WILD MAG #1 June 2022: Rhonda Swan

rhonda swan // swank a posh // iceshaker // beauty kitchen

Publisher rhonda swan

Editor In Chief

nigel simmonds

Creative Director

stuart sullivan

Graphic Design

adi mika

Sales & Marketing

brian swan

President UBA (Bali)

neleke mcdermott

Las Vegas Representative

heather marianna

Los Angeles Representative aJ schmidt

NYC Representative

James clark

Unstoppable Branding Agency

7940 Front Beach Road #1126

Panama City Beach, Florida 32407, USA

Email: support@unstoppablebrandingagency.com

Tel: +1 (808) 746-7466

WILD Magazine is published by the Unstoppable Branding Agency, a forward-thinking public relations and branding company based in Bali with influence and followers internationally.

UBA utilizes storytelling, SEO, and brand messaging to grow its clients’ personal branding. It employs experts from all over the world (from countries such as Malaysia, New Zealand, Germany, the UK, Singapore,

France, America, and more) in related fields such as digital marketing, graphic design, UI/UX, and content production as well as publishing. For its employees, degrees are not the prerequisite – instead, it is experience, knowledge, and skill which matter to the company.

Unstoppable Branding Agency was founded upon Rhonda Swan’s firm belief in the importance of empowering

www.costesportrait.com

© No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

women everywhere. As a child, Rhonda grew up in a turbulent home and struggled with her self-image and an eating disorder that lasted for almost 10 years.

When she overcame her struggles, Rhonda realized that she wanted to help other women achieve the same success. The drive behind the Unstoppable Branding Agency is to empower women by showing them that

unleashing their voice is of paramount importance in order to attain success.

This is the launch issue of WILD Magazine, a publication which seeks to leverage the company’s faith in women and their partners across all countries and nationalities.

We feel privileged that you are taking the time to read our publication, it makes what we do so worthwhile.

Rhonda Swan photographed by Ryerson Anselmo for Costes Portrait.

So hERE WE ARE

IT’s been a wild couple of years, and yet a collection of innovators and instigators who are leading on the world stage to redefine traditional power structures and forge lasting impact in every industry and sphere of influence have emerged.

They’re using their power and their platforms to scale global business, solve the world’s most intractable issues, transform cultural narratives and make significant strides toward advancing equality.

Their accomplishments are formidable on their own, and even more so given how difficult it can be to establish inroads into industries and job titles long-dominated by men, especially in tech, online marketing, PR, defense, venture capital, and Hollywood.

Over the past 10 years, the ability to create influence and power has evolved – and this is especially true for women. We’ve witnessed an unprecedented groundswell of momentum that’s upended traditional power structures and ignited a global reckoning around gender inequities.

Social media continues to break down traditional barriers to power. Women leaders are now paying their power forward, with the advancement of gender equity at the forefront, rather than a footnote, of their efforts.

As we continue to the close of the current decade, how has women’s power advanced over the past 10 years? Where have we seen the biggest strides made? And where is the most work still be done?

Women Gone Wild authors are going to crack that question open.

It’s time to crack this open.

Rhonda Swan, CEO Unstoppable Branding Agency

ConTEnTS

20

A DRIANA MONIQUE A LvAREZ

Wall Street Journal bestselling author and business consultant Adriana Monique Alvarez is transforming the book publishing industry. Read on ...

22

DIANA WENTWORTH

Diana Wentworth is the powerhouse behind the Chicken Soup For The Soul series. Here she shares with us her secrets for a best-selling book launch.

24

TARRYN REE v ES

E ntrepreneur and go-getter Tarryn Reeves built a thriving publishing business with a little help from the universe ... and a series of soaring eagles.

28

BLAIR KAPLAN

Life began with the word, and so it continues for storyteller Blair Kaplan venables.

32

HEATHER M ARIANNA

Heather is all about her all-natural, plant-based skincare product line, Beauty Kitchen, which delivers a luxurious at-home spa experience with simple ingredients at an affordable price.

38

W HY WOMEN MAKE THE BEST ENTREPRENEURS

It’s not news to us, but there’s a thousand reasons why women make better players in the business and entrepreneurship world than men. Here’s a few of them.

44

DANA KAY

If you’re a child or parent struggling with ADHD, you can thank this gifted guru for setting new standards in modern treatment.

48

SHAR MOORE

Female-forward companies like Feminessence – created by Shar Moore – revolve around building communities of women leaders. Check out her story in WILD Magazine ...

52

LEAH STEELE

Say hello to The Wealth Witch Leah Steele, and change your paradigm from the old news set to something more befitting your goals.

56

GENE v IE v E SEARLE

Genevieve Searle helps break your epigenetic code to reprogram for your best life.

60

R HONDA SWAN

She’s the powerhouse mother to Hanalie and wife to Brian ... and so much more. Rhonda’s story is one of overcoming adversity to create a new life of freedom that’s led her to a position of gratitude.

66

EBONY SWANK

She saw a gap in the market based on her own experience and her innate business savvy. And then built Swank A Posh.

70

TARYN LEE

She’s the perfect mix of science and beauty ... Taryn uses vibrational knowledge to advance your goals.

76

A NIA H ALAMA

Ania carved out a life as a nomadic world traveler ... and now she teaches others how to do it too.

78

A PRIL RYAN

Hands down the most interesting nail artist who overcame an impoverished childhood to blossom in the world of beauty.

82

BARBIE LAYTON

The Frequency of Gratitude ... it’s time to fall in love with yourself again says Barbie Layton.

84

KAREN WHELAN

Karen builds networks and develops friendships that help overcome negative limitations to let you bloom.

86

KORTNEY MURRAY

Build an empire with your favorite people, says Coastal kapital’s Kortney Murray.

88

MICHELLE BELTRAN

Starting a remote business is no easy thing ... the biggest factor in its success is you.

90

STEFANIE BRUNS

Psychology meets experience for this mentor in life and business. Meet Stephanie Bruns...

96

CAMBERLY GILMARTIN

Here’s why getting off your device and returning to nature can help reshape your future.

98

WANT TO BOOST THE GLOBAL ECONOMY BY $5 TRIllIOn? SuppORT WOMEN

Guys, it aint rocket science. Give women better access to investment funds and let us get on with it.

102

WILD NETWORK

Check out who’s in your support network and what they are doing in each of their channels. let’s get Wild!

PULLING AT THE HEART STRINGS

A NEW charity venture is bringing music to the ears of underprivileged children in Bali.

“The Heart Strings p roject is a vision created by musician Ryan Whitewolf and myself,” said co-founder Rhonda Swan, “after a conversation we had about the impact music and frequency can have on the development of the human spirit, especially children.”

“Essentially we were looking to empower orphaned and underprivileged children in Bali with the gift of music, potentially giving them a skill to support themselves in the future, and a tool to express themselves and transform their emotions into art,” she added.

Ryan Whitewolf has personal experience to draw on. “I was fostered and taken away from my mother at the age of six weeks old, so this is definitely a heartfelt project for me,” he said. “My experience brought up a lot of emotions and music helped me transmute those emotions into depths of beauty within, so I wanted to give that opportunity to others.”

Being a Mother, and living on Bali for the last six years, Rhonda’s heartstrings were pulled when she learned that there are thousands of children living on the streets and dumpster sites on Bali and hundreds in orphanages needing help.

“We wanted to do something, so when myself and Ryan learned about S.O.S Children’s Villages Bali and their work we presented an idea to the King of Kerambitan of a charity initiative to help give orphaned kids the chance to play and learn music. The Heartstrings p roject was born,” she said.

The venture’s first fund-raising event brought in close to $20,000. The funds went to purchase new instruments for the Sundaram String, a local string quartet that has pledged six months of guitar and violin lessons for S.O.S children. The program will focus on a curriculum based on old traditional Balinese songs, recomposed.

All online sales of Women Gone Wild: The Feminine Guide To Fearless Living are donated to charity, including the Heart Strings p roject.

www.heartstringsprojects.com

Top: Ryan Whi T e W olf. a bove: The S Wan family.

GO WILD

IF the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul and Vogue had a baby, it would be the new book called Women Gone Wild. Among its diverse co-authors, the youngest is a teenager and the oldest is in her 70s. These women live in half a dozen countries on half the continents around the world and come from all walks of life. So, what exactly is the one thing they all have in common? These ladies have “gone wild”.

Rhonda Swan, one of the original founders of the movement, defines “wild” as fearless living, while another co-author Jodi vetterl attributes it to being a free spirit. Regardless of their personal takes on the concept, all 22 co-authors behind the No. 1 best-selling book

Women Gone Wild: The Feminine Guide to Fearless Living share an unapologetic approach to living life on their own terms.

The book features an eclectic cast of women writers, from Sandra Tremper O’Brien, a retired attorney and self-described country club wife working on her second act as an artist and thought leader, to Ondi Laure, a Wyoming rancher overseeing hundreds of cattle who has recently married and just released her first novel after discovering her inner writer.

There’s also Isabel Fagan, a onetime California pageant queen and aspiring actress who turned editorin-chief of her own magazine and publisher of books, including this

one, as well as Diana Wentworth, a New York Times best-selling author who was the first co-author to ever publish with Mark victor Hansen and Jack Canfield in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

Not only is Swan the owner of the Unstoppable Branding Agency, and the founder and driver of this book, but she is the proud mother of Hanalei, who also co-authored the book at just 14 years old, exhibiting wisdom beyond her years as a regular speaker in front of hundreds and even thousands.

Whether it’s Kathi Tait, who has been branded the bald woman warrior with tattoos in several places (including her head) and has helped women love themselves

unconditionally, or Yamilca Rodriguez, a world traveler, adaptation expert and freelance builder of businesses, these women are all overachievers in every sense of the word.

You may be intrigued and rightfully so. In a recent interview, Leah Steele, another co-author, spoke about what being a wild woman meant to her. She said:

“As women, we are programmed and conditioned to contain our wild feminine nature. We are continually told to be quieter, less emotional and more ladylike. This creates fear around showing our authentic selves. I have spent years deconstructing my programming and conditioning around what it

means to be a woman. Today I am free from the social constructs that attempt to contain me and extinguish my flame. I show up fully and unapologetically.”

Kendra Davies, another co-author of the book, said: “We rarely start out as wild women and I am no exception. My story is the most powerful tool I have in serving others. From an eating disorder to addiction to homelessness, my life was going up in flames fast. Still, that fire forged something different as I let it burn something newer and brighter. Sober for 21 years, I’m now a wholehearted mother and successful business owner living without fear knowing I can rise again and again from the ashes like the phoenix of old.”

In each of their respective chapter, co-authors share their stories and inspiring insight, including Kathy Gibson on “Discovering the

Path,” Loretta Wetzel on “Giving Gratitude” and Celinne Da Costa on “Courageous Not Fearless.” Anniece Acker offers words on “True Awareness,” while vetterl takes on the “Reclamation of Discovery,” and Allison Lewis explores “The Authenticity Effect.”

Among the other fascinating reads, there’s Bella lane’s “p urity Consciousness,” Katrina Sawa’s “The power of Focus,” Camille Robb’s “Education Is Opportunity” and Allison larsen’s “Fem-Intuition.”

Lilith Moon, a shamanic healer and teacher, is also featured in a chapter that talks nothing short of saving the world, and Doria “DC” Cordova wrote the chapter “The new Definition of Wealth,” which has been turned into her own book releasing soon.

As luck would have it, when David T. Fagan called to pitch Wentworth to write the foreword for the book,

she was working on a personal passion project behind the scenes coincidentally called Women Writing Wild

Speaking about her involvement, Wentworth said, “I don’t usually write forewords for books, nor have I co-authored in any major capacity since the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but when David, a close friend, told me what Rhonda, Isabel and all of these women were doing, I was fascinated. When I heard the name of the book and I knew I was meant to be a part of this. As a matter of fact, I haven’t been this excited about a book series since Chicken Soup for the Soul. There really is something special about it and I’m excited to be a part of future editions as well.”

Another interesting side note was the original name of this women’s anthology was supposed to be Design to Lead: The DNA of

the Feminine Leader. It wasn’t until Swan and Fagan had rounded up the first few chapters that he pitched the controversial title, Women Gone Wild, to capture the free-spirited and unapologetic outlook each coauthor exhibited.

Although Swan loved it, the two knew the title could potentially be a little too edgy. The first meeting for the book had more than a few women co-authors questioning the direction, but in the end, they gave Swan their trust. And, thank goodness they did. Women Gone Wild is now a series of events and a network — with more books in the works.

This article was created by David T Fagan for USA Today. Women Gone Wild is available on Amazon or visit www.wgwbook.com

TRONUS

“I JUST think about all the young people, especially girls and people of color, who will see this as proof that impossible dreams can come true,” says Tronus CEO Santia Deck in the wake of yet another milestone partnership secured to sell her futuristic footwear brand.

This disruptive start-up began taking pre-orders when it launched in July of 2020. The company created a buzz and made a name for itself while customers anxiously waited for the first-ever boxes of Tronus sneakers to arrive on their doorsteps. Now, customers of all ages – including celebrity supporters – are becoming loyal Tronus fans.

Tronus is the first sneaker company

owned by a professional female athlete. Santia, who was at one point an Olympic hopeful, had learned to channel dashed dreams into fuel for an even bigger impact.

After learning that the rugby route she’d started after college might not pan out as she hoped, Santia turned her sights to American-style football. No clear path for women in this heavy contact sport existed, but Deck was determined.

Fast forward to the top of 2020, when Santia was awarded a multi-milliondollar deal to play the sport she loved with the newly formed WFLA. Santia had made history and a new lane for herself all at once, and then the pandemic began.

Instead of tabling her passion and drive, Santia once again made a major pivot after learning that the pandemic would delay the WFlA’s first season. She and her mother, Cynthia Cureton-Robles, launched Tronus during the height of the crisis. The demand for the first shoes they offered for pre-order crashed their website in the first 24 hours.

“I may not get any medals,” says Deck, “but I get to show everyone that their dreams can bring home the gold.”

This is the type of determination that landed Santia a seat at the table with one of the largest retailers in the world, Eastbay, a sporting goods mail-order company that

sells athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and private-label merchandise for numerous sports. The company was founded in 1980, went public in 1995, and has operated as Foot locker’s direct mail division since 1996.

Owner, Santia Deck spent several years developing the sleek futuristic sock-top sneaker designed to mold to your foot, creating an almost euphoric ‘walking on air’ experience. The bold look draws you in, and the feel will get you hooked. Tronus, which means throne, is a timely reminder that we are all worth the royal treatment. www.tronusofficial.com

San T ia Deck.

BEAUTY BRAND COACHING BY HEATHER M ARIANNA

WANT to start your own beauty brand? Beauty Kitchen’s founder and CEO Heather Marianna has started a program to teach and help women succeed in the beauty business. “We’ve helped over 100 brands launch through our private label and bra Heather Marianna and incubator program and we can help you.”

“From someone who started reading skincare articles in magazines as a ten to someone that’s taking one of

my skincare brands public, I can give you the coaching, motivation, and map to success that you’ll need as you create your dream skincare line. With me as your go-to girl on all things skincare (branding, marketing and manufacturing), I can turn your ideas into a reality.”

Along with running two successful businesses, Heather also runs a brand incubator and accelerator program. “I started the brand incubator ad accelerator program

A MIGOS OF COSTA R ICA

WHEN people travel to Costa Rica, they arrive with visions of rainforests, monkeys, and tropical beaches. As they travel the country, however, they encounter a treasure that is perhaps more beautiful than that sunset over the pacific: the friendliness and kindness of Ticos. By the time they are heading back to Juan Santamaria to fly home, just about every tourist feels as though they’ve made a friend in Costa Rica. Is it any wonder then that so many people want to help out in what is one of the poorest countries in the world? Many who have visited as tourists have established great friendships among the locals in Costa Rica – yet the eternal question is: how best to help? One way is through

Amigos of Costa Rica, which helps you find the best way to support the cause that most interests you. With over 20 years’ experience, they help connect you with vetted non-profit solutions.

These are no slouches: in 2020 Amigos of Costa Rica raised over $4 million for the second year in a row. Increasing from 1,500 to 5,000 donors, more and more people engaged in supporting the nonprofits of Costa Rica during the start of the COvID-19 Pandemic.

All online sales of Women Gone Wild: The Feminine Guide To Fearless Living are donated to charity, including Amigos of Costa Rica. www.amigosofcostarica.org

because I was constantly being approached by people – celebrities or our customers – who asked me for advice about how to start their own beauty brand,” said Heather.

