Entrepreneurship | The app that makes asking for help easier
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 9:49 am
Asking for help is hard because being vulnerable is hard. Entrepreneur Sarah-Allen Preston launched an app to help people who feel like they're falling apart, but are struggling to lean on their community for a helping hand. Preston shares how her own traumatic experiences pushed her to find a solution to help others create an online support system and accept help in non-traditional ways when they need it most.
By Tamara Franklin , Contributor
When Sarah-Allen Preston shared her big idea, several people in her professional network told her not to pursue it. Not because it was a bad concept, but because it would be a big undertaking, especially for a mother of three.
Preston launched his Afloat app to help people who feel like they are sinking. It allows users to create an online support system and send or receive help.
“I’m very tenacious,” Preston admits. “When I have a hunch about something I really believe in, I need to go for it. So, when I heard people say, ‘Oh, this is kind of scary,’ I was like, ‘No, I’m doing it. ’ And I focused on all the positive feedback.”
When life gives you lemons… Make your neighbor lemonade
Preston isn’t your typical tech entrepreneur. In 2017, she ran a successful event design and production company, constantly running from venue to venue around Kansas City, juggling all the little details that go into dream weddings and other high-end events. Then, something happened that stopped her in her tracks.
At just 5 months old, her youngest son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and needed open-heart surgery. “That rocked my world,” Preston says. “It threw me into the first big loop of my life where I felt so out of control and I really leaned on my community to support me for the first time and in a big way.”
Her friends, family and community rallied around her, giving her the love and support she needed to lead her family. But even as she went through one of the most difficult times of her life, she was able to look beyond her own pain to see the suffering of others.
She couldn't help but notice that patients often had one or two caregivers and no other visitors came by to offer support or relief.
When his son was diagnosed, Preston began receiving regular massages for stress how to get vietnam number for whatsapp During these appointments, he developed a good relationship with his massage therapist, communicating openly about a variety of topics, including his time in the hospital.
“I had a conversation with my massage therapist, and she mentioned that students had to complete a certain amount of community service hours before they could get their massage certification,” she recalls. “And I just came from this hospital with all these stressed-out, hospitalized caregivers who didn’t have the support network that I had, and I thought, How cool would it be if we could connect these massage therapists who need to fill hours with these people who don’t have anyone there for them right now?”
Preston set up a meeting with the hospital's family resource center. They loved the idea, so she made it happen.
They now offer massage services to inpatient caregivers every Tuesday at the hospital's Kreamer Resource Center.
She couldn't believe how good it felt to help others. This experience planted a seed that she kept in her mind as her son's health improved, and her life finally returned to normal.
When you need help, ask for help
Two years later, Preston’s life was in chaos once again. She made the difficult decision to end her marriage, and, this time, she chose to suffer in silence. When her son was in trouble, she leaned on her network, but when he was suffering, she chose to isolate herself from her network. “I had the same support network, but I didn’t want to access it because I wasn’t ready to be vulnerable about it yet.”
She thought to herself, “I wish I could just send out a signal for help, like dinner for my kids, no questions asked – there should be an app for that!” Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Preston sprang into action. That’s when the idea for Afloat became a reality.
“It started as a way to raise your hand if you needed help,” he explains. “Or if you’re a friend who has the ability to give, you can go on the app and look for ways to help and give back to your friends, your neighbors, your church, your school, whatever community you’re a part of.”
Together with a partner, Preston used his own money to hire a developer to create the beta version of the app’s simple interface. Upon downloading it, users are guided through a short onboarding process that gathers basic information. They then receive recommendations to join groups nearby or with similar interests to their own, or are asked to create a group themselves.
Once a user is part of a group, they simply tap the plus sign at the bottom of the home screen, allowing them to “ask” or “give” help. Requests appear in group feeds, and any “ Afloat ” a user is currently occupying will populate at the top of their home screen. To send someone a gift, the user would go to the person’s profile within the group and select the gift icon. From there, they are redirected to stores where they can choose what they want to send. If the giftee shared their address during registration, there is no need to include any contact information.
“Everyone I talked to was like, ‘Yeah, I need help sometimes, but I don’t want to ask for it. ’ And it’s always women because we’re used to carrying everything on our backs. And we’re like, ‘No, I’m fine. I’ve got this. ’ So we built this app to be so empowering, so easy, and a place where you don’t feel afraid to reach out and ask for help.”
