Written by: Sam Onigbanjo, 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. Earning money and having time for what you really want including, family, vacations, fun and relaxing should be within your grasp if you are over 25 years old and it’s not, I get it the world economic system is not fair at all! You’ve probably heard the saying the rich get richer and the poor poorer! Well, I have good news for you, trading the markets, does not need a good CV, university qualification, good credit score or the ability to pass and get accepted for a job by an Interview panel. By the way, I have been trading the markets since 2015 and have trained over 500 people, with quite a few of them making more money than me now! So, here are my 5 trading forex tips that you must grab hold of Secret number 1: Always take out time to read the little-known but entirely free calendar about all capital market (including forex trading) news worldwide! This is the source that many shining and impressive forex websites secretly get their data from. This site covers the news about important decisions that create volatility and move global markets. It also tells you when the news about a currency, commodity, indices, crypto or even metal will come out and if the news meets the expected forecast! With this forex news portal, you can’t go wrong. Read closely I’m about to share a secret, do you want to know one of the main sources (the secret sauce) of many traders that makes them millions, it's forex factory, and here’s the thing - it’s absolutely free! Here is the link for forex factory. Secret number 2: As a new stock market trader and even for some more experienced traders, the biggest secret to trading is mastering your emotions. You need to learn to develop the heart and mind of a trader! As a forex trader, you can make money buying with the bulls or you can make money selling with the bears. Red is great and so is Green, your responsibility is to ride the winning trend. The trend is your friend. That said no side or trend stays the same in the stock markets or in forex trading it changes direction, hence if you do not believe in sticking to one thing then trading would be perfect for you because there are reversals, retracements and breakouts that make staying consistent simple foreign and not attributes that help you win in the game of trading. Here is the strategy that I teach to my most timid and cautious traders, I call it the 1% forex trading strategy, where I ask people just like you to imagine earning 1% of whatever they have in your savings per day! Then Imagine multiplying that thrice a day for 3 days a week. Let me make it easier: $1,000 on trade yields 1% =$10 3 times a day $30 3 times a week $90 I won’t even add the compound interest on the growth but if I did this 4 weeks per month it would mean my $1,000 generated $360 or 36% growth in 30 days. How does that appeal to your minimal risk and curiosity? Now think about that, you can work and trade, have a full life and trade, you just need to give no room to excessive greed, fear or negative thinking… after all, it’s the largest market in the world! Real millionaires, billionaires, governments and businesses are involved, so why not you? I’m here to say I believe it is your turn to experience an incredible and new cashflow Secret number 3: Never ever rush in to a forex trade, the markets are open 24 hours a day and provide well over 300 opportunities per day for you to make anything from 1% to 100% in a 24-hour window! Yes and that’s the truth, but remember the markets also provide an opportunity to lose anything from 1% to 100% in a day for the trader in a hurry. If you are thinking of opening a simple trading account for free may I recommend my affiliate link? Click here. Its an absolutely free forex trading account registered and regulated in the UK and many other countries in the world. It also comes with a standard auto 50% stop loss safety pre-set to help guard your capital, One more tip you can reduce your leverage on trade to x1 to really help keep your capital safe. Secret number 4: Traders do best in communities: Isolation and loneliness facilitate mistakes, poor decisions, and constant wrong interpretations of can data wipe out your entire trading account. To become a truly successful forex trader you must understand your Fundamentals. Remember, Secret 1 - Access the forex factory, Secret 2 - Your psychology (master your emotions, The Big One) Secret 3 - Ensure you undertake your technical analysis You must learn to blend all 3 Secret number 5: My last secret this, to trade forex markets or stock markets you need to recognise that the behaviour and approach required for success here is often counter-intuitive to what you would expect in a workplace or a business. Being busy means truly little in trading, what is more, important is your ability to select winning trades and having the patience and discipline of knowing when to enter and exit a trade. Also, minimise your losses and maximise your wins. Meaning Losing is part of trading! As an achiever, accepting losing is tough, and many people entwin losing trades with failure, which is so wrong. The markets cannot be controlled. This article was written by Sort after multiple award-winning author, forex trader, forex trainer and public speaker Sam Onigbanjo, CEO of Capital Markets Academy, Sam is a regular forex and stock market contributor in Business Insider, The Evening standard, The Daily Express and more you can ask questions or join one of his complimentary “Live” webinars to test and taste if trading the markets is for you Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sam! Sam Onigbanjo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sam Onigbanjo, is a leading coaching voice in helping people develop the skills and confidence to trade the capital markets and get a grip on their financial life. He is a seasoned public speaker and storyteller, this really helps him communicate skills in a less daunting manner to his audience. As a man he shares his struggle to financial Independence and why he knows it means so much to people to be in control of their own time and what impact it makes on spending time with loved ones and fulfilling life long dreams. Sam is the CEO of Capital Markets Academy and trains people from all over the world online and in person.

Written by: David Paul Jacobs, 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. If you’ve ever had a good idea or vision for a new service, product or better way of doing something, you will likely be familiar with the “Not Invented Here” syndrome: the pushback, the blank faces and the virulently anti-your-idea comments. Well, this reaction is par for the course, you’d better expect it … hang in there, it will come good if it’s a genuinely high-quality piece of progress you’re proposing, and you manage to ‘stay with it’. Let me explain how to manage these typical reactions, to everybody’s advantage, and especially yours! Remember, the greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow. Staying With It I’m going to focus here on the importance of belief, perseverance and resilience for anyone pioneering a new product or service. In the 1980s I discovered an ability for taking success rates and value delivered from business IT projects to a much higher level than was typically the case. In the 1990s I wrote up these ideas and formed them into what is now called Business Value Maximisation Framework (BVMF®). For 28 years I had blank faces and people saying: “You don’t want to do that” or “It won’t work”. And of course, thankfully, I had the occasional bit of positivity and encouragement from those with a decent bit of insight and brainpower ‒ God bless ‘em! In fact, BVMF® was EXACTLY what was needed as business IT projects were failing at a huge rate (and still do). Then, as we went from 2020 into early 2021, the whole paradigm changed. I started hearing “You know that framework of yours, it’s not bad, can I/we have a look?” ‒ “I’ve been trying to tell you that for 28 years!” I thought to myself but was nevertheless grateful my message was finally getting across. A Better Future BVMF® is now taking off I am pleased and proud to say. I was near paranoid for those 28 years that somebody else would zoom past me. But they didn’t. In some ways the world moves increasingly fast, and yet, in other respects, it moves surprisingly slowly. People can take a long time to ‘get’ a few simple messages. I had read Sir James Dyson’s autobiography and seen how brutally rude people (especially Hoover and Electrolux) were to him when he conceived a whole new (quantum leap) way for a vacuum cleaner to work. There are always those who have a vested interest in the status quo technology or current method for a product or service. Don’t let that put you off! Here’s the big idea for you – the better your idea/proposal for a new product/service/method the more virulent the pushback comments you will get. In fact, you will know how good your idea is by the virulence of the pushback! I can’t guarantee you any particular result as I don’t know what you’ve got but I can tell you my story and how closely it aligns with what I’ve read and learnt about the experiences of other inventors, pioneers, entrepreneurs and innovators. Belief Rocks Stay with it if you believe in your idea or proposition (your extensive self-belief will be crucial). Also, bear in mind that, although collaboration can be a good thing, if you are insightful enough to be the leader in a field (maybe you have conceived a quantum leap forward in a technology or new service as Sir James Dyson did) you may find others are just not up with you. I looked (naively?) for a collaborator for many years to help me get BVMF® off the ground but found no one who would/could/did. Now BVMF® is rolling out, I have met a superb collaborator, but that’s a different story, another good story I am delighted to say. I also have accrued plenty of excellent disciples and complementary collaborators along the way who are kindly helping me to bring much better project success rates and degrees of success to business IT projects (see www.DoITBetterConsortium.co.uk). Persistence Pays So, what else can you do to have your idea become a success apart from being aware of ‘The Pushback Effect’ and that you may need to stay with it for years, even decades? Well, I’ll come back to this subject in future articles but for now please read a bit more here on the central themes I want to focus on today: persistence, belief and resilience. It’s almost apocryphal (but not quite) but Colonel Sanders offered his chicken recipe to about 1,000 restaurants before he found one that would give it a try. Tony Robbins says people say they have tried something a hundred times to no avail, but actually they’ve tried it only a few dozen times. All the success experts say persistence is the key, and they are right. I kept going for 28 years because I believed what I had was valuable, I enjoyed creating it and thought I was good at it. Why wouldn’t I keep going? A couple of nice (and smart) people I met at a conference last year in London said I was ‘too early’ with my business value maximisation