Written by: Desiree Bolin, 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. Two weeks until year-end. Yikes. This year has punched us, knocked us down, and forced perseverance. You deserve an unbeatable season and the best time to prepare for this is at the beginning of the year. Let’s get you prepped with these 6 steps: Ritualize Goal Setting Hold Yourself Accountable Adjust Your Mindset Focus on What You Can Control Get A System In Place Continue Your Education Ritualize Goal Setting Goal setting and a great action plan. Leading a company from the driving forces of who we are and why we do it should always be at the top of mind during these sessions. Also, having a firm grasp on what you want to achieve will supply you with extreme motivation & drive, increasing as does the momentum. Turn each goal into actionable, achievable, and measurable items. Breaking over-arching end goals down into smaller tasks makes everything more attainable and will allow you to direct the team and hold everyone accountable. If you have a team, share the plan with them, it is important the entire team/company is marching forward with the same goals. SMART goals are the best goals. Hold Yourself Accountable Accountability is a must-have. If you lose momentum easily and cannot see past the big picture, it’s time to find an accountability partner. A biz bestie (as I like to call it), a mentor, or even a colleague that you talk with daily or even weekly is ideal, but there are accountability coaches that you can hire & work with as well. Remember, action makes progress. Adjust Your Mindset Rid yourself of all negative, self-doubting thoughts that are limiting your ability to move forward. You got this. You started this business for a reason. Having an unimpeachable & empowering mindset for yourself and others and an exuberant confidence in all areas of your life and your business paves the road to limitless happiness & satisfaction. Believing is half the hurdle. Focus on What You Can Control Accept the fact there are SO many things that are outside of your control. Don’t live in this space. Align yourself with what you have power over. Surround yourself with those that will support, guide, and push you to be more, no matter what. Stray away from those that are false. How do we do this? Spend time concentrating on those things that you and your team have the capability of changing, shaping, and to mold. Actively pursue tasks that will elevate and take your company higher than ever before. Actively pursue things that make your life better. Get A System In Place Don’t know what a good marketing and sales process looks like? There are so many companies out there that focus on this, don’t let an area of your business fall apart because it isn’t your bread and butter. Reach out to an expert (including myself) for guidance & counsel. Already have a system in place? Analyze it. There are bound to be holes in the process. It is absolutely essential to nail down your processes and the best system that works for you. The faster you realize there are gaps in your business, the faster you are able to take action and set yourself up for a successful year to come. Also, remember this does not need to be done alone. Ask the experts. Know where you’re going before you get there. Continue Your Education Read a book. Take a course. Get certified. Peruse an article. Do a crossword. Do one thing every day that sparks your interest and enhances your thinking. Remember, this does not have to be something in your field or area of expertise. Expanding your knowledge in general will help in more ways than one. For example, you might not be a tech company, but keeping up on the latest will help your company in the future when making decisions about growing their internal tech pack. The most successful people utilize the practice of growth beyond their business’ four walls and, clearly, it pays off. Make yourself be highly successful. The beginning of the new year provides so much hope and opportunity. It feels like a clean slate and a way to start over. Putting these six simple steps into practice will allow the company to stay focused and accomplish everything they dream of for the year to come. For more information, follow Desiree on Facebook, Instagram and visit her website! Read more from Desiree! Desiree Bolin, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Desiree Bolin is a highly recommended EVA and OBM, passionate about helping business owners and C-level executives create repeatable, scalable processes that have never failed to decrease stress and overwhelm. With no heavy lifting required, she will help you drive change and growth within your organization. She has helped companies of many different industries and structures attain exponential success. She will continue to provide high-level support and friendship to all who need her.

Sue Ritchie is a sought after Fertility Coach who is passionate about helping businesswomen who are struggling to conceive to boost all the areas that underpin fertility so that they increase their potential for conception even if they are undergoing IVF treatment. She takes a totally holistic approach that includes mind, body, and spirit. She covers areas that are generally not considered by medical professionals, simply because they are not part of their expertise, but are nonetheless important if you are looking to conceive. She loves to see her clients up-leveling all areas of their life, so that they go through this journey in great health and with a positive mindset, leading to a happy, joyful life where they will be empowered to become the best parents they can be. Who is Sue? I guess the best place to start is at the beginning of my career, which is quite a long time ago now, but it does play a big part in how I came to be The Fertility Coach. I had a successful career in corporate marketing before I became the owner of my successful direct marketing business and then following that I moved into my current business as a fertility coach which I am so passionate about. My life in my corporate marketing career and running my own business involved working long hours under high levels of stress. Like many women, I was putting everyone else first in my life and my work was a huge part of my life. I constantly pushed myself to the limit, trying to fit everything in, thinking my body would somehow keep going regardless. With hindsight, I can see that I was addicted to busyness and it wasn’t a good thing. Things came to a head around 10 years ago when I found myself unhealthy, overweight, and with low energy. A diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease resulted in my doctor telling me that I would be on medication for the rest of my life. I was, however, unwilling to accept the prognosis of living a compromised life. This really spurred me into action and saw me taking responsibility for my own life and my health. As a result, I made some big life-changing decisions. I made a conscious decision to create a better work-life balance, taking time out to focus on healing myself. I also spent a lot of time researching how I could get myself well again and through this, I discovered the root cause lie in my gut health. By focusing on rebalancing my gut microbiome, as well as making changes to my diet and nutrition, I fully recovered within 18 months and lost 35lbs in weight. My big realization was how fundamental our gut microbiome is to our health, and this has led me to specialize and continue to increase my huge knowledge in this important area, particularly as it also underpins fertility. I have a huge love for children and from a young age, I always had a strong desire to have children. Life circumstances, however, didn’t quite go the way I wanted though. I didn’t have my first child, my son, until I was 36 and then my daughter when I was 39. I am hugely proud of them both and at the beginning of this year, I became a grandmother for the first time. A new role that I am delighted to be able to step into and my granddaughter is just beautiful and adorable, but then of course, I am a little biased! I live in Leicestershire, in the UK, with my wonderful husband and we share our home with my crazy cat Bella. I particularly love cooking, music, and foreign travel, and thoroughly enjoy photography and being out in and experiencing all the wonders of nature. What is it that you do for your clients? In simple terms, I help my clients to boost their fertility naturally so that they increase their potential to conceive and create that bundle of joy they desire. I do that by helping them to optimize all the areas that underpin fertility. Some of these often come as quite a surprise to my clients, simply because the traditional medical approach focuses on purely the physical aspects. Of course, having great physical health is really important and I help my clients to attain that in order to improve their fertility. But there is more to fertility than just that. Many people don’t realize that just living in today’s modern, busy world creates lots