Show Me The Clients!

Do you remember how you treated your very first client?

You probably spent hours each day trying to stay in contact with them – through phone, e-mail, text or whatever other form of technology you had available at that time. You were interested in getting to know everything about them, personally and professionally, and made yourself available to them whenever they needed you, right?  Why? 

Because you knew that they were all you had. If they left, you would have been left with nothing.  It is imperative that we do not lose that line of reasoning. View every single client the same way that you did the very first one. Get to know them like the back of your hand; find out their needs and do whatever you can to make sure that they are met. 

The last thing that you want is for your clients to feel the need to go anywhere else for something that you can provide. Become a one-stop convenience shop for all of their vocal needs and services. Think about every other successful business today. When they realized that they did not have something that their customers needed, what did they do? They found a way to get it!

Why did McDonald's start selling chicken sandwiches and salads? Why did Wal-Mart expand into "Super Centers" with garden, grocery and even automobile departments?  Have you noticed that the local convenience store up the street is starting to carry more and more products every time that you shop there? 

These companies understand that, as professionals, we have to struggle in order to stay relevant in our industry. This is true even if it means that we have to branch off into other industries just to enhance the quality and efficiency of our own services. If you cannot do something for a client but know someone that can, introduce your client to the "other" services that are offered by your company? 

If you are a male but your client needs a female for a new voiceover project, introduce them to the other voices that you have available on your roster. You might be scratching your head, saying "But I don't have any female voices on my roster!"  If not, then you better find one! There are plenty of websites available today that can connect you directly to freelance voiceover artists looking for work.  Facebook is a great tool for this as well. Put these sources to work for you. The goal is to make sure that your clients only have one name in mind whenever they need the services that you offer – yours!

Building this type of rapport with your customers and clients will make it much easier to ask for referrals and even ask for more business from them. They will be able to clearly see that they are more than just a number to you.  They will strongly believe that you do not view them as expendable assets or mere pawns on a chess board that can be given away to the other side without causing any significant damage. They will be able to see that you truly care about them and their needs and will be willing to do whatever it takes to show you just how valuable you are to them as well. 

Remember the Academy Award-winning film, Jerry Maguire, with Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr.? I've only seen it like 89 times! In this movie, Tom Cruise plays a successful sports agent that has an epiphany inspiring him to focus more on truly appreciating each individual client by focusing on their individual needs instead of focusing too much on having an abundance of clients because the only thing that you care about is the commission. Even though his character was chastised and criticized for this and literally had to start his business over again from scratch, he was able to build a more solid foundation based on quality instead of quantity that created a path for him to be achieve an astronomical level of success in the near future!

Have the Jerry Maguire mentality. Be willing to do what your competitor's don't so that you can live the life that your competitors won't! If you view all of your customers as expendable assets, what happens when they are all gone? You are completely out of assets!  If your customers are nothing but mere chess pawns that you allow to be taken easily, then your game is going to end much sooner than you think. 

Keep in mind the words of Kenneth B. Elliott, Vice President of sales for the The Studebaker Corporation who said that "a customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work.  He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so."

Remember that your customers are the reason why you exist as a professional. They are your family. Their projects are your children. Your clients are your keys to personal and professional success. Take care of them now or someone else will be more than happy to take care of them later!

How to Free Your Voiceover Business from the Pitfalls of Daily Time Traps

William Penn was once quoted as saying that “time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” That is truly nothing but the truth and is something that is realized day in and day out by every single person around the world today. When discussing the future, C.S. Lewis called it “something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour – whatever he does, whoever he is.” 

Within any type of business (not just voice talents), time plays a significant role along the journey towards achieving long-term success and longevity in that respective industry. You have to be able to manage your time wisely every single day without letup, maintaining a defined structure and sticking to a defined schedule that is specifically designed to lead you towards fulfilling your professional goals. 

One of the biggest problems with that journey, though, is that there are so many different time traps and pitfalls that can cripple your professional growth and cause you to just get left behind while all of your competitors run right past you. You need to be able to identify these time traps now so that you are fully aware of them and the dangers involved, because that is the only way that you are going to know what to look for on the road to success. 