framework in the 1990s and I really appreciated those comments because it seemed they were right (even though experiencing 25+ years of doubt is pretty painful). At some points along the way, I had thought maybe I was actually too late and, in any case, suffered from doubt with so many people piling in with their derogatory or discouraging comments. Some of those people genuinely thought they were helping but, as has been said, nobody knows your idea, your market and your context as well as YOU. Tough and often lonely I am sorry to say, but true. So, here we are in 2023 and my conception is becoming a reality. I just wanted to help organisations understand IT value, what it consists of and how to optimise it, and here I am doing it (finally). Hooray. You can read about BVMF® and my journey with it at www.maximum-value.co.uk. In future articles, if readers are keen (do let me know), I will cover a few of the basic principles of BVMF® and showcase some of the key models and techniques it provides. These do not just apply to business-related IT, although, of course, in any case, business IT is becoming hugely more prevalent in our home and work life as every day passes. Although I designed BVMF® specifically to boost business IT projects, a good 70% of it works for non-business IT projects (for example scientific, medical, aerospace, etc.) and ditto for projects that are not IT-related at all. Future Articles Being a bit of a polymath, I have a few other ideas up my sleeve for improving life, career, etc that I have had gestating for a few years and I will also be writing about these in my forthcoming Brainz articles. I coach and mentor life and career skills using my (near) encyclopaedic knowledge of most of the well (and lesser) known success/leadership experts’ assertions. And, hey, surprise surprise, I have devised quite a few original models and techniques of my own. I’d like to present some of the key points of those to you in future articles. I’ll cover subjects like leadership, confidence, innovation, career progression, collaboration, networking and resilience. My imminently next article will extend the themes I’ve discussed above and cover a few of the subtler less obvious angles. Courage With Care Counts Finally, a word of caution. When pioneering, I suggest you do not be ashamed of your courage, but, be careful. Until quite recently I did not put my business value maximisation credentials on my cv (not fully). You tell me – was that right? I was warned not to put it on when I sought ‘day job’ work to pay my mortgage and look after my family while my favoured project took off. I saw plenty of evidence of the sagacity of that advice… the balance is fine, crucial and knotty. I’ll also in future cover key points on getting hired into ‘day job’ work with pioneering in the background as that can be a can of worms. You can see my eclectic background and some of my credentials listed at www.davidpjacobs.co.uk, read about BVMF® at www.maximum-value.co.uk and see an overview of my cooperative superior business IT services organisation at www.DoITBetterConsortium.co.uk. I look forward to your feedback, questions and requests. I wish you very well and, crucially, hope I can contribute to your success over the next few months. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from David! David Paul Jacobs, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine David Jacobs is a life/career coach/mentor and thought leading business analyst/project leader. As director of MaxVal Consultancy Ltd in the UK, he is author of Business Value Maximisation Framework (BVMF®) which arose from his 30 year research and development programme into IT business value/success maximisation. On the back of this and a number of other successful entrepreneurial projects David is authoring, coaching and mentoring in life skills, career progression and effective business management. David has a polymathic 'cv' which includes a parallel background in contemporary performing arts. David's mission is to save others time in learning key lessons he has learnt, and, to entertain!

Written by: Christopher Thackray, 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 live in an era defined by going from one crisis to another with little time to recover between crises. After two challenging and uncertain years of a widely unanticipated global pandemic, companies have once again been thrust into responding to the severe and lasting impacts of the worst geopolitical crisis since the end of the Cold War era, prompting the end of a market rally that first originated in the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. The rate of deterioration in global markets throughout 2022 was unexpected for many companies and central banks. The impact of the war in Ukraine, the global economic slowdown, rapid and unprecedented changes in US and European (including UK) monetary policy and accelerating wage and input cost inflation have recast the prominent role of Enterprise Risk Management for companies of all sizes, complexities, and industries. With each passing crisis, tangible objectives of Enterprise Risk Management are becoming further ingrained in corporate strategy planning and governance. Adding to the circumstances is the revolutionary influence of digitalisation and social change on the competitive forces and day-to-day functioning of well-established industries and companies, from Healthcare to Power and Financial Services. Building forward-looking, data-rich, and integrated practices of Enterprise Risk Management into strategy planning, financial management and operational delivery is a strategic commitment for any company. It often requires a multi-year investment, an unmistakable and unquestionable ‘tone from the top’, and changes to a corporate culture quite often. Whilst the ambition for more advanced practices of Enterprise Risk Management is desirable for most companies, such aspirations are often considered to come with a high cost and, therefore, de-prioritised against the backdrop of capital and resource investments into revenue-generating initiatives. If this sounds like your company, do not worry. Practical lessons can be learnt from past crisis events to help all companies, regardless of size, complexity, and industry, to improve the awareness, management, monitoring and governance of enterprise risks. Taking these steps will allow management and board members to optimise the use of existing capital and resource investments to mitigate critical risks considered to present the most significant harm to the company, its investors, clients, customers, and other vital stakeholders. Taking The First Steps Towards Enterprise Risk Management A common objective of Enterprise Risk Management is to build, test, monitor, and govern a company’s enterprise resilience. This means a company’s preparedness and ability to detect, prevent, respond to, and recover from all forms of disruptions, whether internal or external, unforeseen or not. This requires an understanding of ‘what could go wrong’, which is a simple way of asking, what are the risks to our company? A common challenge with many Enterprise Risk Management is the creation of never-ending risk registers containing thousands of risks listing endless possibilities of what could go wrong. To avoid repeating this mistake and focus the company on preparing for the next crisis, narrow the focus to identify ‘critical’ risks, the risks that threaten the continuing viability of the company, its strategy, financial performance, or operational delivery. Here are some suggestions for anticipating and preparing for the next crisis event. Identify Critical Risks Of Strategic Importance. Utilise an existing senior management meeting to brainstorm and prioritise critical internal and external risks to the company. Try to avoid considering the probability of each risk at this stage. Plot each critical risk to one or more strategic objectives within the company’s business strategy and plan. Utilise a simple prioritisation method (e.g., n/3) to identify critical risks requiring more urgent management attention and appoint a management owner to each prioritised risk. Encourage management members to engage their departmental staff before the meeting. Be clear in setting management expectations to fully understand each new and emerging critical risk's characteristics. It is important to consider potential ‘black swan’ events (events that are unexpected and carry a significant level of harm), though try to encourage an initial focus on practical, high-impact, and visible risks. Target outcome: critical risks to the company’s strategy and plan and a shortlist of critical risks for management action and ongoing corporate oversight. Assess And Manage Critical Risks Undertake a high-level analysis of each prioritised critical risk. Consider the various impacts the risk could have on the company, including the business strategy, business model, financial outlook, and operations. Evaluate whether the risk will likely occur in the next 12 months (or sooner), 24 months or beyond. For critical risks where it is not possible to determine the probability, such as risks that are unpredictable yet potentially detrimental (e.g., a pandemic), consider the speed at which the risk could materialise and for the potential impacts to cause significant harm to the company and its important stakeholders. For each critical risk, explore the following questions: Is it in the company’s interests, or the interests of its investors, clients, customers, suppliers, or other vital stakeholders, to enhance management actions intended to improve the company’s preparedness and ability to detect and prevent the risk from materialising? Could the materialisation of the risk and any associated impacts cause a moral or ethical dilemma for the company? How could investors, clients, customers, and other important stakeholders respond to the materialisation of the risk or any associated impacts? Could the materialisation of the risk cause significant or lasting reputational harm or lead to the loss of current or new business? Are current processes and controls adequate to detect, prevent or mitigate the full extent of the risk or the most harmful impacts of the risk? Target outcome: an assessment of the potential strategic, financial, business model and operational impacts of each critical risk, combined with a view of required business practices to mitigate the risk. Assign Action-Oriented Risk Management Working Groups The art of effective Enterprise Risk Management in any organisation is to embed risk management activities into day-to-day business activities. Companies seeking to achieve a more advanced stature of Enterprise Risk Management often require changes to business planning practices, business model structures, operational processes, and governance frameworks. To minimise costs and avoid distracting staff from their day-to-day activities, consider establishing working groups for each critical risk, consisting of cross-departmental staff with the required subject and technical knowledge to direct the company’s ongoing management and monitoring of the risk. Establish clear objectives that