“I already have the manufacturing and marketing capabilities in place, so I provide full, turn-key coaching that can get someone started from conception to production and retail. That can really go a long way in getting someone off the grounds with their own product line.

The accelerator program is open to anyone. “We provide everything they need. I guide them through the preliminary stages of developing the brand, from sourcing and formulation of their products, manufacturing, all the way to marketing and selling.

www.beautybrandcoaching.com

“TIMES are changing.”

There have long been debates about what education is and is not. And for the most part, people accept the notion of classroom teaching – a form of conventional education we’re all used to. But is it the only way?

The rate of school drop-outs is increasing by the day. In the United States alone, over 1.2 million students drop out of high school every year. That’s around 7,000 students each day. It would be foolish to believe that conventional education is for everyone.

Hanalei Swan is the author of How To Be & Raise

An Unstoppable Kid, written after her parents took her travelling around the world at the age of just one in a bid to start a digital nomad life.

Homeschooled and now aged 15, she is a fashion designer, author and entrepreneur who’s life defies the idea that conventioanl education is the only way to go.

Homeschooling As An Expat Kid

The idea of homeschooling dates back to the 1970s, and yet it has stayed relevant till the present day. The essence of homeschooling can’t be underestimated, as a child’s development is carefully monitored through different stages of learning. The child is also shielded from bullies and negative relationships that may dampen their self-esteem.But then, can conventional school be ruled out?

For sure it remains a mainstay, mainly because the curve for each individual is different. Some may choose to not attend school and still be successful. Others may attend school and be better off than their peers who didn’t. It all depends on the abilities of each child.

With homeschooling, the possibilities are endless. And such is the case of Hanalei Swan, the founder of HS styles – an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion brand she started at the age of 11. Her parents, Rhonda and Brian Swan decided to not put her into daycare but instead have her learn through life experience. They

were particular about monitoring Hanalei’s personal growth.

Two years before Hanalei was born, her mother had vowed that she wasn’t going to be the constantly busy mom whose child practically lived in daycare. Rhonda decided she would leave her corporate job and start her own business alongside her husband.

“I made a vow to her that I would never put her in daycare, and planned her birth with a perfect system. The thought of going back to a 9-5 and putting my daughter in daycare crushed my soul ... we wanted to raise her from experience,” Rhonda says.

The couple decided to start a digital nomad life after the real-estate bubble of 2008 when they lost almost everything. With two laptops and surfboards in hand, they took a leap of faith to tread a new career path.

Hanalei says: “I was one year old when I started travelling. I left the uSA to go abroad with my parents. They wanted me to learn from real life, not from the pages of a book. Plus, my Mom wanted to be the main influence in my life over having someone else raise me every day”, she says.

Hanalei went to school in every country they visited, but only for a short time. She says: “Most people think I have grown up differently than other kids my age but I think it’s pretty normal. I’ve attended schools in countries like Brazil, Panama, Peru, Mexico, Spain, the USA and Indonesia. I’ve had the opportunity to see some incredible places and meet amazing people.”

Rhonda says: “Our daughter Hanalei has more stamps in her passport than most adults, and she is seeing and doing things that she would have only ever learned about in a textbook”.

“So, what do you want to be now?”

The stereotypical way of asking what anyone wants to be in life is often “what do you want to

be when you grow up”? And most times, people are asked when they are done with a particular phase of life, or when they are done with High School.

But for Hanalei, the case was different. At seven she was asked what she wanted to be at that moment. The question expanded her horizon and changed her perspective on the possibilities she could explore. She realized she didn’t have to wait to pursue her dreams. Then and there at the age of seven, she started her fashion brand.

“When I was seven years old, my mum recorded a video of me on a beach in Costa Rica telling her that I wanted to be a fashion designer and an artist,” says Hanalei. “But I think my parents never imagined that my passion would evolve the way it did. To many, I am a different kid because I’ve grown up differently from most children, but to me it’s pretty unusual. Every day of my life has been an adventure, and there was always space for creativity. I believe these experiences have become part of who I am and why I have am both an artist and a designer.”

Against The Odds

No career path is ever entirely smooth, as there are both rainy and sunny days. Hence, as a career chaser, it’s necessary to be able to bounce back from shortcomings and know how to prevent such occurrences in future.

Overcoming difficulties or shortcomings in career paths helps to grow a thick skin against such happenings in the long run. It also fuels the dream, which allows more room for growth.

Hanalei says: “My passion has always been art and fashion. My goal is to help women and young girls love themselves and feel beautiful in their skin. I have always wanted to help people. And that’s exactly what my message and collection will do. Make people happy. I want to inspire women and young girls to live their dreams now.”

www.hanaleiswan.com

hanalei

FASHION DESIGNER HANALEI SWAN HAS DEFIED CON v ENTION AND BUILT A SUCCESSFUL FASHION BRA nD - AGED 15.

Adriana

Adriana Monique Alvarez is transforming the book publishing industry into a place where female entrepreneurs can claim their stake.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author and business consultant

AS a long-time digital business coach, Adriana Monique Alvarez is not in the habit of waiting for permission to seize an idea and develop it. Several years ago, she identified hundreds of her clients talking about writing their books and saw they needed someone to show them how to do it. The concept of helping women move into publishing as entrepreneurs triggered her to launch her own publishing house, Adriana Monique Alvarez (AMA). It has become an immensely successful publishing company that has established more than 120 bestselling authors within two years.

Professional women claim vast swathes of employment in the book publishing industry, encompassing editors, agents, marketing, and accountants. However, it is still a maledominated industry, with female publishing percentages being as low as 23.3%.

Adriana Monique’s mission is to change the status quo. She is already rattling the cage of the old model where agents and publishers throw out more negativity in rejections than they do to support writers. She does not subscribe to the concept of a starving artist and actively works against it.

“On the backend of a book, I teach my clients how to promote high-end services that generate hundreds of thousands of dollars off the back of that book through coaching and public speaking. Books can produce generational income that is a lasting legacy. My clients are not content to let self-help gurus like Tony Robbins be the only one on the stage.”

By running their own publishing companies, AMA’s students overcome the traditional hurdles presented by the old publishing model.

“I have had many hugely successful women who I have mentored, and it crosses a full spectrum of society. I have coached Millennials from corporate backgrounds who are now projecting their businesses at seven figures for the end of this year. These women caught the vision and have run with it. They are go-getters, and they are on fire.”

Adriana also had this to say about some of her students: “My oldest student to start a

publishing house is 68 years old. She was a minister her entire life until she saw the opportunity and knew that releasing a book was the next phase. Another lady was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and she wanted to do something big for herself and leave a legacy for her children, and her business went straight up.”

Adriana’s twelve years as a world-leading business coach and consultant have a strong connection with the publishing industry. Here is what she had to say about how she is making a positive impact within the industry. “When I look at something, industry or business sector, I take a forensic lens and see the gaps to be filled. I examine how books establish authority for the writer and where to position their story,” she says.

She marries publishing and finding niche holes that are waiting to be filled by her savvy graduates, who include ordinary women doing crucial things such as life coaches, healers, therapists, and business consultants. Thus, she helps create an entirely new business from a book.

“The publishing world has never nurtured entrepreneurs as clients to turn a book into a growth business. That industry is only concerned with sales,” Adriana says.

She believes that when authors pitch to an agent or publishers, they wait so long that they end up feeling they are not good enough and have nothing worthy to say.

“People do have something important to contribute, and I show them how to skirt the traditional system and make it happen. Our method has nothing in common with vanity projects rather than self-publishing to create the vehicle my client needs to launch a business.”

Adriana is frustrated by the common belief that reaching number one on Amazon’s best sellers list is the end game. She knows how to get to the top of the list, but she believes that is just part of the journey to success and financial freedom.

“Teaching people how to hit number one on Amazon is not the point. The point is that through this process, a client figures out who they are, what they stand for, and why they are doing this work. Through the writing, editing, and launching, you are building a community that likes what you are doing, and that community helps you grow your business and sell your service. It is a legacy and can create generational wealth from women who are seen and heard and tell people why it matters. That is what I do,” she says.

Compiling and distributing an impactful message is easier said than done. When discussing how profitable a book launch can be, some graduates have netted $75,000 from a single book launch and can earn a monthly revenue ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 abound.

Adriana Monique Alvarez has tutored more than 2,500 women, and their stories are often deeply personal. She understands that trauma, abuse, and tragedy can lead a person to discover their path from her own experience.

Adriana experienced her terrible loss with the stillbirth of her baby daughter, Nina, while she was traveling in Albania at the age of 40.

“I saw that I could grow life and create life. Now I had that experience of doing the same with death. nina was the biggest gift that I have ever had. She gave me the full spectrum of experience. I know what it means to go through loss and to be heartbroken. Having all the success and optimism in the world is only part of the picture. Grief, sorrow, and loss are all part of the picture. My daughter came and is still with me. I am taking women through a deep process, and if I hadn’t swum in those deep waters myself, I couldn’t do it,” Adriana adds.

As a publisher, AMA now accepts only established Wall Street Journal or New York Times bestselling authors. However, Adriana generously funnels new talent to her graduates that have already built successful publishing and coaching businesses. The circle of women empowering women continues.

www.adrianamoniquealvarez.com

LADY DIANA

OFTEN overlooked and assumed to be a complex, time-consuming process, writing a book and a best-selling book isn’t something many entrepreneurs consider. However, few things compare in terms of gaining credibility in your niche, and one could argue that becoming a bestselling author is the best unique strategy to reach millions of new customers.

Co-authoring a best-selling book is a noteworthy achievement by any standard. From a business perspective, it is one that has been shown to dramatically increase brand credibility and sales funnel conversations. A recent study led by ‘Grammar Factory’, showed that entrepreneurs increased their earnings by 34% after having their work published.

Diana Wentworth is the author of seven bestselling and award-winning books. Wentworth was invited to collaborate with Jack Canfield and Mark victor Hansen on two of their best-selling books in the series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, which has since sold over 500 million copies.

She recently wrote the foreword of Women Gone Wild: The Feminine Guide to Fearless Living which tugged on the heart-strings of women all over the world. Creating a platform for co-authors means building a community, to Diana being part of a female movement was a purposeful mission to bring together the authors and inspire the readers. “people aren’t inspired by the things you have done, they are inspired by how you make them feel,” Wentworth shared.

Within 72-hours of launching the book, it hit multiple best-selling categories on Amazon and is now preparing its second volume. Wentworth shares her strategies and the advantage she found in becoming a best-selling author.

The Elements To A Successful Book Launch

There are four key elements to consider in strategizing a best-selling book launch on Amazon, the first step being critical to the entire

strategy being a success. The first is utilizing a precise timing window to ensure the Amazon algorithms are optimized within the first 48-72 hours. Niche category selection is the second key component with the importance being placed here on doing your research. Find categories with minimal competition at the time of launch to repeatedly ensure a better chance of hitting number one in that category. Thirdly, the process of intentional collaboration prioritizes careful consideration with whom you co-author your book, knowing that if there is a unified topic, albeit in different niches, increases the chances of far greater sales in the first 48-72 hour bestselling window.

The fourth is including an affiliation program, encouraging affiliates to support your launch is a lucrative way to leverage book sales and it allows you to offer exclusive bonuses for their clients as an incentive.

Increase Your Brand Credibility & Searchability

Your reputation will precede you. A best-selling book amplifies your reach, extends your network, and boosts your revenue. Generally, a co-author cohort will consist of upwards of 12 authors, multiplying your network many times over. The more that people search your name, search the book title, share it on social media, and engage in the comments, the more your searchability increases. Your brand will commence ranking in keyword searches for your niche, search engines and social algorithms will push your content and website up in the feed.

One of Diana’s co-authors and a best-selling author herself, Kendra Davies shared how having her anthology piece published catapulted her brand into an area of people with more notoriety. “Writing a book with other authors really allowed me to lean in and feel supported, without competition. It also made the process of writing which can otherwise be challenging, much easier,” Davies said.

Adding A Unique Edge To Your Sales Funnel

Every high-converting funnel begins by knowing the problem it aims to solve and clearly speaking to it with targeted copy, and a lead generation piece. This is where your book comes in. Your book serves as the bridge your ideal clients will walk between points A to Z. Consumers are demanding more value upfront, and the addition of a book to your funnel will give it an edge over your competition.

Beyond the importance of writing in a way that evokes an immediate emotional connection with the reader, having a water-tight strategy and team to support you in pulling off your book launch will immediately increase your brand credibility, along with sales and opportunities for further collaborations across a range of media streams.

Alexa West, the founder of The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide, with four of her books consistently reaching top-five best-sellers in their niche, West says: “If your goal is to be famous, you’ll never be a bestselling author. On the contrary, if your goal is to write books that solve a problem for thousands of readers, best-seller status will come easily as readers share your solution and your book with anyone and everyone who will listen.”

With an impervious best-selling book strategy coupled with the means to create a leveraged community, businesses who add this edge to their content repertoire and brand profile will see new demand for their products and services.

www.chickensoup.com

This article first appeared in Forbes magazine.

DIANA WENTWORTH IS THE POWERHOUSE BEHIND THE CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL SERIES. HERE SHE SHARES WITH US HER SECRETS FOR A BEST-SELLING BOOK LAUNCH.

TARRYN REE v ES BUILT A THRI v ING PUBLISHING BUSINESS WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE UNI v ERSE

FOR some people, childhood inclinations are like powerful magnets to the mind – you can’t run away from them. Imagine the kid who won all the races going on to become a world-class athlete. The neighborhood songbird landing massive record deals at 18. The unofficial ballet teacher launching a dance studio fifty years later.

It gets even more inspiring when the popular bookworm grows up to become the CEO of a book publishing firm. Australian businesswoman and book coach, Tarryn Reeves, hadn’t taken a business or publishing course in college. However, after years in the corporate world, she found her way back to what she truly loved. Reeves is the founder and CEO of Four Eagles Publishing and The Publishing House Concierge, a publishing firm committed to turning authors’ ideas into best-selling books to expand their businesses and grow their foundations.

Reeves is a USA-Today bestselling author herself and has published over 41 authors who attained best-selling status. Her journey to building a stronghold in the tricky industry of publishing was never easy, but a faithful outlook made a world of difference.

The Struggles Of Young Adulthood

When Reeves was an eight-year-old girl growing up in Harare, Zimbabwe, she launched her first “business” running a small library for the neighborhood kids. She’d charge her friends small sums to hire books, and being an ardent book lover herself, she believed there was a solid impact in encouraging other kids to read.

She later went on to college to acquire a criminology degree in Australia. While studying, she took up a job handling management and procedures at the railway. However, it was a male-dominated field and the career hurdles eventually overwhelmed her.

“I had a spectacular burnout,” Reeves recalls. “I had quit my high-flying job overnight and I found myself in that dark hole, being diagnosed with p TSD, chronic depression, and major anxiety. This was also a result of being born in Zimbabwe, a war-torn country in Africa. Growing up there, I witnessed a lot of political violence and we lost pretty much everything. We lost our homes, our farms, our livelihoods – everything. I was 15 at the

time when we fled to Australia.”

Eight years after she landed in Australia, from an outsider’s perspective, Reeves seemed to be doing remarkably well for herself. She had a house, a car, and a six-figure job – everything society cumulatively terms “success”. However, her different diagnoses told a different story. After quitting her first job, she got another roster management position in a healthcare facility, but it didn’t work out and she was laid off, exactly one week before she discovered she was pregnant.

And then, her awakening began.

“Nobody would hire me because I was pregnant, even though they were not allowed to say that,” Reeves narrates. “When I first found out I was going to have a child, the news just set this laser clarity and I told myself, ‘I’m not doing this anymore’. I didn’t want this to be the path that my daughter would have to face. It was not an acceptable way for a human to live. As far as I know, we only get one chance at this. And there I was, doing it wrong. So I decided it was time to switch things up.”

Finding Her Path

As her pregnancy progressed, Reeves decided she was completely done with not being in charge of her own life. Her daughter deserved better, and after she had her baby, it was time to step up and make some changes. She immediately realized that she could only service a finite number of clients at any time, so she expanded her business model into a virtual assistance and web development agency.

“I then got a bit bored,” says Reeves. “This was because there wasn’t much to do as I would usually set all the systems up to run pretty much on their own. Then I added business coaching to my setup because I’m good at that. I know how to help people break a big picture idea down into very doable, implementable things.”

