We Are All Influencers

We are all "influencers."

Over recent years the term "influencer" has taken on a whole new meaning. It's become synonymous with social media personalities, particularly those with large followings.

Before social media and even now, everybody can influence. If we remember those we learned from growing up, it wasn't always the most famous or qualified person. It was those doing what we wanted to do but just doing it at a higher level than we currently were.

Think back to how you may have learned to shoot or hunt. For those a little older, it wasn't somebody on YouTube or Instagram but maybe a parent, grandparent, relative, or even a family friend. We didn't care if they were considered experts, but we knew they had something we could learn from.

Some of the human connection and teaching has been lost. It's great to jump on YouTube to learn a new skill, but that differs from in-person experience.

If you listen to someone's story, whether it be their first hunt, that first time on the range, or the first time they pulled the trigger, and without fail, every one of those stories goes into great detail about who was involved, where they were, and how it turned out.

I will never forget Dad teaching me to shoot in the basement of our house. He had a bullet trap set up that he used for function testing. I could have watched all the videos in the world, but nothing would compare to that time spent together.

There's also no digital learning in the world that would replace the lessons learned when I got cocky and thought I was better than I was and completely missed the bullet trap. Yes, it happened more than once.

The next time you think you may not be qualified to help somebody remember you only have to be at a level higher than the person asking.