A Letter from a Reader…

We recently received this email from a lady (we’ll call her “Penny”) that regularly receives our FREE voice over training videos, blog posts, and tips.

Mind you, there is NO charge for MUCH of the great voice over information that we give away for FREE on this website…

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“Hi Terry,

You know people think that people should get training and pay money.

I have been told in the otherwise, if someone has talent, it is recognized. If a person is gifted with their voice, then this is the person that will make money in the business if properly represented.

I think it is a shame that you are charging people, because the economy is so bad right now.

I wish you all the best, but I cannot afford training, so I guess you can count me out.

Sincerely,

Penny”

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Now, let me ask you this?

What if we applied Penny’s philosophy to other professions? What if your Doctor or Dentist got “free training” on how to do surgery on you? How confident would you feel putting your life in the hands of someone that didn’t really need to sacrifice anything to get their education?

Some of the most talented people in the world sacrifice years and years of their lives, studying and practicing before they break-through to having a successful career.

The reason Penny can’t (or won’t) pay for training is because she thinks she deserves to get something for nothing. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way – and for those of you out there that think it does, you better check your “reality-o-meter”.

A very wise man once said something to the effect that, “You reap what you sow” – and this is a fundamental truth that makes our world go around.

I feel sorry for people like Penny who don’t want to plant any proverbial seeds. They don’t want to do the work, or take a risk, or pay their dues – they think that it should all just be “handed” to them because they are “talented”.

This is why she will probably never have prosperity – not because she is not a nice person, or a talented voice actor – but simply because she does not understand how money, trade, and this industry works.

We’ve spent thousands upon thousands of dollars (of our own hard earned money) to get this website up and running. How long do you think we could afford to keep doing this – if we didn’t charge members a few bucks for all the insider’s information that’s taken us years to gather and develop, and instead just gave it away? (Answer: NOT LONG!)

One more thing… If you tried to get this kind of training at a college or trade school – you would spend as much money on gas just driving there, as you will spend being a member of Voice Over Club.

Thanks Penny, really, thanks for helping us to see why some people make it in this world, and others just complain about how it “should be”.

…We welcome everyone’s comments below.

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‘Tis The Season To Take Care Of Your Voice!

The holidays are a time of celebration and cheer, filled with laughter and joy and goodwill to all. Of course, no season of celebration is complete without an endless array of parties with tasty delights of food and an ample selection of beverages to toast friends and family.  One cannot help but partake of at least of few of these moments amid the chaotic scramble of balancing workload to meet deadlines and auditioning for future work.

This is also a fantastic time of the year to trash your voice!  I know … I sound like the Grinch, but unlike the Grinch, I do have heart and I want you to succeed.  As a voice over talent you need to be aware of how to care for your voice and still partake in the celebrations of the season and throughout the year.

Here are some tips to help keep your voice in tip top shape:

Drink lots of water to keep hydrated and to keep your vocal chords moist as winter weather tends to be very dry.

Enjoying sugary sweets, greasy appetizers, dairy and caffeine is fine in moderation, but keep in mind what they do to your voice.  Whenever possible, balance your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.

Having a few alcoholic beverages at a party may also be fine; however, resist the urge to overindulge, especially if you will be recording in the morning, as alcohol will dry out your vocal chords and the sugar in it will produce excess mucus.

Carbonated beverages also have a drying effect.  Drinking extra water when consuming alcohol or any carbonated beverages will help keep you hydrated, and adding fresh lemon will help to cut mucus.

Cover your neck with a scarf when you go outside and, when it’s super cold, try to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.  It may sound crazy but it helps to protect your voice.

Remember this is cold and flu season too.  People come from far and near to meet family and friends for the holidays, and each brings a different set of germs, so remember to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.

Finally, social gatherings tend to be loud making it very easy to strain your voice to be heard in conversations.  The only way to repair excess strain is to get plenty of sleep and rest your voice.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season … Cheers!

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Life Is Too Short

Life is too short to let the economy or any other excuse stop you from achieving your goals. The reality is that the economy is going to continue to move through its cycles and plenty of challenges will present themselves in an effort to distract you along the way of reaching your goals.  What you need is a game plan and a strategy for dealing with the challenges.  If you look at successful people you admire, they are not successful because they never had a plan or encountered a challenge, they are successful because they created a plan and kept their eyes on their goals and not on the obstacles.

This is not to diminish the challenges you may be facing.  I am saying this to encourage you.  You are not the only one who has obstacles and the obstacles are not larger than your potential to overcome them.  It may not be easy, but it will be well worth it.

First and foremost, mind your business.  Decide exactly what you want to achieve.  Then make a game plane to work through the obstacles.  Tougher economic times may require some creativity and making smart, calculated financial choices.  It may require you to increase your networking and perhaps think of additional ways to serve your clients and increase your value potential.  You may choose to work on your skills and get some additional training or seek mentorship from other professionals who are doing what you would like to do at the level you aspire to achieve.

Then isolate yourself from unnecessary distractions. Your time is valuable and you must choose how you leverage it.  The time you allocate to social media, advertising and networking must be purposeful and deliberate.  You may need to increase the time you spend doing auditions or you may need to choose your auditions more carefully.  Be sure to allocate time to yourself and your family too, as tougher times – regardless of the stressors – often distract us from what really matters in the end.

You can choose to make excuses or you can choose to make your voice over business flourish. The decision is yours.

To your success!

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Risk and Choice

We are bombarded with choices each and every day.  Some choices are easy and less impactful than others and some require a bit more backbone and have farther reaching consequences.  Regardless, each choice carries with it an inherent risk.  For example, if I choose to go out with my friends after work, I risk not getting my after work run in…and you all know what a fitness buff I am!  Ha!  Every choice has risk. Despite the risk, the choice must be made.

The difference between successful and unsuccessful people boils down to the choices they make. Successful people do what needs to get done to achieve their goals.  They do not always like everything they need to do but they realize the risks of not doing what they must to get the results they want.  Just look at any successful athlete.  The training regimen, the diet, the intense focus are choices supporting the commitment the athlete has made to succeed.

The risk of missing an episode of Entourage while enjoying an adult beverage and some pizza is worth the achievement of their goal.  Unsuccessful people want the desired end result but are unwilling to make the choices necessary to achieve it.  They want to watch every episode of their favorite show, have the adult beverage and pizza, and still achieve their goal.

Do you want to be a successful voice over talent?  Then you have to make a choice and take a few risks. Define what “successful” means to you.  Write it down and determine when you want to achieve it. Then determine the necessary steps you will need to take to achieve your goal and commit to doing each of the steps in the right order.  The risks you have to take to be successful are not overwhelmingly difficult but they do require a commitment from you.

You will have to get some professional training if you are just starting out and will need to get periodic professional training even as a working voice over talent to keep your skills sharp, learn new techniques and stay abreast of the industry.  Professional demos are only possible after you have professional training – not before!  No amount of production can or should cover for your voice over abilities.  Auditioning is part of the process, as is editing, billing, marketing, etc.

If you want to be successful in this business, there are no short cuts!  You can do it but you must be willing to take the risk.  Bottom line:  You have to put yourself in the game to win.  It’s your choice. You are either in the game or on the sidelines.  Only those who are in the game can win.

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Free Teleseminar Replay

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