When Steve Menking started working on Wall Street in his early 20s, he thought he found a career for life.

Instead, shortly after his 25th birthday, Menking jokes that he had a “quarter-life crisis” while working as an equities trader at SMB Capital.

“I watched colleagues my age — or younger — excelling in their careers, but it was difficult for me to see people stay in the office until 1 a.m., and think that could be my future,” Menking, 36, tells CNBC Make It. “It just wasn’t the lifestyle for me.” 

When he asked himself what kind of job would make him happy, the answer had nothing to do with banking or the stock market — he wanted to teach. 

“I worked as a teaching assistant and tutor in college and, reflecting on it later, I realized that teaching brought out a more patient, purpose-driven version of myself. It gave me a deep sense of meaning,” he says. “I felt called to teach.” 

In 2014, Menking made the switch from finance to full-time tutoring, thinking it would be an “equally meaningful, but less time-intensive” path into education than pursuing a second bachelor’s degree to become a teacher.

Ten years later, that decision has paid off — in both career satisfaction and finances. In 2023, Menking earned more than $500,000 through private tutoring, a number he’s on track to match in 2024.

On average, Menking works 20 to 25 hours per week from his home in Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and three children.

He’s built a thriving career with two main income streams: contracting with Forum Education, a New York-based tutoring agency, and running his own online business, Menking Tutoring LLC, which he launched in 2020.

“It’s been better and more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined,” he says.

Here’s how Menking left finance for a career in education — and found a job that pays six figures and allows him to work from home.

After quitting his job in finance, Menking submitted his resume to dozens of tutoring agencies in New York and created a profile on Wyzant, an online tutoring marketplace. 

He set his rate at just under $100 an hour and leveraged his Wall Street credentials to carve out a niche helping high school and college students in math, finance and accounting.

As he gained more experience and referrals, Menking increased his rates on Wyzant and negotiated for a higher rate with the agencies he worked with. By 2017, he was earning about $150 an hour.

That same year, an acquaintance, Thomas Howell, the founder of Forum Education, reached out to Menking and encouraged him to work for the agency. That’s when Menking’s earning potential “really took off,” he recalls.

After joining Forum — and its far-reaching network of schools, students and families — Menking’s earnings more than doubled, from $95,000 to $200,000 a year.

He started working online with young people all over the U.S., including students at Ivy League universities like Princeton and Yale. Most of Menking’s tutees are in high school or college.

Right now, he works with a dozen students, the majority of whom are undergraduates pursuing bachelor’s degrees in finance or a related field.

He meets with most students at least once per week to help them work through practice problems ahead of a major exam, prepare for internship interviews and “demystify” some of the more complicated concepts introduced in college-level math courses.

Menking’s current rate is about $1,000 an hour. 

When Menking isn’t working with students one-on-one through Forum, he grows Menking Tutoring LLC, which provides online test prep courses and corporate training, like coaching entry-level investment banking analysts.

Menking’s schedule isn’t consistent. During the summer months, when schools are closed, he might work between 8 and 10 hours per week, but in the winter and spring, ahead of final exams, he works closer to 40 hours per week. 

He often works nights and weekends, as that’s when most of his students are available — but he saves a few nights each week to have dinner with his family and play with his children. 

Some weeks might be more stressful than others — he might get stumped on a homework assignment or receive the occasional panicked middle-of-the-night email from a student— but overall, “being a private tutor has given me an extraordinary work-life balance,” Menking adds.

Tutoring might be a lucrative side hustle, but if you’re patient with the long hours and inconsistent earnings the job can bring, it can be a rewarding full-time career. 

“There’s no substitute for waking up every day knowing you’re serving others in a way that aligns with your unique expertise,” says Menking. “It’s a career that allows me to be creative, to serve others, and to be entrepreneurial. … I love it.”

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Jessica Jackson always dreamed of working outdoors — now, she spends most of her days 300 feet in the air, atop wind turbines. 

Jackson, 37, is a wind turbine service technician at Vestas, a wind turbine manufacturer, in Bee County, Texas, and earns $73,000 per year. 

Her job requires technical expertise in hydraulics, electrical systems, and mechanical repairs — plus the stamina to haul 50 pounds of gear up narrow ladders in all kinds of weather.

Climbing the turbine tower “isn’t as scary as you’d think,” she tells CNBC Make It. The tallest turbine on the wind farm Jackson works on is about 350 feet above the ground. It takes her less than 10 minutes to get to the top.

