Written by: Kamini Wood, 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 tend to confuse guilt and shame for the same emotion because they often go hand in hand. However, these emotions are different, as guilt is related to behavior and depends on our compassion for others, while shame involves feelings about self. These two emotions typically come about intertwined – we naturally feel guilty because we hurt other people but also feel ashamed after acknowledging that we are the kind of person who would act that way. For example, when you do something you were not supposed to, guilt would be “I did something wrong.” Shame, on the other hand, would sound like “I am a bad person.” In other words, guilt involves the awareness that your behavior has hurt someone else and shame reflects how you feel about yourself. Some experts believe that shame is associated with depression, aggression, violence, abuse, eating disorders, and addiction while guilt is correlated with empathy. How to Cope with Guilt and Shame Understanding the difference between guilt and shame could help you tackle your negative thoughts and destructive self-judgment. Research shows that children can experience guilt as early as age 3-6. However, a child can experience shame even earlier – according to some studies, a 15-month-old can feel shame. Many authors see this as the reason why shame is more difficult to fight against – it is more deeply wired in our brains. In other words, shame is strongly connected to our sense of self and therefore, hard to reverse. Unlike healthy guilt that we experience when our actions contradict objective definitions of right and wrong, unhealthy guilt involves a feeling of discomfort about something we’ve done against our unrealistically high moral standards. Similarly, unhealthy shame involves seeing ourselves as unworthy and profoundly imperfect. These unhealthy feelings of guilt and shame can lead to withdrawal and cause different mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or substance abuse. The best way to work with your feeling of shame is to exercise self-compassion. Self-compassion is about your ability to comfort yourself and to relate to the self with kindness. Learning how to be self-compassionate will strengthen you to recognize the difference between making a bad decision or acting wrongly and being a bad person. Furthermore, self-compassion will help you to treat yourself with understanding and acceptance. Also, it can help you alleviate anxious ruminations and dismantle your negative self-thoughts. Furthermore, self-compassion can help you to understand common humanity and recognize that flaws and imperfections are part of the collective human experience. This awareness should allow you to be more forgiving and kinder to yourself and tackle unhealthy guilt and shame more successfully. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Kamini! Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kamini Wood is the founder and CEO of Live Joy Your Way and the AuthenticMe® RiseUp program. An international best-selling author Kamini is driven to support people of all ages to heal their relationship with themselves and to stop outsourcing their self-worth. As a result, her clients become their own confident, resilient self-leader with healthier relationships. Kamini is a certified life coach, board-certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, holds specialty certifications in Calling in the One®, Conscious Uncoupling®, NewMoney Story®, and teen life coaching. Also trained in conscious parenting, Kamini aims to meet her clients where they are, supporting and guiding them on their journey to where they want to be, both personally and professionally. Her mission: create space for each person to see the unique gifts they bring to this world.

Morgan Williams, wear many hats and titles; however, it is the work with her own personal healing journey, which led her to the path of coaching and energy work. Morgan was a professional educator for 16 years, while running a small business for the last five. She is a single mom, to the BEST kid around, and she found herself totally burnt out. Something had to change, and it started with coming back to herself. She found yoga and coaching during this time. She remembers vividly, sitting there, paralyzed with a broken heart, and realizing that if her relationship with herself was better, no one person, could hurt her that deeply. It was her wake-up call and self-love, and true self-care was the first step and a total game-changer in her journey. Morgan Williams, Women's Empowerment Coach & Yoga Instructor Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. I am a Teacher, Coach, Mother, Businesswoman, Yoga Instructor, Reiki Practitioner, and believer in YOU! I wear many hats and titles; however, it is the work with my own personal healing journey and coming back to and discovering my authentic self which led me to the path of coaching and energy work. ​ I was a professional educator for 16 years. I have run a successful business for six years and counting. I am a single Mama to the BEST kid around, my twelve-year-old daughter Ella. Ella and I have a cat named Zoe. We love to travel together, cook, listen to music, and just be plain, old silly together. She hopes to be a real estate agent when she is older; meanwhile, she has a fun entrepreneurial spirit and is always making things to sell or finding services that she can provide to people, that highlight her creativity. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? I am a certified and accredited life coach at Morgan K Coaching LLC. I don't sell comfort; I sell growth. My passion is helping women see what is possible, unleash their fullest potential, visualize their strongest desires, and watch them flourish as they manifest and achieve both. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? My audience is predominantly women. Women who are serious about their passion, purpose, and pleasure. Most of my clients are looking to deepen their self-awareness and relationship with themselves or are looking to discover and pursue their true passion. The women I work with are ready for change and willing to do the work. They are leaving unfulfilling jobs, starting businesses, and making real and significant changes in their lives. Together, we work through their limiting beliefs and the byproduct of these shifts, is improved self-worth, better self-care, improved finances and relationships, and abundance (of all kinds!) What are your current goals for your business? My current business goal, while continuing to expand and grow my client base, is to create a signature coaching program for women. One that is available at different price points and modalities to meet the needs and reach of so many more women. As my business grows, I would like to begin recording a series of videos, that can be marketed as stand-alone series, but also be used to supplement and support my one-on-one clients and group coaching programs. I have always been a lifelong learner and I doubt that will change any time soon. This impacts my business in the future, as I will continue to learn and study in the coaching and personal development space, to serve my clients at the highest level possible. What is your work inspired by? My work is inspired by my own healing journey and discovering my path toward quite literally “living my best life”. I have worked with and continue to work with amazing coaches, so I know firsthand that the magic works, Coaching is such a great tool for empowerment; allowing all of us to live a life on and in our purpose. I love nothing more than seeing women go after their hidden passions and work through their fears and limiting beliefs to get there. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is waking up every day doing what I LOVE while making a positive impact with other women so they can live their fullest lives. I believe that if we have the courage to look at our blind spots and be committed to self-discovery and growth, the ripple effect it has on the greater collective will be incredible. We can change what is happening in and around ourselves, one person at a time. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. As an educator for 16 years, I found myself feeling incredibly burnt out. Something had to change, and it started with coming back to me. I dove deep into my own yoga practice and then went on to do Yoga Teacher Training. Eventually, this work led me to the path of coaching. I vividly remember sitting there, paralyzed with a broken heart, and realizing that if my relationship with myself was better, no one person could hurt me that deeply. It was my wake-up call, and self-love and true self-care were the first steps and a total game-changer in my journey. I finally started doing the things that scared me instead of avoiding them, and when I did, my life exponentially got better, and I started growing abundantly, doing, and creating things that I used to only dream of. I realized that I was powerful, and if I could harness that power to get in alignment with my purpose in this one precious life, then I could really, truly create the life of my wildest dreams! And so it is, and here we are! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Morgan!

