Branding, Business Coaching + Management for Voice Actors
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What really matters now?
In these days of uncertainty, I just keep thinking:
The world will never be the same.
I think we’re all wondering how this will impact our lives, our careers, our communities—life as we know it—right?
Well, kittens, I can’t speak for everything, but I can speak for the future of VO.
11 Things Successful VO Talent Do
Ever wonder why some voice actors are really raking it in—and others aren’t? This difference in success and income isn’t usually based on talent alone. In fact, while talent gets you far, it’s these factors that really take a voice actor from good to uber-successful.
At CSM, our most successful clients are voice actors who are entirely unique from one another in their voice, their genres and their styles. Yet they have some important things in common. They approach business and life in some similar ways.
What does 2020 mean for VO?
Every decade has its flavor.
The 2010s solidified the VO wild west into the new normal. When pay to plays disrupted the way our industry had run, the community rose to the challenge and and learned new ways to make a good living.
We also came out of our home offices and booths and got to really know one another at VO conferences and get togethers, and by supporting one another on social media. Many of us found great fulfillment in this.
Disruptive technologies took away from the old business model and gave to the truly entrepreneurial. Essentially, those who were willing to change with the times found not only success, but deeper connection interpersonally and within the industry.
Alas, we are onto a NEW decade! read more…
How to Compete in Amazon-Land
These days, everybody expects the Amazon experience.
We want it fast. Easy. Now!
The truth is, we Americans have pretty insane expectations (groceries delivered from Whole Foods within two hours)—and they’re getting crazier—because companies are making it happen.
Crazy or not—the undeniable fact is, today, customers expect a lot. read more…
Don’t yell at the rain. Do something.
Finally ready to step up and land in the position you deserve to be in?
I’ve spent 30 years figuring out what makes VO careers tick, and helping passionate people get where they want to go. read more…
Hope and the silverware drawer
I would have been in London last week.
Instead, I was in my kitchen after I’d finished work, organizing my silverware drawer. I found the little plastic spoons that went off to school in my kids’ (who are now teens/young women) lunchboxes every day, and I started sobbing—about everything. And for a little while, with colorful spoons in my hand, I felt the global grief that we’re all experiencing in different ways, right now.
And then I felt so much better. And I felt immensely grateful.
So today, I just want to tell you…
read more…
Find Confidence Here
I spend my days on the phone with voice actors like you. Time and again, do you know what wins jobs? CONFIDENCE. Yes, in a competition between 2 super talented actors—the one with the most confidence wins.
Some people have talent by the bucket-loads, but without confidence—they don’t soar.
Equally as important as honing your talent is developing and maintaining your confidence. If you don’t believe your read, nobody else is going to believe it. Nobody is out there winning gigs who doesn’t believe in themselves. read more…
Voiceover Brandology Doors are OPEN!
The VO branding course you’ve been asking for is here and open for Round 2!
The shiny new ‘Voiceover Brandology’ program is officially OPEN for enrollment!
In this 6-part LIVE masterclass, I’m going to teach you how to make brand magic ? so you can powerfully position yourself, book more gigs, and build the booming voice-over career you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to learn more.
read more…
Hard Truths About You & Your Power
For so long, this industry relied solely on agents. Gatekeepers of the gigs.
VO artists looked to their agents to make it all happen.
But in 2020—it’s a whole new jam.
Yes, agents can provide you with some awesome career opportunities. But they’re one piece of the puzzle and can’t do it all for you.
The roles have shifted. Everything has shifted. My friends, we’re living in a brand new VO world! read more…
Think of your brand like an ice cream sundae
My daughter works at Yogurt Lab. You pick your flavor(s), then choose from a million different toppings.
My favorite is coconut ice cream with coconut flakes on top.
Refined and a little bit nutty—like me!
When we embrace our tastes and preferences, and build something according to them, no two ice cream sundaes will be the same. And guess what? No two voiceover artists will be the same. Accordingly, no two voiceover careers will be the same! read more…
Your plan for awesomeness in 2019: Try something new every month!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – New Year’s business planning! And you’re in luck this year because the VO theme for 2019 is Try Something New.
Trying something new each month is a great way to stay interested and interesting – whether it’s fostering kittens, taking a French conversation class, hiring a coach to work on a specific skill, or plunging yourself into a float tank. New experiences enrich you, tap your creativity and generally increase your awesomeness factor. read more…
Is Your Brand as Brave as You Are?
I love back-to-school time. Stocking up on supplies and getting back into the swing of regular routines after the indulgences of summer feels to me like a fresh start — an opportunity to be brave and try something new.
Of course, as an actor you do brave things all the time. The choice to become an actor is in itself brave. Actors disappoint parents and teachers and leave home to pursue careers with no guaranteed income stream. read more…
Create Your Lucky Day. Become So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
Hello Voiceover Achiever,
I love this quote by Steve Martin: “Become so good they can’t ignore you.” It’s a straightforward goal.
If you let this be your driving force, you will achieve your goals – no matter how grand. I have the good fortune of longevity in this business. I have worked with hundreds of actors over the years and watched many of their careers go through the roof. Others surprise me. They’re so talented, but they don’t get anywhere close. read more…
In Voiceover And In Life, Give More Than You Get
To be successful in this business, you need to do a few things — be really great at voiceover, have a great brand, be a great marketer and have great connections and networking. But the true voiceover achievers I know also do something else: they have a spirit of service that propels them forward.
It occurs to me when working with these overachievers that this is something we could all do better. When you get up in the morning and think, “How can I serve my community with as much heart as possible?” that helps move you forward in this business. read more…
Spring Cleaning For Your Brand
Greetings VO Achievers,
Recently I was planning my move back to Los Angeles after my kids finish high school. I live in a super-cute, trendy neighborhood that’s full of hundred-year-old homes, many of which are being torn down and replaced by modern mansions. In the past three years, 50 percent of the homes on my block have been replaced.
I was talking to my real-estate agent, and I asked her: is my adorable house a teardown or a fixer-upper? Sometimes in a competitive market that can be a hard call. read more…