voiceover Archives - The Compassionate Voice

Five Concepts to Becoming a Voiceover Entrepreneur

Business Tips, voiceover, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

One good thing about being an employee is you are usually not the person taking all the business risks. I live near a Government town, and Federal Jobs are at a premium. Perks to being a Fed are you have lots of benefits, healthcare, and a regular paycheck. If you’re sick, you get paid. If you go on vacation, you get paid. If you work well at your job, you get paid, and if you don’t work so well, you still get paid. It’s nice work if you can get it. However, if you decide to make voice acting your side business or second career, the transition from employee to running your own voice-over business can be from one extreme to the other. In a few words, no work, no wealth. While the learning curve is very real, applying these five concepts may help you go from employee to voiceover entrepreneur.

As an employee, you can work hard and become a big shot! While you may be a great team player and phenomenally successful in your job, your responsibilities and functions as a self-employed voice actor are going in a new direction. You are the voice talent, as well as marketer, mixer, director, producer, manager, housekeeper, troubleshooter, and the list goes on. But if you’ve never run a business, it may take longer than you expected to get your head around running a company. Here are a few unconventional concepts.

Cast off the Old Thinking

Most of us have had at least one bad boss, and some of us have had many bad bosses. As a self-employed voice actor, you may need to change your opinion of what a boss is and does. As such, there is a vastly different mindset and risk level when all the voiceover responsibilities fall to you. You are the fall person for the good and bad decisions connected to your business.

Bosses have to take chances and make the tough calls and, if so, stand-alone with their decisions. You may need to change how you feel about persons in charge in general and start mentally developing the mindset of a leader who is ready to take on the unpopular challenges.

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up. “ John C. Maxwell

Forgive the Past

The older we get, the more we have experienced. While our past is excellent material and foundations for our acting, it can also remind us of hurts, regrets, and old wounds. These negative thoughts and attitudes can affect how you run your business, interact with people, market for clients, and your performance as a voice actor.

Voice acting or acting for that matter is a performance art. We bring all we are to any performance even when it’s too much or in the way. Release yourself from the old attitude and thoughts, which may not have been a problem in other professions and jobs but could seriously hinder your voice over success. Forgive (yourself included), make peace with your past, and learn to shape your history to fuel your future.

Learn to Play – Anew

I’m a big proponent of playing, but I’m referring to the kind of play that leads to creativeness. Likewise, allow yourself to think like a child, be silly, have fun, and use your imagination in creative ways. These activities can awaken hidden acting talents and help your succeed.

Stop Thinking Like your Former “In Crowd”

As a native of the US East Coast, I’ve noticed that we have a way of thinking and acting. Many people come to my area to climb the ladder of success. Often people pick up an attitude about themselves that exhibits a perceived self-importance. They brag about their success, who they know, or their educational background. The “In-Crowd” enjoy each other’s company, so there’s no loss of conversation among them.

While bragging about one’s job success may be nice, it will not usually endear you to potential clients. Humility is a quality successful voiceactors know well. Thriving voice talents understand the importance of listening (being directable) and having empathy for others. And since voice actors often have to lean on each other, good actors know how to encourage and build up others. The spirit of humility and forthrightness is an incredible magnet for making the right connections and developing strong relationships.

Success is the byproduct of good communication, the right attitude, and confidence as a voice actor. Arrogance, no, but confidence knowing you’re a good talent and doing your best even when you don’t get the job.

Give yourself Time to Renew

Unless you began voice acting as a child, you have years of learning and relearning to do. Give your self-time to learn how to run your business well, develop encouraging friendships, work with coaches, and the many other aspects of the professional. In 9 ‘Mindsets’ You Need to Switch From Employee to Entrepreneur, Maite Baron writes, “Being an entrepreneur involves learning many new skills, unless you have the funds to outsource what you’re not good at or don’t want to do.

