How I made 1.4 millions DOLLARS in a year, but still broke. Part 1 FilmNeverDie founder story
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the creator shares his remarkable journey of building a $1.4 million business on Shopify, focusing on the niche market of Polaroid film. Initially starting by selling film to fulfill his own needs, he discovered a significant demand and turned it into a thriving business. Despite the success, he candidly discusses the challenges, including being let go from a prestigious job and the struggles of finding suppliers. The video also touches on the personal growth and the philosophy behind 'film never die,' emphasizing the value of storytelling through limited shots and the discipline it instills.
Takeaways
- 📈 The speaker made $1.4 million on Shopify by selling film for Polaroid cameras, despite the initial lack of availability.
- 🏆 They received an appreciation plate from Shopify for making 100,000 orders, showcasing the success of their business.
- 🎞️ The business started in 2011 when the speaker couldn't find film for a Polaroid camera they wanted to gift their partner.
- 🔍 The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid factory, which led to the creation of new film but with only 8 shots instead of the original 10.
- 🛍️ The initial sales were made on eBay, where the speaker bought 60 packs of film and quickly sold them due to high demand.
- 📈 The business, Film Never Die, expanded from selling film to also selling Polaroid cameras after noticing the potential market.
- 🏡 They transitioned from an eBay shop to a physical location in Park Wheel, utilizing a unique apartment setup to run the business.
- 📸 The speaker's interest in film photography grew as they realized the storytelling potential of film cameras with their quality and limited shots.
- 💼 The speaker was let go from a Big Four consulting firm, which led to a full commitment to growing Film Never Die.
- 🏢 The business faced challenges like securing suppliers and maintaining a physical location without causing disturbance to neighbors.
- 🔗 The speaker mentions partnerships and collaborations, such as with Michaels and Susan SE, which helped in expanding their business presence.
Q & A
What was the initial reason for starting Film Never Die?
-The business started in 2011 because the founder wanted to buy a Polaroid camera for his then-girlfriend but couldn't find any film. This led to the discovery of a demand for Polaroid film, which was scarce at the time.
How did Film Never Die transition from a side hustle to a full-fledged business?
-Film Never Die began as a side hustle while the founder was working for a Big 4 consulting firm. After being let go from the firm, the founder decided to fully commit to Film Never Die, which eventually grew into a successful business.
What was the significance of The Impossible Project in relation to Film Never Die?
-The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid factory, enabling the production of new film. This was significant for Film Never Die as it provided a source of film that was in high demand but scarce.
Why did the founder decide to sell Polaroid cameras in addition to film?
-After noticing the demand for Polaroid film, the founder decided to expand the business to include selling Polaroid cameras. This was based on research showing that secondhand Polaroid cameras were affordable and there was a market for them.
How did Film Never Die's initial sales on eBay go?
-The initial sales on eBay were successful, with the founder buying 60 packs of film and selling them within three days, indicating a strong market demand for the product.
What challenges did Film Never Die face when starting out?
-Film Never Die faced challenges such as securing suppliers, as established companies were not interested in dealing with a new entrant in the market. Additionally, the founder had to manage the business from a garage while working to cover rent.
What was the founder's background before starting Film Never Die?
-The founder was previously employed at a top four big four accounting firm but was let go after not surviving probation, primarily due to writing skills not being one of his strengths.
How did Film Never Die's physical location impact its early growth?
-Having a garage with a separate entrance in Park Wheel allowed Film Never Die to operate a physical store in addition to online sales. This unique setup contributed to the business's early growth, as it attracted walk-in customers.
What is the significance of the 'Film Never Die Uncensored' initiative mentioned in the script?
-Film Never Die Uncensored is an initiative aimed at making the brand more vulnerable and transparent. It involves sharing behind-the-scenes stories, challenges, and lessons learned in growing the brand from zero to $1.4 million a year.
Why did the founder decide to focus on film photography and its storytelling capabilities?
-The founder realized that the quality of photos taken with film cameras, made from metal and glass lenses, was amazing and that a compelling story could be told with just 20-30 photos. This realization led to a focus on the discipline and storytelling aspects of film photography.
