Our Annual BLO/N Away for Valentine's Day Event with Uber Private Drivers!

BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar Rittenhouse Provides Professional Help Updating Your Online Dating Profile Picture Just in Time for You to Score a Valentines Day Date!

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and you’re still spending all your free time online browsing dating profiles! It’s time to update your online dating profile and wow the hordes of eligible bachelors out there ready to be your Valentine!

BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar is here to help! On Sunday February 3^rd, in association with Uber,
BLO/OUT is holding our 
Annual BLO/n Away for Valentines Day Event!

BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar Rittenhouse will have photographers on hand to take beautiful headshots of the updated you with your beautiful Do for your online dating profile!

Come in between 9am and 5pm on Sunday February 3^rd for a BLO/OUT and a Delicious Make Up Application by BLO/OUTs experienced BLO/Litas and your headshots are free of charge! Your photos will be emailed to you upon completion. Use your photo for your online dating profile, Facebook profile or LinkedIn!

BLO/OUT also partnered up with Uber, Everyone's Private Driver providing complimentary rides to and from BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar Rittenhouse and raffling off complimentary Uber rides for your Valentine's Day Date.

Uber, "everyone's private driver", would like to offer all attendees who are new users a complimentary ride up to $20 to or from the event with promo code PHILLYBLOOUT  Promo can be entered in app by tapping the icon in the upper left hand corner or visiting the promotions page when you sign into Uber.com.

1. Sign Up: Download the UBER app on your iPhone or Android device, or visit www.uber.com/go/PHILLYBLOOUT

2. Enter the Promo Code: PHILLYBLOOUT

3. Request & Ride: Select your pick up location & tap Request Now

Sans cut, sans color, BLO/OUT offers a wash, blow dry and hot style in a beautiful, chic, inviting atmosphere. From straight sleek to bouffant curl, BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar offers numerous styles, including up-do’s and glamorous braids. Their signature BLO/OUTs can be had at a low flat price of $35, making it an affordable luxury, and leaving women with no excuse for a bad hair day. 

Located at 1804 Chestnut Street across from Continental Mid-Town, BLO/OUT offers 3 floors of beautifying services along with champagne, margaritas, iPads, jewelry, spray tanning, private rooms, a roof top deck and Philadelphia’s best stylists! Open 7 days a week as early as 7am and as late as 9pm, you can throw away that shampoo at treat yourself to a wash/BLO/style anytime you like!

Also offering amazing scalp massages, BLO/licious Make-up and fabulous custom hair styles BLO/OUT is the perfect place to start a girls night out, weddings, showers and other events. Their BLO/Em’ Away services bring talented stylists to you!

No scissors, no chemicals, just heat-sculpted Head-turning style. The perfect finished look.   

The Most Exciting & Busiest Day in BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar History!

Last Monday was New Years Eve. 2012 was disappearing and 2013 was about to hit. All the preperation, the anxiety, the fear was coming to a head, a beautifully BLO/n head!

BLO/OUT Huntingdon Valley was completely booked from morning to closing. BLO/OUT Rittenhouse was completely booked between noon and closing. Approximately 25 BLO/Litas were preparing for the craziest day they have ever experienced. 

That's exactly what they got!

Both location served hundreds of BLO/OUTs in one day... and everything went smoothly!

No technical difficulties, barely any crazy waits (a few clients waited more than I would ever like anyone to wait, but they totally understood and still loved their BLO/OUTs). Tons of BLO/Me Mosas were drunk, much of it ending up on the floor as well. Beautiful excited ladies all over the place getting ready to party the night away.

It was honestly one of the most awesome days I have ever experienced. So much great feedback, so many smiles, so much beautiful hair. We made it!

We could not have asked for a better welcoming party to Rittenhouse! Our team was awesome! Everyone worked their butts off pulling 12 hour shifts without a break! I could not be more proud of the BLO/OUT BLO/Litas and what we've built! 

It's a new year, let's make this a BLO/OUT year full of beautiful hair, happy clients and top notch customer service! 

Yours,

Avi & The BLO/OUT Family 

Even Philly's Most Hated Deserve a Beautiful BLO/OUT!

