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

We sit down with franchise consultant Dr. Tom Dufour to get honest about what franchising really is and why it is not a set-it-and-forget-it income stream. We break down how to tell if a business can franchise, what fees and royalties actually look like, and what makes franchise systems succeed or fall apart over time.
• franchising as a growth and distribution method rather than a business type
• why “passive income” still requires training, support, and real operational work
• three franchisability checkpoints: profitable prototype, teachable operations, national demand
• how master franchising can make international expansion easier to manage
• typical royalty rates, franchise fees, and how sales get tracked with modern tech
• protecting the brand through manuals, standards, and ongoing coaching
• common franchisor and franchisee mistakes including unrealistic expectations
• exit paths for franchisees including selling the unit, renewals, and early termination risks
• why the best franchisors stay franchisee-first and what changes under investor ownership
• where franchise leads come from: internet marketing, referrals, and franchise brokers

If you want to hear more shows about entrepreneurs, business owners, and people building careers in all kinds of industries,  check out our business and entrepreneurship category →

Connect with Dr. Tom  Dufour:
Website: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdufore/
"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Visit howmuchcanimake.info

How do songs get placed in Netflix shows, commercials, films, and video games - and how much money can musicians actually make from music sync licensing? In this episode, Mirav talks with music sync licensing expert Elise Schiller about the business behind sync deals, music placements, and licensing songs for TV, film, streaming, advertising, and gaming.
Elise explains how songs are pitched to music supervisors, what makes a track “syncable,” how sync licensing deals work, and why one placement can completely change an independent artist’s career. 
If you want to explore more creative careers, from musician and sculptor to Broadway wig makers, photographers, TV producer, and many more check out our Creative Jobs Category where you'll find interviews, salaries breakdown, and real stories from people making a living doing creative work.

Connect with Elyse:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emschiller/
Website: https://www.gsmfiera.com/
"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Visit howmuchcanimake.info

We talk with legendary NYC death investigator Barbara Butcher about what it really takes to walk into a death scene, read the evidence, and help the dead get justice. We also get honest about the human cost, the pay, and what she learned from 23 years and more than 5,500 investigations. Barbara shares the realities of forensic investigation, the emotional toll of the job, how people enter this career field, and how much death investigators can make in cities like New York and across the U.S.
If you enjoyed this episode, head over to how much can I make that info and check out our unique and unusual careers category →
Connect with Barbara Butcher:
Instagram - @butcher.barbara
X - @OCMEForensics - https://x.com/OCMEForensics
Facebook Page - @barbarabutcherofficial -  https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraButcherOfficialPage/
Website: https://www.barbarabutcherofficial.com/
Barbar's book: What The Dead Know →
Netflix Series: Homicide New York →
Watch Barbara on Oxygen’s new true-crime series: “The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher” →
"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Visit howmuchcanimake.info

How to Build a Real Art Business: Selling Sculpture, Gallery Representation, and the Long Game - with Alex Kveton
What does it actually take to make a living as a sculptor? In this episode, we sit down with sculptor Alex Kveton and Barbara to trace a career that began with escaping communist Czechoslovakia and grew into a thriving fine art business - with stainless steel sculptures placed in prestigious institutions including MoMA and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, and represented by galleries across the United States.
We go beyond the highlight reel. Alex breaks down the unglamorous realities of building a sustainable creative career: navigating gallery commissions, pricing original sculpture, handling competition in the fine art market, and why there is no single "big break" - only consistent, strategic effort over time.
If you're an artist wondering how to sell sculpture, get gallery representation, price your work, or turn a creative practice into a real livelihood, this episode is a grounded, experience-backed roadmap.
Alex's Website: https://www.alexkveton.com/

"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Visit howmuchcanimake.info

Landscape Designer Career
Landscape design is one of those careers that blends creativity with real earning potential - and you don’t need a degree to get started. In this episode, we talk with landscape designer and gardener Dean Riddle about what it actually takes to build a career in landscaping, what garden designers really do, and how much you can make.
We also talk about the realities of gardening in the Northeast- especially in places like New York and New Jersey - including short growing seasons, winter downtime, deer pressure, and how climate change is already changing what grows and when.
If you’re looking into landscaping careers, garden design jobs, or how to start a landscaping business without a degree, this episode gives you a clear, real-world look at what goes into the work and the potential earnings.
To hear more about good paying careers. You can build without a degree, head to HowMuchCanIMake.info  We have over 80 episodes with a growing library of articles with real data and insights on different jobs. You can listen to people in those roles talk about what the day to day is really like, how they got in, and how much they make. 
Dean's Gardens Pictures:
https://www.shelterupstate.com/journal/makingasplash
https://janeboothnewenglandgardens.com/2015/02/19/riddle-of-the-catskill-mountains-gardens-illustrated/
"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Visit howmuchcanimake.info