needs to be done and is urgently needed to get the idea started. Add tasks that are not important at the moment and can be accomplished later. Create a four-quadrant matrix to diversify detailed tasks. You will soon realize how certain “non-important things” occupy our minds and time. Having the right mindset and organizing priorities will help balance work and life. Once done making a plan sheet comes scheduling. This is the most important aspect of when implementing. Not every task can be implemented together or at once. Some tasks need to start when the predecessor is complete or some may need simultaneous implementation. So how to do it? Does it result in mental distress or confusion? Preparing a time management schedule is highly recommended and mandatory. Sometimes we all wished if we could have a personal assistant or a robot to help us with our chores? Right? But we haven’t reached that century yet where we robots would be the helping hand. So now what? Get back to your routine, prepare a “timetable”. Yes, a timetable really works. There are various apps to get your planning digitalized or a manual self-written timetable works good as well. Taking in the right requirements needed to accomplish tasks and implementing the plans makes the person timely and wise! V isit my Instagram for more info! Read more from Sukanya ! Sukanya Datta, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sukanya Datta is an electrical engineer. Along with the tech side, she is also a certified fashion designer. Being a tech lover, she has had a penchant for creativity. Entrepreneurship is a big journey and both tech and fashion have been a boon in her life. From developing monetary strategies and embark on the body positivity mission across the world and bridging the gap between women and fashion.

Coming from a professional background in design, Kamil previously practiced in both the Education & Corporate Sectors. One life-changing event in his 20s saw Kamil's life plummet from having a progressing career in design to living on $2 a day virtually overnight. This painful experience has taught him valuable lessons in Life, which he has used advantageously to regain his feet and ultimately achieve Personal and Professional Success. He now shares his experience and knowledge to help others achieve their own success by bringing on their own Personal Genius. Who is Kamil? Wow! Awesome question! It’s not often I get asked this, and I have to say that it’s not often any of us get asked this daily . It really puts things into perspective. It would go something like this… ‘Kamil is a loving dad and husband to his brilliant kids and amazing wife. He has lived and worked in various continents across the globe, including North America, Europe, and South-East Asia. He is a Life Coach living in one of the inspiring places on the planet, Dubai. Kamil is also a Chartered Architect, and MasterPlanner and this journey has led him to discover his calling, which is to help people help themselves. Overcoming his struggle with chronic asthma during his childhood, Kamil managed to embrace his passion for all types of individual and group sports (football in particular), and one of his lifetime achievements was to complete the Dubai Marathon. He loves taking walks in nature, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, as well as meditation. Taking a cue from the lessons learned in overcoming his own personal struggles, Kamil believes in the unlimited potential of every individual and that everyone possesses their own Personal Genius. His mission is to guide people to understand their potential and, in doing so, bring forward the Personal Genius within them.’ Who should hire/work with you, and what do you do for them? The global landscape has changed drastically over the last 12 months. More and more individuals and organizations are facing different types of challenges at varying degrees. These include elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse (about 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health issues by June 2020). I provide coaching services to individuals in guiding them to achieve a particular goal they may have (for example, overcoming a particular block or installing a new habit) and companies and corporations in group staff coaching. Typically my role as a coach is to guide my client, at their own pace, towards their personal and professional goals by utilizing proven coaching techniques. You just graduated as a Jay Shetty Coach. What did you learn during this course, and how can you apply this new knowledge to your daily work? I have to say, the experience was somewhat unexpected. However, let me start at the beginning, and by that, I mean WHY I decided to become a Life Coach. I guess it all began one night, way back during my college days when I was a 1st-year Architecture student. It was just after midnight, and there were a few other souls in our Architecture studio, burning the midnight oil as we had to present our house designs for assessment in the morning. As I was working away at my drawing board, head down, eyes transfixed on my Rotring pen and the ink as it made its way across the tracing paper, I heard faint footsteps slowly shuffling their way towards me. Now, I’ve heard stories about paranormal activities happening previously in this studio, but I was pretty sure these were the footsteps of a person! I looked up, and there was my friend, Patrick. I smiled and greeted him. He smiled back, but his response was a bit flat. Even though both our eyes were red from the lack of sleep, and we were both tired, I knew something was off with Patrick. He wasn’t his fun self. In fact, he looked a little distressed. Arms folded to one side and almost apologetic when he asked me how things were going with my work. We talked a little, and it wasn’t until I asked ‘How’s things with you?’ that he finally offered me a little insight into his struggle with his work. Naturally, I was inquisitive and actually wanted to know more about his project. I guess that’s the thing with me. I always want to talk and explore ideas! He explained his project, and we talked about concepts, windows, light, concrete, straight walls versus curved facades, and many other things that Patrick hadn’t realized before in his design. I merely asked him questions because I wanted to understand what he was trying to ‘say’ with his building. That was it. But I noticed that as we were talking, his mood changed. It was almost like the dimmer light switch was being slowly turned up, and his face started to beam again by the end of our chat. I felt his energy transform from being flat at the start to a new surge of energy that one gets when realizing the ‘A-Ha’ moment! He soon thanked me, and to be honest, I didn’t really know what for? I mean, I didn’t tell him what he needed to do to his project. I just asked inquisitive questions. And I felt good at the end of our conversation. I guess seeing him light up gave me a burst of renewed energy as well! Little did I know that this was the beginning of my journey to becoming a Life Coach. Fast forward