Hey there, hero!Do you get the number of auditions you want? On-camera, VO, whatever.You good?Or do you constantly pursue more? Is growing your audition stream an endless pursuit? The highest priority?I think everyone is different. And there's a trend in business that informs this. It's variously called "10X-ing," "adding zeroes," and "blowing things up."Whatevs.I don't personally want more auditions than I am getting now - I'm good with my current level. But some people would question why I'...
Hey there, hero!We work really hard to create stuff. Really great stuff.And after a while, we tend to forget just how valuable that stuff is.And...in addition...how valuable our superpower, creating great stuff, actually is.This episode is dedicated to reminding you that your output is your product. Your books, your TV shows, your podcast episodes, your films, your audiobook titles...they are all worth remembering in your plans for both holiday promotion and promotion at other times during th...
Hey there, hero!When you get ready to do something new, what wells up inside you emotionally?Is there fear? Being scared?Or is there electricity? Being excited?And how does that affect how you approach it?The two will likely co-exist in a sweet spot: instead of being so scared that I am immobilized, I'm...cautious.And instead of being so excited that I ignore taking reasonable steps and precautions to maximize success...I'm jacked and happy.And it feeds me from both directions. What about you...
Hey there, hero!I'm well aware of at least one thing: I talk too much.Believe me, it's a challenge I've faced all my life.And I actively want to listen better. Listen actively. Not just wait for others to stop talking so I can start.I look for non-verbal clues to remind myself to listen...rather than talk.And to listen is to be open to hearing what the other person is saying......meaning one has to be silent to be able to listen.And of all things, a kid's TV dinner from my childhood sprang to...
Hey there, hero!When things don't pan out for us, we want to know why. And sometimes, we simply tell ourselves stories...when we usually shouldn't.We want to have things make sense, and so if we don't know exactly why something happens, good or bad, we might make things up.Especially when we don't "get the gig."As humans, we want - no, NEED - to know why (so we can fix things, or at the very least, not repeat the defeat). And so, if we don't have actual facts as to why things went south, we m...
Hey there, hero!Ever get frustrated when you first start learning something and it's touch to get the hang of it? You know, you want to gain a skill and it's just not coming and you start to lose patience?How about when you're showing someone else how to do something and they just aren't grasping the fundamentals? Do you get a little annoyed?I see it happen in Facebook groups that "serve" our performer family, and it makes me sad.A little patience, some grace, a bit of remembering where we al...
Hey there, hero!Famous quotes aren't always famous. Or quotes. There are all kinds of websites that are dedicated to the things that are attributed to famous people, but that they never actually said.In this episode, we're going to correct one of those misquotes, and in the process, give ourselves a gift about our lives and our professions.Once you've heard what Carl Jung actually said, does that make a difference for you? Let me know in the comments below.REQUEST: Please join this video's co...
Hey there, hero!Like most specialty pursuits, we performers have our own special language when it comes to auditioning and doing the work of actors and voice talent.And sometimes, people channel The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya when it comes to some of that jargon: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."A good example is the audition request that is phrased like this: "Give me multiple takes."In this episode, I'll tell you what I think that means (and gi...
Hey there, hero!Isolation is a curse to some, yet can be a boon to artists.It can be damaging not to have social contact on a regular basis, but it can be nourishing to our skill building.I have a couple of famous people joining me to share their thoughts on how being alone can be just what the doctor ordered, and is some ways, essential to our professional growth.Do you agree? Are you the gregarious type that needs others around you to flourish? Or are you the loner type that needs isolation...
Hey there, hero!We know as performers that the way things are handled in our business are sometimes very different from the way they are handled in more mainstream businesses.And that can be frustrating, especially when it comes to not getting the booking.We're not told why. We never know why. We won't ever know why.But that's a double edged sword, especially given this new twist to the traditional rejection letter that the Muggles get when they don't get the job.You might be very surprised w...
