VO Pro: The Business of Voice Over and Voice Acting

The lovely and talented Dervla Trainor, a successful voice actor and creator of the VO Kickstart program, joins the podcast to discuss her journey in the voiceover industry. 

Derv shares her experience transitioning from pay-to-play sites to marketing and finding direct clients, the importance of marketing and building relationships in order to have clients come to you. 

She also highlights the value of attending voiceover conferences for learning, networking, and staying current in the industry and she talks about the VO Kickstart program, which provides a comprehensive foundation for starting a successful voiceover career.

Takeaways
Transitioning from pay-to-play sites to marketing can lead to more sustainable and fulfilling work.

Attending voiceover conferences can provide valuable learning opportunities and connections.

Direct marketing to clients is an effective way to build relationships and have clients come to you.

The VO Kickstart program offers a step-by-step guide to starting a successful voiceover career.

https://vokickstartprogram.dervlatrainor.com/

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The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

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GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

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LinkedIn has a ton of big changes coming in 2024 and if you’re not up to date, you could be missing huge opportunities and getting left behind. LinkedIn is bringing a massive change to Creator Mode, a dedicated Services section, search filters, and more. 

In this video, I’ll break down 5 Big LinkedIn Changes in 2024, what they mean for you, and how to update your LinkedIn profile accordingly for maximum effect.

Takeaways:

LinkedIn is a valuable platform for freelancers, voice actors, and audiobook narrators to connect with potential clients and generate business.

Creator mode is being rolled out to all LinkedIn users, allowing content creators to grow their audience and engage with followers.

The profile layout is changing, with the removal of hashtags and the relocation of the Featured and Activity sections.

A dedicated services section is being added to profiles, providing an opportunity to showcase services, set prices, and upload work samples.

Search filters are now available, allowing users to filter search results by content type.

Users can create and publish multiple newsletters on different topics, targeting specific client segments.

LinkedIn Premium users can choose a custom call-to-action button to appear on their profile, directing traffic to their desired destination.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Importance of LinkedIn
01:02 Creator Mode for Everyone
03:03 Changes to Profile Layout
04:23 Dedicated Services Section
06:07 Search Filters
07:15 Multiple Newsletters
08:32 Custom Buttons (LinkedIn Premium)
09:09 Conclusion

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The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan

The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
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My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

For lead generation and targeting - Apollo.io: https://apollo.grsm.io/yt-paulschmidtpro

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Mandy Fisher, known as @astoriaredhead on TikTok, shares her voiceover journey and insights into the industry. She started as a child actor and transitioned into voiceover work, focusing on commercials and e-learning. We talk about importance of finding agents who nurture and support your career. She also discusses the role of social media, particularly TikTok, in combating misinformation and educating aspiring voice actors. Mandy believes in the power of direct marketing and building relationships with clients. She does not rely on pay-to-play platforms and sees the future of voiceover as constantly evolving with new opportunities.

Takeaways:
Finding the right agents who support and nurture your career is crucial in the voiceover industry.

Social media platforms like TikTok can be used to combat misinformation and educate aspiring voice actors.

Direct marketing and building relationships with clients are effective ways to find work in voiceover.

Pay-to-play platforms may not be the best fit for every voice actor, and it's important to find business models that align with your goals.

Mandy's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astoriaredhead
Mandy's Website: https://mandyofish.com

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The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan

The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app 
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
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My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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I got a message last week from one of our VO Pro members who says, “I have a topic that could go down a BIG rabbit hole! For all us newbies out here...When is it time to look for an agent?” What milestones should you have met or be meeting to find an agent? How do you go about finding an agent and soliciting them?

I’ll answer these and other burning questions today on Paulie’s Secret Agent Plan.

Yeah this is a big one, especially for newer pro voice talent. You’ve got your baseline training. You’re competent. You’re booking work, maybe even a fair amount of work, and the whole question of agent representation is a big black box.

So, let’s try and break this down for you into small chunks. Here are 3 answers to 3 big questions about voice over agents. And stick around because at the end we’ll answer an important bonus question my student didn’t ask.

00:00 When is it time to look for an agent?
03:03 What milestones should you have met or be meeting to find an agent?
04:54 How do you go about finding and soliciting an agent?
10:11 What should you look for in an agent?
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The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
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https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulschmidtvo/

My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO 
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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My guest today is not just a highly experienced voice actor of over 20 years. He is also the head of Gravy for the Brain Oceania and runs his own voice acting academy in New Zealand. Please welcome to the podcast, Toby Ricketts.

Toby Ricketts is a highly experienced voice actor and head of Gravy for the Brain Oceania, discusses his journey in the voice acting industry and the importance of community. He shares his experience with Gravy for the Brain and how it led to the establishment of the Voice Academy in New Zealand. Toby also highlights the challenges faced by new voice actors in 2024 and offers advice on making the leap to full-time voice acting. He emphasizes the importance of setting big hairy audacious goals and taking consistent daily steps towards achieving them.

Takeaways
Building a supportive community is crucial for voice actors.
Setting big hairy audacious goals can provide direction and focus.
Consistency and daily action are key to success in voice acting.
Diversifying income streams can provide stability and flexibility in the industry.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:09 Getting Involved with Gravy for the Brain
06:46 Building the Voiceover Community in Oceania
09:56 The Importance of Community in Voice Acting
17:41 Starting the Voice Academy
21:50 Challenges for New Voice Actors in 2024
25:33 Making the Leap to Full-Time Voice Acting
35:10 Setting Big Hairy Audacious Goals
38:18 Taking Daily Steps and Consistency
41:30 Future Goals and Where to Find Toby Ricketts

https://www.tobyrickettsvoiceover.com/
https://oceania.gravyforthebrain.com/
https://www.voiceacademy.co.nz/

_____________________________

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The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
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My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

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Auditions are the lifeblood of any voice actor. They are the main way we compete and win work in our business. 

