April 2006
Moonlighting
Doing business after hours
by Lori Valyko Weber

Above: Night and day: Carol Spears is one of many Lake County workers who ply a totally different trade by night than by day. Spears manages Lawnfield by day and is a harpist, holistic practitioner, doula and Reiki master by night. Photo by Toby Shingleton

One job can be a handful for most people. But for some overachieving citizens, one job just doesn’t satisfy. This month, we searched for a local contingent of go-getters, folks who work all day behind desks or on the road, and then take to the stages, gyms, writing studios, gas stations, hospitals and varsity fields to ply another trade.

Far from being haggard with dark circles under their eyes, powered by a continuous caffeine drip, these people all say their moonlight professions energize them.

Initial response to our e-mailed summons for candidates was overwhelming. At least 25 people e-mailed or called with suggestions in the first 24 hours. Another couple dozen trickled in during the next week. We regret that we only have the space to feature four.

Carol Spears

By day: Site manager at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Mentor

By night: Holistic practitioner, harpist, Reiki master, doula throughout Ohio and Midwest

Carol Spears didn’t seek a second career. It found her. In 1980, she began a career with the National Park Service working as a ranger in parks in Alaska, California and Oregon. Nearly five years ago, she was happy to take a position managing Lawnfield, the home of President James A. Garfield. She enjoys her day job, saying the Park Service has given her a highly rewarding profession and in fact partly contributed to her desire to make a difference in the holistic arts.

Her personal business, Heart in Hands, is based out of her Concord Township home. She is especially interested helping others through birth and death transitions. Spears assists laboring mothers during their deliveries and also sits with and plays the harp for people during their last moments of life. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has a contract with her for Reiki services at its Center for Integrative Medicine. She’s also a popular harpist for wedding services.

“There’s something attractive to me about preserving something larger than ourselves,” Spears said. “I know that what I do for the Park Service makes a difference in other people’s lives and also for the planet as a whole. But I’ve always been called to help other people preserve the hidden aspects of themselves as well. In many ways, working to preserve national and historic sites and working to help people through the birth and death processes aren’t so different.

“I’ve always believed in following my heart, and often that means I don’t choose the expected path. I’ve helped people with healing and with life transitions for about six years now, and it’s gradually accumulated in scope. The feelings I get when I’m able to help people have a peaceful birth or dying process, or to help them through physical trauma with Reiki are empowering. I know I’m making a difference.”

Spears’ impending retirement with the National Park Service won’t leave her bored. She’s confident that with extra time to devote to marketing Heart in Hands by visiting other hospitals and building her clientele, she could turn it into a full-time business.

“I love what I do in both venues,” she says. “It’s not like they compete with each other. Music, healing and helping others is just who I am. Everything works together.”

Donald T. Iannone

By day: Owner and operator of Donald T. Iannone and Associates, an economic development consulting company, Mayfield Village

By night: Poet and publisher

Although Donald T. Iannone isn’t planning on quitting his day job to write poetry full time, his first volume of poetry, “Stilling the Waters,” has broken even in about a year and is already looking to turn a modest profit.

Involved in economic development for 30 years, Iannone said his first career has afforded him the opportunity to reach out to various communities, helping inspire and lead people to resolving complex economic problems. He works all over the United States and Canada.

Iannone is a former director of the Lake County Economic Development Center and the director of Cleveland State University’s Economic Development Program and Great Lakes Environmental Center. Online, he publishes the Economic Development Futures Journal. His business-related articles include studies on foreign direct investment in the United States, the Internet economy, business incentives and recycling and reusing brownfield sites as well as future trends in local and state economic development.

Iannone’s main career in economic development often requires him to write. Although no one would mistake his online economic development journal for Shakespeare, his professional writing reflects a sensitivity toward language. In fact, he has another book, published by Amazon—not poetry—scheduled for release early this summer.

The language of poetry is something he says allows him to build a sense of community in his professional life. “I’ve always been intrigued by language,” he said, “and poetry is a part of how I express myself. It’s a language in and of itself that allows me to connect with others, and say things from my heart in an ideal-oriented way.”

“Creating Leadership Advantage for Economic Development” doesn’t hit quite the same market as “Stilling the Waters,” a self-published book of spiritual musings, but the medium of language still provides the basis for connection with people.

“In a sense, when I work with a client in economic development I put a lot of myself into that relationship,” Iannone said. “It’s not so very different than reaching out and putting myself into language that unites people in other areas. A well-written book has something important to say, and when I can reach people through an inspiring speech or a moving story in a book, I’m really drawing upon my powers as a poet. Language is alive; it’s important to treat it with the same respect and wonder that we use when we discover something about ourselves. How we express it is just as important.

“Everyone has a calling inside that urges them to do things in an interesting and expressive way, and that’s what poetry has allowed me to achieve.”

