Why I’m Different Than Other Voice Over Coaches
I always offer a free consultation to folks thinking of working with me for voice over coaching. Often, the tell me right off the bat who else they are considering. My answer is almost always they same, “great, you’ll have a great experience.” The truth is, there are a lot of people who do what I do. And the scope of some of the skills that we teach overlaps. I’d like to think that over the years I have developed some unique techniques and strategies, but one thing is for sure, the way in which I coach is for sure unique. My super bubbly and upbeat demeanor comes through in everything I do, and that includes coaching. So, I would so that one of the defining characteristics to my coaching style is my positivity.
Interestingly, an early morning text from my nutritionist got me thinking about why positivity matters so much. At the end of her text, which happens to be the first text of my day, it said “No effort is too little in the big picture. It ALL adds up to progress. Keep your eyes on the goal and have a glorious day!” That is how my day started. Who wouldn’t feel great after such a message? And this got my wheels turning about the importance of what I put out to my own VO students. I am someone who has always responded well to positive reinforcement. More than that, I thrive on it. Feedback with a positive spin is something I can run with. Conversely, when I feel criticized or scrutinized I do not perform well. I have studied the psychology behind this in graduate school and in professional development workshops as a teacher, and I try to bring all this with me pedagogically when I coach. I do believe that for voice over students to get the most out of their experience they need positive reinforcement.
Since My Teaching Days…
Before working in voice over, I actually taught middle and high school history at an all-girls school in New York City. For one of our teacher in service days, we had a neurologist come and talk to us about positive reinforcement. Did you know that there have been studies that prove that people respond better when their papers are marked with green pen than with a red pen? Further, students to respond better to encouragement to improve and build from their strengths than when critiqued on their shortcomings. Since that teacher training almost 20 years ago, I have incorporated this into all of my interaction, whether it’s doing homework with my own children, or coaching other voice actors.
Relationship with Steve
I cherish building close relationships with people I work with. In the past few years, I have been come close with a “client” named Steve. First, I got to know Steve when he owned a production agency in Portland. Then, he opened a boutique talent agency. Over time, Steve became a close and cherished friend. When Steve opened his agency he actually decided to refer talents who needed coaching to me. Why? In addition to the curriculum I developed, he liked my positive way. Even recently, while in a period of transition onto a new path in life, Steve asked me if I would direct a session for a client because of my positive way. The point is that people need this kind of support and vibe, it makes it easier to work together.
Giving Direction
Positivity is extremely important to bring out the best in voice over students. Whether you are prepping them for client interactions in general, for a demo session, or for interactions in live or guided session, having a positive demeanor helps. In voice over, often our clients like to connect with us and direct us. Sometimes they record on their end and sometimes we record and send them the audio. This is called a live or guided session. It used to be known as “phone patch.” Every now and then you may still get a client who actually wants to listen in on the phone. When I work with my voice over students, particularly my commercial students, I coach them as if out session is a live session. I give feedback to bring out the best in their reads. I try to take them to a higher level and elicit the sought after sound. I also try to emulate what actual live sessions are like, giving direction the way it is often typically given to us. I want my students to feel really good about their work and their progress.
Gardner and Multiple Intelligences
When I was in graduate school we also spent a lot of time learning about Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences, that different people learn and absorb material in different ways. I can tell you that as I get older I think the way that I myself learn has changed. But, the way that I relate to people and connect with people has only changed in degree and not manner. I would say that I am perhaps more sensitive now, than when I was young. I am a delicate soul, and especially something as personally as our art, well, we are all unique and while there are industry standards and benchmarks we need to meet, I would like, myself, to learn about it in a meaningful and engaging way that brings out my best, and is not belittling.
At the End of the Day, What Do You Respond To?
At the end of the day, I want to work with kind people and work with people who treat me the way I want to be treated. I appreciate, when hired as a coach, that people have goals and benchmarks that they are trying to reach, and I want to help them hit those benchmarks in a way that makes them feel that all of their goals are attainable.
Last May the reality sunk in that in June my twins were graduating from high school. In August they’d both be leaving, at once, for college. While for some they were not going terribly far, for me, the three hours they’d both be going to Lancaster, PA was really, really far. They might as well have been flying to California. As a working mom who works really long days, and often works quite a few hours on weekends, spending six hours in the car for a single visit felt daunting. The other important piece of the puzzle is that for my entire adult life, I always have said that my kids were my motivation. They have been my why. So with them leaving, I felt like the ground beneath me was shifting in a fairly seismic way.
Around this time my neighbor across the street, Efi, organized a pretty amazing block party. It was great in all the ways a block party can be. Everyone showed up. Everyone was kind. And, the food was awesome. Efi happens to also be a working mom, an accountant who specializes in managing money for wealthy families. Another working mom was there too, my friend and neighbor Melanie who is a lawyer in NYC. Well, Melanie looked better than she had in all the years that I have known her. I was amazed. As I was gobbling handfuls of potato chips, I asked Melanie what she was doing. She began to tell me about her journey. I continued to munch on the chips while she elaborated.
