CURAT—D

In 2022, CURAT—D was born. Since then, we’ve partnered with 7-figure founders, signed high-profile clients (including one of Hollywood’s biggest names), and helped our clients close a $4M deal—all by using their personal brands.

Our mission is simple:

Help founders build brands that stand out and bring results.

At CURAT—D, we take a hands-on approach. We help you:

- Craft your unique story
- Grow your audience
- Build your authority
- Attract high-ticket clients

The best part?

It’s all done through organic content—no ads, no gimmicks, just real value.

We capture your authentic voice through simple processes like:

- Content calls
- Voice memos
- Raw thoughts you share, turned into content that drives engagement and results.

Our goal?

To take your brand to the next level and 10x your growth.

Outside of work, I’m always looking for my next challenge. I’ve traveled the world, spoken at events like The Metaverse Summit in Silicon Valley I watch every single Formula One Grandprix, and am always pushing myself to grow.

But my true passion is seeing my clients succeed. 

I’m here to help you turn your LinkedIn profile into more than just a social media account—it can be the key to unlocking your next big opportunity.

Curious to learn how?

Send me a message, and let’s talk about how we can elevate your brand.

Let’s make big things happen together.

Founder

U-Topia Ecosystem

It started with one meeting. In 2021, I'm 20 years old and I meet Emmanuel Quezada, CEO of U-topia Ecosystem. He shared a bold vision: creating a groundbreaking Web3 ecosystem. Days later, I joined as the sole US-based team member.

My title? Director of Partnerships.
My mission? Own the US market.

Over 14 months, here’s what I accomplished:

- Built connections with 20+ teams, linking U-topia to other metaverses.
- Led meetings with companies like Binance.
- Partnered with NFT communities to create interconnection bridges.
- Engaged VCs to showcase U-topia’s vision and future.
- Spoke at global events, sharing the stage with CEOs of $100M+ companies.
- Traveled to Dubai to meet the team face-to-face and strengthen collaboration.
- These moments weren’t just professional wins—they were personal milestones.

I grew relationships that turned into lifelong friendships. I learned the art of trust, connection, and creating real value in a fast-moving industry.

But as CURAT—D, my content agency, began to demand my full focus, I faced a tough decision. I chose to step away from U-topia to fully dedicate myself to my next chapter.

Today, I’m proud of the foundation we built together.
U-topia is now working with global giants like Adidas, FIFA, and Walmart, building cutting-edge IP products and redefining the Web3 space.

I’ll always root for their success and the bright future ahead.

Director of Partnerships | Partner

MONACAIR

In 2021, I was 19 years old and joined Monacair, Monaco’s premier private helicopter service, as a Business Development Intern.

My mission was to assist in expanding Monacair’s reach.

Over two months, here’s what I accomplished:

- Assisted in refining Monacair’s B2B partnership strategy.
- Conducted market research to identify high-value clientele and potential partners.
- Supported the sales team in optimizing customer acquisition efforts.
- Helped improve internal processes by analyzing client data and operational workflows.
- Gained firsthand experience in the ultra-luxury aviation space, working alongside a high-performance team.

I learned lessons in high-stakes client relations, precision-driven service, and the power of seamless logistics.

It was fast-paced, high-energy, and filled with invaluable insights.

But as my passion for branding and business growth evolved, I knew my next challenge awaited.

Still, I’ll always appreciate the experience and the foundation Monacair gave me in navigating elite service industries.

Intern

Building digital legacies for Founders & CEOs | Founder of CURAT-D

I’m Aurelien, and I help b2b founders turn their personal brands into a revenue-generating machine.

My journey started 7 years ago when, at 15, I launched my first company, STRADA PARIS. I had no experience, but I had a vision. 

Fast forward a few years—while I was still a student in Boston—I made my very first LinkedIn post, and everything changed.

What started as a leap of faith turned into a business that helps founders build their personal brands, drive growth, and generate serious revenue.

In 2022, CURAT—D was born. 

Since then, we’ve partnered with 7-figure founders, signed high-profile clients (including one of Hollywood’s biggest names), and helped our clients close a $4M deal—all by using LinkedIn organic content.

