A Letter from the Founder

I’m Tyler, the founder of SendAFriend. I’m a young entrepreneur with a drive for creativity and a desire to lead a happy life. SendAFriend is the result of everything I’ve made and sold since middle school, and proof to me that positive thinking works.

About Me

My entrepreneurial spirit formed before I really knew what being an ‘entrepreneur’ meant. As a middle schooler, I made duct tape wallets and other goods to sell to my classmates. I kept a notebook tracking my orders and profit. It grew so large that my teachers caught wind and, though they were proud of my ambition, they put an end to my little business. Even at that age, the money wasn’t the point. It was fun to make something and watch other people enjoy it.

That creative drive grew into a love of graphic design in high school. I spent hours perfecting logos for my first clients. I remember the day I saw someone wearing a t-shirt I had designed. Bringing an idea to life like that was rewarding in a way nothing else had been.

I didn’t know it then, but every duct tape wallet and every Photoshop file was practice for SendAFriend.

The Idea

The idea came to me on a routine drive home, not in a boardroom and not from a problem-solution need like you see countless times on Shark Tank. The name popped into my head, “Send A Friend,” and I knew immediately it was something special. I’m not sure what triggered it. Maybe a billboard I read while driving, maybe something already on my mind. It was one of those rare moments where my intuition clicked. It was a great name.

When I got home, I started on the logo. It took shape fast, playful and heartfelt, and it’s the same logo you see today. The slogan “Someone Loves You” came shortly after, and it said everything I wanted the business to stand for. From there I dove into product research, figuring out how to source the perfect stuffed animals that would become the ‘friends’ at SendAFriend.

That first night, I realized I had stumbled onto something meaningful. SendAFriend hinged on buying something for someone else, not for yourself. One key to finding my own happiness, I thought, might be in helping other people find theirs.

Building the Brand

The weeks that followed were fun and hard. I spent endless hours on the details, from the box designs to the website photos, and kept coming back to one question: will this bring a smile to someone’s face?

Soon I realized I’d need help packing and shipping. My mom had recently left her job and, knowing I was looking to start a business, she had jokingly asked me to create a position for her. When I shared my vision for SendAFriend, she was immediately in.

Together we built the packaging process for our fluffy friends and set up a small packing station in my brother’s old bedroom. From that day forward, my mom managed every order.

After six months of work, we were ready. On July 13, 2018, we launched online and sent our first ‘friends’ out into the world. I was proud, excited, and more than a little nervous.

Perseverance Pays Off

The first two years tested my persistence. Some weeks we shipped two or three care packages, and I started to wonder if the dream was too big and too idealistic. I tried everything I could think of to grow: social media, local events, word of mouth. Nothing stuck. By 2019 I had put thousands of dollars of my savings in, with nothing to show for it.

But something inside me refused to give up. I truly believed SendAFriend could make a difference in people’s lives, and every heartfelt message I read in an order kept me going. If I could get the word out, I was sure people would love SendAFriend as much as I did.

Then, in late 2019, I discovered Facebook advertising. I found a partner to help set up my account and my first ads. Within a few weeks of going live, we went from a few orders per week to a few orders every hour. I’ll never forget the night I sat at my computer scrolling through order after order, reading the notecards people were sending with their gifts. It made me tear up.

A Global Pandemic

A few months into that success, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As lockdowns spread and people got cut off from the ones they loved, orders climbed, and so did the messages: “I miss you,” “I wish I could see you again,” “Since we can’t hug, I hope you’ll hug this bear.” Our stuffed animals were offering comfort when people couldn’t be together.

The growth was bittersweet. It was hard to reconcile our success with the hardships so many people were facing. But we were helping people stay connected, and 2020 and 2021 reinforced why SendAFriend exists. We were sending love to the people who needed it most.

Where We Are Today

SendAFriend has grown past anything I pictured on that drive home. As of late 2024, we’ve helped over one million people send happiness around the world, and our team has grown to more than 30 people who care about this as much as I do.

What I’m most proud of is that everything, from the products to the customer experience, is built around spreading positivity. We’ve also donated over $1.6 million to more than 100 nonprofit organizations and delivered tens of thousands of care packages to hospitals, foster families, and domestic abuse shelters. Giving back has been the best part of growing.

We’ve stayed close to our roots. My mom still oversees fulfillment, making sure every package goes out with love. We put the same care into every order that we did when we shipped a few packages a week, and we still believe a small act of kindness can change someone’s day.

Moving Forward

My hope for SendAFriend is simple. I want us to keep being a source of smiles, comfort, and love when people need it most. Whether you’re celebrating a joyous occasion, supporting someone through a hard stretch, or reminding a person that they matter, we’re here to help you say ‘Someone Loves You.’

Thank you for being part of this.

Tyler M, Founder