Meet the Winners
The top four contenders in our contest take the next step.
By Mary Beth Franklin, Senior Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, July 2006
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Just the beginning. In April, Ahlquist, Duane and the Hilkeys attended an awards luncheon at Kiplinger's headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they each received $5,000 in cash, plus certificates for $5,000 worth of new Sharp computer equipment that was delivered to their homes. They also began their career-transformation process by meeting with Elizabeth Kanna and Sherri Smith, co-founders of Dream in You.
Over the next three months, Kanna and Smith will work with the winners to assess their skills, analyze the market viability of their business plans, and review their financial and legal needs to create the framework for their new businesses. In addition, Kanna and Smith will pair each winner with a celebrity mentor in their field to provide insight and inspiration.
In Duane's case, for instance, Kanna and Smith thought her plan to sell instructional videos could be improved by streaming her videos over a Web site they would help her design. Visitors to the site would pay a fee to access the videos. That would be more cost-effective than getting bogged down with shipping-and-handling issues, and Duane was thrilled with the idea.
The Dream in You team will work with Duane to create a corporate identity for the "Alternative Cook," including a logo and marketing materials, and will partner her with celebrity chef Paula Deen, host of the Food Network's Paula's Home Cooking show and owner of The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah. Kanna and Smith also arranged for Duane to be a guest on Laura McIntosh's syndicated TV cooking show, Bringing It Home, as soon as Duane's Web site is completed.
Duane has already outlined plans for videos on baked goods, breakfast foods, ethnic dishes and desserts, including chocolate. "Unfortunately, people feel as if they have to give up their favorite foods, but that's just not true," she says. "I can show them how to bake a chocolate cake that tastes good without eggs, butter or wheat flour."
The Hilkeys' ultimate goal is to build a resource center for children and adults with disabilities. But the Dream in You team suggested that they put it on hold and focus on expanding their combined business. The most logical route is to work with the public-school districts they already service. Both Kanna and Smith have extensive contacts within the education community and plan to introduce the Hilkeys to their network. They will also solicit corporate donations of specialized equipment that will benefit the Hilkeys' special-needs clients. Mentoring the Hilkeys will be Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and chief executive officer of Sally Ride Science, who will draw on her years of experience using technology in education.
Because the Hilkeys don't have a business background, "it's been a steep learning curve for us," says Cecilia. "We've proven that we can run the business successfully, but the next hurdle is to grow it responsibly -- not too big or too fast -- and meet the needs of the community."
Ahlquist will be paired with celebrity Garrett Sutton, a lawyer and best-selling author of wealth-building books in the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series. Sutton specializes in advising entrepreneurs on creating and building their businesses. Kanna and Smith suggested that Ahlquist consider looking beyond paralegal services and offer a wide array of back-office services to law firms.
Ahlquist confesses that he's never run a business before and has "so many ideas running through my mind." Now he also has "a great opportunity to get expert advice and guidance. I'm still pinching myself."