Welcome to My Blog!
The Very Latest…
You Need a Diversion
Life can be a challenge (esp. now), and one of the more healthy alternatives for a quick sanity check is a diversion.
Just Before that…
A Dozen Dialect Sites (and more)
All those auditions you have to let slide because you don’t do a Boston accent, or an Arkansas twang? Here’s how.
Your 5-Millionth Audition
They pop up in my Gmail, and I exhale deeply. No longer do I gleefully greet each audition request with the hope of opportunity. I used to. But now, they've become a hassle. Like a robo-call. "Just go away, willya?" I look for reasons to delete them one by one until...
Let Teddy Make You a Better Voice Actor
You think history is irrelevant? Think again. Some of the best inspirations come from past personalities.
Should You Clear Your Throat?
Common wisdom holds that clearing your throat is the worst thing for your vocal cords…true or false?
Respect Often Means Simple Courtesy
Oh, the Golden Rule has many many applications…herein, we’ll delve into a couple.
Has It Sunk In Yet?
Change, they say, is inevitable, but sometimes it moves slowly enough that you can’t see it, or don’t WANT to see it.
Voice Over Education
A Dozen Dialect Sites (and more)
All those auditions you have to let slide because you don’t do a Boston accent, or an Arkansas twang? Here’s how.
Should You Clear Your Throat?
Common wisdom holds that clearing your throat is the worst thing for your vocal cords…true or false?
7 VO Things to Do With Your Stimulus Check
It’s already spent, right? If not, and even if so…herewith a few suggestions for applying your government money that may help your VO biz.
How Alaska’s Mountains Helped Solve my Email Problems (yours too)
Everything They Say About Alaska is True... ...including the size of the mosquitos. Luckily they hadn't much come out yet while we were there. Native Alaskans will tell you that in the 49th state June is Spring, July is Summer, and August is Fall. ...
How to Manage Voice Talent in a Phone Patch: Do’s & Don’t’s
Producers and clients of voice talent: Here’s a primer in how to conduct a live directed session over the phone.
The Challenge of Finding a Worthy VO Coach
There are plenty of scoundrels, imposters, shysters, and charlatans in the world of VO coaching. Here’s a suggestion.
Can You Escape Your Voice’s AGE?
Does your age define or limit the number of jobs you qualify for?
Short ‘n’ Sweet
A blog for you TL:DR people.
Video: State of the VO Industry
Here it is…the promised recording of the GVAA/VOAA/WoVO Webinar.
Your Invitation…
…to an online conversation you need to see.
World Voices #WoVochat
OneVoice Finds the Antidote for COVID
Some of the biggest annual conferences in all sorts of industries have had to drop their events. SWSX, NAB, Olympics, Burning Man, and countless others were caught by the calendar, and a disbelief that COVID was as bad as it was, or would get the reception it did. The...
WoVOCon Community?…Priceless!
World-Voices Organization's 6th-annual conference in Las Vegas wrapped up at 6pm Sunday night. Most all of the 115 attendees, presenters, sponsors, and speakers were walking two feet off the ground when they walked out the door. That's the kind of energy these...
Save $50 !!!
Thursday and Friday…the last chance to get the lowest price on the best VO conference yet this year.
WoVOCon VI Launches
There are VO conferences, and there are VO conferences. Then there’s WoVOCon.
In:Quality at NAB
The makers of ipDTL (and now new related products) makes its stand at the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas
VO Atlanta is Over: Now Do These 5 Things
Your head is spilling over with names, knowledge, and networking. Do these things to hold on to the magic.
No Really…this is the TRUE Secret to VO Success (honest)
…just back from a visit to my VO guru in a place called “The Tropicana” somewhere by a hidden mountain in Nepal and have come back with this wisdom.
…and so it begins
WoVOConV starts this weekend!
MissingLettr Uppercase Event
Uh…just what is this? Inquire within.
Disappearing Days
Uh…August?
I’m just sayin’
VO Business & Compensation
Your 5-Millionth Audition
They pop up in my Gmail, and I exhale deeply. No longer do I gleefully greet each audition request with the hope of opportunity. I used to. But now, they've become a hassle. Like a robo-call. "Just go away, willya?" I look for reasons to delete them one by one until...
