How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real Stories. Career Insights

Operating-Room Nurse
Ever wonder what really happens behind those operating room doors? In this episode, longtime OR nurse Patti Columbia Walsh shares valuable career insights from her 40-year experience in one of healthcare's most high-stakes jobs. From anticipating every surgeon’s move to handling medical emergencies, she reveals the fast-paced reality and success factors of working in the OR.

If you’re exploring a career in nursing or considering a career change, Patti's real job advice and behind-the-scenes perspective offer practical tips and honesty about the profession’s challenges and rewards — including insights on making money in nursing.

Tune in to learn what it takes to succeed in this demanding job and how nurses navigate one of the most critical career opportunities in healthcare. Share this episode and leave a review to help others discover these career insights!
This show was first published on Aug. 5th, 2025
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Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

Reinvention  
AI is reshaping the job market. Layoffs are rising. Being “qualified” isn’t enough anymore.
In this episode, Ilana Golan, founder of Leap Academy, explains how to pivot strategically in today’s AI-driven economy. We break down career reinvention, the hidden job market, building a portfolio career, and how to position yourself before opportunities go public.
If you’re considering a career change, worried about AI replacing jobs, or ready to increase your earning potential, this conversation gives you actionable job advice for navigating today's AI-driven job landscape. 
Subscribe to "How Much Can I Make?" and share this episode with anyone looking for career reinvention and innovative career tips.
$150 LeapCon Cupon -2/26-2/28/2026  https://invitation.leapacademy.com/leap-conference-2026?aff=14e6fcc33b9ce6d019c475b869f9432477392a93e4dff02140f2690423671caf
Connect with Ilana:
Videos of Leap Academy success stories - https://www.youtube.com/@ilanagolan-leap-academy/videos
Website - https://www.leapacademy.com/
Podcast - leapacademy.com/podcast
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan
Want us to cover a specific job? Shoot us an email!
Visit howmuchcanimake.info
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

Mediator
In this episode, discover what a family mediator really does and how much you can earn in this career. New York family mediator Alison Block Gerson shares how divorce mediation offers a faster, less expensive alternative to traditional court litigation, reducing conflict and helping couples reach workable agreements. 
We dive into detailed comparisons between mediation and court processes, including training requirements, private mediation rates in New York, and court-referred mediation pay. Explore real cases that reveal why divorce litigation costs can escalate to six figures, especially with complex assets like cryptocurrency and forensic accounting involved. 
Whether you're considering a career in mediation, seeking job advice, or curious about career opportunities, this episode delivers valuable career insights and practical information about earnings and success factors. 
Tune in for essential job tips and insider perspectives on navigating the divorce mediation job market.
Connect with Alison
Website - https://www.familymediationmatters.com/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-block-gerson-00536b5/
Want us to cover a specific job? Shoot us an email!
Visit howmuchcanimake.info
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

Entrepreneurship 
In this episode, we break down an entrepreneurship playbook for starting and growing a business - without relying on big ideas, passion, or excessive risk. 
Jim Beach, host of School for Startups, joins us to challenge the most common startup myths that stop founders before they ever make money, and shatters the belief that success requires a brilliant, original idea.
Jim shares how he built a 100-station radio footprint without traditional syndication, using the distribution as leverage to grow credibility, speaking opportunities, and book sales. We also get candid about business naming, trademarks, and mistakes that quietly kill startups.
This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, small business ideas, starting a business with little money, realistic startup advice, and building sustainable income without hype.
Connect with Jim:
Website: https://jimbeach.com/
Jim's new book - https://www.amazon.com/Real-Environmentalists-Wayne-Elliott-Capitalists/dp/B0FLJ8484M
Want us to cover a specific job? Shoot us an email!
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Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

Interview With AI
What happens when five leading AI systems are asked the same questions?
In this special episode, we bring Gemini, Claude, Grok ChatGPT and Copilot to the same table to confront the issues shaping our future—jobs and automation, AI safety, AGI risk, intimacy, loneliness, and climate impact.
We start with introductions and move to jobs - which ones are changing first, which skills matter next, and why creativity alone isn’t AI-proof. Then we discuss AGI—what it is, why it matters, and why even AGI engineers describe it as dangerous. 
The conversation ends in the most human territory of all: AI companions, emotional attachment, and loneliness.
If this side‑by‑side look at the platforms shaping our world got you thinking, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more curious people find conversations that don’t flinch.
Want us to cover a specific job? Shoot us an email!
Visit howmuchcanimake.info
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation