Written by: Miriam Grunhaus, 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. She illuminated my soul with the light that was radiating from her being. Maybe I am sensitive to seeing the “gold” in others, their Kintsugi gold. You see, there was a time when my own life fell apart. I mean, lives can fall apart, multiple times. We are usually able to pick up the pieces and move on, but sometimes our lives break into a million little pieces. This time, I wasn’t quite sure that mine could ever be put back together. If I had to compare myself to an object, I would be a vase. That is to say, I would be a container of water that sustains flowers and other living beings. My life's purpose is to be the caregiver, the glue, the rock, the container that helps others thrive. Through becoming that help, I thrived as well. Now, the vase was shattered, so shattered that there weren't even pieces to pick up. It had become sand. How can you put the pieces back together when the pieces are so tiny, they are pulverized? Then, I learned about Kintsugi. It came just in time. As I stared at my pieces, I saw a way. Maybe there was a way back to wholeness after all. It would have to be one day at a time, one good thought at a time, one kind act at a time, one connection at a time, and one tiny step at a time. First, I would have to be kind to myself until I was able to put the vase back together and be kind to others. I would have to say no when I needed and distance myself from those who hurt me. I would reach out to those who fed my soul when I needed them. So, I did. One day I looked, and my vase was put back together. It was so completely different than the original version, but frankly, it was more beautiful, unique, and special than the first. It was filled with gold. The new vase is worth more, knows more, and it holds more: more flowers, more life, and more water. At times, the vase still breaks into the tiny places that were still whole, but there is always more gold to mend it. This personal journey has taught me to see the gold in others, to see the Kintsugi people. Sara is Kintsugi. It was not her bald, shining head that gave it away. It was the gold that was glaring and blinding me from within her scars. There is a special beauty that comes from deep feelings, deep fractures that were put back together in a way that those who know, well, they know. They recognize each other. They know the pain it takes and the work it takes, the time it takes and the patience it takes. They know the shame, the courage, the effort, and the commitment it requires. They also know that it almost didn’t happen. It was almost not put together, and it could have ended very differently. It could have been swept away with a broom and a dustpan. It could have been discarded as so many are when people see something broken, and they don’t believe that they are worth the time and effort: the work and the love, the care, and belief! We are so worth it. Each and every one of us is so worth it. We are everything. We are a special creation. We are well thought out and made with physical and emotional attributes that are miraculously working in synchronization day in and day out. Some days are better than others, but all are special and unique. Sara taught me so much when she shared her story with me. She gave me the biggest message of hope that I feel strongly. I must share it with the world. Sara was depressed from age nine, just a child! In excruciating pain, it came from the depths of her being. She was certain without an ounce of a doubt that she did not belong in this world or on this planet or anywhere. Feeling extreme anxiety, she began methodically plucking each and every hair, first the eyelashes and the eyebrows, and then her head. She would find hairs that didn’t match-- they were thicker, pluck. Then, there were the ones that were thinner, pluck. The hairs that were split, pluck. Any hair pluck pluck, pluck. The pain caused relief. Before she knew it, she looked in the mirror and saw a monster staring back at her. There was screaming without words, sharing the agony, asking to end this and go to another dimension. She wanted to go to a dimension where the birds sing, and the flowers stand tall, and are bright and colorful, and the music, Oh! The sounds are the most magical ones; they caress you and transport you through the clouds where you experience only kindness, and love, and joy. And it is calm and pain-free. But she stayed. She fought. She gave herself the time and the effort and the love. She put the pieces back together with a lot of gold. One day, she looked at herself in the mirror, and she did not see a monster. She saw beauty. She saw the light. Then, one day she saw herself in the mirror, and she did not feel pain. One day, she looked at herself, and she knew she belonged. She knew what she had to give and what she deserved to get. She could show her creativity and allow others to enjoy the specialness she brought to this earth with her art, with her music, with her imagination and her soul. She was no longer depressed, and she wanted to stay and be involved and show up and fight and step into the rink and give her all! She was no longer depressed, no longer suicidal. She wanted to BE. We are so lucky that she did. Sara is Kintsugi. I am Kintsugi. I bet you are, too. And if not yet, maybe you will be after you see what is possible when you put your pieces together and mend your shattered heart with pure gold Kintsugi in Japanese means golden Joinery. It is also known as Kintsukuroi (金繕い, "golden repair"). This is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the breakage areas with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of an object's history, rather than something to disguise. For more information, follow Miriam on Instagram and visit her website! Miriam’s first book, Heal with Gold, is launching in October 2020. Miriam Grunhaus, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After working for 25 years as a marketer with expertise in Ethics and Compliance, Miriam Grunhaus, native of Brazil, entered the world of Fashion Design. Miriam’s commitment is to the women she serves. After learning about Kintsugi (the Japanese art of mending pottery) and feeling empowered by its message, Miriam decided that her brand will be a source of hope and support for women. Mikah’s mission is to empower women to accept themselves with all of their imperfections and limitations. We want women to “wear their scars” with pride; to understand that each one of us is a unique work in progress. We want women to know that they are beautiful; not despite their circumstances, but because of them. We want to empower women to own their struggles - and in doing so - to own their strength. Miriam’s first book, Heal with Gold which is coming out soon. Tal Ben Shahar, PhD have endorsed the book. Dr. Tal ben Shahar is the author of the New York Times Best Seller Happier, and founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Coming out by the end of 2020 is the extension of the book, a course on healing with a Kintsugi spin. Sara Meucci – Sarah is an Italian model, living in London. She is currently free from depression and focuses on being a role model for others with Trichotillomania and those who suffer from mental illnesses. She wants to share with the world a message of love and hope through her creativity. She also is an amazing singer. @miss_swirl www.missswirl.com Anna Lavo – Originally from Russia, Anna lives in NYC and is a published stylist and fashion influencer. She shares her talents with the world by inspiring people to be creative with fashion and teaching people how to dress through her Instagram account. @annalavostylist www.anna-lavo.com Anthony Payne – From Brooklyn New York, he is a published hairstylist who creates art with hair and wigs like no other. Anthony was challenged to create Kintsugi shapes with hair waxed with gold which was then applied on model’s head. @anthonypayne Candice Rios – Candice is a New York make-up artist, published in many magazines like Oprah, Simply the Best and more. Candice also works with corporations like Pepsico and others. She is a volunteer with Lipstick Angels. @iamcandicerios www.iamcandicerios.com Michael Oliver – Michael resides in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Florida, Michael has Caribbean roots. He is a published photographer whose photos also appeared in photo contests, as well as online interviews. He brings his warm island vibe to the shoots, making everyone feel very comfortable. @mikeost www.oliverphotographs.com

