Dream Jobs – A Look At Florida’s Most Coveted Careers

Article first appeared: https://palmbeach.floridaweekly.com/articles/dream-jobs/

Many of us are caught up in the daily grind. Our jobs can be a burden or a blessing. And at some point, we’ve all fantasized about a dream job.

Well, the experts at HostingAdvice.com took it one step further, polling over 3,000 Floridians to find the jobs that make them the most green with envy. And the answers might surprise you.

We spoke to the people working at the five most envied careers in Palm Beach County to see if the jobs live up to the dream. You decide.

1- WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER

Michael O’Neill of Palm Beach Gardens is an award-winning photographer and author who specializes in marine wildlife and environmental issues. In 2002, he established Batfish Books to publish quality, nonfiction children’s books designed to encourage reading, writing and involvement in science and conservation.

His work has been published in BBC Wildlife, National Geographic Magazine, and The New York Times, and he was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year by World Press.

ABOVE: Michael O’Neill’s wildife photography has won him many awards. BELOW: Glenn Bakels leading a tour at Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park inJupiter.

ABOVE: Michael O’Neill’s wildife photography has won him many awards.

The best part: “This is my calling. The more I travel and learn, the more I know I’m just scratching the surface. There’s so much still to discover.”

 

O’NEILL

O’NEILL

The worst: “The life-threatening encounters. I’ve almost been hit by a boat, and one time, a boat left me behind. They came back an hour later. Sometimes, I have to deal with difficult people, and getting access to certain locations can be tough. People don’t like to share. Or they don’t appreciate the value of your work. People don’t value my 30 years of practicing photography and my $14,000 camera. I deserve to get paid even if I do something I love.”

 

2-CHOCOLATIER

Laura Hinzman’s love for fine chocolate chose her career for her. A long-time customer of Scheurer’s Chocolates in Boynton Beach, Hinzman asked the owner if he ever planned to sell the business. He did.

HINZMAN

HINZMAN

With the help of her 86-year-old mother, Marilyn Palaich, who opens the shop every day, Laura is flourishing. And both women say, “I never think, ‘I don’t want to go to work today.’”

 

The chocolate case at Scheurer’s Chocolates in Boynton Beach. COURTESY PHOTOSThe best part: “I get to be creative every day, not just with the chocolates, but with promotions and sales. We do special events, weddings and birthdays. I love meeting the customers. We get a lot of repeat business and special orders. FAU is one of our biggest clients. The best part is that the people who come in grumpy leave happy. It’s so satisfying making beautiful things.”

The worst part: “When something goes wrong. Chocolate is very temperamental.

We try to keep the temperature at 66 degrees. Sometimes it’s the humidity. The chocolate ‘blooms,’ which means it gets that white dust on it. I have to start over. But it’s okay; we eat the mistakes.”

 

 

 

 

3- ADVENTURE TOUR GUIDE

Glenn Bakels is part of a team of tour guides who work as Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists at the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park in Jupiter. For more than 20 years, Bakels has been leading groups to historic sites and explaining unique facts about Florida.

Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationist Glenn Bakels at a Battlefield event.

Bakels, 69, has lived in the Juno Beach/ Jupiter area for more than 60 years. He is a stellar storyteller with hundreds of facts at his fingertips.

The best part: “It’s a lot of fun. I meet people from all over the country who are taking the time to learn about history. It’s thrilling. My fellow Americans need to know so they don’t repeat the same mistakes. I really believe they’re hearing me because they say, ‘I never knew that before!’ That’s a good feeling.”

The worst part: “There really isn’t one. We’ve never had an incident or an injury. As a 501C3 nonprofit, we don’t talk politics or religion. I guess I would have to say the increase in electric bicycles whizzing through the park and not yielding to our tours is getting a little dangerous.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-LUXURY REALTOR

Jeff Lichtenstein is the president and founder of ECHO Fine Properties in Palm Beach Gardens. He was named Best Realtor of the Year in 2021 by The Palm Beach Post.Jeff Lichtenstein created ECHO Fine Properties in Palm Beach Gardens.

Lichtenstein has always liked building sales relationships since working for his father’s company in Chicago. But the Syracuse University graduate left the Midwest for warmer weather in 2001. He started Echo Fine Properties, which specialized in handling all marketing, advertising and support in-house. It worked. Echo was named best brokerage of the Palm Beaches in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The best part: “Dealmaking is fun. I like negotiating. It’s both a puzzle and a game. There’s lots of adrenaline flowing, and ‘it’s on.’ I also like helping people solve their problems. “The people aspect” is what keeps me interested.”

The worst part: “Crazy Uncle Eddie. You see the underbelly of your clients. They fight in front of you. I remember Milt, a mild-mannered accountant who turned into a micromanaging monster. You have to realize people are under a lot of stress, and you have to let that bounce off you. There’s no health insurance, no paid vacation, no paid sick leave, no overtime pay, and no clocking out. We are independent contractors with inconsistent pay. It’s great when it’s good, but you have to plan ahead for when it’s not.”

 

 

5-CRAFT BREWERY OWNER
Stormhouse Brewing offers outside dining.

Brothers Josh and Christian Brinzo recruited their father, Brian, Uncle Brad, and a few partners to open Storehouse Brewing in Jupiter and fulfill a dream. They celebrated their third anniversary in May.

Christian is a certified Master Brewer. Brother Josh has an MBA and oversees the brewery’s finances.

The best part: “We get to work with family. I’ve taken a stance as a very passionate debater when not everyone agrees on a business move. But it’s a team effort and I like that. I appreciate how tough it is to be a server or work in the kitchen and always try to support them. I like the industry. I like to find ways to do it better. That’s very rewarding. I want people to be happy they chose to come here.”

The worst part: “When something goes wrong. I read every review. If there’s a problem, I resolve it the same day. Personally, I’m never satisfied. Sometimes, I’m too keyed into the negative, but I believe you should always try to be better than you were.”

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