About Me

Voiceover and Fudge- What Could Be Better?

December 24, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

Giving Thanks

I don’t know what it’s like in your family, but around here when we have a yummy treat like fudge it only lasts for seconds! We circle around that package like a bunch of starving wild animals in for the kill and in the blink of an eye that box is torn apart and empty!

So, when I need to come up with a special gift, naturally fudge comes to mind! As a professional voiceover actor, all year I am rather focussed on physical wellness as it is so essential to my success. But, when holiday season rolls around, this is the time to roll out the treats and send them to the folks I am most appreciative of- my major clients. Each year, I review my financial data and take my top clients and send them a special treat. The treat should be just that, a special indulgence that they are not likely to buy themselves and lets them know just how thankful I am of their repeat confidence in me. It should be something that they are super excited to receive and that they will truly savor.

So, why did I pick a special assortment of fudge and salt water taffy from the Fudge Kitchen in Stone Harbor and Cape May this year? Well, first and foremost, the fudge is outstanding. Next, this fudge shop is special to my family. Let me flesh this out a little more….

Another Opportunity To Get to Know Each Other

As a small business owner, it is really important to me to build meaningful relationships with my clients. So, I try to make it easy for them to get to know me better. When I started my newsletter, I included this video

https://youtu.be/M7wSb_xZ1lg

which talks about how important going down the shore every summer is to my family. When we go down the shore, every night my kids get fudge from this very fudge store. They try different flavors from the samples being passed out and we typically let them buy a square. Let’s just say the fudge doesn’t last long! The fudge, then, is one of the best items that seems to be authentically part of the Jersey shore and since I am a Jersey girl, this is just perfect!

Carrying on the Tradition – While Supporting Local Business

It means a lot to me to take my kids to the beach every summer. As a full time working mom, I treasure this time with them and love every second! As a voiceover actor, it is often hard to step out of the studio, because leaving the booth means walking away from potential work, and I think as a small business owner there is always that struggle. But, on a beautiful, sunny summer day, there is no where I would rather be than on 96th street in Stone Harbor with my kids!

I have memories of being at the fudge store with my grandparents, and parents, and of all of them there with my kids, so in a very real sense with every purchase of fudge I am carrying on a family tradition.

I also love supporting a local business. It means so much to me that the small businesses stay open and continue to thrive. I have joked with my dad since I was a teenager that when I shop it’s good for the economy, but in this era of online shopping, I feel that it is more important than ever to patronize local stores. If we want these businesses to be there for the next generation, we must go to them now! Otherwise, with such stiff online competition, they will not stand a chance. So, when it came time to select a special treat for my clients, buying local was a priority.

The Holiday Spirit

How better to thank my clients and let them now how I feel about this special time of year then to give them a present fraught with meaning? When folks say “’Tis the Season” the words “Of Giving” or “for Thanks” immediately spring to mind. I am thankful for every single booking, bug and small. That is why I also take the time to send all clients and industry friends holiday cards as well. But I cherish the relationships I build as a small-business owner. I am not looking for one-offs, I look forward to working with clients over and over again, and I use this time of year to acknowledge how appreciative I am.

Building a voiceover business does not happen over night. It takes years of hard work and diligence. It requires a level of perseverance. It also requires an attitude of gratitude, because at the core of a sustainable voiceover business are these repeat relationships. I believe that clients come back for a reason, and I do not think that it is ever as simple as the voice on the other end of the mic or the equipment in my broadcast-ready studio. After years of working with clients all over the world, from video production companies, to advertising agencies, to talent agents, to instructional designers, it is essential to stand out. And if you want to know me and to know my brand I leave you with one final thought before Christmas: fudge helps.

A Girl’s Best Friend: Blessings of the Voiceover Studio Dog

September 12, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

My Fur Baby

Years ago, when I was early in my pregnancy with my twins, I remember my aunt pulling me aside and saying that as much as I loved my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Barclay, I would love my children so much more. Well, once they were born I realized that I loved my precious Barclay the same way that I loved Emma and Jack. Barclay, and now Violet, have brought such joy and love to my life and they are part of the family. When the twins were little and in their stroller, Barclay was extremely protective and would go off like an alarm to keep strangers away from them. When we lived in our Upper West Side apartment, if the twins went anywhere near the kitchen, Barclay always barked to let me know. As they got older, his protective instincts continued to sharpen and from snuggling when they were upset to loving and training our precious Violet, living with dogs is one of my greatest joys. Over the years, I have watched my elderly grandparents smile with joy as they held my dogs. I have savored every second watching Violet and Barclay gently kiss and play with my nieces and nephews, always careful not to be too rough. My own twins have such a special bond with their “doggy brother and sister.” There is a reason why so many folks, from producers to professional voiceover actors have animals in our studios: our furry friends enhance the quality of our day and because we, as artists are happy, these animals ultimately ensure a quality finished product.