“I think everyone needs to break that barrier. Whether it’s a group text, whether it’s to my best friends, people I’ve known for years, I wasn’t going to text them and say, ‘Hey, I’m having a bad day. Can you bring me dinner? ’” she says.
For many people, that hesitation to seek help is a daily struggle. In his book, All You Have to Do Is Ask, Wayne Baker, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, writes, “We often underestimate people’s willingness to help us. And we often unnecessarily limit ourselves when we’re first turned down.” Afloat is working hard to change that.
Moving forward…
Following a round of funding, the Afloat app emerged from beta in November 2020. The new version gives it a boost, intentionally bringing small businesses into the equation.
Imagine someone in your network posting, “I need a dozen cookies for my son’s bake sale tomorrow – I’m stuck at work!” You could respond to this request by tapping, “I’m on it!” and then fulfill the request in a couple of different ways: You could buy some cookies at the store or bake them yourself and drop them off at the requester’s home; or, since Afloat has a cookie artisan as one of its “gift partners,” you could purchase the cookies and arrange for delivery, all within the app.
Afloat has a growing list of gift partners, including a florist, a chef, a pastry chef and a jeweler, all of whom are mothers. “Mothers, I think, really understand the need for help and appreciate it,” says Preston.
Social media done right
Preston can’t help but wonder what the need for an app that makes it easier for people to ask their inner circles for help says about society. “Take a look at the Social Dilemma on Netflix,” he says. “We missed the step where social media actually allows you to connect. We went from being really connected to being socially disconnected. Everyone inherently has the same questions about social media – why is it so shallow? Why am I not connecting with people?”
“So I think an app like this is really important because it brings positive action to a technological space. Like when you can get a workout class on your phone. That’s something actionable. It diffuses anxiety; it starts a positive domino effect,” says Preston.
“We hope to do the same with this kind of market of good things, whether it’s helping your neighbor because she had to run to the grocery store and needs you to take care of her children. Even a small step like that can make a big difference for someone.”
Unlike traditional social media, Preston says, “Afloat is not about likes. It’s about really giving back to people and connecting with them, connecting with their communities, and with businesses in a more authentic way.”
As we close out one of the most chaotic years in history, it is clear that, more than ever, we need to lean on each other to stay afloat.
By Tamara Franklin , Contributor
When Sarah-Allen Preston shared her big idea, several people in her professional network told her not to pursue it. Not because it was a bad concept, but because it would be a big undertaking, especially for a mother of three.
Preston launched his Afloat app to help people who feel like they are sinking. It allows users to create an online support system and send or receive help.
“I’m very tenacious,” Preston admits. “When I have a hunch about something I really believe in, I need to go for it. So, when I heard people say, ‘Oh, this is kind of scary,’ I was like, ‘No, I’m doing it. ’ And I focused on all the positive feedback.”
When life gives you lemons… Make your neighbor lemonade
Preston isn’t your typical tech entrepreneur. In 2017, she ran a successful event design and production company, constantly running from venue to venue around Kansas City, juggling all the little details that go into dream weddings and other high-end events. Then, something happened that stopped her in her tracks.
At just 5 months old, her youngest son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and needed open-heart surgery. “That rocked my world,” Preston says. “It threw me into the first big loop of my life where I felt so out of control and I really leaned on my community to support me for the first time and in a big way.”
Her friends, family and community rallied around her, giving her the love and support she needed to lead her family. But even as she went through one of the most difficult times of her life, she was able to look beyond her own pain to see the suffering of others.
She couldn't help but notice that patients often had one or two caregivers and no other visitors came by to offer support or relief.
When his son was diagnosed, Preston began receiving regular massages for stress how to get vietnam number for whatsapp During these appointments, he developed a good relationship with his massage therapist, communicating openly about a variety of topics, including his time in the hospital.
“I had a conversation with my massage therapist, and she mentioned that students had to complete a certain amount of community service hours before they could get their massage certification,” she recalls. “And I just came from this hospital with all these stressed-out, hospitalized caregivers who didn’t have the support network that I had, and I thought, How cool would it be if we could connect these massage therapists who need to fill hours with these people who don’t have anyone there for them right now?”
