Founder Friday: One of my most humiliating moments changed the way I built Hairbrella.
Happy Founder Friday!
Last week, I shared my version of the viral Netflix documentary trend—and told the story behind one of the most humiliating moments of my journey.
There have been a few painful moments over the years, but this one hit me particularly hard.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to pitch Hairbrella to Emma Grede. During the pitch, she looked at the Classic and asked:
“Who would want to wear that?”
My heart dropped in a way I had never felt before.
Of course, I had received plenty of no’s. That comes with entrepreneurship. But none had ever made me feel quite so foolish for trying in the first place.
By then, I had already left my career as a corporate attorney to pursue Hairbrella. Years earlier, during a chance meeting at an Atlanta restaurant, I had told Sara Blakely about my idea. Her encouragement gave me the confidence to spend my savings filing the patent application and keep moving forward.
I knew every investor wouldn’t understand the vision. But I had never had someone challenge the product so directly—or so bluntly. 😣
After the pitch, I climbed Runyon Canyon and wrote a post trying to psych myself back up because, truthfully, the experience had rocked me to my core.
“And we know that all things work together for good…”
I believed that scripture. But in that moment, I struggled to understand how something that hurt so badly could possibly be working for mine.
So I prayed and asked God to help me make sense of it.
And eventually, I had to confront an uncomfortable question: Why did the comment hurt my feelings so badly?
The honest answer was that, for some customers, it might have been true. Some women simply wouldn’t want to wear the Classic.
Now, before my Classic girls come for me, let me be very clear:
The Classic is still that girl.💯
And it was almost as though a voice asked me:
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
Was I going to sulk—or was I going to create something that she, and women like her, would wear?
If I truly wanted Hairbrella to own the hair-protection category, I needed to design for anyone who wanted to protect their hair—regardless of their style or preference.
So I got to work.
That challenge pushed me outside of my design comfort zone and helped shape products like the Rain Scarf, Rain Bonnét, Sou’wester and Bandana Sport—styles that offer the same uncompromising protection through completely different silhouettes. Hairbrella’s current rain collection now gives customers far more ways to protect their hair in a style that feels like their own.
One mission. More ways to wear it.
I also changed the way we approached our photography and intentionally hired a model I love—hey, Karen!—who reminded me of Emma.
Design bigger. Get outside of your own taste. Create with more women in mind.
Since that pitch, Hairbrella has generated multiple eight figures in sales and been featured by Oprah’s Favorite Things, Allure, Forbes and many other publications I once dreamed about.
I’m proud of what we have accomplished, but I also have to give some credit to that painful moment. I’m not sure it would have shifted my design approach so dramatically if the feedback hadn’t been so tough.
When I shared the story last week, several people said I should have tagged Emma. Others reminded me that every investor does not have to see your vision—and I absolutely agree.
But what they didn’t know is that I’m not aggrieved by what happened.
Sometimes criticism is simply someone else’s opinion. But when certain feedback stays with you, there may be something in it meant to sharpen or expand your vision.
I didn’t share the post for Emma to acknowledge—or even see. I shared it for anyone who feels discouraged on their journey.
Whether you’re building a business, changing careers or pursuing a dream others don’t yet understand, hold fast to the belief that everything is working for your good—even when it doesn’t feel good.
I’m genuinely grateful for that moment now. I hope this story encourages you to keep going—and that you’ll allow Hairbrella to keep you covered along the way.
Rain or shine,
Tracey
Founder, Hairbrella
This weekend, take 25% off select rain-ready styles with code:
SHEWOULD
Because the answer to “Who would want to wear that?” was not to stop creating.
It was to create more.
Offer ends Sunday at midnight.
P.S. Know a founder, dreamer or business owner who needs this reminder? Please forward this email to them. Sometimes the word you need most is simply: keep going.
