What is visible support?

It’s the difference between thinking you support someone and actually showing it. Support that isn’t seen or heard doesn’t land. It stays in your head instead of fueling someone else.

I’ve been creating content for a while now. And before that, my Instagram was pretty popping, my Facebook too. I was the comedian; the one people followed for laughs. But here’s the thing… sometimes I’d run into people at the grocery store, people I hadn’t heard from in forever, and they’d come up to me and say, “Oh my gosh, I love your stuff. You’re so funny. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

And I’d just stand there, shocked as hell. Because I never knew they were even watching. They never commented. Never liked. Never shared. Never texted. Just quietly consuming.

And it hit me in three ways:

First, thank you. Truly. I needed to hear that.

Next, I wish they would’ve let me know sooner. Through a reaction. A comment. A repost. A text. A phone call. Anything to make it visible.

And third, it made me realize there are more people supporting me than I’ll ever know. They just aren’t showing it.

And that’s what I mean when I say visible support matters. Because yes, I enjoy creating. But visible support is fuel. It’s what keeps the tank full. It lets you know your work is landing, that it’s not just floating out there into the void.

And here’s the thing, this isn’t just about content. It’s about life. It’s about relationship-building. Because relationships don’t run on invisible support. They run on the visible kind.

No Visible Support Can Discontinue What You Love

Take the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. I was at the Cowboys vs. Falcons preseason game (Cowboys won, by the way), and I couldn’t help but notice: the cheerleaders. Branded as America’s Sweethearts. Always there. Always sharp, smiling, polished. But the applause? The visible support? It wasn’t really for them. It was for the players.

And don’t get me wrong, the players deserve their shine. But I couldn’t help thinking: if the Cowboys ever tried to cut the cheerleaders, you’d suddenly see people rushing to defend them. Visible support would come out in full force. But why does it take losing something to show love for it?

It’s like the Choco Taco. Remember that? Everybody swore they loved it… but they weren’t buying it. Then it got discontinued and suddenly the internet was crying. But thinking about support doesn’t keep anything alive. Only visible support does.

And it’s not just about football games or ice cream novelties. It’s about us. At work. With our friends. With our coworkers. You can admire somebody all day long, but if you don’t make it visible, if you don’t react, comment, or say something, then they don’t know. And if they don’t know, it doesn’t count.

Closing

Visible support doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it takes less than 10 seconds. A Slack reaction. A quick shoutout. A little “hey, I see you.” That one tiny act tells somebody, you matter. And do you know what that does? It gives them more fuel. Ten seconds from you could give them 60 seconds of energy. Maybe a whole day of it.

Visible support is how you give people their flowers while they’re still here. Not literally, but in the everyday ways that matter, a comment, a reaction, a word of encouragement. Because if you keep it hidden, it’s not support at all.

And just like the Choco Taco, don’t let the people or the things you enjoy quietly disappear because you never showed your support along the way. Your visible support could be the very thing that keeps them going.