Crafted Connections

Episode 60: Why Your Insignificance is Your Superpower with Jennifer MagleyHosted by Katelyn CalhounThere are people who talk about going for it. And then there are people who literally GO FOR IT. Because like my guest Jennifer Magley says, "People don't care if you win, they just want to see you try."Jennifer is a speaker, creator, and the kind of person who doesn't just dream big — she builds the infrastructure to get there. Dynamic, layered, and funny as hell, she has a presence that grabs you whether she's on a stage or in a video fully in character.This conversation is about Stage Quest — her second season of what she calls "quest" — where she set a goal of 100 speaking stages in 365 days. As of this episode, she's 50 stages in with under 200 days to go. But really, this episode is about what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start treating visibility like a practice.In this episode, we talk about:What Stage Quest actually is — and how it evolved from Season 1 (Stooge Quest) into something bigger and more intentionalThe pivotal health scare during Season 1 that shifted Jennifer's "why not me, why not now" into high gearHow she uses brand hacking and data-driven thinking to get in front of audiences who already love what she stands forThe "collecting no's" philosophy — and why more swings at the plate is always the moveWhat it looks like to build a community that shows up for you (aka the "ride at dawn" crew)How she invited her audience into Season 2 — and what that did for connection and momentumThe 1,000 true fans framework and why consistency over time is what makes the math workA few moments that stood out:Jennifer described her "unsubscribe" video — essentially inviting people who weren't her people to leave — and it hit differently. There's something so freeing about curating who's in your corner.The idea that the "throw up moments" (the ones that make you go, "oh God, what am I doing?") are actually the indicator that you've hit the mark. More chips in, more yourself you become."Why not me, why not now." Write it down.If this episode lit something up in you, send it to the friend who keeps saying they're "almost ready." They've been almost ready long enough.And if you want to follow Jennifer on this ride, find her on Instagram and LinkedIn. She's so fun to keep up with.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 59: SOLO - How Identity Shapes Your StoryStruggling to clearly communicate who you are or what you do? It might not be a content problem. It might be an identity problem.In this solo episode of Crafted Connections, Katelyn Calhoun explores how identity shapes your storytelling, personal brand, and the way you show up in your business and life. If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you are now and who you’re trying to become, this conversation will help you close that gap.Through personal stories and real-time reflection, Katelyn breaks down how to align your identity with your actions, recognize the version of yourself that already exists, and use that clarity to strengthen your message and deepen connection.This episode is especially relevant for creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating a season of transition.What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why identity is the foundation of effective storytelling and personal branding  How unclear identity leads to unclear messaging and missed connection  The difference between “becoming” someone and recognizing who you already are  A real example of imposter syndrome in creative work  How to bridge the gap between your current identity and future goals  Why flexibility in identity can create more opportunities in business and life  Practical questions to help you clarify your story and how you show upNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 58: Navigating Identity and Change as a Creative with Caroline CalhounHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week’s episode is a special one. I’m sitting down with my sister, Caroline Calhoun. She is officially the guest on Crafted Connections that I’ve known the longest and someone I deeply admire.Caroline is in the middle of a brave, real-life transition. She’s moving across the country to Seattle and stepping into a new chapter professionally. What unfolds in this conversation is honest, layered, and a pinch of silliness among sisters.We talk about what it looks like to build a life rooted in creativity, and what happens when that path no longer feels aligned. We dig into the courage it takes to step away from something you once thought would be “the thing.”This is a conversation about evolving. About trusting yourself. About letting chapters change, even when it’s uncomfortable.And because we’re sisters, it’s also filled with laughter, shared memories, and a few chaotic tangents along the way.In this episode, we talk about:Caroline’s journey through music, music therapy, and where things started to shiftThe reality of burnout in helping professions and the emotional weight that comes with itWhat it feels like to step away from a career path you’ve invested years intoIdentity, grief, and the process of redefining yourself in your 20sThe difference between what looks good on paper and what actually feels right in your bodyLearning to trust your intuition (and what happens when you ignore it for too long)Creating a life that supports how your brain actually worksThe beauty of starting fresh and building something new on your own termsA few moments that stuck with me:Realizing that choosing something “logical” doesn’t always mean it’s the right emotional choiceThe quiet grief of missed experiences and imagined timelinesHow deeply we can tie our identity to the work we doThe reminder that stepping away isn’t failure...it’s alignmentIf this episode resonates…Send it to a friend who’s in a season of change.Or someone who might need permission to pivot, pause, or start over.And if you’re navigating something similar yourself, just know - you’re not behind. You’re in process.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 57: SOLO - Reflecting on One Year of Crafted ConnectionsHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m celebrating something that feels big:one full year of the podcast.What started as an idea I had been sitting on for years officially came to life on April 1st, 2025 and somehow, here we are, 50+ episodes later.In this solo episode, I take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate not just the podcast itself, but what it represents: showing up, staying consistent, and allowing something to evolve over time.This episode is also a reminder to celebrate yourself. Not only the big milestones, but every time you show up, invest in yourself, and put something into the world.What I’ve Loved Most This Year:The opportunity to talk to my friendsThis podcast has been a way to bring together incredible humans from all corners of my life. Crafted Connections guests range different industries, different experiences, all connected by curiosity and humanity. It’s been so fun to deepen those relationships and share them with you.An outlet for expressionFrom solo episodes to interviews, this space has allowed me to share my thoughts, tell stories, explore ideas, and connect more deeply with both guests and listeners. It’s become a place where I get to fully be myself. Proving to myself that I can stay consistentOver 50 episodes later, I’ve shown myself that I can commit to a creative project - even when life gets messy and things aren’t perfect. And that kind of self-trust? It changes everything.This podcast has also done something I didn’t fully expect:It brought me back to my creativity.After a few tough years that left me feeling disconnected from creating, Crafted Connections became a way back in. I've reconnected with what I love most: storytelling and human connection.And through that process, it’s opened doors. Opportunities. Conversations. Possibilities. I'm flipping pumped about what's to come.If there’s one thing I hope you take from this episode, it’s this:You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin.You just have to start… and keep going.Thank YouIf you’ve listened to one episode, shared it with a friend, or been along for the full journey...thank you.I’m so grateful you’re here.And I’m really excited to keep going.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 56: Fidelity to Your Craft with Jerald Harkness Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I'm joined by filmmaker, mentor, and dear friend Jerald Harkness — someone who has spent over 30 years building a career in storytelling.Jerald and I first connected on LinkedIn in 2022, and what started as a generous outreach became one of the most meaningful professional relationships in my life. In this conversation, you'll hear that dynamic unfold — mutual respect, curiosity, and a shared love for storytelling as a vehicle for connection.We talk about what it actually looks like to sustain a creative career over decades — not just creatively, but strategically. Because while storytelling is an art, Jerald reminds us that if you want to do this work long-term, you have to treat it like a business.From his early days in filmmaking to producing his first feature at 21, Jerald shares what it takes to build something that lasts. We get into distribution, collaboration, and the reality that great work alone isn't enough — it has to be seen.We also explore the nuance of creative roles — directing, producing, editing — and what it means to hold "fidelity to the narrative" and truly serve the story.And maybe the most grounded takeaway: you can know the statistics are stacked against you… and still strategically go for it anyway.What You'll Hear:Building a 30+ year career in filmmakingHow one LinkedIn message turned into mentorship and collaborationDocumentary storytelling as a tool for connection and communityThe difference between creating art and running a sustainable businessWhy distribution matters — great work can't sit on a hard driveBalancing creativity with strategy, money, and long-term thinking"Fidelity to the narrative. Fidelity to the budget."Choosing the right collaborators and trusting your gutWhy taking yourself seriously is essential to making this your livelihoodKnowing the statistics and choosing to become the outlier anywayThis episode is a reminder that meaningful careers aren't built overnight — they're built through consistency, curiosity, and a willingness to keep showing up.Connect with Jerald: InstagramNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 55: Meet Me in My Mess: The CEO Support Role with Jill NeuhausHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I'm joined by someone who started as a stranger on the internet and became one of my closest business besties... Jill Neuhaus! We met through a content creation group and connected over a vulnerable LinkedIn post about wanting to make real friends, and have since spent hundreds of hours together in daily co-working sessions. Knowing Jill has emphasized to me the importance of making friends with strangers on the internet.Jill has a rich and winding path: nonprofit development work at animal shelters, becoming a virtual assistant and executive support specialist for small business CEOs, and now expanding into LinkedIn strategy and AI integration. She is a connector, a supporter, and someone whose energy makes you feel so safe you just. keep. talking.We dig into what it means to be the person behind the CEO, the loneliness of entrepreneurship, the magic of body doubling, what makes a great support role, and the complicated feelings that come with building and rebuilding teams. Plus: Jill's AI wins and why personal brand is outpacing business brand for making real connections.