to 2020, and as we all know too well, everyone has been affected by the current pandemic. This year will go down in our life’s story as the year that everything changed. My heart and prayers go out to those who are adversely affected by the situation. However, this year was quite pivotal in many people’s lives as they saw themselves elevate their lives either by choice or by force. In a sense, some people are looking at ways to leverage their trauma by applying a ‘post-traumatic growth’ mindset. For me, I am grateful that this year has changed me for the better. I re-engaged with my calling to serve others, and enrolling myself into the Jay Shetty Certification Program could not have come at a better time. The course provided me with all the tools to finally be able to actively help others and help themselves. Looking back at Patrick's conversation and the moment where it all began, I now realize that I subconsciously had been practicing some of the core coaching principles but did not have the structure and methodology to fully guide someone on their journey. This is what the Jay Shetty Certification School provided me with. The amount of research and resources made available to the students, including access to supervisors and a community of fellow students from across the globe, was phenomenal. The best part is that the School is growing as we speak. I’m grateful to be part of the journey towards, as Jay says, ‘Making Wisdom Go Viral, Together .’ What is your big goal? What does the 2030 Kamil look like? Wow! This is quite timely. I really feel like I’m at the ‘half-time’ of my life and that the ‘second-half’ has just kicked off (bear with me as I use football as a reference!). Following through with that analogy, my ‘first-half’ can be described as a bit ‘patchy .’ I made progress, but there were some blunders along the way. I didn’t really have much possession, but I didn’t do bad either. Even though the scoreline was 0-0 at half-time, I’m very happy with the first-half performance and extremely optimistic for the second half . The half-time break really helped me re-group, re-focus, and take stock of what went well and where I should be improving. Like I said, I just kicked off the second half, and I’m already 1-0 up in getting myself certified! I’m progressing towards my big goal, which is to positively impact 5 million lives across the globe over the next 10 years through my coaching, writing, and public speaking. If you had a billboard on Times Square, what would it say? Super! Hmmm..let me see. I think it will be this. Simple but very profound, I think. As much as a reminder to myself as well as to others. 2 words. “YOU MATTER .” For more details follow Kamil on Facebook , Instagram and visit his website . Read more from Kamil!

Written by: Betsy Kauffman, 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 leader, what is the best gift you could give your team this holiday season? Especially with holiday parties taking a hiatus this year, why not give your employees the gift of professional development? While annual raises and monetary compensation are always appreciated, investing in your employees through professional development can really go the extra mile in showing how much you value their contributions. To maximize this investment for you and your employees, you need to ensure several things are happening. ● Be aware of and remove any barriers . What good is the gift of a professional development training or workshop allowance or budget for each employee if they cannot find a way to attend? These barriers could come in the form of project managers not allowing them time to attend their training or being overloaded with work and inflexible deadlines. They feel they cannot take time away from their normal tasks to participate in crucial professional development. This leads to our next point on how to avoid these scenarios… ● Create a culture of professional development . Breed a culture of lifelong learning and openly encourage employees to continue to hone their skillsets—and broaden them with new skills. It shouldn’t be a source of tension for someone to approach their manager and inquire if they could attend a workshop or webinar if they feel it would increase their job competency. Obviously, there are times when specific projects or deadlines prohibit individuals from attending certain workshops, but the manager should be open to sending his team to relevant professional development trainings as they become available. ● Develop your own internal professional development program . This seems like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. This is not to say you need to reinvent the wheel or write your own training curriculum or workshops. This could be as simple as buying a bulk license for all employees to access online learning platforms, like Lynda.com or LinkedIn Learning, to acquire new skills or review the most up-to-date best practices in their current expertise. Some companies use courses on these platforms and group them into their own internal program tracks and award certificates and publicly recognize those who complete each track. And it doesn’t just have to be hard skills—soft skills such as conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and effective communication can be excellent workshop offerings. Leaders, if you don’t take the time to invest in and develop your team members, someone else will! If you want to attract and retain top-tier talent, you need to give them the opportunity—and budget dollars—to add skills to their expertise. That kind of support often breeds extremely loyal employees. I am curious to hear what unique course topics you have taken in the past and what you may have learned during those workshops. What was your biggest takeaway from a professional development conference, training, or workshop? Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Betsy ! Betsy Kauffman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Betsy Kauffman is a globally recognized Leadership and Organizational Agility Coach with more than 20 years' experience working in Fortune 500 companies. Her company, Cross Impact Coaching, helps leaders create innovative, aligned, disruptive organizations. Betsy has observed and worked side by side with hundreds of CxO leaders . She has seen just about every variation of how Leadership Teams operate and execute (both successfully and not so successfully). She deeply understands and has experienced firsthand when the team of individuals charged with leading the organization aren't aligned, focused, and working as one ; the rest of the organization suffers. She is a published author providing thought leadership to both agile and project management communities and speaks internationally on leadership, corporate culture, and organizational agility. She just completed her first TED talk - “How To Have Open and Honest Conversations at Work” in September 2020 in conjunction with the TED@PMI partnership and was selected by the TED editors to have her talk highlighted on TED.com in the near future – stay tuned for more details!

