Talking to clients key to esthetician's job

* Name: Priscilla Romans, 26

* Job Title: Esthetician

* Location: In the Buff Day Spa and Salon on Ringgold Road

* First job: "This is actually my first job as a professional." She worked at Marks and Morgan jewelry store through college.

* Favorite part of job: "I love the girl talk. I love waxing, but I think I love the girl talk. It's a really laid-back atmosphere and it's a fun job, but the girl talk is my favorite. I have clients who call and ask for a therapy session. They'll talk to me about anything and they'll get really personal. ... I hear a lot of great stories."

* Special rewards: "My client relationships. I've made some really good friends doing this. I think the results I see. I've had several clients come in with extreme acne and to put them on a new skin care regimen and see the after... it makes a huge difference to see how relieved and excited they are." She has also treated a lot of women with sun damage and hyper-pigmentation.

* Best advice: "You have to be driven. It's not as easy as you're led to believe in beauty school. You have to be patient and hardworking. Business is not handed to you. The first few years, I wasn't very busy. It was very discouraging. I've been doing this now for six years and it's taken me just about that long to get to where I expected to be."

* Making a career of it: Study at a cosmetology school. Ms. Romans went to New Concepts in Cleveland, Tenn. After completing 750 hours of study, she took a state board exam, which included both practical and theoretical subject matter. "Once you're licensed, you're ready to start working." Ms. Romans' licensing process took about a year.

-- Compiled by staff writer Holly Leber, hleber@timesfreepress.com

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