Written by Dr. Gaia Domenici, 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 is common to all successful and charismatic individuals? I have asked myself this question many times, to understand if such a thing as the ʻformula for successʼ exists. Well, despite the diversity of fields, I have individuated 5 lifestyle habits common to all great leaders. Whether you are the CEO of a big brand, a solopreneur, a manager or a team leader, make sure you incorporate these 5 habits and improve your leadership skills. 1. Consistent Sleep Patterns You might have heard many times that Thomas A. Edison and Benjamin Franklin used to wake up at 4 am, or that Steve Jobs used to wake up at 6 am every single morning. However, if you think that getting up early was the secret to their success, you are wrong. The truth is, to rise early is not as important as it is to be consistent with your bedtime. For example, Marc Zuckerberg wakes up at 8 am, but he is very consistent with his routine (according to this website). Here are some tips to help you create a sustainable bedtime routine: Keep it realistic: track your sleep for a few days and see what waking times make you perform at your best but are also easily maintainable in the long run. Stay away from blue-light devices at least 1 hour before bedtime, and avoid work-related tasks or mentally-engaging activities: you can set your phone or laptop screen on night mode, surround yourself with red or warm light lamps and perform some mild stretching. Try to go to bed at least 2 hours after your last big meal but avoid feeling hungry: a good idea is to have a cup of Greek yoghurt with berries or a square of chocolate (but be mindful of your caffeine intake) with a herbal tea, 30-40 minutes prior to bed. 2. Clean Eating Habits Another common pattern among successful leaders is to acknowledge the impact of food on emotional, mental and physical health, as well as on performance. That does not mean that successful individuals should be following a strict diet, but it means they should prioritise clean and wholesome sources of food whenever possible. Here are some simple strategies that will help you out: Plan and prepare your meals in advance, and make sure your fridge, freezer and cupboards are fully stocked with easy-to-cook, ʻcleanʼ ingredients (e.g. meat; fish; poultry; canned beans or lentils; fresh, canned and frozen veggies and fruit; yoghurt; cheese; eggs; potatoes; rice or quinoa; etc...). When creating your meals, always start from proteins; then pick carbs and fats to match your choice: protein is an essential macronutrient that gives you satiety, regulates blood sugar, is used to repair body tissues and plays a vital role in brain functioning. Having protein with each meal is the simplest way to consume an adequate amount of it, while also avoiding overeating sugars or fats, which might lead to energy crashes or underperforming (as I explained in my previous article). When eating out, prefer options with few, fresh, understandable ingredients over highly-processed foods full of preservatives, refined sugars, trans-fats and lab-made, hard-to-read ingredients. 3. Regular Strength Training It is no secret that all successful individuals keep active: mens sana in corpore sano, right? However, the most successful ones do not merely engage in physical activities but are actively and enthusiastically involved in strength or power training, or high-intensity activities. Indeed, research has shown a correlation between strength and power training and improved cognitive and neuromuscular functions, relating to better functionality in old age (check out my previous article). Moreover, consistent exposure to high physical intensity has a significant impact on mental and emotional growth, translating into improved focus, discipline, fortitude and resilience (what I have elsewhere called “3D strength”). Here is what you can do to incorporate strength training into your life and be consistent with it: Keep it short and realistic: unless you are planning on competing in a strength sport, there is no need to lift more than twice or three times a week, and for no longer than 45 to 60 minutes. Invest in a coach or a qualified PT: let them help you set realistic goals for yourself, and support you along your journey. If a gym environment feels intimidating, train at home or in the park: you do not need specific gym equipment to build strength, all you need is adequate resistance, and that can be found in your body weight resisting gravity (e.g. press-ups, pull-ups, inverted rows, planks, etc...) or in small pieces of equipment that you can easily store in a cupboard or wardrobe (e.g. kettlebell, resistance bands, dumbbells, etc...). 4. Connection With Their Intuition Have you ever wondered why the greatest leaders and entrepreneurs are often called “visionary”? The most successful individuals listen attentively to their inner voice and are in tune with their intuition. Whilst many of them practise consistent meditation, meditation per se does not give them special skills; however, it helps them connect with their intuition. Here is how you can get in tune with your intuition effortlessly: Start journaling: observing and recording your feelings and emotions in a non-judgmental way will make you aware of your subconscious responses to different stimuli and situations. In the long term, it will connect you with your innermost Self and your inner voice. Practise visualisation exercises regularly: visualising yourself in different situations will help you develop the necessary skills to face similar situations in real life. Moreover, getting into the habit of asking your inner Self for advice and listening to your inner voiceʼs answers will make it easy for you to let that voice guide you in difficult situations. 5. Meaningful Relationships All successful individuals acknowledge the importance of deep human connections on spiritual well-being, and spiritual well-being on success. Nobody denies that hard work and discipline are key to success. However, when it comes to long-lasting, sustainable results, spiritual and emotional well-being outweighs hard work and discipline. Simply put, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Moreover, the feeling of belonging to a community brings a sense of security and protection that counterbalances the stress of working alone. Here is how you can build meaningful relationships: Do something for your local community: whether it be junior football coaching or Sunday soup kitchen, giving something to others will make you feel part of an organism bigger than yourself. As a bonus, you might become friends with like-minded people, and build even more meaningful relationships. Schedule family time every week or more often: do not let your busy work prevent you from bonding with your closest ones. Remember, time is the only currency that cannot be earned back once spent. Do not be afraid of joining local meeting groups or signing up for classes or activities you enjoy: connecting with the right people will create a supportive environment that will enhance your creativity. To Conclude The 5 lifestyle habits common to all successful leaders are: having consistent sleep patterns, having clean eating habits, practising strength training (or high-intensity activities) regularly, feeling connected with their intuition, and building and maintaining meaningful relationships. In this post, I have given simple tips to build such 5 habits and improve your leadership skills. There is one more quality, however, that I have not listed but is perhaps the most important one: authenticity. The main characteristic of great leaders is that they are not afraid of being themselves. Once you incorporate these 5 habits and combine your lifestyle with authenticity, success is guaranteed. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Gaia! Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Gaia Domenici, also known as 'The Strongest Shield-Maiden', is a certified Nutrition and Health Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, and published author, with a Ph.D. in Philosophy. After spending a decade juggling between gym and academia, Gaia realized that body, mind, and spirit are a whole, and, as such, they need to be trained together. So she founded 'Fitnosophy: Build Your Body Realise Your Self', a platform to share the spiritual meaning of fitness, and the impact of a strong body on a meaningful life. Following the sense of void and uncertainty left by the 2020 pandemic, Gaia founded the 'Shield-Maiden Tribe', a community in which women from across the world can share their inner and outer strengths, and nourish their Inner Warrior, empower each other, and grow stronger together. Since 2018, Gaia has coached countless clients and athletes worldwide, helping them get in tune with their Inner Warrior, and achieve physical, mental, and spiritual goals.

