"The road outside of your comfort zone is bumpy and uncomfortable – but it's worth the trip."
When I decided to break out of my comfort zone to get started in voiceovers, there was not a safety net to catch me. I walked away from my radio job without a lot of money saved. I even borrowed $10,000 with a crappy business loan. Why was it crappy? I ended up paying back $15,000! Most batting averages were higher than my credit score at the time; not to mention that the bills and my mortgage still needed to be paid on top of everything else.
However, I was determined to make the trip outside of my comfort zone worth it. I used the money that I received from that crappy loan to upgrade my equipment and invest in professional coaching sessions. I attended numerous networking events, made contacts and send out demos every single week.
It took a couple of years, but the hard work and effort started to pay off in a big way over time. I took the time to go out of my way for my clients – providing superior customer service. It paid off, because many of them are still working with me today.
Bottom Line: You need to break out of your comfort zone to get on the road to success. However, it takes a lot of hard work and effort for you to stay on that road. Many people try to break into the voiceover business with goals of becoming "the next big thing" in the industry. They have huge pipe dreams and expect those dreams to come true overnight without applying any effort. They do not want to invest in themselves mentally and financially primarily because of the books and blogs that claim they do not have to since ANYONE can do it. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and understand that there are no shortcuts to success in this industry.
I shared my story to make it clear that success within the voiceover industry does not come with shortcuts, cliff notes or "Pass Go, Collect $200" cards. Making sacrifices and playing the waiting game are part of the package. You will not achieve overnight success in this industry, but you can achieve lasting success. Invest in yourself. Invest in your goals. Invest in your business. The bumps on your trip away from your comfort zone will seem a lot smaller once you have reached your destination. You will then be able to help others that are right where you are now and sincerely say, "I've been there."
If you are not willing to put in the work… if you are not willing to make the sacrifices… if you are not willing to endure the journey… then you are wasting your time and should consider a different road headed in a different direction.
It took a couple of years, but the hard work and effort started to pay off in a big way over time. I took the time to go out of my way for my clients – providing superior customer service. It paid off, because many of them are still working with me today.
Bottom Line: You need to break out of your comfort zone to get on the road to success. However, it takes a lot of hard work and effort for you to stay on that road. Many people try to break into the voiceover business with goals of becoming "the next big thing" in the industry. They have huge pipe dreams and expect those dreams to come true overnight without applying any effort. They do not want to invest in themselves mentally and financially primarily because of the books and blogs that claim they do not have to since ANYONE can do it. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and understand that there are no shortcuts to success in this industry.
I shared my story to make it clear that success within the voiceover industry does not come with shortcuts, cliff notes or "Pass Go, Collect $200" cards. Making sacrifices and playing the waiting game are part of the package. You will not achieve overnight success in this industry, but you can achieve lasting success. Invest in yourself. Invest in your goals. Invest in your business. The bumps on your trip away from your comfort zone will seem a lot smaller once you have reached your destination. You will then be able to help others that are right where you are now and sincerely say, "I've been there."
If you are not willing to put in the work… if you are not willing to make the sacrifices… if you are not willing to endure the journey… then you are wasting your time and should consider a different road headed in a different direction.