articulate the company’s desired capability to prevent or mitigate the risk. Set tactical goals for each consecutive quarter aligned with the management’s stated objectives. And encourage each working group to meet regularly, with the frequency defined relative to the nature, complexity, probability, and potential harm caused by the risk. Essential requirements to guide each working group include: A short, focused charter setting out the working group’s objectives, composition, roles and responsibilities, and meeting frequency. A simple project plan setting out the group’s activities and interdependencies. Activities might be divided between tactical activities intended to provide immediate support whilst more permanent activities are implemented. Defined methods, data sources (internal and external) and activities to periodically re-assess and proactively monitor risk characteristics and probability changes. Target outcome: a targeted plan of activities to manage and monitor each critical risk, supported by a cross-departmental working group bringing together the required subject expertise. Integrate Risk Oversight Into Existing Corporate Governance Channels Allocate or extend by thirty minutes each board meeting to hear from appointed management members the progress made in addressing each critical risk. Encourage management members to report on improvements made in detecting, preventing, responding to, and recovering from the extent of disruption likely to be caused by the materialisation of each risk. Board members should remember that Enterprise Risk Management is a commitment to continuous evolution. As the understanding of risks evolves, so should the practices deployed to prevent or mitigate such risks. In this vein, the board should challenge management’s understanding of critical risks (including potential harms and impacts) and management’s decision on whether to pivot or persevere with current risk management practices and targeted improvements. Target outcome: regular challenge of current and planned management actions intended to prepare the company’s strategic, business model, financial and operational resilience to withstand the next crisis. Conclusion Every company is in the business of managing risk. As companies embrace the technology revolution, adapt to changes in global markets and adjust to a new normal ‒ defined by going from one crisis to the next – management and board members must explore ways to evolve the integration of Enterprise Risk Management and resilience practices into the functioning of the company. Building a business model exhibiting the highest standards of enterprise resilience for some companies will require dedicated management focus and continuous capital investments in Enterprise Risk Management. For other companies, particularly those at the beginning of their Enterprise Risk Management journey, starting small and simple will provide a platform to evolve the integration of risk management in a manner that is fit for purpose and embedded into the strategy and functioning of the company. There is always opportunity in a crisis. But it takes being prepared to anticipate and realise it. Is your company resilient to withstand the next crisis? In the current operating environment, defined by a new normal, it is not a question of if but when disruptions will occur due to materialised risks. Follow me on Facebook and visit my website for more info! Read more from Christopher! Christopher Thackray, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christopher Thackray (Chris) is a risk management and resilience professional with 22 years of global industry and consulting experience. Chris is a sought-after thought leader in risk management and a trusted advisor to management and board members across industries. Chris combines his proven expertise in risk management with his strategic, forward-thinking, and analytical abilities to advise and assist business leaders with building tested, commercially competitive, resilient enterprises. Chris has worked across the Auto, Aviation, Financial Services, Oil & Gas and Power & Utility industries to help business leaders confidently anticipate, prevent, adapt, respond to, recover and learn from disruptions caused by changes in internal and external operating conditions.

Written by: Trudy Bateman, 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’re sure you have big plans for 2023, but before we forget 2022, let’s take a moment to consider the lessons we learned last year and the foundations they provide for the year ahead. What did 2022 teach us? The importance of good mental health this year has continued to be a vital pillar not only for individuals, but for employers and education providers too. In the workplace, many employees are still expected to increase productivity constantly. Put together with other stresses, it’s no wonder that many of us have felt burnt out. 2022 re-focused our energies on how we can get better at supporting others in the workplace during challenging times. For us, it boils down to: Creating purposeful employee wellness programs that go beyond a tick in a box Making self-awareness every individual’s responsibility and evoking a be kind culture Encouraging employees to be their authentic selves, by leaders setting the example Demonstrating reasons for employees to feel psychologically safe, through an individual’s actions, and not objectives alone Supporting managers to not only spot the signs of burnout but by providing them with practical steps to follow What will 2023 bring? The latter half of 2022 bore witness to huge layoffs in the tech industry and the start of a recession for many that have been expected for some time. As we enter 2023, we highlight our top five predictions and insights for what we should be focusing on and the strengths we might call on to do it. 1. Human-centric leadership: Putting your people first will be key to making them feel valued, safe, and able to be their best. Human-centric leaders will: Treat people like individuals, by getting to know your employees and their emotions and reactions. You can then take great leadership and development ideas and make them personal to those you lead, allowing everyone to highlight their strengths and achieve success Genuinely show you care by focusing on well-being in addition to performance and build relationships that create trust as well as support Be purposeful by being clear and passionate on the vision and encouraging everyone to contribute individually, as a team, and as an organisation to something bigger and meaningful 2. Manage change effectively: Change is inevitable for 2023; globally, we’ve seen huge economic turmoil resulting in big changes to every business size. What’s important is managing transformation effectively to avoid employee fatigue: Be open and honest, build trust, and share what you can when you can. Check for learned behavior use and support managers to look out for the well-being of their teams Consider specific strengths use; those with Planner, Prevention, and Organiser may not like change as much as those with more motivating strengths. Get people working together using their strengths to make change happen Engage people with the purpose of the change, to get buy-in that’s sustainable 3. Build resilience in the face of redundancy: Whether you’re an individual or an employer, resilience will be an important strength to build for the road ahead. For organisations, during periods of change, appreciate the wins and celebrate successes with individuals and teams to regularly build in time for what’s going right and well. Get managers to check in regularly on how they are feeling and what resources or conversations would help people feel more able to cope For employees left behind following redundancy or restructuring, the impact will be felt due to gaps in their teams, and the expectation to keep up the same productivity levels. Speak to your employees, identify areas of growth and opportunities, and encourage them to use their strengths to get there For individuals, try to grasp the future opportunities of change, how you might grow, create new products, or learn to serve your customers better. For those who are made redundant, it can be an upsetting and stressful time. If you’re caught up in redundancy, use this period to reassess career goals, explore new opportunities and think about what really makes you happy in a role 4. Encourage authenticity at work: Employees need to feel psychologically safe to be their authentic selves. We encourage you to: Celebrate strengths, discuss weaknesses because no one is perfect, and leaders should role model the approach of working collaboratively as a team Promote inclusivity in the workplace, by continually finding ways to celebrate each other’s differences and ensuring increased visibility for opportunities and events Encourage leaders to role model behaviours. It isn’t enough to ask employees to be their authentic selves at work, they need leaders to lead by example to see authentic leadership in action Promote a fail-fast-to-learn-fast mentality. Encourage honesty about what didn’t work and open discussion to drive innovation. Be open and build trust to give things a go 5. Put the spotlight on wellbeing: Wellbeing and mental health will always be important; it is vital that employees know their well-being is a priority, especially if they’re having to pick up more work or are facing periods with little work to engage them. Prioritise wellbeing by: Allowing flexibility. Good managers will appreciate that what works for one person, may not work for another. So, allow your employees to work flexibly, based on how, when, and where they do their best work Prioritise work/ life balance and family. Ensure your employees feel supported to get the balance they need. Leaders can set the example by leaving work on time, taking lunch breaks and taking time off when they need it Provide practical support. Don’t just leave it to chance, ensure resources and practical advice, networks, and communities are available to support people to focus on their wellbeing. Many people will not know what is available Take a look at our free eBook to find out how you can use your strengths to succeed in 2023. You can learn more about your individual strengths using our market-leading Introductory or Expert Strengths Profiles. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Trudy! Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trudy Bateman is an expert in strengths and their applications. As Director of Strengths Profile, Trudy works with coaches, organizations, and universities to help them understand the strengths of their people, so they can develop them – ensuring not just a successful career, but one they love. Having led the team responsible for the implementation of successful product strategy and delivery of strengths-based assessments for over 13 years, Trudy has delivered thousands of strengths solutions through coaching, facilitating, and consulting, including the accreditation of over 3,000 Strengths Profile practitioners. She is a key speaker, author of The Strengths Profile Book, and resident expert in strengths.