Hey there, hero!It seems like almost everyone, at some point, gets the urge to become a performer.They look at the fame, the money, the autograph seekers and just how easy it is and those are just their first four incorrect assumptions.Maybe you made some of those. Some rules you thought were true. Some shortcuts you thought might work.And then, they, and you, were likely introduced to actual harsh reality. Ugh.Building a performer's practice is filled with mirrors and smoke and distortion fi...
Hey there, hero!Creative types have no guarantees.Actors, voice talent, writers...have no tried and true template to follow for success.Almost everything about our journey is unknown. We have no idea what's coming.And that can be scary. It can be frustrating. It can be daunting.But...it is heroic. Not everyone can do it. But you can.And I want to thank you for being heroic.Give me your thoughts on being a hero (which you are!) in the comments below.REQUEST: Please join this video's conve...
Hey there, hero!That moment before you launch into a pickup sets the scene for how that pickup goes.And it needs to match the original voice work in terms of tone, energy, emotion and volume.And if your feelings, your mouth, your face or anything else is affected by that frustration or anger, or somehow isn't keyed to the lovely and unique moment that the content occurs, that will change, sometimes drastically, how that pickup comes out.And that can lead to even more frustration, and less acc...
Hey there, hero!The United States Federal Trade Commission requires that businesses who show their clients achieving things that require engagement, study, dedication, hard work and a fair amount of luck, and whose other customers likely have varying results...they have to disclose something.It's along the lines of "YMMV." Your Mileage May Vary.Sometimes you see it in phrases like "Results not typical." It's certainly applicable here: at VOHeroes, we help you create a successful, satisfying a...
Hey there, hero!How we go about finding work is a fair bit different from the average Indeed.com job applicant.They will track their progress through the job search process in one way......and we are completely different.And for once, we have less work to do than they do.You might think you need to track your auditions and clip submissions...and you would be making work for yourself that's unnecessary.Do you "track" your submissions? Are you able to let them go? Let me know in the comments be...
Hey there, hero!We tend to hear the word "opportunity" and dress it up big time, expecting glitzy as opposed to basic work or work that prepares us for further opportunity.Opportunities show up in various heights and widths and various levels of glamour.Sometimes, they are awesome and legendary. But sometimes, they show up very calmly, ready to do some grunt work.And that grunt work is sometimes more spectacular than the glitzy stuff.And you get to play and benefit either way.Thoughts on how ...
Hey there, hero!You're at that delicious moment...a blinking cursor, or waiting for the 2nd to call the cast and crew to quiet on the set, or the first moment you've opened a new audio or video recording window......how do you feel? Fearful? Anxious? At sea?Completely and utterly confident?Or maybe, simply excited. Anticipating action. About to DO something.How about that last one? It absolutely changes how you feel.What do you usually feel when you are presented with that moment of opportuni...
Hey there, hero!There are great MeetUp groups (like our beloved Voices Anonymous here in LA)......and then there are MeetUp groups that are not so great.I know they meant well, but still...Joining a MeetUp group, creating content to be used in a VO demo and sharing among members is possibly the worst strategy I've ever heard.And I got invited to participate in this voyage...by that site's algorithm.I doubt they could have asked a worse candidate to join their merry MeetUp menagerie.The group ...
Hey there, hero!Feel free to wake up every morning and give yourself a break. You are fallible.Don't assume that with experience, even a great amount, comes perfection.Even if you have years of mastery, you can still make a simple mistake.And it doesn't mean anything other than you're a human being.You're going to make mistakes. Forever. Learn to take them on as teachable moments.How do you treat yourself when you make a mistake you don't think you should have made? Let me know in the comment...
Hey there, hero!This episode is a simple reminder that some data is visible, and some data is hidden.You likely know who your haters are - and you might not know how many people love you.Is this something you might be missing on a fairly regular basis? The people who love you for who you are, as opposed to those who don't? Let me know in the comments below.REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil.---Are you an actor, VO talent or a...