wellness

Every Day is NOT Saturday: Business Routine in Voice Over Matters!!

May 2, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

The Joy of a Saturday

This weekend, on a glorious Saturday morning, I was walking my dogs around our block. I was looking at the Cherry blossoms and lilacs in bloom, and thinking about how even though I had some editing to do and a coaching lesson to plan, I had so much time that day. Time to enjoy with my husband. Time to enjoy with my kids. One of my nieces was in from Toronto and was coming to visit. Weekends are precious for working moms, because even if we still have some work to do, we can revel in the joy of the freedom that the weekend typically brings. But as working creatives and small business owners, we need structure to have success. You might think that as a full-time professional voice talent, I can make my own hours and that brings a certain amount of freedom. Every day is not Saturday, so here are some tips that have helped me grow a thriving business.

Maintain Business Hours

If your goal is to build a successful, thriving business in voice over and earn a consistent, sustainable income, working long hours is the only way to do this. There is no magic bullet or secret sauce. According to Jennifer Cohen’s article in Forbes, James Cash Penny, better known as the founder of JC Penny, once said, “Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top.” The recipe for success is hard work, so maintaining regular business hours and being in the studio all week when your clients are working makes good business sense. Often friends or family may think that as a working creative you are free to go for lunch or to the spa in the middle of the day. How nice it would be if we could all regularly just leave our studios as if on vacation and “hand out.” Unfortunately, this behavior does not lead to success. Instead, a routine, planned work week works better. I keep my bookings both in my phone and my paper calendar. I also offer bookings through a calendly sign up link on my website to make things easiest for my clients to check my preferred availability, especially for voiceover coaching.

Have a Strong Start to My Day…Mornings are Sacred

I am and have alway been most efficient in the morning. My mornings are sacred and I try never to book outside appointments that will disrupt my work flow. This is apparently quite common according to Benjamin Hardy’s article in medium.com: “Typically, we have a window of about three hours where we’re really, really focused. We’re able to have some strong contributions in terms of planning, in terms of thinking, in terms of speaking well,” Friedman told Harvard Business Review. Protecting this valuable window of time is really important for me.

Plan My Weeks

I have longterm goals that I am constantly updating. I keep those right by my side as I plan my week. I use my planner for day to day tasks, and then have a weekly agenda for my larger goals. Lifehack.org gives a very helpful breakdown about how you should use your goals to plan your week:

“Once you have determined your goal, the tasks required, the key players and the tasks they will complete, it is finally time to start your scheduling. When scheduling it is important to plan a weekly schedule as well as a daily schedule. The weekly schedule is important for the overall success of the project but it is the daily planning that will help you to track your progress and determine whether or not you are on schedule. Try using significant project milestones in your weekly planning but for daily planning break each milestone down into the necessary components and plan the completion of those components on a daily basis.”

Schedule Health and Wellness Time

Every single week I schedule at least two pilates sessions. I find that in addition to keeping me fit, they help me to relax as well. Jennifer Cohen explains the connection between fitness and success in Forbes: “ It is safe to say that if you can not commit yourself to regular exercise, you will likely never reach your full potential. Countless successful people, from Fortune 500 CEOs to entrepreneurs and celebrities, have discovered the undeniable connection between fitness and success. This is partly due to the fact that regular exercise enhances your physical and mental state, which lifts up all other areas of your life as well. In addition, fitness builds a fundamental knowledge base of the mindset you must cultivate in order to achieve anything that seems out of reach.” To me, the mindset that if I don’t set aside time to take care of myself, I won’t be able to take care of other’s needs, as at the foundation of all that I do. I also just feel better when I get my workouts in.

Conclusions

Voice over is a competitive industry. As a voice actor and voiceover coach, I can tell you that there are no shortcuts. Time away from the studio is just that, and when you choose to be out of the studio and you could be auditioning and marketing, you are making a choice. Plan ahead. Be strategic. Run your business. Work hard and build something!