Written by: Karen Cappello, 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. You are a coach. You love what you do. Your business is established. And you have substantial goals. You want to make an impact and you want to grow your business – without the hustle or hard work. Maybe you think your strategy for success is spot on, yet you aren’t seeing the results you would like. What gives? At times, it may even feel like you’ve hit a plateau on your success path. It's possible what has produced results in your coaching business in the past isn’t working anymore. Let's stop guessing what actions might be the most effective to get you to your goals. Instead, I have 4 key elements that will provide you with the clarity to bring you closer to the success you deserve. You must decide on: Your Ideal Client Their Urgent Challenge Their Desired Result Your Irresistible Offer And of course, the overarching umbrella of all of these is your own authentic essence energy. When strategy meets energy, success with ease and joy follows! 1. Your Ideal Client Do you know who your ideal client is? Can you describe them? In order to have a successful coaching business, you must be able to identify your ideal client and market to them. Here’s a tip to make that easier: Your ideal client is you at an earlier stage. Or you could even look at your ideal client as a current favorite client. You can factually identify this person. Create a written description of them with these criteria in mind. What are the qualities and qualifications of this person? Be as SPECIFIC as you can when you write them down. 2. Your Ideal Client’s Urgent Challenge There’s a reason your ideal client needs you as a coach. Do you know that reason? Think of an urgent challenge you can help them solve. Here are some examples: Your challenge before your transformation Industry experiences you’ve had overcoming challenges What keeps them up at night Identifying their urgent challenge will help you speak directly to them and – yes – it also creates space to help solve this challenge! 3. Your Ideal Client’s Desired Result Your ideal client wants results. The desired result may be tangible ROI (time saved, money saved, or money to be earned). It’s also possible they are seeking an intangible result. Identify what your client wants, and you’ll be ready to create an offer they can’t refuse. 4. Your Irresistible Offer Sometimes, even though coaches have an idea of their ideal client, the ideal client’s challenge, and desired results, it’s the offer that keeps their coaching business from massive success. First and foremost, your ideal client has to want to invest in your offer. It’s equally important that you provide options for investment. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your offer: Is your offer irresistible to your ideal client? Will they invest? Is their challenge something they are really, really concerned about now? Is their desired result something they really, really want? Is this something that you are happy about delivering that is priced correctly for your business model? Will this offer help you meet your goals? You'll save so much time when you know EXACTLY what is driving the success you desire in your coaching business. Final Thoughts I‘ve had the honor of working with so many talented business coaches just like you who want to unleash their coaching success. They’re tired of the guesswork and the misses. They just want the offers, the clients, the revenue, and the lifestyle. And to take their business to the next level with ease and joy! Now here’s the thing. There’s only so much I can share in one article. I’d like to give you the full blueprint for success. If you’re interested in learning more about how to soar your business to see five-figure months and six-figure years... Let’s chat. I’m here to support you in reaching unprecedented revenue numbers this quarter. Until then, thank you for being a coach and supporting leaders to achieve levels of success that they had never thought possible. You deserve support to do the same! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Karen! Karen Cappello, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karen Cappello, MCC, BCC, is a business and executive coach, communication specialist, motivational speaker and coach trainer. She collaborates with leaders and executive coaches to promote highly beneficial business outcomes. With over 30 years of experience and expertise in business management, financial planning, and higher education, Karen has brought a broad-based background to her coaching clientele.

Written by: Chrissy Metge, 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. Up-to-date branding: As a creative, you are often at the front of what you do, which means people want to see you. This means photographs of yourself. It's better to lead the way with the pictures you want on the internet than some random photos that people grab off your social media. Getting a professional photo can seem daunting, but it makes a big difference. You don't need to spend a fortune on this or get dozens. Aim for 2-5 high-quality photographs to get you going and get new ones every 3-5 years. This keeps you and your branding fresh. Knowing about the latest trends within your field: You don't have to have in-depth knowledge about every topic, but you need to know about the latest trends. AI right now is a massive topic in the creative sector that is touching almost every business. Listen to podcasts or read some articles; this allows you to enter conversations and build relationships. Social and being interactive in like-minded communities: You need to be present; out of sight, out of mind is a real thing. People will forget to include you or recommend you to new clients if you are not around. The new year is a perfect time to do this, loop back to your clients from last year, wish them a Happy New Year, or if you have completed a project, send them the latest work you have done or your updated portfolio. Are there new events taking place or cafe chats? Attend any social gatherings to build those relationships and talk about what you are doing. Give your time willingly to up-and-coming students, schools, and communities: Being generous with your time to those starting out is great for a fresh perspective and keeping you grounded; it's also good for your reputation. These communities talk, and who you are will spread quickly, especially if you do a good job. Get in touch with your local universities, colleges and schools and offer to be a guest lecturer. Go to your local community centre or library and offer to do workshops. Get out there and be seen. Be approachable: The foundation of building good relationships is being approachable. Then ideas and trust can grow. How do you achieve this? Adopt open body language, make eye contact, smile and create space. If that's not working, try wearing something that sparks a conversation or bring in something for morning or afternoon tea to have an excuse to hang out. Ask questions and keep learning: This also ties in with keeping up with the latest trends. Asking questions is another way to show people you are engaged with what they are saying and contributing to being part of a team. By asking questions, it is also important to know what your project is missing or to create a space for others to speak. Learning is vital, we are naturally curious, and our brains need to be utilised. This can be short courses, nonfiction books, articles or attending seminars. As creatives, we must keep our minds fed with new and innovative ideas. Give yourself space to be a creative: As a creative, we need to fill our well to be inspired, and if you don't create space for this, you will find yourself unmotivated and lacking in new ideas or enthusiasm. It helps if you book ways to fill your inspiration in advance and give you something to look forward to, whether it's that trip to a museum or art gallery to see a new exhibition coming up, or to the theatre or even a trip overseas, put them into the calendar. Also, be aware of how often you need to do this. If you need something every other day, go for a walk at lunchtime and try a new cafe or visit your local bookshop to get inspiration quickly in other ways. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Chrissy! Chrissy Metge, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chrissy Metge has been a producer and leader in the animation film and TV industry for over 20 years. As well as making movies, Chrissy is an author, publisher, mentor, career coach, and lecturer to many creatives. Her love for storytelling and recognising and mentoring creative talent is her driving force for being a creative entrepreneur.

