What do I mean by that?  Well, I just finished watching another of Donald Miller‘s really informative Business Made Simple Daily Videos on How To Control Your Emotions (I’ve included the YouTube video below) – and he makes a lot of really helpful comments. If you’re focused on arguing your point, “winning” the smaller battle,

In my quest to always be learning more about my own business – and other businesses in general, I’ve started reading a lot more non-fiction.  One of the books that was suggested to me by some very smart business people I trust, is called Never Split The Difference (Negotiating as if your life depended on

I recently came across a fascinating article about an old concert hall, buried 40 feet below street level underneath a piano shop in Boston. In its heyday, it was surely beautiful.  Acoustically, it had every advantage.  (When you can craft an environment that far underground, silencing the city sounds above all but completely, it’s understandable!)

Being creative can be both a blessing and a curse.  Sometimes that means “conforming” is really hard.  It often mean blazing your own trail.  And that too, can be really hard.  Traditional jobs – working 9-5 in an office – doesn’t really work for us.  Or if it does, it only does for very limited

… is read.  It’s a pretty simple statement to make, I know.  But it’s something I truly believe.  Whether you’re reading to relax late at night (and I know my friend Irina – who is a brilliant photographer and visual branding expert, by the way – reads fiction after a hard day’s work for that

Mastermind groups are a powerful thing.  They can take you out of your own head space and into someone else’s.  Helping someone with their struggles can sometimes help you deal with your own.  And doing it in a group setting, is kind of like crowd-sourcing.  In a really good way.  Of the many opinions and

Ok.  Sure.  It doesn’t exactly feel good… but failing at something means you tried, right?  I’ve been reading a lot of really insightful blogs, listening to podcasts and watching videos on this subject, and I thought I’d share some of those with you to maybe help ease your mind.  First off, you’re not alone.  We

Honestly, and I know this probably sounds pretty trite – I’d continue doing what I’m doing.  But I’d be a lot more relaxed about life in general, that’s for sure.  How about you?  What would that kind of money mean to you?  Do you feel it’s entirely unattainable?  Some pie in the sky idea that

Who let me in here? How did I get where I am?  Why do I deserve this?  What if I … (fill in the blank – forget my lines, play a wrong note, say something stupid in a meeting … You get the idea.) We all have these thoughts.  We all wonder how we got

So apparently, I’ve been living under a rock.  Recently, my friend Jerad Spencer alerted me to a podcast that featured Sam Horn at Intrigue.  Now, she’s been around for a while, so my missing her rise in popularity is entirely my fault.  That said, what she teaches – and how she teaches it – definitely

These guys are so much fun that it probably wouldn’t matter what they were talking about.  I’d still love watching their informative videos. (Full disclosure, I’ve been an Atomic member in the past.)  As it happens though, they tend to pick really timely and interesting business-related topics – mostly having to do with creating content,

In business and in life, no one – and I mean NO ONE (no matter how much you seem to think they have it all together) has everything perfect. Looks can be (and ARE) deceiving.  The only constant in life is that we WILL fall down.  We WILL fail.  A lot.  So … do you

If you’re a master of productivity tools, then either you have no need for this podcast, or you’ve already heard about it.  Steve Dotto is known for his extensive technology knowledge and the ease with which he explains the current technology climate to all sorts of different segments of the population.  But the particular segment

Catching the attention of an increasingly distracted audience, is … well… really hard.  We’re being inundated with advertising from all sides.  Interspersing them in online videos, the obvious television and radio commercials, and of course, product placement in our movies and television shows, are all methods that have been done in the past.  They continue

Justin Schenck is an entrepreneur and public speaker who hosts a podcast called the Growth Now Movement.  By now, you’re probably starting to see a theme in my blog posts – one of self discovery and yes, growth – in both your business and personal life.  Listening to this podcast is only one of the

Hiring a voice actor for your project is easier than you think – but at the same time, it’s not really an exchange of time for an exchange of dollars.  It has more in common with the way you might license music or photography for a commercial project.  There are also different pricing structures based

As a voice actor who also wants to do things like … Oh … I don’t know … have a roof over my head, be able to eat a meal or two a day and occasionally take a vacation, I’ve had to learn something about translating a creative career into a business.  While I’ve been

Mark Asquith knows a thing or two about podcasting.  He’s the CEO of Rebel Base Media, a podcast technology company that started up in 2013.  That technology has been making a steady rise in usability since it became possible – and the changes are only coming on faster as the years pass.  Podcasting has become

I adore and admire Marie Forleo. She is the epitome of personal branding, yes.  But she’s living authentically – without apology.  And she brings a lot of wonderful things to the world.  I love that.  She interviews people who do similar things too – those who pioneer new ways of thinking and doing.  I regularly

Lacey Abbacchi knows a thing or two about LinkedIn and using that platform to help promote your personal brand. In fact, she knows a lot about personal branding in general.  I’ve been super impressed with everything I’ve read from her.  This latest article is no exception.  And it reveals quite a bit about how to

On November 18th of this year, the 5th annual Society of Voice Arts & Sciences held their awards ceremony at Warner Bros. Studio in L.A.  My TV (In Show) Narration Demo was nominated for an award (along with several other very talented nominees) when it was sent in by my demo producer, J. Michael Collins. 