We could spend hours talking about all of the different time traps that exist today within our homes, offices and lives in general. However, that would be  a time trap in itself because you would spend all of that time reading about time traps and still not know how to avoid them.

Therefore, let’s use this time wisely and spend the next several minutes that it will take you to finish reading this blog to talk about the key steps that you need to take to avoid getting trapped. 

Do Not Just Make Schedules, Stick to Them

It takes a few minutes to make a schedule, but it only takes one minute to break it. Maybe you should take a moment to reread that last sentence and truly let it sink in because it seems to be something that a lot of people do not seem to fully understand. 

Making a schedule for a person’s workday seems to be one of the easiest parts of the day overall. Saying that “making a schedule is half the battle” is a major exaggeration, because (if that was a true statement) then it would mean that sticking to that schedule is just as simple (or as difficult) as making it.

In order to avoid time traps, you need to be able to work hard at sticking to the schedules that we make. Otherwise, we will still be wasting time and also wasting the paper that we used to write the schedule out in the first place.

Do Not Take the “Golden Hour” for Granted

What is the “golden hour”? Unless you have a background in photography, you probably have not heard of that term before. The “golden hour” happens only twice a day – it is the first and the last hour of sunlight throughout the day. During this time, a photographer is able to do some of his best work because of the natural lighting and glowing effect that his outdoor pictures will have. Many outdoor photographers do the majority of their work for the day during these peak times because they know that they are going to be able to generate some amazing results by doing so. What if an outdoor photographer misses those times or spends them doing something else that is non-productive? They still may be able to get some work done that day, but they are not going to be able to have the same quality results. 

Within the voice talent business, you have to be able to take full advantage of your own “golden hours” or peak times when you are able to get the best quality work done every day. If you are becoming sidetracked by personal issues or even non-productive concerns that are related to your work, then you are going to let these “golden” opportunities pass you right by. 

During the peak time of the day, do not get caught up in the administrative side of the business (i.e. nonproductive phone calls, checking e-mails every few minutes, social networking websites, etc.). These things can be done just as well during the off-peak times of the day or even the week without causing any detrimental damage to your business. By letting those “golden hours” pass without taking full advantage of them, though, you will be setting yourself up for failure and then you will have all of the time in the world to waste when no one hires you for any work. 

Self-Employment Does Not Justify Cutting Corners

Just because you have your own business and do not have to punch the clock for someone else does not give you the right to excessively cut corners while you are on the job. What too many people fail to realize is that making the decision to become self-employed does not make anything easier – it only makes everything much more difficult! Sure, there is an overabundance of benefits and incentives that can be enjoyed through successful self-employment but you still have to put in the work. The term is “self-employment” – not “self-vacation” or “self-procrastination.” You should hold yourself accountable the same way that a boss would hold you accountable in the corporate world of 9-5ers. 

Try to avoid extended lunches and breaks throughout the day! Keep in mind that you are working as a company of one. In the corporate world, there is always going to be someone else working on the clock to keep productivity up for the company when you are going on break or lunch. If you are working for yourself, then you are essentially shutting your business down each time you take a break. How long would it take before those extended lunches and excessive breaks force you to close down your business for good? That is definitely something that you should always have in the forefront of your mind each time that you step away from your office or studio to take a break.

Stop Wasting Your Time, Maintain Your Focus

It is so easy to waste time throughout the day. Even if you do have a schedule that you are sticking to day in and day out, how much work is getting done during the time that you had scheduled to work? The digital age and advancements in technology have made it both much easier and more difficult to get work done. How so? Well, it is easier to get work done throughout the day because of the efficiency of your studio equipment, computers, high speed internet connection, smartphones, etc. However, it is also easy to get caught up on everything else that these devices provide you that have nothing to do with your work. How many times have you been working on something productive on your computer and then decide to play Minesweeper, Words for Friends or some other computer game that seems to be calling your name? How many times have you been lured away by iTunes, Spotify or some other cool program that you seem addicted to using on a daily basis? 

Facebook is an amazing tool that you can truly use to effectively grow and expand your business. However, you can also use Facebook to have personal conversations with all of your friends that happen to be online at the same time. There are literally hundreds of different games and applications that you can play and don’t even get me started on the time traps of viral videos that your friends and colleagues recommend you to see that you can’t seem to stop clicking “Repeat” on for hours at a time. 

