GenX, AI Mode, and the Clay of Your Experience

GenX doesn’t realize the goldmine it’s sitting on.

We lived before the internet, before smartphones, before everything was “content.” We know what the world was like before, during, and after every major shift. That lived experience? That’s clay. And right now, clay is the most valuable raw material you can own.

Here’s why… Google’s new AI Mode doesn’t care about bikini reels or quick dopamine hits. It reads, summarizes, and synthesizes identity. When someone searches your name, niche, or business, the AI pulls from what you’ve written and published. It shapes the clay you’ve left behind into an answer. Into gospel.

• If you’ve left nothing behind? You don’t exist.
• If you’ve left generic copy-paste posts? The AI will serve you back as generic. 

But if you’ve shared your perspective…your lived experience…the AI will amplify you as an authority.

This is where most of us GenXers miss the point. We think what we know isn’t special. That the grind, the lessons, the scars, the years spent doing what we do…don’t matter to anyone else. 

But that’s exactly what separates us from the noise.

The younger crowd knows how to play algorithms. We know how to live.

And that’s what the machine can’t fake.

Sharing doesn’t need to be polished or perfect. It doesn’t even need a website (though, yes, that supercharges it). You can start with something free and frictionless… LinkedIn. 

• Drop a post. 
• Every day if you can. 
• Add clay. 

Let the AI notice.

Here’s the opportunity staring us in the face…

• Every long-form post becomes a slab of clay.
  
• Every story, reflection, or insight becomes more weight on the scale of authority.
  
• Over time, AI Mode will shape your body of work into something no one can ignore.
  

This isn’t about hacks or pods or gaming the system. It’s about leaving behind proof that you exist, that you’ve lived, and that you have something to say.

Think of it like building your own encyclopedia entry in real time…one post at a time.

So, here’s the challenge: Stop underestimating what you’ve lived through. Stop thinking no one cares.

Write about the deals gone bad.

• The lessons learned in the trenches.
• The things you’d tell your younger self if you could.

That’s the stuff AI Mode will weave together when someone looks you up. That’s the clay only you can provide.

And one day, when someone searches your name, your niche, or your industry, they won’t find silence or fluff…. They’ll find you.

Stay Lit.

About Bob Manor 

Bob Manor is the founder of  South Ontario Auto Remarketing , Can-Am Dealer Services , and co-founder of Auto Auction Review. He’s also the creator of  Influence.vin, a branding and communication studio built for the car business. With over 30 years in the automotive world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and identity-driven brand strategy. He’s a regular contributor to well-known automotive publications and uses his platforms to help industry pros re-align with who they are, not just what they do