Written by: Terry Tateossian, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It’s hard to imagine businesses being able to survive in the ultra-competitive digital world, without mastering SEO. Search engine optimization is often the difference between failure and success, yet, a lot of brands struggle to position themselves at the top of the results. While many factors affect rankings, search intent is one that no company owner should ignore. Even if you are the best in your market segment and your product/service offers tremendous value and benefits, if customers can find you, nothing of that matters. If customers are not looking for what you have to offer, you will remain in the dark oblivion of Google’s second-page results. So here’s how you can tip the scales in your favor and use search intent to rank at the top of SERPs. But first. What is Search Intent? Search Intent ‒ A Breakdown Search intent is simply what users look for in search engines, it’s what they most commonly “googling”. It’s the “easy dinner recipe” you browse for on a weeknight after an exhausting day at work. It can be the address of the nearest restaurant or that smartphone comparison you’ve been meaning to look into. Search intent comes down to queries about things users want to learn more about, find, purchase, or even places to go to. The inquiries people make are what SEO refers to as keywords or key phrases. Why Should Your Business Care For Search Intent? Finding out what people want to know more about when browsing the internet will help you get noticed by your target audience, it’s simple as that. Strategizing search intent will guide your SEO efforts in the right direction. You’ll be able to: Effectively perform keyword research and target search terms that affiliate with your audience’s and brand’s needs Build the content that answers the questions your target audience have Organize your website pages so that they are user-friendly and seamless Structure and create content in a way that search engines categorize it as most valuable and relevant to users Learning how people use search engines and offering the right answers to their questions gets your page ranked higher in search results, which gets your brand better organic exposure to new potential customers. There are four basic types of search intent that every SEO specialist and business owner should be aware of. The 4 Key Types Of Search Intent To master search intent, you have to know how users look for information on search engines, first. At a closer inspection, you’ll find out that intent can be divided into these four categories. 1. Informational It all starts with a simple informational search. It’s the type of intent most people going to a search engine have- to gather information on a topic that occupies their mind. They might be looking for the weather forecast, trying to figure out the name of that actor they loved in a particular movie, or even browsing to learn more about a term they’ve been introduced to, like “search intent”. What’s specific about this category is that users who look for content that falls under it want to learn more about the topic they’re searching for. For example, if a user is looking for carbonara sauce, they are most likely looking for recipes on how to prepare pasta, and search engines understand and offer them that. Search engine algorithms go as far as to distinguish between words with multiple meanings and which one people are most likely to be looking for. Words like “park”; “pitcher” are likely to give you results that include pictures of green parks and pitchers filled with water. 2. Transactional In transactional searches, users intend to perform a specific action. It can be purchasing, finding the best deal on a flight, or signup for a service. These searches are likely to also be location specific. Users located in New York looking for movies nearby will get search results for their area. To further improve the search experience, Google will display a carousel with the movies playing at local theaters, and websites they can buy tickets online from. By clicking on a movie the users can even see more detailed information about it, like, casts, release date, showtimes, and more. Transactions, are also search queries that compare different products. Say a user is wondering if they should upgrade to the latest iPhone, they’re likely to look for its benefits. Typing “ iPhone features” will show users websites and videos where a list of the smartphone's latest technical specifications. Detailed information like that personalized for your business can reap a lot of benefits. 3. Navigational Navigational searches, as the name suggests, target keywords that aim to help users find a specific place. That might be the physical location of a business or its website. People could type “Apple store address” or “YouTube” and the search engine will give them results that direct them to those places. Most of these searches are branded and can offer information on how people interact with or think about your brand too. 4. Commercial Commercial searches fall somewhere between informational and transaction intents. The keywords that characterize them focus on words people would use when they’re making purchase decisions. For example, if someone is wondering between two products they can compare them by typing something along the lines of “iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 14” Results in the commercial intent category can also relate to reviews, recommendations, lists with top products of the year (agnostic recommendations), trials, and demos. 3 Easy Steps to Improving Your SEO Rankings You don’t have to have the comprehensive technical knowledge to improve the ranking of your content, and most importantly match the search intents of your target audience. There are just a few simple steps to follow. Here’s how to start. 1. Research & Analyze Search intent is tremendously useful in improving rankings. To take advantage of it, however, you should do the work. Start by researching what types of keywords people are looking for in your business niche. The easiest way to do so is by typing the phrases in Google. Answer the Public is another free social listening tool that can help you analyze what people want to learn more about in search engines. SEO tools, like Ahrefs, Semrush, and KWfinder, are also worth the investment. Looking at your competitors and what they’re ranking for also gives you an idea of where you need to improve. Once you have a substantial list of keywords and phrases, you’ll need to figure out the type of search intent. The fastest way to do that is to analyze the key phrase itself. If people are searching for “what is the paleo diet” you’d know people want to know more about the topic, not to buy something, and you’d offer that. Not all types of search intent involve strategizing long-form content, however. Occasionally, people are ready for the next step, and by searching for “free trial” or “book a call” you’ll know the intent is transactional. In that case, you’d provide a landing page where people can get exactly that. It’s important to make sure you know what people mean by looking for a certain thing and provide an answer or easy-to-follow steps to achieving their goal. 2. Optimize for Each Search Intent Category Well-structured and helpful content will make all the difference for your brand. Covering each intent category will ensure your audience that your website is the best place they can get what they’re looking for. Optimize for Informational Intent Offer well-structured and easy to browse through articles that answer users' questions and concerns. You can go a step further and create a hub of related topics that cover any additional questions users might have. An article about “paleo diets” can prompt them to look for “keto diet”, “veganism”, and so on. Optimize for Transactional Intent Optimizing for transactional words means offering straight-to-the-point landing pages. These should contain all necessary information for users to complete the desired action like “sign up” “start free trial” and so forth. To do that make sure you have clear page titles and descriptions, and that the content formatting is correct (headers, subheaders, etc.). Your calls to action should be clearly distinguishable, and your page design seamless. Optimize for Navigational Intent For navigational intent, you need to look at your website and how each web page is structured. Each section should have its appropriate titles, tags, and descriptions. This will make it easier for users to navigate through, but it also helps search engines pull information from websites fast. Every one of your products or services should have a dedicated section or better yet landing page with all the relevant information. Use your brand and product names, and add related terms and benefits (what problem your product/service solves). Moreover, optimize your URLs so they are easy to read and indicate what the page is about. Optimize for Commercial Intent For commercial search intent, you should directly show your audience what is your value proposition. Visual information like tables with features and benefits, videos of the product in use, comparisons with previous models, and lots of images will help sell your product as something the audience can easily understand and take advantage of. 3. Improve Existing Content Following the above strategy for optimizing your website for search intent shouldn’t be limited to new content only. You can go back and re-optimize what you already have built. To help with that you can look at Google’s section “People also ask” concerning the content you already have. Take one of your blog article topics and look at the results for it in the search engine. This will give you ideas on how to edit the post to make it more attractive and useful for audiences. Adjusting your existing content helps ramp up the rankings of pages even further than what they’re already performing at. To Summarize A kick-ass brand with an effective website offers its users the right type of information at the time they need it most. Search intent helps people inform themselves on the topics they are most interested in, and opens the door to a ton of possibilities for any brand that wants to position itself as a valuable, interesting, and most of all helpful business. Place your company in the hearts of your audience by first and foremost being the solution they desire with the content they are looking for. Use search intent to do so! Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Terry! Terry Tateossian, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Terry Tateossian, Founding Partner of Socialfix Media is a fourth-generation entrepreneur who is recognized as an Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, Forbes’ Top Women in Business, Fastest Growing Women Presidents by WPO, and 40 Under 40 Business Leaders by NJBIZ. Terry has been featured for outstanding leadership and career accomplishments in numerous industry publications as an engineer, a thought-leader in technology, and an innovator in the field of marketing. But her favorite and toughest earned title is being “Mom” to her 2 children.