Written by: Sara Abaza, 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. Something I am passionate about when I start self-talk or when I start a conversation with someone, I use the most positive uplifting affirmation words. This assist in changes to our reality. I’m going to start my article by saying I am grateful and thankful for our ability to change. Re-creating our self comes with the desire and with a great power. Once we think about re- creating ourselves, there are three things that will spring to the forefront. Realizing things that we don’t want will lead us to what we do want. Unhappiness and frustration with how our life is, are negative (low elevated) emotions.Our true selves will give us these as a sign that we desire change. Some feel they just want to change for the better. They are starting to tap into more potential of their life they are living now. It is when someone is in a good place and is simply looking for better. There are many reasons why we want to re-create our life. Here are a few things that we have to understand and put into perspective to make the path as easy and effortless as possible. The few things are: Mind understanding; What is the mind? Many of us believe that our mind lives in our head, but it does not. The mind is the breakdown between the subconscious mind (the program we have been fed to fit in), and the conscious mind is our momentum of awareness towards the present moment. Our thoughts and feelings. There are two types of laws. Universe Laws and human laws. We mainly focus on human laws. Since we live together, we focus on acceptance and attention from others. This usually comes from our ego perception. We have not been taught what the universe Laws are. The universe laws are everything when it comes to our reality and our ability to change it. Our body, our physical body, the amount of self-care, energy and attention we gift to it, the better it feels. At the end of the day, it is our router. The better our body feels, the more we are perceptive to the receptive mode of alignment with our true self. - Using the power of the mind to re-create ourselves. Tap into your conscious mind before trying to change your subconscious mind. The conscious mind's awareness makes it easier to create a cognition of your present moment attention and intention feelings and thoughts than to try changing the subconscious beliefs. Since it is built in our core, trying to change that base may take way longer then if we asked ourselves how we can shift our focus right now to what serves us. Here are three steps to change your conscious mind. The more you practice, the more you become in sync with the practice. This is a spontaneous way to change your subconscious mind to where your core belief is not serving you. 1. Gratitude towards as many things as you can count. The thin line between writing 10 points of gratitude a day or whispering it inside your head, scripting, or writing greatly impacts re-creating yourself. Based on science, people who spend 10 to 20 minutes scripting their gratitude first thing in the morning don't just get a positive attuited and boosted immune system. They also develop a reverse nervous system impact on their brain function ability. If you were not aware of your thoughts and feelings making you worry emotionally, it is not a positive state of being for your brain to re-wire. Send different signals and release new chemicals through your nervous system that will change your reality mentally exponentially. What you experience within you will definitely change your physical reality. The touch, feel and smell of your physical world. 2. Use positive words as much as you can. For example, you see a person on a daily basis that doesn't satisfy your reality because of their negativity. If you approach them from a state of compassion instead of the state of lower elevated emotion (Anger/Unemphatic), you will reverse these emotions. To something like "I really appreciate you being in my life. I'm grateful and thankful that you are expressing your true self." Those words, sentences, and affirmations you just used represent how much any negative person or situation can be your purpose of re-creating yourself. Through the eye of compassion, you are empowering yourself, to find a purpose, to change, instead of fighting, arguing and impacting your mindset with negativity. You are rising and shining. You are shifting the power and focus. Seeing how it could actually be a purpose for you to change. 3. Sticky notes. Sometimes we need a reminder. A reminder such as a sticky note everywhere you pass in your home, car, or office put a little message for yourself as a reminder. I am positive. I am getting ready to be ready to receive my best story written. I am in control of my emotions and thoughts. I am a cool character in my reality. I am a powerful focuser. My best life is unfolding for me. - Using the power of the laws of the universe: Using the power of the laws of the universe is stepping into a magical world. This is where 99.9999 of your nonphysical (Energy) reality is based on quantum physics. Here are some of the universal laws to start your collaborative journey. 1. The path of least effort- This is the law that you find the easiest to take as an individual. There will inherently be resistance towards life choices. Focusing on simple choices that we make in momentum, from thoughts aligned with feeling of stillness, always allows you to take the path of least resistance but, a thought aligned with fear or worry is an indicator to a path of difficulty. The path of least effort is allowing for one to internalize life’s simple choices. Recreating your self through the path of least effort applies to see your desires in life. Through internal visualization and setting your intentions in creating it before you go to bed or right after you wake up. The path of least effort peaks while your body is resting. Not stressed by physical action. What you are doing here is using the power of your mind and creating a momentum effortlessly with ease. Least effort paths will assist you in your reality to get inspired and assist in motivational energy to achieve what you desire. 2. The law of giving- There is no way around when you give you receive, but what you should give is based on intention and attention. Any form of giving when it comes to condition, it is your intention that is displaying. Any form of giving comes from an unconditional path. It is your intention and manor of your true self, not your ego anymore. Your ego can always tell you give because you want something but, your true self will tell you to give because that is what you are. That is what you know, that is why you are here. You give without expectations. You keep the momentum of giving unconditionally. The universe will answer you back immediately. Practice makes you perfect! Not just with the actions you are taking but with your internal actions. Internally is where your recreation starts and works. 3. The law of detachment- It kind of complements the second law. Detachment from the outcome. When your desire is ready to re-create, you have to carry the story within what you want to re-create based on what you didn’t want in the first place. Asking for a change when you recreate the story, keep your present moment on a high elevated emotion. This means fun, means satisfied, means playful, means grateful. The more you put into your day from these emotions and feelings, the more you start to receive inspired thoughts of how to re-create. You will not focus on when and how your desire will turn to a physical reality. Detachment from the outcome is very powerful, a sincere power. You honestly have faith your newly created story is coming. It’s on the way and all you’re doing now is relaxing and enjoying life as much as possible. Let’s complain less, blameless, shameless, guiltless, have more fun for a happier you. -Body Power: I love the simplicity of taking care of my body. I am going to share with you my personal journey of a healthy, fit body. What I do every day that I believe anyone can do. To feel healthy and happy physically again with less effort or even thinking is a body type diet plan. 1. Fasting- Intermittent fasting, water fasting, and dry fasting. Your gut is your third brain. Giving it a break will allow it to function and focus with sharp concentration. Creating a strong memory and reverse your aging process. Fasting has been known to possess great power. It allows you to communicate with the laws of the universe easily because you are not designed to eat all the time. To think about eating or to emotionally eat is a negative justification. Our desire to eat naturally comes when we are hungry. Not as a substitutional emotional band-aid. When we resort to food for comfort, we start to mix between being hungry and the need for emotional comfort. It takes practice to get back in control of fasting. Fasting is key to a healthy mind, body, and focus energy. 2. Physical activity- The Simplest act of physical activity such as walking or dancing. With walking, the main focus is keeping your back straight, tuck in your tummy. This allows your body to breathe with the mantra that is going internally within you. Such as all is well, I love the body I am in. With dancing and feeling the music. They have a strong connection to the way your body is affected. The words you are using to keep one mantra or one positive thought while dancing or walking takes you to the next step in your fitness journey. 3. Inner self-image- How do you see yourself inside your head. When you aim for something to be re-created without seeing it inside first, you make your path to re-create it way longer and much harder. The mind is the most powerful thing. Every thought comes with an image. If you become persistent in how you look inside your head. Your future present self image will manifest itself and will be easier to achieve for you every single day. I’m very grateful and thankful to share this article with you. I am certain and positive it is going to serve you. I wish to invite you on this awe-inspiring path. Join my course RE-CREATE YOURSELF. Where you will find all the information, I just shared. An in-depth, clear understanding of how your mind will make clear and prosses the visuals better. I believe if you read RE-CREATE YOURSELF right now. You will always be in the right time and the right place. You are never too late. You attract the high focus energy better that you created. I’m very grateful and thankful to be part of your journey in RE-CREATE YOURSELF. It is an easy and fun experience. I am positive you will find the best version of yourself. With you, Sara Abaza, your Mindset and Wellness mentor. Life is easy and effortless -- Yours Sincerely Sara Abaza "You are amazing, wonderful and beautiful. The world is LUCKY to have you." To learn more, visit Sara's website and follow her on Instagram Read more from Sara! Sara Abaza, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mindset and wellness mentor Sara Abaza comes from Kuwait and a conservative Arabic family, and she was fed with thoughts of limiting beliefs and a narrow mindset from early age. She was stuck in that mindset for a long time but the turning point came when she started listening to English music. That was the one thing that inspired her to go beyond her surroundings, to go beyond what she thought she was.

