Make It Pay is about how people build careers, make money, and figure out what actually works. Lauren Spain talks with professionals across industries about how they got where they are, what they learned the hard way, and what no one tells you about work, hiring, money, ambition, and turning your skills into something valuable.
Theme music: “Are U Ready For This?” by Michael Ramir C., courtesy of Mixkit.
Stay Useful: Sound, Story, and Surviving a Creative Career with Steve Romanko
Steve Romanko has spent more than 25 years making things across film, television, games, sound, writing, producing, and teaching. In this episode, we get into what creative careers actually look like when they last for decades. Steve talks about working inside huge productions, adapting when technology changes, learning when to follow the process and when to trust your instincts, and why being useful matters a lot more than having one perfectly defined lane.
We also talk about the weirdness of entertainment, the jobs nobody really explains from the outside, and how you keep finding new things to care about after doing this work for a very long time.
Find Steve:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/stevefoxx1968 (http://www.instagram.com/stevefoxx1968)
IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm0738843 (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0738843)
1 Sept 2026
Starting Over Without Starting From Zero: Career Pivots, Prestige, and Transferable Skills with Michelle Renn
Michelle Renn has built a career across The Oprah Winfrey Show, Microsoft, Amazon, and medical technology. We talk about what it takes to move between industries without starting from zero, how much prestige really matters, and why identifying your transferable skills can completely change the way you approach a career pivot.
Michelle also shares what she has learned about professional identity, explaining your value, and building a career that may not look linear but still adds up.
27 Aug 2026
What Recruiters Actually See: ATS, AI, and Getting Hired with Mae Mierop
Applying for a job can feel like guessing at a process you cannot see. Mae Mierop can see it.
Mae is a Recruiting Operations Program Manager at KRAFTON Americas, working across recruiting systems, technology and AI. In this episode, she breaks down what actually happens after you apply, what applicant tracking systems do and do not do, and how recruiters evaluate candidates once a resume, portfolio or referral lands in front of them.
We also get into auto-apply bots, using AI without sabotaging your application, what makes a creative portfolio easier to advocate for, when salary conversations should happen, and why negotiating an offer is usually less dangerous than candidates think.
Connect with Mae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maemierop (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maemierop?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Music: “Are U Ready For This?” by Michael Ramir C., via Mixkit.
26 Aug 2026
The College Mistakes That Cost You Time and Money: Majors, Scheduling, and Asking for Help with Ashley Fowler
College rarely goes sideways all at once. More often, students overload their schedules, ignore an important financial-aid email, avoid their advisor when they are struggling, or invest in a field before understanding what the work actually involves.
Ashley Fowler has spent over 20 years working across higher education, including admissions, teaching, accessibility, and academic advising. In this episode, she explains how students can explore a field before paying for it, understand course sequencing and prerequisites, choose a realistic workload, and recover from a difficult semester. We also talk about critical thinking, building relationships with instructors, reading every financial-aid email, and asking for help instead of disappearing when something goes wrong.
Outside student services, Ashley and her husband, Jake, are behind Western Aim, a Fort Collins custom-furniture business. We talk about turning Jake’s background in sculpture into usable art, building a creative business around craftsmanship and customization, and the considerable perk of being married to someone who can make the furniture you want.
Explore Western Aim: https://www.westernaim.com (https://www.westernaim.com/)
25 Aug 2026
Good Work Isn’t Enough: Portfolios, AI, and Getting Hired with Brian Hess
Lauren sits down with artist and educator Brian Hess to talk about portfolios, AI-generated work, creative identity, and what it takes to turn artistic ability into a career. Brian shares what he looks for in emerging talent, the mistakes that weaken otherwise strong portfolios, and why good work alone is not always enough to get hired.
Find Brian on Instagram: @hesstoons
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