We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Tuffuor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, is there something you believe many others might not?
Timing is not everything, so don’t sit on that business idea of your’s waiting for that perfect moment, just get started today. Most entrepreneurs use timing things perfectly as an excuse that will only lead them to throwing out their big dreams. In the real world, timing a new business perfectly rarely happens. In fact, trying to time things perfectly may only cause you to either miss your shot or allow someone else to beat you to your idea. Starting now will allow you to learn on the way, so don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out. In fact, you will never have all the answers no matter how much preparation you do. It’s totally OK if things are not perfect, it’s much easier to learn along the way, than to try to predict and prepare for every hurdle you may or may not encounter. The longer you fill your head with excuses, the less time you will have to be productive on getting yourself there, it’s a cycle that’s hard to break.

What should our readers know about your business?
Toasted Life is a dynamic event and lifestyle brand that builds experiences for young professionals of color in a number of US and international markets. Whether that is a thousand person block party in Oakland, an invite only sit down dinner with a celebrity in ATL or a curated group trip to a place like Ghana, our platform offers memorable experiences for young professionals of color to connect and celebrate. We believe celebration is vital to the advancement of joy, camaraderie, and growth in our community. What makes Toasted Life special is our community. Our events attract some pretty amazing high achieving individuals of color, from educators, entrepreneurs to engineers. We have built an inclusive atmosphere where these groups of people can socialize, network and be authentically themselves. Our platform is about community building and belonging. Our brand started from a small simple idea and grew into something far bigger than we could anticipate. One of the biggest challenges we faced developing our company was finding venues that were welcoming to our predominantly Black crowd. It’s no secret that racism exists in nightlife. In the US it’s not uncommon to hear stories of popular nightclubs having discriminatory practices when it comes to clientele. Many of these businesses use tactics like dress code to weed customers out by race. In our early days, we were turned away by a lot of venues. Some owners explicitly told us they were “concerned” about us bringing in a predominantly Black crowd into their venue, insinuating a Black clientele equated to problems. As business owners, we never gave up on our mission to serve our audience. Instead of giving up, we made serving our marginalized audience the core of our business and celebrated this by wearing who we are and who we intended to serve on our sleeve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Sports are huge in ATL, whether it’s catching a Hawks or Falcons game or a big college bowl game passing through town, In Atlanta there are always live sports happening. If you are into the outdoors, Lake Lanier is a fun summer hang out spot and if your looking for a workout, Stone Mountain is a nice hike. You’ll never find yourself bored in ATL.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to say my parents. My upbringing played a huge role in me being an entrepreneur. My mother and father gave me the space and freedom to chase my out there ideas, as long as I made school my first priority. They taught me how to work hard, stay hungry and to dream big. I give them a lot of credit for my success as an entrepreneur. When you’re raised by strong people it wears off on you.

Website: www.toastedlife.com

Instagram: @Fourloco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-tuffuor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToastedLife/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2i5kBPS2tWKmOW9me0Nmag

Image Credits
Jesse Barbon Leyla Imen YoSoyIan Carlos Idun-Tawiah

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