How is that there are never enough hours in the day to do all the things we need to do? I mean, we do the things we have to do, like get the kids, feed our pets, find the perfect shoes to go with that outfit for Saturday night’s concert, and of course, record a commercial for the client who needs it ASAP! But who has time for the things we should do like develop our craft, build our business acumen, and find new clients? Often, we find ourselves, or our business, in a slump before we give the “shoulds” the proper dedication of time and energy to help propel our business forward. I’m very busy right now trying to balance my 11-year-old daughter’s life, a new puppy’s entrance into our family, my ageing parent’s needs, and my husband’s family business concerns, as well as my own thriving business – it’s a lot! I became extremely overwhelmed this summer by all the to-dos on my list. I started to think about the time I was spending on different tasks. I began to beat myself up because I was getting the bare minimum done for my business. I wasn’t practicing my craft and learning how to better my business or search for new clients. After some analyzing, I found I had a lot more time than I thought. I just wasn’t using it very well. Below are some of the things I started doing to focus on developing my voice-over skills. Here are some tips that may help you focus on your development as voice-over actor, too:
Everything you read, read it out loud. So, I’m pretty sure you are checking Facebook, Twitter, or some type of social media, right? Take that ultimate time waster and turn it into a chance to practice your craft! Read people’s posts in their “voice” (or the voice you think they have). Read out loud to your kids or your pets. In fact, you should be reading this blog post out loud right now! Don’t think about how annoying you may be to everyone around you, just tell them, “I’m practicing my craft.
Listen to voice-over and small business podcasts while working out or on my commute. There are a multitude of fabulous podcasts available out there about the industry and small businesses. Some of my favorite include Voice-Over Body Shop, VO B.O.S.S, Mike Lenz Voice and Voice Over Café. Find what resonates with you and listen to them while you are in the car or on your daily walk or run. Why not? What else are you listening to? Music? Depressing news? How’s that working for ya?
Go to lunch with people that can move your business forward. You gotta eat, right? These people might be potential clients like a creative director from an advertising agency or a voice-over actor in your area that you met at a MeetUp.com event. Whoever it is, get out there and start becoming known in your hometown. Doing this action pays huge dividends!
Instead of feeling like I had to find more time to focus on things I should be doing, I was able to incorporate them into things I was already doing everyday. I’m already getting better auditions, more ideas, and more potential clients. I hope you start to see those same results, too! I wish you best on your voice-over journey.
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Jillian Nielsen is an expressive voice talent with over 14 years of experience in radio and television commercial and promotional voice-overs.
