Audio Branding

Elaine Appleton Grant is a writer, podcast producer, and public speaker. She co-founded Podcast Allies, LLC- a podcast consultancy and production studio out of Colorado. She has hosted programs in both Boston and Colorado on WBUR in Boston and Colorado Public Radio and appeared on National Public Radio. She currently produces two podcasts- Business Wars Daily and One More Shot. If you’re interested in the world of podcasting, this interview is for you!

In the first part of the interview, we discuss:

• How she got into podcast production
• Elaine’s take on whether or not now is the right time to start a podcast
• The part podcasts can play in communicating with your audience
• My reasoning for recording my podcasts ahead of time and Elaine’s take
• How the Corona Virus has affected the way Elaine has had to shift her own podcast
• The importance of quality in any audio you put out there
• Finding the why of creating and promoting your podcast and Elaine’s take on what makes a good podcast
• Elaine’s planning process and what you need before you launch your podcast
• What’s involved with interviewing guests on your podcast 

To find out more about Elaine Appleton Grant, you can find her most easily on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/appletongrant/). If you’re interested in her services, you can find out more information at www.podcastallies.com. She also has a Kickstart your podcast worksheet that you can find here: www.podcastallies.com/audio-branding 

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE download – 5 Tips For Implementing An Intentional Audio Strategy at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Here’s part two of my interview with producer and voice director, Jeff Howell. We talked about what specifically ad agencies are considering when choosing talent for a voiceover gig and the most important thing that will influence their decision.

We also discussed:

• How the dubbing work Jeff does has been affected by the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time we recorded this episode)
• Why historically, dubbing has had a bad rap
• The difference in how people are receiving programming these days
• How Jeff chooses talent for dubbing
• How Jeff brings reality to a dubbing performance
• Why great actors often miss the mark and blow their voiceover auditions 
• How sound and audio have historically been on the back burner while the visual has been stressed more
• Why it doesn’t work when TV spots are pulled and run as radio spots
• How Jeff gets emotional performances from voice actors
• What has changed with promos during the COVID-19 shutdowns
• The PSA project Jeff is currently working on
• What else Jeff has going on right now

To learn more about Jeff and his work, you can visit http://www.jeffhowellvo.com or email him through his website to connect.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Jeff Howell launched his voiceover industry career as an agent at Abrams-Rubaloff and Lawrence then crossed over to the creative side as a casting director / radio producer at Bert Berdis and Company. Later, he was hired as the VP of Production at World Wide Wadio. He has produced radio commercials and network radio TV promos, served as a post-production supervisor and director, directed narration, and more. He now runs his own company producing and directing all things voiceover. He teaches voiceover acting at schools, facilitates workshops, and does private coaching for voiceover talent.

In part one of my conversation with Jeff, we spoke about how he got started in the industry, as well as:

• How things are going for him in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time we recorded this episode)
• Why Jeff shifted from theater to television, radio, and film while in school
• What roles Jeff had in voiceover at Abrams-Rubaloff and Lawrence
• Why Jeff decided to change jobs in order to work as a casting director at Bert Berdis and Company
• Working for World Wide Wadio
• How Jeff started his own company
• Casting talent to do dubbing work for Netflix
• What Jeff loves about interacting with voiceover talent
• The trends and transitions Jeff has seen throughout his years in the industry
• Why now is a wonderful time for actors to get into voiceover
• The increasing amount of diversity in voiceover talent
• How Jeff finds talent for voiceover jobs and supports them during auditions and reads
• The negative side of the advancements in technology for voiceover
• The benefits that technology is providing during the COVID-19 restrictions

You can find more information on Jeff Howel at his website http://www.jeffhowellvo.com, or you can email him through his website to connect.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Here’s the second part of my interview with casting director and coach, Mary Lynn Wissner. We talked about common mistakes she sees voice actors make and what she suggests voice talent do to differentiate themselves.

