Laura Schreiber

The Joys of Studio Dogs in a VO Booth

September 12, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

My Dreams Come True

Having studio dogs is a luxury. As a working mom, I have blogged about this before, but I never knew if I would be able to have children. When I was 22 and I got my first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of blessed memory, I was not sure if this fur baby would be my only child. While I have been blessed with human children too, they never changed the status of my dogs, who have meant the world to me. My dogs have been there for me and by my side on my best and worst days. For my greatest celebrations and for my worst sorrow. I believe that Barclay, Violet, and Daisy understand and connect with me in a unique and special way, and having them in my life is as much a dream come true as my professional voice over career is. I very much view having these precious fur babies by my side in my home studio as a luxury. Everything about my career, from my studio set up to being able to be present for my children is icing on the cake to being able to live the dream of life as a full-time voiceover actor. If you are thinking of getting a studio dog, I urge you to move forward without hesitation. If you are thinking about it, let me share the traits that have made my dogs ideal to be in the studio daily and give you some ideas of what traits work, what does not, and what to look for when having a voice over studio dog.

Violet

Violet has always been a wonderful studio dog. Violet is a Blenheim cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Her temperament is calm, quiet, and she is eager to please. She rarely barks and sleeps a lot. Despite her angelic personality, there are several challenges to having this love muffing in the booth. When Violet sleeps, she often snores. Despite her tiny size of only 15 lbs, her snore sounds like a local train coming through town. The next challenge is that Violet, who was bred to be a lap dog, very much wants to sit on my lap. While she will sometimes settle down and snuggle with her sister, she will more often beg to be on my lap. Imagine that I am doing a long form narration or eLearning project and she is on my lab. If she exhales or shakes and her collar rattles, the mic will pic this up. While Violet is pretty close to being perfect, there are some hiccups sometimes and as human as she seems she still has no idea that I am doing actual work or that she can interrupt it.

Daisy

Daisy the Silver LabDaisy is a Labrador Retriever puppy. As a silver Lab, she is just precious. She is goofy and sweet and has a lot of energy. Let’s just say when she first came to the voice over booth, she had no idea it was a place of work. She literally tried to eat the aurelex acoustic foam off of the walls! Well, that could not go on. Outside the studio, Daisy had a number of behavior issues ranging from jumping to counter surfing to pulling while walking that also needed to be addressed. So, we sent her to the Monks of New Skete for some dog training. They taught Daisy to go to her place. It was amazing. After 17 days at the monastery, when she returned, she understood to lay by my feet quietly when given the command “place.” This was life changing and Daisy is now a wonderful and enjoyable companion in the studio.

When They are Not There

Regardless of how amazing Violet and Daisy are, I do not have the girls in the booth for live sessions. Whether I am doing a Source Connect of Zoom session, my feeling is that when clients are paying a premium for m services, the dos should not be there. Ever. I do a lot of commercial work and also have live sessions for video game work and sometimes even eLearning, and there is not a circumstance in which the dog’s behavior interfering with the audio would every be acceptable. In a business where there are a lot of people who do what we do, and we as talents are very replaceable, we need to be mindful of what is ideal for our clients and put their needs above all elese. Are there times I would prefer to have my pups in the booth? Of course there are, but it is more important to have clients return again and again.

So, if you are a voice actor and you are getting a pup, here are some things to keep in mind:

You want a dog that is not a barker. They either are or they aren’t, and if they are that will never change.
You want a dog who is not anxious. They need to be ok by themselves when you have live sessions. If you put them somewhere else in your house, whether it is a crate, a den, a gated kitchen, you need to be able to count on them to be quiet for the duration of your session.
You want a dog who can stay calm and rest for upwards of an hour, even at a young age. As voice actors, it’s an endurance game. We are often in our studio for hours on end. You want a dog who can tolerate being indoors and does not demand walks or outdoor play on their schedule.

I am so thankful for my girls. I hope you find a studio dog to make your voiceover life complete!

