Veronica is a certified QHHT® Level 2 Practitioner and Harmonic Egg® Guardian, dedicated to facilitating deep healing and self-mastery through powerful modalities that connect individuals with their Higher Self and inner wisdom. Like many, her path unfolded through unexpected detours: drawn since childhood to the unseen realms, ghost stories, aliens, and the supernatural, she moved from Korea to America, where a chance encounter awakened her lifelong passion for English and teaching. Veronica Kim, Certified QHHT® Level 2 Practitioner and Harmonic Egg® Guardian Who is Veronica Kim? Please introduce yourself. I am Veronica Kim – a guide, healer, and bridge between the seen and unseen. I am Korean-born, now living in California, and I’ve walked a path that’s taken me through profound family trauma, physical health crises, deep spiritual initiation, and the recent loss of my mother and only sister within months of each other. These experiences have stripped away illusions and revealed a knowingness that life is holographic, purposeful, and deeply interconnected. Today, I facilitate transformation through Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT®) and the Harmonic Egg®, helping people remember who they truly are – not just as individuals, but as expressions of Source. I’m not here to “fix” anyone; I’m here to hold space so they can see, feel, and choose freedom over suppression. I live to break generational cycles and activate others toward conscious living. What inspired you to start StringTheory11 and offer QHHT® and Harmonic Egg® sessions? StringTheory11 emerged from a lifetime of questioning: Who am I? Who are we, humans that we are? Why do we suffer? Why do patterns repeat across generations? Why do some souls carry such heavy burdens while others seem to glide? The name reflects my belief that reality is vibrational – like strings resonating in harmony or dissonance. My own healing journey (surviving abuse, chronic health challenges, and the sudden losses of my mother and sister) forced me to go deeper. I discovered QHHT® through Dolores Cannon’s work and felt an immediate resonance: it offered direct access to the Higher Self and past-life wisdom. The Harmonic Egg came later – a sacred sound and light chamber that dissolves old densities and recalibrates the energy field. Both modalities found me when I was ready to stop surviving and start fully living. I created StringTheory11 to share these tools, not as a business, but as a ripple – to help others awaken to their own mastery. What is Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT®) and how does it help clients? QHHT® is a deep hypnosis method developed by Dolores Cannon that connects you directly to your Higher Self – the part of you that is eternal, wise, and beyond ego. In a session, we explore past lives, current life challenges, and the soul’s purpose through a gentle, guided trance. Clients often receive answers to lifelong questions (“Why am I here?” “Why this pain?”), heal emotional wounds, release karmic patterns, and receive physical or energetic healing directly from the Higher Self. It’s not talk therapy – it’s a direct dialogue with the infinite intelligence within. Many leave feeling lighter, clearer, and reconnected to their divine essence. How does the Harmonic Egg® experience work and what benefits can clients expect? The Harmonic Egg is a sacred chamber that combines sound, light, vibration, and intention to recalibrate the body, mind, and energy field. You lie inside while specific frequencies (crystals, tuning forks, music, colored lights) resonate with your system. The process is intuitive – it meets you exactly where you are, dissolving old trauma, clearing energetic blocks, and amplifying your natural frequency. Clients often report deep emotional release, profound relaxation, physical relief (pain, inflammation), clarity on life direction, and a renewed sense of wholeness. It’s especially powerful for those ready to shift timelines or release generational patterns. Who are the ideal clients you serve with your healing modalities? My ideal clients are seekers at a tipping point – people who feel the old ways (suppression, people-pleasing, trauma loops) no longer serve them. They’re often highly sensitive, spiritually curious, and ready to choose freedom over comfort. Many are healers, empaths, or those carrying ancestral burdens – they sense there’s more to life and are willing to look at the shadows. They may be grieving, questioning reality, or feeling the acceleration of this timeline. They’re ready to stop surviving and start embodying their soul’s truth. What common challenges or issues do your clients come to you with? Chronic emotional or physical pain with no clear “cause,” recurring patterns in relationships or family dynamics, feelings of disconnection from purpose, suppressed anger/grief, health mysteries (autoimmune, chronic fatigue, digestive issues), spiritual awakening symptoms (timeline glitches, heightened sensitivity), and the fear of fully stepping into their power. Many carry the weight of generational trauma – even if they can’t name it – and feel stuck between “who I was taught to be” and “who I truly am.” What changes do clients often report after a session with you? They describe feeling lighter, clearer, and more aligned – as if old weight has been lifted. Common shifts include: reduced physical symptoms, emotional release (sudden tears or laughter), greater self-trust, clarity on life direction, improved relationships (boundaries emerge naturally), and a profound sense of “I’m not alone” or “I remember who I am.” Many say they feel activated – they start questioning old stories, making bolder choices, and noticing synchronicities everywhere. How do you guide someone who is curious but unsure about what to expect? I meet them exactly where they are. I say: “You don’t need to know everything – just bring your willingness to be honest with yourself.” I explain that both modalities are gentle, safe, and guided by your Higher Self (QHHT) or the intelligence of the chamber (Harmonic Egg). There’s no pressure to “perform” or have a big breakthrough. I encourage them to come with one question or intention, and trust that whatever needs to surface will. I remind them: healing isn’t about forcing change; it’s about allowing what’s already true to be seen. What makes your approach unique compared with other holistic healing practices? My approach is deeply personal and embodied – I’ve lived the pain I help others release. I don’t offer quick fixes or surface-level positivity. I hold space for the full spectrum: the grief, the rage, the ancestral weight, the surreal beauty of awakening. I combine QHHT’s direct Higher Self wisdom with the Harmonic Egg’s vibrational recalibration, and I infuse it with the knowingness that comes from my own timeline acceleration and generational cycle-breaking. I’m not just facilitating sessions – I’m walking the path with my clients, activating them to become their own masters. How do you help someone take the first step toward healing or transformation? I invite them to feel the discomfort of staying the same – and then to feel the possibility of something freer. I say: “The first step isn’t booking a session. It’s the moment you decide to stop betraying yourself.” From there, I offer a gentle conversation – no pressure, just presence. I share that healing begins the instant you choose truth over comfort, even if it’s just one honest breath. A session can be the accelerator, but the decision to look is the ignition. What one message would you like potential clients to hear before they book a session? You are not broken. You are not behind. You are not alone. Everything you’ve carried – the pain, the questions, the longing – is the exact material needed for your awakening. When you’re ready to stop hiding from yourself and start remembering who you truly are, the universe meets you with everything you need. I’m simply here to hold the space while you step into your own light. You’ve always had the power. Now it’s time to use it. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Veronica Kim

Written by Lisa Jones, Holistic Practitioner and Founder With years of experience in holistic healing and mind–body wellness, Lisa at Access Healing guides clients through gentle, transformative practices designed to restore balance, clarity, and deeper self-connection. Many people assume that deep healing can only happen behind closed doors in a private, one-to-one setting. And while individual support absolutely has its place, this belief overlooks one of the most powerful, and surprisingly accessible forms of healing available today, group healing. For women navigating PMS, anxiety, emotional exhaustion or chronic stress, group healing sessions offer something uniquely supportive. It’s not just the energetic work itself. It’s the sense of safety, resonance and shared regulation that the nervous system responds to on a profound level. What is group healing, really? Group healing is often misunderstood as something passive or “less potent” than individual work. When held with intention, it becomes a focused, attuned space where each person receives support while also benefiting from the collective energy of the group. From a nervous system perspective, this makes perfect sense. Humans are wired for connection. When we’re in a safe, attuned environment with others, the body can shift out of isolation and survival mode far more easily than when we’re trying to regulate alone. Group healing isn’t about comparison, performance or sharing your story. It’s about co-regulation, the nervous system’s natural ability to settle in the presence of others who feel safe. The science of co-regulation The nervous system doesn’t heal in isolation. Research in polyvagal theory and interpersonal neurobiology continues to show that regulation is learned and restored, through safe connection. In a group healing setting: The nervous system responds to shared calm and safety Emotional processing feels less threatening Individuals feel witnessed without needing to explain Stress responses soften through collective regulation This is why so many women leave group sessions feeling lighter, calmer and more grounded, even if they never said a word. Why group healing is especially supportive for women Women experiencing PMS, anxiety or burnout often feel alone in their symptoms, even when surrounded by people. Group healing gently dissolves that sense of isolation. Common experiences supported in group settings include: Emotional overwhelm and irritability Hormonal sensitivity and PMS-related mood