VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #505 – Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself
Voice Coaches Radio, everything voiceover. And welcome to this week's edition of Voice Coaches Radio. I am Josh Heller. She is Marissa Lanczak. We are delighted to have you joining us here today. Marissa, how we doing? Not too bad. I'm excited that I can hear myself in both headphones today. I mean, yeah, that's.
It's the little things. Oh, the magic of fixing things. It's the little things in life that do it. It is the little things. I can only hear out of one ear. Sorry. Um, in this. Maybe you got my headphones. Maybe we just switched headphones. It could be as simple as that. It might be. Technology. Um, is this a little weird?
This is, uh, so for a little peek behind the curtain, folks, so usually we record the podcast on Friday mornings and then release them, uh, Friday afternoon, so usually not that particular Friday afternoon. Uh, today, we are recording on Thursday afternoon. Yeah, you do realize, like, later on, I'm gonna be like, Oh, God, Friday, the weekend's here.
Um, I'm gonna be so confused. Yeah, I have to work Saturday, so it's not a big deal. It's all the same to me. Well, not me, so I'm gonna be real confused later. Well, you'll enjoy your three day weekend, so don't worry about it, but, um, it is not just Thursday, though it is, um, it's also Thursday afternoon, and yet, for some reason, I'm still, you know, literally attached to a cup of coffee at the moment.
Yeah, but you're always attached to a cup of coffee. That doesn't surprise me at all. It's not untrue. It's not untrue. Um. Yeah. No, that's a fact. Uh, well, it says the person who is literally eating disgusting candy to get sugar in their system. Well, that's not why. I heard, mmm, pure sugar in my belly. Yeah, but that's because...
Those are the words, by the way, she said when she walked into the booth just moments ago. Yeah, but that's because there's leftover Halloween candy and I will eat all of it. I don't care. I will eat all of it. I don't really like Snickers. There's Snickers and there's Ghirardelli chocolates with raspberry crema.
Yeah, okay, but that sounds gross to me. I just want the Smarties. I don't even, I don't even know what to say. But, ew. Um. Very hyped up on Twitter right now. I mean, smarties are fine if you like eating chalk, and maybe you do, I don't know. It's fine. Maybe I was that kid in school, you don't know, don't judge me.
It's basically like Pez without the cool, you know, dispenser. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, what's your point? Okay, touche, touche. But, uh, not only is it Thursday afternoon and we are, uh, still exhausted for reasons quite unknown, um, but your voice is a little bit more warmed up today, which is very exciting. Yeah, I should never do anything in the morning, I've told you that.
This is a factual statement. Um, but, uh, it is, it is Veterans, uh, it's Veterans Day today. uh, November the 11th, and uh, so again, this will be going out on the 12th, this will be going out Friday, but uh, it is Veterans Day today, and we'd be remiss if we didn't, uh, if we didn't talk about that, at least momentarily, and, and, and thank, thank all the veterans.
Uh, I know that, uh, Yeah, everybody that's been on the front lines at some point. Yeah, and I, I know that, that you, uh, you posted some, some pictures of family members. Oh, I did, yeah. Um, Yeah, it was my grandfather's, both have since passed, but, you know, I, I, very easily accessible to photos of them, you know, in their uniforms and stuff, or like, you know, out, you know.
out in, you know, their, their battlefield, wherever they happen to be. I think they both were in World War II. That would make sense. My, uh, my grandfather was in World War II. My grandfather, um, on my, on my dad's side, uh, enlisted when he was 17. And, uh, was a, uh, it was in the Signal Corps. He used to climb up telephone poles and do stuff.
I don't know exactly what, to be totally honest with you, he did up there. He was also afraid of heights, so it was not a... A lot of fun that he had up there, but um, Yeah, I don't think, I don't feel like I know enough. Like, my, my dad's dad passed away when I was just six. And then, um, my other grandfather, uh, my mom's dad passed, I mean, I was older, but, you know, I guess I never really asked any questions.
Maybe I should, I don't know if my grandmother knows. So I, uh, so my, my My mom's dad passed away long before I was born, uh, but my dad's dad, he passed away about six years ago, six, seven years ago now, and so for a school project, I actually had to interview my grandparents and talk to him extensively about his, uh, his time in the service, which was awesome.
