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.

Aaryn Russell

It’s a very interesting line to walk with friends and family. Family, has supported me throughout my life and generally, they are already on it. With friends, it’s a bit more tricky for a few reasons. Many of my friends are artists themselves and so it is more of a community lift, rather than financial support. Read more>>

CaLandra Gibson Fields

Hmm, so that’s an interesting question. Read more>>

RONEKA TURNER

Well, we absolutely DO NOT ask our family and friends for any handouts. Now, what I can say is that our friends and family have been VERY SUPPORTIVE from the beginning. “The price is the price when it comes to the them!!” lol We have not had anyone to ask for any discounts or hook ups. We do have a few that try to get us to bend the rules. Read more>>

Lea Barkley

I believe asking your friends and family to support your business is huge when you are just starting out. I know I would not be where I am today without all of their support. They are my biggest cheerleaders. When I wanted to make DogFish full time, the first thing I did was turn to my family. I knew if I continued trying to just do as a side hustle that I would not dedicate time to it. So I saved up some money, came up with a strict time line and then went to my family. Read more>>

Bailey Brodie

Majority of the business I obtain is through family, friends, and family friends. For instance, the individual who nominated me is one of my closest friends and the most supportive person for my business. I try not to make my family and friends my billboard, but if they think I do a good job, that is the best advertisement going forward. Read more>>

Goddess Bae

When I first started my brand, I had high expectations of my family and friends supporting it. I felt as if they should be sharing my content, telling people about my products, and purchasing the products that they could benefit from. I found myself annoyed a lot of times when their support did not match the expectation that I had. Read more>>

Rachel DAlessandro

Family and friends are the sole reason as to why my business has taken off! I first started Muni Crews back in 2021, when I posted a Muni Lot crewneck I made for myself on my Instagram story. I had a handful of friends and family message me asking if they could buy one, and the rest is history! Read more>>

Ana Torres

Friends & Family, if anything I’ve learned that sometimes as much as love as their can be between y’all. They are sometimes the ones that don’t support you. Don’t get me wrong 2 out of 10 would be the ratio on who support you fully without trying to ask for a discount or free things the rest well. Read more>>

Jecsy Lorena Ledman

As a beginner, I asked friends to practice and create my portfolio, everyone was very supportive, and from there as I learned and began to generate income, I started to create my contracts and have boundaries when taking photos for people close to me. From there draw the line, it is better to have everything clear and know what your limits are as well as your friends, but I have never had any bad experience with close people, as I said before everyone has supported me from day one. Read more>>