Written by: Veronica Sanchez De Darivas, 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. Personal development is a concept that has become fashionable in recent years and that implies a series of advantages for our internal and external progress. Personal development can be defined as the process of taking the necessary steps to become the best version of yourself. It is about growing in all areas of life to reach your true potential, which involves making conscious decisions that positively affect your mental, emotional and physical state. When we are able to develop our skills and knowledge and cultivate our inner being or our soul, we can be more successful and live a meaningful life. There are many tools available to help us on our personal development journey, we will discuss a few here. Self-reflection Self-reflection is the act of reflecting on oneself, it helps us to observe our behavior and our attitudes, making us understand how our actions and decisions affect not only ourselves, but also those around us. It is very useful to reflect on a regular basis to assess how you are progressing and which areas of your life need more attention. To practice self-reflection, you can take a moment each day or once a week and consider the following questions: What did I achieve today or this week? What did I do well? What could I have done better? What areas of my life are causing me stress? How can I improve my general well-being? Goal setting Setting goals and objectives help us to stay motivated, even more, without goals, it is easy to feel like we are not moving forward and give up. There are a few things we need to keep in mind when setting goals and objectives. First, make sure your goals are realistic, because it is not helpful to set goals that are impossible to achieve. Although, deep down, most things are possible, we must be honest with ourselves and know what we can and want to achieve and when. Second, set specific goals, as vague or unclear goals are more difficult to achieve. Finally, write down your objectives and goals and save that writing in a place where you can see it often, as this will help you stay on track. Positive Thinking and Feeling Positive thinking is very helpful in assisting us deal with difficult situations and events in our daily lives. However, thinking positively is not enough, because many times when thinking positive we are not feeling that way, rather we tend to feel thoughts that are not so good much more. I always mention that it is not about not having negative thoughts or emotions, because that is impossible in this physical plane of separated poles, rather is about to take into account those emotions and thoughts and then be able to elevate our vibration to a slightly higher point, which allows us to observe ourselves and from there find solutions and act. One way to start this practice is to develop the ability of observing our thoughts and emotions and here self-reflection can help us greatly. In addition, being aware of the power of words will make us advance even further on the path of self-knowledge. In this sense, one way to activate positivity in us is to repeat affirmations that empower and motivate us. But, we cannot forget that repetition must be accompanied by feeling. Meditation Meditation is an excellent tool to calm the mind, to help us stay focused and productive and, of course, to advance internally, that is, spiritually. In its simplest form, meditation is concentrating on a single thought, sound, or sensation, and guided meditations are extremely helpful in this regard. Meditation gives us the ability to really pay full and conscious attention to the now, to the present moment. It is scientifically proven that meditating reduces stress, anxiety, depression and pain. Meditation also improves memory, creativity and emotional self-regulation. Personal Development Books Personal development books offer advice and guidance on how to achieve our personal, spiritual, and professional goals. Reading this type of books can serve as a guide in various aspects of life, as they bring along valuable teachings that, if put into practice, can change our lives for the better. Many of these books focus on developing leadership skills and success in life. Other books focus on developing creativity, overcoming adversity, and personal motivation. Other books tell us about the soul and spirit, teach us how to meditate and live in the present moment. No matter what the subject of a personal development book is, they all have the potential to transform the lives of those who read them and put their teachings into practice. Courses and workshops Attending courses and workshops that help us acquire new knowledge and discover our abilities is highly recommended in our personal journey. These courses not only affect our self-esteem and confidence for the better, but also help us find our purpose in life. In a personal development course, we can learn useful tools that help us achieve the objectives and goals that we have set for ourselves. With this type of courses we can also obtain a greater knowledge of ourselves and of others, making our personal relationships full of understanding, respect and love. Finally, I must say that starting the path of developing your inner and outer persona can be intimidating, but it does not have to be. The first step is to identify what areas of your life you want to focus on, once you have identified these areas, you can create a plan that will help you achieve your goals and objectives. It is helpful and advisable to create a support system and perhaps find a mentor or coach. You should also make sure to set aside time each day to focus on your chosen development activities. Personal development is self-care and is a continuous journey. Taking the necessary steps to start the journey and use the available tools requires will, commitment and consistency. Only then can we move towards achieving our goals, only then can we know ourselves and expand in all areas of our lives. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Veronica! Veronica Sanchez De Darivas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Veronica Sanchez De Darivas shares tools on how to manage stress, negative emotions and build resilience and on how to use high vibration words. Veronica is a Spanish grammar and literature teacher. During the last twelve years, she has dedicated herself to spirituality and is a Certified Instructor for the Cyclopea Method of Internal Activation of the Pineal Gland, a method created in South America 33 years ago by the spiritual leader Fresia Castro. Veronica is the first instructor in the world teaching this life changing method in English. Veronica is a Spiritual Life Coach and a HeartMath Certified Coach as well. Veronica is also an author. She has been writing for many years for online magazines and blogs in Spanish and English. Veronica is both a Chilean and an Australian citizen now living in the UK. Her mission is the expansion of consciousness.

Written by: Yvette Durazo, 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. Conflict intelligence refers to the broad range of skills that allow professionals in the field to manage normative conflicts successfully that come as a result of changing situations. It also makes professionals more capable of successfully resolving these different types of conflicts without hurting other people’s existing relationships among their peers. Professionals with conflict intelligence tend to manage pressure and stress much better than others in the workplace. It is the art of staying calm but alert during intense pressure or major conflicts while finding solutions to them. Staying calm and considerate helps you think straight and understand various situations carefully. Conflict intelligence can also help you convey your message through verbal and non-verbal means, while controlling your emotions and focusing on the main concern. Importance of Conflict IQ for professionals A high conflict intelligence helps develop stronger connections, reduces team stress, resolves conflicts, and improves job satisfaction. A higher conflict intelligence means having the capacity to increase team productivity and improve employee retention. Conflict IQ increases awareness and helps you learn about the root cause of your problems. Once you learn your problems and the reasons behind them, you can start looking for a solution. It also makes you believe a positive change is possible, which makes finding a solution a lot easier. Effective conflict resolution techniques aim to prevent arguments from getting worse. Meanwhile, continuing to address all sides of the issue to come to a mutually agreeable solution. You'll be more equipped to learn from, and teach people, in professional and personal environments if you work on your conflict resolution skills. If you are on the top level of your company and people look to you to address their issues, you need to have strong conflict resolution skills to meet their expectations. You have to manage these conflicts to maintain a positive environment where change is possible. Conflict Intelligence is more than a Soft Skill Conflict resolution is more than just a soft skill, as leaders will also need to have knowledge about humanity, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Conflict is inevitable in our daily lives and at work, depleting the valuable energy we can use for productivity and innovative ideas. There has never been a better time to develop conflict intelligence, given the different types of conflict in more diverse work environments. A newly applied framework offers new meta-competencies for Conflict Intelligence and Systemic Wisdom. The research guides people in resolving conflict and fostering more constructive and peaceful relations in various contexts. It is based on insights from research in psychology, conflict studies, and complexity science. How to handle conflict on a professional level Nearly 43% of CEOs chose "conflict management skills" as their top area for personal improvement when asked about their biggest skill. Since CEOs must handle various constituencies daily, learning good conflict management techniques should be one of their top responsibilities. As a CEO and decision-maker, a wide range of issues will cross your desk daily. Your employees look up to you and need you to help them with your expertise and conflict-resolution skills. Decisions become centralized when they come to you, and they will take less time to resolve when there is less involvement from a third party. We will discuss some essential communication components to handle conflict in the workplace. Talk to your colleagues and discuss work and other work-related issues. Try to solve them mutually. Also, including them in the decision-making process can make them feel more valued. You should focus on important events and behavior and not personalities. Listen carefully when your co-workers talk to you and make them feel heard. Enjoy the similarities between you and your co-workers and respect the differences to make your workplace a much healthier place to work. Identify your points of agreement and disagreements with your colleagues. If you find an area of conflict, make it your priority to solve that conflict. Create plans and objectives to work on conflicts and their solution. Follow your plans and develop ways to succeed. Professionals that work with people daily should read this book. Conflict cannot be avoided, but we must also prevent it from worsening. Professionals will realize that conflict is not all bad when handled properly and may enhance interpersonal relationships and organizational culture. Skills needed for conflict management Conflict management is developed using various skills and styles. Here are some of the basic conflict management skills. 