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Exclusive Interview of Bhaskar Sivanathan of Thought Frameworks. Edited by Powered Magazine Bhaskar Sivanathan is the founder and technical head of Thought Frameworks, he surely showcases an unmatched sense of dynamism, ardour, and synergy when it comes to anything QA and QC. Bhaskar has been driving the quality wheel at the heart of Thought Frameworks, a forerunner in providing exceptional quality software across all domains. And has significantly helped establish several partnerships with key vendors, making sure that all client partnerships are always about “quality that meets customer satisfaction”. He has been influential in harbouring several successful businesses and joint ventures across the world over the last two decades. Tell us about yourself and your business. I am Bhaskar, a seasoned automation architect by profession, bringing in about 22 years of hands-on experience in the field of software quality assurance and testing that's further backed by years of building automation frameworks and performance testing teams for leading startups, SME's, and enterprise-level applications using both commercial and open-source tools. I started my journey as a Java developer for a US-based organisation during my initial years after completing my degree in mechanical engineering. Later, while delving into programming, I discovered all the SDLC processes that further pushed me to move towards automation. I had mostly specialised as an individual contributor till 2003, then I joined Ionidea, where I got the opportunity to work as an automation/performance lead, where my forte was starting a project at a client location as a single resource and building an offshore team. On a similar note, while working at client location Scantron in 2009, consulting opportunities continued to expand offshore businesses, which marked a stepping stone in September of the same year to start my own self-financed business that I had been waiting for for the last 9 years. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? Starting out, there was always a latent fear, especially towards the initial few months, even after having a successful background and nine years of experience in this industry. The biggest challenge by far was getting the second client. Outreaching and getting more customers was not my forte; however, we were very strong on the technical side of things, and managing all our client deliverables well was never an issue. Over the years, I learned to strongly believe that finding the gap always resolved the challenges. As we initially focused mostly on automation and performance testing, we slowly discovered more challenging aspects on the functional side of things. The ability to understand these latent gaps was a slightly challenging period, but we took notice of it at an early stage, and now we provide over 15 services, successfully analysing several latent QA challenges like these. And have never looked back since. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Practising the art of a consistent self-learning process, competitive analysis, market research, and analysing and adapting recent market trends Keeping all communication channels open. Building a team with good leadership skills, enhancing our entire team management strategies, and optimising our project management skills Scrutinising the minute areas of self-correction is necessary for achieving a larger yet more detailed scope of improvement. Lastly, it all boils down to managing all our client deliverables with the utmost perfection. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? Whenever I don't have tasks at hand, I keep getting these constant ideas in my head that keep motivating me further. I would say that self-introspection, critical thinking, and having no regrets are essential. To add to it, challenges and problem-solving are the two absolute key motivators that have kept me going over the years. What advice would you give to someone just starting in their chosen field? It's simple: just love your job. That's it. As I strongly believe, if you like your job, you just do what others are saying. If you love your job, you will do more than is needed. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? In the year 2023, we will all know one thing for sure: productivity is key. Especially when it comes to all software applications. With the newfound love for all things digital, web and mobile apps are essential and possibly unavoidable at this point thanks to the AI onslaught. But guess what makes them function better? A good independent QA drill For us, upscaling productivity comes to mind first when dealing with all the software applications of our clients and stakeholders across varied domains, and that's what sets us apart in the industry. We know the utilitarian aspect of QA very well, and that's exactly what we leverage via our services. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? I feel QA is becoming increasingly relevant for all industry domains, without a doubt. And Software testing, as you may have heard, is a fundamentally integral process for creating reliable and usable software products. It is seldom the only process for re-evaluating and verifying a software application to ensure that it's working as expected. It helps identify underlying defects and reduce errors and flaws while elevating the overall quality of the software system in its entirety. Our clients have been highly appreciative and have consistently maintained our long-standing partnerships to further highlight the positive difference that our services have made towards their product's functionality and system performance. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? The software testing life cycle is becoming increasingly important, as it is the only way to fully ensure the quality and reliability of all web applications out there. Identifying and fixing any leftover defects or errors in the code is the turnkey process that enables all software developers across the board to deliver quality software that meets the end users' utilitarian needs and expectations at the same time. Likewise, digital transformation has become a driving force in the software testing industry, revolutionising traditional approaches and paving the way for innovative automation testing methodologies and tools. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? Within 3 years of starting my business, we had a team of 55 QA engineers who were managing versatile projects globally. We had always been strong on the technical front but never focused much in terms of sales and marketing, except for hiring one insights salesperson, and that was it. We mostly targeted midsize companies and startups, building long-term associations lasting over 6 years. But outreaching, getting more clients, and carving a niche in terms of our service offerings is still a work in progress. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Patience is an essential component of this business. As software testing and QA processes can be time-consuming, monotonous, and oftentimes frustrating, a successful QA analyst must have the requisite patience to work through all these managerial issues and keep a positive mindset amidst all constraints. Always. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? The pandemic, I think, made me change perspectives. About nine years after what we started with, we have now changed our strategies completely. We launched Thought Frameworks 2.0, which solely focused on building the nonfunctional side of our team like sales and business development, digital marketing, content and communications, etc. And now we are a team of 95 % ISTQB certified individuals and a CMMI Level 3 service provider. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? Stay agile (literally), self-motivated, and always open up for conversations.

Exclusive Interview of Chris Petillo of Rhyno Healthcare. Edited by Powered Magazine Chris Petillo is a dynamic leader and technology enthusiast at the forefront of driving digital transformation and innovation in the corporate landscape. With a passion for leveraging cutting-edge technologies to propel businesses forward, Chris has established himself as a trusted advisor and thought leader in the realm of digital strategy and implementation. As a champion of digital innovation, Chris Petillo has helped businesses harness the power of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to enhance customer experiences, optimize operations, and drive sustainable growth. His keen ability to align technology initiatives with business goals has resulted in successful digital transformations across various industries. Join us as we explore the remarkable achievements and thought leadership of Chris Petillo and discover how his innovative mindset and strategic approach are driving digital transformation and propelling businesses toward a successful future. Tell us about yourself and your business: I, Chris Petillo a seasoned healthcare information technology professional with a passion for innovation and the betterment of patient outcomes through collaboration and strategic implementations of advanced technology. My journey in the healthcare sector began over 35 years ago, where I was lucky enough to be able to play with the “best toys” available at the time, as well as implement and optimize new digital imaging technologies across the US. I've since been at the vanguard of healthcare IT with several large academic medical centers, being an early proponent and adopter of cloud image storage, and involved in all aspects from electronic medical records, clinical ancillary systems, data governance, and custom development. I hold a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering, which has laid a solid foundation for my career. Over the years, I've developed a deep understanding of healthcare IT, enabling me to engage in all clinical areas of healthcare. My blend of technical acumen, leadership, collaborative, and risk management skills have been instrumental in driving my career trajectory and leading me to the founding of Rhyno Healthcare Solutions in 2016. Rhyno Healthcare Solutions is a healthcare professional and advisory services company. Our mission is to provide experienced IT resources to healthcare organizations, with the aim of improving clinical efficiencies and patient outcomes. We pride ourselves on our unique approach, combining technical expertise with an in-depth understanding of the needs of healthcare providers, payers, and patients. We understand both the clinical & business requirements and how that translates into technical solutions. In 2022, I extended our reach globally by establishing our sister company, Rhyno Healthcare International. The primary goal of Rhyno Healthcare International is to utilize our unique methodology in an international landscape, focusing on technical implementations including business process analysis, impact analysis, risk mitigation, and change management. In addition to my work with Rhyno, I've had the privilege of sharing my insights and experiences through several published articles, focusing on topics such as PACS and Enterprise Imaging. Through these platforms, I aim to help shape the dialogue surrounding the role of technology in healthcare. On a personal level, I am deeply committed to transforming healthcare through technology. I believe that by translating the requirements and expected outcomes across all stakeholders, we can drive meaningful change in the healthcare sector. My vision is to lead Rhyno in pushing the boundaries of what's possible, making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and effective for everyone. In my spare time, I enjoy being with and cooking for my family, and sleeping next to my bulldog, Portabella. Bella and I have competitions to see who can snore the loudest. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Over the course of my career, I've experienced numerous successes and failures. I view each as a learning opportunity that contributes to my personal and professional growth. Success has alway been from collective achievements, not just an individual one. Every success Rhyno has enjoyed has been the product of our dedicated team working hard to fulfill our mission. I make it a priority to celebrate these successes with the team, ensuring that each member's contribution is recognized and appreciated. As for failures, I've always viewed them as an essential part of the journey towards success. In the fast-paced world of healthcare technology, setbacks are inevitable. Each failure presents an opportunity to reassess our approach, make necessary adjustments, and come back stronger. I believe in taking responsibility for these setbacks, analyzing them honestly, and using the insights gained to improve our strategies and processes. Throughout both success and failure, I maintain a steadfast commitment to our mission. I continually remind myself and our team that we are working towards a transformative change in healthcare. This perspective helps us stay resilient, maintain a positive outlook, and keep striving for our clients goals. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? The landscape of Healthcare Professional Service organizations has changed greatly over the last ten years. Growing vertically is much easier than horizontally, once you have partnered with your client and can prove your company's value. With the increase in both vendor management/procurement processes and security requirements, growing horizontally for a smaller company is extremely challenging. It can take months or years to execute the proper contracts just to be able to provide basic services. You have to be in for the long haul to hope to eventually break through. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Staying competitive in the technology sector requires constant vigilance, education and a willingness to innovate. At Rhyno, we keep our finger on the pulse of industry trends and advancements. We strive to be early adopters and implementers, and offer our customers leading edge solutions whenever possible and appropriate. However, Healthcare IT often seems to be behind the curve of using innovative technologies and solutions. Many healthcare vendors are not easily or quickly able to migrate to new infrastructure or software to stay on the leading edge. Healthcare IT budgets and manpower also make it challenging to stay technically competitive, having to deal with system mandatory upgrades and regulatory requirements. This makes for a mixed environment of product maturity and supportability. To differentiate ourselves, we've built a strong brand identity that reflects our unique approach to healthcare solutions. This includes our focus on comprehensive business process analysis, impact analysis, risk mitigation, and change management, alongside our expert implementation of the latest technologies. Our key differentiator is to be able to communicate across all areas of the business and IT staff, who often need support minimizing the time it takes to resolve both simple and complex project issues. We strive to maintain a customer-centric focus. We understand that the end goal of our work is to improve patient outcomes and increase clinical efficiencies. This commitment to our customers' needs and success guides our strategic decisions and helps us maintain our competitive edge in the market. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? My primary motivation is the reward of being a Solution Delivery provider. A full solution within every IT project can be a wide variety of things. It can be technical, operational, financial, translational or even just emotional. It amazes me how many issues can be resolved in a 20 minute phone call with the appropriate people. Issues that can remain unresolved for days or weeks, can be resolved in an hour. That is what Rhyno brings to the party and one of my most rewarding motivations. This motivation is not just mine, but one shared by the entire Rhyno team. Each challenge we face is a stepping stone towards achieving the right solution. Additionally, I am driven by a deep sense of accountability towards the healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders who rely on our services. I am committed to delivering on our promises and to continuously push for improvements in our solutions, processes, and services. Finally, our team is a crucial motivation for me. Their passion, commitment, and expertise are truly inspiring. In the face of adversity, we support each other, learn from our experiences, and come out stronger. What advice would you give someone starting in your chosen field? In the field of Healthcare IT, a strong foundation in technical knowledge, clinical/business/patient workflow, and system integration is crucial. This includes understanding different healthcare ancillary systems, IT infrastructure, data analysis, and more. But more importantly, you need to have a genuine passion for improving healthcare services and outcomes. Be prepared to embrace continuous learning as healthcare practices evolve. Keep up-to-date with emerging technologies and consider how they can be applied to solve current healthcare challenges. Understand the balance of technology and operations required to improve all patient outcomes and always look for ways to integrate solutions to allow the caregivers to focus on what they should do best - provide patient care. Focus on building relationships within the healthcare and tech industries. These connections can provide valuable insights, opportunities for collaboration, and support when facing challenges. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business/operate your venture? Technological advances have been instrumental in shaping Rhyno Healthcare Solutions. They have enabled us to create and implement innovative solutions that have a real impact on healthcare providers and patients. For instance, the advent of public cloud technologies has revolutionized how we deploy, support and access applications and data. This has been a game-changer in terms of efficiency, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, it is still a change, and all change faces resistance if not communicated and planned effectively. A strong strategy and implementation plans will be needed to ensure that the new technology is sustainable both from a financial and operational perspective. Advancements in data analytics have given us the tools to understand healthcare processes and patient outcomes better. We now have access to and can analyze large volumes of data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. Communication technologies have made it easier for us to collaborate with healthcare organizations around the world. This has allowed us to expand our reach and impact, have access to the best clinicians, and to learn from a diverse range of healthcare systems and practices. Technological advances have not only improved our business operations but have also enhanced the services we provide to the healthcare sector. We are excited about the potential of future technologies to drive further improvements in healthcare services and patient outcomes. In what ways has customer feedback/response influenced how you prioritize goals/objectives for your business/venture? Customer feedback is at the heart of everything we do at Rhyno Healthcare Solutions. It fundamentally shapes our goals and objectives. In the complex world of healthcare IT, we understand the importance of listening to our customers – the healthcare professionals who are on the frontline of patient care. This extends outside of our information technology partners and must include the business end users who understand and must live with the technical decisions implemented. Their insights guide our development efforts, helping us to focus on solutions that genuinely address their pain points and facilitate improved patient outcome. Often, Rhyno is engaged to ensure the translation of the business requirements are truly understood by the technical teams responsible to implement. We also take customer suggestions regarding our service delivery very seriously. Whether it's a comment about our response times or a suggestion for a new feature, we take these into account when setting our operational priorities. It's this customer-centric approach that allows us to provide top-notch service and continue to innovate in the healthcare IT space. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? There are several key trends emerging in the healthcare IT industry that I believe will shape its future. Firstly, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are becoming increasingly prevalent. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing predictive analytics, enhancing diagnostics, personalizing medicine, and streamlining administrative tasks. Artificial Intelligence can take on the more mundane clinical tasks and allow our clinicians and caregivers to focus on more challenging & effective ways to improve patient outcomes. Secondly, the adoption of cloud-based solutions is on the rise. As healthcare organizations continue to generate vast amounts of data, cloud technology offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for storage and access. This is particularly relevant for medical imaging, where high-resolution files need to be accessible to healthcare professionals in real time. Another key trend is the increased focus on data security and patient privacy. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, there's a growing need for robust cybersecurity measures in healthcare IT. Interoperability is an often neglected but significant trend. There is a push towards creating systems that can seamlessly share and use information across different healthcare entities, improving coordination of care and patient outcomes. At Rhyno Healthcare Solutions, we're excited about these trends and are committed to leveraging them to drive innovation and deliver exceptional services to our customers. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career/business path? Reflecting on my career in healthcare IT, I've had the opportunity to experience a multitude of rewarding and challenging aspects that have shaped my journey and defined my path. One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been seeing the tangible impact of our work on patient care. Implementing and advancing technology in healthcare systems has led to increased clinical efficiency, improved patient outcomes, and has even saved lives. Knowing that our work makes such a significant difference is incredibly fulfilling. I find great reward in the problem-solving aspect of my role. The healthcare IT sector is complex and constantly evolving. Navigating this landscape, identifying opportunities for operational optimization, and developing effective solutions is intellectually stimulating and immensely satisfying. Starting Rhyno Healthcare Solutions and later Rhyno Healthcare International has been a significant milestone. Being able to lead teams dedicated to transforming healthcare through the application of technology has been a highlight of my career. On the other hand, the path has not been without its challenges. The rapid pace of technological advancement in the healthcare sector, while exciting, can also be daunting. Keeping up with new developments and ensuring that we leverage them effectively for the benefit of our clients requires constant vigilance and adaptability. Additionally, working in the intersection of healthcare and technology means dealing with stringent regulatory requirements and data security concerns. Ensuring ongoing compliance while trying to deliver innovative solutions is a delicate balance and a constant challenge. It was often frustrating not being able to implement real effective change due to having to spend a lot of time and resources on less than innovative requirements…so much so, that Rhyno was created to help balance both. However, the rewards of working in healthcare IT far outweigh the difficulties. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? In the realm of healthcare IT, there are several skills and areas of expertise that I believe are essential for success. A deep understanding of healthcare processes and systems is paramount. This includes knowledge about the functionality of electronic medical records, departmental and enterprise ancillary systems, integration, data warehousing, analytics, and other key components of healthcare technology. Also, the ability to adapt to rapidly evolving technology is crucial. With innovations such as cloud image storage and AI making their way into healthcare, it's imperative to stay ahead of the curve and know how to integrate these technologies into existing systems for improved efficiency and patient outcomes. I believe that strong problem-solving and communication skills are vital. The healthcare industry presents unique challenges that require innovative solutions. The ability to analyze situations, identify potential roadblocks, resolve misunderstandings between the different implementation teams, and devise effective strategies is key to overcoming these challenges. How has working remotely or online impacted Rhyno Healthcare Solutions over the past year? The transition to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic has indeed presented challenges, but it has also offered opportunities for growth and innovation at Rhyno Healthcare Solutions. As a company deeply involved in technology, we were able to pivot quickly to a remote work model, leveraging our technical expertise to ensure seamless communication and collaboration among our teams. We were very concerned about remote Command Centers for critical cutovers, but we found that we were able to successfully drive those remotely almost as effectively as being onsite. This transition has shown us that we can maintain productivity and high-quality service delivery, regardless of where our team is located. Moreover, this shift has opened up a broader talent pool for us. We are no longer geographically limited when hiring new team members, allowing us to attract and retain top talent from anywhere. On the downside, the shift to remote work has put a spotlight on the importance of cybersecurity. Protecting our clients' sensitive data is a top priority, and we've ramped up our security protocols to address potential vulnerabilities associated with remote work. In terms of client relationships, we've found that the move to online meetings hasn't impeded our ability to maintain strong connections. In fact, it has allowed us to be more flexible and accessible to our clients. However, there is still something missed by those “random bump into in the hallway” conversations. So while remote work has been a successful (and forced) experiment, there are still some aspects that are missed by personal contact. What tips would you like to offer to others in a similar position but looking to take their careers or businesses further? In the ever-evolving field of healthcare IT, I would say one of the most important tips is to stay current and adaptable. I would encourage others to continually educate themselves about the latest advancements in health IT, whether it's advancements in standards to improve integration, cloud deployments, AI, or other technologies that can enhance patient care and streamline processes. You also need to focus on understanding the needs of your stakeholders. In healthcare, these stakeholders include not just your team members and customers, but also the healthcare providers using your systems and the patients who are ultimately impacted by your technology. Being able to effectively translate between these groups to ensure everyone's needs are met is crucial. Don't underestimate the importance of a strong team. As a leader, your role is to inspire and guide, but it's the team that executes the vision. Invest in your people - provide opportunities for growth, encourage innovative thinking, and cultivate a culture that values collaboration and mutual respect. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? One thing I would like to emphasize is the enormous potential for positive change in the healthcare sector through technology. We are at a pivotal moment where technology can drastically improve how healthcare is delivered and experienced. As professionals in this field, we have the opportunity to significantly impact people's lives by enhancing patient care, increasing accessibility, and improving efficiencies and outcomes. I'd like to stress the importance of ethical considerations in health IT. As we harness the power of data and AI, we must also remember our responsibility to protect patient privacy and use this information responsibly. It's crucial that we balance innovation with ethical considerations to ensure we're using technology in a way that benefits all, without compromising the trust of those we serve. I encourage all those involved in healthcare IT to embrace the challenges we face as opportunities for growth and learning. The road to transforming healthcare through technology isn't easy, but the potential rewards - improved patient outcomes, enhanced efficiency, and a more sustainable healthcare system - make the journey worthwhile.

