Every woman has experienced the dread of wasted hours from wanting to look nice after a workout. That’s why Glam+Go is offering efficient, high-quality hair services that are co-located within hospitality properties and fitness centers. This revolutionary service is helping women save tons of time by letting them get their hair blown out wherever they are. These efficient blowouts are conducted by top stylists who are super experienced with all different hair types.
AlleyWatch spoke with founder Erika Wasser about creating a company that is taking a dynamic approach to providing blowouts.
Tell us about the product or service that Glam+Go offers.
Glam+Go offers efficient, high-quality hair services co-located within hospitality properties, fitness centers and near major hubs…right where women need them the most.
How is Glam+Go different?
Our service is different in that it is more efficient than anything else on the market—it’s all about giving women great hair in the least amount of time possible. Our customer is on-the-go, she doesn’t need us making her coffee, she needs top-notch hair services. Our Signature Blowouts, which are a traditional wash and blow, are typically done in under 30 minutes. We also offer 15- minute Express Blowouts, which start on dry hair, for women who just need a style refresh. Our membership model is also a point of differentiation: we offer monthly unlimited and flex memberships to help make getting blowouts more affordable (plus, many of our customers travel, so having a membership that follows them to our Miami, DC, and LA is a major convenience bonus).
What market does Glam+Go target and how big is it?
Glam+Go is for any woman with hair! According to the latest data on Blow-Dry Bars and Salons from Professional Consultants & Resources, blow-dry bars and salons are the new, emerging trend in salon business models, with 25% growth in both service revenues and locations across the United States in 2017. Blow-Dry Bars and Salons also produced nearly $7B in service sales and $2B in retail sales in 2017, according to this research.
What is the business model?
We find likely-minded partners that share our customer and have underutilized space. From there, we bring our services to both the property and the people!
What inspired the start of Glam+Go?
Honestly, this business was an accident. I just wanted someone to do my hair at my gym! For background, I started my career as an TV host for HGTV, so I have always spent a lot of time working out and a lot of time in green rooms getting glammed in 25 minutes or less to go on camera. When I was between shows at the end of 2014/early 2015, I was seriously struggling with my schedule! I have really thick hair that I can’t do myself, so a blowout is necessary after each workout. When I didn’t have the green rooms to rely on for my blowouts, I found that a workout and a blowout was eating up to 3 hours of my day! Here I am, a single woman between gigs and I don’t have time to get a blowout – so how is this supposed to work for women with 9-5 jobs? Working mothers? There had to be a better way!
How did you go about approaching some of the larger partnerships that you have been able to build?
I first approached exhale Spa with a cold pitch – I got the contact information of the CEO, sent her my idea and she quickly wanted to set up a meeting. At the end of the meeting, their team said, “We love it, can you be open in 30 days?” to which I, of course, responded “Yes!”
Since then, we have selected partners on a case-by-case basis to ensure that Glam+Go makes sense for the property. We’re now in the position where we are being approached by prospective partners, which is a great feeling.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
2018 was all about refining and scaling the Glam+Go business. 2019 is about locations, locations, locations! We have our formula, we know it works, so 2019 is the time for us to take over!
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Beware the pitfalls of “playing start-up” – there’s a huge difference between the perception of startup life and what startup life is really like. Instead, live IN your business and what it needs from the inside (without worrying too much about how it “looks” from the outside).
Beware the pitfalls of “playing start-up” – there’s a huge difference between the perception of startup life and what startup life is really like. Instead, live IN your business and what it needs from the inside (without worrying too much about how it “looks” from the outside).
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
Definitely Barbara Corcoran. She’s not just my favorite “Shark”, I’ve been a longtime admirer of the incredible empire she’s built.
Why did you launch in New York?
I’m a native New Yorker, so it made sense for me to launch here! I AM our customer, so I knew there was an opportunity for the New York woman.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
I’m not sure there’s anything Le Charlot’s cajun chicken can’t solve. Also, Shanghai Cuisine for the best Chinatown soup dumplings.