Written by: LaToya Larkin, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There are so many ways to get started with a food business of your own. Food businesses are hot commodities at the moment and you don’t have to be a culinary grad or five star Michelin chef to get into the foodservice industry. If you make a unique food product, sell it. Attractively package up that special seasoning or secret sauce, offer your specialty craft desserts of cakes and pies or even if you are a certified YouTube chef with love for food art and presentation. Then create extraordinary meals at home for clients being a personal chef. However, it’s great to have the passion and know how to cook, but even better when you can make money doing something that you love. You can sell food from an established business that already holds a Food Handler’s License. You can sell at a community park by the field where soccer moms gather or industrial parks, where hard-working men have worked up a hearty appetite. You can bake cookies, bread, and cakes to sell to restaurants or catering companies. Or you can sell your products at local crafts, fairs, food markets, and of course, from home. Make sure you do your due diligence to research the regulations and guidelines of the local county and state health authorities when making food from home. Most states require a food handler’s license or cottage food laws, such as in Texas. Check to see if you need permits selling in a public space and print labels with ingredients for your product to remain in compliance with the state requirements. Here are a few tips to ensure you are well on the way to turning your passion into cash money in the bank. Have unwavering passion for whatever it is you’re pursuing. Being an entrepreneur isn’t as easy or as glamorous as it appears. The journey you embark on the path of entrepreneurship is a journey like no other. There are as many disappointments as victories, so you must love what you do to stay motivated and focused. Know your limitations and don’t let your ego keep you from asking for help from people who are smarter and more experienced than you. Set your pride aside and don’t be afraid to ask someone who has trademarked success. It would surprise you how many people will help elevate you and take you to the next level if you just ask. Make sure what you’re planning on offering - whether a product or service is needed, and there’s a space for your unique approach. Everybody is doing the same thing, but what makes you stand alone in your own lane. Be willing to reinvest back into your business. The money you make doesn’t just spend it all without having some set aside to reinvest because once the money runs out, it’s over. So you have to keep putting back into your business. Find a successful company you admire in or out of your space and use it to motivate you to be great and professional. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. By doing this, you’ll be able to learn the pros and cons of the business to inspire your vision of success for yourself. For more information, follow me on Instagram and visit my website ! LaToya Larkin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chef LaToya Larkin, CCE, is the Program Coordinator of the Culinary Arts Program at Spring High School while being the first African American Female Chef in the district (Spring ISD), in Spring, TX. Her 20 years of expansive knowledge and culinary passion have led to lifetime achievement opportunities. She received her MBA (Nonprofit Management) from Springfield College, BS (Culinary Management) from The Art Institute of Atlanta, and AAS (Culinary Arts) from The Art Institute of Houston. Besides the education field, Chef Larkin operates three businesses that reflect her passions in life. Tamale product line “Black Girl Tamales” of signature fusion tamales, Not Enough Thyme Personal Chef Services, a personal chef/catering business, clothing line Divah Chef Apparel of shirts & aprons, and It’s Thyme 4a Change, is a non-profit organization catering to at-risk youth to mentor and guide while planting the positive seed to exemplify the vast opportunities of culinary. She’s devoted to inspiring the youth to be all they can be so that everyone can connect to eternal love, which is the reason for our existence and reach their full potential. Through sharing her wisdom, knowledge, life experiences, and triumphs, it commits her to making a difference in the lives of others. She’s happy to embrace the opportunity to take part in the uplifting and happiness of others.

Written by: Amanda Rose, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I don't know about you, but in my high school, "Money Creation" wasn't a class that was offered. Instead, we learned algebra, trigonometry, and calculus, which of course, we use those every day… oh wait, we don't. Unfortunately, our school system is still based on training our skills on how to get a job, but it doesn't teach us what to do with the monies earned from that job or how to create our own wealth. The days of landing a job and holding it until retirement are over. Whether an employee or entrepreneur, if you ever want to experience financial freedom, you must understand the 3 types of Income and how to utilize them effectively. Let's dive in... WORKING INCOME Working income is what we're all familiar with. Working income essentially means you are exchanging time for money; it requires you to be present to be earned. Working income could come from: Working as an Employee on Salary or Hourly Wage Working on Commissions As a Business Owner or Entrepreneur where you are running your business As a Contractor Working Jobs Working income should be considered "seed money". We all need money to live day-to-day, and working income gives us immediate access to live with food and shelter while we create other incomes that will eventually grant us freedom. It can also be used for investments that allow your money to grow. On its own, working income won't bring financial freedom. Expenses always rise proportionately to income. This is true both in the case of cost-of-living and consumer buying habits. By the time you get your next raise, the cost of necessities will have risen. When you earn more (let's say, for example, getting hired at a new job for twice the salary your last job paid), typically we see the trend of buying a nicer home, better car, higher-end clothing, etc. Meaning as incomes rise, so do expenditures. A big reason for this is because no one is taught investment strategies to give that extra money a purpose! RESIDUAL INCOME Residual income allows you to leverage the time you're working. A few great residual income examples are Network Marketing with their monthly auto-shipment products, Monthly Subscription Boxes, and Memberships. You make the sale once, and for as long as the customer keeps their subscription, you get paid regularly (typically monthly or quarterly). The most powerful element of residual income is its ability to grow your income without adding additional workload. Example: MONTH 1 Sell 5x $100 subscriptions Income: $500 MONTH 2 Sell 5x new $100 subscriptions 5 residual sales Income: $1000 MONTH 3 Sell 5x new $100 subscriptions 10 residual sales Income: $1500 MONTH 4 Sell 5x $100 subscriptions 15 residual sales Income: $2000 PASSIVE INCOME Passive income… the Golden Unicorn of Income that most people have heard of but aren't really sure exists. Well, I'm here to tell you it does exist, it's as magical as it sounds, it will allow you true financial freedom, and there are many ways to create it! Passive income is a source of income that doesn't require you to be present for it to come in, AKA making money while you sleep or sit on the beach drinking margaritas! Typically, passive income sources require us to put in our time upfront without any or much compensation while we're creating it, however after it's done and the systems are in place it needs little to no maintenance to continue to produce income for us. Some Ways for You To Begin Creating Passive Income There are many passive income vehicles, and ultimately, it's important that you find the right ones for you. Just as in business, the key is following your passion. What are you excellent at? Use that question to help you determine what you can create and turn into a passive income source. WRITE A BOOK: A book tends to be a long time investment upfront to create. However, the payoff can be huge. With self-publishing making up ⅓ of the market, it’s never been easier to get your work out. As an entrepreneur, when you have a book out, it helps you establish your