Exclusive Interview of Danijel Koletić of Apriori World. Edited by Powered Magazine Danijel Koletić is a seasoned data strategist and analytics expert dedicated to unlocking the power of data for businesses worldwide. With a proven track record of driving impactful outcomes, Danijel has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and thought leader in the field of data-driven decision-making. In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of delving into the world of Danijel Koletić. From his early inspirations and career journey to his thoughts on the future of data analytics, we gain valuable insights into the mind of a visionary leader who continues to shape the industry. Tell us about yourself and your business. Each individual has his own mission. Sometimes it is a real mystery, and the real mystery is the path of life. I, Danijel Koletić, started my career very early, at the age of 22, as the executive producer of the Eurovision winner composer Rajko Dujmi, and by the age of 27, thanks to blessing and vision, but also courage, I had signed various national events in Croatia as a director. I was also the director of the Ford Super Model Croatia competition, Croatian Gol Championship, WTA Lady's Open 17500, and the 37th Split festival; I was a producer of the award-winning children's show Turbolimac Show; editor and host of the Sunday lunch show; I participated in the launch of today's most famous women's magazine Gloria and of the weekly Nacional; and with all that, I didn't even know I was dealing with public relations. Throughout my career, as things changed, I upgraded my life path from event management to public relations, brand management, and crisis management. More than 150 projects. Today I deal with strategic consulting under the motto less is more. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? In the area of ​​the Balkans, there were very few offices that knew what public relations were. In 1996/1997, I visited 237 companies, both public and private, in order to present public relations, and they were just being born then. The biggest challenge was to explain to people because for a couple of years, partly because of the unknown, partly because of ignorance, they thought it was "selling fog", I was lucky that in 2000, I became the director of the London School of Public Relations of the franchise program for the Republic of Croatia, which replaced the gap in academic opportunities to study public relations for a few years, and today, after 25 years, many leaders still do not understand the role and mission of public relations, which in the beginning was, and still is, the role of management, it was said that is the one in the function of relations with the media. Today, thanks to the new order of the media scene, and new rules, all agencies that deal with public relations have different procedures and approaches towards media whose native articles are paid for. From 1996-2018, it was possible to rent your story, but the ratio of media creativity in terms of editorial content was 80% compared to paid native stories, and today it has decreased, I would say to 60%. Politics, sports, international topics, and some interesting things or disasters fill the editorial content, while the rest, due to the endless possibilities of publication on portals in various sections, come to countless possibilities for different topics and publications. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? One who has not experienced failure, which happens at the beginning of a career, cannot appreciate success enough. We all learn from mistakes. I was lucky that my business mistakes were more related to believing the wrong people than project failures towards clients. Image is not bought; image is created, and you have to give more than expected and be very creative regardless of whether you work in finance, construction, medicine, advertising, or strategic consulting. Creativity and narrative are two of the keys to success with people. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? I have always been innovative and one step ahead of others. I am guided by the fact that I must always give advice to the client that will provide him with a business strategy that will create profit. Of course, if we're talking about crisis communication, it's different because, in that case, you have to neutralise and preserve someone's reputation as soon as possible. Austrian company Pfanner Juices, German baby food manufacturer Hipp Porridge for Children, Telemach, a telecommunications company in Serbia, Bayer, a pharmaceutical company in BiH, and many other cases of crisis management represent a business challenge. There is no recipe for this situation; it is necessary to give a strategic direction today, now, and immediately. Whether it's a crisis or not, the creativity of strategic consulting as well as tactics are crucial to remaining competitive. I had the opportunity to change two laws in the Republic of Croatia, and I am currently participating in the third. Regardless of public affairs, one word changes everything, and in this situation, you need to have teams of legal associates who will translate your creativity into legal possibilities. For those who have never done it and do not know, it is a process that requires time and patience. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? My biggest motivation is my ambition to succeed. On the one hand, and on the other hand, through the PRO PR conference, I connect senior experts and public relations leaders from the region. You have to understand that the salaries of public relations employees from the Republic of Slovenia to North Macedonia, as well as their status in the eyes of the market and management, are different. We always talk about the importance of volunteering, whether through the motto ''Share the knowledge, Share the experience'', whether through reading books in a home for the elderly, or in some other way. Life passes quickly, and then the key question is what we take with us and what we leave for the soul. Money in life comes and goes; we invest, we spend it, and we fear for our old age. Different countries and their social systems create our personalities, habits of business, life, and behaviour. Life has no rules, but we must love it and be grateful for it. Croatia was part of the war conflicts when they attacked it and stole the territory of a neighbouring country. Today we do business with these neighbouring countries, and new marriages are born, but traces remain. I was at the tram station, waiting for the tram, when a man was killed by a sniper next to me. I'm lucky that I don't carry that trauma but only a memory; ordinary people, in most cases, are just a number of individuals, regimes, and politicians. That's why you have to focus on the things you can change. Always do your best, never give up, and constantly believe in yourself while respecting others. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? Opportunities and competitiveness. First of all, I would advise them to volunteer and look for mentors in the business sense, to watch what they eat, and to acquire as many skills as possible by the age of 27 in order to be competitive. Focus on a certain area of ​​activity will give success. At the age of 26, I had 38 employees, I realized that it was not for me, so I sold the agency and decided to live by the motto less is more. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, but what counts is experience, so the most important thing is to be patient. You can expect money if you have 10 years of work experience, the crypto world has changed opportunities, startup strategies have created a new mindset of entrepreneurship, and young people have more opportunities than ever, but the main advice is: success requires sacrifice in younger days and good time management. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? The main topic on the planet after fake news today is chat, GPT, and AI. At this moment, this represents opportunities for many people because different generations and different positions give different opportunities, but the question is whether someone at the age of 55 is ready to learn again. We learn while we live, and learning creates competitiveness. I try to be informed, but I don't try to be the best at everything. In order to be successful, you must surround yourself with people who will cover your shortcomings and be complementary. New technologies, like everything else, have positive and negative effects. However, neither artificial intelligence nor Chat GPT will dominate, at least for the next 30 years. Let's not forget the technology behind cloning the first sheep Dolly, it was a great scientific success and trend, but we don't see mass production of cloning, at least not for now. Maybe it will happen due to a lack of food. People can only do more together. Everything on this planet has its reasons, including wars, because weapons have to be taken out of storage. We are all part of the ecosystem, but only some create, some follow, and some state. Be prepared to learn and change your own habits if you want to stay in business. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? I never allow myself to do business with a client, and after analysing the situation, he says in which direction to go. My role is to guide the client in accordance with his capabilities. There are no big or small clients. During my career, I have periodically worked with family companies that own hotels, bakeries, and clinics. They are different from corporations; they all have one goal, which is to make a profit. You and the client represent one team because common goals are set. If you clarify this at the beginning with the client, ask the right questions, listen well, and give a reasonable timeline for implementation, then there will be no doubts. I always emphasise to clients that we are on the same side—one team, one success. The involvement of different experts with different views and transparency in communication is the only way you can achieve your goals. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? The new generations are too comfortable; most of their lives are reduced to looking at a cell phone screen, and their motor skills are dulled. Logic, connection, and artificial intelligence will certainly provide numerous solutions and facilitate business guidelines in different areas, but unfortunately, they will also reduce the creativity of the human mind. Despite artificial intelligence, humans will remain the key to success. The main trends will be a reduction in the number of employees in the IT industry and an increase in the number of employees in the cybersecurity industry. Despite the creativity of artificial intelligence, only those with more skills, which means logical connections, will be able to survive thanks to their competitiveness and will be more in demand. Food production is a sure source of income. Unfortunately, most young people today do not want to engage in agriculture; at least that's how it is here in SE Europe. In the consulting industry, despite the fact that artificial intelligence can provide some guidance, it will not have all the parameters to provide a final and true path to success. It can give some general guidance, but it is not what will lead you to success. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? The most difficult was certainly the beginning. I came from a small tourist town with one suitcase and 150 dollars. I rented my room, and I started as a waiter working on the side. The rest is history, I would say, because as a waiter, I came from the road to the newsroom of a tabloid and asked them to give me two pages for the organisation of a humanitarian concert. That was in 1991, when already more than 36 children were left without both parents, and on January 15, 1992, thanks to donations, around 400,000 dollars were collected in one night. Of course, my status and my life have changed since then, but my financial situation has not changed too much because Croatia was at war and my income was not great. I worked for experience more than for large sums of money. The money came by itself because there were many requests for cooperation with me, the number of people I cooperated with expanded, and the agency grew. More people, more expenses, more work, and fewer opportunities for free time That's why, as I already mentioned, I decided to sell the agency. Time is the only resource that we cannot get back, and that's why I repeat that time management is very important. Don't let time pass you by, like life. Enjoying the little things works wonders. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? In my field, the most important thing is transparency. You have to talk transparently with your team, with your closest colleagues, with your clients, and in your private life. For someone, success is having millions of dollars in their account. For someone with a harmonious family and a sincere friend, you need to constantly invest, try to be in places where special people gather, have the courage to approach people, talk to people, and work on yourself. We have a reading crisis today. Our brain has accelerated absorption due to social networks on mobile phones, but the capacity to focus has decreased. I want to be among the best who provide strategic advice in the fields of reputation management, positioning, and business development. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? I was surprised because I got the job with Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Medical Education and the job about law changes during the first days of COVID-19, before the pandemic. In 2018, from September until January, I was on the road every week to Frankfurt, Doha, London, Istanbul, Sarajevo, Madrid... The pandemic brought something wonderful to business, which is the possibility of online meetings and more. It created new workers and new job opportunities. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? Clearly specify what you know and what you don't know; define what you want; and, above all, what you like to do. If you're doing something you don't like, it's never too late to change. I believe you can do anything just like me; it's just a matter of focus, desire, and will. If you see that the client does not understand what you are talking about and that he is not ready to follow your advice, you are not working for money because you are investing yourself in the work, and it has no price. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Believe in young people, accept the changes of the new social order, don't go back too far in the past, think when you give advice on business opportunities, be yourself, respect others, don't allow yourself to live other people's lives, and don't comment on other people and their life situations based on gossip and articles from the media or the portal if you have not met these people. Manage your time and allow yourself to appreciate yourself; put your ego aside; and don't forget that all this is fleeting. As we came to this planet, so we will leave filled with kindness, knowing that thanks to your work, you provided professional support to your team and improved the businesses of many.