Written by: Hilde Goris, 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. Being positive in life, ever since the film 'The Secret' everyone has been busy with focus and positive thinking. Highly overrated? My neck hair stands on end… when I see all the sugary, bloated, glorifying messages that pass on Facebook. Life is not all roses and rainbows: we all have dangerous, ugly and muddy bears on our path. Our own shadows and our imperfection! No matter how hard you try to hide them under your bed, they are YOURS to address in shadow work! Our life is not perfect The value of our lives is not measured by the degree of perfection! Even more: perfection doesn't even exist! We all create obstacles in our path from our imperfect thinking, sometimes they come from our own subconscious, the programs from our past. Those obstacles can also be shadows the collective throws at us. When you take on a different life attitude than the ‘overculture’, you receive resistance from the collective thinking against your innovative attitude... and that can form an obstacle on your path! So no, life is not flawless, it doesn't always run smoothly. It has dents and cracks, and sometimes it's shit. I’ll never forget what Michael Barnett, spiritual teacher at One Life, said about it: “If today is shit, today is shit. Tomorrow is a new day!” The Siberian shaman whom I asked the question what to do with my headwinds, replied in a similar way: “If it doesn't work out, maybe the planets aren't favorable for you today. Then you just stay calm and you meditate and pray. You wait until the planets are in a favorable position again!” In this article, I would like to offer you two other beautiful terms to look at life. One of the most beautiful sayings I ever read was: “I love life and life loves me!” Because what you give for the wellbeing and the good of the world and humanity, returns in multiple of what you have given yourself. It returns to you in the form of finer vibrations because you give selflessly. Cosmic laws describe how your personal vibration is raised by radiating goodness and generosity to those surrounding you! To bless: what does it mean? Recently I was watching the series 'Once Upon a Time' with my daughter. That's a fun series about karmic bonds! Fairytale characters in the series meet again in ‘another world’ than the fairy tale. In fact it is a 'real' world without magic. They no longer know who they are, but they do maintain the same karmic bond with each other and that brings on a colorful mixture of fairytale-characters of all kinds who experience all kinds of things together. I took this example because a recurring issue in this series is people 'cursing' each other! What is that ‘cursing’? Cursing is actually the opposite of 'blessing'!!! Blessing is when you touch the world with your clear, positive, kind thoughts. And all that surrounds you, changes because of it. It is true: our positive thoughts make people feel good and valued, and it helps their lives to go well! And there is more to it : we also bless all the events and places where we end up. That’s how our bright and light loving vibrations attracts good things. The beauty of it is that the purpose of your blessings is not to receive something for yourself! The act of blessing touches all around you with your love. Cultivating these positive vibrations within yourself is good for your health and your energy field. As you know, the Dalai Lama promotes the development of ‘kindness’ too! To curse, on the other hand, is to give your limited, selfish, judgmental, aggressive, bitter thoughts and feelings to our world. Self-interest has a lower vibration that you can give to people, things or events. In 'Once Upon a Time' the Evil One is the textbook example of the ‘villain’ : that man does nothing without it being a 'deal', thereby he always asks too much in return for his services. Villains always act on feelings of anger, hurt, bitterness, and throw this vibration out into the world in the form of the one curse and revenge after the other. They cause grief and misery to others by their selfishness! Are you positive about your life? May be it is hard for you to experience positivity because life has been hard on you? Do you bring your feelings of frustration and bitterness into the world day after day? You can curse your car because it breaks, curse your mom because she's always whining, the world because it's unfair! You can curse terrorism, but that will not bring a better vibration to the world!!! You can complain about the taxes you have to pay, but all you do is reinforce the system with your negative feelings! You radiate your negative feelings, even if you don’t express them. Your small and limited, self-centered emotions are your everlasting faithfull companions, until you let go of them and adopt a better emotional hygiene! These companions don't take very good care of your body. They make you susceptible to illness, and also to even pleasant events! So… ‘pretending everything is perfect’ or ‘pretending your bears don't exist in your mind’… is not very useful in your quest for a happy life! To really attract beautiful things, you have to love life ànd people. Suffering is a part of life. After all, what would life be without bears on the road…? Only when you learn to love life as it is, love yourself in your own imperfection, and love the world in its imperfection, only than the world can love you as it should! Your own Happy Ending In the series 'Once Upon a Time' the ‘villains’ only get a Happy Ending when they accept their own unprocessed anger and accept it as part of themselves. While normally ‘villains’ don’t have a right to a happy ending, it becomes a possibility when they accept their ‘shadows’, their negative feelings behind the tricky plans and aggressive actions. And accepting your shadows, is not : pretending those unresolved feelings don't exist or aren't their own. It means accepting them for real!!! So even if this just a series, you can start today: stop cursing and choose to bless all and everybody, … and live your life happily ever after! Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Hilde! Hilde Goris, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hilde Goris is a leader in team training, connected leadership and personal transformation processes for entrepreneurs. She helped thousands of individuals and groups to restore the flow in their professional and private life. Her approach is no-nonsense and to-the-point : for sure she will make you smile ànd laugh! She is a skilled trauma healer, breathwork practitioner, systemic healer, creative therapist, and has a profound knowledge of the cycle of life and northern shamanic practices. She is wel respected by indigenous shamans for her ceremonial work. Her teachings about 'Natural Adaptive Leadership' are a team adventure: 'Organisational resilience as a survival skill for Economic Storms'.

Written by: Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I have been working with so many clients lately to help them restore their health naturally and one thing I noticed was a pattern. Does this sound like it could be you? The pattern I saw was that many of them were given antibiotics as a child whenever they were sick and knowing how often that can happen when we are a child and in school, it can be pretty often. Many of them are now suffering terribly from digestive issues, overgrowths of candida and other microbes. One week of antibiotics kills not millions but trillions of good bacteria completely crimpling our immune systems. We were raised to think that when we have a sore throat or cough, the first thing is to take a round of antibiotics. Not knowing how much damage it was causing in the long run. Almost any antibiotic administration by mouth can severely alter the balance and pattern of the intestinal flora. This will vary from one medication to another depending upon the spectrum of the drug (the range of organisms which are sensitive to it) and to the concentration of the antibiotic when it reaches the bowel. What are the risk factors of taking antibiotics? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately half of the 100 million antibiotic prescriptions written each year in the United States are unnecessary. They are not effective treatments for the common cold, flu or other viral infections, and taking them when they are not needed can be harmful in two ways. 1: All medicines come with risks. Antibiotics also kill the good bacteria in your body that promote health-so taking them for the wrong illness means you get all the harm with none of the benefit. 2: The more an antibiotic is used, the more opportunities the bacteria have to learn to recognize and defend against this cure (antibiotic resistance). Antibiotics can save your life but taking antibiotics when they are not truly needed increases the risk that these treatments will no longer be effective when people really do need them. So, every instance of misuse ends up threatening the health of everyone. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue and can result in longer hospital stays and an increase in the number of patients who die because their disease becomes more difficult to treat. There is also a significant cost to caring for these patients. It costs more than $5 billion annually to treat patients with antibiotic-resistant infections. According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance costs our country four times that in excess health care costs, with people spending 8 million more days in the hospital than they otherwise would. Why should you become an educated consumer before taking antibiotics? Some antibiotics can cause serious adverse reactions that may be life-threatening (for example, it can alter your heart rate, severely impair your liver and kidneys. Antibiotics are the second most common cause of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction with rapid onset that affects the entire body (food allergies are the most common). Liver damage is another possible serious consequence. Antibiotics can even be deadly; for example, the Z-Pak is a very popular antibiotic that can cause fatal side effects, especially for the elderly and people with heart problems. Less serious and more common reactions include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rash. It is important to know these risks before using a new drug, and it is a good reason a natural alternative like for example, probiotics and garlic which is a natural antibiotic. Physicians, patients, and families should read all labels, inserts, and warnings to learn about these risks. Unfortunately, not all physicians do so, and that’s why patients must read the labels themselves. Do your research and read up on the serious side effects of antibiotics. How does it destroy our natural defense systems? The reduction in total populations of the flora caused by antibiotics can be dramatic. This fact is used in treating people before abdominal surgery in order to minimize the likelihood of post-operative sepsis. Studies at the Veterans Administration Hospitals in the USA show that the use of antibiotics before a surgery, results in both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial levels dropping to between 20 and 25 per cent of the original levels. This leads to a reduction in post-operative wound infection-only 9 percent of patients contract infections compared with 35 percent of those not receiving antibiotics of this type. That is the positive side of the antibiotics. Unfortunately, the ecological vacuum created by the indiscriminate slaughter of friendly bacteria is often rapidly filled by potentially pathogenic (disease-causing) micro-organisms. Examples of such rapid repopulation are numerous and include an overgrowth syndrome called Pseudomembranous enterocolitis caused by the organism Clostridium difidile, a notorious opportunist which populates the large intestine during treatment with antibiotics. The effect of the toxins produced by this unpleasant interloper is to destroy the surface of the colon, producing ulceration and consequent symptoms of bloody diarrhea, pain, and catastrophic weight loss, etc. Similar symptoms result when the population of another potential pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, explodes and produces its own version of enterocolitis, after the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. What is a super infection that follows the use of antibiotics? A phenomenon known as super-infection may follow the use of antibiotics. First, the strains of friendly flora which are sensitive to the antibiotic die and there is a proliferation into this vacuum of micro-organisms which are resistant to the drug. These may be bacteria or yeasts already living in the bowel, albeit in controlled quantities, or they may be newcomers implanted from the environment. The micro-organisms most involved in super-infection, which can occur in almost any region or organ of the body, following antibiotic treatment, include Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Proteus species; Influenza bacillus, and Candida albicans. Candida albicans deserve mention since a wide range of symptoms are possible as a result of its rapid overgrowth following antibiotic treatment. These include inflammation of the tongue (glossitis) and mouth (stomatitis), vaginitis and proctitis (inflammation of the rectum) as well as a range of mento-emotional symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and depression. Researchers such as Dr. Orion Truss and Dr. William Crooke in the USA have also shown that multiple allergies, digestive symptoms (bloating, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea etc.), cystitis, premenstrual syndrome, fatigue, acne and other skin problems all may relate to yeast overgrowth. The disturbance of the bowel’s ecology in this manner has a marked effect in lowering local and general immune function, thus predisposing the individual to greater infection, nutritional deficiencies, and a wide range of symptoms. Clearly this cannot be considered biologically normal. Any assistance the use of the friendly bacteria supplement might offer would be of excellent value. Why give your body the right environment to self-heal? Healing the body naturally by improving your diet and starting on the whole food supplements will result in complete healing in 100% of the degenerative conditions cases. This is because with diet and wholefood supplements you have addressed the causes of your health challenge and you didn’t just mask the symptoms with chemical toxins. I also recommend working with natural foods that can fight germs as well as probiotics that have no side effects. Besides, every time you stop the antibiotic, guess what, the negative symptoms will all come back worse than before. Please stay the natural course to heal. If you’d like to learn more, I’d be happy to schedule a zoom meeting or you email me at embodyvitalityconsulting@gmail.com. You can also call me on 917-597-3512. My book Healing Through Nature’s Medicine, A Story of Hope will also give you a step-by-step guide on how to choose the best foods on earth for your body. Follow Emanuela on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Emanuela! Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same, from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on how to become their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health.

