When a Brand Sees You… Then Doesn’t

A woman standing in front of her wigs and smiling at the camera

I’m not gonna lie, this one stung.

Back in December, I reached out to a popular Canadian underwear brand.

Not in a casual, “hey let’s collab” kind of way. I put real thought into it. I shared my story. I talked about the gap in representation for women with hair loss, especially the kind most people don’t talk about: thinning, widening parts and patchy density.

The kind I’ve lived with since I was 15. The kind millions of women have and still don’t see reflected anywhere.

They responded.

They said they appreciated my work. They passed me to their marketing coordinator. I got another email asking for my portfolio and rates.

Honestly, I was excited.

I thought, this is it. This is the moment where a brand that already talks about inclusivity is actually going to include us.

Small problem: I didn’t even have a portfolio because I’d never done this before.

So I made one.

I spent hours pulling together past collaborations, figuring out rates, trying to present myself as someone who belonged in that space. I sent it off the next day.

She replied right away and said she’d review it and be in touch.

And then… nothing.

I followed up.

Nothing.

I followed up again.

Nothing.

One more time, just to be sure.

Still nothing. This was 4 months ago and I’ve never gotten a response.

Real talk

If they had come back and said, “Hey, this isn’t the right fit,” I would have respected that.

I expect no’s. I’m not for everyone.

But being ignored after being invited into the conversation hurt deeply.

It brought up a lot.

It made me feel like I had overstepped. Like I got too excited. Like I was naive for thinking this could actually happen.

It also made me question something bigger.

If a brand that positions itself around women’s comfort, bodies, and inclusivity can’t even close the loop on a conversation about representing women with hair loss, what does that say?

This wasn’t just about me modeling. This was about visibility for an entire community, and the women I work with every day who still feel like they have to hide.

So yeah, I took it personally, because this work is personal.

What I reminded myself after

A no is one thing.

Silence is something else. but neither of those get to decide the value of what I’m building.

Since then, I’ve gone on to work with brands like Cheekbone Beauty, Lav & Kush, and Elate Cosmetics. Brands that didn’t need convincing that representation matters. Brands that saw me and, more importantly, saw the importance of celebrating my community.

That’s the part I keep coming back to: the right brands don’t need a perfectly worded pitch. They get it.

Where I’m at now

I’m still going to reach out. I’m still going to pitch.

I’m still going to push for women with hair loss to be seen in spaces we’ve been left out of for way too long.

That part isn’t changing.

If anything, this just made it clearer.

Every time a door doesn’t open, it shows me exactly how much work there still is to do.

I’m not done; not even close.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever put yourself out there and felt ignored, overlooked, or like you didn’t matter, I get it.

That feeling is real, just don’t let it be the thing that makes you stop.

You are not alone.