You know I have to jump in after I hear something a few times in a short period. In the last few days, it was: Should I do creative commons instead of copyright?

Huh? Well, if everyone can get legal advice online, I figure I can too. So I Googled “creative commons vs. copyright,” and a ton of resources pop up that suggest that creative commons is on a continuum between copyright and public domain, such as this

Have you ever had an idea, it seemed brilliant (at the time), you dashed it out in a burst of manic energy, and then…it got lost in the pile of ideas?

If yes, then we have something in common. Kolbe calls us “quick starts”. I know, weird for a lawyer, but before you start wondering, I am just slightly more quick start than fact finder. (For the Kolbe nerds out there, I’m a 5-5-6-4.)

The Antiques Roadshow was a favorite of my mother’s but I have not watched it since she went to the great récamier in the sky. 🥲 So I was pleasantly surprised when the show made a rare appearance in my news feed—the appraisal of a letter written by Frank Sinatra almost made the surprised owner faint.

I am happy to report that my webinar for the Institute for Management Consultants about licensing your expertise (slideshow is available here) has generated quite a bit of interest.

My engagements are all custom—except for legal due diligence. All of my engagements start with making sure the client’s legal foundation is free of cracks before we start building on it.

I’m beyond humbled by my amazing guests who have shared their insights so generously. My podcast, Hourly to Exit, literally shot out of the gate. So much so that I have decided to slow it down!

We’ve released an episode per week for the last eight weeks and received great feedback. I’m happy to say that we dig deep and discover new territory in each episode. The problem—providing enough time between episodes to explore the new territory.

I had a great interview today with the lovely Jessica Fearnley of The Seven Figure Consultant. I will certainly let you know when her episode is released, but what I want to briefly touch on now is the time we spent in the weeds about business models and revenue models.

Leverage is not addition; i.e., 3+3=6. Leverage is multiplication; 3x3=9. Multiplication creates a greater outcome than addition.

Let’s apply this to our expertise-based business, contrasting growth through addition against growth through multiplication.

Levers are machines used to increase force. In other words, a lever multiplies the impact of our efforts.

Applying a lever to your business is the key to decoupling income from time. Put in the effort at the front end and reap continuing benefits over time with less additional effort. While there is no such thing as purely “passive income” – significant investment or effort must be applied before the opportunity for passive income arises—the application of leverage to that investment or effort creates the conditions for residual, low-input income. Some levers to apply:

Whether you are interested in scaling or seeding the ground to someday sell your expertise-based business, the creation and protection of intellectual property will be at the center of your revenue growth strategy.