Written by: Marion van der Krogt, 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. Retain & grow your very important clients with a VIC program that is exclusive, effective, and efficient. Luxury brands have always focused on building excellent relationships with their top-tier clients since customer engagement is key to any business that intends to be around long-term. A loyal top-tier clientele might even tie a brand across times of crisis. For example, Dolce&Gabbana’s couture division was thriving even during COVID-19, thanks to their clienteling efforts to retain their pre-pandemic top spending customers. While most global luxury brands do run VIC (very important clients) loyalty programs already, those programs are often shrouded in secrecy to those without insider knowledge or who are not VIP clients of the brand themselves. As a former VIP marketing manager for Gucci and founder of luxury clienteling & CRM consultancy Alox Consulting, I can lift the veil on what makes a great VIP customer program for your luxury brand, whether you are an independent designer brand, bespoke product business, or a big box luxury retailer. The 3 Must Haves Ingredients for your luxury brand’s VIC Program To run a successful VIC program, your initiative needs to be built around the following three key ingredients: Exclusivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. Your VIC program needs to be exclusive enough to wow even the most pampered high-net-worth individuals. Your VIC program also needs to be effective; it needs to contribute to the achievement of your customer development goals. Finally, your VIC program needs to be efficient. Your systems and processes need to be well documented, optimized, and supported by technology. Let’s dive into each of the three areas in more detail: 1. Exclusivity Membership Level: Not everyone is a VIC and that’s ok. Don’t be afraid to be very exclusive. You are running a luxury brand and your VIC program needs to reflect that. It should be designed purely around your top-tier clientele, most likely your top 5% or 10% purchasers. Exceptions are at your discretion and might be made for a client who might not be a top spender but shows a great future potential or has repeatedly referred other top spenders to your brand. AI will be able to help with the prediction of future behavior through segmentation (https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/data-enabled-leadership-staying-ahead-of-change). Singular Focus: I always recommend clients start at the top and work their way ‘down’ when creating a loyalty program. Always ensure your top-tier loyalty program runs smoothly before you launch a second-tier loyalty program so as not to dilute your attention on your most valuable clientele. Initiatives + Benefits: your program’s initiatives need to be designed around the purchase behaviors of your top clientele. Since sales discounts do not drive your VICs your initiatives need to focus on providing exclusive experiences such as VIP backstage events, money-can’t-buy activities, and luxury gifts (e.g. exclusive products that are specifically designed and manufactured for your VICs). 2. Effectiveness Clear Program Outline: Ensure your VIC loyalty program is clearly defined and processes are standardized and documented. Measure the Impact: Your VIC Program needs to contribute to your customer growth goals. Ensure you measure and evaluate the program’s impact regularly. Loyalty Management Platform Antavo’s Global Customer Loyalty Report 2022 shows that only 67% of brands who run loyalty programs measure the ROI of it. Of those who measure impact, 93% report a positive ROI. Whilst measuring ROI itself is not a guarantee for success, by conducting regular program performance evaluations with all main contributors and stakeholders of the program and tracking your KPIs (key performance indicators) you can make ongoing course corrections if necessary ‒ which increases the probability of a positive outcome. Communication and training: New team members that will contribute to the VIC Program are formally introduced and trained on the program's process and systems. This includes both customer-facing team members (e.g. sales associates and stylists) and back-office staff (e.g. marketing & CRM at head office and customer support staff) 3. Efficiency ‘Process first’: Automation and support through IT systems are a must-have for any luxury loyalty program. But this doesn’t mean you need to go ‘technology first’, although technology vendors will tell you exactly that. Your approach to efficiency through IT needs to be ‘process first’. Technology needs to support your processes and procedures, not the other way around. You’ll need to select or customize technology so that it fits your desired process. Only then can you achieve both effectiveness of your program and implementation efficiency. Automation: Set your VIC program up to be scalable with automation as the size of your top-tier clientele grows. An ideal way to achieve this is by selecting technology that allows you to automate a vast majority of your processes and frees your time up to connect with your top clients one-on-one. Cross-channel: Your VIC program must work across your brand’s purchase channels, both online and in person. You need to ensure that all information on both the program and the VIC is tracked and accessible across all channels. This ensures you don’t lose sight of the client’s overall relationship with your brand across various touchpoints. As a luxury brand owner, you are in the business of providing massive value to your clients. Your VIP clients come to you for a luxury experience they can’t receive anywhere else. To build excellent and long-lasting relationships with your top-tier clientele, you must implement a VIC loyalty program across the trifecta of Exclusivity, Effectiveness, and Efficiency. Are you curious how your current VIC efforts measure up across the 3 must-have areas of Exclusivity, Effectiveness, and Efficiency? Access your complimentary VIC program evaluation here and receive a free report with tailored recommendations to take your luxury brand’s VIC program to the next level. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn visit my website for more info! Marion van der Krogt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marion van der Krogt is a luxury clienteling and CRM strategist. She helps high-end brands supercharge their top tier clientele by designing and implementing VIC (very-important-client) programs that create repeat business, deepen customer loyalty and stimulate high-end referrals. She is CEO of Alox Consulting, the premier luxury clienteling and CRM consultancy with clients across 3 continents. Marion’s mission is to bring innovative VIP client programs and strategic clienteling initiatives to independent luxury and bespoke brands around the world.

