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choices

Building Your Voice Over Office Space

September 13, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

Starting Out

Original Desk
This is my original small teal desk from Overstock.

Often when we start out in a new industry, as excited and enthusiastic as we are, we don’t know if our business will actually take off. When I built my voice over business, it made sense to me to invest money where it mattered, in sound proofing and in gear like microphones, in lieu of spending it on items like desks and fancy chairs. I knew, even at the start, that if I had a hope of growing, my audio quality had to be competitive and my investment had to go there.  My initial dest was cute and inexpensive, it was a teal small desk from overstock.com. This is the desk that sat outside my booth. It sufficed. It was never comfortable. It was small and quickly became cluttered. I also have always used a chair I already had in the house. As my business grew, I added a file cabinets. The chair I have always used is a lovely chair that we had. Again, the office space was not my priority.

Well, here I am, years later, an established professional female voice actor and coach, and I wanted to re-create my office space into a place I actually wanted to be. I identified the problems:

  • My desk was too small.
  • I did not have enough space and had clutter on my desk.
  • I did not like being at my desk.
  • My desk was not visually appealing.
  • I did not like the way the desk faced but could not change that because I have a monitor and gear in the booth the all is hooked up to the computer outside the booth on this desk.
  • I actually prefer working on a super comfy chair or sofa to working at a desk.
  • I like something soft under my feet.

With all of this in mind, I began researching my office space fix up.

Guiding Questions:

If you are just new to voiceover and putting your space together or if you are fixing up your space, here are some questions to consider:

  • Are you paperless or do you have paper?
  • Do you like a lot of Gear?
  • Do you like Texture/To be Cozy?
  • Are you a minimalist or do you like decorative embellishments?

Tips:

While it was smart that I was budget conscious, I should have invested a little more into my initial space.  Think about what you have and where you are going to put it, instead of buying a desk and trying to make it work.

For example, when I built my booth, I placed hooks in spaces where I needed them: on the wall for my cans and under the desk for spare wires. I built an extra ledge so that my preamp is not sitting on the desk. All of this not only customizes the space, but makes it so much more pleasant to spend long hours in.

Another tip is to actually measure. When I bought new furniture this time around, I measured the items I needed to put in a bookshelf to ensure ample space. I measured the wall where the desk is to make sure I have the biggest possible space.

Comfortable Work Space

New Velvet Chair
This is my new velvet chair and end table from Wayfair. I am sitting here right now as I work on this blog. It’s a great work space!

As professional voice over actors, it is typical that we work long days across multiple time zones, so our work space, both in and out of the booth, needs to be comfortable. I have friends who swear by their standing pads. I myself have layered carpets because I love both the look and the feel. Another tip is that the desk in my booth is at my exact standing height, built for me specifically. I love this. I will say that having had both a small and cramped desk and a large and luxurious desk, it is much better to have the large desk!! I am exceedingly more comfortable.

Booth/Workspace Must Haves

There are certain items I consider non-negotiable. Keep in mind that I do actually use paper:

  • great lighting/an awesome dest lamp
  • bulletin boards
  • an essential oil diffuser
  • file cabinets. I happen to love to save scripts. Especially now that I coach, you just never know when you will need them.
  • A charging station
  • an array of vocal sprays
  • cable ties
  • A blotter/pencil cup that is in line with your branding
  • an “in session” or “do not disturb” sign for when you’re recording
  • A music stand and light for scripts
  • family pictures so that you remember your why
  • lots of outlets
  • an exhaust fan
  • dog beds for my studio dogs
  • a scale for mail/postage

So, What Did I Choose?

New Dest
This is my new desk with file cabinets and book shelf from Pottery Barn.

