Drink to Success

Eric Renaud, originally from Woonsocket, RI, never thought he would become a wine expert. The former Air Force jet mechanic got a job at a restaurant just because he needed money, not because he thought it would turn into a dream job.
 
“When I applied at Bern's [steakhouse], I said, ‘Wherever you need me,’ and, sheer luck, they hired me as a wine steward,” he tells the Wall Street Journal. Eleven years and many positions later, he’s now the senior sommelier at the same restaurant and loving it.
 
How did he get there? Renaud admits that he wasn’t afraid of hard work or long hours, and he paid attention to detail. He asked if he could work his way up, and the restaurant let him do it.
 
Whether you want to taste wine for a living or something completely different, Eric’s story is an inspirational one. With hard work and perseverance, the job you least expected could turn out to fulfill your dreams. [Wall Street Journal]