By Vanessa Yakobson, Blo Blow Dry Bar

I have always followed my gut in navigating different phases of my career.

I have made it a practice to regularly check in with myself on where I was at personally and professionally. I want to ensure that I never have regrets in not taking a chance or moving forward with an opportunity

The early stages of my career spread across many industries from marketing to non-profit, and even a stint with a hedge fund company, so I have had the privilege to learn a variety of skills. After I turned 40, I realized I wanted to run my own business, which is what led me to become CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar.

We’ve expanded our presence greatly over the last few years and have a solid playbook in place, so we decided to acquire another beauty and wellness concept last year. We are excited to apply the success we’ve had with Blo Blow Dry Bar’s systems and processes to this new concept to grow it even further.

I believe that our company’s success and my growth as a leader can be attributed to a few practices I have followed over my career.

1. Demonstrate Your Worth and Wisdom

When you are looking to advance your career, have the courage to take your place at the table, offer an opinion or provide a different perspective. This can be intimidating, but you should never let fear limit you.

Sometimes this might mean taking a “fake it til you make it” approach, and presenting yourself with a confidence that you might not necessarily feel. But always ensure you are well prepared with the facts and an informed perspective.

In various roles I’ve held, even early in my career, I have had confidence in my capabilities and always pushed myself to make my presence known and my voice heard. This specific approach helped me be recognized as a top performer and leader early in my career, and earn respect from my superiors and colleagues.

2. Commit to Continual Improvement

In business, as in life, everything is a lesson. Decisions you make or actions you take may not always please everyone or turn out to be the right ones, but when you fail, look at it as an opportunity. Ask yourself what you can do differently next time? Is more communication needed? Is a different approach required? Be sure to also reflect on what worked so you know what can be replicated in future.

In various roles I’ve held, even early in my career, I have had confidence in my capabilities and always pushed myself to make my presence known and my voice heard.

Consider your franchise brand as a work in progress and commit to ongoing improvement. Keep viewing things through the lens of being an opportunity. There is always room to grow and evolve.

For my fellow entrepreneurs, sometimes things will go wrong and you may feel that you’ll never recover. But you will recover and grow a confidence that you can bounce back from difficult situations. This will help you keep perspective when you encounter tough times in the future and have courage to embrace your convictions.

3. Take Advantage of Available Resources

Throughout the various roles I’ve held and in my current position, I have leaned on others for information and expert advice. I have always sought out mentors and made the Internet my friend. Today, we have more access than ever before to information, resources and networking opportunities — don’t be shy to use them!

While utilizing these will be greatly beneficial, you also need to seek out opportunities to learn. If there is a new product launch or systemic rollout to improve franchisee marketing for example, ask to be involved. If there is a conference or course you think will benefit you in your work, ask for permission to enroll. This is how you will learn and grow your skill set.

Surround yourself with smart people who have a different skill set or more experience.

Many people think they need to be the greatest expert and have all the answers — but the truth is, no one knows everything all the time. Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t understand something. If you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask someone for an explanation. Surround yourself with smart people who have a different skill set or more experience. You’ll find this invaluable.

4. Encourage Collaboration

I believe that good ideas can come from everywhere within the organization. Encourage open communication within your corporate team and with franchisees to unearth ideas and opinions. Encourage everyone in your system to let their voice be heard, share opinions and best practices and offer new ideas that can be beneficial for all.

During interviews with potential recruits, I share that at Blo Blow Dry Bar we encourage everyone to contribute actively to conversations and work. As a system, we want to harness all the clever minds and give everyone the opportunity to work together to move our business forward.

Decisions you make or actions you take may not always please everyone or turn out to be the right ones, but when you fail, look at it as an opportunity.

Blo Blow Dry Bar takes a collaborative approach with our franchisees. They appreciate that the corporate team is eager to hear about their experiences and recommendations for system improvement, even if we can’t always act on them. There are many mechanisms we have put in place to encourage this collaboration: a franchisee Facebook group, a franchisee advisory council, regular webinars and an open-door policy that encourages franchisees to connect with members of the corporate team.

Looking Ahead

Now with 16 years under our belt, Blo Blow Dry Bar is primed for our next stage of growth and development. While we accelerate our growth, we are intentional about ensuring we grow responsibly and sustainably for long-term success. Our leadership team has strategic plans in place to expand our footprint in Canada and the U.S., while helping our franchisees grow their sales.

We have a strong history with proven success in more than 30 states, but this is just the beginning of our story.

Vanessa Yakobson is the CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar. For more information about IFA franchisor member Blo Blow Dry Bar, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/blo-blow-drybar-inc.

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