After years spent in corporate boardrooms analyzing mergers, acquisitions and turnaround strategies, Amit Shah understood how businesses succeed—and how they fail. But as his career progressed, he found himself wanting something additional: the opportunity to build, lead and scale a business of his own.
That opportunity came in 2019, when Shah opened his first Frenchies Modern Nail Care location in Pittsburgh. Today, alongside his business partner Toni Careccia, he owns five locations across Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Their journey into franchising was a deliberate decision rooted in strategy, complementary expertise and a shared commitment to building something meaningful.
A Strategic Shift Toward Ownership
Shah’s professional background is anything but traditional for the beauty industry. After earning an engineering degree from Penn State and later attending graduate school at USC and business school at Carnegie Mellon, he built a career in consulting and corporate strategy. His work focused heavily on M&A and corporate turnarounds, followed by nearly a decade at PNC, where he led initiatives in asset management, talent development and strategic growth.
“I spent years evaluating businesses and thinking about risk,” Shah says. “At some point, I wanted to apply that knowledge to something I could build myself.”
After exploring acquisitions and independent business opportunities, he turned to franchising as a more structured and scalable path to entrepreneurship.
In the early stages of building his portfolio, Shah took a long-term approach, reinvesting in the business and prioritizing growth over immediate income, including forgoing a paycheck as he opened and scaled his first locations.
Choosing the Right Concept and the Right Partner
Shah initially explored a range of franchise concepts but ultimately narrowed his focus to the beauty industry due to its resilience and recurring demand.
“The beauty space is relatively recession-resistant,” he explains. “It’s a high-value, low-cost service for the consumer, and there’s consistent demand.”
What stood out most, however, was the opportunity to improve upon existing industry standards, particularly in customer experience, labor practices and team development. That’s what led him to Frenchies.
“The brand stood out for its clean, non-toxic approach, its emphasis on the guest experience and the simplicity of the model,” Shah says. “It felt like a concept that was doing things differently, but doing them the right way.”
A key factor in scaling successfully has been Shah’s partnership with Careccia, whose background complements his own.
After studying at NYU, Careccia began her career in telecommunications sales on Wall Street before transitioning into the beauty space. Starting at the front desk of an Aveda salon, she quickly moved into a corporate role supporting 27 salon locations. She later earned her cosmetology license and worked directly in salons, developing a strong understanding of both operations and talent development.
“We each bring something very different to the table,” said Careccia. “That balance is what allows us to operate effectively and grow.”
Scaling Through People and Discipline
For Shah and Careccia, success starts with their teams.
“Leaders are responsible for setting the culture,” Shah says. “And culture drives everything.”
From the beginning, they’ve prioritized employee development, retention and long-term career growth. Their South Hills location in Pittsburgh is now the highest performing in the Frenchies system and is also home to some of the brand’s most tenured staff. They credit this to building trust with their teams, which in turn has created consistent client experiences and stability in their business.
Their approach includes structured scheduling, consistent communication and intentional career pathing. Regular check-ins focus not solely on performance, but also on personal goals and long-term aspirations.
“You’re not working for us, you’re working with us,” shared Shah. “We want to understand what our team members want out of their lives and help them get there.”
As they’ve expanded across multiple states, Shah’s analytical background has remained central to their growth strategy. The team emphasizes rigorous forecasting, annual planning and disciplined budgeting to ensure each location is positioned for long-term success.
“Analytics and planning are a huge part of what we do well,” he adds. “It allows us to provide consistency, not only for the business, but for our employees.”
Hands-On Leadership, Lasting Impact
Despite the systems and support that come with franchising, Shah and Careccia are quick to address a common misconception: that franchise ownership is passive.
“This is not a hands-off investment,” Shah states. “You have to be involved, understand the risks, and execute every day.”
Careccia echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of adaptability.
“You’re given a playbook, but you still have to figure out what works best for your specific market, your team and your customers,” she says. “It’s important to identify the right tools and use them effectively.”
Beyond operations, Shah and Careccia are deeply committed to their communities. In Pittsburgh, for example, they support local schools and sponsor a professional women’s soccer team and its youth academy, an initiative focused on empowering young girls through sports. For them, business success and community impact go hand in hand.
That impact extends internally as well, with team members advancing into leadership roles, achieving financial stability and reaching personal milestones like homeownership.
At its core, Shah and Careccia’s story is about intentional leadership, strong partnerships and a commitment to people. By combining analytical rigor with a people-first mindset, they’ve built a portfolio of successful locations while fostering a culture that supports both employees and customers—helping raise the bar for what thoughtful, sustainable franchise ownership can look like.