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With a longstanding career in brand-building and marketing, Brittany Driscoll played an integral role in taking popular blowout service Drybar from $30 million to over $100 million by supporting the opening of over 60 locations across the country and launching its product line into major retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. And that was only the beginning of her collaboration with Drybar owner Alli Webb, which led to their newest endeavor, Squeeze Massage — a company that’s aiming to make massage services more accessible.
Brittany recently opened the first Squeeze location in Brentwood, making it easier for all of us to partake in a bit of much-needed R&R. She also created the Feel-Good Company, a service agency dedicated to guiding young entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Please welcome Squeeze co-founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll.
Please welcome Squeeze co-founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll! Image: Squeeze
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
I grew up in Southern California in a very loving, supportive home — always adventurous and full of exploration! I played sports; we traveled a bit; I did some philanthropic work. We would build houses in Mexico sometimes during spring break, and there was a lot of volunteering at different missions and organizations throughout my childhood.
I was having dinner with my team recently while they were out here to support the opening, and I was saying how I think so much of that influenced my vision for Squeeze and the community piece in what we’re doing, which is to transform communities for good and focus on being the best part of people’s day. [We want to] help them be the best versions of themselves so they can (hopefully) go out and do good in the world, too.
I started my career in experiential marketing, and I got to work on fun global campaigns with brands like Hot Wheels, where we did wild things like actually building the toy cars — bringing them to life and working with the world’s best race car drivers to perform world record-breaking stunts and support major athletic events. So, I’ve always existed in this space, dreaming as big as possible and making out-of-the-box things happen.
About 10 years into my career, I became an avid Drybar fan, and they were looking for a head of marketing. I went in-house in 2013 and was there for about four years. I helped grow the company from $30 million to over $100 million. It was the ride of a lifetime.
“After four years at Drybar, I was itching for a new challenge,” says Brittany. “I’ve always been an entrepreneurial spirit, and I was looking to take my experience and apply it to something else. I honestly didn’t think I would start something from scratch!” Image: Lindsey McAlister
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
Right when Instagram launched, Drybar posted that they were looking for a head of marketing. They said, “Have your friends tag you if you’re interested, and tell us why you’d be so great.” I [reached out to] all of my friends and said, “You have to tag me in this because I want to work for this brand!”
I did everything I could. I scoured my network to find someone who knew someone who worked at Drybar to make sure my résumé could be seen. I always advise this to young women — your network is your net worth, and if you can build that, then chances are (as in my case) you’ll find someone who knows someone. When we met, it was kismet. We’ve been working together for almost 10 years now. I believed in what Alli was creating, the stars aligned, and I jumped right in.
We are avid massage-goers, and [Alli and Michael] saw a hole in the market. Squeeze is really their brainchild. The way that we view the massage landscape is that on one end of the spectrum, there are low-end discount chains. To their credit, they’ve made massage accessible to the masses from a consumer experience standpoint. On the flip side, you’ve got high-end hotels and spas, which are lovely but unattainable for a routine experience.
We took a lot of the learnings from Drybar to create a sophisticated, luxurious, fun brand and experience, and we matched it at an affordable price point. Then we took it one step further — the core differentiation of Squeeze within the massage industry is our technology. We’ve built an end-to-end platform that enables guests to do everything from booking appointments to setting all of their personalized preferences — areas of the body you want focused on or avoided, whether you want oil or lotion, or if you want your table heated. The therapist reviews it before the guest even walks in the door, so it’s a very personalized, catered experience.
We also have an interactive aromatherapy bar where you can smell different scents to let your therapist know what you want during your session. There’s a dedicated guest area with six music playlists to choose from, and the rooms have a phone charger, mints, hair ties, and even a “ready” button so you can let the therapist know you’re ready for your massage to start.
Like Uber, you rate, tip, and review at your leisure after the massage. So, you don’t have to stand in a clunky checkout line or deal with awkward tipping exchanges. It’s meant to be very seamless. We like to say guests walk in and float out! Those features came from personal frustrations with what was out there before Squeeze. Michael and Alli felt like there was a much better way to go about it.