Exclusive Interview of Ayush Bagla of Ackuretta. Edited by Powered Magazine Ayush Bagla is a visionary leader and accomplished entrepreneur in the field of 3D printing and manufacturing. As the CEO of Ackuretta, a leading provider of 3D printing solutions, Ayush has been instrumental in driving innovation, revolutionizing manufacturing processes, and empowering businesses across various industries. In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of delving into the remarkable journey and insights of Ayush Bagla. From his entrepreneurial drive and industry expertise to his vision for the future of 3D printing, we uncover the depth of his passion and the breadth of his contributions to the manufacturing landscape. Tell us about yourself and your business. Hello world, I'm Ayush Bagla, the latest in a long lineage of astute business professionals, proudly representing the fifth generation of our entrepreneurial family, it's no exaggeration to say that the pulse of commerce courses through our veins. A decade ago, I took the reins of innovation and founded a pioneering 3D printing company, specialising in the forefront of polymer-based technology, Ackuretta. Fast-forward to today, and our cutting-edge technology is a game-changer in the dental industry. Thousands of users across a span of 80 countries utilise our solutions daily, crafting a plethora of dental applications. It's not just about printing; it's about revolutionising dentistry, one application at a time! What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? Venturing into a bold new chapter, I bid farewell to my roots in India and set my sights on the vibrant opportunities awaiting me in Taiwan. The excitement of the unknown beckoned me, and I leapt. With dedication and an entrepreneurial spirit, I launched my own business—a bootstrapped venture that wasn't simply about survival but about flourishing. For nearly a decade, we've been sailing on the wave of high growth and profitability, a testament to our relentless efforts and strategic agility. We didn't just dream; we executed, and the results were beyond what anyone could have anticipated. However, our journey hasn't been without its hurdles. When COVID hit, it was a storm that threatened to sink many. We were tested and pushed to our limits. But it's during these trying times that we find out what we're truly made of. We managed to navigate both the mental strain and financial pressures, demonstrating resilience and perseverance beyond measure. The challenges weren't easy, but we tackled them head-on, transforming them into stepping stones towards a stronger, more resilient enterprise. Even during the darkest hours, our passion and commitment to our mission kept us afloat. And as we look to the future, we remain invigorated, ready to conquer whatever comes our way. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Navigating the entrepreneurial landscape, we often found that setbacks outnumbered triumphs. Yet, every stumble was merely an opportunity to get up stronger, each mistake an avenue to adapt and innovate. As the torchbearer of this venture, I knew that yielding was simply out of the question. Regarding victories, they never begot conceit but instead amplified our humility. We live in a world that never stops turning, making it imperative to keep our feet firmly on the ground even as we reach for the stars. We savoured our successes without losing sight of the continuous journey ahead, aware that unexpected bends in the road were always possible. This approach has enabled us to remain optimistic, poised, and ready for whatever comes our way, illustrating our unwavering resilience and indefatigable spirit. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Get ready to be crystal clear about what's going to make waves in the long run and stick to it! Even when things are in flux, don't sweat it; ride the tide instead. And remember, we're not just adapting to change; we're anticipating it, leading the charge, and staying ahead of the game. Bring it on! What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? Fueled by an invincible desire to endure, we persistently seek to contribute positively to our community, impacting not just our team members, customers, and suppliers but also our fans. Even though the idea of facing the loss of ten years of hard work is formidable, we're determined to rise above it. Instead of seeing it as a curtain call, we view it as a challenging interlude. The journey is far from over; in fact, we're optimistic about the exciting prospects that lie ahead. With unwavering faith, we know that there is a bright light awaiting us at the end of this tunnel—a beacon of hope, resilience, and unparalleled growth. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? Life's a thrilling journey, isn't it? No matter how well we pack our bags, the road ahead always has a few surprises. But guess what? We're more than ready. We've got our eyes on the horizon, primed for change, always expecting the unexpected. And we're not just along for the ride; we're blazing the trail. Let's embrace this adventure! How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? Isn't technology just mind-blowing? It's turned what seemed impossible yesterday into today's reality! Remember 10 years ago, when we first started dreaming of creating things that didn't exist? Back then, the technology we needed was still a thing of the future. But look how far we've come! Semiconductors have advanced, optics have transformed, polymers and fillers have evolved, software has skyrocketed, and AI has exploded onto the scene, and it's all powering our progress. It's more than just a step forward; it's a leap that's sparking a whole new market. And guess what? We're right at the heart of it! In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? Let's be real; our customers are the true captains of this ship, right? Dentistry—now that's a unique art! And in a sphere as intricate as this, introducing technology is like inviting an artist to swap their paintbrush for a stylus. It's a big shift! But just look at the digital art scene—it's been revolutionised in the past decade. Now, about our customers—they're the ones with the real vision. They know their goals inside and out. And that's why we adopt a first principles approach! It's like a fun puzzle. We know the end picture, so we work backwards, piecing together the steps needed to reach those goals. Bring on the challenge! What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? Get ready because we're witnessing an incredible shift in the dental practise!" Scanning, printing, and software technology are all being adopted at lightning speed. And the adoption of scanning technology? Wow, it's outpacing even our wildest forecasts! So you can bet that the next wave of products is going to hit the market faster than ever. Let's not forget the golden rule of computing: garbage in, garbage out (GIGO). But guess who's here to save the day? Good ol' AI! It's cutting down the learning curve and making digital technology adoption more cost-effective than ever. Meanwhile, advancements in material science are opening doors to new applications and business models—things that would make most jaws drop! And let's just say there's nothing quite like the look on our users' faces when they hold end-use products, crafted from scratch, in less than an hour. It's a sight to behold! What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? Imagine rolling the dice on the technology of the future—technology that experts, advisors, and big corporations had dismissed and doubted. Yet, we had the foresight to see that current technology was heading for obsolescence within a blink of an eye—just 5 short years. It was a bold move, but we believed in it. We put all our chips on this new technology, and within a couple of years, bingo! We were not only ahead, we were leagues ahead of our competition. This journey wasn't a breezy road trip, oh no. The stakes were high; investing in this new frontier of technology was a sizable investment, a leap of faith, and an enormous commitment of time. And let's not forget, we were charting this course in the midst of COVID, when the business climate was challenging and resources were like gold dust. Now, let's talk about hardware - it's like an intricate dance, complex and challenging to scale. But once you've mastered the steps, it's a game-changer. The entry bar is set high and few can clear it. Breaking through in this domain, especially 3D printing, is like planting your flag on the final peak of the fourth, possibly the last, industrial revolution. And let me tell you, the view from up here? Absolutely exhilarating! Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Problem Solving: A puzzle master who crafts solutions by spotting intricate pieces. Adaptability: Nimble and flexible, ready to pivot in the face of change. Advanced Learning Curve: Rapidly mastering new concepts and skills with a steep learning curve. Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and thriving through challenges Finance: A strong grasp of finance is necessary for managing budgets and making strategic decisions. Team Building: Gifted at bringing people together to form motivated and united teams How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? When it comes to our team culture, we're old school—we love the energy of a buzzing office. But looking at the bigger picture, remote work has been a game-changer, especially for smaller businesses like ours. It's put a whole new spin on reducing overhead—no more hefty office bills! And it's not just us. Our customers are also loving the convenience of online shopping, and as a result, we've seen the buying cycle whizz past at unprecedented speeds. Remember those expensive trade shows where we used to demonstrate our products? Well, we've managed to cut those costs significantly. And let's talk about time – that precious commodity. Once upon a time, squeezing in four meetings in a day felt like running a marathon. But now, with the rise of digital platforms, we're acing up to 10-15 meetings a day. We're making every minute count! What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? Let's talk money—understanding it and getting savvy with it. It's all about taking a financial masterclass and seeing every choice through the lens of its cash flow impact. This kind of thinking clears away the fog of uncertainty, guiding us to make financially solid decisions. And trust me, it's a game-changer. Suddenly, decisions aren't just emotional or based on a hunch. They're grounded, they're rational, and they're financially sound.

Exclusive Interview of Maxim Galash of Coinchange Financials Inc.. Edited by Powered Magazine. Maxim Galash is an innovative leader at the forefront of the digital currency revolution. With a deep understanding of blockchain technology and a relentless drive for excellence, Maxim has made significant contributions to the field of digital currency exchange as well as the broader adoption of blockchain solutions. In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of delving into the mind of Maxim Galash. From his entrepreneurial journey and the challenges he has overcome to his insights on the future of digital currency and blockchain, we gain valuable insights into the world of digital finance and the vision that drives Maxim's innovative endeavors. Tell us about yourself and your business. I'm Maxim Galash, CEO of Coinchange, a prominent platform in the DeFi market that generates yield through carefully crafted quantitative and systematic strategies. These strategies are combined into diversified portfolios, each with a unique risk-reward profile. Our portfolios are distributed through direct-to-business and direct-to-consumer applications, utilising APIs for partnerships and offering separately managed accounts for our institutional clients. Additionally, we operate an OTC desk, servicing institutional clients, crypto miners, and other entities in the blockchain and payment business sectors. My background is quite varied. I graduated from the University of Toronto as an electrical computer engineer, worked at 3G Capital, and served as a general partner at the venture fund BGS Venture LP. Afterward, I founded my own professional services agency, building apps for various clients. I also ventured into the startup realm, launching several mobile applications in the social and music industries, some of which I later sold. After a sabbatical period spent buying crypto, my fascination with the blockchain grew, leading me to start building an online OTC. Later on, I incorporated the DeFi investment portfolio business into the operation. Today, Coinchange offers a multitude of products and service lines to our clients, who are predominantly fintech and blockchain-native businesses. As for my education, besides my bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, I also completed my MBA through a power MBA program. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? Launching a business is a daunting task and requires courage to initiate the process. The key is to think, talk, build, and do everything related to the project. The journey often involves several core challenges. Funding: Finding the necessary capital to get your venture off the ground is usually one of the first obstacles to overcome. Team Building: It's crucial to assemble a team that shares your vision and is committed to realising it. Timing: Assessing whether the market is ready for your product is vital. If the timing is off, even the best idea can struggle to take off. Geography and clients: It's important to ensure there is a genuine demand for your product and not just a perceived one. You need to understand whether your target clients truly want what you're offering and if your chosen geographical location aligns with that demand. Move forward one step at a time, reflect on past experiences, and seek new connections. Use your network to inspire and evaluate the market's, clients, and product's potential. This will help you make informed decisions as you navigate these challenges. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Over the course of my career, I've experienced numerous failures. Out of five startups I launched, three didn't succeed. These failures are always difficult to process. Recognising failure and having the strength to step back and reflect rather than relentlessly trying the same approach is a real challenge. As entrepreneurs, we're often counselled to relentlessly push forward, never surrender, and persistently strive towards our objectives. However, discerning the right moment to halt, pivot, or initiate a transformation can be a delicate balance to maintain. Every failure has been a learning opportunity for me, teaching me to recognise when the potential rewards don't justify the cost or effort or when there's simply no viable opportunity left. I've learned to identify my weaknesses and hire a team that can complement them. Delegation has been a crucial lesson. Understanding your limitations and building a team that can bridge those gaps is essential. Knowing what you don't know is as important as knowing what you do know. It's vital to look at the market and your product objectively and to have the courage to make a change when necessary. Choosing the right partners at the start of any venture is crucial. The business journey is often a rollercoaster, and having partners you can rely on for funding, advice, and sharing the pressures of external circumstances can make a significant difference. These lessons have been invaluable for me, and I believe they are essential for anyone embarking on a business journey. There will always be more lessons to learn. Being open to them is key to growth and resilience. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? The primary strategy I employ is straightforward: listen to your clients. Ensuring that you're in tune with their needs and feedback and integrating that into your business and product offerings is paramount. Next, fostering a culture of constructive contradiction within your team is key. It's important not to seek unanimous agreement on every issue. Instead, encourage team members to voice their unique perspectives and reward them for doing so. This diversity of viewpoints enriches decision-making and stimulates innovation. Third, strive to minimise bureaucracy and excessive management oversight. While essential controls in areas like finance and operations are necessary, they should not be so constrictive as to stifle creativity and impede new initiatives, product changes, or marketing campaigns. Aiming for a flatter organisational structure can help ensure a dynamic flow of ideas and feedback. Cultivate an open and transparent feedback culture to increase agility and responsiveness in a rapidly changing market, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? Human motivation often arises from two primary factors: fear and pleasure. Much like anyone else, I am no exception to these driving forces. Fear, while typically seen in a negative light, can indeed be a powerful motivator. Fear of missing out, of being last, of losing, of appearing foolish, or of not realising one's aspirations can spur relentless perseverance. Simultaneously, the pleasure derived from overcoming challenges, satisfying clients, and fostering a happy and prosperous team provides a strong dopamine boost, which fuels motivation. A sense of purpose in what we do is a vital source of motivation. Our work helps people earn more and encourages financial independence, giving them the freedom to decide how they want to spend their time. This contribution to our clients' lives—the ability to help them navigate towards a better, more secure future—is a deeply rewarding driver for the entire team. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? My foremost advice would be to pursue what you love and do it exceptionally well. Ensure that your chosen path is not driven solely by the desire for monetary gain or personal pleasure but rather by a harmonious blend of both. Being truly passionate about what you do is vital, as this will fuel your commitment and resilience, particularly when navigating the ups and downs inherent in a startup environment or any new venture. So, stay passionate, love what you do, and strive for excellence. This commitment will not only bring you satisfaction but also improve your chances of success in your chosen field. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business/operate your venture? The recent wave of artificial intelligence (AI) has been transformative for our business, particularly in our marketing and sales operations. We've been leveraging AI technologies, such as GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer), for various tasks. AI helps us generate prospect lists and identify target client profiles. With input from sales and marketing teams, AI creates extensive lists of potential prospects and curates them, obtaining contact information for key decision-makers, filtering, structuring, and categorising them. AI is used to generate content for newsletters, blog posts, and social media content, as well as to create images and videos, complementing the work of our design and marketing teams. AI's role in development and quantitative strategy teams is less pronounced than in human creativity and iterative processes. AI has yet to find a suitable role in integrating these methodologies into a systematic approach. We use AI-infused systems for CRM, customer support, compliance, and fraud detection, but don't directly utilise them as we operate as clients of these service providers. AI has revolutionised sales and marketing operations, improving efficiency and reach. We anticipate further AI integration across other areas of our business in the future. In what ways has customer feedback/response influenced how you prioritize goals/objectives for your business/venture? Customer feedback is essential for our product development and business strategy. We listen closely to our customers and adjust our product roadmap based on their needs and responses. We also take into account market research, management decisions, and overall market conditions, but customer feedback holds the highest degree of influence in shaping our goals and objectives. Our business has changed from a predominantly retail-focused business to a B2B-focused one due to customer feedback. We noticed that our B2B clients were more engaged with the platform, requesting more features, and generally showing higher account balances. We are investing more heavily in our B2B platform, sales channels, and operations while still maintaining our retail offering. In essence, customer feedback plays a crucial role in determining the direction of our product development, market approach, and overall business objectives. It's an invaluable tool that enables us to align our goals with the needs of our most engaged and valuable customers. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? There are several emerging trends in our industry that I believe are going to shape its future development and growth significantly. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): NFTs are having a tremendous impact not just in art and collectibles but also in digital applications like gaming. For instance, platforms like Sorare allow users to collect and trade NFT cards, build their sports teams, and compete online. It's a fascinating blend of gamification and blockchain technology that brings new levels of transparency and engagement. Decentralised Finance (DeFi): DeFi, which essentially takes intermediaries out of financial transactions, is another transformative trend. It promotes peer-to-peer transactions, scalability, and personal control over financial activities. Moreover, participation in DeFi markets can be rewarding, with many platforms providing returns for engagement. Security Tokens: The rise of security tokens is another notable trend. These tokens allow for the securitization of virtually any asset, from real estate and cars to jewellery and mines. This process enables fractional ownership, allowing anyone in the world to purchase these tokens and gain exposure to the revenue, dividends, and potential appreciation of the underlying asset. These trends are creating new and exciting opportunities in the crypto and Web3 landscapes. As a leading yield optimisation platform in the DeFi space, we are actively participating in these trends. We act as an asset manager, offering both custodial and non-custodial ways for our clients to earn in these evolving markets. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career/business path? One of the most challenging aspects of my career path has been making pivotal decisions that significantly impact the direction of the business. For instance, when we decided to shift our focus from B2C to B2B, it required an extensive restructuring of our business, which was certainly a difficult endeavour. We had to reduce our operational expenses, let go of some of our employees, reorient our marketing and sales strategies, and reassess our overall positioning. The process of letting people go was particularly tough, but it was necessary for the sustainability of the business. As for the most rewarding aspects, nothing can replace the exhilaration of achieving key milestones. When we started seeing our first clients sign up, generating our initial revenue, reaching the first million in deposits, or acquiring our first thousand clients, these were truly exciting moments. Seeing the tangible impact of our hard work and the value we were creating for real users provided immense motivation and fulfilment for the team and me. Ultimately, it's the balance of these challenging and rewarding experiences that forms the essence of entrepreneurship and makes the journey worthwhile. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Absolutely. Staying ahead in a rapidly evolving field like cryptocurrency requires a unique blend of skills and attributes. Here are some key areas of expertise that are particularly essential: Research and Analysis Skills: With new protocols, tokens, and blockchain technologies constantly emerging, it's critical to have strong research and analytical skills. This helps to understand the utility, risks, and real value behind every new financial product introduced in the market. Technical Understanding: A background in mathematics or engineering can be highly beneficial. This provides the ability to synthesise and interpret complex data effectively, which is necessary to make informed decisions in this technical and often complex field. Adaptability: Given the fast-paced nature of the cryptocurrency industry, being able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances is vital. This includes the ability to pivot, offer new services, and adjust your approach based on market evaluation and reflection. Strategic Thinking: Strategic decision-making skills are also essential. This involves synthesising information from a variety of sources, assessing potential risks and opportunities, and making informed decisions that align with your broader business objectives. Industry Knowledge: Lastly, a deep understanding of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency markets is a given. This includes knowledge of different cryptocurrencies, an understanding of blockchain protocols, smart contracts, and decentralised finance (DeFi) trends. These skills, when combined with a passion for the field and a willingness to stay updated with the latest developments, can help drive success in the cryptocurrency industry. How has working remotely or online impacted your business/venture over the past year? Operating remotely has indeed affected our business, but it's been mostly a positive experience for us. Being remote-first, we were ahead of the curve when the pandemic began, as we were already well accustomed to working from home. The challenges lie in fostering a sense of unity and shared culture when everyone is dispersed. To maintain this, we conduct regular stand-ups where the team can catch up, and I make myself readily available to anyone who needs assistance or guidance. Additionally, we face the challenge of ensuring everyone is aligned with our vision and has a clear understanding of their responsibilities. This comes down to open communication, setting clear expectations, and trust. The beauty of remote work is the flexibility it offers everyone on the team. We can cast a wider net in terms of talent and skills because we're not restricted to one geographical location. This has helped us form a diverse, talented team, all working together to drive the business forward. There is a learning curve to managing remote teams effectively, but with the right tools, clear communication, and a strong culture, we've found it to be a rewarding experience. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers/business further? First and foremost, always maintain honesty with yourself. Understand where you are and what you're capable of, and don't let biases cloud your judgement. Knowing your starting point is crucial to planning your journey. Second, don't let optimism make you underestimate the challenges. Projects often take more time and resources than initially estimated. It's vital to account for this in your planning. Third, always have a plan and backup plans. The ability to adapt and pivot is crucial, especially in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Things don't always go according to plan, so having alternatives ready can save you a lot of stress. Fourth, maintain a healthy level of paranoia. This might sound strange, but in a competitive business landscape, it's vital to stay on your toes, continuously thinking about how you can improve, stay ahead, and outperform your competition. Lastly, ensure you surround yourself with the right people. Building a team that complements your skills and shares your vision is vital. It's equally important to incentivize them appropriately to ensure their dedication and commitment to your shared goals. These are some broad pieces of advice that have served me well, and I believe they can be useful for anyone looking to advance in their careers or business ventures. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Absolutely. There are a few more points I'd love to highlight. Our business operates within the realm of decentralised finance (DeFi); we employ a systematic, quantitative approach to asset management. Our platform specialises in optimising yield, and we've developed several robust portfolios. If anyone is interested in exploring DeFi investment products, I would highly recommend checking out what we have to offer. We're also open to collaborations, so if you have a DeFi or yield product that you think would fit well with our platform, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Additionally, for those of you who may have idle cash sitting around and want to see it work more effectively for you, our separately managed accounts (SMAs) could be an excellent solution. We're always eager to work with new partners and clients. Thank you for this opportunity to share our work. We're excited to connect with those interested in DeFi, yield optimisation, and overall financial growth. I look forward to potential future collaborations. Be the change; yield the impossible!