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🤝 How they met through Content Club and co-working 🐾 Jill's nonprofit and fundraising background 💼 What the executive support role for small business CEOs really looks like 🧠 Body doubling, parallel play, and why co-working works 😤 The loneliness of entrepreneurship and finding your people 📋 What makes a support role different from just "having help" 🤖 Jill's AI wins and new tools she's integrating 📣 Why personal brand now outpaces business brand for real connection 💬 The courage it takes to post "I want friends"Connect with Jill: LinkedInNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 54: SOLO - Building a Brand Ecosystem Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m sharing something I’ve been actively navigating in real time: what it looks like to build a brand ecosystem instead of forcing yourself into a neat, tidy box.This episode starts with a simple moment — a DM conversation with a friend where I admitted that everything I’m working on feels like a bunch of puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit yet.Her response stopped me in my tracks:What if the final image is bigger than you can even imagine?And that’s the thread we follow throughout this conversation.Because if you’re anything like me — multi-passionate, curious, building a lot of things at once — you’ve probably felt the pressure to “make it make sense” before you share it. To niche down. To package it perfectly.But what if the mess isn’t the problem?What if the work is actually to keep showing up in process?In this solo episode, I break down what I mean by a brand ecosystem — a way of showing up that allows all the different parts of you to exist, evolve, and even contradict each other a little bit.From this podcast, to daily vlogs, to life on a boat, to client work — I share how each piece plays a role in expressing who I am, even when the full picture isn’t clear yet.We also talk about the tension of being in a “mid-career” moment — where you’ve gained experience (and a few scars), but you’re still figuring out what’s next. And how trying to rush clarity can actually disconnect you from the very people you’re trying to reach.Because here’s the truth:Your story doesn’t need to be finished to be worth sharing.And waiting until it’s perfect might be costing you connection.This episode is your permission slip to stop forcing it to make sense — and start trusting that the picture will come together as you keep going.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🧩 Why your “too many puzzle pieces” might actually be a good thing 🌱 What a brand ecosystem is — and how it replaces the pressure to niche down 🎙️ How different platforms (podcast, social, video) can hold different parts of you 🔁 Why iteration — not clarity — is the real path forward 💬 The problem with over-rehearsed storytelling (and what to do instead) ⚖️ Navigating the tension between early optimism and lived experience 🚫 How perfectionism quietly blocks connection ✨ Why sharing in-process is more powerful than presenting a finished version 🔥 “Joy is data” — and how to follow what’s actually lighting you up 🧭 A reframe to help you trust that the bigger picture is still unfoldingNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 53: A Whole Lot of Stories from the Video Industry with Keith Toombs & Matthew BrownHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I'm doing something a little different — and honestly, a little experimental. I brought two guests to the table for the very first time: Keith Toombs and Matthew Brown, two production professionals I've had the pleasure of working alongside in the field.What started as a post-job celebration turned into a podcast invitation. And when Matthew said he wouldn't come on without Keith? Well, we just made it a trio.Keith has been in the industry for nearly 30 years. Matthew, about five. And I fall somewhere happily in between. Together, we explored what it means to build a career in a creative, demanding field — and what it means to remain a full human being while doing it.We talked cameras. We talked travel. We talked about the gap between the life you imagine and the life you actually build.And we also covered mental health, anxiety, and the tools that have actually helped each of us navigate the harder seasons.Keith closed us out with a question that stopped everyone in their tracks: not "what's your wildest dream?" but something more grounded and more honest — what would you do right now, realistically, if you could do anything within the life you've already built?It's one of those questions that sounds simple until you're actually sitting with it.These guys are some of the best humans I know, and this conversation is proof of that.What You'll Hear in This Episode🎥 How Keith and Matthew each found their way into production — and the unexpected paths that got them there 📷 How camera technology has changed the industry and democratized who gets to tell stories ✈️ What work travel really looks like — and how to stay connected to the people you love back home 🧠 An honest conversation about anxiety, mental health, and the tools that actually help 🌊 Dreams vs. reality — and the question Keith asks that will stick with you long after this episode ends One of my favorite parts of this conversation is how real it gets.There's no perfectly packaged advice. No tidy takeaways wrapped in a bow.Just three people in production who love their craft, have lived some hard seasons, and have figured out — slowly, imperfectly — how to keep going.If you've ever felt like your anxiety lives more in imagined futures than real ones… If you've ever wondered whether you're actually moving toward your dreams or just talking about them… If you need a reminder that showing up honestly is always enough…This episode is for you.Connect with Keith & Matthew🌐 Keith Toombs - Songbirdmediagroup.com 📲 Matthew Brown - Google "Matthew Brown"Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 52: SOLO - Your Permission Slip to Ditch the PitchHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m sharing a solo episode that starts with a confession:I am not great at pitching.Put me in front of someone and ask for an elevator pitch and I’m likely to word-vomit, talk too fast, forget to breathe, and leave the other person confused. Not exactly a winning sales strategy.But instead of forcing myself to become someone I’m not, I’ve started asking a different question:What if the pitch isn’t the strategy?In this episode, I share a couple of very real (and slightly embarrassing) stories that helped me realize something important: pitching has never been my natural strength.And that realization led me to a bigger shift in how I think about visibility, marketing, and building a business.Instead of constantly trying to push my work out through pitches, I’m leaning into what I call living an inbound life - building assets, relationships, and visibility that allow people to experience my work before I’m ever in the room.For me, that looks like building a brand ecosystem that is drenched in storytelling and reflects who I am and how I think.Because when people already know how you show up, the conversation changes.You’re not convincing them anymore.You’re simply continuing the relationship.What I Cover in This Episode:🎤 Why pitching has never felt natural for me 😅 Two awkward stories that perfectly illustrate my “say it and run away” approach ⚡ Why operating from your strengths is a strategic decision 📥 What it means to build an inbound life instead of constantly pitching 🎙️ Creating assets that speak for you when you’re not in the room 🌱 Letting people experience your thinking before they ever hire you ✨ Building a visibility strategy around your strengths—not your insecuritiesHere’s the invitation I leave you with:Maybe you don’t need a better pitch.Maybe you need a better format. A better platform. A better approach to sharing what you do best.Where do you come alive when you communicate?What medium allows you to show up with confidence instead of pressure?Because the truth is—trust is built in layers, and storytelling compounds over time.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 51: Building Community Like a Human with Caitlin WuethrichHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by the incredible Caitlin Wuethrich. Caitlin is a business owner, mama, and someone who approaches both entrepreneurship and motherhood with honesty and heart.Caitlin and I talk about what it really looks like to work for yourself — the pivots, the risks, the scrappy beginnings, and the way relationships become the foundation of everything. Like so many of us who build businesses from connection first, her path wasn’t perfectly linear. It was human. It was responsive. It was built conversation by conversation.We also dig into her journey into motherhood and the parts that don’t always get said out loud. The transition. The identity shifts. The expectations versus reality. Caitlin shows up as a complete open book in this conversation, and I’m so grateful for her willingness to share it all.Because here’s the throughline that kept surfacing: whether you’re connecting one-on-one, on a podcast, or through a screen, the work is the same.Treat people like human beings.It sounds obvious. It sounds simple. And yet it’s surprisingly hard to execute when we’re thinking about strategy, growth, or numbers.Caitlin breaks down what it actually looks like to build community online with intention — not manipulation. Engagement with integrity. Growth rooted in relationship.