This entrepreneur knows that fear is natural, but he refuses to let it stop him from chasing his dreams.
Connor Panayi, obsessed with music, snagged a job with one of the most esteemed recording studios in London—a job that afforded him the opportunity to work with artists such as Mumford & Sons, Depeche Mode and Calum Scott, as well as some of the most respected record producers and engineers in the business. He worked his way up in the cutthroat industry, getting his name added to album and song credits all while making connections left and right.
Although others would have continued working their way up the ladder for years in hopes of (maybe) securing a job as a record producer, Panayi decided to be bold, quitting his enviable position to start working as a freelance record producer. And he’s since flourished.
At first glance, it may seem that Panayi is just a talented, ambitious artist lacking any sense of fear, but that’s far from the truth. Fear of failure and fear of rejection are part and parcel of being human, and Panayi is no different. What separates him from those who only daydream about starting their own company is his ability to push that natural fear aside and recognize that, unless he does things that scare him—unless he takes those risks—he’ll never become who he wants to be. With that outlook, being bold becomes the only option.
When asked what his biggest challenge is, dealing with fear, especially fear of networking in a notoriously harsh industry, is his answer. Yet Panayi doesn’t allow it to paralyze him; instead, he reframes his point of view, focusing on how putting himself out there, and using today’s technology to his advantage, increases his odds of success.
He started by building a strong website so that he already had a resource in place to back up his proposals to clients. “A great website (mine was designed by the brilliant www.bcalou.com) is another tool in the arsenal to combating that fear and really pushing yourself in your field. A website is a great way for people to reference your work and get a real idea of who you are and what you do.”
From there, he began using all of the tools at his disposal to make sure that the risk he took when he left his studio job had the best chance of paying off. Although he no longer has the backing of a studio behind him to find projects to work on, he refuses to let that hold him back, saying, “We’re in an age when anyone and everyone is accessible in some way, shape or form online. You need to use all tools available to really achieve what you’re after.”
Panayi’s methods are proving successful. Since leaving that studio in late 2017, he’s already managed to work on three separate projects as a freelancer by the end of the same year, with plenty more projects lined up for the future. To other entrepreneurs out there grappling to overcome their fears, Panayi says, “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Sure, you may get 99% noes, but there’s always someone willing to give you a chance.”
Interested in learning more or tracking his blossoming career? Check out his website at www.connorpanayi.com and follow him on Instagram.
