Written by: Megan McCann and Jennifer Ludington, 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. Manifestation is more than the “woo-woo” buzzword that you may see swarming around the internet and plastered on every life coach's website. The word manifestation, even though it appears to be overused, is actually a science. And, it has proven to be extremely powerful when applied with the right formula. In current times we are finding an overwhelming amount of research to validate the evidence around the science of energetics and manifestation. In fact, Dr. Joe Dispenza describes energy as “an invisible field of energy and information—that exists beyond space and time. Nothing physical or material exists there. It's beyond anything you can perceive with your senses.” In business, understanding the art of manifestation is essential if you want your company to be sustainable. We believe that the energetic formula for manifesting abundance and revenue in your business is driven by the energetics of momentum. Money loves momentum and momentum is magnified by speed. The speed at which you are positively or negatively manifesting in your business is dependent on three elements: awareness, alignment, and activation. As such, we have designed a formula that has been tested and proven to impact how you manifest in your business: Awareness + Alignment + Activation = Abundance Let’s begin with awareness. The energetics of manifestation begins with the identification of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Paying attention to what is happening inside you; how you respond to what you want is crucial. You might be saying one thing but your energy says another. The universe will respond to your energy and attitude towards your desires, not just what you say you want. This is how you either attract or repel what you want. For example, if you say you want to close $20,000 in revenue for the month, but internally you feel anxiety, fear, and scarcity, you will likely repel that desire away because you are tapping into a different frequency than the frequency of abundance (* i.e., $20k in revenue). Paying attention to your limiting beliefs around what you want can help you better understand why you might not be attracting your desires. After you identify your beliefs, you can then move on to step two which is alignment. Alignment is defined by Webster's Dictionary as: “to bring into line”. Falling out of line, in a military setting is literally leaving one's place in the ranks in order to take one's place in a new formation. As entrepreneurs, we are the new formation. We are the risk-takers that formulate new ideas, creations, and innovations so that we can carve the path for others to follow suit and come into their own alignments. This requires us to “fall out” of the pre-conditioned straight line we are taught to walk and instead walk our own line, the unconventional ones that are jagged, broken, and curved. A straight line is not always the best way to reach your objective. At times the messy, jagged off-course lines are usually worth the detour. They reveal unknown territory that gets to be navigated so that we can create our own version of true alignment. As business owners, we must anchor to evidence that what we want is possible. Can you find evidence in areas of your life that support the concept that you can create something specific out of nothing? When you are feeling out of alignment, it’s important to have a toolkit to help you recalibrate and attune your frequency to match the one of what you want. For example, nature, exercise, reading, personal development, music, oils, and other rituals can help you get out of the lower frequency and ground yourself before attaining into one that matches a higher vibration. Your toolkit can be the source to feel better about how you show up when you are manifesting. This can be immediate or it can take time. Either way, a toolkit is essential. Without a toolkit to anchor to, we become a product of the circumstances around us and lose authority over how we feel. Our third step is Action. Merely thinking things into existence does not work. We need to be able to apply our intentions with the equivalent actions. Actions are not always representative of intentions, and they are not created equal. As Tom Bilyou says, “You’re not judged by your intentions, only your actions”. How are your daily habits and actions supporting your activated alignment? Discipline, consistency, and commitment to the actions regardless of your emotions are what separates the amateurs in entrepreneurship from the pros that create innovative legacy-leaving an impact. You may have the best intentions, yet aligned action is the only thing that creates the manifestation of revenue results and real-life results for those you get to serve. Activated aligned action is the key to abundant manifestation. Energetically, we create momentum through daily discipline and committed action rather than being stuck in the ebb and flow of solely intention. Many entrepreneurs focus on the outcome and instead miss out on the activation that can inspire innovation and creativity. When we are present to the experience and emotional “ups and downs” of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster ride, we can use better discernment when making decisions. What we realize then is that what we desire is actually not the goal, but instead who we become in the process. The paradox here is that when we take on this perspective, it no longer matters whether or not we actually achieve the goal because we have been able to elevate ourselves and our “being” in the process. We are not fully immersed in the energetics of the human experience when we are firmly planted in our comfort zone. Deep emotional activation happens when we are challenged, tested, and thrown into the fire. This is when we are completely in the emotionality of our humanity. This is when we are called to shift and transmute lead into gold. It's a “soul-knowing” that can only occur in the midst of the fire. So if you are challenged, being tested, or uncomfortable instead of perceiving this as a setback, consider this a soul activation for your next level. Be more attuned to your senses, be aware of your responses and reactions, and observe and take note of the subtleties that are growing underfoot. If you are experiencing a lull or lag in your revenue, it is likely that you are missing the first step in the law of energy which states that “energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transferred from one form to another.” You can control the energetics of money using the manifestation formula. Your energy is abundant and thus taking committed action will increase momentum and the momentum increases in relation to the number of aligned action steps you take, therefore accelerating the amount of energy created toward your own unique alignment. In our Business Leadership Mentorship programs, we create a clear path for our clients when implementing the formula Awareness + Alignment + Activation = Abundance. Manifesting comes easier in the community versus solo. Taking this path by yourself, or “lone-wolfing it” as we call it, is a recipe for disaster. Instead, we encourage business owners to activate through mentorship or guided action. If you’d like to learn more about how you work with us to create abundance in your business, click here. Follow me on Instagram, and LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Megan and Jennifer! Megan McCann and Jennifer Ludington, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Megan McCann and Jennifer Ludington are experts in strategic leadership and business systems. As 1 amazon best-selling authors, in-demand speakers, and media personalities, they are on a mission to help over 1 million women scale their businesses. With a combined 30 years of experience bootstrapping multiple six and seven-figure businesses, they want to show others how to do it too.

Bita Safari is the founder and the CEO of GIGO Clean Technology. GIGO Clean Technology is an application that works like Uber for the cleaning industry. Starting from a small office in Santa Ana, California, the company has plan to provide services nationwide by 2028. She is a stoner leader with an excessive skill in project management. Under her vision and leadership, GIGO Clean is making a revolution to the cleaning industry. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? The name of the Company is GIGO Clean Technology . GiGO Clean offers on-demand cleaning services via an easy-to-use app connecting customers directly to cleaners. Simply tap the app on your smartphone and cleaning professionals will arrive at your location as soon as they can. You also can schedule a cleaning in advance to suit your lifestyle. GiGO Clean: — Makes it easy and convenient for our customers to order cleaning services by connecting you directly to professionals in your neighborhood via our easy-to-use app. — Recruits and supplies reliable, thorough, and trustworthy cleaners to take the guesswork out of finding a cleaning service. Each of our applicants is carefully vetted and must pass a background check. — Connects highly competent cleaners with our customers and compensates our team fairly for their labor. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? Male and Female, Ages 21 to 61. Working professionals, Homeowners, Property Managers, Realtors. Anyone with a busy life schedule who needs help with house cleaning. What are your current goals for your business? The application serves Orange County at this point. We have a plan to expand to all cities in California by 2024 and to expand nationwide in 5 years. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? Expand the business and return to society.... True GIGO Clean Application, we are raising the standards of cleaning. Cleaning professionals receive higher compensation. The application is free to download and very easy to use. Customers will save time and money on cleaning services. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? My Mother. She inspires me in many ways. Her love for her children and her family, her dedication to helping others and returning to the society, and not to stay quite about what she believes is not right always was admirable to me. What is your work inspired by? GIGO clean is a true revolution in cleaning industry. Cleaning industry is a very large industry in the US. GIGO clean changes the dynamic of the industry. I am happy that I was part of the change. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. Overcoming the challenges associated with Developing the GIGO Clean Application. I failed 4 times. Lost a lot of money and time. But I did not give up. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? Making Sure cleaners receive fair compensation and benefits. Customers receive higher cleaning quality and pay fairly. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. I grow up in a society where women are second citizens and gender discrimination is at the highest level. Basic freedom is not available to many. I had to fight for whatever was my rights to have.

