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.

Anne Samuelle Naissa

I’ve always appreciated my parents’ generosity regarding financial support. I’m not saying my parents have it, but they’ve sacrificed to provide. I will forever express gratitude, but outside of monetary compassion, support for me looks and feels like emotional nourishment. My mother and father were not equipped with the tools to be emotionally aware. Read more>>

T Rose

Do it! Those should be the first people you’re able to go to. Let them know what you have going on, what you need , and they many ways they can support. Send that text , send that email , tag them on social media . In the past I’ve sent my flyers for the nights that I’ve headlined shows in every group chat I’m apart of so that they know what’s coming up and they showed up , they posted the flyer themselves , if they couldn’t make it they brought tickets anyway. Read more>>

Juanita Saldana

Asking your friends and family to support your business can be tough but I truly believe a stranger will support you way more then friends and family and that’s okay because they are not your ideal audience. A simple share or word of mouth would be great and very appropriative but I don’t expect my friends and family to come get serviced by me because not everyone gets lash extensions, teeth whitening services done or it’s not for them or that can’t afford it and that is completely okay! Read more>>

Asya Beckley

My family and friends knows I’m an international photographer. I promote advertise myself very well I love networking. I’ve been booked just about everywhere I could dream of by complete strangers so I feel that I shouldn’t have to ask my own family to support my business. From my experiences with doing so they would lie and say they would or ask for discounts just because we were family but at the end of the day go book someone and pay full price. Read more>>

Ariel Jewell

There is definitely a fine line when it comes to asking friends and family to support your business. I often have difficulty with this one. I’m a Paramedic so I work with a lot of police officers, firefighters, and other Paramedics. The vast majority of my friends, are in fact, public safety. When I see them out and about at my events it feels weird to ask your friends for money when they want to buy your products! I often find myself giving huge discounts because it just seems wrong to take their money. Read more>>

Estefany Camacho

My mission is to preserve in a photograph the energy of the artist on stage as well as his music. Read more>>

Marya Wright

I’m truly blessed. I have a handful of amazing people in my life who genuinely want to see me succeed and are willing to go above and beyond to support my visions. Can you believe it? They selflessly work on my business projects, expecting nothing in return. I can’t thank them enough! Read more>>

Jezurine Paulsen

When it comes to asking my family and friends to support my business, it can be a delicate balance between maintaining a personal relationship and promoting my own professional wants. There are a few ways I ask my family and friends to support me and that could be through sharing my work through social media or through word-of-mouth. I do respect their boundaries by not pressuring them or guilt tripping them into supporting me; if they share my work or tell their friends about me then that alone shows how much they care about me and my work. Read more>>