When Mariah Frisella first learned of the app PublicSq on social media, she was intrigued.
The app was a “pro-life, pro-freedom and pro-family” platform that rallied against “woke” politics and promoted “values-aligned businesses.”
As a small business owner with a similar mindset, it felt like a perfect match. After doing some research of her own, Frisella decided to add her Hooksett-based intravenous therapy business, Origin Wellness Co., to the app.
“I really do align with the values of freedom and patriotism on PublicSq,” she said. “And I really like that there’s a business out there that’s promoting other businesses, those made-in-America businesses that promote freedom.”
Hailed as a conservative alternative to Amazon, PublicSq seeks to connect “freedom-loving” consumers and businesses. Consumers join by downloading the app and creating a free account.
“Tired of supporting companies with a woke agenda?,” the app tells users. “PublicSq does the vetting for you so you can be more intentional with your spending without compromising on quality.”
To add a business, owners must agree to manufacture as many products as possible in the United States and align with the values of PublicSq, including, “Our constitution is non-negotiable” and, “We will always protect the family unit.”
Since the app launched on July 4, 2022, over 55,000 businesses have joined nationwide. In Concord and the surrounding towns, dozens of businesses are listed. They cover a wide range of services, from computer repairs to healthcare to home improvement.
Shares of the company went public last week as PublicSq CEO Michael Seifert rang the bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange flanked by investors including Donald Trump Jr.
Allison Driscoll, a Concord realtor who added her business last year, said she views PublicSq as a response to similar value-aligned shopping on the left.
“To me, it’s crazy when companies go overly political,” she said. “But it’s happening more and more that people are making intentional purchases with companies that align with them, on either side. So I think there’s going to be a lot more of businesses announcing where they stand and people making purchasing decisions because of that.”
Driscoll thinks the importance of value-aligned shopping depends on the product or service. She said she doesn’t care much about the political stance of her grocery store, for example. But real estate is different.
“A house is the most expensive thing you own,” she said. “So having someone who gets you and your values, who understands the community you want to be in… it’s important for people to know that I get their concerns.”
Joshua Meyrowitz, a professor of communication at the University of New Hampshire, said companies like PublicSq are finding footing as a result of the country’s increasingly value-based political climate, but he doubts it will add to the division that already exists.
“Buying things from like-minded businesses is not going to add that much polarization, in my view, just as buying from Amazon doesn’t mute the polarization,” he said in an email. “The polarization is already there – and that polarization is what is stimulating this startup.”
Frisella’s Hooksett business has been on PublicSq for six months. Since joining, she said, a few clients have come in after finding her on the platform.
Frisella is a registered nurse who left corporate nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic over concerns about vaccine mandates. She created Origin Wellness Co. to offer an alternative to mainstream medicine.
“I believe in medical freedom,” she said. “I really wanted to provide a space where somebody could come in, they don’t need to wear masks, they don’t need to show any kinds of vaccine cards, and they can truly feel comfortable discussing want they want to in our space without any judgment.”
Still, Frisella said, Origin Wellness Co. serves clients of all political affiliations. Despite her personal values, she said she “sees people of all walks of life and we respect any of that.”
At a time when the share of Americans who interact with members of the opposing political party has fallen, and vilifying others who have opposing viewpoints has become more common, the app could prove to be a double-edged sword by promoting a like-minded commercial space for conservatives, but furthering the country’s bitter political division.
But Frisella is confident in the app’s purpose. “I don’t think the intent is to divide,” she said. “I think it’s to bring light to small businesses and continue to support them, and hopefully that in and of itself doesn’t create division.”
Here’s a list of Concord-area businesses on PublicSq:
■Nexus Realty New Hampshire
■Kick Back Detailing
■Allison Driscoll – Realtor
■Pedro B. Avila Contractors
■Bendrite, LLC
■Computer Repair Today – Freelance Computing Inc.
■Fortress13 Custom Works
■Wood Hawk, LLC
■Cr8 Fitness
■Integrative Wellness Solutions
■Hoar’ray Event Coordination
■Loudonshire Farm
■Hackleboro Orchards
■Illuminated Electric
■Hallmark Home Improvements, Inc.
■Edwards Mill Cabinetry
■Blissmade Furniture Co.
■Eastgrove Media
■Hooksett Rent-a-Tool
■G&I Auto Service
■Leaf Guard of New England
■Origin Wellness Co.
These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.
Current Issue - April 2024