Written by: Felicia Shanken, 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. Do you realize in roughly 2 weeks, we will say goodbye to one of the most interesting years that any of us ever had to get through? Think about that for a moment, did you grow? Here we go! The year 2020 came in like a lamb and is leaving like a Tasmanian devil. All the vision boards or books couldn’t have prepared us for what was about to happen. The world was sent to their rooms and given a TIMEOUT! How many of you have taken the time to reflect on your lives, family, friends, businesses, or personal freedom? I never thought that a simple handshake would be taken for granted. Our lives have changed and will never be the same. Like many of you, I also have suffered the loss of saying goodbye to friends and those who were like family. Some were COVID-19- related, and other natural causes. I feel as if 2020 was saying, “wake up,” time is of the essence. Be grateful for all you have regardless of where you are in life right now. This, too, shall pass. One thing I do know is the GROWTH I have gained this year from just taking the extra time that was given to re-evaluate everything in my life. These are some of the lessons I have learned in 2020: 1. Letting Go of Things I Can’t Control How many times have I brought wasteful energy to a situation that I had no control over? Countless times, especially this year, I realized I had to make peace with 2020 and let it do what it wanted. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. So I embraced it and worked around the storm. 2. Reevaluating My Relationships I think this was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn. When I say relationships, I mean all of them across the board — family, friends, and business associates. It’s funny when you think about it. Time has a way of “calling” us out, and this year it was done in a big way. I don’t know about most of you, but clarity was definitely a friend of mine this year. Life is like a metamorphosis. We shed things we don’t need and gravitate towards things just like us, and we plant our seeds there. I said goodbye to some relationships that no longer served either one of us. It wasn’t on a bitter note, at least not on my part, I looked at it as a lesson that I needed in my life when it was there, and now it’s gone. Some of the best lessons I have learned in my life are from people who are no longer a part of my journey, and it’s OK. As a matter of fact, I thank them because I learned my worth, and I am aware of what I don’t need and who I can become, so again I THANK THEM! 3. Speaking Up For What I Want My dear friends, I hate to tell you this, but no one is coming to save you. Yes, you read that, right! Have you heard the expression “closed mouths, don’t get fed?” Exactly! We have been living in a digital world on steroids since March 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions began in the US and EU. Just about everyone, especially if they have a business, is competing for the same things you are — “other’s business.” We look at computer screens all day, every day, and try to have some sense of normalcy while doing so. You have to decide what you can do to make yourself stand out from everyone else. Now comes “the thinking out of the box” mindset. I cannot tell you how many times I have shared with women in my organization the art of pivoting your mindset and business if you don’t want to go out of business. Of course, this is not the case for everyone because they may work from home versus brick and mortar. My heart goes out to all those businesses that had to close their doors for good. Small businesses are the backbone of the world. I was very vocal this year. I knew what I wanted to do, why and how I wanted to do it, who I had to do it with, and I went for it — and I’m so glad that I did. Collaboration is one of the best things in the world, especially if you are a small business owner. I see this being the foundation moving into 2021 for a lot of small businesses. My advice for you, take the leap. If it works out, great, and if it doesn’t, you learned a valuable lesson. Either way, it’s a win-win situation. Right? 4. Being Thankful & Grateful For All Things Some of you may disagree with this, but I believe being thankful and grateful for everything is the foundation for everything in your life, especially now. I have lost some people this year, and it hurt like hell. I wake up to see a new sunrise every day, and that is a gift. I am grateful that those in my family affected by COVID-19 recovered and are still here with us. I am thankful for new relationships made during this year’s journey. Even though there was much sadness in 2020, somehow, my year was not a total bust. I have a lot to be grateful and thankful for. Some situations, I believe, I would not have gained clarity on had we not been given this time. I believe God has a sense of humor, and when He can’t subtly get our attention, He brings out the big guns, and boy oh boy, in 2020, he really showed us his collection. My friends, my hope for you going into 2021 is that you have grown, learned, listened, had compassion, forgiven, and worked on yourself. Here is to a better year in 2021 and more growth coming your way! Have a great day on purpose, and happy holidays! For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website ! Read more from Felicia ! Felicia Shanken, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Felicia Shanken is a Women Strategist and Builder. She is the Founder/CEO of the Philadelphia Women's Network Connection, LLC and PWNC Foundation 501(c)(3). PWNC is about helping local businesswomen build their business, connect with like-minded individuals and benefit from shared resources. The Foundation is committed to helping women growing a business as a solo entrepreneur transition from a full-time or part-time job to full-time entrepreneurship. Felicia has also been recognized and honored by " Fun Times Magazine " in their March/April 2020 edition for being " 2020 Philadelphia Who's Who Black Women of Influence". Felicia had the opportunity in September 2019 to have her own show on RVNTV , a digital television platform called " Power Up Your Passion," where she brings guests on to talk about their passion in life and how it lead to where they are now. Felicia was raised in Queens, New York. She moved to Philadelphia over 20 years ago, where she met her husband, Paul, a native Philadelphian. They live in the Fairmont area of Center City, Philadelphia.

