Drybar: How Simplicity Built A Brand And Inconsistencies Are Testing Its Promise

Drybar didn’t invent the blowout, but they turned it into a brand with a crystal-clear promise: No cuts. No color. Just blowouts. Drybar built a business and brand on simplicity, consistency, and solving one real and relevant problem for busy people who wanted beautiful hair without the hassle. But as Drybar grew, fast and wide, the cracks began to show. Ownership and leadership changes, selling off both the salon and hair care brands to two different owners, inconsistent experiences, and a chaotic online journey have all started to test the very brand promise that once set them apart. In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we break down Drybar’s story to explore: Why a clear brand story is your ultimate filter in a world full of endless advice. How simplicity can be your superpower and how complexity can erode trust. Understanding that brand promise is the experience you design and deliver, not just words on your website or a cute aesthetic. Why consistency matters more than ever, online and offline, and how it’s the backbone of brand trust. How Drybar’s split into two businesses created a confusing client journey, and what salons and beauty brands can learn from it. The importance of understanding business models and market position, from luxury to mid-market, to value, and the differences in high or low frequency of visit strategies  How to use your brand story framework to guide every decision, from services to marketing to growth. Whether you’re a salon owner, hairstylist, or beauty brand leader, this episode will help you protect your brand promise and keep simplicity and clarity at the heart of your business as you grow. If you are a salon owner, independent stylist, educator, or coach seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.  Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!  

Drybar didn’t invent the blowout, but they turned it into a brand with a crystal-clear promise: No cuts. No color. Just blowouts. Drybar built a business and brand on simplicity, consistency, and solving one real and relevant problem for busy people who wanted beautiful hair without the hassle. But as Drybar grew, fast and wide, the cracks began to show. Ownership and leadership changes, selling off both the salon and hair care brands to two different owners, inconsistent experiences, and a chaotic online journey have all started to test the very brand promise that once set them apart. In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we break down Drybar’s story to explore: Why a clear brand story is your ultimate filter in a world full of endless advice. How simplicity can be your superpower and how complexity can erode trust. Understanding that brand promise is the experience you design and deliver, not just words on your website or a cute aesthetic. Why consistency matters more than ever, online and offline, and how it’s the backbone of brand trust. How Drybar’s split into two businesses created a confusing client journey, and what salons and beauty brands can learn from it. The importance of understanding business models and market position, from luxury to mid-market, to value, and the differences in high or low frequency of visit strategies  How to use your brand story framework to guide every decision, from services to marketing to growth. Whether you’re a salon owner, hairstylist, or beauty brand leader, this episode will help you protect your brand promise and keep simplicity and clarity at the heart of your business as you grow. If you are a salon owner, independent stylist, educator, or coach seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.  Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!  

Olaplex didn’t just create a product, it created a category. It provided stylists a new language around hair health and made the salon pro, at every level, feel more confident, understood, and seen. But as the brand scaled and shifted toward the consumer market, something got lost: connection and community. In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we explore how one of the most iconic and beloved brands in pro beauty lost its focus, fumbled the moment trust was most at risk, and what every salon owner, stylist, and professional beauty brand can learn from it. In This Episode: • Why clarity of brand story is everything, especially as you grow and face controversy • How silence during hard moments breaks trust faster than any mistake • The opportunity Olaplex had (and still has) with scalp care as a service experience • Why connection with hairstylists isn’t built through celebrity endorsements, but in everyday conversations and connections • What it means to stay aligned with, and speak the language of, the people you serve Because being the “best” doesn’t build a brand, trust does. And trust is built through clarity, consistency, and care. If you are a salon owner, independent stylist, or educator seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision-making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.  Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

We're off this week, so please enjoy an encore of the first episode of BUILDING & BREAKING in case you missed it. Be back next week with a new episode! In the premiere episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, Nina dives deep into one of the greatest brand loyalty stories of our time: Costco. Through personal reflections as a newer Costco member (yet longtime studier of the brand) and decades of experience in brand strategy, Nina unpacks why Costco continues to build lasting trust, while other brands seem to be breaking it. This episode breaks down the fundamentals behind Costco’s success: their unwavering commitment to lifetime customer value, keeping brand promises (no matter the pressure), investing in their people, and always playing the long game over short-term gains. Nina connects these lessons back to the pro beauty industry, creative small businesses, pro beauty brand execs, offering real-world takeaways on how clarity, consistency, and true care are at the heart of every enduring brand. Whether you’re a salon owner, hairstylist, creative entrepreneur, or brand leader, this episode lays the foundation for understanding what it really takes to build and retain trust. If you want to learn more about creating your brand story and how to connect all the dots in your salon business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros. Thank you for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

This week, we’re driving straight into the In-N-Out experience, a brand that’s never chased trends, but instead chose clarity, consistency, and connection. No chicken sandwiches. No seasonal drops. Just a focused menu, a powerful brand promise, and systems that deliver, over and over again. In This Episode: Why In-N-Out’s brand promise is embedded into every experience The power of a simplified menu (and what it teaches us about over-complicated service menus and product lines) How consistency builds lifetime customer and client value Why slow growth is sometimes the smartest growth And why pricing isn’t just about numbers, it’s about trust From hairstylists to salon owners to beauty brands, this one’s for anyone ready to stop overcomplicating and start focusing on what matters most. Focus is a strategy. Consistency is the real flex. And trust is how you build something that lasts. If you are a salon owner or independent stylist seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision-making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals. Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