Everything was going well at the time, but Reeves still had a part of her yearning for something more. An opportunity came to invest heavily in the publishing business and reconnect with her old love of books. Reeves considered the option but she was stuck at an impasse where she couldn’t decide which path to face – continue with the current business which now bored her or delve into a whole new world of possibilities.

She needed a strong sign, and at that point, she let her faith in the universe take the wheel. She went down a road that most people wouldn’t have taken seriously, but in her case, it led to the birth of Four Eagles Publishing.

“The eagle is my spirit animal,” Reeves recalls of her remarkable revelation. “I said to the universe, ‘Okay, show me an eagle if I’m going to do this’. Eagles aren’t common where I live, and so I added, ‘You have to show it to me within the next 24 hours.’ After that declaration, I went down the road to get food for my chickens. Suddenly, this huge eagle flies across the road in front of me, and I was like, ‘no, that’s just a coincidence’. As I drove back home, two separate eagles flew across

the road in front of me. They were different from the first one but I still wasn’t convinced. I stopped at my mom’s on the way home and in the living room she had National Geographic on and there was an eagle on the screen. I was like, ‘Oh, okay, this is all I need’.

Reeves quit marketing her coaching and virtual assisting business almost immediately. She set about making fresh business plans, laying out financial goals, writing, and publishing books intended to offer straight-up information that people needed. She eventually launched the company and named it Four Eagles Publishing, a tribute to the universe for making the leap of faith worth her while.

Forging Ahead

The major difference between people who achieve remarkable business goals and others who stay average is simple – courage. It lies in the boldness to decide that this decision would be best for you, your family, and the future you want to build.

Over time, Reeves has grown her business into a six-figure firm with a wide range of services including book coaching, writing, content creation, full publishing services, book marketing, and more. She runs a team of dedicated people bringing authors to the limelight and fostering a community of best-selling creative minds.

Reeves believes that one of the most powerful strategies to building a successful business is to ask oneself the important questions and receive foundational answers – the bits that truly matter. She recommends taking each step and breaking it down into smaller bits, to avoid getting overwhelmed by the enormity that is entrepreneurship.

“Okay, using my business as an example, I want to be bigger than Hay House one day. How do I get there? I need to build a team, have funnels in place, and have something to sell. I need to position myself and have my brand message on point, right? If you look at it like that, it can seem really overwhelming because there’s just too much to do. Well, it’s okay because it’s all long-term. We just have to break it down into parts. You have to gradually put one foot in front of the other and this is how we get to where we need to be.”

Reeves admits that it won’t be an easy journey, no matter how passionate you are about the path you’ve chosen. You’d experience those peculiar moments of frustration where anger seems like the only outlet. However, you do what you have to do and get your head back in the game. Also, you can depend on your network because you will meet people along the way who will become a part of your support system.

Reeves has a few words for aspiring authors: “If you’ve got a message, you’ve got something you want to pass on, even if it’s just one sentence a day, a paragraph, you need to sit down and write it. Get started and work toward finishing it.”

www.tarrynreeves.com

Blair

SOCIAL media has become indispensable. Telling your story is one thing. However, telling it well is an undeniably powerful way to take a marketing strategy to the next level. Blair Kaplan venables learned about the power of authenticity when utilizing storytelling resulted in her most profitable months in business yet.

Storytelling is an innate human ability, honed through thousands of years of human evolution. It was a way of passing down wisdom through generations and connecting people across the globe. In modern times, that connection translates to relatability, a cornerstone in the most influential brands, companies, global leaders, and influencers.

Blair Kaplan venables is a Social Media Marketing Expert, the President of a British Columbia-based PR Agency, and best-selling author. Yahoo listed Blair as a top 10 social media expert to watch in 2021 and is considered a pioneer in her industry. She brings 15 years of experience to her clients, helping them grow their followers into tens of thousands in just one month, increase their income, and win integrative marketing awards. Here are some of her best-kept secrets on how she does it:

Learning The Art Of Storytelling

Through the lens of truth-telling, your audience will relate to you on a whole new level. Stories open up a direct line of conscious communication with those impacted by the words, inspiration, and information you are sharing.

Getting your story right is simply about sharing your truth, speaking to your life hurdles, and creating relatability and rapport between you and your audience.

While writing her #1 Bestselling Book, Pulsing through my Veins: Raw and Real Stories of Entrepreneurship, Blair lost her grandfather, and her husband was rushed to hospital for an emergency quadruple bypass. That challenge was followed by a miscarriage, the loss of her father-inlaw, and the sudden passing of her mother.

“In my darkest times, when I was burying my mom, I still wanted to show up. Speaking and sharing all of me, my humanness, and the pivots my business was being called into, called my people to me. It was the greatest gift during my grieving. To know that my voice and

BLAIR KAPLAN v ENABLES HAS MADE STORYTELLING HER LEGACY

being impe R fec T ly human i S T he mo ST magne T ic T hing you can D o...”

my story were able to be of service. Serving allows us to get through anything. “We are in the age of conscious marketing and being imperfectly human is the most magnetic thing you can do in the online space of social media. Humanizing your content is what will set you apart from your competition.

The 7 Pillars Of Social Media Empowerment

Setting yourself aside from common superficial trends is essential and Blair encourages people to identify how to build relationships with strangers. Blair explains her seven social media empowerment pillars within her programs to tell your story on social media from a marketing perspective.

p illar 1 - Edutain: Tell, don’t sell. powerful stories are what connect and sell. “Social media is like your brochure. It’s like you are creating a space for your potential customers to window shop.”

Pillar 2 - Money: Ensure your story is reaching your niche. Set a daily budget with a minimum of $10/week to boost and advertise your content to a broader audience.

Pillar 3 - Personas: Always know who you are writing the story for, speak directly to that one person, and invite them to make contact with you.

p illar 4 - Other players: Know your competition, study them, get curious about their offers, and use what is working for them as inspiration to innovate inside your own business.

p illar 5 - Wins: Be a peacock. Share your wins confidently and know that each time you do, the Law of Attraction is working in your favor.

Pillar 6 - Engagement: Humanize your social media, get out there and invest intentional time to connect with your audience. Send

them voice messages, comment on their posts, and always reply to every comment on your posts.

Pillar 7 - Realistic Goals: Build the roadmap to your vision, 12 months out. Break each year down into Personal, Health, and Professional Goals. Work backward, build out each macro and micro map to ensure you know where you are going.

Your Story Becomes Your Legacy

Experiencing storytelling as a healing tool, Blair made it her mission to empower others with their stories. She then founded the “I Am Resilient p roject”, an online community where users share their experiences overcoming life’s most challenging moments.

It started from the journey she had with her father, who lives with addiction. They had a rocky relationship and reconciled. “And then a couple of years ago, I learned he was terminally ill. And now he’s at the end of his life, and we decided, telling our story helped us heal and was helping other people heal. I was like, let’s write a book. l et’s make this a legacy piece,” Blair shared.

The mission to build this platform as a legacy for other inspirational characters will now be printed in their upcoming hard-cover book, featuring resilient stories from around the world.

“We all have a story and I empower you to share it with the world.” www.blairkaplan.ca

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

Heather Marianna skyrocketed to fame with her Beauty Kitchen YouTube series, in which she showcased simple DIY beauty recipes made with common kitchen household ingredients. Today she’s all about her allnatural, plant-based beauty and skincare product line, Beauty Kitchen, which delivers a luxurious at-home spa experience with simple ingredients at an affordable price. We figured it was time for a chat.

HEATHER, thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Growing up in California I had an innate awareness of healthy living that translated itself into a passion for beauty and skincare. My grandmother who raised me encouraged my creativity and at a young age, I was already blending homemade face masks. In 2011, after relocating to Las vegas I became a marketing consultant for a food and beverage company. But as successful as I was in the position, I quickly realized that corporate work was not for me. Because I had helped a lot of friends with skin concerns with my natural recipes, they all encouraged me to produce my own skincare.

At that point, I realized I had been spending a fortune for years and all that time, I didn’t even really know about these chemical ingredients that I was putting on my skin. I began to seriously look into all-natural alternatives. In 2012, I launched my YouTube series where I demonstrated how to concoct beauty treatments using everyday ingredients anyone can find in their own kitchens. In a few short months, my channel was drawing millions of views. I also began gifting close friends with some of my blends and everyone just loved them. I knew I wasn’t the only one who wanted all-natural beauty, and in 2013 I finally launched my own company, Beauty Kitchen by Heather Marianna.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

That’s a difficult question to answer because success can mean a lot of different things to different people. Many equate success to

popularity like maybe celebrities using our brand or how many followers you have on Instagram. For example, some of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills used our eye gels in their last couple of episodes, but that doesn’t necessarily translate as success. I do think I feel most successful when I see my products being used and our customers appreciate what they do for them.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My grandmother has always served as my most enduring inspiration because she has always supported my ambitions and encouraged me to be brave and go for my dreams. But I literally couldn’t do all of this alone. I remain grateful to all the people who helped me along the way to the people I work with day in and day out. Even those who have nothing to do with my work, friends and other personal relationships contribute to what I do. For instance, I’ll hear a friend complain about some kind of skin concern and I immediately start thinking of a solution and a new product. And of course, there are the loyal customers as well as beauty industry reporters and others who have supported us and spread the word about the brand. I’m very blessed to have all of them.

The global beauty industry today has grown to more than half a trillion-dollar business. Can you tell us about the innovations that you are bringing to the industry? How do you think that will help people?

At the core of my brand is the use of natural ingredients. Much of our innovation lies in creating new and effective blends of ingredients that can provide the same, if not better, results than those expensive products loaded with chemicals and synthetics. But beyond that, we do find other relevant ways of making our customers’ lives easier. During the quarantine, for

example, we introduced an online scanning tool that allows people to customize their skincare from the comfort of home. Now that people are coming back to brick-and-mortar stores and wanting to get out and about, however, it hasn’t been used as much. But we never stop trying to come up with new ideas and new products. One product we’re excited about is our new body masks as I want our customers to get more into skin tightening all over the body instead of focusing simply on the face.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the modern beauty industry?

*More and more people understand the importance of using natural, sustainable, cruelty-free products.

*Fewer people are equating price with quality. not everyone can afford a $400 jar of face cream. Just because it’s tingling doesn’t necessarily mean it’s working!

*That there’s more work to be done to bring inclusivity into the industry – from within and in addressing customers. We are finally recognizing that people have different skin concerns and can and should have solutions that work for them.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you could implement 3 ways to improve the industry, what would you suggest?

*It would make a difference to have better oversight on ingredients and labelling. Better disclosures educate the industry and the customers.

*There’s also this thing in the business where companies charge brands fake certifications that can mislead people into thinking those were gained by merit. And there doesn’t seem to be any oversight on those.

*It comes down to how there are entities that can basically peddle products that are passed off as being effective when really they’re just snake oil.

You are a beauty expert. Can you share a few ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?

Unfortunately, whether by choice or circumstance, many of us still fail to understand how our well-being is tied to beauty. It all starts there. Taking care of yourself is how you bring

out your best beauty. Personally, one thing that I need to start doing is taking my own advice. Because lately, I realize I really need to get more sleep and drink more water. And yes, I do drink a lot of water but the sleep thing has been crazy for me lately as I haven’t been sleeping much. I also feel that affirmations and telling yourself that you’re worth it and you deserve it makes such a big difference as well. It works to feel beautiful from within and have it manifested outwardly.

Can you share

“Five Things You Need To Know

To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry”? Please share a story or an example, for each.

*You have to truly embody what your brand stands for – In beauty (like in fashion), you can’t just clock into work and then leave it all behind when it’s time to go home. It’s a way of life that should permeate your every day. You need to believe in what you’re doing and have an understanding of what the brand means to you because that’s the only way you can effectively communicate that message to your customers. Don’t just believe your own hype. use your own products! Get to know their strengths and weaknesses so you’re in the best position to sell them or make any kind of changes that might be necessary and ultimately for the better.

*You need to possess a strong sense of determination – To succeed in the modern beauty industry I believe you need to be able to weather a lot of ups and downs. You need to realize that working with other people doesn’t mean they’re all going to be the nicest people in the world who want to work with you. And that’s okay. We all have our own agendas and priorities so with whatever triumphs you experience be just as gracious in accepting defeats. The key is not to give up and keep soldiering on.

*Stay attuned with the entire industry – Keep your ear to the ground and be constantly up-todate with trends, changes, and innovations. Just because something isn’t there one day doesn’t mean it can’t be the next big rage the next day. You don’t live in a bubble where you think your work is the only thing that matters. Sometimes, you can get inspiration or ideas from something that’s happening around you. And the industry itself is populated by creative individuals whose contributions may indirectly prompt you into new directions.

*Be transparent – Any business has its share of

unsavoury people who are only in it to make a quick buck and they can often resort to all sorts of shady things to get what they want. If you want to maintain a consistent trajectory toward success, it is in your best interest to maintain a sense of honesty and integrity about what you are offering because those are the seeds that will reap the biggest rewards.

*Keep your eye on the big picture ¬– Working day to day, it’s very easy to get lost in the details of the moment. Sure, you can spend days or weeks trying to solve a problem or create a product. But now and then you need to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and why you decided to do all this in the first place. Certainly, it’s great to think that maybe someday the endgame is to have a major company buy you out so you can move to Africa and volunteer full time. But I also try to remember that I started this because I had bad skin and that in making my own facemasks, I came to understand how chemicals are often used as quick fixes that don’t necessarily deal with the real problem. And if I can make a difference in someone else’s life who’s had to deal with these kinds of problems then that’s good enough a reason for me.

Ultimately, making it in this business is far more complicated than most people realize – from conceiving proprietary formulas to sourcing and finding the right manufacturing facility. And that’s why I’ve started a Brand Incubator and Accelerator Program to help others who want to launch their own brands but don’t know where to begin. I’m including full turnkey coaching, retail-ready manufacturing, and making it affordable. I have nearly ten years of experience and I can help anyone in the program get onto wholesale sites, retailers, and so much more.

How can our readers follow you online?

On Instagram: @heathermarianna, @ beautykitchenboutique, @beautykitchenjunkie, @askheathermariannablog, @mariannanaturals

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

First published in Authority Magazine in an interview with Jilea Hemmings.

www.beautykitchen.net

Whymakewomen the best entrepreneurs

DESPITE the entrepreneurship gap between men and women, it is widely considered that women leaders in business have specific qualities that make them better entrepreneurs than men. If you go through business and entrepreneurship blogs and magazines, there is a recognition of female leadership being slightly different yet very effective. Why is that?

Women Don’t Take Unnecessary Risks Although risk-taking is usually a defining quality of an entrepreneur, many business owners overestimate their ability to cope with failure. Women, on the other hand, tend to second-guess themselves. Although at times this may lead to hesitation, it also allows women to analyze the situations properly before taking action. Rather than chasing any opportunity available to them, women leaders are more likely to choose an appropriate course of action. Yet, they actually take more risks than men – just not unnecessary ones.

Women Want Everyone To Feel Included And Engaged

Women business leaders are more likely to include their fellow co-workers and staff in decision making. They are usually more supportive and inclusive of people who are making an effort to improve their work and are less judgmental, willing to accept different points of view to build a common vision shared by all. In short, women’s leadership

tends to make businesses more democratic and inclusive to everyone involved.

Women Are Not Afraid To Ask For Assistance Oftentimes, male business leaders will refrain from asking for assistance because they want to appear in control. Women, on the other hand, are more willing to understand that asking for assistance is better than making a mistake that can damage the enterprise. If women are unsure of something, they prefer to consult with experts who might guide them through the process. Women are not afraid to put the needs of their business ahead of their ego, and that can make a tremendous difference.

Women Leaders Are More Determined And Ambitious

Although women are usually considered to be more restrained than men, research suggests they are actually more determined and pursue their goals very seriously.

Perhaps because women know they will have to work twice as hard to achieve the same goals as men, when they decide to invest in a business they really want to succeed. Also, unlike men, women tend to boast less about their success and always think they can do better. This way, they keep pushing themselves to achieve their goals and beyond.

“A study that analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dow Jones and the Harvard Business Review, among others, found that women-led businesses fare much better than men’s in key areas.”

Women Do More With Less Interestingly, because access to finance and investments are so difficult for women, a study showed that women only need about half of what a man needs to start a business. Women are not willing to back down, even if they have fewer resources (ok we are generalizing, but it remains true). As female entrepreneurs are used to having less opportunities and money than men, they often come up with different plans and strategies to guarantee they can still reach their goals. Women-led businesses tend to earn less and be smaller, but women are not scared to start a business even if they know it will not be as large as they wished.

