I worked as the foreman of a trail building and logging crew in college.
How come?
All the jobs I’ve done have been manual work. You might be surprised at the variety of people that do. I’ve met people who lift boxes for a living who would fit right in here, and research physicists who would have no interest at all.
Lots of multi-talented folks, that’s for sure.
Q
I am not a roughneck but worked on the north slope and spent time on the wells and in camps. I have commercial fished. I spent time at sea. I roofed and famed houses. Owned multiple businesses but mostly I am a cook.
Any forensic mineralogists on the board?
Ryback? 
Belly-button lint cleaning. I’m itching for some answers.
Does the SDMB have any truly successful professional entertainers?
People who would be recognized by even just 1 or 2 percent of random Americans at large?
What about practicing surgeons? (I know there are several physicians, but can’t think of any actual surgeons who post here)
Are we counting fields of study for which no experts exist? Because I’m pretty sure we have no experts in quantum gravity, for instance. Though we do have some folks who are slightly less ignorant than the general population on that topic.
Which standard do you want to use? I’d consider any entertainer “successful” who is able to make a reasonable living for themself and family through entertainment, but that’s far, far short of the “recognized by 1%” threshold.
Yo.
(Been a few years.)
I’ve also been a shop rat in a tool shop and a foundry.
Granted, “successful professional entertainer” is NOT a easy thing to define, but I meant someone who would be nationally recognized by even just 1 or 2 percent of average Americans (still a huge amount of people, I know) as opposed to a guy who plays bass for the local Rolling Stones cover-band in his town…
lol
I have a distant relative who posts here (we have the same mother and father) who worked as a commercial fisherman for quite a while. As I recall he finally quit when the boat sank.
We had a member of the Five Americans on the board for many years. I can’t remember the name, so I’m not sure if he’s still around, although I don’t think so.
There has also been a poster who wrote for one of the major procedural T.V. shows (I always believed it was one of the Law & Orders). Provided great background and insight into the television industry, especially during the writer’s strike.
I don’t think that you would need to be a recognizable entertainer to be an expert in the field, though. We certainly have a number of working actors.
And of course, a true celebrity would probably not want to identify himself when posting here, for privacy reasons.
Have you ever read Great Debates?
Practicing? Are you saying I haven’t gotten it right yet?
In my younger days (and when I was teaching) I did everything from mechanics to honey-dipping. I’m still good enough with a wrench to turn down a job in that field every couple of years. A sometimes poster I know was a gandiedancer for the PRR and then Conrail. Even those of us who didn’t make a career out of it did some seriously skilled blue collar stuff at one time or another.
Is there a doper who is/has ever been the CEO of a Fortune 500 company (or equivalent)?
We have an occasional poster (used to be regular) who cycled in the Olympics. Another now occasional poster played men’s basketball in the once-great ACC. Another was a diver in the SEC. I played baseball in the Big 10.