An Anniversary...and a Thank You

Five years ago today I made the decision to leave my job in morning radio and pursue a full-time career as a voice actor. I'll never forget those first few months, I was so full of confidence and determination. I had been acting my entire adult life and I believed this new chapter would be as simple as 'tell them I'm full-time and watch them flock to hire me!'

Oh...those first few months. Those eye-opening, life-changing first few months...

Nothing has been as simple as I originally predicted. But in those first few months I could have never imagined how I would grow, learn, transform, and ultimately find in myself a business savvy and strength I never knew existed.

Year one I stumbled. I had so much to learn about marketing, finances, networking, promoting, technology, vocal trends, etc, etc. Year two I was a bit wiser but still had a long way to go. Year three found me moving to a new city (and a new studio) as did years four and five. I've been through great personal change that has given me a new found confidence in myself and my abilities as an actor. And one of the greatest things I've learned is that with each year that passes, I will continue to grow in ways I can only imagine.

What I know today that I did not know in those first few months, is that this career is a journey...it's a lifestyle. It isn't just a job. Five years later and my eyes still light up every time I talk about the work I'm so fortunate to do. Which is especially cool when I realize I did my first paid voice over 15 years ago!! This is my calling and I realize how lucky I am to be able to share this with anyone that listens to the radio, surfs the web, watches TV, sits through a business presentation, or gets put on hold. Perhaps it's my voice you hear...or one of my many voice actor friends.

Which brings me to the point of this blog: Thank you. Thank you to each and every coach, colleague, client, editor, engineer, director, casting person, scheduler, accountant, manager, owner, ad exec, web designer, and creator that I have had the great fortune to work with and get to know these past years. I've made friendships that will last my lifetime and learned more from each of you than I can express.

This has been the most rewarding journey of my life...and I can't wait to see what the next five years have in store!!

A year of "Sound Advice"

A little over a year and a half ago I was contacted by my friend Dan Friedman, asking if he could use a blog I wrote in his new book. I've known Dan for a few years and he has always been my 'go to' person for studio advice (With every new studio, Dan is the first person to sign off on my 'sound'.) I was, of course, most honored for Dan to use my blog on setting up ISDN! But I was even more curious about this book he was writing.

Dan explained that while there are a plethora of books on doing voice over, there is not a single book on how to set up a home studio, how to engineer your own sessions, how to trouble shoot technical issues, how to choose the right microphone for your voice, etc, etc. So Dan set out to write one.

And boy did he! I could not wait to get my copy of Sound Advice- Voiceover From an Audio Engineer's Perspective. Dan did not disappoint. This is a book that I continue to refer back to again and again- it sits on my closet shelf, just to my right.

I've just learned that today marks the one year anniversary of Dan's book. This blog is a big congratulations to my friend Dan, and also a plug for a really great book. If you haven't had the chance to purchase your own copy- I recommend that you do!!! Also, make sure you check out Dan's blog regularly- as an actor and an engineer, Dan has a lot to teach us all!

Way to go Dan!!

(A small disclaimer- while I do have a blog printed in Dan's book, I do not make any money off the sale of it...therefore this is an actual, honest endorsement of something I am very proud to be a very small part of.)