What I Wish I Knew About VO Business When I started

September 8, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

As I reflect on the trajectory of my career as a professional voice over actor, I am blessed with how my cookie has crumbled. A combination of hard work, coaching, and making the right adjustments along the way has served me well. I however, am lucky, as I came into voiceover later in life. When I started in voice over as a second career, I was highly educated with an advanced degree. I’m also surrounded by professionals in my family. I happen to come from a family of attorneys and get more advice than you could ever think possible. That said, in talking to some newer voice talents recently, there are a few things that I wish I had known about the business side of things when I get started in voice over. Here is a countdown of my top 5:

5. Business Plans are Fluid

When I got started in voice over, I spent months developing a business plan. Little did I know that as my goals shifted, my business plan would shift. While my initial plan worked when I only had a few demos under my belt, as I began to target more genres and add multiple revenue streams, my business plan needed to evolve to address my growing and widening ambitions. While I am so proud of how I launched, I then had to learn to tweak and adjust to go after new goals as well. This ranged from social media to direct marketing to presence on pay to play sites. All of this was part of my business plan and as my target audience evolved so did my plan.

4. The CRM Matters A LOT!!

So different voice actors in the industry use different CRMs. As a voice over coach, I can tell you that it matters less which one that you use and more that you use one!! I myself started with nimble and switched to Voiceoverview. I love Voiceoverview and have interviewed creator and owner Dani States and blogged about that. For me, this CRM meets all my needs. Whether you use Voiceoverview, Upper Level, 17 Hats, or one of the many others, you need to be aware of several data points:

who you’re reaching out to, how often, and if they are replying
your income
your expenses
your audition to booking ration

If you are lucky, you can create reports that go beyond this. like how much of your work comes from repeat clients or from agents, are you booking from one pay to play more than another, where do the bulk of your expenses lie. These reports give you invaluable insight into future choices that you might make. Initially when I started in voice over I simply made excel spread sheets. I can tell you after years in the industry that the data that you get from a CRM is essential to running your small business.

3. Have a Separate BUSINESS Checking Account

As a soloprenuer, you need a business checking account. Even if you are not an LLC, you might be able to get away with depositing work checks or transferring money into your personal checking account for a little while.It is, however, better for you to actually have a proper business checking account. I’ll share a little story. When I started out in voice over I was luck to be added to multiple rosters pretty early on. One of those rosters sent me work weekly and paid me monthly. One day I went to the local branch with the check as this was before the days of mobile deposits. I had been depositing monthly checks from this client for almost two years in what I thought was a “business” checking account. It was a separate account that I had opened for my business at my local Chase. Somehow, Chase had just opened another checking account, but it was never designated a “business” account. Instead, it was just a second “personal” checking account. So that this does not happen to you, if they do not ask for you business’ legal formation papers, it is likely not a business account. That day, the bank refused to deposit the check. Instead, I had to gather all the documents I had for my business which happens to be an LLC and at that point, several years in, I opened both a business checking and a business savings account.

Now, you might be thinking, why does she have a business savings account to? Well, as a business owner we have to take out and set aside our own taxes. I pay quarterly taxes. Every single time I get pad, I set aside 40% into that savings account. So, I encourage you to have BOTH a business checking and a business savings account.

2. Save for Retirement- Especially if you are Non-Union

I wish someone had told me when I started, as I did not think of this until several years into my career. Think about all the bills you pay. Some day, when you stop working, don’t you want to have something for yourself? Every single month I auto deposit a nice amount into my 401k, and I am proud to say that I am setting aside as much as my husband does every month. Now, if you are a union talent, you will retire with savings. For those of us who are non-Union, all you have to do is set one up and then go to your bank where you have your work checking account and auto fund it. I have my 401k at Charles Schwab because I was advised that their fees are low.

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

When I started my business I spent a lot of money very quickly. I invested a lot and planned to be a huge success. While I was fortunate and success did come, expenses mount quickly. I know see ways that I could have spent less and spread out my investments over time so that as my business grew I re-invested in myself. Be mindful of your money. There are no guarantees in this industry. As you make choices, try to spend money in places that will likely generate business.

