Alli Webb Drybar Founder joins Yahoo's Reset Your Mindset at Work special
Alli Webb, Drybar Founder, joins Yahoo's Reset Your Mindset at Work to discuss running a successful business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Video Transcript
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- Welcome back. One of the key components to improving your mental health is self-care. And what better way to boost your confidence than by getting your hair done. Since opening its doors just 10 years ago, beauty salon chain, Drybar, has taken its LA area beginnings and expanded to more than 100 locations, now employing over 3,000 people throughout the US and Canada. By focusing on one very particular piece of the beauty industry, Drybar has found success in simplicity and plans to continue its growth long after lockdown.
Our guest today is Alli Webb. She's an entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and the founder of Drybar. Alli, thank you so much for joining us.
ALLI WEBB: Thanks for having me.
- Well, Alli, we're going to have a bigger conversation around mental health, mental wellness, those sorts of things. But I just want to get your take on the last two months. I'm sure you've done a lot of reflecting during quarantine. What is top of mind for you these days?
ALLI WEBB: Well, you know, I think it's-- you know, for me, it's been a lot about trying to see the silver lining in all of this. And, you know, as challenging as it is, I mean I feel, you know, lucky to have, you know, to be safe and healthy and in a place where I can comfortably quarantine. I think, you know, it's kind of like this range of emotions I think that we all are experiencing. It's like, you know, some days are better than others, and you try to stay in your routine.
- Yeah, it's certainly a good thing to bring up the quality time, the silver linings, if you will. I have to imagine, as a founder, a businesswoman, has COVID-19 caused you at all to rethink your business strategy?
ALLI WEBB: Well, I mean not so much the strategy per se, but more like what it has forced us to do, which I think has been a good thing, is, you know, right now, the majority of our stores are closed. We've opened in two markets that are safe to open in, and there's completely new protocols. Like, you're every other chair. The clients are in every other chair. It's a virtual check-in. People are being screened before they walk in. Our stylists are wearing masks.
Like, you know, so that was certainly not a strategy we ever thought we'd have to engage with. But, you know, I mean, I think that there'll be some good things that come out of that. I mean-- I mean virtual check-in is amazing. You know, and obviously, our biggest priority as a company right now is the safety of our clients. So, you know, it's more of a pivot than, you know, a change of strategy. I mean, we have a lot of plans to open a lot more stores and to do a lot more things that, you know, we're hoping we will still be able to get to, but, you know, just pushed a bit down the road.
So yeah, I mean it's really challenging for businesses like ours and anybody in the service industry, as you know. You know, it's just like you're just so stuck, and there's really not much you can do. I mean, I've done more hair tutorials than I can count, just trying to give women, you know, some tips and tricks for when they're at home, because we're still doing things like this, and we're still actually seeing each other. You know, your hair looks so great. I feel like maybe you've watched them.
- No, I did see those, actually. Well, you bring up a good point. It's like, before, it was like, I didn't really want to do my hair and things like that. But it kind of gives you a sense of routine. We were talking earlier. When you sit down in the chair with a stylist, it kind of almost feels like a mini therapy session as well. And--
ALLI WEBB: It's-- it's the, like, it's the psychology of the blowout that's really the thing, just like, you know, we were saying in the beginning. It's like when your hair looks good, or you feel good about your makeup, your outfit, whatever the thing is for you, it makes you internally feel great. I mean I can't tell you how many women over the years have told me they don't go to a board meeting without a blowout, because it's this extra like-- it's like a power suit. It's like this extra kind of layer of confidence that they're getting.
So I don't see that, you know, impacting us, you know, that people are going to be like, oh, yeah, I've had enough of good hair.
- Alli Webb, the founder of Drybar. And also, we have Squeeze coming up, another venture of yours as well. I should mention that. Thank you so much for joining us.