“Once you’re up there, you get to see the best views: You’re watching birds fly, eagles, hawks,” she says. “You get to see planes fly by. You get to see as far as you can see. It’s beautiful.”

It isn’t a career for the faint of heart. Wind turbine technicians face one of the highest rates of work-related injuries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Yet it’s also the fastest-growing job in the U.S., with employment in the sector expected to almost double over the next decade.

“Working in this field is hard, but it’s rewarding,” says Jackson. 

Despite the high demand for wind turbine service technicians, the profession remains “underrated and overlooked,” she adds, offering untapped potential for job-seekers who crave adventure and a competitive salary.

It’s “pretty standard” for employers not to require a bachelor’s degree for technician-level positions, according to Vanessa Benedetti, Vestas’ senior director of training operations and workforce development.

“What’s more important is that you have a willingness to learn, love to tinker and can get your hands dirty,” she adds. 

While you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to become a wind turbine service technician, some jobs might require you to complete a 2-year technical program or apprenticeship. Others, like Blattner Energy and Vestas, will provide on-the-job training for new hires.

Vestas’ training covers best practices for the turbine’s electrical equipment, technical procedures like bolt torque and tensioning, as well as first aid and safety protocols.

Before becoming a wind technician, Jackson, who has four children, spent a decade as a stay-at-home mom.

After she and her husband separated in 2019, Jackson decided to return to the workforce but was worried her opportunities would be limited without a bachelor’s degree.

Her ex-husband recommended her for a job at Blattner Energy, a renewable energy contractor in northern Texas, installing tower wiring. That job introduced Jackson to Vestas, where she started working in February 2020.

Jackson enrolled in college online part-time while working as a wind tech and finished her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona in 2022.

Her long-term goal is to become a lead technician at Vestas, a role that pays about $100,000 a year.

The median annual salary for wind turbine service technicians is $61,770; however, many earn over $90,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“It’s one of those rare fields where you feel like you are your own boss,” says Jackson. “You get to decide how quickly you move up the career ladder and how much you earn.” 

Jackson gets to work at 7 a.m. and ends her shift by 5:30 p.m. She works five days a week. 

The hardest part of her job is the climb. Jackson has to scale a narrow, metal ladder inside the turbine and pull herself through a hatch at the top to access the turbine’s nacelle, which sits atop the tower and contains the machine’s main parts. It’s a vertical climb up nearly 30 stories.

“Cutting any corners with safety could be the reason why I don’t go home that day,” says Jackson, who wears gloves, glasses, a helmet, harness and other protective equipment on the job. “Once you’re up there, you’re in your office and ready to work. Everything else is easier.”

The job might be physically demanding, but Jackson says spending so much time outside on the farm — and climbing the towers — has helped her feel “stronger and healthier.”

Benedetti has seen hiring for technicians in the U.S. “ebb and flow” over the past decade depending on demand, production tax credits and supply chain issues. 

Right now, “we’re seeing a huge investment in wind energy technologies,” she says. Global offshore wind investment hit an all-time high in 2023, reaching a record $76.7 billion, according to BloombergNEF’s Renewable Energy Investment Tracker.

At Vestas, the average contract for a technician is about 13 years. “It’s a career that has longevity and gives people the opportunity to learn and grow within their careers, and also to stay and feel settled within their community, which is really wonderful,” Benedetti adds.

At least 2,100 technicians are expected to be hired every year over the next decade, per the Labor Department’s latest estimates, an increase driven by both new projects and the need to maintain existing turbines.

Jackson plans to work as a technician until she retires in her 70s, if not sooner.

As she climbs the career ladder — both literally and figuratively — Jackson hopes to inspire others, particularly women and those without college degrees, to consider becoming wind techs.

“My best advice would be to go for it,” she says. “I never imagined myself in this field, but I’m extremely grateful for my job and I love what I do. … You’ll never know unless you try.”

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As parents, we often wonder if we’re doing the right thing for our children. No one is immune to that kind of thinking.

I have interviewed hundreds of young entrepreneurs and their parents to learn how they were raised. Most parents who raised highly successful adults did a great job.

What surprised me is that many parents admitted that there were a few things they would have done differently, if they could go back in time. 

These were the top regrets they had in common:

Many future successful entrepreneurs were great students and breezed through top universities. Some finished, but were miserable. Others dropped out of college or didn’t go at all. 

