What’s your view on asking friends and family to support your brand? We asked members of the community to open up and share their views on this controversial topic. Check out some highlights below.

Cylenthia King

Starting a business takes a lot of hard work. When I decided to turn my passion of Makeup Artistry into a business, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have a blueprint to follow – only my love for beauty, my makeup kit and support from my family and friends. I am blessed to have a support system that wants to see me succeed in my business. So when I told my friends and family back in 2019 that I was starting “C.Ariel Artistry, LLC,” I receive endless support. Read more>>

Jalysa Moody

After starting my business and having a successful first year I decided to give back to my community. I partnered with a sorority sister to create a scholarship for young African-American women wanting to attend a Historically Black College and University . In order to raise funds for this, I reached out to all my friends, family members and clients asking them to support my endeavor. Read more>>

Jazlyn Betancourt

One major thing that I have learned with becoming a business owner and also being in the travel industry is that you cannot depend on your friends and family to support you and you should not take it personal (although I know it’s hard to not take it personal). I have had more strangers support me in my business by booking trips with me, referring people to me and simply just sharing my posts than my own family and even friends. Read more>>

Shawn Paul

My friends and family are very supportive. Especially my loving supportive wife LINDSEY. Read more>>

elizabeth hsia

I love the natural world. Visual harmony and chaos tend to play back and forth in my mind when it comes to creating work. I enjoy deconstructing items and repurposing them into something else- giving it new life. Contrasting elements and medias are something that I find myself drawn to the last few years. I try to evoke the same feelings that I get when I look at something fascinating, in my art. Read more>>

Tina Carreira

We will be starting our Christmas Wish Tree event in september We will be asking the community to help grant wishes to almost 70 families this year. Read more>>

Jasmine Thompson

/blis/ is a state of happiness crafted by YOU. These candles are hand crafted in support of you defining what /blis/ means. My 23rd year was the year I dedicated to growth and defining my own happiness. From those moments of self discovery, /blis/ 23 Candle Co. was created. This started as just a thought, and I then decided that it was time. Time for me to take a risk, to get serious about my own happiness, and time for me to focus on doing more of the things that I love. Read more>>

Daniyah Mosley

Asking friends/family to support your business Read more>>

LaTonya Williams

A few years ago I determined that I needed to focus on self-care but I was struggling to make it a priority. As I talked to my friends about this, I realized that they were experiencing the same thing. We were serving others at work, at home, and in the community, yet we were placing our own care on the back-burner. These conversations with my friends helped me to develop the new business, Renew Box, a self-care subscription box to help women beat burnout and overwhelm. Read more>>

Jillian Slayton

Big thanks you to My friends and family. I wouldn’t be here with out all of your guys love and support Read more>>

Carly Brango

Being PA natives, we have family and friends who cannot physically support our business often. Although we have made local friends, and customers who have become great family/friends, we are constantly asked how our loved ones back home can support us. We simply ask them to spread the word, interact with our social media posts, and when they do get to come down and visit share their experience (and maybe beer) with their friends/family back home too! Read more>>

Nicole Pettway

I was fortunate to have the support of my immediate, extended and bonus family. I was in my early twenties when I decided to enroll in nail school and up until that point I had never seen my mother get her nails done, she didn’t even wear polish on her fingernails. That changed once I expressed a serious interest in nail art. One day I saw an old classmate post a picture to her social media of her natural nails that she’d designed with cheetah print designs. I immediately asked her how to do it because I wanted my nails like that! Read more>>

Jameal Jones

My family and friends have been apart of this awesome journey with me since the beginning. When I first decided to create the all purpose blend it was their nonstop encouragement that helped me to start my business. They also helped me decide on the business name. Three years later, they are still some of my biggest supporters. My very first event they all drove over 2 hours to be there. Read more>>

Vanessa Young Russell

I’ve have gotten to the point now where I no longer ask friends and family to support my small business. I have befriended so many customers and fellow artists who gladly share and support my business. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a handful of friends and family members that do support me. However, more often than not, they want freebies and discounts. Read more>>

Jamie Bell

What is Life Coaching? Not sure where to start? Need someone to help? A Life Coach will walk with you as your advocate, encourager, and helper as you set goals to get you from where you are to where you want to be. A Coach helps bring organization and focus as you navigate life transitions with intention and purpose to create your step-by-step action plans. Counseling deals more with problems and personal issues. Coaching deals more with charting your course and overcoming obstacles. Read more>>

Daria Morrison

I don’t mean for this to sound negative/sad, but I never really ”ask” anyone to support me. However, I do have family members book appointments from time to time! I have a nice handful of childhood friends that also support me frequently! I’ve never been one to get caught up on who does/doesn’t support me. Plus, there are many ways of showing support! So I wouldn’t really know who has or hasn’t! I just always make sure I’m doing what I have to do, as if no one is. I’m very grateful, because it motivates me to keep going, either way! Read more>>

Terrance Granger

For me, when it comes to getting my friends and family to support me, it is very easy. I can text everyone and ask if they can repost or retweet or just post my flyers for me and they will without hesitation. I am very thankful that it is that simple for me, because for others, it isn’t that simple. I’m forever blessed for my tribe. Read more>>