authority in your field. You will earn a royalty payment on every book sale for life! CREATE A DIGITAL COURSE: Teaching others to do what you’re great at is one of the most tried-and-true ways to generate massive cash flow. The great thing about course creation is that you can make it once and then sell it forever! With incredible systems out there for you to create effective sales funnels to attract clients, this is one of the best passive income strategies that I can suggest you consider. I would highly recommend getting onto a platform that has easy integration of funnels, course hosting, checkout pages, e-mail marketing, and everything else you need to simplify a systemized onboarding process. I personally use Kajabi, and I love it. If you want to try Kajabi, you can get an extended 28-day free trial here ! DEVELOP AND AFFILIATE PROGRAM: Create an amazing product or service, and then create an affiliate program that allows people to sell your offers for you for a % of the sale. BUILD A BUSINESS AND THEN HIRE A CEO TO RUN IT: Create a business that you can train someone else to run for you. Many of the best-known business moguls have multiple businesses, and they are able to because they bring on excellent people who can run it while they are elsewhere. INVESTMENTS: Investing allows your money to grow into more money. There are many forms of investment you can look into. The key with passive income is that it’s hands-off, so consider something that pays dividends. AUTOMATE: Chatbots, surveys, pipelines, etc. in this digital age, we have so many incredible tools available to us to take over the sales process. Once you have mastered the organic way of selling your product or service, then automate that system. VIDEOS: I often have actors who come to me feeling stuck when they are between acting jobs. Being able to create great video footage can become a passive income stream all its own; there are many platforms now that will purchase stock footage for ad companies, film, companies, and so on. Do what you love and then sell it; to make it passive income sell it to a platform that will pay you a royalty for every sale VS– AUDIOS: If you’re a musician, just like an actor, you can create content that is sold through a stock-audio platform. You could also produce your own album and sell it digitally through music programs. If you are a public speaker, consider publishing an audiobook; just like a regular book, you’ll get royalties on every audiobook sale for life. SOCIAL MEDIA MONETIZATION: YouTube is a great example of monetizing social media through their advertisements. Whether social media fills up your sales funnel, or a platform integration allows you to make money off of engagement, look for ways to make social media another source of income. REAL ESTATE: Investing in real estate is great on two fronts. First of all, purchasing properties and renting them out typically gives you an immediate source of extra income. Second, when you hold onto properties, granted you are not forced to sell at an inopportune time, typically in the sale of the property you’ll have a big payday. Start asking yourself, “How can I take what I love and am passionate about and create a passive income source from it?” The biggest takeaway I want you to have from today is that, with an understanding of income streams and putting your focus into developing passive income streams. You can work because you want to and not because you have to! Cheers to your financial freedom! *Some clickable media, usually the book recommendations, are affiliate links, and should you choose to buy through using those links, then The Infinite Power of You Inc. may earn an affiliate payout commission. This is at no additional expense to you. For more information, visit my website and follow me on Facebook ! Amanda Rose, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Amanda Rose is the founder & director of The Infinite Power of You Inc., a multi-published multi-genre author, business, wealth, & mindset coach, actor, motivational speaker, and online course creator. She is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who has been in the online space since 2013, and a sales expert for over 10 years. It's her passion to help her clients build lives of freedom and joy, and thriving businesses with multiple revenue sources, through strategies combined with mindset mastery. Amanda's mission to shift human consciousness to create soulful abundance through mindset practices.

Written by: Fayola Delica, 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. Have you ever been excited to go on a vacation that you had been preparing for months, maybe even years? In getting ready, you gather as much information as possible such as tourist attractions, dining and entertainment locations, flight, and hotel, or even how to get around, i.e. car rental, public transportation, or private car service. You prepare as much as possible to make sure that you have the best experience on your vacation. Well, in starting a business, this is the same process you should follow as you journey into becoming an entrepreneur or a small business owner. There should be a lot of time spent in planning and strategizing when you decide to take that BIG LEAP of moving from employee to entrepreneur. Yes, it is filled with so much excitement, enthusiasm, fear, and sometimes doubt. However, all these are common when one is about to step into unfamiliar territory. Being your own boss is completely different from having a boss—being someone else’s boss comes with a different mindset. As you are thinking about starting your new business, you may be asking yourself, “Can I really do this?” “Will I be able to make a living doing this?” or even say something like “The market is too competitive, there’s already something similar to my product and/or service.” These may all be valid questions and reasons to ponder on, but the real question you should be asking yourself is, “WHY do I want to become an entrepreneur?” When you ask yourself this question first and then go through a reflective inventory of understanding your true WHY for starting a business, you will have more clarity, leading to more confidence, dedication, and determination to go and start that business. When I knew my time as a healthcare provider had come to an end, I did not know what direction I should go in next as I sought a new career path for over a decade. I began to reflect on the various stages of my life, as well as the hardships I had been through. Then, I asked myself, throughout my life, what life lessons have I learned? Also, what are my strengths and weaknesses? From five years of doing some soul searching, I found my path of becoming a Coach/Consultant/Mentor and a Speaker/Author as my personal and professional training in nursing and education provided me such skill sets to maneuver through the maze of life. Not everyone will have to take as long as I did to find their WHY. I had to not only find my WHY but was also processing some terrible hardships I was going through at the time. Yet, some people take days, weeks, months, or even years to get to the answer to their big WHY. Having said that, this first step should not be taken lightly because when you have identified your WHY, it should not be connected to making more money, a better lifestyle, or anything with selfish motives. If the answer to your WHY is related to your own personal gain, then you need to go deeper. Back in 2015, I met Mr. Brad Sugars, Founder of ActionCOACH on his Billionaire Tour during one of his stops in South Florida. He shared with us that your reason for being in business, your WHY, should be much bigger than you. If it is and is genuine, then the money will follow. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” -- the late Dr. Maya Angelou For more information, follow me on Instagram, Twitter and visit my website! Dr. Fayola Delica, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Fayola Delica is a native of Miami, Florida. She is an Apostle and an Ordained Pastor, International Award-winning Healthcare Professional, International Award-winning Serial Entrepreneur, International Award-winning Motivational Speaker, Multiple International Best-selling Author, Multiple 1 Best-selling Amazon Author, International Award-winning Beauty Queen, Global Talk Show Host, and an Educator. She believes it is your winning season, and you should be living your best life NOW.  In short, she is your Passion and Purpose Activator.  She helps you to live out loud by living out your divine purpose in the areas of business, nonprofit, and ministry.