shifts Nervous system fatigue and chronic stress Feeling disconnected from the body or emotions When women heal together, the nervous system receives a powerful message, you don’t have to hold this alone. Safety doesn’t come from fixing the problem, it comes from being supported through it. Energy healing in a group setting Energetic and nervous-system-based healing doesn’t lose potency in a group. In fact, many practitioners observe the opposite, group fields often amplify intention, coherence and integration. Distance healing and Reiki work beautifully in this format. Each participant’s system receives exactly what it is ready for, without force, pressure or overwhelm. The body takes what it needs, when it needs it. This makes group healing especially supportive for women who feel emotionally or physically depleted. Why group healing can feel safer than one-to-one For some women, one-to-one healing can feel intense, exposing or emotionally demanding. Group healing offers a gentler, more spacious entry point. Many women appreciate: Less pressure to speak or “perform” A sense of anonymity within shared experience Emotional safety through collective presence Gentle, ongoing regulation rather than intense emotional release This makes group healing an ideal option for those who are new to healing work, or already overwhelmed and needing a softer approach. How my group healing sessions work My group healing sessions are designed to support nervous system regulation, emotional balance and energetic restoration. Each session offers a structured yet gentle space where participants receive Reiki and distance healing while being held within a supportive group field. These sessions are particularly helpful for women experiencing PMS, anxiety, emotional fatigue and chronic stress. They provide ongoing support without the commitment of a longer programme, while still honouring each woman’s individual energy and needs. Group healing allows me to support multiple women at once – not by diluting the work, but by strengthening the field we create together. Healing doesn’t always require intensity, privacy or emotional excavation. Sometimes the most profound shifts happen when the body feels supported, connected and safe – together. For many women, group healing isn’t a “lesser” option. It’s a doorway back to balance, belonging and ease. You can enroll onto our next session right here . If you’ve been carrying these struggles quietly, know that you don’t have to keep doing it alone. There are simple steps you can take today to begin easing the weight. You can start by taking my short survey right here,  or, if you’d prefer a more personal connection, join my waiting list for the next free call which you can do right here . Together, we’ll explore how to bring your body and mind back into a place of ease and balance. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Lisa Jones Lisa Jones, Holistic Practitioner and Founder Lisa Jones is a holistic practitioner devoted to helping clients reconnect with their innate ability to heal and thrive. Blending energy work, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation, she guides others toward greater balance, clarity, and emotional well-being. Through her company, Access Healing, Lisa creates transformative experiences, from hands-on sessions to meditation practices and educational content. Her work is grounded in compassion, intuition, and a calm, heart-led approach that empowers clients to feel safe, supported, and deeply seen. Lisa’s mission is simple, to help people return home to themselves.

Written by Junaid Khan, Life Coach Holistic Life Strategist | Mindset, Resilience & High-Performance Expert | Guiding Transformations in Health, Wealth, and Relationships. Psychic stress doesn’t begin in adulthood. It doesn’t even begin in childhood. It begins in the womb, seeded in silence, watered by the emotional weather of our mother’s body, and shaped by the vibrations of our ancestral lineage. The modern mind is saturated with distractions, yet what ails it is ancient. Long before we learn to speak, before we understand love or rejection, our nervous system is busy absorbing the rhythms of fear, insecurity, and resistance. We are born already reacting to life. And unless we learn the sacred discipline of acceptance, we spend a lifetime playing out those reactions as anxiety, aggression, and exhaustion. This is the anatomy of psychic stress. The illusion of control: Resistance as a cultural virus From a young age, we’re taught to fight, to win, to conquer, to assert. Religion, ironically, despite its spiritual aims, has at times reinforced this combative posture. But beneath the dogma lies a lost teaching, acceptance. Not passivity. Not surrender to injustice. But a conscious, present-centered agreement to live in harmony with the truth of the moment. The deepest psychic wounds are not caused by external trauma alone. They are compounded by our inner rebellion against what is. We are taught to explode, to resist, to retaliate, each reaction adding to the boiling pressure inside. Like steam in a sealed boiler, we release it occasionally but never address the source of heat. If we want peace, we must turn down the flame, not simply release the pressure. Prenatal imprints: How stress is inherited before birth Science now confirms what ancient mystics long knew: our emotional environment in the womb shapes our core perception of life. When a mother lives in fear, resentment, or emotional suppression, her hormonal signals pass through the placenta and subtly condition the fetus to expect a hostile world. This is not about blame. It’s about awareness. These early imprints become the architecture of how we relate to conflict, love, authority, and challenge. And unless we interrupt the inherited cycle, we find ourselves unconsciously reenacting the unresolved burdens of generations before us. What we call personality is often a performance built around prenatal stress. Acceptance: The forgotten medicine In Buddhism, the key teaching is vigilance, observe the arising of a negative thought or emotion, and meet it before it takes root. Western psychology, on the other hand, often encourages catharsis, explode, release, ventilate. But venting doesn’t heal, it only momentarily relieves. The fire keeps burning. True acceptance is not weakness. It is inner mastery. When a man accepts the situation he cannot change, not from defeat but from clarity, he neutralizes the tension that would otherwise corrode his nervous system, disrupt his digestion, and confuse his decisions. Acceptance is not passive. It’s a highly intelligent way of conserving energy, redirecting attention, and aligning with a deeper rhythm of life. The science of repression and resistance Every emotional outburst has a cost. A tantrum may relieve the mind momentarily, but the body pays the price. Elevated cortisol, nervous system dysregulation, and lowered immunity all stem from a lifestyle of unconscious resistance. We often justify our rage as righteous. But the body does not care if anger is justified. It only registers the chemical consequence. This is why the ancient wisdom schools, from Taoism to Vedanta, trained their initiates not in more action, but in non-reaction. Self-mastery was never about power over others, it was about peace within the self. Breaking the cycle: Inner work as generational healing Every time we overreact to a situation, we reinforce an ancestral loop. Every time we pause, observe, and choose acceptance, we interrupt that loop. This is how generational trauma is healed, not with more therapy alone, but with conscious choice in real time. What the mind cannot analyze, the heart can still transform. When you choose acceptance, you become the first ancestor in your line to say, “It stops with me.” The psychic burden of your lineage lifts not because of what you do, but because of what you no longer resist. How acceptance creates psychic immunity When you cultivate acceptance as a practice, not a passive resignation, but a powerful internal agreement with reality, you begin to change the chemistry of your life: Your nervous system calms. Your decision-making sharpens. Your relationships deepen. Your energy is no longer scattered in drama. You create what I call psychic immunity, the ability to hold your center even as life moves chaotically around you. You stop fighting with what is, and start collaborating with life as it unfolds. Acceptance is the discipline of the strong To the immature, acceptance looks like weakness. To the wise, it is the root of all power. Acceptance does not mean tolerating abuse or staying passive in the face of injustice. It means responding from presence, not reacting from pain. It means honoring what you feel, but not being ruled by it. It means giving up the addiction to control and choosing alignment over dominance. The world doesn't need more warriors. It needs more witnesses, strong men and women who are not owned by their emotional triggers. Your healing begins with one question Pause here and ask yourself, what in my life am I still resisting? Is it a relationship? A memory? A truth about yourself you’d rather not face? That resistance is the doorway to your next transformation. Until you accept the unchangeable, you will waste energy trying to manipulate it. And energy is your greatest currency. When you reclaim it, everything changes, from your health to your work, your relationships, and your spiritual clarity. Final thoughts: Build a life around what’s real We live in a time of rising anxiety, overthinking, and spiritual noise. Many seek therapists, coaches, and teachers, but few seek stillness. And yet, it is in stillness where the greatest transformation occurs. You don’t need more stimulation, you need integration. You don’t need to get more, only to release what no longer serves. Acceptance is not a concept. It’s a frequency. When you live at that frequency, your life becomes magnetic, coherent, and deeply nourishing. You stop attracting chaos and start embodying calm. And that calm becomes your legacy. Follow me on LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Junaid Khan Junaid Khan, Life Coach I’ve dedicated my life to helping individuals and groups break through barriers and restore harmony in their personal and professional lives. My approach goes beyond quick fixes – it’s about understanding the deeper patterns that shape your mindset, relationships, and decisions. With a unique blend of skills in Mental Health, NLP, Hypnosis, Neuroscience, and the art of communication, I guide you through transformation with empathy, clarity, and purpose.

