My name is Diana Cowan.
And I'm from Georgia.
Growing up, I had big hair.
Everybody had the big '90s hair.
My husband still
carries a picture
of my big hair in his wallet.
So it was something
that we all had.
But after kids, I started
noting a difference.
And the hair
started falling out.
And it got to the point where
it was getting more and more.
And it became just so much
part of who I was, I hated it.
I hated it because I saw bald.
I kept seeing that, and that
was a real struggle for me.
I camouflaged it for years and
just put those thoughts back
in my head of, you know
what, it is what it is.
But I hated it.
And inside it was
killing me because I
heard these lies of your
husband did not marry that.
That's not what he married.
And it kept getting worse.
And it got to the
point where one time I
was at my kid's baseball game,
and somebody came up to me
and said, do you have cancer
because you're hair is so thin.
And I said no.
But I went back in
the car, and I cried.
And I said, you know,
something's got to change.
I've got to do something.
And what could do this?
And I've researched
so many things
of trying to get
hair transplants
and doing different
things like that.
And I was never a candidate.
And it was just one more time
told no, no again and again.
And that hurt more.
So I looked for extensions
and try to find stuff.
But it would only damage
the part from here.
And it wasn't helping where
my issue was was up here.
And I found that more I'm
doing this that this is not--
I'm not by myself, that this is
more common than what I really
thought.
So I start to looking online.
And I came across a YouTube
of Lauren Ashtyn Collection.
And it was a video of a
sweet lady named Miss Ruby.
And when I saw Miss Ruby and the
way, like she looked like me.
To me, I connected
with her so much.
And I was able to
say, you know what,
there's something to this.
So let me look at it.
I started looking
at all the videos
and just started
more and more to see
in Lauren Ashtyn Collection
how many videos there was.
And I connected so much to her.
In fact, there was a video
of her sitting on a couch
and sharing her story.
And it shared her heart.
And that's what the difference
was with anything else
I looked at.
I saw her heart to help people
and to help ladies like me.
So I went my mom.
I was 42.
I went to my mom and told
her, I found this hair,
and I just don't know.
And she said, baby, let's go.
Because my mom
knew my struggles.
She knew how I felt
and how I would
cry myself to sleep
because it was never
what-- it took me forever
to do my hair and 30 minutes
to put a ponytail in my
hair to cover the spots.
And when I went in there,
I made the appointment.
And it was-- instantly I
felt like extreme makeover.
I felt like I came into the
salon, and I was just welcomed.
And it was all about me.
It was something that
I was nervous going in.
And I felt like I was
the queen for the day.
And so, they tried the hair on.
And it wasn't the
exact color that I had.
I got to go with
a different color.
And I was like, this is awesome.
So we put it on.
And I went and looked
over at my mom,
and she just cried because
I had instant hair.
She knew what I felt
because before I always
felt like people were looking
at me, like they are thinking,
oh my gosh, look at her.
And now I don't think that.
I'm not thinking of what
they're thinking about me.
And I don't hear
those lies because I'm
able to be able to
go out in the wind.
I could put it in a ponytail,
and it looks fine to see.
But I want to show you what it
was because this is-- and I'm
gong to be very transparent
because it is, it is something
that people struggle
with and how they do it,
but how easy it is.
And so this is the real Diana.
And it's so easy to do this now.
But this is how much
hair loss I have.
And it all the way in the back.
And from going from
this to instantly having
hair that I just flop on and
finish this interview talking
like this with instant hair.
And so that was just
the biggest change,
to be able to do that and
the confidence it's given me.
And now I think about what
other people are thinking about.
So I went home.
And everybody loved it.
I mean, had no idea what
happened, but, oh my gosh,
you're hair is
wonderful, and all this--
just new confidence that I had.
And I knew I had a
choice at that moment.
I could say, thank you
and never tell anybody.
And people wouldn't know.
Or I could use this hair,
and this experience,
and my insecurities
and help other people.
And I knew that's
what I had to do.
It was 100% I have to do this.
And so I went up
to Lauren Ashtyn.
And I was talking to her.
And I became a
partner with her to be
able to do this to go
back to Georgia to help
other ladies like me.
And being vulnerable
and sharing my story
has been the biggest blessing.
There's not a price tag
I can put on it when
I get to look another
lady in the eye and say,
I know what you feel
because I've been there.
And I know what it
feels like to feel that
and to be able to take
my hair off and say, hey,
I'm exactly this.
But this is not define who I am.
This does not make me who
I am, that I know who I am,
and this just helps me
to help other people.
