It was 'now or never' for a frontline health worker to pursue her dream of opening a boutique and aesthetic clinic.
Lynn Bolton recently launched Vanilla Spice in Kesgrave, a store that aims to provide women with fashionable clothing, beauty treatments and menopause support.
Mrs Bolton has been working as an NHS radiographer for 25 years and is also trained as a beauty therapist.
She decided it was the right time to open the place she has been dreaming about for decades.
During the Covid pandemic, Mrs Bolton spent 18 months on the frontline at Ipswich Hospital.
She said: "I decided to launch my place before the pandemic happened, but I had to put it on hold.
"I always had this dream to work for myself and to try new things.
"Hospital is not a very happy place at the moment, so I thought to myself, ‘now or never’."
Mrs Bolton wanted to combine working at the hospital with running her business, but as it became impossible, she took "a massive leap of faith" and left her full-time job.
She said: "My idea was that if people come in for clothes, they might have a treatment, and if they come in for treatment, they might like my clothes.
"I'm now getting myself together for primarily skin care and facials, and I also have a friend who's an advanced nurse practitioner and will offer aesthetics like botox and fillers.
"I’ve had a lot of issues with menopause, so I decided to take some menopause training to help other women get through it."
Mrs Bolton has also been doing nutritional training and is hoping to provide consolation, which will be a part of the menopause programme.
The business owner from Tattingstone added that her husband and son support her in her new project.
Vanilla Spice is located at Unit 5, Mead Drive, Grange View in Kesgrave.
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