Sit still and raise money

There used to be a time (and it still exists today), than in order to raise financing for a film, it meet a whole heck of a lot of travel, in order to meet people in person. Endless networking events. Investor breakfasts in L.A., coffee meetings in New York, dinners in Atlanta. Film festival after festival after festival. If you’re lucky, you might raise the capital, but you’re definitely losing time, money, energy, and often, your sanity.

Daren Smith is building something different.

He's an indie producer aiming to raise $10 million over four years for a slate of films. But he’s doing it on his terms, by building systems that let him raise capital while staying grounded (literally and figuratively).

He’s doing it without the constant travel, and without sacrificing family, church, or community.

How? Two flywheels.

Flywheel 1: Outbound Investor Outreach

This is Daren’s intentional and repeatable process for reaching the right investors through direct outreach. It’s not spray and pray. It’s structured and human.

Daren starts by identifying high net worth individuals who align with his values and the types of films he wants to make. From there, he focuses on warm outreach, asking for referrals, introductions, or finding bridges through mutual contacts. Once connected, the initial conversations aren’t sales pitches. Instead, he leads with questions to understand the person’s intent, values, and alignment.

Only after that does he share materials like decks, strategy documents, and videos that give a deeper look into his projects and approach. If the investor is a good fit and shows interest, that leads to a more formal pitch, clear, focused, and tailored to what they care about. If they commit, onboarding begins. And right then, while the energy is high, Daren asks a simple but powerful question: “Who else should I talk to?” That final step turns each win into momentum for the next, compounding as the flywheel continues to spin.

In a simple breakdown, it looks like this:

1. Identify the right people
   High-net-worth individuals aligned with his values and film goals.

2. Warm outreach
   Referrals, warm intros, or bridges, one degree removed.

3. Initial conversations
   Not sales pitches. He leads with questions to find out intent and alignment.

4. Share materials
   Vision decks, strategy docs, videos, all shared only once someone shows interest.

5. Pitch
   A focused presentation when the investor is qualified and curious.

6. Close and onboard
   Clear, respectful asks and onboarding steps.

7. Referrals
   After a close, Daren immediately asks: “Who else should I talk to?”
   This turns every success into momentum for the next rotation.

Each loop feeds the next, and the whole system compounds as more people join the journey.

Flywheel 2: Inbound Content Marketing

While the outbound flywheel is all about proactive outreach, the inbound flywheel is about drawing the right people in.

This is where Daren’s background as a creator pays off. He builds content that attracts film aligned investors without relying on huge numbers or vanity metrics.

The structure of Daren’s inbound system starts with short form, high intent content, primarily LinkedIn posts aimed directly at high net worth individuals who might be interested in film investing. That content leads to longer-form essays and blog posts that go deeper into the kinds of questions and concerns investors actually have. From there, anyone who signs up for more gets added to his email list and is automatically segmented: investor, filmmaker, or fan, so each person receives communication that’s actually relevant to them.

For those showing real interest, there are clear hand raisers and calls to action, like scheduling a call or asking a question. And those first calls? Daren treats them less like pitches and more like research. He listens closely to the language, pain points, and curiosities of his audience, and then feeds those insights right back into his content strategy. That creates a self improving loop: the more conversations he has, the more dialed-in his content becomes for the next ideal investor.

Again here, a simple breakdown:

1. Short-form, high-intent content
   LinkedIn posts laser targeted to high net worth individuals interested in film.

2. Long-form, deep-dive content
   Blog posts and essays that speak directly to investor concerns.

3. Email list with segmentation
   Once someone signs up, he tags them by type: investor, filmmaker, or fan.

4. Hand-raisers and CTAs
   Clear paths for investors to schedule calls or ask questions when they’re ready.

5. First calls = research
   Daren uses every call not just to share but to listen, and turns those insights into new content.

6. Loop closure = better content
   Every question or insight gets turned into future content that speaks even more directly to the next ideal investor.

These two systems feed into each other: outbound earns trust faster because of inbound content. Inbound accelerates because of conversations happening through outbound.

Doing it on your terms

What’s so powerful about Daren’s approach isn’t just that it works, it’s that it fits his life.

He has a family. A home base. Values that don’t include 200 nights on the road.
So instead of bending his life to match a “typical” fundraising plan, he built a system that bends toward him.

He meets investors on Zoom. Hosts small local events. Lets them come to him.
He tracks it weekly, tweaks constantly, and treats it like a business he actually wants to run, not one that drains him.

The greater path towards success is the one that works for you. From my own articles, to Daren’s strategy, to the so many other professionals that share advice and tips, some of the that advice will for you, while others won’t. It’s important to take what you think is valuable and then implement that strategy into your own strategy, so that you are creating on your terms. This is where you find the best balance of success. You don’t want success to be at the cost of your happiness or the way in which you want to live your life.

How you can start today

Want to raise money without burning out? Start by building your own version of these flywheels. Here's how:

1. Outbound Flywheel Starter

• Make a list of 25 potential aligned investors.

• Ask for 3 warm intros from people you already know.

• Book 2 curiosity calls this month, no pitching, just learning.

• Share 1 piece of your vision after each call.

• Close or ask for a referral, both are wins.

2. Inbound Flywheel Starter

• Post one piece of high-intent content this week (aim it at investors).

• Write a blog post answering a common investor question.

• Set up a basic email opt-in.

• Segment people by investor / filmmaker / fan.

• Track what works—and do more of that.

You don’t need to scale big.
You don’t need to go viral.
You just need momentum and a system that builds it.

Daren’s doing it.
You can too.

Check out Daren’s website to see all of the valuable content he has for indie filmmakers.

Lastly, watch the YouTube video with Daren Smith and Nathan Barry!

There are two ways I can help you.

1. I give away a free bundle with example pitches, templates, and interactive budgets that you can grab right here. 

2. If you are on your journey to make your first short film, documentary, or even micro budget feature, this course is designed to help you find money, grow your audience, and earn an income.