So when I started--
when I came to her and said,
I want to partner with you,
I want to do this because I
want to help other ladies.
I'm not a hairstylist.
And although I think
the world of them.
And I always wanted
to be one growing up.
So now I get to
play like I'm one.
But I love that because
they get to experience it.
I get other people--
like my stylist, they
get to be a part of this.
And that's the big
exciting to be able to see.
So what I did is I made
appointments with some salons
around where I live.
And I used my friends.
I would find out, hey,
who does your hair?
And let me show you this,
and so connecting them.
And they were so
excited to connect me
to their hairstylist.
So I made appointments
and finding the right ones
because I wanted someone who--
this wasn't, hey, I'm doing
this as a favor for you.
Let me cut the hair.
Because the experience is
what we want to capture
is the culture of the
Lauren Ashtyn Collection
is what's so important.
And I wanted to keep that.
I knew what I had when I
walked in the salon that day,
and how they treated me.
And I wanted that for them.
So my main one-- and I let
going to this salon called
Look Salon in Locust Grove,
a little town that we have.
And they all saw--
they knew my hair.
They heard my story before.
So they were excited to see me.
And when I met with one
of the ladies there,
she had the say heart.
And she just started
crying and said,
I want to help just like you.
What can I do?
And so I told her, I
said, this is what I have.
And we showed the hair.
She loved it.
She already knew people
to refer people to me.
But just getting the word out
there and helping other people,
and then they have
the exact same thing.
So I call her when
I need somebody.
And we have a partnership
that we feel like we're really
good partners together.
I pick the hair for them.
I meet them there
about 15 minutes
before their appointment.
I'll make their appointment
with them and meet them there,
pick their color with him,
and then Ashley goes in,
she'll style their
hair what they'll
do what they need to then.
I think the number one
thing is being transparent,
but having the compassion.
So what I like to do is
give them a full experience.
When someone calls me,
they'll get my number,
they'll call, and
let me talk out hair.
And I'll just ask them
questions and tell me how--
but I share them my story.
And I think the
end the one that--
how it's affected me,
my story matters to them
because they know
what it's like.
They know they're not alone.
When I had this, I
remember thinking,
I'm the only one who
has thin hair at top.
I'm the only one.
There's nobody like me.
I didn't want to
do the "wig" word.
I didn't want to do that.
I was like, there's
gotta be something else.
And so when I connect with them
and say, this is how I felt,
I remember those
lies that I heard,
I remember looking in the mirror
and just crying and saying,
this is not what I pictured
15 years ago, 20 years ago.
And so I'm able to connect
with them on that level
and then just give them
that extra customer service.
I ask them to send a picture.
Send me your picture.
I want to see what
you look like.
And then I send them my
picture without my hair.
And that's something
that I do privately
because it's just a very
intimate thing with them
and be able to connect in there.
They say it's instant hair.
But it's also instant
friends because I
want them to feel so welcome
and then feel like we
have been friends forever.
Make their appointment.
We go to the salon.
We sit down together.
In this experience, I'm there
with them the whole time.
From before while they're
getting their hair cut,
I'm with them, and just have
that personal connection
with them.
And then when they
leave, I'm sending them
before and after pictures and
then following up with them,
and how do you like it?
How is it working?
If I need to go
back to their house
or show them how to
clip it in to make sure
they feel comfortable
on taking it off and on.
We're in a day of social media.
And the Lauren Ashtyn
Collection has set
the standard for social media.
And so representing
that, I started a company
called Georgia Hair Solutions.
And what that did is
just I carry only--
specializing in Lauren
Ashtyn Collection.
So I made up business cards.
This is like MyVista
print, just easy.
And they're not cards.
I like the big poster size.
This is a little
bit bigger postcards
that just kind of shares what
it is with some pictures on it
and my share.
And I have Lauren
Ashtyn here too.
So I want to show her
on there because I
talk about her and her passion.
And I want my client to
know this is what it is.
I represent her.
And I share my story.
And I want them to
know who she is.
So I always send them back to
the Lauren Ashtyn Collection
to their videos, to watch
that, but I do have--
on Facebook.
And I shared my
story on Facebook.
I necessarily did not take
my hair off for the masses
because that's something
I think really privately
and intimately with the
person I'm talking to.
I do not mind sharing it with
y'all here because I know
it's going to help other people.
And if I can use that
to have other people,
then that's why I want to do
But sharing it on Facebook,
and it's just word of mouth,
it's crazy to be able to--
I'm getting more and
more all the time.