Our mission is simple:

Help founders build brands that stand out and bring results.

At CURAT—D, we take a hands-on approach. We help you:

- Craft your unique story
- Grow your audience
- Build your authority
- Attract high-ticket clients

The best part?

It’s all done through organic LinkedIn strategies—no ads, no gimmicks, just real value.

We capture your authentic voice through simple processes like:

- Content calls
- Voice memos
- Raw thoughts you share, turned into content that drives engagement and results.

Our goal?

To take your brand to the next level and 10x your growth.

Outside of work, I’m always looking for my next challenge. I’ve traveled the world, spoken at events like The Metaverse Summit in Silicon Valley I watch every single Formula One Grandprix, and am always pushing myself to grow.

But my true passion is seeing my clients succeed. 

I’m here to help you turn your LinkedIn profile into more than just a social media account—it can be the key to unlocking your next big opportunity.

Curious to learn how?

Send me a message, and let’s talk about how we can elevate your brand.

Let’s make big things happen together.

Aurelien Scagnolari

I'm turning 24 this month. Two years ago, I graduated college and went all in on building CURAT—D. Here's everything that happened in the last 912 days:

Studied in Boston, majored in Entrepreneurship. Always wanted to build companies (first one was at 14)

In college, I went to every conference I could. Met people online. Published everything I was learning on LinkedIn. At the time, blockchain was booming. I posted a ton about it.

Joined a company as Director of Partnerships. I was tasked to expand their US presence. Through that role, I got invited to speak at a Summit in Silicon Valley (people were paying $5,000 to attend). Got invited to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. I was 20. It was surreal.

I had about 4,000 followers. 

CEOs started reaching out asking how I was doing it. They wanted tips. This was before "LinkedIn gurus" were a thing, so my help actually mattered.

I helped them for free at first. Creating posts. Getting attention. They'd sign deals. I thought: okay, there's something here.

Then I started getting paid. Freelance gigs. Pay-per-project stuff.

And I realized: if you have customers, you have a business.

My girlfriend (still my girlfriend today) helped me with the branding, the mission statement, all of it. I took four weeks in the mountains to focus on building. Then I launched.

A few weeks later: first clients.

Then I did a world tour. Seoul, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, SF. Meeting leaders, clients, learning everything I could.

In 2023, I lost 80% of my revenue in four weeks.

I was doing everything myself. Posting dozens of client posts every week. Not delegating.

People started telling me the business was going to fail. That I wouldn't make it.

I didn't know what to do. So I restructured. 

And then I had the best month ever.

Where are we now?

New website soon. 

Amazing partners I'm meeting in person as much as possible.

People trust me for the work we do. For the skills of my team.

But I know what got me here won't get me to the next level.

My LinkedIn presence still books me a ton of calls every week. That's the foundation.

But now it's about scaling beyond just me.

The mission is to make CURAT—D the best personal branding partner ever created.

White-glove service for founders making $1M to $30M a year.

Build personal brands that get them leads, visibility, trust, authority, all of it.

I'm healthy. I've got an incredible team.

Now we keep pushing. We keep building.

Here's to 24.

Founder at CURAT—D | We partner with service & tech founders to build authority that compounds into clients, capital, and opportunities

I'm hiring our first full-time Content Strategist at CURAT—D.

If you want to work with founders who've exited for 8/9 figures, Hollywood talent, global leaders, and CEOs building legendary companies, this is it.

You'll be paid to extract stories, shape ideas, and turn them into content that drives results.

And if things go well you'll grow into Head of Content next year and own the entire department.

If you're in apply, or tag someone who should :)

Thank you Antler.

8 weeks ago, I'm thinking about a problem. 
My clients keep asking: "Can we do video content?" Sure. But then:

"What's the script?"
"What lighting?"
"Which camera? Should I use my phone?"
"Who edits it?"

It becomes this whole thing. So they don't do it.

But video is how leaders are communicating now. Fortune 500 CEOs speaking directly to stakeholders. 

