Humans of Crypto | Chanel: Founder of Tasty Toastys

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Many folks outside of the crypto and NFT space might think of NFTs as simply digital JPEGs.

What's not obvious is the amount of strategy planning, brand building and overall heart put into developing a strong NFT project and brand.

In this Humans of Crypto feature, I'm excited to share the story of Chanel, passionate founder of the NFT project Tasty Toastys.

Let's dig in!

How did you get started with crypto? What drew you into crypto?

Bitcoin was all over the headlines back in 2017 and I got curious about it.

Naturally I ended up on Reddit and learned about blockchain and various cryptocurrencies. I fell in love with the philosophy behind the whole movement.

At its core and purest ideology, this is a revolution from the masses to break free from institutional power. This is our generation's war, in a more civilised manner.

Foggy use cases of the tech aside, I bought some ETH and a little bit of coins from the top projects from 2017-2018, and watched my portfolio disappear to much amusement.

I continued to read the news casually from then till 2021, but when I learned about NFTs and how they could disrupt the way we interact with entertainment and consumer goods, that's when I saw an opportunity for me to potentially contribute to the space.

Tell me more about Tasty Toastys!

Tasty Toastys is a character merchandise brand kickstarted through the sale of a collection of 7,600 digital collectibles.

This first collection will always be unique from all subsequent products from the brand, as each piece represents the brand's heritage.

Owners of each digital collectible also enjoy perks such as discounts to future products from the brand.

How did Tasty Toastys come about?

I always wanted to start a brand selling items that invoke feelings of being 'warm & toasty'.

When I came across NFTs, I thought it would be funny to meme the concept into actual Toast characters, since bread/dough is also slang for money. It also helps to personify the brand values into characters.

How has your corporate background shaped the way you started Tasty Toastys?

When I designed the NFT collection, I knew I had to bake in elements that would help us grow the brand outside of NFTs in the long term.

One thing I noticed in 2021 was that characters in a lot of projects lack base personalities, which is a necessary anchor for storytelling and expansion of the IP onto different mediums.

This is why Tasty Toastys has 5 main characters. Without my previous experience working in marketing for a licensed brand, I may have missed out this crucial detail.

What makes Tasty Toastys special?

This brand was truly born out of love.

While I had the idea and concept for Toasty, my brother was my first supporter who pushed and helped me every step of the way to make this happen.

We've carried these values into the community as well - Prioritising warm & toasty vibes, in an otherwise overwhelming space.

What is the most memorable story you have so far from building Tasty Toastys?

Seeing the first sample of the large Toasty plushie in person.

What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned from starting Tasty Toastys?

• Ask for help, don't try to do everything alone.

• Constant failure is part of the journey.

• Small steps every single day eventually add up.

• No one really knows what's next for Web3. Advice is good, but it's eventually still up to you to forge the way forward.

What are you most excited about for the future of Tasty Toastys?

Seeing our signature plushies in retail stores worldwide!

Enjoyed this interview? If you would like to get one of their plushies from their e-store, consider buying a Tasty Toasty NFT for huge discounts too!

You can follow and connect with Chanel on Twitter. Find out more about Tasty Toastys and all their socials here.

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Feel free to drop me a DM and send any feedback, suggestions or takeaways over!