Meet Michael Sharon | Founder and Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Sharon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a child, I was creative and loved dressing up in costumes, putting on plays with my younger sister, and making worlds come alive through my Legos and other toys. When I was 13, we borrowed a friend’s video camera to make a video for my grandparents who lived out of state. One day, while my parents were helping my older sister move, my younger sister and I filmed a movie about spies. I shot the whole 50-minute epic on this old camcorder, rewinding the tape every time there was a flub on set. That’s when my passion for storytelling and filmmaking was born!

When I decided to go to film school and toured colleges in Los Angeles, I quickly realized I didn’t want to work in Hollywood. I attended Colorado Film School and then worked part-time as a freelancer and part-time with a small local production company that produced emotionally-compelling nonprofit brand and fundraising videos. I was hesitant to start my own business because I wasn’t sure if I could support myself, but I knew I didn’t want a traditional job. After I got my first big paying client, I decided to take a leap of faith and in 2013, I launched my own company, 6162 Productions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Every day as a filmmaker is different and it’s a very stimulating profession. It’s so cool that I can think of an idea and if the client likes it, they’ll pay me to make it a reality! I remember one day I was sitting at my desk brainstorming ideas for a law firm’s video about a new app to settle personal injury cases. I came up with the idea to make a spoof on the Dating Game and the client loved it, so we made it happen and created a successful social media campaign video. I also love seeing a perspective that no one else has seen and sharing those ideas with my clients. Ever since getting into filmmaking as a kid, I’ve always thought about how you can see the world in different ways, from literally changing your perspective by filming up from the ground to empathizing with someone different from you.

Through this work, I have learned a lot about different walks of life and had opportunities to see aspects of life I otherwise wouldn’t, such as filming at a homeless shelter, witnessing innovative education programs, going into an operating room, etc. Hearing people’s stories and business ideas is amazing. As I’m telling their story through video, I get a lot of insights into their company, what drives them, and what they’re passionate about. It’s invigorating to hear people’s passion for their work, which helps continue to motivate me.

It isn’t always easy and I’ve had to pivot my business model throughout the years, especially during the pandemic, but my passion and drive have helped me stick with it. I’ve worked with coaches and consultants over the years to help guide me when I needed to build the business or go in a different direction.

Telling a variety of stories about the amazing work our clients do keeps me inspired, excited, and motivated every day. I honestly don’t feel like this is “work” – I truly enjoy what I do and I’m sure that is an important factor to my success. Some lessons I’m learning along the way: keep it fun; laugh; surround yourself with smart, successful, and inspiring people; learn from your mistakes; and be agile and adaptable.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love exploring restaurants and the Denver food scene. I especially like Mizuna – they have really creative dishes, their technique is flawless, and they have seasonal menus to incorporate the freshest foods available. I would also recommend checking out a show at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents are therapists, relationship coaches, and authors who have always been very supportive and entrepreneurial, which gave me the freedom and confidence to explore this passion and eventually start my business. They taught me the importance of relationship-building and strong communication skills, which have been the backbone of building my company. They also raised us with a service-oriented mindset, which translated into creating many videos for nonprofits and mission-driven companies.

I owe a lot of my success to relationship building. I love to connect with people and am not afraid to attend networking events, reach out to 2nd connections on LinkedIn, ask my contacts to refer people to me, or whatever it takes (within reason…).

Website: https://6162productions.com

Instagram: .instagram.com/6162_productions

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/6162-productions

Facebook: https://facebook.com/6162productions

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@6162productions