Written by: Tess Leigh-Phillips , 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 coach and therapist, my main areas of focus are heartbreak and relationship issues. Yet, I spend less time talking about the relationship issues as I do about the individual. Once we understand ourselves, everything around us becomes easier to deal with. Once we accept and forgive ourselves, the same applies. This last year has been strange and difficult — the sadness, frustrations, and losses that the pandemic has brought. Divorces are soaring. Grief, panic, heartbreak, and struggle. The demands and anxieties of the holiday season, followed by the looming New Year, and the pressure to do better, be better, meet our goals. Even the most zen-like of us can be dragged in. Yet, while you may not be able to control what’s going on around you, you can go within and find a place from which to begin your transformation. By really learning how to love yourself, you will find your external world-changing as your internal one does. My clients come to me in the most broken states. They are frightened. Their world has been torn apart suddenly - or it is in the very process of crumbling. Seeing the light in the midst of this pain can seem impossible. So, I tell them: Start with yourself – not with the why’s where’s or who’s. Let’s start where we are, right now in this moment. Let’s take a pause and go inward — this is the best place from which to reset. There is often pain associated with taking a pause, with doing nothing. Emotions come up. We are forced to acknowledge where we are right now instead of focusing on the past or the future. If you find it painful to stop and acknowledge yourself, if you feel the need to be busy all the time, your soul is probably in need of some TLC. And at a guess, I bet you have high expectations of yourself too. Right? Listen, please don’t put yourself through the wringer with resolutions and plans that you then beat yourself up for not doing. Don’t avoid what hurts by filling up your schedule or acting out in destructive ways. (Another glass of wine or online purchase, anyone?!) Instead, show yourself time, patience, and care. Loving yourself is a term often thrown about. Many of us don’t even know quite what it looks like or how it feels - or if it’s something we even need to think about! Yet, in my work with women, I often find that a lack of self-love, of self-esteem, is at the very core of things. It comes disguised in many ways, of course, hiding in many different behaviors, in patterns of toxic relationships, an inability or unwillingness to set boundaries, a habit of isolation, or a need for attention. It lurks within the guise of perfectionism, and it skulks within the fear of abandonment and rejection. Where to start? First, stop putting pressure on yourself to meet your self-imposed expectations. Get out of your head and back into your body. How are you really feeling? Can you be accepting of this moment, right now? Because you are okay just as you are, I promise you. Trust me - you don’t want to wait for a crisis, to realize you have nothing in the tank. You don’t want to give and give emotionally and physically without building yourself up as well. This ‘loving yourself’ lark is more than baths and chocolate. It is consciously deciding to forgive yourself for your mistakes. It is being patient with yourself. It is being aware of the chatter in your head and not attaching to your thoughts. It is setting and sticking to boundaries. It is searching fiercely to find what makes your soul sing in life - and then doing it! It is facing reality - because even though things may not be ”perfect,” you know deep in your core that you are enough. And you know that you can handle anything. This is loving yourself. Easy? — not always. But worthwhile? Absolutely. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more information! Tess Leigh Phillips, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tess Leigh Phillips is an expert in the field of overcoming personal trials and accessing your inner power. As founder and CEO of Your Happy Heart Coach, she reaches thousands of broken women and passionately seeks to help them rebuild. After a turbulent past, lifelong anxiety, and a battle with addiction, Tess turned her situation around, with astonishing results. Her warm, loving approach has captivated an audience searching for true change, and deeper connection. Teaching women how to access their inner resources, break toxic patterns of behavior, and turn pain into strength, Tess says her mission is clear. “I’m here to remind you that you are so much bigger than your current circumstances. You can rise up from anything.” With a powerful message of possibility, Your Happy Heart Coach continues to impact women across the world on a daily basis.

Written by: Alina Machita, 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. My Dearest Woman, You do not serve yourself, your man, or the world by shrinking yourself for love. Woman, I know you have heard for a lifetime that you’re too much of something, too deep, too needy, too smart, too loud, too opinionated, too demanding... too happy, too sad, too large, too emotional, too expressive, too loving… too “whatever” the complaint may be. So you learned to dim yourself down in countless ways. You learned not to show up the way you want, but the way you’re expected to. You learned to second guess and shrink yourself. Watch yourself disappear in a room full of men because you wouldn’t speak up to the fullest expression of YOU as a woman. And even when you tried, you still felt like no one could truly “see” you. Instead, they saw a ghost of your true self. Which only then makes you feel like you’re not valuable and somehow not enough. It’s painful and tragic. And it feels like you can never win. But you can. The secret? You’ve Been Stuck In A Cycle Of Lies That Gets Broken Today . A cycle of shrinking yourself for someone else that’s stacked the cards against you. A cycle, like any other, that can end whenever you want. You have to remember a few key truths: You do not serve YOURSELF or get a man to love you deeper by shrinking yourself to fit inside his limited capacity to love you. You do not bring him closer anyway when you are mentally focused on LACK. You cannot scare off any man – or human – who is genuinely ready to learn how to love all of you. You’re perfect, JUST as you are. And you must learn to trust this if you want to explore who you are and accept yourself truly. No one else will accept you unless you teach them to accept you. Because like I said – we are always teaching others how to treat us by showing up ourselves. So yes … You Are Perfect Just As You Are But that doesn’t mean that you still don’t have inner work to do. You, just like all men and women, are raised by the same fast-paced society that programs our thoughts, our patterns, and our behaviors every day – whether that’s through social media, major news networks, or even your career. So that means we all have “programming” where we are unskillful and trained to act from fear, just like we’ve been shown in just about every movie, NetFlix show, and media storyline we’ve ever seen. Instead of responding through love, self-trust, and the inner-awareness that’s available to us inside, once we know how it works. When most people get into a relationship, they almost AUTOMATICALLY fall into these same old, false, self-limiting beliefs that push love