There are so many places for entrepreneurs to gain inspiration from biographies and podcast, to movies and documentaries. Streaming services like Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and more are starting to offer a huge amount of on- demand shows that are tailored to entrepreneurs and start up businesses. Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Jim Beach of The School For Startups to discuss top shows and documentaries for entrepreneurs to watch.
Harry Brelsford
Hey nation nation, we’re back with Jim at school for startups. It has been too long. I mean, I can still say Happy New Year to you.
Jim Beach
Quite a while Happy New Year.
Harry Brelsford
Yeah, there we go. Well, hey, you’re always on to something. And you said Netflix has some a series of entrepreneurial movies, documentaries, documentaries. Talk to me, I want to watch.
Jim Beach
Well, it’s not just Netflix, all of the services right now seem like they’re dropping some form of entrepreneurship entertainment. So Hulu just did the drop out about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos. They also had an Adele V. The German think heiress who was trying to start a business in New York City. I don’t want to I think it was apple plus, has the we work series out with the story of Adam Newman with the Academy Award winning actress, I forgot her name. In it right now. It’s just a big topic right now all of them showing the indulgence of these particular entrepreneurs. But I think the main thing that’s so interesting about it is that it’s evaluating and testing the fake it until you make it idea, you know, all of these entrepreneurs, were right at the edge of that line. Some of them obviously crossed it and went way past what I think is a reasonable story to be telling your investors in the marketplace. But you know, some of them I was, you know, pretty sympathetic with. One of the stories out there is about this German heiress who ended up in prison for three years, she was fake, she didn’t really have any money, but she was living in New York, and she was trying to create a club. While the club never got off the ground. No one really lost any money in that part of the story. She did scam some hotels out of some money by just not paying her bills. But that’s sort of separate. But she never, you know, she didn’t actually crossed the line of faking the business. Until Well, if you never did, you know, she crossed the line in other areas of life. And that’s very different from say, Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos I was shocked to learn that almost 8 million incorrect medical test results were sent down to people. She is of course waiting, awaiting sentencing. I think it’s September to find out how many years she’ll do in jail for what she’s been convicted of. Anyway, that’s sort of my thoughts. What are yours after hearing my little rant?
Harry Brelsford
No, yeah, I’m streaming more than ever. I changed my ways in the pandemic. I used to be the guy that lets CNBC or maybe CNN just run in the background white noise. And my mental state just kind of changed over the last two years. I’m not doing that I don’t need that anxiety, that agitation. So the point I’m making is Yeah, night I click through on my little controller, I get you know what, Netflix, Amazon Prime and, and you can just find some for me, relaxing stuff. And these kinds of stories are actually relaxing for me. Right, you know, just hearing these stories. The other thing about Elizabeth over Theranos, I would share with you as early early on in my career, I briefly taught computerized accounting at night as an adjunct instructor. i It’s a little bit out of my as a little bit out of my wheelhouse on that one. But one of my students said straight A student, she was brilliant, you know, single mom raising her kid and her and so on. Absolutely brilliant. In one fine day. She said, I’m going to miss a Friday. I said, Yeah, no problem. And I read the paper, the Anchorage Daily News, and I read the paper. And there she is on the front page being sentenced for some child abuse stuff in what we call the madness Cavalli, and in the point I’m making, Jim, is that the criminal mind? In whatever form, they’re very smart, right, that this woman was wicked smart. I would have never suspected. Can you imagine the look on my face? Oh, my goodness, that’s my student. And here again, you would you would never think that and I think Elizabeth reminded me of that story, right. These people are very convincing and very smart.
Jim Beach
Yes. And Adam Newman, as we work, know, that business was valued at $26 billion there at the very end, and his ability to whip up an audience to get 1000s For people to follow Him and believe his vision was incredibly impressive, you know, they all had the charisma, the wow factor, the, the certain thing that would make you want to follow them. So it is very enticing to, to get a board one of those companies that imagine the excitement you would feel if you thought you were part of the company solving the blood issue, and making all of these easier medical tests possible and you work in the accounting department in marketing or something like that. You have no idea that the whole bio part is a scam. Just to be a part of that would be, you know, a life changing opportunity. And the movies show that and then show the impact the entrepreneurs have all these people talking about, you know, I can’t find a job now. No one’s ever going to employ me again because I have this dark hole on my resume.
Harry Brelsford
Yeah, yeah, no kidding. Well, hey, we’ll make that the final word. So folks can go to school for startups.com To get more information and track the work you do.
Jim Beach
I appreciate that so much. Have a good one. All right. We’ll
Harry Brelsford
see you next quarter. Let’s not wait salons bye bye. Take care.
