Mike Lenz Voice - A Journey Into Voice Acting

What does it take to build a lasting career in voice over? In this episode, Mike sits down with accomplished voice actor, audiobook narrator, and longtime radio imaging talent Donna Frank . Best known to many listeners as the imaging voice behind The Howard Stern Show , Donna shares the story of how she built a career spanning radio, commercial voice over, and audiobook narration by following her...

Breaking into audiobook narration can feel overwhelming—especially when you're starting from scratch. In this episode, I sit down with audiobook narrator Katie Keary , who recently booked her very first audiobook after years of considering a career in voiceover and narration. Katie shares her journey from working in education and nonprofit leadership to building a home studio, overcoming self-doub...

What if everything about your creative career could change in less than a year? In this episode, I sit down with Sonya Wills , a former commercial actor who stepped away from the industry to focus on family, only to find her way back through an unexpected path: social media. From having no online presence to building a thriving platform in just months, Sonya shares how experimenting with content,...

In this episode of  The Mike Lenz VO Podcast , I'm joined by audiobook narrator Emma Faye —a 2026 Audie finalist, 2024 SOVAS nominee, and the narrator many in the industry know as the Clean Reads Queen . Emma has built a thriving audiobook career by staying true to her values and creating a highly intentional brand around clean, wholesome storytelling . She has narrated more than 170 clean-read ti...

In this episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast, I sit down with voice actor Mike Previti  to talk about building a sustainable voiceover career later in life—and what it really takes to make the leap from "safe" to creative fulfillment. Mike's journey began with childhood acting gigs in the Boston area, shifted into years as a touring musician and singer-songwriter, and eventually led him back to the...

Rosie Okumura returns to the Mike Lenz VO Podcast with one of the most unusual (and inspiring) career paths in voiceover: she turned a deeply personal moment—when her mom was scammed—into a viral YouTube crusade that now reaches millions. In this episode, Rosie breaks down how she built her VO career in Los Angeles , how her "smart assistant" and voice-matching skills became a niche advantage, and...

Voice actor and content creator Tawny Platis returns to The Mike Lenz VO Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about building a sustainable creative career—without waiting around for permission. Tawny shares how she landed her first voiceover job at just six years old, why she stepped away from entertainment to build a "safe" business (spoiler: it wasn't safe at all), and how that business exper...

On this episode, Mike gives an update on his career including: The powerful advice he received after he moved into voiceover, audiobook narration and podcast producing full time almost eight years ago.  How networking and attending conferences propeled his audiobook narrration career forward and how he booked his first Union audiobook title.  The importance of health and well being to maximizing y...

IIn this episode, Mike sits down with audiobook narrator and author Sanya Simmons to talk about her path from classical musician to becoming a voice actor and audiobook narrator. What We Cover: Building an Audiobook Career: Moving from ACX royalty-share projects to working directly with publishers The real time investment: why 5-10 hours of finished audio takes 30-40+ hours total Prep strategies f...

In this episode of  The Mike Lenz VO Podcast , I sit down with the incredibly versatile Melissa Mirren , a professional voice actor with over eight years of experience spanning commercials, corporate narration, e-learning, animation, and video games. Melissa shares her path from childhood performances and college theater to a multifaceted voiceover career shaped by persistence, creativity, and per...

On this episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast , I chat with bestselling author Grace Worthington , whose sweet romance novels are as heartwarming as they are hilarious. I had the pleasure of co-narrating a 4 book Renovation Romance series for Grace and we had so much fun talking about that process! We explore her creative journey from the musical theatre stage to the world of romantic fiction—and ho...

On this special solo episode of  The Mike Lenz VO Podcast , Mike takes a moment to reflect on some incredible milestones in his voiceover journey — including narrating over 300 audiobooks and surpassing 200,000 podcast downloads . He shares insights on the vital role that networking , conferences , and coaching have played in his growth, and why staying connected and coachable continues to make al...

On this episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast , I'm joined by Carmen Seantel , an emerging audiobook narrator whose warm, soothing, and expressive voice is already making an impact in the industry. Carmen is passionate about bringing stories to life and believes in the power of audiobooks to create a safe and accessible space for all readers. We'll dive into her early journey in narration, from work...