and connection away. So it’s never been your fault, not for one single day. Never forget that you’re here to express the FULLNESS of you, dear woman, full spectrum. You are a multi-dimensional soul, and it’s time you learn to trust who you are at your core – moment by moment, from your agony to your ecstasy. If you’re truly too much for someone, then you do not serve that someone by shrinking yourself just to keep them close. You will know it’s time to move on if ANY human constantly resists you, puts you into a box, or tries to shrink you into something they can “understand and manage” because... YOU Are Meant To Be Loved, Not Understood Because the truth is that kind of person that cannot accept YOU as you are – can not truly accept THEMSELVES as they are. And they will keep running away from you because they cannot face THEMSELVES! Anyway, why would you want to be with someone who keeps showing you they aren’t at least willing to learn how to love you – for you? You aren’t here to just be a “good girl” who’s easy to put up with. A man truly worthy of your trust, surrender, and heart is one who’s willing to show up through conscious self-love and fight whatever dragons arise inside him that disconnect him from his heart and prevent him from offering his love to you! Look, none of us have been taught how to love. We have been taught the OPPOSITE regarding real love and relationships by everyone who raised us. We’ve been taught that logic and reason should prioritize our emotions and feelings, which most of society views as just “annoying obstacles to progress and productivity,” which may be why you feel people overlook and misunderstand you – especially men stuck in their head. However, your willingness, your courage, your gift to offer all of you, even the uncomfortable parts, is your invitation to get your MAN out of his head and into his heart with you. If a dude is defiant toward seeing and hearing you as you really are – please don’t suffer yourself until he figures it out. If he is fully committed to resisting the fullness of you, let him resist and let him go. Letting him go just might be the wake-up call you both need to figure out that you’re here on this planet to learn how to TRULY love, anyway! Besides, if he’s a genuine guy and ready to love you, he’ll be willing to love and nurture his passion and fire and fight those demons that guard the gates to his heart. For that’s the only way he can ever appreciate, recognize, nurture or claim the massive treasure hidden inside yours. But you must wake up, dear Goddess, and claim your own inner fire. It’s time for you to stop holding yourself back. And BE YOU The ENTIRE WORLD truly needs you to be awake, empathetic, alive, and TOTAL lit up in the fullness of you. Please stop shrinking yourself for love because that is not the way. I know that as you are sitting here reading this, you can feel deep in your heart where you know there’s SO much more than this “small love” you’ve been going through. And I know in my heart that you didn’t come here to play small in love. You didn’t come here to enable others to play small in love, either. You, dear WILD WOMAN, are the reason the planet is waking up. The Divine Waking Up Inside Us All I know it can be scary, especially when we find our own “inner light,” and people are afraid of it. Men are afraid of you. Which totally sucks. I get it. For a long time, I have frightened men with this fierce feminine power inside me that I had no idea how to wield … So I want you to know that you are not just “okay” as you are … you are EXTRAORDINARY … you are pure fire … When you are just being YOU. Pure Soul. Pure Fire. F*cking extraordinary. It’s time for you to light up the world and stop holding yourself back. Love yourself anyway (I love you) Enjoy your day, Alina For more info, visit my website & follow me on Instagram ! Read more from Alina ! Alina MaChita, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hi, I’m Alina. I’m an empath, a transformational healer and a Subconscious mind Specialist. I have an unshakable passion and gift to help women stop self-sabotage, unlock their subconscious mind, release trapped emotions and subconscious blocks, keeping them from living in love, accomplishments, and balance. Most of my work is done directly within your Subconscious Mind where your Power is; utilizing muscle testing is a way to communicate with the subconscious mind and sophisticated systems like Emotion and Body Code and Raising levels of consciousness, removing physical and emotional blocks and stored trapped imbalances that can keep you from abundance, creativity, emotional balance and lightness of being.

Written by: Denise Ritter Bernadini, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When a professional voice user (singer, speaker, educator) becomes ill, and the voice can't perform in top form, it can be very frustrating. For singers and speakers, their body is their instrument. Often professional voice users don't think of themselves as vocal athletes. However, if you make a living from your voice, you will need to protect it in the same way a professional athlete protects their body. When a baseball player catches a cold, they can still play. Professional athletes are, however, very protective of their limbs. They know if they are injured, their hard work and sacrifices may have been for naught. If they break a foot or hand, they may have to sit out half of the season. The good news for athletes is that often their contracts have injury clauses. They still get paid. Not so for professional singers or speakers. When a singer or speaker gets ill, and the vocal folds or respiratory system becomes inflamed, the ability to breathe, sing, and speak become exponentially more difficult or may not work at all. The flu, cold, or sinus infection can have various telltale signs and symptoms, ranging from fever and dry cough to more extreme symptoms such as difficulty breathing and laryngitis. Being vigilant about the instrument's wellness and care becomes very important when a paycheck is directly affected by the professional voice user's ability to perform. "No speak" equals "no pay," a powerful motivator if your livelihood is directly related to your voice. Given how reliant professional singers and speakers are on their bodies' health, here are some ways to stay healthy throughout the year, especially during cold and flu season. First, a couple of things to note: No vitamin, supplement, or food can guarantee you won't get ill. Being smart about washing your hands, staying out of crowds during the height of flu season, and perhaps getting the flu shot can also lessen the chances of getting ill. Flu shots are very controversial, but if you are a person who gets immunizations, then this option is probably for you. Vitamins and supplements may interact with prescription or over-the-counter medications. To be sure you are supplementing safely, always notify your doctor about all the drugs and supplements you are taking. You can also check out this site to be sure you are aware of possible interactions. https://wholisticmatters.com/interactive-tools/drug-nutrient-interaction-tool/ All vitamins are not created equal. As the saying goes - You get what you pay for. If you buy a generic multivitamin from a discount store, you may not get full absorption and are most likely flushing them down the toilet. It's hard to know which vitamins to take as there are thousands of brands from which to choose. If you are lucky enough to have a Functional Doctor in your area, they will probably have some suggestions for you. If you take your vitamins with fat, this will help increase absorption. What vitamins can help prevent the flu and colds? Vitamins such as B, C, and D, as well as zinc and selenium, may help boost your immune system and fight an illness in the same way they can help you get over a cold or flu. Here is why and what they do: Vitamin C - Generally, vitamin C can help you fight a cold faster or ease your cold symptoms if you take it regularly. