How Two Spelman Sisters Build A Nail Empire

 

Kelli M. Coleman and Anika J. Odegbo are the dynamic duo revolutionizing the beauty and self-care industry with The TEN Nail Bar, a Black-owned nail franchise that first opened its doors in downtown Detroit in 2016. As Spelman College alumnae and visionary entrepreneurs, they’ve built a multi-million-dollar brand that goes beyond beauty, championing community, inclusivity, and economic empowerment. Through their innovative approach, they’ve not only created a thriving business but also set a new standard for what it means to build a Black-owned franchise in the beauty industry. Their story is one of ambition, friendship, and a shared commitment to uplifting both their community and the broader industry.

In this exclusive interview with MadameNoire, Kelli and Anika discuss their journey to building a successful beauty franchise, the power of lasting partnerships, and how The TEN Nail Bar continues to uplift communities while redefining industry standards.

MadameNoire: What inspired The Ten Nail Bar, and how did your Spelman HBCU experience shape your vision?

Anika Odegbo: The concept for The Ten Nail Bar emerged when Kelly and I were both living outside of Detroit in major metropolitan areas—Chicago and New York. During that time, we experienced high-quality salons and superior nail care. While we enjoyed those spaces, we were also reflecting on how we could make an impact back home in Detroit. The city had just emerged from bankruptcy, and there was a lot of reinvestment and activity downtown. It felt like a moment we didn’t want to miss. There was a sense of FOMO—watching these revitalization efforts happen without actively participating in them.

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We both come from entrepreneurial families and have always valued small business ownership. After many conversations about moving back home, we began to ask ourselves, “What type of business could we create that would be impactful and helpful?” Beauty consistently came up. It’s a straightforward industry to execute, and it doesn’t necessarily require specialized licensing. Ultimately, we landed on the idea of a nail bar—something Detroit was missing. We wanted to bring the elevated nail salon experience we saw in other cities to our community and create a consistent, go-to brand that people could rely on, no matter where they were.

The HBCU experience—specifically Spelman—played a significant role in shaping our vision. First and foremost, our friendship laid the foundation. We were freshman roommates, so our relationship was built on trust and sisterhood. That bond allowed us to collaborate naturally and effectively.

The Spelman and HBCU experience also instilled a sense of community and collaboration. At HBCUs, there’s a collective effort to ensure everyone succeeds—professors are deeply invested, and there’s a spirit of “we’re in this together.” That emphasis on collaboration over competition was something we carried with us as we built our partnership.

Ultimately, The Ten Nail Bar is an extension of that sense of community. It’s a space where people feel empowered. We all know how much better we feel when we look good—self-care routines have a way of reinvigorating us. Beyond offering a beautiful space for customers, we wanted to create an environment that prioritizes the well-being of our employees. It’s rare to find spaces like that in urban areas such as Detroit—where there’s care not only for the customer experience but also for the team’s experience and the aesthetics of the space itself.

Kelli M. Coleman: I’ll add a few thoughts. Like Anika mentioned, we were both at stages in our lives where we were ready to build something of our own. Coming from entrepreneurial families, we understood that entrepreneurship is a proven mechanism for generational wealth. We wanted to create something scalable from the very beginning, and we believed we had the ability and capability to run a successful business in our city.

The Spelman experience reinforced the belief that we are limitless. At Spelman, we were nurtured and encouraged to believe that nothing is out of reach. It didn’t feel far-fetched for us to move back to Detroit and open a business. That belief stemmed not only from how we were raised but also from the formative years we spent at Spelman. Those years gave us the confidence and faith to pursue our vision.

Additionally, collaboration over competition is something Spelman emphasized, and that principle has been central to how we’ve built our partnership and business.

MadameNoire: Both of you come from legacy families where starting businesses and giving back was the expectation. When it came to franchising, was that always the plan, or did it evolve over time?

Kelli M. Coleman: We always aimed for a scalable business, though franchising wasn’t the initial focus. I was taught early on to pursue entrepreneurship, even while gaining experience through jobs along the way. For me, the benefits of being my own boss always outweighed the challenges. Ultimately, we landed on franchising because, as we considered ways to expand, we loved the idea of growing our footprint while sharing our blueprint for success. Franchising allows other people to take a less risky step into entrepreneurship. It gave us the opportunity to scale as planned while encouraging others to pursue business ownership.

