Written by: Jacqui Grant, 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. Decisions, decisions, decisions! When it comes to weight management, in particular, weight loss or, as I refer to it as weight release, there are so many options available, so many choices! Today, in 2020 – almost 2021, many people are choosing to have bariatric surgery to release excess weight and then expecting that surgery is all they need. Whilst on some level they understand it is ONE tool after a while, usually after the first 12 months many people tend to go back to old habits with eating, which results in weight gain or the person not achieving their goal weight and this over time takes it tolls on emotional and mental health of a person! For long-term weight release and management, it is important to understand that which weight loss/management program you choose for yourself is a mind, body, and soul journey. A journey that requires some flexibility and obtaining information that is correct and even adjusted for your personal needs. Long-term success comes from understanding that it's more than food and exercise; it is also about your mindset and relationship with yourself, food, your body. Weight release and keeping weight off are also impacted by your expectations about how different your life will be when you achieve your goals. How will you see yourself? How different will your life be? Why is that you want to release the weight, and are you doing it for YOU? Are 3 questions that I ask my clients, and I have asked myself over the years. As someone that was morbidly obese ( 168kgs – 4.5 years ago) and now fit and healthy (54kgs), who has had bariatric surgery, has a nursing background, personal trainer, coach and weight management practitioner and studied bariatric surgery for over 10 years, I understand the challenges that both obesity and weight management programs including bariatric surgery bring and how there are really no guarantees with any of them. However, I have found that a personalized program does work, especially with the right person. With all the knowledge, qualifications, and experience I have, I created personalized programs for my clients. I have written books on bariatric surgery and creating long term change, and my focus is on the whole person, not just one aspect of the person, this approach works! When you are ready to create long term change, to be vulnerable at times and do the work, you will know which weight release program is right for you, and the key thing to remember is that it is YOUR choice in conjunction with your doctors because your situation is unique to you. Should you choose to go down the path of bariatric surgery, understand that your surgeon is the best one to guide you to the type of bariatric surgery that is for you. There are challenges will all the 4 different types of bariatric surgery. In case you did not know, the different types of bariatric surgery are: Lap-band, Sleeve gastrectomy or gastric sleeve, mini bypass, gastric bypass, and there is also omega loop. Each surgeon will have their ideas of the right surgery for you and will advise you of this. However, the choice is also yours. If you are choosing bariatric surgery, take your time and know that while the surgery does get results, the surgery itself is ONE tool and when used in conjunction with diet, exercise, and working with a weight management practitioner, you are in the best position to release the weight and keep it off! Therefore, there really is NO ONE SIZE fits all when it comes to weight release, weight management, and even bariatric surgery! To learn more about our weight and fitness programs, visit our website, book a FREE consultation with Jacqui . For more information, follow Jacqui on Facebook , Instagram and visit her website ! Jacqui Grant, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jacqui Grant is a highly sought after Weight Management, Bariatric Surgery and Wellness Coach, Personal trainer, soon to be Advanced Weight Management Practitioner, International Best Selling author of 3 books, (Break Free & Go For It!, Life Beyond Obesity! (Jacqui’s story of transformation) and Can-Do Bariatric Surgery!) who is dedicated to help clients around the world to stop feeling overwhelmed, tired and embarrassed by their weight, by showing them how to create long term changes in their food choices, change their relationship exercise and develop a “Can Do” mindset to live their best life! Jacqui also helps those who have had or considering having bariatric surgery how to achieve their goal and keep the weight off, as well as working with professionals such as personal trainers to understand bariatric surgery. Jacqui has worked as a nurse, coach, personal trainer, manager and also owns her own business Break Free Consultancy, where she is able to work one to one with her clients or through her programs, course, challenges along with her books. Empowering others to Break Free, Go for It and Live their BEST Life!

Written by: Lauralee Schmidt, 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. In May of 2020, right at the peak of when businesses were either closing up or finding a new groove due to Covid, we made a major business decision that could have potentially hurt us, but we took a leap of faith and committed to our idea. We decided to take our growing auto shop from a Monday to Friday, 8-5 shop and make it a Monday to Thursday, 8-7 shop. This is pretty unheard of for the auto industry, considering most run a six-day workweek, but I felt in my gut it was important to tell a different story in automotive care, and I’ve always wanted to be able to give our team a 4 day work week. I wasn’t sure how to make that happen. I just knew I wanted it. I’ve been asked a lot over the last few weeks on why our auto shop switched to a 4 day work week from both clients and other business owners, so here you go. Prior to being Queen of the Auto Gods at Schmidt Auto Care, I had my dream career going in cosmetics that was an 80% travel with a Fortune 500 Company. I made my own schedule in that role, and after a lot of tinkering with it, I learned I was the most productive on longer but fewer days. I hit goals when I worked a 4 day work week, I had more ideas within a 4 day work week, and I felt more energetic in my role. I was happier. In fact, I was more productive in my home life, as well. I felt quite strongly I couldn’t be alone in that scenario. So when I took over Operations at my husband’s auto shop in 2016, I knew I wanted to change how the team worked, but there were other business priorities to attend to first, so the idea sat on the shelf a long time. In late 2018 , I could feel the urge to move the team in a new direction. We had a solid team, a growing customer base, and our brand was solidified in the community, but I still couldn’t comfortably guarantee I could keep the business safe with new working hours. I had a dollar figure and customer count in mind that I wanted to achieve before we moved to new hours, but I still wasn’t sure if it was the right time. On top of that, we were smack dab in the middle of a massive build-out to relocate the shop, so I wasn’t sure moving to non-traditional hours was smart. Looking back, it probably would have been the perfect time to switch hours. By 2019 we were moved, growing rapidly, and in a sweet groove that you can only hope for in a business. I knew in 2020 I would launch the 4 day work week, but I didn’t even pitch it to Erich, the CEO, until November of 2019. He hates change, and I knew it would be incredibly uncomfortable for him, but it was necessary to evolve, so I came to the table with a whole strategy I deemed “project balance.” My original idea is that we would move on January 1, 2020, and kick off the year with a “New Year, New Hours” marketing campaign. But we had some staffing issues that needed to be addressed. January ran into February being short-staffed, and February ran into COVID. My full attention switched to the survival mode of our shop finances and protecting our team like a mother hen. It was a very uncomfortable time, but a very important time in business. I hope all business owners took that time to reflect and focus on areas of opportunity inside their business and dissect them. As I was sipping on coffee one afternoon, a statement someone made once hit me like a ton of bricks. I remembered a mentor once told me, “There is no perfect moment to make a move. You just have to move”. And, in May, as we crawled out of the state shut down, we pulled the plug on the 5 day work week. Two weeks before April was over, and we started dropping hints online something big was coming. We ran a lot of media to add suspense. We launched a team video announcement, and on May 1, 2020, we went to a 4-day workweek. It was one of the best business decisions we could have made in the company. In two weeks, I saw productivity lift, attitudes change for the better, teamwork happen, less groggy technicians, and we were all part of an overall happier work environment. By the end of May we were surpassing goals and shop efficiency was at the highest it had ever been. I’m not one to go off only a month of data, but I knew it was going to work, I could feel it. I just knew it. When people told me we would lose money thru the summer with our new hours, I wasn’t concerned.I was focused, and the team was too. As a team, we had several meetings to best figure out the path for making a time change work.I value their input because it gave them ownership to commit to it. We all wanted to prove it could work. And it did. We had the best summer of our entire 11 years in business, we were still working a 40-hour workweek so all the same time was there, it was about how we allocated the time. We weren’t trying to swoop up every job in town. We knew we would miss Friday walk-ins and phone calls. But we also knew we have a loyal client base, a strong marketing plan, and a solid reputation. The long stretches of uninterrupted repair time meant faster turn over on vehicles, which in turn, led to an excellent auto experience for our guests. And that is exactly what we wanted to achieve. It was a win-win to move the hours. While I do take a lot of pride in the excellence we provide to our guests, this business decision was about the team. Being an auto technician is incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally. I watch my guys do labor that is tedious and frustrating day in and day out. The way cars and trucks are built now is maddening, and it’s a difficult career path to go down, but so rewarding if cars are your passion. And we have a service team that navigates a substantially difficult workload daily. Their job is so mentally draining some days I could cry for them. I know the people I work with. They aren’t just a number to me or someone to boss around. They are an extension of our family. I want them to take a 3-day weekend trip if that’s what they want. I want them to be able to spend time with their families that they normally wouldn’t be able to work a traditional workweek. I want their bodies and brains to rest and recharge. I want them to be the best they can be, and that means letting them live life in environments other than the garage. I learned a lot of valuable lessons in 2020, but one of the best lessons I learned is that you don’t need a perfect time to make a change in business. You just need to do it and commit to it. Have we missed out on sales? Probably. Were some people annoyed we closed on Fridays? Most certainly. But I had to stay true to our vision of setting our shop apart in auto care. And for us, that starts inside our doors with the heart of our business, our team. As an employer, you need to take the chance on your team and let them live. The performance you see in return will be outstanding and progressive to your company if you just step back and see what’s best for your biggest asset, your people. For more information, follow Schmidt Auto Care on Facebook , Instagram and visit their website . You can also follow her beauty pages here ! Lauralee Schmidt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lauralee is a cosmetic guru turned auto care goddess. Her years inside a cosmetic education role with a Fortune 500 company armed her with knowledge and skills that paired perfectly with her passion for branding a business and educating a client base. Her goal is to educate women in car care, change the stigma that surrounds the auto industry, and be a guiding post for branding and business development. From international beauty campaigns to underneath a car, she has successfully navigated the world of business and branding.

Written by: Kamladevi Sharma, 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 “Boss Is Coming” panic has been one of my longest observations. It’s definitely a true reflection of the phrase, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” As such, employees’ behaviors change for the better whenever their bosses approach. But why? These questions lingered in my mind for some time whilst growing up. Notwithstanding, why do employees feel so intimated by their boss’s presence that they cannot be their true self all the time? Do bosses know that they trigger this reaction in their employees? It was a mind’s battle for some time. I then grew to realize that it was an automatic reaction of fear in employees. This speaks of a boss’s leadership style and mindset, as well as the mindset of employees. Deeper thoughts revealed that bosses’ leadership styles are shaped by their personal values and the environment in which they operate in. For example, I’ve noticed that employees in the healthcare and education sectors react this way more than employees in other sectors, maybe because of the extent of risk in providing a service in those sectors or the expectation of world-class service delivery. Where efficiency is paramount to business success, and an employee’s work diligence positively influences that business’s success, employees' behavior is short term. It has devastating long-term effects on the organization and the employee. In other words, if an employee’s performance peaks only in the presence of their boss, how practical is it that their boss remains on the scene all day, every day, and around all employees? Additionally, how beneficial is this fear to an employee’s mental and physical health? From my coaching over 4000 management employees, I find that a toxic work culture develops with this level of panic. Employee dissatisfaction escalates in the organization and, employees become super stressed on the job due to feeling anxious and intimidated. Consequently, to better deal with this and have a more consistent forward-focused behavior as an employee, understand the source of your behavior via introspection and decide with yourself to change it if you want to. Understand the source of your behavior via introspection The reason for every employee’s reaction around their boss is different. Some react with panic because they fear their boss’s scolding, which may result from their poor or lagging performance, while some fear because everyone else fears. It’s important to understand why you react the way you do when your boss is approaching. Is your panic and anxiousness inherent to you, or is it inherited from someone else in the office? If it is inherent to you, get to understand why. Do you react this way around your boss only, or do you react this way around anyone superior to you, for example, your parents? If your reaction is only around your boss, then you need to decide if your boss’s energy will continue to have this level of impact on you. Working on your self-confidence and self-concept can help you to improve your reaction. If your reaction is the same around anyone superior to you, consider healing childhood trauma and doing mindset work. It’s possible that you have been lead to believe as a child that ‘you are not good enough’ or ‘you cannot do anything correctly.’ Hence, those thoughts subconsciously dominate whenever someone superior is around, and they influence your behavior. On the other hand, if you inherit your reaction to panic from someone else, work on grounding your authenticity and becoming resilient to shifts in energies around you. The reason being, panicking because others are panicking in the office indicates that you are not in control of yourself in the moment and, people’s behaviors are leading yours. This can create emotional upheaval and hurt if not controlled. Additionally, as an employee who wants to elevate in an organization and achieve more in life than just the present job and its rewards, you want to open yourself to the possibilities and allow your creativity and innovativeness to come forth. Following others who are at the same level as you are, stifles this kind of growth in an individual. Deciding to change your reaction if you want to The ultimate power lies with you. You decide if you want to change this reaction or remain who you are. However, staying stuck on, “This is who I am. I cannot change.” leaves no room for improvement. Thus, it is important to recognize your weaknesses and work on improving them. Further, from my experience, shifting from the place of panic and fear around a boss improves your relationship significantly with your boss. It helps you to become recognized and rewarded fairly for your talents and skills at that organization. If you decide to make this change in yourself, make that decision in a meditative state so that your subconscious mind receives that instruction and can guide you in your conscious state to control yourself better when your boss comes around. This, followed by a religious self-awareness routine and affirming your value and confidence, will improve your reactions. Resist panicking and own your power. You deserve to be your authentic self in any situation or any environment. It will leave you feeling personally fulfilled and professionally developed. Be magnificent and live in full enjoyment always, even at work! For more information, join my Facebook-Community , follow me on Instagram and visit my website ! Read more from Kamladevi ! Kamladevi Sharma, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kamladevi Sharma is an international speaker and teacher of work-life balance , a certified professional life coach, and a qualified business consultant. She helps entrepreneurs and people in management globally, including you, to eliminate burnout and achieve balance in their personal and professional lives. Her dedication to achieving clarity, alignment, and results for her clients ensures that they can thrive and feel more fulfilled and successful in their lives, careers, and/or business. Additionally, her expertise in mindset and personal development strategy has benefitted over 4000 professionals globally in personal growth and over 250 businesses in jumping start a momentum for success in her signature momentum trainings at Revive. She has been featured on several podcast shows on various platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts and, the Guyana Times Sunday Magazine. Kamladevi holds a MBA in Business Administration from the University of Bradford, Bachelors in Social Psychology, Social Research and Business and, certificates in Professional Life Coaching and Counselling. Prior to co-founding Revive, she was magnificent in upper management positions in Guyana and lectured at several tertiary institutions.