Voice Over Wellness Tips from a Seasoned Pro: Praying For Wellness, Preparing For Anything That Comes…

March 1, 2020 by Laura Schreiber

The Present Situation

It’s flu season and unfortunately it’s apparently also Coronavirus season this year. Different countries have different levels of preparedness, but I never like to leave my wellness, or my families, in the hands of others. I don’t like to wait around like a sitting duck and take action after I am sick. I believe very strongly in preventative care. I have learned that preventative wellness is key to the success of my business. Particularly for those of us who depend on the quality of our voice to make a living, it is best not to get sick in the first place. Here are some best tips, tricks, and best practices that have helped me over the years:

Hand Washing and Wipes

It is really important to both wash your hands frequently AND not touch your face. According to the CDC’s website:

“Teaching people about handwashing helps them and their communities stay healthy. Handwashing education in the community:

Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23-40% 2, 3, 6
Reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58% 4
Reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21% 3, 5
Reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren by 29-57% 7

Another trick that I have found when out and about is carrying lysol and Clorox wipes. I always do this on trains and airplanes. They come in little travel bags, and you can wipe around your entire personal area which has likely not been cleaned any time recently. Here is a link to the wipes I am talking about:

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, 15 ct.

https://www.amazon.com/Lysol-Disinfecting-Wipes-Lemon-Blossom/dp/B017P2ZG0O/ref=sr_1_4?crid=10AZ072PLLZ4K&keywords=travel+pack+lysol+wipes&qid=1583074333&sprefix=travel+pack+lys%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-4

Supplements That Help

I take a blend of supplements daily to prevent illness. I have been doing this since I got started in voice over full time as any illness stops work. Twice since 2015 I have had to tell clients I was unavailable for several days because of sickness. One client waited for me, one could not and I still regret missing that opportunity. These are some of the supplements that work for me to stay well even when those around me are a hacking mess, perhaps they might help you too:

Immune Assist: https://www.amazon.com/Medicinals-Critical-Certified-Mushroom-Supplement/dp/B074DSCVNJ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H3pFSvaIhTzwUC0YqWdD8uX5qYLbWy5E_OYB2Ye5ZoHdrDdgDUvUx8aAnY9EALw_wcB&hvadid=153719469992&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9003504&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1243395999995137344&hvtargid=kwd-1642972002&hydadcr=21189_9333932&keywords=immune+assist&qid=1583074523&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzTjZGQ0lHNzdGN1BDJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTQyMDU4MkpJUlcwMk02SDdYRSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjM0MDU4MzhBMkVaOU9HMFQySiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Cold Quell https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Poppy-Cold-Quell-caps/dp/B0044U4HVA/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Cold+Quell&qid=1583074607&sr=8-3

Mega Food C Defence: https://www.amazon.com/MegaFood-Defense-Supports-Function-Gluten-Free/dp/B07CP2VMY4/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=mega+C&qid=1583074638&sr=8-13

Elderberry: https://www.amazon.com/MegaFood-Elderberry-Promotes-Defenses-Servings/dp/B07JYFJMZG/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1PU99320INAT6&keywords=megafood+elderberry&qid=1583074674&sprefix=mega+food+Elder%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFRWVdUQUVBMzc2VlAmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAwNjM4MTIxNlNPQVU1QTU3VTE5JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzMjMyNDUzV0pLMlREQjVQWVAmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Straight to The Throat If you are already fighting something and have some symptoms, these are some must haves that I turn to and always keep on hand. They have helped me immensely over the years!

Golden Voice Tea:https://www.amazon.com/Health-King-Golden-Voice-Count/dp/B0011DL1D0/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2NX50AV0Q5XX&keywords=golden+voice+herb+tea&qid=1583074792&sprefix=Golden+Voice%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-2

Vocal Sprays- I have two that I love:

vocal-throat-spray

https://www.amazon.com/Thayers-Peppermint-Mouth-Spray-bottle/dp/B008CQCXA4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1TWG1Q0UFN21F&keywords=thayers+citrus+dry+mouth+spray&qid=1583074872&sprefix=thayers+citru%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-2

Conclusions:

Find practitioners in your area that will help! In my area, these are some that I depend on both for treatments like acupuncture, for medical consultations, and for homeopathic supplements.