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🤝 Building a business from real relationships 🚀 The path to working for yourself and the pivots along the way 👩‍👧 Navigating motherhood and entrepreneurship simultaneously 💬 The identity shifts that come with becoming a parent 📱 Building community on Instagram without losing your humanity 🧠 Why connection is strategy not an afterthought ✨ The power of being an open book in your storyA Special Offer from CaitlinCaitlin is generously offering $50 off her strategy calls for members of this community.If you’re looking for clarity around your content, messaging, or Instagram growth strategy, this is a beautiful opportunity to work with her directly.Use code KATELYN when booking: 🌐 caitlinwuethrichmedia.comNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 50: SOLO - Find Your Superfans (Before You Chase Followers)Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m unpacking a concept that has quietly reshaped how I think about growth, business, and community:Superfans.In my last solo episode, I shared my big, scary goal of paying myself a $100,000 salary this year — and the six adjustments I’m making to support it. The most important one? Only spending time with people who are 100% behind that goal.That realization led me here.We’re trained to chase growth — followers, subscribers, views. Big numbers that look impressive. But big numbers don’t always mean big impact. And they don’t necessarily mean support.In this episode, I explore the difference between vanity metrics and meaningful metrics. Between going viral and building trust. Between chasing growth and nurturing the people already here.I share how, in my own business, just 1–5 people have been responsible for a significant portion of my income — through referrals, repeat work, and enthusiastic belief in what I do.That’s the power of a superfan.What I Cover in This Episode:📊 Vanity metrics vs. meaningful metrics 🎯 Why follower count doesn’t automatically equal impact 💡 The “1,000 True Fans” concept — and what it really means 🤝 A powerful question: If your audience never grew, how would you treat the people already here? 🔁 Why superfans show up when you show up 🔥 The fastest way to build superfans: become oneA superfan isn’t just someone who clicks “like.” It’s someone who refers you in rooms you’re not in. Who hires you again. Who speaks your name with enthusiasm. Who believes in your big, scary goals.And here’s what I love most:Superfans aren’t built through extraction. They’re built through participation.Through cheering people on. Through showing up with joy. Through investing in the ecosystem you want to live inside.Maybe the goal isn’t to go viral. Maybe it’s to deepen trust. To serve the people already here. To send the supportive text. To write the thank-you note. To champion someone this week.Relationships are the real infrastructure.So ask yourself:Who consistently cheers you on? And who are you cheering on?Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 49: How to Be Both a Baddie and a Villager with Avagail LozanoHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by the one and only Avagail Lozano. She is a Bay Area baddie, longtime content creator, community-builder, and someone who lives life fully and unapologetically.Ava and I met through a virtual book club last year, and from the jump, I was struck by how boldly she defines adventure for herself. Not in a curated, highlight-reel way, but in a deeply embodied, “this is who I am and I’m not shrinking for anyone” way.In this episode, we talk about what it really means to build a nontraditional life. From teaching abroad in South Korea to documenting travel seasons, to redefining adventure in seasons of stillness, Ava shares how her identity has evolved over time and how she continues to show up authentically, both online and in real life.We explore the phrase she gifted me over a year ago, “What’s meant for me won’t miss me.” That mantra threads through this entire conversation: from career pivots to community-building to trusting the next chapter before it’s fully clear.Ava also opens up about what it’s like to navigate the world as a Filipina woman and the importance of Filipino-led spaces. We talk about representation, generational expectations, and the deep nourishment that comes from being in rooms where you don’t have to explain yourself.And maybe my favorite throughline of this conversation?The idea of being a villager.Not just wanting the village, but actively showing up as one. Volunteering. Mentoring. Supporting. Setting boundaries. Choosing joy. Choosing rest. Choosing connection.This episode is for anyone craving adventure, community, or permission to define success on their own terms.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🌍 Living abroad and redefining adventure across different seasons of life 📱 The real work behind long-term content creation and showing up online 💬 Why vulnerability breeds meaningful connection ✨ “What’s meant for me won’t miss me” - trusting what is aligned will arrive 🇵🇭 The importance of Filipino-led spaces and cultural representation 🧭 Success as defined by you  🏡 FOMO vs. JOMO: finding balance between adventure and rest 🤝 Being a “villager” by contributing to community in real, tangible ways 🚧 Boundaries, burnout, and learning to pause before saying yesAva reminds us that connection is cultivated in an organic way.Connect with Ava:📲 Instagram: @avagailadventures 🌐 Website: www.avagailadventures.comNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 48: SOLO - 6 Life Adjustments I Made to Support a $100,000 Paycheck in 2026Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis 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 goalBeing honest with myself about my pricesBuilding my personal brand ecosystemStopping the habit of eating my profitsBudgeting the business with clarity and rigorInvesting in people who invest in meThis 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?Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 47: Endurance, Curiosity, and the Brain with Dr. Grace HouserHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by one of my oldest friends — Dr. Grace Houser — for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about endurance, curiosity, mentorship, and what it means to stay committed to a long path when the outcome isn’t always clear.Grace and I grew up together in the suburbs of Cleveland. We met as teenagers, shared classrooms, lunch tables, coming-of-age experiences, and a lot of life — and somehow, twenty years later, here we are: one of us mapping stories, the other mapping brains. This episode is a reflection of that shared history and the trust that comes from knowing someone across seasons of becoming.Grace shares her journey to neuroscience, including what it was like to pursue a PhD while living overseas, navigating the isolation of research, the reality of endurance-based work, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when progress is slow and invisible. We talk candidly about the PhD “slog,” the myth of linear achievement, and the importance of revisiting goals that may no longer fit who you are now.We also explore the parallels between creative work and scientific research — how both require patience, repetition, collaboration, and a deep tolerance for uncertainty. From ultrarunning and long-distance challenges to mapping the brain at a cellular level, Grace offers insight into what sustains her curiosity and commitment over time.This episode is thoughtful, nerdy, tender, and honest. It is a reminder that endurance doesn’t have to be loud, that curiosity is a muscle, and that meaningful connection often grows quietly, over years, not moments.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🧠 What it really looks like to pursue a PhD in neuroscience 🌍 Building a life and career overseas  ⏳ Endurance as a mindset: research, creativity, and ultrarunning 🧪 What Grace actually studies in the lab (and why the spinal cord deserves more love) 🧠 Living with neurodivergence and understanding your brain later in life 🤝 The power of mentors who listen deeply and reflect your curiosity back to you 🏃‍♀️ How long-distance running mirrors long-term scientific and creative work ✨ Why it’s okay to question goals you once felt certain about 💬 What connection does and means for the brainNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 46: SOLO - A Check-In, A Celebration, and an InvitationHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis episode is a check-in — a moment to pause, reflect, and open the door for deeper connection with you, the listener.After nearly a year of publishing the podcast consistently, I recently crossed a milestone I’m really proud of: 1,000 downloads. And instead of immediately pushing forward to the next goal, I wanted to take a beat to celebrate, acknowledge the journey, and ask an important question:What do we want this podcast to become next — together?In this episode, I share how Crafted Connections came to life after years of daydreaming, journaling, and quietly rehearsing conversations that didn’t yet exist. I talk about the resistance that held me back — perfectionism, industry expectations, and the pressure to do things “the right way” — and why choosing an audio-only format was ultimately what allowed me to start.I also reflect on how much joy this podcast has brought me: the relationships it’s helped deepen, the conversations that have surprised me, and the genuine love I have for sitting down (sometimes in my robe, on a Wednesday morning) to talk about what I care about most.Most importantly, this episode is an invitation.If you’ve listened to more than a few episodes — whether you’re a longtime friend, a past guest, or someone who found the show somewhere on the internet — I want to hear from you. Your time, attention, and curiosity matter, and I’m eager to learn what’s resonating and how this podcast can continue to evolve with intention.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎉 Celebrating the milestone of 1,000 podcast downloads 🎙 How Crafted Connections came to life after years of daydreaming 🎥 Why choosing audio-only helped me finally start 🧠 Letting go of perfectionism and industry expectations 🤍 What I’ve loved most about interviewing guests and hosting this show 🔁 The role of iteration, joy, and curiosity in creative work 💬 An open invitation for listener feedback and conversation ✨ Thoughts on unlocking the podcast’s full potential in its next seasonWant to Share Your Thoughts? I’d Love to Hear From You.If you’ve found yourself hitting play more than once, I’d genuinely love to know why.You can reach out:📬 Email: [email protected]📲 Instagram DMs: @CraftedConnectionsPodWhether it’s what you’ve loved, what you want more of, or what you’re curious about next — I’m here for the conversation.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 45: Iteration and the Art of Building Connection with Félix MedinaHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by my longtime friend and collaborator Félix Medina for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about identity, entrepreneurship, and what it really means to build meaningful connections with other humans.Félix and I have known each other for nearly a decade, and this conversation reflects that depth of history. We talk openly about his upbringing in a border town—growing up not just bilingual but bicultural—and how those early experiences shaped his curiosity, adaptability, and love for people. His story is a powerful reminder of how environment and exposure quietly influence the paths we’re drawn toward.From there, we dive into entrepreneurship as both a creative and spiritual journey. Félix shares what it’s been like to build, sell, and experiment with multiple ventures over time—learning through iteration, missteps, and reflection. We talk about the myth of stability, the tension between freedom and security, and why both traditional employment and entrepreneurship can feel misaligned depending on who you are.A recurring theme throughout this episode is experience—the idea that every interaction, meeting, and conversation is an opportunity to create something meaningful, even if it doesn’t lead to a sale or a concrete outcome. We explore curiosity as a practice, daydreaming as a creative tool, and why real connection often matters more than optimization.This episode is thoughtful, funny, and deeply human—a reminder that growth isn’t linear, identity is fluid, and the best work often comes from staying open, iterative, and willing to learn in public.