The Moments Worth Capturing

Every moment shouldn’t make its way into your documentary.

You aren’t just reporting everything you can about your business journey; you’re selecting the turning points. Think of:

• The time you got inspired to start a business.
• The challenge that nearly made you give up.
• The game-changing revelation that pivoted your plans.
• The leadership lesson that fundamentally shaped you.
• The vision that continues to fuel your business today.

Those are the types of moments that would make your documentary raw, open and meaningful. Those are the moments viewers would actually connect with your journey because they get to go with you as you tell it, not just watch your success.

Questions Every Founder Should Answer Before Filming

Sometimes, the best stories you will tell will only reveal itself until you are first prompted by such questions.

Before the day comes for you to film, take your time and contemplate on some questions like:

• What made you think that your business should exist in the first place?
• What is the most difficult decision that you have ever had to make in your life as a founder?
• What mistake taught you the most?
• What is keeping you going these days?
• What would you like people to take away after listening to your story?

You don’t have to give “perfect” answers, just be as truthful as possible in all your answers. The more honest you are, the more real your story will be for the viewers.

Don’t Make Your Documentary Feel Like an Advertisement

Where many founders slip up is they make their documentary into one massive advertisement for the company.

One thing to know as a founder is that people aren’t tuning in to listen to a rundown of the product or services you’re currently offering – they’re listening because they’re interested in you, the person behind the business/brand.

Be vulnerable. Be honest about your mistakes. Be open about all of the failed attempts you made to get you to this point. Ironically, the more “sell-less” your documentary gets, the more it sells for you.

People Remember Stories, Not Statistics

Thomas Graeber, Christopher Roth, and Florian Zimmerman published a study in The Quarterly Journal of Economics. The study’s findings stated that stories are remembered much more easily than statistics because stories have context and emotion behind them.

And that’s why the documentaries people don’t forget easily are not the ones with the longest list of achievements.

Revenue, awards, achievements… Those are all impressive, no question. But it’s what you learned that makes you stand out. It is why you stuck to it when everything else was screaming for you to quit that the viewer remembers long after they watch the credits of your documentary.

Important takeaways:

• Share your business’s narrative, not your business. The audience wants the story that started all of it, not just what you’re selling.
• Highlight milestones, not your products. The biggest points of your journey makes the most memorable narrative.
• Answer genuine questions authentically. Forget the rehearsal, remember that true vulnerability and realness resonates better.
• Connect before you convert. If you prioritize authenticity over selling, then you’re creating a community rather than just a list of customers.
• Don’t just make a watchable film – make an unforgettable documentary. Give people a story they won’t forget, a story that becomes part of their own personal journey.