Written by Akanksshaa (Akanksha Kulkarni), Consciousness Leader & Ascension Guide | Host: Multidimensional Soul Podcast | NBC-HWC | Chopra-Certified Well-Being Coach , Meditation & Health Teacher | Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Reiki Master Akanksshaa helps individuals & organizations align purpose, rewire mind, raise vibration, enrich well-being to live a life of abundance and freedom. When mindset, strategy, and effort are no longer enough, conscious leaders are turning inward to access deeper intelligence, align with their soul mission, and lead from clarity rather than burnout. Why entrepreneurs need Akashic Records now: The new leadership question "What is my highest expression here? Is this really my path?" Entrepreneurs are taught to trust data, strategy, and grit. Yet the biggest business decisions rarely come from a spreadsheet. They come from a deeper knowing, the place where your soul already understands why you are here, who you serve, and what you are meant to build in this lifetime. Akashic Records work is a way of accessing that deeper knowing on purpose instead of by accident. Most entrepreneurs and business leaders reach a point where external success no longer feels fully satisfying. They may have built profitable businesses, strong personal brands, or impressive careers, yet a deeper question begins to surface: Is this truly what I am here to do? In my work with founders, executives, and conscious entrepreneurs, I often see this moment arise after years of high performance. Traditional tools, strategy, productivity systems, and mindset coaching have taken them far. But they do not always answer the deeper questions around purpose, direction, and inner fulfillment. As Marshall Goldsmith says, “What got you here won't get you there.” This is where the Akashic Records offer a perspective that goes beyond conventional business frameworks. As a life purpose and holistic well‑being coach, NBC‑HWC, and Akashic Records channeler and healer, I see every day how founders quietly carry questions that analytics alone cannot answer: “Is this really my path?” “Why does this launch feel off, even though it looks perfect on paper?” “Why do I keep hitting the same invisible ceiling?” Akashic readings help address those questions at the level where they actually began your soul’s blueprint across lifetimes and timelines. Beyond healing: Akashic Records as strategic intelligence The Akashic Records are often described as an energetic archive of a soul’s journey across time, lifetimes, and potential futures. While this definition is accurate, it can feel abstract for business-minded individuals. Also, most describe the Akashic Records as an energetic library of every soul’s journey, accessed for healing and personal growth. That is true, and yet, for entrepreneurs, the Records can be far more: they function as strategic intelligence for your life and business, revealing why certain patterns keep repeating and what your next aligned move really is. A more practical way to understand the Akashic Records is this: they are a field of consciousness that holds insight into who you are at your core, why you are here, and how you are meant to express your gifts in this lifetime. For entrepreneurs, this means accessing clarity that does not come from market trends or external validation, but from alignment with one’s deepest soul blueprint.   In sessions with business owners, the Records often illuminate directions: which offers truly express your essence, which markets align with your soul’s agreements, or why a “perfect” collaboration keeps collapsing despite everyone’s best efforts. Instead of trying to fix symptoms at the level of strategy alone, you can work at the root, clearing energetic patterns, integrating gifts from other lifetimes, and aligning with the future timeline where your work is already thriving. The soul of your business has a strategy too Just as you have a soul, your business carries its own energetic blueprint, a kind of living record of its purpose, values, ideal clients, and potential impact. When you open the Akashic Records, you are not “just” reading energy, you are sitting in council with the deeper intelligence that wants to express through that company. Entrepreneurs who work in this way often receive precise insights about: Purpose and positioning that feel like “home,” not a persona they must perform. Offerings and delivery models that support both impact and nervous‑system safety, reducing burnout and self‑sabotage. Hidden energetic leaks old contracts, loyalties, fears, or ancestral patterns that quietly cap revenue, visibility, or leadership capacity. This is where your training as a life purpose coach, holistic well‑being and PQ coach, and NBC‑HWC becomes a powerful differentiator: the guidance from the Records does not float away as inspiration, it is grounded into behavior change, nervous‑system regulation, and sustainable business design. Why conscious founders need soul‑level business guidance now 1. Clarifying true life purpose and soul mission Many high achievers unconsciously pursue goals that are inherited from family expectations, societal conditioning, or past success patterns. Akashic insight helps distinguish between conditioned ambition and authentic purpose. When leaders operate from the latter, decision-making becomes simpler and more sustainable. 2. Uncovering hidden gifts and talents Entrepreneurs often discover abilities that have been dormant or underutilized, such as intuitive leadership, teaching, healing, innovation, communication, or visionary thinking. They can be the gifts you refined elsewhere that you have not fully claimed in this incarnation. These gifts are frequently linked to experiences across other lifetimes or soul imprints, and when integrated consciously, they can redefine one’s role in business. 3. Understanding repeating patterns and blocks Some challenges persist despite coaching, therapy, or mindset work, burnout cycles, visibility fears, money ceilings, or relationship conflicts. Akashic insight can reveal the deeper origin of these patterns, allowing them to be addressed at the root rather than managed on the surface. From an entrepreneurial lens, past and parallel lifetimes can show: Old vows (poverty, silence, safety through invisibility) that now conflict with your desire to lead and prosper. Traumas from previous eras of persecution or failure that make modern‑day visibility feel dangerous, even if your rational mind “knows” you are safe. 4. Accessing future timelines and potential paths Entrepreneurs constantly make decisions under uncertainty. Akashic guidance does not predict the future, but it illuminates possible timelines, helping leaders sense which paths are most aligned with growth, contribution, and fulfillment. 5. Choosing flow state over ineffective hustle & burnout We are in a moment where many business owners are quietly done with hustle‑driven growth and are craving a new paradigm, one where their companies are extensions of their soul, not just their skill set. Akashic work, combined with evidence‑based coaching and well‑being frameworks, offers a way to build that paradigm consciously instead of waiting for burnout or crisis to force a pivot.​ For entrepreneurs and executives, this kind of work is not about escaping into spirituality, it is about coming home to the deepest truth of why you started your business in the first place. When you sit with the Boardroom of your Soul, your own Records and the Records of your business, you are no longer guessing at your purpose or your next move. You are in direct relationship with it, and from there, living and leading your highest potential becomes less of a slogan and more of a daily, embodied choice. Akashic insight is not escapism, it is responsibility Contrary to common misconceptions, working with the Akashic Records is not about bypassing effort or outsourcing decisions to a “higher realm.” It is about taking radical responsibility for who you are becoming as a leader. Conscious entrepreneurship requires more than execution. It requires coherence between inner truth and outer action. When that coherence is present, businesses evolve naturally, teams respond differently, and leadership becomes less about control and more about resonance. What makes Akashic work especially powerful for business leaders is integration. And I help with that, ensuring that insights do not remain theoretical or spiritualized. They translate into soul-aligned vision, embodied clarity, emotional regulation, aligned action, and sustainable performance qualities modern leadership desperately needs. A new intelligence for a new era of business We are entering a phase where success is no longer defined only by scale or revenue, but by impact, integrity, and alignment. Entrepreneurs who thrive in this era are those willing to access deeper intelligence, not just artificial intelligence, but inner intelligence. The Akashic Records offer a way to reconnect with that intelligence that has always been available, yet rarely consulted in the boardroom. If you are a business owner or entrepreneur navigating questions of purpose, direction, or next-level alignment, an Akashic Records session, when approached with grounding and integration, can offer profound clarity.   You can explore my work through: 1:1 Akashic channeling and coaching sessions Testimonials and Praise My YouTube talk show & podcast, Multidimensional Soul. Thought leadership and reflections on LinkedIn Follow Akanksshaa on  Instagram for more info! Read more from Akanksshaa (Akanksha Kulkarni) Akanksshaa (Akanksha Kulkarni), Consciousness Leader & Ascension Guide | Host: Multidimensional Soul Podcast | NBC-HWC | Chopra-Certified Well-Being Coach , Meditation & Health Teacher | Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Reiki Master Akanksshaa helps individuals & organizations align purpose, rewire mind, raise vibration, enrich well-being to live a life of abundance and freedom. Akanksshaa has extensive diverse experience, in coaching/training/ mentoring/ leading/ strategic planning/ program management & innovation (includes 20+ of corporate experience in IT & Finance areas). She has received several awards in the corporate world. She has done MBA from one of the top B schools in India. She is currently pursuing PhD in Education Psychology. She combines neuroscience, positive psychology, and spirituality-based eclectic techniques in her programs. She believes in an intuitive, meaningful, playful yet structured approach. She has been a corporate facilitator for senior leaders. She has coached senior / exec corporate leaders in her exclusive coaching programs. She has thousands of students across all ages in her several online programs.