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. Yes, the diet industry has been lying to us this whole time- here's the truth and what works! My story of struggling with my weight is similar to many of those out there. What's unique about me is the way in which I was able to figure it out. Hi, I'm Jackie, and I'm an intuitive health and weightloss coach. My story is one like many others. I struggled with my self-image and confidence from age 8, which quickly grew into an actual weight and health concern by age 12. I battled with this my whole life. Feeling uncomfortable in my skin and in no way confident in who I was. Of course, I was bullied as a child like most, but the only words that actually hurt were when I was called fat. It was absolutely devastating in my youth to hear that. It's really what started my toxic relationship with food and courtship with yo-yo and fad dieting. I struggled for decades. I tried everything on the market. I called myself the 'queen of fad diets'. I was always so motivated and hopeful when I started a new diet. But I was also so embarrassed and mad myself to be trying another "28-day program ". I tried Nutrisystem, which I liked to joke about and call "pre-packaged space food" to hide behind the shame of being on another diet. I tried Isegenix, but couldn't stomach the condensed protein pucks. I even tried the HCG hormone diet, which had me stuffing my face then eating 600 calories a day. You name it; I've tried it! 21 Day Fix, the 5 and 2 Diet, intermittent fasting-ALL. OF. IT! I was literally a marketer's DREAM for any new diet program. But the reality is, the diet industry is designed to be like this. Food companies put huge amounts of dollars behind research they commission to put out a story that drives your purchasing behavior. It also confuses the hell out of the consumer. They pitch ridiculous programs and tools with the promise of amazing results. Most deliver these results, but none of it lasts long term because they want you to be reliant on their products. They don't want you to figure it out on your own, or without them. The biggest design flaw is that diet programs have you fitting into a cookie-cutter regimen that does not take into account YOU. You bend, suffer, and restrict all in the name of a smaller waist size. But if you never figure out who you are and what you REALLY want, it will never last. Here are my 3 Simple Steps to taking control back with your own health; Step One: Realize the KEY to Weightloss The key to weight loss is consistency! You have to find something that is simple, makes sense to you and your lifestyle, and something you can sustain long term. It has to be something you enjoy and can truly become a part of the real you, so that it becomes that lifestyle change you really are searching for. If it's easy for you, and you enjoy it, you will be consistent and reach your goals without resistance. That's where true freedom and body confidence lies; In the consistency of small but powerful choices and actions each and every day. Step Two: Take Small Steps It's so important to make small, easy changes, and slowly over time. You want to focus on changing your baseline default setting. When life gets out of control and sh*t starts to hit the fan, you have to rely on who you truly are and take THOSE actions. You must do the inner work and healing to uncover why you are the way you are and how to be more aligned with your higher-self. Because your higher-self always knows what's best for you. Step Three: Get Vulnerable You have to get vulnerable and explore your past. This will allow you to break through limiting beliefs and blocks, holding you back from your dream life. The one that was designed especially for you. That's why I created a one of a kind transformational program that uncovers and addresses the root of the issue. Alongside a co-created meal plan and my unique systems and tools, you step into simple weightloss. It's all designed to reach your unique goals and dreams. And most importantly, a life of freedom and peace. "Weightloss and mindset go hand in hand. Until you can accept that, and be open-minded to exploring it, you will continue to struggle." For more information, follow Jackie on Facebook, Instagram and 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: 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. Work-life balance has been one of the most challenging aspects of continuous success. More so, creating space for your work life at home, especially with children's distraction, can be an overwhelming experience if you’re not prepared mentally and emotionally. Personally, I’ve had a chunk of this to deal with when scaling my business in the past 2 years, having two toddlers, being pregnant with a third child, and subsequently managing an after-birth experience with three children. Being frustrated, confused, angry, depressed, impatient, and lacking energy and focus was my story for a short period of time. Being fully aware that staying in that momentum for a prolonged period can take a toll on my mental, physical and emotional well-being, I decided to change my approach deliberately. I also recognized in the process that my initial reactions were impacting my confidence, self-worth and self-esteem at an underestimated deeper level. 4 successful tips for work-life at home with children 1. Analyze the energy in your work-space How do you generally feel when you enter your workspace, and what charges its energy? Is it like a pressure cooker where issues are often boiling up, and people are constantly triggered negatively? Do you often feel lethargic and unfocused or, is it charged with an overflow of joy, ease, flow and positivity? You want to understand the current feel in your space because that will be the basis of your work momentum and your ability to be productive in meeting your work goals. Additionally, knowing what sits in your space can help you shift its energy. So, is there too much clutter that can suffocate, drown or overwhelm you? Or, are there too many red objects that can heat you up unnecessarily? Accordingly, when analyzing the things you have in your space, check in on how you generally feel about them and whether they align with what you want to manifest in that space. For example, if you want to be successful, you may want to have a portrait of a successful personality in business on your wall. You can also improve the lighting in your space, shift things around, open the windows to allow more airflow and bring in live plants with soft, luscious leaves, to feel the support, ease and flow you need for your work focus. 2. Analyze the energy in your relationships Who is easy to communicate with and who needs extra care in crafting your words? Additionally, what generally triggers your anger, sadness, fear, and frustration when dealing with your children? Now, how much control do you have over these feelings? And how well do you communicate your feelings, expectations, and reasoning behind your expectations? Poor communication, because of a large power distance with children, is a significant cause of conflict. In particular, communicating your expectations by demanding that your children listen to you, without facilitating their understanding of your ‘why’, often breaks down the relationship and causes them to do the opposite of what you expect them to do. This, in itself, can be a major deterrent to a successful workflow. So, face it, get clear on the current relationship with every child, take steps to improve the strenuous relationships, and use your strong relationships to strengthen the others by asking those children to support you. Creating this space for ease in communication with your children will help you to get them to cooperate with you in critical moments of work delivery. 3. Planning is essential How are you dedicating your daily hours to what you need to get done? Planning is essential to a smooth workflow at home. When you plan openly with your children, they have a better understanding of what you will be focused on and when, so they can also plan their focus. Mindset and physical activities that help with energy flow can be a shared experience. For example, you can do positive affirmations together, create vision books together, jog/walk while they ride their bicycles, meditate, and so on. Including them in your work journey helps prepare them for their work-life and inspires them to be more responsible. Additionally, you can share your story with your children and, how you can overcome your challenges at work. If you’re working on a project or proposal for the office, you can ask them their opinions and, how your decisions would impact people and situations. This strengthens your relationship with your children and helps them be more critical in their thinking, and that’s a life-long skill needed. 4. Be as present as you can in the moment It doesn’t matter how much you plan. If your mind is not present in the moment as much as possible, you will find it challenging to be productive at home. Specifically, you will find that your thoughts overlap on various matters and it’ll thief the time you have available to get specific things done or the time you spend with your children. So, take control of your time and set intentions for your next period of focus. Visualizing your next activity is also a good way to keep a high vibe going for productivity. This way, you’ll have more flow and productivity in your work and, your children will feel connected to you when you are with them. 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 on work-life balance, a certified professional life coach and 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 life, career 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 there.

