Brian Smith - Individual Influence: Find the I in Team

I can honestly say that beginning to write this series came at the perfect time in my life. This book has helped me on my journey to live more intentionally, be present in the moment, and appreciate the good and the bad. Each of us is experiencing life in a vastly different way from the person next to us; we have different experiences, personalities, habits, morals, and beliefsthere are more things than can be named that make us all individual. To me, this is one of the most beautiful parts of humanity, our diversity. However, every person in this world has one thing in common: We are all human.

To be human is to be given the opportunity to positively influence our world. Much of the positive influence we have is passive, like a smile or positive acknowledgment to a stranger. To share our positive influence through writing is an even greater gift. Telling stories to teach or provoke laughter, sadness, anger, and even frighten, is a tradition older than recorded history. We communicate through stories that tap into these emotions, and our influence comes from the effect we have on others. We can communicate through emotion regardless of the boundaries of language. While this book communicates through pragmatism, it is embedded with stories saturated with the emotions we all feel throughout life. This book capitalizes on the tradition of storytelling to teach, guide, develop, challenge, and influence.

Individual Influence: Find the I in Team influences through lessons and philosophies tethered to stories full of raw emotion. Brian and I have created a book in which you can see parts of the real human experience and what we have learned from the battles we all face. We dive into some of lifes most challenging questions: Who am I? and What is my purpose here? We will guide you and support you as you ponder and perhaps even answer these questions for yourself.

Having the ability to learn from others challenges, failures, and successes is a privilege most of us take for granted. There have been many instances when I have learned from the experiences of others, and I am certain that others have learned from mine as well. While you may have picked up this book thinking it would be a conventional self-help book or business guide, you will be surprised to find that it is so much more.

I have found that too often in self-help books, I am instructed on what I need to do in order to get to a generally outlined destination, and I am told what I am doing wrong with my life. In my experience, self-help books only provide an answer to questions or a solution to problems that we may face; they do not always show us the means by which they came to these conclusions or help us think about how to apply them to our unique situation. This way of teaching is superb in some areas of learning, but for the complexities of human experience, it does not measure up. Context matters.

Our lives are far too dynamic individually, let alone when you consider the billions of other experiences that humankind has every day. We have been learning from one another for many millennia through stories, but only if we choose to listen and apply ourselves. This book brings us back to that type of learning: the learning needed to understand and comprehend some of lifes greatest questions.

As the daughter of someone who not only lives by these philosophies but also teaches them, I have a great advantage. Some of Brians colleagues have described me as a case study for this book. What I have learned from my dad and his teachings goes far beyond anything I could put into words. He has taught me how to love, forgive, move on, have grace, be fierce, stand up for what I believe in, be a great team member, and hold myself accountable. Above all elseand what I truly cherish mosthe has taught me how to empathize.

I was lost for so long before we started writing this series. The kind of lost where you honestly believe you may never find yourself again. The kind of lost that makes you question who you are and what youre really doing here. Being a part of the writing of this book and series has helped me find myself again. It allowed me to rediscover my foundation, the foundation my parents spent so long and worked so hard to build for me as a child. It allowed me to focus on my lifes mission: to make this world a better place for all living beings.

The benefits you will get from this book go beyond the excitement of reading stories that provoke various emotions; you will have the opportunity to learn and better yourself. You will be able to analyze yourself more clearly and with less bias. This book will prepare you to be your best self with each team you influence: family, friends, coworkers, and strangers. Only you have the power to decide to change your mind and grow into the person you want to be. You can do anything and be anyone. We only ask that whoever you choose to be, you choose to be a positive influence in this world. For you and those you influence, I wish a prosperous life.

I was unsure where this book project would take me. The title changed a few times as we got deeper into the concept. As the first book of many, this is a testament to our philosophy: all individuals matter. I chose the title Individual Influence based on the premise that all individuals matter and that we each have influence; our influence is our single greatest responsibility. I wouldnt have been able to start or finish this project without the influence of our amazing team; their support inspired me, propelled me, and influenced me in too many ways to write. Our company, IA Business Advisors (IA = Individual Advantages), is so named because each individuals influence is the result of their advantages. Our company continues to be positively influenced by those who exude our core philosophies, which we intend to pass on to you in this book. Our core purpose is to find what makes each individual unique and encourage them to use their influence to their advantage.

I owe thanks to my family for everything in my business life. My wife, Renmy rock since the day we metinfluences me to be honest and work hard, and the pride this instills in me gets me through each day. Our success as businesspeople, parents, and friends is grounded in our partnership, marriage, and friendship.