Prompt Cast
Squire App: Modernizing Barbershops and Navigating Pandemic Challenges
TLDR Squire, an app connecting barbershops with clients, modernized the industry by providing a tech-savvy solution, faced initial setbacks during the pandemic but saw a surge in demand as barbershops reopened, emphasizing resilience and the importance of supporting employees and customers.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Business travelers are finding ways to mix leisure with work trips, and in this episode of How I Built This Resilience Edition, Guy Raz speaks with Songe LaRon, the co-founder of Squire, an app that connects barbershops with clients.
03:51
Barbershops are taking extra precautions like disinfecting seats and tools between customers, using disposable capes, and avoiding certain services that require mask removal to ensure safety during the pandemic.
07:20
Squire was founded by Songe LaRon and his friend Dave Salvent after realizing the outdated and inefficient experience of traditional barbershops, aiming to modernize the industry by providing a more convenient and tech-savvy solution for both customers and barbers.
10:56
Squire experienced a significant drop in bookings and revenue during the initial shutdowns, but has since seen a surge in demand as barbershops reopen, highlighting the resilience of the business model during unexpected challenges like the pandemic.
14:37
Constant Contact offers marketing tools like email and SMS marketing, social media posting, and events management to help small businesses reach new audiences, grow customer lists, and communicate effectively.
19:01
Entrepreneur Songe LaRon emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with talented individuals, rather than being the smartest person in the room, and believes that now is a good time for black entrepreneurs to start businesses due to increased awareness of their challenges.
22:46
Being an entrepreneur, especially a black entrepreneur, is challenging but worth pursuing, with the importance of taking measured risks, saving personal runway, and building a network highlighted by Songe LaRon.
26:40
Songe LaRon and his company, Squire, made efforts to support their employees during difficult times, publicly standing with Black Lives Matter, offering time off, and making donations to non-profits, while also focusing on providing value to their customers in the barbershop industry.
30:29
The smartwatch industry is valued at $45 billion annually, with Apple Watch as the top seller, but Samsung made significant strides to compete after Steve Jobs' death, transitioning from a family grocery store to an electronics powerhouse.
Categories:
Business
