The voice over business isn’t for the faint of heart, the lazy or a fragile egos. It takes a lot of persistance, perserverance and hard work. Some people might have better voices, nicer sound studios or training. The list below in my humble opinion are keys to a successful voice over career. The order is purely subjectively on my part.
The first important quality is persistance. Realize you can’t do it alone, seek out advice and encouragement. How do you change course when your career doesn’t go according to plan? Carry Olsen calls it “reframing” . This concept spells the difference between success and failure. Everybody makes mistakes and faces “dead ends”. Reframe your negative experiences and make them positive. For example, didn’t get that job that you auditioned for, hire a bonafide coach, practice reading more and keep learning about the voice over industry.
The second most important point is consistancy. If you don’t market every day even for 10 minutes or any other area of your life, it won’t become a habit. James Clear author “Atomic Habits” opins that to build an iron clad habit takes three weeks to a month. I understand interacting with social media is more fun than practicing reading scripts or writing cold emails. The sacrifice is worth the effort. Starting 10 minutes a day will help reinforce these habits. A sure way to fail is to say, “I will start my new habit an hour a day”. Like running or weight training start slow and then build up. It’s not “rocket science”, it’s the way our brains our hardwired.
The third most important point is called delayed gratification. It can also be called patience or playing the “long game.” Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by all the missing pieces that you need to put into place and you don’t know where to start. Make a first step towards your goal and slowly you will advance in your career. Have patience, make time for your work pays off down the road. All the times you woke up early to practice voice over. You exercised, ate well and went to bed at a normal time instead watching late night movies. Delayed gratification in the short run is uncomfortable, in the end all successful people put in the effort.
Last but not least take time off and recharge your batteries. The voice over industry is very intense, highly demanding on your time, energy and sanity. Our industry feels like a “clown show”. Lack of direction, quick turnaround times, little communication or feedback (this is my personal pet peeve). Lot’s of times it feels like you are going around in circles frustrated. Take a walk, limit your screen time, or take up a new hobby. It’s amazing for your mental health. Studies show that more screen time leads to higher rates of depression, disconnection and general uphappiness.
Remember what Aretha Franklin said about her career as a singer, ” I was a 20 year overnight success”. Build your career one step at a time with these solid principles; wither you become a famous voice over narrator or not, you’ll be a winner in all areas of life.