While education is important, it has to be a good fit. Looking back, some parents realized they would have preferred that their kids thrive, perhaps in an untraditional environment, rather than slog through an expensive, unhappy four years. 

Similarly, many parents recalled pushing their children to spend less time doing what they loved, and more time studying or doing an activity that would make them more appealing to a top school.

In hindsight, the parents now realize that when their children put in the 10,000 hours to gain a skill in what they loved — even though the parents may have thought it was a waste of time — it proved to be more useful as they began their career.

Of course we want to keep our children safe — but holding on too tightly can prevent them from flying.

I don’t often hear parents say they wish they had given their children less freedom. Instead, it’s the opposite: “Why didn’t I let them go off on their own more?” or “I feel bad they never had any independence until they went to college. I should have started letting them do things on their own earlier.”

There are a few terms for over involved parents: helicopter parents, who hover over their children and intervene in their decisions; snowplow parents, who move obstacles and challenges out of the way. 

Even parents who only did that some of the time regret it. They tell me, “I shouldn’t have fixed things for them; I shouldn’t have made their path so easy. They needed to learn how to solve problems on their own.” 

Looking back, they tell me they understand now that resilience is key to success.

My personal regret, which I heard from many others, is that I didn’t give our children enough chores. They had to make their bed and keep their room clean. But I never asked them to do their laundry; I never asked them to help me in the garden; and except on rare occasions, I didn’t ask them to help me cook. 

I did these tasks myself because they were so busy and I didn’t want to over-burden them. 

Ironically, they now tell me they wish they had learned those skills in high school! Giving our children more chores not only helps them become responsible, it teaches them useful skills for when they’re on their own.

Many parents told me they urged their kids to be cautious, to take the “safe” approach. They told them to take the practical route that “works more often.” 

When they watched their children take big risks to start a new venture, or sell something they started, or pivot in a new direction, or not take a job with a guaranteed paycheck to pursue their dream, they were proud of them.

But they wondered, “Did I make them fearful? Would it have been easier for them if I had told them more often to go for it?”

Or if they scolded them when they failed — for getting a bad grade, or not scoring a goal — and made their children nervous about taking risks. They now understand that you can’t innovate if you’re afraid to take risks. And you’re only not afraid to take risks, if you’re not afraid to fail.

Even if they did feel this regret, many of these parents also said they often told their kids how proud they were of their hard work, no matter the outcome.

Ultimately, I want to remind us all: Nobody is perfect. We all do the best we can, and as long as our children know we love them, and that we tried our best, they will be fine.

Margot Machol Bisnow is a writer, mom and parenting expert. She spent 20 years in government, including as an FTC Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, has spent the last 10 years speaking to parent groups about raising fearless, creative, confident, resilient, entrepreneurial children who are filled with joy and purpose, and is the author of “Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams.” Follow her on Instagram @margotbisnow.

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Atherton, California, is the wealthiest ZIP code in the United States, with median home prices reaching $7.75 million, according to RealtyHop’s latest annual report on the nation’s most expensive areas.

Near Stanford University and home to tech executives, venture capitalists and other affluent residents who live in large estates, the Silicon Valley town has claimed the top spot for the fifth straight year.

The second-most expensive ZIP code is Fisher Island, Florida, south of Miami Beach. With median homes priced at $6.1 million, the island is accessible only by ferry or private yacht and is known for its private beaches and deep-water marina that caters to mega-yachts.

Sagaponack, New York, ranks third, with median home prices at around $6 million. This Hamptons community is known for its high-end properties and quiet beaches, drawing some of the wealthiest buyers in the state.

Here are the 10 most expensive ZIP codes in America and the median home prices in each, according to RealtyHop:

1. Atherton, California (94027): $7.75 million
2. Miami Beach, Florida (33109): $6.1 million
3. Sagaponack, New York (11962): $6 million
4. Sea Island, Georgia (31561): $5.5 million
5. Water Mill, New York (11976): $5.3 million
6. Teton Village, Wyoming (83025): $5 million
7. Newport Coast, California (92657): $5 million
8. Santa Barbara, California (93108): $4.85 million
9. Wilson, Wyoming (83014): $4.37 million
10. Medina, Washington (98039): $4.2 million

Almost all of the top 10 ZIP codes are either exclusive waterfront or ski-destination properties, with homes costing a median of $4 million or more.

The study also examined the three most expensive ZIP codes in each state and district, finding that the median price of homes among them all was $1.28 million.