I was lucky enough to head to a voice over conference this past weekend called VO Atlanta – and WOW, was it overwhelming.   Wonderful – but overwhelming.  For one thing, there were around 650 or so other voice talent there.  For another, I knew quite a lot of them.  And for still something else, I learned

I hope you have a wonderful Holiday filled with all the warmth and magic of the Season. I do love to sing holiday songs - and this is one of my favorites. 🙂 I hope you enjoy! And if you do, feel free to download and keep it as a gift from me to you.

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SteinMart2DaySale.mp4   I LOVE Stein Mart.  I've been a fan since I started visiting my friend Mary in Huntsville, Alabama every year around the beginning of January, over 15 years ago.  We always make a pilgrimage to the Stein Mart there - and I pretty much always come away with some fantastic finds.  So what

J. Michael Collins is a talented and hugely successful voice actor – but he’s also an outstanding coach and demo producer.   I first participated in a workshop of his this past June in Vegas and I was struck by how well the practice copy was written.  Humor can be a tricky thing to write

I really enjoy bringing my clients’ visions to life.  The beautiful cinematography in this commercial was nicely offset by Schlage’s super classy door hardware.  They’re a leading manufacturer of door hardware solutions – and you can certainly see why here! (And I love that it’s the mother of the family doing the installation. 😉  )

Doing voice overs for furniture stores is a really enjoyable aspect of my business.  I love furniture.  And I love the owners’ enthusiasm for their product!  This particular set of commercials (this is only one of them), truly demonstrates that love since you get to see the owner discussing his business personally.  I have to

The folks at El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels were after a high end, luxury type of feel for their voice.  With a touch of playfulness.  The recording session was fairly early in the morning at a downtown studio and I remember laughing really hard at their antics on the other end of the ISDN

I love voicing anthems.  This is definitely one of those.  I went to a downtown Toronto studio for this one and really enjoyed working with the folks there.  I remember thinking how fantastic the cinematography on this spot was – and I still think it’s wonderfully done. These guys really know what they’re doing.

The production company behind these commercials does such wonderful work that it’s always a pleasure to voice something for them.  I’ve been working with them on the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital spots for some time now and I love everything they produce.  Here’s just one (outstanding) example:

I did multiple videos for Elkay in this series called “30 Seconds of Ingenuity”.  Each spot demonstrated just how deeply this sink manufacturer thinks about how to make their products innovative and easy to install.  The videos live on the Ekay site to help their clients get the most out of the products they buy.

Ok – so who wouldn’t want to voice a spot for prune juice? 🙂   So much fun to do and this Sunsweet TV commercial aired on PBS.  I was asked for that “mom-next-door” kind of sound.  I think it turned out quite nicely.

Voice overs for casinos are always so filled with wonder and excitement.  I have a lot of fun doing them.  This voice over was no exception and I love how it turned out.

This spot is a bit longer than your typical commercial.  It’s also incredibly moving.  The cinematography and concept are top notch and watching this always brings me really close to tears.   In the end, that’s why I do what I do.  To move someone.  The production company did their part.  I certainly do my

I love what I do – but there are some projects I’m just so super proud to be involved in – and this is one of those.  The story is compelling and the contrast in cultures is fascinating to see.  But it’s also about two young girls who were adopted into loving families in different

Warm and sincere performances are something of a specialty – and that’s just what the people at Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union were after.  In fact, a campaign I voiced for them (“Life Matters”), won a Silver Pele award.  It was a beautiful campaign (really well-conceived and written!) and the award was well-deserved.

This was a National US spot where I got to use my "mom" voice (a kind of tone I'm asked to use a lot).  When I was sent the audition, the client was asking for: "Female, early 30’s to early 40’s. Should be an actress or performer with range, not a slick announcer. Positive and

This is only one of the many infomercial voice overs I’ve done for Bissell over the years.  It’s a thrill to be involved with such a household name in vacuum cleaning solutions and my sessions with them are always a lot of fun.  This is definitely more in my bubbly, higher register type of voice

Anthems are a lot of fun to do.  This Shoppers Drug Mart voice over commercial was for the Life Brand at Shoppers Drug Mart, a Canadian drug store chain similar to CVS or Walgreens in the States.  I love how whimsical this turned out.  Thanks to the folks at CORUS in Toronto for their beautiful

These spots were a pleasure to do.  Details really do matter.  Jenn-Air wanted a “luxury” read and their appliances certainly lent themselves well to that kind of sound.  After recording these and seeing how they turned out?  I so wanted to buy some of their appliances.  They look incredibly handy and well thought-out!

