People Support People Before They Support Brands
When I launched Rise & Rep a few months ago, I thought I was building an online store.
What I didn't expect was how much it would teach me about people.
Like many first-time founders, I had plenty of fears.
I worried people would think I was crazy for leaving a stable career to launch a business in a completely different industry.
I worried nobody would buy anything. I worried people would think I was trying to capitalize on the growth of women's sports rather than genuinely contribute to it.
Instead, something really cool happened.
People showed up.
My friends showed up. Former coworkers showed up. Acquaintances showed up. People I hadn't spoken to in years showed up.
The first order came from a former coworker who lived in another city. We weren't particularly close, which somehow made it even more meaningful. She believed in the idea, gave me feedback, and became my very first customer.
On launch day, Giancarlo and I were running on very little sleep after spending hours making sure the website worked properly. Seeing those first orders come in wasn't exciting because of the sales. It was exciting because it felt like validation.
"Maybe...I can actually do this".
Over the last few months, I've had several moments like that.
One of them happened during our first La Futbolera Watch Party.
With the support of Whitney Dobladillo from Peruvian Sisters and the incredible team at Blazers, one of New York City's first women's sports bars, we brought the event to life.
I'll never forget standing at the back of the packed room. People wearing jerseys from Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and other countries filled the space. Women, men, and allies had come together to support Latin women's soccer.
For the first time, I could see the community I had imagined standing right in front of me.
La Futbolera is slowly becoming a recurring event in New York City dedicated to celebrating Latina players and fans.
Another moment came through our 48 Countries, 48 Women event.
With the Men's World Cup approaching, everyone seemed to be hosting tournaments and soccer-themed events.
I wanted to do something different: what if we flipped the script and created a women's pickup event that brought together female and gender non-conforming players only? What if they came from or had ties to the countries participating in the World Cup?
The goal was ambitious: find 48 women from 48 countries in one month.
We ended up finding 45 women representing 32 countries. Many more applied to participate but we couldn't host them because of capacity.
What I'll remember most isn't that final number. It's how many people helped me along the way.
Players shared the event in WhatsApp groups I had no idea existed.
People connected me with their friends and teammates. Community members offered advice and feedback.
Others volunteered their time and talents simply because they believed the idea was worth supporting. (Iliana, from team FLO and Zaiditu from KENAME Sport, I see you.)
That experience reinforced the biggest lesson I've learned since starting Rise & Rep:
People support people before they support brands.
Looking back, that's what connects every meaningful moment from the last few months.
The first customers weren't buying from an established company. They were supporting me! Someone they believed in.
The people who helped organize events weren't doing it because Rise & Rep was a proven success. They were helping because they connected with the mission.
The volunteer photographers, thought partners, collaborators, and everyone who have contributed along the way all made a choice to invest their time, energy, and trust in something that is still taking shape.
And that's something I don't take lightly.
I've also learned that support doesn't always come from where you expect it. Some acquaintances became some of my biggest supporters. Some people I expected to hear from never really engaged at all.
That's okay.
People care about different things.
What matters is appreciating the people who do show up and continuing to move forward with the support you have.
If there's one thing I hope never changes about Rise & Rep, it's our connection to the fans who make women's sports impossible to ignore.
Athletes deserve recognition, investment, and opportunities. But so do the people who show up every day to support them.
The people who buy tickets, wear jerseys, bring friends to games, organize watch parties, and believe in women's sports long before everyone else does.
Those people are part of the story too.
Look, stadiums don't fill themselves. Communities don't build themselves. People make them happen.
And for everyone who has supported Rise & Rep so far: thank you.
Whether you bought a shirt, shared a post, attended an event, made an introduction, offered advice, or simply cheered us on from afar, you've helped shape what Rise & Rep is becoming.
I'm still figuring things out. I'm still learning. I'm still building.
But I'm incredibly grateful you're on this journey with me.
- Helen