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🌍 Growing up bicultural and how that shaped Félix’s worldview 🧠 Entrepreneurship as a creative and spiritual practice 🔁 Why iteration—not perfection—is the real growth strategy 🤝 Seeing every interaction as an opportunity to create an experience 🎭 How curiosity, daydreaming, and play fuel innovation ⚖️ The tension between freedom and stability in work and life 🧭 Why entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone—and neither is traditional employment 🔥 Staying aligned with your “flavor,” even when it risks rejection 💬 The power of presence, listening, and human-to-human connectionConnect with Félix:📍 Website: https://www.elcapdm.com/Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 44: SOLO - A Softer Way to Set Resolutions  (& My Three Loving Commitments for 2026)Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m kicking off the year with a solo episode —  and the first solo of 2026 — to talk honestly about resolutions, intentions, and the complicated relationship many of us have with both.For a long time, resolutions weren’t a healthy tool for me. They were tied to restriction, self-criticism, and pressure — especially in relation to food, body image, and control. So I stepped away from them completely. But this year, something feels different.In this episode, I share why I’m cautiously and lovingly returning to the idea of resolutions, and how I’m approaching them in a way that feels safe, grounded, and supportive instead of harsh.Rather than chasing perfection or “fixing” myself, I walk through three specific commitments I’m making in 2026, all rooted in self-trust and self-care.This episode is part reflection, part verbal journaling, and part invitation for you to approach change in a way that actually feels kind.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Why I stepped away from traditional resolutions and why I’m revisiting them now 🧭 How transitional seasons can blur commitment and create mixed signals (internally and externally) 💼 Resolution #1: Fully committing to my business and letting go of the LinkedIn jobs tab rabbit hole 🤍 Resolution #2: Nurturing friendships that have nothing to do with work or networking 🛌 Resolution #3: Creating a healthier nighttime routine (and breaking my TV-while-sleeping habit) 🌱 Why change needs gentleness (not self-criticism!) to actually stick 💬 An open invitation to reflect on your own relationship with resolutions and intentionsAt the heart of this episode is a simple belief: you don’t need to be at war with yourself to grow. Change can be loving. Commitments can be flexible. And clarity doesn’t have to come from force.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 43: Reality Transurfing with Owen Hunt, the Blue Collar Mystic Hosted by Katelyn CalhounWelcome to the first episode of 2026 — and what a way to begin.In this episode of Crafted Connections, I’m joined by Owen Hunt for a fascinating, grounded, and practical conversation about Reality Transurfing — a framework for understanding how we move through possibility, intention, and choice in our lives.I met Owen through an online accountability community, where his consistency, encouragement, and calm presence immediately stood out. He describes himself as a “blue collar mystic.” He is a coach, producer, comedian, and deeply thoughtful human who bridges big metaphysical ideas with real-world application. And honestly? That balance is exactly what makes this conversation so compelling.Owen shares how his background in comedy and producing became an unexpected testing ground for these ideas. By releasing attachment to outcomes, loosening the grip of “importance,” and showing up with curiosity instead of force, he found himself stepping into opportunities that felt aligned rather than chased. From creative projects to professional momentum, his lived experience offers a grounded example of how these concepts can quietly reshape the paths we walk.Reality Transurfing isn’t manifestation in the buzzy, surface-level sense. It’s about understanding how importance, resistance, excess potential, and inner alignment influence the “tracks” or timelines we experience. Owen breaks down these concepts in a way that feels accessible, grounded, and especially relevant as we step into a new year.This episode is an invitation to soften your grip, release urgency, and move forward with intention — not force.If you’re entering 2026 with curiosity, reflection, or a desire to relate differently to goals, outcomes, and uncertainty, this conversation offers a refreshing lens.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🌀 What Reality Transurfing actually is — and how it differs from traditional manifestation 🧭 Why letting go of “importance” can unlock more aligned outcomes ⚖️ The concept of excess potential and how resistance shows up in everyday life 🛤 Viewing life as a series of available timelines — and how we shift between them 🧠 How awareness and neutrality create more ease than force or hustle 🎭 How Owen applied these ideas in comedy and creative work — and what changed as a result 🤝 Why grounded community and consistency matter when exploring big ideas ✨ A powerful reframe for setting intentions at the start of a new yearYou Can Connect with Owen // Bootsy Greenwood:📍 Website: https://bootsygreenwood.com/Skool Community: The Transurfing Skool▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.coNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 42: Rewriting the Path to a Creative Career with Maddie MillerHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by Maddie Miller for a thoughtful, grounded conversation about building a creative career that evolves with you. She is an artist, printmaker, and digital marketing strategist based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.Maddie’s story is one of curiosity, experimentation, and patience. With a background in traditional fine art printmaking, nonprofit arts organizations, and community-focused creative work, she shares how her path has unfolded less like a straight line and more like a series of intentional pivots.We talk about her early exposure to the arts through public arts magnet schools, falling in love with printmaking in college, and navigating the tension between wanting to be a full-time studio artist and needing financial stability. Maddie opens up about the impact of COVID on her creative practice, losing access to studio space and grant funding, and how that pause reshaped her relationship to artmaking.From there, we explore how she leaned into skills she already had to build a freelance digital marketing practice, eventually forming her LLC in 2022. Along the way, she’s remained deeply connected to the arts through grant work, facilitation, and advocacy for access, equity, and creative opportunity.This episode is an honest look at what it means to let your definition of “creative success” change over time and to give yourself permission to rewrite the story as you go.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎨 Maddie’s journey with fine art printmaking and digital marketing 🧵 The reality of pursuing a creative career without a “salable product” 🛠 How nonprofit arts work shaped her understanding of community and access ⏸ The creative pause brought on by COVID — and what came after 🏛 Experiences with artist residencies, including time at Penland School of Crafts 💼 Building a freelance business by leaning into existing skills 🌱 Why it’s okay for your creative identity to evolve 🚲 Finding inspiration, community, and endurance through cycling and outdoor life 📖 Rewriting your story — and giving yourself grace in the processYou Can Connect with Maddie:💼 LinkedIn: Maddie MillerNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 41: Micro-Movements and Joy-Driven Motivation with Erika Petrelli BayhHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by speaker, coach, facilitator — and full-on light beam of a human — Erika Petrelli Bayh.We met briefly at a women’s leadership conference and instantly fell into a deep conversation about story, growth, and the contradictions of being human. This episode is a continuation of that energy: real, spacious, thoughtful, and full of grounded wisdom.Erika’s work centers around social and emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and helping people elevate the best version of themselves — their “extraordinary,” as she calls it. But this conversation is far from fluffy. Together we explore what it looks like to navigate motivation, productive struggle, self-limiting beliefs, identity, darkness, sobriety, and the micro-movements that help us keep going when life is heavy.If December has you reflecting, recalibrating, or taking stock of who you’re becoming, this episode will feel like a deep breath.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Why joy — not hustle — is the anchor of Erika’s work 🧠 How positive psychology helps us move from “baseline functioning” to thriving 🔥 The nuance of productive struggle (and how to know when it turns unproductive) 🪞 Untangling self-limiting beliefs and outgrowing old versions of ourselves 🌑 Erika’s story of navigating her own darkness and choosing sobriety 🪜 The power of micro-movements when you can’t take big steps forward 🤝 Why we can’t get out of the dark alone — and how to recognize lifelines 🌿 Honoring contradictions: beautiful and terrible things can coexist 💬 Why telling the truth about where we are brings people closer to us 🔄 Giving others (and ourselves) permission to evolveAt the center of it all is Erika’s belief that extraordinary isn’t something outside of us — it’s something we notice, tend to, and practice every day. Even in the ordinary moments. Especially in the hard ones.You Can Connect with Erika:📍 Website: extraordinaryinyou.com 📲 TikTok: @erikapetrellibayh 💼 LinkedIn: Erika Petrelli BayhNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 40: Saying “Yes” When Opportunities Arise with Andrea Dodson Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, I’m joined by the powerhouse human that is Andrea Dodson—entrepreneur, former collegiate athlete, pilot, international flight attendant, community advocate, coach, and deeply intentional mother of three.Andrea and her husband built Redwood Automotive in Anderson, Indiana from six cars and pure grit into a community-rooted dealership shaped by their core values: connection, service, responsibility, and saying yes when life opens a door.But her story doesn’t start with business ownership. In this conversation, we explore Andrea’s winding early career—flying planes at 16, working internationally, running competitively again after years away, trying on identities, shedding others, and learning to trust her own curiosity even when people questioned her path.This episode is about following your own internal GPS, even when the route isn’t linear.It’s about discipline and flow. Structure and intuition. Vision and adaptability.And above all, it’s about the power of showing up authentically in your work, your community, and your family.Andrea also shares the extraordinary and deeply moving story of becoming a foster parent to two teenage brothers she met while coaching high school cross-country—an experience that reshaped her family, her outlook, and her understanding of what it means to say yes to a moment that calls you forward.Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a multi-passionate human, or someone navigating a chapter of reinvention, this conversation will leave you feeling expanded.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ How Andrea’s curiosity carved an unconventional early career path 🥾 Building a business from scratch—literally from a six-car inventory 💛 Why community investment is at the core of Redwood Automotive 🧭 Challenging the myth that you must be “one thing” to be successful 🌱 Why flexibility—not rigidity—is the true engine of entrepreneurship 🏃‍♀️ What endurance sports taught her about mindset, resilience, and business 👦 The incredible story of how she grew her family 🎯 Why success requires being proud of where you are right now, even as you aim for what’s nextNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 39: REWIND – Curiosity, Sobriety, & the Healing Nature of Stories with Anna Zimmerman Hosted by Katelyn CalhounWe’re rewinding the clock today and revisiting one of the most downloaded, most shared, and most loved episodes of Crafted Connections — a conversation that continues to resonate deeply with this community.I’m joined by my dear friend Anna Zimmerman — facilitator, former professor, strategic thinker, and someone who leads with deep care and grounded presence. In this episode, Anna opens up about her journey through academia, sobriety, identity shifts, and choosing a life rooted in curiosity and connection.We explore how storytelling shapes recovery, why shedding old identities can feel like an ego death, and what it looks like to define success on your own terms. Anna’s warmth, honesty, and humor make this a conversation you’ll want to return to again and again — and yes, she still gives cozy-blanket-and-tea energy in every moment.We also talk about gratitude as a practice of noticing, of staying awake to the moments that anchor us and remind us of who we’re becoming. It’s a tender, thoughtful, resonant conversation — and the perfect episode to revisit at the end of the year.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🧠 Why unlearning old identities is part of growth 💬 How storytelling shapes sobriety and recovery 🎓 Leaving academia and redefining professional success 🌀 Embracing curiosity as a core life value 💪 Showing up for strength—not aesthetics—in healing your body 📖 How stories can connect, confine, or liberate us 💛 An ode to gratitude as a grounding force for changeReady to Step into Your Next Chapter with Clarity? Story Strategy Sessions are 50% off for the next week and a half as part of my Resolution: CLARITY sale.Whether you're launching something new, refining your message, or craving direction for the new year, this one-hour session helps you get clear on your story — and how to share it in a way that aligns with who you’re becoming.6 slots available at this price. Sale closes 12/9/25.🎥 Book your session and use code SEASON2025 for 50% off: https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionYou Can Connect with Anna: 📷 Instagram: @annagracezimmerman 💼 LinkedIn: Anna ZimmermanNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 38: SOLO – End of Beginning – The Story of Saying Goodbye to My First Company Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week’s Crafted Connections is a solo episode — one that’s both tender and transformative.In honor of National Entrepreneur Day, I’m sharing the full story behind closing my first company, Teardrop Pictures, and what it means to finally say goodbye.For eight years, Teardrop was my creative home. It was where I grew up as a filmmaker, storyteller, and entrepreneur — learning hard lessons, building community, and creating work I’m deeply proud of. But when it came time to evolve into Calhoun Creative Consulting, I realized I never gave myself space to truly close that chapter.So I took a trip back to Indianapolis — to the coffee shops, breweries, and streets where it all began — to honor that season, celebrate what it gave me, and let it go with gratitude.This episode is about endings, beginnings, and everything in between. It’s about the courage to release what no longer fits and the grace to see how far you’ve come.If you’ve ever outgrown something you once loved — a business, a dream, a version of yourself — this story is for you.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🎬 The story of starting Teardrop Pictures as a 24-year-old filmmaker 💡 Lessons learned from eight years of entrepreneurship, growth, and failure 🏙 Returning to Indianapolis to find closure and reflection 💭 The power of letting go and redefining success 🌱 Why endings aren’t failures — they’re fertile ground for what comes nextNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 37: SOLO - Mindset Swaps to Move Past Resistance & Share Your Story Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, it’s just you and me — a solo episode all about shifting the stories we tell ourselves before we share our story with others.We all face resistance when it comes to storytelling — that little voice that says my story isn’t special, I’ll share when I’m more successful, or no one really cares what I have to say. But those thoughts are exactly what keep us from connecting.In this episode, I’m breaking down five mindset swaps that will help you move past resistance, get out of your own way, and start showing up with confidence and intention. You’ll hear personal stories, practical reframes, and a few reminders that storytelling is less about perfection and more about connection.Whether you’re launching something new, building your brand, or just learning to be more visible, this one’s for you.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 💭 Five mindset swaps to help you move past storytelling resistance ✨ Why your “everyday details” are what make your story resonate 🌱 How sharing the messy middle allows your community to grow with you 💬 The truth about owning your narrative (and your brand) ❤️ How telling your story invites others to share theirsNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 36: On Impact with Megan Hamilton, the Impact Witch Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, we’re tapping into creativity, courage, and a lotta bit of magic with Megan Hamilton — speaker, coach, musician, and host of Embracing Enchantment on the Women in Media Network.Megan is a powerful communicator who helps people step into their voice and create impact with confidence. As the Speaker Advisor for the award-winning TEDxQueensU since 2020, she’s coached powerful and meaningful TEDx, keynote, and signature talks all around the world.As the Impact Witch, Megan helps folks craft spells in the form of speeches—creating legacies of change and new ways of thinking.In this conversation, we talk about what it means to rebrand with intention and lean into the next chapter of your creative life and business. From tarot to transformation, this episode is equal parts practical and enchanted—a conversation that will leave you inspired to speak your truth, trust your timing, and embrace your own magic.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🪄 The story behind Megan’s evolution from ubu skills to Impact Witch 🎤 What it means to craft impact through your words and presence 🌙 How tarot, intuition, and storytelling intersect in creative leadership 🔥 Why transformation takes courage—and a little faith in divine timingYou Can Connect with Megan: 📲 Instagram: @impactwitch 🎧 Podcast: Embracing Enchantment 🌐 Website: impactwitch.comJoin Our Monthly Kick-Off Sessions! Start your month with clarity and momentum.Each Monthly Kick-Off is a guided reflection and planning session where we set intentions, identify story themes for the month ahead, and build connection with others on the same journey. It’s part journaling circle, part goal-setting workshop, and all about getting aligned before diving into the work.💚 Come join us — your story (and your month) deserves this space. Sign up for the next session at https://stan.store/KatelynCalhounNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 35: A Reminder to Live Your Life with Horace Tong Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, we’re taking a trip around the world—literally—with traveler, adventurer, and all-around joy-bringer Horace Tong.Horace has visited every country in the world, but his story goes far beyond passport stamps. It’s about curiosity, courage, and connection—the kind that reminds us why we’re here in the first place.From crushing an oyster-eating contest in his home city of Vancouver to visiting Antarctica, Horace shares stories filled with humor, heart, and perspective. In this conversation, we explore what it means to live with intention, build global connections, and find joy in the small, spontaneous moments that make life rich.This episode is your gentle nudge to get out there, follow your curiosity, and live your story while you can.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🌍 The story behind Horace’s journey to every country in the world 🦪 From oyster-eating contests to Antarctica—adventure stories with heart ❤️ A simple, powerful reminder to live your life—right nowYou Can Connect with Horace: 📸 Instagram: @horacet_Join Our Monthly Kick-Off Sessions! Start your month with clarity, momentum, and a little creative magic.Each Monthly Kick-Off is a guided reflection and planning session where we set intentions, identify story themes for the month ahead, and build connection with others on the same journey. It’s part journaling circle, part goal-setting workshop, and all about getting aligned before diving into the work.💚 Come join us — your story (and your month) deserves this space. Sign up for the next session at https://stan.store/KatelynCalhounNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 34: Creating Choice with Brittany Scott Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, we’re sitting down with Brittany Scott — founder and CEO of GROW WIWO (Grow With Women) — for a conversation about curiosity, connection, and creating spaces where women can thrive both personally and professionally.Brittany’s story is one of resilience, leadership, and redefining what it means to build community. From her early years as an athlete and educator to launching multiple wellness and empowerment ventures—including Mom Gets Moxie and GROW WIWO—she’s turned challenge into purpose.In this episode, we explore how curiosity fuels connection, why vulnerability is a strength in leadership, and how Brittany’s personal journey—including her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse—shaped her mission to empower women with resources, confidence, and choice.It’s an honest, heartfelt conversation about what happens when you stop pretending to have all the answers and start building from authenticity.