Alicia Bloom Owner, Creations in Bloom Palm Springs North
“I worked in a hospital in Uruguay, and it took a lot of time for me to be able to adjust, to see all the things that you see in a hospital,” Alicia Bloom said. “It’s very sad. I worked that job for three years until I came to this country, and I started working at [the former] Shula’s restaurant.
"So that’s when I started food service,” she said of her journey to owning a gourmet charcuterie box and board business.
Carlo Krockel Manager & Hairstylist -- A’Dazzles Salon Miramar
“I did an apprenticeship for an electrician [in Germany], it was between being an electrician and a hairdresser,” Carlo Krockel said. “[I was] digging up a trench ... deep in a cellar in Germany. A cellar is very thick in Germany so that is what created me springing into becoming a hairdresser instead of an electrician.
“I’d rather do beautiful things,” Krockel said.
Steven Menard Owner, Menard Therapy Miami Lakes
“[I was a] drum tech for [the band From] Autumn to Ashes,” Steven Menard said. “It was a job I did right out of school, it was basically for fun. I got to travel the U.S. twice.
“It’s setting up drums and being on a tour. [I did] two headlining tours and the Warped Tour, so it was more of a fun job," Menard said. “I made money, but it was a fun job to kind of travel.”
Les Dorn Realtor, The Keyes Company Miami
“I’ve only had two jobs,” said Les Dorn. “One was an optician for many years, and I transitioned to real estate. I would say real estate is a lot weirder than optical was. You never know what’s going to happen on a day-to-day basis. ... No two days are alike. It could be an appraisal, it can be an inspection, it may be a listing appointment, it could be passing out fliers or door hangers.
“There’s all these different things you can do, so that part is good,” Dorn said.
Natasha Concepcion Nanny Pembroke Pines
“The strangest job I have had is selling medications for the elderly,” Natasha Concepcion said in Spanish. “I was saying to them that the medication worked miracles and it was very stressful, because it was commission-based. I didn’t last at that job because I didn’t like lying and it was very stressful the few days I worked there.
“It was horrible,” she said.