of factors that can negatively impact fertility for both the man and the woman. There are also factors in the environment both outside and inside our homes that can work against fertility. I teach them about all of these things and how they can take steps to reduce the impact of them on their fertility. I take a holistic approach, simply because as human beings, we are mind, body and spirit. All of those parts are interconnected and have an impact on each other. So, if we want to improve our ability to conceive, we do need to ensure that they are all working effectively and are in alignment with that same common goal to increase the potential to conceive. A key element is providing them with support. When you are on this journey wanting to become pregnant and it doesn’t seem to be happening, it can become a really lonely, frustrating and emotional place. Having non-judgemental support from someone who understands your challenges, and the emotions you are going through plus, helping you to stay grounded and in the positive zone is so important. On top of it all, I help my clients to start living a happier, enjoyable and more fulfilled life. Who should hire/work with you? There are really three different situations where women hugely benefit from working with me. Firstly, those female professionals wishing to become pregnant, but are finding that it isn’t happening as quickly as they had hoped, who are open to try a different approach and who would really value having the support of someone who understands what they are experiencing. Secondly, female professionals who have just decided that they would like to start a family and want to prepare themselves fully so that they increase their chances of conception from the start. I have always believed that if you prepare fully you are more likely to achieve success. Then, finally, those female professionals who are looking or are booked in to start IVF treatment. Particularly those who would like to increase their chances of it being successful and so reduce the number of cycles they may have to go through. They also know that going through IVF can be a stressful and emotional experience and getting support can be hugely beneficial. Tell us a little bit about the OptiMum Fertility Formula? What is it? My OptiMum Fertility Formula is a 6 month comprehensive and life-changing one to one program that is for couples who are open, ready and committed to doing everything they possibly can to increase their potential for conception, but equally the program can be done by a woman on her own, if that is her personal choice. There are six main core pillars to the program and these are: Physical health: We assess your current health and then create an eating and nutrition plan to improve the effectiveness of all the systems in the body so that they are ready to support conception. Thoughts: Here, we focus on managing the negative voice in your head and your mindset. Plus providing the support that resulted in a more positive outlook on life and increased resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs. This part alone has been proven in a Harvard study to increase the potential to conceive by 55%. Intimacy: Your relationship with your partner is one that can so often can come to the breaking point when you are on this journey. Receiving coaching and support helps you create and maintain a happy, loving and supportive relationship. Maintenance: Consistency is the key to success, so lots of support is provided to keep you on track. Understanding: This part is all about getting to know you and learning to love yourself, as well as healing and letting go of all the things that no longer serve you. This is a key area of this program that will enable you to step into parenthood and avoid healing your childhood wounding through your child. Motherhood: This is about teaching and advising you on how to become a conscious parent, to increase the chances of your child growing up to be a happy, fulfilled individual who has self-love. Plus, helping you to be more fulfilled parents. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? My mission is to change the health of the next generation of children, because currently, children’s health in this country is poor. I know that when you have great physical health when you conceive, you are helping to ensure that you have a healthy baby. I would also like to see more parents step into parenthood as the best version of themselves. Where they make their health a top priority, they live life in the positive and they have built a loving and supportive relationship with themselves and each other. This will result in more children being brought into the world having self-love and knowing that they can achieve their true potential and be primed to live a happier life. Becoming a parent, to me, is the most important role that we have in life, but one where we receive no training except that we have learned from our own parents. For many of us, we come to realize in adulthood that the parenting we received may not have served as well as we might have hoped. I see myself in 10 years’ time having created a legacy of encouraging both men and women to step into parenthood as the best version of themselves, but also have created a Parenting School where both men and women can find training, resources, advice, and support that will take them from the point at which they decide to start a family all the way through pregnancy, and birth and then into parenting from early years through to adulthood enabling them to become the best parents they can be. For more details and how to increase your potential for conception, follow me on Facebook or Linkedin join my Facebook Community or visit my website

Written by: Amber Stephenson , 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 are your 2020 resolutions going? Did you smash them – or are you pretending you never made any? If you’re in the 2nd camp, don’t worry – you’re not alone. According to an article by Forbes in 2018, only 8% of people accomplish their New Year’s resolutions – and I’m not one of them. My resolution for 2020 was to pay off my family’s debt, which isn’t going to happen this year. I’ve learned a lot about goal-setting, and I want to share that with you so I can be a part of the 8% (together, we can raise this number in 2021). A lot of people these days swear by the SMART goal setting system, and it’s great – as far as it goes. But before we can actually start setting goals, there are a few things to consider. The first is the most important one to answer. What do YOU want? I’m not asking what you think you should be doing or what you’ve been told to accomplish. I don’t care what other people want my life to be (and you shouldn’t either). I want to know what YOU want. This really is square one of goal-setting – and most people are already lost at this point. They’re lost in other people’s opinions and desires. I don’t know about you, but I don’t live my life for other people, not even my family. I live my life for me. So before you start thinking about what’s specific or measurable – ask yourself what you really want because that is so much more motivating than trying to please someone else. Maybe you want to pay off some debt, or lose some weight, or get a promotion. Maybe you want regular trips to the masseuse, a wardrobe you love, or more time for the things you really enjoy, like art. All of these are valid goals, but let’s take it a step further – because when we dream big, we need lots of motivation. Remember when I said I wanted to pay off my family’s debt? I chose that because of the freedom it would give me. To buy a kickass wardrobe. To send my kids to daycare. To not have to worry about whether they would be enough money to pay the bills. To start saving for dream house. To have money for emergencies. To never have to check my bank balance in a check outline. To help my kids pay for school. To have date nights with my husband. Why is all of this important? Because achieving our goals isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time – there will be storms. And when those clouds roll in, we need to remember why we’re doing this in the first place. This is what keeps us moving forward when we want to quit. Once you’ve answered these questions, you can move onto the SMART system with the confidence that you can do anything. Within reason, which is where I failed in 2020. And remember – you’re a beautiful goddess, and you’ve got this. Good luck, and Happy New Year! For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn ! Amber Stephenson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Amber Stephenson is a Master Transformational Coach who specializes in helping women who struggle to reach their goals to identify what's holding them back and shift into success. She's on a mission to empower women to be their most powerful, authentic selves while building lives they love and making their dreams come true. Amber is a rockstar coach, a dedicated wife, mother of four, insatiable reader and avid gamer.