And it's something I
work very part time.
But the rewards
are just absolutely
amazing to be able to help.
Well, when I started--
I'm going to tell you, I
knew nothing about hair.
And all I knew was
what it did for me.
I don't know about
other hair companies.
People ask me, well,
how does this work?
How does this do?
I say, you know what, I
don't know about that company
or that hair.
But here's what I do know.
Here's what I know.
And I focus on this is handmade.
And how just the delicacy of
this, and how special this is,
and what it's done for
me, I talk about that.
And then I just started
sharing from my heart.
And then people started coming.
And the more I share, it's just
the company's growing so much.
The first year I sold maybe
10 pieces throughout the--
just talking with people.
But this year--
it's October now.
And I've done about
$35,000 in sales,
which has been amazing for us.
We had three kids in college.
So it really helps financially.
But it also helps
just to be able to get
my products to be able to
help other people I like to--
I have people say,
how many do you have?
And I'm like, well, I have four.
But it's marketing for me
because people want my hair.
They want what I wear.
So I get to change out and
to be able to do that a lot.
So that's been fun.
But just being able to go and
help other people, I mean,
it goes back to that
every single time.
Some people just want the fun,
but just a little push-up bra
for their hair.
But there's a lot of people
who really need this.
And we also work
with cancer patients.
So we're into that,
and dermatologists,
a lot of dermatology
I've had skin cancer.
And so when I went to my
dermatologist they said,
I want to do a full body check.
And I said, well, are you going
to have to look at my head?
And she said, oh, I'm going
all through your hair.
And she had her
hands in my hair.
And I go, wait, wait, I
better take my hair off.
And they were blown away.
And the nurse came back,
and she bought a piece.
And then I had an appointment
with the office manager.
And they're going to start to
be able to have my business
cards there because it's not
just a little bit of hair loss.
There's alopecia.
And there's so many
different types of alopecia.
But I've had people that had
skin cancer on their head,
and just be able to cover.
And from a skin
cancer patient myself,
this protects my
head so much more.
I was getting sunburned all the
time because my hair's so thin.
And so now having this on,
I wear this all the time,
and it protects my head.
So I know I'm coming
safe that way too.
So it's really cool.
Here's what I say is
I've kind of treated it
like a hobby for the last year.
And if you want a hobby
this, it's a great hobby,
if you want a hobby.
But if you want
it as a business,
and I really want to
be a difference maker.
I want to be able
to help more people.
And I want to be able to grow.
And I want to be able
to help more and more.
So I see getting into more
of the doctors' offices.
And we talked about just
OBs and dermatologists.
But there's such a need there.
There's no other solution.
When ladies come to me and say,
all I had was this hot wig.
And it's so hot.
And I don't feel comfortable.
And they're already
having so many feelings.
And this is so simple.
And it's easy.
And it looks so real.
And to be able to do
that, I want to grow it.
I want to be able to treat
it like a business now.
It's kind of passed
the hobby phase
to be able to do
this as a business.
And I'm not a hair stylist.
But that means
that, hey, anybody
can be able to do this if you
have the passion and the heart.
And I think that we can
be taught how to cut hair
like we talked about.
We can learn these things.
But to be able to
connect with them
I think means so much
to be able to say,
you know what, here's
what we're going to do.
And having them learn to be
able connect with other salons
because that way they're
all involved with it.
And so it becomes just this
community and service really.
But it does not feel my here at
Lauren Ashtyn Collection being
able to call the wholesalers,
and call Shelby, and call
them and say, hey, I
need help with this
because I'm not the expert.
I don't claim to be.
And I'm very upfront about that.
Look, I'm not a hairstylist.
I'm just someone who--
I'm a girl with alopecia
that needed this.
And so I use their expertise.
And they have a phenomenal team.
It's not just one person.
There's a whole team here
that's behind the scenes
and working to make sure
that we get the best hair,
and is the highest quality.
And if we have any questions,
we can come to them.
If someone has a
color that they're
trying to get exactly that
color that we can help them.
And so you're not alone.
I mean, this is
something that you'll
have as much help as you want.
And you can do as much as you
want with this because people
need to know about this.
There's so many-- there's
a girl right now who
is crying in her
bathroom because she's
looking in the mirror,
and she's seeing
that girl that's lost her hair.
Or she's had cancer,
and it's just never
grown back the way it is.
And those ladies need
to see there's options.
You're not alone.
You're not the
only one with this.
And there is a solution.
And we just want to
be that solution.
