Meet Alli Bridgers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alli Bridgers.

Hi Alli, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I came up with the idea for Primp shortly after graduating from Ole Miss and moving to Nashville. I was talking to my dad about budgeting, and he encouraged me to track my monthly expenses. I was blown away by how much I was spending on beauty services like manicures, facials, and highlights – or what my dad likes to call “primping.” I needed something to help me keep track of my beauty spending and wanted something that would reward me for spending money on beauty, similar to the way credit card or airline reward points work.

Also, since this was around the time that I was beginning to travel a lot for weddings and work, I needed something to make it quick and easy to book blowouts or manicure appointments while on the go. I quickly realized after talking to my friends and friends of friends, I wasn’t the only one who wanted this type of service. So I reached out to Kirk Milam, my business partner and longtime family friend, about my idea.

Kirk is an attorney and jokes that his longest relationship is with the woman who began cutting his hair in college who he’s worked with as she’s grown her salon into a hugely successful, multi-location business. He immediately saw the need and together we built a solution to my problem. I’m excited to say that we are self-funded and launched Primp in 2021 have paying subscribers, most of whom have now been with us for a year.

Primp is a subscription-based service that allows users to book, manage and pay for beauty appointments in one place while earning rewards. When a user signs up, they select a monthly subscription level that translates into “Beauty Bucks,” which are used to pay for appointments. So if you sign up for the $100 level, you get $100 Beauty Bucks per month. Users earn rewards known as “Primp Points,” which never expire, by booking services through Primp and referring friends and signing up, and these points can be redeemed for services like blowouts, manicures, and pedicures.

Here’s how it works. Users come to the site and take a quiz to determine their monthly beauty spend; Primp then recommends a monthly “Beauty Bucks” subscription level ranging from $100-$1000 based on their beauty habits. Whenever subscribers are ready to book appointments like manicures, facials, and highlights, they can go online to see what’s available and read reviews, and Primp will book appointments on their behalf using their Beauty Bucks. For each appointment booked, users earn rewards in the form of Primp Points that can be redeemed for free services once they hit a certain amount

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We initially planned to build and launch Primp as an app first. However, when COVID hit that was put on hold. Plus, salons were closed. We decided not to wait on the app build-out and launched it as a website to test the concept.

Primp is also something that doesn’t exist currently so it takes some explanation as to what it is, but once people get it, they understand. Also, it’s been a big learning curve for Kirk and I since neither of us has a background in technology or software development.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Primp is still a side hustle for me at this point, and I currently work in brand partnerships and marketing. I’ve been lucky to work alongside amazing female founders and CEOs who have been incredible examples for me. I’m a doer – I take action and am not afraid of trying new things. I oversee the marketing, user expereince, product development and creative aspects of Primp, whereas Kirk handles the legal and financial sides of the business.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I feel most inspired and happy when traveling and experiencing new places. Taking time for self-care – whether it’s a bath, a long walk, or a massage – makes me very happy. I’m also happy when surrounded by people who encourage and inspire me.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.timetoprimp.com
• Instagram: @timetoprimp