Today we’d like to introduce you to Tell A Friend.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Tell a Friend started in 2019 out of a desire to create something that felt more real and intentional within Nashville’s social scene. As the founder, Ivan “Uncle Ivo” Andrews, I felt like a lot of nightlife experiences were becoming repetitive and distracted. People were present physically, but not really present with each other. Everything was about recording, performing, and going through the motions instead of actually connecting.
I wanted to build something that brought people back into the moment.
So I started Tell a Friend as a phone conscious, experience driven event series designed to help people show up as themselves, connect with others, and actually enjoy where they are instead of documenting it. It wasn’t just about throwing parties. It was about creating energy, intention, and community in a way that felt missing in the city.
From the beginning, it was very grassroots. I brought together a small circle of friends and creatives I trusted, people like Tatiana Johnson, Elliot Helm, Marisha Page, Zeryus Hall, Ashley West, and others. We started building ideas together and figuring it out as we went. Our first events were intentionally private feeling and curated, hosted in spaces like Home in East Nashville, where we could control the energy and create something elevated but still comfortable.
Early on, we also leaned into innovation around the phone free concept. We explored tools like Milk It App and later partnered with Yondr Pouches to help support a more present experience. That idea of presence became one of the foundations of the brand.
Like many small creative ventures, we were gaining momentum when the pandemic hit in 2020. That pause actually became a turning point. It forced me to slow down, reflect, and think deeply about what kind of impact we really wanted to have. During that time, we hosted virtual experiences to stay connected, but it also helped reshape the long term vision of Tell a Friend.
When we came back in 2021, we started rebuilding through community centered experiences like We Grillin, which felt like a modern version of a cookout. From there, the brand really expanded into what it is now, a lifestyle driven event production company that creates experiences like Movies After Dark, Steady Splashin Sundays – A Urban Pool Party, Adult Field Days, and more intentional cultural gatherings.
Over time, we realized we weren’t just an event series. We were becoming a lifestyle brand and a community platform. We now also operate a community events board that helps spotlight other creatives and experiences happening in Nashville, especially those serving Black and Brown communities in ways that often go unseen.
Today, Tell a Friend is about more than events. It is about creating spaces where people feel seen, connected, and proud of their community. Everything we do is still rooted in that original intention, helping people slow down, be present, and leave with the feeling that they found their people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Anything meaningful rarely is.
From the start, we have had to navigate real challenges like the pandemic shutting everything down right as momentum was building. That forced us to pause events entirely and figure out how to stay connected to our community without the thing we were known for. It pushed us into virtual experiences, rethinking how we show up, and honestly, learning how to stay relevant in a season where nothing felt certain.
Outside of that, one of the biggest ongoing challenges has been learning how to properly value what we do. Early on, a lot of it came from a place of love for the community, so we were very open and accessible. Over time, we had to grow into understanding the business side of it, how to price our work, how to structure partnerships, and how to stop underestimating the value of our platform.
There is also been the personal side of it. Building Tell a Friend has required a lot of internal growth, learning how to deal with burnout, how to set boundaries, and how to evolve as a leader while still staying grounded in the original intention. I had to learn that not everyone is meant to grow with you in the same way, and that sometimes relationships shift as the vision expands.
Funding has been another real challenge. We have built this independently for years, without heavy outside backing, so learning how to balance creativity with sustainability has been an ongoing process.
And then there is the reality of visibility, seeing the concept inspire others, sometimes without acknowledgment. But that is also taught me to stay rooted in what makes Tell a Friend different. Our value is not in being first to do something, it is in how intentionally we do it and how deeply it connects with people.
Even with all of that, every challenge has shaped the brand into what it is now, more structured, more intentional, and more aware of its purpose. I do not look at the struggles as setbacks anymore, they have been part of the foundation.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Tell a Friend is a Nashville based lifestyle and experience brand focused on creating intentional spaces for connection, culture, and community. What started as curated social experiences has grown into a platform that highlights and celebrates Black and Brown creativity through events, media, apparel, and community centered programming.
We are most known for creating experiences that feel intentional, welcoming, and culturally connected. Whether it is Movies After Dark, Adult Field Day, phone free experiences, or our weekly “Events This Week” platform, everything we create is centered around helping people feel present, seen, safe, and connected. We wanted to create spaces where people could show all dimensions of themselves outside of the traditional nightlife experience.
What sets Tell a Friend apart is that we have never been focused on just throwing parties. We are intentional about the energy, the people, the programming, the music, the hospitality, and the overall feeling people leave with afterwards. We believe experiences should feel meaningful, not performative. When somebody leaves one of our events, we want them to feel like they found their people and immediately want to do exactly what the name says: tell a friend.
One thing I am most proud of is the community that has been built around the brand over the last seven years. We have people who have grown with us from backyard movie nights to large scale community experiences, and seeing people continue to show up, support, and bring others into the fold means everything. We are also proud to operate independently while continuing to grow our reach, our impact, and our vision for what culturally intentional experiences can look like in Nashville.
At its core, Tell a Friend is about creating authentic experiences for people who want more than just something to do. We want people to feel connected to themselves, to community, and to the city around them in a real way.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important quality behind my success has been intentionality.
Everything I have built with Tell a Friend has come from being very intentional about how people feel, not just what they are doing. From the type of spaces we create, to the energy in the room, to the way people connect with each other, I have always cared more about the experience and the emotional impact than anything surface level.
That intentionality also shows up in how I move as a founder. I am very thoughtful about the decisions I make, the people I bring into the work, and the direction of the brand. Even when things have grown quickly or opportunities have come up, I have learned to pause and ask if it aligns with the long term vision and the type of community I want to serve.
I also think resilience is tied to that. Building something independently for this long requires you to stay grounded in your purpose, even when things get challenging, uncertain, or overwhelming. Intentionality has helped me not just react to opportunities, but build something that actually feels aligned and sustainable.
At the core, I would say my success comes from caring deeply about experience and being disciplined about staying true to that, even when it would be easier not to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tellafriend.vip/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tellafriendtotaf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tellafriendtotaf
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDepFyGVMRJHa0boJ5-tXUQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tellafriendtotaf