Written by Malika Fudge, Creative Business Strategist and Author Malika Fudge is recognized for her work in change management, creativity, and productivity. She is the founder of Visionary Muse, a transformative coaching platform, and the author of the poetry book Being Is... Being Me, published in 2025. Do you ever feel like your ideas just don’t flow, no matter how hard you try? Like you’re stuck in a fog and unable to focus. You may not realize it, but your gut does more than digest food. It influences your focus, clarity, and creative output. In this article, you’ll discover the key signs your gut may be holding back your ideas, the foods that boost brain power, simple habits to improve mental clarity, and practical ways to track your gut for creativity. Learn how small, targeted changes can unlock your full creative potential. Why gut health matters Your brain’s ability to think clearly, concentrate, and make creative choices is directly impacted by gut health. The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication system that connects the brain and digestive system through bacteria in the gut, neurotransmitters, and the vagus nerve. Signals from an unbalanced gut can affect mental clarity, focus, and memory. According to the Society of Neuroscience , the gut produces over 90 percent of the body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter necessary for mood control, learning, and concentration. Research conducted by Stanford Medicine found that digestive problems are frequently associated with creative blocks and decreased cognitive performance, as disruptions in gut-brain signaling can impair mental clarity and focus, contributing to symptoms such as brain fog and difficulty concentrating. Signs of a poor gut Symptoms of poor gut health directly affect creative performance and mental clarity. Bloating, brain fog, exhaustion, mood swings, and low focus are common signs that can block creativity, focus, and productivity. When digestion is out of balance, the brain may struggle to stay clear and engaged, making creative work feel harder than it should. Tracking symptoms such as energy levels, focus, digestion, and mood can help identify patterns between gut health and brain fog, offering a practical first step toward improving both gut function and creative output. Foods that boost creativity Certain foods can help with mental clarity, focus, and idea formation by boosting the production of neurotransmitters, lowering inflammation, and keeping energy levels stable. When it comes to brain function and creativity, a few basic nutrients can have a significant impact. Fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and kefir help keep your stomach healthy, which is strongly related to how your brain works. A healthy stomach can help improve mood, focus, and mental clarity. Omega-3-rich foods such as salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds provide necessary fats to the brain, improving memory, focus, and flexibility of thought. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are also beneficial, as they contain antioxidants and B vitamins that protect brain cells and provide consistent energy. This allows you to stay creatively engaged without feeling exhausted. Berries, eggs, dark chocolate, and whole grains are all foods that can support brain health. Experiment to see what works best for your focus and idea flow. Regularly consuming these foods can help reduce brain fog, enhance attention, and support your full creative potential. Habits for mental clarity Simple daily behaviors can promote gut health while also improving focus, creativity, and overall brain performance. The time of day when you eat matters. Eating a healthy breakfast in the morning and avoiding large late-night meals helps balance energy and maintain mental clarity. Staying hydrated, engaging in regular movement such as short walks or light stretching, and practicing mindfulness or deep breathing exercises all support digestion and reduce stress, promoting better brain function. Even small changes, such as pausing for a mindful moment between tasks or taking brief movement breaks, can help reduce brain fog, improve attention, and strengthen the gut-brain connection. Paying attention to these habits allows you to notice patterns in energy, concentration, and creativity, giving you practical tools to support both gut health and mental performance. Track your gut daily Monitoring your gut health can help you understand what supports or limits your ability to focus and generate ideas by revealing patterns between digestion and creative performance. These connections can be observed through a simple journaling practice that records meals, energy levels, mental clarity, mood, and ideas generated. Keep track of the foods, routines, and hydration habits that either strengthen or interfere with your creative flow. If you want to see tangible results, consider running a short experiment and tracking consistently for a week. Over time, this approach helps you make informed decisions that support gut health and brain function, turning everyday observations into actionable insights for creativity and productivity. Common gut mistakes Even small habits can sabotage gut health and, in turn, your creativity and mental clarity. Skipping meals or practicing extreme fasting can lower energy levels and make it difficult to concentrate. An overreliance on processed foods or sugar can upset the gut microbiome and contribute to brain fog. Ignoring stress or neglecting hydration further slows digestion and cognitive performance. Simple adjustments, such as eating balanced meals, limiting processed snacks, staying hydrated, and adding short stress relief practices, can correct these mistakes and help maintain a gut-friendly routine that supports both focus and creative flow. Quick actions to try Increasing your creativity does not have to be hard. Small, intentional actions can make a big difference. Add one to three brain-boosting foods today, such as leafy greens, fermented foods, or meals high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon or walnuts. Combine this with a basic habit, such as drinking plenty of water, eating mindfully, or taking a short walk, to improve digestion and mental clarity. Keep an eye on your energy, focus, and creative output over the next week to spot patterns and reinforce the importance of these changes. These simple actions, taken together, can enhance cognitive function, reduce brain fog, and increase the frequency of idea generation. Ready to take action? In summary, understanding the connection between gut health and creativity is an important step toward improving focus, clarity, and creative decision-making. While awareness leads to insight, real change happens when people feel safe enough to act. If you have noticed persistent brain fog, trouble focusing, or difficulty putting ideas into action, it may be time to assess how your daily routines and gut health are affecting your creative process and overall well being. Reach out to us for guidance and support as you navigate your next creative step with greater ease. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Malika Fudge Malika Fudge, Creative Business Strategist and Author Malika Fudge is an expert in emotional and behavioral change management. After using art as a personal tool for healing, Malika was inspired to merge her passions for creativity and I/O Psychology to empower others. She has since dedicated her work to guiding creatives through emotional growth and strategic success. Through her pioneering coaching platform, Visionary Muse, Malika has helped countless creatives turn their passions into profit without sacrificing their peace. Where creativity meets profit is her mission.

Written by Davinder Grewal, Founder of Wellbeing Prime | Psychological Wellbeing Consultant Davinder Grewal, Founder of Wellbeing Prime | Psychological Wellbeing Consultant. Mission to enable the learning of Psycho-educational gems that set us free. Anxiety has become one of the most common psychological experiences of modern life. While anxiety itself is a natural and necessary human response, the pace, pressure, and complexity of today’s world mean that many people are living in a near-constant state of internal alert. When experiencing anxiety, it can feel out of control, isolating, silent, extreme, noisy, and intense. Anxiety has no prejudice. You can be male, female, young, old, rich, or poor. One can feel alone even when in a room full of people. In the beginning, we can hypothesise that anxiety presented itself when early humans were in the presence of threats from the elements and wild animals. At this point, the body would have had reactions such as heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, and so on. In the present modern world, anxiety tends to present itself when we have concerns about health, relationships, money, jobs, family, and the list goes on. However, like early humans, our mind and body still react in the same way. We would benefit from listening to our body. At its core, anxiety is the nervous system’s way of protecting us from perceived threat. Historically, these threats were physical and short-lived. In the modern world, however, they are often psychological, ongoing, and ambiguous. Work demands, financial pressures, social expectations, and a 24-hour news cycle mean the brain rarely receives a signal that it is safe to stand down. Technology has intensified this experience. Constant connectivity blurs the boundary between work and rest, while social media quietly reinforces comparison and self-judgement. Many people find themselves measuring their worth against unrealistic standards of success, productivity, and emotional resilience. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, sleep disruption, emotional exhaustion, and a persistent sense of unease. Our body gives us the signs, so let’s listen to our body. Cultural narratives also play a role. Busyness is often rewarded, vulnerability discouraged, and wellbeing treated as something to be addressed only once performance begins to suffer. For leaders and professionals, there can be an unspoken expectation to cope regardless of personal cost. From a psychological wellbeing perspective, anxiety is not a weakness or a failure of mindset. It is often a sign that the system has been under pressure for too long without adequate recovery. Meaningful support therefore goes beyond surface-level techniques. It involves helping individuals understand their stress responses, rebuild boundaries, and create sustainable rhythms that support both performance and mental health. At Wellbeing Prime, the focus is on working with the human system rather than against it, whilst recognising that resilience is not about pushing harder but about listening more carefully. In a world that rarely slows down, anxiety can be an invitation to recalibrate, reconnect, and move towards a more grounded and sustainable way of living. Listen to your body. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Davinder Grewal Davinder Grewal, Founder of Wellbeing Prime | Psychological Wellbeing Consultant Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions, often viewed as destructive or shameful. But beneath the surface, it’s a powerful messenger that reveals our boundaries, values, and unmet needs. In this article, Davinder explores the psychology, physiology, and cultural dimensions of anger and how to transform it into emotional awareness and strength.

