Why Smartphones Really Are Smart...

On November 21st, I embarked on a 3 week trip that would take me from Florida to Texas to California. As a full-time voice actor, this meant packing up the laptop, MicPort Pro, and my Lawson microphone so that I could continue working while I was away from my studio.

Prior to packing for my mega-trip, I took a day away from my studio to drive across Florida and watch a NASA shuttle launch (something everyone should do at some point in their life- wow!). I wasn't expecting much to happen that day, which is why I was shocked when I returned to my studio and discovered I had missed a very important e-mail from one of my clients. It seems he needed me to record a couple of radio spots and when I hadn't answered him, he was forced to get another voice. In our business this happens, but it's never fun when it does! Here's the kicker..he would have been able to record the following day if only I had been able to let him know I would be back in my studio by then.

Enter the Smartphone! I remember looking at Smartphones when I first moved to Florida and deciding I really didn't need one because I worked from home and rarely left my house during normal work hours. Shame on me. What I didn't realize is that not having access to e-mail 24 hours a day actually tied me to my computer, and therefore made it difficult to ever leave...for fear I might miss something. Had I had a Smartphone on the day of the shuttle launch, I would have been able to schedule the session for the following morning and kept my reputation for always being reliable.

So, what did I do? I bought a Smartphone the following day. Specifically the Blackberry Storm 2.

OK- back to my mega-trip (which I am currently in the middle of). I was on the road last week somewhere between Dallas and Lubbock, TX in an area so rural I hadn't seen a building for over an hour. 'Ding' goes the Blackberry. It was the SAME client from the shuttle launch day asking if I could record 2 spots the following morning. In a matter of minutes I had Googled studios in Lubbock, booked the studio time, downloaded the script, and confirmed with the client. All on my handy little Smartphone, and all in the most remote area imaginable.

Needless to say, the Blackberry had more than paid for itself with just one booking.

In our business it is vital to always be as accessible and reliable as possible. It isn't enough to travel with all of our recording gear, we have to be able to put it all into action in a matter of moments. Because I was able to book a studio and because I had my own microphone with me- I was able to ensure the same consistent quality my client had come to expect of me.

I may have been slow to grab onto this new technology, but I am ever so glad to have joined my smart friends by getting my own Smartphone.

A Confession and A Thank You

Confession time...I've been a very, very bad blogger this summer. Please accept my apologies. We all go through times where life requires so much of our focus that other things must fall by the wayside. Two things I have neglected lately are this blog and my own website. It is what it is, and I will try to do better in the future.

Running a business is more than a full time job. Freelancers don't 'clock in' or 'clock out'. We don't have scheduled breaks or lunch times. (I can't tell you the number of times I've worked straight through a meal...sometimes more than one meal in a day!) What we do have are deadlines and clients to keep happy. We have marketing to do and auditions to record. We have networks to be social with and e-mails to send. We have invoices to create and money to collect. It's a big, big job- and it requires a lot of attention to detail.

Then, life happens. It happens to us all. That's when we batten down the hatches and take care of the things that must be taken care of. Our focus becomes targeted, and it's easy to let the small things slip through the cracks.

Now, if I've learned anything in the last few years that I've been a business owner, it's that things always happen at just the right time. If we keep our eyes and ears open, opportunities to improve are all around us. Improve our business, our craft, ourselves. We just have to find a way to keep the ups and downs of life from interfering with our passions and willingness to be better.

And sometimes, something comes at just the right moment and reminds us that what we do really does matter.

Today, my something was a beautiful blog written by an old friend and former co-worker Kyle Whitford. To say that I am flattered doesn't do it justice. I am humbled.

Kyle's words came at the right time, I'm not sure if he knows that. He reminded me how lucky I am to have the joy that comes with doing something I am meant to do. So, thank you Kyle. And thank you to everyone that reads this blog and becomes a part of my world.

Enjoying The Walk

My dog, Macy, loves to walk. Wait, that doesn't describe it quite right...she LIVES to walk. She breathes, eats, and sleeps in anticipation of her twice daily walks. Each morning she follows me right at my heels waiting for the slightest hint that I might be reaching for my shoes...or pulling my hair into a ponytail...or better yet- grabbing her leash. These things can send her into a fit of hysteria unlike anything you've ever seen. Say the word 'walk', and Macy will spend the next three to five minutes running at top speed in clockwise circles with her little tongue hanging out the side of her mouth...which I swear forms a smile twice a day.

Ironically, Macy could care less how long her walks are. I could honestly take her half a block down the street and back and she would be happy as a clam (which I've always assumed must be quite happy, right?). If I feel like walking a couple of miles, it's no problem. My 9 lb puppy will keep up with me just fine.

Are you wondering yet why I'm writing a blog about my dog and her walks? Well, lately I've been doing some soul searching. I have very big goals for my life and my career, and it can at times seem more than a little overwhelming figuring out how to best accomplish these goals. Over the last couple of weeks, I've spent hours and hours researching ways to get where I want to go. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture to help me. In my head I know what I want the scene to look like when I'm finished, but the shapes of the pieces keep changing.

I'll admit it, I get a high off of the day to day workings of my business. The greater the challenges- the more inspired I feel. Some days I feel powerful, some days I feel helpless. But each day I feel something, and that is powerful in and of itself. There are days that I get to walk for miles, recording and producing for hours on end. Some days I barely make it to the end of the block, with only a short job or two to finish. On these days, it is totally up to me if I'm going to give up and head home- or keep pushing myself to take that next step and create my own walking trail.

Now, back to the dog. When my dog goes for her walk, she never stops to ask her doggy friends if they've been on their walk that day. She doesn't care. She doesn't worry if it's hot, or cold, or raining. If something blocks her path, she crosses the street and keeps moving forward. When her walk is cut short, she happily goes home to her favorite ball and a cold bowl of water. And then she waits, patiently, for the next walk to come.

Thanks to my Macy, twice a day I am reminded how wonderful it is to live for the things you love.

Kara Edwards, Voice Actor