There is often more than one right answer, and this seems to be particularly true for the question of whether folks should lean on family and friends for support with the brands. Your circumstances, relationships and other factors can determine what’s right for you – but we wanted to get a conversation going on the topic as it’s something that comes up often in our chats with entrepreneurs and creatives in the community.

Brittany Shillingford

In the spring and summer of 2019 things started really taking off in my business, I was sewing everything myself to order and quickly realized I needed some help to keep up with the orders. 300 orders came in in one day and I was bombarded with work. I enlisted the help of anyone who was willing. My husband, MIL, mom, brother in law and even friends and acquaintances. I needed all the extra hands I could get. Read more>>

Taylor Smith

When I finally took the opportunity to go full-time in my photography business, the absolute first thing I did was message friends and family members whom I thought would have any interest in receiving my services. I most definitely did not approach it in a manner of begging for their business. Instead, I casually let them know that I made a transition in my business pursue photography full-time, and that I was currently open for booking for the holiday season. I provided an intention or a reason that they might need my services at the point of contact. Read more>>

Christian Ochoa

Your first clients should be your family and friends. When I started my marketing firm I helped my mother-in-law create the branding and website for her business. Most small business owners can’t afford high-class marketing strategy and design so that was my way to support her company but it also helped me to build my portfolio so I can land my next clients. That was a win-win situation. If you’re starting your business, my advice is to ask your friends and family to be your first clients. It will strengthen your relationship and it will help you fine-tune your processes before dealing with real clients in the future. Read more>>

Mykel McIntosh

I’m excited about sharing my passion for food and wine with the St. Louis community and feel lucky to be a part of all of the exciting things happening in Midtown. Because of its close proximity to the new Centene Stadium, as well as the other new business coming into the area, I look forward to being a part of the action. Read more>>

Alexis Broder

Your biggest supporters are going to be people you have never met! When I first started posting my artwork and creations I would post on Instagram and meet people from all over the country. Then I started doing pop ups and my business stayed more local. I can count on one hand how many of my family and friends actually purchased a product from me, and that’s okay because some of my best supporters was from a stranger who loved what I do! Some customers have even turned into great friends! Read more>>

Natasha Napier

My business started when my friends and family would ask for custom work. Initially, I’d make small paintings for gifts. This grew into making digital designs and pet portraits. Friends would request designs for their baby showers, weddings, and other events. By painting and then bringing it into photoshop, I could create a unique design. My custom pet portraits are my favorite example of friends and family supporting my business. Originally, close friends reached out for a portrait to give to a loved one on holidays or birthdays. Read more>>

Camille Moore

A lot of people complain about friends and families support the lack of. The one thing I can’t say about that I have their support, maybe not all of them but a good handful and I’m Appreciative of that . Sometimes it can be hate and discouragement and I do apologize for The ones that are going through that. I can’t say I have support from my friends and family thank you. Read more>>

Ashley & Melissa McDonough

Our friends and family have been amazing throughout our whole process of becoming business owners. We cannot thank them enough!! Our biggest blessing has been them always wanting to fully support us and what we do. They don’t ask for discounts or free decor, they refer us to any and everyone they can, they even help out with installs if one of us cannot make one. Having such an amazing support system behind us is what keeps us going! Read more>>

Leah Patton

It can be uncomfortable to ask friends and family to support your business, but it is necessary. When you have a business to run, you need to be able to sustain it regardless of who it is. Read more>>

MrCamoFlauge

No one should ask anyone for their support. When it comes to family & friends, they’re like competitors on who have the most belongings. In my culture, there’s always someone who wants to stay on top of someone without that person achieving that same level or even more success. If supporting you help you get a mansion & they paying rent, of course they bills come before you rite. Read more>>

Ingrid Morency

Sometimes it can feel like a personal rejection but don’t get offended or discouraged if they don’t support you…especially right away. If you haven’t established yourself as an expert in your field, they may not want to take that leap of faith. When I started in real estate, I made sure I was a sponge and always will be. You should never stop learning. I invest in taking classes, reading books, and networking with like-minded individuals. Read more>>

Oszhanae Dukes

When it comes to starting a business we all want our friends friends family to support us because we know that if it was the other way around we’d be supportive of them and their business. I can honestly say that most of my support came from my husband and strangers and I appreciate them and anyone who had actually supported me from sharing my work, liking my work and even purchasing items from me.It used to hurt my feelings when people weren’t as supportive to me as I was to them but the lack of support gave me the extra push I needed to keep going and not worry about which liked or didn’t like what I was doing. Read more>>

Milly Vanderwood

From rapper to aspiring mogul, my story starts out in Baltimore, MD.. I was born on the 17th day of December, and I prefer being behind the scenes more than in the spotlight. I grew up “idolizing” folks like Sean Combs, Dame Dash, Master P, Jay Z, Kevin Liles, Russell Simmons and many others. I always wanted to follow in the footsteps of people like that. There was a time when I wanted to be a wrestler.. but at the age of 12, I began rapping… created a group called ‘The GoodFellaz’ with 2 friends from the neighborhood I lived in and we started handing out mixtapes at school. Our group lasted a couple years & then we all went on to do separate things. Read more>>