I would categorize the spots I do for Unisom as “sympathetic” and “hopeful”.  There’s a problem, of course.  It’s hard to turn our brains off after a long, complex day (there’s the sympathy).  So when I’m talking about solving that problem, hopeful is what’s needed. I recall traveling through Columbus Ohio and hearing this spot

I get asked to be the “voice of reason” beside the wacky goings on around me, a LOT.  This commercial? It was really hard to keep a straight face.  The voice actor that did the voice of the oven was brilliant.  And apparently, he’d given the audio engineer something like an hour or more of

Looking for Voices? Trying to break into Voiceovers yourself? Want some tips on how to hire the right voice for your project? These articles will help…   So You Want To Be A Voice Over? Sarah Sealey, a British VO, has put together a brilliant essay about what it takes, in her own cheeky style.

Dan Hurst’s Voiceover e-Book – Dan’s put together a bunch of information for those thinking of getting into voice overs.  It’s a great resource and if you’re thinking about this as a sustainable career, it’s worth a (detailed) study.  You’re welcome. 😉

– A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a Voice Talent, And What Happens Next The right voice can really make your project shine.  But how do you find that voice?  And what happens when you do? First things first Don’t let the process intimidate you.  If you’ve hired voices before, you probably know what to expect. 

Who Wants To Be A Voice Talent? – J. Christopher Dunn is a very talented voice over artist who gets asked what it takes to be a voice talent on a regular basis (I think any of us that have been in the business a bit have been asked the same). Here’s a pretty detailed analysis

Voice Coaches – They provide one-on-one and all-inclusive programs that provide specialized voice evaluation, industry preparation, network quality demo development, and effective self-marketing training coupled with personalized, long-term support. There’s lots of information on their website. If you’re looking to give yourself that extra edge a voice talent, check them out.

Internet Voice Coach is a new service for voice actors that gives tips and advice about various aspects of the industry. They also provide podcasts, personal feedback, downloads of helpful stuff for your business and your practice, they can work with you on auditions, there’s a forum, and a lot more. Whether you’re just starting out

If you’re really serious about becoming a voice talent, you really really need to treat this as a business – not a hobby.  Freshbooks can help you do that by presenting your invoices to your clients in a professional manner and allowing you to track outstanding invoices, keep track of expenses and a whole lot more.  Personally, I LOVE Freshbooks,

Putting together a demo and need background music? Producing a film, podcast, school project, commercial, corporate video or anything like that? Instant Background Music is a great place to try. This could be the cheapest way to get some really great music. They sell a package of 97 songs for only $97 dollars! That’s a pretty sweet

George Whittam is a genius when it comes to fixing recording issues for voice talent.  If you’re just getting into voice overs and you don’t know what equipment to buy, he’s the guy to ask. He has several options available from a super simple beginner’s set up, to a pro’s dream. And if you already have

VocalBoothToGo is a great website to check out if you’re looking for vocal booths you can take on the road with you. Once you’re in the thick of things, you’re really going to need some kind of a travel rig.  I happen to own one of these and really love it.  For more information on how

Canadian Recording Services website, a fantastic resource for finding recording studios in Canada. Their service is free and they deal with post-production for voice overs – including studios that have ISDN.

Edge Studio is a great marketing resource for voice overs. They have a ton of great resources for voice over training, too!. Visit their answer series for common questions and answers if you’re intending on becoming a voice over artist. You might also find their directory for suggesting links particularly useful.

If you’re just getting started in voice overs, or you’re a seasoned pro and want to improve your craft (it’s a never-ending process, after all), one of the best places to visit is VoiceActing.com. There’s tons of resources on their website, but one of the best things you can do for your career is to pick

Here are some resources for singers that I’ve found useful… Ok. I’ll be honest and say that some of these resources are ones I’ve compiled myself on other sites. That said, they’re still useful. 🙂 Reference Guide for Singers on The Muse’s Muse – This is a compilation of the resources for singers that can be found on

These resources will help enable you to get your website on the map, and climb in the ranks of online searches. Search Engine Optimization Tips for Voice Actors How to get the Search Engines to give your site Top Billing! (PDF) If you care to share any other SEO information with your fellow voice talent

Note: This is a reworking of a previous article I wrote back in 2003 specifically for the independent musicians and songwriters that dropped by my songwriting resource, The Muse’s Muse. Here’s a completely revamped version specifically for voice actors that I hope will help you all out. Before I began doing voice overs full time, I