When an “esty” entrepreneur makes the decision to leave the security of a job and open their own practice, many thoughts may run through their head. Perhaps they are thinking about how they have always wanted to be their own boss or how they could manage things better than their current supervisor. Maybe they feel they are not being taken seriously where they are currently employed, or they may need more flexibility for their personal life. Regardless, in making the decision to go out on their own, one should consider timing, the pros and cons, and any necessary steps they need to take to make it all happen.  

Technician, educator, mentor, and business owner, Mary Nielsen has been at the forefront of medical aesthetics since its infancy in the early 1990s. She is an Oregon-certified advanced aesthetician and a licensed aesthetics instructor. She serves as vice chair of the Oregon Board of Certified Advanced Estheticians. She is the author of several aesthetics books, including four chapters in the latest “Milady’s Esthetics” textbook.