The VOHeroes Podcast

Hey there, hero! There's a gift waiting for you in this podcast episode. I'm going to show you what is waiting for you when you make a definitive choice, and help casting see your take on a character. This ties in with a previous episode on being the casting office's consultant for this role. When you do make that definitive choice, there's power in that decision. You feel like...

Hey there, hero! I have to admit that there are times when I stop what I'm doing, especially when they are repetitive or mundane, and ask myself an important question: "Does this really matter?" Because I have a tendency toward wasting time on things that, although I'm really good at them, they don't really move things forward for me. We can sometimes be expert at somethin...

Hey there, hero! We spend an awful lot of time planning to get stuff done. Making to-do lists and setting up calendars and workflows and then analyzing if we were on target or need to adjust things. And there are all kinds of apps and processes (hello, Ivy Lee Method) for getting all those best-laid plans squared away. But what about the fairly minor moments, where we simply execute those plans? H...

Hey there, hero! Every so often, like a bolt of lightning, our perceptions about ourselves become crystal clear. That happened to me just a few days ago. Thanks to CNN's story on "dis-influencers," I now know my purpose in life...online. I have a very lucid understanding of what I do with these podcasts and how they benefit (I hope!) you, my lovely listener/viewer. And it goes again...

Hey there, hero! As we sit in a moment of uncertainty. or fear, or disappointment, we might think that this is where it always will be. That this failure or challenge or set of speed bumps in life will never end. I've got three words for you. And I suggest you do what I did with those three words. After watching the podcast - did those three words help? Do you think they might make a differen...

Hey there, hero! Actors and voice talent sometimes look to casting to help us clarify what they want from us. And because they often don't have that clarity, they make the mistake of going "wide" with their choices in their acting. That's a huge mistake. They try to be the most general, and less specific, so as to cover as much of the wide variety of options that that casting d...

Hey there, hero! Sometimes, when we finally acquire a skill, there may be a moment of uncertainty that we've actually, really, truly gained that expertise. All of a sudden, we get good at something, and we can get nervous - that we're missing something, that we're not seeing the whole picture, that it can't be this easy...are we OK? I've got an explanation, and a permissio...

Hey there, hero! It was October of 1989 when America Online's existence was first promoted in the MacWorld and MacUser magazines that hit the stands (and my mailbox in Washington DC). I went on my morning show on Q107, and told listeners they could send me messages on the service, addressed to screen name David107. That shoutout on the air did two things: first, it caused Jean Villanueva to n...

Hey there, hero! The complaints about on-camera self-tapes have got to stop. Like, now. Yes, it's different than it used to be. But to rail against it is a super huge waste of time. And you on-camera folk that are so pissed off that you have to do most of your auditions at home should take a page out of the voice over talent playbook. Because we've been auditioning at home for decades, a...

Hey there, hero! One of the ways you can help people hire you is to show them how to work with you, and you can do that with a document or web page that shows them exactly how. We sometimes forget that our customers may not even know how to take advantage of all that we offer. An example is when you book an audiobook project, and you provide the author or publisher how you work, and what to expect...

Hey there, hero! This past week or two, I've heard some really amazing numbers regarding two numbers - and actors and VO talent complaining about both. We only have ourselves to blame, and we need to stop grousing and be at peace with them. What are these two important metrics? One is the number of auditions that casting directors get for each role, or what ACX rights holders get in terms of...

Hey there, hero! After a bit of back and forth, SAG-AFTRA has successfully negotiated a new payment format for IVR work for actors and voice talent. And I am so happy they did - it reflects higher compensation for the hard work that talent does in the category of IVR, and the nature of IVR recording and usage. What's IVR? What are the new rates? Watch/listen to this podcast episode for all th...

Hey there, hero! We often are fearful that if we don't give our casting partners an awesome option (or a number of awesome options) in our auditions, we won't give them what they really want. As if we CAN even have the slightest notion of what they really want. Instead, I'd like to make the case of being confident in our choices when we design our audition paths. It's not going...