Jason Neff, Phoenex Accupuncturehttp://www.phoenixtcm.com/
Dr. Allison Fox, Renew Integrative and Functional Medicine http://www.renewdirection.com/
Chis Butler, Wellpath Center of Millburn, https://www.facebook.com/TheWellpathCenterofMillburn/

I have also found a food regimen that works for me. With the help of the above practitioners, I have learned that sugars feed illness, so I typically avoid sweets. I have also led a gluten and dairy free lifestyle as well which I believe helps fight illness and for me has helped me stay well. I use to get almost monthly sinus infections but those days are long gone. Again, a good medical professional in ADVANCE of illness can help with all of this. We also ALL GET flus shots. I hope this helps you in time. Wishing you and your family wellness in 2020.

Even Voiceover Actors Catch Colds

January 20, 2019 by Laura Schreiber

https://youtu.be/aEUI4jDYOJQ

No one wants to get sick…

It’s winter time and colds are inevitable. I remember the first time I got sick after becoming a full-time voiceover actor. I was actually working on my first tv credit, a documentary that ultimately ran on Canadian television called “No Running.” I got sick, which is both unusual for me and unusual over the summer. But, working moms know it happens. When you have young kids, they bring us these treats. It wasn’t just a slight cold, I had a hacking cough and a brutal sore throat. I didn’t sound a little raspy, my voice became unrecognizable overnight. Besides that I felt terrible, I was panicked about the job that I was so proud to have booked. I immediately reached out to the producer. He was so kind and understanding. I was fortunate that their production schedule gave them the flexibility to wait until I was better, which incidentally was more than a week. Any working mom can tell you that just doing the minimum to feed your kids and have clean laundry is difficult when you have a fever, but keeping a new business going is even more stressful. I was very relieved and learned a lot from this lesson early on. If you are a voiceover actor and you get sick, it is very important to be honest with your clients while pursuing a path to wellness.

Be Up Front with Those Who Cast Us

Maintaining client relationships is essential to a sustainable voiceover business. So, if you intend to make your clients happy, and you happen to be a little sick, or worse, really sick, you must tell them before accepting a booking. Transparency is essential in all business dealings and video production companies, casting agents, etc. expect us to sound like our demos and auditions. If we sound like someone else, this is a bate and switch. If you test drive a car, you expect to purchase that car. If you pick out a slab of marble, you expect the quarry to give you the exact slab. We are booked based on our read, and if we don’t sound as expected, we should assume they will either recast the spot or wait for us to recover. I lost a radio spot once about two years ago. It was an adorable spot that I would have been perfect for. But such is life and it is far more important that my client had what he needed when he needed it. Don’t try to hide a cold, it never works out.

Healthy Cold Remedies Specifically Voiceover Actors

Assuming that we all maintain a healthy lifestyle regularly, it is still likely that we will get sick every now and then. I am gluten free and dairy free and try to avoid foods that cause inflammation. Still, I do not live in a bubble and especially since both my children and my husband commute by train, if they get sick I am like a sitting duck. So, as soon as I get congested here are my go to tricks:

I gargle with warm water and sea salt. My late grandmother told me to do this and I actually find it quite helpful. The salt cleans out bacteria in your mouth and throat.
I use Neil Med Sinus rinse. I prefer the squirt bottle to the nettie pot. It is always important to use this with either boiled or distilled water.
I drink Golden Voice Tea. I buy this in amazon. I am not typically a tea drinker but find this really opens me up and it is very soothing. I learned about it from Randy Thomas at her conference and have been drinking it ever since.
I am obsessed with my Vicks personal steamer. It is the only way to get into your bronchial vessels and really open them up. I suppose you could just boil water, but this directs it to your face and it feels amazing. Just a heads up, don’t walk around with it once it has started boiling, you can get burned. It does warn you of this but in case you are like me and you ignore such labels, now you have been warned twice!

