This was before Kickstarter. Before crowdfunding was even a word.

So I just started talking to people about my idea. My passion must have been contagious—because people started giving.

I applied for every grant I could find. But I needed more, and faster.

I started asking strangers, WHICH WAS SCARY. I asked friends and family which was somehow EVEN HARDER. Asking for money felt like asking for a favor.

And then something shifted.

I REALIZED PEOPLE WANTED TO GIVE.

I had the idea and was doing the hard work.

ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS SAY YES.

I wasn't begging. I was offering an invitation. A chance to be part of something meaningful.

I was offering them a gift.

That changed everything

Asking got easier. People offered places to stay, meals, equipment. They became part of the project. That support kept me going, and the film got made.

I went on to make several more films and raise millions of dollars. Then I started teaching this way of thinking to other filmmakers, artists, creators.

It works. So I built a course to teach it.