What was the founder's experience like when he was let go from the Big 4 consulting firm?
-The founder had a difficult experience being let go from the firm, having to pack his belongings and leave immediately. He used humor to cope with the situation, jokingly telling his girlfriend that he was promoted to CEO of Film Never Die.
Outlines
📈 Journey to $1.4M with Film Never Die
The speaker expresses excitement about sharing their entrepreneurial journey of making $1.4 million on Shopify with their brand, Film Never Die. They recount starting the business in 2011 due to a personal need to find film for a Polaroid camera they gifted their partner. They discovered a gap in the market when they couldn't find film and decided to import it themselves. After selling the surplus on eBay, they saw a demand and expanded to selling Polaroid cameras, leading to the establishment of Film Never Die. The brand has since grown significantly, with the speaker highlighting the importance of discipline in photography and the storytelling power of film over digital photography. They also mention receiving an appreciation plate from Shopify for making 100,000 orders and express gratitude to the Shopify community.
🏢 From Big Four to Film Never Die CEO
The speaker discusses their transition from working at a top accounting firm to fully committing to Film Never Die. They reveal that they were let go from their job at the accounting firm due to not excelling in writing, which was a requirement for their role. After being dismissed, they humorously refer to themselves as the CEO of Film Never Die, indicating a full-time commitment to their business. They faced challenges such as finding suppliers and securing a physical location for their operations. They also mention a collaboration with a local gallery, which provided them with a small space to sell their products. The speaker emphasizes the struggles and growth of their business, highlighting the shift from a side hustle to a full-fledged company.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Shopify
💡Film Never Die
💡Polaroid
💡The Impossible Project
💡eBay
💡Analog Photography
💡Big Four Accounting Firm
💡Side Hustle
💡Garage Sale
💡Subletting
💡Suppliers
Highlights
Creator made $1.4 million on Shopify with film photography business.
Started the journey by leaving a top-four accounting firm to pursue own business.
Received a token of appreciation from Shopify for making 100,000 orders.
Initiative to open up the brand and be more vulnerable on camera.
Business began in 2011 due to difficulty finding film for a Polaroid camera.
Polaroid was selling its factory, and The Impossible Project saved it, leading to new film production.
The Impossible film had only eight shots compared to the original ten.
Bought 60 packs of film and sold them on eBay, realizing the high demand.
Expanded the business to include selling Polaroid cameras.
Moved the business from eBay to a physical location with a unique setup.
Ensured neighbor approval by communicating and offering gifts.
Experienced immediate sales from their physical location.
Grew an interest in film photography due to the quality of photos from old cameras.
Film photography teaches discipline in storytelling through limited shots.
Film Never Die started as a side hustle while working at a Big 4 consulting firm.
Creator was let go from the consulting firm due to writing skills not being a core strength.
After being let go, fully committed to Film Never Die as CEO.
Faced challenges in securing suppliers as a new player in the market.
Sold film on all Spas for $2 as a starting point.
Was invited to have a space in a gallery, indicating growing recognition.
