Fast Talk: I want that job

Don Lafontaine

Voice-over artist
Los Angeles, California
Movie trailers are an art form and an extremely persuasive one. Every day, I look up to God and say, "This is the best job in the world." It really is an amazing gig. I get to work with creative people, be part of the whole process of entertainment, and remain somewhat anonymous.

The first voice-over that I ever did was for a picture called Gunfighters at Casa Grande. The film is so obscure that it doesn't even appear in Leonard Maltin's book of 40,000 movie titles. At the time, I was writing and producing radio spots, and I had something like six different campaigns to produce in one night. I did the voice-over myself to save time and put my name on the presentation. The studio bought it, and I was on my way. That was 1965. At last count, I've done the voice-overs on something like 3,200 trailers. [Yes, he's that voice.]

There are no downsides to this job. For 10 or 12 years, I've had a limousine that takes me from studio to studio. These days, though, I can do much of my work right from home. I have an ISDN line in my house. I get up, look at my schedule, hook up to whatever network or studio I'm working with, and do the sessions. A normal session lasts about five minutes, and I usually get it done in two or three takes.

Melissa Sarkissian

Sailing instructor, Club Med
Ixtapa, Mexico
Here's how my day starts: I get up, walk down to the beach, and put my feet in the sand. I look out at the ocean and say, "I'm at the office. This is where I work."

My official title is GO, or gentil organisateur. It's French for congenial or friendly host. I help bring boats in and out of the water; I set up guests with windsurfing, snorkeling, or kayaking equipment; and I give sailing lessons two or three times a day. Whatever I do, I don't fake it. I smile a lot, but that's because I like to smile. Why wouldn't I? The food is great. I get to meet people from all over the world. They're positive. They're having fun.

It's hard to imagine doing anything else. Whenever I go back home to Montreal, I say, "No, I'm not ready for this." I'm not used to the stress, to the fast pace, to people not being happy because they can't start their car in the morning. This is my dream job.

Michael Scibilia

Merchandise Manager, Dean & Deluca
New York, New York
I just got back from three days in Italy. I was in Milan and Parma, then I went to Modena to see how balsamic vinegar is made. I had the next day free, so I went to Bologna, which is the food city of Italy. I went to see the vegetable markets, the fish markets, the salumerias, and the cheese shops. It was beautiful.

I first walked in to Dean & Deluca around 1980 and said, "Someday, I'm going to work here," because these guys have a passion for what they do. I studied art history in school, but I didn't want to work in a museum for $19,000 a year.

When it comes to selling, it's all about sensing your customer. You have to size them up: Some of them you can be very formal with, some of them you can be downtowny with, some of them you can be arrogant with. It's a game. You bring them into your head. For instance, this guy from Calabria [Italy] walked in, and he's got caper shoots to sell. He's got wild artichokes too. I've read about those in botanical books, but this guy actually has them! And my customers are right there with it.

At Dean & Deluca, we look for classic, simple, and close-to-the-ground products. Last year, we were really into figs. We did figs in syrup and fig molasses. This year, we're investigating a range of products that use Italian bitter cherries. We're doing a bitter-cherry jam and balsamic vinegar that's aged in cherry wood. What I do here is similar to what a curator does for a museum: I acquire objects, and I assemble collections. We try to develop a theme and put on a show.