So... How Much Do You Make? – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Today, we speak to Alex Hooper, a stand-up comedian, actor, and professional roaster who’s competed on America’s Got Talent - not once, but twice. In this episode, he breaks down the financial reality of a career in comedy.

From working multiple jobs and career setbacks to viral TV moments and hospital bills in the millions, Alex shares what it really takes to earn a living in entertainment - and the financial and personal sacrifices no one sees on stage.
We talk about his AGT journey, how he supports himself between gigs, and what happens when your health, income, and identity all collide.

This episode is for anyone curious about how creatives actually make money - and how much it really costs to pursue your passion.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Check out our socials for more:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Connect with Alex:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hooperhairpuff/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopercomedy
Website: https://www.hoopercomedy.com/

#sohowmuchdoyoumake #howmuchdoyoumakepod #alexhooper #americasgottalent #standupcomedy #comedianlife #agtcomedian #moneytalks #unfilteredconversations #comedianincome

Despite earning over $200K as a content creator, Cinneah still chooses to keep her 9-5…

In this episode, Cinneah El-Amin opens up about what it really looks like to build a successful creator business while working full-time, and why walking away from a traditional career was never her plan.

We dive into the real numbers behind her income, how she paid off over $23,000 in debt, and the hard truths about burnout, managing multiple income streams, and finding freedom outside of entrepreneurship.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever felt pressure to quit their job to “make it,” and for those redefining what success looks like on their own terms.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday

📱 Check out our socials for more:

Instagram: http://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Connect with Cinneah:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fly.nanced/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flynanced

Flynanced: https://flynanced.com/

#sohowmuchdoyoumake #howmuchdoyoumakepod #cinneahelamin #flynanced #moneytalks #careerchange #salarytransparency #9to5life #sidehustle #financialfreedom

We all wonder what other people earn. But no one ever talks about it.
Until now.

Welcome to So…How Much Do You Make?
The podcast where we have honest, unfiltered conversations with people who’ve taken different paths to build a life - and a living. Don’t miss the answer to the question everyone’s wondering - because we’re asking it for you.

🗓️ Launching on Tuesday, July 15th
🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
📱 Check out our social accounts to stay updated...
Instagram: http://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

#sohowmuchdoyoumake #howmuchdoyoumakepod #moneytalks #podcast #financepodcast #unfilteredconversations #salary #earnings

Today, we speak to Alex Stewart, a content creator and influencer based in Chicago, known online as SassyConfetti. In this episode, she opens up about the real numbers behind her income - and the unexpected challenges that come with building a brand online.

From securing brand deals and growing her audience to navigating internet trolls and losing access to her account, Alex talks about the parts of creator life that don’t make the highlight reel - including the moment a fan flew across the country just to meet her without asking first.
We talk about body positivity, building trust with followers, and the risks creators face when their entire business depends on a platform they don’t control.

This episode is for anyone curious about how full-time creators actually earn - and what it costs to share your life for a living.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Check out our socials for more:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Connect with Alex:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sassyconfetti/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@.sassyconfetti
Website: https://sassyconfetti.com/

#sohowmuchdoyoumake #howmuchdoyoumakepod #sassyconfetti #contentcreatorlife #influencerincome #branddeals #bodypositivity #moneytalks #unfilteredconversations

What does it take to turn a late-night craving into a million-dollar empire? For entrepreneur Dawon Matthews, the answer was grit, reinvention and a $43,000 loan he couldn’t afford to waste. What began as an investment in a friend’s dream quickly became his own when that friend walked away, leaving Dawon to teach himself how to cook, build a menu and run a food truck with zero culinary background.

In this episode, Dawon pulls back the curtain on the untold story behind Goodies Soul Kitchen, now ranked as one of the fastest-growing food trucks in America. From serving lamb chops and fried chicken until 3am outside Houston’s biggest clubs to navigating debt, setbacks and a past that included jail time. Dawon's journey shows how resilience and vision can turn failure into fuel.

Now, with Goodies on pace to gross over a million dollars and a bold plan to expand into restaurants with a new late-night dining model, Dawon’s story is about more than food, it’s about second chances, determination and redefining what’s possible for entrepreneurs who refuse to quit.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Follow us for more:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Learn more about Dawon here:
Website: https://www.dawonmatthews.com/appointments-5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_the_elite_entrepreneur/?hl=en

#FoodTruckLife #EntrepreneurshipJourney #LateNightEats

What does it really look like to walk away from the classroom and find stability in an unexpected place? For former middle school teacher Maggie Perkins, the answer was anything but simple. From low earnings at a Catholic school to facing pressure to falsify grades and working through difficult pregnancies with no parental leave, Maggie has lived the highs and lows of a system stacked against educators.