Video forces you to be real. You're either authentic or you're not. There's no hiding behind polished copy.

That's the power of it.

Then came the idea…

What if I made it stupid simple for founders to shoot video?

Show up. Sit down. Answer questions. We handle everything else.

That's when The Booth idea hit me.

I called Ted Merz, CFA. He spent 3 decades at Bloomberg. Incredible person. Perfect partner for this.

"Let's do it."

Two weeks later, we had a spot at Antler to test it.

We set up the booth on a Saturday. Had to be ready by Monday.

Ted looks at it: "This isn't soundproof."

He's right. It's in a co-working space. If someone's recording, no one can work.

Panic mode. Went to Amazon. Bought the best soundproof panels I could find. Installed them overnight.

The results:

30 founders interviewed. 15 minutes each. 7.5 hours of footage.

We asked everyone: "How was your Antler experience?"

Every single person said the same thing. Life-changing. Amazing community. Incredible tools.

4,000 applicants. 150 accepted. Only 8-10 get funded. Everyone's dialed in from morning to night for six weeks.

The emotions were real. It was the end of their cohort, the last week.

We compiled all the answers into one video showing gratitude to Antler and what the experience really means to founders.

Thank you, Antler and the whole NY team, Kaila Jeff McKenzie Malcolm-Wiley Sam Allie Wouter.

Ps: If you want the booth in your space, send us a DM :)

There was a moment I decided I wasn't going to live a normal life.

I was 16.

My dad used to travel to the US for work. He'd come back and tell me: "That place is full of opportunities. Full of ambitious people. If you want to be successful, discover the world, meet interesting people, that's where you need to go."

I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life yet. But I asked my parents if I could spend a year abroad in the US. 

They said yes.

I spent a year in Denver, Colorado with a host family I still consider my second family.

That's where I discovered entrepreneurship.

Books. Business conferences. People like Gary V and Tai Lopez (yes I know…) telling the young generation: "You can write your own story. You don't have to follow the traditional path."

I read everything I could. Started thinking about building businesses.

And I came back to France thinking: this is what I want to do.

I wanted freedom. Agency over my own agenda. The ability to travel whenever I wanted. To be my own boss, not over other people, but over my own life.

So I finished high school in France. Started a clothing brand with my best friend. Learned a ton.

Then went back to the US for university. Joined a company as Director of Partnerships at 19. Built my personal brand on LinkedIn. Content was crushing it.

People started asking: "How are you generating this content while working and being a student?"

I started helping them.

That's how I got into this world.

But here's the thing, I've never struggled with anything in my life. 

My trauma isn't from high school or some personal hardship.

My trauma is from seeing people who couldn't afford things.

My dad also used to go to Africa when I was a kid. Every time I didn't finish my plate, he'd say: "I'm going to take you there and you'll see if you ever leave food on your plate again."

His message: You're privileged to have food. Finish it. Because there are people who would die for the scraps you're leaving behind.

I've seen both ends. People who had everything and were unhappy. People who had nothing and it was tough.

That's why I wanted my reality to be different.

I saw what was possible and what wasn't, and I wanted to be on the side where I had control.

I've been building toward this ever since.

If you're a Head of Marketing or Head of Comms at a company right now and you're NOT convincing your CEO to create video content in 2026, you're missing the biggest shift in founder-led communication we've seen in years.

Here's what's changing:

Leaders are speaking directly to their stakeholders.

No PR or corporate comms team polishing the message. Just raw, honest communication through their own channels.

And it's working.

Look at the examples:

Guillaume Moubeche from lemlist (company valued at +$150M) is crushing it with video content, speaking directly to customers.

Jon Gray from Blackstone does polished earnings calls in a suit, then sits at his desk and breaks down the three takeaways like a YouTuber. 

Jensen Huang does the same thing with his keynotes.

And don’t make me say what i didn’t say…this isn't about "being on social media." It's way deeper than that.

It's about trust, authority, and visibility. And it's a positive-sum game for your business.

Now why video?

Because the future of communication is more honest, more transparent, more raw. And video is the medium that makes that possible.