We also spoke about things like:

• How voiceover work is about so much more than having a nice voice
• How Mary Lynn helps producers open their eyes to possibilities they hadn’t considered when hiring talent
• The difference in sound when adults do kids’ voices versus when kids do kids’ voices
• What changes in the industry Mary Lynn predicts coming out of the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time this episode was recorded)
• What the process looks like when Mary Lynn finds talent for producers
• The additional roles voice talent are having to take on 
• The coaching Mary Lynn is doing currently
• Mary Lynn’s VO Pros classes
• What Mary Lynn is currently working on and how she structures her workdays
• Mary Lynn’s Voiceover Self Direction app and how voice talent are using it to learn tips and tricks, gain confidence, and prepare for auditions

You can find out more about Mary Lynn and Voices Voicecasting on her website www.voicesvoicecasting.com, or you can email [email protected]. You can also check out The Voice Over Self Direction app on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-over-self-direction/id731453256?mt=8) or on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jah.vvc).

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Since 1990, Mary Lynn Wissner’s company Voices Voicecasting has cast thousands and thousands of voice talent in thousands and thousands of voiceover productions. She directs workshops, coaches voice talent, consults, and directs talent around the world. While things have certainly changed in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time this episode was recorded), Mary Lynn has stayed quite busy, including just finishing up a Bud Light casting.

In the first part of our conversation, we spoke about:

• Mary Lynn’s background in acting and her studies at UCLA and Cal State
• Being hired by Don Pitts as an assistant voiceover agent
• Starting her company, Voices Voicecasting 
• Doing voiceover work herself
• Producing a traveling workshop called The VO Roadshow
• How Mary Lynn has been able to mold her career around her family life
• What Mary Lynn wishes she would have done differently in her career
• How supportive the voiceover community is
• Trends that Mary Lynn has seen change over the years
• The difference between reading the copy and acting the copy of a voiceover piece
• The majority of work that Mary Lynn has seen come through during the COVID-19 shutdowns
• What exactly Mary Lynn’s role entails as a casting director

To find out more about Mary Lynn and Voices Voicecasting, check out her website www.voicesvoicecasting.com or email [email protected]. You can also check out The Voice Over Self Direction app on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-over-self-direction/id731453256?mt=8) or on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jah.vvc).

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Here’s the second part of my interview with technologist and teacher, Chip Edwards. In it, we discussed the shift made when moving from a visual interface to voice technology and how that affects a brand’s capability to connect with its audience as well as the user experience.

We also talked about: 

• What an invocation name is and how it parallels a domain name
• How Chip is helping blind individuals get their blogs out on voice devices
• How spelling doesn’t matter with an invocation name, but rather the sounds in that name
• The crossover between voice technology and the internet of things (IOT)
• How cameras in our refrigerators can tell us when we’re low on milk and even order it for us
• Privacy concerns with advertising and marketing
• How giving up some of our privacy allows us to experience many conveniences that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise
• How Google is benefiting from providing us with “free” Gmail service
• Siri, KFC, and other voice imprints
• How we’re able to add emotion and other levels of humanness to voice conversion technology
• How individuals who are unable to speak are utilizing text to speech technology to communicate

To find out more about Chip and his work, check out the following social media platforms:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cedwards/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChipEdwards4
• Create My Voice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreateMyVoice
• Create my Voice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreateMyVoice/

You can also take a look at the company’s website www.createmyvoice.com.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Chip Edwards is a speaker, entrepreneur, teacher, technologist, and the Chief Voice Officer of Create My Voice. Chip helps individuals and brands engage their audiences through voice technology, utilizing smart speakers like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. His company not only helps people strategize how they want to utilize voice apps but also builds those apps to help people deliver their content out to voice devices.

In part one of our conversation, Chip and I talked about how he became interested in his line of work, as well as: 

• How Amazon has made a way for people, businesses, brands, and content creators to add their own capabilities onto smart speakers and other voice technologies
• What indicated to Chip that voice technology was going to get big
• How voice technology is becoming so much more than the smart speakers in our living rooms
• How devices called wearables are utilizing voice technology
• The privacy we are giving away in order to gain convenience 
• The illusion of privacy 
• How privacy (or lack thereof) comes into play with marketing and advertising
• Why Google Glass didn't fare so well on the market
• One of Amazon’s latest products, glasses with Alexa built in
• How Chip helps business and brands stay one step ahead of the curve by effectively utilizing voice in reaching their audiences

To learn more, you can find Chip on the following social media platforms:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cedwards/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChipEdwards4
• Create My Voice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreateMyVoice
• Create my Voice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreateMyVoice/

You can also check out www.createmyvoice.com to find out more about Chip’s work.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you're interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Here’s the second part of my interview with vocal coach, Judy Rodman. We talked about how Judy helps her students gain access to their full array of vocal possibilities and the importance of determining intention when approaching a vocal piece.

