RelationshipOps of the Week #3.
Design & Engineering Studio
|
Nov 7, 2025
“that particular relationship is the primary reason why I was able to realize that dream”
Chris Mele.
I stumbled upon Chris Mele, when I was scrolling through the lineup for the Agency Leadership Conference on the Agency Hackers website.
I don’t know him. And he doesn't know me either.
But what piqued my curiosity was… he sold Siberia to United Talent Agency (UTA) in 2021, but bought it back more than a year later.
That was totally me being curious and wasn’t expecting the story behind was actually backed by the relationship Chris Mele has built with Michael Kassan (CEO of MediaLink, who owned Siberia), until he shared during our short interview.
So I wanted to share it here in our third RelationshipOps of the Week article.
Because relationship-building isn’t just about acquiring or expanding accounts. Sometimes, it’s the very thing that can reshape the future of your firm.
And in this piece, Chris also shares:
How he tapped the strength of his relationship with Michael Kassan to negotiate Siberia’s way out of UTA
How he thinks about relationship management routines
And how being present fuels stronger, more genuine connections
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Near Severance.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Chris Mele:
Easy answer here. I spent 5 years running Siberia working alongside a sister company called MediaLink, under their CEO Michael Kassan. We ended up selling both firms to United Talent Agency at the end of 2021, and after a year or so of mixed results, our new parent company decided that Siberia was no longer a strategic asset.
Their initial game plan was to shut us down as an operating unit, and put myself and the whole team on severance, but because of the relationship I had built with Michael, who held quite a bit of influence at UTA, we were able to very quickly work out an alternate plan where myself and a couple of key members of the leadership team were able to spin the agency out as its own new entity.
There's no chance UTA would have considered this without Michael, and we owe our recent success to him helping us out of that pinch.
I had actually been talking about owning my own company for almost my entire career, and that particular relationship is the primary reason why I was able to realize that dream.
Genuineness Over Manufacture.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Chris Mele:
I don't have a routine for maintaining relationships, and I'm skeptical that its the kind of thing you can manufacture. The best relationships are genuine, and based on interest, empathy, and honestly mutual admiration.
I just try to keep my ears open, and help whoever I can as often as I can (while still keeping an eye on the needs of my business). You can never spend enough time creating and nurturing business or personal relationships.
It is literally endless.
Energy Spreads.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Chris Mele:
Be honest, work hard, never complain or be the negative person in the room, and always put yourself out there!
Key Takeaways.
It was Chris’s long-standing relationship with Michael Kassan that shaped one of the biggest turning points in his career, when UTA wanted to shut Siberia down.
Because of that trust, Chris was able to negotiate an alternate path and spin Siberia out as an independent agency instead of closing its doors. And ultimately, realizing his dream of owning his own company.
That experience instilled a core belief he still carries today:
Relationships can be your greatest leverage for business negotiations.
Some pointers I thought would be helpful in summarizing the interview:
Relationships create leverage for negotiations: One strong connection can transform a potential setback into a defining opportunity.
Genuineness beats overly-fixated routine: You can’t manufacture real relationships as they’re developed through being genuine and constantly looking out for others.
Energy attracts opportunity: Positivity, honesty, and hard work draw the right people and open the right doors.
That’s all for this piece.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Chris Mele.
I stumbled upon Chris Mele, when I was scrolling through the lineup for the Agency Leadership Conference on the Agency Hackers website.
I don’t know him. And he doesn't know me either.
But what piqued my curiosity was… he sold Siberia to United Talent Agency (UTA) in 2021, but bought it back more than a year later.
That was totally me being curious and wasn’t expecting the story behind was actually backed by the relationship Chris Mele has built with Michael Kassan (CEO of MediaLink, who owned Siberia), until he shared during our short interview.
So I wanted to share it here in our third RelationshipOps of the Week article.
Because relationship-building isn’t just about acquiring or expanding accounts. Sometimes, it’s the very thing that can reshape the future of your firm.
And in this piece, Chris also shares:
How he tapped the strength of his relationship with Michael Kassan to negotiate Siberia’s way out of UTA
How he thinks about relationship management routines
And how being present fuels stronger, more genuine connections
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Near Severance.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Chris Mele:
Easy answer here. I spent 5 years running Siberia working alongside a sister company called MediaLink, under their CEO Michael Kassan. We ended up selling both firms to United Talent Agency at the end of 2021, and after a year or so of mixed results, our new parent company decided that Siberia was no longer a strategic asset.
Their initial game plan was to shut us down as an operating unit, and put myself and the whole team on severance, but because of the relationship I had built with Michael, who held quite a bit of influence at UTA, we were able to very quickly work out an alternate plan where myself and a couple of key members of the leadership team were able to spin the agency out as its own new entity.
There's no chance UTA would have considered this without Michael, and we owe our recent success to him helping us out of that pinch.
I had actually been talking about owning my own company for almost my entire career, and that particular relationship is the primary reason why I was able to realize that dream.
Genuineness Over Manufacture.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Chris Mele:
I don't have a routine for maintaining relationships, and I'm skeptical that its the kind of thing you can manufacture. The best relationships are genuine, and based on interest, empathy, and honestly mutual admiration.
I just try to keep my ears open, and help whoever I can as often as I can (while still keeping an eye on the needs of my business). You can never spend enough time creating and nurturing business or personal relationships.
It is literally endless.
Energy Spreads.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Chris Mele:
Be honest, work hard, never complain or be the negative person in the room, and always put yourself out there!
Key Takeaways.
It was Chris’s long-standing relationship with Michael Kassan that shaped one of the biggest turning points in his career, when UTA wanted to shut Siberia down.
Because of that trust, Chris was able to negotiate an alternate path and spin Siberia out as an independent agency instead of closing its doors. And ultimately, realizing his dream of owning his own company.
That experience instilled a core belief he still carries today:
Relationships can be your greatest leverage for business negotiations.
Some pointers I thought would be helpful in summarizing the interview:
Relationships create leverage for negotiations: One strong connection can transform a potential setback into a defining opportunity.
Genuineness beats overly-fixated routine: You can’t manufacture real relationships as they’re developed through being genuine and constantly looking out for others.
Energy attracts opportunity: Positivity, honesty, and hard work draw the right people and open the right doors.
That’s all for this piece.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.