For as long as I can remember, I’ve stressed the value of having effective Systems of Thought and Systems of Execution. How we think about what we are supposed to be and do is critical to our success as voice talents.
I mention this because I’ve noticed a pattern in the questions that aspiring voice talents ask me as well as posts on various social media platforms. As a whole, new voice talents (and some veteran voice talents) think too much about the wrong things. What I mean by “wrong” is stuff that new voice talents think/worry about too much or shouldn’t be thinking about at all.
Much of it stems from how we have been raised in an employee-mentality conformist society whose educational system actively squashes individuality, creativity, and most of all, critical thinking. How does this manifest in voiceovers?
I took a survey of voice talents I trust and asked them to name one thing your typical voice talent thinks about too much and one thing they don’t think about enough. Here are some of their answers along with a few of my own.
Voice Talents Think Too Much About…… And Don’t Think Enough About…Their Recording EquipmentTheir Recording EnvironmentTheir SlateTheir AuditionThe Auditions They’ve DoneThe Performance In Front Of ThemWhat The Client WantsWhat We Can Bring To The PerformanceWhat Others Are DoingWhat They Are DoingMaking ConnectionsBuilding RelationshipsIncorporatingHaving An Effective Business Plan#of Social Media ConnectionsDeveloping Their BrandWhat They Can’t AffordHow To Effectively Invest In Themselves And Their Business
TIP OF THE WEEK
How do you develop effective Systems of Thought?
Examine your assumptions. What have you been assuming about yourself, the voiceover industry, and what you need to do, have, and be to be successful?
Think of yourself as a business first, then an artist. Get out of your head all the crap you’ve ever seen or heard about what it means to be successful in the entertainment industry and join the 21st Century. Concentrate on the things that will make you an effective business.
Focus on your business plan, maximize the effectiveness of the resources you have on hand, train with the best coaches you can afford, and execute consistently!
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, March 21st @8PM EST: My next Business & Money 201 webinar will be “Tax Time!” Take a wild guess what we’re gonna talk about.
Sunday, March 24th @2:00 PM EST: I will be leading a “Manage Your Money Like a VO Pro” workshop at Arts On Site hosted by the Voice Actors of NYC Facebook Group. We’ll talk about all things financial as a voiceover business and tips about filing your taxes in 2019. There are still a few seats left so sign up right here, right now!
SESSION TOPIC CHANGE!!! March 29-31, 2019: VO Atlanta 2019! My Breakout Session will be “The Sales Funnel” and my X-Session will now be “Managing Your TIME and your Money”. Here is the new session description:
Making the transition from hourly employee to a self-employed entrepreneur is a challenge! As a voice talent, you utilize your time and your money much differently than your typical 9-to-5’er. Everything from how you pay your taxes & save for retirement to prioritizing tasks so your day doesn’t spin out of control. In this X-Session, ‘Managing Your Time and Money’, you will discover what it means to be a voiceover business on a financial, logistical, and ergonomic level. We’ll discuss and review:
Tips & tricks about building & managing your voiceover business
Incorporation, acquiring insurance
and focusing on the rights tasks at the right time.It may be the most important voiceover session you’ll ever have! There are still a few X-Session seats left so sign up today.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Thursday, May 30th 9AM-3PM EST: “The VO Tech Deep Dive and eLearning Extravaganza!” This all-day workshop will consist of two classes: in the morning Amanda Rose Smith will dive deep into audio engineering (from studio creation to mastering files) and in the afternoon I will run an intensive “Learning to do eLearning” seminar covering everything you need to know about the world of eLearning and Corporate narration (which includes live coaching). The Early Bird rate of $99 per class or $179 for both classes ends April 1st and are limited to a precious few seats. Tickets are on sale now!
September 13th-15: VOcation NYC! This is a shiny new conference which is all about the business and marketing side of the voiceover industry. Tickets go on sale April 1st. Go to www.vocationconference.com to learn more!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Coconut Torte Day and Fill Our Staplers Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VO Strategist and produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”.