Do You Understand the Archimedes Effect?

I love my job. My boss lets me play tennis everyday, as long as I get my work done. I'm joking, of course, since I'm self-employed. I really do have a dream life. So how can you do the same thing, leverage what you know, teach it to others, and make money working from home doing what you love?

Today I read about the Archimedes Effect from Chris Brogan, who's new book is called Trust Agent:

The Archimedes Effect

Understanding leverage is what separates the hobbyists from the professionals. Do you understand how to take what you’re doing in one instance and extend it out into something bigger or better elsewhere? This is what brought Madonna from just another singer into being a worldwide brand.

Leverage is behind all the most powerful people in the world, but it all starts somewhere. Gary Vaynerchuk leveraged his wine store into his video project and took that into his media project and his book deal. Gary bleeds leverage.

Do you understand the Archimedes Effect?

Got to get the book to know more about this. Chris is a genius of a nice guy who's generous about sharing what he knows to help people make money doing what they love.

What Do You Know that Could Help Others?

How can you make people's lives better? What do you know that would save them time, energy or money? What have you been doing and learning your whole life that you could now turn around and show others how to do?

I've been writing most of my life. I am a nonfiction business leadership content writer with a specialty in psychology. I write newsletter and blog content for executive coaches, organizational developers, and leadership consultants.

It doesn't matter what field you're an expert in. It can be nuclear physics or dog grooming. Everywhere there are people working in fields who could use some help. They all want better work lives, more fun, more time, more money. What do you know that could help them?

How can you leverage your knowledge? Several ways, actually. You can help people one-on-one, or one to many. Or you can help the helpers who are helping them one-on-one and one to many.

By far, the most leverage comes from helping the helpers.

By that I mean, you can take your knowledge, write content, and sell it to the people who need content for their newsletters and blogs. That's how I do it. That's how others are making money online writing for a living. It works best when you leverage your writing by selling it many times over.

1. Write a non-exclusive, in-depth article in a niche
2. Sell it to several other experts for their newsletters and blogs
3. Repeat

Does it work? You bet. I've been making money online since 1999 doing it. I will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of my company Content for Coaches and Consultants in September.

If you're interested in learning how to do this, send me an email. I could easily put together a teleseminar to explain how to do this, if enough people were interested.

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Comments

[Chip Scholz]

Great post, Patsi. Thanks for reminding me of the power of writing, and of delivering great content. I find writing extremely time consuming and almost painful! How can I find ways of making it easier and less time consuming? Do you have any suggestions on resources (other than you of course!)

[Chris Brogan...]

You've really nailed it here. Thanks for pointing out the various ways you can leverage your knowledge. It's great that you shared and expanded on things.

[Jenny Pilley]

You make such excellent points within this post. I think we sometimes forget that we all have something that can help others no matter what our niche is. Thank You.

[Barb Sawyers]

Helping the helpers was the best takeaway for me.

Chip raises the issue of writing, which you have to be able to do to leverage your expertise.

To help people like Chip, I'm researching what's difficult and what works for the many writers who did not have the benefit of journalism school or mentors. I'd love to hear from you and your readers. http://barbsawyers.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/whats-your-top-writing-challenge/

[Noah Abraham]

Love your blog. I just found it while browsing and can already see so many ideas here I can use on my own new blog.