It was just awesome. So, you know, when I say I don't know exactly what he did in the Signal Corps, I mean, I have a pretty good idea, um, and I also know where he was, uh, he actually He started out, um, he left from New York, went to, to England, and then, uh, ended up in Belgium. And was not very far from, uh, where the Battle of the Bulge was.
Uh, was actually at a, at a factory, working, uh, at a, at a manufacturing, uh, fabricating factory there. Then, once the, the war in Europe ended, uh, he was still, um. He was still one of the, he'd been there for a little bit, but was not one of the guys who got sent right home. He actually got on a boat and left Europe and went from Europe through the Panama Canal and up to the Philippines.
And spent some time in the Philippines expecting a potential... Uh, invasion of Japan. Wow. And so he was, uh, you know, that obviously and thankfully never happened, but he was, uh, he was on both sides. Uh, and then I remember him telling me he loved ice cream sundaes. He would make them for us all the time.
Just massive, massive sundaes with all, all the drinks. My grandfather loved root beer floats. I feel like that must have just been a, a thing. Well, so when, when I was talking to him about it, he said, you know, they left the Philippines and took a boat back to, um, Uh, back to the states, back to California, and got on a train, and they, they took a train from California, he went back east, and it was on that train when he was finally back in U.
S. soil that they had... You know, they, they, they got to relax for the first time and, and he ate a ton of ice cream. He's like, that's pretty much all I ate on that train. So I wonder, I a little bit regrettable. That's like, if I had any more Smarties today, I'd probably regret that. I, I imagine you should probably regret having any of them.
Um, but, uh, yeah, so, uh, so my, uh, that's my grandfather. And funny, uh, in the Signal Corps, in the same Signal Corps that he was in, though not at the same time, was, uh, you know, who else served in the Signal Corps, uh, in and around that area, uh, in Belgium, was, Mel Brooks. Oh, cool. Yeah. Well, I love me some Mel Brooks.
Yeah, I know you do. And my grandfather. Um, yes, that's right. You do know this. Yeah, this is fair. Um, and, uh, my father was also, uh, my father was in the Air Force, uh, retired, uh, about ten years ago now, but, uh, was a colonel in the Air Force. So I, you know, uh, was in active duty. My sister was born in Germany.
Uh, he ended up going into the reserves before I was born, but, uh, uh, grew up in and around, uh, Air Force bases as well. So, uh, thank you to them and to, you know, all the veterans out there. And, and, uh, and I mentioned, I had a student just yesterday who was, uh, recently retired from, uh, from the Navy down in Norfolk.
Uh, I mean, all, we have a ton of students who, uh, who've come from the forces and, uh, You know, we're looking to do something different in voiceover, and a hearty thank you to them. And any of you Yes, big thank you. Yeah, and anyone listening who is a veteran or knows a veteran, uh, you know, again, we certainly send our thank you to each and every one of them.
And, you know, we should every day, but today, obviously Just happens to be an even special day than, you know, tomorrow. Special, I don't think it's a word, but hey, you know what? It is now. All right. More special. Uh, yes. No, absolutely. 100 percent, uh, 100 percent agree on that. So, uh, so a, a, a thank you from, from us.
I actually was in, uh, I was Air Force ROTC when I was in college, uh, for a year. Um, As it turns out, they didn't have a need for broadcasters, so that, uh, it didn't all work out that way, but I did spend a year doing that, which was really cool. I do remember the army, I think, tried to recruit me at one point because I was going to go to college for fine arts, so I was going to do photo.
And they... They were looking for photographers and I was like, I'm also very asthmatic and I don't think that I should be in the field of anything anywhere to be honest. Well, so I was, when I, when I first got to college my freshman year, I was a physics major and I was going to go into, uh, I was going to be a double major in physics and electrical engineering.
And they were like, here's money. I didn't end up getting any obviously because I didn't stay in it, but they were like, yeah, you seem like someone we would like. And then I was like, you know what, I'm actually going to change and go into communications. They're like, okay, cool. You have fun. Okay. Bye. Uh, so that's how that, uh, that's how that turned out.
But here we are. So thank you to everybody that's not us. Yes, yes. Everybody who is better than us, we do appreciate that. Um, so, uh, what are we going to talk about today? I don't know. You told me earlier, and I can't remember what it was. I'm not going to lie to you. I have, uh, I have also, uh, Oh no, it's getting ahead of yourself.