Written by: Marty Wightman, 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. No doubt, you have been made aware of creating your goals using the SMART technique. You may have learned this at school, at work, or from online courses. And whilst SMART goals have it’s place in goal setting, in this training guide we will be exploring the neurological way of goal setting using the EXACT method. What is the SMART Goal Method? SMART goals were first introduced by Doran (1981) to help gain better results in project management. SMART is an acronym for: S pecific: Well-defined, clear, and unambiguous M easurable: With specific criteria that measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal A chievable: Attainable and not impossible to achieve R ealistic: Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose T imely: With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency. So if we take an example of a person looking to start up their own Flower Delivery business, they would build out their SMART goal as such: S: To launch my own Flower Delivery Business M: In my local area of the West Coast of Scotland A: To build this business into a six-figure revenue stream R: Whilst I still continue working for one of the major handmade giftshops in my area T: And to build to this success over a 24 month period where I gradually reduce my hours in the giftshop as my business organically grows Moving towards the EXACT Goal Method The EXACT goal method was first introduced by Wilson (2007) to amplify goal setting by hacking into a coachee’s Reticular Activating System (RAS). The use of the RAS is primarily to help humans cut through the noise of day-to-day life, or as Wilson puts it “to improve the ‘signal-to-noise ratio’ of our sensory input by the processing of relevant sensory signals”. The benefits of using RAS in goal setting is the increased arousal state that it brings to the coachee. So as a coach, we give permission to remove limiting beliefs and fixed mindsets to explore exactly what the goal should be to trigger increased arousal (which will no doubt place the coachee into a state of Flow). The benefits of utilising the RAS with EXACT is to create new neural pathways – which gives a higher predictor of action the more the new neural pathways are activated. What is the EXACT Goal Setting Method? EXACT is an acronym for: Explicit: Well defined, clear, and unambiguous. Xciting: Inspiring or aspirational. Must be framed in a positive way i.e. ‘make my own money’, rather than ‘stop working for my current employer’. What does the coachee want more of, rather than less of. Assessable: Attainable and measurable – what exactly will the attainment of this goal look like? Challenging: A key component is to create a container environment for the coachee to discard limiting beliefs and give themselves full permission to state what it is they really want. A great area to spend time on with your coach to activate their RAS. Timely: We will have 3-time frames, short/medium/long term. This helps with the coaching sessions that will use imagery used to build and then reinforce the new neural pathways. So if we go back to the example of a person looking to start their own Flower Delivery business, and using the EXACT goal setting method, it would look like the following: Explicit: To launch my own Flower Delivery Business Xciting: I want to invest my time and effort into my passion and turn that passion into a commercial success, so much so that I can be the owner of my own time, income earned and have something that is all mine, built with my own two hands (and ten green fingers!) Assessable: To build this business into a six-figure revenue stream Challenging: I want to be an award-winning business recognised by the West Coast of Scotland as the ‘best flower delivery company’ – and also brings the glitz and glamour of Bollywood to Balmoral, I want to be seen as an aspiration gift – I want the person who receives my flowers to feel like they’ve just been given a piece of jewellery from Tiffany’s! Timely: Short-term plan is get my first draft business plan approved by the government-backed Start-up scheme. My medium plan is to transition from working in the giftshop to being able to self-income myself from my business to go fulltime. And my long-term plan is to launch branches throughout the major population pockets of Scotland. NB: Explicit is the same as Specific, Assessable is the same as Achievable in comparison to SMART You can see from the SMART to EXACT, the emotion and passion that has been placed into the goal(s) – and just how arousing this will be for the coachee. Strategies and Improving Outcomes with Applied Neuroscience When setting goals for themselves, people have a tendency to aim too low often naming as their target something that is really a strategy or stepping stone along the way. Which is fine for micro or daily goal setting to help with the Progress Principle and Loop. The Progress Principle can be defined as “states that progress contributes to positive inner work life, which contributes to progress, creating an upward spiral of creativity, engagement, and performance” (Kramar and Amabile, 2021) and is one of the best predictors of inner work life (psychological, behaviour and cognition) is developing meaningful work i.e. your EXACT goal. Whilst the Progress Loop in Figure 1, demonstrates how positive work attracts a positive next step in work and so on – the same however can be said about a negative step and how this can start a negative spiral that needs intervention the quicker the better. Figure 1: Progress Loop, taken from https://neuroscienceschool.com/ The best way to create a positive upwards spiral is micro goals. Set the bar low, and clear it. Then repeat. This releases dopamine for each micro goal completed which then stimulates the ‘good feeling’ of reward in the brain. Figure 2: Downward and Upward Spiral, adapted from the Upwards Spiral by Korb (2015) With the EXACT Goal Setting Method we set micro and short, medium and long-term goals. This helps the coach and the coachee in a number of ways. The coach is not there to dictate if a goal is acceptable or not, yet rather the change in energy is the key to knowing when an effective goal has been identified. As previously mentioned, the power of visualisation is also of great use when working through the EXACT goal method. Coaches should be using guided imagery with their coachee to experience with imagination the pathway to success and also to take in the 5 senses they may be feeling from start to finish. This helps build up the neuropathways and repetition of this technique will only strengthen the pathways. And in addition, when some proof points have been evidenced by the coachee, this only makes the effect stronger (Roche and Commins, 2009). Another neural aspect that comes into play here is that habitual actions (habits) require less cognitive energy than new ones, so if we want to create new constructive habits, we need to make the action more automatic, requiring less cognitive effort (as neural pathways have already been formed). So, practical steps can be put into place for instance, if there is a health goal then having the gym kit at the side of the bed ready for the morning makes it easier to ‘get up and go’– or even storing your mobile phone in the gym locker overnight so it acts as a motivator for you to get to the gym as soon as you wake up to check your messages (a bit extreme, but it has worked for coachees before!). So now what? Well, next time a coachee comes into your office for Performance Coaching, try out the EXACT method with them rather than SMART and see how the use of arousal in the RAS can multiply the measurable effect of goal attainment. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marty! Marty Wightman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marty qualified as a coach in 2007 when he set up his practice in London, UK. He holds a Masters's degree in Psychology, and he graduated from the University of East London. In addition to his academic qualifications, he is a member of the Association for Coaching, a Senior Member of the ACCPH, and trained by Stanford University Professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans in Life Design. Marty takes a cognitive-behavioral, rational emotive behavior, and solution-focused approach to psychological coaching and its application to life/personal, health, performance, business, and executive coaching.