“Get In and Get Out”

You need to be able to pull yourself away from these things. Keep a “get in and get out” mentality when you are scheduled to work. If you need to use Facebook, for example, get in there and do what you need to do for your business. As soon as you are done, get out! Easier said than done, I know! You need to apply this principle to everything that you do throughout the day.

If you are able to follow these key steps and implement them on a daily basis into your business, you are going to realize that you are able to get a lot more work done each day. You are going to feel much more productive on a regular basis because you actually will be productive, diligently pushing yourself and your business higher and higher towards reaching the peak of the mountain of success. Keep climbing, stay focused and avoid all time traps because the destination is closer than you think. You just need to stop wasting time in order to get there faster.  

How to Cure the Disease of Negativity in Your Voiceover Business

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that companies collectively lose close to $3 billion on a yearly basis because of the negativity within the workplace that is manifested through the attitudes and behavior reflected within the work environment. Can you imagine how much you would be able to do for your business and for your family with even just a small chunk of that loss each year?

Your income and lifestyle may drastically change, would it not? Well, the next time that you are feeling negative yourself or are becoming surrounded and overwhelmed by negativity, the best thing that you could do for yourself and your business at that moment would be to imagine you throwing hundreds and thousands of dollar bills into that $3 billion annual pit. If people that have to punch the clock every single day have to deal with negativity in their workplace, what makes you think that you will not have to deal with even more of it on a daily basis since you are working for yourself?

Even though the voiceover business can be very profitable at times, there are instances where you can go weeks and even months without regular work. Does that give you the right to sulk, sob and whine about your lack of work?  No!  However, is that something that is very easy to do? Of course it is! There are days where I feel like a punching a hole in my lava lamp! Yes, I have one! Why is that? The simple answer to that question is because it is extremely easy to be negative – especially when you have nothing but negativity around you. Just as it is much easier to reflect on everything that went wrong for you in your business last year than it is to remember exactly when and how you went right, it is easy to become fully clothed by negativity on almost any topic – personally or professionally. What happens when you indulge yourself in the dark world of negativity? Think about that for a moment and the answer will become evidently clear.

You wake up tomorrow morning only to find that you do not have any e-mail messages or responses from the jobs that you submitted auditions for recently. The only people that have left messages for you in your voicemail are bill collectors demanding money from you that you just do not have free to give them yet – especially since there are no clients that are calling you about upcoming projects that they want to hire you to complete. Now here you are – sitting in front of your computer with nothing to do. What do you do at that very moment?

Let’s say that you decide to feed into the negativity. You start whining and complaining to your colleagues, friends and family members through face-to-face chats or even chats on Facebook. You may even just talk to yourself as you pace back and forth in your studio, whining about how all you need is one big break and how you are so upset that you have not been given that big opportunity yet. Hours and hours have now passed. Nothing has been done and you decide to close up shop for the day and do something completely unrelated to your career before going to sleep only to wake up to the same cycle of negativity the next morning.

So, let’s focus on the original question again. What happens when you indulge yourself in the dark world of negativity, though? Nothing! By feeding into that negativity, you are spending your entire day and night complaining about everything that is preventing you from getting ahead but you are not taking the time to truly find out what it takes for you to take one step forward in the right direction. You need to reverse that in order to truly see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you truly do want to feed into the negativity, that is fine but you have to be smart about what you are being negative about. What does that mean?

Think about the simple math. When you add a negative to a negative, you are just getting a sum of the two negatives together so that is all that you end up with – a bigger negative. However, if you take a negative and use it to create a product out of a negative (hint: multiplication), then you will be able to generate a positive result.

You have to be able to have a negative outlook about the negativity that surrounds you. Don’t feed into it, adding to the negativity that is already existing because you will get nowhere by doing so. The key is to transform that negative into a positive product by any means necessary! Instead of complaining to your colleagues and friends, spend that time trying to brainstorm ideas with them about what you can do to get more leads and open more doors. Instead of using Facebook to ventilate about all of the things that are going wrong with your day, use this social networking tool to reach out to prospective clients and customers in order to focus on doing at least one thing right!