Exclusive Interview of Balázs Slezák of Wozify. Edited by Powered Magazine Join us as we embark on an extraordinary exploration of Balazs Slezak's vision for a connected world, and discover how his relentless pursuit of technological excellence is shaping industries and transforming the way we live, work, and connect. In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of delving into the mind of Balazs Slezak. From his early inspirations and career journey to his groundbreaking innovations and future aspirations, we uncover the insights and perspectives of a true technological pioneer. Tell us about yourself and your business. I've spent nearly ten years in the startup world, and my name is Balázs Slezák. If I were to be dramatic, I would say innovation runs in my bloodstream. I have founded three tech startups and achieved a successful exit with one in 2018. Since then, I've been wearing two hats: one as the leader of my software development firm, Wozify, and the other as a startup mentor. Both roles have recently taken a direction towards the space industry. As a mentor for the European Space Agency and the EU’s CASSINI Space Entrepreneurship Initiative, I find myself at the intersection of the space industry and the startup world. My mentoring activities and my current venture, Wozify, are built upon the years of ups and downs, failures, and successes that I experienced as a startup founder. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business (and how did you overcome them)? Every business I've started has posed different challenges. For instance, fresh out of university, I founded an advertising agency despite knowing nothing about advertising or, to be honest, business in general. I had to learn everything on the fly. Although it generated revenue and allowed me to earn a modest living without getting a 9-to-5 job, this business was destined to fail. However, it transformed me into a generalist who is now confident across all areas of the business world, including sales, marketing, and finance. With my very first startup, my co-founders and I fell into the most common trap inexperienced young entrepreneurs face: based on an idea, we started building something the world didn’t really need. We failed, but we learned our lesson: start with the market first and build a product second. With Forma Eyewear (the 3D printed eyewear company that was later acquired), we needed to simultaneously develop high-quality materials, create a cloud-based software solution for fitting, and build a fashion brand, all on a very limited budget. The solution was to assemble a team with diverse skillsets where everyone was capable of wearing multiple hats. With Wozify (my current business), the biggest challenge was standing out in the highly competitive market of software development. Our solution was specialisation (focusing on startups), and then, when we were dissatisfied with our growth, we decided to specialise even further (targeting space industry startups). How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Failure is inevitable. Except for a few outliers, the vast majority of entrepreneurs experience several failures before achieving success. These failures provide invaluable opportunities for personal and business growth and serve as building blocks for future success. While failures can be painful and it's natural to grieve, the ability to bounce back every time is what ensures you're unstoppable. I believe that perseverance, combined with taking calculated risks, paves the way to overcome a series of failures and eventually achieve success. To paraphrase a popular movie quote, you either die a failure or you live long enough to see yourself become a success. However, we mustn't forget survivorship bias. The stories we often see in the media focus on successful individuals who persevered, but they usually represent the exception, not the norm. That's why taking calculated risks is crucial. It's important to always protect the downside and avoid taking risks so substantial that, if they materialise, they could put you out of commission for years. As a leader, I find it beneficial to assume all responsibility for failures, losses, and setbacks and share credit with my team when we win. This fosters a positive culture and drives performance. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? The world is changing so rapidly that it's unprecedented in human history. Continuous learning, both at the personal and organisational levels, is the only way to stay relevant. Moreover, an abundance mindset is tremendously beneficial. Networking, getting to know, and eventually forming partnerships with competitors can create greater value for all market players involved. Business, in the vast majority of industries, is not a zero-sum game. However, the most important factor remains delivering value to the customer. Being exceptional in the areas that customers deem most important secures a long-term competitive edge. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? I have long-term goals and a vision for my own personal growth as well as that of my companies. Short-term adversities, setbacks, and failures can be painful, but in the grand scheme of things, they are just bumps in the road. What motivates me most is creating value in everything I do, whether it's leading my team, mentoring startup founders, or teaching. And of course, I hope to capture a portion of that value that translates into financial success. I firmly believe that material wealth is always a side effect of making an impact on the world. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? This might seem counterintuitive, but for young individuals starting their careers, securing a job is often a better initial move than starting a business. If your ultimate goal is to launch a venture in a specific industry, first gain employment within that industry. Gaining real-world experience while being paid by your employer helps mitigate risks in your career strategy and simplifies the process of starting a business later. As for navigating the startup world, my advice is straightforward: Begin with the market. Aim to solve a problem or fulfil an existing desire within the market. Make something people want. This is where the vast majority of startup attempts, including my first one, stumble. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? Everyone is talking about AI now, and not enough people are talking about space. I strongly believe that we are at the advent of the golden age of space entrepreneurship. Working with Earth observation and satellite data to create value on Earth has enormous untapped potential. Space tourism, space manufacturing, and asteroid mining are all nascent industries that are bound to flourish. Right now, the space industry makes up a negligible fraction of global GDP, and everything indicates that an exponential boom can be expected. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? I love what I do, and there are so many rewarding experiences. For instance, speaking at conferences and conducting workshops and training for people who are genuinely interested is a joy. However, the best feeling always comes from the success of a client or mentee. When they reach an important milestone, for example, raising a round of venture capital, getting featured in a prestigious publication, or being acquired, it fills me with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Contrary to popular belief, being a jack-of-all-trades is extremely useful when founding a company, especially when combined with a willingness and ability to learn quickly. The best strategy is to be T-shaped, having deep knowledge and skills in a particular area along with the ability to collaborate across disciplines. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? Wozify had been operating as a remote-first company with a geographically distributed team even before the first wave of COVID hit. We transitioned to a fully remote organisation then and have never looked back. This structure allows us access to a larger talent pool both nationally and internationally, and it affords our colleagues the flexibility to become digital nomads if they so choose; in fact, recently, one of our team members relocated to South America and continues to work from there. Additionally, it saves us a significant amount of commuting time. Of course, we understand that remote work isn't suitable for everyone, so we make this clear to candidates during our recruitment and selection process. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? Look beyond the obvious. Look for insufficiently solved problems. Niching down is almost always the best strategy in the beginning. Give value first; expect money second. Embrace change and try to anticipate its ramifications. Maintain a strong work-life balance. Pay attention to your health. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Exclusive Interview of Jill McAbe of BOOM-U Media. Edited by Powered Magazine In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of delving into the extraordinary accomplishments and insights of Jill McAbe. From her career highlights and experiences to her perspectives on gender equality, diversity, and driving social impact, we uncover the depth of her passion and the breadth of her contributions. Tell us about yourself and your business. I'm Jill McAbe, a business course creator and bestselling author specializing in productivity and business development for purpose-driven independent professionals. With a background in leadership, certifications in change and coaching, and a wealth of business experience, I've used my expertise to help others achieve emotional and financial well-being. After a life-changing car accident, I refocused my efforts to empower purpose-driven professionals, reaching over 20,000 students through productivity courses like "The Neuroscience of Goal Setting". My business development courses, such as IGNITE and True2Brand, have helped my clients become micro-influencers in their fields. What sets me apart is my unique blend of business acumen, scientific knowledge, and spiritual teachings. My commitment to balance is admired by my community; I prioritize well-being over the relentless pursuit of financial gain. I've been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine, among others, and featured on many top 1% podcasts. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? When starting my business, my biggest challenges revolved around selecting a single skill set and carving out a niche. The abundance of potential products and services initially overwhelmed me, and I hesitated to choose just one. However, I soon realised the importance of focusing on building one product at a time to achieve success. This gradual approach eventually led to the development of an ecosystem of products. Another hurdle was finding my niche. While consulting for high-earning entrepreneurs and assisting them with vision, strategy, and leadership development, I thrived on their energy. However, working with team members who lacked the same enthusiasm for growth proved draining. This prompted me to shift my focus towards independent, purpose-driven professionals who not only pursued financial success but were also committed to making a positive impact through their work. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? I view both success and failure as essential in shaping our journeys. Inspired by Teresa Amabile's research at Harvard, I've come to understand the significance of recognising even the smallest victories. It fuels a positive feedback loop in our brains, propelling us forward. Similarly, failure plays a critical role as a teacher. Throughout my two decades of entrepreneurship, I've encountered failed initiatives, launches, and challenging financial periods. However, these experiences have provided invaluable lessons and guided me towards a path I know is better. Embracing the saying "when one door closes, another opens," I've learned to let go of circumstances beyond my control and embrace a calm curiosity. This mindset has led to the discovery that setbacks often pave the way for better opportunities. I'm deeply grateful for my past failures, as they have ultimately led me to pursue what I love today. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? To keep up with changes, I’ve employed listening, purpose, and persistence. For instance, when the COVID pandemic struck, I noticed a sudden influx of new "business coaches". Despite my decade-long track record and the $100 million in value my clients had collectively created, I now faced a wave of new competition. A new wave of coaches offered prescriptive ‘follow-my-lead’ business systems, but business, I believe, isn't one-size-fits-all. Each enterprise is a unique puzzle that needs a tailored approach. To succeed, professionals must grasp the foundations of business and apply them to their specific circumstances. Following someone else's blueprint doesn’t typically achieve the desired results. To stay competitive, I leaned on my years of experience and commitment to serving my market. The breadth of my programmes and my inside-out methodology became a unique selling point. Above all, it's my passion for helping people who help people that truly sets me apart. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? My drive is fueled by the joy I feel when my clients succeed! Many of my clients and course participants have become leaders in their spaces or micro influencers. It brings me to tears of joy when I see them surrounded by people who love them. The positive ripple effect that I know is unfolding in the world, and the fact that I am a small part of it, makes me feel incredible. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? The most crucial advice I can share is to pick something you genuinely enjoy. There will be challenging times, so your passion will serve as a necessary motivator, guiding you through tricky stages like marketing your business and finding your community. While initial clients often come from personal networks, the true test lies in reaching a broader audience beyond personal ties. To succeed, a clear and compelling brand message is essential. This is often overlooked by professionals, hindering their business growth potential. I recommend developing a founder’s story following the structure of a hero's journey as the first step. Crafting this story for oneself allows all other messaging, such as unique selling propositions and social media topics, to naturally align. This powerful narrative accelerates trust-building and becomes a remarkable catalyst for marketing efforts. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? In my industry, I observe a significant trend towards holistic wealth, transcending a fixation on financial prosperity alone. This shift, driven by global changes in social, economic, and environmental landscapes, is leading individuals to reevaluate their priorities and definitions of success. Purpose-driven entrepreneurship is gaining momentum, with an increasing emphasis on creating value aligned with personal and societal impact. The rise of registered B-Corps and the demand for leadership development exemplify this commitment to positive social change. As society undergoes transformative crises, individuals are prioritising personal fulfilment and societal improvement. This awareness is reshaping our industry. In response, my Wealthy System offers a holistic approach to wealth creation, focusing on balanced, purpose-driven success that benefits both individuals and broader communities. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? The key to success in my field is leadership, not merely as a means of managing others but as a means of bringing out the best in them. Before this is possible, however, one must learn to bring out the best in oneself. Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and embracing one's truth are vital. My programmes, designed around an inside-out methodology, advocate for this personal growth as a pathway to professional success. Hence, a holistic approach to leadership and personal development is essential, fostering both personal and professional thriving. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Never doubt that you were purpose-built for success. Far too often, I hear of people abandoning their dreams after being told they 'weren't good enough'. Don't let others dictate your worth or the fate of your dreams. Embrace your calling. Remember, many successful individuals faced rejection. It's essential to remember that one person's feedback doesn't define you. The world needs your solution. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Believe in yourself, trust in your abilities, and make your mark on the world. If you need help getting to the next level of success, I invite you to my monthly First Friday Fireside Chats for free group coaching. I’d be happy to help you! You can RSVP at Eventbrite here.