You can't fake authenticity in a 2-minute video the way you can in a polished press release.

Your stakeholders, (customers, investors, employees, partners,) want to hear from YOU. Not through a third party, or a filtered through a medium. 

Directly from the source!

The pushback I hear:

"My CEO doesn't want to be on social media."
"They're camera shy."
"They don't have time."
"They don't know what to talk about."

I get it. But there's SO MUCH to talk about.

What brought you to where you are today? What challenges did you face building the company? What details about your industry do people not understand? What decisions are you making right now that matter?

Finding which stories to tell (and how to tell them without sounding like everyone else) is the hard part. That's where we come in.

What we do:

We help you figure out which story to tell the world about you. Not making you look like someone you're not. Just finding who you are as a person, what matters to you, and packaging that in a way that resonates.

We build deep relationships with every partner (client, whatever you want to call it). We get to know you. We pull the stories out. We help you communicate them in your voice.

And with AI becoming more prevalent, choosing the right words, the human words, matters more than ever.

The bottom line: 

If you're in marketing or comms, your #1 job in 2026 should be getting your CEO to take the mic.

Video content from founders drives trust, authority, and visibility. It's not optional anymore. It's table stakes.

And if you need help figuring out what to say or how to say it, that's exactly what we do at CURAT—D.

Let's talk.

I haven't taken a day off in two years. Not a single one. For +900 days, I've worked for a few hours minimum. Usually more.

If I get in a car accident tomorrow, no one will take care of the business. I’ll even lose a few clients.

If something happens to my family, I still have to show up.

Entrepreneurship is way too glorified online.

"Be your own boss." "Work from anywhere." "Make millions."

But let me glorify it for you:

Some Saturdays I'm working at 11 PM. Some nights I'm sending emails at 2 AM. Some mornings I wake up stressed about what happened overnight with my US clients while I was asleep in Europe, some I won't sleep at all

There's always something that can go wrong. Deliverables. Client expectations. Cash flow.

It's not glamorous, yet I personally wouldn't do anything else.

Yes, it's hard. Yes, I work every single day. Yes, there are no sick days or vacations.

But I get to build something from nothing. I get to work with incredible people. I get to learn by doing.

And I'm grateful for it every single day.

Just don't let LinkedIn fool you into thinking it's easy.

Re-introducing CURAT—D.

We're a personal branding partner for founders and CEOs.

what we do:

We extract stories (the real ones, not the LinkedIn versions). We dig into your entire life, your company, how you actually operate, how you hire, what happens behind the scenes. Who you are as a person.

Then we amplify those stories at scale.

Two engines: video content and written content. Mostly using LinkedIn as the vehicle to get your voice out there in a way that actually sounds like you.

We work with founders for 6 to 12 months. Sometimes longer.

founders we work with are doing $5M to $20M in revenue per year. They're at the stage where their personal brand matters, for hiring, for partnerships, for deals, for authority in their space.

Our process is not quick.

We audit everything. your story. your company. how you do things differently. what makes you interesting. what pisses you off. what you believe that most people in your industry don't.

We meet you in person after a few months because you can't build someone's brand over Zoom calls alone. You need to see how they move, how they talk when they're comfortable, what they're like when the camera's off.

We don't use frameworks nor we apply the same playbook to everyone.

Every founder is different so is every story. That's the whole point.

If you're a founder who's tired of sounding like everyone else, let's talk.

I do manually what everyone else tries to automate. I have enough data right now to automate everything. The content creation. The commenting. The outreach. All of it.

I could plug an AI tomorrow and watch my profit margins go up.

But I don't, why?

Because I've seen what happens when you optimize for scale over soul. Founders end up with content that performs but doesn't feel like them. Posts that get engagement but don't build trust. Frameworks that work on paper but miss the whole point.

Personal branding is really messy, emotional, human.

Our content calls with clients…Sophia Kelly told me they feel more like therapy than marketing interviews. She told me once they helped her with self-discovery, questions she hadn't even thought to ask herself.

Most CEOs never sit down and reflect. They're in the weeds all day, working their asses off, then they go home. Repeat.