By not spending your entire day complaining and whining about nothing being built onto the foundation of your business, focus all of your efforts on how you can add just one brick at a time each day. Negativity is contagious, but (just like any other virus) it can be treated and prevented. You just have to keep your eyes open to the signs and the symptoms of this disease and shut them down quickly through early detection and prompt treatment before it spreads any further.

Otherwise, you might as well just start calculating how much money you will be contributing to that $3 billion pit in 2013.

Are Facebook Business Pages the key to Survival?

Stay with me for a moment, boys and girls, as we take a quick trip down memory lane. Are you ready?  Here we go.

A Blast from the Past

Two decades ago, the vast majority of businesses were still trying to adjust to using computers and other forms of technology within their daily operations as the popularity of the internet was beginning to spread like a plague throughout the world. However, you could still run a business successfully without even having a dial-up internet connection in your office. The internet was an optional luxury.

One decade ago, you would hardly find a single business (regardless of the size or number of years that they were in business) that did not have at least one computer and an internet connection. The digital age then required these two core elements as primary factors that played a significant role in the growth and overall success of most businesses.

That was when social media and social networking websites were introduced to the world and Facebook was created by a then-unknown Harvard student from his dorm room. However, you could still run a business successfully without setting up an online profile on one of these websites. Just as the internet was ten years prior, social networking websites were also considered as an optional luxury.

It is Just a Sign of the Times

Things have drastically changed over the course of the last twenty years. If you were still in the industry of vocal arts back then, you may still vaguely remember a time when our voice was the only tool that we needed in order to succeed. Advancements in technology have completely revolutionized the way that we live and the way that we do business today to the point where our voices are no longer enough to get us in the door and keep us there. Why not?

Facebook has been able to evolve over the past ten years from a hobby and personal project of a then-unknown Harvard student into a multi-billion dollar empire that is used by hundreds of millions of people on a global scale. Even though it started out as a personal tool to connect with old and new friends and long-lost relatives, it later embarked on a journey towards revolutionizing the worlds of business and digital marketing forever.

More business owners and upper-level executive seem to be investing more time, money and other resources into building and maintaining an online branding page for their business through Facebook than they do through any other means of traditional advertising. Why is that?

Embrace the Transition, Expand Your Business

The simple and short answer is because that is obviously where the world is headed these days. More and more people seem to be exposed to more advertisements and commercials within a few hours of surfing the internet than they will over a period of a few days of watching television or listening to the radio.

Everything that your customers and clients need is available to them with just a few clicks of the mouse and strokes on the keyboard – including an accessible listing of all of the vocal professionals that you are currently competing against. If you want any chance at making it in this business and continuing to be successful, then you truly do not have a choice but to make the transition and embrace the social media revolution.

Sink or Swim – Which Will You Choose?

Making the choice to not set up your own Facebook branding page for your business and regularly updating it to use it to your advantage is the equivalent of making the decision to put a “Going out of Business Sale” sign on your company today. Just as the tale of time has clearly explained over the past twenty years, we know that there is no going back now.

In the year 2013, all businesses have multiple computers within their offices that they depend on greatly in order to function properly on a daily basis.  Not only do they have an internet connection but the vast majority of businesses even offer a wireless internet connection that can be accessed by their customers and clients free of charge.  Facebook pages seem to be popping up more than traditional websites, because it is clear that they are viewed more as required necessities than optional luxuries.  

The bottom line is that you can either go with the current and continue to enjoy smooth sailing in your business by investing in a Facebook branding page for your business or you can fight against the current by trying to stay afloat without making that transition and it is only a matter of time before you drown your business in the rippling waves of your competition.

Positioning Yourself for Success in the New Year

Each year, time seems to fly directly into the New Year almost overnight after Thanksgiving has passed.  Before long, Christmas will be here and gone and then we will all have to flip our calendars over to the next month. You may have already begun reflecting on the amazing year that you had both personally and professionally throughout 2012.

Maybe it was your first year embarking on your journey as a voice professional or maybe it was just another notch on your career’s belt that was added along with the many other notches that you have been collecting over the years. Regardless of how you will finish 2012, it is important to make sure that you plan now in order to start 2013 off with a bang!