We also discussed: 

• How people often have breathing problems they don’t even know about
• Understanding breath for voice versus breath for life
• How Judy uses anatomy and imagery to teach about breathing
• The importance of speaking from your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet
• Where exactly you should power your voice from (this might surprise you!)
• How adjusting arm movement can make a difference in public speaking
• How Judy uses a backscratcher to help her students gain more control over their breathing
• Pulling power versus pushing power
• How the eyes matter in vocal control
• Why we cannot yawn without dropping our jaw (try it sometime 😉)
• How the positioning of our first cervical vertebra (C1) affects our vocal ability
• The number one way people can best care for their voices
• The little-known secret of how pineapple juice can help our voice
• How miming can help you imitate character voices, accents, and dialects
• The course in vocal training that Judy is currently working on

Check out www.judyrodman.com to learn more about Judy and access all she has to offer, including her podcast All Things Vocal. 

You can also find Judy on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyrodmanvoice
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/judyrodman
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyrodman
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judyrodman

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

Judy Rodman has spent over 50 years in the music industry. She’s been a top session singer, recording artist, stage and TV performer, songwriter, studio producer, public speaker, and coach. Judy teaches singers and speakers globally both from her office and online. She’s a published author, hosts the podcast All Things Vocal, and is currently working on a 12-module course in vocal training.

In the first part of our conversation, we spoke about a variety of topics, including: 

• How Nashville is doing amidst the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time this episode was recorded) 
• Judy’s recommendations for how Nashvillians can proactively live through the challenges of the circumstances surrounding COVID-19
• How Judy first developed a love for voice
• Judy’s background in music growing up
• Judy’s first paid gig
• How Judy transitioned into being a vocal coach
• Recording jingles as a staff member of the Pepper Tanner organization
• Making up copy for a funeral home
• How Judy started doing work writing longer copy
• How taking voice lessons and learning to sing helps songwriters
• The importance of silence and pauses when reading copy
• The one question we have to ask ourselves when we communicate
• Using our imaginations to anticipate others’ responses to our communication
• Different ways of articulating in varying contexts

You can find out more about Judy and access all she has to offer at www.judyrodman.com. Check out her podcast All Things Vocal on your favorite podcast app.

You can also find Judy on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyrodmanvoice
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/judyrodman
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyrodman
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judyrodman

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

Here’s the second part of my interview with marketing upheaval expert Rudy Fernandez. We talked about how he directs voice talent while in a session and the most important thing to consider when doing so.

We also spoke about things like: 

• How Rudy self-admittedly tends to overdirect and how he navigates that with the voice talent he works with
• The importance of always keeping voice talent involved in the creative process
• The difference between character reads and announcer reads
• How to ensure that the right voice talent is selected for a brand
• The importance of brands having multiple touchpoints for their audiences
• How companies are still utilizing radio advertising to this day
• The work Rudy’s company is doing with The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies
• How audio can connect with audiences in ways other media cannot
• The use of earcons and how they serve as an audio logo of sorts
• What Rudy is working on during the Coronavirus shutdown (during which time we recorded this episode)
• What Rudy’s daughter, a voice talent, is up to right now and the work she does in L.A.
• A little bit about what I’ve been up to during the shutdown (only because Rudy asked!) 😄

You can check out more about Rudy and Creative Outhouse on the company’s website https://creativeouthouse.com and can listen to his podcast at https://creativeouthouse.com/podcast.

You can also find Rudy and Creative Outhouse on the following social platforms:

• His personal profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudyfernandez-ecd
• Creative Outhouse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-outhouse
• Creative Outhouse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreativeOuthous
• Creative Outhouse on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeOuthouse
• Creative Outhouse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creative_outhouse

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!