1. Active Listening Active listening is the art of listening to another person carefully. The key to solving conflicts is paying close attention to what the other person is saying. Although sales assistants frequently use this competency to better connect with customers during a pitch, any accomplished professional should also be able to use it with their team. The most crucial thing you can do to improve your active listening skills is to keep an open mind. Pay attention to how the other person is expressing what is bothering them. Then, carefully reply to them to make them feel heard. This shows that you paid attention to what they were saying and aids in dispelling any ambiguity regarding the topics being covered. Additionally, remember to clarify any points you're unclear about and focus on figuring out what the other person wants. 2. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand the perspective of other people. One has to think about what is going on in another person's mind while doing something. It is important to know before taking any action. 3. Patience You encounter different types of people daily; some will never accept that they are in the wrong. In this situation, patience is necessary to overcome these issues. Conclusion There are various ways to solve conflicts in a workplace to improve the workplace for your co-workers. Conflict Intelligence “Quotient Conflict-IQ” is a good read for people having trouble managing conflicts in a workplace and solving them effectively. You can also test your Conflict-IQ™. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Yvette! Yvette Durazo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Yvette Durazo, MA, ACC is the author of the book Conflict Intelligence Quotient (Conflict IQ™); The Missing Piece to Turbocharge Conscious Leaders’ and Organizations’ Emotional Intelligence. She is the founder and principal consultant at Unitive Consulting, a workplace organizational effectiveness, strategic conflict management, and leadership development firm. Some of her services included, training, mediating conflicts in the workplace, anti-bullying prevention, settlement negotiations, developing dispute system design, and bringing unique strategies to address the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workplace. She is passionate about optimizing professionals and teams to engage in constructive problem-solving communication toward instilling respect, civility, and collaboration. She believes that human conflict is one of the most important things organizations must learn to work with and harness to overcome any derailing of employees’ performance and engagement. Her methodologies are like a vitamin that is the breath of life to the immunity of organizations. Presently, Yvette is an instructor for the Human Resource Management Certification program at the University of California, Santa Clara Extension Silicon Valley. She also is an instructor for the University of California Davis, Conflict Resolution Program and teaches for Portland State University in the Conflict Resolution and Mediation department. She holds a PCC coaching credential from the International Coach Federation, a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, and Peacebuilding from California State University Dominguez Hills, and an undergraduate degree in International Business from San Diego State University. She is a former Core Adjunct Professor at National University, where she taught courses in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, and Communication for over six years, and a former Instructor for the Leon Guanajuato Mexico Institution Power of Justice. Yvette is fully bilingual in Spanish and has expertise in cultural diversity and inclusion.

Written by: Diane Hiller, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The lotus flower blooming out of the mud is symbolic. This flower is significant, with each part representing some aspect of life and existence. Buddhists view it as a symbol of spiritual awakening and purity. The mud is also very emblematic of this tradition. It can serve as a representation of the challenges and suffering we all must face throughout this life. Through learning and experience, we can overcome being in the mud (ego or subconscious) to break to the water’s surface and unfold (like the many-petaled loti) to reveal our true beauty, our divine essence. Is it possible to be totally “enlightened” in this lifetime? Good question, but after decades of study, I am inclined to say no. This quest is not for the faint of heart. I recall discussing with a graduate-level professor about us being the only species capable of witnessing our thoughts. Try as I might, this person had no idea what I was talking about. Many books will be referenced below. But the question then becomes, who is the witness? Many of us who work with the realm of spirit have access to this part of our mind to utilize to help others and ourselves, but do we live there all the time? No. I/we call this part the higher self. One day we may be in our higher mind 80% of the time and another more in the ego mind. When I read for clients, I am in my higher mind the entire time. I lose track of time; I often need to remember what I say. I am totally present at that moment. As you evolve in consciousness, it becomes harder and harder to stay in the ego mind, as well as painful. Here are some examples: Ego Mind ‒ Fear-based. Running the same patterns and problems repeatedly, including addictions and habits. Seeks to protect self out of fear. It runs on auto-pilot. Likes the familiar. Holds on tightly to the unhealed part of you. Higher Self ‒ Lives more in the present moment. Wants you to reach your highest potential. Loves the new. Trusts. It is the best part of you. It is connected to the divine. I have heard some say we need to “abolish “ the ego. This is neither possible nor is it realistic. We need the ego to function. As Cameron Day says in his meditations below, the ego was meant to be a GPS, but it has taken control and gone haywire. When you are in the presence of someone with a huge ego, they are unbearable. Trust me, when you decide not to live your life in a fear-based, conditioned way, the ego will put up one hell of a fight. This internal struggle for control is often called “The Dark Night of the Soul” Or egoic death. You may spiral up and down with this many times. The ego will eventually become subservient to the higher self, and you will live with a different way of seeing the world—a new perspective. It can take some work and practice to make this transformational shift. If you were to do Vipassana mediation, you would watch your mind in action and realize it is like James Joyce’s stream of consciousness. It is random; a thought happens, then an emotion, then another idea, and it becomes a real show. It is called the “Monkey Mind.” The goal of any valid meditation method is to tame or slow down this unproductive and redundant thought process. Connecting with the breath is the fastest way out of the monkey mind. All mindfulness practice is cumulative. Even 10 minutes daily would be enough to slow down this thought process. Pranayama, or opposite nostril breathing, is one such method. It should be noted that it is not always possible or advisable to try to overcome a genetically based anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorder with this alone. You don’t slap a band-aid on cancer or meditate away a broken bone. Let’s get real here. Many clients seek me out when they are in the process of transition. It has more and more become an area of focus. It feels to them as though nothing is working with love, career, family, or money. Perhaps not all areas at once but enough to see that this pattern has emerged from the subconscious to be healed. It will be apparent everywhere. Decisions will need to be made. Stay where you are or change. Some doors will need to be closed. New doors may not have opened yet, and it feels like nothing is happening when in reality, there is much going on internally. At this point, some will decide to turn back. At another point, you will take one more step and be unable to turn around. I call the place of closed doors when new ones have not opened yet, the hallway. It is uncomfortable. I am often asked how long it will last and do not have the answer. Free choice and free will come into play here. Carl Jung said it best; as you can tell, I am a massive fan of his work. “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.” I can say with a relative degree of certainty; Your ego is the problem. You do not have to live in fear and uncertainty: you can make positive changes. Once you decide, may many excellent teachers find you. Below is a list of resources you may find helpful on your journey. And do remember, “The journey is the destination.” ‒ Dan Eldon Book References: The Power of Now ‒ Ekhart Tolle The Hero with a Thousand Faces: The Collected works of Joseph Campbell Jack-Engler ‒ interview-You-have-to-be-somebody-before-you-can-be-nobody Handbook to Higher Consciousness ‒ Ken Keyes, Jr. Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective ‒ Mark Epstein Practice: Cameron Day ‒ https://ascensionhelp.com/higher-self-meditation.php Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website for more info! Read more from Diane! Diane Hiller, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Diane is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Psychic Medium, Certified Feng Shui Master, and Medical Intuitive. She has been tested for accuracy. After working in the nursing field as an LPN for 13 years, she returned to college and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She then went on to earn her Master's (MSW) with a Major in Clinical and a Minor in Research, both from the University of Connecticut. She is licensed by State examination as an LCSW. In 2005 she founded Elemental Empowerments, LLC. She is noted in the book “The Top 100 Psychics and Astrologers in America.” She is one of the most well-researched psychics In North America.