Written by: Rose Salkova , 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. Did you ever try to get over toxic marriage or difficult childhood, yet, you were stuck? Did you ever try to change something about yourself, but found yourself ending up in the same kind of situation, habit or the same unwanted results? That’s because there was an elephant in your way! How can I have an elephant blocking my view and not see it? In my line of work, I explain with stories. So, I am going to share the story of an elephant and a flee. This was the first story that I heard in my coaching school. Here is my version of it. Elephants and flee are really good friends and neighbors. It is mid-summer, a sweltering afternoon. The flee has no air-conditioning. She thinks that going to the beach would be a good idea. But the beach is far and she is small. “But wait! My friend elephant, maybe he could take me? We could spend a nice day on the beach together.” So, the flee knocks on elephant’s door: “Hey elephant, it’s really hot. I would like to go to the beach, but it is far for me. Would you take me to the beach?” “Oh flee, what a great idea. It will be my pleasure to take you and spend a day by the water. Let’s go.” The flee jumps on the elephant’s back and off they go. Elephant knows how to get to the beach, so flee relaxes on his back, even falls asleep. Hmmm … Suddenly there’s noise – cars are honking, the flee opens her eyes and looks around. They are stuck downtown, in the traffic, the heat is magnified by the concrete buildings, and asphalt … “Flee, I am really sorry. I don’t understand how I could get off the road. Please let me make it up to you – let’s go to the beach tomorrow. OK?” The morning after, the flee knocks on elephant’s door. “Ahhh. Good morning, flee. Ready to go? I got us help today: I am bringing my GPS and I already programmed the destination. So, we will not get lost.” And so they go, following the friendly GPS voice, chatting. This time flee doesn’t sleep tough, she keeps track, just in case her help was needed. Everything goes great, but at the last turn, instead of turning right, the elephant turns left. Flee screams: Elephant, elephant, what are you doing? Turn right. No, right, turn right!” GPS says: “Recalculating … make a U-turn … make a U-turn … recalculating … go straight … 4 hours to destination.” The flee screams, but the elephant keeps going and doesn’t hear anything. Eventually, he wakes up when they are deep in the forest: “Where are we? How did we get here? And where is the beach?” They are both dirty, all bitten by mosquitos and scratched by branches. The elephant is sorry, the flee is mad but forgives him, … and so, the story continues … elephant always tries to help, but he never does. My twist to the story is: imagine the elephant was attacked by a crocodile on that beach when he was a baby. Or, his parents used to argue there and eventually got divorced. Or, his fiancée broke up with him there. He’s going to make sure that he will never – go – back to that beach because for him it represents painful memories. How does the story of the elephant and the flee relate to us? We all have an elephant and a flee inside of us: in our brains, in every cell of our body. This is not me giving a scientific explanation of the brain. This is me using analogies and stories to understand ourselves better. The flee represents the 10% of the brain, the logical brain, the part that is aware. The elephant represents the supposedly dormant or not active, 90% of the brain. But the elephant never sleeps, and is ever active because our brain cannot be “not active”. An inactive brain is dead. I’d like to show you three examples of how this story may play out in our lives: 1. Flee, the 10%, says: “I want love. I want to be loved. I want a relationship.” And you work on that. And everything is fine, until it all falls apart. The spouse, the friend hurts you, betrays you. Then you ask yourself: “What’s going on? Why me? I don’t understand, why is this always happening to me? I am a decent, loving person. Why people wouldn’t love me back?” The elephant has a different story. He remembers, how your father used to say: “You are so nice and smart too. I love you honey, too bad that you are a female. Hmmm, all females are wicked, source of temptation, … evil that’s what they are.” And so, you enter into toxic relationships, without knowing why. Or, you have a wonderful relationship and then you sabotage it. All this without knowing why. Unable to change. 2. Flee says: “I want to quit smoking. I’ve been smoking for too long. I’ve tried quitting many times. But now, it is overdue, I can feel the toll it takes on my body.” Elephant says: “That doesn’t really fit with my point of view. Your parents were smokers, your grandparents too. They are all gone now. You loved them very much and you miss them. And as long as you smoke, you are connected to them. You show your love, loyalty, and every time you smoke – hmmm – that wonderful smell, their love, their presence …” Unable to change. 3. Flee says: “I have a successful career, but at home… no matter what I do, eventually things fall apart. Elephant says: “Huh, of course. Don’t you know that it’s impossible? It’s either a thriving career or a happy family. You can’t have it all. They just don’t go together. Since I know how important your career is to you, let’s work on that and the family has to go.” Relationships fall apart. Unable to change. Now, who’s running the show? The flee or the elephant? I think it is very easy for the elephant to run the show, given his size. He only has to make a little push to get results. The flee, on the other hand, while it is not impossible to push and get results, she just has to work much, much harder. Our brains, the entire 10% and 90%, are busy, at all times. The question is with what will our brain be busy. For most of us, the elephant is a mystery. More often than not, we have no idea what the elephant is doing, thinking; and why, when, where with whom. Elephants are big, yet I see nothing in my living room ... “Just because something is invisible or we don’t know it exists, it does not mean it isn’t there. Neither does it mean that we just have to take it and let it command our lives.” This is when intuition comes in. Quite often, we actually do “see”. But we discard that “knowing” because it is strange or not logical; or we believe it is only our imagination. When I work with my clients, we work on this invisible “what” and “why”. We know about the analytic brain – the “I’m aware. I decide. Cogito, ergo sum.” And also, the left and right brain. But we also have the elephant, the “unaware, unconscious”, … it goes many names. I have learned that this unawareness, the “what”, can be divided or observed on four major levels: 1. Core level: time during pregnancy and the first four years of our lives. These years are incredibly formative: at this age, we have no filter, so we absorb everything we see, hear or feel. We do not know what’s right, what’s wrong. Family teach us. Our survival depends on our parents. They have the authority, our unconditional trust. It just is: we love them and we want them to love us back. Since we are highly vulnerable, our parents, grandparents and siblings leave a massive invisible imprint on us. 2. The genetic makeup: our parents, siblings, grandparents, all the ancestors are present in every cell of our bodies, in our DNA. And so, they pass to us through the genes not only their hair or face, but also their immunity, their knowledge, their talents, their joy and their suffering. We are connected with our family through these invisible, genetic bonds. 3. The history/society level: the society today as well as throughout the human history. The society, in addition to the family, also tells us what what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s legal, illegal, ethical, unethical, what we should do, what we should think, how we should behave ... And we want to fit. In addition, the society tells us what is possible and what is not possible; how genetic diseases or bad habits get passed down from generation to generation. They also tell us what family values are, what family means. That we can’t choose your family. That it’s hard to break generational karma: “Like father, like son, like mother like daughter ... Even if we do not agree with what we hear, we humans, have been conditioned to believe what we hear repeatedly. And if the information comes from an authority, we don’t even question it. Plus, why question if we can see the proof happening all around us. The history level also includes past lives. 