But when we do these extraction sessions, something usually clicks. "I haven't thought about it that way." "That's actually interesting."

I have an author as a client, he's used to this kind of thinking. But for most CEOs, these calls are more valuable than actual therapy sessions.

A lot of founders are blind to their own stories.

They don't see what's interesting about their journey until someone goes in and pulls it out. That's what we do. We extract. We find the emotion, the energy, the thing that makes them different.

Not a hook or a framework. 

If you look at our case studies, there's a pattern, storytelling that feels unique. Content that sounds like the person, not like everyone else running the same playbook.

Could I automate this and scale faster? Sure.

Would it work as well? No chance.

I'm running my own race here. Focused on depth. On the stuff you can't systematize.

And that's exactly how I want it.

GO! Coaching

Empowering the Modern Loan Advisors to double their lead count while lowering their hours worked through modern marketing, sales, and operational systems.  

GO! is now the top Loan Officer Community in the US, all within 3 years.

Co-Founder & CEO

Lower

Driving the recruiting, retaining and production growth of our Loan Officers

Chief Growth Officer

Guaranteed Rate

Branch Manager/SVP of Residential Lending

Branch Manager/SVP of Mortgage Lending NMLS# 218863 Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611

Branch Manager/SVP of Mortgage Lending

Perl Mortgage

Private Mortgage Banking

Baytree National Bank & Trust Co.

Senior Vice President - Mortgage Division

American Street Mortgage Company

American Street Mortgage Company was a boutique mortgage firm in Chicago best known for it's composition of the brightest and hard working mortgage planners. Additionally, the core philosophy for consistent charity efforts quickly earned American Street a reputation of a high morale and ethical organization.

President

Illinois Mortgage Funding Corp.

A start up company that grew exponentially with the help of the 2003 refinance boom.

Managing Broker

CEO at GO! Coaching | Helping 10,000+ growth-minded loan officers win in business and life

Sales saved my life. 

In 1985, my parents and I emigrated Iran for better opportunities in the United States. 

We left everything and everyone. 

My mom could not get a job at McDonald’s and my Father was earning $3.75 an hour as a shoe salesman. 

We lived in a 600 sq foot apartment and moved multiple times and by the age of 14, I was working. 

I started off as a car porter and janitor and then learned how to market and rent apartments and then eventually sell cars (all by the age of 18).

School was not my thing. 

I barely graduated high school (1.7 GPA). 

I dropped out of college. 

I became a telemarketer for a small mortgage brokerage 

I made over 50,000+ cold calls and quickly became the top telemarketer in the country. 

English is my second language, but sales is my first language. 

I became BUY-lingual. 

At the age of 25, I purchased my first property: a 17-unit apartment building for $1M that I still own today and amassed 100 units before ever leaving my parents home. 

As a residential loan officer, I’ve also personally funded over $1B in home loan volume and $100M+ yearly from 2019 to 2022 alone. 

As a Co-Founder and CEO of GO! Coaching, we achieved 8 figure yearly revenue within four years of inception (all through impacting hundreds of careers). 

And as the Chief Growth Officer of Lower.com, a multi-channel fintech mortgage lender, we recently raised $100M in Series A funding (the largest in Ohio state history) to help catapult us in becoming a top 5 lender by 2030. 

Not bad for an immigrant kid from Iran. 

Selling is the most important skill you must seek. 

Understanding how to illustrate your value verbally, visually and textually, will open doors you won’t believe. 

And I’m walking proof.  

And if you’ve read this far, I have a promise for you: 

Every day, I will share one specific business gem to help you think better, do better, and to be better.  

I do, I learn, I share. 

Let's win together. 

🤜🤛

- Amir 


Email: amir@growthonly.com
Instagram: @amirsyed 
Twitter: @realAmirSyed
Instagram: @amirsyed and @bankofamirica

Amir Syed

Here’s the thing about growth: 

It rarely happens alone.

‍(By the way, this is copy-pasted from a recent newsletter, which you can read at my bio link)

This past month, at our Fall GrowthCon event (which sold out) and surrounded by hundreds of high-performing Loan Officers, one truth stood out…

A powerful environment is everything.