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C, can help lung inflammation, which is a severe flu symptom, which is why flu can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. Start taking vitamin C now to be proactive. Vitamin D - Vitamin D helps your body maintain optimal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, boosting the immune system. It is wise to have your healthcare professional check your vitamin D levels annually. Some people have difficulty absorbing vitamin D naturally and supplementing with cofactors such as vitamin and chelated zinc. According to a study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, Vitamin D can also help you fight a respiratory infection. B Complex Vitamins - There are several kinds of B vitamins, each with its own function. B6 is essential to keep your immune system in top condition. A methylated multi-B complex with B3, B6, and B12 is best. Zinc - Zinc is a cofactor to vitamin D, an essential element for bolstering the immune system. Taking a chelated zinc is best because of its ability to be fully absorbed by the body. According to the National Institutes of Health, zinc has also been found to help activate T-cells, which trigger the body to respond to infections. There is new evidence that T-cell health and activity may be the breakthrough for curing cancer and viruses like COVID-19. The correct dose of zinc is 75 mg. If you're taking more than one zinc medication, you should first check with your doctor. Taking more than 150mg per day could cause toxicity. The following suggestions may be a little out of the mainstream but may help keep you healthy and combat colds, flu, and bacterial infections such as a sinus infection: Herbs: Elderberry - Some studies suggest that elderberry extract reduces the duration of the flu. Full of antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, elderberry syrup is used to remedy colds, flu, and bacterial sinus infections. Elderberry reduces swelling in the mucus membranes. The vocal cords are considered a mucous membrane. Swelling in the vocal cords causes the voice to be hoarse, raspy, crack, or unable to phonate in extreme cases. Astragalus - Astragalus is an herb root often used in medicine. Astragalus is typically used to treat the common cold, upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergies, swine flu, bacterial infections, and viruses. However, according to Medicinenet.com, one should take 160 mg of astragalus root extract by mouth daily for 3-6 weeks to improve symptoms such as a runny nose, or itching, and sneezing associated with allergies. Many immune-boosting teas will list astragalus as one of the ingredients. Andrographis - A plant used in medicine for various ailments, andrographis is frequently used as a painkiller and fever reducer to treat colds and flu. Taking andrographis extract combined with ginseng may improve symptoms when started within 72 hours of feeling sick. In a double-blind placebo study, researchers found that patients with the flu who took a specific andrographis extract combined with Siberian ginseng felt better more quickly than those taking a drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test subjects also experienced fewer complications like sinus pain, breathing problems, and bronchitis. Not certain if it should always be capitalized Licorice root - If you have a sore throat, licorice root may be used to soothe the pain when used as a gargle. Licorice root may loosen congestion and reduce swelling in the throat. You can find it in many common teas. Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Licorice might act like estrogen in the body. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don't use licorice. High blood pressure: Licorice can raise blood pressure. Pelargonium sidoides - Also known as Umckaloabo, a flowering plant that is native to South Africa. Its roots are used for medicine. Pelargonium sidoides is commonly taken by mouth for upper respiratory infections and the common cold. Taking extract of pelargonium sidoides seems to help reduce symptoms and clear up the common cold after ten days of treatment. Curcumin - Curcumin, derived from the Curcuma longa plant, is commonly known as turmeric and is used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic activity. Curcumin can help fight inflammation and aid the body's immune response. Foods: Mushrooms - Mushrooms are an excellent natural source for selenium and B vitamins. They also contain polysaccharides, riboflavin, and niacin, which help to keep the immune system optimal. Garlic - Garlic's antiviral properties may help reduce the severity of symptoms in colds and flu. A study from the University of Maryland Medical Center showed that people who took garlic supplements during the cold season caught fewer colds than those who took placebo pills. For even more garlic potency and antimicrobial magic for your immune system, eat garlic raw. Try crushing a garlic clove and let it sit for about 10 minutes before eating it; this will release vital enzymes that convert into allicin. Allicin is similar to antibiotics and will kill bacteria. You can also find raw garlic in powder, oil, extract, and tablets. Brazil Nuts - Brazil nuts contain selenium, which is a mineral and potent antioxidant with various uses, including preventing bird and swine flu. However, some autoimmune conditions react negatively to selenium and may impact their immune system. Three brazil nuts a day will give you your daily allowance of selenium. Acai berry - Acai berry is such a potent antioxidant and stimulator of the immune system. Researchers are studying it as a potential treatment for all kinds of conditions. It's often touted as support of general health and immune function. Try them covered in Dark Chocolate - It's a win-win. This ongoing flu season try adding the above foods, herbs and vitamins to your daily regime and see if you can stay off the bench. It’s really hard to say “put me in coach” if you can’t talk. Visit my Linktree and my website for more information! Denise Ritter Bernadini, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Denise Ritter Bernardini has taught voice on the University level for over 20 years. She holds degrees in Vocal Pedagogy/Science and Vocal Performance. Her focus on voice science, resonance, athletic training, and the power of the breath has given her students the ability to go on to international careers. Her experience as an international performer, her training in voice and breath anatomy, and her work with Speech-Language Pathologists give her the expertise and knowledge necessary for an award-winning coaching practice. Dr. Bernardini’s passion is biohacking, and helping singers and speakers maintain optimal vocal health. Her book Mindfulness of Singing: a transformational journey using the power of the voice is due to be released in 2021.