I once heard of a voice actor that waited four years between his first VO job to his next one, all while traveling to auditions, getting coaching, and learning the business. Can you imagine four years between voice-over jobs?

If you love this business, it may not love you back right away. Give it time. Learn and actively seek to grow your skills. Shape your company for the success that brings you true fulfillment as a voice actor and as a person. If you hang in there, the accolades will come.

That’s my two cents, now break that lip!

Voices of Color: We’re Here

Personal, Personal VO Views

Over the past few weeks, the United States (followed by the World) has endured an onslaught of race relations issues. The voice-over community has not been immune. Allegations of disparities in hiring ethnic voice actors have also come to light. The COVID-19 pandemic is the backdrop for today’s increased anxiety and mental strain. As such, coping with the changing economic landscape, human understanding, and addressing of contemporary ethnic issues are more challenging than ever. But this time can also uncover new possibilities for voice seekers and talents in many genres. Take hope and know that voices of color are ready and available for hire.

As a voice actor of color, I see some of the recent tensions in a different light. For the first time, many voice producers are becoming aware of possible unknown disparities or biases.

As such, I see this as a way for some to build new connections with voice casters and producers who may not have previously considered minority actors for their projects. This may be a great time to make a positive step forward toward developing new relationships in the voice acting world.

We See What We Want To See

We know there have been issues. I’ve known what it’s like to feel the challenge of convincing voice casters to consider minority voice actors like me. Furthermore, I’ve seen eLearning, audiobook, and other projects for general audiences routinely cast outside of the minority voice-over community. Last of all, I’ve even heard autobiographies of famous African Americans voiced by sound alike, non-African Americans.

Sure, there are actors like Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and others, but the list of minority voice-over actors is a long one. Today’s voice casters have many fine actor choices who are excellent performers just waiting to be considered.

I believe most of the current disparities are the result of people doing business with those they know, are familiar with, and are within their communities. Dr. Pragya Agarwal sheds light on this in her Forbes, December 3, 2018, on-line article. In Unconscious Bias: How It Affects Us More Than We Know, Dr. Agarwal writes, “confirmation bias is, where people are more likely to choose or associate positive qualities to people who look or sound or seem more like themselves or belong to the same social and ethnic group as their own.” This is human nature; we are all human. So, lets consider varying our habits.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Edward Everett Hale

Ready and Available Talent

As society seeks to heal human biases, this time may present significant opportunities for actors of color. As more producers broaden their talent potentials, minority voice actors should be ready to show their stuff. One of the most remarkable points to be known for is as a business professional who gets it done. All voice actors, regardless of ethnicity, should seek to show up and work their business with pride and excellence.

As voice seekers look to expand and broaden their pool of talent, this is an opportunity for all voice artists to put their best foot forward. Let’s remember the basics:

Know your niche
Deliver what you promised on time (early)
Make sure you have a quality home studio
Develop necessary home audio skills (editing, processing, etc.)
Have a current functional website
Continue training
Keep your web presence postings positive and uplifting

Practicing these good basics and continuing to do your best for your currents and future clients will help you reach the success you want to achieve.

We Are the (Voiceover) World

We all want to be seen as equals. Still, the World will never be fair. Sometimes you will lose, be left out, dropped, and passed over. You will suffer losses and biases. Sometimes you will have to change your approach and find another way around and to win. That’s the game of life.

As I’ve said before, our time on Earth is too short to let the “bobbed wire” of life keep us from continuing our journey to success. It’s still about building relationships. As our communities seek to heal and rebuild, we can all work together to produce awesome new projects, opportunities, and better relationships.

Together, we can break that lip!

Holding Up In 2020: Have It Your Way

Business Renewal, Personal VO Views, voiceover, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

As I hope you know, the world is in the midst of the Covid-19 onslaught on our society and our way of life. As such, we have to make drastic changes in our daily lives to stay healthy. Countless news programs, commentaries, podcasts, preachers, and scientists give us their daily take on how to adjust to the ever-changing “new normal.” But I’ve come to understand that changing during this unprecedented time in world history can only go so far. Each of us must decide how to make it through these strange days.

If you’re running a business (like voice acting), there is a fair amount of adjustment needed for dealing with things as a creative and entrepreneur. I’ve come up with a few thoughts to consider for adjusting to the new normal your way.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

While voice actors should keep abreast of the types of voice delivery popular in media and entertainment, we need to dial back the doses of bad news. To be clear, communication that leads to feelings of depression, sadness, hopelessness, and fear are bad news. Keeping informed of the latest health developments and strategies for staying safe is a good idea. But you may have noticed by now that too much of a perceived ”good thing” may not be so good after all.

Limit daily news and media time. If it’s breaking news, you’ll probably get a Tweet or Instagram post about it. Review several sources of news to help you determine a balanced view of the information. You must think critically about what you are seeing and hearing to decide what’s best for you.

In, What to Do When You Get Unexpected Bad News, Suzanne Kane writes “Go straight to the source to eliminate bias or watered-down information that may be more opinion and hearsay than factual. To properly deal with unexpected negative news, you need to arm yourself with the facts.”

Maintain your Daily Wellness

Hopefully, you have some idea of what a thriving daily routine looks like for you. Keep your physical health in check, and make sure you are also watching your dental health. (Ever since I learned that many of the ancient Egyptians died of gum disease, I’ve become a big supporter of good dental health.) Likewise, watch your weight by getting in regular exercise and healthy relaxation. I find cycling helps me to stay mentally and physically healthy.

Practice Caution until the Cure

Many of us are finally getting opportunities to do more outside our homes than grocery shop. We can now visit museums, shops, beaches, churches, restaurants, and friends! But there is still a need for extra caution in society. Have your fun and do as much as you need to maintain good relationships. Of course, make sure you’re practicing the official guidelines for venturing out in public and around others.

Stretch your Creativity to the (legal) Max

It will take most of us a lifetime to understand and reveal our true selves. Use this time of adjustment to continue to see what is in you and express it creatively. For example, you don’t have to be a voice actor to invest in training in voice or acting. Get in on virtual learning and artistic pursuits to see what comes from within you. Let yourself laugh at life and dream of how the world would be if everyone were just like you. If you’re a voice talent, never stop investigating the possibilities of advancing your creativity to that which lies within you. Continue to harness your creative “gold mine,” your mind.

Nurture your People

Your new normal should not be void of people. Again, voiceover people know and understand the importance of human interactions. We know that you cannot relate and reach others without understanding them. We need our families, friends, neighbors, and even some of our enemies. People teach us to succeed, fail, fight, love, grow, and adapt. Spending all your time behind physical or virtual walls does not lead to good relationships or mental health.

The worst solitude is to have no real friendships.” Francis Bacon

Use the virtual tools available to connect with others. Moreover, meet others in safely distanced setting to talk, laugh, and just be yourself. You need your people and they need you. Don’t deprive them of you. Nurture others and you will find your spirit is a little lighter every time you interact with people. Find a way to make it work your way.

Your survival is now in your hands. You are too special to lose, we need you. Take the advice on being safe, but don’t let being safe strip away your life. You can make it through 2020 and beyond. I’ll be listening for you breaking a lip.

5 Things Voice Actors Can Do Now to Stay Noticeable

Business Renewal, Business Tips, Voiceover Bussiness Tips, Voiceover Clients

No matter your background, language, or location, life for you has changed. The COVID-19 incident has changed the present and is yet to reveal its whole effect on our future. But as an optimist, I believe life is still worth living. As a creative, living is not just consuming food or having fun; it means being able to create, share, and give to others. This is a great time to find new and emerging opportunities for helping others through the expression of one’s creative talents. But, with the ongoing readjustments facing our society, you may be wondering how to adapt to the fluctuating “new normal.” Here are five ideas on how to re-evaluate where you stand in the voiceover market and stay noticeable to current and potential customers.

