Crafted Connections
We talk to folks in our community about how they use storytelling to build their community
Crafted Connections
EP 48: SOLO - 6 Life Adjustments I Made to Support a $100,000 Paycheck in 2026
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Episode 48: SOLO - 6 Life Adjustments I Made to Support a $100,000 Paycheck in 2026
Hosted by Katelyn Calhoun
This week on Crafted Connections, I’m sharing a solo episode — and naming a big, scary goal out loud.
In this conversation, I walk through my commitment to paying myself a $100,000 salary and, more importantly, the six life and business adjustments I’m making to support that goal in a sustainable, grounded way.
This episode isn’t about chasing numbers for the sake of ego or optics. I’ve hit six figures in my business before and learned the hard way that revenue alone doesn’t guarantee support, stability, or care. This is about building systems, boundaries, and clarity that allow the business owner behind the business to actually be paid, rested, and resourced.
As I approach ten years of working for myself, this episode feels like both a reflection and a recalibration. I talk candidly about past patterns of overextension, underpaying myself, and getting distracted by shiny opportunities and how I’m choosing to move differently now.
If you’re a creative, entrepreneur, or solopreneur navigating money, worth, and sustainability, this episode is an honest look at what it can mean to realign your business with the life you want to live.
What I Cover in This Episode:
💰 Why six figures in revenue doesn’t automatically equal a supported life
🧠 Reframing a $100,000 paycheck as both a systems and a mindset effort
✂️ Eliminating distractions that drain energy without real return
💸 Getting honest about pricing, experience, and industry standards
🌱 Building a personal brand ecosystem that reflects all parts of who you are
🎥 Stopping the habit of “eating profits,” especially in creative project budgets
📊 Budgeting the business with clarity, intention, and follow-through
🤝 Choosing to invest in people who genuinely invest in and support you
🧭 Why this goal is about self-trust, self-worth, and long-term sustainability
The Six Adjustments I’m Making:
- Eliminating anything that takes energy away from this goal
- Being honest with myself about my prices
- Building my personal brand ecosystem
- Stopping the habit of eating my profits
- Budgeting the business with clarity and rigor
- Investing in people who invest in me
This episode is an invitation to zoom out and ask a different kind of question — not just what do I want to earn? but who do I want to be while earning it?
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Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.
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