The Rooms That Don’t See You — Yet
There is a particular kind of silence that exists in this industry.
Not the quiet of calm.
But the quiet of being unseen.
I was reminded of that this past weekend at BeautyMatter FUTURE50 Summit.
I attended like everyone else — paid my way in, sat at the tables, listened, observed. Nearly a thousand dollars for a dinner that, in theory, gathers the minds shaping the future of beauty.
And yet, there are layers to this industry that no panel fully addresses.
I was seated near the exit. A small detail, perhaps. Except it wasn’t. The chair didn’t quite fit the table. My legs didn’t go under properly. It wasn’t meant for someone to sit there — but there I was. I mentioned to a Beauty Matter agent— lightly — that my legs didn’t fit under the table. The seat wasn’t designed for someone to actually dine there. I couldn’t reach my plate comfortably.
The response was simple, almost dismissive:
Well… that’s your problem.
And in a way, it was.
Not because of the chair — but because of where I had been placed.
It was almost ironic.
I left The Manhatta Restaurant that night and went straight to The Corner Store in Soho — where I could finally sit, eat, and exist without adjustment.
So yes — that gives you a sense of how the evening unfolded.
And in that moment, it felt symbolic.
Because this is what building a brand from the outside often feels like.
Who Gets Seen
The beauty industry can be extraordinarily generous — but only to some.
If you are backed.
If you are known.
If you come from the right circles.
If you are a Uni or an Ines Forte of the world, the path is different. The rooms open differently. The conversations begin differently.
Capital finds you faster.
Credibility is assumed.
But when you build from discipline — from professional rigor, from years in another field, from intention — the reception is quieter.
Less immediate.
Less obvious.
And sometimes, almost invisible.
The Myth of the Overnight Brand
We like to tell stories in this industry.
We romanticize them.
But the truth is, very few brands are truly “discovered.”
Most are introduced — already validated by proximity, by capital, by access.
And yet, history tells a different story.
Estée Lauder did not begin with institutional backing. She built through persistence, through belief, through product, through presence.
That path still exists.
But it is no longer the one most amplified.
What Actually Moves the Needle
This weekend made something very clear to me:
Money moves the room.
But not necessarily the brand.
The “muscle” behind the industry — the capital, the networks, the introductions — undeniably accelerates visibility.
But it does not replace substance.
It does not replace formulation.
It does not replace discipline.
It does not replace intention.
And it certainly does not replace time.
Why I’m Still Here
I didn’t leave discouraged.
I left aware.
Aware that this industry can be cruel in its indifference when you are not backed by the expected narrative.
Aware that being a founder who comes from structure, from law, from building things correctly — is not always what the market immediately rewards.
But also aware that there is power in building differently.
Solsoller was never designed to be loud.
It was designed to be precise.
To be intentional.
To be built with rigor.
To respect skin that has lived.
A Different Kind of Story
This is not a story of overnight success.
It is a story of persistence in rooms that don’t immediately recognize you.
Of continuing to build when the signals are subtle.
Of choosing discipline over noise.
And of understanding that sometimes, the seat you are given is not the one you were meant to occupy.
You build your own table.
Nanette Rickenbach