Annika Odegbo: The vision for multiple locations was always there. We’d say things like “TEN in 10 months” because we knew there was demand. Franchising works because locals understand their markets, just as we know Detroit inside and out. It’s about trusting others to build relationships within their communities.

In Detroit, the demand for quality nail care options led us to open two locations. While entrepreneurship was the foundation I was raised on, stepping out to pursue something different is both embraced and a little bittersweet—it always feels like you’re coming back home to the family business. Balancing it all has been a challenge: finding time to pursue my passions while also contributing to the legacy business. Entrepreneurship is encouraged, but those conversations about balance can be difficult.

MadameNoire: Are there specific lessons you’ve learned from each other throughout this journey?

Kelli: That’s a great question. I’ve definitely become a better manager of people. I’m very black and white, and I don’t operate well in the gray. However, through observing and working with Anika over nearly a decade— which is wild—I’ve learned the importance of managing with a firm hand but still allowing for nuance and flexibility. By the time someone talks to me, it’s usually a final decision, like, “I said what I said.” But Anika has shown me how to prioritize the bigger picture while honing in on the individual circumstances of a person or situation.

We also lean on each other to stay motivated and connected to our “why.” Sometimes, it gets tough when you’re in the trenches, but we constantly remind one another of the potential we have and the purpose of what we’re building. That’s been so critical for us.

Anika Odegbo: That gray area Kelli mentioned can definitely be challenging, but I do try to focus on the human element—though sometimes that backfires. Still, I’ve learned so much from Kelli. She’s a creative at her core, and that translates across so many facets of our work. I’ve given her a lot of creative control in how we show up—whether it’s the verbiage, imagery, or details. I’m more of a “it’s fine, we look good, it’s cool” person, but Kelli is incredibly specific about how things need to look and feel. I’ve grown to appreciate that level of detail and have learned to apply it not just in business but in life.

Kelli is also incredibly clear about her vision and has taught me to be more direct in communicating my own convictions. She pushes me to dream bigger. There are times when I’m hesitant, and she reminds me of what we’ve accomplished—“Anika, we’re the TEN. We’ve done X, Y, and Z. Now, let’s take it to the next level.” She reinvigorates my creativity and keeps me inspired to evolve and innovate the TEN Nail Bar.

Her creativity, specificity, and clarity allow us to dream without limits. It brings me back to that initial mindset we had in 2016—boundless possibilities, no ceilings. Kelli keeps that vision alive, reminding me that we’ve built something incredible that has served thousands of people. So, why not continue to dream bigger and into the next iteration of what we can be?

That was such a thoughtful question. Sometimes you don’t realize the impact someone has on you until a moment like this.

MadameNoire: If you could encourage an entrepreneur, specifically a Black woman, what one piece of advice would you give her? 

Annika: Just do it. Do your research, but just take action. I think we often get nervous about executing, and we end up overthinking—writing, rewriting, editing, and seeking endless opinions. But if an idea was given to you, I believe that’s divine. It’s yours to execute, so go do it.

Kelli: I completely agree. I’ll pull from a piece of advice I heard recently, though I’d need to confirm the source. It resonated deeply with me and aligns with what Annika said. We often overthink and delay action. Someone mentioned a 24-hour rule: if you tell someone you’ll follow up about an idea, you should aim to follow up within 24 hours. Similarly, if you’ve committed to providing an answer or a plan, aim to respond within that time frame, even if it’s just high-level.

Delays kill ideas and deals. Sometimes people succeed simply because they acted—not because they were smarter or had a better idea, but because they moved forward. People who love us may unintentionally discourage us because they don’t fully understand or align with our vision. But despite challenges, it’s important to press forward. If we hadn’t taken the leap, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you today. We wouldn’t have employed hundreds of Black and Brown women or created pathways for others to join us in entrepreneurship.

So my advice? Act. It’s not about being the smartest or the best. It’s about showing up and doing the work.

 

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