Neither Brady Hales nor his wife, Elizbeth,
are known to me.
Both are featured in their ubiquitous and engaging online video ads extolling the virtues of voice acting. Their demeanor makes me think they must be nice people…which is a plus if you’re selling something.
The ads must be effective as well, cuz their marketing costs have GOT to be significant.
Have you seen the ads?
How could you NOT have seen them?
I didn’t really intend this…but now that I’ve started, I guess, yes...this will be a rant about the opportunistic over-coaching of our profession.
Here’s the take-home:
Coaches take undue advantage of the enthusiastic exuberance of newbie prospects.
CAVEATS
- No one here is discouraging dreaming big, following your dreams, or realizing your dreams.
- In voice acting, like most other performance endeavours, coaching is necessary
- Ongoing coaching is also wise
- BUSINESS coaching is especially recommended
THE RUB #1
That last point…the business aspect of voiceovers, is scarcely mentioned in these breezy online VO coaching ads.
The evidence of the misleading pitch is right there in the online comments under the Hales’ ads. I’m paraphrasing, but they go something like this:
- “I’m in! I’ve always done cartoon voices!
- “Everybody says I should be in radio!”
- “So cool, can’t wait to show you my characters!”
- “Where do I sign up?”
And even Hales’ own answer to someone: “Get ready to discover what your voice can really do!” If asked, Hales is honest enough to comment that the business-end of things is important, but that is clearly not the message eager prospects are getting.
Is this misleading? Kinda. Is it wrong? Hard to argue that existentially.Can this be stopped? ‘Decidedly no incentive to self-regulate.
THE RUB #2
We’re in a profession with no certifications or accredited higher ed degrees to be had, so in the absence, this Wild West of self-appointed coaching will always be open to anyone willing to hang out a shingle.
Am I the only person who wonders why a full-time voice-actor would turn to coaching? It’s gotta take attention away from voicing.
Hmmmmm. Why would someone do that? Any idea?
Yes, there are plenty of coaches who are NOT voice actors, but who are genuine, have integrity, and who are honest with students about the realities of the job.
There are also plenty of voice actors who just get a real kick out of helping people along the way. I’d say they’re the exception, rather than the rule.
THE RUB #3
Voiceovers are sexy…at least most people seem to think so — and (apparently) EASY. And those same people….the VO wannabees who think that… are singularly naive about the challenges of the profession. Naive — almost as much as they are unwilling to do their own due process research into the mountain that lies before them. That’s the newbies’ shortcoming, not the coach… but most online “get rich with VO” ads don’t seem too eager to dissuade them of the notion.
Yes, there are the anomalies…the people who enter the field, and within months are making 6-figures. How many of those people do you know?
SO…WHY?
Why is our industry so over-run with these come-ons?
Why do a significant number of voice-actors start coaching? Are they really qualified?…Are budgets so lean? Is it a herd mentality (i.e. “Well Cindy started coaching, so I know I CAN!”)?
Why isn’t there more pushback from those who see degradation of our industry from the relentless push from coaches on unsuspecting newbies?
BECAUSE…
- They can.
- There is no regulation.
- Prospective students don’t do their home work.
- Coaches take undue advantage of the enthusiastic exuberance of prospects.
- Technology outpaces standardization and certification EVERY time.
- VO coaches do a questionable job of moderating themselves.
- We’re a capitalistic economy, and it’s the American way.
Ultimately why is this all bad?
- Because it dilutes the pool of available talent for a shrinking pool of jobs.
- It’s insincere to pander to enthusiastic wannabe’s without being honest about the challenges
- It downgrades the general level of professionalism that floods the available market.
- It puts downward pressure on expected compensation for both clients and talent
- NOTE: THERE ARE LEGITIMATE POV’S AGAINST THE ABOVE STATEMENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTEI’ve written about this endlessly back when I was a regular blogger. No one paid attention then, and likely no one will now. See VO COACHING CONUNDRUMS. The only significant market force since the last decade is AI, and I think it’s making this situation worse.
Prove me wrong. I welcome any and all comments below.
CourVO
Listen to my Commercial demo
Hi Dave!
As usual, your reporting is thorough and important. As a full time VO actor for the past 22 years, who has been coaching for the last 5, I wonder if there’s more we can add to the conversation.