Trader Joe’s isn’t just about $3.99 flowers or dark chocolate peanut butter cups, it’s a masterclass in brand clarity and alignment. In this episode, we break down how every decision they make, from no delivery to no self-checkout to no coupons, is driven by their brand story (which includes brand promises), and why it keeps us coming back (even with those chaotic parking lots). Because brand clarity isn’t a constraint, it’s freedom. In this episode: Why Trader Joe’s brand story is so clear and why it matters How saying no to delivery and self-checkout protects the experience The real reason their Crew Members are so friendly lol Why no coupons builds trust How living your brand promise through your decisions and actions, not just talking about it, builds connection and high lifetime customer and client value The lessons salon owners, hairstylists, and beauty brands can take from Trader Joe’s to build stronger, more trusted businesses, and create higher lifetime client and customer value If you are a salon owner or independent stylist seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals. Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, Nina unpacks Starbucks: the iconic brand that built its success on human connection and consistent experience, and what happens every time it drifts away from that brand promise. From Howard Schultz’s bold 2008 shutdown all U.S. stores to reconnect with the baristas and Starbucks experience, to this year’s decision to cut 30% of the menu, Starbucks follows a familiar pattern: build, overcomplicate, break trust, and then attempt to refocus on their brand and what made them successful to begin with. Nina shares what salon owners, hairstylists, and beauty brands can learn from Starbucks about brand drift, operational alignment, and the myth that “more” always means better. Because it’s about the coffee, or haircuts, or bottles of shampoo, it's about the entire experience. And when that breaks, so does trust. In This Episode: • The real reason Starbucks shut down all US stores in 2008, and what that bold move teaches us about leadership and brand clarity • Why cutting 30% of the menu is about more than efficiency, it’s about restoring the brand experience • How complexity inside the store created chaos, stress, and emotional disconnect, for both baristas and customers • What the new dress code reveals about the disconnect between brand story, business goals, and the experience • What salon owners, stylists, and beauty brands can learn about staying focused, building trust, and aligning the decisions you make with your brand story If you are a salon owner or independent stylist seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision-making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.  Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, Nina breaks down one of the most iconic personal brands in the world, Taylor Swift. This isn’t a fangirl episode (though Nina is a Swiftie, duh). This is about a personal brand and consistent leadership, grounded in brand clarity, emotional connection, and healthy boundaries. From how Taylor speaks the language of her audience to how she uses storytelling to build trust and community, this episode explores the exact strategy behind her global impact. You’ll learn how to apply Taylor’s brand genius to your salon, business, or beauty brand, including real-world takeaways for hairstylists, salon owners, and beauty marketers. Nina also shares how Taylor’s music and the Eras Concert Tour helped her heal through deep grief. This one’s personal, and yes, there were a fear tears shed. If you are a salon owner, salon coach or independent stylist, and want to have a deeper understanding on how to not only create a brand story, but also, how it connects to every decision a salon makes in their business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty pros.  Thank you for listening, leaving a rating or review, and sharing this episode with a business bestie who can benefit from the lesson.

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, Nina breaks down Target’s trust crisis, not as a political conversation, but as a brand case study. Why did loyal shoppers like Nina, who went to Target every week, walk away? What lessons can salon owners, hairstylists, creative entrepreneurs, and beauty brands learn about lifetime customer (and client) value, consistency, and the cost of making decisions that are totally off-brand? Nina contrasts Target’s missteps with Costco’s long-game brand clarity, sharing real-life examples of how knee-jerk decisions can break trust and shrink long-term loyalty, and lifetime client, team, and tenant (booth renter) value. If you are ready to find more clarity of your salon brand story, which is the foundation for every decision you make, click here to learn more and get started with Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we’re diving deep into the legendary story of Aveda: how it rose to beloved icon status, what fueled its global success, and how it lost its way. Nina Kovner, former beauty brand VP, educator, and lifelong observer of Aveda’s rise and evolution, breaks down the brand’s rise under Horst Rechelbacher’s visionary leadership, its pioneering of nature-powered beauty, wellness, and the groundbreaking experience design that set it apart. We dive into how Aveda’s sale to Estée Lauder shifted its trajectory, the disconnect that followed, and the hard lessons every salon owner, hairstylist, and beauty brand must learn to protect their own brand trust. From brand clarity and experience rituals to salon partnerships and loyalty, this is a powerful lesson in what it takes to build a sustainable brand and what happens when you drift from your core brand story. Whether you’re a salon owner, stylist, or pro beauty brand exec, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on brand story, staying focused, and rebuilding trust when things go off course. In This Episode: What made Aveda the blueprint for nature-powered beauty brands The role of aromatherapy & sensory experience in lifetime client value (the amount of happiness, joy, referrals, and revenue a client brings you over the lifetime of your relationship with them) How clear brand stories, including brand promises, fueled growth, and where clarity faltered Lessons on brand erosion: leadership shifts, inconsistency, lost connections and broken promises What salons & pro beauty brands can learn (and apply right now) Why clarity, consistency, and care are everything For salon owners & hairstylists: Get inspired to infuse meaning into every part of the client, team, or tenant experience, strengthen relationships, and keep your brand story at the heart of everything you do. For beauty brands: A real-world reminder of how brand trust is earned and how to rebuild when it breaks. If you want to learn more about how to build your salon brand with a solid foundation, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros.  Thank you so much for listening!