Hey there, hero! If there was ever a guy who didn't look the part, it's Rick Rubin. He's the first to admit he's no performer. And when someone who knows he's no performer narrates his own book, be very very thankful that he's a genius. His new book, The Creative Act, is filled to the brim with wisdom on how to be a creative soul. Even if he's not the best author...

Hey there, hero! It can a moment of pause and tense self-reflection, and often, one of uncertainty: raising your rates. Let's take a look at how to have that conversation with your existing clients, and to be at peace with getting paid what you're worth, and then some. Is it tough for you to ask for reasonable, satisfying rates? Or to ask for hikes in those rates? Let me know in the comm...

Hey there, hero! If you find yourself looking at audiobook auditions of a particular genre, like fiction, or non-fiction, and saying, "Nah...that's not for me." I wonder if you're being fair with yourself. Or if you're telling yourself fairy tails about yourself and your abilities. You just might be cutting yourself off of some amazing, profitable and yes, enjoyable (!) op...

Hey there, hero! They've done it again.  I don't know how long it will last, but AudioTechnica has lowered the price on the AT-2020 USB Plus (the microphone I use and recommend and teach people with)...again. Earlier in the year, the price dropped from $149 to $100...then it dropped a couple of months later to just $70. With no drop in quality. And they now dropped the price to less than...

Hey there, hero! Here's a quick turnaround replay of an in-depth Q&A session held a few hours ago, live on FB, YT and LI, with Jim Johnson and Dan O'Day of The Accents Class. Questions included getting started with studying and integrating accents into your performance, how to switch between accents in narration, how to be consistent throughout a longer piece, what to watch for in te...

Hey there, hero! (For those who will listen to the audio podcast: at the very beginning of the episode, I'm holding an object in my hand, up close and in focus on my camera - just in case you're saying "How would I know what that is...I can't see it on an audio podcast!") I recently needed help. I'm usually the one offering help to others, but this time...I needed hel...

Hey there, hero! I've observed people quickly search for an answer to a problem, find some information, and because time is (almost always) of the essence... ...jump right in to "fixing" the problem. But it doesn't get fixed, and they don't know why. We all want to be efficient with our problem solving, but there's a crucial component to "efficient": your st...

Hey there, hero! Are you addicted to making changes to your tried and true processes? Are you constantly tinkering, adjusting and toying with stuff? Or do you only change when you need to? If the newest, latest stuff has your eye, even if what you have now is working fine for you, well...you're not alone. I see lots of performers searching for perfection...going for the newest mic, an updated...

Hey there, hero! As a Macintosh user, I know exactly what software to use to back up my data and keep myself safe: Time Machine. It's built in to MacOS, and is awesome. Reliable, automatic, elegant. But when a client or student asks me for the equivalent of that awesomeness for Windows, I have to ask my friend, my go-to Windows expert: Leo Notenboom, at askleo.com. I get my chance on Zoom rec...

Hey there, hero! The word "ridiculous" comes to mind here. The mic I use and recommend is, currently, unbelievably discounted. With no changes in quality, materials or performance. So now, I'm stuck. I can't make an argument, currently, about looking critically at the price of a USB microphone as an initial litmus test...with my fave mic being priced so low. I can't really...

Hey there, hero! Are you an artist that has decided that money should never enter into your decision making process? Are you worried that you'll become a "shill" for "the man?" Have you convinced yourself that you must suffer as an artist, or you'll be lesser for it? Any other questions about art versus money? Let's discuss this sticky subject in the comments bel...

Hey there, hero! I'd like to help you break a habit I see some voice talent doing when recording auditions (and even work): immediately beginning their voice work, as if waiting was a sad waste of tape...or electrons? This applies to on-camera work as well - no need to jump right in and start performing the instant you see your camera recording. Take your time. Give yourself a break. Then, do...