Assuming you’re properly trained and competitive, the more auditions you do, the more work you will ultimately book. That’s a great thing. 

But what about bad work? Work that is exploitative, unfair, or downright dishonest? How do you avoid those jobs? 

The best way to avoid bad work is to not audition for bad work. 

Today, I’m going to walk you through 7 common audition red flags in voice over. This list is not exhaustive and not complete because the industry is changing all the time, but it is meant to make you aware of the more common voice over audition red flags so that you can avoid them and the bad jobs they lead to. 

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com
Gravy For the Brain Rate Guide: https://rates.gravyforthebrain.com/

VO Rates 101: https://vorates101.com

Recommended Attorneys:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-brooks-bb672463/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsciglimpaglia/

Remie Michelle Clark's Story: https://youtu.be/euU8e7_wZfg

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The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan

The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life. 

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social:
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
https://www.instagram.com/paulschmidtvo
https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
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My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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If I asked 100 voice actors to tell me what they do for a living, how many do you think would use the word freelance? Probably zero. The truth is, if you’re a voice actor, you are a freelancer. 

What does that mean? First, it means you are not an employee. It means working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company. It means you’re self-employed.

That means you are solely responsible for all the functions of any company. Production, logistics and project management, accounting, payroll, and taxes, HR, creative, and most importantly sales and marketing.

We get so in the weeds of doing our voice actory things that we forget that we are in fact freelancers first, and that many of the issues, obstacles, and adversities we deal with are not unique to voiceover. Graphic designers, copywriters, illustrators, website designers, content writers, video producers, social media managers, animators, and user interface designers all deal with muck of the same day-to-day stuff as we do.

In fact, voice actor is not even in top 10 most common forms of creative freelance work. We are part of a massive freelance community, and most of the time, we don’t even realize it. According to Upwork in 2023, the number of American professionals freelancing increased to 64 million, or 38% of the U.S workforce, an increase of 4 million from 2022. Gen Z actually prefers freelance work. 53% of Gen Z freelances, not as a side hustle, but as a long-term career choice.

Freelancing is exploding and we as voice actors are part of the freelance community.

Today, I’m going to give you 3 hard freelancing facts that absolutely apply to voice over.
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Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
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https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
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My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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In our chat with J. Michael Collins, he emphasizes the importance of using voiceover sites wisely and not overspending on memberships. He also highlights the significance of having a strong marketing game and reaching out to clients on a regular basis. He also talks about the benefits of search engine optimization for visibility and attracting clients. JMC emphasizes the importance of networking and building relationships in the industry. Finally, he provides some insights into what can be expected at VO Atlanta 2024.

JMC Demos: https://www.jmcvoiceover.com/demo-production

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SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@vo-pro?sub_confirmation=1

The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan

The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
https://www.instagram.com/paulschmidtvo
https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulschmidtvo/

My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

For lead generation and targeting - Apollo.io: https://apollo.grsm.io/yt-paulschmidtpro

Way Better than Linktree: https://pillar.io/referral/paulschmidtpro

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Last year we started our Voice Over Conference Calendar here on the channel and it was a hit. I got a lot of feedback, comments on the video last year, and the video and downloadable conference calendar were both well received.

So we’re back this year with my 2024 Voice Over Conference Calendar. Again, this list is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive or comprehensive. This is simply my list of conferences I believe you should consider if you're putting together your plan for conferences for the 2024 year. 

Download the Calendar here: https://welcome.vopro.pro/conference-calendar-2024

APAC: https://audiopub.org/apa-conference
VO Atlanta: https://votlanta.me
VO Atlanta Spanish Track: https://www.voatlanta.me/voa2024/SpanishSpeakers
VOcation and eVOcation: https://vocationconference.com
One Voice UK and USA: https://onevoiceconference.com
MAVO: https://www.midatlanticvo.com/
That’s Voiceover: https://sovas.org

The VO Breakfast Show: https://podbay.fm/p/the-vo-breakfast-show

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The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan

The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.

The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast

7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt

Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom

The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop

Say Hi on Social: 
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
https://www.instagram.com/paulschmidtvo
https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulschmidtvo/

My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.): 

Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

For lead generation and targeting - Apollo.io: https://apollo.grsm.io/yt-paulschmidtpro

Way Better than Linktree: https://pillar.io/referral/paulschmidtpro

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• Cancer caregiving is a life-changing experience that requires adjustments and support.
• Fear is a natural response to a cancer diagnosis, but seeking help and finding distractions can provide some relief.
• Logistical and emotional challenges arise during holidays and special occasions for cancer patients and caregivers.
• The voiceover industry has been impacted by the influx of new talent and changes in the audiobook market.
• Building relationships and having acting skills are crucial for success in the audiobook industry. The voiceover industry is shifting towards multi-person audiobooks, requiring narrators to adapt to this change.
• Accepting lower rates as a voiceover artist can have a negative impact on the industry and set a precedent for undervaluing talent.
• When seeking coaching or training, it is important to rely on referrals from experienced professionals rather than self-promoted coaches.
• Developing a thick skin is crucial in the voiceover industry to handle rejection and self-doubt.
• The perception of audiobook narrators is changing, and they are being recognized as an integral part of the voiceover community.

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