Written by: Ceinwyn Rudnick, 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. Though I may be personally in denial, we are well on the way to wishing 2020 farewell. I remember the last time I felt normal, very vividly. My husband and I were at a construction convention in Las Vegas for his company. We went to dinner, took pictures by tires on equipment 100 times my size, and gave away a little money to slot machines. It was amazing! By the end of the convention, booths were shuttered early, and people scrambled to get on flights back home as the Strip emptied out in an eerily apocalyptic scene. All across the world, physical offices suffered the same fate. People left their desks without a clue of when they would return. Some never have. Some never will. A prime example is the sparkling new REI corporate campus near Seattle, which is now for sale as they have fully transitioned to working from home. Obviously, this trend is here to stay. So what does that mean for us small to medium size business owners? Well- there is some good news and bad news. The good news is that your talent pool suddenly became exponentially larger, and you are not tied to geographic areas with very high pay rates. For workers, perhaps they also have access to better-paying jobs and upward mobility that previously was not possible. But this also comes with challenges such as managing your team effectively and creating connections when there is no casual chat or downtime together. In addition, as an accountant, I work hard to make sure my clients can tackle the three biggest tax and accounting challenges that come with having a work-from-home team. So what exactly are these three hurdles, and how can you overcome them? 1) Your employees cannot take a tax credit for their home office. Many people who have worked from home historically took advantage of deducting their home office expenses on their taxes. When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed, all the miscellaneous deductions on Schedule A (itemized deductions) went completely away, including unreimbursed employee expenses. This means that if you ask your employees to spend out of their own pockets to furnish their home office, whether it is something small like pens or something large like a computer. They will be doing so out of their own pocket in a way that is not tax-deductible. They may not blink right now, but I am willing to bet that after most employees file their 2020 taxes and discover these expenses are not deductible, they will be coming back to their employers asking for a stipend or reimbursement. Be ahead of the game here and create a policy to reimburse or purchase office supplies for your employees, and you will create a positive and proactive environment where employees feel taken care of. 2) Know who is an employee and who is a contractor. There seems to be a trend towards hiring workers as contractors rather than employees, especially when working remotely. It is important to label employees and contractors correctly; just because you are not physically together in an office does not mean your workers are automatically contractors. Rules vary by state, but the IRS provides some basic guidelines at a federal level. Ask yourself these questions. Do you control what work and when it is done? Do you evaluate the work done? Do you provide training to the worker? Is the work regular and on-going? If you answer yes to most or all of these questions, it is likely that your worker is an employee. If you misclassify them as an independent contractor, you could be liable for employment taxes plus penalties. Don’t let this be you! 3) Know where you stand with income tax laws when your employees live and work in a different state Congratulations! You now have access to a pool of talented and amazing employees across the country! But wait- get ready to deal with a patchwork of state laws that will make your head spin. Making your best hire regardless of geography, is a great gift of the work from home revolution, but it comes with a price. When you hire an employee out of state, you will have to register with that state and setup employer accounts and withholding for each state you hire. I have personally spread my workforce across three states, and the task has so far been more annoying than daunting. This is mostly since there are payroll providers (we are a Gusto partner) that will take the heavy lifting off your shoulders once you register for your initial accounts. This isn’t an insurmountable task, but make sure you know before you go on a nationwide hiring spree that you will have some boring admin work to do to ensure your team is paid properly. I have mixed feelings about the massive amount of change we have all been subjected to under such stress, and in such a short amount of time. However, I relish the chance to make the best of our new frontier and continue to personally build my team with the best people I can find-whether over Zoom or a handshake. I also strive to make sure our clients also thrive in this new frontier of remote work, new rules, and ever-changing boundaries. For more information, follow me on LinkedIn , Facebook and visit our website ! Read more from Ceinwyn ! Ceinwyn Rudnick, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ceinwyn Rudnick is an Enrolled Agent and Certified Tax Coach based in the Pacific Northwest. She opened her boutique accounting firm, Veritas Accounting Solutions PLLC, to help business owners realize the benefits of transitioning their accounting services to the cloud. Recently she has completed advanced training through the AICTP to become a Certified Tax Coach-making tax planning a leading service offered by Veritas Accounting Solutions PLLC. Ceinwyn has two degrees, a B.A. in English Education as well as a B.S. in Accounting. She loves helping her clients achieve a better understanding of the role accounting, money and taxes play in their business. Her goal is to guide business owners to a place of peace and confidence regarding their taxes and finances through education and customized tax planning.