OneVoice21 Recap

September 1, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

The Afterglow

As I sit here on my flight reflecting on my amazing weekend in Dallas, TX for the first-ever USA version of the OneVoice Conference, I am struck by how wonderful the weekend really was and how glad I am that I made the trip. From the opening ceremonies, J. Michael Collins and the Gravy for the Brain team set the tone that as a voice over community we are all better together and we are truly OneVoice. JMC made us feel inspired and proud. Having shout-outs for my panels and my own participation in the panels I was in meant so much to me personally. The entire weekend was tremendous. We enjoyed time with friends, educational panels, a beautiful black-tie gala with star announcers, and time to explore Dallas. I left feeling like I did what I came to do.

The Camaraderie

From the start, I planned to attend the OneVoice with my “VO Family,” my closest industry friends. Outside that super tight circle, many who I love were attending as well. When I say this, I mean the people that you wish you saw all the time and could see in person regularly. Just the fact that I have so many friends like this at the conference is a blessing. On top of that, I made new friends that I hope that I keep in touch with! At events like this, you just click with people.

The Panels

I am so proud that I got to present on two panels, both of which were on the main stages and both were streamed internationally. The first panel was “How to Build a Kickass Career With a Powerhouse Accountability Group.” It sounds like a long name but we had a lot to get in. I was on the panel with my actual accountability partners and besties Shelley Avellino, Diana Birdsall, Michelle Blenker, and Dearbhla Trainer. Melanie Murphy was the amazing moderator. Two members of our group did not participate for personal reasons. The panel was great. We got to interact with a lot of the audience and speak to a lot of attendees afterward. I felt like we got our message across, which is that as much as you think you can accomplish alone, you will do so much better in the group!

The other panel that I was on was OneVoice’s first-ever Radio Imaging panel. I was so excited to be the only woman on this panel, and my other panelists are pretty impressive including the legendary AJ McKay, Brent “Staxx” Williams from Z100 in NYC, and SOVAS winner Paul Cartwright. This panel was both fun and informative and it went really fast.

The Schmoozing

I think I literally talked for four days straight. From meals to coffees to sessions to talking in between sessions, the “catching up” just went on and on. Whether we were networking or just being friendly, not a moment was wasted. As a working mom, I felt bad because every time my kids called I was with someone. Many of my friends made even more time for schmoozing than I did, as they were able to stay up for events like the fiesta which was after my bedtime.

One Voice 21 in Texas

While the conference in and of itself would have sufficed, I actually got to see a little of the Dallas area too! One night I had dinner with my besties out in Grapevine. Historic Grapevine is a quaint and thriving town with oodles of personality. We are in a fun place that had chili that was way too hot for this Jersey girl and got to explore the area. We also got to see McKinney, where Diana Birdsall lives. We went out to eat, went shopping, and had boozie ice cream, which is apparently a thing! I got chocolate liqueur sorbet since I don’t eat dairy. I loved McKinney. The town was beautiful and had a warmth and sophistication that I was not expecting. It reminded me of mainline towns in Philly where I am from. I was so glad to have more time with my friends, too.

OneVoice 21 Hopes

Somehow leaving home and wearing actual clothing instead of gym clothes for several consecutive days does something to your psyche that you didn’t know you needed until it happens. Being present got my wheels turning in so many ways. It already has me thinking about future conferences and how I can contribute. It has me thinking about my role in the industry. I was also left with a yearning to keep in touch. I spend a lot of time as a voice over coach helping people refine their goals and shape their focus. As I enthusiastically look forward, I need to think about what my goals really are for myself and what I need to do to get there.

The One Voice Conference USA; Don’t Miss it!!

August 23, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane…

Yes, even in the midst of the mounting news about the delta variant, with great enthusiasm I am packing my bags and flying to, of all places, Dallas, TX for the OneVoice Conference. Why? Because the amazing J. Michael Collins and his team have worked hard to create a lineup that is great for both newcomers and established professionals alike. And if you think I’ve been flying about so what’s one more trip, this is actually the first flight I am taking since the pandemic began. So I want to explain up front why I am comfortable and what your options are before we delve into the details about the conference.

