Shine Movie Brings Entrepreneurs' Power, Pain, to Life
What’s it like for entrepreneurs to watch a movie whose stars are all small business owners? As the new documentary Shine: The Entrepreneur’s Journey begins to tour the country, those who have had a chance to view the film are calling it an emotional and inspiring experience. Offering both uplifting stories about the joys of business ownership and cautionary tales of the risks involved, Shine is also firing up viewers to share their own struggles.
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“I almost cried when they talked about the high cost of being an entrepreneur -- I’ve been divorced three times, and two were a direct result of me wanting to start my own business,” says longtime Seattle entrepreneur Rags Madison, owner of Madison Avenue Butler Services.
Madison was in attendance at the movie’s first official tour stop last month in Seattle (). The film was screened for nearly 40 business owners at a networking meeting organized by members of the online networking organization Biznik, which also served as the film’s primary financial backer. The Shine On tour format begins with a screening of the movie, after which participants break in to small groups to discuss what they’ve seen and their experiences running their own businesses.
The discussion session after the movie began with emotional sharing of how deeply viewers related to the movie’s portrayal of entrepreneurship’s ups and downs, Madison says. Then the groups turned practical, as business owners shared their problems and heard suggestions for possible solutions from other participants.
“I felt the movie was both a billboard [advertising entrepreneurship] and a warning,” Madison says.
Many also felt that the screenings provided a good way to get to know other entrepreneurs. “It’s a great introduction to the experience of being an entrepreneur, and a good conversation starter,” says French expatriate Didier Monin, who owns a GameTruck video-gaming franchise. “It was inspiring.”
For entrepreneur Lenka Mittelbach, owner of the rental business Alternative Suites International, the movie validated her lifestyle. “You realize there’s nothing wrong with you,” she says. “It really inspired me and helped me take a deep breath and say, ‘I’m OK.’”
Lessons from the Stars
Though they had a good idea of what would be in the movie from their own participation, some of the “stars” of Shine were still surprised by the impact of seeing the final product.
For instance, Seattle breathing coach Liv Browning tearfully describes onscreen how she ended up selling her home in pursuit of her business, Kick Asthma. Is being an entrepreneur worth the sacrifice? “Some days,” she says in the film, “the answer is ‘no.’”
Browning says she appreciated the movie’s realistic portrayal of entrepreneurial life. “Everyone has this romantic idea about being your own boss, but there’s nothing romantic about it really,” she says.
The recognition Shine grants entrepreneurs is long overdue, Browning adds. “We make up a huge demographic of business owners -- most of us are sole proprietors or have a few workers,” she says. “The film gives us a voice and a spotlight.”
Vocal coach Awilda Verdejo, who in the film shares the story of how her singing career ended her marriage, says the movie made her want to up her game as a business owner. “I learned I need a solid business plan and clear, realistic objectives and goals,” she says. “Also, a good support system.”
Behind the Scenes
More than two years in the making, Shine began as a free-video day Biznik held for 400 members in its hometown of Seattle. The idea was to encourage more Biznikers to add video to their online profiles.
Dan McComb, Biznik’s cofounder and the movie’s codirector, says the stories the videographers captured were so interesting that he wanted to re-interview some of the participants at length to delve deeper into their stories -- and ended up shooting more than 60 hours of footage.
Ironically, Shine may have had its biggest impact on McComb himself. Although he hired professional videographer Ben Medina to make the movie, McComb, a former photojournalist, found he enjoyed the moviemaking process so much that he quit 6-year-old Biznik to start a new small business of his own, as a videographer.
What lessons does McComb hope fellow entrepreneurs will take away from viewing Shine? “You aren’t likely to become the next Steve Jobs -- in fact, you’re likely to have less money than if you remained an employee,” he says. “But you are more likely to achieve something that’s pretty elusive for many employees: happiness.”
Shine is currently available for viewing online, and it’s also being used as a conversation starter at Biznik networking events. Biznik members can host their own "Shine On" events -- and those events are already in the works in Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. (See a schedule here.)
But the team also hopes to introduce it to a larger audience, perhaps even as a teaching tool at business schools.
Whether or not the film finds a broader, consumer audience, McCombs says he hopes viewers realize “anyone can start a business. Stop watching The Apprentice and get busy on your own idea.”
Watch the Shine film in its entirety below:
Shine: The Entrepreneur's Journey by Dan McComb.
Business reporter Carol Tice contributes to several national and regional business publications.