“We always used to say, ‘We aren’t selling blowouts; we’re selling the happiness and confidence that comes with it,’” says Brittany. “When you look and feel good, you can take on the world. I believed in that vision and what we were creating for women.” Image: Lindsey McAlister
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
There are so many things I’ve started to incorporate into my routine since I started Squeeze. Being your own boss, leading a team, and starting a business — even coming in with the great experience that I had from the corporate world — is still exhausting, overwhelming, and wild! I needed to figure out different ways to ground myself.
One of the most impactful and life-changing things is I write in a gratitude journal every morning (or as often as I can). I write five things down that I am grateful for from the past 24 hours. I’ve always been a very optimistic person, but I’ve found that practice is so grounding. It reminds you that even during stressful or overwhelming times, or when you wish you could be in different circumstances, there’s still something to be thankful for.
I’ve also started doing more meditation, which has really helped me — particularly in leadership and responding to situations where we have the natural reaction to snap back or be too reactive versus allowing ourselves to sit for a second and think about the implications of how best to show up.
“I felt there was an opportunity to create a brand and experience for our employees that celebrated them first. We’re in the people industry, not the service industry.” Image: Squeeze
I had a wonderful boss early in my career, Anne Marie Neal. She still works for the agency group where I worked years ago. She’s now very high up in leadership. She taught me early on that we are the champions of what we want.
If you want to make something happen, you have to do it. You can certainly have people around who are supportive and pave the way, but it’s ultimately up to you. That has always stuck with me. At the end of the day, you need to understand what you want and what motivates you. You need to push for that and refuse to take no for an answer, no matter what.
Coffee in the morning, fresh air, and massage.
Along with meditation and journaling, Brittany says, “I love a solo morning dance party. It might sound insane, but after I work out (which I always say is ‘good for the body, better for the mind’), I put on a fun song — normally Whitney Houston or Tina Turner — and do a little dance. It gets the endorphins going! Movement is such a good thing, and it kicks off my day in a fun way.” Image: Squeeze
**********
Nashville women are doing inspiring work. Meet more of them over at our FACES archives!
Share with your friends!
About the Author
Jenna Bratcher
Jenna Bratcher is StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Associate Editor and Lead Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville 15 years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a foodie through and through and enjoys exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.
With a longstanding career in brand-building and marketing, Brittany Driscoll played an integral role in taking popular blowout service Drybar from $30 million to over $100 million by supporting the opening of over 60 locations across the country and launching its product line into major retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. And that was only the beginning of her collaboration with Drybar owner Alli Webb, which led to their newest endeavor, Squeeze Massage — a company that’s aiming to make massage services more accessible.
Brittany recently opened the first Squeeze location in Brentwood, making it easier for all of us to partake in a bit of much-needed R&R. She also created the Feel-Good Company, a service agency dedicated to guiding young entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Please welcome Squeeze co-founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll.
Please welcome Squeeze co-founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll! Image: Squeeze
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
Tell us a bit about your background.
I grew up in Southern California in a very loving, supportive home — always adventurous and full of exploration! I played sports; we traveled a bit; I did some philanthropic work. We would build houses in Mexico sometimes during spring break, and there was a lot of volunteering at different missions and organizations throughout my childhood.
I was having dinner with my team recently while they were out here to support the opening, and I was saying how I think so much of that influenced my vision for Squeeze and the community piece in what we’re doing, which is to transform communities for good and focus on being the best part of people’s day. [We want to] help them be the best versions of themselves so they can (hopefully) go out and do good in the world, too.
What led to your transition from the corporate world to the wellness arena?
I started my career in experiential marketing, and I got to work on fun global campaigns with brands like Hot Wheels, where we did wild things like actually building the toy cars — bringing them to life and working with the world’s best race car drivers to perform world record-breaking stunts and support major athletic events. So, I’ve always existed in this space, dreaming as big as possible and making out-of-the-box things happen.
About 10 years into my career, I became an avid Drybar fan, and they were looking for a head of marketing. I went in-house in 2013 and was there for about four years. I helped grow the company from $30 million to over $100 million. It was the ride of a lifetime.
“After four years at Drybar, I was itching for a new challenge,” says Brittany. “I’ve always been an entrepreneurial spirit, and I was looking to take my experience and apply it to something else. I honestly didn’t think I would start something from scratch!” Image: Lindsey McAlister
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
How did you originally connect with your business partner Alli Webb?
Right when Instagram launched, Drybar posted that they were looking for a head of marketing. They said, “Have your friends tag you if you’re interested, and tell us why you’d be so great.” I [reached out to] all of my friends and said, “You have to tag me in this because I want to work for this brand!”