Written by: Allie Stark, 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. Healthy living as well as healthy leading requires a top to bottom evaluation of every aspect of your life, including the types of people you are associated with. Whether it is in your professional, social or home life, your world may be filled with toxic and unsupportive individuals. If you’re not careful, certain colleagues, friends and even family members can instrumentally affect your life in negative ways. A healthy leader needs to know when it’s time to remove or detach from an unhealthy relationship. The question becomes both, how do you recognize that someone close to you is toxic and how can you remove an intricate person from your life even though you know they are negatively affecting you personally and/or professionally? Being a leader means having to make hard decisions on a daily basis. Good decision making involves firmly knowing your goals and objectives, appropriately weighing the pros and cons of the situation, having effective time management capabilities, access to a strong and trusted support system, and feeling secure in reaching out to them when needed. There is an ancient African proverb that states; “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The people you choose to surround yourself with can be one of the most important decisions you will make. While colleagues, friends, and even family members can be a positive influence, they can also fill your head with doubts, negative images and toxic thoughts, especially those who do not have your best interest at heart. When you hear negative comments often enough, they become ingrained in your mind. By no means is this a suggestion to surround yourself with “Yes Men,” but when you are encircled with toxic people, the words and thoughts that you invoke and share will tend to be negative. Find the people who value your contributions, thoughts, and opinions, even though they won’t necessarily always agree with them. There is a marked difference between people who are genuine and people who are just telling you what you want to hear, and people who are toxic. In some cases removing these distractors from your life will be as simple as hitting the “unfriend” button. But, when it involves people close to you, “removing” will look more like “detaching”. Detaching is an emotional concept that has little to do with physical or social distance. It involves not reacting, not taking things personally, and most importantly, not feeling responsible for someone else’s feelings. You need to emotionally detach so that their comments and opinions have no bearing on your mood, attitude or decision making. Healthy relationships energize you, they inspire you, they lift you up. Toxic relationships will suck the life out of you, which can take a toll on you emotionally, mentally, and potentially even be harmful to your physical health. Some examples of how to tell when it might be time to detach from a toxic person, or what I like to call “Energy Vampire,” are; if after spending what should have been a nice time together, perhaps a collaborative brainstorming meeting, a lunch date or a family gathering, you walk away feeling mentally and physically exhausted instead of energized. You often worry about their thoughts, feelings and needs over your own. Or, you engage in a conversation to discuss something that happened specifically to you, but the conversation quickly turns about them. You should regularly leave interactions, especially social interactions, feeling happy and inspired. You should be able to lean on someone's shoulder occasionally without feeling like a burden. If you're feeling tired after being around them and have little to no feeling of contentment or joy after having interacted with them, it probably means they’re not putting as much into the relationship as they are getting out of it. Toxic people will always pull the attention onto themselves, rather than it being a reciprocal back and forth. They will belittle your achievements and find faults in everything you do, no matter if it’s a personal achievement or a professional one. They will turn everything into a competition, often trying to “one-up” everything you say or do. They often will try to lift themselves up by tearing you down. Their mistreatment will vary from exclusion, ignoring, and subtle but hurtful remarks to even stronger verbal abuse. You might also hear comments from them such as, “You’re too sensitive” or “You need to learn to take a joke.” A toxic person will rarely celebrate you. They will seldom be happy for you. Even if, on the surface, it might appear they share in your enthusiasm and happiness, there will typically be an undercurrent of jealousy. A true support system will celebrate milestones and achievements. They will genuinely be happy to see you succeed and be the first ones to say “congratulations” or send kudos. However, not every person who expresses negativity is necessarily toxic. Some may initially be negative out of fear that your new role will change you or your relationship. It’s also possible that they might not see the value of your position at first, so they will be unsupportive until they see some success in it. These people might later become very supportive of you and your instinct to detach will be short-lived. Most of us have likely had moments of selfishness and lack of self-awareness, where you can look back and recognize that you weren’t your best self. But, if you are seeing a pattern of behavior where someone is continuously taking more from your relationship than giving and/or repeatedly putting you down in order to make themselves feel or look better, then that is truly harmful. Whether you have chosen and worked diligently towards the path of leadership, or it has been thrust upon you, there will always be people who believe that they are much better suited for the spotlight. They will consistently try to diminish your achievements and work behind the scenes to convince others to do the same. These people do not warrant your attention. Every bit of your energy is important. Detach yourself from toxic relationships and focus on the people who you can trust, who are genuinely happy for your accomplishments, and who routinely show up for you. Finally, after removing and detaching yourself from negative and toxic relationships, actively seek out communities of like-minded successful people with similar goals, who will inspire you, and empower you to grow into the best leader and person you can be. To become a member, go to Moxie and join other successful women in business who are already making connections. Allie Stark, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Allie Stark is the Founder and CEO of Moxie. Inspire. Empower. Grow., a social network designed specifically for women in business. Moxie brings women from across the globe, together on one app, to support, inspire, and empower one another with the goal of helping its members grow in business and beyond. Allie is passionate about forging meaningful connections and also an administrator of several women’s friendship Facebook groups across the United States and Canada. Allie holds degrees in Psychology and Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University, and for nearly four years, has helped thousands of women make significant and worthwhile connections. Allie resides with her husband and two teenage children in Gilbert, Arizona.

