Facing Fear.

You may not know it or even see it when you meet me but I am a pretty shy guy. Stepping up in front of people and talking about the things I love often made my hands go sweaty and my heartbeat ten times faster than it should have. I would often try to avoid this at all costs, I knew though it was an inevitable part of what I do and I had to overcome this to become better at my job. I have had a hard time with this over the years, I am not rewarded with the endorphins I feel I should after a big presentation, more often than not I experience anxiety.

Eight months ago I started Hyperfocus with a very good friend of mine. Part of our mission was to give back to the community and share our thoughts on brand and design to empower others. I knew it was coming, I would have to face my biggest fear as per normal. Although this time the stakes were even higher, this now was not only my reputation and the reputation of a company I was building with my friend. If I mess this up and don't come to grips with it, it's game over. I myself am a big fan of YouTube and have followed the likes of Peter Mckinnon, MKBHD, Matti Haapoja, and others from humble beginnings on this incredible platform. I have sympathized with them as they have shared similar stories of anxiety and doubt. They have persisted through these fears and come out the other side, being able to tell wonderful stories about the subjects they are super passionate about. 

So when thinking about which platforms we would like to express our views on YouTube was top of the list. The problem was I had no idea how to do this and I had a big fear problem looming over me (talking in front of large groups of people). I decided I was gonna tackle this head-on, swallowed up some dutch courage, and wrote my first script for our very first video. Man, it was scary, but at the end of the shoot and the edit finished, the endorphins I had craved showed up in mass, you could say we had an endorphin party that night. 

Fear is a bloody crazy and scary thing, but I have learned and am still learning even after all these years that the best thing about fear is what's on the other side of that fear. Deciding to create content to share with you has been a crazy big challenge but my goodness has been rewarding and fun. So for all you self doubters out there and for the guys who freeze with fear about jumping into the unknown, I just want you to know you're not alone. We can all be scared from time to time, and this is a good thing. Being shaken out of your comfort zone by going at the things that scare you the most will bring you rewards you never imagined where possible. Even if that's one big smile inside that says “I did it” You deserve it to yourself and those around you who want to hear what you have to say about the things you love. So take it from us and go face fear straight on.