I did everything I could. I scoured my network to find someone who knew someone who worked at Drybar to make sure my résumé could be seen. I always advise this to young women — your network is your net worth, and if you can build that, then chances are (as in my case) you’ll find someone who knows someone. When we met, it was kismet. We’ve been working together for almost 10 years now. I believed in what Alli was creating, the stars aligned, and I jumped right in.
What inspired the Squeeze concept?
We are avid massage-goers, and [Alli and Michael] saw a hole in the market. Squeeze is really their brainchild. The way that we view the massage landscape is that on one end of the spectrum, there are low-end discount chains. To their credit, they’ve made massage accessible to the masses from a consumer experience standpoint. On the flip side, you’ve got high-end hotels and spas, which are lovely but unattainable for a routine experience.
We took a lot of the learnings from Drybar to create a sophisticated, luxurious, fun brand and experience, and we matched it at an affordable price point. Then we took it one step further — the core differentiation of Squeeze within the massage industry is our technology. We’ve built an end-to-end platform that enables guests to do everything from booking appointments to setting all of their personalized preferences — areas of the body you want focused on or avoided, whether you want oil or lotion, or if you want your table heated. The therapist reviews it before the guest even walks in the door, so it’s a very personalized, catered experience.
We also have an interactive aromatherapy bar where you can smell different scents to let your therapist know what you want during your session. There’s a dedicated guest area with six music playlists to choose from, and the rooms have a phone charger, mints, hair ties, and even a “ready” button so you can let the therapist know you’re ready for your massage to start.
Like Uber, you rate, tip, and review at your leisure after the massage. So, you don’t have to stand in a clunky checkout line or deal with awkward tipping exchanges. It’s meant to be very seamless. We like to say guests walk in and float out! Those features came from personal frustrations with what was out there before Squeeze. Michael and Alli felt like there was a much better way to go about it.
“We always used to say, ‘We aren’t selling blowouts; we’re selling the happiness and confidence that comes with it,’” says Brittany. “When you look and feel good, you can take on the world. I believed in that vision and what we were creating for women.” Image: Lindsey McAlister
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
What is your go-to form of self-care?
There are so many things I’ve started to incorporate into my routine since I started Squeeze. Being your own boss, leading a team, and starting a business — even coming in with the great experience that I had from the corporate world — is still exhausting, overwhelming, and wild! I needed to figure out different ways to ground myself.
One of the most impactful and life-changing things is I write in a gratitude journal every morning (or as often as I can). I write five things down that I am grateful for from the past 24 hours. I’ve always been a very optimistic person, but I’ve found that practice is so grounding. It reminds you that even during stressful or overwhelming times, or when you wish you could be in different circumstances, there’s still something to be thankful for.
I’ve also started doing more meditation, which has really helped me — particularly in leadership and responding to situations where we have the natural reaction to snap back or be too reactive versus allowing ourselves to sit for a second and think about the implications of how best to show up.
“I felt there was an opportunity to create a brand and experience for our employees that celebrated them first. We’re in the people industry, not the service industry.” Image: Squeeze
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I had a wonderful boss early in my career, Anne Marie Neal. She still works for the agency group where I worked years ago. She’s now very high up in leadership. She taught me early on that we are the champions of what we want.
If you want to make something happen, you have to do it. You can certainly have people around who are supportive and pave the way, but it’s ultimately up to you. That has always stuck with me. At the end of the day, you need to understand what you want and what motivates you. You need to push for that and refuse to take no for an answer, no matter what.
Outside of faith, family, and friends, what are three things you cannot live without?
Coffee in the morning, fresh air, and massage.
Along with meditation and journaling, Brittany says, “I love a solo morning dance party. It might sound insane, but after I work out (which I always say is ‘good for the body, better for the mind’), I put on a fun song — normally Whitney Houston or Tina Turner — and do a little dance. It gets the endorphins going! Movement is such a good thing, and it kicks off my day in a fun way.” Image: Squeeze
**********
Nashville women are doing inspiring work. Meet more of them over at our FACES archives!
Share with your friends!
About the Author
Jenna Bratcher
Jenna Bratcher is StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Associate Editor and Lead Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville 15 years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a foodie through and through and enjoys exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.
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