Massage is a great expression of human connection, but Squeeze CEO and co-founder Brittany Driscoll takes it one step further by also focusing on the connection her massage therapists feel through being encouraged to bring their full selves to work. It’s a finding any leader can incorporate into their company, along with several other key lessons from Driscoll.
In the Details with Karen Allen is no longer releasing new episodes on the SUCCESS Podcast Network, but you can still listen to the full conversation below.
Anything is possible
Driscoll discussed the skills and talents she leveraged from her years of seeing other people’s strengths and inspiring her team as a high school basketball co-captain. While she always had that encouraging leader inside of her, it was her time at an experiential marketing agency working with Mattel and the campaign Hot Wheels for Real that reinforced her belief that when you have a big vision and the right people dedicated to that vision, anything is possible. Her company helped the toy brand transform their typical work to create death-defying stunts on a global scale.
Getting to your whole self
When people are allowed to live fully in their genius zone and not just tick off responsibilities, that’s how you get to their whole self. When you allow them to not fear embracing creativity and to explore the different gifts they have, you tap into their superpower. Ultimately, that can make them happier and make the company as a whole more successful.
Mindset as a superpower… and a limitation
While Driscoll believes very strongly in other people, she also finds that her biggest limitation can be a lack of belief in her own abilities—something which can keep you stuck and afraid of trying something new. While you of course want to limit risk, it’s important to train your brain and growth mindset skills so you can trust yourself to make a good decision.
The importance of morning routines
At her previous role at Drybar, Driscoll felt herself getting into the burnout zone, so now she focuses more on self-care and healthy habits. These habits include getting a workout three to five times a week, preferably outside, where there’s a groundingness she finds sets the tone for the day. She intentionally practices meditation, which is a preventative measure she uses to help keep her calm in the face of intense moments. And she physically writes in a gratitude journal five things she’s grateful for from the last 24 hours, which helps Driscoll recognize the beauty that exists even on the difficult days.
Little things compound over time, and we can’t fully comprehend how impactful these little habits are until life begins to show evidence of it.
What’s the right move for you?
Driscoll spent four years at Drybar, then started to feel the itch to continue to challenge herself. While she didn’t exactly know what she wanted to do next, she recognized that she wanted to do something else. She went to her bosses at Drybar and explained that she wasn’t serving them or herself to the best of her abilities anymore.
She hopes more people can do that if they’re feeling the inclination to make a move and are no longer feeling fulfilled, as that lack of presence can be harmful to both you and the company.
Power in the pause
When Driscoll approached her Drybar bosses about wanting to leave, Drybar co-founder Michael Landau asked what she wanted to do next. He then brought up the idea of a massage therapy business and the two of them working together as business partners. He was a frustrated massage goer and thought there was an opportunity to make the experience better.
Though Driscoll was intrigued by the massage therapy idea, she didn’t confirm her commitment to Michael until after three months. She didn’t want to jump into something big and scary only to change her mind two to three months into it. So Driscoll explored a lot of other opportunities, and thought about what her life could look like if she didn’t pursue this other path. She put herself into a mental space where she could sense if this felt right, and ultimately said yes. Anyone can agree to an opportunity just thrown at them, but it’s important to arrive at the space of this awareness in your own life.
Identify what you stand for
Squeeze’s mission is being in the people industry, not the service industry. Their focus is first on valuing the team for who they are as individuals and human beings before recognizing those individuals’ contribution to the company.
Their core values are therefore transforming communities for good, as human touch is a gift they’re delivering on a daily basis. By connecting with one another and with their guests, they are helping make people better teachers, mothers, neighbors, etc. and improving all of their lives.
Driscoll believes when there are happy employees, there are happy guests—and then happy franchise owners.