Be an Information Broker

I’ve done a lot of living in my 4+ decades on this mudball so far.

Let me give you a short breakdown of it:

• I spent my childhood learning to rodeo, hunt, and fish.
• I’ve been to two war zones, and fought there, multiple times.
• My feet have touched the ground of over 30 different countries.
• I lived in Japan for almost a decade.
• I spent a decade learning and practicing the occult. (No longer practicing, though.)
• I’ve worked and held leadership positions for many Fortune 100/500 companies.
• I’ve lived in 3 major U.S. metropolitan cities.
• I worked on 3 different degrees.
• I raised 4 kids during all of this.
• I‘m engaged to a Cuban woman and now live in a household that primarily speaks a language I don’t.

Now, there is an argument to be made that maybe I took it to the extreme to become a better writer.

Maybe that’s true, but I have a never-ending wealth of experience to draw on now.

I can expound on topics such as proper cattle roping technique, best practices for sighting in a weapon, multi-cultural practices in other countries, Japanese pottery making, how to create sigils of power, corporate process improvement, inner city dynamics and how to navigate them, detailed discussion on Constitutional policy or supply chain logistics or creative writing mechanics, how to survive the mental stress of raising children…

I think you probably get it.

I can pull on a lot of previous experience for just about any topic I may need because I lived it.

All of this experience does indeed make me a better writer, but it also makes me something much more powerful…

I am an information broker.

I always really dug those characters in cyberpunk science fiction that were couriers of information.

That seemed like such a cool job to me that I think I instinctively became one myself.

I’ve always loved to gobble up information and store it into my meat noodle, from the time I was a child reading encyclopedias on rainy days for fun until today where I try to read at least one book a week.

If you really want to make an impact on your audience, I highly recommend starting to think like an information broker yourself.

Is it necessary to have all the experiences that I have? Absolutely not.

I have lived what I would describe as a “well-lived life.”

I have been blessed with many opportunities to do things that most people will never have the pleasure of doing.

And some, like the war thing, I’m grateful you will never experience.

But you have lived life, and every step of the way you have told a story yourself.

Each and every one of those experiences have armed you with valuable information that you can relay to others to help them solve their own problems in life.

They can learn from your mistakes, your wins, your sadness, and your elation.

And being open and honest with your readers will bring them in droves, because sharing your life also allows them to live through you vicariously.

Here are some exercises you can do to determine what valuable information you can share based on your life experience:

1. Life Mapping: Create a visual timeline of your life, marking key events, turning points, successes, and failures. Use different colors or symbols to represent different emotions or impacts these events had on you. This can help you see patterns or important moments that shaped your values and decisions.
2. Journal Prompts: Set aside time to respond to specific prompts that encourage introspection. Questions like “What mistakes have I learned the most from?” or “When have I felt most fulfilled?” can unlock insights about what you find important and why.
3. Teach Someone Else: Try to explain or teach a skill or lesson you’ve mastered to someone else. This could be through writing a blog post, recording a video, or even just talking it through with a friend. Teaching is a powerful way to solidify your own understanding and pinpoint what you know that others might find valuable.
4. Three People Exercise: Think of three people who’ve had a significant impact on your life and write down what you learned from each of them. Reflect on how these lessons have influenced your actions and choices. This can help you understand the values and knowledge you’ve gathered from others that you might pass along.
5. Role Analysis: Reflect on the various roles you’ve played in life — such as a family member, friend, employee, or leader. Consider what successes and challenges you’ve encountered in each role. What did those experiences teach you about yourself, and how could those lessons benefit others?

Don’t hold onto all that information you have.

Share it, willingly and freely. Engage with the world and watch as they engage you in return.

Share your story, one called The Life of You, with this world and it will astound you how it resonates in the hearts and minds of others.

I know I’m ready to hear your story.

Are you ready to tell it?

Thanks for reading!

Hi, I'm Joe. I help creators share their unique voices simply and effectively. Here's how I can help you:

• Join my newsletter.
• Get 1 email every week.
• Access multiple actionable links.
• Learn focus, clarity, efficiency, & consistency.
• Profit.