Franchise Investment for Former Corporate Executive Also Means Investing in Her Team Through Business Training, Mentorship
- Maria Porreca opened a Blo Blow Dry Bar franchise in 2025 in her home state of Rhode Island after a successful career in corporate finance in New York City.
- Her goal was to leverage her finance background and skills and give back to her community by investing in its economic development.
- Porreca recognized a need in Rhode Island for blow-dry service and was attracted to Blo Blow Dry Bar because of the opportunity to scale with a strong brand.
- Her business plan as a Blo Blow Dry Bar franchisee included mentoring and training her team members in business fundamentals, a mini-MBA, as she calls it.
When Maria Porreca left her corporate finance career in New York City to move to East Greenwich, R.I., she says she could almost visualize her own Hallmark movie: Businesswoman leaves the big city to return to her home state, put down roots and start a new chapter. “This meant finding ways to leverage my finance background and skills and deliver back to my community,” she says.
In New York, Porreca had relied on weekly hair styling at a blow-dry bar as a time-saver because of the demands of her job as a company vice president. Rhode Island had plenty of traditional salons, but it lacked this type of blow-dry service.
“I had a hunch that this service was needed in our community – I was not the only customer in town,” she says. Drawn to the opportunity to scale with a strong brand, she decided to invest in a Blo Blow Dry Bar franchise. “The timing was right to make this ‘Hallmark movie’ a reality,” she says, signing a multi-unit franchise agreement and opening the East Greenwich location in October 2025.
Mini-MBA Opportunity
Part of her business plan was to provide mentoring and training on business basics to the beauty professionals who worked in her franchise – what she calls a mini-MBA opportunity. “I envisioned a role where I taught others how to run a business and read financial statements. These tools could also be used to run a home or another organization,” she says.
Starting with the annual strategy meeting in early 2026, Porreca began discussing finance fundamentals with the team members at her Blo Blow Dry Bar franchise, covering profit-and-loss statements, expense ratios and key performance indicators. She has followed that up with quarterly meetings that focus on core business concepts and a special career development day with a guest speaker. She also works closely with the franchise’s manager to go over business reports and indicators. Team members have responded enthusiastically, with some stylists asking Porreca for one-on-one sessions and recommendations on business-related books.
“At this point, the biggest benefit of the education effort is how we converse about the business and the team’s confidence in how to connect the KPIs to behaviors and business operating needs,” she says. “We are new and still testing the waters, but the conversations with my manager and others on the team focus on ideas and outcomes.”
An Alternative to Traditional Salons
Blo Blow Dry Bar was launched in Canada in 2007 as an alternative to traditional salons, focusing on flawless hair styling – no cuts, no coloring. That emphasis allowed the company to excel at what it offers and to expand into the U.S. As the demand for hair care services has increased, with the global market now valued at more than $200 billion, Blo Blow Dry Bar has grown as well. Now with more than 140 locations across the U.S. and Canada, the company has become the largest blow-dry bar franchise in the world.
Blo Blow Dry Bar’s business model offers multiple revenue streams for franchise owners through makeup services, add-on hair treatments, and sales of memberships and retail products. The company helps new franchisees find the right site and manage the construction phase and also trains them in all aspects of the business.
Given that Porreca’s background was in finance and not cosmetology, she has relied on Blo’s thorough training and ongoing support in areas related to esthetician services and on advice from the collaborative network of other franchise owners.
Creating Opportunities for Others
Porreca says her mentoring efforts are not focused only on teaching skills. “It’s about helping people recognize their own potential, giving them the tools and confidence to grow, and creating an environment where they feel supported in taking that next step,” she says, noting that her business offers expanded roles and opportunities for team members. “I believe strongly in sharing what I’ve learned and creating opportunities for others, particularly women who may not always see themselves represented in leadership or business ownership.”
She says mentors have guided her throughout her career, and she has been intentional about mentoring others. “Knowledge transfer has been a major part of my growth within organizations. If the team grows, everyone grows and benefits,” she says. “I had a few great mentors of my own over the years. I want that opportunity for others, and I try my best to leverage my experiences and exposures and share with those seeking a mentor. I am always exploring and learning from others. Hopefully, I can be that person of value for others.”
Family relationships have also helped shape her. “My mother was my first influence – and a major force in who I am,” Porreca says. “She opened a small business in the 1970s, which was atypical at that time.” Many of her mother’s employees became like family, she says, and many of those were working mothers.
No Predetermined Path for Achievement
Porreca’s daughters also have a close-up view of her Blo Blow Dry Bar franchise, visiting frequently and observing the daily routine and how the staff deals with challenges. “Being a mother to two daughters has had a profound influence on how I think about opportunity, education and leadership,” she says. “I want my daughters to grow up knowing that there is no predetermined path for what they can achieve, and that they should feel empowered to pursue opportunities, take risks and create their own.”
She also wants to teach her daughters to look beyond themselves. “Ultimately, I want my daughters to see that success isn’t just about what you accomplish for yourself. It’s also about what you do to open doors for others,” she says. “If I can use my experience to help another woman build confidence, develop her skills, advance her career, or envision herself as a leader or business owner, that feels like a meaningful part of the legacy I want to leave for my girls.”
To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit Blo Blow Dry Bar.