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🌱 The journey from teacher to founder and CEO of GROW WIWO 💪 How being “a little bit curious” can change everything in business and in life 💼 Lessons from corporate life—and getting fired—that led to entrepreneurship 💬 Why vulnerability creates stronger communities and braver leaders ❤️ The personal story behind Brittany’s passion for empowering women with choice and voiceContent Note: Timecode - 32:40 to 40:00 This episode includes discussion of domestic violence beginning around the three-quarters mark. Please listen with care and skip that section if needed.You Can Connect with Brittany + GROW WIWO: 🌐 Website: growwiwo.com 📲 Instagram: @GROWWIWO 🎟 Use code MUNCIE2025 for $50 off your GROW Muncie Conference ticket on October 21!Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 33: How Business, Creativity, and Community Co-Exist with Daiyawn Smith Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week on Crafted Connections, we’re diving deep into the intersection of business, creativity, and community with filmmaker, creator, and all-around good-vibes human Daiyawn Smith — founder of Dai In & Dai Out Productions.Daiyawn’s story is one of imagination, consistency, and heart. From early influences that sparked his love of storytelling to building a brand rooted in authenticity, excellence, and connection, he shares what it means to be both a creative and a business owner in today’s world.In this conversation, we talk about the mindset shifts that come with growing as a professional—from learning to raise your rates to setting healthy boundaries—and how community fuels sustainable creativity. Daiyawn also shares insight into his latest project, an indie reality-style dating series filmed in Indianapolis, Indy Amor, plus how his corporate work is evolving to center more community impact.This episode is equal parts inspiration and real talk for anyone navigating what it means to grow, learn, and thrive as a creative entrepreneur.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🎥 How Daiyawn built Dai In & Dai Out Productions and the meaning behind the name 💼 Lessons on pricing, boundaries, and professionalism in the creative industry 💡 Why curiosity and community are key to long-term growth ❤️ The importance of collaboration and surrounding yourself with people who build you up 🌆 How corporate creativity and community engagement can co-exist beautifullyYou Can Connect with Daiyawn: 📸 Instagram (Biz): @daiin_n_daiout 📸 Instagram (Personal): @sir_shoot_alot 🌐 Website: https://daiinanddaiout.squarespace.com/Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 32: On-the-Go – Collective Voices on "Alignment" Hosted by Katelyn CalhounWe’ve reached the final episode in our On-the-Go series from the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne—and this one brings it all together. We’re weaving together the interviewee's definitions of "Alignment."As you’ll hear, alignment is not a one-size-fits-all definition—it shifts with our seasons, challenges, and growth. Alongside this compilation of voices, I share my own reflections on alignment in my life right now—what it means to embrace the “hustler” part of myself while making space for all the other parts that make me whole.This episode is a reminder that alignment isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, self-trust, and creating room for all of who we are.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🌱 A wide range of definitions of alignment from GROW attendees, speakers, and vendors:2:19 - Brittany Scott (Ft. in GROW WIWO episode)2:55 - Kori Rae Kovacs (Ft. in GROW WIWO episode)3:19 - Carmen Nikae (Ft. in GROW WIWO episode)4:40 - Jill Trimmel (Ft. in GROW WIWO episode)5:32 - Margaret Tilley (Ft. in GROW WIWO episode)7:09 - Jennifer Fisher7:51 - LeeTosha Henry9:02 - Amy Ballard10:32 - Sarah Weaver11:14 - Leah GiaQuinta12:33 - Tabitha DeSeranno13:52 - Tracey Hanton15:08 - Darnell Scott15:47 - Stacey McGuire17:40 - Katelyn Calhoun :)Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 31: On-the-Go – Darnell Scott on Imagination, Alignment & Photographing Life as It Is Hosted by Katelyn CalhounWe’re back with another On-the-Go episode from the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne—this time featuring photographer Darnell Scott, whose journey is equal parts inspiring and grounded in purpose.Darnell isn’t just behind the camera—he’s using photography as a tool for empowerment. Through his work with at-risk youth, he’s helped more than 188 kids discover a new way of seeing the world by placing cameras in their hands. His own story began with imagination and vision—rehearsing what it would feel like to be a professional photographer long before he ever owned a camera. That mental rehearsal led to a pivotal moment with Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, which opened the door to photographing his very first NBA game.In this conversation, Darnell shares what alignment means to him, how imagination shapes his life and work, and why authenticity is the foundation of both storytelling and photography.What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 📸 How Darnell uses photography to connect with and inspire at-risk youth 🏀 The incredible story of meeting Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and shooting his first NBA game ✨ The role of imagination and mental rehearsal in turning vision into reality 🖊 How he scripts his goals before stepping into aligned action 🤝 Why authenticity and connection are the throughline in both life and artYou Can Connect with Darnell: 📸 Instagram: @_darnell.scottNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 30: On-the-Go – Tracey Hanton of Praise Worthy Candles on Starting Over, Connection & Reclaiming AlignmentHosted by Katelyn CalhounWe’re back with another On-the-Go episode from the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne, this time featuring an illuminating (pun intended!) conversation with Tracey Hanton, founder of Praise Worthy Candles and proudly known as “The Candle Queen.”Tracey shares the powerful story of moving to Fort Wayne from Philadelphia just months before the pandemic hit, and the unexpected challenges—and community—that shaped her journey. She opens up about launching her candle business while working as a career counselor, redefining what alignment looks like in business, and learning when to pause, reassess, and reconnect to purpose.This is an honest and heartfelt look at what it means to keep showing up—for yourself, your creativity, and the people you're here to serve.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🕯 The unexpected move that reshaped Tracey’s life and work 🌇 What it’s like to start over 625 miles from home—alone 🎓 Balancing career counseling and candle making ⚖️ A beautiful definition of alignment as mutual elevation and divine purpose 💬 Why connection—not just commerce—is the heart of her businessYou Can Connect with Tracey + Praise Worthy Candles: 📸 Instagram: @praiseworthycandlesNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 29: On-the-Go – Tabitha DeSeranno on Reinvention, Authentic Branding & Not Hiding AnymoreHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis On-the-Go mini-sode—recorded live at the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne—features a spark-filled conversation with Tabitha DeSeranno, creative CEO and founder of Spark & Soul Design Studio.Tabitha shares the unexpected moment that propelled her back into full-time entrepreneurship and how that experience shaped not just her business—but her voice, her confidence, and her brand. We talk about owning your energy, staying true to yourself, and how “alignment” is less about your job title and more about who you want to be (and how you want to show up).If you’ve ever pivoted after a setback or wondered whether it’s okay to take up more space—this one’s for you.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:💥 How a sudden job loss led Tabitha to reignite her business 🎨 Why she helps women brand with confidence and personality ⚖️ Her empowering take on alignment—starting with the question, “Who do I want to be?” 💬 How choosing visibility over hiding has changed everything 🌟 A reminder that joy and business don’t have to be separateYou Can Connect with Tabitha Here: ✨ Instagram: @sparkandsouldesignNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 28: On-the-Go – Leah GiaQuinta on Divorce, Identity & Embodied AlignmentHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this On-the-Go episode, recorded live at the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne, we’re joined by Leah GiaQuinta, a divorce transition coach and founder of Leah GiaQuinta Coaching.Leah shares her own deeply personal journey of navigating divorce after 15 years of marriage, and how that experience became the foundation of her work today. With vulnerability and grace, she explores the ripple effects of major life transitions—and how we can choose to let them happen for us instead of to us.We also dig into the word alignment, which Leah approaches from her background in physical therapy, weaving together physical, spiritual, and emotional embodiment.This conversation is full of honesty, resilience, and insight for anyone redefining themselves after a major life shift.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:💔 How Leah’s divorce shaped her personal and professional path 🌀 The layered transitions that come with ending a chapter of identity 📦 Mary Oliver, grief, and finding the gift in a box full of darkness ⚖️ A physical therapist’s take on what true alignment really means 💬 Reclaiming your wholeness—body, mind, spirit, and communityYou Can Connect with Leah Here: 📱 @leahgiaquintacoaching on InstagramNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 27: On-the-Go – Sarah Weaver on Postpartum, Thyroid Health & Creating a Life You Don’t Need a Vacation FromHosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week’s On-the-Go episode brings you a candid and empowering conversation with Sarah Weaver of Entourage Health LLC, a functional medicine nurse practitioner with a passion for hormone, mood, and energy care.Recorded live at the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne, Sarah shares a deeply personal story of postpartum depression and the journey that followed—a path that led her not only to healing, but to founding a concierge practice that helps other women reclaim their well-being from the root.We talk about medical gaslighting, thyroid health, and how she’s redefining alignment as creating a life she doesn’t feel the need to escape from.