The conference is being held at a Hyatt on airport property. Consequently, masks are required while in all common spaces. This would not have been true had they chosen a different site. I plan to mask up while indoors except for at meals and when I am presenting. Next, J. Michael explains that there will be about 300 people in attendance at OneVoice. Last week there was an anime conference at our venue. They hosted 1000 guests and that dod not feel crowded, so with only 300 voice actors, we should have ample room to distance. It is also important to note that it is the policy of the conference that you have up until the day before to cancel for a full refund or switch to an online pass with no questions asked. J. Michael explained that because he, Hugh Edwards, and Peter Dickson earn their income in other ways, they can offer this level of flexibility to conference attendees. When I heard this, I was blown away by their generosity of spirit and level of understand. Running a conference is hard enough, and these guys are really putting others’ needs first. Lastly, J. Michael talked about the availability of rapid tests for those who feel they need them. Lastly, then conference team even have different lanyards to distinguish between those who want hugs and those who prefer to distance. I will take hugs! For me personally, as I have family members with precarious health concerns, I plan to quarantine for three days post travel and already have a PCR test scheduled at CVS for day 3. So, will all that thought of, I have an array of masks and some travel air purifiers and I will come with all the enthusiasm in my heart.

Why Dallas?

When they could have had the conference anywhere in the country, I was curious how J. Michael came to choose Dallas. He explained that its central location was a huge draw, making it easy for everyone to get to. JMC explains that it is much more cosmopolitan than people realize, and that it has Diana Birdsall who now lives in Dallas conquered that it has become quite a melting pot. In addition to the vibrant culture, the restaurant offerings, and the sports, it’s a city that has grown up and a place we would all be excited to visit. When we asked J. Michael if he plans to keep the conference there going forward he said he yes, he loves building a relationship with a venue and he wants us to be treated well going forward.

The Tech of the OneVoice

For those who don’t know, Hugh Edwards has created his own platform called reattendance. This offers seamless virtual conferencing. They are also working with an AV company local to Dallas and Uncle Roy Yokelson of Antland Productions is in charge of everything Tech on site. For all attendees, whether in person or remote, you will have access to the recordings of the sessions.

The Awards Night

In the UK, the OneVoice awards are the only awards for voice over talent there are. When they brought the conference to the US this year, they had over 2000 submissions. Unlike other awards events, it is free to enter and the statue is free. JMC said we need as many celebrations of what we do as possible, and I rather agree! This is just another opportunity to lift each other up.

Some of the Highlights

J. Michael tells us he is really excited about the blend of living legends and rising stars at the conference. He says that they keynotes will be wonderful. He is excited about guests like Joe Cipriano, Randall Ryan, Melissa Disney, Vince Lebica, and Bill Farmer. He is also really excited about the workshops, some of which still have availability.

Other Details to Note

There will be a TriBooth available for use. With the exception of the awards night, all meals are on your own. There is a restaurant in the hotel that will be open 3 meals a day. Pastries and coffee with be out in the morning in the conference area. About 5 minutes from the hotel by car there are several great restaurants. Attendees and presenters ca park for free in terminal C which connects. Please note, there are two Hyatts at the Dallas airport hotel. The conference is at the Hyatt Regency across from terminal C. There is a shuttle. For those who need more assistance J. Michael recommends blacklane.com.

Our Demo Giveaway

https://youtu.be/bULrow3DHgw

If you missed it in our earlier postings, we are doing a commercial demo giveaway to OneVoice USA attendees! Here is the info and good luck:)

Chatting with Voice Actor Katie Flamman

August 15, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

A Lovely Talk

For 10 weeks now, fellow voice over coach and professional voice over actor Diana Birdsall and I have been hosting a weekly Clubhouse. It fascinates me how the energy of every panel is so different. It’s great that every week the guests in our room comment and asks questions, but depending on who are special guest is, the tone and the vibe is so different.

Katie Flamman and Diana Birdsall at the SOVAS awards in Hollywood — Katie Flamman and our very own Diana Birdsall at the SOVAS awards in Hollywood, from Katie’s instagram feed!

This week we were lucky to have the amazing British voice over actor Katie Flamman. Katie lives in a village south of London and like me was a stay at home mom for years and came into voiceover at the moment when it made sense for herself and for her kids. Katie has an academic background in English Literature from Cambridge University and a professional background in broadcast journalism, all things that serve her well as a voice talent. What made this week’s panel so unique, I think, is that even though Diana and I had a planned set if questions that primarily revolved around marketing and business, the genuine conversation kept shifting back to acting technique and the actual craft of being a working actor. I felt like chatting with Katie and the other guests we had fed me soul and it wad great fun.

