HubSpot Customer Spotlight: Bret Peters, CEO, ADF Solutions
Some of the best perspectives on HubSpot's product come from those who use it every day. In this interview series, we profile HubSpot partners, ...
Some of the best perspectives on HubSpot's product come from those who use it every day. In this interview series, we profile HubSpot partners, providers, and customers, and ask their thoughts on what our product team should keep in mind while solving for them, and where the future of the industry lies.
In this installment, we chat with Courtney Caldwell, COO and Co-Founder (along with her husband Tye, pictured above) of ShearShare, a B2B mobile marketplace that provides space-as-a-service for the beauty and barbering industry.
How did you first come to work with HubSpot's products?
I first came to work with HubSpot's products back in 2008-2009. At the time, I was leading digital demand generation for various software companies — Oracle, RightNow Technologies, Qualtrics, Zendesk, etc. — and searching for a tool that both our sales and marketing teams would love. Over the years, I've worked with about seven different MAPs and CRMs, but gravitated back to HubSpot because the platform was so powerful and intuitive.
ShearShare is an app for salon and barbershop booth rental — known by some in the industry as 'Hairbnb.' What inspired you to get into this business, and what have been some of the most interesting parts of being in this industry?
My husband and I started ShearShare because it was a problem we were trying to solve for ourselves. Four years later, and after a pandemic, we see that "old work" is morphing into "new work." And this new work makes the workplace more important.
The idea of activity-based workspaces (ABW) is popping up fast in other professions, so we created the first mobile app that provides on-demand space for the in-demand stylist. Now hairstylists, barbers, nail technicians, makeup artists, estheticians, braiders, microblading artists, and massage therapists can book the chair of their dreams when and where they need it in more than 850 cities nationwide. And salon and barbershop owners get to monetize their empty space by the day with vetted, licensed professionals, which helps them staff up to full occupancy by listing their empty space at a time and price that’s convenient for them. It's a brand-new take on #SpaceAsAService.
One interesting part of being in this industry is that you get to see up-close the true resiliency of these solopreneurs and small business owners. By helping our fellow stylists navigate any kind of transition with flexible, hybrid options, it puts the power exactly where it should be: in the hands of the barber and beauty professional.
What's the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?
We live in a pay-for-what-you-need economy, but our legacy beauty and barbering industry hasn't kept up with the times. So on a macro level, the biggest challenge — and opportunity! — for our team right now is moving beyond #SpaceAsAService for the second largest industry for freelancers and independent contractors to offer a complete #WorkplaceAsAService.
On a more micro level, we've spent the last 10 months learning from COVID and are now set to launch ShearShare v2.0. From branding, to UX design, to features and functionality, the new ShearShare app is future-built and designed to help small businesses keep pace with new work demands, regardless of location and regardless of the pandemic.
You are, or have been, a member of several boards, from HubSpot's own Customer Advisory Board to the Entrepreneurship Council at your alma mater, the University of Texas, Dallas. What advice do you have for others interested in getting involved on boards?
Serving on a board is an opportunity to do even more for an organization for which you are already passionate! As a board member, you are entrusted with being a brand advocate, leveraging your network to make meaningful connections, providing feedback on strategic direction, and contributing your time and unique skill set to further the interests of the organization. If you are interested in getting involved on a board, I strongly encourage you to identify organizations that have a mission you can evangelize, initiate your interest by reaching out to existing members on LinkedIn, build a bit of boardroom capital, show up to each meeting with confidence, and serve from your heart.
Serving on a board helps you unearth new leadership skills you didn't think you had and also readies you for an expanse of new professional opportunities. Wherever you choose to serve, know that your value is in sharing a diverse viewpoint, being an independent thinker, and using your super powers for good to contribute personally to the organization.
What's the most helpful feature of HubSpot's product for your team currently?
Workflows.
If you could add one feature to HubSpot's product right now, what would it be?
ML-based workflows based on marketing goal and/or industry.
As a COO, what predictions do you have about the future of the B2B mobile app space?
Technology is core to accelerating economic mobility, especially with the proliferation of the cell phone. Everywhere you turn, companies are trying to reach the Holy Grail: combining hardware, software, and services into a curated package. But in many cases, that package excludes one very important factor —the experience. I predict that mobile software will become more experiential with AI, making accessibility to B2B tools more efficient, affordable, safe, and scalable... giving users everything they need to run a truly sustainable small business ON THEIR TERMS right from the palm of their hand.
Interested in working with a product team that solves for marketers, salespeople, and developers alike? Check out our open positions and apply.