Written by: Laura Kirk, 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 motivators drive you? How do you keep your momentum to achieve your goals in your life and business? What do you do when you run out of steam or fail at something and need to start again? While momentum is the steam to keep the train moving, motivation is the engine and the wheels to keep the train on the track. Motivation is personal. You can't learn it, be given it, or copy it. It's so personal and can only come from within yourself. We all have different things that drive us, that makes us want to accomplish our goals. The first step to getting and keeping the momentum to reach your goals is understanding your motivation so you can stay focused and passionate about what you are doing. "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. " ~ Winston Churchill Motivation Breakthrough When thinking about our life and the business we want, there are two types of motivation: your internal motivators and your external motivators. Internal Motivation The internal motivator centers around behaviors that are driven by internal rewards. The accomplishment or action itself brings satisfaction. It isn't something that is outward. For example, you want to start reading for relaxation. You found a book you love and are eager to finish it. You do, and you feel terrific. You are proud of yourself for taking the time to unwind and enjoy a book for strictly entertainment purposes. This feeling of accomplishment motivates you to do it again, making it a goal. These motivators can be big or small. When identifying your internal motivators, keep these things in mind: Set challenging goals. Pushing ourselves outside our comfort zone a bit is good and will keep you from feeling like it's too easy. The internal reward will be much more significant, thereby giving you more momentum. Be in control of your goal. Ensure that outside elements or resources do not play a part in achieving your internal motivators. Pat yourself on the back! Be okay with acknowledging how good you feel and what you accomplished. Sharing on social media, writing a blog, and sharing your experience and accomplishment is a good thing. You are humble in the process and how hard it was to get there but proud of what you accomplished. By sharing, you can help others describe and reach their internal motivators! Internal Motivators Include: ★ fun/pleasure ★ satisfaction ★ gratification ★ feeling of worthiness ★ feeling of accomplishment ★ a sense of purpose ★ pride ★ mastering a skill External Motivation External motivators are outside yourself. External rewards, like fame and money, are external motivators. These motivators are part of your "why" when developing your brand. What you want to achieve by helping others. An example might be that you are featured in a hugely popular magazine, like Forbes, and you become very well known for your skill. Another might be that you build a technology that sells for a large amount of money, or you have a thriving coaching business that provides you and your family with a very comfortable lifestyle. External motivating goals are great for getting you outside your comfort zone. They could also backfire. With big external motivators comes a more significant risk for failure. You must understand what failure is and how to stay motivated. Another risk would be achieving great external results; it is possible to lose focus on the part of your "why" where you help others. Staying calibrated and grateful should be a part of your strategy. A proper balance of internal and external motivators is the recipe for momentum and success. External Motivators Included: ★ fame ★ praise ★ money ★ awards ★ social influence ★ material rewards ★ promotion ★ feeling of superiority Do The Work Action Steps List at least three of your internal motivators. List at least three of your external motivators. What are two strategies you can start today to help keep you motivated? Keep in mind staying motivated is what propels our momentum. Create two affirmations you can use to keep you motivated. Stay motivated to keep learning! Now that you have identified your internal and external motivators and started the process of balancing your motivation and goals in your Balance Flywheel, you are ready to learn about staying motivated during failure, uncertain times, and more. Grab a limited one-on-one coaching spot now! With this offer, you have one month of personalized coaching for just $395! Coaching is one-on-one. No group sessions or pre-recorded coaching. Over four weeks, you will get step-by-step processes to: Overcome mental overwhelm from external environments, failure, confusion and mental exhaustion Develop daily habits for being your most productive and creative self! Discover your brand identity that represents your goals and motivation flywheel Learned the voice and character of your brand, allowing you to create content easily. Connected your brand message to your visual brand identity To learn more about how to design your life and business to make you wildly happy, including free resources, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or visit my website .  Read more from Laura! Laura Kirk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Laura Kirk is a Business and Brand Coach dedicated to helping small businesses across the United States build a life and business that will give them freedom and security, so they can live a life that makes them wildly happy. A marketing and business strategy strategist, Laura has over 20 years of experience building brands and businesses. With the action-by-action processes and discovering focus, flow, and alignment, entrepreneurs clarify their goals, create successful strategies, and take decisive action. Laura has worked with companies of all sizes, from CPG brands, state tourism agencies, to contracting with larger agencies. She discovered her true passion is to coach entrepreneurs and small business owners to build their brand and business and achieve what they might consider an impossible goal. Knowing that it's possible, Laura turned her dream into reality, and now she wants to share and teach others how to do the same. We will take a little bit of life coaching, blending with brand work, and throw in a killer marketing strategy.

Susan Francis is a leading Mindset, Manifestation and Business Mentor and Coach empowering female entrepreneurs to create more income and impact their soul-aligned businesses. She helps women unlock the truth of who they are, helps them to fully step into their power, and teaches them the secrets to taking quantum leaps in their success. She believes life was meant to be easy, to feel good, to flow, and you can create anything you damn well want! With a background in senior management in the fashion industry, she escaped the 9 to 5 hustle after her daughter's birth to follow her passion for helping other women create epic time and financial freedom. Trained in NLP and Time Line Therapy, and obsessed with the Law of Attraction, she knows at a very deep level that everything is an inside job, and as she helps clients make shifts in their mindset, and energy they become magnetic to their dream lives and business success. You’re a Mindset, Manifestation and Business Coach, how did you become an expert in this field? It was a series of life experiences that led me to do what I am doing now. Some would say I was guided. After I had my daughter, I returned to full-time work when she was just 6 months old, and I decided then and there that something had to change. I was ambitious, I was driven, but I was not prepared to put her in childcare 50 hours a week while I built someone else's dreams. I decided I was going to start my own business but didn't really know what I wanted to do. After a stint in Network Marketing and diving deep into my own personal development, I realized that my lack of results at the time were all down to my mindset. I had blocks, I had limitations, I felt stuck. This led me to be drawn towards the world of coaching, where I studied NLP and Time Line Therapy. In the early days of my coaching business, I still wasn't having any success but had developed an obsession with learning deeply about the Law of Attraction and Manifestation. I never thought at the time it would become a part of my work. It was my own coach who finally helped me unlock that helping others shift their mindset and manifest their dream business was my true calling. When I fully embraced applying everything I had learned over the years and trusted that I could create my own reality, everything shifted rapidly. I had always been fiercely passionate about women's financial independence, and bringing all the skills and knowledge together that I had learned over the years felt like magic. Helping women shift their mindset, release any limitations and fully step into their power to quantum leap their business is a dream come true. It never feels like work. I love it. What makes your approach different from other business coaches? Most business coaches take the approach with clients that you need to implement XYZ strategy to achieve XYZ results. Of course, every business coach has their own strategy that they swear is the right one to use. It's often a one size fits all approach. Here's the truth: When you connect deeply to the truth of who you are, when you are connected to your own self worth and value, you are guided to the right strategies and steps for you. We are all unique and what is going to help you explode your business might look different from someone else's approach and that's ok. I don't believe in one size fits all approaches. In fact, I very rarely discuss strategy at all with my clients. Our focus is on activating the energy of having your desire. It's on cleaning up the resistance, which is simply the doubts, worries, and fears that have held you back. Most female entrepreneurs that I work with are already taking a lot of action in their businesses. In fact, they are so busy implementing all of the strategies they often feel like they are going to burn out. When they start working with me, they start working less and earning more. They are able to let go of the "shoulds" and instead tap into what they are feeling called to do. It's all about creating a soul-aligned business that feels amazing to you and that you love, and of course, earning lots of money while doing it!! You talk about helping your clients with a quantum leap, what exactly does that mean? A quantum leap, in simple terms, is being able to create a brand new reality quickly. It's being able to take a massive jump in your business that does not seem normal to most people. For example, for the first 8 months of my business, I was making between $0 to $1000 in a month. When I fully understood manifestation at a deep level and mastered the skills to align with my desires, I jumped to $15K months within 60 days and then $15K weeks 60 days later. This doesn't seem like normal business growth to most people, but when you learn to align your energy with your desires and let go of the limiting stories, absolutely anything is possible. This is what I help clients do. Take quantum leaps. Patience was never a virtue of mine. I think it's my impatient nature that wants things to move quickly! What's the biggest challenge you see clients facing when they come to work with you? There are so many things female entrepreneurs struggle with. Overwhelm is often a big one. Trying to do all the things and constantly feeling like they need to learn more strategies or skills to take their business to the next level. Often they feel like they don't have enough time, are struggling to create enough leads in their business, or feel like it's hard work to create compelling content or really connect with their ideal clients. It feels like a struggle. They often think all of these things are their problems, but the number one thing that's usually going on is that they don't feel good enough or don't feel worthy of their desires. When they connect back to their self-worth and the powerful value of what they do, they can let go of many of the things they think they need to do. They are able to trust themselves more, they know their intuition will guide them and they stop trying to prove their worth to others and instead just own it. What would be your top 3 tips for a female entrepreneur to scale their business rapidly? I don't really have 3 tips, but 3 steps to help entrepreneurs scale their business rapidly. Firstly get absolute clarity on what you want your business to look like. Be crystal clear on your goals, whether it's an income goal per month or number of clients that you want to bring in. You must know what it is you want to create and give it a time frame. For example “I want to create $10K this month”. The reason for this is that so often people have this idea of what they want but they push it out too far in the future thinking that one day they will get to $10K months, $20K months etc. When you bring the goal close to you by saying “this month” you can uncover what's stopping you, what your resistance is. Second, take some time to tune in to how it feels. Get out of your head and into your heart and feel into this. Ask yourself, how much do you believe this is going to happen? How certain are you that this is going to be a reality? If its not a 10/10 then ask yourself; what are all of the resistant thoughts and stories that you're telling yourself about why you can't have this now? This is all of your resistance to clear and what I work on deeply with clients. The simple approach to shifting this resistance though is to simply disprove the negative thought or story with one that feels better. Journaling is a great way to do this. Third step is to embody the version of you that already has it now. The $10K or $20K version of you that already has that desire now; how does she feel, what does she believe, what does she do? Embody this now. Do the things now. Activate the energy now and it WILL be yours. You can thank me later! To follow Susan you can find her on F acebook , I nstagram , join the F acebook community for regular live training, learn more on the website, or listen to the Soul Aligned Business Babes podcast . Read more from Susan !