One of the biggest mistakes that people make in this industry is that they wait for the New Year to begin before they start making plans. Waiting that long to plan how to start means that they are also forcing themselves to wait to actually start working towards the goals and expectations that they have set for themselves and for their business. This simple mistake of waiting can actually kill your business. How so?

As is the case with many other industries that are based on specific talents, the voice talent industry thrives off of momentum. You have to be able to catch the wave right when is it about to rise up in order to enjoy the ride of your life. Otherwise, that wave is going to pass right over you, leaving you stranded in still water or possibly even drowning in the ripples created by your competition. The best race car drivers know that you have to spend the least amount of time at the pit stop in order to win the race, because staying there too long will cause them to get left behind and lose out on the race all together.

Enough with the sports analogies – I think you get the point. Right now, we need to focus on the steps that need to be taken now in order to put ourselves at the front of the line and in a prime position for success immediately after the New Year begins.

One of the best things that you can do for yourself and for your business is use 2013 to start over. What do I mean by that? Treat your business as if you are approaching it for the first time with a fresh approach; work with it as if you are just opening your doors and about to work for your very first client. Why is that so important? You have to leave 2012 completely behind you, because holding on to it too long will mean failure for your business in 2013. Even if you had the very best year of your career in 2012, that will mean absolutely nothing in 2013.

You have to have a fresh approach to your business each and every year as if you are starting at Day One, because that is where you are starting. Update your business plan or better yet, create an entirely new business plan. Try new ways to advertise your services to the world; do not get too attached to sticking with the methods that may have been successful for you in the past. You have to be willing to change what you do today in order to change what you make tomorrow!

Use this time to focus on reflection. Pay attention to the areas that you succeeded in 2012 and were able to grow as a professional and expand your business to new heights. Use those areas as building blocks to create a foundation that will allow you to build even further next year. More importantly, you definitely want to reflect and analyze the areas in which you failed in 2012 and possibly almost ruined yourself professionally, jeopardizing your current image within this growing industry. Those are the areas that you need to truly come up with an action plan as to how avoid those pitfalls and steer in the direction of success in the New Year.

Enjoy the holidays! 2012 is coming to a close real soon. Spend time with your family and friends and make sure that you take the time to truly understand your reasons for being in this business in the first place, otherwise known as your “Why?”  If your vision for your professional voiceover career has gotten a little foggy over the past several months or even several years, now is the time to clear things up and get a better look. Just remember, if you wait too long, it may be too late.

I leave you now with one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time.  Yes, we hear this one a thousand times a week during the holiday season but I love this version from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Gratitude in 2012

It's that time of the year again! Since 2012 is coming to an end very soon, I thought I would list my top eleven things I am thankful for. I have them listed in numerical order but it's not a ranking system. I am just listing them as I go.

1. Parents: My mother had a stroke on the eve of Thanksgiving a few years back and I am grateful she is still around and delivering her smile upon us every day. As a teacher, my father has been an inspiration. My writing and speaking skills are a reflection of what I learned from him. They've both put up with a lot of shenanigans, especially during my high school years. Or, high school year depending on who kept track of the days where I actually showed up!  More about that in another blog.

2. Tracy: The love of my life. She has helped me so much. In personal growth as well as my business. She has a way of lifting a person up when they get down or are having a bad day. Waking up next to her every morning is like waking up and finding a gift at your bedside. Her smile is like a glowing sunrise and has a tendency to lift your spirits immediately. She does an awesome job with her photography and social media customers as well. They just love working with her and I love being with her.

3. The Neumann TLM 103: Would I sound insane if I told you that my microphone was one of my best friends? Wait, don't answer that. Who cares, right? We're a match made in heaven and without it, I wouldn't be in business and doing what I love. When Tracy and I get married, I think I am going to ask the TLM 103 to be my best man! I bet it looks great in a tux.

4. Family: I am grateful for my family and Tracy's family. They make living life such a joy on a daily basis. My family even has a private facebook group page that we all stay in touch on. Some of the conversations are downright off the wall but that's what makes us unique. It's also brought a few of us closer together and with my youngest sister and brother-in-law living in NYC, it's been a great tool.