In this episode of the Mike Lenz VO Podcast , we sit down with Donovan Corneetz , the talented voice behind The Today Show , as well as a leading force in promo work and radio imaging. With years of experience, Donovan has become a go-to voice for high-profile commercial, promo, and television projects, showcasing his unmatched versatility. Whether he's delivering the perfect radio imaging sound o...

On this episode, I have an amazing conversation with Izzy Tugman, a dynamic voice actor celebrated for her impressive versatility across audiobooks , animation, video games, commercial, and corporate narration . Beyond her professional achievements, Izzy opens up about some of the personal struggles she's faced along her journey and how they've shaped her perspective on life and work. We explore h...

Welcome back to the Mike Lenz VO Podcast! Today, we're thrilled to have Samantha Boyer with us, an inspiring artist and content creator who brings a touch of storytelling magic and nostalgia to her work. Samantha's journey began with childhood influences like Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross, sparking her passion for creating inviting, imaginative worlds. Over the years, she has transformed this passion in...

Marisa Blake is a Latina Actor, Voiceover Artist and Musician. You can find her on screen in Netflix's Florida Man, DC's Swamp Thing and Spectrums Original Long Slow Exhale. She haswon multiple awards for her audiobook narrations, including a 2023 Audible's Best of for Dykesto Watch out For, featuring Jane Lynch ,Carrie Brownstein, and Roberta Colindrez, an AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of The Year...

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Cris Dukehart is an Audie Nominee and Earphones Award Winner, and has recorded over 300 audiobooks across multiple genres. On this episode we talk about Cris's journey into the VO and audiobook world, and her amazing journey from a little cottage in Pennsylvania to her mountaintop house in the Caribbean.  https://www.crisdukehart.com/   Voice 123 15% Discoun...

Jamie Muffett is a voice actor, podcast producer, audio engineer and educator who divides his time between New York City and Philadelphia, PA.  He's worked with some of the worlds biggest companies, production studios, and games developers. He work primarily from his own studio in Bucks County, PA, and studios in NYC and Philly.  Past and current clients include: Google, Starbucks, Warner Brothers...

Chris   Johnson  is a professional Voice Actor, based in Los Angeles.  He has voiced a wide range of projects over the years including commercials, corporate videos, eLearning modules, video games, audiobooks, narration and many more.   Chris  has also been the lead singer and songwriter for many projects including the band Starch Monkey, Between the Sun and the upcoming project entitled Pharaoh's...

On this episode I take a deep dive into the voiceover industry and the impact artificial intelligence (AI) is having on our industry, with VO veteran Tom Dheere.  As a New York-based voice actor with over 20 years of experience, Tom Dheere has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. Tom's experience as a corporate trainer as well as a voice talent makes hi...

Based in Richmond, Virginia, Paige Reisenfeld is a classically trained soprano and stage actor turned SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator. Perhaps she should have paid attention to the signs, as she was voted "Best Reader" in kindergarten, a clear portent of things to come. Her voice has been described as deep, full, melodic, and sensual. She has been complimented on her "great tone and inflection", as w...

On this episode, I talk with award-winning author Landon Beach about his career, and about his recent book Narrator ,  which is narrated by the amazing Scott Brick .  Landon was born and raised in Michigan but now lives in the Sunshine State with his wife, two children, and their golden retriever. He previously served as a Naval Officer and was an educator for fifteen years before becoming a full-...

Mike Cooper is a British voice talent who swapped big city life in London for log cabin life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Mike is recognisable from his many years on air with the BBC World Service, and as the narrator of countless television documentaries and a growing library of audiobooks. A disruptive influence in school, Mike's first break in narration came at age six, when h...

Danielle Harris is a voice actor from Atlanta, Ga. Originally born and raised in Indiana, she has had an interest and intrigue with voiceover since her early teenage years. It wasn't until she was in her early twenties that she sought out to attempt to get voice acting training around 2012, then again in 2018, both times unfortunately being sidetracked by life and her work in government. Danielle...