Written by: Diane Demetre, Guest Writer 2020 will go down in history as one of those extraordinary years when the world underwent a seismic shift in human consciousness. A year when everyone faced some unexpected challenge, whether physical, mental, emotional, financial, spiritual, or interpersonal. And with 2020 hindsight, it will be evident that those who embraced the year as an opportunity to expand their consciousness not only met the challenge but succeeded by becoming conscious leaders in their business, family, and community. For the past decades, a leader has been described as someone who motivates a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. In a business setting, this means directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company's needs. Though this leadership style has generated quantifiable results for companies and stakeholders, a new, expanded leadership model is now emerging to meet the expectations of 2021 and beyond. A model that goes further than the transformational style of leader to conscious leadership, where leaders are as committed to their team’s peace of mind as much as they are to the bottom line. Where leaders guide and inspire to replace fear with faith in the organization. And where leaders not only minimize and manage risk but elevate and encourage consciousness. The previous traits of great leaders such as highly developed communication, interpersonal, organizational, and strategic skills will still be crucial, but conscious leadership offers a more connected approach to self to lead teams to new levels of innovation, fulfillment, and success. 1. Begin Within Conscious leadership starts from within. Our primary role as leaders is to engage with our inner resources and develop discernment. We must be grounded in our inherent worth, value, and service to others before we expect our teams to succeed. Unless we have an unshakeable connection to our inner self and the greater good, we will never facilitate others in their growth or inspire them to stand beside us and succeed. 2. Expand Clarity Conscious leaders seek to expand and deepen their own personal clarity framework through defining their vision, intention, dreams, talents, goals, actions, and habits until inherent purpose reveals itself. Thus equipped, they become consummate communicators, and with their teams, design a corporate philosophy for the business—a living, breathing blueprint on which every SOP is based and compliance assured. 3. Align Decisions Conscious leaders understand that decisions design the organization’s destiny. No matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, every decision has catalytic power and sets in motion an outcome. Highly intuitive and highly organized, conscious leaders align their decisions with the corporate philosophy and, in doing so, increase the probability of success and personal fulfillment for their teams. 4. Focus Further With an unwavering faith in themselves, conscious leaders focus within before focusing on the future. They check-in regularly, accessing their inner resources, then focus their attention on the next course of action as intuited. They possess an acute sense of intention and encourage their teams to develop the same. 5. Ignore Limitations Ignoring limitations, refusing to take counsel from the naysayers, or allowing adverse facts to stand in the way of a good decision are traits attributed to all good leaders. Conscious leadership includes disregarding one’s own fears, doubts, and misgivings—to challenge conditioned thinking through innovation, creativity, and inspiration, knowing these are cultivated from within, not without. 6. Expect More The desire and expectation for more underpins conscious leadership—more meaning, more responsibility, more peace, more fulfillment. The getting of more is no longer the driving force. The being more is how conscious leaders live, personally and professionally. They adopt a mindset of more, knowing that there is always more than enough resources, money, talent, and skills to manifest success. 7. Lean in Leadership is more than just setting the course and steering the metaphorical ship. It’s about leaning in, changing course when necessary, realigning with a new direction, and moving forward without resistance. Conscious leaders practice the art of leaning into challenges rather than confronting them head-on. They understand that flexibility, willingness, and adaptability lead to peaceful resolutions and pragmatic solutions in the most time-efficient manner. 8. Unlock Power Knowing that everyone has the potential for greatness, conscious leaders actively seek to unlock this power in their teams. Demonstrating and instilling certainty, confidence, commitment, courage, compassion, character, consistency, competence, credibility, and congruence inspire others to tread their own path with gratitude, kindness, and shared success. The power of one becomes the power of many. 9. Energize Action Conscious leaders possess dynamic, energetic resonance through the application of conscious health and well-being habits. They understand the law of attraction and consciously apply and energize the law in their business, acting as if it is already so in the present moment. Knowing they have the power to create extraordinary results, they energize and align their actions for the greatest impact moment by moment. 10. Stay the Course Conscious leaders know that everything will be all right in the end, and if it’s not all right, then it’s not the end. They are determined, disciplined, and dedicated, not just to success, but to fulfillment and the joy that accompanies it. Despite the distractions, they stay the course until the job is done, facilitating everyone to be more conscious in the process. As the evolution of human consciousness undergoes an accelerated shift because of the domino effect of the pandemic, many will resist the transformation, wishing for the ‘way it was.’ But change is inevitable, and for those willing to consciously harness the energy of change, they will build empowered teams and stronger businesses. The days of profit above peace are coming to an end. It’s time for leaders to master their mindset, apply a positive, powerful meaning to challenge, and become conscious of the greater good. A new style of leadership is now upon us, that of the conscious leader. Follow Diane on Faceook and Instagram or visit her website For more about her Master Mindset Method courses, programs and life mastery retreats, visit Master Mindset Diane Demetre, Guest Writer Brainz Magazine Diane Demetre is a Master Mindset Mentor, Life Coach, Speaker and Author with a 40+ year career spanning entrepreneurship, personal and professional development, leadership training, performance coaching and energy psychology. She is on a mission to shift one mind at a time, one business at a time to a master mindset through her transformative work.