Written by Jessica East, President Jessica East entered the creative scene in 2001 when she started her design career at MeadWestvaco. From her initial position as a junior graphic designer. With the dawn of digital media, many business leaders are overwhelmed with their options. Facebook? Google? Tik-Tok? Choosing the best app to promote your business can be daunting. Here’s my cheat sheet to simplify your social media. The first step to choosing the best social channels is: KNOW THY CLIENT “Know thy client” is one of my most sacred rules of marketing, second only to “know thyself.” While most folks will agree they want everyone to buy their widget or subscribe to their service, they also agree that every organization has a “sweet spot” with clients best-suited for their product or service. Knowing who those people are and how they like to receive information is critical to planning how you will communicate with them. If you do not have these answers, it’s in your best interest to take some time and figure it out before you spend another dime talking to the wrong people. Instagram Instagram users are primarily younger (under 30) and enjoy sharing fashion, beauty, art, food, and entertainment-related content. Instagram is evolving and has moved from a platform of only images and short video clips to longer video via IGTV. Users are able to grow their audience through the skillful use of hashtags. One of the few downsides to the Instagram app is the inability to link in posts. This can be overcome, however, through methods such as LinkTree in the user’s bio. Twitter Twitter is a great place to have a more personal conversation with users far and wide, provided you can keep it to 140 characters or less. Twitter users are also primarily younger (under 40) and like to discuss current events. With 600 million global users, Twitter has become an unofficially-official modern news source. Pinterest I liken this digital scrapbooking app to dog-earing the Toys R Us catalog before Christmas when I was a kid. Pinterest users are able to make boards with specific topics and “pin” images and webpages for later browsing. Also skewing younger (under 35) and mostly female, users are most interested in clothing, housewares, food, and art. Facebook Social Ah, Facebook. The most familiar of all the social apps. With 1.3+ BILLION global users, Facebook skews older than the other social apps with a user age range of 25-55. Facebook is a great way to build relationships and brand loyalty. The downside is the constantly changing algorithm. If you’ve seen “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix, you know what I mean. LinkedIn With 600 million business professionals, LinkedIn is a great place to promote B2Bs. Skewing older (30-50), most users are looking for professional development and business-related connections. Businesses can post images, short videos, and links to other articles and blogs. Advertising is possible on LinkedIn, though the minimum spend is more than other sites. YouTube With 1 billion global users of all ages, YouTube is a viable contender for businesses. YouTube is video-only, which can be a determining factor for why some organizations choose not to invest in a presence. Though video production can seem daunting, the sheer number of users should make the business-savvy individual reconsider. While used in large part for entertainment, many users are looking for instructional, “how-to” videos. If your business can offer users advice, this is an excellent platform. Tik-Tok Kiddie-phenom Tik-Tok took the world by storm, starting with the under 30 crowd. Users can put images and videos together with music and graphics to share with followers on the Tik-Tok platform as well as other video clip apps. Though still a bit controversial in the States, Tik-Tok has been a delightful roadside attraction in the midst of the pandemic. Google Business Google is a must. The connectivity between analytics, ads, and business listings means you’re getting a pretty accurate look at how your digital assets are performing. While most of the above will show you analytics within the app, Google analytics shows you a more complete picture of traffic to your website as well as any paid ads. Recommendations As my grandma used to say, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” A well-rounded social presence should include several apps with a robust Google presence at its core. Take the time to evaluate who your clients are. Once you have that answer, making educated decisions becomes so much easier. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Jessica East, President Jessica East entered the creative scene in 2001 when she started her design career at MeadWestvaco. From her initial position as a junior graphic designer, Jessica advanced to a small marketing firm, picking up marketing, social media and event planning skills, and then on to a position as creative services manager for Five Rivers MetroParks. At MetroParks, she took on the challenging role of utilizing and policing new brand standards for an organization that previously lacked any formal marketing department. During her watch, the parks were pulled out of their staid ’70s look and blossomed into a new, energetic brand that matched the organization’s values of making the community healthy and vibrant. Jessica started her own agency, Noir Marketing and PR, in 2012. Ms. East obtained her degree in graphic design at Bowling Green State University, where she joined the Phi Mu sorority and remained an active alumna in her local chapter. In addition to making dazzling designs, this marketing maven has collected enough ADDYs to back U.S. currency. Other awards and recognition include a laundry list of local and national design and professional awards, including several Mercury Awards and nominations, ADDYs of all metals, OPRA and NRPA awards, recognition in Print and GDUSA magazines as well as Teen magazine’s “50 Hot Picks for School.”