Women Take A Long-term View For many men, the most important thing is to grow their business as quickly as possible. They are more susceptible to getting caught in short-term goals, while women plan long-term. Women prefer to invest in sustainable growth that generates revenue and that allows them to keep investing in their business, rather than hurrying the expansion of their enterprises. This focus on long-term planning might explain why women, despite having fewer opportunities and money, manage to keep their businesses afloat.

Women Define Success Differently For women, success is not only about profits, although it is obviously a major concern. The legacy of their business for the next generation is very important for women to feel successful, as well as the social impact of their enterprises. This is one more reason why women generally make better social entrepreneurs and are more likely to start a social enterprise – it is not all just about the money. As such, women have a more holistic approach to success and are not solely focused on the numbers.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Actually Happier In the U.S., women entrepreneurs are actually happier than men. As women tend to start businesses later in life, entrepreneurship

provides a lot of women with the necessary flexibility to balance work and family life. Furthermore, although women tend to have lower confidence than male entrepreneurs, once their businesses actually become successful they feel much happier. By feeling more confident about their abilities to achieve their goals, women’s happiness and self-esteem also improve. We should also keep in mind that starting a business is for many women the only way possible to reach leadership roles, so the lack of a “glass ceiling” for women entrepreneurs may also be important.

Yes, Women Are Better Entrepreneurs In 2021, a study that analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dow Jones and the Harvard Business Review, among others, found that women-led businesses fare much better than men’s in 5 key areas:

1. Female-owned firms generate higher revenues, while maleowned businesses have higher survival rates;

2. Female-owned firms create more jobs than their male-owned peers;

3. Women executives significantly improve startup company performance;

4. Women are more effective in Senior l eadership roles;

5. Women have a larger appetite for growth.

In short, women in business are more profitable, create more jobs and are more effective (woo-hoo!). Considering how much women still struggle to make it in entrepreneurship, this kind of data should contribute to key changes in policy-making to encourage more women to become their own bosses.

“Women have a more holistic approach to success and are not solely focused on the numbers...”

TO Dana Kay, founder and CEO of Our Road to Thrive and the creator of the ‘ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids’ program, nothing mattered more than having a normal life. But as her son started to grow, she realized that something was a little bit different with him.

now a Board Certified Holistic Health and nutrition p ractitioner, she’s dedicated to helping families reduce their children’s ADHD symptoms to restore calm and normalcy back into their family life. But before she was able to help any other family, she first had to start with her son and herself.

Life Before the Journey

“When I had my first child, I wasn’t always this passionate about nutrition and neurodevelopmental disorders. My field of expertise was far from it, in Business and Accounting. And for the longest time, I felt like a magician: I was effortlessly balancing a corporate career and a healthy family life. But when my son was 18 months old, and we moved from Australia to Singapore, I began to question whether there was something different with my son. He had an abnormal amount of energy compared to other kids and would have these huge tantrums frequently. I’d often ask his teachers whether this was normal for those his age, and they assured me, ‘Yes, he’s just a boy, it’s normal. He’ll grow out of it.’ But despite their reassurance, I still believed that something wasn’t quite right. I just didn’t know what it was.”

After moving to the uS when her son was 4, she sought out a professional assessment from a developmental pediatrician. “After the evaluation, the doctor diagnosed him with ADHD,” Kay recalls. “He said there’s no doubt about it. My son was on the floor wrapped around the table leg while they were having the assessment. I always knew that ADHD was a possibility, even if nobody in my family had previously been diagnosed with it. Without a second thought, the doctor prescribed a stimulant medication. Not knowing what I know now, I agreed with the specialist’s treatment plan. I didn’t know any better. At first,

things were great. He began to become a little calmer. He started sitting and playing with his brother, and it seemed like we found our solution. However, that didn’t last long. The doctor increased the dose from 5mg to 10mg, and then 15mg and again to 20mg.

But then, he couldn’t sleep. He started losing weight. He started to get extremely anxious. Instead of halting the prescription, my son was given even more drugs. They added another medication for his sleep problems and then a booster dose for the afternoon as the other ADHD medication started to wear off.

Don’t get me wrong; medication has its place. But to be constantly increasing a child’s dose of strong amphetamine medication, and to add additional medication to treat the symptoms that the other medication created, doesn’t feel right to me. By the time the doctor suggested the fourth medication to treat the symptoms of the other three medications, I was done. We could no longer continue on this path. There had to be a better way. And that’s how I started this journey.”

Her Startling Realization

In an effort to help her son’s symptoms the natural way, Kay began to pursue lesser-known options: The ones that she was never told about. “As I delved deeper into it, I realized that there were other options - they just weren’t being presented to me. I started researching and educating myself. I got my holistic health degree and obtained multiple specific certifications to help me specifically in this area. I read and studied everything that I could possibly get my hands on. I worked around the clock to feed myself with as much information as I could to see what other options are out there.”

She started by cutting gluten, dairy, and soy out of her son’s diet, as she read multiple studies and journals that cite their negative impact on gut, brain, and body health. According to Kay, the results were miraculous.

“Within two weeks, he was a different kid. His body calmed down, and from one day to the next,

his behavior changed completely. This was a massive step for my son, and we were so grateful to see such drastic change,” she says. Motivated and knowing there was more to the picture, Kay took this as a sign to undergo functional lab testing. “We wanted to see just what was contributing to his ADHD symptoms from inside his body.

After a stool sample, the results indicated that not only did he have a parasite and candida overgrowth, he also had leaky gut,” Kay recalls. Taking things further, Kay identified that her son had compromised detoxification pathways and multiple food sensitivities that may have been aggravating his ADHD. “I knew that I needed to take out damaging foods or they’d continue to break down his gut. What people don’t know is that 95% of your serotonin, and 50% of your dopamine, is made in the gut,” Kay explains. “These hormones help regulate your emotions, maintain your mood balance and your cognitive function, something that kids with ADHD have trouble with. If your gut isn’t functioning well, you are not able to produce these critical neurotransmitters.”

The first thing that Kay did was implement a specific protocol for her son that revolved around diet, rest, exercise, stress management, and supplementation. “I knew that there was not just one thing that was going to help my son and that I needed to take a multifaceted approach. We committed to restructuring his diet and reducing his external and internal stress. It was a long, arduous path. But within four months, his symptoms subsided and I was able to take my son off of medication completely. Fast forward to today, and he hasn’t been on medication for years. He’s doing great at school, and his teachers don’t even consider him to be hyperactive or have behavioral issues. He’s 11, and he’s thriving.

Having undergone my journey, my passion is to help other families through Our Road To Thrive and the ‘ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids’ to achieve the same results for their child, bring back peace and calm to their house and enjoy a normal family life. It took me years to get to where I am,

ADHD: A MOTHER’S JOuR n EY TO HELPING HER CHILD TAKE CONTROL A ND T HRI v E NATURALLY

building off of each and every experience and each and every certification. It was so hard for me to get to this point, and I am determined to help as many families as I can. It doesn’t need to be that hard for other people.”

Having been through it all, Kay reflects on just how far her family has come. “When I was in the thick of it with my son, all I wanted was to be able to bring peace back to my family life. We have that now. We don’t have to worry about what drama is going to unfold next or worry about receiving another call from his teacher about what my son has done this time,” she says. “My husband and I used to dream about going out for dinner and having a family conversation without electronic devices, and we now do this all the time. We’ve got it good, and it’s all thanks to making these dietary changes and following the path towards self-healing. What I want people to know is that there are other options out there. So many are suffering — all I want to do is get this out to everybody who wants a better life for their children and their family.”

A Better Life For Families

In an effort to make a lasting difference, Kay offers a step-by-step solution for those ready to reclaim control over their child’s ADHD. “The main way I serve families is through my program, ‘ADHD Thrive Method for Kids’, which provides all the tools and knowledge necessary to make dietary changes and fight symptoms with food and a natural approach over a period of 12 weeks. While they’re going through the program, I am there every step of the way — I hold their hand, answer all their questions, help them through all the obstacles and guide them towards success.”

According to Kay, diet is the foundation of everything. “If you’re building a house and you

don’t have a solid foundation, your house will fall down. Your body is exactly the same,” Kay explains. She believes that any medication, any supplement, and any plan will be a waste of money without also making a crucial lifestyle change in the way that you eat.

“There are other options out there besides medicine. Medicine has its place, but it doesn’t have to be the only way. In my webinar, “The Four Secrets That Finally Reduced My Son’s ADHD Symptoms,” not only do I detail the exact dietary changes necessary for the natural relief of symptoms, but I encourage participants to book a free breakthrough call with me afterward to discuss their journey and their struggles. All we want to do is help people fight their child’s ADHD symptoms in the most effective and natural way. We’re not trying to sell. We just want to listen and be there for families in distress.”

Kay also offers support through her free-to-join Facebook group, the ‘ADHD parent nutrition Support Group.’ It’s an online community with over 12,500 members and counting. After speaking with countless parents in situations similar to her own, she reflects on just how deeply parents struggle when they don’t have the right support.

“What I’ve learned over the years is that parents can’t help but feel that, ‘This is not the life I dreamt that I would have.’ They start feeling guilty, and they can’t control it. This is how I used to feel, too. I would say to my husband, ‘I don’t like my son. I love him, but I don’t like him.’ And as a mother, it’s so difficult to admit that to yourself. But I share this with people because I want them to know they’re not alone,” she says.

Having helped families across the world, Kay has received shining reviews from no end

of grateful parents. One parent shares their experience, “Our son’s attitude has changed almost 180 degrees. He’s able to engage with us and his brother and sister peacefully, whereas before, it was hard to even talk to him without him blowing up. His defiant behaviors are now almost non-existent. Kay is great, super responsive, and helps every step of the way.”

Kay believes that if you have the right person by your side leading you hand in hand, you’ve got the greatest chance of success. She notes, “My community helps people realize that they’re not the only ones going through this. I used to feel so isolated - my family and friends were supportive, but they never truly understood what it was like to have my child as a son. To promote that sense of unity and understanding in a community of people who can trust and open up to each other has been endlessly rewarding. I used to lay awake at night, wishing I had somebody who could take me by the hand and surround me with support.

As fate would have it, that’s now what I’m doing for others. What I have is what I used to dream, and that’s what I want for the families I help every day. My ‘ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids’ step-by-step plan helps parents and children fight ADHD symptoms without the stress, and without the length of time that it once took me,” she says.

For those looking to make a change and improve their children’s lives, Kay is a bastion of hope for families everywhere.

www.adhdthriveinstitute.com

FEMALE-FORWARD COMPANIES LIKE FEMINESSENCE – CREATED BY SHAR MOORE – RE vOLv E AROUND BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN LEADERS AND SHOWCASING THE RESULTS BY LEADING FROM THE HEART.

IN the First World fourth-wave feminism era, women manage companies, sit on boards, and are encouraged to become financially independent. However, given these luxuries that were traditionally allotted to men, women are expected to give up something in return –their feminine characteristics.

A crucial message that prevails across traditional media is that women must have domineering personalities, be ruthless, savvy in business and work twice as hard as anyone else. Women who don’t adopt these masculine traits remain at risk of being left behind in the competitive world of business.

Time and time again, the world has witnessed the atrocities that happen under bad leadership, whether in politics or business. A world that runs on zero emotion and a hundred percent conquer-mindset has led to more crises than successes.

It is time for women to cease suppressing their inherent characteristics. Instead, they should embrace the fact that these might be the very solution to unlocking and improving some of the world’s top companies.

Here is how women in business can use their intuition to fast track their success.

Use Intuition To Unlock Unique Business Models

As natural caretakers and empaths, women tend to look for ways to improve the world. They start with the lives of the people around them. There is a reason why Earth is personified as Mother. It symbolizes the feminine ability to nourish and sustain all forms of life.

The desire to take care of others can often inspire and drive women to design businesses that can help others.

Born into a traditional Indian family, Shar Moore was expected to be married and have children by the age of 16. Instead, she relied on her intense feminine intuition to guide her through various business ventures. Today, she’s a mother of three, public speaker, TV Show Host and CEO of Feminessence. It is a magazine and book publishing empire dedicated to bringing the most inspiring regular women to the light. The company was born out of Shar’s strong desire to “help women tap into their essence”.

Facilitate Better Leadership Decisions

Women have long been denied the right to make important decisions and to lead publicly. Numerous studies have highlighted that women are, for example, better investors. That’s because they’re less impulsive and more averse to high-risk decisions.

Active listening plays a crucial role in how we conduct business with others, form important relationships and make better decisions. A woman’s ability to slow down, understand and empathize with others can help them build stronger partnerships and negotiate better contracts. It can also have a healthy impact on their relationships with their employees, leading to strong company culture and retention.

Shar did more than listen but brought the “unheard voices of women” to the surface. She did it through beautiful and intentional magazines. Going against the contrary of magazines profiling celebrities, Shar chose to lead her company towards the direction of showcasing the accomplishments of everyday women – and to her surprise, it became a tremendous success.

Attracting The Right People Into Your Life

Upon meeting someone, we generally have a gut feeling of whether we resonate with them or not. If we can better trust our intuition, rather than being swayed by status, authority, or money it can open the doors for collaborators that can help actualize our vision.

Having a coherent vision in a company is important for its longevity. When we ignore our signals and invite people that don’t have the best intentions or alignment with our values, we’re allowing for the slow deterioration of the companies we worked so hard to build.

“Our internal GPS system is very strong”, Shar asserts. “More times than others, when we don’t follow it, things come back to bite us in the future”.

This reflects a sentiment that women tend to ignore because they’re used to being told how they should be or what they should do. Instead, female-forward companies like Feminessence revolve around building communities of women leaders and showcasing the results by leading from the heart.

The more confidence we gain leading with our intuition, the more likely people are to come into our lives. These people are particularly those that share our dreams, paving the way for fruitful and successful collaborations to initiate.

A woman’s innate traits and abilities do not undermine success in business. Instead, more women can benefit from looking to their intuition to help guide them along important decisions. This pertains to everything from constructing their business idea, to connecting with important people that can help them launch their ideas. Women can also build on their intuition to facilitate better leadership decisions on a higher level and create strong internal infrastructure under their guidance. Shar Moore is helping them.

www. sharmoore.com.au

TO find yourself is a universal journey, yet to reach that destination you need to ask yourself the right questions.

Rigid thoughts, malicious conditioning and selflimiting patterns have long held society captive, but Leah Steele, holistic wealth strategist, thought leader, badass intuitive mystic and the founder and CEO of The Leah Steele brand, believes we already have the answers to free ourselves.

“You already hold all the power,” she says. “Through connection to your infinite divine immortal soul, all you need to do is to set your intention and speak it into existence. Follow the guidance you receive from The Universe and cultivate a connection with the highest version of yourself.”

In order to connect with her highest self, escape her own social programming and become a wealth-conscious individual, Steele committed to moving into a higher state of fluidity. This is how she did it.

Unlocking Wealth Consciousness

Steele is known as The Wealth Witch, a nod to the label many emancipated women have faced throughout history, and today she helps women deconstruct their life programming to reclaim financial sovereignty.

“From the moment we’re born into this world,” she says, “we’re taught to believe that life is a sequential process. We’re taught that society operates in a certain way, and that those who fall out of line deserve to be outcast.

“We’re told to study hard, get good grades and go to university, even if it means taking on a student loan and getting into serious debt. We’re told that this is the way we can go on to get a ‘good job’, one that will ultimately see us working a 40hour week and will see us go home emotionally drained and physically exhausted. We’re conditioned to be grateful for a 9-5 existence, and to be thankful for the opportunity to trade away our time for money.”

As long as we work hard, support the system, and leverage ourselves to the hilt, we’re considered successful, says Steele. “We go along with this because we feel it’s our only choice,” she says. “We are worthy and deserving of so much more, of having everything that we desire. Nevertheless, we are conditioned to be little more than compliant commodities.

“The lies that we’ve been told serve an elite group of people that control our governments, financial institutions and regulatory agencies. They do not have our best interest at heart,” she says.

“Never forget you are the most powerful creator in your reality. Trust yourself above all else, and question everything.”