So, you know, we, we obviously, we, we work with students on a regular basis and, and the way that the program works for those who have not gone through the voice coaches program is, you know, there are some in person classes and one on one classes, obviously there's the, the studio immersion, which is the demo recording and, um, but there are, there are also, you know, online classes that go along with that.
And one of the latter ones. is it's about marketing, right? It's all about, it's called getting the job and it's all about marketing yourself, putting yourself out there. And we've talked extensively about that. And I'm sure we will continue to do that because it is always important. Yeah. And it's always, it's always changing.
Like there's a lot of the same things that go into it, but you know, it's, but what happens sometimes is someone will come in for their first class or even their second class. And, you know, we'll, we'll talk about, I know the industry and things like that. And, and they'll ask like, Okay, great. How do I, how do I get a job?
And it's like, okay, that is extremely important and not something that we can answer just like, you know, off the cuff real quick. Like, well, you just got to do this, this and this. There's a lot that goes into it. And so, you know, what we recommend is, Let's let's let's work on one thing at a time. Let's compartmentalize a little bit and honestly That's the that's the way you should handle just about anything in life, right?
Like you don't want to be doing too much at once because then you're you're like splitting yourself in, you know Like you've got to make sure that you're focused on one thing so you can make sure that the next thing that you do is Also done at a hundred percent and the thing after that is a hundred percent so you can keep growing and building on what you're doing Yeah Absolutely, absolutely and that compartmentalization is, uh, you know, like you said, I mean, you can, when it comes to the marketing stuff and like I said, we've spent hours talking about that and we'll continue to do that because there is so much to it.
You can get completely lost in that. And unfortunately, if you do before you have that kind of basis of knowledge, that can be a problem. because then you're not going to be able to focus on, you know, the, the industry, right? You're not gonna be able to focus on, you know, making sure that you're prepared to go out there before you go out there.
Um, and so, and that's what we tell people like, okay, yes, there's a whole class on that. We're gonna get into it, but let's pump the brakes a little bit on that. Let's build your skills first before you start. And that's so important, right? That's so, so very important. And, and I, and look, I get it. I get it, that's a huge question, and it's a question that needs to be asked, and it's a question that needs to be taken seriously, and it's one that we will continue to spend a ton of time talking about it because it is that important, and there is that much to it.
But. But, don't get the cart in front of the horse here, work on your skills first, and then when you feel confident in your skills, that you are at a place where if you get that job, boom, you're ready to go. Like, I'll have people talk to me, we've talked about, you know, uh, uh, different types of, uh, you know, websites and things you can join, places you can audition for, things like that.
And a lot of them are, if you get that job, you need to, like with ACX, like with, with both you and I, who have done audio books through there, you need to be able to not only record it, you have to edit it, you have to master it, you have to change it. Produce it, you have to do everything. And if you don't know that going in, if you're not prepared to do that going in, I mean, anyone can audition for it.
But if you're not ready for it when you get it, you're going to look a little silly. You're going to have egg on your face because you're not going to be able to do those things. Well, it goes the same way for any job. I mean, remember too, like with that website specifically, like you get hired for something, almost immediately you need to hand in, you know, what's considered like the first 15 minutes.
Which means that you have to record it. You have to edit. You need, like, so immediately you need to know those things. You can't like say, all right, well, I'm going to take six months to do this. And learn along the way, like you literally have a deadline, multiple deadlines. I was lucky, my first job, my first book that I did, I knew the author.
And there was no timeline, there was no time frame. It was, you know, I'll get to it, you know, when I'm able to get to it, and I'll finish it when I finish it. And, thank goodness that was the case, because, you know, the... The recording part was one thing, but all the other stuff I was learning on the job, and it was taking a lot of time, and I was having to send it in and get it sent back and, you know, kind of tweaking it and do this because I didn't have that background.
And it was fine because, you know, he was like, Yeah, whatever. I don't need it anytime soon. So we got to it. But yeah, You know, when you're getting paid for a job like that, that's not the case. It's, we need it by here and you are basically saying you can deliver on that. So make sure that you can deliver on that before you audition for that, before you put yourself out for that.
And it's like that in anything, right? Make sure that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to do the things that you're going to need to do. Before you start to pursue them. Yeah, like when I, I mean, just like you said, like, I was even learning on the, on the field there when I was doing my first audio book because it was a new part of the industry for me, you know, so not only was doing an audio book itself new, but then like how I had to do it was new, like different settings and, and whatever to record it.
