In her teenage years, Shell Kalka lounged at her local indoor tanning salon, dreaming about what she would do if she had one of her own and enjoying a rare moment of independence. For her, it was a relaxing place away from home.

As an adult, she did end up being quite the entrepreneur. Shell owned a laundry mat and dry cleaning business, an Italian charm shop and even a stint as a Power Seller on eBay. She had always wanted to own a tanning salon, but her actual foray into the industry happened on a whim.

In 2010, a rare moment of downtime allowed Shell to tan at a local salon. After burning for the first time, she was so upset she resolved to buy the business — which wasn’t even up for sale. Not long after, the location reopened as Coconut Tan. With new equipment, pricing structure, a complete remodel and a hard-working staff, Shell hoped to help the indoor tanning industry be taken more seriously, especially in her community.

Since opening, Shell has opened a total of four locations. On top of a very full business schedule, she juggles a home life with her husband Jim Kalka Jr. and four children. No matter how crazy things get, she seems to share a balanced gratitude for her children and her dream business.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.