🔥 Why I went to Cannes: In Community #81

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“Success isn't about instant gratification. It's about the slow, steady, consistent steps you take every single day toward your goal. Keep going – even when no one is watching.” – Eva Longoria

I was fortunate enough to win my first Cannes Lion award early in my career. 

Considered the top award for creativity in advertising, it gave both me and the agency I worked at a massive boost in credibility.

As much as I would’ve loved it though, my agency wasn’t about to spend money on sending me to the festival or ceremony held in Cannes – and I was far from a summer-in-the-south-of-France salary.

Last week, when I wrote about harnessing fear as an outfit, part of my call to action was to be willing to take a leap.

Truthfully, I never expected to win that award – and especially not at a young age. The idea that won required going back to the client three times with a no as their response before they said yes.

They weren’t sure about moving forward, because it felt like a leap.

The award made us all – agency and client – feel like we’d made it. Pursuing the seemingly risky idea was worth it.

As the years went on, I moved from the agency side to the brand side of the business, where somehow awards became less of a measure of success.

Cannes dropped down the priority list and became a somewhat distant memory. But the idea of taking creative risks continued to show up in my work.

I couldn’t help it. It was in my DNA.

Truthfully, I never expected to go from brand life to launching my own community nonprofit and media company – and especially not during a global pandemic. But I had a goal: making sure we’re all more connected, across our communities.

And that pandemic five years ago laid the groundwork for the exact reason I made the decision to travel to Cannes this year, for the first time.

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The idea began to creep into my mind, as I’ve witnessed and become part of a meaningful shift happening around us.

It’s happening at work, as leaders and employees. It’s happening at the product and service level, as brands offering solutions. It’s happening in our daily lives, amongst our family and friends.

👉🏽 We’re longing for deeper connection – to ourselves and to each other.

This shift has set the stage for a very different kind of experience with the world around us, if only we embrace it.

I saw an opportunity to tap Cannes for an experience that would build and deepen connections between us. Not just one that favors flashy awards or private parties, but one that favors friendship and public props for those who continue to show up for us all.

Here’s how Hue was part of it:

👉🏽 An honest, off-the-record roundtable session for marketing leaders to just turn “off” for an hour and disconnect from their phones, so we could connect with each other. Attendees actively felt their stress level go down by the end of it.

👉🏽 A public content session supporting the LGBTQ+ community to elevate voices being silenced during a time they’ve typically been celebrated.

👉🏽 A discussion spotlighting the critical opportunity to build relationships with creators, whose voices are increasingly moving from niche to necessary.

And that’s just a taste.

As I shape the remainder of the year for Hue, our community, and me, expect to see more events and more opportunities to connect. Not just to meet – but to truly feel connected.

Because each step gets us closer to our goal.

What are some steady steps you’re taking toward your goals? Are you sharing them with others around you? Let me know – and use this as an opportunity to forward ♻️ this to the people in your life who help you feel more connected.

In community,

Fahad