Written by: Charmie Torres, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Before the pandemic hit, 35% of employees had not experienced working from home. The traditional office setting was the norm for most industries. But with the rapid shift to remote working, many organizations had to relearn how to manage all business operations outside the confines of an office in almost an instant. Business operations involve all the processes that happen within an organization to keep it running and earn a profit. Plans and actions must be set organization-wide and within teams to work towards meeting the goals of the company. One of the best ways to achieve this is having the best set of resources, whether it be people, equipment, platforms, or processes. And of course, with the guidance and leadership of business owners and managers – navigating the new ways to conduct business operations lets you stay on track. The rapid shift, however, didn’t bring all sunshine and daisies that normally come with remote working. It introduced many disadvantages like downsizing, inefficient collaboration, mental health lows, and work-life boundaries being crossed. Because of this, experts have suggested being prepared to work from home for the next 2 years or even permanently. By being prepared for the transition of completely remote teams, it helps you achieve two things: first, to overcome the challenges of non-face-to-face collaboration, and second, to effectively continue thriving as an organization. Let’s take a look at several practices and questions you and your team can assess to ensure if you’re journey to transition remotely will be successful. 1. Good leadership while setting clear expectations – Implement the new standard of conducting business by setting clear expectations, key roles, and responsibilities for the team. Identify any additional responsibilities your team will take on during this time. 2. Right set of collaboration tools and resources – Are you equipped with the right collaboration tools and resources? Is everyone comfortable using certain software or platforms? Clearly communicate which project management apps you’ll be collaborating in like Microsoft Teams, Google Suite, ClickUp, or Slack. 3. Is your team projects-based or regular ongoing work? Most jobs that are remote are project-based. According to a Harvard Business Review article, restructuring jobs to work as remote positions long-term or ongoing is optimal. Enough time is needed, especially for new hires, to acclimatize to company culture and standards. 4. Are you able to provide training and support fast enough? – Identify the jobs and competencies that are flexible and those that are not. Offer training to address those skills given that face-to-face training is put on hold for the foreseeable future. 5. Do you have experience using external providers? – Outsourcing talent like digital marketing, virtual assistant, IT consultants, or web development will continue to rise within the next few years. It’s best to leverage on this strategy to work with the right people for your business. 6. Offshore Remote Teams work best for businesses that need cost-effective , performance-driven execution work as opposed to strategic input. With the economy at a standstill, coming up with other ways to maintain high standards of conducting business while being cost-effective is key. Working remotely is proving to be the best option for businesses of all sizes, and if you’re looking to hire a remote team that is capable of working efficiently and meeting deadlines without breaking the bank, consider Löngun Services. Löngun can provide business owners with extremely affordable fees for accounting and customer service work as well as give you the opportunity to grow your business without compromising the quality of your services. To learn more about our service offering, visit our website . For more information, visit my website and follow me on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn ! Read more from Charmie ! Charmie Torres, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Charmie Torres is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Löngun, a business process outsourcing company. Löngun was conceived in 2018 in response to clients who needed more than accounting services. Born and raised in the Philippines and studied in one of the top universities in the UK, Charm aims to bridge both worlds to develop a diverse work culture and environment. “It was a knee-jerk reaction to offer administrative, virtual assistance, and graphic design services as well because this is what many of our customers needed to grow their ventures.” With a team of well-rounded and experienced professionals (a motley crew of accountants, customer service professionals, technical experts, graphic artists, and administrative personnel), Löngun’s mission is to help business owners focus on scaling their business by taking care of the company’s non-core activities and streamline their workflow. Also, serve as a catalyst to her Filipino employees to reach their fullest potential.

Written by: Jenn Taylor, 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. Recently, I sent out a newsletter and discussed updates and changes in my podcast. Some of the changes were based on having the podcast for over 3 ½ years and putting in a lot of time and effort. Compound Interest is working for me. Some changes were statistics and analytics — I love the black and white of stats as they just truly are. There isn’t necessarily a good or bad, just a barometer of where you are currently compared to where you were and where you want to be. Podcasts are a unique platform. The actual, complete, for-real, honest statistics are nearly impossible to come by. There is no clear and certain way to gather accurate information across all of the places they are distributed. The statistics I posted were based on Spotify, which is connected to my podcast host and automatically generates annually. It’s an accurate depiction - but limited exclusively to Spotify specific statistics only. The analytics showed my podcast growth this year, and the numbers had most definitely improved, which is something to be proud of. Spotify looked at the information from several vantage points, and I was excited and pleased with the information. I have two goals with my newsletter: to provide value and to interact. It stands to reason if I’m providing value, people will engage one on one, and it is my absolute favorite inbox message when people respond, telling me how they are doing. It was unexpected and a bit surprising that some of the feedback triggered me negatively with this newsletter. “It’s wonderful to see how SUCCESSFUL you are.” A phrase I heard several times in different ways made me look hard at my success views and why the word triggered me negatively. Success seems to be determined predominantly in two ways: Money and Numbers. I see that as a popularity competition where you are paid. Not at all, how I want anyone to view my business, podcast, coaching, speaking, etc.… While it’s true that being paid is often a standard exchange in business, and there is an inability to make a difference in the lives of people unless they know who you are, there is so much more to success than those two criteria. First, let’s look at what success does not need to be about - and how to flip the script on how we determine how success feels: Other people’s level of expectations or achievements In the podcast example, the goal doesn’t need to be downloads, audience size, or comparing yourself to another person’s perceived success. You aren’t necessarily sharing the same goals with other people, and it’s highly probable you don’t know their entire story. Putting people above or below where you’re at There is most likely someone (or multiple people) who are ranked higher than you, and there are also people just starting out. Comparing yourself to where you have been and where you are going is a better barometer of success than where you believe other people are at Monetary gain With the belief that money is simply a form of energy passed between people, money is ONE way of exchange between two people. Although paying bills is a necessity, there are many ways to exchange energy. Exchange of products, services, or information, shout-outs, shares to social media platforms, etc., are all examples of an equitable exchange. Sticking with the podcast example, if guests share their episode, subscribe, and leave a review, it helps exponentially - the same goes for listeners. That kind of compound interest (small actions that add up over time) goes a long way in growth. Social media, statistics, and/or numbers Stats are a way to track where you are at to determine that growth is occurring. Growth means your audience is getting larger, and the message is reaching more people, which sounds like a good thing unless we consider it may be better to have fewer, more connected followers than a large audience. Someone I know has a podcast for people with fibromyalgia. The numbers may seem low, but the following is strong. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and Mark Twain said, “Comparison is the death of joy.” Truer words have never been spoken. I realized my negative triggering was due to comparison, and my feelings of wanting more - in numbers or financial gain - was desired to somehow prove to myself that I was worthy of the word success. When I evaluated the trigger, I took a deep dive into the reasons I started the podcast and some barometers for success that have nothing to do with money or numbers. Provide content that helps other people and makes a positive difference Help people feel less alone in their struggles - knowing there is someone who understands them. Provide tools, tips, tricks, etc.… for listeners to build a bigger toolbox to get through personal struggles faster, easier, and more supported. The message that every person’s story is relevant and deserves to be shared Guests come from referrals, repeat interviews, word of mouth. Interaction with people and companies/agencies outside of the podcast as a direct result of the podcast Growth over time of statistics, number of interview requests, interactions with people As I considered my original goals, without the “noise” of how other people might gauge success, I realized that all I really needed to do was say, “Thank you.” For more info, follow Jenn on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website! Jenn Taylor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 and The Naked Podcaster, a Mindset Coach and Motivational Speaker. She is also an NLP Practitioner and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer, has written the blog - Mom’s Running It - for 9 years, and is a published author of a self-help memoir "Hello, My Name Is... Warrior Princess". She teaches Compounding Joy, bringing fast, easy, actionable exercises to people to increase their joy and gratitude. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. Compounding Joy - Using the theory of compound interest to create a happier life! If you’ve attended events or heard speakers in the past and gotten excited about making changes only to return home and not know what to DO with the information, or feel frustrated at not knowing HOW to implement the information, you’ll love this talk! Compounding Joy brings fast, easy, actionable exercises to people to increase their joy and gratitude. Not only will you walk away with WHAT to do, but you’ll also know HOW in quick, easy steps.

