Meet Jeffrey Men

We recently connected with Jeffrey Men and have shared our conversation below.

Jeffrey, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’m a toy designer and the creator of Fancy Teddy, an art toy stuffed with healing crystals. I found myself lost in life at a crossroads. I had started a career in interior design, and in the past I’d done everything from acting, to modeling, to working at my family’s business in the travel and cargo industry. I was always into sound baths, meditation and crystals, so I went into a sound bath setting an intention to really listen to myself and let life show me where I needed to go. All I could see the whole time was Fancy Teddy – a childhood doodle I used to draw. I thought – okay, I have two choices. I could either continue doing whatever it was that I was doing which wasn’t feeding my soul, or I could completely take a chance on myself and create something that I always wanted to bring to life.

As a lover of toys and a toy collector myself, I immediately thought of turning the Fancy Teddy character into the collectible art toy of my dreams – something that will forever rock my word. After the soundbath experience, I put my 2 weeks in and turned a nameless doodle into what it is today, a one of a kind, hand sewn art toy stuffed with healing crystals. I combined all my previous paths and passions and put it into what I know now is my calling.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Each teddy I make is intentionally imperfect and unique, just like each of us. I remind myself that imperfection is part of the soul of handmade work. When I feel the urge to tweak endlessly, I stop and ask: “Is this meaningful or just fear?” As an Asian American creative, I grew up balancing cultural expectations with artistic passions. With Fancy Teddy, I’ve found a way to reclaim the narrative and find my path.

I just celebrated the milestone of having my first brand event hosted in New York City during AAPI Heritage Month. We hosted a grounding sound bath ritual, which was such a full circle experience. This summer we’re dropping more mini Teddies, which can be worn as super cute bag charms!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

First, being strong willed. As an avid designer toy collector myself, I knew I wanted to create my own art toy, but not just any ordinary toy, something that potentially can mean something to someone on an emotional and deeper level and that’s when I wanted to experiment with infusing the teddies with different healing crystals. It was something that a lot of people didn’t understand and a lot still don’t because it is very niche, but I never lost sight of the bigger picture. I trusted the process and most importantly I trusted myself.

Curiosity – stay curious! I always wanted to be involved in some kind of community and understand what that means. Having my brand let me be a part of groups and experiences that I would never have known about. One of the most meaningful moments for my brand was when I did my first pop up. It was with an incredible group called Dallas Asian Asian American Art Club (DAAART club) and the amazing James Beard nominated, Chef Reye Duong hosted the pop up at her outdoor restaurant space, her brother Sang was walking around the pop up just as it was ending and while I was packing my things away I hear him ask me questions about what Fancy Teddy is – he was full of life and so curious about it and I was so happy to be able to share my story, he ended up getting The Midnight Fancy Teddy, and to this day I get messages about how he prays with the teddy and how he sleeps with it every night because he truly connected with Fancy Teddy and in his own way. Those are the moments that fuel me to keep going, because at the end of the day the ones who truly love what you do make it worthwhile and give you assurance that this is what you need to do.

Finally, adventurousness and imagination. I think those go hand in hand. You have to trust the journey and not know where you’re gonna end up but taking that risk anyway. If you can imagine it, then a story will naturally tell itself. I;ve been able to connect my love of travel with what Fancy Teddy themes I come up with. For example, the Arctic Fancy Teddy was inspired by my trip to Alaska when I saw the glaciers.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Self care is a core tenet of the Fancy Teddy brand and it’s a huge part of my life. A sound bath is one of the biggest tools I have to get grounded and set intentions. It helps to harness that healing energy, but you also have to be in the right mindset and open to the experience for deeper connection within yourself. It’s so important to me to remember that it’s okay to take a breath and pause. When you don’t pay attention to all that you have already accomplished and all that has gone your way, you’re not appreciating all the hard work, time, energy that you put into something that deserves to be celebrated. When you are constantly going and not taking time to stop you get burnt out, and oftentimes that burn out turns into resentment of what you initially love. So take time for gratitude not just for the work you put in but also getting to the mindset that good things will happen again and again if you let them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fancyteddy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefancyteddy

Image Credits

Fancy Teddy