Geetika Khare and Sumi Khare, we are sisters and are now partners as well with Frenchies Modern Nail Care being our first venture together.
Where are you originally from and how long have you lived in the area?
Geetika has lived in Atascocita/Houston for 5 years and Sumi 9 years.
Tell us about your business.
Frenchies is your not so typical Nail Studio. For starters, Frenchies doesn’t look, smell or feel like a typical nail salon. Our studios are light, open and airy (speaking of air, ours is especially fresh—no acrylics = no nasty chemical smells). We’re super clean. Inviting. And fun. Every Frenchies team member is friendly and knowledgeable and we strive to deliver your most enjoyable nailcare experience ever.
We pride ourselves on our natural, vegan and cruelty-free products by Spinster Sisters (https://spinstersistersco.com/) that are used in the services we offer. Our pedicure tubs are not jetted (no one needs those icky bacteria that harbors in the plumbing), are stand-alone porcelain tubs and are easy to clean. We spray them with barbicide and let it stand in it for ten minutes (with a timer) before it is rinsed off and is available for the services.
We offer CND which is 7 free and Emma which is completely vegan and 12 free of harmful substances like formaldedyde most commonly found in other polishes. We offer regular polish, CND vynylux and gel polish.
Our porous implements are not reused and offered to the guest to take home. Our metal implements are first cleaned with soap and water, then soaked in hospital grade barbicide (disinfecting solution) for ten minutes and finally put in autoclave (the one your dentist office uses for their metal implements) to ensure complete disinfection. They are then packaged in sealed envelopes and opened only in front of the guest during their service.
We do not use acidic callous remover or cheese graters, drills or acrylic services because we care about your natural nail bed. We use quality products to help strengthen your natural nail bed, hydrate and moisturize skin, hands and feet. All our products are available for purchase as well.
Frenchies also can host small groups for spa parties, girls night out, bridal showers or team events. We decorate the place, make it special and serve food and drinks our guests want while they can relax and enjoy their pampering sessions.
Frenchies is a nail revolution focused on educating guests that from lotion to nail polish, everything that we put on our body gets absorbed and its long-term use makes an impact. It is important to adopt natural products, chemical-free nail polishes and a clean environment and that is what Frenchies is all about. When you bring your little girl here, the air smells good, there is no acrylic dust that aggravates your allergies, your diabetic family member knows that the pedicure tub and implements are sanitary and clean. That is important to us and to Frenchies. We are a clean and chemical-free environment.
What brought you to do your business?
We wanted to start something of our own and offer services that provide benefits to the community as well as help us connect with the community.
When did the idea of creating your business start?
How long have you been in business? We started thinking about doing something on our own mid-2018 and opened our studio on October 4th, 2019.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
It gives us the freedom to create opportunities for others. We are able to establish something of our own that is aligned to our personal values. Flexibility of schedule is an added bonus.
How many kids and how old are they? 
Geetika: I have 2 boys, 9 and 11 years old.
Sumi: I have a boy that is 9 years old and a girl that is 13 years old.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
Bringing something clean, safe and healthy to the community and connecting with the clients. We also enjoy interacting with our team members, most of them are young girls. We enjoy knowing them and intend to help them develop their skill sets and ensure that they grow with us.
What does the future look like for you and your business?
There is no doubt that the future of nail care is natural, non-toxic, socially responsible and Frenchies philosophy fits right in. We see Frenchies being the leader in this domain in future years with many more studios open to provide a healthy, safe and fun nail care experience.
What advice would you give to others that want to start something new?
We believe that for anything new, one needs to be passionate, persistent and patient and things will eventually fall in line.
Any advice for juggling all the things in daily life?
Taking one day at a time😊. As women, we handle so much; family, household, relationships, kids and work/business. It is important to keep the bigger picture in mind, forgive yourself for not always being perfect, make a list of priorities every day and work on those diligently.