5. Facebook: Rumor has it there is a cool social media site out there called facebook? I'll have to check it out. Seriously, facebook has not only been a ton of fun but it's proven to be a powerful business tool as well. In 2012, I was hired by more than a dozen clients who found me on facebook! Not to mention that Tracy and I would not be together if it wasn't for this addictive little gem. Tracy and I went to the same high school in the early to mid 80's but we weren't exactly close friends. We got to know each other via facebook a few years back and the rest is history. Just like many others, I also reunited with several cousins and many high school friends. I love that!

6. Friends: I am honored to have so many friends not only in the voice-over industry but close friends who I have known for quite a few years now. They were there for me when I went through my divorce, when my mother had a stroke and on days where I am feeling a little down. As a die hard Minnesota sports fan, you need good friends to help you cope with the disappointment! Lol!

I heard a lot of people complaining during the election that they were "unfriended" by a few so-called friends on facebook for their political views. Well, REAL friends don't unfriend you based on your political stance. It was disappointing to hear that, which made me feel grateful that I have surrounded myself with friends who respect you, no matter what your personal opinions are.

7. Pets: My dog Kaytee has been a staple in this house since 2003 and with the addition of Tracy's cat, Huckleberry, they are as entertaining as a good sitcom! A couple of true characters that amuse us on a daily basis. They should seriously have their own comic strip! Kaytee is aging now and she's a had a few minor health issues but she is still a beautiful dog and in terrific shape for her age.

8. YMCA: It's not the prettiest of health clubs but the YMCA is responsible for getting me back into shape! I started running and playing basketball last winter and it has really paid off. I try to go every other day in the winter months. I ran quite a bit outdoors this past summer and participated in my first 5K. Even though I still have work to do, I feel like a different person!  It doesn't mean I am giving up pizza, french fries or beer!

9. Clients/Students: What good is a microphone if you don't have any clients! I am grateful for all of my clients as well as my students. They are fun to work with and we all learn from each other. The learning factor is something that gets taken for granted on occasion. Think about it. Every time I do a medical narration or an audio book, not only am I getting paid to do it but I am also getting an education!

10. Lint Brush: Sometimes it's the little things, right? This past year, I discovered black shirts again and without my lint brush, I would have been arrested and fined for having too much hair on my shirt! Kudos to whoever invented this wonderful little tool.

11. Working from home: There is nothing like heading downstairs to the studio in your flannel pajama pants and your hair standing straight up. Sometimes I take this for granted until I have to run to the store and I see 394 backed up to Jupiter! I didn't handle rush hour very well back when I was working in Corporate. It's even worse now because I am no longer used to it. One morning, I came close to pulling a "Bill Murray in Stripes" and considered leaving my car on the side of the highway and walking away! It doesn't mean that I work any less just because I work from home. I've never been busier and I am grateful for that.

It's always tough to come up with just ten or eleven! Feel free to comment with your own lists. I would love to read what you have been grateful for in 2012.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fafferrific!

My inner sense of skepticism is always stimulated when it comes to being involved with any type of conferences or seminars similar to this one. Being a victim of so many of them in the past, I have truly reached my overall limit when it comes to “opportunities” that promise me wealth and health but just leave me walking away high and dry with nothing but a raised eyebrow, a bag filled with advertisements and promotional materials along with several hours from my day that I will never get back.

FaffCon is NOT one of those conferences. Leaving your ego at the front desk of the hotel when you first check in will unlock the door to an overabundance of cherished nuggets flowing from within a gold mine of talented voiceover artists! Continuing my education was a positive factor that I was expecting before I went, but I was even more impressed and privileged to have the opportunity to offer some of my own nuggets that I have discovered during my career to fellow listeners that were eager to learn from my experiences.

My ADHD and overall anxiety issues presented their own challenges for me when it came to attending FaffCon, especially since just the idea of being among a massive amounts of people for ten hours a day was overwhelming in itself. However, this was truly nothing that a few warm hugs and hearty laughs could not cure! By fighting my way through those mental and emotional obstacles, I was able to enjoy the awarding and thoroughly enjoyable experience of networking with and learning from my peers.