Written by: Ellie Shefi, 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. Where the industry stands today and what you need to know to pick the path to publication that’s right for you! If you want to establish yourself as an authority and have the opportunity to share your message with a wider audience, then publishing a book could be for you. The path to publication can often seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! As someone who has ghostwritten and published thousands of pieces in a variety of formats and via the different paths to publication, I’m going to walk you through the main differences between the 5 key types of publishing so that you can choose the path to publication that best serves your needs. Traditional Publishing It used to be that if you wanted to see your book in the hands of readers, it was necessary to submit it through an agent to one of the big publishing houses (such as HarperCollins, MacMillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, or one of their imprints). If you're lucky enough to be one of the chosen few, you might secure a contract under which the publisher holds an exclusive right to decide whether to publish your manuscript. That’s right, just because they purchase the rights to your manuscript doesn’t guarantee it will go to print! If you are even luckier, the publisher will actually publish your book. But, the book they publish might not be exactly what you imagined when you sold your manuscript. The publisher controls the title, cover, and content of your book (ironic, isn’t it?). As for your cut, you’ll typically receive a small percentage of revenue from sales as royalties. If the publisher’s initial marketing campaign doesn’t send your book viral, then you, as the author, are often responsible for further marketing (if you can afford to do any). When it’s all said and done, you might barely recognize the book attributed to you, and, after your agent’s cut, you would have little to show in the way of earnings. Although in some cases you might receive an advance on royalties, the amount advanced would have to be paid back through the royalties as they were earned, which might never exceed the amount of the advance. Publishing in this way is probably not nearly as glamorous or lucrative as you thought. So why would you want to go the traditional publishing route? Simple: prestige! Traditional publishing is the most selective, most prestigious way to publish your book, so it has the greatest effect on your credibility and position as an authority. Over the past few years, however, traditional publishing houses have consolidated and become increasingly selective, which means that the traditional publishing route is now foreclosed on to many. The good news is that we live in a time where the internet provides constant evolving options for communication, and there are many new ways to tell your story! Consequently, the majority of new authors are now opting for “self-publishing,” “independent publishing,” or “hybrid publishing.” Self-Publishing In the past, traditional publishing houses were the only way to get your book to print. Today, as an author, you can now publish your book yourself. But how, you ask? Once you’ve written, edited, and formatted your book, you can use one of the self-publishing companies to upload your manuscript, create your book’s cover, and secure your book’s ISBN (the unique identifier for your book). You can do this through Amazon’s publishing wing and then sell it through Amazon as a paperback or Kindle e-book, in which case Amazon would pay you royalties off the sales of your book. You can also publish through another print on demand (POD) company like Ingram Spark, Book Baby, or Lulu. While it is possible to get POD books into bookstores through expanded distribution networks, the percentage of royalties you earn in expanded distribution is much lower. A few things to note about self-publishing; however: while self-publishing is great because it is a publication avenue available to everyone, open-availability also reduces its effect on boosting your credibility. If you want to become a published author to boost your credibility and position yourself as an authority, self-publishing will not help you do that. Self-publication is best for those who simply want to publish because they have a story to tell, and they want that story out into the world. It is also important to remember that even if you choose self-publication as your publishing path, you will still want to have your book edited by someone else. It’s important to carefully vet your chosen editor and ensure that they have the knowledge, skills, and experience to get your book in tip-top shape. Additionally, while you can absolutely design the cover yourself, design the interior of the book yourself, and format the book yourself, if you’re not design-savvy, you may find this process challenging and extremely time-consuming. If that’s the case, you may end up needing to hire a person to format and a cover designer. Once you’re finding yourself needing to do that, it may be time to consider the next path to publication: Independent Publishing. Independent Publishing An independent publishing house takes your manuscript and handles the editing, formatting, cover design, and interior book design for you. An independent publisher has relationships with vetted and trusted editors, cover designers, content formatters, illustrators, printers, and marketing channels, which takes all the guesswork out of the process for you. Independent publishing is a great path to publication for you when you want a quality book without the challenges and headaches of trying to do it yourself. Another benefit of working with an independent publisher is that independent publishers have the freedom to structure their publishing contracts in innovative ways, which allows for the possibility of a much more collaborative relationship with you as the author. They can also structure royalty arrangements in any way they and authors doing business with them see fit. This means that you can end up with a much larger percentage of sale proceeds. Although an independent publisher can produce the same book formats (print, e-book, and audiobook) and access the same distribution networks through the same POD services available to authors who choose to self-publish, the main benefits of selecting independent publication over self-publication are three-fold. First, independent publishing is essentially a “done-for-you” service; it ensures that your dream of becoming a published author will occur quickly, easily, and with quality. Independent publishers save you the time, effort, and frustration of trying to navigate the sea of self-professed “editors,” “formatters,” “illustrators,” “cover designers,” etc., many of whom have little-to-no experience. You also don’t need an agent. Second, a reputable independent publishing house will provide you with a detailed production cost breakdown upfront, which allows you to know what your production costs will be ahead of time to make an informed decision before you proceed down the path of publication. Production costs from editors, formatters, illustrators, cover designers, and marketers can spiral out of control quickly when you attempt to do it yourself in a piece-by-piece fashion. Working with an independent publisher prevents that! Third, as mentioned above, self-publishing does not upbrand you, so it does nothing to boost your credibility and authority. Having your book published by an independent publisher, while not as prestigious as traditional publishing, allows you to have your book published by an outside source, which accomplishes the goal of boosting your credibility and positioning yourself as an authority. Hybrid Publishing As the name suggests, a hybrid publisher combines elements of traditional publishing, independent publishing, and self-publishing. The most important distinction between hybrid publishing and independent publishing or self-publishing is that a hybrid publisher does not accept every manuscript presented to them for publication. As is the case with traditional publishing houses, manuscripts must be submitted, reviewed, and accepted. While not quite as difficult to get your manuscript accepted by a hybrid publisher, hybrid publishers are, nevertheless, discerning. They have strict editorial standards about what they will publish. Hybrid publishers work in a few primary ways. Hybrid presses that follow a partnership model buy manuscripts they believe in and shepherd them through every step of the publishing process, from editing to formatting to marketing, just like a traditional or independent publisher would do. As with independent publishing, you as the author will have to front your book’s production costs, and you won't receive an advance on book sales; instead, you’ll earn a greater share of the royalties when books are sold. Hybrid presses that follow the crowdfunding model require you as the author to raise funds necessary to produce your book. This signals to the hybrid publisher that the book concept is solid, and once you reach a certain threshold in your funding, the hybrid publisher will jump in to craft a high-quality product. Since this model allows the publisher to gauge interest in the book before investing their time and efforts into it, if you, as the author, don’t manage to raise the minimum required amount, the book is subject to cancellation. Some hybrid publishers also use an agent-assisted model. In this model, literary agents who get their hands on promising manuscripts that they know will be tough sells to the major commercial presses — they might be beautifully written, but just a touch too quirky for mainstream success — might approach a hybrid publisher to create an agent-assisted hybrid publishing deal. Under this approach, the publisher and the agent can work together to leverage their collective knowledge of the industry’s best publishing and marketing practices. Because a literary agent is involved, you will receive fewer royalties under this model than the other hybrid publisher models. One thing to note is that, regardless of the hybrid publishing model utilized, hybrid publishing houses maintain high standards — not only with producing and marketing books, but editorially as well. If a publisher is willing to publish any author that is willing to pay them, then they’re not a hybrid publisher any more — they’re