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Imagine this: you're sitting in a cafe with a bestie, tossing around the usual banter over dessert, and 12 hours later you're on your way to launching a multi-million dollar beauty empire. Fiction?

This is nothing less than reality for Kristen Wood: the brilliant minded, hilariously humoured creator behind the never-knew-you-needed-but-now-can't-live-without thongkini, bumkini and "Get Nailed" lacquers of The Ten Spot. And it's not just for ladies - men are invited, too (it is called a MANicure, after all…).

Like many things, there's always a back story and luckily, Kristen was eager to share.

Tell us about yourself! What came before The Ten Spot?

I’m a woman of many hats—from a wife, mommy to a two-year-old boy, entrepreneur, designer and beauty buff. I have wanted to own my own business from the age of 8. It wasn’t until I realized that my BA in Philosophy wasn’t getting me any big-shot jobs that I decided to pursue studies in Graphic Design. I fell in love with design instantly; it soon became my primary passion. Now that The Ten Spot has been running for 8 years, I truly feel I get the best of both worlds: having my own company and doing all of the collateral for it.

How do you go from cheating on your diet to launching a business overnight?

It's a whirlwind of a story actually. It was a Sunday night and I was devouring a slice of pie with a friend while bouncing around some playful business ideas. After that, I raced home and worked until 6:00am. I managed to write my business plan, register my domain name, get a new e-mail, design a logo and send it all off to the bank that morning. That Monday afternoon, I walked along the Queen West strip and picked out the block I wanted to be on. By Wednesday, I had signed a lease for a unit there. That night, I tossed out a few phone calls to my closest friends who connected me with both a contractor, corporate lawyer and designer. Construction started a month later and within 4 months, The Ten Spot made its first mark in Toronto.

What makes The Ten Spot different from other spas?

By structuring the business around being an "anti-spa"—honestly! We have a strong commitment to exceptional guest care along with strict cleanliness standards. But at the end of the day, we want to make sure everyone has an enjoyable, memorable experience. Our aestheticians come to know a whole lot more than what's going on with your lady goods—they also become quite in tune with your personal life. They've also been known to claim instant best-friend status!





How do you cope with risk and uncertainty when starting out?

Unfortunately, risk and uncertainty don’t only occur when you’re starting out—it’s ongoing. But the adage of "the higher the risks, the higher the rewards" has always been true for me. Franchising has helped tide feelings of loneliness—you're on your own, but you're not alone. It's also a great opportunity for those who are looking to get into business. Ultimately, starting a business, falling in love, having a kid, life in general—it’s all risky and uncertain. You can only keep moving forward, or as my favorite Pixar quote goes, "Just keep swimming" (I blame my two-year-old son for all of my Disney-related analogies).

What advice do you have for aspiring female entrepreneurs?

1000% just do it. It’s not just about the freedom to do what you want, when you want; it’s also the thrill of taking a leap and seeing what happens. The Ten Spot was literally an idea that I had over a slice of pie with a friend one night. It could have easily stayed as that. Instead it’s now a multi-million dollar company that employs almost 70 people and has grown into what will be 13 locations (our new location opens this Friday!).

Give us the goods on the most popular service offered!

The "Brazilly" (AKA a brazillian wax), hands down; it’s what puts us on the map. We do thousands of these bad boys a month. We use two kinds of wax: soft strip wax which grabs the fine baby hairs and gives perfect shape as well as hard wax which is better for sensitive skin. We’ve also perfected the art of distraction to make your wax as painless as possible (Okay… We put TVs in our wax rooms—but how sweet is that?!)



Want to find out what all the fuss is about? Get in on the action at the grand opening of The Ten Spots' newest Forest Hill location this Saturday. Be sure to RSVP to get yourself a complimentary polish job and stay up to date on more exciting events on The Ten Spot blog!