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EP 57: SOLO - Reflecting on One Year of Crafted Connections · Crafted Connections

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, welcome to Crafted Connections.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Keelan Calhoun, and this is a podcast all about storytelling and building genuine community.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Here we'll dive into the art of storytelling, unpack strategies for making meaningful connections, and hear from incredible humans who are using their story to create impact.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let's craft some connections.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, I'm Caitlyn Calhoun, and I'm so excited that you've decided to listen to Crafted Connections.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Today's episode is a solo episode celebrating that Crafted Connections is officially a year old.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: I started this puppy on April 1st last year, 2025, and I through it all kept going.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so I really wanted to jump on, take some time to celebrate, not only for myself, but also to those who have been listening the entire time and to those who are hearing this episode as a reminder to celebrate yourself.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Every little thing.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: A year is no joke, but even if you show up for a week, even if you show up for a day, you know, you have to celebrate every time you invest in yourself, you put yourself out there, you do the thing.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that is what this episode is going to be about.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to call out three things that I have absolutely loved about this past year with Crafted Connections.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Before I dive into this list, I would love to share with those who have never heard the podcast before what we're all about here.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: I am a storyteller.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in the video production space for almost 15 years now.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: And when it's all reduced down, when it's boiled down to a fine sauce, it is all about storytelling for me.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I can, you know, produce and edit and shoot and all the technical skills behind video production, but I love, love, love sitting across from someone and really just sussing out their story, digging in, having the conversation.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: And whether that be over coffee or over this podcast, I have found nothing gives me more joy than to connect with a human.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what we do here.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: I have conversations with my network and I also do solo episodes where I, you know, find maybe a connection point that you, the listener, and I might have and share what's going on with me, tell my own stories, give strategies and tips around telling your story and how to be comfortable with visibility and what have you.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been such a blast.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I would not do this if I weren't enjoying it.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so here's to a year.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know I love telling stories, gathering stories, and finding a way to help people connect their story with the people that will get it.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what my story strategy sessions are all about.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: So over at Calhoun Creative Consulting, my strategic storytelling firm, we do one-on-one and or facilitated workshops in relation to really honing in the strategy around your story.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bit of messaging meets content creation, meets storytelling, and then how do we put that out in the world?
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: How do we show up regularly?
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's a bit of mindset work around it, right?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: To actually tell your story.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're launching something new or trying to rework your brand or just feeling a little foggy on how to communicate with your people, this is how to get clear.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: We'll dig into things like your narrative, how to uncover what matters most, maybe map out a few content pillars while we're at it.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: You'll also get a recording of our session so you can revisit the conversation anytime you like.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Let's shape a story that actually feels like you.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So book yours today.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: There is a link in the show notes.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: And hey, while you're at it, use the code podcast, all caps, P-O-D-C-A-S-T for 25% off your session.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I would be honored to spend time with you and suss out your story.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Let's dive back into the episode, shall we?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: It did not take me long to write this list, knocked it out really quick in my notes app.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: And the number one thing that came to mind was the opportunity to talk to all my friends.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: In the last 10 years of my career, I have really learned the power and the magic of networking, but I've also learned the power in deep-rooted relationships.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I consider a lot of people, if not everybody I work with, a friend.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And it's been really cool to kind of source my network and be like, who would be so fun to have on the podcast?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And they're just a bunch of cool humans from all over the world, from different industries, and just rocking accomplishments.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: So that's been one of the biggest pieces of feedback I've gotten from folks who have enjoyed the podcast is how widespread and different my guests have been.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been kind of like that thread in that because I have relationships with all these people.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: And it's basically the essence of the podcast, right?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: We all have our own experiences.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: And if we can just find a connection point with someone else, you really can find a common ground and build a relationship from there.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And it can just be nurtured and grow and grow and grow.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, hence the title, Crafted Connections.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: So that's been so enjoyable to spend time with people, let my mind while I'm like walking or driving, daydream about who I might have on the podcast next.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I've always got this running list.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you listen to the podcast and you have been interested in being on the pod, please hit me up because it's it is so fun to have meaningful conversations with friends old and new across the board.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Number two on the list of things that I've really enjoyed in the last year with this podcast is an opportunity for expression.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And that's both through the solo episodes and also the interview episodes.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Because I do my little intro at the beginning of the interview episodes where I kind of get to write a little love note to the human that I'm featuring.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then also the conversations I have with people.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: I get to have a little bit of insight or encourage the guest or ask for advice from the guest.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, it's been sharing my thoughts, it's been talking about my strategies when it comes to trying to show up in this world and figure out how to be a human.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then also it's it's sharing my own stories, collecting people's stories.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's literally what I'm like meant to do.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so being able to express that in audio format in a way that I have cultivated a skill around, even though it's, you know, my my background is video and audio.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's been fun to play with just the audio and and also bring others into the fold and collaborate and express.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: I I've been so grateful for the opportunity and I'm really proud of myself for creating the opportunity.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: And that transitioned so smoothly into number three, which is proving to myself that I can commit to something and a creative project for over a year.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't go into it with the like, I'm gonna hit a year.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's the goal.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I I just had wanted to do a podcast for so, so long.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: But then looking back retroactively, I'm like, hell to the yeah, look at that.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: We've got over 50 episodes.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I sometimes it's been super smooth, everything's scheduled, good to go.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm even I'm working on my, you know, standard operating procedures behind the scenes to make things smoother and smoother and smoother for myself, but I kept showing up.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Even some days when I fell off a little bit.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: There was there were some times where family emergencies were happening and I essentially wasn't able to publish on a Thursday when that was originally the intention.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I, you know, I got it out that following Friday, or I got it out the coming Monday, and and I kept at it.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you actually look at it, I've been pretty consistent on on the Thursday.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: The longevity is there, and it's just something that I'm freaking hella proud of.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: So when you bring that all together, talking to all my friends who are just encouraging wonderful humans, this opportunity for expression, and then proving to myself that I can commit to something on a regular cadence has really re-ignited my creativity in a way that I was nervous I wasn't gonna get back.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: I spent so much of my 20s leaning into being a full-time filmmaker, leaning into being a creative professional.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And frankly, in 2022, between 2022 and 2024, I I had a few, you know, had a few wounds, had a few scrapes, had a few bruises that really ha left a bad taste in my mouth for creating.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I was in a, you know, a creative book club of folks that that wanted to build community, and I heard them being excited about working with clients and creating, and I found myself like having an adverse reaction to that, like not being like, oh, something and that part of myself felt like it was almost dead or sick.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: So it was really cool to follow a creative calling, follow something that I could do and commit to and love on and bring people into the process and then post and share.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: And it's got me back to it's got me excited to create again in a way that I wasn't sure I was gonna find.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: And it also has attracted some really cool opportunities on the horizon, uh, or actively that I'm that I'm working on.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: And and so I I suppose this is a bit of a love letter and a celebration to Crafted Connections, and I'm excited to keep going and keep playing and make it better and and also just see how it how it develops as I've got a little bit of like strategy and a little bit of support around it so that I'm not just driving it myself.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's a lot coming.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so grateful if you've listened to one or all of the episodes, or if you've shared it with anyone.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so grateful that you decided to hit play.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And cheers to a year of Crafted Connections, my friend.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm dedicated to helping people and brands tell their stories in a way that resonates.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and connect with us on Instagram at Crafted Connections Pod.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Keep creating, keep connecting, until we meet again.