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. We all want to forge meaningful, loving relationships. Connecting with others is one of the most important elements of our mental and emotional well-being. It's a vital part of building any lasting happiness in our lives. What if you struggle to do this, though? You give your all to your relationships, but they never seem to work out. If this sounds like you, you may have a heart-wall you're not aware of, and this is what's causing the problem. What is a heart-wall? Let me explain. What a heart-wall is and why it keeps you closed off? Almost everyone has had their heart 'broken' at some time in their life. When this happens, your heart becomes vulnerable to emotional injury, and negative emotions get trapped in your heart. Since emotions are pure energy, this energy lodges in your heart; your subconscious puts up an energy barrier around your heart called the 'heart wall.' While these 'barriers' may be good and needed for a while, if you never remove them, these negative trapped emotions you close yourself off from having healthy, functional relationships. You may also find yourself constantly attracting the 'wrong' kind of person in your life – over and over and over. Once you remove the heart's wall, you will be able to give and receive healthy love more freely. What problems does a long-term heart-wall cause? A heart-wall is not selective. It doesn't keep the bad emotions out and let the good ones in. It blocks off all feelings from flowing both in and out. This means that over time you begin to feel numb. If you're cut off from positive emotions like love, desire, or excitement, it is impossible to feel happy. Even if you do feel happy, the wall prevents these positive vibes radiating out to the people around you. If a person you love is getting no good vibes from you, it is challenging to sustain the relationship. They may feel you're distant or unhappy and assume you're dissatisfied with them. That's when they decide to remove themselves from your life whether you want them to or not. If this happens often enough, the pain you feel intensifies. The wall now becomes stronger in response. In time you will find yourself moving through your life like a zombie. You go to work, meet friends, and appear to be living a normal life. You're not living, though. You're surviving. If all that wasn't bad enough, negative emotions trapped behind your heart-wall could have a physical effect on you too. Your body may not heal itself as well as it should due to the emotional stress it's under. You may feel tension pain in your neck, back and shoulders. In short, it affects your whole life. I have a heart-wall! How do I remove it? Once you are ready, the heart-wall is removed by using the Emotion Code. To heal, you have to release all the trapped emotions around your heart. Once they're gone, you won't need the wall anymore. Every person is different, so some people can release them all in one session. For others, it takes time and multiple sessions. The key is to start, not how long it will take. When the Heart-Wall is removed from the body, the difference can sometimes be felt immediately. At other times, the change is more subtle and takes place over time. Are you ready? Are you interested in having your 'Heart-Wall' removed? CONTACT ME to set up an appointment so you can give and receive healthy love freely! Expect miracles! Book your free session today ! 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: Adelina Stefan, 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. While living in a volatile world characterized by significant changes and uncertainty, it can be very challenging to stay positive. However, remaining optimistic is a core ingredient in coping successfully with a crisis. Below you will find five powerful tips to help you stay positive in challenging times: 1. Focus on positive facts. When we experience challenges or obstacles throughout the day, negativity will likely come in our mind. You may think I'm not good at this. I'm lazy, or start working about: What if I won't be successful? What if the worst happens? Think about it. No matter how difficult or bad it may be, remember this is only a temporary situation, and it will not be this way forever. Transform your negative phrases into positive statements. Instead of spending more time feeling sorry for what you could not achieve, start framing in your mind something like Because today I was not effective as I wished to, I will plan better for tomorrow so I can accomplish all my tasks. Think about what you can do to overcome those moments and improve your life. 2. Cultivate gratitude. Many studies have proven that gratitude makes us happier and healthier. Similar to other emotions, gratitude should come naturally and should not be forced. By practicing gratitude, you will create a habit to focus more on the positive things surrounding us. For instance, you can practice gratitude regularly by writing down five things to be genuinely thankful for – either when waking up, during your lunchtime, on your way back home, or before going to bed. When something negative comes to your mind, remember the things you expressed gratitude for, including even those you did not ask for or the negative ones that allowed you to move forward and opened new opportunities in your life. Showing gratitude doesn't necessarily mean that everything in your life is great, but by acknowledging your blessings, in time, you will feel more in control of your life, and staying positive will become a way of life. 3. Do more things that matter. As a Coach, I often hear from my clients that they feel overwhelmed with too many things they have to accomplish, and their goals have become too distant, and they are not getting closer to them. Asking yourself What really matters to you is crucial to identify your path and set your priorities. How important is something that you need to accomplish, and how the result impact your life? By prioritizing your actions and constantly working on the important things, you will think more clearly and have the confidence that you are moving in the right direction. Even though developing a positive mindset is not easy, by regularly practicing to stay focused, you will feel more empowered and cope better with challenges. 4. Get support. When you surround yourself with positive people, you will hear more positive stories and enjoy more daily activities. Their positive attitude and words will influence your way of thinking, and you will find yourself using more affirmations and improving your state of mind. Work with a coach or mentor to help you remain productive and build up your confidence and skills to be successful. 5. Celebrate small achievements. When working with my clients on their strengths and values, I often hear that they haven't accomplished anything special in their careers, and they were merely doing the job. Remember that employers don't expect you to know everything, but emphasizing your smart stories with an optimistic attitude will make them feel that you are willing to learn and open to embrace newness. Hence, reviewing your priorities regularly and celebrating your small achievements is crucial in staying positive and focusing on what matters to you. Last, as mentioned above, showing gratitude for others will increase your enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy. At the same time, it is equally important to cultivate a state of gratitude towards your actions and celebrate your small achievements. Follow me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Adelina! Adelina Stefan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adelina Stefan is a Professional Certified Coach & Intercultural Facilitator specialized in Career Development, with a deep expertise in international HR recruitment and selection and Training and Development. Having worked for 10+ years across cultures, Adelina seeks to catalyze individuals’ potential, helping them create and implement their unique career blueprint and, at the same time, achieve a healthy work-life balance. She specializes in working with expats and mid- to senior-level executives dealing with challenging work environments that can affect both their performance and well-being. She supports organizations in building a corporate coaching culture by highlighting individuals’ maximum potential and engagement so that they become dedicated and highly successful employees. Her practice includes Career, Life, Executive, and Agile Coaching for individuals, as well as developing and implementing corporate Human Resources practices for improving intercultural relations.