4. The soul level: our soul, our life force, our essence, the true us, or, if you wish, the flame that burns inside of us and drives us, inspires us but also cries with us. The soul – we – chose our experiences and lessons before we incarnated. We made promises. Here is the thing: the soul lives in a different reality, very different from ours. While we live limited by time and space, the soul has no body, has all the time and space. As such, it has a completely different perspective on life. It may easily feel and think completely differently from us. When I say “us”, this is the aware, the 10%, logical us. These four levels are the “what” in the elephant. And these four levels, when we dig deeper and ask questions, they also help us to find out the “why” – the root of the challenge. Why working on all these different levels? Why not to use just one or two techniques? Honestly, I tried and I felt like I was just beating around the bushes. I prefer working on all these levels simultaneously because we connect the left brain and the right brain. At the same time, we connect the heart and the brain (heart-brain coherence). We also connect with every cell of the body, all the way to the DNA, the energetic body and the divine. In my experience, this multi-level approach speeds up the healing, and facilitates often instantaneous and long-lasting results. We work on the cause, the root, not just the symptoms. Last but not least: the client is aware of the work, client can (after a while and if they wish) continue working on their own. How empowering is that?! OK, maybe I do have a problem. Now what? The four levels of consciousness store our experiences, our joy and suffering. With time, they become engraved, like when a sleigh passes through snow … with every passing the trail behind is deeper and deeper. And so, we form our views, opinions, beliefs, that may become outright hardcoded programs. Your brain, the elephant, loves you unconditionally and has one objective – to protect you and make you happy. But you and your brain, you tow have different objectives: you want to thrive, work on what you are passionate about, … and the elephant wants to keep you safe! So, discover your elephant, connect with it, and teach it how to work with you instead of against you. Next time: we will continue discussing how the major four levels interact and intertwine with each other. What is the common thread and how to unravel it. We will start discussing how this all affects the family dynamics, how come that our family has such a powerful influence over us. And finally, I will share an exercise for discovering your elephant. Book a free consultation at familyhealingwithrose.com to find out more about my approach and if it is for you. Alternatively, you can join Dr. Pat Baccili and me as we discuss every second Wednesday of a month at 14:00 EST why taking responsibility and ownership of your energy matters. Learn how to do it, but most importantly, learn how it can change your life. Listen live or replay Family Healing with Rose: Take responsibility and ownership of your energy . Visit my website for more info! Read more from Rose! Rose Salkova, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rose Salkova is a Life Coach focusing on Intuitive Family Healing. Family relationships are in the heart of her practice because she believes that they are at the bottom of our suffering as well as the base of our well-being. She offers insight into the spiritual aspect of family relationships and actionable steps how to resolve them. Her mission is to help people that are dispirited by their family life to put a smile back on their faces. To help them to resolve their past, bring colour back into their lives, get relief, be free, feel whole, get a peace of mind and to rise again.

Written by: Yves Preissler, 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. Consultancy plays an integral role in the overall success of any project – and this is especially true when it comes to the fitness industry. The health and wellness market is booming, with consumers spending increasing amounts of money on products and services that improve their fitness, nutrition, appearance, and sleep. This is great news for business owners who operate in the fitness sector, but in an increasingly saturated market – how do you ensure you stand out from the crowd and turn a profit? Combining his personal passion for health with years of consulting experience, Yves Preissler helps businesses working in the fitness industry overcome these types of challenges and thrive by providing fitness turnkey solutions for commercial, residential, hotel, and large-scale home gyms. Advice You Can Trust With over 20 years of experience working in the fitness industry, Yves Preissler has gained a wealth of expertise and is a well-established name in the world of fitness consultancy. Being active and moving the body has always been a huge priority and passion for Yves. Having used fitness clubs since being a teenager, Yves completed his first fitness qualification aged just 21 – an achievement that marked the beginning of a long and prosperous career in the industry. This experience has given him a direct perspective into the world of fitness, where he has developed an extensive knowledge of what makes a successful gym. In addition to founding YP Business Consulting, Yves is also the Founder and CEO of AFROFIT – a company aiming to build the first gym chain in East Africa. “Being directly involved in the fitness industry enables me to see first-hand what does and doesn’t work”, says Preissler. “This makes me well-positioned to offer my expertise to clients ‒ and I’m passionate about maintaining that link so that I can be an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.” Consultancy is Key Being knowledgeable is essential to succeeding in the health and fitness industry. Fitness industry trends will evolve in parallel with changing consumer behaviors, so it’s valuable to consult with an experienced business that knows how to navigate this continually developing market. “Knowledge is power in the ever-changing health and fitness industry”, comments Preissler. “Our experience of the market and its dynamics enables us to assist companies, products, and services with market entry and position. We give businesses the best chance of success by equipping them with the information, insights, and industry data they need to attract and retain a wide customer base – all whilst establishing a strong brand and achieving their long-term commercial goals.” Creating a Healthier Society YP Business Consulting is dedicated to creating a fitter, healthier society by designing fitness and leisure facilities for both first-timers and seasoned users. Each club is built for a specific target market, with the investor in mind – meaning projects are both cost-effective and profitable. Tailor-Made Concepts That Deliver Results The projects which YP Business Consulting’s team is working on are characterized by high-end finishes and attention to the smallest detail. Designed to create a tailor-made concept for projects that generates the results required, the consultancy guides investors, developers, and business owners through all the stages required in a successful project. From researching the market and feasibility analysis to financials, location sourcing, concept design, development, project management, recruitment, sales, marketing, operations and much more ‒ YP Business Consulting oversees the entire project from start to finish to ensure the best results. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Yves! Yves Preissler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Yves Preissler is the founder of YP Business Consulting. Yves is leading a team of professionals bringing a wealth of global expertise in providing fitness turn key solutions for commercial, residential, hotel and large scale home gyms. The YP team guides investors, developers and business owners through all the stages required in a successful project: Market / competitive studies, feasibility analysis, detailed financials, location sourcing, concept design, design/ project development, project management, recruitment, sales, marketing and operations.