Written by: Saskia Kremer, 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 do you do when things don’t go to plan? Now, maybe more than ever, plans change, schedules change, people drop out, last-minute… Sounds familiar? When this happens, there are two main reactions: take action to solve the problem straight away or freeze. Are you the leader who takes action, or do you withdraw, overwhelmed, not knowing what to do, waiting for the issue to ‘solve itself’? We all know the one who, without thinking, hits the road and runs like a superhero on a mission to save what can be saved. Or quickly finding solutions to the following questions: Where are the priorities: what has to be done, what can wait? Who is going to take care of the things which need to be done, no matter what? How are we going to make up for the lost business? Is that you? Or are you rather the one who becomes really quiet, withdraws and seems absent, one who hardly gets anything done, creating a bubble in which you can cope until the storm settles. One reaction is not better than the other. They are just different, and both part of the fight/flight response when you are facing challenging situations. One may seem more ‘effective’ than the other, since there is a more tangible result. "You don’t need to have an answer straight away, be open to surprise." However, both reactions may cause you more energy than necessary and will eventually wear you out. Those are re-actions rather than being actions in which you are in the lead. Do you recognize a certain pattern in the way you act? Or a certain similarity in the kind of events happening to you over and over again? Are you wearing out because you feel you are only running from one emergency to the next, rather than building slowly but surely? There is another invitation at a deeper level, an opportunity to look at your business and team from another perspective: re-aligning yourself and your business. The questions that arise are coming from a deeper level and are inviting you to reach beyond that obvious, practical answer. They are an invitation to dive deep in the undercurrent, beyond the visible and tangible, yet a leading power within your life and business. So when situations call for change, create that moment of quietness and receptivity, switch off your judgment mode, just be. You don’t need to have an answer straight away, be open to surprise. Ask yourself the following: What is this issue really about? Do I need something else? What will change for me personally? If you accept to dwell in the ‘not knowing’ for a while, the answer to the question becomes less important. It will take you on an unexpected journey and can surface at its own pace. Do you want to take this invitation and have a deeper dive into your business, create that bigger vision, so you can increase performance and focus? Send me a message and we will talk soon! For more info, follow me on LinkedIn , visit my website and join my Facebook-Group ! Read more from Saskia ! Saskia Kremer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As an Executive Coach and Trainer, Saskia helps successful, time-challenged high-level management, directors, and business owners increase their performance and their teams' productivity, without the stress and the overwhelm. Once a Missionary, working alongside Mother Teresa herself, made her live all around the globe, helping people discover their meaning in life in sometimes heartbreaking circumstances. After leading multiple projects and International communities, she left the missions following her own experience of burnout. Starting her own business allowed her to combine her philosophical and theological research together with her rich multi-cultural experience. She places the human person at its center, allowing it to find its unique place and thrive. In 2016, as a single mum of 2 young children, she moved from Holland to Ireland and specialized in working with business owners, directors and managers, showing them how to create a bigger vision for their business and life, freeing up their own time so they can excel in what they are best at and increase their profit and satisfaction, without the stress and the overwhelm.

Written by: Madelaine Gomes, 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. For years Leadership has been a hot topic of discussion, mostly due to disappointment in a Leader and not due to the Leaders inspiring Leadership Brand or Style. Collectively the World is in a transition period of massive change, which woke people up. Instead of being the complainer as in the past, they are now becoming the demanders of transformation as they are transforming and will no longer tolerate ill behavior or under-developed Leaders that makes them feel less than their worth. This is an exciting time for Leadership, as we can only lead people to succeed if we already have the necessary qualities activated within us as Leaders. This is the opportunity to do introspection, let go of past negative beliefs and behavior and step into the “I AM” factor, leading people from the integration of the Heart and Brain to achieve a collective success. Our deepest beliefs , fears and doubts are all visible on the outside, although we would like to think they are hidden under the mask of success, arrogance, bravado and invisible plasters. This leads to a Leader losing his/her personal Identity and starting to identify with the position, money, status and outward success, neglecting the “I AM” factor that is Inner Knowing, Strength and Wisdom waiting to be discovered. When we are in the “I AM” factor, we lead and live from the heart and head integration and become an observer instead of the actor, which changes beliefs, behavior, and outcomes and allows for a deeper connection with people, which ignites their light and sets the foundation for a collective success. Activating your “I AM” factor as a Leader will allow for a deeper understanding and connection of others, their needs, acknowledging their brilliance and will enable you as a Leader to change lives which have a ripple effect on communities, customers and Ultimately the Abundance factor in the Profit Section of the Business. How do we step back into our “I AM” factor and integrate this authentically into everything we do so that we will have an inspiring, positive impact not only on the people we lead but in all the areas of our lives. STEP ONE: SELF ACTUALIZATION Asking yourself, “WHO AM I” ? What are your core VALUES ~ such as integrity, respect, impact as these guides actions and behaviors. What are your strongest SKILLS ~ as this has an impact on who to employ to compliment your Skills. What are your PASSIONS ~ as these are your motivating and driving factors. What is your renewed VISION for the future ~ as this forms your Roadmap to succeed. STEP TWO: LEADING BY EXAMPLE Knowing yourself and integrating your “I AM” will demonstrate an alignment between your Values, Beliefs, Words and Actions! Making Conscious decisions and choices will have a far-reaching impact on the Team or Staff, as it will set the tone for mutual respect and inspired performance levels. Have compassion and recognize the human-ness in each one ~ will develop a deeper connection, which is the connection to awaken the “I AM” factor in everyone! Integrating Values with Business strategies and competencies will elevate the level of Staff delivery and Customer experience. Keeping your emotions intact ~ breeds success. STEP THREE: DEVELOP INTERACTIVE TRUST RELATIONSHIPS Learn the skill of Active Listening ~ which creates a space for meaningful dialogue and builds trust. Trust a person until proven wrong ~ is a Motto that calls for transparency and ethical behavior. Being consistent and fair at all times ~ creates instant trust and respect. Allow individuality, which will lead to innovation and creativity ~ letting people feel they have a purpose. Be transparent at all times with clear boundaries ~ eliminate grey areas and opportunity for conflict. STEP FOUR: SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IMPACT Conscious decision making will allow a Roadmap for effective action aligned with a specific outcome! Creating a collective success in Company Culture will generate an elevated energy of happiness, joy, and success, which impact the Profit of the Business. Treating everyone equally and employing for a specific contributing Skill and Culture fit, eliminates micromanagement and increases purpose and accountability. Leading from your “I AM” factor will allow you to lead from your Inner Strength and Wisdom, which will empower and inspire others while developing the same qualities in them. IN CLOSING People do business with people, irrespective of the position of the person! Therefore, Self Actualization and the development of Self can no longer be ignored in business as in the past. Businesses who put stakeholders and Numbers first to treat employees as a tool to satisfy set budgets and keep stakeholders happy, will starve themselves from the “I AM” factor, resulting in the lack of abundance, growth and success. The success factor is hidden in the human-ness of our interactions, deliveries and outcomes. The key to success is nurturing and influencing the “I AM” factor in all. It is now more important than ever, for going forward in the new Business World that “WHO WE INVITE TO SIT AT THE TABLE” needs to be carefully examined and considered and should be aligned with the Leaders Values, Vision, Mission, Beliefs and desired Outcomes. For more information, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website ! Madelaine Gomes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Over the years, My Own Story, having grown up in a traumatic environment, left school early and experienced deaths and losses at the time too painful to bear, has transformed from pain into wisdom. What I perceived as my greatest emotional pain, became now my greatest skills, strengths and wisdom to help others to deal with their transformation in life. I bridge Science with Personal Growth, Mindset Conditioning for Success and Business Strategies as well as deepening the Spiritual Connection. I am the Founder of Activate your “I AM” POSSIBLE program that assists others in healing their past and step into their full hidden potential to Activate their Abundance Codes in all areas of their life.