Today, she’s a corporate trainer at Costco, making nearly triple what she once did as a teacher, with benefits and stability she never thought possible. In this conversation, Maggie opens up about the hidden costs of teaching, why so many educators are leaving the profession and how she’s redefining success outside the classroom. She shares her story of navigating burnout, union vs non-union environments, raising kids while teaching and why she’ll never forget the moment she realized she could finally pay her bills without fear.

This is a raw and eye-opening look at what it means to leave behind a calling you love for the sake of survival and to discover a new path where your skills are still valued. If you’ve ever wondered why teachers are leaving, what they do next, or what it feels like to finally find stability after years of struggle, this episode will resonate deeply.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Follow us for more:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Learn more about Maggie here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmaggieperkins/

#TeacherBurnout #LeavingTeaching #CareerChange

Is chasing your dream job worth it when it barely pays the bills?
In this episode, Hollywood screenwriter Nick Geisler pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like to “make it” in the TV industry; and why that version of success can feel anything but stable.

With accolades ranging from Disney Channel’s BUNK’D to viral WikiHow articles, Nick opens up about writing entire movies for free, making $150K one year and $70K the next. He shares the gritty truth behind residuals, the writers’ strike and the enormous gap between public perception and financial reality.

This episode is for anyone in a creative field - or anyone who’s ever wondered what success costs behind the scenes.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Follow us for more:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Learn more about Nick here:
Website: https://www.nickgeisler.com/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8062392/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/livefromsomewhere/

#Screenwriting #DreamJobReality #WritersStrike #CreativeCareers

Would you build your dream business if no one believed in it but you?
In this episode, Kathryn Hubert shares the story behind Chez Genèse - a restaurant she opened with no bank funding, no financial safety net, and a bold mission: to employ people with disabilities.

Kathryn walks us through what it took to open her doors, how she made it work without $120k in startup capital, and why she hasn’t had health insurance in years. She also talks candidly about what it means to talk about money as a woman in business - and how it still gives her anxiety.

This episode is for anyone dreaming of building something with purpose - even when the numbers don’t line up.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Follow us for more:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Learn more about Kathryn and Chez Genèse:
Website: https://chezgenese.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/chezgenese
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathryn.hubert

#kathrynhubert #restaurantfounder #careerchange #entrepreneur #sohowmuchdoyoumake #moneytalks #podcast #howmuchdoyoumakepod

What does it really take to make money as a comedian in 2025?

In this video, comedian and AGT alum Alex Hooper breaks down how today’s comics are using TikTok, podcasts, live shows and brand deals to turn laughs into a living and why going viral isn’t always a golden ticket.

📺 Want more? Listen the full episode where Alex dives into the highs and lows of a comedy career, from TV fame to medical debt, and everything in between.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Check out our socials for more:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Connect with Alex:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hooperhairpuff/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopercomedy
Website: https://www.hoopercomedy.com/

#SoHowMuchDoYouMake #HowMuchDoYouMakePod #AlexHooper #AmericasGotTalent

What does it take to keep the lights on when disaster strikes? For contractor lineman Alex Wakeland, the answer is sacrifice, grit and a paycheck that can hit over $400,000 a year. But behind the money is a reality few see: missed birthdays, a divorce rate over 80% and nights spent waiting out storms in a truck while everyone else evacuates.

In this episode, Alex pulls back the curtain on the hidden life of linemen: the invisible first responders who restore power after hurricanes and wildfires, the toll this work takes on families and the trade-offs between chasing big money and holding onto personal milestones.

He opens up about the strains on his marriage, how he and his wife made sacrifices to raise their kids and why the financial freedom of contract work always comes with a cost. This is a raw look at resilience, family, and the unseen backbone of our modern lives.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s out there fixing the grid in the worst conditions, or what it really costs to earn multiple six-figures as a lineman, this conversation will change the way you see the lights in your home.

🗓️ New episodes every Tuesday
📱 Follow us for more:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howmuchdoyoumakepod
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@howmuchdoyoumakepod

🔗 Learn more about Alex here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexwakeland/?hl=en

#Linemen #EssentialWorkers #PowerRestoration #StormResponse #BehindTheScenes