Daria Chernysheva was born in Odessa, Ukraine and moved with her family to Hamburg, Germany when she was 9 years old. After her graduation, Daria became an expert in Online Marketing, Digital Transformation and Business Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Economy and Business Psychology from Leuphana University Lüneburg and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in International Business and Brand Management from London School of Business and Finance (LSBF). Over the course of 15 years of working experience, she worked for different large international IT and Consulting companies in diverse countries, such as Italy and Ireland. Daria knows several European languages. Daria Chernysheva, Chief Executive Officer, Business Owner Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. I was born in Odessa, Ukraine, which I’m very proud of. When I was 9 years old, my family moved to Hamburg, Germany where I grew up. I really love to travel and visit different countries. This love comes from the time when my grandfather was a captain on large cruise liners. He took me on a cruise for the first time when I was only 8 months old. I was lucky enough to visit so many countries on the Mediterranean Sea. But I have a special love for Italy, its food, language, culture and people. After school, I studied economy and business psychology at Leuphana University in Lüneburg. As an Erasmus student, I went for half a year to study in Italy at Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata" which I greatly enjoyed. After my graduation as a B.A. in Economy with a focus on Marketing, I started working at Axel Springer SE. This job introduced me to Online Marketing when it was still in “baby shoes”, and this is how I became part of the industry. In 2014 I moved to Dublin, Ireland where I worked for Google, covering the DACH and CIS market. Also, the same year I enrolled for an MBA program in International Business and Brand Management at London School of Business and Finance. Combining distant learning and work was very hard but this is how you develop discipline and determination to achieve your goals. Before founding my own company in 2019, I worked for several international companies and gained extensive experience in digitalization and business management. Professionally, I was ready to start my own business. Plus, I had a strong desire to become an entrepreneur to be independent and have more time for my family. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? The name of my company is Ellenburg Consulting. We provide 360° services in digital marketing, digital transformation, and business management consulting. We support our clients from strategy planning, implementation and monitoring of projects to analysis and solution recommendations in the above-mentioned fields. Also, we expertly assist our clients in expanding their business or brand to new markets in Europe and North America. The company also provides individual workshops for business professionals or for groups. We shape our workshops based on the requests we get from our clients and the topics they are most interested in. How did you come up with the name of your company? I wanted to have an international name that is easy to pronounce in any language and that sounds professional. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? We work with mostly small and medium-sized businesses but also with large companies from different industries. Our company also strongly supports start-ups. What are your current goals for your business? Learn and grow. The world changes by minute and one must keep track of new developments and novelties. At Ellenburg Consulting we are proud to offer interesting and innovative solutions. Currently, the world economy is perilously close to a recession, and our current goals are to optimize our operations and help our clients to overcome this difficult and uncertain economic situation together. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? For me, personally, I would like to travel more. During the pandemic I realized that traveling is a very important part of my life which makes me happy and gives me motivation and inspiration. Being your own boss requires a lot of strength, persistence, discipline and resilience. Taking breaks is essential to keep going. If you don’t feel energized, it can have a very negative impact on your business and your relationships with clients. We hope that the state of the economy will change for the better and we will see new innovative businesses flourish. We want to be a part of the driving force in the future. In addition, we take our social responsibilities very seriously. Our company always seeks qualified employees, who can think out of the box. Currently, we’d like to offer support to Ukrainian refugees, freelancers and entrepreneurs to help them find their way back to the labor market. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? It is my family. They always supported me and encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and be better. My grandfather was an incredibly important person in my life who taught me so much. His death four years ago was emotionally very difficult for me. I wanted him to be proud of me when he was alive, and I do my best to meet the expectations he had of me. Also, I’m my own worst critic. I always analyze my actions and see how I can improve my communication, my relationships with people and so on. The first step to improvement is understanding of your status quo and what needs to be optimized or changed. What is your work inspired by? My work is inspired by achieving great results. I want my clients to succeed. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. I think my greatest career achievement was to found my own company and become independent. It feels great to be your own boss, manage your time the way you want and share your own core values with your staff. In general, I believe that success is a series of small victories. You have to take it day by day and overcome obstacles. Small achievements in your life pave the way to great achievements. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? When I started to work in digital marketing, in the early days there were no degrees, courses or certificates for this subject. One could only gain expertise through hard work, continuous learning and self-development. Nowadays, digital marketing stands out as a business unit and one can get a degree in digitalization. Many people without sufficient knowledge and experience started offering all kinds of digital marketing services. Sometimes I see their ads with headlines promising miracles, like: “Make 6 figures revenue in 10 days”, “I will help you to get thousands of prospects in one month”, etc. Even though they sound very compelling, most of the offers are pure fraud and are created for clickbait. As a result, we now have huge mistrust in the industry when it comes to digital marketing consulting because many companies had a negative experience in the past. Those who just received a certificate after a three-month online marketing course have no right to call themselves experts because they lack any practical industry experience. I think we need some sort of “Checks and Balances” system to avoid fraudulent business consultants. This could restore customers’ trust in the industry and would lead to greater satisfaction. Trust in business is as important as it is in private relationships. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. This pivotal moment in my life was the day when my grandfather passed away four years ago. I couldn’t go to work for a few days because I had to take care of my grandmother and mother. We were all in terrible grief. Also, the police investigated the circumstances of his death because he died in the hospital, two days after a surgery. After the funeral I was back at work. I remember a personal discussion with the CEO of the company I worked for at the time. When I said that my grandfather passed away, his reaction was abhorrent; I couldn’t believe that a person can be so heartless – he just smiled to my face and said nothing. Everyone who has ever lost a loved one knows how painful it is. Then, two days after I returned to work, the CEO informed me that I’m no longer needed at his company. This new blow in less than two weeks after my grandfather’s passing hit me hard. …The last two days before my grandfather died, I was at work as there was an important project and I didn’t want to let the company down. Instead, I could have been in the hospital with my grandfather when he needed me the most. The employer’s “gratitude” was letting me go… Is it reasonable for an employee to expect empathy and support from their management in the event of a personal tragedy? I strongly believe so. I am also convinced that, in the long run, an employee will pay back with their ultimate dedication and best contribution to the company. Unfortunately, nowadays such attitude towards employees is rare in the workplace. When I returned home that day, I said to myself that, from now on, I will never be an employee again. I didn’t want any other employer to hurt my feelings when it was painful enough… I was determined to become independent and never be in such situation again. I promised to myself that I will never treat an employee of mine in such a heartless, cruel way… Also, I realized that, no matter how important your career is, your family should always remain your priority number one. Success is the best revenge to those who want to hurt us and see us fall to our knees. By overcoming personal struggles and challenging situations, you show how strong you are. Rise like a phoenix from the ashes and achieve your best. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Daria!

