Semi-finalist Q&A: More Brains Media

More Brains Media is an independent production company that also serves as a distributor.

Information from their grant application is available here. Read below for more, and if you have questions for our semi-finalists don't hesitate to ask them in the comments section.

Also, don't forget to cast your vote! YOUR vote will determine which entrepreneurs most deserve to be amongst the finalists.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

More Brains Media started out in 2002 as a small idea with two people. The original intent was to provide low-cost high-quality graphic design services for small businesses, non-profit organizations and other individuals who needed art on a budget. Since its inception, it has undergone a major directional change as everyone involved matured as artists and people. We added music composition, photography and filmmaking to the roster of services between 2004 and 2005, and in 2009 went into talks with several filmmakers on distributing their films in addition to our own. It became a win-win situation for all involved, because these artists are just like us. The desire and drive for the art to be seen is unstoppable, and we want the world to take notice of things that might have otherwise slipped under the radar.

What do you love most about running your own business?

The freedom to be able to be able to steer things into a new direction without going through a series of red tape is completely joyous. We're allowed to be as creative as we want while tackling the everyday minutia of running a small business. I enjoy meeting new people and making new relationships to be able to grow what I believe to be a very solid idea into something that could potentially be the foundation for an independent artist's career.

What makes your business unique?

We're unique in that we're run by artists, for artists. We still offer the same high-quality creative services as before, but the focus has shifted more towards letting the indies and unknowns gain exposure for their own creative endeavors. As artists we know how much of a pain it is to get your work seen, and we want to alleviate some of the headache involved with content being marketed and sold. We're also unique in the fact that we're not corporate money-hungry types. The list of honest and fair independent distribution companies is very small, and we're more interested in helping work get out than becoming morbidly rich. Anyone who is in the business of art to become a millionaire is a fool; if there is no passion in what you do, then what is the point?

What are some of your top business-related accomplishments, or business lessons learned?

The hardest business lesson to be learned is that it doesn't happen overnight, and you're not going to be making enough to support yourself in the beginning. As it stands, this is our after-hours project when we're not working the 9-5 day jobs. We do everything ourselves, from the disc printing to the shrink-wrapping (wrapping up 40+ DVDs by hand at a time is not very glamorous). But we do it out of love for creativity, and we fully support those who can go out and make their own film, album, painting, or street-performance. Getting the business up and running is in itself a huge accomplishment, but in terms of actual business-related achievements, releasing the first film (a feature titled "Into the Woods") was a milestone in the fact that now we had something tangible to show as evidence of More Brains as a distribution company.

Why should the Idea Cafe regulars vote for you?

For fear of sounding like a broken record, we're all about the little guys. Regardless of the fact that we're business-owners, we still create art of our own, and it's that love of being creative that motivates us to let the world in on things they might have previously overlooked. The arts and entertainment business is a tough one to break into, and we want to give "unknowns" a good leg-up into getting their voices heard and masterpieces seen. To us, there's nothing more frustrating and saddening than letting someone's hard work and effort go by the wayside because nobody would give them a chance.

Comments

These folks sound amazing!

These folks sound amazing! So nice to see someone who is concerned about helping others in their field instead of just making money!!

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