'It All Came Crashing Down': Lessons From A $255M Founder Who Chose Mental Health Over A "Badge Of Honor" Work Culture

Alli Webb, the visionary behind Drybar, knows all too well how life can look dazzling from the outside. Starting in 2010, she transformed her mobile hairstyling side hustle into a nationwide phenomenon. 

With over 160 locations across the U.S., Drybar became a staple for salon-goers, raking in loyal customers with its no-cut, no-color blowout-only concept. 

By 2019, the company had reached new heights, selling to Helen of Troy for a jaw-dropping $255 million. This move aligned with the global salon industry’s valuation projected to reach $469.48 billion by 2030 due to increasing consumer spending on personal care. 

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But success isn't always as glamorous as it seems. "I knew my life was going to change forever," Webb told CNBC Make It. What followed, however, wasn't just Champagne and celebrations. "Everything was starting to unravel for me personally," she admitted.

Seven years into running Drybar, Webb's personal life hit a breaking point. Her marriage to cofounder Cameron Webb ended after 16 years. Her mother lost a battle with cancer. To make matters worse, her teenage son struggled with addiction and entered rehab.

"Am I ruining my family? Our lives?" Webb recalled asking herself during this turbulent period, as described in her recent book The Messy Truth.

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Like many entrepreneurs, Webb threw herself into her work, using it as a buffer against emotional pain. Drybar's runaway success distracted her from dealing with the cracks in her personal life. 

"We distract ourselves when we don't want to deal with stuff," she said, reflecting on those years. But as the pressures mounted, so did the toll on her mental health. In 2018, she hit rock bottom, a chapter she described as her "Great Depression."

A turning point came during a conversation with Brené Brown, the celebrated author and professor of social work. "She helped me realize I hadn't processed the trauma from my divorce, my mother's death or the guilt I felt over my son's struggles," Webb shared. 

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That realization prompted her to adopt mental health strategies that have since become non-negotiables in her life. Therapy, meditation, journaling and exercise became part of her routine. 

"Talking it through with somebody is a big deal," Webb said, adding that writing down her feelings helped her process emotions and find relief. "Get that stuff out of your head and onto paper," she advised. "It's so alleviating."

Today, Webb still juggles entrepreneurial roles – she cofounded the massage startup Squeeze and serves as president of Canopy, a humidifier brand – but she's no longer chasing success at the expense of her well-being. 

"I could never see myself working myself into the ground [again] the way I did when we were growing Drybar," she told CNBC Make It. Her leadership philosophy has evolved as well. 

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