Written by: Tarah Dove, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As an entrepreneur, you likely started your business because you wanted the freedom to do things your way. Like most business owners, you have a drive for success but also long for freedom and fulfillment. The first two or three years of business are fun and exciting vision planning, dreaming, and paving your way to what success looks like. You understand what it takes to run a successful, profitable business. However, you may not have been prepared for the challenges of being CEO, human resources, marketing, and sales and juggling your life and family responsibilities on top of it all. We get it. Being female business owners ourselves, we understand there are many challenges, some that our male counterparts do not encounter. Surprisingly, we find that female entrepreneurs are still trying to conduct business the same way men do business. Therefore, you may feel burnt out and at your breaking point. Instead of your business supporting your life, your life revolves around your business. You may not take physical work home, but you take it home emotionally and mentally. What was supposed to create freedom and fulfillment is starting to suck the joy out of you and make you question if it is all worth it. 5 reasons female entrepreneurs hit a breaking point 1. Believing success must equal sacrifice As a business owner, there is always some level of sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean you have to surrender your joy, time, health, or fulfillment to create success. We often find that when female entrepreneurs are at their breaking point, it is because they are sacrificing their own needs and desires striving for success. They try to keep up with the way men do things and get stuck in the checkboxes of making sure employees are happy, key performance indicators are being met quarterly, customers are satisfied, bills are being paid, family is taken care of…the list goes on. They think that taking time for themselves means sacrificing the business or their family when the exact opposite is true. They think once they get the success they desire, then they can take care of themselves, go on vacation, leave work at work, etc. It is simply not true. As natural servant leaders, women are more likely to sacrifice their own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs to ensure others are happy, which leads to a lack of boundaries. Having this mindset is why most business owners experience burnout at some point in their entrepreneurial journey. Your business should be supporting your life right from the beginning, not taking away from it. 2. Keeping business and life as separate entities Keeping business and life as separate entities is the second reason we see female business owners hit their breaking point. One of our clients summed it up well, “I have a business coach and I have a therapist, but I need someone who can help me merge the gap between business and life.” Women are naturally servant leaders and therefore are more likely to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of others. Women are not only the CEOs at work but usually at home as well. Female business owners typically take on more home and family responsibilities than men. They arrange kids' activities, family vacations, meals, house chores, etc. Men typically do one or the other (i.e., run the business or manage the house). Business coaches teach strategy and tactics for growing the business but do not address how it fits with life and fulfillment. Life coaches give strategies and tactics to help improve overall life and fulfillment but do not know how to make that fit with business goals. Therapists help with baggage and life challenges but are not able to give tools for business. Human Resources agencies can help with employees but are not able to help with any of the above. At Success Without Sacrifice, LLC we teach you how to bring it all together using our proprietary RAMP Method. 3. Using old-school business methods created by men for men Men tend to be more logical, whereas women are more emotional. Where men can compartmentalize easier and leave work at work, women take it with them. Men are more likely to take physical work home, whereas women take it home emotionally, mentally, and physically in their bodies. Women are more likely to take on the emotions of their employees, spouse, kids, etc., leaving them feeling drained and unable to take care of themselves well. The physiological makeup of women is very different from men, which affects everything when it comes to running a business. Where men are on a 24-hour cycle, women are on a 28-day cycle. You may wonder what this has to do with business, and the answer is ‒ everything! Burnout for women happens when they expect themselves to function the same every single day and function the same as men. Women get frustrated with themselves when they cannot keep up or they sacrifice their health to keep up. Women were not designed to be in peak performance 24/7, 365 days a year. A woman’s cycle is made up of 4 phases (i.e., fall, winter, spring, summer) and each phase will affect creativity, motivation, stress levels, emotions, nutrition needs, physical needs, self-care needs, etc. If you are a female, you may find yourself wondering why you have a few days where you feel like you can conquer the world and handle anything thrown at you and then turn around a few days later, questioning why you are annoyed with your employees, fighting with your husband, and criticizing your kids. There are phases of your cycle where you will require more rest and internal time to yourself and others where you are more extroverted and can function on very little rest. If you are ignoring these needs, it makes sense you are at your breaking point. 4. Not creating intentional rest periods for yourself and your business Entrepreneurial burnout is very common but can be avoided with this one shift. Create more rest! As a high achiever, it feels counterintuitive to rest, but this one shift will improve team dynamics. When you are expecting yourself and your team to not only perform, but outperform every quarter, it gets exhausting. When people are exhausted, fulfillment, happiness, and performance go down and team conflict goes up. When this happens, it creates more work, stress, and exhaustion for the business owner. Just like sports teams have on and off seasons to avoid injury, burnout and achieve peak performance, so should your business. When an athlete is training for the Olympic games, their entire year is designed to help them hit mental, emotional, and physical peak performance during their competitions. Within that year, is intentional daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly rest. Rest is more than sleep and vacation. Rest can be active and does not always mean doing nothing. To learn how you can create more rest while improving performance for yourself and your agency, check out the RAMP Method below. 5. Lacking boundaries and leadership skills Dealing with employees and team members is the number one stressor we hear from female business owners. Many women who start businesses lack the tools and resources for managing and motivating team members and employees. You know you have to hire other people to grow, but nobody taught you how to manage the stress, personalities, and complications that employees can bring. Given that women are naturally more emotional, the lines can get blurred when dealing with employee personalities. Being a female business owner on top of having female employees adds a whole other layer of emotions, moods, and motivators to the mix. Men are more likely to put their heads down and get their work done, even if it comes with complaining. Women, on the other hand, are affected by life stress, past experiences, and hormones which can negatively impact how they interact, perform and function at work. Currently, there are very few resources out there for managing these types of team dynamics. That’s why we offer support not only to female entrepreneurs, but also to their entire teams. If you find yourself at a breaking point, there are likely multiple factors contributing to your lack of fulfillment and joy. To identify the top 3 contributing factors to your breaking point, email info@successwithoutsacrificecoaching.com to request our 15-minute T.E.A.M Assessment. Shifts you can make to get back Change your belief that you must sacrifice yourself now for future success. Create boundaries around your values and priorities, so your business can support your life. Work with your female physiology instead of against it. Create a one-year plan for your agency that accounts for rest and peak performance. Find resources that can help between life, business & employee relationships. The RAMP Method The RAMP Method is a proprietary system created by the co-owner of Success Without Sacrifice, LLC, Cheree Sauer. Cheree saw a gap in the marketplace for female business owners. After working with high-performing athletes for 14 years, Cheree became an entrepreneur and experienced burnout. She recognized a need to help female business owners merge the gap between business and life. She brought her knowledge of business, sports psychology, sports training, and team performance into the entrepreneurial world to help female business owners continue their success without sacrificing themselves. Your body, especially as a female, was not designed to be in peak performance 24/7, 365 days per year. Just like pro-sports teams have training plans designed to avoid burnout, injury and achieve peak performance, the RAMP Method gives agencies a roadmap to structure their day, week, month, and year to fully optimize specific physiologies, so they can be in peak performance at the right time, instead of all the time. The RAMP method reduces burnout and improves team performance and fulfillment. Rest - Includes active rest includes active rest, meaning work is still being done but not at the same intensity as in the peak phase. It is fun work. You have intentional boundaries. Family and friends are your biggest priorities. Align - Aligned with your values This is where you evaluate, assess, and get your habits and boundaries aligned with your values & priorities. This is your planning and prep phase to create a solid foundation before moving into the next 2 phases. Master - Master your mindset This is where you will master your mindset and calendar so you can start to ramp up your activity. This is the start of your busy season. Think of this as the pre-launch phase. In this phase, your priority is starting to become more business focused and other priorities will intentionally be removed from your calendar. Peak - The growth phase This is your busiest season of the year. For example, if you are a speaker, this would be your travel season. For certain businesses, there may be more than one busy season. Or if you launch, this would be your launch phase. This is the growth phase for your business, so your business will be your 1 priority. Your friends, family, and other priorities might take more of a back seat, but you will still maintain a good balance. There is no one size fits all, which is why the team at Success Without Sacrifice, LLC works with you in a 1:1 capacity to help you create your own RAMP Method Roadmap that is specific to your business and life goals. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tarah! Tarah Dove, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tarah Dove is Co-Owner of Success Without Sacrifice, LLC with Business Partner Cheree Sauer. As CMO/Marketing Success Coach, Tarah brings over 15 years of Marketing experience to the Partnership. Using the proprietary system, The RAMP Method, created by Co-Owner Cheree, the duo works with Entrepreneurs to merge the gap between business and life. Their mission and The RAMP Method of coaching help reduce burnout and improve team performance and fulfillment for female Insurance Agency Owners.

