There was an interesting news story today about a small bakery called Oh Sweet Day in the province. Apparently, an NBA legend allegedly asked this small business to bake a cake for free for their son’s birthday party. The owner posted the request on social media, and it sparked outrage.
People were shocked because if someone is truly that famous and successful, you’d expect them to easily afford a birthday cake for their own child. The request for free work in exchange for “exposure” felt especially tone-deaf, since big celebrities typically partner with large brands for that kind of promotion, not struggling small businesses.
It makes you wonder two things: first, whether the request was even legitimate, and second, why someone with millions of dollars and massive publicity would still ask a small business to work for free. Many wealthy people became successful by being extremely frugal and maximizing free opportunities, but in this case, it crosses the line from frugal to cheap. When you’re in such a fortunate position, it feels like you should be supporting small businesses by paying them fairly, not asking them to give you free products.
This mindset is unfortunately common in creative fields, where artists and small creators are often told “do it for the exposure.” But exposure doesn’t pay the bills. The bakery seems to have handled it the right way by refusing, because at the end of the day, they still have to cover their costs.
It’s just surprising that someone allegedly that wealthy wouldn’t simply pay for the service.