In the end, I wanted a place I would be comfortable and organized. I wanted an office space that would both look nice and function well. I ultimately made tweaks to both my booth and my work space. In my booth, I got a new rug and dog bed. In my office space I got a new desk and files, a new book case, and a beautiful new velvet chair and end table. I am elated, is all wonderful. My advice to you is that regardless of your budget, make sure you LOVE everything you pick, because if you have to re-do it it costs more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: choices, comfort, gear, home office, professional voice actor, small business, solopreneur, VO, voice over, voiceover, work space, working mom

Working in VO Through Chronic Migraines

February 7, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

The Reality of a Chronic Condition

Laura Schreiber on SofaI’ve blogged about migraines before. This was yesterday. A migraine day. On days like this I sleep a lot and do the work that I can horizontally. With my dogs on top of me. As a full-time, working voice actor, on my good days, when my head is perfectly clear, I often let the thought creep into my mind: maybe I’ll never get another migraine. On a clear day, meaning a headache free day, I feel amazing. I am happy. I have no pain. I can record and work with clients and I am myself. But for me, migraines have been chronic since I had my twins almost 18 years ago. So, what does this mean as a working mom and a small business owner who wants to serve my clients well on good days and on bad ones? It means that I have to make choices that will not cause more migraines, and when I have them I have to be realistic about what I can reasonably do on a given day to accommodate my voice over clients.

No Live Sessions

Put on Lipstick and GoAs a working pro voice actor, I love doing live sessions, but will not do them on migraine days. Why? Migraine medication is strong. On a clear day, I am responsive. I can listen to client feedback and deliver. I also mimic well. On a migraine day, I struggle. Every thing I do all day long is a struggle. I am proud of what I accomplish on those days, but I do not feel a need to put my struggle under a microscope. The few times I have made exceptions for clients I have regretted it every time. They have not been my best sessions. If you are a migraine sufferer too, I suggest only self- directing on those days.

Hydrating and Eating Healthy

On clear days and migraine days, the choices I make about what I put in my body for food and drink make a profound difference in my well-being. On a clear day, I always try to drink half my body weight in ounces of water. I need to stay hydrated so that I can do my voice over work. My hope is that by hydrating I will also prevent headaches from coming on. On migraine days, I hydrate to help get through the headache. I will confess that I typically also need a ginger ale to help combat the nausea, but beyond that I drink a lot of water to help make the headache pass.

Making healthy food choices is essential to migraine survival. In general I am gluten and dairy free and try to avoid foods hat cause inflammation. According to Healthline, “Gluten may trigger migraines in people who don’t have celiac disease but instead have a sensitivity to gluten. Gluten sensitivity isn’t well-understood yet.” I have to avoid a lot of foods, like bananas and those that contain milk products, particularly fresh dairy. For me, there is a difference between having a small bit of melted cheddar cheese and fresh mozzarella. According to Harvard University’s journal Article, “Could a Hidden Allergy Be Causing Your Migraines?” the article explains that “Foods high in fat can also trigger headaches [4], but, to many migraine sufferers, supposedly healthy foods such as wheat (gluten), dairy and bananas, are also problems. However, there is currently no accepted consensus among scientists on how so many innocuous foods could induce migraines.” So, for me, I have found that my headaches are more easily managed when I eat small, frequent meals without my typical triggers. On headache days, I tend to want to eat more carbs, which must be a comfort food for me.

Remembering my Limitations/Keeping Goals in Focus

Make Ourselves StrongI will confess that I do make choices knowing that the wrong one could lead to a Migraine. I leave fun events early, like industry wide BBQs. I often turn down dinner invitations that I really want to say yes to, even at conferences, because I know that late nights will certainly lead to a migraine. Essentially, my limitations have to stay in the forefront of my mind, otherwise I will have more migraines come my way than I can handle, and that, frankly, would no be good for my voice over business. I also have to limit my work day. For example, this week I got a new demo back. I was so excited to start marketing it that I worked for hours after dinner, well past my bed time. Guess what? I had a horrendous migraine and lost most of the next day. I pushed beyond my limitations and it was not smart.

I think about it this way: I try to set myself up for success. I regularly keep my small business goals in focus, and in order to stay on track for those goals, migraine maintenance is part of my strategy. If I lose site of my health and wellness strategy, it is inextricably linked to my business goals. I was reading a new book about food and nutrition yesterday and it sparked I kind of light bulb moment for me, but it relates to this, too. First, there was a survey about my physical health. Then there was a survey about my mental health. Lastly, there was a survey about my financial health. The book went on to explain how the three are linked, and when any of them is not in balance the others too are out of balance.

For me, as a working mom, I need to my business to run well for so many reasons, but that is another blog. If I cannot keep migraine maintenance in check, then none of my voice over goals will be within reach.