Making Good Use of The Time…

I don’t know about you, but as a small business owner there is never enough time in the day to finish everything I want to pursue. When I do have a cold, I try to audition less and instead focus my energies on marketing and client out reach. This is helpful for two reasons. First, if bookings do come in, my voice is in it’s best possible shape (assuming I am well enough to work). Next, I can do meaningful outreach that often yields results as good as auditioning. The key is that if you do indeed get sick, do not wait, take action on your path to wellness and while you are pursuing intelligent solutions also have faith that your business will continue to flourish.

I’m Back Baby!

November 28, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

What’s so great about spin anyway

As a busy working mom, if I am going to leave my kids and miss time away from either the family or my work schedule, then whatever it is had better be worth it. Yesterday when I stepped back into Flywheel Millburn after a FIVE year hiatus because of medical issues, I can tell you with absolute certainty it was worth every second. You can feel the pulsating energy as soon as you step into the studio space. There is an intensity there that makes you want to do your best. Gina, the instructor for this ride, is incredible.. There is stadium seating in the studio and the lights go out. As soon as I clicked my cleats into the bike I felt like I had come home. The music started, my legs went, and I was back. I felt like a part of myself had been missing, like the party was going on without me all those years and I was all too aware. It was not just that I was dealing with GI problems, a bad fall that has permanently injured my back, and the struggle of gaining and losing and gaining the same 20 pounds; it is really that I have always loved spin, especially at Flywheel and I profoundly missed doing something I love. Now, there is another element to my fitness quest: as a professional female voiceover actor, it is essential that I maintain my instrument by staying in top physical form.

Other Strong Women

As a voiceover artist, I work like a dog. I work long hours and it is hard balancing my personal life and my business. I think, like a lot of other small business owners, I also struggle with boundary issues. There are so many times I leave my family and go down to the booth on a Saturday or late at night to do something for a client. So more than ever at this point in my life I need strong female role models! The spin instructors are unbelievable. The youngest ones I take class with are my age; however, most are about 8-10 years older than I am. They have very positive energy. It is not about what their bodies look like, it is about the way they have chosen to live their lives. They are extremely strong and fit and they have a “can do” spirit that is just fantastic to be around. It makes me feel that everything will be ok when I am around powerful ladies like this. Gina, Jill, and Candee rock my world and I bring that enthusiasm back into the booth with me. When I took Gina’s class yesterday just to be in the same space as her was so exciting. When she called out her age, 10 years older than mine, I was so inspired. I hope in 10 years we are both still riding passionately!

It’s good to leave the booth and see people!

I work very long hours in a padded foam booth. Granted it’s a particularly awesome booth with broadcast-ready equipment of which I am really proud, but at the end of the day it is still a padded foam booth and is quite isolating. When you walk into a workout place like Flywheel, and everyone there greets you, and you have friends who are also working out, it means so so much. You feel part of something bigger than yourself. This welness community is great on good days and bad days alike and trust me, we all have both, so it’s really important to have people. Whether it’s a gym friend you’ve known for years or just a kind sweaty guy on the bike next to you who is also doing his best to push through, feeling like you are not in the struggle of life alone is really special. As someone who was never talented enough to play team sports, I have learned to find my own team and to be thankful for it. We are lucky enough to live in the age of social media, so that support sytem can extend beyond the studio too which I really love!

It feels great…..

Sometimes working in voiceover is more sedentary than others. If I am doing a high energy commercial or an active character I might be moving around my booth a lot. If I am doing a corporate narration or a long eLearning module, in truth I am not moving so much and I have to struggle to keep my posture good so that my diaphragm is nice and open. Going back to spin yesterday felt amazing!! Moving, and moving fast, and really working up a sweat felt great. First, it was pleasant because Flywheel is just so nice and the music was great. Next, I got keratin in my hair recently so I did not dread coming home to the hour long blowout, so I must confess that actually took the stress away. Lastly, I have been doing A LOT of pilates so I was not worried about my back because I knew my core was up to the task. I just felt good to be there. It was wonderful.

So what happens next?? Well, I will take it one class at a time. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. On Monday my son and I are also starting the Max Fitness Challenge, so this is a week of new beginnings for me, and I am so glad to be sharing them with someone else!