Finesse your VO Hustle with Life Experiences

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I am somewhat of a unicorn in my generation, in that I've been working for the same employer in corporate America for over 20 years. And what's more is that most of that tenure has been working from home. It gives me a great advantage when it comes to being available for voiceover auditions and directed sessions throughout the day. And while I have many VO colleagues who don't have that luxury, and must wait until after their day job to do VO in the evenings, it is still possible to make your full-time job an advantage and compliment voiceover if you know how to work it.

Many voice actors I know have had non-acting jobs prior to starting VO work.  While acting as arguably the best way to fall into VO, it is just not what most of us have experienced, and that's ok.

In my day job, I am sitting in front of a laptop and doing a lot of writing and research. I often have to look up information in various portals as well as sending emails to colleagues all over the world, very few of whom I have ever seen a picture of, let alone met in person. There are many different cultures, communication styles and personalities to navigate. Meetings, emails and instant messages are pretty much how I contact all of my colleagues, and it doesn't always work well for everyone, especially with varying time zones and priorities, so you have to get creative and be persistent to get answers that will help you complete assignments. It definitely helps you build patience and tenacity. Patience and tenacity and interpersonal skills are traits that you need as a freelancer or entrepreneur of any type, and certainly as a voice actor. Voice acting is a long game, and you will not survive or be successful in this industry without building good relationships and showing that you are a dependable, teachable and professional voice talent, both online and offline.

Voiceover is not my first side hustle. I have enjoyed other entrepreneurial projects over the years such as writing self-help books, speaking and podcasting. Each and every one of those ventures required me to teach myself skills, as well as attend conferences and classes to learn from those already in those spaces. And each of these experiences, as well as my long-time corporate position as a technical writer, has informed my perspective and strengthened my skills, not only in writing and editing but also in doing my own research and networking. 

Writing

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It's hard to get away from writing as a freelance anything-- web copy, promotions, press releases and social media posts-- they all require you to communicate about your offerings and/or knowledge in a way that will entice readers to learn more about your business.  As a writer, I have to organize information that I find (we'll get to research momentarily), and shape it in a way that it easy to understand, but also communicates my personal brand and style.  While I am a technical writer, I definitely have a creative side.  I use this creativity for my blog posts, podcast show notes and video script outlines.  I've even met indie producers who have requested that I write scripts for them (it's a value added bonus to your voiceovers, and commands an additional fee).

Editing

Speaking of scripts, as a voice actor you see a lot of them, and they are not always well-written (sorry copywriters, but it's true).  Often, scripts are written for the eye and not the ear.  To make your reads flow the way they are intended to be heard, you sometimes have to add a comma where it doesn't exist, or ignore one that does.  My editing skills come into play here. Don't be afraid to make slight adjustments to the copy to achieve the delivery you think will serve the copy (and ultimately the audience) best.

Research

In the past, if I were to raise an issue at work with my manager, she would ask me what steps I have already taken. If I went to the doctor with a complaint, he would ask me what I had already tried and what were my symptoms. If I contacted my bank with a dispute, they would ask if I had contacted the merchant. In each one of these cases, an action is required before you escalate to the next step. So when it comes to research, what have you actually done?

Everyone refers to Google, but there are lots of tools that you can use to research your questions. You don't just quit because Google didn't show what you're looking for on the first page or two. I like looking up almost anything on YouTube, podcasts, and Hunter to find email addresses when I'm prospecting. My point is to at least make an effort to figure something out before you ask a question. The person that you are asking will appreciate the fact that you tried and that you are not coming in completely cold. Help me help you! Which leads me to a pet peeve of mine.

"Can I pick your brain?" are words no one likes to hear. The question means you want someone to take the time to give you all the knowledge they worked hard to learn for for free, without any hope that you will actually implement any of it. There is a distinct difference between helping someone who is self-motivated and helping someone who is lazy. If I can answer a specific question for you, I'm ok with doing that because it means you had done some of your own research and are motivated to get to the next step. If I took an hour to give wisdom to every person that asked, I would never get anything done and my business would suffer. Time is a non-renewable resource. When I charge for consultations, it helps to weed out those who are not serious. It's also a reason I created an e-course so that people can get my knowledge without having me in real-time, and they can work at their own pace, on demand.

Networking

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Online communities such as Facebook groups and LinkedIn can give you opportunities to network with other voice actors, casting directors, agents and producers, as well as access to knowing about upcoming classes, webinars and conferences. Questions abound, but be ready to answer them when you can-- don't just show up only to ask questions or promote your own things. Relationships work best when there is give and take involved, so do both. And whether you are interacting with people online or offline, be who you really are. Genuine people always win people over the fake.

Writing, editing, research and networking are skills that any entrepreneur can and should exploit in their business. And while research and networking are things you should do yourself, as there are subjective decisions you make from both, you can absolutely hire someone to help you with the writing and editing functions if need be for your website, social media, podcast show notes, blogs, books, etc.

All life experiences can inform and enhance your performance on camera acting as well as voice acting. What skills have you learned in your current position or other previous positions and life experiences that you can leverage for your voiceover work?