Kickin' It with Daree

It's been a minute—6 months actually, so I'm popping up to give a recap of the highlights and reflections of my life in 2021, including what happened in the past quarter. I hope that it inspires you to reflect, make some decisions you've been putting off, and strategize your plans for 2022!

Show Notes - http://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/2021-recap

YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/KickinitwithDaree

Erikka J @misserikkaj is a singer/songwriter, voice actor, and product manager in Atlanta. In this episode we talked about redefining what it means to go full-time in #VO, being a Black woman in tech, boundaries in entrepreneurship, balancing work and family life, and more!

• Erikka's journey into voiceover 2:21
• VO gear 4:27
• Advantages of being a singer when voice acting 8:00
• Being a Black woman in the tech space and creative endeavors at the same time 10:40
• Challenges in doing VO 22:39
• Balancing career and family life 24:08
• Setting boundaries as a freelancer/entrepreneur 28:12
• Advice for those who want to pursue VO 36:18

Show Notes -

https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/erikkaj-white-colorvo-collective

It's time to share updates for this quarter on...

• VO, Writing and Volunteer Work
• My Personal Life
• "Travelations" - where I've been and where I'm going
• Announcement about the future of this show

CrimeCon Recaps:

https://thecmonsonpod.libsyn.com/crimecon-21-recap-part-1 and https://thecmonsonpod.libsyn.com/crimecon-21-recap-part-2

My VO mentor series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvCwxNMPnkbHQTu_w6doFxYmcnWHCKxwf

Voiceover Resource Guide: https://DareeVoiceover.com/get-started-in-vo

VOcality e-course description: http://bit.ly/vocality-ecourse

I had Andrew Lander on the show in February. As a follow up and discussion for that episode (153), on the following weekend we did a Clubhouse room about being a Corporate Narration Sensation in the voiceover industry.

• Intro and a little backstory 1:28
• Public speaking skills 8:47
• When a scripts wants you to sound "urban" or "Blackish" 16:01 (and 33:42)
• Doing a full time corporate job while doing voiceover part time 21:26
• Trying to work in every VO genre 26:59
• Marketing yourself via email and P2Ps, and negotiating your rate 36:47
• Q&A 51:59

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/andrew-lander-corporate-vo-clubhouse

In this informal chat from January 2021 on Clubhouse, I shared how to reset your mind and confidence when auditioning and marketing for voiceover. You can follow me @DareeAllen on Clubhouse and other social media platforms.

• Foundation of thought work and mastering your mind 2:27
• Finding your identity in VO 5:56
• Self-talk when auditioning 14:11
• Dealing with P2Ps 21:11
• Directed sessions 27:45
• Marketing yourself 32:21
• Setting and standing by your rates 40:18

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/get-your-mind-right-for-vo

Whether you are recording for podcasts or voiceovers, sound quality is everything. Jean-Francois Donaldson is a voice actor, demo producer and booth builder, so he knows a little something about booths and sound isolation for VO. We had a chat on Clubhouse about it. We discussed:

• How Jean-Francois got started with VO 3:34
• Booth building 9:00
• Soundproofing and the ideal places to set up a booth in your home 16:07
• Prerequisites for your recording environment 
• Materials you can use for sound isolation when recording in a closet
• Registering as a production studio 31:03
• Q&A 38:00

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/jeanfrancois-donaldson-voiceover-booths

Note: This was my first time recording a Clubhouse room. I didn't catch the first few minutes of Jean-Francois' audio, so you'll miss his side of our back and forth during the introduction.

My quickest life update yet. Here's what I did in the first quarter of 2021, including a new car and a new job on the horizon!

Show Notes - https://www.kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/spring-life-update-1st-quarter-2021

Continuing the ColorVO Collective series highlighting wonderful African American voice actors, this week's feature is Trekina White. Her joyful sound and spirit radiates for such brands as Apple, Amazon, PBS Kids, PlayStation and the Calm app. We talked about how she went full-time in VO, how to vet voiceover resources, auditioning tips, and more!

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/trekina-white-colorvo-collective

As people are forced to explore their new careers in these stressful times, they often devote a lot of effort without having any clear path in mind. If they don’t have the foundation to move forward and sustain their joy from their passions, they will be, or again become, overwhelmed and dissatisfied.

Achieving psychological growth to stay happy and motivated is easier than people realize. In this episode, Sabrina Runbeck explains how to master your mental immunity, and prevent your passion from becoming poison.

Listen to this episode to learn how to focus, prioritize, stop overworking, and stay open to receive what you need.

• Sabrina's hectic life as a front line worker 1:35
• Experiencing burnout when trying to follow your passion 6:11
• How to boost your energy naturally 7:22 
• Preventing your passion from becoming poison 14:07
• Asian Women Who Boss Up 20:40
• How to become an peak performer 25:21

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/mental-immunity

Andrew Lander is a DC native, award-winning African American voice actor based in Atlanta. His passion for voice acting began behind a podium rather than on stage, and juggles his corporate career with corporate VO and commercials. In this show, we talked about getting out of your head, the demand for African American voices, his "not-quite-Urban but distinctly Black (ish) sound," and how it's best to be in "as many places as possible" to market yourself. 

Show Notes - https://kickinitwithdaree.com/episode/andrew-lander-colorvo-collective