Written by: Dana Neacsu, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It was a cloudy and cold October day. Even worse, a Saturday morning when everything is supposed to be sunny and warm, and great for things like a breakfast outside and a market stroll. But I really did not care much about that. I was on-call at the hospital, and there was something so heavy about the morning that it made me head straight for the Starbucks area amazingly available in the lobby. I know I should not like it, but there is something so comforting about the colors and the smell and everyone there is so young and happy and they call you by name... It’s just like a warm heavy blanket over unsettling emotions and worries. My pumpkin spice latte is ready! The calming energy and memories are flowing, the fall colors outside are now in my mind. The crispy air whiffs me to the mountains somewhere, happy and carefree... and then the phone rings. I reluctantly answer before taking my first sip, hoping there is no emergency. It was way worse than that: the lab tells me about the biopsy results for one of my patients, and it's bad. In fact, it is super bad - it's cancer. Suddenly, the coffee doesn’t taste good, the pictures in my head are gone, and I am back in the grayish-white hallway. My heart is really heavy. I got to know this patient well over the last couple of days. I met his wife, and we shared stories about our kids (theirs are much older than mine, lucky them). We discovered along the way that we are from Transylvania – the land of vampires thanks to Mr. Stokes and his book but in reality, the most beautiful land in Eastern Europe. We bonded over food and holiday memories, talked about upcoming trips, and what we would do once there. He was retired, so his plans were always longer than mine and made me sigh every single time. And now it's all gone. It’s cancer. It’s an upcoming fight and medications and hospital visits. I walked to his room and right before knocking; I just peeked inside. The big doors have a window area so I could see him and his wife talking and smiling at times. She was showing something on the phone and he was nodding. They were so much at peace in their own world. And that was when it hit me. I was about to shatter all that. Their world their peace their plans their life. Their life won’t be the same the moment I step into that room and say the word cancer. I don’t even need to say anything I have one of those faces easy to read - bad for gambling. And suddenly I could not do it. I could not make myself enter the room. In 18 years of hospital work, this certainly wasn't the first time I had to share bad news with someone. After a certain point, we as doctors get used to pain and have our armor up, so whenever moments like this hit, the shock is blunted and absorbed by it. But sometimes the pain goes through and you feel like hit by a bullet. So, I kept on watching them. I reasoned with myself: maybe I'll come back or at least I give them a bit more time before their life is changed forever. Just a few minutes. Why not let them have a bit more time with normalcy and calm and worry-free? "What are you dreaming of here?? Did you talk to them? I need him to go for the tests you all want. Go talk to him!" - she almost shoves me in. 'She' is one of the nurses on the floor, one of the best, in fact, but boy, she is not for the faint-hearted. She reminds me of Rachett, the nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and here now I was the poor Jack Nicholson's character trying to rebel. But I knew better. Some nurses make doctors feel like young residents still, even with two decades of experience. And I knew she was right. I needed to tell them. So I walked in, and, yes, the moment his wife looked up at me - she knew, so her hand went over his. He was less attentive, probably still thinking about their conversation. But he was listening, and as I was talking, I could see the waves of emotions flowing through his eyes and the sadness was the worst of all. I made the message it as hopeful as I could while making sure I go over everything and trying to forget that I just shattered their peaceful day and I now will always be that mark in their life that changed everything for the worst. And they were so gracious. They accepted the news, asked their questions, and silently cried. And all this time I was apologizing for the news as if I were the cancer cell myself. And then they looked at me... and thanked me for being there for them, and taking care of him, and "just being an angel who tried to comfort" them. They shifted their focus to make me feel better and, my goodness, we are so funny as human beings – I did feel better! I eventually came out of the room and burst into: "They called me an angel". I couldn't help it – feeling a bit less heavy on my feet, seeing the light and the colors coming back. And right there and then: "You are an angel alright, the angel of death". The nurse's voice came out of nowhere and hit my bubble like a missile, exploding me back into the grayish-white world. I have been the angel of death many times before and after that. Sometimes it hurts like hell. Sometimes, we manage to hold our breath until the stinging pain is gone, and we can move to the next patient and fight the battle. Me and all my fellow doctors - we know that we do sometimes lose, even when we do our best. And the very next day, we have to stand up and fight again against sickness and death, fully knowing we might still lose and someone s life will be shattered. And it takes the life out of us so many times and leaves scars nobody will ever see. But we have no choice - we fight. In fact, even if I had had a choice, I would still do this. Every time. Because it’s a privilege and an honor to be someone’s angel even if in the end it’s the angel of darkness. I still bring compassion and care and a steady hand that they can lean on - until the end. And I just can’t think of a better place to be. This is a tribute to all my fellow doctors and nurses and everyone struggling to do their best during this year and pandemic. In this darkness, I SEE YOU! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Dana Neacsu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr Dana Neacsu is trained in both conventional and integrative medicine and her goal is to offer her patients the best treatment from both medical worlds. Her practice is a unique combination of ancient medicine techniques like Reiki, functional medicine cutting edge protocols and biohacking devices of the future. The core of her practice remains however the patients themselves and their incredible power of self-healing and courage.

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. We all hear the terms “hustling” or “grinding” used to describe working hard or achieving breakthroughs in our work. Emerging leaders are a prime example of this description — they are talented high-achievers who thrive in their current roles. They regularly outpace their peers in their job performance, are considered subject-matter experts, challenge the status quo, and are driven to accomplish the lofty goals they set for themselves. But is there more to being an emerging leader than just grinding and outworking your peers? Absolutely! While having a strong work ethic, and being a high achiever are valuable and desirable skills, there are several other key characteristics an emerging leader should possess. ● Confidence : One could assume this characteristic comes naturally with being a high-achieving individual, but sometimes a lack of confidence can undermine and sabotage potentially great leaders. An emerging leader is confident in their skillset and ability to lead and possesses enough humility to know how to be a good listener when others offer innovative ideas. ● Emotional intelligence : Being calm under pressure and focusing on the solution instead of dwelling on the problem is a great trait in an emerging leader. It’s easy to lose your cool when things spiral out of control, but to have someone with a level head who doesn’t get caught up in blaming, self-sabotaging, or paralysis by analysis can be the difference between success and failure on a project. ● Resiliency : The real test of an emerging leader is how they respond to adversity. So that project they spearheaded didn’t go so well, or that new initiative didn’t accomplish what they had hoped it would. Their next steps are in the wake of failure or disappointment is what separates them from others—they take accountability, regroup, and dive fearlessly into the next project or challenge. Are you thinking of someone on your team who exhibits these characteristics? If yes, that is fantastic. If not, how can you build a culture that incubates these emerging leaders and creates potential within your team? I believe as a manager and a leader, you should constantly be looking out for potential talent and possible emerging leaders on your team. If not, I can guarantee someone else is, and they will quickly snap up these high-potential individuals. Now that I have shared my thoughts, I am curious to hear any additional traits you have discovered in your teams' emerging leaders. What do you think is the most crucial skill for emerging leaders to develop as we enter a new era of remote work? 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 and 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 the agile and project management communities and speaks internationally on topics around leadership, corporate culture, and achieving 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: Samantha Touchais, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It is such an exciting moment the first time you think of a business idea and start mapping it out in your head. There’s a buzz that comes from all that possibility before your brain starts going over the details and some of the doubt sets in. While I have heard this from others, I am definitely speaking from my own experience. For over twenty years, I had a successful international marketing career with some of the world’s largest companies and have traveled and lived worldwide thanks to this career. For various reasons, I decided one day to put it all behind me and start my own business. The idea I had was a strong one and I validated it with several rounds of market research. I felt confident, excited, and really happy with the decision to move forward, particularly when one of my best friends decided to join me in the business venture. Fast forward eighteen months and we were feeling bitter, dejected and actually quite angry, as we had gone from the initial highs and elation of planning out a really exciting business to legal battles with a horrible supplier, fierce competition in the market that hadn’t existed when we started the idea [our business idea was stolen by somebody, but that is a whole other story!] and a high cost of delivery that couldn’t be circumnavigated and was pricing us out of the market. We lost money , time and sleep, three things we will never get back, but we learned so