Read time: 3 min.

Most people have no idea they're sitting on a goldmine of expertise.

I was watching a woman yesterday trying to calm her toddler in the grocery store. She looked around desperately, like she was thinking: "Everyone's staring at me. I'm doing this wrong."

And I thought: "I know that feeling."

But I also thought: "I know how to get out of that situation now."

Not because I have a child therapy degree. Not because I've written books about parenting. Simply because I've been through it. Because I've made the mistakes. Because I've tested what works and what doesn't.

And that's exactly what expertise is: concentrated experience.

The universal truth about value

Everyone has at least one subject they can:

• talk about endlessly

• have made mistakes in

• have tested different approaches with

• have consumed books or videos about

• have learned things they wish they'd known earlier

And because of that, you're now a few steps ahead of someone who's just starting.

Whether that's about how to stay balanced as a young mother, how to build a Pokémon deck, how to sleep better in your thirties, or how to save your relationship from burnout.

Someone else wants to learn that. And you can save them time. And prevent frustration.

That's value.

Why people are willing to pay for your experience

Here's the reality: people don't pay for information. Google is free.

They pay for:

• Speed (accelerating their learning process)

• Clarity (filtering what works and what doesn't)

• Confidence (knowing something works because you've already done it)

This means: your expertise doesn't have to be "complete" — it just needs to be useful for someone who's still on step 2, while you're already on step 7.

The problem isn't that people don't have expertise. The problem is they don't recognize it as valuable. Because it feels so natural to them.

But that's because you've put hours into it.

The world runs on this exchange

In essence: expertise is currency.

You've learned something. Someone else wants to learn that. You save them time. They pay you money. That's how the economy works.

• We pay electricians because they've wired a hundred houses without burning them down.

• We follow meditation teachers because they've found peace in chaos we're still experiencing.

• We hire a coach because they're further along the path we want to walk.

Why would it be different for you?

The gold mine in your back pocket

Everyone has a niche. But it often feels too close. Too ordinary. Too "who would pay for this?"

But that's exactly why you're valuable. Because you understand what goes wrong.

Because you've had to search for solutions yourself.

That's why you can help someone.

And that's the core of coaching.

What does this mean for you?

Now go back to your own path.

Here's what I want you to ask yourself:

• What have you spent countless hours doing that you genuinely love?

• What comes naturally to you that others struggle with?

• What do friends and family already come to you for advice about?

That's your expertise. That's your value. That's potentially your income.

The world needs what you know.

But only if you're willing to share it.

Much love,

— Martijn