1. Let Others Know You’re Available

The current business environment presents a great time to send friendly contact messages to customers. Let your current voice over clients know that you care about them and are here to help if needed. You don’t have to ask for work but offer something meaningful to your client. If you have other skills, talents, or related contacts, let others know you can be a part of their solutions to adjusting to the new challenges of today’s business world.

When reaching out to potential voice-over clients, use the same approach. You want to see where people are and how you can help them with their needs. Show your heart as a creative and someone that brings value and service to society.

Most people don’t like change. They revolt against it unless they can clearly see the advantage it brings.” John C. Maxwell (Pastor & Motivational Speaker)

2. Get Really Good at Social Media

Social Media is the preferred method of daily communication. Usage over many platforms continues to escalate. Review your social media analytics and what others are drawn to in your postings or blogs. Note what is working for your sites or not working. Review other voice-actor sites and see what posts are getting the most attention plus look into incorporating similar methods into your platforms. Learn to communicate in the language of current and potential customers. Oberlo notes that “If you cater your content toward the audience of the social media platform, you’ll be successful.” Direct your strategy for meeting the right market at the right time. Make your presence about willing to meet the needs of others.

3. Develop Partnerships

You don’t have to limit new partnerships to just voice talents. Most of your outreach should be to those who can use your services or who you can help reach their business goals. Follow various businesses on social media or in virtual meetings to get an understanding of other industries. When possible, make meaningful contributions to postings and conversations. Look for connections related to shared interests, activities, and future goals.

Inc.com says, “Such partnerships are just as beneficial for businesses of all sizes, provided each partner knows how to build, cultivate, and make the most out of the partnership. Once you’ve found your partner, work together to build something that will benefit you both for years to come.”

Look for companies that are doing something that would benefit both of you and help seek to develop mutually beneficial partnerships. And always interact with respect and in a positive, bipartisan way.

4. Renew your Mailers

Contact via mail is making a comeback. This is a good time to use postcards or other printed material to reach out to local businesses. Develop a timely message and let your community know you are here and how to make contact.

5. Keep a Virtual Eye on the Industries

With the current pandemic, there has been an explosion of virtual video meetings. Diligently watch the virtual meetings and industry leaders’ presentations. With such a wide variety of virtual experiences, don’t limit yourself to voice over sites. You can find potential clients across the board and in many genres. Increase your personal knowledge about new topics or take up new skills. Open yourself up to the winds of opportunities and skills you may not have considered in the past.

It’s a new day and time. Don’t limit yourself. Keep yourself marketable and viable through the crisis of 2020.

Break a lip!

What has voice overs done for you lately?

Business Tips, Personal, Personal VO Views, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

As a burgeoning or continuing voice-over talent, you may have thought the title phrase even if you didn’t say it aloud. Like other business owners, voice actors are in the business of doing what they love and making a profit. However, there’re times, when one must step back and ask, “what have I done for voiceovers lately?” Instead of focusing on getting to get, focus on giving to give.

Network to Give

Social media is indeed all the rave, but face to face time can be a great way to connect. While that’s no new thought, connecting to learn and understand another’s journey in the voice over business takes a little more work.

After you’ve exchanged business cards at networking functions, and the casual conversations begin, quite your spirit and take the time to focus on what the other person is saying. Listen to a person’s speech and inflections. Listen for what moves them and what may be an area of concern. I’ve noticed that if you allow others to talk about their favorite subject (themselves), they will tell you quite a lot about what’s on their mind and in their career. Listen to the character cues behind the words and even the insecurity that may underscore phrases. Listen without judgment, then understand to respond.

Giving in-network can be processing what you have heard spoken and carefully suggesting or commenting to the listener. This giving is not an opportunity to lay out a full speech about you and your business, but to respond to small tidbits with information that may be useful to your listener. Your objective is to give to your listener something they can use and perhaps help change his or her future. Providing the right, brief tip shows your compassion and caring for another.

Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. Preserving your own position but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough times come, you can work together.” Colin Powell

Network to Help

There are causes in voice acting too. Sometimes you can volunteer your time and talents to help new talent, barter for services, or mentor others. Not every networking event should have a money aim; networking is an excellent way of making a difference in the business community and educating others on the topic.

I live in a town where it’s all about competition and getting ahead. As such, listeners and encouragers have a way of sticking out even in the most casual of meetings.

Don’t miss this. If you network to give, you’re doing something more profound than just gleaning a future contact. You are learning how to listen and care about another person and give without looking for something in return.

As a voice talent, the simple act of giving will help improve your ability to connect and emphasize as you tell a story and see things from another’s perspective. In a world climate of so many people pushing for their recognition or success, being open to listening and giving to others can be a way of improving your relationships and communication.

“Turnabout is fair play,” or so the saying goes. If you focus on giving what is needed in networking and other areas, your business and life will richly develop. The next time, you could be the person who gets that little tidbit of relevant info from a new pal that changes the way you live your life and operate your business.

So, the next time you think, what has voice overs done for you lately, I hope the answer is, “it’s done a lot.” Find better ways to help others as you break a lip.

Perform like the script was written with you in mind

Personal VO Views, Voice over Training, Voice talent renewal

Voice over and film talents encounter all types of situations surrounding the ongoing stream of auditions. Do you ever feel your best is not needed because you are not the best or the first choice for a piece? That’s no excuse. Always give your finest. Even if you’re not the first choice, perform each voice-over script like the role was made just for you.

Did you see Ghostbusters? I watched a documentary the other day on the making of the original 1984 movie version. Of all the talented, big-name artists and performers in the movie, one artist’s journey still stands out for me. Writer/Actor Rick Moranis played “Louis Tully,” a neighbor of “Dana” played by Sigourney Weaver. Moranis was a last-minute fill-in for the Louis part. The role was written with Comedian/Actor John Candy in mind. Some of the film pre-shooting storyboards in the documentary even contained the Tully character with a striking resemblance to Candy.

The narrator noted no other actor was considered because the movie’s producers assumed Candy would take the role. But, once Candy read the script, he turned it down. Needing a quick replacement, one of the producers thought of the much lesser-known Writer/Actor Rick Moranis. Moranis read the script and could not believe his luck. He quickly accepted the role. The role was so laid out for Candy that Moranis had to write most of his lines.

Moranis’ performance had audiences laughing nonstop with his business write-off party and offering the dog demon a Mike Bone (if he could find one). Now that’s a full-service artist.

A voice actor (which Moranis occasionally works as), must be ready to make any role his or her own. The director will often give some parameters of a script. Some voice seekers even suggest characters to emulate when performing a voice-over script. But, it’s up to the voice actor to develop each script performance with the proper attitude and element of acting to bring the text to life.

Like film actors, a voice actor must be the talent and determine how best to perform a voice-over role. There is no time when a script is just a straight read. Even when the direction is to take a cue from a character actor, there’s usually room for a specific tone, feel personality, and confidence level in the performance. A voice-over artist is not hired to be a slough reading with a friendly voice. A voice over is engaged to be an actor using the medium of voice.

Always be your best actor

Like Moranis, you may or may not be the person in mind first, but with the proper script analysis infused with your style and creativity, you can rock your best performance.

Let your personality shine through as you listen carefully to the direction and give it your best routine. If possible, listen back to your performance and see if there is anything more you can pull out of the story for a better performance. Once you’ve given the director or producer what they initially asked for, do you see where you can pull more from the role? Who knows, the director may like your take on the script. If not, you can always go back to your first execution.

Get help in developing you

I am a big proponent of acting classes. Voice actors should always look for ways to bring out the creative stylist that lies in the soul. As children, most of us made up characters, games, and played pretend adventures. That spirit of creativity still lies in our soul; acting and improv training will help bring out your best interpretation no matter how long it’s been since you were a child.