And like, I had to learn along the way and I'm 17 years in. So it's like, you know, this is. something new, like you've got to take the time to learn it so you don't look foolish because this could be a relationship that, you know, you build off of and if you don't, you know, you could end up losing this relationship at the end if you're not giving the quality that you are kind of saying up front you can deliver on.
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And again, that is, and that's something that can follow you as well, right? So you really want to be careful that you're, you're, you're not. Harming your reputation at all. Exactly, because, you know, ultimately, you know, we talk about how much of our industry is word of mouth, how much of our industry is who you know.
It's so small. It is. Oh, it's tiny. It's tiny. And so you don't want to get that reputation, you don't want to get that, you know, that stigma. Because that, that can follow you. And that's, I mean, that's absolutely killer. That's just killer. You don't need that. Forgetting about the fact that you probably ruined that opportunity, and any further opportunity from that, if that becomes your MO, that's a problem.
That's a big, big problem. 100%. So, make sure that you are, again, focusing on one thing at a time. At the beginning, compartmentalization is not a bad thing. It's not a bad thing. And make sure that before you take those final steps, before you jump out into the water, make sure you can swim. Make sure you can swim, would you?
Yeah, 100% cuz like, I mean, dude, I'm CPR certified, but like, you don't really want that. Like, I joke that I'll be somebody's floaties, but I'm really, I got asthma, I can't swim that great, so. Yeah, that's true, that's true. I can't really go in there and save ya. So, so, uh, I have a, um, it's not related at all, but I have a, so we're friends at the, at the gym, we kinda do You know, something out there a little bit each year.
So a few years ago we did the, the peak to brew, which was a 220 some odd mile. Um, you know, two day relay. Um, last year was supposed to be the year before we did a trail run, which I ended up doing just a 10 mile trail run. But this year, apparently in July, we're doing an open water swim and, uh, and the distances are one mile, three miles, six miles, 10 miles, or, uh, 13 miles.
And, uh, it's up North Vermont. It's cool. The longest distance is 25 kilometers. It's called the Border Buster because you actually cross over into the Canadian water. Um, now I will be just doing the one mile, maybe, uh, hypothetically. I'm not a very strong swimmer. Um, I did a triathlon, uh, right before my swimmies?
No, but you can wear a, uh, uh, uh. Vest? No, a, uh, a swimsuit. A, not a swimsuit, a, uh, uh, uh. Life preserver? No, a Wetsuit. Wetsuit is the word I'm looking for, which does provide some buoyancy. Does it? Uh, apparently. Are you sure? I've never worn one, I don't know. I've worn one once and I really don't think it helped me much.
It just kept me warm. Well, so so I'm doing this triathlon and And my, the swim is the first part. I think it was a 500 meter swim. It was not that long a swim. So this is gonna be much, much longer. But you had to, you had to swim out to some buoys and like turn left and keep going. And right at the, it was through the YMCA.
And at the buoys were some YMCA lifeguards on surfboards, you know, just to make sure nobody died. And I turned the corner and I mean, it's clear that I'm not doing very well. I'm just kind of moseying along. It's not a doggie paddle, but it's not much more than that. Did somebody have to yell to you? No, the other left!
Uh, no, uh, there was an older woman, uh, she, probably in her, probably in her 60s, who was sitting on her surfboard and said, Hun, you can hold on to my surfboard and catch your breath before you keep going. To which I said, thank you, I'm just gonna keep going, because I knew if I stopped I was done. And she literally went...
Okay. And rolled her eyes and I was like, are you kidding me? No, you're supposed to be like, good, go on and then make sure that I don't drown. So that's what's happening with me. So I will be. That's going to be fun. Yes. So, uh. When is that? Uh, it's the end of July. Okay. So make sure you have some guests. Yeah, I was going to say, I better, uh, we better make sure we got some stuff recorded or something.
Yeah. That's going to be interesting. Interesting. Well, one of the guys is doing a 10 mile swim. Oh God, what is wrong with you people? I don't know. I will not be. I will not be doing that in particular, uh, but if you do the longer swims, you have to have a kayaker with you, you have to provide a kayaker with you, uh, in case you die.