So you might be wondering, how I am getting along with my kids away? Well, it’s actually been alright. I miss them, of course. But when your kids are happy and thriving, it is a joy to hear about how well they are doing, and we celebrate their successes. I have been visiting regularly, and when they are home I try not to work at all. That is new for me and not so easy, but as every moment with them is precious, I now fiercely guard this sacred time. I feel, with certainty, that my wellness journey prepared me for their departure. I was mentally and physically ready because I gave myself the gift of self-help, support, and wellness before they left. Having a team of wellness experts around you sets you up for success. Within such a framework, I gave myself a chance to thrive. I gave me chance to reach some rather important goals and to see a bright light was possible for me. When I saw that, I saw that this would be a positive time for all of us.
I had an experience recently and after the fact realized that dog painting is actually a great analogy for life as a voice over actor. If you follow my blog, then you know that I have two precious studio dogs, Violet and Daisy. Last week were were invited, with the dogs, to a charity event at my brother-in-law’s temple. The event was in support of our local food pantry, and we were going to do dog painting. Yes, that’s right, dog painting. Felix, my BIL, works with a guy named Jason to run the arts committee. Inspired by a Jackson Pollock painting done with chicken feet, they opened it up to community pets. The plan was to have people paint with their pets, make a group mural, and bring pet-specific donations for the food pantry. Often those who cannot afford food for their family, also cannot feed their pets. My daughter Emma signed us up and we brought dog food and treats to contribute. Even the morning of the event, I was very unsure of what we were walking into.
So, I see many parallels between dog painting and VoiceOver. Like the event, in VO there is no roadmap. We wake up each morning not knowing what to expect. We walk into live sessions and we don’t know how long they will be and what the folks will be like. Like the dog painting, there are no guarantees in voice over, no promises that things will work it. It might be fine, but everything could also have fallen apart completely with no hope of salvation. We have no crystal ball and we have to be prepared for any outcome.
I never thought I’d go dog painting. But I did and I loved it. Not only did I have fun with my pooches in the moment, but I gained valuable life insights and a refreshing perspective on being willing to try new things. Sometimes, even if you have doubts, as longs as what you are considering is safe, it’s worth trying!
I’ve been a full time, professional voice over actor for quite a while now, but in the past year I started hearing for the first time a new term: imposter syndrome. I started hearing it on social media, on Clubhouse, and at conferences too. I found it surprising because in all my years in VO, I had never heard any other talents speak to this before. What I have learned is that this term refers to the feeling that one does not actually belong, or is not what they claim to be and is, instead, an imposter. Suddenly, in the past year, I am hearing about others feeling this way frequently. It is coming up often in conversation. Perhaps it is because many turned to voice over during covid. Perhaps it is because some start working or trying to work before they are actually prepared. For a multitude of reasons, suddenly I am hearing this all over the place. If you are interested in being a voice over actor, and you really want to succeed and do NOT want to feel like an imposter, perhaps consider my experience, as this has never been an issue for me.
year, I worked with 4 coaches and took advanced acting and improv at a local theater. I spent sic to eight hours A DAY studying and working on my craft. I worked on scripts. I practiced characters. I recorded. I edited. I submitted to my coaches. I listened back to my assignments. I did research and followed prominent voice actors to see what they were booking. I took multiple private lessons each week. I was in group classes with GVAA. I had practice partners. I met with those partners. I did homework for those partners too and I took each and every assignment so seriously, as if my life depended on it. So when I say I had lots of training, that is just when I started out. Since then I have continued to have lots of coaching. Have coaching is the foundation of all we do. I think by the time my website launched, I was so ready to work that it never occurred to me that I was not prepared to serve my clients.
Both as a student of voice over and now as a professional, I have always put in extremely long days. From morning to night, often going back into my booth after dinner, my days are long and rigorous. Sometimes new talents ask me when they will start booking. They tell me they have submitted 50 auditions. I try to keep a straight face. I typically submit more than 30 auditions in a day, even now, so 50 auditions is in no way impressive to me. I have often heard of the rule of 10. I believe that Gaby Nistico has even made a video about it. If you work 10 hours a day more than 10 months a year for 10 years that is when you start making six figures… Well, I believe there is something to this. I have always had the luxury of being in voice over “full-time.” Well, let’s flesh this out. What exactly does “full-time mean? To me, it means I maintain standard business hours and I am in my booth al day every day to serve my clients. The more you are available and the more you record and submit, the more legitimate your business is.
When my business launched, in audition to lots of coaching and sweat equity under my belt, my first website helped establish my identity. I never had doubts about my identity as a professional. I had been told by every coach I ever worked with that even at the start of my career, I should introduce myself as a professional. I did so with confidence. As I get clients under my belt and had testimonials, I felt more proud of what I was building, but it never came from a place of doubt. I was certain that I was building a great service business that would help my clients get what they need.
When I started my voice over business years ago I had headshots done for my website. While a long time ago people used to say that voice actors did not need to show their face, as the VO industry has continued to evolve and we, as talents, now have to bring in the bulk of our own work, it is on us to run our business like a business. If we want our clients to connect with us, having current pictures is a must. So, about a year back, I was presenting at an online eLearning conference and I was super excited. When they asked for my head shot, I became for cognizant of the fact that the photo no longer resembled me. I was thinner, my hair was shorter, I always wear glasses… the list went on. I decided to take new photos and update them. While my old headshots had been done by a professional, I took the new ones in my booth with an iphone. I loved them and was thrilled.
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
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.