Be ready for that unexpected VO role

Voice acting is such a fun profession, and there will be times when you are chosen for a job because you bring something unique to a script, a believable performance. Take a cue from Moranis, be ready not just to be the voice over, but the best actor for that script.

You know what to do, break that lip!

Fuel your Creativity through Friends

Personal VO Views, Voice talent renewal, voiceover

A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of voice actor friends. My elite group of FaffCon friends and I have been virtually meeting very nearly monthly for several years. (FaffCon was developed by Amy Snively and is one of the first content laden, voice-over events specifically geared to helping voice-over talent become successful through collaboration.) While time and life have changed us all, we are very happy to still be working voice over talents. Hearing of my friends’ successes and optimistic hope for the future really uplifted my spirits. While human relationships can be work, they are the best way to fuel your creativity and hope for the future.

The meeting with my friends reminded me of how important it is to focus on the good things in life. Where I live, the airways are constantly bombarded with negative rhetoric and news. After hearing hours of negative comments, death reports, and predictions of doom from an irradiated planet, taking time to interact with the right set of friends is just what I needed.

So, what does this have to do with voice acting? Plenty. Voice actors by nature and sensitive to the world around them. I have found that to be an effective voice actor, confidence and optimism are essential. One way to keep and maintain confidence and optimum is to fill your creativity soil with those things that grow your confidence and optimism.

Choose to associate with positive people who like you for the person you are, who encourage you to be yourself, and be the best you can be.” The Napoleon Hill Foundation

An Ear for the Positive

We all want to be successful, so pay it forward. Take time to listen as others speak, especially a friend telling of success, and be happy for them. We all have times of success and failure. It’s a part of the human experience. Hanging out with the right friends and business associates can make all the difference in the world. For more on this, see my blog “How I Get my Voice-over Help.”

This week’s meeting (like many) with my FaffCon VO friends felt like a cozy warm hug from a friend that I hadn’t seen in some time. Of course, not all relationships and interactions are always cozy and warm, co don’t give up on doing the hard work of building healthy relationships. Through healthy relationships, you become a much better voice actor and person overall as you learn, grow, forgive, appreciate, and do it all over again. You’ll truly see how building positive relationships can help in the down times and fuel your creativity even in the recording booth.

Now, with all this optimism, it’s time to break a lip.

Social Wise is a Voice Actor’s Mission

VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, voiceover, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

Most business owners understand that their website is the place to park their info for the world to hopefully find their business. One’s social media presence is another matter. Today’s voice-talent will have a hard time finding work without a wise and specific strategy for getting the word out about them via Social media. If you want to be a real player in the voice acting arena, make sure you’re getting your effort’s worth in communicating through Social media.

Choose the Best Social media Sites for Your Business

Every so often, I come across someone in business who proudly announces that they are not on Facebook. What gets me is the pride the person has in the distinction. I think some business owners feel that they are hiding from a whirlwind of social chatter or protecting their privacy by not being on Facebook or similar platforms. While this may be a nice thought, the lack of social media participation only keeps a company away from potential clients.

For more on platforms, Kris Spisak, in 2019 Social Media Trends & Statistics— (January 2, 2019, Business 2 Business), outlines the social media platform trends and audience. Limiting your Social media to the right platforms can help you narrow down where to find your best on-line audience.

As a voice actor, it can be a challenge to choose the right platforms. Voice actors place their demos on their websites, so there’s no need for daily post clips from jobs on social medial (which is a very bad idea). So, voice talents must be a little creative on what works to keep in front of potential clients.

When looking for your client’s “water cooler” so to speak, start by searching general terms associated with your clients’ niche. Search for networking events your clients may attend and see if the events have social media sites. Likewise, your clients may already have social media pages (which I’m sure many do). Follow them and read their posts to get an idea of how you can help their business. Make sure you review as many platforms as needed to find your potential market.

