Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliana Fetherman.
Hi Juliana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am Juliana Fetherman, I am 29 years old and I have started 4 businesses-yes, 4. Lets talk about it! I created an app that helps individuals with special needs make friends, Making Authentic Friendships, MAF, which are also my brothers initials. My brother Michael has autism and has always struggle to make and keep meaningful friendships, so I set out to change that. I was in college, and for some reason, didn’t find the task of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars at 19 years old daunting. Sometimes being nieve is a good thing. I crowdfunded, took investors, invested personally and created the app. It now serves 8,000 users in all 50 states and 75 countries, and has been featured on the Today Show, Lifetime, in Forbes, Entreprenuer Magazine and many more. A few years ago, I started MAF Foundation, a 501(c)3 Organiization n that works paralel to Making Authentic Friendships, helping individuals with special needs and their families access resources, live more fufiled lives, find connection and employment.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road. Starting a business is so unknown and there is so much risk. I have given up and sacrificed so much to see my businesses live on. Not only is the initial investment for app development astronomical, but so is the constant upkeep. This was a huge challenge for me. another challenge was getting users. I built a huge following on Instagram and still struggled to convert those to real users. The challenges you are bound to face along the way, are what make the best business owners.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Making Authentic Friendships?
As previously mentioned, I created Making Authentic Friendships, which is an app that enables individuals with special needs to make friends based on age, diagnosis, interest and location, as well as, a nonprofit for autism. I am known for my work with the special needs and autism communities, as well as, being the girl who has a lot of jobs. I think the thing that sets me apart is, i started a business around something that I lived for 25 years (talk about a case study). I think this makes me strategically able to know what is missing in the space and how to fix it. Additionally, I can consult with my brother when making decisions. Although I have been in Forbes and on the Today Show, and those are surely things to be proud of, that is not what I am most proud of. I am most proud that at 19 years old, I set out to fix a problem that I saw in my brothers life, and had one mission, and that mission was and continues to be, to help people. I have helped people, therefore, I have succeeded, and that is what I’m most proud of. A lot of people doubted that I could build a for-profit business that’s core value was helping people, and that’s what is most important for readers to know.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I have so much advice. The biggest advice is in order to succeed, you must be a healthy amount of delusional. Starting a company is extremely difficult, and comes with a lot of unknown and risks. (My second biggest advice is make sure your WHY for starting the business is very strong otherwise, you will most likely burn out and give up. The WHY has to keep you going, even on the worst days). But back to the main point, you have to believe you will succeed, no matter what. When I was pitching Forbes, Entreprenur Magazine, the Today Show and many other, highly sought after networks and publications, I was a nobody. No PR team, no big company backing, just a young girl with a strong why and knowing that what she was creating was so needed. I as so delusional, I said I’m going to cold call/email/message these people and they are going to care, and guess what? It worked. And once you land one, it’s much easier for others to follow. My biggest advice here, is when pitching to anyone, make sure you not only tell the story of what you do, but also why they should care. How is your story going to benefit them or their publication? That’s what you need to tell them.
Pricing:
- $4.99 a month
- $39.99 a year
Contact Info:
