Blog Posts

For Narrators
The numerous new-age, Law of Attraction books that I have read all state that you have to detach from the outcome if you want your desires to be fulfilled. Recently, I read about the Law of Paradoxical Intent and had an epiphany concerning the progress of my voiceover career. In her brilliant, thought-provoking book Secrets […]
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. — Dr. Seuss This year marks 3 important anniversaries in my life: 10 years as a professional voiceover artist 20+ years as a loving wife to Drew 25+ years as a hard-working employee of […]
If you follow me on Twitter (and if you don’t, what are you waiting for?), you might have seen these 2 recent tweets about restaurants and not realized they could contain significance to you as a voice-over talent: Drew and I eat out several times a week. When I find something I like at a […]
Talented and witty UK voice talent Philip Banks posted a blog article yesterday titled Success and the new (or not so new) Voice Actor in which he listed 10 steps for success as a voice actor. I particularly liked #9: You practise failure or success by the day so ensure that you do something every day […]

You've already decided on a career in voice-over, but do you know how your voice fits in the industry? Many voice talent try to be all things to all people and end up frustrated by endlessly attending classes, creating new demos, and marketing to potential clients without first thinking of how every action should tie together and lead one closer to one's goals.
You see, I know something about such frustration. Oh, sure, I'm radiating inner peace now (well, most days, anyway!), but I have a journal entry from 1 June 2003 in which I wrote:
Today's word is frustrated. I looked in the dictionary and found the word describes ME.
I even modified the dictionary entry to include my picture and my name in the description. If you can't read the highlighted portion, it says:
1 a: to balk or defeat in an endeavor b: to induce feelings of discouragement in Karen Commins
My voice-over career was the number 1 reason for my frustration that day. I wrote:
I could do so many things to further my voice-over career...I have so many good ideas for marketing and promotion -- so many things I want/need to do, should/could do -- but not enough time. I know I could book more gigs if I could....
You get the drift.
So what changed?

Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What you're hoping for
When you look behind you
There's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
-- Diana Ross when singing the theme from "Mahogany"
Those song lyrics have been floating in my mind after reading another voice-over blog in which the author wrote, "I have no idea where this is going." While I have taken the writer's words out of context, the face-value of that thought inspires today's post.
Do you know where you're going to in your voice-over career? When planning either a trip or a career in voice-over, it's important to know your desired destination. You don't need to know HOW or WHEN you will get there, but you do have to decide where you want to go. When you make that decision, you might as well decide to have the very best outcome you can possibly imagine.