The Snuggles Help

As a solopreneur, full-time professional voiceover actor, I can get lost in my work. Having such a precious, happy, calm girl by my side is a blessing as Violet, a now five year-old Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is always with me in my studio. There has been a lot of scientific research about the calming effect of canines. A great article in Frontiers in Psychology in 2014 they explain“Dogs are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects. Several studies have shown that dogs are able to calm people during cognitive and performance stressors.” For me, by having Violet by my side in my recording booth, I can leave my every day stress outside my booth, and concentrate on the script in front of me. Whether I am working on a new audition or a booking, it is a benefit to be calm and composed so that I can be present in the moment. The only time that I do not have Violet in the booth is when I have a live session via ipDTL, Source Connect, or ISDN. It would be terrible to have the audio ruined because she yawns or shakes her collar!

I Work In a Padded Foam Booth…

I LOVE my work, but spending hours a day working in a padded foam booth may not be as fun as it sounds, so having a precious furry friend inside is really nice. I have made my booth as pleasant and comfortable as a gal can make a booth, but it is so nice to have Violet with me. She has a double layer cozy bed and a fe quiet toys. She occasionally kisses my leg at random. She also sporadically gets up and rearranges all of her belongings. It is very precious. I always record standing up because it is really important for the sound quality. I regularly have very long eLearning sessions. Every now in then, if I am editing a lengthy eLearning project, I sit on the stool in my booth. The very second I sit down, Violet wants to sit on my lap. She is, after all, a lap dog.

Violet is Part of My Healthy Life Plan

As a working voiceover actor, leading a healthy lifestyle is extremely important to my success. My voice is my instrument, so fitness and food choices very much effect my voice. In addition to pilates, I love taking walks with Violet. In fact, Violet is a great wellness companion, she does it all with me. Apparently this is extremely common. In Science Direct, in an article called “ Understanding dog–human companionship”, “pet owners, particularly dog owners, are more physically active than non-pet owners.” I also want to do as much as I can for Violet so that she lives a long and happy life, so that is incentive for me as well.

The Benefits

My dog, my precious Violet, keeps me happy and calm. Having this special girl to share my days with is not a gift that goes unappreciated. Her gestures, her adorable sounds, her sweet snuggles- all are noticed and loved and adored. They also all feed my soul as both Violet and Barclay are a childhood dream come true. Vi, in turn, fuels the success of my voiceover career, another dream, and I know that so much of the success is because of the happiness that she brings. As the great Elizabeth Taylor said: “Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.”

How a Lifetime of Preparing Family Dinners Trained Me to Be a Momtrepreneur

September 5, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

The More the Merrier

Several years ago we moved from a lovely 1950s split level to a 1923 Georgian Colonial. To call this home a fixer upper is being kind, money pit seems more accurate. But we fell in love with this house because we knew we would have the space for the big family meals that we so enjoy. We have a really close knit family and on weekends and holidays we are all together, and this house, even with its leaks and floods, gives us the space to be surrounded by the people we love most. This house also had the space for my dream voiceover studio. For many years I had the luxury of taking a break from my teaching job and staying home with my twins as a full time mom. My years at home as a full time stay at home mom provided valuable, real like skills that I use every day in my voiceover business.

Managing Expectations

As a full-time, professional voiceover actress, nothing could have prepared me better for working with international clients with different customs and expectations than having 35 people in my dining room, an array of food allergies, and some pretty active kids, AKA the Schreiber family! I am a typical Pennsylvania girl who grew up eating meat and potatoes dinners and married a slick New York guy, with a super health conscious family! So for starters, every time I have the entire family over, I have to prepare a blend of food that both sides expect. My side would be shocked to have a meal without green bean casserole, my husband’s side would be shocked not to have simply roasted veggies in nothing but olive oil.

