Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Toyin Awesu-Uhuegbu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Toyin, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your firm earns is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

The Power of Networking
I was never the type to cold call a stranger. Even after leaving one of the biggest PR agencies in the world, where I watched business development happen daily, actually doing it myself felt different. Terrifying, honestly. No more work landing in my inbox because I was on payroll. This was my business now, and clients weren’t just going to find me.

I’m on a listserv of Black women who have worked on Capitol Hill — past and present. Like most listservs, I’d scroll through, glance at the subject lines, and keep it moving. I’d never once used it to reach out to anyone. Then one day, someone posted an RFP for a communications consultant. I read it once, then again. I knew I could do this job with my eyes closed. But I didn’t know this woman. And reaching out to strangers? Not my thing.

I sat on it for a few days, until LinkedIn did what LinkedIn does. A former Capitol Hill colleague of mine posted about the very person who had shared the RFP. Turns out, they were good friends. I slid into my colleague’s DMs, explained my interest, and asked if she’d put in a word. She did.

What happened next, I wasn’t prepared for. The woman called me — and that conversation almost brought me to tears. She didn’t just respond to my inquiry. She poured into me. She shared her own story and she told me not to despair. She spoke life into me when I needed it most (she probably has no clue what her words meant to me that day).

I built my first pitch deck from scratch, went into that interview, and won the business. They told me it was the best RFP they received.

Here’s what I want you to understand though — the imposter syndrome I was drowning in didn’t disappear because I won. It disappeared because of that phone call. The confidence came before the contract.

I still work with that client today and my network continues to grow. Never underestimate the lasting impressions you leave on people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the power of story. I began my career as a journalist, trained to ask better questions, listen closely, and find the throughline that makes complex issues understandable and human. Over time, I realized that storytelling inside organizations was not just about visibility. It was about influence, alignment, and growth. That realization led me into strategic communications and public affairs, where I have spent nearly twenty years helping organizations turn their communications into a true driver of impact.

Throughout my career, I have worked across travel, retail, transportation, financial services, and emerging technology, leading integrated communications and policy initiatives for Fortune 100 and 500 companies. I have advised C suite leaders on crisis communications, trade and regulatory policy, executive positioning, and global stakeholder strategy. Most recently, I served as Vice President of Global Advisory at Edelman, where I supported leaders navigating geopolitical risk, AI, climate, and trade policy challenges. Earlier in my career, I helped advance U.S.–Africa commercial engagement through Prosper Africa and directed national communications strategy for the Congressional Black Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. My global experience also includes leadership roles at National Democratic Institute and Heirs Holdings.

Today, through Vivid Imagination Partners, I bring that experience to organizations that want more than messaging. We are a full service strategic communications and public affairs firm focused on shaping brands, elevating leaders, and driving influence across every platform. I work with clients to clarify their voice, align their strategy with policy realities, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and translate big ideas into measurable outcomes. Whether guiding an organization through a crisis, positioning an executive as a thought leader, or helping a growing brand break through in a crowded marketplace, my goal is the same. Communications should move the business forward.

What sets me apart is the combination of policy fluency and disciplined execution. I understand how decisions are made in boardrooms and in government, and I know how to craft narratives that resonate with both. My background in journalism keeps me grounded in clarity and truth. My training in integrated marketing and communications ensures that strategy is always connected to results.

I am most proud of betting on myself and building a firm rooted in work that matters. Some of my most meaningful engagements have been with small and midsize organizations that simply needed someone to help them find their voice and reach the audience they were meant to serve.

At the heart of my work is a belief that communications is not decoration. It is direction. I want potential clients and partners to know that when we work together, we are not just crafting messages. We are building influence with intention, shaping conversations that matter, and creating strategies designed to last.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think my reputation has been built on two simple things: connection and consistency.

I have never been the person working the entire room or collecting stacks of business cards. I might speak to three people at an event, but I will likely build real relationships with two of them. I follow up. I connect on LinkedIn. I suggest coffee. I check in months later just to see how things are going. For me, networking has never been transactional. It is relational.

I like to believe that I truly know most of the people I am connected to on LinkedIn. If someone asks me for an introduction, I can usually make it because there is an actual relationship behind it. That has made me a trusted connector. People know that when I bring two individuals or organizations together, it is thoughtful and intentional.

The other part is reliability. I deliver what I say I will deliver, and I do it on schedule. In our industry, trust is everything. Strategy only works if the execution is solid. I learned early on that attention to detail builds credibility. I remember a former boss calling me into his office and asking me to thoroughly review the strategic roadmap for a new foundation program. He told me he needed me to do it because he trusted my ability to catch what others might miss. That stayed with me.

I am meticulous about my work because I care about the outcome. I want the initiatives I touch to succeed, even when the circumstances are less than ideal. Over time, people begin to associate you with that level of care and follow through. The reward for good work really is more work. For me, that has been the foundation of my reputation.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that if you are skilled enough and work hard enough, you can make any opportunity work.

Early in my career, I believed that preparation, talent, and discipline were the ultimate equalizers. If I had the experience and the strategy was sound, then success would follow. And many times, it did. But over time, I realized that no amount of expertise can compensate for misaligned values or personality dynamics. Chemistry matters. Culture matters. Leadership style matters.

Unlearning that belief gave me clarity. It taught me that discernment is just as important as ambition. It is not enough to know what you want financially or professionally. You also have to know what you do not want. What kind of environment drains you. What type of leadership style does not align with your values. What pace or pressure compromises your best thinking. I have had extraordinary experiences in my career, and I have also had assignments that were better suited as lessons than long term engagements. Both have shaped me. Now, I evaluate opportunities with a fuller lens. I look at the people, the culture, the decision making process, and the shared vision. When those align, the work not only succeeds, it feels sustainable.

That has been one of the most important shifts in my professional life. Success is not just about proving you can do the job. It is about choosing the environments where you can do your best work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vividimaginationpartners.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toyinawesu/

Image Credits

Eli Turner Photography