a vanity press. Vanity Publishing So what exactly is a vanity press? Simply put, a vanity press is a “pay to play” publishing option that does not require advanced review and acceptance of your manuscript. In other words, a vanity publisher will publish any book, regardless of quality, provided that the author can pay the vanity press fees (which are typically quite high). They present themselves as publishers, and they will produce your book, but they are not actually publishing houses in the true sense. They do not review and accept your manuscript. They do not oversee its editing, formatting, cover design, and production with experienced, quality, and vetted professionals. They do not market your book or share royalties with you as the author. Rather, a vanity publisher provides a paid book production service. Because manuscripts are not accepted for “publication” on account of their merit but based on your ability to pay for all aspects of production and marketing, books published by vanity houses do not enhance your credibility or position you as an authority. In fact, although your book may be published, it will likely be produced with a subpar quality and can therefore harm your credibility. Beware of vanity publishers! How Do You Know What’s Right For You? The first thing to ask yourself is: What is your goal? What do you want to achieve by being a published author? Do you simply want to tell your story? Has it always been a dream of yours to write a book? Do you want to leave a legacy and share your message with the world? Or do you want to use your book to gain credibility and position yourself as an authority? The answers to these questions will help you determine which path to publication is right for you. If you have questions or need help writing or publishing your book, reach out! Connect with me on social media or at AmplifyYourStoryNow.com. I’m always here to help you make your dream of becoming a published author a reality! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Read more from Ellie ! Ellie Shefi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ellie Shefi is the very definition of tenacious. Having overcome a lifetime of adversity, including abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, cancer, and a myriad of other health issues that have seen her fight for her life for over two decades, Ellie has mastered mindset, resiliency, and resourcefulness, and she has dedicated her life to the empowerment of others. Ellie is an attorney, entrepreneur, coach, business strategist, keynote speaker, and award-winning author; featured contributor to publications, podcasts, and television shows; teacher, trainer, philanthropist, and engaged community servant. Ellie’s mission is to impact lives. A master problem-solver and opportunity creator who's determined to change the world, Ellie is the go-to expert for practical, easy-to-implement, results-driven tools, strategies, and resources that equip and empower you to take control and create the authentic, abundant life of your dreams. She is the creator of You Are Not Your Scars™, a movement that provides resources to empower women; Unlocking Your Superpower™, a program that provides resources to empower entrepreneurs; Creating An Impervious Mind™, a program that provides resources to empower the mind; and Made 2 Change The World™, a movement that provides resources to empower the next generation. Ellie is also the creator of Amplify Your Story Now™, a program that provides resources to authors and aspiring authors, and Sisters Rising™, a book series that provides women with a platform to tell their stories, showcase their businesses, and raise awareness of their work. An award-winning author, Ellie's books include: Unlocking Your Superpower: 8 Steps to Turn Your Existing Knowledge Into Income; Sisters Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Living Extraordinary Lives; and The Authorities: Powerful Wisdom from Leaders in the Field (which she co-wrote with Les Brown, Bob Proctor, Marci Shimoff, and Raymond Aaron). Ellie is also the author of the upcoming book SuccessOnomics, which she is co-writing with Jack Canfield.

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. Are you beyond ready to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021? I sure am! 2020 was a year of intense changes and challenges individually and collectively. For many of us, this has been an incredibly difficult year - while transformative and life-changing. In some ways, life kept going on as normal, but in other ways, it was a year of events that threw our plans out of the window, shook our foundation, tested our faith, and left us in fear for our future. 2020 has been a very significant year in many ways. Divisions were at an all-time high, connections were limited and strained, our foundation and daily lives were drastically changed, and stress, anxiety, and fear have been prominent. How do you process all this and move forward? I know you can’t wait for all the challenges of 2020 to be over and move on to 2021 with the hope of new beginnings and exciting opportunities. However, before jumping into the next year, it is important to reflect on this one and the lessons it has taught you. I bet you had many hard lessons this year! But you know what? There is a PURPOSE to all of them! Yep, these difficulties didn't just happen to you, and they had a reason. Let’s reflect together on some of the great lessons 2020 has taught us… LESSON 1: Get REAL Everything we had been carefully sweeping under the rug over time was thrown into our faces all at once this year. The energies of 2020 forced us to confront and deal with our internal shadows - self-destructive patterns, limiting beliefs, old suppressed emotions, old childhood conditioning, relationship dynamics, and internal void. The beauty of our current circumstances is that we had nowhere to hide! 2020 offered a unique opportunity to see the TRUTH about yourself and life - to get clear on what was no longer working for you, break out of the well-worn cycle, find a new perspective on your situation, reexamine your heart’s desires, and re-evaluate what you really want in relationships and life. LESSON 2: Slowing Down The global pandemic forced us to slow down big time. And for those of us who resisted, lockdown happened. Many of us kicked and screamed, refusing to limit activities, but eventually surrendered. In our world of constant movement, slowing down doesn't seem to be an option most of the time. So, when Covid-19 happened, it brought with it its own blessings - even though we were not able to see those blessings right away. So, what happened when we slowed down? A new space opened up. I bet you felt this space. There was a sense of deeper connection and nourishment - more quiet time, more time at home, more time with our loved ones, and more time for personal interests. Maybe you were able to spend quality time with your kids, cook healthier meals, implement a much-needed self-care routine, or turn to healing modalities such as meditation or journaling. Whatever that new space opened up for you, I am sure it was beneficial and supportive. LESSON 3: Surrendering to the unknown and embracing the change We are in a time when great shifts can occur in our lives, even though we can be confused about how to handle the changes and how to move forward. Fear not… you can leverage this time to your advantage by learning to trust yourself and lean into your dreams. How do you handle change? Are you a person who welcomes change, or do you resist it until you have no choice but to change? Change is inevitable, and when you surrender to change, you allow in things that your mind never thought possible. And most of the time, the results are much better than you expected, right?! We have to trust that everything happens for a reason and life has a way of evolving in a way that we cannot imagine. This year tested our faith and forced us to trust the process. Aside from all challenges, chaos, and lessons 2020 brought with it, it also brought an opportunity for powerful transformation. The lessons offered huge potential for self-growth, self-love, and self-expansion if you were willing to do the work. Take a moment to reflect and learn from these lessons, so they don’t repeat themselves - lay the GROUNDWORK for future success! Now that 2020 is over, how can you welcome 2021 while feeling empowered and confident? GO INWARD! There are a lot of powerful shifts happening now and continuing into 2021. This is the time when you are being pushed to let go of outdated beliefs, heal old wounds, and drop the defenses to create space for new - new perspectives, new views, new views, and new possibilities. This is a great time to focus on self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-growth. If you are willing to do the inner work, this time will support you greatly. SELF-CARE will be crucial this year. Put yourself on a priority list. Take time to make healthy meals, move your body (fitness, yoga, etc.), journal, and meditate. In addition, get clear on your values, passions, and type of energy you want to bring into 2021. A whole new direction is opening up for you - if you embrace it. SEEK HELP - you will greatly benefit from a support system. 2021 is the birth of a new world. You will be pushed to shed an old identity to form a new one. This is the time to do some deep inner work. Doing this work can be challenging, emotional, and, at times, even overwhelming and painful. However, it is essential to our journey of growth, success, and fulfillment. Remember, you don't have to do your inner work all on your own. As a matter of fact, it is beneficial to work with a professional who can help you see the blind spots you cannot see. My recently launched custom 6-month “The Radiant Power of a Balanced Woman” program is exactly what you need to get through next year more smoothly. This program is designed to bring you self-awareness, healing, and trust, and these are the themes for 2021. The more you understand what is happening within you, the more you can go through all of the changes without losing your balance and alignment. Feel free to fill out a questionnaire on my website to see how I can support you in your specific issues you are struggling with so you can walk through 2021 with confidence and trust. Goodbye, 2020 and WELCOME, 2021 - We are so ready for you!! 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.