They are more hated than the Giants, more hated than taxes; they are the Philadelphia Parking Authority! The BLO/Litas at BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar believe that everyone deserves some love and a beautiful BLO/OUT!

That’s why on SUNDAY, JANUARY 13^th, 2013, PPA employees get FREE BLO/OUTs!

Being hated sucks! Walking around in the cold giving out tickets definitely sucks! BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar will help you be hated in style!

BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar introduces the newest concept in heat-sculpted styles to Rittenhouse. Sans cut, sans color, BLO/OUT offers a wash, blow dry and hot style in a beautiful, chic, inviting atmosphere. From straight sleek to bouffant curl, BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar offers numerous styles, including up-do’s and glamorous braids. Their signature BLO/OUTs can be had at a low flat price of $35, making it an affordable luxury, and leaving women with no excuse for a bad hair day. 

Located at 1804 Chestnut Street 2^nd Floor, across from Continental Mid-Town, BLO/OUT offers 3 floors of beautifying services along with champagne, margaritas, iPads, jewelry, spray tanning, private rooms, a roof top deck and Philadelphia’s best stylists! Open 7 days a week as early as 7am and as late as 9pm, you can throw away that shampoo and treat yourself to a wash/BLO/style anytime you like!

Contact: Avi Shenkar / Avi@BloOut.com / @BloOutBar / 215.305.8245

FINALLY!! BLO/OUT Rittenhouse is Open! I Need a Vacation!!

It's been months since I had a chance to sit down for a minute and update everyone on what's been going on, sorry!

This morning at 7am our Rittenhouse location opened its doors and let the hordes of BLO/OUT deprived ladies come in and bask in all of its glory! :-)

 
After months of hard labor, stress, physical, mental and emotional breakdowns, it's open! With its large open spaces, super high ceilings, wainscoting, chandelier overload, iPads, BLO/Me Mosas, BLO/Me Ritas, Champagne, Doggie treats, tufted leather, the most awesome reception furniture ever, sky lights, and the coolest feature: the BLO/OUT Roof Top Deck, this place is unreal.

With the backing and support of some affluent Philadelphia investors including Raymond & Megan Giroux BLO/OUT is well on its way to taking over the Philadelphia area! Rittenhouse is open, we're negotiating Washington Square & University City all the while bringing on some of the Philadelphia's finest salon talent!

The past few months have been unreal! I have been working from early morning to early morning every day. I did however get to perfect my painting, caulking, and trim cutting abilities. I love construction and I helped the guys out as much as possible.

The stress of dealing with the current BLO/OUT location, staff (which thankfully has been pretty good due to my assistant manager and team!) , budgets, landlords, licenses, inspections, bills, bills, contractors, plumbers, bills, investors, etc… has been weighing down on me. Thankfully I love what I do, I love who I do it with, and I very much love those who support and motivate me.

So... last night we celebrated Christmas the only way we could, Chinese food, tequila, good friends and family. I had a great buzz going and it was an awesome time. 5am this morning I awoke, spent a few minutes cuddling with the love of my life, then a few more with my other love (my dog Cash), got dressed, walked the dog and headed down to Rittenhouse to open up to the public for the first time. 

The stylists came in early just as I was putting some finishing touches to the door, the music went on, the chatter began and we waited. About 3 hours into our day the phone started ringing, the door opened up and some lovely ladies came in, although they didn't get BLO/n they scheduled some future BLO/OUTs. Then a beautiful young lady came in and became our first Rittenhouse BLO/OUT! Upon completion she purchased a 20 BLO/OUT package! Yup, we're doing something right! 

Friends stopped by bearing gifts, clients called, appointments were made, tweaks and touch ups were done and we're all still working. I have to admit, all the hard work, long days, short nights and pain was worth it. What I built is beautiful to the eye and even more beautiful to the hair. 

Now on to more tweaks more fix ups more touch ups, our next locations and a huge deal in the works that will BLO this industry OUT of the water! 

Stop by when you get a chance and see what I'm talking about!

Yours,

Avi.

Being in the Blow Dry Bar Business is an Entrepreneur's Dream!

Years of starting and operating all sorts of businesses teaches you one thing, without you the business will fail. 

Or so I thought...