Exclusive Interview of Harsh Patel of Water and Shark. Edited by Powered Magazine Harsh Patel is a highly accomplished professional with a strong background in International Corporate and Business Laws, tax, cross-border structuring, family office, corporate compliance, real estate transaction advisory, start-up venturing, and strategic advisory. As the Founding Member and Global CEO of Water and Shark, he has established the company in numerous countries, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and others. Tell us about yourself and your business. I am the founder and chief executive officer of Water and Shark, and my name is Harsh Girish Patel. I have law licences to practise in several nations, including the UAE, India, the UK, and others. I am a corporate lawyer and a qualified chartered accountant. My journey as a professional began with a small dream. A dream to be able to help others and showcase my abilities as a problem solver. To define and establish myself as a leader of the new age, and to help others grow along with me. I embarked upon a journey to become a chartered accountant, one of the most coveted professional qualifications one can aspire to have. Once I was able to achieve this, it motivated me to further enhance my skills. At the mere age of 19, I was able to start my own business and venture out into the vast waters of the business world. Hence began the journey of water and sharks. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? I started the journey in a tiny office in a metro city in India and have scaled it and expanded it from a regional firm to a global firm in the past decade. Yes, it was a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs, where a decade ago the technology, the infrastructure, the team, and the requisite skill sets were not easily attainable. But with a vision to be the world's best and to be able to compete in the same ring as the industry stalwarts, we motivated and drove ourselves to where we are. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Personally, I attribute my success not only to myself but also to those who have supported and guided me throughout my journey. People who stay by you during your hardship are those who deserve to be with you during your success. I have always re-evaluated my methods and choices when I have faced challenges that seemed unsurmountable in order to ensure that I don’t repeat them. And in my success, I have never let my hunger die. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? We consider ourselves a one stop shop for the modern era. With this belief, we claim to be up to date with the ongoing trends. We try to blend our style and essence into modern methods of business and cater to clients' requests. We tend to be creative with ads and urge everyone to be relentless. The motto is to do better and be better, not only today but to compete with tomorrow. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? I am a firm believer that problems and challenges give way to opportunities, and these opportunities build and shape your foundation for growth. During the pandemic, we have seen many businesses face challenges and difficulties; we are no different, but having a positive attitude and perseverance has enabled us and the firm to move forward. Trust and faith that these are just challenges and not the end, and by sticking together and collectively putting our minds towards the challenge, we overcome it. Being able to stand firm in tumultuous times is a sign of a strong foundation, which we have nurtured and established in the last decade. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? My advice to beginners would be that every path or journey you embark upon will be filled with hardships and challenges. It’s the mindset and the discipline that prevail to conquer these challenges and achieve what you have set out to do. If you fail or falter, it's not the end; you can always choose a different approach. Life is long, and it offers more opportunities than one can imagine, but opportunities come to those who seek them. So be confident, be smart, and do not let the negatives drag you down; keep on learning from your failures. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? Yes, technology has eased the way business is conducted. Living in the 21st century, we are surrounded by technology that is constantly evolving and advancing. Any firm that fails to adapt to or embrace technology in their business will be left behind. Be it in any part of the industry, business, or sector, including financial and legal profession firms, from the reduction of human intervention to automating and efficiently optimising services, there has been a significant advancement in the new business era. Due to technological changes, we are able to provide services across the globe without any hindrance. Our employees can work from remote locations, which helps improve their morale with such flexible working conditions. Overall, technological changes, especially in the last two decades, have helped businesses grow manifolds, including ours. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? A customer’s feedback is always to be taken as positive, because it would either be an appraisal of the service you have provided or an insight on what could be better. Being able to offer your services in a better manner gives you immeasurable satisfaction. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? Due to advancements in technology and the rapid growth of digitization, the advisory and service industries are no longer confined to geographical boundaries. Sitting in one corner of the world, you will be able to advise clients all over the world. With the right skills and mindset and by aptly utilising the resources around us, the growth for this service sector is exponentially high. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? Every businessman on the path to success has to be willing to lose something. Sacrifice is the key to achieving something that is not easy to get. To be where I am today, I have sacrificed my comfort, my time, and many other things that were difficult. But these sacrifices have gotten me where I am, and that is the most rewarding thing. To be able to stand at a podium with other stalwarts of the business community is a feat not achieved by many. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? In the service industry, knowledge and communication go hand in hand. One without the other would never lead to success. You need to be aware of all the changes in your industry and the world and be up to date about the latest trends while being presentable and having the right skills to convey the message in its true essence. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? Working remotely has been both a boon and a bane. As a boutique firm engaged in providing business solutions and services to clients, it can be done from any corner of the world, which has provided a sense of flexibility in work. But at the same time, the impact of being physically present for a client is not good. Certain times, being physically present, be it in a meeting or an office work space, plays a significant role for not only the business but for an individual too. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? My sincerest advice to others in a similar position is that, in the world of business, the ups and downs are the only constants. Embrace these moments in their stride and keep on developing yourself. The key is to take your failures as lessons and your successes as milestones to achieve something greater and bigger. With all the knowledge of the world at the tip of your fingers, only you can steer your ship to the shores of success.

Exclusive Interview of Brian Thomas of City of Lawrence. Edited by Powered Magazine In a world where technology has become the cornerstone of progress, leaders like Brian Thomas are at the forefront, driving innovation and transforming cities. As the esteemed Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, Brian Thomas has been instrumental in leveraging technology to enhance public services and improve the lives of citizens. In this exclusive interview, we delve into Brian's visionary mindset, his groundbreaking initiatives, and the remarkable impact he is making as a catalyst for technological advancement in Lawrence. Join us as we uncover the driving force behind the city's digital transformation and gain insights from the remarkable journey of Brian Thomas. Tell us about yourself and your role. I, Brian Thomas After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, my background and education have been in the technology field, predominantly healthcare. I am currently the CIO for the City of Lawrence, Kansas. As the CIO, my top priorities are helping our city’s leadership implement the strategic plan, assisting with a performance improvement programme, and providing technology vision and support for 950 employees. What were your biggest challenges when serving as CIO at the city or other companies? Challenges come in many forms, but what I have found sitting in the C-Suite and over my career is that planning and communicating help mitigate challenges that are avoidable. I discovered early in my career that if I was able to thoroughly learn the business I was supporting, I was able to provide solutions and better support the company and its customers. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? When handling success, I have always maintained a sense of humility and remembered where I started in my career. While I have contributed to many successful milestones, I like to say it was always a team effort. I’ve been proud to serve with many great people and teams over the years, and it’s because of them that I’m successful. As far as failures go, I would say they were some of the best learning experiences one could have. Each failure taught me a great lesson and made me look for a path to be successful at the next opportunity that came my way. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Education and networking Over the last 25 years, technology has massively changed and is still changing. Keeping your skillset sharp is key to knowing, but more importantly, having that knowledge to apply solutions to problems. Networking with peers and other leaders has also been my go-to strategy. I learn so much from others, and keeping a strong network of various professionals and leaders allows me to be available and stay marketable. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? Knowing that adversity and challenges bring a new lesson or new benefit to experience. It’s important to note that there will always be peaks and valleys, and you need to remember to pace yourself and plan accordingly. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? You can’t learn everything in one day. Pace yourself and take deep breaths when feeling overwhelmed. Also, try to go the extra mile in everything you do. Focus on excellence and providing the best customer experience possible. Lastly, build relationships at all levels. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business? You don’t realise how many things have changed in the last couple of decades until you sit down and reflect on how things were done when you first started your career. I would say the last 3–4 years have really been a game changer with some of the latest platforms, process automation, and machine learning. With conversational AI, we are seeing use cases for just about everything. For example, having a chatbot manage simple but high-volume customer requests will change everything and enhance the customer experience. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals and objectives for the business? I believe that customer feedback, good or bad, is the best way to improve your product or service. I would rather get some negative responses on our surveys than none at all. Receiving no feedback can be misleading, and I believe some people think that no feedback is good feedback. If you aren’t getting feedback, then I would make it a priority to reach out and engage. Keeping your pulse on the customer is a great way to keep true north on your compass. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? As mentioned previously, I believe leveraging some of these newer and emerging technologies is key to bringing more efficient processes to your organisation. Additionally, let your employees lead. They are your best asset and are fully capable of doing great things. Give them the goal, and they will amaze you with better outcomes and solutions. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? The most rewarding aspect of my career has certainly been the people and relationships. On the flip side, regarding difficult aspects, one could say the same about people. However, my philosophy has always been to treat people the way I’d like to be treated and to be a good listener. This has guided me to both success and personal fulfilment. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Sure. There’s a certain amount that is technical, but by and large, I would say that having those soft or people skills is by far more essential than the technical. Being empathetic, communicative, and transparent have certainly contributed to my success. How has working remotely or online impacted your business over the past year? A lot. I could spend eight hours discussing this topic. At the end of the day, remote work is a positive perk for staff. However, building camaraderie and keeping staff engaged can certainly be challenges. I have recently read a book from a good colleague of mine, “The Successful Hybrid Team”, and it has provided a lot of insights and solutions to some of the most common challenges working in a hybrid or remote environment. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers further? As I mentioned earlier, start with building foundational, long-lasting relationships. Next, find a mentor. Whether you’re a customer service representative or the CEO, this is vitally important to help navigate challenges and guide your career trajectory.

Exclusive Interview of Neil Mann of Future Horizon. Edited by Powered Magazine In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and profound societal transformations, there are visionary individuals who dedicate their lives to shaping the future. Neil Mann, a distinguished futurist, advisor, writer, consultant, and founder of Future Horizon, stands at the forefront of this paradigm shift. With Future Horizon, Neil has established a platform that fosters dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange among forward-thinking individuals and organisations. Through this visionary venture, he has created a vehicle that actively shapes the trajectory of the future. Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of Neil Mann, uncovering the depth of his expertise, the impact of his insights, and the transformative power of his forward-thinking mindset. Tell us about yourself and your business. “If you’ve ever wondered what the cross between a Swiss Army Knife and a Chameleon looks like, I’m it,” is how I introduce myself. For the last 20+ years, I’ve worked as a strategy expert for major advisory firms, as an internal consultant, and as an independent specialist. I’ve worked in different roles in diverse industries in various parts of the world, and the constant theme that runs throughout is that I’m all about delivering tangible business outcomes via digital innovation. I founded Future Horizon in 2022 in response to seeing a huge need for business-focused, independent strategic advisory. I refer to this need as future-forward digital change. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? Many people misunderstand what a futurist is, so really refining the brand message and positioning took time to ensure the value is straightforward to consume for non-technology people. In a nutshell, we translate, simplify, and de-mystify the latest cutting-edge digital trends. A futurist does not and cannot predict the lottery numbers for next week; it is all about strategic anticipation: rapidly synthesising detailed technical information, then forming and communicating a compelling big-picture forecast perspective. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? There are three fundamentals that shape how I approach tasks and respond to events. As a Stoic, I only spend calories on what I can influence and control; everything else simply “is”, regardless of what you may think of it. This pragmatism has helped me throughout my life, but especially during challenging periods in my career. To move forward and grow, I believe in first learning from the past; it is prudent to look backwards before one looks forwards (something clients often find surprising coming from a futurist). I’ve also learned that my instinct and “gut feel” are two of my most valuable assets, and hard-won experience has demonstrated I ignore them at my peril. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Market flux is the precise reason why Future Horizon exists: to bridge the gap between where you are today and what the future might bring tomorrow. We help you stay ahead of what's next, providing reconnaissance into the edge of technology—we scout the digital frontier, as it’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. My main route to market is via my strong professional network—through connections, introductions, recommendations, and referrals. Though I work globally, Asia has been my home for more than 12 years now, and the importance of cultivating strong long-term relationships and partnerships has had a profound impact on my approach. I work backwards from my target customers; when it comes to innovation and “hot topic” buzzwords, they want analysis, clarity, perspective, insight, and advice that is specific to them, their business, industry, and overall context. For example, what is this technology, how does it work, what are the implications, give me some examples, what are my options, what should I (my company) do, and when? Also important is my active participation in local associations, regional societies, and international industry communities. Finally, learning from the startups that I advise, mentor, and invest in – they are often the first to really try something new. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? One of the reasons for creating Future Horizon was that in other organisations I always felt a degree of constraint, especially when it came to questioning the embedded status quo. Politics and hierarchy would invariably nerf any direct challenge but, being the founder the buck stops entirely with me; be that success or failure. I wholeheartedly embrace that. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? The future is not something that just happens to us; the future is something we do. Every day I research, explore, and evaluate bleeding-edge technical studies and innovative projects, developing an ever-evolving perspective on new market frontiers. It’s an incredibly exciting time, and I am optimistic about how we can positively shape our future. I was regularly working from home, perhaps one day a week, with international clients back in 2008 when I was at Gartner, so the ability to work remotely from anywhere is nothing new for me. Future Horizon is a digital-native business, as one might expect, and that allows us to engage with the widest gamut of firms, organisations, and individuals from around the world using the latest collaborative tools. That said, where practicalities, time, and budget allow, there is, as yet, no real substitute for meeting and working with clients face-to-face (particularly at the start and end of engagements) to create shared understanding, build relationships, and drive momentum. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? Technology innovation and digital disruptions will continue to increasingly permeate every aspect of our day-to-day lives and, in some ways, transform them like never before. For example, the rapid uptake by the masses of conversational interfaces powered by GPT models has been down to seamless accessibility; it is the “iPhone moment” for artificial intelligence (AI), and we’re only getting started in understanding both the applications and implications of these tools. We are exceptionally bullish on how future enhancements will boost and enrich how we live, morphing work, home, culture, and society. Businesses will either change or be changed, and so when conventional approaches are not enough, clients must continue to seek out trusted, deep, independent expertise to deliver practical solutions to their unique problems. One area where we are seeing considerable demand is strategies for how companies can more proactively anticipate – leveraging strategic foresight – regulatory changes which may affect their operations. For key verticals such as financial services, pharma, natural resources, hospitality, logistics, or media – the ongoing cost of compliance is an unavoidable price of doing business. Connecting the dots is not easy, but automated analysis and analytics can deliver reliable insights. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? I find it stimulating and satisfying to work with business leaders and boards to help shape their strategic direction; my work often falls into advisory circles around “we need to stop doing X” or “we desire to do Y but are not sure how to get there”. Helping organisations be better prepared to face the future and reduce their risk of being blindsided by change is enormously fulfilling for me. This is especially true when I work with them on an retained basis as you really get to see the adaptations occur over time. In terms of challenges, a common theme is senior executives who have read or heard about a particular technology and seek guidance and empowerment on how to approach it rapidly. Often this is a hammer looking for a nail and, other than some potential short-term positive PR spin, is not the path to sustainable long-term value. We call this “innovation theatre,”, as it's not fundamentally focused on core change but more for show. It’s all about balance. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? My superpower is being able to take what is occurring at the bleeding edge of innovation and convey the future implications in consumable business language. I’m a passionate believer that we are not victims of what the future might hold if we prepare ourselves in advance. Being an information junkie is a prerequisite; I spend hours daily researching what might be the newest developments, innovations, pivots, and disruptions. In my line of work, it’s not enough to just keep abreast of market news on any given day; it’s much more expensive in scale: assessing trends, detecting vectors, forecasting, signal-scanning, scenario-planning, and always challenging yourself to think bigger and not be constrained by existing de-facto norms. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Exploring futures and building anticipation is zero risk for a business. Even with significant resources and smart personnel, it is difficult to anticipate what’s coming around the bend. especially when you are inside looking out. I therefore challenge business leaders to question if they can afford for their organisations not to ingest, synthesise, and form a viewpoint on swiftly moving horizons, risks, opportunities, and trends, especially in such uncertain times. Think bold. Think broad. Think beyond.

