Click here to watch a VO Quick Tip!
I’m a hot mess in this video, as you’ll see, but the tip is valid! Oh, and when you get to my IG account to watch the video, be sure to follow me!
by Caryn Clark
Click here to watch a VO Quick Tip!
I’m a hot mess in this video, as you’ll see, but the tip is valid! Oh, and when you get to my IG account to watch the video, be sure to follow me!
by Caryn Clark
I get inquiries from aspiring voice actors often. I’ve had two just in the past 24 hours, matter of fact. I’m always happy to help, particularly those who have a certain eagerness about them, and an understanding that this isn’t a game.
I think back to when I was getting started (which was SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO… that blows my mind). I was so excited to learn what ever I needed to make a voice over career happen. It was a dream… something I never thought possible. I also wanted to quit my full-time corporate job, so I was motivated to find that something I could do full-time to replace my corporate career.
BTW, I was terrible at voice over. Not at all talented at the onset. I was fired from my first vo job. As in, I voiced the script, and then got a call a couple of hours later I was being replaced. I was CRUSHED, y’all. (If you know me, yes, yep, lots of crying happened.)
But I didn’t give up. I guess I just had this little fire inside of me that pushed me to keep going. I really wanted to make voice over my thing.
And I did.
But y’all, this job ain’t for the faint of heart.
First, it’s an investment of not just time studying and learning, it’s an investment of money in home studio equipment, coaching, marketing, demo creation… you name it. Your studio sound needs to be PRISTINE. And you have to continue learning. I still take classes, have a coach, and have an awesome mentor. When I first got started in 2005-2007, I invested about $10,000 – $12,000 for equipment and training. I studied and auditioned at night, when I wasn’t working my full-time job.
Second, I audition EVERY DAY. Anywhere from around 2-15 auditions a day. Now, I don’t know exactly how many people I’m auditioning with for any given job, but it could be upward of 200-300 people on a single job. Yes, you read that right. TWO TO THREE HUNDRED ACTORS.
So of course, I don’t book every job. And every job doesn’t pay thousands upon thousands of dollars. Matter of fact, most do not.
Basically, I start at ZERO dollars every month, and have NO IDEA how much I will make on any given day/week/month.
Sound fun?
Then this career is for you!
I just LOL’d.
Seriously though, it really IS a wonderful career. And, it is a CAREER. This is not something you can really pursue half-heartedly. You have to know up front, it’s not as easy or fun as it might look. I am VERY BLESSED (#blessed inside joke for some vo’s out there lol) to make a living. This post isn’t to dash your dreams, btw, but to say you CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, if you really want it to happen. You just have to know, it’s not an easy, get rich quick scheme. It requires persistence, lots of hard work, and talent, and an investment of not only time, but money, for proper equipment, coaching, demos, and marketing.
by Caryn Clark
You hear it time and time again these days. What is your “Why?”
When I hear that, I usually end up like a deer in headlights, because I can’t wrap my head around anything that seems important enough to be a “Why.” Meh.
What does it mean?
It means, why do you do what you do? What motivates you to keep going? What inspires you?
Let’s face it. Work can be mundane. I’ve been full-time in voice over for over 15 years. It’s the same grind, day in and day out. There are some really incredible benefts to what I do, too. I have unlimited earning potential, a flexible schedule, and I work on some really interesting projects!
But, I am also the marketing department, the finance department, and the human resources department. It’s not all fun voice work all the time! Sometimes I lack motivation or inspiration, especially since I’ve been doing this for so long.
This past week, my husband and I took a little vacation to visit friends in the mountains of Tennessee. We always love going there, and we dream of moving somewhere in the mountains one day. That day is definitely sooner than later since retirement age is getting closer (not that I’ll ever retire… but my husband will, and, well, I’m a planner). We had a chance to visit a few different areas of Tennessee on this trip, and they were absolutely gorgeous. One in particular is the perfect mix of rural, rolling hills with mountain views, coupled with quaint nearby towns with live music on weekends and old brick buildings with interesting little shops and cool restaurants.
Without question, it’s my why. I am definitely inspired to work even harder to make our retirement (LOL my semi-retirement!) dream come true.
by Caryn Clark
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote and posted Work From Home Strategies – Part 1. This post is a continuation of tips and tricks I’ve learned over the 23 years I’ve been working from home.
– Take Vacations – When you’re working from home, it’s really easy to just bypass taking a little R&R time for yourself. With the flexibility of working from home, you are able to get things done around the house, or maybe knock off a little early to take a day trip somewhere or go shopping… but that isn’t really allowing you to disconnect entirely to relax. Taking vacations allow you to completely disconnect and re-charge! That is so very important! Matter of fact, we’re headed to the mountains later this week for a breath of fresh air and to visit friends. It’s been wonderful to have a trip to look forward to!!!
– Morning Routine – It’s tempting to sit around and work in your bunny slippers and robe, but it’s not really setting the tone for a productive time while you work. I had a boss that used to say that what you wear to work sets the tone for your professionalism when in the office (he wasn’t big on casual Fridays lol). The same holds true when you work from home. Also, we humans thrive on routine. Try setting a routine for yourself. Get up at a certain time (yep, that means setting an alarm – I get up at 7 each day), take a shower, walk the dogs, eat breakfast, and be in your home office at a set time each day. It really does help to set the tone for productivity.