Written by: Kiara Norwood, M.A. , 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 Spirituality? Spirituality can be defined as our connection to something bigger than ourselves. According to Brown (2018), “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.” Often, we express this spirituality through religious affiliation or involvement, exploring nature, and/or practices such as prayer or meditation. Many people have described these practices as helping them feel peace and providing a sense of community. However, what happens when our spiritual practices are harmful to ourselves or others? What Is Harmful Spirituality? When something is “harmful,” it can be described as negatively impacting or creating potentially devastating effects on someone or something. I was part of a harmful and cult-like set of religious organizations/churches. The brand of religion and spirituality to which I was taught to subscribe taught me I was innately “bad,” that nothing good could come from me outside of a greater spiritual being, that women were to be seen as lesser than men, that LGBTQ folx were traumatized, perverted, and confused; and that there was only one true way to connect with The Creator. I call this harmful because it created devastating effects that I had to be very intentional to process and heal from. It impacted me deeply in my core self-knowledge and belief in self. The healing from that is a continuous process. Before me embarking upon my healing journey, my inner voice was often very critical. My perceptions of relationships were unhealthy and skewed. My beliefs in my capability and competence were limited. I believed there was only one way to practice spirituality and that there was only one set of “true” spiritual beliefs. My ability to incorporate the spiritual practices of those that came before me was non-existent. The practices created a very unhealthy perception of self. My self was fragmented, unable to be properly integrated, and filled with anxiety from ignoring the ways my body told me these practices were harmful. These experiences stopped me from reaching my full potential, from believing in myself and others, from seeing the beauty in other cultures and their practices, from connecting with past elders, and from experiencing and celebrating the beauty of living in the present moment due to an ingrained obsessive focus with “eternity.” How Do You Know If Your Spiritual Practices Are Unhealthy? Often, we do not recognize the signs that our spiritual practices are unhealthy until substantial harm has been done. What are some signs that your spirituality is unhealthy? Your spiritual practices, and/or the people you engage in them with, make you feel isolated, hyper-self-critical, embarrassed, and/or less than others. Your spiritual practices isolate you from loved ones and those with whom you share relationships. Your spiritual practices cause you to ignore, participate in, or create harm to yourself, other individuals, or other groups of people. Your practices point to one person, institution, or way of thinking being the source of all knowledge and truth. Your practices teach you to distrust yourself, your inner voice, and/or your intuition. You often experience symptoms of your fight, flight, or freeze response being activated more than you feel calm or at peace in your spiritual practices. Symptoms of this include feelings of unsafety, clammy/sweaty hands or body, long-lasting quickened heartbeat, feeling as if you will pass out, feelings of prolonged hunger or dehydration, feelings of your stomach “dropping” or “jumping,” feelings of doom or as if something bad will happen, feelings of fear or terror, etc. While there can be other signs, these are a few that can serve as indicators to dig deeper and devote more attention to the way you are being impacted by your practices. What Is Healthy Spirituality? What does it mean for spirituality to be healthy? Healthy spirituality contributes to positive health and well-being for its subscribers. It helps others to see the good in themselves and those around them. It helps people to recognize our interconnectedness to others and the world around us. Healthy spirituality draws you closer to your purpose. It helps you on your path. It helps to further illustrate the principles that help us to grow in love, character, and tolerance. It creates balance, unity, and harmony internally and externally. How Do You Know If Your Spiritual Practices Are Healthy? In my present day, my spiritual practices align with me. They enlighten me. They help me to honor my ancestors. They help me to see and understand myself and my path. My practices help me to help others. My practices help me to experience healthy interconnectedness and interdependence. Here are some signs that your spiritual practices are healthy for you: Your practices help you feel at peace and safe. Your practices encourage healthy relationships and community with a balance of boundaries and interconnectedness. Your practices help you connect more deeply with the world and earth around you. Your practices help you to practice the principles of equity, humility, inclusion, tolerance, and love for others. Your practices help you feel greater connection and love to yourself, your lineage, and/or your internal and external power. Overall, experiences with personal spiritual practices can be beautiful gifts. They can be activities to cherish, practice regularly, and connect with our best selves. We are all connected to something greater, and acknowledging and participating in that truth can propel us to new heights. Be well. Be vigilant over yourself and your beautiful spiritual connection to yourself and Mother Earth. With Gratitude and Grace, Ase’. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Kiara Norwood, M.A., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kiara Norwood, M.A. is an alternative wellness therapist and certified trauma specialist. She is a trailblazer in the practice of alternative wellness and healing for women of color experiencing mind-body-spirit concerns. She is a certified coach, certified level 3 reiki practitioner, and certified holistic herbalist. After working in the mental health field and navigating her wellness journey for several years, she recognized that additional options were needed to help people achieve holistic wellness. She decided to open an alternative wellness practice to help women of color heal holistically and authentically. Her mission is to help women of color live fulfilling lives and holistically heal trauma through the use of ancestral remedies and alternative wellness therapies. References: Brown, B. (2018, March 27). Defining spirituality . Brené Brown. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://brenebrown.com/articles/2018/03/27/defining-spirituality/

Written by: Dr. Christopher Ashton , 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. Puzzling, bewildering and tragic is the experience of people, family and loved ones when seeing, against all rationality, the drinker drinks again or the addict starts consuming. We cheer their efforts as they seem to be doing all the right things and showing sincere effort, and yet another round of disaster ensues. Often people die, although it’s often listed as ‘suicide’ not substance use disorder (SUD). Truth is that the two entities often go hand in hand. 7 to 10 day detox programs are almost a certain recipe for failure, although they’re to be commended for providing humanitarian support for people who can’t carry on with the sickness of substances and allow them a reprieve. 12 Step programs are equally ineffective for the vast majority of persons who participate. Nonetheless, they are to be applauded for offering hope, support and occasional success at no cost to suffering people, most of whom cannot afford the price of private rehabs. It’s difficult to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction as a ‘disease’ when households are being torn apart, people are being shot or robbed, or precious lives instantly evaporate as a result of drunk drivers This series will shine light on the ‘whys’ of continued tragedy and offer a rational approach out. People who continue to consume or those who relapse in light of clear evidence that substances are destroying their lives and those around them appear to have no conscience. Rather, in a mammalian sense, they seem to care nothing about getting drunk or high. Despite major attempts, it’s difficult to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction as a ‘disease’ when households are being torn apart, people are being shot or robbed, or precious lives instantly evaporate as a result of drunk drivers. Where does one even start to make sense of this societal mayhem caused by drugs and alcohol? Definitions of disease and disorder vary so widely across associations and professions that they offer little in terms of description. I just call it ‘the monster’ given what it does to people, often seemingly beyond control. Completely baffling in how people can suddenly relapse often without warning signs, it is little wonder that it’s been framed as a spiritual condition, a matter to be managed by higher powers. Fortunately, it can be characterized as something real and comprehensible although there are many components to it. This series takes a reductionist approach initially in hopes that the reader will be able to ‘connect the dots’ after reading chapters down the road. Let’s have another look at the following frightening brain scan (Source: Harvard Medical School, 2021) of someone addicted to cocaine and what it illustrates. Clearly, the yellow part in the front of the brain above the eyes (orbitofrontal cortex or OFC) shows far less activity in the addicted person than the healthy control. Secondly, the purple section in the interior of the brain (mid-brain or limbic system) is far more expanded in the cocaine person. It even looks a bit like a monster. From conception to approximately age 25, the yellow and purple areas codevelop together in aim of survival based on ‘healthy’ or ‘neurotypical’ decisions that are good for people over the life course. Very, very briefly, the yellow area (the prefrontal cortex) is considered the rational part of the brain developed to align with societal values and norms and make decisions in response to motivating stimuli from the purple part (the rest of the limbic system). Also simplified, the yellow area is considered more ‘conscious’ (meaning the person is aware and thus may be able to exert influence). The purple area is ‘subconscious’ and provides energy, stimuli and occasionally instructions based on emotions. The monster affects both, drastically. Motivation for action is through dopamine, a neurotransmitter often confused as imparting reward In neurotypical persons, the deeper limbic system signals want or need (and occasionally directly creates action) and creates motivation for action (through dopamine, a neurotransmitter often confused as imparting reward) to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for processing. The two major regions are in continuous communication with each other. The PFC can roughly be described as a traffic light in response to the inputs from the rest of the limbic system. Largely acting on inhibitory signal strength, the PFC may immediately stop an action motivated by the limbic system (red light), determine it needs further consideration and engage other executive brain structures (yellow light) or approve it immediately (green light). In severe SUD, the PFC signal strength is such that it acts as a green light, allowing actions and behaviors to be dictated by the emotional center of the brain. Overall, decisions and actions are largely based on the relative strength of executive and emotional electrical signals. Persons are essentially powerless for a certain time period; choice regarding substances can be absent Returning back to our diagram from HMS, a characteristic phenomenon of SUD is explained, that is the inexplicable continued consumption of addictive substances despite all rational evidence to abstain. In addicted persons and those who have abstained for minimal time periods, there is simply not enough capacity for signal strength in the PFC to inhibit (red) or even consider consequences (yellow) of exaggerated impulses to indulge in substances from the purple area. Persons are essentially powerless for a certain time period. Nonetheless under the correct conditions, the PFC can reactivate as the emotional centers are slowly normalizing. Estimates are that this neurobiological process isn’t truly in synchrony for at least three months. It is little wonder that detox units are temporizing measures as are the majority of other modalities. Once severe SUD has developed, choice is essentially absent in the early days when the correct cue or stress is presented (often minute in nature). Terrible things happen, usually worse than previous (further chapters in this series will explain why). Nobody or nothing often seems to help. Efforts focused on re-establishing prefrontal cortex capacity can be life saving Fundamentally, efforts focused on re-establishing prefrontal cortex capacity can be life saving. Equally ensuring low stress (stress impairs healing) and safe environments minimizing cues are often paramount. ‘Turning the lights back on’ in the PFC is promoted through general healthy lifestyle measures. Additionally, we have found neurofeedback meditation, cognitive challenge and monitoring, as well as high intensity exercise gives far better outcomes than many conventional approaches through focusing directly on prefrontal cortex activity. The next chapter in this series will discuss the science of altered reward function and the development of a separate anti-reward system as empowering the monster. Follow me on LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Christopher! Dr. Christopher Ashton, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christopher Ashton is a thought leader and truth seeker in all matters pertaining to improving health in individuals, organizations and populations. Educated in engineering physics, medicine and business finance, Christopher is able to connect the dots in multidisciplinary, complex scenarios in a manner few other persons can. Driven by the belief that answers always exist, he is currently making sense of previously incomprehensible human decisions from an organic, scientific basis. His personal goal, create something so creative and discover new truths worthy of consideration for a Nobel prize.

