By Jennifer Merritt

Jim Koch is late for our interview. When he calls, he immediately apologizes and explains the reason behind his tardiness: he was sampling different beers from around the world.

Lest you think of Koch as unprofessional for drinking on the job, or worse - as an alcoholic - it's probably the right time to mention he's the founder of Boston Beer Company and the brewer of Samuel Adams Lager. Sweet gig, huh?

Koch knows this. Throughout our talk he repeatedly says, "I have a great job," as does Deborah Lotz, Gold? and Platinum? record designer, and Laurie Weltz, owner of the upscale and celebrity-frequented Cerulean Villa resort in the Caribbean.

Koch, Lotz, and Weltz are anomalies in the working world - successful professionals who truly enjoy their jobs. And you might think, "Well, if my job was as glamorous as theirs, I'd be happy in my 9-5, too." But here's the catch: Their success isn't the reason for their happiness - it's the other way around. These three excel because they love what they do.

So how can you discover the holy grail of the working world? For Koch, Lotz, and Weltz, it was a combination of trial and error and formal education coupled with some valuable life lessons. Read their stories, then follow their lead.

A Brew For Success
After graduating from Harvard, Koch began his career in business consulting at a Boston-based firm. Six years later, he felt he reached his potential, and decided to test his career taste buds by brewing beer for a living.

And so, after spending $200 to incorporate Boston Brewing Company and obtaining a recipe from his father (Koch is the sixth son in his family to become a brew master in the United States), he started brewing beer in his kitchen. Of course, Koch's creation didn't find success right away ("That took years," he admits), but it's safe to say Koch is no longer boiling hops in a Crock-pot.

"I said, 'I can make a better beer than anything else that's available,'" says Koch, who feels mass-produced domestic beer to be the equivalent of fast food. "To me, that was the opportunity. If you're going to come out with something new, it has be better and cheaper than the alternatives -- or else, why would anyone buy it?"

For Koch, a typical day consists of meetings and beer samplings ("I'm looking at 12 different bottles in my wastebasket right now," he says), and ensuring the integrity of his own beer. In fact, Koch samples every batch of Sam Adams before it's bottled. Why? "I understand my beer better than anybody because I've been tasting it for 20 years," he explains.

So how can you land a job like Koch's? "To get a job this good, you have to start the company," he muses. Even if being your own boss isn't on your list of things to do, you can still blend success and happiness, according to Koch. "Pursue something that's going to make you happy, even if it won't make you rich," he says. "Given the choice, I think most people would choose happiness over riches."

Your Dream Job Plan:
There is no set path to securing your dream job. Koch has quite a motley resume: three degrees from Harvard (including the school's rigorous J.D.M.B.A.), a three-year break working with Outward Bound, a nonprofit educational program, and six years as business consultant all eventually led him to his family past time of brewing beer. Cast your net just as wide to find your dream job, even if it means pushing a few goals back.

Finding the Golden Ticket


Much like Koch, Deborah Lotz felt she had outgrown her position at ABC doing production work on entertainment programs. After all, the New Jersey native originally moved to Los Angeles to be a jeweler, and in round two of changing careers, found herself fighting to get into a whole new rock scene.

"There's only about eight people in the United States that have a license to manufacture Gold records," Lotz says. And guess what? She's one of them. Since 1985, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has allowed awards to be configured in a collaborative effort of the record label and licensed manufacturer. Lotz, who's been designing Gold? and Platinum? records for the last 10 years, has produced awards for the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Eminem, Kelly Clarkson - even The Beatles. "It makes me really proud to know that I'm one of the few people who've designed records for them," she says. "If I find a record I love, I call up [the record company] and ask if I can design the award."

But it wasn't so easy for Lotz to get her artwork hanging in Paul McCartney's mansion. It took her five years to get approved by the RIAA to produce Gold? and Platinum? records, a feat she attributes to persistence. "We are our only obstacles," says the 47-year-old. "If you have a vision and you work hard, I feel you can do anything."

If you want to find yourself as happy in your career as Lotz, take note: "It's the same advice I give my teenager," says the single mom of a 14-year-old son. "Find something you're good at and do it. You have to be hardworking, passionate, and honest. I know that sounds corny, but it's the truth. I've always followed my dreams, and I've wound up right where I should be."

Your Dream Job Plan: Lotz had no formal education for her stint at ABC or her current design career, because, as she says, she "took every elective there was and left." Still, she acknowledges that times have changed. "Education is much more vital in pursuing your dreams," she says. "I don't think you could do [what I did] now." A quick way to discover your dream job is take a few classes (maybe even online) to find what makes you happy.

It's Not Always What You Know .
To some, Laurie Weltz's job is a vacation in and of itself. As owner of Cerulean Villa, a posh ($60,000 per week) and celebrity-frequented (she declines to say who) resort in the Caribbean, Weltz's dTech Schooles include spa treatments, redecorating plans, and room service. "Four times a year, I go down to make sure everything is OK," Weltz says. "I go as a guest, and get treated as a guest. I want to make sure it's the best experience clients can have."

There is, however, one downside. Weltz's staff jokingly refer to her as "Leona," after the hotel mogul Leona Helmsley, dubbed "The Queen of Mean," for her insidiously perfectionist ways. The ribbing doesn't bother Weltz, who knows that in order to be successful, you have relate to your clients and use that knowledge to stay creative.

Creativity is something that comes easily to this fifth-generation New Yorker. Weltz attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts for her master's in filmmaking, and wrote and directed the 1998 film, "Wrestling With Alligators." Her foray into the hotel business was purely by accident, she says. "My family travels a lot and I love hotels," she explains. "My family decided to start the business and I ended up being the one to fall into it."

Weltz has no formal hotel management training, but believes the lack of experience works to her advantage. In her opinion, blind ambition is the best asset you can have in pursuing your dream job. "What you don't know helps you," says the 45-year-old. "People who don't know are more enthusiastic. Sometimes people who know how things work say, 'No, that won't work,' before they even try."

 

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Your Dream Job Plan: Try something new, take on a new project think outside the proverbial box, or look to your hobbies for inspiration in finding your dream job Weltz's first love is filmmaking, but coming in a close second is architecture and design. Taking time for some self-reflection can make your current position take an exciting turn.

That's another thing Koch, Lotz, and Weltz have in common: optimism. And if you find yourself nauseated by their "You can do it!" mentality, it may be because you have yet to find your dream job. Remember, as these three so perfectly illustrate, with happiness comes success - not the other way around.