About Terms of Exchange (TOE)
Stories about what we trade for love, time, and money.
In every relationship, something gets exchanged: affection for attention, security for freedom, love for control, and sometimes, the tangible value of fiat currency for the intangible cost of connection.
Terms of Exchange (TOE) is a digital storytelling project created by Jerrold Branche, a writer and digital nomad based in Dallas, Texas. It explores the quiet negotiations that define modern life—the ones that happen in love, friendship, ambition, and identity.
The Stories
Each Terms of Exchange story unfolds in three acts:
- Act I introduces the setup and the stakes.
- Act II builds the tension and reveals the cracks.
- Act III, where everything lands and someone pays the price, is available only to paid subscribers.
The stories are fiction, but they’re anchored in the emotional truths of real people and real choices. Every story asks the same question in a different voice: What does it cost to be seen? To be chosen? To be remembered?
Behind the Story (Members Only)
Every piece includes a Behind the Story reflection, available exclusively to paid members. These reflections unpack what inspired each narrative—what Jerrold observed, wrestled with, or gave up to write it. It’s a look behind the curtain at how fiction and lived experience blur together.
Notes (Free for All Readers)
Notes is a separate, ongoing section open to everyone. It’s a daily exploration of how terms of exchange play out in the real world—from the news cycle to cultural shifts to quiet personal moments.
In Notes, Jerrold draws connections between global events and everyday exchanges, showing how the same themes that drive his stories—trade, loss, attention, and connection—shape the headlines and our daily lives.
The Creator
Jerrold Branche is the founder of TOE LLC and the creator behind Terms of Exchange. He writes full-time while traveling internationally, building a creative life sustained entirely by storytelling. His work is created to reach readers across the world through subscriptions, audio storytelling, and creative partnerships, all built on the belief that honest stories can build sustainable art.
“We all negotiate for connection,” Branche says. “Some of us just do it with more honesty.”
The Mission
Terms of Exchange is more than fiction. It’s a framework for understanding the quiet deals we make every day—the emotional, social, and financial trades that define who we are.
It’s about transparency in art, honesty in ambition, and freedom in creation. It’s about writing stories that remind us that every transaction, whether emotional or material, says something about what we value most.