Written by: Betsy White , 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 learned years ago that has profoundly impacted my life is the difference between caretaking and caregiving. As I have been able to apply this idea, it has both freed and empowered me. Now I use this to help others the same way. I believe it can shift family dynamics and help create healthier, happier places for kids to grow up. I invite you to read and reflect on your role as a parent. If you don’t have children, I think there are many relationships in our lives where we can free ourselves and others by learning this! The best way to describe the difference between caretaking and caregiving is to quote Dr. Margaret Paul, the woman who taught me this powerful information. Here is her distinction: “Caretaking is doing something for others with an outcome in mind ‒ they will love you, approve of you, give you attention, give you money, and so on. It is giving to get something back, as opposed to giving for the joy of giving. Caretaking always has an agenda attached, as opposed to caregiving and true giving. Caregiving is taking care of someone who cannot take care of themselves, such as a child or an old or sick person whom you have agreed to take care of. True giving is giving from the heart with no expectation of getting anything back. It’s giving purely from love.” The hardest part of this is that most of us never learned the difference between what I refer to as our true selves and our ego. Therefore, based on what was modeled for us by our parents, we are often giving from our ego. Which then gets passed from generation to generation. Our ego tends to be manipulative, while our true self has no expectations. Our ego believes people owe us if we have done something for them. This is a type of covert control. I do this, so you do that. This could be doing a favor, offering a compliment, giving someone our time and attention, or gifts. In each of these examples, giving is done with the expectation that the other person should respond in a certain way. Think about your experiences as a child with your own parents or as a parent now with your child. How often is there an expectation of what a child should do based on something you did for them? A lot, correct? I hear these types of examples quite often. “I give you a roof over your head, and you treat me that way?” “After everything you got for Christmas, you still don’t think you should do your schoolwork?” “I cleaned your room for you; the least you could do is thank me.” “I drive you from place to place and give up my time, but you can’t even put your phone down and talk to me.” The underlying belief is that if a parent does everything they should for their child (or everything my parent did or did NOT do for me), then my child will make “good” choices. Then I feel like I raised a good kid, which makes me feel worthy. Some parents even feel more loved when their child behaves in ways they expect them to. Many parents feel approval in their peer circles when their child makes “good” choices. This is a cycle of codependency, though. Kids learn it quickly. And this often leads to many imbalances in family relationships. Remember Dr. Margaret Paul refers to caregiving as taking care of someone who can not do this for themselves, like children. So in families, we want to have more acts of caregiving than caretaking. If we want to learn and shift these patterns, we have to be able to look at how we are showing up, without judging ourselves! Self-judgment shuts us down instead of being able to stay open to learning. When we can observe without judgment, we can then make changes and transform our actions and relationships! Here are a few ideas of ways we may be caretaking instead of caregiving: Making our kids’ (friend’s or partner’s) needs and feelings more important than my own Giving in when I don’t really want to People pleasing Giving gifts with strings attached Not saying what I really think or feel Second-guessing myself and thinking I know what others need Being overly nice As parents, every day there are many ways you provide for your child’s health, safety, and well-being. When done by your true self, you give for the pleasure it gives you to provide for your child. There is no expectation of how they should respond. When giving from your heart, you don't leave an I owe you that must be repaid by your child. Love does not have an agenda. If you are open to learning more about parenting from your true self and ways to shift out of caretaking, please reach out to me. I’d love to work with you and your family to learn healthier ways to share love. I believe when kids do not feel the expectations of what they are supposed to do, they have the freedom to be who they were born to be! This is the journey I am most passionate about supporting kids and parents with! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Betsy! Betsy White, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Betsy White is a Certified Holistic Life Coach and speaker supporting kids, parents and teachers to be empowered, confident and connected. Having navigated childhood trauma, low self-esteem, numerous health issues, and dysfunctional systems at home and school, Betsy has dedicated her life to supporting kids, and the adults in their lives, navigating stress, anxiety, overwhelm and lack of purpose. She draws on her expertise in psychology, human development, education, mindfulness and spirituality while using her extensive and diverse experience to guide clients to own their value, speak their truth, live their unique purpose, heal relational dynamics and create inner peace and resilience. In an ever-changing, technology and social media-focused world, she empowers people to turn inward to their true source of wisdom. Betsy is the founder of The Life Coach 4 Kids, offering intensive family, parent and teacher programs, presentations and group experiences. People are transformed through the connection, love, intuitive insights, experience and soul journey Betsy guides them to take.

Written by: Dr. Phillip Hearn, 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. Seller Financing is an attractive option for buyers looking to finance their purchase without the use of traditional lenders. This type of financing provides more flexibility, allowing sellers and buyers to come up with mutually beneficial terms that work best for them. Seller financing is a straightforward and beneficial loan agreement between buyer and seller. Rather than going through an intermediary, the parties address their finances directly using what's referred to in real estate as "owner financing" or “bond-for-title” ‒ thus simplifying the process for both involved. Reduced marketing In a slower real estate market, rather than reduce the price of the property to attract buyers, agents may consider offering financing instead. Buyers can potentially pay full price for properties and enjoy benefits such as avoiding expensive loan fees or spending points on origination costs. Increased inventory With owner financing, the seller enjoys a greater potential for sale due to an expanded inventory of purchasers. Currently in America, 40% of buyers can't obtain bank loans ‒ increasing the likelihood that they would consider more flexible terms from a private lender/seller. This is evident through increased interest after listing "Owner Will Finance" or "Easy Terms". Reduced closing times When you offer owner financing, the time to close a transaction is shortened significantly. As compared to conventional lenders who can take up to 6-8 weeks for closing procedures, using a reputable title company and seller finance will allow buyers and sellers alike to complete contracts in as little as 2-3 weeks. This timeline benefit comes with less paperwork ‒ perfect when speed matters most. Strategy for hard to finance properties Investing in hard-to-finance properties can be a great way of increasing returns, as these properties often require a lower initial cash outlay. Investors capitalize on this by purchasing the property at a reduced wholesale price and then selling for more with easier financing terms in place. This strategy is beneficial for any kind of complex real estate such as mixed use structures, land or mobile homes, non-conforming buildings or other low-value assets. Interest income Investing in real estate has the potential to build wealth and generate interest income over time. With owner financing, sellers can earn additional revenue ‒ beyond the sale price of their property ‒ without giving up ownership rights. For example, a $100,000 mortgage with a 9 percent APR paid back monthly will produce an extra $189k+ (over 30 years) in addition to what was initially loaned out. Bottom line Seller financing can be an attractive option for buyers and sellers, but consulting a professional to ensure the legal transaction is properly recorded is critical. Financial Center offers free consultations and is an excellent source to grow your business model. Additionally, discussing terms with note investors provides valuable insight into structuring techniques that will maximize pricing should you decide to convert payments into cash by assigning your note or contract. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Philip! Dr. Phillip Hearn, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Phillip Hearn is a master in entrepreneurship, real estate investing, and motivational inspiration. Despite setbacks from a problematic childhood, Hearn learned the value of investing in himself and capitalizing on his strengths. He has since specialized in helping others discover their full potential, personally and professionally. He founded Mid American Capital Holdings, LLC, an acquisition focused company. Current subsidiaries include Phillip Speaks, specializing in public speaking and coaching; Financial Center, operating as a capital broker to help businesses grow their operations, and other subsidiaries which continues to expand. His mission: to collaborate as a problem solver to today’s challenges.