Exclusive Interview of Lama Naseer of Aanaab. Edited by Powered Magazine In the realm of financial management and strategic decision-making, Lama Naseer has established herself as a seasoned professional, driving financial excellence as the CFO of Aanaab. With a proven track record of delivering tangible results and a deep understanding of financial intricacies, Lama plays a pivotal role in shaping the financial landscape of the organization. In this exclusive interview with Powered Magazine, we have the privilege of gaining insights into the world of financial management through the lens of Lama Naseer. From her career journey and the challenges she has encountered to her perspectives on financial leadership and the evolving landscape of finance, we uncover the wisdom and expertise of a trailblazer in the field. Tell us about yourself and your business. My name is Lama Naseer, and I’m Aanaabs’ CFO and an early stage investor in the company. I joined Aanaab in its second year because I saw the potential impact this company could accomplish, and now in its fifth year, Aanaab has demonstrated that many times over. I have always been interested in initiatives that support balancing the scale, like co-founding CellA+ for Professional Women, being part of Riyalis’ Financial Literacy programme for kids, starting the Acumen+Jeddah chapter for social entrepreneurship, and in the career choices I made. Aanaab is an EdTech that started catering to a need for upskilling Arab speaking teachers (B2C track) and catering to school needs through training and recruitment (B2B track). Today, it has expanded to address an even bigger need in terms of becoming the eLearning platform that builds your skills, knowledge, and mindset around your profession of choice. It brings the best in terms of international and regional collaborations and customises it to market needs. In markets with young populations, huge growth, and a huge need for skilled professionals, the potential and the demand are huge, and we’re here as the first and, in some cases, the only ones in the region to offer what we do. How is a startup CFO different from a corporate CFO? Startup CFOs are value creators; while they handle all the financial functions of a traditional CFO, they spend more time shaping a startup's strategy and product iteration. They come in early to build the financial structure as well as, in many cases, handle investor relations, fund raising, and, on a need-by basis, other roles such as legal. They’re strategists and visionaries who take on a more collaborative role with different departments than traditional budget management. They must have a scaling up mindset to accommodate the decisions needed for growth hacking. Finance in general gives visibility to every aspect of a company; startup finance, by necessity, is involved in day-to-day operations, and in my opinion, it’s the most exciting role in a startup. What were your biggest challenges in your role as a startup CFO? I think one of the biggest challenges of being a startup CFO is finding that balance between a healthy cash runway and meeting growth requirements. It took some adjustment in my case; you need to adopt a different mindset where profitability and bottom line are not at the forefront of decision making in those early years, at least not as the main drivers. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? I believe that in different phases of life, what drives us evolves and shifts, and that’s ok. My earliest motivations were to prove myself by going into a challenging career, and then it was to have impact on a larger scale. While now as a mom to an amazing daughter, Dala, it’s to be the best role model to her, demonstrating by example that everything is possible, and continuously trying to be the best version of myself. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential in your field? A solid financial foundation is a must. Resourcefulness is another, and it will come in handy in seeking different sources of funding. Thinking outside the box, creativity, and flexibility. If you like structure and clarity, then this role is definitely not for you. Communication and networking skills. Startup CFOs must show their abilities as outward facing CFOs; they must be more strategic. Their background is not necessarily from traditional roles in accounting but could be from investment banking or other prior careers. What have been the most rewarding aspects of your chosen career or business path? At Aanaab, we help scale up impact on a national and regional level. Utilisation of EdTech speeds up the implementation while increasing the reach geographically and socioeconomically. Two of the projects I’m most proud of are supporting the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture in one of our markets for the introduction of music teaching in kindergartens. Training 16,000 public and private school teachers. Another is a collaboration in 2020 with the Ministry of Health, at the time of the coronavirus pandemic, for an online course on how teachers can teach awareness about COVID-19 and precautionary measures, reaching 11,000 teachers across the MENA region. What advice would you like to give someone starting their career? Love what you do, pay it forward, and be open to different experiences. Love what you do: life is too short, and we give our best contributions when we are passionate about what we work for. Pay it forward: be generous with your help, advice, and time whenever you can. From experience, supporting others always comes back positivity, whether it’s through karma or the people you once helped who end up helping you and being there for you when you most needed it and least expected it. Be open to different experiences: because you never know where your career might take you. The more you experience, the larger the option pool will be. What about advice for someone interested in starting a tech company? Educate yourself about metrics, because it all comes back to that when it’s time to fundraise down the line. Have clear expectations that your business model will iterate many times. Know that the growth stage is a completely different ballgame. People who were there in the beginning will not necessarily be the right team to steer the company through growth. Priorities shift, and you need to be flexible while juggling the different parts. Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of finding the right investors, especially in the seed stage.

If your business is feeling the effects of a downturn, you're not alone. Many businesses are struggling to adjust their sales strategies in order to stay afloat. However, it is possible to set your business up for success even in tough economic times. By focusing on the right sales strategy, you can weather any storm. In this post, we'll outline some key points to keep in mind when setting your B2B sales strategy during a downturn. By following these tips, you can ensure that your business comes out on top. Ready to get started? Let's dive in! Define your target market - who are you selling to and what do they need/want? Despite the competitive nature of the market, understanding your target market is essential to success. To define your target market, you must identify who is most likely to purchase the product or service you are selling. This involves looking at factors such as age, gender, location, interests, and more to better understand their needs and wants. Knowing this will allow you to create tailored marketing strategies designed specifically for that segment of your audience. This could be through sales strategies such as discounted offers or creating content catered to a certain group they already resonate with. Through this research, you can build relationships and provide value whilst demonstrating the appeal of your product or service in order to successfully convert customers. Research your competition - what are they doing differently that you can learn from or improve upon Knowing what other companies in your industry are doing differently from you is essential for staying competitive. Doing research on how your competition is succeeding can help you gain insight into what strategies they're utilizing that could be helpful in improving or expanding upon your own objectives. Furthermore, creating a better or different product may involve analyzing what your competition is focusing on and differentiating yourself by delivering something unique or revolutionary. In conclusion, it's beneficial to stay informed on the efforts of others in order to stay ahead of them and continuously adapt to grow your business. Create a sales strategy that is flexible and can be easily adapted as the market changes Sales strategies are incredibly important for any business in an ever-changing industry. Having a plan that is both flexible and easily adaptable to market changes can help ensure success. The key is to understand the environment and competitor climate, as well as customer preferences. By keeping up with trends and having a reasonable expectation of how the market will change, a business can stay agile. Additionally, it's important to keep meticulous records of what works, so that when the rules of the game change you can quickly adjust to effectively pursue customers in a new marketplace. Ultimately, creating a successful sales strategy requires anticipating future developments, so your company knows which way to go no matter what happens. Set realistic goals for your team, based on their skills and experience levels Setting realistic goals for your team can be an effective way to raise morale and spur innovative thinking. Having attainable targets helps to build a strong sense of accomplishment within the team and increases confidence among team members. Setting the right goals that are appropriate to the skills and experience level of the individuals in the team is key, as it encourages creativity while reducing frustration. It is important to remember that everyone learns differently; allowing them to grow at their own pace yields far better results than directing them with an unrealistic agenda. Establishing goals and taking deliberate actions not only deepens your understanding of what's achievable with a team but ensures all members have ownership over project success. Train your team members on the new B2B sales strategy and give them the resources they need to succeed Training is an essential part of implementing any new strategy in the sales department and building successful teams. For a team to be truly engaged with the new sales strategy, they need to have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives and the individual components that are in place to accomplish them. To ensure positive results, they should be given access to all the resources necessary, from materials and tools to proper instruction and coaching. This will empower them to make decisions confidently, stay focused on common goals, and take advantage of every opportunity for success. In this way, both leaders and talent can enjoy the benefits of improved performance by effectively training a winning team. Monitor your results regularly and make changes as needed to ensure success In order to reach your goals and objectives, it is essential to monitor the results of your efforts regularly. Tracking your success can reveal insight into where you're making progress and which areas need more focus. This data can be extremely useful when adjusting strategies and ultimately achieving success. When evaluation reveals pitfalls in the process, it's important to make changes as needed to accomplish the desired outcome. An effective system for monitoring progress and taking corrective actions will help ensure you meet or exceed the objectives that matter most. By taking the time to understand your target market, researching your competition, and creating a sales strategy that is flexible, you can ensure success for your team. Set realistic goals for your team based on their skills and experience levels, and monitor your results regularly to make changes as needed. Give your team members the resources they need to succeed and train them on the new sales strategy. By following these steps, you can be sure that you are providing the best possible service to your customers and staying ahead of the competition.

In an ever-changing world, remote working is becoming increasingly popular. Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot to work from for a short period or considering long-term options, here we look at the best places to set up shop for remote working in 2023 if you’re looking for a remote lifestyle. Bali, Indonesia Bali is a great option for remote workers as it has an excellent digital infrastructure, vibrant culture, and stunning scenery. There are plenty of opportunities to work flexibly from anywhere on the island, allowing you to make the most of your time here, whether learning about Balinese spirituality or simply chilling on the beach for hours on end! Estonia Estonia is a tech-forward country that has embraced remote working wholeheartedly. It’s hard to beat the strength of their digital infrastructure, and the social and cultural environment makes it an ideal spot for those seeking an off-the-grid lifestyle. Costa Rica Costa Rica has become a hotbed of remote living over the last few years, thanks to its great weather year-round and natural beauty that can’t be found anywhere else. Not only will you find plenty of nature activities to enjoy, but many tech companies now have headquarters in San Jose, making it easy to bridge both worlds. Canada With its high quality of life and abundance of technology jobs, Canada is becoming an increasingly popular destination for global nomads looking for a home away from home. Taxes are low, and the healthcare system is world-class, so you know you’ll have the best care available if needed. India India is a unique destination for digital nomads, as it provides access to some of the best resources and infrastructure in Asia with costs that are still very affordable compared to other locations around the globe. Multiculturalism also adds greatly to the experience, allowing one to learn about many cultures at once while enjoying all that India has to offer through working remotely. Malaysia: Malaysia has seen its economy boom over recent years, making it a great option for those who want to work abroad but remain relatively close to home (in terms of distance). It boasts lots of modern amenities along with tropical mountains and sandy beaches - perfect for escaping the daily grind into relaxation mode quickly! Philippines The Philippines offers a wealth of options when it comes to locations suitable for remote working – from fully geared up cities like Manila, where you can find excellent coworking spaces all across town; or out on Balabac Island dotted with white sand beaches surrounded by crystal clear waters where taking breaks is simply part of life here! Thailand For those seeking more cultural experiences than nature getaways during their time abroad, then look no further than Thailand! Both Bangkok and Phuket boast fantastic amounts of quality coworking spots along with plenty of exploring options nearby if you need a break from your computer screen at any point in time! Mexico Mexico is another great country performing very well economically now, which makes it attractive not just due to its culture but also our opportunities in the industry too – plus, there's no shortage of sunshine, delicious food & engaging activities making this one hard place not fall in love with! Poland Poland may not be everyone's first thought when thinking about potential places to work remotely, but don't let this fool you – a visit here makes abundantly clear why this European country should certainly be considered when planning relocation plans as they boast incredibly high standards modern facilities & workforce skills that make any type job hunting easy & successful here!. From European countries with high-tech infrastructure, beautiful natural getaways, and bustling cities with endless opportunities, there is something out there for everyone when it comes to finding your home away from home. Our list of the top 10 remote working places in 2023 will guide you on your next big adventure!

Exclusive Interview of Zen Koh of Fourier Intelligence. Edited by Powered Magazine Tell us about yourself and your business. My name is Zen Koh, and I'm Fourier Intelligence's co-founder and global CEO. I co-founded Fourier Intelligence with the intention of utilizing cutting-edge technology to enhance the lives of people with physical disabilities and neurological conditions. I have a strong background in engineering and more than 20 years of experience developing medical devices and rehabilitation technology. By innovating in the exoskeleton and robotic technology for rehabilitation, our business has become a global leader. With a focus on improving functional movement, mobility, and overall quality of life, our product line is specifically designed to satisfy the special demands of individuals with neurological and musculoskeletal problems. Our product line includes ground-breaking items like the Fourier ArmMotus™ EMU, which helps people regain function in their upper extremities after a stroke or other neurological disorder. We also provide the Fourier ExoMotus™ M4 Lower Limb Exoskeleton, which aids individuals with neurological conditions such as spinal cord injuries, strokes, and other neurological conditions in standing and walking. Image: Handout Our commitment to innovation and quality at Fourier Intelligence is shown in the numerous honors and accolades we have received for our ground-breaking technologies and innovations in rehabilitative robots. Research and development are given first priority as we seek to build products that are simple to use, efficient, and reasonably priced. We are motivated by our unshakable dedication to improving the lives of people in need, and we are resolute in our quest to create ground-breaking rehabilitative technology. What were your biggest challenges when starting Fourier Intelligence? Starting Fourier Intelligence has its share of difficulties, as with any new business. Gaining momentum and establishing our credibility in the very competitive medical device and rehabilitation technology development market was one of the major hurdles. Finding funds for research, development, product manufacture, and marketing was another significant problem. Without the required funding, we would not have been able to launch our ground-breaking solutions and significantly improve the lives of those suffering from neurological and musculoskeletal diseases. In addition, creating a solid team of professionals with the ideal combination of talents and knowledge was crucial to overcoming our obstacles. We needed to find and keep employees who shared our enthusiasm for innovation and commitment to enhancing the lives of people with physical and neurological problems. Notwithstanding these difficulties, we were motivated by our unshakeable dedication to our objective, which served as our compass and guided us through our difficulties. We overcame these obstacles and made Fourier Intelligence a world leader in creating cutting-edge rehabilitative robots and exoskeleton technology by utilizing our enthusiasm, knowledge, and creative approach. We are dedicated to conquering new obstacles and carrying on with our innovative and revolutionary work in the field of rehabilitative technology. We are certain that our team's knowledge, devotion, and an unshakable dedication to our objective will allow us to succeed even more in the future. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? As the co-founder and global CEO of Fourier Intelligence, I thoroughly understand how success and failure are essential components of the company experience. I think Fourier's strong business plan, competent staff, and crystal-clear goal are essential factors in its success. Our success has also been significantly influenced by our capacity to swiftly adjust to changing conditions and keep up with consumer demands and business developments. Our main goals at Fourier Intelligence are innovating and upending conventional business and clinical treatment models. To do this, we create cutting-edge products and services that cater to unmet client demands. This strategy has enabled us to stand out from other market participants and obtain a competitive edge. We have, however, encountered a great deal of difficulty and roadblocks along the way, just like many businesses do. Finding finance to develop and launch our products or services has been one of the biggest hurdles. Furthermore, we have had to overcome regulatory challenges, market saturation, and unanticipated roadblocks that impede our development and expansion. Despite these difficulties, Fourier Intelligence has been able to go through them and adjust. These difficulties have provided insightful learning opportunities. By examining what went wrong, we were able to pinpoint areas for improvement, improve our approach, and strengthen our will to prevail. Ultimately, I think the startup path must include success and failure. Long-term success requires the capacity to adapt, learn from setbacks, and endure in the face of difficulties. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Our company stands out in the market for its innovative rehabilitation technology solutions that leverage robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. We focus on customization, adaptability, and patient-centered care to deliver more effective and efficient rehabilitation. Our technology solution, RehabHub™, is adaptable and scalable, making it versatile and valuable for healthcare providers. They also provide a supportive and empowering environment that helps patients feel motivated and confident in their recovery, leading to better patient satisfaction and improved outcomes. Their unique approach to rehabilitation technology makes them well-positioned to make a meaningful impact on the healthcare industry and help patients achieve their rehabilitation goals. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? I have faced many challenges and obstacles, but my passion for progress and growth and my strong sense of purpose have kept me motivated and steadfast in my pursuit of creating innovative healthcare solutions for neurorehabilitation. Technology can be a powerful tool for positive change, and I'm committed to using it to improve the lives of those in need. The satisfaction of overcoming challenges and achieving goals also drives me forward. I've faced numerous obstacles, from securing funding to navigating regulatory hurdles, but each has provided a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to refine my strategy and approach. By staying committed to my mission and embracing the challenges that come with it, I'm confident that I can continue to make a meaningful impact in this vital field. What advice would you give someone starting in their chosen field? The most important details in this field are the importance of focusing on innovation, creativity, and patient-centered care when starting out in the technology-driven neurorehabilitation industry. It is important to stay abreast of the industry's latest trends and emerging technologies, build a strong network of mentors, colleagues, and industry experts, and seek opportunities for collaboration and partnerships with other organizations. It is also important to remain adaptable and flexible as the industry constantly evolves, being open to feedback and willing to adjust your approach. Finally, never lose sight of the ultimate goal of improving the lives of those in need. With dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn and grow, anyone can make a meaningful impact in this industry. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? We focus on rehabilitation technology solutions that leverage robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, which is a testament to the transformative potential of technology in the healthcare industry. Our RehabHub™ system uses virtual reality to create immersive and engaging rehabilitation environments, while our robotic exoskeletons enable patients to engage in more intensive and targeted rehabilitation exercises. These technologies have enabled us to create new and innovative solutions that were previously impossible. Technological advances have revolutionized how we conduct business and operate our ventures, allowing us to be more agile and responsive to market needs. Cloud computing, digital marketing, and social media have enabled us to quickly reach and engage with our target audience, generating interest in and awareness of our products and services. By embracing these innovations and leveraging them to create new solutions and improve existing ones, we can continue to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare industry and improve the lives of patients in need. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritize goals or objectives for your business or venture? Fourier Intelligence takes customer feedback and response seriously, as it provides valuable insights into their needs, preferences, and pain points. Through customer feedback, we have identified key areas for improvement and innovation, such as developing more adaptable and personalized technologies that can be tailored to individual patient requirements. This has resulted in increased patient satisfaction and better rehabilitation outcomes, and one of the company's latest products, ArmMotus™ EMU, has won several global design awards. Customer feedback and response play a critical role in prioritizing goals and objectives for our business. This has enabled us to identify new market opportunities and expand our business offerings, resulting in increased customer engagement and interest in our solutions. By listening to our customers and incorporating their input into our decision-making processes, we can stay agile, innovative, and responsive to changing market needs. What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? AI and ML can transform how we approach rehabilitation by providing real-time data and analysis to inform and optimize treatment plans. By leveraging data from wearable devices, sensors, and other sources, we can gain insights into patient progress and tailor treatment plans to their specific needs and abilities. We are seeing a growing trend toward using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in rehabilitation technology. These technologies have the potential to provide more engaging and immersive rehabilitation experiences that can improve patient outcomes and increase motivation. Additionally, telehealth and remote monitoring solutions offer a way to provide quality care to patients without requiring in-person visits. We are excited about the potential of these emerging trends to shape the future of neurorehabilitation technology and are well-positioned to make a meaningful impact on the healthcare industry and improve patients' lives worldwide. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? Fourier Intelligence's technology-driven neurorehabilitation solutions have helped countless individuals recover from neurological and musculoskeletal conditions and improve their overall quality of life. This has been a rewarding experience for the co-founder and global CEO, as they have been able to make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients in need. The journey to building a successful business from scratch has been challenging, with one of the most difficult aspects is securing funding. The healthcare industry's highly regulated nature presents its own challenges, such as navigating the complex regulatory landscape and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations. However, the rewards have far outweighed the challenges, as the potential to transform the healthcare industry is motivating and makes it all worthwhile. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? I think that to succeed in the rehabilitation sector, one must thoroughly grasp the fundamentals of clinical rehabilitation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality principles. Strong problem-solving skills and a creative mindset are essential for identifying new opportunities and addressing complex challenges. Thinking outside the box and approaching problems from multiple perspectives is essential for finding unique and practical solutions. We believe that technical expertise, problem-solving skills, communication and collaboration skills, and a passion for innovation are essential for success in the rehabilitation technology industry. These skills are essential for developing and implementing successful rehabilitation solutions, and staying up-to-date with the latest developments and technologies is essential for remaining competitive. At Fourier Intelligence, we strongly emphasize cultivating these skills and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning to drive our success and impact in the industry. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or ventured over the past year? Due to the pandemic, Fourier Intelligence has transitioned to working remotely, allowing us to expand our geographical reach and create a more diverse and inclusive team. This has led to a significant improvement in creativity and innovation within the team. The shift to remote work has enabled us to reduce costs on international travel, office space, and equipment, allowing us to reallocate funds towards other business priorities. This has helped us remain financially sustainable amidst the pandemic and even register growth. However, communication and collaboration can be difficult, so it is important to have effective communication channels and tools to ensure everyone is on the same page. As a company, we are committed to continuing to adapt and evolve our operations to meet the demands of the new normal. What tips would you like to offer to others in a similar position but looking to take their careers or businesses further? Having a clear vision and purpose is essential for success. Invest in learning and development, stay up-to-date with trends and developments, and build a strong network of contacts and collaborators. Take risks and embrace failure as a learning opportunity, but remember that failure is not the end. Attend industry events, connect with others in your field, and build relationships with people who can help you grow your career or business. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? The field of neurorehabilitation robotics is rapidly growing, offering exciting opportunities for those looking to make a difference in the lives of people with neurological disorders. It is at the cutting edge of technology, offering opportunities for innovation and creativity, and is poised for significant growth in the coming years. As the population ages, more opportunities for career advancement and job security will exist. As the incoming president of the industry association, IISART, I encourage readers to consider joining the field and exploring its exciting opportunities. Read more from Zen Koh