Written by Jessica Lagomarsino, Business Strategist Founder of Cusp of Something, Jessica Lagomarsino, helps women integrate personal growth with strategic clarity to build intentional brands, businesses, and lives. She writes on introspection of purpose, inner work, and entrepreneurship. Imposter syndrome often appears at the very edge of growth. It is that uneasy mix of excitement and fear that arrives the moment you begin to step into something larger. For many, it feels like proof of inadequacy, yet in truth, it signals expansion. The feeling of self-doubt is not a reflection of capability but of the mind and body adjusting to a new level of potential. Psychologically, imposter syndrome arises from a gap between your current self-perception and your evolving reality. You are doing something new, yet your inner narrative still belongs to a previous version of you. This creates what psychologists call cognitive dissonance, a tension between who you believe you are and what you are proving yourself capable of becoming. That tension is uncomfortable because it means you are quite literally on the cusp of something new. When we begin to succeed or stretch in unfamiliar ways, the mind naturally questions stability. The familiar stories that once kept us safe, stories about competence, control, and belonging, suddenly feel outdated. The nervous system, wired to protect, interprets change as uncertainty. This is why even positive transformation can feel uneasy. The body is not resisting success, it is seeking balance in a new reality. In these moments, the goal is not to silence doubt but to understand it. The inner voice that asks, “Who am I to do this?” is actually revealing what part of you is ready to evolve. Self-doubt can serve as a mirror that reflects the edges of growth. When acknowledged with curiosity rather than judgment, it becomes a teacher that highlights what skills, beliefs, or habits must mature to meet the next level you are stepping into. Reframing imposter syndrome through a psychological lens helps transform the experience from threat to opportunity. Instead of asking what is wrong with me, ask what is changing in me. This question shifts awareness away from fear and toward integration. Each time you choose to move forward while feeling unsure, you reinforce new emotional and cognitive patterns that make confidence more natural over time. Self-regulation supports this process. Grounding practices such as deep breathing, stretching, or a brief walk allow the body to release tension and return to the present moment. Writing down specific accomplishments can also counter distorted thinking and remind the mind of evidence it tends to overlook. Even small acts of self-recognition strengthen what psychologists refer to as self-efficacy, the belief that you can influence outcomes through your own effort. Leaders and high achievers often experience imposter syndrome precisely because they care deeply about the quality of their impact. The same sensitivity that drives excellence can make them more aware of their imperfections. Yet awareness is not weakness, but rather the foundation of empathy, humility, and authentic leadership. Recognizing your own self-doubt can actually make you more compassionate toward others who feel the same. When seen from this perspective, imposter thoughts are not barriers to overcome but signals of inner expansion. They show that you are operating beyond the boundaries of what once felt safe. They remind you that growth is not a single leap of confidence but a continuous process of recalibration. Every time you stay present through discomfort, your nervous system learns that uncertainty can coexist with capability. Confidence is not the absence of fear, it is the integration of it. Those moments when you question yourself are not proof that you do not belong. They are evidence that you are evolving and standing once again on the cusp of something new. Imposter syndrome, when understood rather than feared, becomes an invitation to embody the next version of yourself. It asks you to align your thoughts with your potential and to trust that what feels uncomfortable today may be the clearest sign that you are becoming who you were meant to be. Follow me on Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jessica Lagomarsino Jessica Lagomarsino, Business Strategist Jessica Lagomarsino is a business strategist, guide, and founder of Cusp of Something. After years in corporate strategy and project management, she followed a pull toward more meaningful work. Today, she supports women in building aligned businesses through clarity, intentional action, and deep personal transformation.

Stephanie Woods did not grow up around boardrooms or balance sheets. She grew up in New Jersey in a big Italian family where money was tight and responsibility came early. Her mother worked as a waitress. She attended Catholic school. She was a latchkey kid who learned how to take care of herself and keep moving. Those early years shaped how she works today. Her career has not been about flash or shortcuts. It has been about building things that solve real problems and hold up over time. “I learned early that if you want stability, you have to build it yourself,” Woods says. Early life and first lessons about work Woods was an honor student in high school, but college was not an option. There was no money for it. After graduating, she went straight into the workforce. That decision forced her to learn on the job. She watched how businesses ran. She paid attention to what worked and what failed. “I didn’t have a safety net,” she says. “So I paid attention to everything.” That habit stayed with her. Instead of chasing titles, she focused on understanding systems. How money moved. How people made decisions. How small gaps could cause big problems later. Entering the trades through HVAC Her career took a defining turn when she and her husband became owners of Airheads HVAC. As President, Woods became deeply involved in the day to day reality of residential service work. She worked close to customers. She worked close to technicians. She saw how fast small issues could become urgent ones. “In HVAC, people don’t call you when things are fine,” she says. “They call when something is broken and they need help now.” That proximity to customers gave her insight many business owners miss. Homeowners often wanted to move forward with repairs but struggled with timing and cost. Trade companies wanted to help, but they could only do so much. “There was a clear gap,” Woods says. “People needed solutions, not delays.” Seeing the financing problem up close Running Airheads HVAC made one issue impossible to ignore. Many homeowners needed financing to move forward with repairs. At the same time, trade companies wanted a reliable way to offer that option without taking on extra risk. Woods saw that most lending options were not built for this situation. They were slow. They were confusing. They were disconnected from how trades actually operate. “That disconnect was costing everyone time and trust,” she says. Rather than accept it as a fixed problem, Woods decided to build something new. Building AH financial That decision led to the creation of AH Financial, where Woods now serves as Chief Executive Officer. The company focuses on financing for residential repair clients and partners directly with trade companies. AH Financial was designed around real workflows. It supports contractors who want to offer financing without becoming lenders themselves. It helps homeowners move forward with needed repairs without added stress. “We built it around how people actually make decisions,” Woods says. “Not how spreadsheets think they should.” Her experience in HVAC shaped every part of the model. She understood urgency. She understood trust. She understood that repairs are rarely optional. Expanding through real estate investing Alongside her operating roles, Woods has been a real estate investor for more than 15 years. Investing added another layer to her understanding of property, maintenance, and long term value. “Real estate teaches patience,” she says. “You can’t rush durability.” That perspective reinforced her approach to both businesses. Systems need to last. Short term fixes create long term costs. Leadership rooted in community Woods’ work does not stop at business. She is deeply involved in community organizations, especially in Pasco County. She serves on the Leadership Board of Metropolitan Ministries. She is also on the boards of HubLife Charities and Trinity Chat, a community give back program. She helps organize local events like golf tournaments, Halloween events, and family festivals. Many are sponsored through Airheads HVAC, and she serves on the planning committees. “Community is where accountability lives,” she says. “You see the same people everywhere.” That closeness shapes how she leads. Reputation matters when your work and life overlap. Balancing business and family Outside of work, Woods is focused on health, fitness, and family life. She and her husband have three children. She works out regularly and makes time for travel and food when she can. “You can’t build everything at once,” she says. “You have to choose what lasts.” That mindset runs through her career. She has built two businesses by staying close to the work, solving specific problems, and avoiding distractions. Stephanie Woods  has brought big ideas to life by keeping them grounded. She did not chase trends. She followed need. Her career shows how practical experience can lead to strong systems that serve people well.