Narrow your search to companies in your genre. Look for the social media platforms of potential clients. When you read the posts and comments, give honest and uplifting feedback that shows a positive attitude and that you have an idea of your potential client’s challenges.

Maintain an Active Presence

Once you have established your Facebook, LinkedIn, What’s App or other presence, make sure you’re making regular postings. Many voiceover talents feel social media can be overwhelming. To help bring order to regular postings, use a post planning tool like Hootsuite, Postplanner, etc. You can set up your activities to continue without your constant oversite.

Once you’ve decided on how often you post to your sites, I suggest you try your best to keep that schedule. For myself, I find it annoying when I receive newsletters at irregular intervals. To me, it appears the sender has no structure; I never know when an email or social media post may emerge from the writer. Equally, those who follow you may look forward to your posts, so don’t keep them waiting. Keep your posts timely.

Don’t Fear Being Personal

I think sharing a little personal information can help potential clients get to know you. Don’t share anything you’re not comfortable with, which is also very wise. Share posts from sites you like, give a kind greeting with a beautiful scene, or relate some bit of information that can benefit others. Something as small as remembering other’s special holidays and occasions shows you have a personal side and perhaps a good sense of humor.

Only Speak in the Positive (Someone is Always Watching!)

What we post has repercussions. Speak, kindly always. Now more than ever, personal views shared on Social media can be a career killer. Crisis management can sometimes address unforeseen posts and items taken out of context, but why create your drama (away from the microphone). Make kindness your partner on your road to success. For more on crisis management, see Your Comprehensive Guide to Social media Crisis Management by Sapir Segal.

If you currently have negative posts on your sites, consider removing them. Your views are important, and so is your business and social presence. Make an impression that will draw others to you not away from you.

It’s your mission to make a good impression and be social wise so you can break that lip!

Wind in the Mind Time for a Voice Talent

Personal, Personal VO Views, Voice talent renewal

As a US citizen, I hear daily political and climate news with dire predictions of future calamities and over accentuated, sensationalized headlines. The voice-over industry is not immune to those periods of dire predictions such as automated voices replacing human voices. Can you imagine your automated voice service as the voice of your favorite animation character? Give that a thought for a while. Don’t let bad news or hyperbole knock you off your life’s course. No matter your pursuit, keep yourself fresh and real with “wind-in-the-mind-time” to maintain your best.

Mind Checkup

I’m a big proponent of regular checkups. Our world is full of daily and even hourly distractions disguised as information, which is geared to kick us off our course. The distractions cause us to doubt our worth, importance, appearance, lovability, and marketability. We’re constantly told we need something outside of ourselves to be enough as humans. Forces are out there that cause us to doubt ourselves altogether and our purpose in life.

The feeling of being ‘offended’ is a warning indicator that is showing you where to look within yourself for unresolved issues.” — Bryant McGill

When I feel a little off base and unsure about everything, I do a self-check-in to refocus. During my wind-in-the-mind-time, I cut off the television, movies, radio, and even Social Media to silence the voices and sounds coming into my world. During my distraction-less time, I listen to what’s going on inside of me. My breath, heartbeat, and general temperament are my focus. It amazes me at how upset I can become after watching a controversial movie or hearing the news. Stepping back and taking time to re-center my mind, thoughts, and being helps me get back to the fabulous person I know I am.

Getting Better with wind-in-the-mind-time

Many of my friends, regardless of their profession, seem to face similar challenges. We grow as talents, business leaders, and professionals, but the human side appears to need the most refreshing and needs it most often. It would be nice to focus our mind on something like losing weight or making 1,000 cold calls and do it. But that’s not the way people work, and that’s fine.

The task of redirecting and refocusing from the old to the new can be exciting and fun. Almost every day, we are exposed to new technologies and processes built to make our world better. We also learn more about the human psyche and how to find inner peace. Voice actors have a leg up on most folks because we operate from our emotional center to vocally communicate written texts. But I also believe those in the acting profession know the cutting edge of deep emotions and feelings and their effects if not kept in check.

