How a Cold LinkedIn Message Got Me to Cannes, France for a Campaign with John Legend and Amazon

The saying, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine,” has always seemed crazy to me—disingenuous and fake. Early in my business journey, I learned that relationships matter more than money and that everything comes through people. Every opportunity you’ll ever receive will come through a person. As simple as that sounds, we often don’t realize just how true it is.

Over the years, I’ve seen the impact of focusing on relationships and providing value to others instead of always thinking, What’s in it for me? This has been the foundation of building KURIEO MEDIA©, and it’s what has landed us nearly every big opportunity to date. We don’t have a sales team, yet we’ve worked on massive projects with the world’s biggest brands. Our philosophy is, “If you add enough value to people, they’ll keep you around and tell their friends.” This approach has worked for us and for several others who share the same mindset.

There are countless examples of this, but the most recent one involves how we built a relationship that led our agency to lead a campaign for Amazon and John Legend in Cannes, France. It all started in December 2023 when I sent a cold LinkedIn message to Modupé Congleton, who was then the Director of Global Inclusion Engagement at Amazon. I’m not even sure how I found her or connected with her on LinkedIn, but I decided, Why not reach out and let her know we’re setting up as a vendor with Amazon? She responded right away, saying she’d send my name to someone on her team. When I reached out, I just said hello and expressed my hope that we’d get a chance to work together. I didn’t pitch her or try to sell her anything—I genuinely wanted to build a relationship.

I eventually connected with someone on her team about potential opportunities later in the year. We pitched for a project that didn’t go through, but our focus has always been on the relationship. I’ve seen many people get upset or change their approach when they lose a pitch, but for me, that’s when you double down on the relationship. I believe in always providing value, even when things don’t go your way, and being happy for the client, knowing they made the best decision for their situation.

We stayed in touch, and I learned they’d be having a team offsite in Atlanta. Since I hadn’t met them in person, I decided to fly out to ATL to take them to dinner and continue building the relationship. At dinner, we connected and got to know each other on a personal level. In these situations, I focus more on getting to know the person than just talking about business. I ask about how they got started, their role, where they grew up, lessons they’ve learned—things like that. It goes a long way, making people feel seen. After that dinner, our connection really solidified because there’s nothing like in-person connections.

We kept in touch, and I made it a point to check in regularly. We eventually got a project for an event in Seattle. Although I didn’t need to be there, I went down anyway to see them in person. I believe in showing up and helping with whatever I can—it shows extra attention to detail and adds value.

Later, Modupé and I were talking about work and travel, and she asked if I’d ever traveled internationally for business. I hadn’t, but I told her I planned to. She mentioned Cannes Lions, the biggest conference in the advertising industry, held in Cannes, France, every year. She said Amazon had a significant presence there and that she’d love for me to see it. I told her I’d try to make it, but I remembered something she said when we first met in ATL: “When someone invites you somewhere, you need to show up.” So, I decided to take a chance and go to the event.

Thinking about the importance of content and documentation, I decided I was going to bring my content director, Tommy, with me to record the entire trip. I mentioned it to Modupé, and she wanted to introduce me to her friend who works with Kevin Liles, the former president of Def Jam and now head of 300 Entertainment. They were hosting a private dinner in Cannes with some of the biggest brand CMOs, including the NBA, Marriott, Visa, Nike, and others.

I spoke with them, and they wanted us to create content for the event. I told her my content director would be with me, and we could capture the event in exchange for a seat at the table. We talked a few times, but then I didn’t hear back for a few days. Then, she called and said Modupé had vouched for us, saying we were really good, and that we should definitely be brought on to capture content. After a few days of planning for the dinner, she called with an even bigger opportunity: recording a campaign for John Legend and Amazon. I was juiced! We ended up going to Cannes Lions, meeting a ton of global CMOs, and working on the campaign. It was a surreal experience because it was my first time traveling internationally, and to accomplish all that on my first trip was incredible.

None of this would have happened if I hadn’t sent that cold LinkedIn message. If you’d told me that message would lead to me being in Cannes, France, working on a campaign with John Legend and Amazon just six months later, I wouldn’t have believed you. This experience shows the power of reaching out, adding value, and building real relationships. You never know where it will take you. As you think about making progress in your business, career, or personal relationships, keep this in mind—this approach really works. It’s happened time and time again, and I stand by it. Not only will you create new opportunities in your business and career, but you’ll also meet some really cool people and build a strong community.

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on relationships and providing value: In every interaction, prioritize the relationship over immediate gain. When you focus on truly helping others and being genuine, opportunities will naturally follow. Building a network of authentic connections is invaluable and often leads to doors opening in unexpected ways.
• Cold outreach works—there’s power in just reaching out and saying hello: Don’t be afraid to make the first move. A simple, genuine message can lead to incredible opportunities. Even if you don’t see immediate results, the connections you make can pay off in ways you never anticipated. Persistence and consistency are key.
• When someone invites you somewhere, just show up: Taking chances and showing up when invited can lead to life-changing opportunities. Being present not only shows your commitment but also creates moments for deeper connections that can’t be replicated through virtual communication. When you’re physically there, you’re more likely to be top of mind when new opportunities arise.
• Consistency in relationship-building is crucial: Regular check-ins and face-to-face meetings strengthen relationships over time. Don’t just reach out when you need something—make an effort to stay connected and offer value consistently. This helps maintain strong, lasting connections that can lead to ongoing opportunities.
• Always aim to add value, especially when things don’t go your way: When you lose a pitch or an opportunity, that’s the time to lean in even more to the relationship. Show that you’re committed to helping them succeed, regardless of whether you benefit immediately. This mindset builds trust and positions you as a long-term partner rather than just another vendor.

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