I don’t have bad days.
I really mean it. Sometimes bad things happen, but it’s up to me to decide whether I’ll let that make it a bad day. Yes, I know that sounds overly simplistic & optimistic, but it’s a principle I try to live by with mostly successful results. BTW I’m not talking about really bad things like a death in the family or something like that. I mean those little-ish things that have the potential to make your day spiral out of control. With that in mind, here are two “bad” things that happened to me last week…
Bad Thing 1) Last Tuesday morning I turned on my computer. I immediately suspected something was wrong because my wallpaper was gone and all of the desktop icons were on the left side of the screen. My pictures, videos, documents, and downloads vanished. To make things even more interesting, all of my programs (most distressingly Outlook and Adobe Audition) were reset.
After a brief moment of panic, I realized that all of these things were in my C: drive but the rest of my computer was intact. I went to Carbonite and within a few hours my C: drive was restored. All better thanks to the $60 annual subscription to Carbonite.
Bad Thing 2): Last Saturday morning I go to my car and one of the tires is flat. I try to change the tire but the lugs are on too tight.
After a brief moment of feeling emasculated, I call AAA and they change the tire. I went to my dealer this morning and got a patch. All better thanks to the $60 annual subscription to AAA.
TIP OF THE WEEK
How did these bad things not turn into a bad day? Preparation!
Subscribing to Carbonite saved my C: drive and subscribing to AAA saved me time, money, and aggravation.
I often talk about having strong Systems of Thought and Systems of Execution in place both professionally and personally. Professionals and adults have systems in place for when things go sideways.
Look at your voiceover business. What would you do if your computer crashed? Do you use Carbonite or a similar service? What if you knocked over your mic? Is it insured?
If you are prepared, the little bad things that can (and will) happen shouldn’t drag down your day, your business, or your life!
NEWS AND NOTES!
My next Edge Studio “Business and Money 201” webinar is Thursday, March 17th @8PM EST. The subject: Tax Time! We’re gonna talk about how to file your taxes as a voice talent. Click here to sign up.
On Wednesday March 23 @8:30PM EST I will have a delightful conversation with fellow audio book narrator Andi Arndt about the business-side of audio books. This free webinar will be hosted by award-winning narrator Tavia Gilbert courtesy of the Audio Publishers Association. FYI this webinar is for APA members only so if you’ve been considering joining, now is the perfect time. Hope to see you there!
The Voice Over Body Shop Podcast episode that I was privileged to be a guest of is up! You can hear my silliness about 31 minutes in. Click here to check it out.
HAPPY HAPPYS!
Happy Awkward Moments Day and International Day of Happiness!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, GKN News…
Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist, and is currently writing & producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.