Primage Pillars - #7: Pass The Torch
Don't be mean
As you probably noticed, I’m laying out the 10 Primage Pillars - The manifesto for the project and our developing community.
Here’s where to go for the archive, if you missed the launch and Pillars #1 to #6.
Let’s get into Pillar #7 - Pass The Torch
There’s that old saying about lighting a candle from a candle. You’ve then got twice the candles, and twice the light.
And now you’re in your Primage, your candle’s burning brighter than most.
It’d be selfish and wasteful not to light someone else’s, right?
Enough of the waxy metaphors - here are a couple of examples of what this could actually mean for you.
MENTORING
In the unique little British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, they run an annual project, developing business skills in teenagers. It’s called Young Enterprise, and I’ve been lucky and honoured to be chosen as a mentor for YE these last two years.
Big stakes, as it’s a competition with the winning team flown to UK for the national finals.
I’ve had weekly meetings with the kids, and continual communication in between, supporting, cajoling and generally keeping them on track.
It’s not without its challenges and disappointments - last year’s team were great, and we placed second out of 18 in the local finals. This year, not so good, fraught with setbacks and outside the top five.
But through it all, they got loads out of their relationship with me, and I learnt loads too. It’s helped me understand the worldview and lived experience of today’s youth, which is (of course) decades away from my adolescence.
I grew up in simpler times, arguably happier and more engaged with the world, but hey. That’s a discussion for another day.
Mentoring others seeking the skills and knowledge you have is a great way to Pass The Torch, and it’ll keep you feeling useful and relevant.
In the past, I’ve mentored in loads of places, including The Prince’s Trust and an organisation called SOVA - Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults - in the UK.
And you know what? Each time I’ve learnt a little more about how life works, about what’s important, and about myself too.
YOUR ONLINE GAME
Second example is more hard-nosed, if that’s the right metaphor…
This is where you build something to sell, using the incredible power of AI and digital platforms available to us all in these amazing times.
It’s not hard either.
Here’s a simple template from a lady I virtually bumped into on Medium, and it mirrors so many of the products I’ve created over the years, sometimes making a few quid, and sometimes loads of the moneys.
Before you get stuck into it, this is my to do/don’t list:
DO
Think about a pressing problem people commonly suffer with, which you know how to solve
Make a simple eBook, or even a short cheat-sheet. Infographics work well
Use AI for ideas, market research and design
Do it fast and loose
Price to sell - no brainer level
DON’T
Make it wishy-washy - have a clear outcome you know people are craving
Make it feel like a vitamin (optional). You need to build a painkiller (required)
Try for perfect. Just get it out there
Be discouraged if it flops. Tweak it and keep on trying
Delay - do it today, and see what happens
Here’s that link to the guide again
On Using AI
Once you’ve spotted a real problem, AI is ridiculously powerful. It can help you think faster, test ideas, build frameworks, pull research together, draft examples and turn a rough solution into something useful.
But it won’t do the most important bit for you.
AI is not so good at wandering into the market and noticing what people are actually struggling with today. That’s your job. You have to go where the conversations are already happening, ask questions of real people complaining about real things, listen for the frustration, and spot the problems might just be able to solve.
The sequence is everything:
Find a topic people are already talking about
Identify the real frustration inside it
Use AI to help build the solution
Share that solution publicly, through an article, thread or video
Turn the solution into a digital product
Get that order right and AI becomes a rocket booster.
Get it backwards, and you’ve just built another shiny little product nobody wanted in the first place.
Teaching, mentoring and selling digital products are not the only ways you can Pass The Torch, though.
Keep your mind open to any/all of these ways to ensure your candle shines brighter than ever. Yes, I know, we’re back to wax again.
1: Write a book. Whether it’s your life story, or a non-fiction guide to something you know lots about, people will likely be interested in what you have to share.
So much so, I’m going to launch a writing circle in Primage later this year, where we can co-create our inspirational tomes together.
Feel free to get started today, though.
2: Publish a newsletter. Hello, welcome to Primage. Substack makes it caveman/woman simple to write, publish and get noticed.
You may have heard of my legendary (!) Daily Brain Tattoos. I wrote a slightly incredible 2706 of the beauties from 2017 to 2025. That meant writing and sending one every day for nearly eight years.
I say “every day” - it was actually Monday thru Saturday. I mean, even God had a day off, right?
Anyhoo, as a precursor to writing a book, a blog is great practice and can also give you all the content you need to fill a larger publication.
3: Keep your Scooby Senses primed for opportunities to help people. Every act of kindness has a payback, either in a simple feeling of a job well done, or more literally in people offering to do something useful for you in return.
Just today, I’ve agreed to do some pro-bono training for a friend in business in Gibraltar. His staff are a little behind the curve with AI, so I’m going to show them how to develop an AI agent to do some of their client outreach.
Between you and me, I’m 87% sure there’ll be some reciprocal business on the end of it, but I’ll feel good anyway.
Key takeaways from today:
1: Passing The Torch is a great way to keep your mind active, and you always learn from anyone you’re teaching, mentoring or coaching.
2: You’ll be cementing your legacy, as you implant your wisdom and experience in others, who might be using it for decades to come.
3: Your knowledge is monetisable. Never miss a chance to grow your wealth, as that also grows your peace of mind, and gives you the freedom to do more of what you want.
You are in your Primage. It’d be a crime to waste it.
Jonny
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