Whether you have a VO career that lasts 2 years or 20 years, you will be changed. There’s something about being a solopreneur that uncovers areas of growth opportunity

What I mean by that is, as a voice actor, you don’t have a marketing, accounting, HR or admin department. It’s all you. Because of that, it’s like a magnifying glass on areas showing where we need to grow. Yes…it’s hard, but it’s also amazing at the same time.

I wanted to share 8 of those lessons that changed my VO career, for the better. Have you learned (or maybe already knew) these lessons too? Would love to hear your experience. 

1| You can’t expect what you don’t inspect – Dally East

Dally is the daughter of our CPA and she works specifically with systems to track finances. This is something she says all the time.

When I paid more attention to keeping track of my monthly income, where it was coming from, which months were slower and which were more profitable, it allowed me to not only plan betterfinancially but also create a plan to increase what to expect. 

2| Never assume the answer is no.

There’s magic in the follow-up.

But only if you NEVER assume the answer is NO.

The person who thinks they already have the right answer stops asking the right questions.

Persistence has been a scary monster for much of my career. I didn’t want to come across annoying…but the more I:

1| uncover the value I bring and 

2| practice persistence, the more I realize it’s not a monster at all but more like a fairy godmother. 

3| The best networking strategy is a “helping others first” strategy. – Ben Meer

This is a good one to follow #2 because I’ve also found that persistence focused only on what you can get from others does not bode well in such a collaborative industry. The more you lead with how you can help someone versus how they can help you, the greater and more long-term relationships will be created. 

4| A downside of competition is conformity. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled into this. As competition grows in voice over, I’m so guilty of thinking, “What am I not doing right? What is the sound that’s booking? How can I sound like that?” I end up conforming and trying to be like everyone else, instead of leaning more into…what makes MEstand out against the competition.

5| When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare. 

I’m constantly asking myself, “How can I prepare for the opportunity I want to come my way?” Many times a really amazing opportunity has presented itself and I wasn’t at the place I needed to be.

6| “There’s a time when everything is fallow & there’s a time when harvest comes from shallow” – Joy Williams “All I Need” 

Joy Williams is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and this line is one I have said to myself so many times. As voice actors, we experience it. 

A fallow ground is unplanted but is necessary to restore nutrients to the soil for healthy things to grow. I don’t totally know what Joy meant by “harvest comes from shallow” but I’ve interpreted it as this…

There are times when you won’t see any evidence of a thriving career. There are times when the career is thriving out of what seems to be “pure luck.” 

This is something that I need to be reminded of constantly. Even if you are a successful voice actor, not getting a “BOOKED” email at the same frequency or having slow weeks can feel scary in this industry. 

We all need reminders that we can’t control everything but we can control how we choose to move forward every day. 

7| “What you say to yourself when it is credible builds something that is sustainable.”  – Michael Gervais 

Michael Gervais (previously a Sports Psychologist for the Seattle Seahawks) says that the key to changing a self-critical mindset is to focus on TRUE, positive data. This is why I created a folder with positive feedback from clientsagents and coaches. I’m very self-critical. This can hinder my performances, my relationships and my overall disposition. 

8| “What I have gradually learned is that it is not your strengths, but your combination of strengths that sets you apart.”  – James Clear

I’ve always loved so many different things. I love interior design, I love cooking, I love acting, I love singing, I love writing, I love….on and on. For so long I felt like my diverse interests held me back from being great at one thing. I felt okay at a lot of things. 

As my career has progressed, it’s actually the combination of those things that has actually been my greatest strength

Not to say that if someone has a single interest that’s bad…but if you have multiple interests, don’t let anyone tell you that’s a bad thing.

Hope one of these resonated with you! I’ll end with one last quote I heard from actor David Moscow. He said his Dad told him, “There’s always another mountain to climb, so enjoy the journey.” Embrace discomfort and hard things and ask yourself what’s the lesson to learn.

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