Written by K. Joia Houheneka, The World's Premier Excellence Coach K. Joia Houheneka is a global leader in luxury entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Club Elevate+Aspire+, an application-only, exclusive community for entrepreneurs building high-end, premium, and/or luxury businesses. Most entrepreneurs are running outdated software. Not their CRM. Not their tech stack. Their mental operating system, i.e., their fundamental assumptions about how value works, what's possible, and whether another's win diminishes or expands one’s own potential. “Abundance multiplying abundance. That’s what luxury should mean.” (From “Quotes on Luxury” by K. Joia Houheneka) This matters more than your business model and more than your strategy, because every decision you make runs through this operating system first. And if that system defaults to scarcity, if it assumes limited resources, zero-sum games, and winners who need losers, then brilliance elsewhere will not save you. But there is another way, and it is not theoretical. In fact, it is happening right now, in places you might not expect, creating results that reshape what humanity believes to be possible. Abundance is a choice, not a circumstance What if abundance is something you make, starting with something you build into your very psyche? The Society of Actuaries describes an abundance mindset as “outgrowing limiting beliefs and reframing challenges as opportunities.” Forbes research shows that individuals who adopt this belief make better decisions and act more strategically, recovering from setbacks with resilience. But here is what stops most people, they think abundance means ignoring constraints. It does not. Consider a striking reality. While over 800 million people still live in extreme poverty, more than 1.5 billion people have escaped it since 1990, a reduction greater over the last 35 years than in all prior human history, according to Our World in Data. That is not wishful thinking. That is what happens when entrepreneurs and innovators choose to see scarcity not as a permanent condition but as a temporary challenge. The economy is not a zero-sum game where one person’s gain means another person’s loss. Through creativity and voluntary exchange, prosperity expands for everyone. This is the core of the abundance mindset, the rejection of scarcity’s tyranny in favor of genuine possibility. Nowhere does this philosophy shine more brightly than in the ranks of OLENT in South Sudan, where entrepreneurship is turning scarcity into opportunity. But before we get there, we need to understand more about this operating system. Ancient pattern, modern application King Midas learned the hard way. According to legend, everything he touched turned to gold, which might sound like abundance until you realize he could no longer touch his daughter, taste food, or experience connection. He had maximum accumulation and minimum life. The pattern appears everywhere, hoarding creates actual scarcity, while the circulation of trade creates actual abundance. This is not a metaphor. It is a mechanism. Consider this, fire spreads without diminishing. One candle lights millions more. The original flame loses nothing by spreading into a wildfire. Yet so many treat business the way Midas treated gold, hoarding it, protecting it, fearing its theft. However, what if your competitive advantage is not what you guard, but your capacity to stay ahead of the curve you are creating? The psychological substrate: Why your brain defaults to scarcity Your brain evolved in an environment of genuine scarcity with limited territory, limited food, and limited mates. The ancestors who saw threats faster survived to pass on their genes. Those who did not got eaten. This means we have all inherited a negativity bias, with a brain that weighs bad over good roughly five to one. That was a survival advantage then. It is a competitive disadvantage now. Modern complications just fuel a downward spiral, comparison addiction fueled by social media, hedonic adaptation that makes every achievement feel empty within weeks, and loss aversion that overweights protecting what you have versus creating what comes next. The result of all this? Too many entrepreneurs operate in permanent scarcity mode, even the successful ones. You hit seven figures and feel like a failure after meeting the eight-figure entrepreneur at the conference. Your brain calibrates to a relative position, not an absolute achievement. The hedonic treadmill never stops, unless you interrupt it deliberately. The meaning of abundance beyond material wealth Abundance is deeply tied to moral elevation. It is positive-sum thinking that sees markets as places where everyone can grow together. In a previous article, I explored how wealth comes in three forms, creation, fortune, and coercion. Only creation, the making of value through voluntary exchange, is the supreme moral good. Fortune is mere luck, coercion is evil theft. This triad reveals abundance as generosity, the generous act of making more rather than taking from others. Economists from Adam Smith to Friedrich Hayek have long recognized the ethical dimension of markets, highlighting how voluntary exchanges generate “unintended social benefits” and a spontaneous order that guides prosperity. Ultimately, abundance is about so much more than economics. It carries a spiritual quality. It cultivates gratitude for what we have, stewardship over resources entrusted to us, and intrinsic worth independent of income or assets. The abundance mindset nurtures purpose and hope, especially in societies where material wealth remains scarce. This brings us to where philosophy meets reality, where theory becomes transformation. Entrepreneurship as the engine of abundance: OLENT’s story John Mustapha Kutiyote, Executive Director of OLENT, the Organization for Liberty and Entrepreneurship, shares a guiding conviction, “We believe in the fact that if an individual is empowered economically, they can stand on their own and prosper.” Supported by Atlas Network, OLENT trains South Sudanese youth, women, and market traders in entrepreneurship as a pathway to dignity and peace. Their programs include a three month blended learning course, combining digital technology, radio pitches, and local mentorship, that teaches business fundamentals alongside free market values. This is an abundance mindset meeting resource constraints and refusing to accept limitation as destiny. OLENT operates on “belief capital,” the conviction that mindset precedes material change. This aligns with findings that collaborative, empowerment-driven organizations catalyze lasting prosperity. Here is what makes this profound, OLENT is not waiting for perfect conditions. They are not saying, “first infrastructure, then education, then entrepreneurship.” They are saying entrepreneurship creates the conditions for infrastructure and education. That is the abundance operating system running in the hardest possible environment, and winning. The power of a widow’s property: Mary’s story of renewal In a poignant story filmed by Atlas Network, Mary, a widow from Yambio, faced eviction when her husband died, a common practice that denies widows their property rights. Suddenly homeless and without income, Mary struggled to support her children. OLENT’s training helped Mary understand her legal rights under South Sudan’s constitution, rights she had never known existed. With OLENT’s legal coaching, she took her case to court. The judge ruled in her favor, allowing her to reclaim the family home. But Mary did not stop there. Applying OLENT’s entrepreneurial training, she opened a restaurant that now feeds her family, employs others, and sends her children back to school. Her journey from displacement and despair to economic independence showcases an abundance mindset in its purest form. Freedom paired with enterprise can overcome entrenched injustice. Her story shows that property rights are not just legal instruments. They are the license to build, create, and thrive. Mary’s victory proves something essential, when one person claims their right to build, a whole community rises. She did not just create a business. She created a proof of concept. Others saw what she did and understood, this is possible for me too. This is how abundance multiplies. Ripples of abundance: OLENT’s expanding impact OLENT’s work continues with new projects and initiatives that highlight how seeds of abundance grow into thriving, self sustaining systems. John reflects, “We prefer to focus on what’s going right, the positive things we’ve achieved, because when we have a positive mind, everything will one day come to pass.” This is strategic focus, because what you pay attention to expands. OLENT could spend all their energy documenting problems such as corruption, poverty, and conflict. Instead, they focus on solutions, on proof points, on Mary and those like her who are building despite constraints. That is the abundance operating system running at full capacity. John adds something that cuts to the heart of everything, “Business is the solution to everything. If you want peace, business is the way toward it. If you want prosperity, business is the only way to it.” Not government programs. Not aid dependency. Not waiting for perfect conditions. Business, the voluntary exchange of value, creates dignity, opportunity, prosperity, and abundance for all humanity. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from K. Joia Houheneka K. Joia Houheneka, The World's Premier Excellence Coach K. Joia Houheneka is on a mission to Elevate Luxury to make luxury synonymous with excellence. She has a background as the owner of a luxury travel agency, Delve Travel. However, much of her current work involves coaching entrepreneurs in her bespoke method that combines luxury business strategy, training in flow states & self-actualization, and growth-focused travel – it is designed for those who are serious about achieving excellence and flourishing across all areas of life. Entrepreneurs with high-end, premium, or luxury businesses are invited to apply for a Complementary Level membership to Club Elevate+Aspire+ to discover more.

