Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie and Christy Webb.
Katie and Christy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I (Katie) am a hair stylist and extension specialist. I went through training at Toni and Guy and found amazing success at Juan Juan Hair salon in Brentwood. I worked at Juan Juan for nine years and worked my way up from assistant to a senior stylist and educator.
During this time I developed a close relationship with many of my clients, now many of whom I consider friends. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own space where I could practice my craft in an intimate setting. One of my clients has always pushed me to go out on my own. We started looking at spaces without expectations, and I refined what I was looking for.
Shortly after looking at the space on Stanford street, BY WEBB was born. I called Christy who was managing an art studio in Silverlake and told her about the venture. With zero hesitation she decided to leave her position and help me get BY WEBB up and running. The design, logo, instagram and marketing can all be credited to her!
Our family friend David, who is a contractor, jumped on the project to help us conceptualize the design. With everyone’s help, we were able to open the space within two weeks of seeing it for the first time!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every journey has its ups and downs, however, we have been extremely fortunate with the help we’ve had. There has been a huge learning curve as it is our first time running a business and things pop up almost daily.
I (Katie) was nervous with leaving my secure position and stepping out on my own. But it was amazing to see the support of my clients, friends, and family. My parents were active in the early success we have achieved. They were a big part of our grand opening and have helped shape the atmosphere of our space.
I think my relationship with my clients has strengthened due to the personalized atmosphere my sister and I have created. I’ve been talking about my family for years, and now my clients are actually meeting them- making our relationships more personal.
Please tell us about BY WEBB.
BY WEBB is a neighborhood hair salon + creative space. The services we offer are haircuts for men, women and kids, blowouts, extensions, and styling. Our space almost feels like an industrial den and hang out. We want customers to feel like they are hanging out, chatting, and getting ready. We both have always loved the social process of getting ready and wanted to bring that idea to the studio.
The space is what you make of it, and we are happy to accommodate guests needs, whether it’s playing jazz music, watching a documentary, or bringing your kids to color while you get a haircut with a glass of wine in hand. We want to support our local creative community and open our space up to anyone looking to showcase their work.
We have our brother-in-law, Danny McCaw’s, paintings hanging in our space. His contemporary paintings (which are for sale!) fit into our studio perfectly. We also feature local artisans and companies in our retail- including a feature of Argaux wines, Terra Vela candles, and Lilla Bello flowers (generously donated by our parents).
We are looking to host events, pop-up shops, art shows, workshops, small gatherings, and more for our community. We are excited to see what BY WEBB becomes in the future. We are adapting as we go and want to expand organically. We don’t know what the future holds, but we will apply everything we’ve learned to the next chapter! STAY tuned, folks!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
No, because everything we learned along the way helped us mold into what we are today. I think that timing has a lot to do with our success in making the switch. Everything from the space availability, the location, and the construction all happened to work out. Honestly, I would do the whole thing again!
Pricing:
- Women’s Haircut – $125
- Men’s Haircut – $85
- Kid’s Haircut – $50
- Blow out – $50
- Extensions – $175/hr
- Event styling – $125
- Space Rental – Inquire
Contact Info:
- Address: 1815 Stanford Street Santa Monica, CA 90404
- Website: www.by-webb.com
- Phone: 6264974773
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/by_webb
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/by-webb-santa-monica
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