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:👩‍⚕️ How Sarah’s postpartum journey revealed a deeper thyroid issue 🧠 The moment she chose to seek answers beyond standard treatment 📣 Why so many women feel dismissed or gaslit in healthcare systems 🌀 The ripple effect of getting to the root cause—not just the surface symptoms ⚖️ What it means to design a life that doesn’t require a vacation to recover fromNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 26: On-the-Go – Amy Ballard on Leadership & Everyday AlignmentHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this On-the-Go mini-sode from the GROW Conference Fort Wayne, we sit down with community leader and powerhouse multitasker Amy Ballard, Assistant VP of Member Experience at 3Rivers Federal Credit Union and the first female council president in Kendallville, Indiana.Amy reflects on how her leadership journey has been shaped by many small moments—from the example her parents set to the ongoing work of raising her own kids with purpose. We also talk about the challenge of leading teams with diverse viewpoints, and how she defines “alignment” as finding agreement, even when perspectives differ.This one’s for anyone balancing multiple roles, navigating group dynamics, or trying to stay grounded in what really matters.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🏛 A peek into Amy’s dual life as a financial exec and city council president 🧬 How small influences (not big moments) shaped her leadership path 🤝 What “alignment” looks like when you’re leading diverse teams 💬 A reminder that disagreement doesn’t equal disconnection 👩‍👧‍👦 Passing on a legacy of purpose to the next generationNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 25: On-the-Go – LeeTosha Henry on Impact, Identity & TemperanceHosted by Katelyn CalhounWe’re back with another episode in our On-the-Go series—real stories captured in the moment, recorded live at the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne.Today’s conversation features LeeTosha Henry of A Butter Me—mom of three, former educator, and skincare entrepreneur—who brings insight, warmth, and deep honesty to her story.LeeTosha shares what it meant to leave her teaching career, why working with youth left such a lasting impact, and how she’s redefining her sense of purpose through entrepreneurship. She also offers a beautiful reflection on temperance—a word she uses to define alignment, balance, and honoring where you give your energy.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🍎 A heartfelt look at LeeTosha’s journey from educator to entrepreneur 👩🏽‍🏫 Why teaching teens helped her discover deeper trust and purpose ⚖️ What “temperance” means—and why it’s her key to living in alignment 🧠 A reminder that your impact often lasts longer than you know 💬 Honest reflections on motherhood, identity shifts, and transition seasonsNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 24: On-the-Go – Jennifer Fisher of Wellness Empowered LLCHosted by Katelyn CalhounWe're continuing our On-the-Go series on Crafted Connections—real-time conversations recorded out in the world, in the spirit of connection, curiosity, and community.This week’s episode features Jennifer Fisher, occupational therapist and founder of Wellness Empowered LLC, who joined us at the GROW Conference in Fort Wayne. In this conversation, Jennifer opens up about her personal experience navigating perimenopause and how it led her to create more open, informed dialogue around women’s health and wellness.We talk about the often-overlooked symptoms of hormonal shifts, the role of nervous system regulation, and how storytelling can foster validation, awareness, and support—especially during seasons of transition.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🌿 A deeply personal story of navigating perimenopause 🧠 Why brain fog, anxiety, and joint pain are often misunderstood signs 📣 The need for real conversations and safe spaces around menopause ⚖️ How Jennifer defines “alignment” across body, mind, and environment 👯‍♀️ Why women’s stories—and storytelling itself—are central to healing and connectionYou Can Learn More About Jennifer Here: ✨ Instagram: @WE_Wellness_EmpoweredNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 23: On-the-Go – The GROW Conference – The GROW WIWO Team Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis episode kicks off a brand new format of Crafted Connections: On-the-Go—conversations and reflections captured out and about at events, on the street, or maybe even on a bus.Recorded live at the GROW Conference Fort Wayne, this episode brings you behind the scenes with five women from the GROW WIWO team. These are the vision holders, community builders, and creative forces who make GROW WIWO possible—and in this episode, they share reflections on the conference theme, personal growth, and their take on the term “alignment.”Whether you were in the room or cheering from afar, this audio snapshot captures the spirit of GROW: brave conversations, big energy, and wholehearted connection.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎤 On-the-ground interviews with five members of the GROW WIWO team 🌱 Reflections on the Fort Wayne conference theme, Living in Alignment 💬 Why real community is built on vulnerability and momentum 🧠 Honest moments about identity, intuition, and showing up in your powerFeaturing: ✨ Brittany Scott ✨ Kori Rae Kovacs ✨ Carmen Nikae ✨ Jill Trimmel ✨ Margaret TilleyNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 22: The Intersection of Marginal Gains & Your Delulu Era Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this reflective solo episode, we’re getting a little nerdy and a little delulu—in the best way possible.I’m exploring what happens when you combine the science of marginal gains (yes, that 1% better every day graph from Atomic Habits) with the bold energy of dreaming just a little unreasonably. Because, as I’ve learned, the combo of tiny consistent progress and big vision energy? That’s where the magic happens.If you’ve ever felt torn between being a realist and a romantic, disciplined and dreamy—this episode is for you. Let’s talk about small steps, big trust, and choosing to believe in what’s possible, even when there’s no “proof” yet.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:📈 Why marginal gains are underrated magic 💭 What being in your “delulu era” actually unlocks 🎯 The power of 1% improvement—even on the foggy days 🌀 Why trusting yourself is its own kind of discipline 💡 Real talk on business goals, creative practice, and identity shifts 👀 A reminder that evidence isn’t always instant—but it’s buildingReferenced in This Episode: 📊 James Clear’s Marginal Gains Chart Source: Atomic Habits by James ClearNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 21: Little Cutie - Life Lately & Course Building EnergyHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this quick solo check-in, I’m bringing you another “Little Cutie”—a bite-sized, unedited episode recorded in the middle of a production-heavy season, just to stay creatively in motion and connected with you.I’m sharing what’s been going on behind the scenes, from filming a recruitment series for the City of Bloomington to building out my self-paced storytelling course (Doc(YOU)mentary) in real time. I also share a few cozy updates from boat life and reflect on what it means to stay playful while creating things that matter.This mini-episode is a love note to showing up, even when it’s scrappy—and a reminder that the little promises we keep to ourselves build the trust that fuels everything else.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎥 A peek into Katelyn’s latest production project with the City of Bloomington🌱 Boat life updates (including how the plants are doing)🧠 What’s in the works for the Doc(YOU)mentary course💡 Reflections on crafting a life and business that actually feels fun📦 Why it matters to share your story—not just collect or compile it🎙 Thoughts on working for yourself (and not getting lost in the sauce)Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 20: A Candid Conversation on Podcasting with Nikki Corbett Hosted by Katelyn CalhounThis week’s episode is a special bonus continuation with the luminous Nikki Corbett—podcaster, speaker, and powerhouse. During our first conversation (Episode 18), we found ourselves deep in a meta rabbit hole about podcasting: what it takes, why we do it, and how it evolves.So we pulled the selects—and this candid, behind-the-scenes look at life as a podcast host was compiled for your enjoyment.We talk about the long game of podcasting, brand pivots, getting inspired by your guests, and letting go of perfectionism in order to actually hit publish. Whether you're a fellow creator or just curious about the messy magic behind the mic, this episode is for you.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎙 How Nikki’s podcasting journey began post-divorce 🧩 Why the best shows evolve—and how to let yours do the same 📈 The emotional rollercoaster of releasing your 10th episode 🎧 Audio quality, scheduling, burnout, and the pressure to be perfect 🔥 Why showing up is more powerful than sounding polished 🌟 The stories worth telling (even when they don’t go viral)You Can Find Nikki: 🌐 Website: nikki-corbett.com 📺 YouTube: @TheScarletEdit 🎙️ Podcasts: The Scarlet Edit & Round Two 💼 LinkedIn: Nikki CorbettNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 19: SOLO - 33 Things I Know/Believe at 33 (Birthday Episode 🎉)Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this solo episode of Crafted Connections, I’m celebrating my 33rd birthday with a deeply personal reflection—33 things I know, believe, and carry with me at this age.This episode is full of honest truth bombs, tender observations, hard-earned wisdom, and a few giggles along the way (including a SpongeBob underwear cameo). From lessons about love, loss, and letting go, to reminders about trusting your gut and embracing slow growth, this is birthday energy in full Leo form.If you’ve ever needed a reminder that life is both beautiful and brutal, that growth is messy, and that you are worth showing up for—this one’s for you.Themes You’ll Hear in This Episode:💖 Why loving yourself is non-negotiable🧠 How your relationships reflect your patterns🌿 What “slow is fast” really means🎨 The joy of silly socks and SpongeBob briefs💬 Why your work can’t love you back🔥 How to recover from failure—and take the lessons with you🪞 The power of changing your input to change your outcomeNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 18: Nomadic Clarity & Energetic Alignment with Nikki Corbett Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this episode of Crafted Connections, I sit down with the wildly inspiring Nikki Corbett—podcaster, speaker, and seasoned traveler who's redefining what it means to follow your gut, embrace change, and live in alignment with your energy.Nikki opens up about selling her house, stepping away from a high-level corporate role, and building a location-independent life that centers freedom, self-trust, and connection. We talk about how travel can sharpen your intuition, what it means to "pack light" emotionally and literally, and why honoring your energetic needs can open doors you never expected.This conversation is part one of a two-part series—and it’s full of insight for anyone craving more flow, flexibility, and purpose.