Respect Often Means Simple Courtesy
Oh, the Golden Rule has many many applications…herein, we’ll delve into a couple.
When COVID Gets Whacky
Things would natural change after the pandemic, but as at home freelance workers, we still need to be vigilant in protecting our integrity and turf.
Voice Over Education
Do This Crucial Thing…
…to save your time and grief.
The rest will follow.
The VO Newcomer Playbook
There’s no more secret to approaching VO for the first time than there is ANY freelance “gig” profession.
It boils down to one word.
The #1 Enemy of Voice Actor Progress
You’re gonna hate me when you find out what it is.
You already know, and you’ve let it get in your way.
No SEO Will Survive THIS Search Method
Just when you think you might be gaining ground in the holy grail of search optimization, along comes a method for finding voice actors from way out in left field.
VO Coaching Conundrums
Apparently, a lot of people want to coach voice acting these days. But why?…and who? When does a voice talent become a voice coach…and where are the rules & regs? A few observations within…
4 Things That Will Make Your VO Clients Love You
Courtesy never goes out of style. Neither does consideration. If this is a relationship business, then here are some tips to curry good relations.
Creative VO Prospecting
Yesterday, I was reading through my Google Alerts, and came across a Craigslist ad placed by a seasoned VO pro. I've re-printed most of it for you to see below the line-break. The ad came complete with a graphic, phone #, website address, a map to his major U-S city...
Clearing Out the Crud
When your speaking apparatus is gunked-up... you can't keep up your VO commitments so well. And Boy Howdy, this is the season for gunking! How many times have I seen anguished posts on social media groups begging anyone for quick-fix solutions that will allow the...
Starting Out
Launching into the world of voice acting is a steep challenge. There are no manuals, but plenty of "opportunities". The opportunities range from legitimate offers of help to outright predation, and everything in between...including the costs involved. As you would...
Qualified to be a VO Coach?
The estimate that only 5% of voice actors are truly supporting themselves and their families with strictly voiceover work is probably close to correct. (remember, 47.93% of all numbers quoted online are made-up). Whatever the number (almost impossible to discern),...
Voice Over Hardware & Software tools
The Ultimate Podcasting Reference
There are a lot of reasons people Podcast, but probably the biggest, is that it WORKS! It works especially well as a marketing tool...or in today's parlance: a content marketing tool. In the process -- much like blogging -- you learn a lot, and you earn a lot of...
How’s Your Email List?
Expert marketers claim that the carefully curried email list is still the Holy Grail of finding and maintaining clients. True?
Have You Considered….?
Google Fi is in the mix; offering some incredible value, and great coverage for your cell use.
Ah, the Mic. The Mighty Mic!
The mic is a voice talent’s axe.. While we can’t escape its necessity, there’s no reason to let it overburden us either.
The Best NDA-Signing Apps and Programs
Have you noticed, more and more clients are requiring the non-disclosure agreement. Here’s how to get it done with the least hassle.
Maybe You Can Use These Tools?
LinkedIn add-ons, a great (and free) video editor, and SIP audio demystified.
Anybody Can Do This
…and the vehicle is Podcasting. But is it really voice-acting?
5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Produce Your Own Demos
Yeah…don’t even think it.
Here’s why.
WAVSplitter: Next-Gen Word2WAV
Specialty software designed just for voice-actors is rare. It's usually musicians, producers, or DJ's etc. who are the target, and voiceover artists have to adapt it. But Word2Wav was one of those unique, gems-of-a-program that could save you, the voice actor, hours...
Video: Doing the SKYPE Phone Patch
Erik Sheppard hosts this video with me explaining the Skype phone patch.
Voice Over Events
OneVoice Finds the Antidote for COVID
Some of the biggest annual conferences in all sorts of industries have had to drop their events. SWSX, NAB, Olympics, Burning Man, and countless others were caught by the calendar, and a disbelief that COVID was as bad as it was, or would get the reception it did. The...
WoVOCon Community?…Priceless!