Written by: Yunlong Wang, 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 medical device market ushered in a golden age globally. The demand for high-end medical devices in the Chinese market is also rapidly increasing. Whether it is government policy encouragement and guidance, or capital promotion and stimulation, these provide rare opportunities for European medical device companies to enter the Chinese market. So, how is the market actually changing and how can European Medical Device companies take advantage of this? How is the market changing? Many people remember medical devices produced by Chinese manufacturers as items produced at a low cost and at large volumes. This is rapidly changing, and China is producing more and more medical device products of higher quality today. As indicated by Yangni Liu, an author at Equal Ocean, the proportion of people being over 65 years old in China reached 12,5% in 2019. Moreover, there has been an increased spread and normalization of chronic decease throughout the country. The demand for qualitative medical devices has, therefore, increased, and products such as household medical equipment are in strong need. What also is worth mentioning is that the Medical Devices market is growing a lot faster than the average market growth in the country – for several years, the amount of money that the Medical Devices industry has accounted for in healthcare expenses has increased by approximately 20% each year, according to Quasar. Liu also explains how the market achieved CNY 10.36 billion in 2018, and that amount is expected to increase to CNY 12.5 billion now in 2020. Simultaneously, the Chinese government is increasingly investing in healthcare expenditures, and the policies are clearly promoting a need for more medical devices and further development within the category. Regulatory changes ease the transition. For foreign companies that a few years back wanted to either cooperate with or enter the Chinese Medical Devices market, several obstacles made this difficult. For instance, intellectual property laws restrained local manufacturers from working with multinational companies, and devices that were produced in China could not easily be marketed abroad. However, according to the East-West Bank, regulations have changed since 2018. European MedTech companies can now import innovative devices into China without getting certificate approvals. Thus, making the process to put devices for sale in China much smoother for international manufacturers. However, MedTech companies will need a deep understanding of the Chinese market to succeed with their pricing and, therefore, be careful under the new system. The effect of Covid-19 on the market. Living in a time of a worldwide pandemic has also triggered the need for the market to accelerate its growth pace. It has resulted in a sharp increase in demand for both low-value and high-value medical devices all over the world, and it will probably continue to grow after the pandemic, although not at an equally high pace. Especially for China, this has meant that the Medical Devices market has had to quickly mature and is now about to step into the golden 10 years. How can European companies take advantage of the market? China’s market is expected by some analysts to soon become the world’s largest, which means huge opportunities for companies that manage to quickly adapt to this change. Also, since the demand for medical equipment is big, there is definitely room for European companies to transition into China and contribute with innovative devices into the market. A benefit of the Chinese manufacturing supply chain for local producers is that it is quite robust and offers highly qualitative and cost-effective raw materials and efficiency among manufacturers. There are thus many opportunities for European companies in the Chinese Medical Devices market. However, they will, in the future, need to manufacture locally in China and produce higher-quality medical devices to overcome their Chinese counterparts and reach success. Conclusion With a growing demand for innovative medical equipment and new beneficial regulations on the Chinese Medical Devices market, there is now a unique opportunity for European companies to enter this hugely profitable market. The push from China's policies to expand the market also indicates that there will be more capital focusing on this industry in the following years. Therefore, it is time for foreign companies to consider the opportunities to enlarge their footprint by manufacturing medical devices locally in China, as the market continues to grow. Sources: Equalocean, Quasar-med , and Eastwestbank To learn more about Yunlong, you can visit his LinkedIn or contact him at: yunlong.wang@vikcess.com Read more from Yunlong! Yunlong Wang, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Yunlong Wang is apart from being the CEO & Founder of Vikcess Business Group, a VC, Writer, and Startup Coach. His main focus is on how the innovation tech changes the business and our world. He devotes most of his time to innovation management, achievement transformation to adapt to new markets, technology transfer to apply in a wide range of industries, and startup acceleration with capital support. He is playing the role of a bridge, as Vikcess does, which connects Europe and China, to pursuit communication, collaboration, opportunities, and the future.