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✈️ What led Nikki to sell her home and travel full-time 🌍 The difference between vacationing, traveling, and living abroad 🧳 What overpacking taught her about trust and adaptation ✨ Tuning into energetic alignment and intuitive decision-making 🧠 How solo travel supports self-love and redefines the 5 love languages 📡 A crash course in astrocartography—and how it’s guiding Nikki’s next movesYou Can Find Nikki: 🌐 Website: nikki-corbett.com 📺 YouTube: @TheScarletEdit 🎙️ Podcasts: The Scarlet Edit & Round Two 💼 LinkedIn: Nikki CorbettNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 17: SOLO – Visibility is a Muscle Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this solo episode of Crafted Connections, Katelyn gets honest about one of the trickiest parts of storytelling: actually being seen. Whether you’re building a brand, asking for funding, or simply trying to show up more fully in your work and life—visibility is essential. But it’s also vulnerable, and often easier said than done.Through stories from her own creative journey—including a crowdfunding campaign, regular coffee shop visits that led to a soul-nourishing summer job, and how she’s built her client base—Katelyn unpacks what visibility really means and how it compounds over time.This episode is equal parts pep talk and practical guide for anyone who’s struggling to put themselves out there. Because your story only creates impact when people see it.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:📣 Why visibility is harder—and more important—than we think 🧠 How mindset plays a major role in sharing your story 🗓 The 21-day habit that helped Katelyn build her visibility muscle ☕️ How showing up at a coffee shop turned into a summer side job 💬 Why visibility matters in relationships, work, and at home 🌱 How small, consistent efforts lead to long-term creative growthNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 16: The Importance of Play with Amber Robinson Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode of Crafted Connections, Katelyn sits down (virtually, of course) with pianist, composer, and creative businesswoman Amber Robinson to explore the powerful role play and creativity have in our adult lives. From burnout to brain science, Amber brings wisdom, humor, and serious insight into why making space for joy isn't optional—it's essential.They talk about Amber’s multi-faceted creative career, how her own Artist’s Way journey rekindled her sense of curiosity, and why adults need creativity just as much—if not more—than kids. With stories of personal grit, emotional healing, and building a business that leaves space for magic, this conversation is a reminder that creativity is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline.Whether you're in the thick of burnout or just craving a little more color in your day, this episode is your permission slip to play.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎹 How Amber blends piano, composing, and marketing into a joy-filled career 🧠 Why adults need creativity (and what the science says about cognitive reserve) 🎭 The value of play, and why it’s never too late to reclaim your inner artist 💥 Amber’s trampoline injury story—and what it taught her about grit and growth 📚 How The Artist’s Way and artist dates helped her fall back in love with creating 🌞 The power of managing your energy, not just your timeYou Can Find Amber Robinson: 🌐 Website: amberpiano.com 📷 Instagram: @amberpianoAmber has digital piano courses, a circadian rhythm guide, and a performance at Carnegie Hall (yes, really!) on the horizon—follow along to stay inspired.Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 15: Introducing “Little Cuties” (A Mini Solo Episode)Hosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this short and sweet solo episode, Katelyn introduces something new: Little Cuties—bite-sized reflections recorded in the thick of real life, when the week is full but the commitment to creativity still stands.Recorded from a hotel room in Bloomington, Indiana (with the AC blasting and no edits in sight), this episode is a love letter to keeping promises to yourself, however small they may seem. Katelyn shares what’s on her plate—from editing a deeply human proof-of-concept project to pre-interviews for a recruitment campaign—and reflects on how staying curious, flexible, and kind to yourself can go a long way.This one’s a casual check-in, a creative accountability practice, and an invitation to notice what promises you're ready to keep to yourself.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🧡 What “Little Cuties” are—and why they matter🎙 The power of keeping promises to yourself (without overcommitting)💬 A behind-the-scenes look at what Katelyn’s working on this week🌆 How rethinking your questions can create more honest interviews🛁 Bathtubs, boat life, and celebrating the small joysNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 14: Floating Islands and Taking Your Whimsy Seriously with Jess DunnHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this imaginative and deeply grounding episode of Crafted Connections, I chat with the wildly creative and delightfully curious Jess Dunn—an artist working in animation, set design, painting, film, you name it. Jess shares her winding path through art school, entrepreneurship, and a wild experience that was living on a floating island as part of an immersive museum installation.From early days of drawing with her parents to co-founding the creative studio BrainTwins, Jess has consistently made brave choices in favor of an artful life. We talk about what it means to take your art seriously, the challenges of balancing creativity with capitalism, and why community collaboration is often the secret ingredient to making something bigger than yourself.Whether she’s making longterm time-lapse videos in a cemetery or teaching students how to step back from their work to see the big picture, Jess brings both wonder and wisdom to her creative process. This conversation is a love letter to curiosity, mentorship, and trusting the slow build of a meaningful career.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🎨 Jess’s multi-medium approach to animation, performance, and visual art 🌿 The art of community collaboration (and resisting hyper-independence) 🏝 Her experience living on a floating fiberglass island in a lake as a public art experiment 💡 Building BrainTwins, pitching to Netflix, and returning to individual creative projects 🪦 How her Crown Hill Cemetery residency is blending art, nature, and time-lapse photography 🔥 The beauty of fake-it-’til-you-make-it moments—and how to hold your creative vision through themYou Can Find Jess: 🌐 Website: www.sesseka.com 📸 Instagram: @sesseka 📬 Substack: Jess Dunn's SubstackNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 13: SOLO — Slow Girl SummerHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this intention setting solo episode, Katelyn leans into the energy behind Slow Girl Summer—not as a trendy aesthetic, but as a purposeful, nourishing approach to work, creativity, and rest.She shares what summer has meant to her over the years—from childhood joy to adult burnout—and why this season, she’s choosing to savor rather than sprint. Through personal stories, kitchen metaphors, and a few real talk confessions, Katelyn explores what it means to show up for your goals without abandoning yourself in the process.Whether you’re in a season of hustle, healing, or somewhere in between, this is your invitation to slow down and set an intention for your own version of summer.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🌞 What Slow Girl Summer actually means (and what it definitely doesn’t)🌀 Katelyn's pattern of overworking and why she’s ready to override it🧄 Why slowing down is like cooking with aromatics—slow, layered, intentional💬 The myth that stress = success, and how to shift that story🎨 How hobbies, rest, and slowness are part of the creative process too💡 An invitation to define your own version of a nourishing seasonNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 12: How Time Feels in the Creative Churn with Michael DurrHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this episode of Crafted Connections, I sit down with photographer, filmmaker, and North Indy Magazine publisher Michael Durr. Michael’s creative life has unfolded one connection, one project, one conversation at a time—and his story is a reminder that even the slow burns can lead to something big.We talk about how it felt to go full-time freelance after years in the agency world, and how a single degree of connection led to a life-changing assignment: a photography trip to Antarctica. Michael shares what it’s been like to grieve the loss of his friend and mentor Kevin Raber, and why publishing a monthly magazine has taught him to respect creative churn—learning to meet the next deadline even when you'd like to keep noodling.Here’s what this conversation reminds us: Some of the best creative breakthroughs come not in the rush, but in keeping the rhythm.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🗓 How time can feel slow and fast when you're building a creative career🌎 The wild story of how Michael landed a gig in Antarctica through a single connection📰 Why taking over North Indy Magazine challenged his creativity muscle with pacing and pressure📸 From agency life to full-time freelance—what that transition really looked like💔 Grieving the loss of a creative mentor and honoring the legacy they left behindYou Can Find Micheal:🌐 Website: www.ripplemediaproductions.com📸 Instagram: @instadurrNeed Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.

Episode 11: 8 Lessons from my First 8 InterviewsHosted by Katelyn CalhounIn this milestone solo episode, Katelyn shares the mic with... herself! After eight incredible interviews, she takes a pause to reflect on what she’s learned from eight weeks of Crafted Connections—and the conversations that made each episode.From rediscovering the beauty of small steps to embracing your weirdness, this episode is part recap, part behind-the-scenes, and all heart. Whether you're a longtime listener or just joining the pod, this one invites you to slow down, reflect, and remember why stories matter so much in the first place.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🧠 Lesson 1: You don’t know people until you really get to know them🤝 Lesson 2: Aligned partnerships create meaningful impact🐢 Lesson 3: Easy does it—small steps can lead to big shifts💪 Lesson 4: Stubbornness (the good kind) pays off🗣 Lesson 5: Sharing your story gives others permission to be themselves🎨 Lesson 6: Move gently through the creative muck🔥 Lesson 7: You deserve to unlearn what you thought you had to be🎉 Lesson 8: Your weirdness is your special sauce—and it will find your peopleThese lessons come straight from the brilliant minds of past guests including Patti Meyer, Mike Lee, Rocky Walls, Eric Salazar, Anna Zimmerman, Luke Renner, Sarah Khan, and Kimberli Hudson.Want to go deeper? Each of their full episodes is available now wherever you get your podcasts!Need Help Clarifying Your Story?Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you.🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off:https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-sessionJoin the Conversation📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate?Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate.🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.