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Written by: J. Francàis Foster, 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. You might have heard someone say this before, "The customer is always right!" I believe this is true to some extent while providing the best customer service to my customers. Why? Because this establishes the relationship that I would like to maintain with them. From the initial point of contact, I introduce myself and my small business. When I ship orders, I like to provide a flyer to my customer with all of my social media information, phone number, and a brief synopsis of my products. If my customer ordered an item from my company that turns out to be too small or too large, it is a must to cater to them! I would like to build rapport in my customer’s reach, so they will become repeat customers that absolutely love the J. Francais brand and will provide referrals. Some customers like to put a time frame on receiving their items. The goal is to have their items shipped to them as soon as possible. If I run into an issue, I contact them via email or text to announce that it is a delay in their order and that I will ship to them as soon as possible. I truly appreciate customer loyalty, so ultimately, my goal is always to provide exceptional customer service and build long-lasting relationships. I absolutely adore my customers, and I will continue to have those amazing repeat customers. So, the value of providing great customer service is vital, so my business will continue to blossom and thrive during these times. J. Francàis Foster, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J. Francàis Foster, the collegiate jacket guru, fashion designer, and handbag designer. J. Francàis flagship store opened in December 2018 in San Pedro, California. She specializes in designing custom collegiate jackets for historically black colleges & universities (HBCU’s,) Ivy League schools, and other sports affiliated teams.

Written by: Melia Diana, 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. Where are you getting peace? Most people say they have peace but still have anxiety, worry, and fears that creep up... ruling their heart, mind, and soul. One little hiccup happens, and immediately people go into panic mode. Let me let you in on a little secret. The devil will do whatever it can to take your peace away. To steal your joy. To cause friction in your relationships. Arguments with loved ones. Who wants that when it’s the season to be jolly? 1. Step Away from Unnecessary Arguments There are plenty of ways that drama can transcend sending people in a tailwind. Perhaps your spouse just said something unpleasant to you. Or you invested money in an untrustworthy source, and they didn’t deliver. Urg… that could be quite upsetting. As much as people disappoint us- we must learn to step away from all unnecessary arguments. Stop and ask yourself, “Is it really worth your energy?” Sometimes we give so much of our precious energy into thieves of joy. God says- “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2 NLT). We can learn a thing or two from God’s wisdom. 2. Stop Listening to your Feelings So many times, we react from a root of bitterness, selfishness, or defensiveness. Did someone make you a promise and didn’t keep it? Was someone rude to you at the grocery store? Let it go. Get out of your feelings. Your emotions are meant to inform you- not control you. So, why do we let them? 3. Slow Down & Be Still Slow down enough to take in the brisk air. Watch a sunset. Just to be still and silent in the motionless. We need to take breaks. We lack wise decisions causing burn-out when we continue to push through weariness. We jam twenty things we have to accomplish on a petty check-list and wonder why we have no peace in our lives. Not everything will be handed to us on a silver platter. That means we will have to work for it, but not to a point you are pushing through exhaustion. Relax, my friends. These are 3 wonderful ways to have peace in your life, but there is one that triumphs overall. You might be asking, How much is it? Can I buy it on Amazon? Sorry, it’s not available for purchase. Better yet, it’s free! In a fast-paced world, it sure does make it difficult to receive peace. So, how do we protect ourselves living in an upside-down world? How do we have peace without taking the necessary steps to receive it? First and foremost, we need to find stability in God. He is the only one that can grant you this kind of freedom for your hurting soul. I’m going to grab a quote from my new book Vertical Relationship: 4 Steps To Salvation & Getting Right With God, to help you comprehend better. “We cannot change the past or control situational occurrences, and therefore we seek God for our peace.” I have to admit that I use to react when someone hurt me. I got defensive in areas of my life that God needed to clean up. I was quick to blame others when I was guilty of the same shortcomings. God says- “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own” (Matthew 7:3)? All these things stole my peace. The devil knew exactly how to steal my tranquility. The devil knows how to steal yours, too. It will use people, circumstances, and situations to corrupt your mind. Think about it. Harmony comes when we shut out the worldly views for solidity and bring forth God’s wisdom. This seems to be out of the ordinary these days. Believe me… I get it. Before a deep kinship with Jesus existed, I ran to idolatry and secular things that did the exact opposite for me. In fact, it lead me down endless rabbit holes and disrupted my peace. We run to everything but God and wonder why we don’t embrace peace. Do you really want sweet solitary? Peace is in God alone. “I have told you all this so that you will have peace in me” (John 16:33 NLT). This is why God sent His son, Jesus, so that you can have a personal relationship with Him. God wants us to live a peaceful life, not a peaceless one. Blessings xo Check out more in my new book! On sale for the holiday season! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and check out my website and YouTube-channel! Read more from Melia! Melia Diana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Melia is an International Best-Selling Author, Certified Christian Counselor, and Relationship & Dating Coach specializing in inner healing transformation. She has spent over 13 years in medical & fitness field, as a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and Certified ACSM Personal Trainer helping people through her passion to deliver attainable and solid goals. But it doesn’t stop there! Melia’s extensive certifications and background led her to utilize her faith, knowledge, experience and personal development to brand and design her own Signature Coaching Programs. She developed a unique methodology to help clarify the missing links and identify core root problems hindering God’s best. With a godly approach, she helps Christian women to break all barriers and have loving relationships they’ve always desired. She is faith-based Author of Vertical Relationship: 4 Steps To Salvation & Getting Right With God and International Best-Seller Overcomer: Redeemed Masterpiece, where she wrote “7 Keys To Finally Have a Godly Man.” God’s mission for Melia, is helping lost souls find their true identity in Christ & restore broken relationships through an inner healing transformation journey, guided by the Holy Spirit. Her empathetic approach encourages others for growth, wisdom, and a stronger mindset for a more abundant & fruitful life.