One of the main things that can be learned and appreciated from experiences like this one is the fact that some people can be much different than what you think when you get a chance to meet them in person, regardless of whether it is at a public event or not. Take for example different social media websites, such as Facebook. They normally have the innate ability to conceal a person’s overall warmth and strength, hiding them behind vague profile and posted status updates. When you meet them face-to-face, however, you may quickly come to the realization that their online profiles only scratched the surface and barely reached the tip of their figurative icebergs. A good lesson to take away from this is that we should never allow ourselves to judge others simply based on what we read or see on the internet.

Regardless of whom you decided to talk to at this conference, one of the best parts of the event and overall environment was that you felt reassured in knowing that they were actually listening to you and were keenly interested in whatever you had to say. As most people that have attended similar conferences in the past will agree, that is definitely a rarity that most people will never get a chance to experience regardless of what the advertisements promoting those events promised. Ego and insecurities can truly roam rampant at these types of events, but FaffCon truly is the exception to the rule. The confidence and humility of all in attendance significantly contributed to the overall enjoyment of the total experience.

Every experienced expert within the voice talent industry should seriously consider attending an event like this as soon as they have the opportunity to do so. This is definitely one of those few milestones in your career that will be able to change you both personally and professionally for the better. Personally, my brain has been recharged and has professionally ignited a blazing fire under my “you know what!" Even if this specific event is not the right fit for you, do some research and find another conference or meet up event that will allow you to share your nuggets of knowledge with others and receive so many more in return that will help boost you to the very next level of your career.

Butterfly Dreams

One of my favorite childhood memories when visiting Grandma Johnston’s house was the delicious aroma that would come from the kitchen. There is always something about Grandma’s and cooking. They’re like magicians in the kitchen. They have all the magic tools and they’re not about to give away their secrets.

Grandma Johnston was also famous for leaving candy dishes everywhere. The living room, the bedroom, the bathroom…they were everywhere. It was like Grandma Johnston and the Chocolate Factory.

Grandma Johnston’s house was always a cozy place to visit and although anyone over six feet tall would have trouble walking around without their head going through the ceiling, it was always a fun place to be. There was a park down the street where our family would take walks, play a little catch or just take in the scenery.

Mapleton was a folksy kinda town. It was like one of those towns that you see in a Folgers commercial and Grandma Johnston fit in perfectly. Like a bird in a nest. I would love to go back to the park and pay one more visit. Just to reflect upon Grandma’s life and the joy she brought to everyone.

If you see a twinkling star in the skies above Mapleton tonight, it’s Grandma Johnston looking down upon us with a smile. After all, who wouldn’t be smiling after getting a private concert from Andy Williams!

Now, she is free as a butterfly, spreading her wings and gliding across the heavens. I’m sure she has already reunited with her youngest son, husband and other loved ones in our family who have passed. She will be missed by all of us. Goodnight Grandma Johnston and may you rest in eternal peace.

If The Mic Isn’t Rockin, Start Walkin!

When the mic is rockin’, don’t bother knockin’! Okay, so what do you do if it’s just not rockin’ and you’re having a tough time getting your delivery down and you're stumbling through the entire script? Instead of getting frustrated and stressed out, take a break and come back to it.

That’s right! Go for a walk, turn up some music, make yourself a cup of tea or take a power nap. Fifteen minutes can do wonders! While excessive napping doesn’t pay too well, either does excessive stress. I enjoy running and playing basketball at the gym. It's great exercise and it always reboots my brain!

The point is to just break away from the studio – completely remove yourself and escape for a bit so that you can refresh! If you force it to happen when it isn’t, your frustration will come across in the recording. The voice is transparent and modulates to express our span of emotions. Any frustration, anxiety and stress will show through, stalling the flow and zapping the energy from your voice.

It’s like a good major league pitcher who just doesn’t have his good stuff on a particular day. If he struggles, the coach takes him out. If you're struggling during a day of recording, remove yourself from the studio.

So go ahead and break away! You’ll come back to the studio refreshed, full of vibrance in your voice, and ready to deliver!

Managing Mr. Shiny

Hey look! Something shiny! Yes, we have heard a ton of jokes about ADD. I've been known to come up with a few of them myself. For example: how many people with ADD does it take to change a light bulb? SQUIRREL!

It's good to have a sense of humor about it but it can also be a pretty serious condition. A client once hired me to do a narration on ADD and ADHD and I told her it was right up my alley because I have this condition.