To see the programming and manipulation that plagues society, we must stay in a constant state of curiosity, says Steele. Especially about the things that we’ve always believed to be true. Steele says that this can be some of the hardest work many will ever do. “In each moment, ask yourself whether what you have always believed to be true is actually a lie. Consider

“HAS

SOMEBODY BEEN TELLING YOU A LIE FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE?” LEAH STEELE – A.K.A THE WEALTH WITCH – UNPICKS THE PROGRAMMING THAT CONTINUES TO DI v IDE US.

who would benefit from telling you that lie, or getting you to believe that lie. Then ask yourself if the lie benefits that other person, institution or organization financially. If it does, it’s time to start changing those beliefs. We have been conditioned and programmed for so many generations that these lies can be passed down from a grandparent, a teacher, or even your own parents. These are often the things we need to question the most: has somebody been telling you a lie for your entire life?”

While we may uncover uncomfortable truths, we must take action not from a place of emotion, but from a place of logic and reasoning, she maintains. “Part of the programming and conditioning is to divide us from each other. That is done by manipulating our emotional states and triggering fear in us to get us to turn us against each other.” As Steele explains: “Always consider whether the other person’s viewpoint is actually causing harm to you in this moment. This is one of the most difficult things to do. You must bring it back to your actual experiences. Are you being harmed by that person’s beliefs? If not, focus on yourself. Stay in integrity. Question why you believe you have to stay divided from parts of the collective. This is the work: deconstructing the programming that has been handed down to you for generations. It takes a lot of discipline to break through it, but now is the time to do it.”

Escaping the insidious wealth unconsciousness collective is not something you need to do alone, says Steele. “We’re more than capable of shifting the baggage and programming out of our lives by ourselves,” she says, “but receiving guidance from a mentor can help you get there faster. Your soul already has all of the answers within, so mentorship does not serve to provide an answer sheet or walkthrough in life.

“There is no other energy signature that matches your own, and as a result, what you need to activate is your own abundance, which is different for everyone. The purpose of mentorship is to get help in finding these things within yourself. In doing so, this will accelerate the journey towards your destination and identify any blind spots from an entirely new perspective.”

Steele offers guidance and mentorship to her community both through her social media community channels and ‘The Wealth Witch podcast’, a top wealth and entrepreneur podcast for women. One of the most impactful changes she regularly recommends to her audience is practicing daily wealth consciousness.

The Power of Practicing Daily Wealth Consciousness

“A daily wealth consciousness practice is a moment in which we question our long-held beliefs around wealth, abundance and implicit programming,” says Steele. “After years of conditioning by society to keep you in a regressive mindset of wealth scarcity, it takes work day-by-day to reconfigure one’s mind.”

Steele speaks of her own wealth consciousness practice. “I listened to things that inspired me on repeat. I read them over and over.” After making consistent affirmations and committing to restructuring her mindset, Steele has been able to undo the damage that much of modern society falls victim to.

Today she shares that practice with the world. Steele uses this simple daily practice to help people rediscover their purpose work and reclaim their financial destinies.

“I knew that the power of both repetition and accessibility could help others reach states of overflow and call prosperity into their lives. That’s why I provide my community with daily content that keeps them questioning their beliefs and committed to manifesting an abundant, prosperous life,” she explains. This way, her community doesn’t need to search endlessly for the right questions to ask. Steele creates an environment in which it’s easy for her community to reflect introspectively.

One of the prompts that Steele uses is in the power of conviction. “As a sovereign being, it is your responsibility to usher in the change that you desire. But to do so, it all starts by making a decision.”

Steele explains: “I’m always telling people to just decide. Sometimes they come back to me and say, ‘I decided. So why didn’t I manifest the thing I desired?’ My response stays the same: you did not actually decide. You did not fully, energetically accept that no other option was available to you except the result that you wanted. When you fully buy into and realize that you are the most powerful creator in your universe, you will begin to see things radically shift and change.”

Manifesting is all about the quantum field, says Steele. It’s doing less and making more. It’s about not following any rules, because there are no rules in the new timeline. “If anyone tells you that there are rules, run for the hills,” she says. “The foundations of 2019 and 2020 are long gone, and right now, we’re moving into the age of Aquarius. It’s all about worthiness, certainty, and fluidity. Your wealth paradigm shifts because you decide it is going to. Your financial reality drastically and dramatically changes for the better because you decide that it is going to. Achieving alignment is your decision. Decide that no other option is available to you.”

Steele shares these concepts and more in her upcoming book, The Wealth Wisdom Oracle. It’s a 365-page mantra designed not to be read in sequence, but to be opened on a page of your choice each and every day. “You have the answers within, so the page you choose does not matter,” she says. “Trusting yourself and using your intuition to connect with the oracle does. The prophetic guidance you receive is sourced from the universe and is what you should follow to reach flow states and fluidity.”

Steele adds “By being in the flow, you allow things to be easy. You trust in the universe, follow its guidance, and make a promise to yourself that you’re available to be wildly financially abundant.” These seemingly simple lifestyle changes can change the direction of your entire life and replace rigid social programming with freedom and liberation. Leah Steele is showing us the way. www.theleahsteele.com

GENE v IE v E SEARLE HELPS

WOMEN CRACK THEIR EPIGENETIC CODE TO DISCOv ER HEALTH, W EALTH, AND PURPOSE

HAv E you ever looked at someone lean and naturally athletic and said, “Hey, you’ve got great genetics!” It’s like winning the lottery at birth. But genes can influence more than just our physical appearance. Epigenetics –the study of how genes work – demonstrates that they affect behavior, thoughts, life choices and so much more.

Epigenetics has proven that changes can occur in the way our bodies ‘read’ DnA sequences. unlike a ‘genetic change’, where the gene starts making a different material, epigenetic changes only influence when and how much of the current material is produced. Normally, this is triggered by some kind of external catalyst and can result in genes being switched on or off.

A good example is the Dutch winter famine, 1944-45. p regnant mothers, who were exposed to the ordeal, experienced epigenetic changes that were passed on to their unborn children. Much later in life, the children were predisposed to certain illnesses. There are other studies that point to significant changes being passed on to multiple generations.

Can Epigenetics Help You Optimize Your Life?

Wellness Reclamation Mentor and TEDx speaker Genevieve Searle, is unsurprised by such findings. Known as The Optimisation Queen, her work involves creating individual epigenetic profiles for her clients, helping them understand their unique epigenetic makeup, and guiding them to become experts in their own wellness and life. The results of the profile empower individuals to shape their health, strengthen relationships and find a fulfilling purpose in life.

Searle affirms: “Your DnA is in constant communication with the world around you. While society obsesses about material wealth, we don’t realize the mine of unfathomable riches we’re all sitting on – our epigenetic inheritance. We all

carry ancestral treasure, inherited via our DnA’s expression. It’s like a vast library of resources we carry inside. Rather than existing in a vacuum, we’re part of a greater context. Resources and information have been embedded in our bodies, going back to the dawn of humanity, and are woven into our unique epigenetic tapestry.”

Epigenetic Profiling Provides You With The ‘Big Picture’ Of Health

Whilst the health industry has spawned hundreds of ‘innovations’ aimed at improving fitness, strength, and muscle growth, epigenetics doesn’t often list high on priorities. Searle describes the current fixation with a myriad of complex, and ultimately unhelpful, side issues as the “microscopic level” approach to wellbeing. Rather than getting bogged down in minute detail, she advocates the need to step back and assess everything from a birds-eye view.

“With epigenetic profiling,” Searle explains, “we can remove about 80% of the ‘guesswork’ and complexity from your personal wellness program. We can determine the kind of foods that you should be eating, the type of exercise you should do, how many times a week you should be exercising, and how intensely.”

What’s your particular body type? What daily rhythm best suits you? The best way to de-stress and how to make the best of relationships. It’s all about understanding your epigenetic makeup, what is going to work for you, and then applying that in a logical fashion.

Hack Your Environment; Change Your Life

For many, epigenetic profiling alone is eye-opening, offering a glimpse into hidden traits and propensities. However, Searle amplifies its usefulness by applying her own hard-won experience.

“I overlay all my learning, gained over 23 years. I train people to become their own

wellness experts by looking into their ancestry, hacking their environments, (workspaces, homes), habits, and behaviors to better support their body type, mind, and emotions. Often, we think only of our physical inheritance, but whilst we were in our mothers’ wombs, and through childhood, we acquired a hormonal profile that has dominated our physical, mental and emotional development. Different parts of our brain function in certain ways, and different people are dominant in different brain areas, which goes some way to explaining our mental and emotional uniqueness.”

Maximize Your Wellbeing With Simple Exercises

As well as her more advanced techniques that help amplify the results of epigenetic profiling, there are certain health-giving exercises that Searle prescribes for everyone.

Breathing is of paramount importance to wellness. Searle advocates slow, controlled breaths through the nose – four seconds in and six seconds out, with a two-second hold on the outward phase, for stress relief. Make sure that the breath goes all the way into the belly. But don’t ‘gulp’ the air.

The key is to try and make each breath calm, quiet, and light. Some practitioners refer to ‘hiding’ your breath, avoiding aggressive movements that cause your chest and abdomen to expand rapidly. 10 minutes of slow, nasal breathing is known to give your nervous system enough time to rebalance and harmonize, offering a host of health benefits.

It adds up to a different approach to wellness, one that is empowering and emancifying. And one that Searle know all too well.

www.theoptimisationqueen.com

Rhonda

SHE ’S THE unSTOppABlE BRA nDInG pOWERHOuSE WHO’S pu T HER DAuGHTER ON THE GLOBAL STAGE AND HELPED TRANSFORM THE LI v ES OF HUNDREDS OF WOMEN THROUGH EMPOWERMENT

Images: Ryerson Anselmo for Costes Portrait.

Rhonda, you’re known as a successful branding and marketing expert with a dream life in Bali … but it wasn’t always like this, was it. Tell us how you grew up.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan to a naive 19-year-old mom and an unreliable 20-yearold father who used me and my mom as decoys to steal and cover up his drug addiction and derelict ways. My turbulent childhood was peppered with moving houses, car accidents and jail visits.

Although today I attribute a large part of my drive to my chaotic upbringing, growing up I was plagued by a deeprooted fear that I would turn out like my father unless I maintained absolute control over every area of my life.

I channeled my insecurities into becoming a gifted athlete so I could excel and get noticed. I got a full ride scholarship to college, played for the uSA Women’s national Softball Team and competed as a bodybuilder. I was obsessed with staying in peak performance and controlling others’ perception of me.

From the outside I looked perfect, composed, and like I had it all together; but deep inside I was angry, scared, doubting myself, and struggling with an eating disorder for

nearly 10 years. I yearned to feel supported and acknowledged by my parents and not have to be the “adult” making decisions all the time. It took years for me to break free from all the stories I was telling myself and realize that I was born into my circumstances for a reason: to help women struggling with self-worth step into their power.

When did you begin to realize there could be another way for you?

My first job post-MBA was at one of the largest Pharma corporations in the world, where I was responsible for over half a million dollars in advertising and sales campaigns each quarter. I thought it was a dream come true, until one Monday morning when a meeting with my boss Jane turned my life around.

Jane was the impeccably groomed top executive that I dreamed of becoming one day. We all know this woman: her hair and nails were always done, and her bag matched her shoes perfectly.

Ten minutes into the meeting, an employee tried to quietly enter through the back. “You’re LATE,” Jane startled us as she yelled across the room.

“I’m sorry Jane, but I just returned from maternity leave and had to drop my six-week-

old baby off at daycare, it was a difficult morning.” The woman apologized, but Jane wanted nothing to do with it.

“If you want to keep your job, you’ll never be late again.”

Something inside me snapped – I realized that if I wanted to be a mother one day, I couldn’t have someone else raise my child just so I could fulfill my need for success.

That day, I made a vow to replace my income and never put my child in daycare.

Three months later, I’d left my six-figure corporate position with a vision to build a business. I maxed out every credit card and poured $24,700 into a direct sales company where I could license and sell personal development programs and build my brand along the way.

I thought this was my ticket out, but life took a different turn.

How so?

I went hard with my vision to create a new life that would allow me to work from home and raise a child. I called 3,000 leads in those first three months and never made a sale. I was devastated and started to second guess my decision to leave corporate. After experiencing so much success, I didn’t expect running my own

company would be so difficult.

And then in the process of trying to make it all work we invested the last $125,000 left from my husband’s dad’s life insurance policy into property that we thought was going to change our whole family’s trajectory, instead it put us into deep bankruptcy.

We had built up massive wealth for my family and then we lost everything, and so we left America 12 years ago with $12,862 and 72 cents to our name and a vision to travel as a family.

In the end it became the biggest blessing we ever had because we wouldn’t be doing this and be here today in Bali if we hadn’t gone through that collision.

So is it safe to say your idea of what it means to be a success in life has changed drastically since giving up corporate life?

Certainly. In America you grow up with the idea of keeping up with the Joneses and trying to be like everyone else, and it doesn’t help. It doesn’t give you fulfillment, it doesn’t make someone love you any more, it doesn’t actually even make you feel better, it’s a hollow goal.

So I think that growing up in America everyone is just trying to battle and create something better for themselves, but in

HOnDA SWA n’S lIFE HAS BEEn FAR FROM EASY WE SAT DOW n WITH HER TO TA lK SuCCESS, GROWING UP IN A TROUBLED FAMILY AND DREAMING OF A BETTER FUTURE FOR WOMEN

reality they are not connected to the source, they are not connected to themselves. They’re actually just connected to the things that they have.

You are mother to Hanalei, and you’ve coached and taught her from a very early age to be a success in business – why?

When I quit my job to make sure that I could raise Hanalei and be the primary influence in her life I set out with objectives as a parent and a mother to show her that she could make her own choices, that she could be sovereign. I wanted to show her how to take care of herself and to help others, how to navigate a capitalistic world – how to be creative, how to think on her feet, how to serve.

I taught her early on to be an entrepreneur because the trap that everyone is in right now in society is that people are waiting to see what the government will do for them, but sadly the government only does what’s good for the government and the people just have to take it. Entrepreneurs are among the most giving people on the planet because we learn how to make something out of nothing.

You have just come back from spending a week on your own in a beach bungalow in Bali. How was that and how has that changed the way you

think about yourself and the mission you’ve been on?

The week away was quite eye opening. I went from living in a space where everything I do is seen and are measured by others to a place where it was only me, no phone, no people, no labels, no image … I got very connected to who I am as a person. This kind of isolation gives you the chance to look in the mirror and really love that person.

It was a very heart-connected moment for me to just sit with myself and Mother Nature, the creator, and give gratitude for everything that I have. We sometimes forget how supported we are as human beings – nature gives us everything we need.

After your experience alone, do you still think money and success are the most important things in life?

I actually never thought those were the most important things in life, however that may appear to people watching from outside. But certainly it reminded me that life is not about the money that we have when we die, it’s about the lives and the impacts that we can make to those around us.

Every step along my way that I have built wealth or success I have also given back, equally, and sometimes more than I

ever made. At the Unstoppable Branding Agency we give away 8 to 12 percent of everything we earn to charities, to help to elevate other people’s lives, to build homes or schools and to educate and empower women. Money and success have never been the main focus, however to have money allows you to help others.

What do you have planned for 2022?

As a family our focus at the moment is really about planting roots. We’ve been in Bali now for five years, we are building a new home on the top of Uluwatu, we have a new foundation called the Royal Family Foundation that’s helping build sustainable homes in Bali and helping to create a water filtration system for people so they always have access to the fresh water.

I’m also working to inspire more women to take a stand, to know who they are and become sovereign, to help them get what they want out of life, not just in business but truly becoming fulfilled.

I’m launching a book in March called Design To Lead, The DNA of the Feminine Leader, really helping women step into their strength and into their self so they can become sovereign and share their voice, whatever level they are at.

What advice do you have for people who are struggling financially and emotionally at this point?

I would say stay connected to family, stay connected to community and focus on what it really is that you need. We are hunkering down, even though our family does quite well we are staying very focused, we are putting any assets we have into hard assets, like real estate and things that actually hold their value, as opposed to just a fiat currency. But if you are emotionally down at this point I would say get really connected to yourself, your source. One of the things that I realized during my time alone recently was that I can control how I feel. What’s happening in the world right now is not your fault, you can’t control it, but you can make sure that it does not control you.

Rhonda, thanks for your time. My pleasure.

unstoppablebrandingagency.com

SwaNK

EBONY SWANK TRIED AND FAILED. SHE PICKED HERSELF UP AND LEARNED TO FOCUS ON HER MARKET. TODAY SHE RUNS A $40 MIllIOn ClOTHInG EMpIRE.

