Being an entrepreneur is certainly not easy. No matter what industry you’re in, there will always be challenges on your journey to the top. Some days you’ll feel as though you’ll soon be featured in Forbes, while other days will leave you feeling down and out. We’ve put together this list of movies based on true stories, all of which are about inspiring entrepreneurs who have worked hard to get to the top and have risen above the odds to become some of the world’s most famous success stories.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith’s incredible portrayal of Chris Gardner led to him being nominated for some of Hollywood’s most prestigious awards. This movie is perfect for those who are feeling discouraged about their entrepreneurial journey. In this true story, we learn about Gardner’s struggle to support himself and his son during his unpaid internship with Dean Witter.
Gardner faces blow after blow, and just when it seems that things can’t get much worse, he ends up losing his home. In the end, we see one of the most uplifting stories unfold. It will make you believe that if he could get through everything he got through, then all your dreams can come true too!
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
The Fyre Festival is perhaps the most notorious music festival to never have happened. There are actually two documentaries covering the events that led up to the disastrous concert, one named Fyre Fraud, produced by Hulu, and the other produced by Netflix.
We watch and learn all about how the festival came to be and how it evolved from being an exclusive celebrity event to being one of the most recent examples of mismanaged funds. While the festival itself was a complete disaster, it does give you great insight into what not to do as an entrepreneur.
The Social Network
Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network follows the story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook while he was a student studying at Harvard, as well as how he was later sued by two brothers who claimed that Zuckerberg had stolen their idea. Of course, we all now know how successful Facebook became as it’s now as big as industry leading sites like Black Lotus casino. The film offers us a glimpse into how it all began and is a good reminder of how big companies often come from very humble beginnings.
Thank You For Smoking
A huge part of entrepreneurship is sales and marketing. While Thank You For Smoking is not exactly a story about the greater good, it revolves around the machinations of Nick Naylor, Big Tobacco’s chief spokesperson. We see him travel across the country in a high-pressure role.
He had the unenviable role of defending the cigarette industry in the most challenging of situations. It was becoming increasingly clear that the billion-dollar tobacco industry was having devastating effects on public health. This movie is great for entrepreneurs because it proves that with enough research, data, and persuasiveness, you can woo any audience.
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