1) I only started coaching because people would often approach me after I gave talks (mostly on Medical Narration), and asked if I coached. For years, my answer was “No…. maybe someday.”
With the advent of Covid and the support and encouragement of Rhonda Phillips, a great coach for new-to-the-business voice actors, I spent a lot of time concretizing my years of experience into didactic material that would help others.
2) One only needs to be a student to learn that not all teachers are skilled at teaching!
My advice to high school seniors who were applying to Brown, my alma mater, was ‘find out who the great teachers are, and no matter the subject, take the class! You’re sure to be engaged and enlightened!
3) Wouldn’t it be helpful to your readers to offer suggestions on how to find a good coach? And discuss what goes into good coaching?
I’d be happy to share my thoughts if you’re interested….
Debbie,
Thanks for your comments, and bad on me for not seeing your response sooner. I guess past readers of my blog actually DO still get my missives. LOL
I would put you in the top[ 5% elite coaches who I would send someone to for medical narration coaching without hesitation. But I KNOW you. Just think of the predicament of a newbie getting come-ons from every last dog ‘n’ pony show out there. How do they tell know the good from the bad? WORD OF MOUTH. That’s why community is so important for our business.
Thanks again,
Dave C
Hi Dave…first time commenter. Long time reader.
I’ll throw in my two cents as someone who’s been a full-time voice actor and now a coach: there are far too many companies out there selling the “dream,” and it’s sickening how many people get taken advantage of.
I started coaching back when I was on the radio, doing VO, and signed with an NYC agent. A mentoring company asked me to guide aspiring radio folks, and I discovered I loved it. Some students stayed with me long after their program ended, and I realized I had a knack for coaching.
Fast forward 15 years—at 55, I still work with my VO clients, but I’ve stopped chasing new work. I hit my career goals (Disney was a big one), and now I focus on helping others. I don’t charge a lot because my real priority is community: creating spaces where people can share, learn, and support each other in what is truly a long journey.
And let me say this: just because a coach is “famous” in our little VO bubble doesn’t mean they’re your golden ticket. If I had a dollar for every student who came to me after dropping thousands on a demo or a package, only to end up frustrated… I’d have a pretty solid travel fund.
Linda,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I LOVE YOUR KIND OF COACH….someone who does it merely for the kick they get out of giving someone great guidance, and a leg-up. I call that mentoring more than coaching, and I do a lot of that too, now, in the later years of my time in VO. I go back to the comment I left for Deb Irwin. Imagine a newcomer to our profession who legitimately wants to do the right thing and follow the proper course of action to get started in this business. It’s just mind-boggling what’s available out there, and a good bit of it is just trash. So community makes this all the more important for being able to get word-of-mouth references.
Thanks again.,
Dave Courvoisier
There are a lot of voice actors building their schools and training systems because social media glorification of voice acting has built a market, and training systems are scalable and lucrative. I know many of them as they are my clients (or from ’round the web). I ALSO know how much time/money you need to invest in building a training system, and that the need to get an ROI on that is imperative.
Joe Cipriano is one of the few who figured out a way to serve his students people on a asynchronous, individual bases, and it’s brilliant. Obviously he also has the street cred to back it up, but he’s ACTUALLY coaching.
I never launched a “system” or “masterclass” or “program” because I don’t believe in it. I think it’s a 100% individual situation each time with unique parameters. Maybe I will never retire or have a cabin in the mountains, but I rest well at night knowing that each person I work with gets a completely bespoke solution.
In fact as the demand for my brand of technical support slowly wanes (no need to get into the whys of it all), I look at new industries to serve rather than squeeze the juice out of the one I’ve grown to love for the last 20 years. Stay tuned…
Thanks for your comment, George. You and Joe sit at the peak of the mountain made up of the truly gifted and sincere coaches in our business.
No one, just no one occupies the space you do in your niche. Not only do you know your stuff, but you care. That’s a rare combination. All the same can be said of Joe Cipriano with the added observation that you both have the humility that makes you both so authentic.
It’s one-on-one…yes…that’s the magic of coaching. I’m surprised to hear that your brand of technical support is waning. I would have thought otherwise, but yes, you WILL rest easy at the end of the day knowing you did your best.
Respectfully,
Dave Courvoisier