– Everyone in Your Space Needs to Understand You Have to Work – this one has been a struggle for my household, and I bet the majority of people who work from home can attest to this. Especially if you have kids who are home, or a spouse who works a different schedule and is home while you have to work. It’s so very important that everyone in the house understands you have to work. There needs to be respect for your need to maintain a schedule, and for quiet time to get your tasks accomplished. Have a sit down family meeting to explain this. Talk through what everyone needs to make this work. Your job is just as important as anyone elses in the household. The fact you do it from home shouldn’t change anything.
– Sick? Take a Sick Day – If you work for a company, you get sick days. Take them if you’re not feeling well! As a self-employed person, I do not receive sick days. But hey, I still get sick. Matter of fact, I had a wicked case of food poisoning about three weeks ago, that had me in bed from Sunday night until Wednesday. On Tuesday, I did get out of bed with the intention of working, but it was futile. I managed to answer some emails, and eek out a quick little voiceover job, but that was it. I was definitely not at my best, and had to take some sick days. My clients were very understanding.
Working from home does require a certain amount of discipline. But I think we tend to put more pressure on ourselves than necessary. It doesn’t have to be drudgery. I have found that co-workers and clients are very understanding! They have lives and families, too. Yes, work needs to be completed by certain deadlines, and be done well. It’s a delicate balance of taking care of work and life. You can do it!
Most importantly, remember, work can be FUN. Don’t take yourself too seriously!!
by Caryn Clark
While many people have only just recently started working from home, with the advent of the pandemic, I have been working from home since 1999. You guys. That’s a long time. Almost 23 years!!!
Granted, when I started working from home, I was working a corporate marketing job for a company in NYC. The WFH sitch was supposed to be temporary, but lasted nine years, until I left to become a voice actor.
It’s easy to mismanage working from home, because, as people, we want to be good employees and businesses. We want to please. So, we’ll check and respond to email at all hours, on weekends. Or we’ll get a jump on that client project because, hey, it’s just right here and I can work on it while I’m watching Wheel of Fortune.
Everyone is different, and people thrive in different environments. But for me, I had to implement a few things to make my WFH situation successful, while maintaining a social and family life.
Here are a few tips, as Part 1 of my WFH strategies:
– Create a dedicated workspace. This was vital for me, both in my corporate WFH job, and well, obviously, in voice acting. I have created very comfortable, happy space in my home by using one of our bedrooms and turning it in to a studio/office. I do not record in a booth, but have utilized the entire room as a recording studio. I have natural light, which I LOVE. I recently re-decorated, too, which has made a huge difference in my happiness. I also like to burn a nice smelling candle – it really adds to my peacefulness.
– Keep scheduled hours. I generally keep 9-5 hours. In voice over, I do stray from that sometimes, because I have a number of clients overseas, and on the west coast of the US. Auditions and work are often needed asap, so, there are times when I’ll hop in to my studio to record during the evening. But in general, I keep office hours.
– Socialize. It is far too easy to just not leave the house. I’ve been known to not leave to 3-5 days! Crazy, right? Purposefully do things to create opportunities outside of your home office. Schedule lunch with a friend or spouse once or twice a week, volunteer once or twice a month, join a professional organization and get involved… you get the drift. Just make sure you see people and remain a human, and not become a hermit.
– Exercise. This kind of goes along with socialize, but I wanted to give it its own bulletpoint. Make sure you move around!! It’s so easy to just sit at your desk, and keep sitting – between email, social media, work projects – you can get sucked in, and before you know it, hours have passed and your rump has been sitting in that fancy office chair for half the day! I used to take regular walks, and I do have to get up to walk our dogs a couple of times a day, so that’s helpful. I am also addicted to Pure Barre. That barre studio is my Happy Place! I love the people there, and the workout is wonderful. I try to get there at least four times a week. And yes, sometimes that’s during my work day, but that is also the beauty of working from home – flexibility in schedule!
I hope you find these tips helpful. Be sure to come back in the next week or so for Part 2!
by Caryn Clark
If you own a business, you know it’s important to understand your brand, and represent it in a way that’s relatable to your consumer.
As voice actors, our branding is often a little more challenging to nail down and represent. We often try to be all things to our consumer. You need a hardcore announcer? I can do that! Oh, wait, you need a guy next door? Well, I can do that too! But hold on, you need a soft, warm, relaxed tone… I got you.
Reality is, we can’t be all things to all people.
We can only be… or sound like… who we are.
I’ve always been very much against using my photo in my marketing. Even during the recent re-design of my web site, at first, I was absolutely insistent we not use any photos of me.
But, we were having a hard time nailing down the branding. I needed something that truly represented my voice.
I started doing a little research, and found an incredible personal branding photographer in my area. Jesi Cason is a master of her craft. (Click here to go to her site and check out her INCREDIBLE CREATIVE MIND AND WORK!)
Jesi chatted with me about both my personal and work life, and how the two meld together and create my voice in my work. She then created characters, so to speak, who are really just snippets of who I really am in life. As it turns out, that’s truly my brand. (Oh, and btw, all the clothes, and most of the props, are from my closet!)
I am a mix of whimsy, boho, busy mom, loving wife, conscientious business owner, caring teacher, funny lady, don’t mess with me, sassy, wise woman, and loyal friend. That’s me. That’s my voice. And I think the branding photos represent those characteristics.
The tide is changing. As voice actors, we can give ourselves permission to break free from the mold of the usual marketing we’ve been mandated to over the years. Use pictures. Let people get to know you. Speak in first person on your site. Be real. Do you.
You can check out more personal branding photos here on the various pages of this site!