BEING your own boss is a dream for many people but making it as an entrepreneur often takes trial and error. High school dropout Ebony Swank held a variety of jobs before she met someone in a hair salon who was selling clothes door-to-door. She tracked down the production source and tried opening her own shop. It failed. She started again with a store called Swank A Posh, this time with a focus on jeans for trendy girls, and grew it from one store in Detroit to a $40 million business.

Throughout her journey, Ebony learned the hard way what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Now she is teaching her daughters those valuable lessons and making it her mission to show others that if she can do it, anyone can. These are her top tips for new entrepreneurs.

Cash Management Is Crucial

New entrepreneurs need to have a clear understanding of their finances. A budget is essential to manage expectations and avoid pitfalls in the future. It’s also important to understand where your capital is coming from and having a well-defined game plan for how you plan to increase profits. “I’ve always viewed my inventory like money in the bank,” says Swank. “With it being an asset, we need to turn it into cash. So every strategy I use is to market and move products, that’s my sole focus. My advice to other entrepreneurs is to set goals that will result in revenue.”

Know Your Customer

There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for how to run a business. The key is to truly understand your target market. Who are you selling and what are their unique needs?

Get inside the minds of your customers, and once you have a comprehensive idea of who they are, you will understand what they want to buy. “When I opened my second store, I saw that young black girls were spending the most at my competitors, but there was a huge demographic being overlooked,” says Swank. “Big girls were lacking the confidence to buy from companies that marketed to thin consumers. I broke the barrier by marketing to the everyday girl regardless of their size.”

Play Up Your Creativity

By studying what her competitors were doing, Swank was able to identify a gap in the market and create new products that fit her specific target. She also came up with unique ways to promote her

products and keep her customers engaged.

“When collaborating with influencers, we don’t look for a certain image,” she says. “We search for all kinds of girls of different sizes. not only is it more relatable and real but it also shows it’s okay to be confident with who you are and we love that.”

Swank firmly believes that success hinges on a willingness to embrace creativity.

Learn From Your Mistakes

no matter how much business experience you have, you’re always going to encounter problems and even some failures on your entrepreneurial journey. Failure is part of the learning curve and can contribute to your success if you take the time to learn from your mistakes.

“When I opened my first store, I was more into the excitement of owning a store and the presentation than marketing to customers,” says Swank. “After it failed, I knew that if I wanted to make my next store work, I needed to focus on inventory and marketing. Don’t be afraid to fail because it can actually make you stronger.”

It’s Not Just About The Money

Money is a great motivator, but at the end of the day, entrepreneurs need to understand what it is that drives them. This is what keeps you going on hard days and gives you something to strive for that is larger than yourself.

For Swank, this was the realization that she was helping thousands of people change their lives for the better. “Giving back is extremely important to me because I need people to know it’s obtainable. I want people to know that no one is going to hand you anything, but that your dreams are reachable. Part of my mission is to give someone a chance at making it, because I know I did it.”

Becoming an entrepreneur in fashion retail is not as easy as you think. You need experience, to be business savvy, and intimate knowledge of your customer base in order to start your journey to financial freedom.

Ebony Swank shows she learned how to do it and how you can do it too.

www.shopswankaposh.com

Taryn

GOOD v IBRATIONS RESONATE WITH GREAT SUCCESS, SAYS HEALY BRAND BUILDER TARYN LEE.

TARYN Lee is that engaging mix of science and spirituality that matches brains and beauty – attributes she employs as twin superpowers to help empower women in business to live a high vibrational life.

“I’ll admit I am an odd blend,” says the Australian and founder of conscious lifestyle companies Evolve and Awakin, both dedicated to putting enlightened living and business into practice.

upon meeting her, it’s clear she’s a business leader that has embraced her Bali lifestyle, wrapped up as a jungle-island goddess.

“I am all about making business and spirituality coexist in the new age,” she says. “In 2021, we officially entered the Age of Aquarius. We have reached pivotal conjunction and moment in time. Science and spirituality are merging to give way to disruptive technologies and exciting opportunities in medicine, health and wellness are taking centre stage.

With a BSc in Health Sciences and Marketing and a Master’s degree in population Health, Taryn spent 12 years working for major corporations in aviation, mining resources and investment banking.

But she wasn’t fulfilled.

“I worked long, gruelling hours in the world of corporate health, yet ironically I let my health fall by the wayside,” she says. “I completely lacked the fulfilment, contentment and satisfaction that I yearned for in my career.”

The pressure of corporate life took its toll. “I had crippling anxiety every single month, and my entire body would shake for days. I couldn’t sleep, I had blackouts and a loss of feeling in my arms and face. The symptoms were so severe my doctor eventually diagnosed me with MS. Fortunately, it turned out to be a misdiagnosis, but it was certainly a wake-up call.”

Committed to reclaiming her time, health and finding true success, Lee knew that she had to escape the repetitive corporate cycle and find a new path – one that led to both financial freedom and spiritual growth.

“I still helped people in my previous career, but not in the meaningful, personal way that I had always intended. I grew more depressed and became disconnected spiritually. Despite all outward appearances, I was disillusioned with my health, and lost.”

So when a friend suggested she try Healy, a wearable holistic wellness device used to interact with the body’s energetic field and activate self-healing through frequency, she jumped at the chance.

“I wouldn’t say I had a spiritual awakening as such,” she says, “but my body reacted positively and there was certainly a connection between science and spirituality. I’ve always naturally understood energy and vibration ¬– well before it started to trend, and been drawn to quantum physics and how elements of ancient wisdom seem so logically embedded within it.”

The device clicked on another level, too. “I’ve long been a fan of Nikola Tesla,” she says of the Serbian-American physicist engineer and inventor famous for his work on electricity and energy. “Had we followed his advice all those years ago,” she says, “we would have free energy today and the world would look a lot different.

“It was also nikola Tesla who famously said, ‘If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration’. What I love about living and working in this space is that I feel like I’m playing with the secrets of the universe. Frequency is the language of energy,” says Lee. “And energy is all around us, in fact, energy is us.

“When the right frequency code resonate with our energetic field it affects our physical body as well as our feelings and emotions. Focus on that field and frequency becomes essential to how we engage with everything in our lives – get it right and it’s like singing a song to your body that brings us back into harmony. When you’re living in harmony, incredible things happen. This is the frequency where you get to engineer your life with the synergy of your highest aligned knowing to create success and accelerated results.”

Invigorated by her awakening, Lee began to see how she could create freedom in time and money for both herself and others. “When I began to understand how energy works, I

didn’t have to look too hard to uncover some of those secrets. As cliched as it may sound, the answers were within me. As they are within you. I began to better align my beliefs, thoughts and emotions with the life and world I truly desired. My vision became clear, and my fears became irrelevant.”

With renewed certainty and clarity surrounding her purpose, Lee became a digital entrepreneur, traveling the world teaching others, equipped with her newfound high vibrational secrets and nearly two decades of expertise in global wellness.

“I started to see it was possible to take an alternative route to creating freedom and how that freedom enabled people to move into their areas of genius, joy or purpose. I saw that through my experience I could help others to step into a higher vibration – which, by the way, is where the magic happens – and not just for the individual. Magic happens for the collective too because good vibes change the energy of the world.”

Today Lee combines her corporate experience with her love of people, biotechnology and brand creation and has become an international leader in helping women and conscious entrepreneurs develop freedom and wellness through frequencies.

Founder of conscious lifestyle companies, Evolve and Awakin, and a brand partner to Healy World, she is dedicated to helping people navigate the new world of high vibrational wealth and wellness.

“Evolve is about living a high vibrational life,” she says. “It’s a progressive movement, vision and conscious orientation towards freedom, wealth creation and wellness. It’s a belief that we are constantly evolving as we enter into a new era of business; one that aligns people’s values and strengths with what is truly beneficial to humanity.”

lee believes three key elements bring success and fulfilment within wealth creation – value, profit and joy. “Value and profit are obvious in creating a successful business or brand,”

she says, “that’s the more logical business aspect. But people often forget to ensure their own personal elements of joy are reflected inside their business or brand. If you love what you do, it resonates within everything you do.”

“With my clients,” says Lee, “we identify how we can help them resonate at a high vibrational level by reflecting on what brings them joy. We consider what value they have to offer to the world, and then package that up so they profit – not only in a way that serves themselves but in a way that serves humanity. That is a north star that guides them to a specific location beyond just making money.”

Dedicated to creating high vibrational leaders, Lee believes that the most successful businesses and brands are built by people who understand the power of joy, community and gratitude, fueled at the optimum vibrational level and aligned with these values.

“The world needs more purpose-driven businesses and heartled leaders to step up, innovate and drive change,” she says. “It’s bigger than marketing, operations, products, or sales. It’s tangible energy your clients will feel. It’s a dedication to put so much positive energy, power and love behind your business or brand that your customers can’t help but feel inspired by the essence of why you do what you do. And when they get inspired by the force within you, it awakens and inspires the force within them too”.

Finally, when asked for the key to her success, Lee states: “Each of us has a unique set of codes, a unique set of success frequencies. Unlocking them is simply a process of trusting your instincts, prioritizing the health of your energy and tapping into your inner guide to follow the direction of your dreams.

www.taryn-lee.com

“I WA n TED FREEDOM. I DIDn’ T GROW UP WITH THE LIFE THAT I WANTED, I CREATED IT.” A NIA H ALAMA TRAv ELS THE WORLD SPREADING HER SOURCE OF A LIFE WELL LI v ED.

ANIA Halama is a world traveler and spiritual entrepreneur who has mentored thousands of heartcentered entrepreneurs to align with their ideal clients, and to attract money and wealth, using the R.E.B.E.L. Entrepreneur Method. Her experience and skills are focused in bridging the gap between what is perceived as normal and what is truly possible, through opening new pathways for her clients via EFT, Meditation, Reiki and Law of Attraction.

Overcoming Fear And Limited Beliefs

Doing something that goes against the status-quo, like starting an online business, can invoke a lot of fear. The fear of being judged and self-doubt can hinder us from pursuing something greater than what we have now. Removing self-doubt requires us to work very hard on ourselves; lifting the negative energy that is weighing us down. Most people have experienced some kind of trauma, and when these traumas go untreated, it can block us from meeting our full potential.

As a transformation coach, Ania frequently observed the difficulty her clients have in overcoming their traumas. She explains that to be 100% present in your business means you have to heal these traumas first. In so doing, you can become fully confident in sharing your ideas

(and problems) with the world, coming from an “empowered place rather than a wounded place”.

In order for your business to grow, you have to have absolute belief in what it is you’re doing.

Think about the people who invest in and support your business as clients; a big part of why is because they believe in what you have to say. You are the face of your business and when you come to the stage with high and vibrant energy, the audience can sense it.

Ania recommends practicing getting in front of an audience and training yourself to be comfortable speaking in public. Although it might incite nerves worrying about what people might think of you, your focus should be on yourself and the bigger mission.

law of Attraction into effect. using the example of masculine and feminine energy, she describes why having a balance of these improves flow. Masculine energy is the hustle mentality, whereas feminine energy is what actually attracts clients to us and lets them in versus chasing after clients and wondering “when the next dollar is going to come from”.

Following Your Voice

The last tip Ania shares is the importance of finding your authentic self and purpose. This could be through exploring the avenues you loved as a child. She argues there’s a reason why we’re attracted to certain things, nature, astrology, space etc, when we’re young.

Hobbies or interests that bring us joy can spur the motivation to start something. When you have the right combination of good flow and inspirations to work on, you may be well on your path to creating a successful business for yourself; one that feels intuitive to your natural adeptness and values.

Blending

Spirituality

And Business: The Law Of Attraction

“We don’t need to work 40, 50, 60 hours a week to live beautiful lives,” says Ania.

Business energetics is a psychotherapy practice that utilizes EFT tapping, where energy is “tapped” on a person’s body, releasing negative emotions like anxiety and improving a person’s flow. Flow allows the person to gain wisdom and identify the challenges they are facing. It is through improved flow, Ania argues, that we begin to put the

Using spirituality to improve our energy will attract the right type of clients, partners or coaches to your business. Flow, according to Ania, happens when we connect with frequencies of happiness and joy. We don’t need to work 40, 50, 60 hours to live beautiful lives. Thus, when we are freer in our own minds, free of negative or irrational fears, flow comes more intuitively. Being more connected to people allows us to gain a larger audience and support system, all of which will help grow the business in an organic way.

“Energy is more important than strategy, showing up creates attraction,” she says.

In order for the law of attraction to work, there needs to be action behind the intent to drive “…those manifestations into motion”. It is important that you show up to the work you set out to do every day; it is this consistency that creates a ripple effect, which turns a vision into an actuality.

Manifesting a successful business requires a deep level of selfreflection and hard work. It is not enough to simply have a vision of what you want to achieve, but you must put in the work to set it into motion. Employing spiritual practices into your day-to-day operations can help clear up the negative emotions or hurdles that are holding you back from taking your business to the next level. Following her own path to healing from deep trauma has allowed Ania to manifest the career of her dreams, and in so doing has empowered others to achieve the same results.

www. aniahalama.com

april

RuSSIA n-BOR n nAIl ARTIST, INFLUENCER, AND OWNER OF A SEVEn-FIGuRE BuSInESS ApRIl RYA n HAS E xpERIEnCED FIRST-HA nD THE STRUGGLES OF GROWING UP POOR.

HAILING from Salsk, a small town in the south of Russia, April Ryan has always had to create her own opportunities. And her determination and hard work have paid off. Today, the 30-something is the owner of Red Iguana, a multi-million dollar company that sells nail products and silicone hands for practicing nail art.

Born to working-class parents, April was the youngest of three siblings. She was also one of the poorest kids in her class. “My mum would sew my clothes because we didn’t have enough money to buy new ones. I would also wear hand-me-downs from my brothers,” April says. “We had to grow our own vegetables because we didn’t have enough money to buy them at the market.”

While she was drawn to the beauty industry, April had little prospect of ever becoming a beautician. As a teenager, she did not even have enough money to buy makeup to practice her skills. Luckily, there was something else she could afford – nail polish. “My nails became my canvases,” April says. “And while my designs were popular with my classmates, I realized that it would be difficult to become a certified nail technician in a town without even one salon.”

luck was on April’s side. When she was 18, an independent beautician arrived in her town to run vocational classes with job placement for the top student. April’s talent for nail art landed her the position.

After six months of working 12-hour days, the ambitious girl was able to move to a bigger city and open her first salon – The Red Iguana. By the age of 23, April was running three nail bars. During this time she participated and won multiple professional nail competitions that helped her business grow.

The challenges of doing business in a tough environment made her reassess her approach. “Running a business in Russia comes with a lot of problems,” she says. “There is a lot of jealousy and danger due to that jealousy”.

In 2014, April decided to sell her business and move to America. She boarded a plane with zero English in the hope of starting a new and less stressful life. It was not long before her skills caught the eye of an owner of a salon in Beverly Hills where she began doing nail art for celebrities such as the singer and actress Kelly Rowland.

Even though April enjoyed her work at the nail bar, she knew that she was destined for bigger things. She started making educational videos about nail art for social media and created multiple new nail techniques. “Within six months, I had companies asking me to review their products,” she says. Sometimes she would produce up to five videos a day.

There was one problem, however. April was using her own hands in the videos. “I was working with a U v lamp and soon realized that this had a very bad effect on my skin,” she says. “I tried using fake plastic hands but they were too ugly, so I decided to make my own prosthetic hands.”

April did not have to look further than her own hands for inspiration. “My hands are my favorite part of my body. I have long, skinny fingers that are perfect for demonstrating nail art so I decided to use them as models for my prosthetic hands,” she says. “It took me around six months to come up with a detailed prototype, down to the tiny scars.”

It did not take long for her viewers to start asking about the silicone hands. They mostly wanted to know where they could be purchased. And April was all too happy to oblige.

She currently distributes over 2,000 hands per month in five countries. These come in full and half hands, single fingers, and six skin colors. The hands are available in a soft, flexible version and a poseable option that can be fixed in the desired position.

April’s e-commerce store also stocks more than 300 professional nail products including

20 different types of nail bits, files, inks, and tips. Her gel products are eco-friendly and were developed together with chemists. One of April’s most popular offerings is her subscription boxes that include between five and 10 nail products each month.

Just three years after launch, April’s online business has made $3 million in sales and is slated to reach $5 million by this year. “Whether it’s promoting products or making silicone hands, I have always put quality before everything else,” April says. “I believe that’s why my products have been such a hit with customers.”

