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BlogHow to lead a franchise with head and heart: Lessons from Blo Blow Dry Bar CEO Vanessa YakobsonTrue franchise success doesn’t come from following proven formulas or textbook advice – it’s about nurturing innovation and collaboration. On Growth Diaries, Zenoti CEO Sudheer Koneru explored these elements with Blo Blow Dry Bar CEO Vanessa Yakobson.
This post includes links to the full podcast to inspire you. We also pulled out essential insights and memorable quotes from the conversation to highlight.
Treat franchisees as your most important customers. By fostering open communication and collaboration with franchise owners, Blo Blow Dry Bar evolved its systems to better serve franchisees and their customers.
A standout initiative was creating data transparency across the franchise network, empowering franchisees with key performance insights. Sharing benchmarks and recognizing top performers helps create healthy competition and supports knowledge sharing.
Vanessa calls Blo a fun brand that celebrates results and spotlights top performers yearly with awards like Hot Pink Hype Bestie (marketing) and Top Shelf Bestie (retail). Blo Pink Ribbon awards also help spread the love with franchisees and their team members.
“It's easy to think that your primary customer is the end user of the product or service that you're offering, but, really, the franchisee is your customer. When franchisees sign on with us, it’s a real privilege and it's a responsibility. They are entrusting us with their family's wealth, with their entrepreneurial dreams, and we take that very seriously.”
– Vanessa Yakobson, CEO, Blo Blow Dry Bar
Blo diversified its services while staying true to its no-cuts, no-color model. The addition of makeup services emerged as a natural extension, driven by customer demand and alignment with Blo’s value proposition.
This expansion bolstered franchisee revenues and established Blo as a full-service destination for beauty, saving customers the trouble of having to visit two different businesses for hair and makeup. A commitment to customer-informed innovation ensures that service offerings never compromise the brand’s core identity.
What to look for in a franchisee?
Vanessa named three key elements for success: staff management, marketing, and customer service. We cued up the spot in the video where she covers all three elements in detail. We also created a graphic recap for you:
At its heart, Blo’s mission is simple yet profound: “We are here to make you shine.” This promise extends beyond the brand’s customers to franchisees, employees, and communities. Blo provides opportunities for women re-entering the workforce, couples seeking entrepreneurial ventures, and ambitious professionals ready to grow their own businesses.
Vanessa believes deeply in creating environments where everyone feels valued and supported. Her inclusive approach and emphasis on staff development often lead franchisees to find their greatest rewards in growing and nurturing their teams.
A game-changing strategy for Blo has been the integration of a data-driven mindset throughout the organization. By tracking granular metrics like customer satisfaction (via net promoter scores), revenue benchmarks, and marketing performance, the company improves operational success on an ongoing basis.
Data is also pivotal to helping franchisees make informed decisions. The transparency not only highlights areas of opportunity but also inspires collaboration as franchisees learn from the top performers in the network.
"One of the things that I've come to learn from our VP of Marketing is the importance of managing one's digital reputation, the importance of driving the number of reviews your business is getting – let’s face it, primarily on Google, and then ensuring that you're responding to those reviews in a timely manner."
The ability to stay ahead of market trends has kept the brand thriving amidst changing dynamics. Looking ahead, Blo is exploring new growth models, including smaller-format express locations to access untapped markets.
Additionally, Vanessa has expanded into the lash and brow business, applying proven franchise strategies to this adjacent beauty category. Her focus on strategic and scalable growth ensures that Blo remains a leader in the beauty and wellness space.
“What’s served me really well is the fake it till you make it mindset. … Even in those moments where I didn't necessarily feel confident, I've always made the choice to appear confident to literally take my seat at tables where it would've been easy to stand in the back of the room.”
Under Vanessa Yakobson’s leadership, Blo Blow Dry Bar has added 100+ locations in her 10 years so far at the helm. By balancing data-driven insights with a personal touch, she continues to build a franchise that is inclusive, innovative, and empowering for everyone involved.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a franchise owner, or simply curious about the future of the industry, Vanessa’s story is an inspiring reminder that true leadership shines brightest when shared. Watch the full episode.
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