One Step Closer to Passion
In Connor’s words, “Your passion, your vision, your dream, is yours, and nobody can take that away. But only you can bring it to life. And that means you have to bet on yourself.”
Connor Buss graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Communication Studies COM Media department in 2014. He spent his first month after graduation living on Wrightsville Beach doing freelance jobs until he was offered a marketing job to work for Red Bull in Santa Monica. Connor had been lacking motivation and confidence, but this offer gave him an opportunity to seek growth in a new experience.
Over the next year working for Red Bull, Connor realized a little more every day that this was not his path. Ultimately, he was grateful for the experiences provided by the Red Bull opportunity. After his contract ended in May 2015, Connor was lucky enough to travel the West Coast and during those travels, the vision became clear. Connor explained to us, “I always wanted to do my own thing because I felt like my connection to stories and people was stronger than anything else in my life.” He had to bet on himself and be confident that he now knew what he wanted to do.
Although taking a job in California was full of the unknown, it led Connor to his ultimate path. “I would not trade a single day of uncertainty, a single day of adversity, a single day of working for myself and my passion than for a day working for somebody else’s.” The Red Bull job pushed Connor to take a leap of faith and leave Wrightsville Beach, build some confidence, and reignite his passion.
Connor’s three pieces of advice:
“Find your passion and stick to it. But be open to learning new things about yourself along the way. My passion is storytelling, but I also love helping people reach their potential and fulfill their passions.”
“Life is a journey, and it’s long. Don’t get hung up on a temporary negative, someday it could be a permanent positive…if you respond to it that way.”
“From a business perspective, KNOW YOUR NETWORK! There are tons of people out there who are willing to help you for no cost. KNOW who’s in your court and who you can lean on for support, they will be the difference in your success as a business owner.”
Throughout Connor’s journey, he had a lot of time to think, reflect, and grow. Connor describes his process of reflection and growth in THE PURSUIT. His pursuit led him to the realization, “My dream was right in front of me” and inspired him to start his business, Foreword Films, Inc. Click here to read Connor’s inspiring essay, THE PURSUIT. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pursuit-part-1-foreword-connor-buss/