“There have been a number of companies that tried to jump on the bandwagon by replicating my silicone hands, many of them in China,” April says. “This doesn’t worry me. I take it as a compliment. It means that I have created a good product that I can be proud of. Plus, those other products are of much lower quality.”

April realizes that the path from poverty to prosperity is usually a difficult one: it demands determination, courage, and passion. Born in a Russian town that offered few opportunities, April had to rely on her skills and tenacity to achieve her goals. Nevertheless, she does not believe that she is special.

“Anybody can make their dreams come true. I always say, ‘Start right now. Stop thinking too much. Educate yourself.’ Once you start, things are much easier than they initially appear,” she says. “And don’t stress. Even if you are not the best at something, there will always be a piece of the cake.”

www.red-iguana.com

the Frequency Of Gratitude

THROUGHOUT the last couple of years of global pandemic, many celebrities have opened up about their personal struggles and how they are pivoting to a different mindset, choosing self-love over previous behaviors.

In a recent interview between Oprah and Adele, the singer stated that she loved herself and had become open to loving and being loved by someone else. “Everything is timing … You have to get clarity on what you really want in the soul of yourself.” When Oprah asked her, “What do you really want?” her response was, “Peace of mind and stability.”

Given the toll that job losses, health problems and a worldwide pandemic have had on society’s well-being, self-care has certainly come to the fore. Whilst some have balked at the term – saying it evokes a sense of narcissism – it’s been proven that a dearth of self-love can seriously affect your health.

Low self-esteem, caused by a negative self-image, is linked with depression, poor physical health and a lack of mental well-being. Since depression is an increasingly common and destructive blight on modern society, self-love might be the ‘antidote’ that we all need.

Host of the TV channel, ‘You Are Amazing’ on The Best You TV, and cofounder of ‘The Infinity life’, Barbie layton – aka Intuitive Barbie – has devoted her career to helping others literally fall in love with themselves. According to the renowned author and motivational speaker, self-love is a powerful emotion that opens one up to a new realm of personal and professional possibilities. As a vocal advocate of learning to appreciate oneself, she offers some practical advice.

Step One: Fall In Love With Yourself Where You Currently Are

Whilst falling in love with the world, and yourself, may be the first step towards self-acceptance, further action is required to see a monumental life-change. A common complaint amongst adults is that they have no time for themselves. Kids, careers, and chores conspire to subjugate dreams and aspirations. There are so many other pressing duties.

But Barbie maintains that transformational self-love must ‘reanimate’ old passions, whether it’s music, singing, painting, or something entirely entrepreneurial, like starting your own business. Part of appreciating yourself involves bringing your dreams to life and then carefully nurturing them.

According to recent studies, repeated bouts of self-compassion are strongly linked with resilience and success. The mood-enhancing effects can improve

job performance and help us to do more than we ever thought possible, both privately and professionally.

Step Two: Practice Extreme Gratitude

“Firstly, you have to tune into a frequency of gratitude. Native Americans would offer a prayer of thanks for the three hundred hands that had brought the food to their table. When I cook, it’s the same thing. I say thanks for the beautiful ingredients laid before me. I thank inanimate objects like my car, fridge or microwave because they carry an energetic frequency. And they’re there to support me. I’m acknowledging that everything is working with me, and for me, as opposed to against me.”

Barbie explains: “Extreme gratitud – as I call it – enables me to fall in love with the world around me, allowing me to easily shift out of a negative mindset and into a positive one.”

Step Three: Be The VIP Of Your Own Life

Turning that science into an art-form, Barbie believes that everyone should act as the ‘VIp ’ of their own life. She explains: “loving yourself means occasionally treating yourself to the better things in life. It’s not about consumerism, or spoiling yourself, but it’s an attitude that says, ‘I deserve the best.’

With pandemic-related job losses still affecting the economy, it can be easy to get into a ‘make do’ mindset where you never really put yourself first. Barbie says, “It doesn’t have to be something huge. love yourself and act as though you are worthy of good things. Not only will it change your life but also the atmosphere around you, shifting people from a mindset of lack and fear to freedom and abundance.”

Barbie continues, “If you listen to a frequency of 528 HZ on the Solfeggio Frequencies, which sounds like Hyuuu Throughout the last couple of years of global pandemic (the tone of creation, love, and DNA) for thirty days, it can play a small part in opening up your energies to love or ‘above’ frequencies, which is the frequency where manifestation occurs. YouTube contains many free tracks. We have all watched people go through metamorphoses like the caterpillar that becomes a radiant butterfly. Above all, stay in childlike wonder and suspend disbelief that things can get better. Thank everything that supports you now and step into a better version of yourself every day just by shifting your perception.”

www.youareamazing.online

IT ’S TIME TO FA ll In lOVE WITH YOuRSElF AGAIn, SAYS BARBIE l AYTOn.

a SONg Of Self healiNg

KAREN WHELAN OFFERS FI v E ACTIONS

TO ACHIEVE BETTER SElF-lOVE A nD CONFIDENCE SO YOU CAN LI v E YOUR BEST LIFE

FOR many of us, self-acceptance and self-love might be hard concepts to grasp. The act of being overcritical and unaccepting of who we are, what we’ve done, and how we were raised, could lead to a plethora of problems. This includes self-doubt and low self-esteem at the lower end of the spectrum; depression, eating disorders, and self-harm at the higher end.

Accredited psychotherapist, Karen Whelan, is a proponent for achieving greater self-love. Whelan posits it as a solution for individuals struggling with low motivation, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and forming healthy relationships.

Her unique coaching style has been featured in Los Angeles Weekly, Times, Yahoo News, Thrive Global, and more. She provides five tangible actions to achieve better self-love and confidence to live a more optimal life.

Heal The Inner Child The “inner child” is a concept used in analytical psychology, traced back to the works of psychiatrist Carl Jung. This archetype is used to describe experiences and memories of innocence, playfulness, and optimism.

Early experiences, whether positive or negative, have a significant effect on our behavioural patterns in the future. Thus, connecting to this inner child can be a way of altering those behaviours. Re-inviting those amicable feelings of bravery, confidence, and joy into our lives can act as a catalyst for us feeling better about ourselves.

Because painful or traumatizing life events can damage our “inner child”, healing becomes paramount to our development as self-loving adults. For example, if we were mistreated or untaken in some aspect as children, we are more likely to experience that lack of love and nurturing in our later life.

Reparenting Ourselves Healing, according to Whelan, begins with acknowledging those pain points and finding ways to nurture ourselves, our “inner child”, as adults so that we may transform those feelings of angst and lack of attention to patience and tender love.

This means being there for yourself when you go through adverse life events or daily feelings. Learning how to soothe yourself and be kind to yourself when you experience painful feelings (grief, loneliness, embarrassment, anger). Becoming our parents can help us reclaim ownership of our care and resolve the unloving tendencies we experienced through our developmental phase.

Heal Wounds & Trauma The majority of us have experienced some form of wound or trauma. This doesn’t mean we’ve all been through abusive situations or have gotten into accidents. Emotional wounds can develop from the smallest things and leave a resounding mark on the way we behave or perceive ourselves in the future.

This can range from experiences like watching a divorce go through, to “messing up” on stage in front of an audience as a child. From these

experiences, you may subconsciously fear commitment or perceive yourself as a bad public speaker. Again, these thought patterns derive from trauma and hinder our abilities in our adult lives.

Body Practices To Heal Trauma

“Everything we learned as a child, we learned viscerally,” says Whelan, therefore, relearning how to love and care for ourselves can be done through the body. There’s a trove of activities we can engage in to bring out the joy factor from the child archetype. Most importantly, to unleash the negative stories that we hold in our bodies. These include shamanic work, dance, and breathwork to create balance, harmony, and alignment.

Getting Out Of Your Own Way

Many of us go through life with an unquestioning gaze of why we do things. How often is it to meet social expectations, rather than because we truly want to do them?

Getting stuck in obligations and routines that don’t internally satisfy us can lead to self-doubt, depression, burnout, or just general looming dissatisfaction with life.

If there’s a nagging feeling to pursue a different career path, there’s most likely an intuitive reason why. The only person who is getting in the way of making that change is ourselves. Often it’s the fear of change when we perceive we’re already doing the “right” thing.

Whelan recommends that to live the most optimal life, one needs to take charge of discovering our authentic selves and needs, which will lead us to craft the type of future that will cultivate more joy and pride. When we live and create with alignment to our true selves and values, our confidence and the love we have for our lives can increase exponentially.

Tap Into Your Wisdom

Learning to love yourself means also learning how to trust yourself. The truth is that we hold all the keys to our own problems.

Allocating the time to work on ourselves is imperative to better understand our patterns, obstacles, and unlock the key to self-love, says Whelan. When we begin to trust our intuition, decisions pertaining to our personal and professional lives may become clearer. This might mean we make that career change, take on more challenges and responsibilities or leave a toxic relationship.

Taking ownership of our own futures, and not letting them be dictated by our fears, our paths, or social expectations is only possible if we learn how to trust and listen to our own wisdom.

“The moment you take your energy off of worrying about what others’ perceptions of you are and put that energy onto your inner peace, your life will transform”, Whelan asserts. Self-love is not selfish, nor is it a clique, but is such an important tool for us to overcome the mental roadblocks that are hindering us from living the most optimal and joyous life.

www.soulutiontherapist.com

clOSe callS

IMAGINE starting a new company with your best friend. For many, the idea of working closely with someone they know sounds appealing – the perfect recipe for entrepreneurial success. For others, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Despite the differing opinions, history has provided examples of high-profile partnerships that have worked tremendously. Think Ben and Jerry’s or Hewlett-packard.

Friends Understand The Vision

Given that friends already understand each other’s subtle signals, there is less chance of being offended, or surprised, by someone’s communication style. Friends can detect and read intentions with greater ease. Moreover, companions tend to have ‘history’ – whether from working in the same industry, sharing life experiences or educational paths –which gives them a particular outlook, and, therefore, the ability to agree on the direction of the business.

Emerging research suggests businesses founded by friends in the start-up sector are more likely to prevail under financial pressure. When companies go through financial loss, or lack of funding, existing partnerships within management help to solidify the team. Conversely, teams composed of ‘strangers’ were found to be less likely to endure financial storms.

Kortney Murray, CEO and Founder of Coastal Kapital LLC – a commercial equipment and asset-based lending company – has become a leader in the financial services industry by building her core team with friends and associates.

“My company is molded around the people that I care for most,” says Murray. “Although I’ve never had children, my management team

has become a part of my ‘family’. We co-create vision, we have fun, and we share in the fruit of our success. As we grow, I add to the team those who feel like the ‘right fit’.”

Is This Person The ‘Right Fit’ For Your Company?

Working with friends does have its unknowns. How will people act or perform in any given scenario? To avoid this, some specialists advise ‘dating’ a prospective employee, running through a number of business scenarios in an attempt to gauge strengths and weaknesses. Whilst Murray describes her approach to people as ‘empathic’ –understanding needs and reading emotions –she has also invested in a highly sophisticated screening tool that measures one’s ‘culture index’.

Murray explains: “The index provides a deep insight into natural ability, creativity and best-fit within the organization. It highlights stress points and helps me to anticipate when someone might feel stretched. The mathematical index is based on sound science and removes much of the guesswork, so I don’t have to try and be ‘psychic’. I can focus my energy on growing the company, whilst getting the best from each employee.”

Never Assume You Know What Others Are Thinking

Assuming you know what someone is thinking, planning or feeling is one of the most common mistakes when it comes to teaming up with friends. Murray, for example, would once have described her best friend from college as being “the same person”.

“We are so vibrant, excited, and constantly laughing,” Murray continues, “but, in fact, she absolutely can’t stand sales or being on the phone. She’s timid in her approach … if I

had not asked those probing questions at the outset, I would have hired her for sales!”

Preserve Friendships And Prioritize Marriage

Balance, like most areas of life, can be difficult to achieve. As the ‘boss’, how can you have the tough conversations with people you know, without jeopardizing relationships. To keep potential friction to a minimum, Murray advocates “being sensitive to employee needs”. She explains: “I don’t like to micromanage. They respect my business; I respect their time. It’s a mutual agreement. If you have to finish up early because you have family matters to attend to, it’s fine as long as we maintain that level of trust and respect.”

For any would-be entrepreneur, the toughest challenge must be working with family members. Business spats can quickly spillover into home life and place added strain on relationships. Murray is quick to point out the reality of growing a business alongside her husband: “We’ve had 12 years of marriage; 10 of those in business together. He probably takes on more than he should; I should allow him a little bit more space. Although we work well together, I want to find time to date my husband again. In some ways, our business has taken away from our personal life.”

Murray continues: “Entrepreneurs are often guilty of forgetting about themselves. You ask everybody about themselves, but sometimes people don’t ask you about you. You have to be the strong one. I’m really trying to make time for myself. If I’m thriving, it’s going to have a positive impact on others.”

www. coastalkapital.com

BuIlD An EMpIRE W ITH YOuR FAVORITE pEOplE, SAYS COASTA l K A pITA l’S KORT nEY MuRRAY.

THE growing pre-pandemic trend of remote work has only accelerated in popularity due to the policy of movement restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. Adopted by many companies and individuals, working from home has proven to have numerous benefits from better work/life balance to a lower carbon footprint. For many, however, losing the classic 9-to-5 work structure and starting location-independent ventures has taken some adjustment.

Embracing the new trend of remote work is about much more than putting in the hours. And nobody realizes this more than Michelle Beltran who has bootstrapped a six-figure locationindependent business. An awardwinning author and former United States Air Force servicewoman, Michelle mentors her students about the intricacies of embracing change and cultivating the type of location independent success that can have a meaningful impact on the world.

Here are Michelle’s four strategies for embracing the rapid paradigm shift from the eight-hour-per-day world of corporate life to locationindependent work environments and businesses in 2022.

Embrace The New Social

Remote working brings with it a cultural shift. Social interactions change and with that comes a need to create new ways of communicating.

Michelle believes that creating a strong team culture means creating a system of meetings, habits, and events that keep everyone communicating.

“Adaption was the name of the game,” says Beltran. “Since I couldn’t just walk up to a coworker’s desk any longer to talk to them, I had to find new tools for my office.”

Michelle embraced video conferencing and it quickly became the go-to means of communication — the superpower for personal, face-to-face connection. “But there were some ground rules,” says Michelle. “It would be important for the remote team to bond, so in addition to normal work-related topics discussed in video conferencing, portions of our video meetings are for non-work topics, team bravos for awesome contributions, and just old-fashioned catching up,” Beltran explained regarding her way of creating a new kind of social culture.

Set Rules And Boundaries

Remote working is something to embrace but having clear boundaries around unplugging from your day goes a long way.

“When I started my business, I would get up at all hours of the night to meet with clients who were in different time zones across the globe. At the time it worked, but it wasn’t a realistic pace or schedule.” Michelle then established some rules. She set

firm hours and was no longer available after those scheduled hours. She took breaks, lunch breaks, and ended her day on time.

Michelle also believes finding a way within yourself to release the need to prove yourself in your remote working environment matters. “It’s an unnecessary pressure we place on ourselves to prove our work or contribution. Beltran says, “If we would simply view remote working as the new norm we would be leaps and bounds ahead.”

Quiet Your Mind And Listen To Your Inner Voice

Michelle believes that introspection can help individuals experience new depths of living and remain productive in the everchanging world of remote work. She specifically recommends taking time to quiet your mind and letting go of the incessant mind chatter, ongoings, and todos of life.

For Michelle, the fastest way to connect with her inner self is through meditation. “When the mind is quiet, clear intuitive messages emerge. They can’t present to a racing mind that is busy with thoughts of the next thing that needs to get done,” she says. “In your daily meditation, even if it’s just five minutes a day, be sure to quiet your logical, left brain. Agree with your left brain to reconvene at another time –when you’ve learned to quiet your

mind and the road gets rough, the entrepreneur still sees a path.”

Set An Intention And Draw On Discipline

Starting a remote business is no easy task. And the biggest factor in its success is you. As a former professional cyclist, Michelle says she learned a great deal in sports that she applies to her business. Michelle believes that there’s nothing more important to business success than discipline and intention. “With discipline and intention at the helm, success must prevail. No exceptions. These are not things we just call upon or that come to us in a burst of emotion. They are sourced from within, breathed into the business day in and day out, becoming the foundation,” she explains.

For Michelle, success is about inspiring, teaching, and feeling internal satisfaction from knowing that her work helps aspiring business people reach a better place. With everything moving online it allows a global reach more than ever.