World-Voices Organization's 6th-annual conference in Las Vegas wrapped up at 6pm Sunday night. Most all of the 115 attendees, presenters, sponsors, and speakers were walking two feet off the ground when they walked out the door. That's the kind of energy these...
Save $50 !!!
Thursday and Friday…the last chance to get the lowest price on the best VO conference yet this year.
WoVOCon VI Launches
There are VO conferences, and there are VO conferences. Then there’s WoVOCon.
In:Quality at NAB
The makers of ipDTL (and now new related products) makes its stand at the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas
VO Atlanta is Over: Now Do These 5 Things
Your head is spilling over with names, knowledge, and networking. Do these things to hold on to the magic.
No Really…this is the TRUE Secret to VO Success (honest)
…just back from a visit to my VO guru in a place called “The Tropicana” somewhere by a hidden mountain in Nepal and have come back with this wisdom.
…and so it begins
WoVOConV starts this weekend!
MissingLettr Uppercase Event
Uh…just what is this? Inquire within.
Disappearing Days
Uh…August?
I’m just sayin’
Listen to my Commercial demoVoice Over Niches
You Need a Diversion
Life can be a challenge (esp. now), and one of the more healthy alternatives for a quick sanity check is a diversion.
A Dozen Dialect Sites (and more)
All those auditions you have to let slide because you don’t do a Boston accent, or an Arkansas twang? Here’s how.
Your 5-Millionth Audition
They pop up in my Gmail, and I exhale deeply. No longer do I gleefully greet each audition request with the hope of opportunity. I used to. But now, they've become a hassle. Like a robo-call. "Just go away, willya?" I look for reasons to delete them one by one until...
Voice Over Hardware & Software tools
How to Conduct a Phone Patch Using Skype
Hard-wired phone lines are almost an anachronism for all but serious businesses, government, and other formal institutions. POTS (plain old telephone systems) services are not going away, but for most individual consumers, and certainly 3rd-world countries, phone...
143
When is the truth so obvious that you HAVE to admit it?
5 Creative Ways to Evaluate a Voiceover Colleague’s Demo
Lord knows it's hard enough to be honest with YOURSELF about your demos. It's even harder to be candid, yet diplomatic with your peers when they ask you for an opinion about THEIR demo. And yet, the call eventually comes...that email with an attachment. Someone...
2 New Browser Releases, and 3 Reasons Why It May Not Matter to Your Voiceover Business
How DO you access the internet these days? Increasingly laptops and desktops are becoming irrelelvant.
Can You Say “Moo”?
Clients meet voice-actors, and everyone’s happy, right?
Wrong.
You can do better.
Coolest Online Digital Tool EVARR
Anyone who's had to build a story using subject interviews under deadline pressure (TV reporters?) knows the drill. You can't really compose the narrative until you know exactly what the interview subjects actually say...so the first task - while the clock is ticking...
Best Voice Over Lead Generator I’ve Seen in a Long Time
Access. How do you find access to names, emails, phone numbers of people/prospects who might hire you? THIS is how.
Google Search on Steroids
Understand a few simple syntax constructions in your google search,
and you can open up a world of opportunity.
The 5 Technology Myths of Voiceover
Impossible! 21st-Century technology BUILT today’s VO profession! How could it conceivably shackle your progress? Read it and weep. Chances are you’re guilty.
5 Tactful Ways to Critique a Voiceover Colleague’s Demo
Are you qualified to evaluate the demo of a VO peer? Yes and no. Here are five suggestions for seeing your way through that thicket.
Can You Relate?
Without it, you can forget about successfully navigating life (not to mention your VO business).
12 Ways to Succeed in Your First Audition (the phone call)
Working on getting a new client? You’ll never even get a chance to send her/him a demo unless you get past your first audition. Huh? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. It goes back to the old saying…”You never get a second chance at a first impression”. That...
WoVOCon Community?…Priceless!
World-Voices Organization's 6th-annual conference in Las Vegas wrapped up at 6pm Sunday night. Most all of the 115 attendees, presenters, sponsors, and speakers were walking two feet off the ground when they walked out the door. That's the kind of energy these...