Um, so anyway, uh, so don't do that. Don't do that. Uh, so don't do what I'm doing. Prepare beforehand. I need to prepare before that, and I will, hypothetically, prepare before that swim. And you should too. voiceover . By swim, I mean voiceover. Yeah, no, that was your way of bringing it back around. I gotcha. I I I lost the, uh, I lost the point here, man.
No, I lost the plot. No, you brought it back. Okay, good. Yeah. Good. I'm glad this is . I'm glad. So you reeled it back in. Get it, I'm bring it back to fishing now. Before everything I said before is, yep. Just reiterating that. So, um, so thank you veterans. Um, and, uh, and, yeah, that's it. And this is what a podcast recorded on a Thursday afternoon sounds like.
Man, man. Y'all are welcome. Uh, so thanks so much for tuning in, everyone. Um, and thanks for hanging in, if you did, throughout the remainder of this, uh, winding road of a podcast. But, uh, that's alright. We're happy to have you. Uh, we'll be back next week, uh, as always. Uh, Marissa, you will be with us again next week, as always.
Yeah. We're gonna talk about, uh, you know, a lifetime of learning, right? Lifetime, uh, you know, lifelong learning. Yes. Like things like that, right? And talking about, uh, about learning things when you're, when you're older. Lifelong. Lifelong. Thank you.
That's what I'm gonna sign off now because this is, this is going poorly. You should add smarties. See? Like, you would have been in such better condition. No. I would have been. Vomiting in the bathroom. No, but I wouldn't be feeling great. I wouldn't be feeling great. My body's a temple. What are you talking What are you talking about?
Anyway, um, so we'll be back next week, hopefully you will too. And we look forward to talking to you then, Marissa. Thanks so much. Farewell. Until next time, everyone. So long. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
It's the little things. Oh, the magic of fixing things. It's the little things in life that do it. It is the little things. I can only hear out of one ear. Sorry. Um, in this. Maybe you got my headphones. Maybe we just switched headphones. It could be as simple as that. It might be. Technology. Um, is this a little weird?
This is, uh, so for a little peek behind the curtain, folks, so usually we record the podcast on Friday mornings and then release them, uh, Friday afternoon, so usually not that particular Friday afternoon. Uh, today, we are recording on Thursday afternoon. Yeah, you do realize, like, later on, I'm gonna be like, Oh, God, Friday, the weekend's here.
Um, I'm gonna be so confused. Yeah, I have to work Saturday, so it's not a big deal. It's all the same to me. Well, not me, so I'm gonna be real confused later. Well, you'll enjoy your three day weekend, so don't worry about it, but, um, it is not just Thursday, though it is, um, it's also Thursday afternoon, and yet, for some reason, I'm still, you know, literally attached to a cup of coffee at the moment.
Yeah, but you're always attached to a cup of coffee. That doesn't surprise me at all. It's not untrue. It's not untrue. Um. Yeah. No, that's a fact. Uh, well, it says the person who is literally eating disgusting candy to get sugar in their system. Well, that's not why. I heard, mmm, pure sugar in my belly. Yeah, but that's because...
Those are the words, by the way, she said when she walked into the booth just moments ago. Yeah, but that's because there's leftover Halloween candy and I will eat all of it. I don't care. I will eat all of it. I don't really like Snickers. There's Snickers and there's Ghirardelli chocolates with raspberry crema.
Yeah, okay, but that sounds gross to me. I just want the Smarties. I don't even, I don't even know what to say. But, ew. Um. Very hyped up on Twitter right now. I mean, smarties are fine if you like eating chalk, and maybe you do, I don't know. It's fine. Maybe I was that kid in school, you don't know, don't judge me.
It's basically like Pez without the cool, you know, dispenser. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, what's your point? Okay, touche, touche. But, uh, not only is it Thursday afternoon and we are, uh, still exhausted for reasons quite unknown, um, but your voice is a little bit more warmed up today, which is very exciting. Yeah, I should never do anything in the morning, I've told you that.
This is a factual statement. Um, but, uh, it is, it is Veterans, uh, it's Veterans Day today. uh, November the 11th, and uh, so again, this will be going out on the 12th, this will be going out Friday, but uh, it is Veterans Day today, and we'd be remiss if we didn't, uh, if we didn't talk about that, at least momentarily, and, and, and thank, thank all the veterans.
