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When The Nail Spa opened in 2002, Shabana Karim wasn't chasing scale, trends, or investor rounds. She was simply solving a problem she had faced as a busy woman in Dubai – there wasn't a single place she could reliably visit for a hygienic, high-quality nail treatment after work hours.
Like many great beauty founders, she wasn't from the industry. In fact, she was a teacher and a mother of three, stepping into entrepreneurship at age 40 while on maternity leave.
"I knew I was passionate about grooming from a personal perspective," she told Zenoti's CEO and Growth Diaries host, Sudheer Koneru. "I saw a niche or a gap in Dubai for a better experience."
Grounded in empathy, excellence, and genuine care, that experience became the foundation for House of Enspa, now a multi-brand beauty powerhouse with nearly 20 locations and over 500 employees across the UAE.
By establishing the region's first dedicated spa for hands and feet, Shabana revolutionized the UAE’s beauty industry, setting new benchmarks for customer service excellence and operational standards.
While Shabana's path was anything but conventional, her background as an educator turned out to be her greatest strength. Before she even opened her first store, she traveled to the United States, UK, and Singapore to study how the nail industry operated globally, not to copy them, but to note what was missing. The result was a spa that stayed open past 6 p.m., practiced stringent hygiene, trained every therapist in standardized procedures, and greeted each guest with warmth and intention.
Shabana even wrote her own training manuals, meticulously capturing every detail of the guest experience.
"We trained out of my living room. I was the receptionist, the customer service lead, the operations manager, everything."
This early attention to detail paid off. Customers began lining up outside before the salon even opened. "Turning someone away wasn’t about losing revenue; it was about the look of disappointment on their face. That, I couldn’t take," Shabana said.
Unlike many modern beauty brands, House of Enspa wasn't built for scale; it scaled because it worked.
Three years after launching her first location in Mercato Mall, Shabana was invited to open a second location. Her instinct? "How can I be in two places at once?" So, she began recording monthly video briefings, rotating her in-person visits, and letting her early training systems guide the way.
Shabana built a full-fledged training center, insisted on consistency across all therapists and locations, and, crucially, never disconnected from the customer. Even today, she reads every customer review and feedback message.
Perhaps most powerfully, she applied the same care to her team. The House of Enspa runs like a family. There are morning briefings, a supportive HR department, and help offered when staff face personal challenges. "Staff is key. Without them, you can't have a company."
Over time, Shabana expanded beyond nails. First came Marquee, a premium hair salon. Then a nail artistry brand. Then Espai, a distribution and training hub that gives her control over product quality and availability, and even trains competitor staff.
Why branch out? "Our customers trusted us. They wanted more – and we knew we could do it better," she said simply.
That same mindset drives Shabana today. An insatiable learner, she recently completed a digital business strategy program during a sabbatical, investing in tech knowledge to make smarter decisions.
Shabana also continues to mystery-shop her own locations, staying close to the ground, keeping the experience personal, and evolving constantly. Still, she's realistic about today's challenges.
Shabana's journey is more than a success story; it's a blueprint for anyone in the beauty, wellness, or fitness space who wants to build a lasting presence.
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Post credit: Fame – The B2B Podcast Agency. Reviewer: Gita Mani, Zenoti
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