Katie’s Take on Marketing

When speaking with Katie, what struck me was how genuine and authentic she is. I’ve been spending a lot of time this week working on keywords on my pay to plays, and these words seem to accurately describe Katie. While so many of us strategize and plan, Katie really is all about making genuine connections with people,

Katie's Clever Posts — Katie’s posts are clever and authentic, and always make me feel inspired.

both industry friends and clients alike. And the timing could not be more perfect, as she actually has an article out this week in Buzz Magazine put out by the Voice Over Network. Katie shared with us that when she first got started in VO, she was in a group called media parents. One of the other women in the group looked at her resume, and helped her find a common thread, and that was storytelling. Katie has worked story telling into all of her branding.

Beyond that, Katie says that when she has something that she things is funny or interesting, she shares it. Beyond that, she does not have a grand plan or strategy. Katie has had the opportunity to travel to the United States for the SOVAS awards and has been able to meet and connect with many people who she finds to be inspiring, and knowing her audience helps shapes her marketing and outreach. She always tries to share information about herself that is authentic and clever, and she uses hashtags as a vehicle to drive her audience connections.

The Work Katie Does

Since Katie had acting experience as a student, and then went into journalism, when she first went into voice over years go she was only doing corporate and commercial work. While for some that may be hard to book, with Katie’s skill set and talent she settled into those genres with ease. For Katie, while she was glad to book that, she still wanted to do character work. She studies with Dave Fennoy and even won a SOVAS for her video game demo. When she won, she thought the job opportunities would pour in, but they did not. She got feedback that she needed to put more physicality into her roles, and she needed to “become the character.” She began to study Alexander technique and started doing a physical warmup before each recording session. She even had her coach come to her studio to evaluate how she stood in front of her mic. I was particularly fascinated by this and now when my twins start back to school may give it a go. Katie has also gotten training in MoCap and PCap. She is really excited about how all of her efforts are helping her pursue work in the genres she is quite passionate about.

What She Wishes She had Known

One of our guests asked Katie what she wish she had known. I always LOVE this question because I think there are so few barriers to entry in our field, that sometimes folks jump into voiceover and are not always realistic about their expectations. Katie said she wished she knew about how to run a business and more about accounting. I loved this answer because anyone getting int VO needs to understand that as a working creative, while our art is part of it, we are running a business. In order to succeed it has to be treated like a business from day one. You need a CRM, you need to track outreach, invoices, expenses, and bookings. You need to pay quarterly taxes (at least in the US). And most importantly, you need to carry yourself like a professional. At the end of the day, being a voice talent is about many things, and our voice is just a small bit. Having Katie on was such a joy, and the chat could have gone on much longer. We are so thankful for her time, especially across time zones!

Voiceoverview: A Must Have tool for voice actors

August 8, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

Do You Have a Tool You Can’t Live Without?

The first few years I ran my business, I used a CRM called Nimble. I’ve said this often, but as a professional voice actor, whatever genre we work in, we wear a lot of hots. As a small business owner, tracking our clients, prospects, and outreach is essential to our success. Nimble offered some features that I needed, but to be frank it was way more complicated than what I needed and it drove me a little crazy. I almost felt tormented by it.

About four years ago my world was rocked when Dani States created her amazing tool Voiceoverview. It’s a business tracker with a CRM component. At the time of its inception, Dani was then partners with my dear friend Joe Davis who everyone knows from Voice Actor Websites. That’s how I first heard of it. So, before I go into Voiceoverview’s amazing features and why you should sign up today, I should tell you a few other details.

Last Friday Diana Birdsall and I were lucky enough to have Dani join us on our Clubhouse panel. Dani answered our questions and those of our guests and I learned SOOO much! Even as a longtime user of Voiceoverview, who has VOV open on my computer everyday, I still learned from Dani during our clubhouse!

