Alli Webb knows that her life can look perfect from the outside — that’s why the Drybar founder is passionate about sharing her struggles with motherhood, burnout and most recently, divorce.
“You could look at my life and think it’s really awesome and glamorous and fun, and it is in a lot of ways, but it’s also been kind of face-down for the last year,” Webb said in a talk with Self magazine’s Carolyn Kylstra on Friday at WrapWomen’s 2019 Power Women Summit, held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Webb cited meditation, sleep and self-help books as keys to getting through a rough year marked by her divorce from Drybar co-founder Cameron Webb after 16 years of marriage.
She encouraged women in the audience to not feel ashamed about their self-care practices. “You have to take care of yourself and be OK with that. I think, especially as moms, we put everyone else in front of us — our kids, our bosses — and we feel guilty,” she said. “Whether it’s working out or getting a massage, I think stopping and taking care of yourself, doing what makes you feel good is really important.”
Webb co-founded Drybar with her brother Micheal Landau and Webb in 2008, and by 2019, the hairstyling chain had more than 125 locations. She recently launched Squeeze, a tech-focused massage chain, with the same creative team.
The Power Women Summit brings together 1,500 of the most influential women from the entertainment, media and technology industries. With the theme of “Toward 50/50,” the event provides two days of education, mentorship, workshops and networking. The two-day event features panels and discussion on redefining stereotypes, empowering female entrepreneurs, building a brand, the importance of female-driven content and the power of women in science and technology.