Exclusive Interview with Seif El Hakim of Momentum. Edited by Powered Magazine Seif El Hakim is a Global CEO of Momentum. We reached out for an interview. Read more to find out how you can succeed as a leader. Tell us about yourself and your business. Seif El Hakim is a highly decorated global CEO with more than 15 years of experience working abroad in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, the CIS Region, the UK, and South Korea in both corporate headquarters and local roles, in addition to managing his own businesses. Seif El Hakim is a highly acclaimed businessman, entrepreneur, investor, business strategist, and advisor. His expertise spans a variety of industries, including coaching, marketing, e-commerce, retail management, consumer electronics, real estate, sports and fitness, tourism, and food services. Seif is a businessman at heart; he creates organizations and leaders. a leading expert in entrepreneurship, marketing, leadership, and exponential success. He is a highly sought-after strategic advisor for leaders and enterprises all over the world. He is a former corporate executive turned remarkable entrepreneur who develops businesses and leaders. Providing a unique advantage through actual Fortune 500 experience Along with managing several companies, Seif also blogs about being a CEO on his social media platforms, where he has more than 1.3 million followers. Former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the CIS region for the electronics behemoth Samsung Electronics, having experience in all major categories. For more than nine years, Seif oversaw the CIS organization and business, turning around outcomes and winning several local, national, and worldwide accolades. Previous to that, I managed regional marketing initiatives and new product launches in foreign markets while employed at the Samsung Electronics headquarters in South Korea as a global product strategist. Seif has received honors and awards from several worldwide organizations as a top marketing professional, business thinker, and entrepreneur. Inspirational and business-minded speaker, as well as a frequent contributor to several business and marketing websites His goal over the years has been to inspire, motivate, and grow leaders and organizations seeking change, fulfillment, and success, in addition to developing his career and enterprises. Seif has been honored and awarded internationally on several occasions as a top marketing executive, business strategist, and entrepreneur, in addition to being awarded as the “man of influence” in 2023. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? I do believe that the majority of businesses face the following challenges while starting up, and we all must navigate through them to succeed: Securing adequate funding: Obtaining sufficient funding to launch and sustain my businesses was a challenge. Building a skilled team: Assembling a skilled and committed team that shares my vision and fits the culture was challenging, especially in the early stages. Building brand awareness and acquiring or attracting customers in a competitive market is a daunting task. Managing cash flow and having financial stability is a constant challenge for start-ups. Developing a “sustainable” business model Navigating legal and regulatory requirements can be complex and time-consuming. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Both success and failure are not an end point for me. Handling success can involve acknowledging and celebrating achievements while also remaining humble and grateful. It's important to recognise the contributions of others, maintain a growth mindset, and avoid complacency. Success can be an opportunity for learning and growth, and it's crucial to set new goals and continue pushing oneself forward. On the other hand, handling my failure required resilience, persistence, and a positive mindset. I always viewed my failure as a learning experience rather than a definitive setback. analysed what went wrong, identified areas for improvement, and made adjustments that, in the end, contributed to the success that followed the failure. In both success and failure, maintaining a balanced perspective is key. Successes should be appreciated but not exaggerated, and failures should be seen as temporary setbacks rather than permanent obstacles. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? There are a couple of strategies I do use, and all my leadership team, Innovation and adaptation: embracing innovation and being open to change Continuously improving my products, services, or processes to meet evolving customer needs and stay ahead of the competition. Customer focus: I do prioritise understanding and meeting customer needs. Developing a deep understanding of my customers, their pain points, and preferences to build loyalty and maintain a competitive edge Talent management: attracting and retaining the right talent Investing in development and creating a culture of innovation and collaboration Fostering diversity to leverage diverse perspectives and drive creativity and innovation Strategic partnerships: collaborating with other businesses to leverage complementary strengths and expand market reach Branding and marketing: building strong brand identities and differentiating ourselves from competitors And finally, using customer feedback to pivot when needed What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? I don’t believe in motivation; I believe in having goals backed with a solid “why” and having the discipline and persistence to achieve them. Motivation fades! Some tactics I use to keep me on track to achieve my goals Having my clear goals backed with a solid “why” Set routines and discipline Personal growth and development rituals well-cultivated support network Having a positive mindset and optimism What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? Everyone's journey is unique, and there will be ups and downs along the way. What I would recommend is to stay true to yourself, be patient, and embrace the learning opportunities that come your way. If someone is just starting out, here are some key pieces of advice to consider: Set clear goals—your goals, not someone else’s goal or a trend. Be open to learning and acquiring new knowledge. We are all equal as souls, but not equal in the marketplace. Network and build relationships; your network is your network, and as I like to say, the more hands you shake, the more money you make. Be proactive and take initiative. Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Embrace resilience and persistence. Expect that setbacks and challenges will occur along your journey. Finally, take immediate and massive actions; don’t overthink and wait for the right time; there is never a right time. How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? Technology has transformed various aspects of my business operations across different verticals, improving efficiency, expanding my market reach, and enabling more personalised interactions with customers. Starting with the simple advancement of communication and collaboration, allowing my businesses to connect and work together regardless of geographical locations. Automation, including AI, has enabled my businesses to automate repetitive tasks, optimise workflows, and improve overall operational efficiency. The use of data management for a data-driven approach helped in making informed decisions, identifying patterns and trends, and improving business strategies overall. E-commerce and online presence allowed my businesses to significantly expand their customer base and, of course, elevate their brand presence. Finally, one of the most important parts goes to customer engagement and personalization using CRM, chatbots, and AI powered marketing tools. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? Customer feedback and response play a crucial role in shaping the goals and objectives of my businesses and ventures. Identifying customer needs provides valuable insights into the needs, preferences, and pain points of my target audience. My businesses benefited tremendously from understanding what features, improvements, or solutions my customers are looking for and helping myself and my team prioritise our goals accordingly. Improving products and services: it highlights areas where my products or services can be enhanced. By listening to our customers' suggestions, complaints, and reviews, my business identified opportunities for improvement and prioritised goals related to product development, quality enhancements, or even service upgrades. Addressing customer pain points: Customers often share their frustrations and challenges they face with a product or service. By addressing these pain points, my business improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Prioritising goals that aim to resolve customer issues and enhance their overall experience led to much better business outcomes. Identifying market trends: Customer feedback can reveal emerging market trends, evolving customer preferences, and competitive insights. By actively listening to my customers' feedback, I was able to be responsive to the market and stay ahead of the competition. Enhancing customer engagement: Positive customer feedback indicates areas where a business is succeeding in meeting customer expectations. By leveraging customer testimonials, reviews, and positive feedback, businesses can prioritise goals that focus on strengthening customer engagement, building brand advocacy, and leveraging positive word-of-mouth. Customer feedback and responses provide valuable insights that can shape a business's goals and objectives. By listening to customers, my businesses can prioritise initiatives that align with customer needs, improve products and services, address pain points, and stay competitive in the market. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? Most rewarding overall was, as a foreigner, reaching the chief marketing officer level of the tech giant Samsung Electronics for the CIS region. Most difficult, switching from corporate to own business required a totally different mindset and skillset. I am extremely grateful that I passed both in my career (corporate and own businesses). Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? I do believe the skill sets that I will mention will help anyone reach the success they want. Communication skills Sales and marketing skills Negotiation and persuasion skills Personal branding How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? Over the past year, my businesses have experienced both positive and negative impacts from working remotely or online. On the positive side, remote work has allowed us to continue our operations during the pandemic and maintain productivity. It has also provided flexibility for employees and reduced the need for physical office space, resulting in potential cost savings. Furthermore, working online has opened up new opportunities for my businesses to reach a global customer base, expand their market reach, and collaborate with partners from different geographical locations. It has also enabled my companies to tap into a larger talent pool by hiring remote team members. However, there have been challenges as well. Remote work blurred the boundaries between personal and professional life. In addition to some challenges in adapting my business models to an online or remote work approach, Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Seif El Hakim is the founder of the “Alpha Movement” He founded the Alpha Movement to combat a culture of laziness, lack of control, lack of courage, and mediocrity. He saw a world where people were not living up to their potential and created a movement to push boundaries and achieve massive success and wealth. With his unmatched blend of business, personal, and athletic achievement, Seif provides the principles to help individuals make quantum leaps in their lives, health, business, or careers. The Alpha Movement allows individuals to learn, gain the needed skillsets, and connect with a community of like-minded individuals who are all working towards a common goal: becoming Alphas in their own lives, achieving massive success and wealth, and becoming prominent leaders in their communities.

Exclusive Interview of Otunba Michael Balogun of Tour2Nigeria. Edited by Powered Magazine Join us as we embark on a captivating journey with Otunba Michael Balogun, the visionary behind Xtrm Tours 2 Nigeria Ltd. Prepare to be inspired and captivated by the untold stories, hidden gems, and remarkable beauty of Nigeria, as we delve into the transformative power of travel with a true trailblazer. Tell us about yourself and your business. My name is Otunba Michael Balogun, CEO and Founder of Xtrm Tours 2 Nigeria Ltd., brand name Tour2Nigeria. I am from Nigeria, home to some of the best tourist destinations in Africa. Tour2Nigeria is a multi-award-winning domestic tour company based in the aquatic city of Lagos State. I founded the company with my childhood friend Kole Majekodunmi, a professional photographer based in the UK. Our company was established solely for the purpose of offering tour packages, promoting them, and creating an inroad to Nigeria's tourism destinations. I am also the South-West Vice President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). It has been a great joy for me to personally show tourists from all over the world various destinations in Nigeria in almost a decade of this journey, and the excitement is the same every day to show the beauty of our country to the world. We have also partnered with a lot of hospitality businesses across the continent, and in the process, we collaborated with a fellow colleague from Tanzania (Msifari Travels and Tours) to create a dedicated group called Intra Africa Travels, and we invited dedicated tour operators from the African continent to join to start promoting our continent and advocating for a borderless Africa. What were your biggest challenges when starting your business? Tourism, like any other business out there, comes with its own challenges. Part of the challenge I faced in the beginning was more of an infrastructure, funding, and insecurity problem, which is not peculiar to just Nigeria but the whole world; thankfully, it is now becoming a thing of the past in our country. Starting off in a new terrain comes with some surprises and panic attacks, but I'm glad those days are far behind and there is now a lesson to teach the next generation. How have you handled success and failure over the course of your career? Success and failure are the best friends of every business owner and entrepreneur. With failure comes a new lesson. Over the years, we have tried several business models to scale our business. While some worked, others failed, and through that process, we have found new solutions from the failures and have been able to scale our business over the years. Failure is a great part of success. Success for me can be defined as doing what others thought couldn't be done. Many businesses I know closed shop during our first two years of starting in the tourism sector, and most thought it was the worst time for our brand to sell tours to Nigeria. But here we are today, still selling and promoting the best of destinations in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. What strategies do you use to stay competitive in a changing market? Our strategies have been based more on feedback from clients and business partners. And it is important to understand that the strategies we employ also involve the latest technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. By also regularly evaluating the market, adapting to changes, and staying customer-centric, we have maintained competitiveness in the tourism industry. What motivations drive you to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity? Passion and Purpose: A deep passion for travelling and the outdoors have kept the fire burning for me. Like I have always described tourism as a way of life, it involves meeting new people as you travel to different countries, tasting different foods and drinks, and experiencing new cultures. Also, my strong sense of patriotism and love for my country make it so easy to keep forging ahead and to create a legacy for my children and the next generations to come. These are the factors that have helped fuel my strength to persevere in the face of adversity. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their chosen field? The best advice I can give to anyone starting out in their chosen field is to find their purpose first in the sector they are embarking on. Passion and love for their chosen path. You must be able to wake up each day and love what you do, unless you are going to be frustrated by your own dreams and visions. You must love yourself and be able to ask yourself, "Why do I want to do this? How have technological advances affected the way you conduct business or operate your venture? Technology has become a part and parcel of our existence, so to speak; from our smart homes to our smart phones, we almost feel lost without having them with us. With the help of technology like virtual reality (VR), our world has become a simple click away, either by using our smart phones or using the head gear mount (Meta 2). This gives you an immersive experience of a destination like never before, right from the comfort of your home. With the use of social media platforms, millions across the globe can connect with our business and get to know more about Nigeria straight from our Instagram handle, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In what ways has customer feedback or response influenced how you prioritise goals or objectives for your business or venture? Tour2Nigeria is a customer-centric company and brand, and over the years we have relied on our customers feedback, either through their reviews on our TripAdvisor page, via our social media platforms, phone calls, or emails. Tour packaging is a fully human-interactive social form of business since we practically deal with humans on a daily basis. Feedback from our clients and customers has been a direct source of information for our company and its growth. Who else gives the best feedback than your customers, who are spending their hard-earned money buying our tour packages, so they come with the best advice and feedback? What trends do you see emerging in your industry that are likely to shape its future growth and development? Evolving technologies are now the new frontiers in the travel and tourism sector, from AI like Chat GPT to VR (virtual reality). With a click of an app, you can book a flight ticket to Nigeria, check into any hotel across the world, hail a cab from an app like Uber, and the rest. These technologies help everyday travellers travel stress-free, and from the comfort of your home, you can now take a virtual tour of destinations in Nigeria or any destination around the world. What have been the most rewarding and difficult aspects of your chosen career or business path? The most rewarding aspects of my chosen career were getting Nigeria listed on the world's largest tour booking site, Viator, a TripAdvisor-owned company, way back on June 17th, 2015; my different awards, both local and international; a special recognition by our esteemed Nigerian Ambassador to the Netherlands during the Nigerian Independence Day event at the Hague in the Netherlands; and most recently, I was given the Chieftaincy title of Otunba Fiwajoye of Ilado-Akoko Kingdom in Ondo State by HRH (ENGR) Rotimi Ikugbe, the Olu of Ilado-Akoko. Are there any skills or areas of expertise that you think are essential for success in your field? Every career path comes with a set of skills and qualifications. Relevant courses in travel and tourism are a good example. For tourism, you definitely must be a people person, charming, good at storytelling, and customer service oriented. A smile you must learn to wear daily in this line of business. You cannot afford a mood swing or an aggressive attitude when working in this industry. How has working remotely or online impacted your business or venture over the past year? During the COVID-19 pandemic and with the world shutting down, we all adapted literally to working from home remotely, and so many of us got comfortable at this. For me, it didn't really affect me that much; we used platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to keep in touch with our staff and clients as well. I would rather work from home than spend half of my productive time stuck in traffic. What tips would you like to offer to others who are in a similar position to you but looking to take their careers or businesses further? My favourite tip is this: there is no shortcut to success, and remember, patience is a virtue. Tourism is a long-term return-on-investment type of business, so do not rush into it if you are not willing to go the whole nine yards. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that we haven’t already discussed? Please come visit my beloved, beautiful, and picturesque country, Nigeria. Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about my business.