Written by: Tricia Brouk, 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 able to support speakers in using their voices for impact is a privilege and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark to discuss why wealth management is more than just money. Mark Fujiwara is a certified portfolio manager, certified exit planning advisor and director at Baird with 30 years of industry experience. He is the author of Superior Results: Maximizing the Value of Your Family Office Just Like the Super-Rich, forthcoming in early 2023 and a guest instructor at the Global School of Entrepreneurship for courses on family office and mergers and acquisitions. Mark, you are in the business of wealth management and financial service. What is the difference between a single-family office and multi-family office? An effective family office is a group of expert professionals to deliver two major categories of expertise: wealth management and family support. The primary difference between a single-family office and a multi-family office is that a single-family office is composed of professionals who exclusively work for one extremely wealthy who’s chief goal is to address the needs, wants, concerns, and preferences of the one family. A multi-family office consists of professionals who work for multiple families. Single-family offices are ideal for maximizing wealth with the highest level of control, assurance of confidentiality and minimal if any conflicts of interest. However, to run an effective single-family office, the family must be willing to spend a large amount for hiring and retaining full-time, exclusive top professionals. Thus, a single-family office is usually suitable for families with net worths of over $250 million. Multi-family offices are less costly and could have a big range of proficiencies since there are a lot more professionals to select. This is why it is imperative to have a consummate professional who could help not only lead your multi-family office but to be the one who selects the other professionals to have a fully functioning team. How did you come to this work? Two big turning points. When I was seven years old, my mother introduced me to the stock pages in the newspaper. With my love of math and a mom who made learning fun, I became quickly hooked. Invested in my first stock shortly after, the stock went up. It doubled in two years. My family owned a very large Chinese restaurant throughout my childhood. Again with my love of numbers and seeing money grow, I started to learn how a business was run and how a business made money. Just as I went off to university to become a portfolio manager, our restaurant was running on all cylinders, our key professional, my Uncle Park who was our chief growth officer, rainmaker, the one who brought in all the large banquets passed away. We did not have a succession plan nor did we have consummate professionals to properly plan and find solutions for the longevity of our restaurant and were forced to close our doors as I was graduating business school. With this heavily on my mind, I started in this business focussing on all the areas of wealth planning especially on risk and succession planning. Your personal story of anxiety and mental health challenges has been a huge part of your calling in the perfect clients. Why is modeling for your clients so important? My effectiveness in connecting and maximizing what I deliver to the client comes down to how deeply my clients share with me. There are two core ways I accomplish this which is to allow the client to speak 80% of the meeting AND to be completely open with my clients on my mental health struggles. The subject of charitable giving comes up in almost every preliminary meeting. I always ask what causes the client to feel strongly and why. The client will answer and then follow with the same reciprocating question about my causes. I will tell them about my big personal cause of mental health and some of the reasons why. My cousin dying of suicide at the age of 15 when I was a senior in college is an example. My struggles with depression, anxiety, and ADHD my entire life and hiding it because of the stigma around mental health is what I can share to connect us deeply. The client who hears this can fully relate, sometimes their own struggles and most often a close family member. They often reveal a bit more about themselves which always improves how I can help them even more. This also has drawn perfectly ideal clients and filtered out wrong character fit clients. In order to rewire your brain, you decided to take on the 100 Days of Your Comfort Zone, mission if you will. Tell us a little about that and why you did this. I had recently sat down with my business coach and realized that my growth in my business was literally non-existent in the past two years. My portfolio performance was subpar. Everything in my life was in a rut. I was just diagnosed with being on the verge of diabetes, low energy, still going through PTSD of my divorce, and feeling constantly anxious, depressed, and at times hopeless and suicidal. I needed to shake things up in my life, so through the inspiration of Ted Talk speaker, best-selling author, Jia Jiang who did 100 days in a row of rejection, I thought what I needed to do was 100 days outside of my comfort zone. I wrote out almost 200 ways to get uncomfortable and committed to do it every single day. From these 100 days, my portfolio performance skyrocketed, focussed on highest value to clients which resulted in a family office practice. Some other amazing outcomes, I met my wife by going out with someone ten years younger than me, qualified for the Boston Marathon, and also started sharing my struggles of mental health to others. This was the biggest one because I feel it is the reason I am here to tell this story. And when you think about financial service and wealth management, how can your story of rewiring your brain help us to think differently about our wealth and the management of it? In the wealth management industry, rewiring is seldom if ever done. The industry continues to make money, lots of money, so many do not see the value of making any changes, getting out of their comfort zone. First on the investment side, switching out of the same allocation models used by all of the advisors out there and modeling the super-rich, I have found investments that create a higher level of return with less risk. It takes work but that’s why our clients are paying us. Getting out of the comfort zone starts with asking how we can do this better. That’s where it started with my practice. Using what the single-family offices are doing and taking that down to the level of the non-billionaire client takes getting uncomfortable. However, with what I experienced with my 100 days of uncomfortable challenges, if we continue to go outside the comfort zone for the betterment of the industry, we can greatly achieve the highest value to our clients. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website! Read more from Tricia! Tricia Brouk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tricia Brouk is an international award-winning director. She has worked in theater, film, and television for three decades. Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. She was the executive producer of Speakers Who Dare and TEDxLincolnSquare and now The Big Talk Live. She is currently being featured in a new documentary called Big Stages, which highlights the transformation of her speakers. Tricia’s commitment and devotion to inclusion are a priority as all of her shows, events, and communities are diverse. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC, The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast on iTunes and YouTube. The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy was a 1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020. She was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance in 2021. Her documentaries have received critical acclaim—winning Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival and Los Angeles Movie Awards. Tricia has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, New York Public Library, I Heart My Life Live, and The National Organization for Rare Disorders.