To compile the rankings, RealtyHop looked at median listing prices for all types of homes in all ZIP codes in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2024, and Oct. 15, 2024. Any listings with invalid ZIP codes or single-building ZIP codes were excluded from the study.

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I wonder what it would be like to live in most of the places I visit, but I know I can’t make everywhere home. 

As much as I would love to wake up in Sydney every morning, Australia is just a little too far away from everywhere else. As vibrant as Istanbul is, it’s a bit too big and bustling.

Reykjavik is comfortable, but it might be too small a city for me to put down roots — and I wonder if I’ll ever get the hang of Icelandic. 

As a Chicago-based travel writer, I constantly discover magical new places all over the world. Of the nearly 70 countries I’ve made it to so far, these are the four places I think about moving to the most. 

Helsinki is a vibrant, walkable capital city with excellent public transit, a well-connected airport, and plenty of things to do. I love its long summer days and midnight sunsets, its love of electronic music, and its robust art and food scenes. 

There’s a contentment here that you can feel. People don’t have to struggle to meet their basic needs.

Housing is considered a human right, and Finland has virtually eliminated homelessness. A strong public healthcare system ensures high-quality, low-cost healthcare is available to everyone. Gender equity is at a level where even moms of young kids seem to have time for hobbies. 

I live in a country where healthcare bankrupts even insured people, childcare can cost as much as rent, and homelessness is a visible struggle. Finland is proof that there is another way. It’s easy to see why it’s considered the happiest country in the world and how it could be a wonderful place to live.

While Finnish winters are cold, the frequent northern lights make temperatures more bearable.

Singapore is home to one of the world’s top airports, thriving shopping malls for every budget, one of the best food scenes in the world, and an excellent public transit system that makes everything in this city-state easy to access. 

Singaporeans enjoy some of the fastest Internet speeds in the world, something that’s especially important to me as someone who works remotely.

It consistently ranks well in education, healthcare, personal safety, and quality of life. Multiracialism is part of the constitution, and ethnic minorities are welcome. Foreigners account for about 30% of Singapore’s population. 

Life expectancies in Singapore are long, and crime rates are low.

I was walking alone one night from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel back to my own hotel a few blocks away when it hit me: I was safe. There are no mass shootings at schools, churches, shopping malls, offices, parades, or anywhere else. Singapore has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world.

Cars even stop for pedestrians. 

Like in Finland, I have a couple of friends in Singapore — enough to begin building a new local community. And the Texas summers I grew up with have prepared me well for Singapore’s heat and humidity. 

I fell for Lisbon on my first visit in 2011, and each time I return to Portugal’s capital it feels more like home. I love walking this city’s pedestrian streets, shopping its affordable boutiques, and taking in its epic views.

Friendly strangers always make me feel welcome, and the ample sunshine here powers my soul. 

Unlike Chicago, where I live now, winters in Portugal are mild, making Lisbon pleasant year-round. Life in Lisbon isn’t as affordable as it was when I first began toying with the idea of a potential move, but it’s still far more affordable to live in Portugal than in Chicago, New York, and many other parts of the U.S. 

The country has an affordable public healthcare system that’s among the best in the world, a vibrant expat community, and a robust cultural scene — things that make me consider a move every time I visit.  

I was taking a cooking class in Sorrento when I first thought about moving to Italy. The villa I was standing in — one with a sea view, expansive gardens, and an outdoor kitchen — cost about the same to purchase as a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, where I was living at the time. 

Italy seemed like a bargain in comparison, one that would come with a serious quality-of-life upgrade.

Whether it’s Rome, Milan, or Naples, landing in Italy feels like letting out a big sigh. Priorities are different. The pace of life is different. It is la dolce vita. 

Italians practice better work-life balance than Americans, particularly New Yorkers. The weather is good and so is the country’s healthcare system. The job market can be tough, but as a creative who works remotely with clients around the world, that’s less of an issue for me. 

There are a few Italian cities I’d consider moving to — Milan and Sorrento among them — and I’m sure many more to discover.

Wherever I might land, I know there would be excellent olive oil, fresh pasta, plenty of arts and culture, and friendly people.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a travel writer and editorial consultant currently based in Chicago. She is the founder of the travel site TravelwithMeena.com and a contributor to publications including Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal, and Lonely Planet. Meena previously worked as an editor for Yahoo Finance and as a head of audience development for Bloomberg and Business Insider. Find her on TikTok and Instagram. 

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