Iannone has a second book of poems underway which he hopes to finish by the end of this year. Visit www.don-ian

none.com/edfutures to learn more about economic development issues or to find a link to his poetry.

Lyle Shull

By day: Director of community services at the Lake County Council on Aging, Mentor

By night: Sports official, northeast Ohio

Lyle Shull doesn’t need to relive his high school glory days. He’s right in the middle of today’s student athletes’ biggest moments. This quiet licensed social worker supervises various programs at the Lake County Council on Aging including volunteer and employment services. But when his regular work day ends, he dons his black-and-white stripes and heads to football games and track-and-field events.

Active in sports during his youth, Shull never quite got rid of the itch to stay involved. “Even when my daughters were younger, I coached their softball team,” he said. “I think it was during those years of working with them in sports that I decided to become a sports official. It’s very enjoyable to be able to work with young athletes.”

Shull has been a licensed Ohio High School Athletic Association official for seven years in Class One football. His fall season is loaded with junior high school games on Wednesdays, freshman games on Thursdays, varsity games on Fridays and junior varsity games on Saturdays. Plus, he also picks up pee wee and youth games on Sundays.

To ward off any potential boredom, Shull also added track and field to his resume four years ago, and his distinction as a United States of America Track and Field official allows him to officiate at college meets. He’s hoping to be able to work pre-Olympic meets at some point in the future. “Track is a great sport to watch and work,” he said, “but the spring weather makes it iffy. Just when the weather starts to get good, the season ends.”

He says the change between what he does during the day and at night is balancing. His day job puts him in a setting behind a desk where he works with many women. His night job puts him out in the open with a lot of men. “It’s just fun to be able to do different things and work with different people,” he added.

Yet he has no dreams of becoming a full-time sports official. “Very few people get picked from the college level to referee at the NFL level,” he said. “At this point in my life, I’m happy to do what I’m doing. If I’d have considered doing this in my 20s, then possibly officiating could have been a goal.”

For those tricky calls that get fans all bent out of shape, the Shull family has someone to turn to for clarification. Although Shull’s wife has never watched him officiate a game, she appreciates his expertise when both of them are in the stands watching other games.

“We’re both Bowling Green alumni,” he said, “and when we went to the BGSU and Kent game, we sat among some very vocal parents. As they were directing their comments toward the officials, my wife just looked at me and asked who was right. It was a funny moment.”

Raymond E. Sines

By day: Lake County commissioner, Painesville

By night: Marathon gas station owner and operator, guitarist, northeast Ohio

Between working as a Lake County politician and running Sines Inc., the family business that operates eight local Marathon gas stations, Ray Sines logs about 80 hours per week. Somehow, the idea of a suit-and-tie-wearing commissioner sitting in long meetings doesn’t quite jive with the persona of a gas-station operator. Nonetheless, Sines has found a way to meld these two professions. He lives in Perry with his wife Susanne, a school board member who handles the firm’s accounting.

Sines’ father started the business in 1957. Ray took it over in 1975. Ever since then, he’s been running the company 364 days a year. “We’re a retail business open every day except for Christmas,” he said. “So there’s never a day off for the owner. Someone has to be available. My wife helps, and our employees are good, so that makes it easier for me to serve the county.”

Along with running the commercial and retail oil business, Sines also felt a strong calling to serve in politics. He has been active since the ‘80s, drawing upon his business background as a strong indicator of sound political stewardship. A state representative for eight years, Sines says his ability to run a business helped him serve the public.

In the same breath, he said he has no longings for personal vacations or time to himself, rarely taking extended time off. “I come from a family that valued hard work and staying busy,” he said. “My dad was a hard worker, putting in six- and seven-day weeks all the time. That’s just the way I was brought up.”

Running a business gives Sines some flexibility in structuring his days. As Lake County commissioner, he knows he has to attend certain scheduled meetings and be available for county business. He schedules his family-business time around the county. He didn’t get into politics because he wanted more hours. Rather, he says he felt called to give some energy back to the community.

“I’ve developed an attitude that I have something to offer the public,” he said, “and I want to serve others. I didn’t hope to become commissioner because I wanted to work harder. It was simply an honest desire to help. Now, I can’t imagine my life without both professions.”

When Sines finds a few extra minutes on his hands, he picks up his guitar and practices to play out in a group largely comprised of current and former police chiefs and politicians. “Sometimes we’re called Down Home, but we call ourselves different names depending on where we play out. You never know who’ll be in the audience,” he said with a laugh. The band plays a relaxed and varied schedule around Lake County but can be counted on to provide a bluegrass and country mix.

“Yes, I work a lot of hours,” he said, “but I enjoy what I do, so it’s just who I am. I don’t think of my life as an accumulation of hours worked. I want to run the business and serve the county. And playing guitar in a band is great fun. It’s a good life.”

Lori Valyko Weber is a Hambden Township freelance writer.