Written by: Giannina Carlino, 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. Your shadow self is best described as personality traits, emotions, and thoughts that are hard to accept about yourself. We all wish to be big bright lights, helping one another, seeing ourselves as God's gift to Earth. The reality of these wishes would create an unbalanced world, and along the way, we have forgotten that life is not all light, laughter, and happiness. And it’s about time we accept that fact. But most importantly, learn how to deal with it. Becoming a Shaman taught me how to start facing my dark side, offering it compassion, time, and gratitude so that I can stop ASPIRING to be a big bright light instead BE the big bright star that I am. And guess what? – The only way that is possible is to embrace my dark side and my light side and walk hand in hand together because bright shining stars do not shine in the day. They shine at night in the dark. Here are 5 ways that will help you handle your Shadow Self. 1. Acknowledgement: How do you acknowledge your shadow self? You acknowledge your shadow self through your emotions. ‒ Emotions like anger, hatred, frustration, anxiety, depression, jealousy, annoyance, and negative thoughts. I know it’s hard when you are experiencing any of these emotions to acknowledge them, but the first step to doing this is becoming consciously aware of what it is you are saying and/or how you are feeling. When you catch yourself in these emotions, take a deep breathe and ask yourself the following questions: What is this emotion I am feeling? Do I feel hurt (by their actions and/or words)? Why do I feel like this? Why has this triggered me? Have I experienced this before? 2. Processing: How do you process your shadow self? TALK IT OUT!!! Talking is the best way to vent. It gets you through the processing a lot faster. Talk it to yourself, a loved one, someone you trust, someone you know will listen, understands you are venting and does not want to create gossip from your sharing. Whatever you do, voice it. If you do not have a trustworthy person to vent to, then journal and write it all out. Using the above questions is a great way to prompt you to process what needs to be processed. 3. Compassion Compassion… ahhh. Just sit for a moment and say that word. Compassion. The more you say the word, you feel it echo throughout your bones and your nervous system. Allow the word Compassion to sit deep within your body. Being compassionate to yourself is a trait I am certain 99.9% of the population fails to do. When do we ever sit and tell ourselves that we love ourselves? When do we ever truly put ourselves first and offer ourselves an act of kindness? We don’t, so when you are working with your shadow self, do your best to do something for yourself. When you action that self-kindness, be sure to say it out loud, I am doing this to treat myself with kindness and love. It will help transmute some of the denser energy that comes with shadow work. 4. Self-Care: How does self-care help your shadow self. When you are working on your shadow self, it can be very overwhelming, full of heavy and dense energy, you need light to counterbalance the dark. The best way to do this is to have three self-care practices that bring you joy and peace. Having a self-care practice helps you realign with who you are and reassures yourself that even when times are tough, you are choosing to support yourself whilst reminding yourself in all this darkness; light and beauty can be found, and this will bring great comfort and peace. When you are practising these, I strongly advise doing them on your own (where possible, of course). Check out my favourite and recommended self-care practices for your mind, body, and soul: Self-Care practices for your Mind: My favourite: Gardening Recommended: Read in nature, play a game outside, camp, meditate, a getaway trip, cook, learn something new, attend seminars or workshops, listen to podcasts, photograph, take yourself out for dinner, and Martial arts. Self-Care practices for your Body: My favourite: Have a Bath Recommended: Bath, Acupuncture, Massage, Sound Healing, Hair/Make-up/Nails, be creative paint/draw/sketch, dress up and eat ice cream. Self-Care practices for your Soul: My favourite: Hiking Recommended: Swim in nature, Rock Climb, Canoeing, or any form of adventurous sport (that you can do in Nature is an added bonus). 5. Gratitude I'm a big believer in gratitude. I think it's one of the most powerful ways you can truly change your life, as well as shift your energy from shadow work to light work. The more you neglect your shadow self, the more it demands attention. Sometimes in our busy schedules, we cannot process shadow work for months on end, so getting into a grateful state of mind can really help you shift energy when things are getting too much. Gratitude is not just about being thankful for what you have but also recognizing how lucky you are to have whatever it is that brought you joy or comfort at that moment. Here are some tips for practising gratitude: Start small ‒ start by thinking about the little things that make your day better, like a cup of coffee or a fresh shower. Write down what makes you grateful ‒ either on paper or digitally, and write down everything that brings joy into your life, even if it’s just a few minutes of peace and quiet. This helps to reinforce these moments in your mind and allows them to become part of who you are as an individual. Share your gratitude with others ‒ be it via text message or email. Sharing the good vibes can help spread joy which will make everyone involved feel better! Be intentional ‒ try not to let gratitude slip away when it comes naturally; instead, think about what makes you happy and focus on those things throughout the day/weekend/month, etc… Finally, good luck adapting your new skill set to dealing with your shadow self. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Giannina! Giannina Carlino, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Giannina has been able to communicate with spirit since childhood, after many years of suffering from a family curse, her perpetrators let their guard down and Giannina managed to break free and embody her spiritual gift. Giannina heard her calling to become a Shaman and trained as a Shamanic Practitioner. She has since quickly gained recognition for her transformational healings across the country, working alongside her parents, who are also Shamans. During Giannina’s Shamanic ceremony, she was given the blessing of Mother Energy and draws upon Mother, to transform trauma and pain into forgiveness and love. She works closely to bring deep healing to individuals, buildings and land. – It is no surprise Giannina’s given shamanic name is Mother, as hidden within her name is GAIA. Giannina’s passion is to help others and what better way than through her natural gift of spiritual healing? Understanding her role in this life is to leave Humanity better than how she found it; Giannina is the Founder of Humans of Humanity, where she offers Shamanic healing for all who seek it, she is also the CEO of Gentle Grow, where she sells conscious products.

Written by: Majbrit Bøttger, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It’s easy to be a leader when everything is going great. It is in times of challenge, turmoil, frustration, and a crisis that our skills as a leader are put to the test. As leaders, we must set aside time for leadership. Too many leaders have too many tasks and leadership itself is expected to be incorporated in those tasks. It will not happen that way. We must schedule leadership in our calendar and have focus blocks to make sure we are on track and are actually leading people and not just observing and correcting. Observing, measuring, and correcting makes us spreadsheet leaders and nobody wants to work for a spreadsheet leader whose only concern is results. That is frustrating, boring, and, detaching. Instead, we have to focus on habits more than outcomes. If you don’t like the results evaluate what habits created those results and start there. Speak with them in their language and ask “How do we submit the best of who we are?” “What does our collective behavior look like and how can we improve the habits together?” That’s inspiring, that’s leadership, that works! Vision Great leaders envision a different future. It’s essential to envision the dream, the passion, the goal. We need to raise the ambition for a better future in a way that inspires and motivates people to lean into it, to share it, to be a part of it and, to support it. It’s not enough to do it once and then forget about it, we need to do it all the time. The circumstances, the market and, the reality changes all the time and our vision and goal will have to be living in harmony with those changes in order to stay as something we can work towards. Where there’s no vision people perish. Inclusion People support what they create! This is important to remember if we want continuous engagement. Know what people want, need, desire, think and, feel and have them help shape the vision, the dream and have them vision where they can be going. It has to be a genuine wish to invite people to be a part of the process to enjoy seeing them succeed and be part of the journey. Success is a team sport, so you need to have an authentic desire to see people be involved in the process and stay dedicated. Integrity The best leaders are extremely clear on what values their inner integrity is build on and they let their surroundings know as well. If there is conflict between the inner integrity and the actual actions it will create confusion and frustration both with the leader and the surroundings. The art is to stay congruent in times of challenge and turmoil. It is in those times it might seem easier to compromise but it will be punished with disengagement. As a leader people are looking to you for guidance and they need to know they can trust that you don’t flinch. If you manage to always be there even when things go sideways and even when people are mad you will become a legend. Empowerment Create the best possible setting for people to do the work you expect them to do. That means giving people the decision-making authority and the trust and to provide them with the proper knowledge, skills, tools, technology, training and, coaching… not once but continuously. The plans and strategies are always changing and developing and so does the need for personal, professional and strategical training. One of the most common mistakes is to believe that it is enough to do this once while launching the project, change or strategy and they will figure it out from there. You need to be consistently aware of the requirements of your teams if you expect them to deliver with excellence. Training is vital, coaching is vital if you want to keep up with the reality of the market and the world. Evaluate Evaluation is everything! And just like training it has to happen ALL the time. I’m talking about every day. As a great leader, you have to evaluate your own performance, progress, excellence, ethics, and culture/work environment. Did you set time aside in the calendar for actual leadership today? Is there progress and if not why is that? Are we being excellent and if not, why? Are we being ethical and if not, why? Is the environment good and if not, why? These are things that need to be considered all the time and then follow up with immediate, honest and constructive feedback. Encourage Be the cheerleader. Great leaders have a genuine desire to lift people up, to inspire and to motivate them into believing that we can create a better future a bigger dream together. Not every once in a while, but ALL THE TIME. The longer the project runs the more we will experience challenge, doubt, and frustration and we need to be there to keep the spirit and the motivation up despite that. Bring your passion and excitement to the game every day. This is not a step-by-step plan; these are habits we need to focus on consistently and intentionally for as long as it takes to make it a natural part of our DNA. BE AN INSPIRATION… You got this! Majbrit Bøttger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Majbrit Bøttger is one out of only 200 elite Certified High-Performance Coaches (CHPC) in the world. A series of incidents left her burned out and stressed and she was forced to reinvent her life. That is why she chose to get certified. It took her life to a whole new level and she has for more than a decade been dedicated to helping others reach the same level of joy and meaningfulness in their lives by improving life areas such as clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence. She is the founder and CEO of High-Performance Living and has helped people all across the world live their dream life.