Transcripts
hi everyone welcome back to my Channel
today I'm very excited to share about my
journey on how I made $1.4 million on
Shopify with film never die ups and down
and at the end I'll tell you why I'm
still broke even I can make $1.4 million
a year the journey will includes being
set from a top four big four accounting
firm to studing my own business I I
received this plate from
Shopify they sent me a a a token of
appreciation how with film never die we
make
100,000 orders so I just want to take
this opportunity to thank Shopify
everyone with film never die past
present and future and just to share a
bit my about my journey uh with film
never what I learned today we're going
to do film neite uncensored it's just an
initiative to try to open up the brand
and make it more vulnerable be more on
camera and talk about things that
normally people don't talk about and go
behind the scene to tell you more about
film never die how we grow a brand from0
to $1.4 million a year and all the ups
and downs and everything we learn in
between so back in 2011 the business
started because I want to buy my wife
now wife back then girlfriend a polaro
camera but I couldn't find any film at
all if you want to do a deep dive on on
that story Kelly our friend did an
amazing video and you can check the link
below but just a g of it is I bought my
girlfriend back then now my wife a
Polaroid camera Polaroid Spectra camera
but we could not get any film at all and
what happened back in 2011 was Polaroid
was selling every one of the factory and
and The Impossible Project came along
and saved the last Factory of
Polaroid and because of that they were
able to make new film but they were
losing a lot of raw materials and then
you go back to the drawing board to redo
the formula as a result
The Impossible film or now polar
original film only have eight shots
compared to the 10 shots they used to
have and if you look at all the cameras
which try to show all the old Polaroid
cameras they will try to show 10 shots
but in fact you run off film when you
are to Polaroid were able to um start
making film again where I can buy uh any
amount of pack of film I won and only
paid $60 or $50 in DHL shipping back in
201 11 Australian dollar is still very
strong so was about one to1 to the US
dollar so I bought just 60 packs of fil
just under the $1,000 GST
trash and um so I get all the film I
have 60 packs I give 10 packs to my
girlfriend back them and resell the rest
on eBay and they sold within three days
I couldn't believe my eyes what there
such a demand for Polaroid film or
Impossible film but no one was selling
it so we started on eBay just doing the
same thing again ordering 60 pack of
film use a few sell them off that's how
we start a film never die because of the
demand we thought why don't we sell
Polaroid cameras as well so we went and
did a bit of research and find out you
can buy secondhand Polaroid camera for
quite affordable and we just double
check make sure it works and resell with
6 months warranty but fast forward now
uh the business has morph and
transform um just very quickly so from a
eBay shop uh we were very blessed to
have a garage back in Park Wheel that
has a different opening at the back of
the laneway uh we were living in a
unique apartment so I asked the landlord
if I can run a business off there I
asked the council I make sure that um I
make sure my neighbors are happy because
the council pretty much say shouldn't be
a problem as long as you're not making
annoyance to your neighbors so make sure
I give them chocolate and just let them
know what we're doing and clearly
remember um the first day while we still
stacking our Polaroid cameras um one guy
just walked in from um into the back
Lane uh and bought a camera off us so
we're like wow that's definitely a
demand for this um so my interest of
Photography or I should say interest of
film photography also grow from there
because I realized look there's this
still amazing quality cameras make from
Nice metal and Glass Lens they can take
amazing quality photos and to be
honest um if you really want to tell a
story you might not need all the three
trillions or gazillions of um photos you
have that you can take on your iPhone or
your digital
camera a beautiful story can be
Illustrated or portray within like 20 30
photos so film 36 shots train you how to
be disciplined to a to be able to the
thing is shot through and see how you
can tell the whole story so film Nei was
started as a side hustle while I was
still working fulltime for Big 4
consulting firm in R&D
TX um but I did not survived my
probation I would argue if cat GPD was
here I'll probably still have my job
maybe looking at being a partner but
unfortunately writing is not one of my
core skill and I naively thought that
really good writers just write once and
everything be perfect and later to
realize even good writers write a few
times or I say write a few times and get
them edited and pro a few times before
they have a really good work so that's
where I was lagging and was uh I was
actually being let go uh by uh the big
four consulting
firm um basically I remember that day um
taking a cap hard with all my back bags
of stuff because literally uh when they
let you go you pack your bags and go
straight away and there's no more e for
butts so I pack my bag grab my uh
plastic bag took a cap home and I told
told the cap driver that was at he even
give me a discount thank you cap driver
if you're looking at this so I grab my
bag walk into the house uh with my
girlfriend um sorry I grab my bags walk
into the house see my girlfriend and
tell her that hey I guess I was just
promoted film never I CEO Chief email
officer where we just reply emails all
day but that's how the journey began it
was struggle um working off um the
garage I need to sub list the house so
that I can cover my rent we faced
numerous challenges um was very hard to
get suppliers because if you're new guy
like the big boys would not look at you
um I remember um we did sell some film
on all Spas for like $2
um so I'll show you which is quite
interesting we were invited by Michaels
and suzan SE from magnet gallery or
photonet gallery they're very kind to
say Gary do you want to come in and have
a small space and they will have a
gallery and just make it up
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