Entrepreneurs don't get much screen time in big Hollywood movies. That's partly why the founders of the networking organization Biznik decided to create their own documentary about the entrepreneurial life.
I had a chance to go to the premiere of SHINE: The Entrepreneur's Journey here in Seattle in early February, where an enthusiastic audience of local business owners said they wished the half-hour film had been longer.
From there, SHINE is taking off to tour the country at Biznik networking meetings. Any member can ask to host a SHINE On event, where the movie is screened and then the audience breaks up into small groups to discuss it and share their own struggles. As of early March, screenings were set for the Seattle area, San Francisco, Boston, Portland (Ore.), Los Angeles, and St. Louis. You can also view the movie on Biznik's website.
The movie was born out of a free-video day Biznik put on in Seattle in 2008, in hopes of getting more members to put video on their Biznik profiles. Biznik co-founder Dan McComb found the stories so interesting he thought the project should be bigger. He called back dozens of the entrepreneurs and interviewed them at greater length, eventually shooting 60 hours of film with co-director Ben Medina.
SHINE provides both inspiration and cautionary tales about the realities of small business ownership. There's a mix of experienced, successful entrepreneurs, newbies, and those whose businesses didn't succeed. Several academics also weigh in with perspective and a few key statistics -- most startups fail within five years, for one. But on the other hand, business owners report higher levels of happiness with their lives than those who work for a corporation.
One of the film's most dramatic moments comes as breathing coach Liv Browning describes losing her house in pursuit of her business, Kick Asthma. She told me she now lives in artist housing in West Seattle and is pursuing painting.
"There is huge drama in being one's own boss," she says. "With the movie, they just wanted to give us a voice and put us in the spotlight."
Where has your entrepreneur's journey taken you? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
SHINE still courtesy of Biznik
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