It’s infectious.

It’s inspiring.

And it’s necessary. 

You can have the best strategy, the perfect systems, and all the motivation in the world…

But if the people around you aren’t pushing you forward, you’ll eventually stall.

That’s what we saw happen in real time.

Every conversation sparked a new idea.

Every connection challenged someone’s thinking.

And every person in the room left with their standards raised… 

Not just because of a new tactic or playbook they walked away with, but because of who they were around.

Because we were all lifting each other up.

A rising tide raises all ships. 

Growth isn’t just about doing more.

It’s about choosing rooms that require more of you.

So this week, ask yourself:
‍
Who’s in your room right now?

Are they challenging your comfort zone, or keeping you stagnant in it?

If you want to grow faster, start there.

"I'll figure it out."

That's one of the most powerful statements you can think and say in your life. 

It shows that you:

- Believe in your ability to win
- Are going to persist through trials
- Are prepared to learn from your mistakes

The most successful people I know in mortgages and other industries have had that mindset their entire lives.

We even have a saying on our team: "F.I.O."

Figure. It. Out. 

And the key to having it is staying in the game.

When you persist, you give yourself a chance.

When you give up, you have no chance at all.

Something I've found over and over again throughout my career and life:

1. The best salesperson is the one who's studying and practicing the art of sales in their free time.

2. The best speaker is the one who's doing toastmasters and watching YouTube videos on speaking.

3. The fittest person has a trainer, nutritionist, and routine they stick to at least 99% of the time.

Outward success is the tip of the iceberg.

What you do in private is the rest of it.

Dial that in, and you'll get to where you want to GO!

I'm not one of those coaches who's in his 20s. No kids, no wife, tons of time to grind.

Instead, I:

- Have duties as a husband
- Have duties as a father
- Have duties as a leader

One way I juggle all of those is by getting up early.

When you're awake before anyone else, you can:

- Catch up on work that slipped through the cracks
- Go deep on work because you have no distractions
- Get some much-needed reflection and alone time

Become an early riser for a few months.

One hour in the early morning is like getting four hours during the day. 

You'll find that it levels you up in many areas of your life.

“Mr. Maxwell: How can I become a great leader like you one day?

He paused for a moment, put his hand on my shoulder, and said:

“To lead and sharpen others, you must first lead and sharpen yourself. Great leadership is developed daily, not in a day. Design a personal growth plan and work on yourself every single day, because to lead tomorrow, you must learn today.”

Uh, wow.

This month, I’m re-reading John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.”

To say it’s incredible is an understatement.

The more I read, the more I realize how much further I have to go as a leader, but I’m committed to the daily discipline of becoming better for everyone around me.

As we head into Thanksgiving season, I want to thank all of you who’ve supported my daily posts here over the past four years.

My mission is to help my fellow Loan Officers not only become better at their craft, but better in their personal lives.

GO! Win.

Something I don't talk about enough: I am a believer in and a follower of God.

There's an idea in Christianity that you can't take credit for anything you do or anything you receive, because it's all Him who does it for you.

I couldn't agree more.

That doesn't mean you just wait around.

You have to:

- Show up daily 
- Execute relentlessly 
- Reflect to become wiser
- Seek others to go farther 
- Fail to learn lessons

But at the end of the day, you must have good intentions. 

God searches the heart and tests the mind to give rewards based on a person's deeds and conduct. 

Be righteous with your motives, grateful for anything you get, and keep faith that more is on the way.

One more video from the NAMB Battle of Coaches at Caesar's Plaza in Las Vegas. 

This was too much fun not to share again.

Also, big shout-out to my content team for capturing this memory in such a cool way. 

I'm getting hyped all over again watching it.

Let's GO!

Happy Sunday ✌🏼

More GO! meetups.

More good times had.

More connections made.

More people winning in the mortgage biz.

Grateful for everyone who showed up at this one.

Be the person who brings people together. 

I hope I see you at the next one!

taplio

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Amir Syed

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The Battle

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