Alli Webb, co-founder of Drybar and a successful entrepreneur, shares her inspiring journey from a side hustle to a nationwide business. She discusses scaling Drybar, navigating the challenges of rapid growth, and her decision to sell a hair care product line. Alli opens up about her personal struggles and the importance of authenticity in business. She also introduces her new venture, Squeeze, an innovative massage service, emphasizing wellness and mindfulness. Tune in for insights into entrepreneurship and the messy truths behind success!
Alli Webb transformed her side hustle into Drybar by identifying a niche market for affordable luxury blowouts, leading to rapid nationwide growth.
Webb's entrepreneurial journey highlights the balance between maintaining brand control and pursuing franchising for scalability in a competitive landscape.
Deep dives
The Genesis of Drybar
The concept for Drybar originated from Ali Webb’s extensive experience in hair salons, where she had cultivated a deep understanding of blowouts. Initially starting as a mobile blowout service aimed at busy mothers, the idea gained traction through word-of-mouth in her local community. Realizing the high demand for her services, Webb pivoted to open a brick-and-mortar location with the financial backing of her brother, who saw the potential for growth. This foundational decision set the stage for Drybar to focus exclusively on blowouts, creating a unique market niche that many women were eager to explore.
Rapid Expansion and Scaling
After opening the first Drybar location in Los Angeles, the business quickly experienced unexpected success, often resulting in long lines of customers eager for blowouts. Ali and her team recognized that they had struck a chord with women looking for an affordable luxury experience, prompting them to expand rapidly across the country. To fuel this growth, they obtained angel investment, which allowed them to open multiple locations while maintaining the quality of service. This approach to scaling involved hiring skilled professionals who could help manage the complexities of rapid expansion while remaining focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Challenges of Franchising
As Drybar grew, the question of whether to franchise the business arose, sparking considerable debate among the leadership team. While Ali was initially resistant due to concerns over sacrificing control of her brand, her brother advocated for rapid expansion through franchising. Ultimately, they pursued a hybrid model of company-owned and franchise locations, which allowed them to maintain quality control over their flagship stores while benefiting from the investment and operational expertise of franchise owners. This balancing act required significant resources and management efforts, illustrating the complexities of scaling a business in a competitive market.
The Launch of Squeeze and Product Development
Following the success of Drybar, Ali Webb leveraged her entrepreneurial insights to launch Squeeze, a massage concept aimed at improving the customer experience in the massage industry. Recognizing the lack of affordable and high-quality massage options, she and her brother sought to address the gap by providing a tech-savvy solution through an app that streamlined booking and customer preferences. Additionally, Webb emphasized the importance of product development for Drybar’s hair care line as a crucial extension of the brand. This approach focused on creating tailored products specifically designed to enhance the blowout experience, showcasing her commitment to quality and customer satisfaction across both businesses.
Drybar co-founder Alli Webb turned her side hustle as a hair stylist into a business concept now thriving nationwide. She talks with host Jeff Berman about scaling Drybar, launching and then selling a hair care product line, and how she thinks about franchising. Alli also reflects on getting personal in her memoir The Messy Truth, and why she’s doing things differently in her new endeavor, a massage concept called Squeeze.