Written by Isabel Theissen, Motherhood & Leadership Coach Isabel Theissen is an ICF-accredited motherhood & leadership coach with a background in digital marketing at leading global fashion brands. She supports modern mothers in navigating career and motherhood with more clarity, confidence, and compassion so they can thrive, personally and professionally. Motherhood is one of the most profound transformations a woman can experience. Beyond the visible changes to daily life, it initiates a deep internal shift. One that reshapes identity, priorities, and our relationship with ambition, purpose, and self-worth. For many modern mothers, especially those balancing ambitious careers and family life, this transition can feel both expansive and destabilizing. It is not simply about adding a new role. It is about becoming someone new. When the old identity no longer fits Before motherhood, my identity was strongly anchored in my career. I worked as a senior digital marketing manager for global fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Farfetch, and H&M. My life was fast-paced and achievement-driven, filled with travel, long hours, and clearly defined professional goals. After the birth of my son, I returned to work after five months of maternity leave, stepping into a new corporate marketing role. I believed I could simply resume my previous rhythm and expectations. Yet internally, something had shifted. At work, I felt motivated and capable, yet guilty for being away. At home, I felt deeply connected to my son, yet mentally preoccupied. I moved constantly between roles, but felt fully present in neither. What once felt fulfilling now felt fragmented. The life I had carefully built no longer fit who I was becoming. At the time, I didn’t realize that this sense of disorientation was not a personal failure, but part of a larger, and largely unspoken, transformation. Understanding matresence Later, I learned that this experience has a name, matresence. Matresence describes the ongoing psychological, emotional, and identity transformation that occurs as a woman becomes a mother. Much like adolescence, it is not a single event, but a process that unfolds over time and continues long after pregnancy and birth. Philosopher Osho captured this shift succinctly, “When a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother never.” This resonated deeply. I had not lost myself. I had become someone new. My sense of meaning, my priorities, and even my internal compass had reorganized. Understanding matresence offers relief. It validates what many mothers struggle to articulate. You feel changed because you are changed, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. During the first postpartum year, the body undergoes one of the most dramatic hormonal shifts of adult life. At the same time, the brain rewires itself to support caregiving, strengthening areas linked to empathy, vigilance, and emotional connection. While adaptive, this neurological reorganization can temporarily affect focus, memory, and cognitive clarity, which is often experienced as brain fog and belittled as ‘mommy brain’. For high-achieving women accustomed to mental sharpness and productivity, this can be particularly confronting. To help make sense of this transition, the matresence change curve traces the different stages many women move through in the first year postpartum, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Each stage is fluid and nonlinear, and understanding this can help normalize challenges rather than internalize them. Letting go of who you were What is rarely acknowledged is that matresence also involves loss. Not loss as in losing yourself, but the necessary letting go of a former version of yourself. For women who have built their lives around independence, ambition, and high standards, motherhood can feel like a rupture. The transition from autonomy to responsibility, from control to uncertainty, from personal goals to shared priorities can trigger deeply personal questions: Who am I now? What do I want my life to be like? How do I integrate who I was with who I am becoming? This in-between phase can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming. Yet it is also where growth begins. Reconnecting with who you are, beyond your roles Motherhood does not erase ambition or individuality. It calls for integration. Reconnecting with yourself during this phase often begins by separating identity from roles, or who you are from what you do. Reflecting on the qualities that define you at your core, beyond job titles and achievements, can be grounding. Traits such as creativity, curiosity, compassion, resilience, or humor often remain constant. They shape how you do things, even as what you do evolves. Inviting reflection from close friends can also offer clarity. Others often see our strengths more clearly than we do, especially during periods of self-doubt. Combining self-reflection with outside perspective can help rebuild a sense of self that feels both familiar and newly aligned. Becoming a new version of yourself Motherhood expands us. It deepens our capacity for empathy, presence, and purpose. Over time, many women feel a growing desire to live more intentionally. Not only for their children, but for themselves. This transformation is not about returning to who you were before motherhood. It is about consciously shaping the next version of yourself. A version that integrates ambition with meaning, achievement with alignment, and success with fulfillment. When we release the expectation of “bouncing back” and allow ourselves to evolve, we reconnect with our inner authority. We remember that we are capable of creating lives that reflect who we truly are now. A new chapter If you are feeling disconnected, uncertain, or in transition, know that this phase is a chance to realign. Matresence invites you to redefine success, reprioritize what matters, and meet yourself with more compassion during one of life’s most formative transitions. The transformation you are experiencing is not just about becoming a mother. It is about becoming more fully yourself. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Isabel Theissen Isabel Theissen, Motherhood & Leadership Coach Isabel Theissen is an ICF-accredited Motherhood & Leadership Coach dedicated to empowering women through one of life’s most transformative chapters: motherhood. Before coaching, Isabel built a career in digital marketing at global fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, H&M, Farfetch, and Ecco. Her experience in these fast-paced environments gives her firsthand insight into the challenges women face when juggling ambition with motherhood. Today, Isabel supports modern mothers in navigating career and motherhood with greater clarity, confidence, and compassion. Through her work, she supports mothers in creating space to thrive, both personally and professionally.

Written by Hitesh Chellaney, Financial Freedom Coach Hitesh Chellaney is a Financial Freedom Coach, speaker, and author of the upcoming book The 7 Habits of Financially Free People. He helps ambitious professionals master both the inner and outer game of wealth to create a life of true freedom and fulfillment. Every January, millions of people set financial resolutions with genuine intention. And almost every year, the outcome is the same. Around 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February, with many people losing momentum as early as the second week of January. By the end of the year, this number rises even further, as high as 92% of people fail to follow through on the resolutions they set. This does not happen because they didn’t care or because they weren’t motivated. It happens because motivation alone is not designed to last. Financial resolutions collapse quickly because they rely on a fragile combination of willpower, delayed results, and unrealistic expectations. Initial enthusiasm fades, daily life takes over, and old patterns quietly return. This is not a personal failure. It is a structural one. And I want you to know this clearly, this is not your fault. Why most financial resolutions are doomed from the start A resolution is, by definition, born from lack. You set a goal because something is missing: More money More control More freedom More security Pressure can be effective in one way. It gets you started. But pressure is not sustainable. Pain is very good at initiating change, yet it is terrible at maintaining it. This is why so many financial resolutions follow the same trajectory: A surge of motivation A phase of discipline Mental and emotional fatigue A return to familiar behavior The issue is not effort or intelligence. The issue is the model of change itself. Goals are finite, standards are identity based A financial goal is something you work toward. A financial standard is something you live by. When you set a goal, your attention is fixed on a future destination: “When I reach X, then I’ll feel safe.” “When I earn Y, then I’ll relax.” This creates two problems. First, the present moment begins to feel like a sacrifice, something to endure until results arrive. Second, once the goal is reached, there is an unspoken question waiting. Now what? Goals end. Identity does not. Why standards change everything Standards are not about what you will achieve one day. They are about how you choose to operate today. Before you can choose differently, however, something crucial needs to happen first. Pause here for a moment Take a deep breath. Place one hand over your belly button. As you breathe in through your nose, feel your lower belly inflate. Breathe in for five seconds Hold your breath gently in your lower belly for five seconds Breathe out for five seconds through your mouth, without pushing the air out, just letting it flow Repeat this five times. As you do this, you may notice something subtle but powerful, a return to safety. From this place of safety, you are no longer reacting to what you want to avoid. You are now able to sense what feels expansive. From safety to expansion Expansion does not mean overwhelming yourself. It means noticing which next step: Feels exciting Feels aligned Feels like growth without triggering fear This is how identity based change begins. Ask yourself: What would the next version of me naturally do differently? What feels expansive, not forced? What excites me when I imagine living that way? That next version of you is not a future destination. It is a state you begin embodying now. How standards are actually set A standard becomes a standard when it delivers immediate benefit. To determine whether something is a true standard, ask, "When I live this way, what does it give me in the moment?" Peace of mind. Clarity. A sense of empowerment. Self trust. For example, a next level standard could be, “I do not spend money when my intuition is not aligned.” This can be surprisingly powerful. Some people feel pressure to spend money in ways that do not align with their values, family expectations, social pressure, or guilt driven decisions. A new standard might be: No more financial energy leaks. I will not spend a single euro if it does not feel aligned in my body. For one month, you bring conscious attention to every transaction. Then you reflect: How much calmer do I feel? How much more empowered am I during the day? How much clearer is my relationship with money? Those immediate emotional benefits are what turn behavior into identity. Why standards outperform goals Goals rely on patience and discipline while waiting for results. Standards deliver benefits now. This is why pleasure sustains change better than pain. Pain is excellent at getting you started. Pleasure is what keeps you moving. When something feels good in the same day, consistency becomes natural. That is alignment. And alignment lasts. Reviewing and evolving your identity Do not change your standards every week. Give your nervous system time to adapt. A powerful rhythm is: Set a standard Live it for a month Review how your new self feels Decide what the next level of identity is Each month, you are not chasing goals. You are becoming someone new. What to do instead in 2026 Instead of asking, “What do I want to achieve this year?” Ask: “What financial behaviors make me feel grounded?” “What standards reflect who I am becoming?” “What identity do I want my daily decisions to reinforce?” Then live those standards, without waiting for a finish line. This is how financial freedom is built, not by chasing outcomes, but by embodying them. An invitation for the year ahead If you don’t want 2026 to become another repetition of previous years, insight alone is not enough. Lasting change requires: Structure Guidance A container that supports identity level transformation In my Financial Freedom Year Program, I coach people through both the inner and outer game of wealth so financial growth becomes calm, consistent, and sustainable. If this resonates, consider that your signal. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Hitesh Chellaney Hitesh Chellaney, Financial Freedom Coach Hitesh Chellaney is a Financial Freedom Coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Emotioneel Fit Nederland. After reaching the top 1% of earners and realizing success without freedom is empty, he dedicated his life to helping others find fulfillment through financial freedom. He combines psychology, emotional mastery, and wealth strategy to help people heal their relationship with money and design lives that truly serve them. Hitesh is the author of the upcoming book The 7 Habits of Financially Free People, where he distills his signature framework for achieving both wealth and inner peace.