Written by: Deborah McPhilemy, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Everyone seems to be talking about the importance of Self-Empowerment these days, which I myself am a very big advocate for. I believe that everyone should be empowered with the knowledge and skills to be able to be in charge of their own lives and destiny. What is even more exciting to me than being Self-Empowered, is when you have incredible Personal Power. And, when you combine the two, you become a powerhouse who’s in charge of their own life, someone who can effortlessly direct their path, fast track their goals and magically manifest their dreams. Your Personal Power is All About Your Energy Having incredible Personal Power comes down to one thing – energy! Your energy! Energy can be defined as the fuel that your body uses to do things; ‒ to move, eat, work, exercise, think, have sex, have fun, etc. But just having energy does not give you power. What gives you power is having the ability to take charge of yourself and your life without being blown off course by your feelings, urges and circumstances. When you can stand steady in the wake of any storm and not let it affect you, and still forge forward with your life, your plans, your intentions and your goals without throwing everything overboard, this is true personal power. Emotional Intelligence is key to owning Your Personal Power Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you need to become an emotionless, numb bot that feels nothing! What I am saying is, that when you allow your emotions to be in charge of you, to let them throw you into a deep depression, to make you give up, quit or lie around all day blaming the government and everyone else and his dog for what is going on in your life, then you are rendering yourself completely powerless! Emotions are Energy Too When it comes to emotions, I’m a big fan! Emotions are energy! Emotions are incredibly unbelievably powerful, but only if you understand them and use them to your advantage! To me, my emotions are my personalised GPS system, my very own unique language that tells me when I’m off course with my life or whether I’m unsafe in a place, or with a person. But… when you don’t understand your emotions or don’t speak their language, they have the power to literally bring you to your knees, to steal your joy, your goals and your dreams! So how do you ‘get’ incredible Personal Power? The answer is actually quite simple, by being yourself. Being You Unlocks Your Personal Power So many of us don’t really know who we are as we’ve all been moulded, programmed and influenced by the people who raised us, the education system, the people we hang around with and the community at large. It’s only when we take that first step to becoming self-aware and start questioning our thoughts, actions and behaviours, that we realise we may not be who we think we always were, who everyone else thought we were. Discovering who you really are and getting rid of all the bits of you that you don’t like while revealing the bits of you you do like is when you start stepping into your Personal Power. The more comfortable you get with who you are, embracing every aspect, nook and cranny that makes up the unique individual you are, is when you become personally powerful. And nothing is more magnificent, attractive or magnetic than someone who knows, likes and loves who they are! Deborah McPhilemy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deborah McPhilemy is the Founder of Selfie School, a Self-Empowerment Academy that empowers and educates women and children holistically, so they can become completely comfortable being themselves. After coming from a disempowered background of being bullied and abused, she completely ‘lost’ herself. After spending years healing and rediscovering who she was, she returned to being herself and her life was transformed beyond recognition. She now spends her life helping others to do the same, as well as helping them in a preventative context.

Written by: Kristi Peck, 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 a car crashing, a glass boat, and a green dragon tickling me have in common? These have ALL been images that came to me through my personal dreams. Just the other day a client was sharing her dream about a dog and an eagle in conversation, stars spinning and something biting her arm creating an ulcer. All dreams are filled with associations released from the library within the unconscious mind so that you – the dreamer – can fulfill a holographic experience. We are all experiencing the wholeness of our souls. Just like dreams offering us snippets of scenes like a play on a stage, your everyday life actually follows that same lead. We are living in a hologram of consciousness. In our everyday life, we experience every person and interaction as if it is a real one. The hologram – the symbolism of what you perceive – is meant to do that for us. Our soul has chosen this earthly experience to have the real experience of emotions, feelings, understanding, thoughts, etc. The phrase, “You are exactly where you are meant to be.” Supports the holographic experience of this lifetime of consciousness for your soul. I bet this sounds a bit heavy-duty. I completely get it. Let’s think of it another way. Would you like to bring your dreams to life? I am not speaking to those wishes and goals you desire to achieve. I am speaking to the pulse that lives within the very heartbeat of the nightly dream world. It is an adventure all on its own. There is magic that comes with the experience of bringing what we dream about into our everyday life experiences. There are 3 ways to bring dreams to life: Let Go Dreams are made up of symbolism, the dynamics of myths, and metaphors. Even though they seem real because the characters are people you know, things you recognize, and even feel like real moments and conversations, they are not. The first way to bring that dream into your life is to let go of what you think and believe about the dream itself. Everything has a symbolic essence to it and holds significant value as a representation of you. Ask questions like, “Who is here? What do you need? What do you want me to know? What am I not seeing? What does this mean for me?” Let go and allow the response, the wisdom, and the insight to be revealed to you. It will be shown to you. This is a powerful guidance tool for your personal life journey and especially during moments of transition and transformation. Be Adventurous There is not only one meaning to each dream. Imagine you are playing craps at a casino, rolling all the different options as to the multiple meanings the dream holds. Leap into creativity and get very colorful about all the possibilities, even the funny, hilarious, far-reaching meanings. Include them. Connect From all the interpretations you allowed from the dream, what resonates? This is the part where you align with your external everyday life experiences and see what makes sense. Your brain has the strength in making sense of and contemplating evidence for reasoning, so use its foundational mechanism to interpret what the dream means for you in the very moment of your life. This is how we use our dreams as a personal GPS. Please do not get frustrated if interpretations do not flow in immediately. We have not been conditioned to use our intuition or instinct in this way. We, as a human species, have been programmed to look externally for interpretation. This very inverted method requires faith in the faculties of your own existence. Dreamwork is an existential association from dream life to waking life. Check out my dream group coaching program at www.kristipeck.com for deeper meaning with your dreams. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kristi! Kristi Peck, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kristi Peck creates a legacy of love. As an Intuitive Life Coach, a Spiritual Mentor, and an author, she works with adult children to heal the ancestral shadow and liberate the lineage of dysfunction. From conflict to connection, Kristi helps estranged daughters find a higher purpose and establish a new partnership paradigm in the family system. Kristi has been trained as a Master Life Coach in Jungian Psychology, Eastern Philosophy, and Social Neuroscience, as well as mediumship, energy, and channeling of the angelic realm. She has additional certification as a Jungian Relationship and Dreamwork Specialist through the ICF Accredited Creative Mind University. For over 30 years as an educator and coach, Kristi has helped people reclaim their sense of self and the power to make purpose-impacted choices. Kristi believes we are whole and our greatest superpower is believing in our own agency of strength and courage. She loves sharing stories that captivate and inspire people to take adventurous leaps of faith beyond old conditions and outdated influences. Kristi is the author of Coming Home – A Love Story, and the podcast host of Living the Liminal: Braving the Edge. She has a wealth of transformational life experiences and her warmth and vulnerability have been described as a “soft-toughness”. Kristi is fierce in her compassion to learn, opens her heart to courageous choice-making, and deeply understands the human dynamic. Her passion for living life consciously is a game-changer.

