Dream Jobs at a Turning Point
Two winners move closer to their goals. Another changes course.
By Mary Beth Franklin, Senior Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2006
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Recipe for success. Jean Duane has spent the past few months creating and testing new dairy-free and gluten- free recipes that are low in cholesterol. When she wasn't dreaming up new dishes -- often waking in the middle of the night to scribble down her latest inspiration -- she filmed and edited instructional videos that demonstrate how to duplicate her creations.
Duane knows from personal experience how devastating it can be to be told to eliminate your favorite foods from your diet. Her mission is to teach people about their alternatives. "I want people to see this as an epicurean adventure rather than deprivation."
Duane is looking forward to her television debut on Bringing It Home With Laura McIntosh, a syndicated cooking show seen throughout California. Contest sponsors JetBlue Airways and Hilton Garden Inn provided transportation and accommodations for Duane and the other winners when they traveled during their dream-job consultations.
Duane is thankful for the professional introductions, which will include an advice session with Paula Deen, the Food Network's queen of Southern cooking. CPA and attorney William Roof of Atlanta offered legal and accounting advice, including setting up two companies -- one to produce the instructional DVDs and the other to hold the copyright and patents on Duane's products -- to help her save on taxes and protect her personal assets. She plans to sell her videos through her Web site.
Change of heart. Not all dreams turn out as planned. Richard Ahlquist, who lives in Woodbury, Minn., thought that starting a paralegal service to provide back-office support to law firms would be a great way to put his MBA and paralegal training to work. It was a good idea -- good enough to win our contest. And the timing seemed right, as Northwest struggles through bankruptcy. Even if the airline survives, Ahlquist will be grounded by mandatory-retirement rules in ten years.
Still, the 50-year-old pilot began to have doubts. He had never run his own business, and he is more comfortable taking orders than giving them -- an assessment confirmed by his Kolbe Index profile. After attending an entrepreneurial seminar that laid out the pitfalls and time commitment of starting a business, Ahlquist decided that route wasn't for him.
What Ahlquist really wants is to generate future retirement income without taking time away from his family. His new plan: invest in commercial real estate. So Kanna introduced him to Dolf de Roos, a successful real estate investor and author, for advice on buying commercial property and taking advantage of the cooling real estate market.
Even with his change of heart, Ahlquist says winning the Dream Job Contest has been a fantastic opportunity. "I don't think I could buy this kind of access or advice."