Uh, I know that, uh, Yeah, everybody that's been on the front lines at some point. Yeah, and I, I know that, that you, uh, you posted some, some pictures of family members. Oh, I did, yeah. Um, Yeah, it was my grandfather's, both have since passed, but, you know, I, I, very easily accessible to photos of them, you know, in their uniforms and stuff, or like, you know, out, you know.
out in, you know, their, their battlefield, wherever they happen to be. I think they both were in World War II. That would make sense. My, uh, my grandfather was in World War II. My grandfather, um, on my, on my dad's side, uh, enlisted when he was 17. And, uh, was a, uh, it was in the Signal Corps. He used to climb up telephone poles and do stuff.
I don't know exactly what, to be totally honest with you, he did up there. He was also afraid of heights, so it was not a... A lot of fun that he had up there, but um, Yeah, I don't think, I don't feel like I know enough. Like, my, my dad's dad passed away when I was just six. And then, um, my other grandfather, uh, my mom's dad passed, I mean, I was older, but, you know, I guess I never really asked any questions.
Maybe I should, I don't know if my grandmother knows. So I, uh, so my, my My mom's dad passed away long before I was born, uh, but my dad's dad, he passed away about six years ago, six, seven years ago now, and so for a school project, I actually had to interview my grandparents and talk to him extensively about his, uh, his time in the service, which was awesome.
It was just awesome. So, you know, when I say I don't know exactly what he did in the Signal Corps, I mean, I have a pretty good idea, um, and I also know where he was, uh, he actually He started out, um, he left from New York, went to, to England, and then, uh, ended up in Belgium. And was not very far from, uh, where the Battle of the Bulge was.
Uh, was actually at a, at a factory, working, uh, at a, at a manufacturing, uh, fabricating factory there. Then, once the, the war in Europe ended, uh, he was still, um. He was still one of the, he'd been there for a little bit, but was not one of the guys who got sent right home. He actually got on a boat and left Europe and went from Europe through the Panama Canal and up to the Philippines.
And spent some time in the Philippines expecting a potential... Uh, invasion of Japan. Wow. And so he was, uh, you know, that obviously and thankfully never happened, but he was, uh, he was on both sides. Uh, and then I remember him telling me he loved ice cream sundaes. He would make them for us all the time.
Just massive, massive sundaes with all, all the drinks. My grandfather loved root beer floats. I feel like that must have just been a, a thing. Well, so when, when I was talking to him about it, he said, you know, they left the Philippines and took a boat back to, um, Uh, back to the states, back to California, and got on a train, and they, they took a train from California, he went back east, and it was on that train when he was finally back in U.
S. soil that they had... You know, they, they, they got to relax for the first time and, and he ate a ton of ice cream. He's like, that's pretty much all I ate on that train. So I wonder, I a little bit regrettable. That's like, if I had any more Smarties today, I'd probably regret that. I, I imagine you should probably regret having any of them.
Um, but, uh, yeah, so, uh, so my, uh, that's my grandfather. And funny, uh, in the Signal Corps, in the same Signal Corps that he was in, though not at the same time, was, uh, you know, who else served in the Signal Corps, uh, in and around that area, uh, in Belgium, was, Mel Brooks. Oh, cool. Yeah. Well, I love me some Mel Brooks.
Yeah, I know you do. And my grandfather. Um, yes, that's right. You do know this. Yeah, this is fair. Um, and, uh, my father was also, uh, my father was in the Air Force, uh, retired, uh, about ten years ago now, but, uh, was a colonel in the Air Force. So I, you know, uh, was in active duty. My sister was born in Germany.
Uh, he ended up going into the reserves before I was born, but, uh, uh, grew up in and around, uh, Air Force bases as well. So, uh, thank you to them and to, you know, all the veterans out there. And, and, uh, and I mentioned, I had a student just yesterday who was, uh, recently retired from, uh, from the Navy down in Norfolk.
Uh, I mean, all, we have a ton of students who, uh, who've come from the forces and, uh, You know, we're looking to do something different in voiceover, and a hearty thank you to them. And any of you Yes, big thank you. Yeah, and anyone listening who is a veteran or knows a veteran, uh, you know, again, we certainly send our thank you to each and every one of them.
And, you know, we should every day, but today, obviously Just happens to be an even special day than, you know, tomorrow. Special, I don't think it's a word, but hey, you know what? It is now. All right. More special. Uh, yes. No, absolutely. 100 percent, uh, 100 percent agree on that. So, uh, so a, a, a thank you from, from us.
