How Squeeze Co-Founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll Is Changing the Way We Look at Getting a Massage
Squeeze, from the founders of Drybar, is an innovative brand looking to completely reinvent the massage experience.
Dreamed up by Drybar founders Alli Webb and Michael Landau, Squeeze begins with its app-based booking platform that lets customers do everything from booking massages and setting their preferences to paying and rating their masseuse, streamlining the entire process to save their guests the time and hassle. The duo turned to Drybar vice president of marketing, Brittany Driscoll, to make Squeeze a reality, becoming co-founder and CEO and spearheading the project to turn Squeeze into the successful franchise it is today. As lovers of both brands, we just had to learn more about Brittany and her entrepreneurial story, and she shared it all with us in the interview below.
Name: Brittany Driscoll
IG handle: @brit_driscoll
Hometown: Westlake Village, California
1. Brittany's been drawn to the worlds of beauty and wellness from the very beginning.
"I've always been a skincare product junkie and an insatiable consumer of wellness services. I was an avid Drybar client in the early days, so when I had the opportunity to lead marketing for the brand, it felt like the perfect fit.
We always used to say we weren't selling blowouts, we were selling the happiness and confidence that came with a blowout—because when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you can take on the world. I have always been drawn to creating experiences that make people feel their best. There's real purpose in that."
-Brittany Driscoll
(Image courtesy of Squeeze)
2. She's had quite a varied career in advertising, and leading marketing for Drybar brought her to where she is today as Squeeze's co-founder and CEO.
"I began my career in marketing and advertising with Fortune 500 companies and major consumer brands such as Coca-Cola, Disney, Hilton Worldwide, Barbie and Hot Wheels. My enthusiasm for Drybar as a client eventually led me to lead marketing for the brand. During my four years at Drybar, I helped drive the brand's retail expansion by opening over 60 new locations and launching the Drybar product line internationally, as well as in major retailers like Sephora Ulta, and Nordstrom.
I call those years, between 2013 and 2017, the rocket ship years. We grew the business to over $100m and were firing on every cylinder. I'm a builder at heart though, have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and ultimately wanted to get back into start-up mode. Drybar's founders, Alli Webb and Michael Landau, had always had the idea to start a new massage concept and when I was ready for my next pivot, the stars just aligned."
-Brittany Driscoll
3. She's never been surprised by Drybar's massive success.
"As an avid Barfly to this day, no. I get a blowout at least once a week—it saves me time, makes me feel good, and I'm not sure what I ever did before it existed (wasted a lot of time trying to do my own hair, that's for sure!). I know hundreds of thousands of women feel the same."
-Brittany Driscoll
4. Her one must-have haircare product is Drybar's The Morning After Shower Cap.
"The first product Drybar ever made was a shower cap with terry cloth lining which protects your hair from humidity in the shower. It's a total game-changer to extend your blowout. I never travel without it."
-Brittany Driscoll
(via Drybar)
Also read about: Samreens Vanity Founder and CEO Samreen Arshad on the Power of Makeup and South Asian Artistry
5. The conceptualization and creation of Squeeze was built off a lot of key learnings the team took from Drybar.
"We knew we wanted to continue to create a luxurious experience and a sophisticated brand at an affordable price. We knew the power of creating a really intentional, thoughtful experience at every touchpoint. We experienced the success of franchising. Hindsight being 20/20 was a major benefit for us as we built Squeeze."
-Brittany Driscoll
6. For Brittany, the name "Squeeze" is about more than just the massage.
"One of the quotes we use on the walls of our shop is 'Squeeze the ones you love.' I sign-off my emails 'Big Squeeze.' To me, it's a word that evokes happiness and connection. It's light-hearted and feel-good, just like the benefits of a great massage, and exactly what we want you to experience at Squeeze."
-Brittany Driscoll
7. Squeeze's mission statement is to simply make people's days better.
"Squeeze is at the forefront of building The Feel-Good Revolution, striving to be the best part of our guests' and team members' day. Every aspect of our brand is designed with this goal in mind, ensuring that everyone leaves feeling better than when they arrived. We wanted to create a place where stress is eliminated, and every interaction makes people smile and feel-good, down to the littlest detail.
Aside from our people, who are the heart and soul of Squeeze, our first-of-its kind, end-to-end technology platform is really what sets us apart from the competition. The booking process is all done on the app and each massage is tailored specifically to the guest's preferences including key body focus areas, pressure, music, lighting or the use of lotion/oil for their massage, and the ability to tap a 'ready button' letting the therapist know to return in-room to begin the session. All preferences are saved within each guest's unique profiles so their therapist always knows what they want. It's a gift to be able to offer a feel good experience at every turn."
-Brittany Driscoll
8. The best piece of advice she ever received came in the form of a regularl reminder from Drybar founder, Michael Landau.
"When I was at Drybar, my office was next to Michael's, and every so often when he got in the office, if my door was open he'd say, 'Morning Brit, progress over perfection today, right?' He'd often say it on the way out, too. It was such a healthy reminder that even the smallest steps forward are better than fine-tuning something to death."
-Brittany Driscoll
Also read about: How Mia Zotos Followed Her 'Innate Calling to Fashion' to Create Mode Mischief Studios
9. She began writing in a gratitude journal when she started Squeeze, and keeping up that habit has helped her get to where she is today.
"I'm seven years into this practice, and I can tell you it has made me a better leader, person and overall more balanced on this roller-coaster ride of entrepreneurship. The trick is to physically write three to five things down from the past 24 hours. It trains your brain to start looking for the good and recognize even in the hardest of moments and the most challenging of days, there is always something to be thankful for."
-Brittany Driscoll
(Image courtesy of Squeeze)
10. The one self-care tip she wants to share with the world is that "A good night's sleep is wildly underestimated."
11. The most rewarding thing about the work she does is making people feel great.
"Knowing that we're providing people with an experience that makes them feel good, and that we're doing good, too. For every membership sold, we're helping to provide a day of support to a person with a disability through our partnership with Canine Companions. It's our way of making a small but meaningful impact. Our vision at Squeeze is to transform communities for good, and we're striving for that every day."
-Brittany Driscoll
12. What's the one thing that Brittany wants everyone to know about her?
"I'm figuring it out as I go, just like you."
-Brittany Driscoll
For more on the founders behind our favorite brands, click HERE to learn about Linda Wang, creator of skincare companies Karuna and Avatara.