July 20, 2020
In 2019, I had an idea to make documentaries about senior citizens.
It was rooted in my own family history.
My grandparents died before I was able to meet them as an adult.
I wish I could have had their stories saved.
This is how I tried to change that for others.
The Mission
I recognized a simple truth: once our parents are gone, their stories and knowledge disappear with them.
Sure, there might be some dusty memoirs somewhere, but it’s not the same.
I wanted to create something more meaningful – professionally produced video documentaries that would preserve life stories and legacies for future generations.
Business Evolution
We started with a direct-to-consumer approach, offering comprehensive documentaries for $3,000.
While adult children loved the concept, it was challenging to convince either them or their elderly parents to make the investment.
This led to a pivot. We began partnering with retirement communities, offering $1,000 subscription packages.
The documentaries served dual purposes: preserving residents’ stories while providing unique marketing content for the facilities. Communities could use these stories to differentiate themselves and showcase their residents through social media and promotional materials.
The Sales Journey
The initial B2C approach taught me a lot about selling to different audiences.
We tried selling directly to seniors, which proved difficult. Then we targeted their adult children, who loved the concept but often struggled with either the cost or convincing their parents to participate.
Our B2B pivot to retirement communities opened new opportunities.
We positioned ourselves as a unique selling proposition – no other service provider was offering documentary services. This became a powerful marketing tool for communities looking to stand out in a competitive market.
Value Proposition
For retirement communities, we offered:
- A unique service that differentiated them from competitors
- Professional video content for social media marketing
- Compelling stories to share with prospective residents
- A valuable service for existing residents and their families
Personal Growth and Lessons
The experience taught me valuable lessons about sales and human nature:
- People will invest in profound ideas that appeal to emotions
- There’s an art to selling something intangible – a service that doesn’t exist yet but resonates deeply with people
- The importance of demonstrating concrete business value, like helping retirement homes increase their occupancy rates
- Understanding value construction and how to build compelling pitches
- The power of emotional selling, especially when it connects to universal experiences like preserving family memories
Conclusion
Starting DocuFamily demonstrates my character and what I value.
It shows what I’m willing to bet my time and money on – ideas that matter to people on a deep, personal level.
I ran this company from Sept 2019 – July 2020. Sadly I shut it down during COVID lockdowns, as traveling to retirement homes and senior centers became impractical.
Even though the business didn’t survive COVID, the experience reinforced my commitment to creating meaningful impact through entrepreneurship.