I actually was in, uh, I was Air Force ROTC when I was in college, uh, for a year. Um, As it turns out, they didn't have a need for broadcasters, so that, uh, it didn't all work out that way, but I did spend a year doing that, which was really cool. I do remember the army, I think, tried to recruit me at one point because I was going to go to college for fine arts, so I was going to do photo.
And they... They were looking for photographers and I was like, I'm also very asthmatic and I don't think that I should be in the field of anything anywhere to be honest. Well, so I was, when I, when I first got to college my freshman year, I was a physics major and I was going to go into, uh, I was going to be a double major in physics and electrical engineering.
And they were like, here's money. I didn't end up getting any obviously because I didn't stay in it, but they were like, yeah, you seem like someone we would like. And then I was like, you know what, I'm actually going to change and go into communications. They're like, okay, cool. You have fun. Okay. Bye. Uh, so that's how that, uh, that's how that turned out.
But here we are. So thank you to everybody that's not us. Yes, yes. Everybody who is better than us, we do appreciate that. Um, so, uh, what are we going to talk about today? I don't know. You told me earlier, and I can't remember what it was. I'm not going to lie to you. I have, uh, I have also, uh, Oh no, it's getting ahead of yourself.
So, you know, we, we obviously, we, we work with students on a regular basis and, and the way that the program works for those who have not gone through the voice coaches program is, you know, there are some in person classes and one on one classes, obviously there's the, the studio immersion, which is the demo recording and, um, but there are, there are also, you know, online classes that go along with that.
And one of the latter ones. is it's about marketing, right? It's all about, it's called getting the job and it's all about marketing yourself, putting yourself out there. And we've talked extensively about that. And I'm sure we will continue to do that because it is always important. Yeah. And it's always, it's always changing.
Like there's a lot of the same things that go into it, but you know, it's, but what happens sometimes is someone will come in for their first class or even their second class. And, you know, we'll, we'll talk about, I know the industry and things like that. And, and they'll ask like, Okay, great. How do I, how do I get a job?
And it's like, okay, that is extremely important and not something that we can answer just like, you know, off the cuff real quick. Like, well, you just got to do this, this and this. There's a lot that goes into it. And so, you know, what we recommend is, Let's let's let's work on one thing at a time. Let's compartmentalize a little bit and honestly That's the that's the way you should handle just about anything in life, right?
Like you don't want to be doing too much at once because then you're you're like splitting yourself in, you know Like you've got to make sure that you're focused on one thing so you can make sure that the next thing that you do is Also done at a hundred percent and the thing after that is a hundred percent so you can keep growing and building on what you're doing Yeah Absolutely, absolutely and that compartmentalization is, uh, you know, like you said, I mean, you can, when it comes to the marketing stuff and like I said, we've spent hours talking about that and we'll continue to do that because there is so much to it.
You can get completely lost in that. And unfortunately, if you do before you have that kind of basis of knowledge, that can be a problem. because then you're not going to be able to focus on, you know, the, the industry, right? You're not gonna be able to focus on, you know, making sure that you're prepared to go out there before you go out there.
Um, and so, and that's what we tell people like, okay, yes, there's a whole class on that. We're gonna get into it, but let's pump the brakes a little bit on that. Let's build your skills first before you start. And that's so important, right? That's so, so very important. And, and I, and look, I get it. I get it, that's a huge question, and it's a question that needs to be asked, and it's a question that needs to be taken seriously, and it's one that we will continue to spend a ton of time talking about it because it is that important, and there is that much to it.
But. But, don't get the cart in front of the horse here, work on your skills first, and then when you feel confident in your skills, that you are at a place where if you get that job, boom, you're ready to go. Like, I'll have people talk to me, we've talked about, you know, uh, uh, different types of, uh, you know, websites and things you can join, places you can audition for, things like that.
And a lot of them are, if you get that job, you need to, like with ACX, like with, with both you and I, who have done audio books through there, you need to be able to not only record it, you have to edit it, you have to master it, you have to change it. Produce it, you have to do everything. And if you don't know that going in, if you're not prepared to do that going in, I mean, anyone can audition for it.
But if you're not ready for it when you get it, you're going to look a little silly. You're going to have egg on your face because you're not going to be able to do those things. Well, it goes the same way for any job. I mean, remember too, like with that website specifically, like you get hired for something, almost immediately you need to hand in, you know, what's considered like the first 15 minutes.