Written by: Dr. Mary Hemphill, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In order to leverage the massive shifts taking place in leadership, one must define& develop a deeper sense & awareness of the role trauma is playing in our individual & collective footprints as we walk into a new post-pandemic culture. For many of us, the trauma that once filled a distant and somewhat standoffish role in our everyday lives has become a front-and-center power player in many interactions. According to David Tweedy, a Clinical Psychologist and Healthcare Executive, “Trauma-informed Leadership is a way of understating or appreciating there is an emotional world of experiences rumbling around beneath the surface.” The past three years have brought leaders face-to-face with the need to examine their approach to trauma at the individual and organizational levels, and developing new tools and mindsets to address shift has become paramount. Trauma-informed leadership recognizes and respects the emotional scars, stories, and shifts that people may struggle with and responds with an authentic level of empathy and compassion. As many leaders navigate the uncharted waters of empowering the future of work, many employees are returning to work having experienced: levels of high stress injuries and hospitalizations loss of loved one(s) shifts in personal relationships consistent changes in work expectations unrest, violence, & witnessed events increase in anxiety and/or depression So how do we, as leaders, position ourselves to respond to the rapidly changing dynamics of a trauma-filled work environment and still work to move our teams and organizations forward? Here are three strategies leaders in today’s workforce can employ to lead through tough times: 1. Treat people as human beings, not human doings We were created to be, and sometimes as busy humans on the path to success, we often focus more on what we do rather than who we are. As a trauma-informed leader, work to ensure that most of your interactions with team members, employees, and colleagues are centered around understanding versus performing. For example, one effective practice is to establish meeting norms that allow individuals to share interesting facts about their lives, hobbies, background, etc. This practice allows colleagues to focus more on commonalities in our humanity versus simply the work titles and roles that can work to further separate us. 2. Commit to creating a psychologically safe workplace culture Creating a psychologically safe workplace culture starts with defining exactly what that looks like, feels like, and sounds like for everyone involved. Trauma-informed leaders develop clear communication around culture in order to ensure that there is clarity for recently onboarded and veteran employees as well as for external stakeholders that impact culture. What are the conditions necessary for team members to bring up new ideas, introduce their needs, or operate in conflict without the fear of retaliation? How might those interactions play out with those in entry-level versus mid-level management roles, and what is the best way to have those conversations with upper-level or executive leadership? Developing transparency around psychological safety leads to increased vulnerability and fewer opportunities for an employee to experience retraumatization. 3. Focus on responding versus reacting Today’s leaders wrestle daily with an onslaught of split-second decisions, interactions, problems, and challenges leaving very little room for the luxury of long-range decision-making. By focusing more on responding versus reacting, leaders will create space for those impacted by trauma to feel more comfortable approaching and engaging them. Two of the most effective ways for trauma-informed leaders to operate from a posture of responding is to first take time to pause when receiving and reflecting on information and, secondly, to seek clarification through questioning. By pausing, leaders give themselves time to process and clarify information rather than allowing emotions to dictate the response. Asking clarifying questions helps leaders make fewer assumptions and gain understanding before responding. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Mary Hemphill, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mary is a Leadership Expert & Coach, K-12 Educator & Administrator, Author, & Motivational Speaker. With over 16 years of professional experience as a teacher, administrator, & university professor, Mary understands the importance of fusing education, empowerment, & leadership together as she works with learning & working communities & speaks to audiences across the country. She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from NC A&T State University. Mary is also the CEO and Founder of The Limitless Lady LLC, a company that helps individuals ignite the leader in themselves so they can better serve their community, company, & personal career.

Written by: Anna Letitia Cook, 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. Do you consider yourself successful? What do you think helps to be a success? Apart from skills, talents, and knowledge what is the key to being able to perform and do well, achieve your objectives, and have even better results? The absolute fundamental, can’t-do-without, essential is good mind-body health! Just think about the following and rate them in relation to you now and over a few weeks to see your current norm… How do you feel today? Right now? Both in your personal, and particularly, your professional life… Happy or neutral Full of energy or tired Interested or drifting through just doing what is needed Slim, fit and healthy or lethargic and possibly with a few extra kilos or slightly high body fats Serene and stress-free or anxious, worried and with definite stress points… Sleeping well, and enough, waking refreshed and enthusiastic or troubled and/or unrefreshing sleep patterns All of this makes an enormous difference to how we go through life, and particularly on how we feel, react and succeed at work. I am willing to bet that those of you that feel all the positives eat healthily and not too much, exercise regularly (this doesn’t mean having to go to a gym), enjoy enough refreshing sleep and have a positive, serene mindset and mental outlook. This should be considered an inherent requirement for optimal performance. We are happier, more successful and definitely more productive when we fuel our body and brain by eating the right food for energy, both physically and mentally; as well as being at our fitness peak, on the lean side of slim, doing regular extensive natural daily exercise. Not only does this promote our overall wellness, serenity and physical health but it improves our brain power, resistance, stress management, objectivity, focus, ability, creativity, production and performance. Living a slim and fit life has great personal benefits and professionally optimises performance, career and business results. 'To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear..' — Buddha ACTION: What are the first steps? It is essential to focus on, prioritize and implement really good mind-body health to succeed. Here are some tips to just become more aware of your current state: Keep a mind-body health journal for the next 3 weeks. Don’t try and make any changes or realignments, just record your usual habits. Record exactly what you eat and at what time, and how you feel just before and after you eat… Do the same for exercise – any sport, stretching, walking you did however little or much and what circumstances led you to do it Note down your sleep pattern, the time you went to bed, the time you went to sleep, what you were doing just before, did you woke during the night, what time you got up in the morning – your feelings before going to sleep and on waking up. Write down your mindset and mental outlook – whether positive or negative, levels of stress and what thought, action, or situation preceded them My gift to you – if you send me your completed journal after 3 weeks (email anna@annaletitiacook.com), I will look through it and give you personal feedback on the areas you can improve and what to focus on first… Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and my website for more info, and listen to my podcasts on Youtube and Spotify. Read more from Anna! Anna Letitia Cook, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Letitia Cook is an international career development and wellness coach, author, speaker, radio/tv presenter, passionate about helping clients find clarity, energy and fulfilment in their life choices ‒ their holistic success. She created her first company in the entertainment industry at age 32 before switching industry and moving into international real estate. Midlife approaching, hungry for a dynamic change, she refocused her experience, founding her current business to help professionals shape and energise their own future. Creator of the 'SCOPE' and '4Fs' processes for career, fulfilment and holistic success and author of ‘Unstoppable Goddess: Every Women’s Guide to Freedom, Fulfilment and Success’, Anna was awarded United Nations Women's 2016-2017 Global Champion for Change @ Empower Women. Anna is the presenter of the radio tv shows WomenUP 'Inspired Women' and 'Beyond the Bottomline. Her motto: Living life holistically – Career and wellness together!