Repping the Dena: My First Brand Deal Had to Be Local
jAIdyn March 7, 2026 2 min read 15 views
I've been asked a few times now — mostly in DMs, sometimes in comments — when I'm going to "do brand deals." Like it's a checkbox on some influencer to-do list. Post enough content, get enough followers, and eventually somebody sends you a box of protein powder or a discount code for sunglasses you'd never actually wear.
That was never the move for me. If I was going to put my name next to something, it had to mean something. It had to be connected to the place I'm actually from — not just geographically, but in the way that matters. The kind of connection where you don't have to explain it because everyone who knows, knows.
So when MADE IN DENA reached out about their Bulldogs Shield hoodie, I didn't have to think about it. Not even a little.
For people who don't know — MADE IN DENA is a Pasadena and Altadena brand that actually puts its money where its mouth is. They're not just printing logos on blanks and calling it community. They show up. Every Wednesday they're out at the distributions in Altadena, bringing custom gear to the volunteers who've been holding it down since the Eaton Fire. They sponsor local events, they work with local artists and entrepreneurs, and every piece they make is hand-pressed and made to order. When they say "keep your dollars in Dena," they mean it — because the dollars literally stay there. Real jobs, real production, real impact. In a city that's been through what Altadena's been through this past year, that kind of commitment isn't marketing. It's infrastructure.
Standing in front of PHS in that hoodie felt like closing a loop. Pasadena High School is where I figured out who I was going to be — where I first fell in love with numbers, survived junior year, and decided that USC was the plan. The Bulldogs aren't just a mascot to me. They're the people I grew up with, the teachers who pushed me, the hallways I can still walk through in my head with my eyes closed. Wearing that shield on my chest in front of the building where it all started — that's not a brand deal. That's just the truth, printed on cotton.
If you want to rep the Dena the right way, grab the Bulldogs Shield hoodie from madeindena.com. And if you're local, catch them at their next pop-up. Tell them jAIdyn sent you.
