Field Notes

-Try keeping a simple goal tracking calendar on your phone. I have one for my marketing outreach. Each goal has its own weekly or monthly view, and you either put a check or an automatic X is placed on each day as it passes. Sometimes I think I'm doing enough and then look back at my calendar and realize that I haven't been hitting my daily corporate outreach goals for almost a week straight. Gives you an easy way to see exactly where you may be lacking -If it's working, don'

-I promise it’s not worth it. Here’s the 3 things you can do and the 1 thing you should never do when you see something you want to argue with online. 1) Block them and move on 2) Unfollow them, but keep the connection, and move on 3) Ignore it and move on. And what you shouldn’t do? 1) Interact in any way shape or form. Seriously. Don’t even read it. It just boosts the thing you don’t like in the social algorithm. You arguing online or disagreeing doesn’t make you seem like

-Some days you're rolling in work, client after client, making that money. Other days you spend the better half of your morning getting a free chair off craigslist, taking the armrests off, then tying them to your studio chair because no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to find a chair as SILENT as the one you currently have but it has the most uncomfortable arm rests in the world and you sit in it for like 10 hours every day. Take each day as it comes, they're all par

-Success isn’t solitary, but be careful where it’s shared. Take pride in the people who helped you get to where you are and be open to new people in your journey. That said, being vigilant about who you let in, and understanding their intentions, doesn’t make you a jerk. It just keeps you safe -The most important part is to try. Your website will never be perfect, and you can always want a better headshot, a new demo, groovier gear, the list never ends. Set a goal to just act

-Specify your goals. Find out what it is you ACTUALLY want. I've found that the more successful people I meet tend to be willing to try anything but keep a headline goal at their center focus. Whatever works around it is great and may progress them closer to the goal as well. Try to be as specific as you can too. "I want to be a full time voice actor" VS "I want to make 50k+ a year solely from my work as a voice actor in video games." I believe that this also helps you feel m

-Network without an objective. Sometimes the best relationships begin as nothing more than a friendly conversation. When both parties are going into a chat with no expectation from the other, guards drop much easier and people are more open to connection. -Don't get in the habit of only “networking up.” What I mean by that is don't discount the value of someone who you deem as “lower” than you on the opportunity/career ladder. Sure they may not have work opportunities for you

-Don't add people to your newsletter mailing lists without explicit permission. I've been signed up for so many of these recently and I don't even recognize half of them. Even worse, they're sent to my business email. Sometimes I don't even click the unsubscribe button because 1) it often doesn't even work and 2) I'm always a bit extra worried about suspicious links these days. They often just get blocked and straight into spam. Overall it's just bad for your email’s reputati

-Anyone else ever forget to eat? If you're anything like me, then a windowless studio with no clocks and infinite possibilities of work/tasks to complete can sometimes be a bit of a void. 9am now and 5 minutes later it's tomorrow. Pizza rolls and chips are delicious, I get it, but staying healthy doesn't have to take too much time. I'd advise all of yall to get in the habit of meal prepping. Doesn't have to be a lot, just something, good, healthy, and that you can keep in the

-Alright yall... Who aint teaching their kids how to change a tire? Listen, I’m no parent so I can’t speak from experience but just the other night I pull over to a crying teenager on the side of the road with a flat. Phone dead, coming home late, no jack, no tire iron and absolutely no know-how. I often notice people frustrated at the younger generations for not knowing how to do certain things when in actuality no one has taken the time to teach them. -Continuing off the a

-If you hear that problem in your studio then you can bet your mic will probably hear it too. Learn to trust your own ears. Train them and fine tune them to find and solve problems that may arise. (solve them? I mean I guess your ears aren’t “solving” the problems, mores- ahhh whatever you get the point) -Editing gets faster when your recordings get cleaner. Works that way for a lot of things in life. Fix it at the source and save time down the road

-If you don’t already have one, get yourself a cheap little webcam that can hook to your computer and go in your recording studio. I don’t need it often, but some clients really like to see my pretty smile while we’re working. Shoot, I aint gonna be a villain and deny em’ that privilege ;) -Buying a new audio interface? I’d highly advise you to get something where you can keep two sets of headphones plugged in. I much prefer to edit with open back headphones (the DT 990 Pros

-Ever been playing a character for a gig and thought “man! I sure wish I could try this line like a pirate with a stutter!” First of all, I don’t know what kind of characters yall are playing, but second of all (and most importantly) YOU SHOULD DO IT! Listen, there’s a reason your gut told you to try a line out in this way or that way. You’re being paid to make those decisions. Now, the above situation may not happen often, but my point is more along the lines of “just take t

-How to say no, you may ask? Do you feel that little twinge of guilt and dread in your stomach when you have to turn down a client request or ask for more money? Maybe you’re already typing something along the lines of “Well, DC. I think being a people pleaser is why my clients like me!” Hell, I reckon so too! It’s also probably why you’re rushing to every single email even if it comes in at 2am, not getting paid what you’re worth, and complaining to yourself that every outsi

-When should you invest in yourself? As a voice actor, we often think of ourselves exactly as that. Voice actors. In reality, you're much more. This is a small business, and I find it hard to name a successful enterprise that doesn't require some re-investing. When you do it is up to you, but just keep in mind that you get from your business what you put into it. That goes for time, effort, creativity, and of course... Money -While I'd never advise anyone to take on debt, I d

-push yourself out of your comfort zone and hunt for “no”s. It's not even about getting closer to "yes"s. it's about getting comfortable hearing the word NO and trying again. Not being afraid of your job is crucial -acting is very emotional, business should not be. I think this is why a lot of actors struggle with “rejection.” those who know me will know I don't even like to use that word. You need to learn to turn on and off the emotional brain quickly and efficiently. No on

-Gear is great and training is excellent. A properly treated room is king, but here's the thing. When you focus on what you can do with what you have, you're already miles ahead. -when it's time to upgrade, you should know it. Don't spend money just for the sake of it but if you realize a shortcoming somewhere in your business, whether that be gear, training, marketing, your booth, etc, that's what you need to focus on upgrading. If you don't even know what you need to upgrad

-learn to enjoy your wins/victories. You work hard for your successes. If you don't take time to enjoy them then what even is the point? -The best networking is honest and genuine. A successful business is built on good marketing too so not everyone you contact will be a deep and meaningful connection. That's okay. But the ones that are? Nourish those relationships and help them succeed. That will make its way back around to you

-Being observant goes a long way. Are you exhausted after a workout? Remember that feeling and how you sound when you talk. Try utilizing it for a gritty sports read. -Observing others is great info as well but don't get caught up in trying to sound like or imitate someone else. Your best tool is YOU. Don't try to become someone else

- Let's talk about losing real quick. Today I lost 3 opportunities. Not small ones either. We're talking major portfolio pieces and $100,000+ worth of income. 3 gut shots all on one day. These were all nearly closed deals. But here's the real takeaway. Nothing changed. I didn't really lose anything because it was never mine to begin with. I'm still the exact same and I can still land similar opportunities going forward - It's moments like what I mentioned above it's important

-In my eyes, there's a major way to kill your credibility. Using AI images in your posts when complaining about AI taking over VO. Yall... Just don't use it. I know it's quick to type in the prompt and get that image you need, but it's really not a good look and I genuinely think it makes you look a bit out of touch. Maybe hot take, but that's where I'm at. Gimme your thoughts on this one -Please don't record and post your auditions online without permission yall.