Written by: Jacqueline Walters, 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. Everyone will agree that 2020 was the most difficult and life-shifting year we have ever seen! Most people struggled through it, while others took the opportunity to allow 2020 to wake them up to what's really going on in our world and their own true inner power. As we near the end of 2020 and step into 2021, I want to offer some simple advice on how you can navigate the shift from one seemingly impossible year to whatever lies ahead for us. Step One: Reflect Take some time to acknowledge all and everything you went through this year. Don't compare yourself to others or those who maybe had it WAY worse than you. The guilt doesn't help anyone or anything at all... it's just a waste of time and energy. So drop the guilt and really focus on reflecting on your own experiences over the year, regardless of how anyone else moved through 2020. My advice is to find time in your schedule to sit down and put pen to paper. Journal freely all about your reflection on the past year. Don't give yourself any guidelines or structure. Write whatever comes to mind and then reflect on what you've written without judgment. Step Two: Evaluate Now that you've taken time to reflect and journal. Take a look at everything that came up. Take a few deep breaths and really FEEL whatever comes up. Check-in with your body, be quiet, and see if you can hear what your body is trying to tell you about everything you've been through. Then evaluate based on what comes up. What is truly REAL, and what did you just create in your mind that really has no place anymore. How can you (without bias) evaluate what you went through in 2020? Can you see it for what it truly is? Can you begin to see what should stay and what should go that isn't serving you anymore? This isn't always easy to do, but the practice of tapping into your body and really feeling what it means to you is very simple. Step Three: Decide It's really very simple now that you have taken time to reflect and evaluate this past year. You now get to decide! What does 2021 look like for YOU? Don't kid yourself. You always have the power to decide your future. So don't play victim to your past year- we've all done enough of that this year I'm sure. Now is the time to really decide for yourself how 2021 and your path unfolds. Go back to your journal. Skim through your reflection, remember how you felt when you evaluated everything, and now be quiet. Wait to hear from your soul what it TRULY wants….and journal all about that! Stay positive and in your own NOW. And write whatever comes to your mind and heart for how 2021 will play out for you. Again, none of this is easy to do. It takes a lot of courage and self-discipline to take yourself through a self-reflection journey. But I promise you, all these practices are SIMPLE and leave you energized and focused on tackling 2021 head-on! Remember, energy flows where focus goes. So what are YOU choosing to focus on in 2021??? For more information, follow Jackie on Facebook, Instagram, visit her website, or join her Facebook-Community! Read more from Jackie! Jacqueline Walters, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jacqueline is an Intuitive Health & Weight Loss Coach with entrepreneurship in her blood. From the start, Jacqueline focused on building a professional career in the commercial recreation and fitness industry. Ironically, while struggling to balance being a new mom and her career, Jacqueline realized her own physical and mental health had taken a back seat. The effects were damaging, and she could see the negative impacts on her two young daughters. It was then she decided to wake up and take control of her health. After finding weight loss & weight maintenance success through creating unique systems, concepts, and tools along her own health journey, she is now on the mission to share and serve humanity through her intuitive approach and personalized methods. Her passion is helping overwhelmed and stressed out busy entrepreneurial moms, just like herself.

Written by: Jeraldine Peters , 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 world is changing ever so fast, and in reaching their goals, many persons have decided to start their own online business or move their brick-and-mortar businesses to the online space. But with this influx of new businesses moving online, how does a business stand out from the crowd to make it all worthwhile or even profitable? Finding your space online and standing out requires you to prepare and build a solid foundation for a strong standout brand. Here are a few things to consider. Before starting any business, the business owner must consider the specific group of people in which their business will help to solve a problem (niche). It is said that if you try to sell to everyone, you will essentially sell to no one. Therefore business owners need to decide what problem they solve and how their product or service will improve or enhance the life of the end customer. A good place to start is to consider what problems are people trying to solve right now and what results they are desirous of having? This helps you determine which product or service to offer and choose a group of people to offer them to. The next phase is to spend time connecting with and learning how to speak to the people you are trying to help. Research to find answers to questions like; how are they expressing the challenges that they face? How are they expressing the result that they are seeking to have? What are the words and expressions they use? The answers to these questions will help you determine how to communicate your business solution to their challenges and the results they can expect to have when they purchase your product or service. Mastering these two areas will help you build your brand’s authority when you start communicating with your audience. You can use the information gathered from research to demonstrate that you understand them and that you are here to help them with the challenges they face by providing the best solution. Additionally, it also helps determine what marketing methods would work best to communicate with these persons. However, the most important factor in standing out online is to have confidence in what you offer, how you can help your customers, and that your business can and will be successful online. The market research will help boost your confidence about supplying your market with the product or service that best suits their current needs. Confidence matched with in-depth knowledge of your ideal client and how to communicate with them will give you the tools you need to create a unique brand that will catch the attention of your ideal clients, lead them to your products or services, build your brand’s authority, show your tribe that your business gives them the best answer towards achieving their goals and subsequently grow for you a sustainable business brand that will stand out online. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram and visit my website for more info! Jeraldine Peters, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Miss Jer Peters is a certified business coach and digital marketer who helps ambitious entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale successful businesses to create their desired life through entrepreneurship by learning how to stand out online and attract more sales. After spending years working corporate jobs she opted to take on entrepreneurship and through her rewarding journey she found a way to also help others unlock they key to the future they desire. She now devotes her time to working with entrepreneurs who are either just starting out or have been in business for a while but have been struggling to figure out how to make it work so they can have the results they need. By addressing the foundations of their businesses, she helps them set their business up for growth and the ability to scale via paid or organic methods. She believes that there is always more to life than what initially seems possible.