 

It's Saturday morning, my eyes naturally open up at around 8am and my first thought is "Oh shit! BLO/OUT opens in an hour, I need to get ready!" 

I look over to my right and smile seeing my girlfriend still sound asleep and Cash, my killer police trained Pomeranian sleeping on her head. Angelica (my girlfriend) has been waking up every morning this past week at around 6am and working all day into the late evening. Being that it's Saturday this was her first chance to sleep in and I did not want to disturb her. 

Then I realize; There is absolutely nothing for me to do at the shop today!
 

The front desk staff will open up and follow opening procedures, the BLO/litas will all come in on time and get ready for the crazy busy day we have, the coffee will be brewed, the music will be played, the clients will begin coming in and enjoying themselves, and the typical BLO/OUT banter will go on. 

So I lay in bed thinking about what else I need to do. The new BLO/OUT locations are well underway and there is nothing I can physically do on this beautiful Saturday to hurry it up or help in any way. I've spent the entire week playing negotiation ping pong, meeting with investors, working the financials, working on the new locations, talking to electricians, plumbers, construction guys, lawyers, accountants, landlords, realtors, etc...

What am I going to do today? 
 

So we plan on visiting the dog park with Cash but before that happens Angelica wants to get her nails done and take care of a few other errands she needs to get out of the way. So I'm left with about three hours worth of time to do nothing. I make myself some breakfast, drink some coffee, hang out with my father, go online and read the news. All that takes about 17 minutes and now I'm back to doing nothing!

OK, I have to at least show up at BLO/OUT! I mean it's Saturday, it's crazy busy, the girls must be running around like crazy, clients must be waiting, they probably don't have enough change in the cash drawer, maybe they're out of water for clients, products, etc...

I park my car and walk in to the shop. It's packed! Clients are getting BLO'n, the front desk is checking people in or out, the shampoo area is busy with clients getting massaged into a nap, music is playing, blow dryers are blowing, phones are ringing...

Everything is perfectly calm, collected and organized. Damn! 

The only thing I can do is take the trash out! Yes! I knew these girls couldn't handle it all! Looks like I couldn't handle that either, I got locked in the trash container area and had to climb the wall to get out. 
 

So trash is taken out, there is enough change in the cash drawer, clients are not waiting any more than 8 minutes, everything is stocked and the clients are all smiling and chatting away. I head back to my office (storage closet) and sit down at my computer and realize that I'm pretty useless here. 

So I begin writing this blog post.

I've realized that starting a business you know nothing about takes a lot of courage, motivation and ambition. It's also one of the only ways for you to be completely useless in your own business. I can't style hair, I can't even shampoo (they tried to teach me and it was an epic fail), I can work the front desk and sometimes do but I heard that clients prefer to be surrounded by women and not having me sit there. I know that if I was a hair stylist I would be in here all day working, I would run in if we were over booked or under staffed, I would take the clients that want a BLO/OUT prior to opening hours or after we close.

For the first time in my entrepreneurial life, I am not needed in my own business! It's kind of nice. 
 

The messed up part is that my mother had the complete opposite experience. She once owned a beautiful and large physical therapy practice and when a physical therapist shortage occurred in NJ she could not maintain the business because she herself was not a physical therapist. She had a problem I have never seen in business before. Tons of happy patients that did not want to go anywhere else but to her but a lack of service providers. Prior to that I "knew" that the hardest part of any business is getting the clients through the door, this was shocking to me. 

I do however have to say, if it wasn't for the team we have built here at BLO/OUT I would not be able to be so relaxed. I can't express how grateful I am to the BLO/OUT team! Every person I ever hired in any business I always wished they would care about the business and the clients as much as I do. That was never the case until BLO/OUT. 

Our team is not only the reason we are able to grow as quickly and efficiently as we are, they are also the main beneficiaries of our growth. When has anyone been promoted to Assistant Manager or Chief Stylist 4 months after starting their job?!?

Soon they will all move even further up the ladder here at BLO/OUT and everyone will realize that hard work, committment, sacrifice and caring for your co-workers and company pays off big time. 

So in closing,

being in a business you know nothing about and can't physically assist provides a freedom of sorts, the freedom to trust others and delegate.
 

Which I have never had. 

So here's to being self un-employed.

Cheers!

Avi.