Filed Under: About Me, Voiceover, working mom Tagged With: choices, chronic migraines, healthy lifestyle, live sessions, Migraines, planning ahead, professional voice over actor, strategy, VO, voice over, voiceover, working mom

Reflections About Voice Over Business Spending and Priorities

September 1, 2019 by Laura Schreiber

My Wheels Are Turning….

Perhaps because I have been following The Budget Mom, and I have been spending a lot of time thinking about personal finances and where our money goes, it makes sense that in this time of reflection as a working mom I would also reassess what has worked well and been of value in by business and what I might have done or do differently. As a solopreneur, ever single dollar counts and at least in my perception has even more weight than it would in a large company, so for me my choices in my voiceover business matter a lot. I confess that I lay in bed at night thinking about them and praying that I have put myself on the right path so that I succeed for my children. I am passionate about my voice over work to be sure, but I also have a hunger to continue to build a thriving business and every choice matters.

The Demos

The very first choice most talents make is who to work with for their demo and which demo to do. I am EXTREMELY thankful and proud that Anne Ganguzza and I did such an amazing commercial demo. It is the rock solid foundation that my business has grown upon. It was worth every single penny and I am very glad that I invested in that. I feel the same way about my narration demo that I did with Bill DeWees. I also have booked A LOT with my eLearning demo that I did with J. Michael Collins. I am extremely proud of all of my demos, but I have brought in substantially more work from these 3 demos than all others combined.

I watch these adorable videos that my friend Heather Foster posts on Facebook called things I’d tell my younger self. Well, I was in a big hurry to do a lot of demos and for better or for worse they sure helped me build a full and diverse website. But, had I realized where my bookings would fall, perhaps I could have saved myself some money early on and not rushed to do so many demos. It is hard to commit to that statement, because I have done quite a lot of telephony and IVR, and gotten some great clients like Whole Foods, from that demo (also produced by J. Michael Collins) but the majority of my bookings continue to be commercials.

Equipment Purchases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY3QVccreqg

I am very happy with my studio. I am very thankful to have high end equipment in a well-treated booth.  I built my studio early in my career and made upgrades as I got big, steady contracts for consistent work. This made sense at the time and it still makes sense. I had lots of industry people make digs about spending money and I had to filter them out. In fact, I probably should have invested in my expensive microphone, my Neumann TLM 103, when I started, instead of spending $500 on a mid-range mic only to upgrade within a few years. I intended to succeed and I did, and my studio, which is acoustically treated to perfection and also has an amazing pre-amp, is a huge piece of the puzzle. I am very happy about these purchases and filtering out the nay-sayers was a good move on my part. If you want to succeed in voice over, that is often a piece of the puzzle.

My Website

Home-NEW

I am VERY pleased with my website and my website team, but I have made some mis-steps- not with them, on my own. In the beginning, I worked with the brilliant Anne Ganguzza to do my branding. She was fabulous and I am pleased with all she helped create. When Joe Davis and Karin Barth at Voiceactor Websites came into the picture, we made some great upgrades. I am happy with everything I have done with them and pleased with all I have invested.

At some point a few years ago I decided to create a separate entity for government bidding. I created a separate webpage for this. I regret spending the money on this page and not just adding another page to my current site. I took a lot of advise from a government contracting mentor outside of voiceover, and his did not understand the voice over industry well enough. It is not in my best interest having two separate pages. It is often frustrating. I spent a lot of money and time on this and regret these choices.

I also made another mis-step with my main website. When I initially built my page, I first made it a scrolling page instead of a multipage site. Then when I wanted to add pages, I asked a random person to do it. It was a mess. I had to go back to Joe and Karin and ask them to fix everything. I felt terrible to have sidestepped them, which was years ago, and had to do a major website upgrade. It worked out in the end but I wish I had invested in a more elaborate website from the start. I had no idea how much work I would do.

Final Analysis

Don’t be short sited. Make choices that make your life easier. Work with kind people who are helpful. You can always spend money later, but if you are booking from something, you don’t need something else. Just keep doing what you are doing!

Filed Under: About Me, Voiceover, working mom Tagged With: Anne Ganguzza, Avalon M5, Bill DeWees, bookings, budget, choices, commercials, demos, J. Michael Collins, Joe Davis, Neumann TLM 103, solopreneur, VO, voice over, VoiceActor Websites, voiceover, website, working mom

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