10 TV Shows Every Entrepreneur Should Watch on Netflix Have some free time on your hands? Get into one of these series.
By Deep Patel
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you've suddenly found yourself with a lot of free time at home, TV shows and docuseries can be a great way to fill the extra hours. They can help you recharge and relax, and you might even learn a little something in the process.
As I build my company, I'm always looking for ways to keep my creativity flowing. In order to do that, I try to remember to engage in self-care and give myself a chance to decompress. If the world seems to be falling apart and you're feeling your anxiety levels creep up, it might be time to engage in the tried-and-true relaxation strategy of binge-watching Netflix.
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If you pick the right shows, you'll not only find some much-needed escapism; you might also get an inspiration boost to help you see things from a different angle. So, if you're an entrepreneur in the middle of a forced staycation, here are 10 must-see shows to add to your Netflix list.
1. Dirty Money
This brilliant and scathing documentary series is sure to leave you feeling fired up, pissed off and unable to stop watching.
Why watch it? Dirty Money takes deep dive into corporate fraud and greed through in-depth looks at a few scandals you've probably heard about (but may have forgotten) or never fully understood to begin with.
What you'll get out of it: Every episode covers some aspect of greed and corruption. From crippling payday loans to emissions-cheating car manufacturers to money laundering for cartels, the series takes you on an enthralling journey through cons and corporate malfeasance.
2. Suits
Set in a fictional law firm in New York City, Suits follows a talented college dropout who works as a law associate despite never having attended law school. The show's two main characters, Harvey and Mike, provide lessons in confidence and bravado, and demonstrate how far you can go if someone just believes in you.
Why watch it? Over the course of seven seasons, Suits uses quick-witted workplace humor to depict how characters deal with tough situations and always come out on top.
What you'll get out of it: The show champions perseverance, the importance of sticking to one's ethics and the need for strong communication. It's a great way to learn about negotiation and navigating complex corporate situations.
3. Workin' Moms
This truth-telling comedy for working parents finds the humor amid the stress of trying to maintain a work−life balance. Workin' Moms depicts a group of friends coping with the challenges of being working mothers and dealing with difficult situations in fast-paced and competitive workplaces.
Why watch it? The series pushes past the tired and stereotypical one-dimensional portraits we've grown accustomed to seeing on many sitcoms. This show feels genuine in how it portrays people trying to balance home life, parenting and professional goals. It's also damn funny!
What you'll get out of it: The show isn't afraid to depict the less-than-idyllic reality of what working mothers face — but it does so in a relatable way that finds the humor in everyday life. So, if you're balancing being a tough-as-nails entrepreneur while caring for a tiny human or two, and also trying to maintain some semblance of a relationship, this show is for you.
4. The Mind, Explained
The human mind is often regarded as a great mystery. But scientists have done a lot of work to uncover the enigma of how our brain works.
Why watch it? The Mind, Explained is a Netflix docuseries featuring the inner workings of our brains. It takes you through five of the most intriguing parts of our minds, covering memory, dreams, anxiety, mindfulness and psychedelics.
What you'll get out of it: As an entrepreneur, the more you can unravel the mysteries of the mind and understand how people think and what makes them tick, the better you can incorporate this knowledge into your own marketing and business strategies.
5. The Office
This mockumentary sitcom offers brilliant comedic performances and characters you'll love (and maybe love to hate). It's so relatable and engaging, you'll just keep cruising through episodes.
Why watch it? The Office is an insightful study in human behavior, and it offers some hilarious lessons in what not to do in the workplace.
What you'll get out of it: The show tells the story of contemporary workplace culture and the dead-end jobs that people too often end up in. And yet there is meaning and hope, along with a lot of humor, in these everyday lives. If anything, The Office will affirm your choice of being an entrepreneur and why you seek your own way in life and in business.
6. Broken
Broken is made up of standalone investigative episodes that explore the manufacturing processes and cultural forces behind the demand for different types of products, including makeup, e-cigarettes, furniture and plastic. Each episode delves beneath the surface to reveal the corrupt and dysfunctional underbelly of these industries.
Why watch it? This documentary series will make you wiser as a business owner and consumer. Episodes examine how influencer hype and scarcity marketing create conditions where counterfeit makeup thrives, teens become addicted to vaping, disposable furniture kills and corporations use single-use plastic.
What you'll get out of it: The series offers a terrifying yet enthralling view of the all-powerful influences of globalism, consumer culture, brand desire and mass production that shape the marketing world. The show reinforces the crucial lesson that deceptive marketing and business practices are always wrong.
7. Better Call Saul
If you're a fan of Breaking Bad, then watching this prequel is a no-brainer. (And if you haven't seen Breaking Bad, it's time to jump on that bandwagon! It's about a high school chemistry teacher who decides to leverage his talents to become a drug lord.)
Why watch it? Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul is a captivating, darkly humorous modern drama chock-full of cliff-hangers that keep you watching.
What you'll get out of it: The spin-off tells the origin story of crooked attorney Saul Goodman. Saul has many important lessons for entrepreneurs, such as learning when to take risks in growing your market and embodying a "fake it till you make it" attitude. Of course, his successes are overshadowed by the immoral and controversial ways he achieves them. But we can learn from his unscrupulous behavior and get a few laughs along the way.
8. Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates
This has been one of the most talked-about docuseries for good reason. Bill Gates, the software magnate, has largely been a mystery to the world, but this series seeks to give viewers a glimpse of who he really is at his core.
Why watch it? This three-part documentary series from Netflix offers an unadulterated view of the Microsoft co-founder's human side.
What you'll get out of it: It's rare that we get such intimate access to someone like Gates, and this series does an incredible job of pinpointing what makes his mind different and the characteristics that made him one of the world's richest men. The series includes stories from his two sisters, his wife, current and former co-workers, friends and the voice of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
9. Mad Men
This show has been around awhile, so it's likely that you've heard about it, but maybe you haven't had a chance to check it out. Now is a great time to sink into this 92-episode marketing series and period drama, which chronicles the lives of 1960s advertising executives in an age where anything could be marketed with the proper tagline.
What watch it? Mad Men provides a captivating view of the inner workings of ad agency life, including its business structure, client interactions and the creative process, and it doesn't ignore the heavy drinking and pervasive sexism.
What you'll get out of it: In an age when consumerism equaled happiness for many, this series offers great tips on how to pair marketing strategies while earning customer happiness. And happiness is what advertising is really selling, right?
10. Girlboss
This series is based on the autobiography of the girl boss herself, Sophia Amoruso, the CEO and founder of Nasty Girl and an inspiring female entrepreneur. Although this show only lasted one season, it did a great job of showing what it takes to make it in business. Based on the book with the same name, Girlboss is essentially Amoruso's personal story, with a bit more drama added in.
Why watch it? The series depicts Amoruso's struggles to overcome roadblocks on her journey to success with her Nasty Gal vintage fashion brand.
What you'll get out of it: Much like Silicon Valley's classic tale of starting a business from a garage, Amoruso started Nasty Gal from her bedroom at the age of 22. You see her hitting rock bottom and then revising, starting over and finding her way to success. You see her passion for what she does and her willingness to give it her all.
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