Written by: Dr. Christine Manukyan, 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. What are adaptogens? Adaptawhat??? Derived from the Greek word “adapto”. This might be the first time you hear about adaptogens! The term adaptogen is applied to plants that produce special substances allowing them to survive under significant conditions of environmental stress. Former Russian Soviet Union research scientists and pharmacologists Dr. Nicolai Lazarev and Dr. Israel Brekhman were the first to study adaptogens in the 1960s systematically. Their research found that adaptogens work by normalizing the body’s functions under stress and that daily consumption may improve mental and physical performances while reducing fatigue. Adaptogens encompass various plant and herbal medicines that are generally safe for everyone and work to target the areas in your body and health that need a boost or need to be rebalanced. To qualify as an Adaptogen, an herb must be completely safe and non-toxic, it must have broad uses for health, and it must specifically reduce stress, both mental and physical. To put it simply: ADAPTogens help you ADAPT. What are the health benefits of taking adaptogens? Adaptogens are my favorite superfood! There are so many varieties that serve so many purposes. Adaptogens greatly improve your body's ability to adapt to stress, whether it's a hectic schedule, heat or cold, noise, high altitudes, or any number of other stressors. This elite class of herbs impart strength, energy, stamina, endurance, and mental clarity. In many parts of the non-Western world, Adaptogens are used extensively in high-risk, fast-reflex occupations, from athletes to miners to deep-sea divers. With the scientific data to back these natural wonders already available and more research underway, it is only a matter of time before Adaptogens become mainstream in the United States. Popular stress management methods such as regular exercise, hobbies, meditation, and yoga are useful to mitigate daily stressors. Research shows most Americans instead resort to unhealthy habits when times are tough. Whether it’s alcohol, stimulants, or simply overeating, many Americans could benefit from finding a better solution to help manage stress. Additional benefits include but not limited to: Helps fight stress Maintains health and energy Enhances physical and mental performance Supports balanced mood Promotes calmness and control Helps balance and normalize the body’s systems (circulatory, digestive, excretory, endocrine, exocrine, immune, lymphatic, muscular, nervous, renal/urinary, reproductive, respiratory, and skeletal system) Energizes cells to support faster post-exercise recovery Supports clarity and focus The great thing about Adaptogens is that they are usually available in powder form and can be added to smoothies, teas, elixirs, or even food. I prefer to take it as a premade liquid shot every morning to start my day. As with any supplements, make sure you check with your health care professional to make sure this will be best for you and listen to how your body responds to anything new. Keep a diary of how you feel, what you like, or don’t like when taking Adaptogens. I personally noticed a significant change in my energy and stress level after taking them for three consecutive days. I remember waking up before my alarm, energized and well-rested, excited to start my day. I also remember my husband telling me that I wasn’t screaming at the kids as much. I was much nicer😊 Well, I guess I was becoming more patient and could handle stressful days way better. What are the top 10 Adaptogens? Like I mentioned earlier, Adaptogens are my favorite superfood. I don’t go a day without them. Each one claims to do something a little different, but on the whole, Adaptogens help your body handle stress, and it’s ok to take more than a couple of Adaptogens a day. Let’s learn about my favorite plant Adaptogens (listed in no specific order). Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum): A red-orange berry of the Solanaceae nightshade family that ancient regarded as nourishing to the liver, kidneys, and eyes. Modern studies affirm its use in modulating stress and supporting faster recovery post-exercise. It is known for treating diabetes, repairing damaged liver cells, kidney function, and improving vision. It contains 500% more vitamin C than oranges, more beta-carotene than carrots, over 19 amino acids and 21 trace minerals, along with B1, B2, B6, and vitamin E. The extraction process is very important because most of the health benefits are in the berry’s skin. Wolfberry has been used for centuries for its anti-aging benefits. Eleuthero root (Eleutherococcus senticosus): A small, woody shrub native to Northeastern Asia used in traditional Chinese medicine as a natural remedy for reducing fatigue. Modern use of the root was popularized after the former Soviet Union popularized its use for its space and sport programs to support physical endurance. Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea): A plant that grows in the coldest regions of the world, including Northern Asia. Rhodiola has been traditionally used in Russia and Scandinavian countries to strengthen the body’s resistance to stress and improve energy levels. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for centuries and native to India, Africa, and the Middle East. In recent studies, ashwagandha has demonstrated potent antioxidant effects. Studies have also shown it to support healthy brain and immune function. Bacopa (Bacopa monniera): A plant popular in traditional Indian medicine practices to enhance memory and promote longevity. Preclinical studies have shown it to have antioxidant and adaptogenic effects on the central nervous system. Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis): This berry grows as part of a woody vine native to the forests of Northern China and Eastern Russia and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. In human studies, schizandra has been reported to increase work accuracy and decrease fatigue and exhaustion feelings. Tribulus Terrestris (Tribulus terrestris): Also known as Puncture Vine, it has a detoxifying effect on the liver and improves the blood supply to muscles and the brain while increasing endurance. It helps with hormonal and libido problems in men and women. Siberian Ginseng: is the main Adaptogen responsible for athletic recovery while increasing endurance and lean muscle. It is used to improve energy levels, longevity, vitality, protect the immune system, and increase mental sharpness. It is also used for conditions for the heart and blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, low blood pressure, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), and rheumatic heart disease. Some studies show its use for kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fibromyalgia. Millions take it daily. This has been a game-changer for my recovery as I ran marathons and competed in multiple bodybuilding fitness shows. Before taking it, talk with your healthcare provider if you take any prescription medications as this herb interacts with many prescription drugs. Nepali Shilajit: is translated as “Destroyer of Weakness and the Builder of Strength.” Shilajit is harvested off the sides of the cliffs in the Himalayas. Its list of health benefits is as long as Siberian Rhododendron Caucasicum, above. It is high in trace minerals and supports health longevity. Maca Extract: Maca is a root vegetable grown high in the Andes, known as the Incan Superfood. Maca is high in amino acids, which play a role in sexual function, making it known for its sexual performance properties and enhancing fertility, memory, mood, and energy. Why would I need an adaptogen? Life is all about balance! You need to take adaptogens to help your body bring you back to homeostasis (i.e., your body’s state of balance) Many people suffer from imbalances in body systems. This can lead to fatigue, weakness, indigestion, heart issues, blood sugar problems, infertility, etc., and may even lead to disease. Taking adaptogens regularly will increase the body’s ability to cope with internal and external stresses and normalize the body's functions. I have been taking Adaptogens for six years, and they have significantly transformed my life - physically and mentally! There is no way I would have been able to crush my weight loss goals(100+ pounds), be the best mom I could be, and a Functional Medicine Practitioner without taking care of myself and making the changes that I did. You too can incorporate adaptogenic drink into your daily lifestyle and choose to start on the path to a healthier you! Feel free to contact me if you have more questions regarding Adaptogens or book a FREE 15-min Discovery Call with me to discuss your health goals. You can also visit Isagenix official website anytime! Till then, live with passion! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Dr. Christine Manukyan, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Dr. Christine Manukyan is a residency-trained Clinical Pharmacist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Business Coach, Author, Speaker, Top-Rated STORRIE™ Podcast host, and mother of two. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she spent 13 years in Corporate America as a Clinical Pharmacist with various leadership roles. After experiencing her own health transformation with Functional Medicine, losing 100+ lbs, and becoming a natural bodybuilding athlete and marathon runner, she found her true calling empowering others to reach their health goals without pharmaceuticals. Dr. Christine has helped more than 250 clients transform their health. She is a frequent speaker on holistic lifestyle choices, creating a virtual business, founder and entrepreneur mindset, and creating multiple income streams. She's spoken in front of audiences numbering 15,000+ and has been recognized globally for her entrepreneurial achievement and dedication. Her magazine features include PharmaSis Magazine for female pharmacist entrepreneurs, health and wellness publications, and she is a BRAINZ Magazine Executive Contributor, including BRAINZ 500 Global recognition. In 2021, she's bringing a revolutionary product to market as a startup partnered with the UC Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator and incubator. Dr. Christine is passionate about helping burnout medical professionals build and scale a profitable virtual practice to have more quality time with their loved ones doing what fulfills their life. She believes everyone deserves a second chance to rewrite their story and become the best version of themselves.