Remote working has been a game-changer for individuals and companies in many ways. According to Michelle, the balance of life is more achievable with the flexibility that remote working provides. “Freedom and flexibility became the staples of life,” she says.

www.michellebeltran.com

STARTING A REMOTE BUSINESS IS NO EASY TASK. THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN ITS SUCCESS IS YOU, SAYS MICHELLE BELTRAN.

STEFANIE IS A QUANTUM PSYCHOLOGIST, BUSINESS MENTOR, AND MOTHER OF 4 CHIlDREn WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF E xpERIEnCE In COACHInG ulTRASUCCESSFUL PEOPLE. A RE YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT QUANTUM LEAP?

POSITI v E T ECHNOLOGY A ND T HE COSMIC MISSION:

TRANS-humanism is not merely some geeky tech subculture, nor a futuristic daydream, but a pervasive phenomenon that is already impacting our humanness itself. We’re talking about the merging of human beings with technology, and not just at the physical level, but possibly a merging that encroaches upon the most intimate dimensions of the soul. And energy is the currency of the soul. Without it, stressors can overwhelm you, leaving self-doubt and anxiety in control. But by raising your field of energy, you live an elevated life: one of true transformation, high achievement, and success.

Stefanie Bruns, the founder of Business Flow Academy, believes that states of high energy are paramount in finding fulfilment in life. A psychologist and business mentor for 16 years, Bruns has dedicated herself to helping successful people break through their self-limitations and soar to new heights in business. “people buy into your level of energy. It’s not only about your marketing strategy or your gift,” she begins. “Sometimes, people want to stay in the aura of an expert. If you raise your energy, you elevate your life.” However, with transhumanism comes potential risks to our mental health, and therefore a potential dampening of our vibrational frequency. We have already seen this with the unintended negative impacts of screen-time, social media, and more advancements have on our lives. This is where positive technology comes in.

Although many scientific efforts have been

devoted to acknowledging the risks of digital technologies, the question of how computers could be used to improve people’s well-being has been much less explored.

This was the main motivation for the development of a novel research area – Positive Technology – which aims at investigating how ICT-based applications and services can be used to foster positive growth of individuals, groups and institutions. Positive technology – or technology designed to improve the quality of our lives – has boomed over the last few years. Now we have everything from happiness apps to physiological sensors that detect stress to digital objects that remind you to practice gratitude.

Through a discussion with Bruns, it became clear that while technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is often used to benefit mental health or business success separately, by combining the two use cases.

Reaching Your True Transformation

People rely on their past experiences to dictate their future actions and give unlimited gravity to the words of others. “There are chains of the past. And when you get free from the past, you can create a better future,” Bruns explains. “Everybody tells themselves a story, and it’s our duty to find out whether the story is useful or dysfunctional.”

Whether we hold on deeply to what we were told as a child or allow negative thoughts to sow seeds in our lives, this behavior can be highly damaging to our mental state. In

letting past behaviors and actions define us, we rob ourselves of the energy needed to grow. But regression and victimhood will work against you in manifesting the life of abundance you envision. If you see yourself in these patterns of negativity, it’s time to create a new story. Up until now, we have been on our own to deal with these emotions. But there are promising indications that AI can help. Emotion regulation – a person’s ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience – is a key aspect of psycho-social functioning and well-being. How could digital tools be used to support this process?

A study titled, “New Technologies for the Understanding, Assessment, and Intervention of Emotion Regulation” addresses this discusses the potential of integrating technologies such as AI-enabled virtual reality, wearable biosensors, smartphones, and biofeedback for improving understanding, assessment, and intervention of emotion regulation.

“Every thought, and every action, has a special electromagnetic energy. If you tell yourself or others who you are every day, you will become that person,” Bruns says. She believes that people in any stage of life can fall victim to this. Despite a successful career and an abundance of wealth, a lack of guidance can be all that stands between you and greater states beyond high achievement. Whether you’re a business owner, a coach, a doctor, or otherwise, AI has shown promising in developing

a new perspective to overcome your doubt and elevate your life.

This all being said, a human touch will always be needed. True spirituality is and has always been the exploration of the wider field of reality; true spirituality cannot be other than true humanness.

“Everything starts with you. If you have guidance on this path, you can reach your goals easily. Even with years of expertise, we all have blind spots where we fail to self-reflect. You need a mirror to explore your blind spots and find areas to grow and improve. A mentor can be that mirror for you,” Bruns explains.

The Path of Joy

Bruns believes that overcoming doubt has everything to do with your personal identity: a crucial detail that many disregard when building or expanding their business. People may create a website, produce a product, and find the right price point, but in stepping into the vast field of marketing, they begin to get lost. “On the surface, many people appear to have everything they need to build a successful business. But when we dig deep, step in and find their weakest point, we often discover that there are limitations in their personal life that manifest in their business,” Bruns says. “If your electromagnetic field is in a bad place, you won’t be ready to work when you wake up –even if you slept for eight hours or more.”

This is why it is crucial for all business leaders to implement a positive integration of human and technological support. For example, Rocky.ai is combining the strengths of a virtual assistant and a leadership coach and brings this together in a soft-skill training application, which is available at all times.

In another example, clinical research psychologist Dr Alison Darcy created Woebot, a Facebook-integrated computer program that aims to replicate conversations a patient might have with his or her therapist. Woebot is a chatbot that resembles an instant messaging service. The digital health technology asks about your mood and thoughts, “listens” to how you are feeling, learns about you and offers evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) tools.

If psychology pertains to the connection between our emotions, psychiatry explains their involvement in our biochemical processes. Our microbiome has a significant involvement in the bio magnetic field of our body, and every cell needs a special voltage. Without the right level of energy, our cells don’t have that voltage and fail to operate at their maximum potential. The consequences manifest in all areas of our life, from our emotional regulation and wellbeing to the manner in which we make decisions. Bruns believes in the importance of seeing our mind, brain, and energy field as one, but many are unconsciously able to do so. There are definite signs that machine learning, algorithms, and data can be utilized to effectively align these aspects of being in a way that was previously left for us to do on our own. In other words, AI can speed up the process of energy and life enhancement. AI in psychiatry is a general term that implies the use of computerized techniques and algorithms for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental illnesses, and could be applied similarly to enhance our lives. For example, current approaches for the diagnosis of psychiatric

disorders largely rely on physician-patient questionnaires that are most of the time inaccurate and ineffective in providing a reliable assessment of symptoms. These limitations can, however, be overcome by applying artificial intelligence (AI) to electronic medical database and health records. This indicates that we can aggregate data from our everyday lives to eventually eradicate negative thought patterns. Bruns explains, “People are still making unhealthy divisions in their life. Often, people repeat and reinforce negative outlooks and behaviors and justify them by saying, ‘It’s only a thought.’ But however intrusive or untrue it may be, our thoughts still have electromagnetic voltage,” Bruns explains. “Every emotion has a special vibration. If you feel guilt and shame, your vibrational energy is very low. If you feel unconditional love, it’s much higher. But you can’t access these higher planes of emotional vibration if your body is not in good condition. You can’t use antidepressants or wait idly for the problem to go away on its own. You have to step deeper and heal from within to raise your field of energy. Then, and only then, will you follow the path of your joy and serve your cosmic mission.”

We are energetic beings. Ancient cultures have held this truth far longer than any modern civilization. And as energetic beings of light, each and every cell has an electromagnetic field to keep in alignment. As Bruns observes, “This is not new knowledge; this is old knowledge. But we have new evidence.”

IN many ways, the over-reliance on technology can lead to problems that impact our mental health and productivity.

Removing ourselves from digital distractions in small increments can help us reconnect with nature, feel more connected, and use this renewed energy to create a positive impact on ourselves, our communities, and the world at large.

Technology was created to facilitate communication faster and make our lives more convenient. In many ways it has. However an over-reliance on technology can lead to problems that impact our mental health and productivity.

The average person will spend 145 minutes a day on social media. That’s more than twice the recommended amount of exercise. Although the purpose of social media is intended to help us stay more ‘connected’ to our communities, the further we delve into the digital sphere, the further away we can drift from the true connection and intimacy we desire. Studies show that adolescents who use more social media have an increased chance of developing depression, anxiety, and experiencing higher levels of loneliness.

Less Internet Connection, More Innovation?

Besides these factors, the energy that is consumed by e-mails and social media posts could be incredibly distracting, especially if you are trying to accomplish big things.

Ironically, the top technology companies in the world like Facebook, Apple, and Amazon have installed “green” break rooms in their headquarters. Numerous studies have exemplified the positive impact nature has on the human brain and productivity. Just like the top innovators of the world, an average person can reap the benefits of nature to connect to their creativity and inspire solutions to make the world a better place.

A thought leader in this area is Camberly Gilmartin, Active Change Advocate for parents, teens, businesses, and the planet, and a partner in a community garden project, The Bellevue Urban Garden (TBUG). Camberly has experienced first-hand the power of reconnecting with nature, which translated

to creating wealth and abundance for the community.

To her, wealth is beyond the material aspect and includes cultivating an abundance of love and energy to facilitate positive impact. It’s about being able to reduce food security in her local community, while simultaneously enriching and building community through shared spaces.

Reclaiming the connection to the Earth and to members of our ecosystem can enrich us mentally and bolster our power to pursue valuable innovations. Here are a few ways that disconnecting from our phones and reconnecting with nature can help us achieve deeper meaning, joy, and connection in our life.

“Wholeness” Leads to Abundance

In ancient traditions and beliefs of indigenous cultures, a spiritual connection to the physical elements of the earth and to other animals bore significant importance in shaping individuals and community life.

Before doctors, there were healers who possessed the unique power to heal members of their community. These powers were not only inborn but derived from an intense connection to elements of nature.

The first medicines were created from herbs, which help revitalize a person from a state of malignance to a state of health. A connection to nature can help an individual overcome the ailments and pressures they face from the physical world, and to come to a place of healing and inner peace.

A state of wholeness and connectedness comes with increased emotional bandwidth to take care of others or the environment. Camberly had always intuitively felt a strong connection with nature. This translated into more volunteering at the community garden, which implanted in her, like a seed; a larger vision of shifting the paradigm of food security.

Sharing Lessons of Abundance With Younger Generations

A large proportion of the outcomes our world faces in the future will be determined by the actions of younger generations. This is one of the reasons why stringent focus is put on

quality education and nutrition for kids. Most kids these days spend more time in front of the screen than they do playing outside – and many of them will never know where their food comes from. This disconnection to nature can be dangerous in ways such as developing a sense of carelessness for the environment.

Specifically, by getting the younger generation involved, Camberly wanted to integrate a sense of connection to nature, nourishment, and relationship-building. This is how the garden was able to grow to the size it is today – which feeds more and more people across the greater Seattle region.

Her belief persists that it is through this increased participation and connection, that as a collective society we will become more protective of our environment. Taking time off our devices and relocating that energy to form healthy bonds with others, as well as physically growing healthy sustenance and fueling our bodies properly, can increase the abundance of not only physical crops but also increase the abundance in our minds.

A New Definition of Wealth

Wealth can exhibit itself in many forms. By definition, to be wealthy implies that you have a surplus of something of value to give. Helping communities become healthier, more abundant, and more connected to one another, can be a form of wealth.

The community garden Camberly has helped grow is a prime example of how this type of wealth can be diffused throughout different generations and duplicated across different communities.

Camberly envisions “a global community where people care deeply for themselves, others and the planet, and by doing so, become an example and inspiration for others to do the same”.

These are grand lessons that can inspire us to put away our devices from time to time and get outside not only so that we may reconnect with nature’s abundance, beauty, and joy – but also so that we may reconnect to that same abundance and creativity that also exists deep within ourselves.

www.linkedin.com/in/camberlygilmartin

natural feelings

Want to boost the global economy by $5 trillion? Support women.

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP AND IMPROvING ACCESS TO INvESTMENT FUNDS WILL BRING HUGE BENEFITS TO WORLD ECONOMIES, WRITES SHALINI UNNIKRISHNAN.

WHAT if we were to tell you that there is a sure-fire way to add $5 trillion to the global economy — that companies around the globe are underutilizing a vast opportunity?

Such a catalyst does exist today: women entrepreneurs.

New analysis by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows that if women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs, global GDP could rise by approximately 3% to 6%, boosting the global economy by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion. However, unleashing the power of women entrepreneurs will require action from a range of groups, including venture capitalists, nonprofit organizations, and corporations. These efforts must address a critical and at times overlooked issue: the lack of networks that effectively support and mentor women entrepreneurs.

The Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship

To understand better the entrepreneurial gender gap – and how much progress is being made toward closing it – BCG analyzed female entrepreneurship data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), regionally and country by country. This analysis yielded the following findings:

Across all regions, the percentage of working-age men who start a new business exceeds the corresponding percentage of working-age women by roughly 4 to 6 percentage points.

• Four countries – Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia, and the

Philippines – have managed to buck the global norm; more women than men launched startups in these countries in 2016.

In 50% of the 100 countries studied, the gender gap in startup activity is narrowing, with the biggest gains occurring in Turkey, South Korea, and Slovakia.

• In 40% of countries, however – most notably in Switzerland, Uruguay, and South Africa – the gender gap is widening.

Although the gender gap in startup activity is fairly consistent across most countries, the gap in long-term business success varies more widely. In the Middle East and North Africa, for example, women’s businesses are about half as likely as men’s to remain in operation 3.5 years after creation, while in l atin America, women’s businesses lag in that sustainability measure by 11 percentage points. In all regions except North America, women-led companies have lower sustainability levels than companies led by men.

The Power of Networks

What can countries do to help women-led businesses survive and thrive?

unequal access to financial support plays a significant role in the gender gap, particularly for women starting new enterprises. According to a BCG analysis of data from MassChallenge, a USbased global network of accelerators, investments in companies founded or cofounded by women averaged $935,000, which is less

than half the average of $2.1 million invested in companies founded by men entrepreneurs. This disparity exists despite the fact that startups founded and cofounded by women actually performed better over time, generating 10% higher cumulative revenue over a five-year period: $730,000 for women compared with $662,000 for men.

Access to startup capital is not the only problem, of course. Women entrepreneurs also need to overcome the sustainability deficit and a growth deficit (the greater tendency of woman-led companies to stagnate over time).

Our research shows that while there are many reasons for these deficits – including differences in access to human capital, social capital, and ongoing financial resources – a key factor is women’s relatively limited access to robust support networks. In low- and middle-income countries, for example, greater availability and use of entrepreneurial networks are linked to smaller gender gaps in business sustainability. Peer-to-peer networks encourage women to set higher aspirations for their businesses, plan for growth, and embrace innovation.

In Nigeria, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, with support from the ExxonMobil Foundation, piloted the Road to Women’s Business Growth, a collaborative venture that helped women business owners boost their business knowledge and gain access to financial institutions and new markets. An independent evaluation of this program found that some of its greatest benefits came from the peer-to-peer and professional networks that it facilitated. As one woman put it, “If you’re facing any challenges or you need some contacts, you just say it and your sisters come to your help. We call ourselves sisterpreneurs.” The women’s financial performance also improved, with median profits increasing by 31%.

In our experience, the best networks are built on the principles of intent, inclusion, and interaction:

• Intent Start by defining the network’s purpose. networks should be much more than a glorified Rolodex. What can women gain by joining the network? Will they get access to human and financial capital, as well as social capital? How can the network help women achieve tangible business goals?

InclusIon. Next, choose participants carefully. The best networks have a highly dedicated founder, an active membership and a diverse membership base, including a mix of new entrepreneurs and more established business owners, ideally with varied cultural backgrounds.

• Interact Ion. Finally, structure the network to facilitate both formal and informal interactions. Formal training has its place; but informal, peer-to-peer interactions are crucial to building trust and ensuring that the network stays relevant over time. Online platforms can be critical to success in this area.

It is no exaggeration to say that women’s entrepreneurship has the power to change the world – and the benefits go far beyond boosting global GDP. Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and fueling the growth of women-owned enterprises will unleash new ideas, services, and products into our markets. And ultimately, those forces may redefine the future.

www.bcg.com

Shalini Unnikrishnan is the Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group.

Shalini’s work at BCG is focused at the intersection of the private, public, and social sectors. She is the co-author of “Total Societal Impact,” which explores how companies can gain business and societal value through their core operations.

Shalini is a recent Presidential Leadership Scholar, a selective program led by former President George W. Bush, and she has written and published extensively on various topics in societal impact including a TED talk on new models for tackling humanitarian crises. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Tony Blair Foundation.

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