Written by Michael J McCusker, Founder/Podcast Host Michael J McCusker is a Global Freedom Fellow, a multiple author, and host of the acclaimed “Lived Experience Podcast Series.” He’s a respected advocate for justice reform and a thought leader in Lived Experience Leadership, using storytelling to spark social change. Let’s be honest, thought leadership has become one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around like confetti at a branding workshop, loud, flashy, and often hollow. Forbes even called it the most annoying business term back in 2014. But strip away the jargon, and you’ll find this truth, real thought leadership isn’t about ego or empty positioning, it’s about impact. It’s about becoming a key person of influence in your industry by sharing the one thing no one else has, your perspective, shaped by your skills, expertise, and lived experience. In a noisy, overcrowded digital world, people don’t just want more information, they want insight. They want someone they can trust, someone who’s been there, done the work, and can translate experience into value. That’s where true thought leadership begins, not with a fancy title or a perfectly crafted post, but with the courage to share what you know, what you’ve seen, and what you’ve earned. If you’ve been in the trenches, leading teams, solving real problems, navigating failure, creating results, then you’re already sitting on a mountain of value. The only question is, are you ready to step up, speak out, and let people know what you stand for?  Over the years, I’ve learned what it really takes to stand out, not with hype, but with hard-earned insight. These 8 truths come from lived experience, not theory, and they’ll help you cut through the noise with clarity, credibility, and confidence. Love your topic, or leave it You can’t fake passion. Not for long, anyway. The digital world is saturated with people trying to speak on things they’ve barely lived through. But organisations, clients, and audiences? They can smell a Walter Mitty from a mile off. If you're going to claim space in a crowded field, make sure it's one you’ve bled in. The kind of knowledge that comes from lived experience can’t be Googled. It comes from doing the work, failing forward, and sticking around long enough to have the scars to show for it. Love your topic so much you’d speak on it even if no one was watching. That’s where your edge lives. Get real, seriously Authenticity isn’t a strategy. It’s a mirror. Do people know what you stand for? Or are you switching up your identity to suit the audience in front of you? That’s a dangerous game, and eventually, it cracks. You don’t need to be loud, flashy, or controversial to lead. But you do need to be you. People buy into people, into energy, into integrity, into consistency. And the only way to build that trust is to show up as yourself, flaws, doubts, and all. Have an opinion. Be open to challenge. Know your lane. That’s where credibility is born. Authority comes from accountability Credentials are nice. But character counts more. When I speak with people in the criminal justice space, those who’ve been through the system, the reason they open up is simple, they know I’ve walked parts of that road too. Just like in addiction recovery circles, people connect when they sense authenticity and accountability. If you want to be a voice of influence, show your receipts. Show your lessons. Show your growth. Thought leadership without lived accountability is just noise. Start writing, and keep writing When I first started sharing my writing during the pandemic, I wasn’t doing it for claps or likes. I was doing it to make sense of a world that had turned upside down. I was a father of twin girls, caring for loved ones who got sick, and like many others, I was processing the chaos through story. That choice to write, and publish, changed everything. Here’s the truth, if you want to build authority, you need to hit ‘share.’ Not once. Not perfectly. But consistently. Because the world doesn’t know what you’re thinking. You have to tell it. Your story might just be the medicine someone else needs to move forward. Collaborate without fear We’ve become so paranoid about idea theft that we’re afraid to talk to each other. But here’s a reality check, no one can steal your story. Ideas are only powerful when you act on them. And if someone else got to it first? That’s because they moved faster. Surround yourself with people who challenge and elevate you. Join collectives, masterminds, spaces where generosity is currency. Be the kind of person who shares insights freely, and watch what comes back to you. Impact multiplies in community. Get social, but with purpose You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be consistent somewhere. Pick your platforms. Learn their rhythms. Share your truth with intention. This isn’t about going viral, it’s about being visible to the people who need what you’ve lived, learned, and built. You don’t need a team of marketers behind you. You need clarity. Why do you do what you do? Who are you trying to help? And what’s the story that connects those dots? That’s the content strategy most people forget. Put your face in the frame You don’t need fancy production or a film crew to show up. You need a phone, a bit of courage, and something meaningful to say. Start showing up on video, even if it’s just 20 seconds on Instagram Stories. People want to see you. Not the curated version. The real you. That’s where trust lives. That’s where influence begins. Public speaking might feel daunting. But what’s the alternative, staying hidden? Practice every day. You’ll get better. More importantly, you’ll get realer. Network like your voice depends on it Because it does. The most successful people didn’t get there alone. They were introduced, recommended, remembered. Why? Because they added value. They showed up consistently. They became known, not just for what they knew, but for who they were. Conferences, events, webinars, small group meetups, be in the room. Say yes more often. Speak up when the moment invites it. Your voice matters. Make sure people hear it. There’s no knighthood into thought leadership No one hands you the title. There’s no ceremony. No social media crown. You earn it, one real conversation, one post, one uncomfortable video at a time. Thought leadership, when stripped of all the fluff, is simply self-leadership shared out loud. It's the brave act of turning your life experience into lessons others can use. It’s holding a mirror up to the world, and then stepping into it. So, ask yourself this, are you willing to be that mirror? If any of these speak to where you are right now, reach out, repost, share or reflect out loud. This space grows when we do it together.  Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michael J McCusker Michael J McCusker, Founder/Podcast Host Michael J McCusker is a dynamic storyteller and podcast host who uses the power of voice to spark meaningful change. As a seasoned leader with lived experience, they’ve dedicated their life to guiding others toward purpose, self-leadership, and impact. Through powerful interviews and transformative conversations, their podcast The Lived Experience Series  amplifies voices that are often unheard but deeply needed. A published author, Michael J McCusker, writes with clarity and conviction, Hidden Potential: Unlocking The Door Within ,  turning personal insight into universal lessons. Their work empowers individuals to own their story, speak with influence, and lead with authenticity. Whether on stage, behind the mic, or on the page, The Resilient-Irishman: How to Tackle Life's Adversities.  Michael J McCusker is committed to shifting narratives and building a legacy that inspires others to rise.