For over a decade, I (Ian) have lived in the weeds of film production – writing, producing, directing, editing, and stressing (a LOT) about every final product I was entrusted with. I’ve also fought the good fight against using em-dashes (If you follow Linked-in AI conversations, you get me. But thats neither here nor there) Back to being in the weeds. I mean, I’m an artist. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? If I’m not working harder, longer, and with more care, I’m not doing my job as a film director. Right?
But then burnout hit. And hit hard. I realized something had to change. I saw two paths forward:
Learn from entrepreneurs, artists, and business coaches how to build a company of excellence in a sustainable way, OR
Quit, leave the film industry, and find a “real job.”
(Spoiler alert) I chose option #1. That decision, made about five years ago, led me to discover that not only is sustainable growth possible while producing excellent work, but (shockingly) the systems and principles that make it sustainable actually lead to better work than the “burnout method”.
The last four years of business coaching and masterminds have yielded great insights, “oh duh, why aren’t we doing that?” reminders, and general encouragement that building anything of significance takes an equation that looks roughly like =((“insane amount of work” + “delegation” + “consistency”)* time)).
But this isn’t a post about burnout. And I can already hear my college lit professor telling me for the hundredth time “Get to the point.” So here’s the point: In all this learning, one principle rose to the surface and transformed everything about how I approach filmmaking and storytelling: “YOU ARE NOT THE HERO.”
In early 2023, a friend recommended the book Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. It promised to “clarify your message so your customers will listen.” Sounded good!
Cue montage:
Ian opens Audible, clicks “use 1 credit,” binges the book at 2x speed, and can’t get enough. Donald Miller explains: “Audiences are the hero of their own lives. To connect with them, you have to be THE GUIDE, not the hero.” Mind blown. Ian immediately orders a hard copy. Smash cut to the next day: Amazon box ripped open, Ian highlighting every sentence (the book now glows yellow). Fast forward two months: an email invites Ian to join Don Miller’s inaugural Mastermind. Ian doesn’t know exactly why, but it must have something to do with the multi-step form he filled out at 1am that one night to get access to the “storybrand tools.” Ian runs downstairs and screams to his wife “DONALD MILLER’S TEAM INVITED ME TO A MASTERMIND.” Ian’s wife says, “who’s team?”
Smash cut to: Ian says yes to the mastermind, hops on a plane, and finds himself in a room full of intimidating (but shockingly friendly) entrepreneurs.
Okay, you get it. Through all of this, the idea “You are NOT the Hero. You are the GUIDE” kept coming up. And the more I heard it, the more it resonated. I think the most important truths are funny like that—the more you hear them, the less obvious they feel.
So, we implemented it. At Distant Moon, we started approaching every conversation, every script, every production, and every edit with this core premise: We are guides helping our clients create beautiful films and storytelling. Our clients, in turn, are guides for their audiences, helping them achieve their own goals.
And a crazy thing happens when you put others first: They flourish. They succeed. And, paradoxically, their success brings you more success than if you had tried to be the hero.
For us, this shift didn’t just change how we tell stories – it changed the results. Projects became smoother, collaboration easier, and the stories we created became more resonant. We’ve seen nonprofit leaders light up when their mission comes alive on screen. Corporate clients rally their teams around a new vision. Audiences (real people) moved to action because they saw themselves as the heroes of their own stories.
And isn’t that what storytelling is about? It’s not about the director or the producer. It’s about the audience. It’s about meeting them where they are, showing them what’s possible, and inspiring them to take the next step in their journey.
So here’s my challenge to you: Step back. Look at the people you’re serving. Ask yourself, “Am I making this about me, or am I guiding them to where they need to go to maximize THEIR HEROIC JOURNEY?” When you embrace the role of guide, the impact you create can be far greater than anything you could achieve on your own.
At Distant Moon, this has become our heartbeat. The best stories aren’t about the storyteller—they’re about the lives transformed by the story itself. That’s what we mean when we talk about Human Flourishing. Welcome to the Human Flourishing Newsletter.
Toward Flourishing,
Ian Reid
Film Director / Founder of Distant Moon
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