"Sometimes the most unexpected friendships turn out to be the most meaningful and transformative. What starts as a chance encounter can turn into an amazing bond, full of shared experiences and growth. Embrace the coincidences in your life, and you never know where they might take you."
Throughout 2021, I had fallen in love with the NFT space. The combination of art, technology, and innovation was so exciting to me, and I was thrilled by the endless possibilities of what could be created and shared using blockchain technology. I was drawn in by the creativity and the sense of community that I found in the NFT world, and I knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of for the long haul.
2020 was a rough time for the world with the COVID pandemic but by late 2021, I was beyond excited to finally be able to go out and start attending local meet ups. I missed that feeling of being around other people and connecting with like-minded individuals.
It was a clear, cool night in November 2021 at a small NFT meetup in downtown Los Angeles where I first met Tony Herrera. As I walked through the crowd something about him caught my attention (probably the amazing beard and mustache), and I had to talk to him.
As soon as we met, I could tell that Tony was a friendly and down-to-earth person, and we quickly struck up a conversation about the exciting developments happening in the NFT space. I gawked at his massive NFT collection for a while as he told me about some of the various projects he was working on and I was fascinated by our shared passion for art and blockchain technology.
Over the next few months, Tony and I became fast friends. I also began to get more involved in the NFT community as a whole. With my passion of meeting new people coupled with Tony’s massive network as a longtime builder and collector in the space, I was able to meet and network with hundreds of other artists, builders and collectors leading into 2022. I was amazed by the creativity and innovation that I saw going on all around me.
One of the turning points for me in this period was when I met gmoney at Veecon in May of 2022 with Tony by my side. gmoney of course is such an influential figure in the NFT world as a builder and collector. Little did I know he was on the cusp of launching Admit One, the entry ticket into the gmoney ecosystem. I was fortunate enough to have had an amazing conversation with him and I was invited through a special POAP he gave to be on the allowlist to mint a ticket on launch (I almost missed the mint not knowing what the POAP he gave me was for.)
After Veecon and minting an Admit One ticket, I ended up being so grateful for what transpired over the course of the week, I knew I wanted to become very active in the community. Within a short period of time I helped cofound a community ran allowlist committee called “The Watchers” in Admit one to give back to the community and to help make the ecosystem stronger.
As my reputation grew, I was invited to join the Premint Collab Council researching and talking with new project founders wanting to collaborate with Premint Collector Pass holders. I was honored to be asked to join in this amazing group, and I continue to enjoy the opportunity to contribute my ideas and expertise to the council. In addition to my work with The Watchers and the Premint Collab Council, I also began writing for NFT137, a popular online publication that covers all aspects of the NFT world. I enjoy the opportunity to share my thoughts and insights with a wider audience, and I was thrilled when my articles were well-received by readers. I also have had many other smaller opportunities that have arisen and my network of friends has grown immensely.
Eventually, my involvement in the Admit One community led to an even greater opportunity, I was offered the position of Community Lead for Admit One by gmoney. I was so thrilled to accept this role, and I continue to look forward to working closely with him and the rest of the gmoney team to help strengthen one of the best communities in the NFT space!
Overall as I reflect back, my friendship with Tony Herrera was a major turning point in my NFT career, and it has opened up a whole world of exciting opportunities for me. I am so grateful to him for everything he has done for me and for always supporting me as I pursue my passions and goals. I am confident that our friendship will continue to thrive and grow in the years to come.