After years of happily meeting the varied expectations of a growing family that was pretty large to begin with, I happily meet the varied demands of voiceover clients. It begins with my voiceover proposals. Some clients love to begin with a friendly phone conversation. Other voiceover clients prefer a proposal with multiple options in an email form. Whether they are a video production company, a casting agent, and advertising agency, or one of the myriad of other possible voiceover clients, I am happy to discuss the terms however they are most comfortable, as being flexible is quite natural to me! From providing invoicing in different formats, to providing delivery of files as they like, to offering all differing kinds of guided sessions including Source Connect, ipDTL, ISDN, and even Skype for those who insist on it, I always try to do what the clients prefer and what is easiest for them. I have learned to accommodate by planning and being organized, skills that serve me well in voiceover and as a working mom!

Ready, Set, GO! Prepping for the RUSH!!

Years ago I realized that I married into a family of folks who plan last minute! My family likes to make reservations and plan meals well in advance, but my husbands rather large family is pretty relaxed. So, I might think it will just be the 4 of us for dinner and suddenly we are going from 4 to 17 with less than an hours notice. This has been great prep for VO rush jobs! Just as I want my family to feel that the door is always open and I always have a seat from them at my table, I want my clients to know that my booth is always open. I understand that they have a client waiting for them on the other side who has a deadline. A client would never ask me for a rush job if they did not actually need the work right away. Just like I would never have my family over and not serve a regular meal, I would not provide rush service and offer any less than I do on a typical job. The terms regarding performance errors, pickups, and delivery would all be the same. I just simply understand that they have a rush job.

Momtrepreneurs Just Get It

I was lucky to learn so much from my Mom and my Mommom (Philly speak for Grandma). Is my house always perfect? No. Do I have dishes in the sink? Some times. Do I iron? Never, or not well! But I have a happy house where we all help each other. We all have chores. We all support each other. We all help take out the recycling and we all take care of the dog. When I have a recording session late in the day and I can’t cook dinner, either someone else cooks or we get take out. But the warmth in my home, the joy that trickles into my booth for every single job, and the spirit with which I have raised my family, I pour that same spirit into my voiceover career. It’s the only way I know.

Acting Like I Don’t Have a Migraine: Having to Push Through the pain to Follow My Dream

August 29, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

Amy’s Mom

When I was growing up, I had a good friend Amy. I was over at her house all the time. Her mom was really sweet and she kept chocolate chips in the freezer because she new I liked them. Amy’s mom had migraines. I did not know anything about them and I did not have anyone in my family who suffered from them. Her mom was often in bed in the dark when we came home from school. She could not get up to make dinner. It was really sad. When I was little, I did not understand the problem and I just thought there must be something really wrong. I’m Jewish and my mom is what we describe as a ballabusta, she did everything in our house for all of us every day and was amazing! And by everything I mean our house was always perfect and she made the most incredible food constantly and nothing, nothing was out of place. In contrast, Amy’s house, which still was full of love, was a mess, and her mom was suffering so that she could not handle the most basic of tasks.

Well, since I have had my twins, I too have been afflicted with migraines. According to https://migraine.com/migraine-statistics/, I am one of 38 million people who suffer from migraines and “Some migraine studies estimate that 13 percent of adults in the U.S. population have migraines, and 2-3 million migraine sufferers are chronic.” Unfortunately, I am not my mother, and I think those clean and cooking genes might have skipped me. Thankfully I have been able to get medical treatment and function better than Amy’s mom. Even on days that it is hard to pick my head up or it would not be safe to drive, I have to go into the booth and sound like an upbeat, cheerful, and conversational functioning person.

Short Commute

Thankfully I don’t have to drive to work, my recording booth is in my house. As a full time, professional voiceover actor, I am one of many in a growing trend of solo-preneurs who work from home. According to the New York Times, in an article by Niraj Chokshi from February 2017, “Last year, 43 percent of employed Americans said they spent at least some time working remotely, according to the survey of more than 15,000 adults.” My recording booth, filled with broadcast ready equipment including a Neumann TLM 103 microphone and an Avalon M5 preamp, is in my house. When I decided to work from home, it was based on my desire to be available to my children. I did not want to miss out on school events like science fairs and art shows that I never would have made it to if I were commuting to New York City. I now realize that with chronic migraines, working from home is the best choice for me. I often do not feel safe driving when I take migraine medicine prescribed by my physician. I also do not have to exacerbate my migraine suffering with the stress of the commute. Working from home has so many benefits!

Pursuing Wellness

The healthy lifestyle that is essential for success in voiceover is also necessary if I hope to prevent migraines. According to the American Migration Foundation, they advise “Eat a carbohydrate with a protein or a good fat to stay full longer. Don’t eat or drink anything that you KNOW triggers your migraine. Some common food ‘triggers’ are alcohol, aged cheeses, caffeine, and chocolate. Drink water through the day instead of sugary drinks like soda or juice.” I typically avoid gluten, dairy, and eggs. I maintain a low sugar diet. I do Pilates and walk a lot. Sometimes I go two or three weeks without a headache and sometimes I have one or more a week. If I new what the magic recipe was, I would do it consistently forever! All I can do is try my best and stay calm when the headaches come.

