How much do you prioritize your vocal health? Most of us, even if we work in the voice acting, podcasting, or broadcast industries, don’t think too much about our voices. But remember: if you don’t have a voice, you don’t have a podcast!

In this episode, Mary breaks down what we can all do to take better care of our most important business asset. The solution can’t be to never speak or raise your voice except while you work, but preemptive planning, some mind-body connection, and a little (or a lot of) self-love go a long way to keeping those chords healthy for when you need them.

Give your voice the TLC it deserves! Listen in to find out:

• Why glugging water right before you speak doesn’t cut it
• How to balance those fun, loud nights out with your podcast-related voice work
• The mental component of taking care of your voice

Links worth mentioning from the episode:

• Win tickets to the Podcasting for Business Conference by leaving a voice note! https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice
• Attend the Podcasting for Business Conference - https://pfbcon.com/attend-2024/
• Mary’s voice love notes chat with Andrea Klunder of the Creative Imposter - https://bit.ly/cimarychan
• Read the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s article, Effects of Hydration on Voice Acoustics - https://pubs.asha.org/doi/pdf/10.1044/cicsd_36_F_142
• Episode 50, “Stop Thinking About Yourself” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/stop-thinking-about-yourself-episode-50/
• Episode 54, “The Process of What's Working, What's Not Working, and What to Celebrate For Your Podcast” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/the-process-of-whats-working-whats-not-working-and-what-to-celebrate-for-your-podcast-winter-break-episode-54/
• Episode 55, “How to Find Your Podcasting Voice” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/how-to-find-your-podcasting-voice-why-authenticity-is-100-times-better-than-a-traditional-radio-voice-episode-55/
• Episode 70, “How to Use Research and Reports to Guide Your Podcast with Megan Dougherty” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/how-to-use-research-and-reports-to-guide-your-podcast-with-megan-dougherty-episode-70

Connect with Mary!

• Leave a voicemail with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email visiblevoicepodcast@gmail.com
• Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com
• Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter
• To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca
• Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/
• Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions

Show Credits:

• Podcast audio design, engineering, and edited by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions
• Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.
• Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio
• Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA

Transcript with Audio Description:

[MUSIC IN - GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS]

MARY: Your voice is your number one instrument. This is something I talk about a lot. I mean, it's also one of the first things you see on my website, because without your voice, and take it from me, I lost my voice in the middle of September for almost a whole week. Without your voice, you don't have a podcast. So why is it, as podcasters, we don't think about our voice as much as, say, the person we want to interview, or the titles, the artwork, those aspects always get a lot of focus. But your voice, not so much. 

So in this episode, we’re talking voice. Why it's not exactly what you hear in your head and how we can move forward to record more episodes with more love for your vocal cords and your heart. 

This is episode 85 of the Podcasters Guide to a Visible Voice. 

<< WOMAN SINGS: So so so so let’s go >> 

Welcome back to the show. And like I said at the start, I did lose my voice in the middle of September, 

[INTRO MUSIC ENDS]

and I still feel like it's a little dry and scratchy. So bear with me. But I do sound so much better even my daughter was like, you sound like a grumbly bear. Before I was kind of talking like this, and I actually didn't do any talking because I couldn't talk. So when you're a podcaster, it's like, your worst nightmare, losing your voice.

[MUSIC IN]

You know, it's funny how most people, even those who work in the industry, like voiceover artists or broadcast media, they don't always think about their voice until they lose it, like I did. I remember one of my coworkers back in the radio days. She hosted a four hour Monday through Friday show, but she lost her voice because she was screaming and having fun at a concert the night before. Long haul voice usage, so talking to people is one thing, but when you're a podcaster, you're actually performing with your voice. That's a totally different thing. That's like presenting, or teaching, or voicing audiobooks, and, yeah, like I said, when we're podcasting, this is when we are being intentional with our voice. 

Whether you are actually thinking about that on purpose or not, it isn't just about having a conversation. In the back of your mind, you want to make an impact with your podcast episode. So before you get to the, oh, my God, I've lost my voice like I did. 

Let's talk about prevention. I know, my version of getting sick and losing my voice, that's harder to prevent. You know, you can't prevent the fact that my daughter brought home a cold and then she passed it on to me. That's just part of the September back to school blues. But what I'm talking about is maybe that concert that my coworker was screaming at or talking all night at a loud dinner party, that part, we can do more to nurture our voice. And just whenever we use our voice on a day to day process, we can nurture our voice at any point in time. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

I think more and more people these days are more aware of hydrating. So drinking water, you know, those Stanley tumblers that have been out on social media, huge water bottles that people are drinking out of, because they want to stay hydrated. But what podcasters might not realize is that you're just not hydrating your body. That also means you're hydrating your voice. But when you drink, the interesting thing that most people often think is that drinking water will immediately hydrate your vocal cords. But really, your vocal cords live in the same world as where you breathe air makes them work, not your digestive system. 

So when you drink fluids, the water actually isn't coating or washing out your vocal cords. You actually need to hydrate, meaning drink well before you speak in order for that hydration to reach your vocal cords, because what we drink or eat, those fluids need to be transported through the body system in order to be absorbed by cells for it to work, and that could take 24 hours. If you're more of a science nerd, you can read more about it in an article called The Effects Of Hydration On Voice Acoustics from the American Speech Language Hearing association. I'll put that link in the show notes. But, yeah, when we're breathing, we're using our vocal cords, but when we hydrate, we need to drink well in advance. Stay hydrated is what that means. You gotta drink well in advance to make sure that your vocal cords are hydrated. 

[MUSIC IN]

So the Internet myth of lemon and honey or gargling salt water won't actually fix your voice. Oh, the Internet. We love busting myths. Rest is also key, and I know you can't just not talk. You know, we still have to do our day to day work. But with some advanced planning, rest could help. 

For example, you know, you're heading out to a loud restaurant for dinner one night. When you plan your podcast recordings, make sure you give your voice a break. So don't schedule any recordings the day after or even first thin