Wanting to show initiative but not desperation. (Connecting with recruiter)

My friend submitted a referral to his company for me. I then received an email from said company about being referred. I reached out to the recruiter listed in the email briefly introducing myself and expressing interest in some of the positions. The recruiter was glad to hear from me and asked if I could meet the next day. I confirmed to meet that day a few hours later (we are on very different time zones) and he never responded. I then bumped the message the next day saying I'm flexible to meet another time that week and again he never responded.

I then connected with the Team Lead for the positions I'm interested in and sent a connection note showing interest and wanting to learn more. The team Lead accepted my LinkedIn connection and read the message, but didn't respond. Do I send another message now that he's accepted the connection or is that too forward/desperate and will hinder my chances? Do I reach out to a different recruiter until I get a snag with one that is willing to meet?

I'm unsure in how forward to be in these kinds of situations. What's showing initiative versus desperation?