much in the process and that experience truly is invaluable. A big plus is I never lost my friendship, and I have gained so much insight into running my own business, and from the three subsequent successful businesses I have run, that I am now able to share all my learnings with my coaching clients. There are three key learnings I have taken from this experience and if I could go back in time this is what I would tell myself. Lesson One - Launching and running your own business takes enormous amounts of patience. I am a go-getter and like to get on with things almost before the idea is fully formed in my head. I want to take action and I want to see results and I want it now. I really was quite naïve when it came to how long it would take to see any form of success in my first business. This was partly from the fact that I had managed some of the world’s largest brands on a global level, which obviously meant I had a much bigger advertising budget than I did for my own personal business and a huge team behind me. While decisions would take longer, action could be faster, which meant results were often much quicker to achieve. It takes time , and sometimes a lot of time, to start to build a brand and get the awareness out there. While I am an optimistic person, this optimism is what led me to overestimate the forecasted sales and underestimate the reality of how long it would take to reach those sales. The market research had been so positive but setting up supplier agreements and sorting out logistics took a lot longer than I had anticipated. So my advice here is to be patient. Take your time to plan your sales forecasts, particularly for the first twelve months, recognizing that it may take longer than you initially anticipated to reach your target. Be clear on your business goals and break them down into actionable steps with associated timings. If you have someone you can trust, ask them for feedback on the timings you have given yourself, as an outsider’s point of view can be quite insightful. There are many associations for entrepreneurs, so find out what local resources you have, or alternatively I suggest joining some online business support groups or networking groups. Getting advice from someone who is further along the path than you can be invaluable. Lesson Two - Who you surround yourself with is crucial. Running your own business can be a lonely affair. I was surprised at just how lonely I have felt along my path to entrepreneurship, particularly as I had gone from working in companies with upwards of 100,000 employees to me. Just me. But I realized early on that having a business partner, where appropriate, can make a huge difference to how you feel emotionally about the business, and I found having someone else in the trenches with me when things got tough was crucial. If you are a solopreneur, then a business coach can be a great way to have someone on your side, supporting you and motivating you to stretch yourself and keep showing up. It is really helpful to have someone act as an accountability partner and a business coach can also fulfill this role. Along with Covid-19 and home-working has come an abundance of online support groups for home workers and entrepreneurs, and co-working spaces have become all the rage over the last few years. In order to feel supported and keep yourself feeling fresh, it is really important to connect and engage with others outside your business whenever you can. Those initial days of setting up a business can be tough and lonely, and so I always recommend to my coaching clients to have an accountability partner, someone they can share their visions and goals with who can help keep them on target. Business-focused Facebook groups are a great way to connect with others in the same boat as you, and you never know, you may even find some clients or customers in these groups. I don’t suggest you join them with the sole purpose of promoting your business but use these groups as a sounding board for ideas or to find support when you are finding things tough or need advice. Lesson Three - Knowing your why is critical to business success. For those stuck in corporate jobs that they do not enjoy, the life of an entrepreneur can seem very enticing. Social media presents us with stories of Lamborghini-driving 20 somethings who have made it rich running their own online businesses and what used to be the path chosen by few is now becoming much more mainstream. I have spoken to quite a few people over the years who have decided to launch their own business as a means of escape rather than basing the decision on an empowering dream of the future. They want to be their own boss; they don’t want to keep putting in long hours for someone else’s benefit, they no longer want a three-hour daily commute. While I can totally see where these people are coming from, escapism is not a good reason to become an entrepreneur. If you are not truly clear on why you want to start your own business, apart from trying to get out of a situation you are not happy with, then as soon as the going gets tough, you will simply want to run away again. Without a positive view of the future and an associated goal, you can easily lose your way and walk away from the success that could have been yours. One of the first questions I ask my new clients is why they want to start their own business. What are their dreams and aspirations for their life and how does this business help fulfill them? Your ‘why’ may be made up of one reason or several reasons. I find the most common ‘why’ is made up of a financial freedom goal as well as a lifestyle goal. Many of my clients have children and/or other life responsibilities and they want to free up their time to balance work with being with their children or fulfilling their other roles. It is very empowering to feel in charge of your time and your destiny and entrepreneurship is a great way to achieve this. Having a clear goal in mind for your life and your business is what will pull you through the tough times. When I have had moments of doubt or feelings of overwhelm over the years, I have remembered how running my own business is helping me achieve the work-life balance I wanted, and I compare my life now to my corporate life and then I know I have made the right decision for my family and me. That is comforting and inspiring and is what urges me on even though the going may feel tough. While the path to successful entrepreneurship can be difficult at times, the rewards are enormous, but you must set yourself up for that success in the first place. Anticipation and preparation are the name of the game, so I hope that these lessons have been useful to you. You may fail at times, but you will get back up, dust yourself off and keep going. Failure is part of learning, which allows us to grow and to ultimately succeed. Keeping an open mind, as well as your sense of humor, and your eye on the horizon where your goal is waiting for you, will help you navigate your way to the successful business and wonderful life you deserve. You can find Samantha at her website , wellbeingseries and LinkedIn ! Samantha Touchais, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Samantha Touchais is a Business and Mindset Coach helping women create a safe and secure path to launching their dream business by providing them with the support and tools to make it a success. She has over 20 years of marketing and strategy experience working for large international companies around the world and it was her love of how the mind works and how to create the right mindset for success that led her into coaching. She lives and breathes marketing and mindset, and loves sharing her learnings with others. Author of four books and the creator of the Well Being Series (a collection of apps and books that provide meditations and affirmations for well-being based on the latest neuro-science), she loves exploring Europe, where she has been for the last 14 years, but misses the beaches of her native Australia.

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. Perception is a way an individual judges another person based on behavior or personality. There are many factors that influence this. Let us consider the perspective from both beholder and target. When we look at a person, we look at their personality, attitude, facial expressions and energy vibes they give. This is what a first impression looks like. Sometimes a person’s work routine can also influence the outlook. But something that we see may not always be true. As it is said, “All that glitters is not gold”. When it comes to the target, they are looked at either as an individual or a collective race. Moreover, they are also judged on the basis of their background and ethics. A perception might go wrong and it might create differences at work. This usually depends on the type of situation the beholder and target are in. Most of the time we judge or are judged through a selective process. These are selective, halo, contrast and stereotype effect. We can link the above concept to individual decision making. The ability to make firm decisions, say no to illegal notions all depend on how we perceive the situation. Certain times, not all information is available and hence we tend to take wrong decisions. Most of the time, factors such as environment, background, other problems make us take decisions. Intuitive decision is another kind. Our sixth sense helps us in judging a circumstance. This occurs if we have dealt with a similar problem or experience in life. How does it affect daily life? We often find ourselves in the dilemma of judgment. And it seriously inhibits us from meeting people. People who are introverts and especially INTJ type personalities find themselves in the ocean of thoughts and fear that stops them from networking with people. Sometimes, the agitation of others judging us brings us to a halt with questionable pondering. “How should I approach them?” “What will they think about me” “How do I break free from this” This can affect adversely. You might be missing some major events in your life because of the low feeling that goes through your heart and mind. How to remain optimistic in every matter? Establishing a gut feeling to overcome these inhibitions is of utmost importance. The ability to understand different views of people and be open-minded to their perspective helps in developing our own mindset. When we lend an ear to someone’s issue, we tend to correlate it with our personal lives. This helps in developing a greater bond that helps us break through our own barriers. Developing a chart, where you could chalk out your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is famously known as the SWOT (matrix) analysis. With this, I can 101% guarantee that you will be able to plan your present life and future. As you note down the weakness and strengths, you will soon realize how you can use your energy to overcome the shortcomings will make you see a positive approach towards every aspect of life. Visit 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.