Are you tired of feeling guilty about your eating habits? Do you wish you could enjoy food without feeling "doing it wrong?" If so, then mindful eating may be for you. Mindful eating is a way of relating to food that can help you feel more peaceful and satisfied with your meals. It involves being present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations around food. Mindful eating can help you become more attuned to your hunger cues, learn to trust your body's wisdom, and break free from chronic dieting. Plus, it's a whole lot more fun than counting calories! Ready to give it a try? Here are some tips to get started. Mindful eating is an approach to eating that involves paying attention to what, when, and how you eat. Rather than automatically relying on sticks or scales for feedback on dietary success, mindful eating focuses on connecting with how the body feels before, during, and after eating. This can involve learning how to become more aware of physical signals that indicate hunger and fullness as well as emotional cues such as boredom or stress. Practising mindful eating can lead to a better understanding of triggers that may cause overeating or situations where food is used as a crutch in difficult times. It can also help foster healthier relationships with food by recognizing its role in providing fuel while still enjoying it sensually in moderation. By becoming attuned to our bodies’ needs and experiencing gratitude for all the flavors we have access to, mindful eating allows us to see food beyond just calories and fat grams but rather as an opportunity to nourish the mind and body. Mindful eating is an essential tool for achieving optimum health and vitality. Not only does it help to reduce overeating, but it also has the potential to improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. By being mindful when eating, we can be present at the moment, aware of the colours and textures of our food and how our body responds to what we are consuming. Mindful eating helps us appreciate every bite while differentiating between physical hunger and emotional cravings. The main benefit of this practice is that it allows us to control our food decisions rather than making poorly thought-out choices based on impulse. This can ultimately enable us to create positive habits that nourish and balance our bodies and lives. Eating mindfully is a great way to be more conscious and aware of your food intake. To begin, it's important to listen to your body's hunger cues so you don't eat out of boredom or stress. Before eating: Ask yourself if you are truly hungry and how hungry you feel on a scale from 1-10. If your hunger is low or non-existent, ask yourself why you want to eat and look for alternatives such as drinking some water, going for a short walk, or talking with someone. If you are truly hungry, savor every bite - enjoy the smell, taste, texture and presentation of the food. Pay attention to hunger signals again throughout the meal and take regular breaks between bites to help increase mindfulness. Eating mindfully can lead to increased satisfaction when eating, better understanding of nutrition needs and all-around healthier habits. Mindful eating is an effective way of helping you make healthier food decisions, reduce stress levels and develop a healthier relationship with food. Incorporating this practice into your daily life can have lifelong benefits. An easy way to start is to create an intentional atmosphere while you’re eating - free from distractions such as television and phones. Thinking about why you’re eating and how it will benefit you can help focus the mind. Before each meal, pause for several deep breaths and ask yourself whether you’re actually hungry or if there are other reasons for wanting to eat. Remind yourself that your health needs come first and that it’s ok both to skip a meal or opt for something healthy instead of something convenient! Lastly, learn to listen to your body by tuning into hunger and fullness cues; taking the time to chew your food properly will also aid in being present so that when you feel full, you can stop eating. If you're looking for some additional reading to continue your mindful eating journey, plenty of books can help. For instance, Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch is a great starting point as it provides readers with practical tools to overcome rigid diets and fear-based food rules. Another great read is The Joy of Eating: How to Eat Mindfully by Steve LeClaire, which is a comprehensive guide on how to eat mindfully in order to maximize nourishment, pleasure, and satisfaction. If you want something that focuses more on healthy recipes as part of a mindfulness-based lifestyle, then Everyday Mindfulness: A Practical Guide by Amanda Todd is exactly what you need. Whichever path you take, the goal with all these books is to ultimately reestablish a positive relationship with food and let go of the guilt associated with eating. Mindful eating has become increasingly popular in recent years and for a good reason. The incredible benefits of mindful eating include improved digestion and absorption of nutrients, a more pleasurable relationship with food, and enhanced overall well-being. It requires the practice of being mindful of what you’re eating and tuning into your body’s hunger cues. With some simple techniques like reflecting on why you eat, cutting back on distractions during meals, and recognizing when you’re full, even the busiest among us can reap the rewards of mindful eating. To take your practice to the next level, plenty of books are available with further guidance on this topic and guided meditations to start your journey. The possibilities for self-growth through mindful eating are boundless!

Like most people, you probably have a list of goals you want to achieve. But if you're not careful, letting life get in the way and sabotage your best intentions is easy. That's why it's important to develop habits that will help you stay on track and be productive. Here are five simple habits to boost your productivity that can make a big difference in your ability to reach your goals. Implementing these habits into your everyday routine can help set you up for success! Set a daily or weekly goal to focus on and work toward it Having a set goal, both daily and weekly is an effective way to stay focused and motivated. Setting smaller goals helps break down the monotony of longer-term goals into achievable steps. It also increases satisfaction since you feel you are actively accomplishing something daily. Planning helps us be less reactive and more proactive in our lives and leads to tremendous success in the long run. Plus, it keeps us accountable since there is a tangible goal to strive for - an essential element needed to push ourselves forward. Establishing a daily or weekly goal is a great way to stay on track with your long-term ambitions. Make a to-do list for the day or week ahead of time and check things off as you complete them Making a to-do list and checking tasks off as you complete them can be a great way to ensure you get everything important. Doing this in advance can also help you feel more organized and prepared for the day or week ahead. Prioritizing your tasks can also help you focus on the most important items first, rather than getting overwhelmed or sidetracked by less urgent ones. Checking tasks off your list as you complete them can also be a great way to stay motivated, giving you a sense of accomplishment and progress. Taking the time to make a to-do list at the start of each day or week can have amazing benefits that will lead to increased productivity and efficiency. Get enough sleep so you're well-rested and can focus throughout the day Getting enough sleep is important in living a healthy, productive lifestyle. When you fail to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night, it affects your body and can negatively impact your ability to focus on tasks at work or school. Staying well-rested helps you concentrate better and be more productive during the day. Make sure to go to bed at a reasonable hour and avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late into the night to feel energized and focused when starting the day. You'll be sure to thank yourself come morning! Eat healthy foods that will give you sustained energy instead of sugary snacks that will make you crash Eating healthy, energy-sustaining foods is one of the most important things you can do for your body. Foods such as fresh fruits, dark green vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins provide our bodies with the fuel to stay energized throughout the day without crashing like we would after ingesting sugary snacks. Eating healthy gives us abundant energy to use for activity and exercise that can improve our overall well-being. Not only will a diet full of nutrient-packed foods give your body enough energy, but it also reduces cravings and helps combat long-term health issues such as obesity or diabetes. So if you want to get more out of your energy levels without crashing afterward, try making healthier food choices that maximize the nutrition you get per bite. Take breaks throughout the day to move your body and get some fresh air to clear your head Taking a break throughout the day can be a great way to reset your mind and reenergize your body. Going outside to get some fresh air and move around is ideal; walking or doing a quick stretch can help you refocus without taking up too much of your time. Even if you only have just five minutes, it can still make a big difference in how productive and alert you are throughout the rest of the day. At any point, feeling overwhelmed with work and taking even a short break can be a mental health boost! Staying motivated and focused throughout the day takes time, practice, and commitment. Whether you prefer to work in short sprints or keep going until you hit a goal, setting the intention and planning are key elements to success. Set achievable goals. Have a plan that allows for flexibility, give yourself space to breathe, sleep well, eat healthily, and be mindful of your mental state. Making an effort to take good care of yourself physically and mentally will set you up for success every day. Don’t overlook the importance of motivation; focus and dedication will become second nature when you understand how paramount it is in achieving anything worth having. Let this serve as a reminder that each of us has potential within reach if we can find the courage and determination needed on the journey forward.

Looking to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle but not sure where to start? Reducing your carbon footprint is a great way to do your part for the environment. Here are some simple tips on making your home and lifestyle more sustainable. Educate yourself about what a carbon footprint is and how it's measured Understanding the concept of a carbon footprint and how it's measured is important in today's world. A carbon footprint measures the amount of greenhouse gases produced from the activities of an individual, business, or country, ultimately leading to climate change. Learning about your carbon footprint can be a great way to reduce negative environmental impacts. While many calculators are available online for estimating your carbon footprint, it is useful to learn about the various factors behind it and take the necessary steps to address them. To decrease your carbon footprint, you can try simple changes like decreasing driving frequency or opting for energy-efficient appliances and more advanced solutions like investing in renewable energy sources. Educating yourself on one's carbon footprint provides an invaluable opportunity to ensure that precious resources are not wasted needlessly. Learn about the things that contribute to your carbon footprint Being aware of the things that contribute to your carbon footprint is an important step toward reducing your overall impact on the environment. It's not just driving cars and burning fossil fuels that contribute to the harmful effects of climate change; small changes in our everyday lives can also have a huge impact. For example, we can reduce our carbon emissions by eating local produce, taking public transportation to reduce car trips, consolidating errands into fewer trips, and using reusable bags when shopping. Choosing items made with renewable energy sources or locally will also help reduce your carbon footprint. The more informed we are on creating a zero-carbon lifestyle, the better our chance of curbing climate change for future generations. Find ways to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels As technology advances, more and more opportunities to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels arise. There are numerous ways to make a change, from improving the efficiency of existing fuel sources to switching to renewable energy sources. Maximizing public transportation or investing in a hybrid vehicle can help lower emissions while shopping sustainably reduces the need for petroleum-based goods. Alternative energy sources like solar and wind power offer clean, renewable energy sources that don't rely upon finite resources or produce harmful emissions. Even small changes like keeping an eye on your thermostat and unplugging rechargeable devices can significantly reduce fossil fuel usage. With so many alternatives already available, now is the time to proactively change our lifestyles to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels! Make changes in your lifestyle to reduce your carbon footprint It is becoming increasingly important to make changes in our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint. Our everyday activities, ranging from the food we eat to how we travel, contribute to the emissions of greenhouse gases that are dangerous for our planet. Fortunately, there are many simple ways we can make a difference. We can begin by becoming conscious of how much energy we use within our homes by unplugging electronic devices when not in use and switching off lights when leaving a room. We can limit transportation that causes pollution such as taking our bikes or public transport instead of taking a car and investing in renewable energy sources for our home when possible. Eating seasonally and limiting animal products - or even changing to a fully plant-based diet - is another great way to reduce factory farming and food production emissions. Making sure you recycle, reuse and compost any waste created is a final step towards living an eco-friendlier lifestyle that will help meet the challenge of reducing our carbon footprint. Spread the word to others about the importance of reducing their carbon footprints One of the most important things each and every person can do to protect our planet is to reduce their carbon footprint. Every action taken towards sustainability helps, no matter how small. Spreading the word to others about making conscious efforts to reduce their carbon footprints is an absolute must in creating a lasting solution. From something as simple as recycling to larger changes such as investing in energy-efficient appliances or working with sustainable companies – there are countless ways that we can work together to make an impact. Educating yourself and spreading the word about reducing our collective carbon footprints can be an easy way for everyone to get involved in making our world a better place!

It's no secret that having a positive outlook in life can lead to greater happiness and success. But did you know that there are specific strategies you can use to cultivate a positive mindset? In this post, we'll explore the power of positive thinking and provide some practical tips for training your brain to think more optimistically. So read on, and get ready to start achieving all your goals! Define what the power of positive thinking is and how it can benefit your life Positive thinking is a mental attitude that embraces optimism based on believing that good will ultimately prevail. This type of thinking has been proven to have far-reaching effects on an individual's life, improving overall health, strengthening problem-solving skill sets, contributing to more positive interactions with others, and significantly boosting morale. Through this outlook, challenges become opportunities for growth rather than sources of despair. Not only does it bring about more productive solutions, but it also contributes to a healthier mindset which leads to improved physical well-being. With positive thoughts at its core, optimism can help transform life from mundane existence into an enriching experience. Understand the science behind positive thinking and the brain Examining the science behind positive thinking and the brain can help to explain why having a more upbeat outlook on life can bring about profound changes. Chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins are all produced in greater quantities when a person takes part in activities that boost happiness, such as feeling gratitude or expressing kindness. This can lead to improved moods and increased satisfaction with life. Additionally, positive thinking has been shown to increase focus and productivity by helping reduce stress levels. It has also been linked to higher levels of resilience, encouraging people to keep trying despite setbacks instead of giving up altogether. By understanding how positive thinking affects our brains and bodies, we can use this knowledge to create lasting beneficial changes in our lives. Learn strategies for cultivating a positive mindset, including gratitude journaling, visualization, and self-compassion The cultivation of a healthy and positive mindset can be a life-changing journey. Journaling your gratitude, visualizing yourself achieving success, and practicing self-compassion are just a few strategies to accomplish this. A daily diary expressing appreciation can help us stay connected with our purpose. Visualization is also key for seeing the bigger picture, identifying trends, and acting on them for our desired outcome. Learning to be compassionate towards ourselves may sometimes seem easier said than done. But building up healthier feelings of appreciation and mindfulness will improve well-being and emotional understanding of self. Through these practices, you can create a more positive outlook and foster happiness in your daily routine! Put these strategies into practice in your own life to start reaping the benefits of positive thinking! Incorporating positive thinking into our lives can be a wonderful way to achieve ongoing well-being. Begin by practicing gratitude: each day, write down three positive things that have happened. This will help you by providing daily optimism and reminding you that life has purposeful moments. Additionally, look for the silver lining in difficult situations and try to come up with the best possible solution - this type of attitude allows us to feel empowered without getting overwhelmed. Finally, focus on positive affirmations like "I am capable" or "I can create my own happiness", as they can help redirect our thoughts and positively impact our moods. So why not try it out? Implementing these strategies in your life could be the first step towards an enhanced mindset and feelings of joy! To conclude, positive thinking is a great way to bring positivity and joy into your life. You can adopt a more positive mindset by understanding the science behind how our brains process thoughts. Remember that it takes practice to form habits, but as you continue to practice visualizing success and journaling, you will find yourself increasingly happier and more productive! Furthermore, don’t forget the importance of practicing self-compassion, for we can optimize our potential through that medium of kindness. Always remember: no matter what adversity or challenge may come your way, always choose to see the glass half full; your best days are yet to come!