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Name: Amy Ross
Title: Owner
Brands: Drybar
Units: 7
Years in franchising: 15
I chose to franchise with a service brand like Drybar because I knew the power of a blowout and creating a positive experience for women. Service businesses create real relationships, loyalty, and community impact in a way that product-only models often can’t.
Drybar’s clear brand identity and focus on delivering a consistent, feel-good experience gave me the confidence to step out of corporate America and into entrepreneurship with both support and purpose. Franchising allowed me to combine my passion for hospitality, team development, and guest experience.
I chose this sector and brand because beauty and confidence-building have been at the center of my career for nearly two decades. After spending almost 20 years with The Estée Lauder Companies, I developed a deep passion for helping women feel their best and saw firsthand the emotional impact that great service and self-care can create.
On a personal level, as a natural curly girl, I’ve always loved the confidence that comes with a truly great blowout. That combination of professional experience in prestige beauty and my own connection to the service made this space feel incredibly authentic to me. Choosing a brand dedicated solely to helping women look and feel amazing every single day felt like a natural and meaningful next chapter.
Franchising with a service brand isn’t necessarily about having completely different skills, it’s about combining and elevating a unique mix of leadership, operational discipline, and hospitality mindset. In a hands-on environment like Drybar, success goes beyond the service itself and centers on consistently delivering an exceptional guest experience through your team.
That means blending strong hiring, coaching, and culture-building abilities with careful attention to scheduling, productivity, and financial performance. It also calls for emotional intelligence, real-time problem-solving, and a deep commitment to consistency so every guest interaction reflects the brand promise.
Ultimately, franchising in a service business is about bringing these skills together, leading people with intention, executing proven systems with excellence, and creating
an environment where both your team and your guests feel confident, cared for, and inspired to return.
Drybar has given me and many other women the opportunity to step into business ownership with confidence through a proven model, strong brand recognition, and clear operational support. It allows us to focus on leading teams, building culture, and creating meaningful guest experiences in an industry centered on helping women feel their best.
For me, it created a natural bridge from corporate leadership into purpose-driven entrepreneurship, while also providing a platform to grow other women into confident leaders and future owners. I’m especially proud that our district manager began in a front desk role and has grown her career alongside me, an example of how this system truly creates pathways for women to thrive and advance.
Starting a franchise business is an exciting and structured process. It begins with exploring the brand, understanding the model, and making sure it aligns with your goalsand strengths. From there, you go through the application and approval process, including financial review and training.
Once approved, you work closely with the franchisor on site selection, build-out, and staffing, followed by immersive training to learn the systems, culture, and operations.Finally, you open your doors with support from the brand and ongoing guidance, giving you the tools to run a successful, consistent business while making it your own.It’s a balance of following a proven model and bringing your personal leadership and style to create a thriving franchise.
Operating multiple franchise locations successfully comes down to strong leadership structure, clear systems, and deep trust in your team. With a service brand like Drybar, consistency in guest experience, culture, and operational execution across every shop is essential.
Key factors include developing leaders within each location, setting clear performance expectations, maintaining strong communication, and using data to guide decisions. Just as important is staying connected to the team and culture while empowering others to own the day-to-day operations.
Ultimately, scaling to multiple franchises is less about doing more yourself and more about building people, processes, and accountability that allow every location to thrive.
Some of the top ways we’ve marketed and promoted our Drybar locations have been through a mix of community engagement, social media, and partnerships. We love connecting directly with our guests, whether it’s hosting events, participating in local happenings, or giving back through charity initiatives, because real relationships drive loyalty.
Social media has also been a huge driver, letting us showcase our team, celebrate transformations, and give a behind-the-scenes look at our culture. Collaborations and partnerships with local businesses, influencers, and chamber events have helped us reach new audiences while reinforcing our presence in the community.
At the core, it’s all about creating authentic experiences and spreading the Drybar vibe of being fun, confidence-boosting, and memorable. That way, guests not only come back but share it with their friends.
My advice to any woman considering franchise ownership: go for it! Choose a brand that aligns with your values and strengths, and lean into the support and systems that franchising provides.
Surround yourself with the right people, mentors, peers, and a strong team you can grow. Focus on leading with purpose, building others up, and keeping every day consistent. The perfect moment may not exist, but the opportunity to empower yourself and others may be right in front of you.