Great Day at GMA!

I had the pleasure of attending a day of “GMA” in downtown Nashville today. Its always good to be able to get out and see some friends and make some new acquaintances.

 

I ran into my friends from WAY FM, as well as Hope In Anguish radio.

 

Plus, I saw Alan Mason from Goodratings Strategic Services in the lobby of the hotel, and wanted to quickly introduce myself, plus thank him for his blog! (it’s a ‘Must Read’ for me!)

Voice Over Success RoundUp

I was origianlly going to write a “big post” summing up my thoughts on the input that fellow Voice Over actors Joe Szymanski, Bob Souer, Kara Edwards, Bobbin Beam and Peter O’Connell gave about Voice Over Success…

 

But, I changed my mind.

 

I did want to thank Joe, Bob, Kara, Bobbin And Peter for their time and thoughts. I really enjoyed reading the thoughtful comments and insight from VOs who are “in the trenches”.

 

If you would like to read the posts in the “series” - if you will - they are all listed here:

 

Post One - The Initial Questions to Fellow VO actors about “Success in VO”

Post Two - Joe Szymanski responds

Post Three - Bob Souer respoinds

Post Four - Kara Edwards responds

Post Five - Bobbin Beam responds

Post Six - Peter O’Connell responds

Post Seven - Peter O’Connell responds again

Post Eight - Peter O’Connell yet again!
Post Nine - Peter O’Connell wraps it up

From Peter’s Future VO Book, That You Shouldn’t Read! (According to Peter!)

Today Peter comes out a shootin’ on Question number four from a post a while back about Voice Over Success.

A couple of straight from the hip quotes:

 

…to be successful in voiceover, you have to be able to perform and performance comes from doing not reading a book (unless it is out loud)…

 

…If going to VO class feels like a chore, stop! Get off the voice over horse. You’re done…

 

…You have to want it, this voice over dream. Thousands share that great passion every day. The art of performance has to be so deep within you that you dream about doing the work, not making piles of money or dating Scarlett Johansson…

 

A HUGE Thanks to Peter for taking 4 days and 4 posts to answer these questions!

 I’ll wrap up and summarize in my next post!

Advice to a Young Grasshopper

Peter O’Connell continues answering questions on Voice Over Success with this post… to a younger, more innocent version of himself!

Here are a couple quotes:

 …Humor is good, obnoxious is bad. Learn the difference quickly…

 

 …build on that talent by learning from everyone in your industry, even the idiots (if they go left, you go right…don’t do what they do)…

 

…Flexibility and patience will be in great demand throughout your life and it will test you mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally…

Read the whole post here!

Woulda Coulda Shouldas

Peter O’Connell is back again with another post from the four questions that I threw out a couple weeks ago about Voice Over Success.

Here are a couple thoughts from his answer to the 2nd Question…

 

…Learning from history but not dwelling on it was one of the first thoughts that came to mind with this question. The wouldas, shouldas and couldas of this business can haunt you…

 

…learn from the mistakes but also learn to let go of the mistake. If your business is in a lull, don’t think about the wouldas, shouldas and couldas but rather the “ares” and “ams”…

More on “Ares and “Ams” and managing the business here.

Passion, Talent and Marketing

I love reading Peter O’Connell’s Blog. 

Sometimes he just lays it out there, and that is very refreshing!

He, too, like some other VO folks, has come along to answer some questions I threw out a while ago about Voice Over Success, from a book I was reading by Scott Ginsberg.

Here are some of Peter’s thoughts on Question #1. (he is going to break them up into 4 different posts - a True Blogger - and another thing to learn !

 

…When I get to visit with other voice talents and talk about the business I find pure enjoyment. I’m lousy at articulating it (I’m a VO, I need a script!) but I know it when I experience it…maybe you do too…

 

…Talent isn’t a habit but the best habits cannot replace talent…

 

…Basically, if you’re a voice talent, use your voice whether someone is paying you or not. Practice…

 

…If you had to focus on just one aspect of sales and marketing to make your VO business thrive, it is this: learn the internet…

Peter - Thanks for the posts, I’m looking forward to reading!

The Long Journey on the Plan Wagon

The feedback continues from a post I wrote some time back on Voice Over Success.

I tagged some fellow VO bloggers like Joe Szymanski, Bob Souer, and Kara Edwards.

Bobbin Beam was kind enough to chime in too!

Here are some of Bobbins thoughts:

Success is relative and subjective.  It is a journey that will likely not happen overnight…

Persevere, focus, keep your eye on your goals, take action…

Great words to live by. You can check out her blog on the topic here.

Thanks Bobbin!

Consistency, A Thick Skin and Continuous Learning

A few weeks back, I wrote a blog about Voice Over Success. I asked several questions that had been in a book I was reading by Scott Ginsberg.

Joe Szymanski posted his thoughts

So did Bob Souer.

Today, Kara Edwards chimes in!

Here are a couple thoughts from Kara:

…It also pays to be friendly and flexible. Working as a freelance actor/voice actor means I don’t have to adhere to staunch corporate rules. I can work with my client to meet their expectations. I have found no better marketing tool than simple word of mouth, therefore I give each project 100%…

 

There is no room for self doubt in this business. I’ve been blessed with a thick skin from years in radio, and I work to keep my confidence levels high…

 

…as a freelance non-union actor, it is up to me to put money back for my retirement. I have to keep my earnings and expenses organized, pay taxes, etc. The more business knowledge one possesses (branding, marketing, networking, book keeping, etc), the better the chances of overall success…

Thanks Kara!

You can read Her ‘full on’ answers here!

I’ve said it before, I love learning from people!

Tell ‘em You’re Gonna do it, Do it, Tell ‘em you Did it

I was reading Kitzie Stern’s Blog today and read about her marketing adventures and fun with Excel.

 

I have been working at the other end of the spectrum today.

 

 

(imagine dramatic music and reverb here Billing/Invoicing

 

I, too, would rather be voicing something like she mentions, yet, as I was thinking about it, a phrase came to my head that I hadn’t thought about in quite some time.

 

I first heard it sitting in Bill Dunnavant’s Office at WZYP in Huntsville, Alabama.

 

My Program Director, Bill West, was out for the day, and I was getting a quick introductory lesson on Marketing and Promotion. 

 

It came down to the quesion: How do you get as many listeners involved with a promotion as possible? 

 

The answer was this: 

 

Stu, You have to Tell em you’re gonna do it, Do it, Then Tell ‘em You did it. 

You have to have all three parts!

 

It seems to me that it also applies to voice work as well.

 

*Marketing/Promotion

*The VO work itself

*Invoicing and then maintaining contact!

 

The Three Headed Voice Monster!

 

Who is this ROSS and why does he have REPORTS?

As I was out spending some birthday cash yesterday, I finally came across ROSS REPORTS that Harlan Hogan mentions in his book VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice- Actor. (I am sure others mention it as well, I just happened to read it from Harlan first)

 

I hadn’t seen them yet in any book store, so when I happend upon them at Borders, I was very excited.

 

I am enthusiastically going thru and looking at casting directors and agents who cast and represent VO Talent!