Today we’d like to introduce you to Samir Panjwani.
Samir, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, the plan was always to go to a college and get a degree. So that’s what I did, I got a degree in marketing. When school ended, my plan was to take over the family business of gas stations. For as long as I can remember, everyone in my family has owned and operated gas stations.
In 2017, I went to my first nightclub and fell in love with the experience. In the next two years, I probably went to every night club, speakeasy, and bar in the city. I was addicted to the rush and experience. I met people, made a lot of great friends, built connections in the industry, and learned a lot about myself.
Fast forward to August of 2019, Brett Chance offered me a job at Tongue & Groove. I was hesitant to take the job at first, worried I didn’t have what it took. Through the encouragement of my friends, I accepted the job and I couldn’t be happier. Everyone there has been a mentor to me, from our security guards to our general manager Jaynie. At Tongue & Groove, everyone supports each other both inside and outside the workplace, and that camaraderie is a great feeling. It has been eight months now since I joined the T&G team and I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made and I cannot wait to see where it takes me.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle for me personally was coming from a conservative Muslim family. Working in a nightclub was never an option. I was met with some discouraging remarks and criticism from my family but eventually they saw the work I was doing and saw how passionate I was about it and gave me their blessings.
Another obstacle I had was my physical appearance. So here I was working in this nightclub with all of these genetically blessed and beautiful people, which was great, but I always felt out of place. As time went on, I got to know everyone, and I realized that this was all in my head. Everyone was kind, welcoming and genuinely wanted me there. The constant support from my co-workers really gave me the confidence to voice my ideas and really pushed me to do my best work.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a part of the marketing team at Tongue & Groove Atlanta. I work closely with the rest of our incredible marketing team to develop event ideas and other strategies that we can implement to keep us on top of the nightlife food chain.
In the last few weeks, I’ve started an Instagram account called @tngdisposables. This account is dedicated to candid photos taken at Tongue & Groove on a disposable camera app. This has been a unique way to market and promote Tongue & Groove. The page is curated by me and all photos are taken by me. It’s really exciting that I can implement my love for photography into my job. You really have to check it out to see what I’m talking about, it’s @tngdisposables on Instagram.
Recently, we just celebrated our 25th anniversary which is crazy because that means Tongue & Groove has been around even longer than I have. But on a serious note, it’s amazing to see a business that’s been around so long still maintain it’s relevancy and success. New clubs pop up every day in Atlanta, but unfortunately most of them don’t last. It’s very tricky to get a loyal customer base in Atlanta, and we are very lucky to have one.
Have you had any role models or anyone who has inspired you?
I have many different people I look up to in the many avenues of my life. For this particular venture, my biggest influence would have to be Rhett Diller of Memphis Smokehouse and Butter Events. He vouched for me before many people in the nightlife industry even accepted me. Seeing him cultivate and curate a night life experience unlike any other was the fuel that made me even consider a career in the industry.
The best piece of advice I ever got from Rhett was “don’t let everyone have access to you.” It’s all about aligning yourself with the right people to get to where you need to be. Sounds calculated but it’s the truth, quality over quantity always.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your work?
Covid-19 has taken a huge toll on all of ATL. It’s stopped us dead in our tracks. It’s disheartening because we had so much planned and had put a lot of work into events that may never see the light of day. The silver lining in all of this is that eventually this will come to an end. We will come back better than ever. All we can do now is wait.
I love Atlanta, I was born here and I know we will get through this. I genuinely miss everyone and can’t wait to see them again. Stay home, stay safe.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Believe it or not, personality goes a long way. Time and time again, I’ve proven that if you have a good personality you can win anyone over. Sometimes people take kindness for being fake or being weak, but I guarantee you, it pays to be nice to people. I would have not gotten where I am today without treating every single person I meet with integrity and respect. Unless they gave me a reason to be otherwise, this is how I will always treat people.
Another one of my essential qualities is effective networking. I don’t mean going to those organized networking events, I mean actually going out and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations to meet new people, learn from them and access their network. It’s been about two years since I’ve shown an interest in the nightlife industry and during that time I’ve met some of the most incredible people. My circles have become very diverse consisting of plumbers, bartenders, DJs, public officials, celebrities, doctors, restaurant/club owners, lawyers and many others. What I’m trying to say is that in these past two years, I’ve learned so much and have met so many incredible people, more than I have in the many other years of my life.
It’s crazy what you can accomplish once you turn your insecurities into your strengths.
Contact Info:
- Email: samirpanjwani1@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Dylan York, Chucky Kahng, Ozdair Ruiz
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
