Background (I started this post over a month ago and have reflected during the writing process)

Please excuse my diversion from my typical format and indulge me this process. I am in need of some self discovery and hope that writing my thoughts down might help me gain a better perspective.

I am currently flying 30,000 feet over the state of New Mexico returning from a marketing conference. Spending time in numerous sessions that sent my creative mind in countless directions is not only fulfilling but exhausting. Multiple times I found myself exploring the countless people and places that this subject matter could be applied for success. There are numerous business associates, friends, clients and industries that my ideas or knowledge could make a tremendous impact.

Youtility

At the conference the opening keynote speaker was Jay Baer. Jay focused on the concept of Youtility. As an economist I was intrigued of this new way of approaching utility. “Marketing so useful that people will pay for it”, is the definition given for Youtility. A concept that is built on the belief of usefulness driving sales.

As I shared my experiences the last night of the convention with a coleague it dawned upon me, were do you draw the line? When does MY knowledge become value. When does my Youtility cross the line into a revenue source?

Sharing vs Applying

Does action equal value? Can sharing concepts and techniques discovered pose little risk to the potential sale? Or as the old saying goes “Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?”. After years of teaching I have discovered one truth, success can not be achieved without application. There is a huge difference in studying a discipline and applying concepts to a real life situation.

An entrepreneur attitude is one I hope to someday perfect. Harnessing my talents into a revenue generating source would take my Youtility to a whole new level of value. But the key is where to draw the line of sharing knowledge and placing a price tag on your talents. Maybe the answer lies in how you leverage your thoughts? The world of sales revolves around the pitch. The art of enticing a potential lead into actually paying for the service. But wouldn’t one first need to introduce the concepts in order to show value?

Or could it be as simple as purchasing a book on-line through Amazon? Where one can download a sample before you make a purchase to make sure the reading fits your need. Maybe the key is how many pages of knowledge do we share in a free download? Everyone has gifts worth sharing to better this crazy world in which we live. And I am the first to admit that giving is the first step in receiving. But, I also realize that gifts hold value and discovering ones worth is crucial in achieving long term success. Imagine if the added weight needed to put your soul in balance is selecting the pages of knowledge that are “free” to share. Not only could your inner scale rise, but maybe your checking account, too.