Included in what, exactly?

Your friend isn’t your customer. They don’t owe you purchases, promotion, or participation while you’re grinding.

And the opposite is true too. Your friend isn’t automatically entitled to access, perks, or a spot in your success. Friendship and business are not the same thing.

Friends shouldn’t feel pressured to support something that doesn’t fit them. And they shouldn’t assume they automatically get a seat at the table once things work out. Success isn’t a shared prize just because someone knew you before it happened.

Too many people skip the work but still feel entitled to the outcome.

They didn’t put in the hours.

They didn’t take the risks.

They didn’t sacrifice sleep or time.

And then, once things start popping:

“We’re friends, so I should be included.”

“Don’t do me like that, thought we’re boys.”

“I hear your event is sold out, can I get on the guest list?”

Included in what, exactly?

Your success isn’t a group project. It’s not a reward for us being close.

Friends aren’t obligated to buy your stuff. And you aren’t obligated to share your wins or opportunities. It goes both ways.

If friendship isn’t supposed to be transactional on the way up, it shouldn’t become opportunistic at the top. You don’t owe anyone a piece of what you built just because they were around while you were building it.

The only confusion comes from people thinking being your friend automatically gives them access to your wins. It doesn’t.