Pushing Through- The Headache Doesn’t Win!

I did not choose to get migraines. They stink. But, I love my family and I love my job. I would be devastated it I had to turn down work or change my bookings because of a headache. As a voiceover professional with years of experience, I have persevered through live commercial sessions and long eLearning jobs while I have a migraine. I have completed rush jobs for clients and edited large narrations. I try to take it one job at a time and not think about the discomfort. I am thankful for the work that I have and I will not give in to these darn head aches. At the end of the day, the head ache does not get to win!

10 Reasons I Love ❤ Being a Voiceover Actress

January 8, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

10. Every day is a surprise- no 2 days are the same!

9. I can take snack breaks whenever I want.

8. I make my own choices for my business.

7. My work is creative.

6. I am on social media all of the time.

5. My job is technology based and I can play with lots of gadgets.

4. I am constantly learning and growing new skills- my education and professional development never ends.

3. I meet lots of amazing people- from clients to other talents.

2. I can work from home!

1. My job is a happy, upbeat, fun job.

How did I Go From History Teacher to Voiceover Actress?

January 1, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

In order to even ask the question, how does a middle-aged mom make the move from History teacher to full-time, professional voiceover actress, you have to believe that dreams really do come true. For me, the seeds of this dream were planted when I was a passionate and enthusiastic college student at Barnard. Being in New York City, I was exposed to actors regularly- often when they were waiters in restaurants and people regularly commented on my voice. I have a very high register and sound quite young for my age. Even when I was young people were surprised when they heard me. I was encouraged multiple times a week in college to pursue voiceover or something in performing arts.

My sophomore year I took it as far as buying both a book and a newspaper about making a demo, which would then have been on casette tape, and looking into auditions. Back then, nothing in our industry was on-line as it is today. Voiceactors had to show up in person for every audition and the arduous task of mailing out packages of demos seemed quite daunting from my college dorm. Being at Columbia was something that I worked for my entire life and I could not reconcile my academic ambitions and my creative goals. At that point, I stayed at Columbia through graduate school and was well on my way to teaching.

It was not that I wasn’t happy teaching. I woke up every day with a smile on my face and felt like I had found my calling. I was fortunate to teach at an all-girls school on the Upper East Side of New York and really the job was ideal. So what changed? I had children. When I had my twins Emma and Jack, I could not stomach leaving them, particularly when we moved to the suburbs in New Jersey. I would have been gone for a really long day and I would have been forgoing time with my children to be with other people’s children. It just did not seem reasonable to me.

Building a recording studio in my house, where I could work full time but from home- now that seemed like the perfect answer! I could be there for early dismissals, for science fairs, for conferences, and I could pursue the dreams that I had cast aside so many years ago. One weekend I was seated next to an old friend named Marie at a party. Marie had built a home studio and was doing audio books. She was still working another job part time while she transitioned to voiceover, but when I heard that Marie had had the confidence to invest in herself, it gave me the strength to make the next step for me and for my family. Once I began my journey into voiceover, I viewed it as if it was certain truth and felt in my heart that there was no other path for me.

What grew from months of researching and writing a business plan, to building a custom booth, and years of training with coaches and acting and improv classes, has now blossomed into a sustainable business. Nothing makes me happier than calls and emails from repeat clients booking work. But my years of teaching- that is so much a part of who I am, and I believe that the performance component of teaching and the ability to connect with people that is so essential to being a good teacher is the foundation to my voiceover business.

Interestingly, I do find myself in the company of other teachers in the voiceover world more often than you might think. Yes, there are others who were teachers and are now voice talents. The world of E-learning is another place where I fit in with ease and I find that my former life as an educator and my current life mesh seamlessly. As a member of the E-learning guild, when I attend conferences around the country, I find that I just seem to click with the folks I meet. Whether they want to talk about my work narrating E-learning modules, or whether we are discussing the LMS they work on or the next big trend in micro-learning, I love being right on the cutting edge of the digital classroom revolution with them. How lucky I am to be relevant to their work on so many levels.

Whether I am doing a radio spot, an animation character, an E-learning module, or a Telephony message, I can tell you that I now feel as at home in my booth in front of the microphone as I once felt in front of the black board with chalk in my hand.