How Voiceoverview Began

Dani explained that she was home, on unemployment, and started working as a voice actor about eight years ago. In order to track her progress, she had created spreadsheets. Dani’s husband took it a step further, and actually created a dashboard for her. Dani began sharing this with her friends, and although they occasionally messed it up, Dani realized she had created something that would benefit the voiceover community as a whole! Dani then began chats with Joe Davis, who as I mentioned become Dani’s business partner.

The Beauty of VOV

Dani explained that Voiceoverview is a business tracking tool built so that voice actors can understand the scope and breadth of our business. As a professional voice actor and voice over coach, I cannot tell you how essential such tracking is to your success. As we chatted, Dani was saying that the difference between having a business and having a hobby is tracking and analyzing your data. Whether you got voice over work through rosters, agents, LOLB, and casting sites, you need to be able to see where you work is coming from, how your numbers change, and what genres you book from whom. VOV allows you to see and analyze just that. The biggest barrier to using this tool is failing to incorporate it into your daily routine. Dani explained that it should be open on your computer all the time, and Diana and I said that we both use VOV throughout the day every day. Finanaces should not be a barrier to use, as it is $9.99/month or $96/year and Dani assured us it will remain at that rate, so it really is quite affordable, especially relative to other CRMs.

VOV’s Special Features

One of the features I was super excited to learn about was the ability to duplicate a job! I had no idea that if you have another booking with the same client you can do this! Wow, my mind was blown. We talked about favorite features including integration with WavesApp for invoicing, allowing for seamless invoicing and tracking of payments. Dani said that Fresh Books and Quick Books are coming soon! We talked about the year to date and past year comparisons. We also talked about the top ten client feature. Not only can you see you work with your top 10 clients during this year and in years past, but when you click on it you can get a ranked list of all of your clients from all time! We also talked about the reports feature. As a user, you can run reports on any data: contacts, jobs, expenses. You can then export and extract the data. Lastly, we spent some time talking about job reminders settings, and as I go through me notes I realize that I need to log in and reset my own! These job reminders can be set to off, 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. The features are remarkable and were created by a voice actor for voice actors.

Some Questions from our Guests

New voice actor David Jacobs said he is using Hubspot at present and asked Dani if he can import his contacts? David also wanted to know if he can connect his email for tracking purposes. Dani explained that if hi has certain components like full names and email then yes, she is happy to help import contacts. She also explained that at the moment there is not email tracking and she herself uses something called Cloze to do that. Diana and I chimed in and said we both switched to VOV from Nimble and are really happy with it as a CRM. Dani also offered sound advice that it is really important to start tracking your business as you build it so that when your business grows your system is already in place and you do not have to get used to a new one. You need to have the tools and systems in place to manage your business.

Philip Koloctonois wanted to know about contacts and if bulk reminders can be set to reach out every 30 days. Dani set at the moment that is not an option but she loved the idea and will implement it. She also said she is exploring integration with Cloze for such a feature, and it depends on their API.

How It Has Changed Dani’s VO Business

Dani said she is far more motivated since she has this in place. She also has a goal of doing at least 100 auditions per month to continue to bring in new clients, and it helps her track that ratio. She also said that the invoicing feature has been huge for her. I can tell you that Voiceoverview has been a game changer for me too. I am not guessing and as my business trends shift, I understand why and where it is going. It helps me make informed choices about my marketing strategy as well.

Advice for Other Entrepreneurs Thinking of a Side Gig

Diana asked Dani if given the opportunity, if she would do this again and without a moment of hesitation she said yes! Dani just finds this so valuable and really wants to help people. Dani did not start out thinking that she was creating something that she could sell, she created something she needed and it turns out others do to!

Hitting a Goal for Subscribers and What that Means

I was surprised to learn on our Clubhouse that Dani does not draw an income from VOV. Instead, she continues to reinvest into her brainchild, to make it better and better for the voice over community. While she describes its existence as being like a small country, she is building something and it isn’t about Dani, it’s about us. She is creating something for all of us. I can tell you it’s amazing and my business would not be where it is without it. If you are not using Voiceoverview, sign up today. You can get a 30 day free trial when you create an account, and if you were in the clubhouse you can get an extra month free!