Sam dream blog: you said that Drybar seeds were planted when you were about six years old. How is it important to pay attention to the passions that you had when you were a kid in terms of continuation of a business idea?
Alli Webb: I have always believed that everything happens for a reason - the good and the bad. When I think back to be a little girl, I remember very clearly how strongly I felt on my hair looking for a way (smooth and straight). My hair curly, kinky was a major obstacle in my quest to research perfectly implemented. I could never have imagined that my obsession with hair would turn into a career, but I guess you could say that was the case.
You hear people say 'it is not working if you like what you're doing." I saw proof. I feel incredibly lucky to have finally, after trying on many careers, discovered-or rather uncovered-what I had to do.
I warmly encourage my children and all who would listen, to absolutely follow your passion, but be prepared to take the long way to get there.
SDB: how much you need to understand before starting a business? How do you avoid being overwhelmed by the thousands of details and blind spots?
Alli Webb: I'm not sure that you can avoid being overwhelmed by thousands and thousands of details that come headlights at you when you start a new business. For me, it was important to be open to surrounding me with people who knew more than me. For example, my business partners, who happen to be my brother, Michael (Director-general) and husband, Cameron (Creative Director), have very different skills. I firmly believe that Drybar is not close to what it is today without their incredible talent and spirit.
Together, we found as much as we could before we opened our doors in 2010, but there are certainly errors, the blind spots, and many educational activities. To date, we are still learning more on how to make our best.
Never stop to ask the difficult questions, and always be willing listen to people around you, clients, friends, employees.
SDB: How do you know if something is a solid business idea or just wishful thinking?
Alli Webb:This is a great question. For Drybar, I knew that tons of women who, like me, have struggled with their hair and the price that you would have to pay to get a rash in most salons. I spent much time to anyone who wanted to listen to him talk about my idea, and comments have been extremely positive. There really is key to identify your target audience and ensure that the need for your company on a scale large enough to sustain the business for the long term. Then, the execution is the next hurdle... Be prepared to work tirelessly to really feed your idea.
Click here to find the location near Drybar and check back for the next Sam dream Blog post in two weeks on Tue., Oct. 1
