What If Both Sides Of The Nantucket Influencer Discourse Are Missing The Point?

When a simple “No Influencers” sign hanging inside Four Winds Craft Guild in Nantucket went viral over the weekend, I assumed it would be one of those internet debates that would disappear after a day or two. Instead, it has become one of the biggest online conversations of the week.

On July 27, influencer Paige Lorenze commented on Four Winds Craft Guild’s Instagram post of the sign. “If you call yourself a feminist but proudly put up a ‘No Influencers’ sign, it’s worth asking who you are attempting to delegitimize, and why,” Lorenze wrote, correctly noting that influencing is a female-dominated industry and questioning why people are so quick to undermine it. The conversation quickly spiraled beyond one gift shop, turning into debates about feminism, privilege, tourism, and whether influencers deserve more respect as professionals, with many outraged content creators weighing in.

But one thing I think has gotten lost in this conversation is what Four Winds Craft Guild owner John Sylvia claims he was actually trying to communicate with the sign — and how much clearer he could have been. At face value, a sign reading “No Influencers” sounds like it’s targeting a specific group of people, which is never OK and understandably rubbed many people the wrong way. But in interviews following the backlash, Sylvia clarified that the sign was about certain behaviors associated with influencers (such as entering his shop for the sole purpose of creating content and not interacting with him at all) — he wasn’t actually banning influencers. “It was kind of tongue-in-cheek,” he said of his sign in a July 29 interview with The Cut. “It can be annoying, but, I mean, I’m not anti-influencers.”   

When I first saw this discourse, my initial reaction wasn’t to wonder whether the sign was offensive or not. Instead, I found myself thinking: If I owned a business, I’d probably want the freedom to curate my own environment, too — I’d just be a lot more intentional with how I communicated that. 

I’ve always had a dream of owning a small cafe (due in no small part to my obsession with matcha, coffee, and pastries). I picture it as a cozy neighborhood spot with mismatched mugs, handwritten menu boards, and regulars whose coffee orders I’d eventually memorize. I’ve always loved the idea of a space that people genuinely look forward to visiting — somewhere that feels warm, welcoming, and intentionally mine. If I spent all my time, energy, and money making my dream into a reality only to experience behaviors from customers that I felt was disrespectful toward me and my store, I’d probably be upset too. 

Do I think an exclusionary sign was necessary? No. There were plenty of other ways the shop owner could have communicated his point. As an aspiring business owner, I never do such a thing that directly calls out someone’s lifestyle or career and isolates them from attending my store — even if it was (sort of) a joke.

But I do get where he’s coming from in terms of how he wants his store to be known and experienced.

To be clear, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being an influencer. Content creation has become a legitimate career, and countless businesses have grown because creators shared their products online. I know I have gone to many places because I have seen one of my favorite influencers promoting it. I also don’t think every business owner has to participate in that ecosystem if they don’t want to. But they do have to respect those who do, even while laying out their ground rules.

At the end of the day, I don’t think this conversation is really about a sign. It’s about the balance between creating a space that reflects a business owner’s vision while ensuring that space remains welcoming to every person walking through the door.

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