Written by: Jennie Persson, 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. Most people know the power of getting in front of their ideal customers, sharing interesting and valuable content, and thus building their brand online. Being visible on social platforms is standard these days. Many people also realize that you need to do it continuously. It isn't enough to post content just a couple of times per week since you are in this social game for the long term. But the gap between valuable content to attracting leads can be huge. Not to mention selling. Many clients come to me with one question: "Why isn't anyone buying from me?" They post strategically every day, but sales fail. For those of you who are struggling, here are 5 essential tips. How to go from delivering value to creating demand. 1. Replace the word Information with Transformation. Information is one-way communication. You tell us something, and we listen. That plot ends there. On the other hand, a transformation involves a movement from one mode to another. It can still be you telling us something, but the difference is adding one more step; an action and a shift. Your content makes us feel or do something, and a connection is made. 2. Create a safe space through your personal brand. You need to become the person your customer needs right now. The person who visualizes trust and with whom the follower resonates well. We need to know that you are still on the platform, even after six months, and we need to know that what you talk about today will also be your focus then. We need to recognize you in the feed and know that you keep our invisible agreement between followers and the brand. 3. Create a community instead of gathering followers. Having many followers may look good, but it doesn't automatically generate sales. Instead, focus on building relationships with the right followers, listening to what they say, and creating strong bonds with them. Help them progress from follower to community to dream client and then to ambassador of your brand. 4. Be yourself, but braver. If you want to stand out from the rest, you must do what others won't do. Us humans tend to do things like everyone else, even if we know and say the opposite. On social media and as an entrepreneur, this is crucial. What are your colleagues doing in your industry? How about going the extra mile and doing it a little more or differently? Do you need to show up more in the feed? Do you need to go Live every week? What do you need to do to stand out from the rest? Being an entrepreneur, especially on social media, is not for the faint of heart. But it is perfect for you. 5. Tell us about your journey. There is one word that carries weight in all storytelling and branding: Vulnerability. We want to reason with your decisions, setbacks, and solutions. And to do that, we need to see you vulnerable. Your journey from point A to point B wasn't exactly straight, and it presumably had ups and downs, but you got through it. And that is irresistible to your followers; How did you do that? How did it feel, and what were you thinking? Your journey is storytelling at its best. Use that power in your messages. Try some of these ideas in your content, and feel free to tag me if you want. Best of luck! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jennie! Jennie Persson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jennie Persson is an Instagram expert, business educator and a cheerleader for your business, based in Stockholm, Sweden. She’s passionate about helping entrepreneurs in building the business of their dreams by learning how to brand their business online.

Written by: Amelia Mathee, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We've all been there, it's like the gift that keeps on giving. You make the decision to leave and the next moment, you find yourself wrapped up in the same drama- and it's like a broken record...it just goes on in the same manner it always did. You can't seem to escape this madness, and you are drawn to the same chaos. If you are reading this and can relate, chances are good that you are in a toxic relationship and you seem to be stuck. I am here today to tell you there is hope, and there is freedom if you step outside this situation and see it for what it is. There is a scientific explanation as to why we seem to stay in these relationships and fail to move on, even if it's killing us. Toxic relationships tend to feel addictive The highs are high, the lows are low and we are sitting on the fence somewhere between desire and rejection. When dopamine is released in the brain and that reward circuit of the brain is triggered, your brain fires a message letting you know that this is an experience you have to have. This is called the dopamine reward circuit and not only occurs in toxic relationships but also in drug addiction. At first, this is a normal cycle of wanting, craving and validation but as the relationship continues, we crave more and need more validation to get the same high ‒ just like in drug use. In toxic relationships – we will also feel withdrawal. The unpredictable nature of the relationship, feeling disconnected, and ignoring red flags are all signs that the relationship is unraveling and just like drug addiction, you will do whatever you need to do to get the next high, the next validation, the next ‒ I Love you. Until we are pushed away again just to feel the rejection... and so the cycle will continue. There is only one way to step out of this abusive cycle and that is to go the other way. That ultimately means- you will need to make a 180-degree turn in your thinking pattern. I'll walk you through it. Build a support network Breakups are hard, and that's why they are called breakups- It's broken. You will go through every single emotion, but you need to know that it's normal. You will feel sad, depressed, conflicted, angry and the list goes on. Who are those friends or relatives you can call at 2 am if needed? Make sure that they know what you are going through and lean on them. Stay firm with your decision to leave This was probably not a decision you made overnight, so here you need to be strong and have the end in mind. There will be times when you will find yourself missing this person, and it's here I want you to remind yourself why you came to this decision in the first place. Make a list and keep it close I'll challenge you to make a list of everything this person has done to you in your time together. Keep it close to you and when you feel vulnerable and conflicted... take the list out and read it. This way, you start making sense of the situation and will be better equipped in handling it when this person 'pops' into your mind. For example: made me depressed gave me anxiety stole my joy made me feel like I was walking on eggshells every day Important rule: No Contact It's crucial to cut all contact with your ex, as it will only open the door to getting together again. Toxic people are manipulative at their core and will use any tool to get you back. Don't follow them on social media, don't reply to their texts, just stop. This will send a clear understanding that you are done and you won't be lured into the drama. One thing I have seen over years as a CBT practitioner is that you will never get closure from a toxic person. You just need to accept this as truth and know that it's not your burden anymore. There seems to be a big black hole in the middle of our existence as humans, and we can try to fill it with anything from this world. It just does not work. This hole is painful and it bothers us, but know that the Creator is standing inside that deep dark hole, holding us together when we can not cope with life. Amelia Mathee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Amelia Mathee has dealt with thousands of people thirsting for answers. Her counseling approach incorporates both her knowledge in the fields of psychology and neuroscience as well as her biblical understanding. Even though you may be wired one way, you can begin the journey to rewire your brain and find that oasis after all. Science proves that over 80% of sickness and disease starts in the brain, and by neuroplasticity we are able to not only change our thinking, but also our physical health. Amelia has been able to help many people that could not be helped by any other form of medical intervention. If you are lost in your desert, she might just be the one to show you where your oasis is.