When I am at parties, networking events, on vacation, picking up my dog’s poop… I will oftentimes run into someone and start having a little small talk. Inevitably, the conversation turns to what we do for a living. I say: “I do voice overs.” 99% of the time, as many voice over actors reading this know, they ask: “What … Read More
The Top 20 Funny Voices Behind Your Favorite 90’s Cartoons [Updated]
Did you love cartoons when you were a kid? Same! My favorite part was the funny voices of the characters. Some voices were not only funny at times but also just straight up cool. You see… I grew up in the 90’s, and now that I’m a full-time voice actor and voice over talent, I’ve come to realize that there … Read More
Official Poll Results: What Is Our VO Job Title?
One of the hot button topics in the VO community is this: What do we call ourselves? or What is our job title? Recently, I posed this question in a Facebook VO group called Voice-Over Friends: I posed it from the non-audiobook narrator/live announcer side of the VO perspective. Those job titles are … Read More
Hank Azaria of ‘The Simpsons’ Lives Out My Voice Over – Baseball Dream
I’m jealous. Hank Azaria, the voice actor behind some of the most famous animated characters of all-time on “The Simpsons,” recently lived out a dream of mine: He got to announce a major league baseball team’s lineup. And on top of that, he got to do it using some of his voice acting chops. On “The Simpsons,” he’s the voice … Read More
5 Predictions: How Facebook Hashtags Could Be HUGE For Voice Over
There has been some potentially BIG NEWS for the voice over world, especially voice over talent (in my hopeful opinion). Facebook just announced that it is rolling out the use of searchable hashtags much like Twitter has been using for years. What’s a hashtag? For those of you not using Twitter (I sure hope you are and you … Read More
How To Motivate Your “CEO” Identity
The root of what motivates us. Dan Pink, the author of five best-selling books about the changing world of work, presented 3 factors that greatly motivate us in the workplace. This motivation is especially prevalent when dealing with more complex tasks. In your case, it is your identity as “CEO” in your business. This is my favorite identity (even … Read More
How To Motivate Your “Accountant/Bill Collector” Identity
Don’t get mad. I hate baked potatoes. Instead of citing some psychological research this week, I am going to be citing my own anecdotal, unique to me experience about hating baked potatoes. I’ve given you lots of options for motivating your other voice over identities based on loads of psychological research. If you’ve been reading the other parts … Read More
How To Motivate Your “Executive Assistant” Identity
Let’s get cliché. Today, more than ever, you have to raise the bar to go beyond the industry standard to make your business go from good to great. How do you do that? You have to motivate each and every one of your voice over identities, especially your identity as the Executive Assistant. This role is the glue that … Read More
How “The Office” Got Me To Say Goodbye
“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” –Michael Scott This quote from Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s Regional Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) is hilarious and the epitome of how he thinks and acts. It is also a perfect description of my life’s journey (and probably … Read More
How To Motivate Your “Customer Service Representative” Identity
Have you signed a “Voice Over Customer Service Contract” for your clients? This week’s installment of “How To Motivate Your 8 Voice Over Identities” is simple. Below is a “Voice Over Customer Service Contract” I created after looking at some customer service agreements online and applying important parts of the voice over business to the agreement. If you agree with the terms … Read More