So, what of it? The purpose of wind-in-the-mind-time is to refresh your thinking. I use the time to review my world and the changes I become aware of to see if there is something out there that can make my business and life flow a little better. Likewise, this is the time I use to decide on what things I’m exposed to that no longer need my time attention or curiosity.

Is it time for your wind-in-the-mind-time? What have you heard, what do you do, what’s new, what’s essential, what can go, or stay? A little time in the mind can get you back on track and find inner peace.

“The key to happiness is really progress and growth and constantly working on yourself and developing something.” — Lewis Howes

I’m refocusing some of my efforts this summer to improve what I provide to my voice-over clients. You too should take some wind-in-the-mind-time. No matter your business, embrace the positive and focus on a great future as you prepare to break that lip.

(Image by Gerd Altmann and Pixabay)

Foundations of the Working Voiceactor

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Voiceover is still a hot topic with people moving in and out of the industry daily. The rise in audiobook sales and gaming platforms has piqued the interest of the younger generation as many vie for an opportunity to become one of the favorite gaming voices or narrators. But some things about voice acting are timeless and a vital part of the makeup of the working voice artist. Integrity and hard work are still the foundations for success as a voiceover artist.

Why integrity?

Voiceactors quickly learn that unlike other professions, the best parts of your mind and spirit are open to the world to examine, critique, and even criticize. Voice acting comes from the soul of the truly gifted artist. Each performance is an imparting of the spirit of the artist as he or she brings a piece of text to life. This practice of pulling from one’s inner being to perform before the world is not always well received or accepted. For that reason, rejection in the form of losing a job or not being selected for a project can be especially hard on the voice actor. Losing a voiceover job oe client can be seen as a professional rejection as well as a personal one.

Integrity plays a big part in supporting the soul of the voice talent. It’s in one’s nature to desire appreciation when one has done their best. Knowing that you have done your best with integrity or the “personal quality of fairness” helps when you face rejection and can fuel your pursuit of future success. Giving your best as a voice actor and business owner, plus returning the same respect and kindness as one wants from others, builds the integrity foundation that supports the working voice actor’s professional life. Showing integrity by treating others fairly, learning to accept rejection, and keeping an even keel can lead to eventual success. Your integrity shows up in the way you approach new prospects, learn from your teachers, run your business, manage your finances, help others, and most assuredly in your voiceover performances.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Henry David Thoreau

Why hard work?

The nicest voice actor around must still run his or her voiceover business like a business. There is no substitute for a regular regime of marketing, learning, training, and auditioning to remain viable. The voiceover industry has very few shortcuts. The industry evolves as society evolves in the way it communicates and interconnects. Working voice talent keep an eye on changing industry trends and how the human voice is most effective across the various voiceover genres. Also, a successful voice talent must maintain focus on the technologies related to home studio innovations. Lastly, a voiceover talent must know his or her transforming personal style, learning curve, ability, knowledge, etc. Regularly reviewing and embracing all aspects of the voiceover industry and continuing to reach toward voiceover success can be a daunting task, but not impossible.

Working hard also means working smart. Recent industry changes have some talents rethinking their commitment to voice acting. Some are finding that changes in the industry’s accepted rates and the overall feel may differ from their personal aims. Moreover, some may feel that it takes too much work to make a decent living as a voiceactor.

Voiceacting is like any other profession; one must learn to “roll with the punches” to make it. If working hard is still not getting the results you need for success, know when it’s time to refocus your efforts or find another professional pursuit.

Starting with the basics of deciding how to perform all aspects of one’s business with integrity and through hard, is the sound foundation of the working voice talent.

Whether its gaming, commercials, or eLearning, voiceacting is a lot of fun and can be very rewarding. But, without the fundamentals and a good foundation, success eluded and only be an unfunded dream.

Work hard with integrity as you break that lip.

Voice Overs