Recently, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I mean I literally stepped, or leapt, off a somewhat safe, fairly comfortable, wooden platform, 70 feet up in the trees in Holiday Valley, N.Y.
The harness slowed down my free-fall from the high-ropes course, so I landed with a thud, but without breaking any middle-aged bones. The Russian judge gave me a generous 8.5.
If you think this sounds scary, you’re right, because it was actually terrifying. But switching gears and trying new things can push us to achieve goals that previously seemed unattainable.
Perhaps the most frightening change comes when we take risks that involve our careers and livelihood. Reasons for taking a new path range from family, health and financial pressures to simply stumbling upon an opportunity that makes sense.
Anchor Team to Agent Team
A well-known Dublin couple made the news in 2002 when they left successful broadcasting careers with FOX-28/ABC-6.
Bob and Lorene Hetherington were co-anchors for NewsCenter and had two young children when they started to question their lifestyle.
“We hosted the evening news, so we worked until 11:30 p.m., and then still had to pick up our 2- and 3-year-olds from the babysitter’s house,” says Lorene. “We also wanted to stay and raise our children in Dublin, and the TV industry usually requires moving every three years or so,” says Bob.
Bob and Lorene had done some real estate investing and enjoyed exploring the housing market, so they became real estate agents. In their first year as the Hetherington Team, they sold 25 homes, which is four times what a first-year agent usually sells.
“We had name and face recognition, which was a tremendous advantage when we were knocking on doors, looking for business,” says Bob.
The Hetheringtons still work a lot of hours, but now they have some flexibility and control over their careers. Their advice for success is to find something you love to do and work hard.
“When making a major life change, close the door on the past and just look forward,” Lorene says.
Reach the Hetheringtons at www.hotohiohomes.com.
Ohio Hops Are Hot
Looking ahead seems to be exactly what Michael Ford from Dublin is doing.
After majoring in environmental geography at Ohio University, Mike taught at Nature’s Classroom in Danville, Ohio and was considering going back to school for his teaching degree. All four of his grandparents were teachers and it seemed like a natural progression.
At the same time, Mike was dabbling in craft beers and home brewing and tried brewery school in Vermont. While there, he decided he didn’t want to brew beer, but he might enjoy working outdoors and farming hops for the beer. With the microbrewery scene growing 20 percent in 2013, the need for hops is great, and Ohio craft brewers are very open to working with local growers.
After developing a test plot in Dublin, Mike bought 20 acres of farmland in Marysville and planted four acres of hops. He uses old telephone poles and aircraft cable to support the plants, as they can grow vertically 1 foot per day and will grow between 20 and 25 feet before harvesting.
“I love working outside and being my own boss,” says Mike. “It’s a learning process, but I hope to turn a profit next year and am working on cloning my own plants.”
Thinking outside the box seems to be Mike’s style. After playing on the Dublin Jerome High School state championship lacrosse team in 2005, he transitioned to Ultimate Frisbee in college. Mike has played professionally for the American Ultimate Disc League for the past three years, for the Columbus Cranes, Indianapolis Alleycats and Cincinnati Revolution.
Search Grandpops Hops on Facebook for more information.
Hurting Leads to Helping and Healing
Lifetime Dublin resident Tara Kunzelman spent years working in marketing and e-commerce in corporate America before switching to selling real estate.
The move wasn’t perfect, though, as the weekend and evening hours took her away from her family and kids in travel sports. Meanwhile, her mother and husband were both ill, and watching two people close to her suffer was more than she could bear. Tara began exploring alternative medicines and became fascinated with essential oils and energy healing.
“Once I saw that the oils and energy healing could help take away some of the pain, I was hooked,” says Tara. “I never meant to get into this field. It just evolved and took on a life of its own.”
Now Tara works one day a week at Grant Medical Center with Healing Touch Therapy and the pain management group, and she teaches classes in and outside of her home. She has helped people with issues ranging from headaches and anxiety to diabetes and cancer.
Tara realized that people crave the opportunity to feel empowered and help themselves naturally. It’s a matter of changing our lifelong habits, so instead of reaching for ibuprofen when we have a headache, we reach for the peppermint oil. It’s simple to rub the oil on your forehead; it’s all-natural, cost-effective and fast-working; and you can use more whenever you need it.
What began as a way to help her own family evolved into a career helping those in pain and teaching others to care for their families in a natural way.
“There is nothing better than sharing the gift of health and wellness with others,” Tara says.
Find Tara at www.purerejuvenation.me. –CD
Colleen D’Angelo is a freelance writer who lives in Dublin with her husband, three children and several small animals. She enjoys playing tennis, walking the Dublin bike paths and traveling.