In Lanna's words, “Life is much like a natural phenomenon to many who live here on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada .” It has been said by locals here that this is the exact spot where the ocean meets the rainforest! Inspiration takes hold. Diagnosed with C-PTSD, clinical depression, anxiety, and migraine headaches due to childhood trauma and many hardships life threw at her. Lanna knew all too well that she had to pave her own path. She is the eldest sibling of four who grew up during the 1960s and 1970s with a family who lived in poor conditions due to a lack of financial resources, community support, basic life skills, and very limited paternal and maternal nurturing. Her siblings, whom she has great admiration for, had suffered frequent heartache, chaos, and lack of stability or support, yet they still move forward in the most positive light they can find in their path. The ability of her parents to nurture their children or guide them appropriately due to mental health challenges proved difficult for all involved. Yet, she still has empathy and awareness in her heart. From a very young age, Lanna's mission in life has been focused on advocacy, and Paying It Forward, as she puts it. As Lanna had left her family home a conflicted runaway just before her 15th birthday, she had survived a multitude of dangers, such as being sexually assaulted multiple times by a close friend's father when she was just 14 years old. Another dangerous and heartbreaking situation was losing a young friend to alcohol poisoning at 14 as Lanna attempted to revive her at an outdoor party. The most heartbreaking and dangerous experience was losing a friend who was sadly never heard from again after hitchhiking with her from Northern BC to Vancouver BC in the winter of the late 1970s. They were separated by Lanna accidentally getting on the wrong bus in Vancouver that was headed to the US. She frequently contemplated where her journey could have ended up or where her friend would be today. Sadly, there is no closure for the loss of her friend, and her friend's family still all wonder where she went or if she survived. Speculations of her disappearance from the police in recent years and evidence showed that some of her belongings, as well as DNA, were found at a Port Coquitlam pig farm, but has yet to lead to anything concrete. Lanna said, “This experience had taught her to be more cautious, empathetic, and to rely more on her instincts.” Eventually, Lanna put herself through college to improve herself after an unfortunate arrest in her early 20s and briefly losing custody of her beloved daughter. A court Judge was merciful to her and let her choose her own outcome as a first time offender. Her mission at that point and time was to be an appropriate role model for her own daughter and to live a calm life. “ I want to Pay It Forward, as I have a lot of Karma to work through!” she stressed. She’s not saying she never made any more mistakes; on the contrary, she made many after this! She called it “ A roller coaster ride to self-improvement.” Lanna spent over 3 decades working for nonprofits and spent many of those years also volunteering her free time helping those in need of resources. Now at the age of 58, a happy and proud wife, mother and grandmother, who is the founder, creator and designer of Expressive Designs by Lanna. She feels her journey could open eyes for many who feel trapped or hopeless to move forward. Her husband and daughter are Lannas most dedicated supporters; she includes they are her cheering squad and have helped her remain focused these past few years. Her husband and herself have two elderly cats who have provided much comfort on those days when she felt like giving up. She is a grandmother to two amazing teens! She couldn’t be prouder of these two young humans. She feels with young people like her grandchildren emerging into adulthood, the future looks brighter, knowing there are more humans like these to lead us into our future! What is it that you do for your clients? I am a graphic designer, multimedia artist and blogger/writer. As well as a social media manager/Virtual Assistant, I’m also an advocate for vulnerable people of society. What I do as an artist is I paint and draw various natural subjects, like wildlife and nature. As well, I enjoy drawing humans and pets. I can make prints for someone’s custom order or sell my own prints. As a graphic designer, I can make custom logos and web banners. Also, I design prints for T-shirts, accessories and gift items and have them shipped directly to my customers. I can do a custom design or sell my own designs on merchandise. As a social media manager/Virtual Assistant, I can help manage your social media accounts, write articles for your website, and write blog posts with SEO assistance; all Copyscape approved. Who should hire/work with you? Anyone who wants custom-designed merchandise, such as T-shirts, accessories, or home decor and poster/canvas prints, would benefit. Anyone who needs assistance with the virtual part of their business could save time by letting me do it for them. What do you do as an advocate? I am affiliated with a couple of nonprofits, raising awareness to the public and raising funds through sales in my store. One such nonprofit is an Autism Support Society called SASS. They are a family-run society in Sooke BC, Canada providing much-needed resources to families in need. For every item sold in the Autism Awareness Collection, $2 is donated to SASS. My hope is to raise enough funds to support families efficiently! I’m always open to accepting applications from other nonprofits, especially nonprofits who support mental health. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? Now that is the question I’ve wanted to answer for so long! It’s interesting to admit that the answers are multileveled. If you had asked me this 30 years ago, I just would not have had a concrete answer how things change so much overtime with life experiences. One of my goals is to be completely independent in business. What I mean by that is to rely solely on my business with no outside financial assistance. I see myself retiring in the next couple of years from my job in public education, and to be financially secure by them while doing what I love, would be a dream come true! Another goal is to have my business affiliated with several nonprofits. Paying It Forward is a very real focus for me! Lastly, I’d like to be able to afford to one day employ people who are marginalized in society! Just because someone makes questionable choices at some point in their lives doesn’t mean they want to live that way. Most people, I believe, want to feel useful and have a purpose in life. I know it takes trust for people to accept help and for some to offer it. I have great instincts, especially now that I have trust in my own judgment and confidence to move forward. For myself, to Pay It Forward is the ultimate reward! Connect with Lannette on Facebook , Instagram and visit her website for more information! Read more from Lannette !