Some consider ADD a disability, but in reality, it’s a super-ability. People who do not have ADD have the ability to regularly focus on one thing at a time, while ADD people have the ability to focus on multiple things.  It’s not uncommon for a person with ADD to be simultaneously listening to music, playing a game, texting a friend on their cell phone, instant messaging several more on the computer, all while reading a blog with the television on in the background!  

People with ADD deal with it in different ways. Some need medication. Some need Yoga. Here I've compiled a few stories featuring some voice talent friends of mine who have ADD and how they deal with it on a daily basis. Especially, since many of us in this industry work from home, this presents immediate challenges and distractions for anyone with this condition.

I believe I have had ADD since I was a child. I struggled in school my entire life because it was very difficult to focus, and things in which I would be interested, would always fade in favor of something new and fresh. In the past year, I have really turned up my level of exercise. Running, playing basketball and working on the machines in the gym have really improved my focus and my overall work ethic. I feel less anxious and more relaxed. Now, don't get me wrong. I still have stressful weeks where I feel like I could pull my hair out, but it is so much better than it used to be.

My doctor subscribed me to Adderall once and it didn't really work for me. It felt like a really good caffeine buzz, but all I wanted to do is stare at the screen for 20 minutes. I know it works for some but it didn't for me. I have found that less coffee and more exercise has really been the difference maker for me. It's not a cure for ADD, but it sure helps me manage it a lot better.

Here are some stories about how a few of my voice talent friends are coping with ADD:

Pearl Hewitt:

ADD—where do I start? My motto used to be "If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done!" Keywords are procrastination and distraction, lack of focus but also hyper-focus! I get hyper focused on projects on which I'm working and other stuff (especially in the house) gets avoided until I'm finished. If you have ADD traits or tendencies, it's so important to get some business training on time-management skills. Bad time management will cause unnecessary stress, the inability to stick to a schedule and could potentially ruin your business. Working with various coaches to learn about the VO business I am gradually improving my time-management skills and consequently achieving greater things. It's very—very hard to break the habits of a lifetime, but with the right coaching all will become clear and you will be enlightened! I'm nowhere near perfect, but I'm getting better and my business is now prospering because I'm learning to work according to a schedule, setting timers and consequently, I’m less stressed! I'm much happier because I can now see the wood for the trees. I could never have done that on my own. People with ADD have to learn and be trained to be more organized. It's worth every penny.

Laura Branch Mireless:

Although I've never been officially diagnosed, I have no doubt I have ADD. It's gotten worse since I had kids, so I call it "Mommy ADD"—she loses brain cells with each birth!  I agree with my dear friend Pearl. She has made some very good points. I guess for me, the biggest "ah-ha" moment was when I realized that working in a "project" oriented business (such as VO or video production) is where I'm happiest and the most fulfilled. It's those pesky little follow-ups like billing and marketing where I drop the ball. Oh, to have a business coach for that!

I have found that using any kind of visual aid to keep me on track helps. I have a large monthly calendar next to my editing screen so it's in my left peripheral vision at all times and a daily log sitting on the desk to my right. That way, I have a mental photo of what's coming up or if there's not much written on them, I know I need to work on marketing. Overkill for some, but helpful for me.

  

Mara DuRousseau Junot: 

I also have never officially been diagnosed, but I’m a firm believer that I developed ADD soon after I became a regular internet user in 1996. Clearly it's not just my imagination either, as articles seem to abound on the topic...like this one fresh from today: http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinions/ci_21061328/steve-scauzillo-is-internet-driving-us-crazy

Case in point -- at this very moment I have 15 browser tabs open, email with no less than 5 accounts constantly updating, I’m texting my mother on my cell phone, Oprah Super Soul Sunday playing on the DVR in the next room, and Spotify playing music. Bored much? Lately I've been forcing myself to practice mindfulness meditation exercises for at least 20 minutes, and it's definitely making an impact on my ability to focus.

I'd like to thank Pearl Hewitt, Laura Branch Mireles and Mara DuRousseau Junot for the gift of sharing their stories on my blog.  I hope by sharing theirs, you'll be able to gain more focus for your own!