Preston set up a meeting with the hospital's family resource center. They loved the idea, so she made it happen.
They now offer massage services to inpatient caregivers every Tuesday at the hospital's Kreamer Resource Center.
She couldn't believe how good it felt to help others. This experience planted a seed that she kept in her mind as her son's health improved, and her life finally returned to normal.
When you need help, ask for help
Two years later, Preston’s life was in chaos once again. She made the difficult decision to end her marriage, and, this time, she chose to suffer in silence. When her son was in trouble, she leaned on her network, but when he was suffering, she chose to isolate herself from her network. “I had the same support network, but I didn’t want to access it because I wasn’t ready to be vulnerable about it yet.”
She thought to herself, “I wish I could just send out a signal for help, like dinner for my kids, no questions asked – there should be an app for that!” Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Preston sprang into action. That’s when the idea for Afloat became a reality.
“It started as a way to raise your hand if you needed help,” he explains. “Or if you’re a friend who has the ability to give, you can go on the app and look for ways to help and give back to your friends, your neighbors, your church, your school, whatever community you’re a part of.”
Together with a partner, Preston used his own money to hire a developer to create the beta version of the app’s simple interface. Upon downloading it, users are guided through a short onboarding process that gathers basic information. They then receive recommendations to join groups nearby or with similar interests to their own, or are asked to create a group themselves.
Once a user is part of a group, they simply tap the plus sign at the bottom of the home screen, allowing them to “ask” or “give” help. Requests appear in group feeds, and any “ Afloat ” a user is currently occupying will populate at the top of their home screen. To send someone a gift, the user would go to the person’s profile within the group and select the gift icon. From there, they are redirected to stores where they can choose what they want to send. If the giftee shared their address during registration, there is no need to include any contact information.
“Everyone I talked to was like, ‘Yeah, I need help sometimes, but I don’t want to ask for it. ’ And it’s always women because we’re used to carrying everything on our backs. And we’re like, ‘No, I’m fine. I’ve got this. ’ So we built this app to be so empowering, so easy, and a place where you don’t feel afraid to reach out and ask for help.”
“I think everyone needs to break that barrier. Whether it’s a group text, whether it’s to my best friends, people I’ve known for years, I wasn’t going to text them and say, ‘Hey, I’m having a bad day. Can you bring me dinner? ’” she says.
For many people, that hesitation to seek help is a daily struggle. In his book, All You Have to Do Is Ask, Wayne Baker, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, writes, “We often underestimate people’s willingness to help us. And we often unnecessarily limit ourselves when we’re first turned down.” Afloat is working hard to change that.
Moving forward…
Following a round of funding, the Afloat app emerged from beta in November 2020. The new version gives it a boost, intentionally bringing small businesses into the equation.
Imagine someone in your network posting, “I need a dozen cookies for my son’s bake sale tomorrow – I’m stuck at work!” You could respond to this request by tapping, “I’m on it!” and then fulfill the request in a couple of different ways: You could buy some cookies at the store or bake them yourself and drop them off at the requester’s home; or, since Afloat has a cookie artisan as one of its “gift partners,” you could purchase the cookies and arrange for delivery, all within the app.
Afloat has a growing list of gift partners, including a florist, a chef, a pastry chef and a jeweler, all of whom are mothers. “Mothers, I think, really understand the need for help and appreciate it,” says Preston.
Social media done right
Preston can’t help but wonder what the need for an app that makes it easier for people to ask their inner circles for help says about society. “Take a look at the Social Dilemma on Netflix,” he says. “We missed the step where social media actually allows you to connect. We went from being really connected to being socially disconnected. Everyone inherently has the same questions about social media – why is it so shallow? Why am I not connecting with people?”
“So I think an app like this is really important because it brings positive action to a technological space. Like when you can get a workout class on your phone. That’s something actionable. It diffuses anxiety; it starts a positive domino effect,” says Preston.
“We hope to do the same with this kind of market of good things, whether it’s helping your neighbor because she had to run to the grocery store and needs you to take care of her children. Even a small step like that can make a big difference for someone.”
Unlike traditional social media, Preston says, “Afloat is not about likes. It’s about really giving back to people and connecting with them, connecting with their communities, and with businesses in a more authentic way.”
As we close out one of the most chaotic years in history, it is clear that, more than ever, we need to lean on each other to stay afloat.