Which means that you have to record it. You have to edit. You need, like, so immediately you need to know those things. You can't like say, all right, well, I'm going to take six months to do this. And learn along the way, like you literally have a deadline, multiple deadlines. I was lucky, my first job, my first book that I did, I knew the author.
And there was no timeline, there was no time frame. It was, you know, I'll get to it, you know, when I'm able to get to it, and I'll finish it when I finish it. And, thank goodness that was the case, because, you know, the... The recording part was one thing, but all the other stuff I was learning on the job, and it was taking a lot of time, and I was having to send it in and get it sent back and, you know, kind of tweaking it and do this because I didn't have that background.
And it was fine because, you know, he was like, Yeah, whatever. I don't need it anytime soon. So we got to it. But yeah, You know, when you're getting paid for a job like that, that's not the case. It's, we need it by here and you are basically saying you can deliver on that. So make sure that you can deliver on that before you audition for that, before you put yourself out for that.
And it's like that in anything, right? Make sure that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to do the things that you're going to need to do. Before you start to pursue them. Yeah, like when I, I mean, just like you said, like, I was even learning on the, on the field there when I was doing my first audio book because it was a new part of the industry for me, you know, so not only was doing an audio book itself new, but then like how I had to do it was new, like different settings and, and whatever to record it.
And like, I had to learn along the way and I'm 17 years in. So it's like, you know, this is. something new, like you've got to take the time to learn it so you don't look foolish because this could be a relationship that, you know, you build off of and if you don't, you know, you could end up losing this relationship at the end if you're not giving the quality that you are kind of saying up front you can deliver on.
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And again, that is, and that's something that can follow you as well, right? So you really want to be careful that you're, you're, you're not. Harming your reputation at all. Exactly, because, you know, ultimately, you know, we talk about how much of our industry is word of mouth, how much of our industry is who you know.
It's so small. It is. Oh, it's tiny. It's tiny. And so you don't want to get that reputation, you don't want to get that, you know, that stigma. Because that, that can follow you. And that's, I mean, that's absolutely killer. That's just killer. You don't need that. Forgetting about the fact that you probably ruined that opportunity, and any further opportunity from that, if that becomes your MO, that's a problem.
That's a big, big problem. 100%. So, make sure that you are, again, focusing on one thing at a time. At the beginning, compartmentalization is not a bad thing. It's not a bad thing. And make sure that before you take those final steps, before you jump out into the water, make sure you can swim. Make sure you can swim, would you?
Yeah, 100% cuz like, I mean, dude, I'm CPR certified, but like, you don't really want that. Like, I joke that I'll be somebody's floaties, but I'm really, I got asthma, I can't swim that great, so. Yeah, that's true, that's true. I can't really go in there and save ya. So, so, uh, I have a, um, it's not related at all, but I have a, so we're friends at the, at the gym, we kinda do You know, something out there a little bit each year.
So a few years ago we did the, the peak to brew, which was a 220 some odd mile. Um, you know, two day relay. Um, last year was supposed to be the year before we did a trail run, which I ended up doing just a 10 mile trail run. But this year, apparently in July, we're doing an open water swim and, uh, and the distances are one mile, three miles, six miles, 10 miles, or, uh, 13 miles.
And, uh, it's up North Vermont. It's cool. The longest distance is 25 kilometers. It's called the Border Buster because you actually cross over into the Canadian water. Um, now I will be just doing the one mile, maybe, uh, hypothetically. I'm not a very strong swimmer. Um, I did a triathlon, uh, right before my swimmies?
No, but you can wear a, uh, uh, uh. Vest? No, a, uh, a swimsuit. A, not a swimsuit, a, uh, uh, uh. Life preserver? No, a Wetsuit. Wetsuit is the word I'm looking for, which does provide some buoyancy. Does it? Uh, apparently. Are you sure? I've never worn one, I don't know. I've worn one once and I really don't think it helped me much.
It just kept me warm. Well, so so I'm doing this triathlon and And my, the swim is the first part. I think it was a 500 meter swim. It was not that long a swim. So this is gonna be much, much longer. But you had to, you had to swim out to some buoys and like turn left and keep going. And right at the, it was through the YMCA.
And at the buoys were some YMCA lifeguards on surfboards, you know, just to make sure nobody died. And I turned the corner and I mean, it's clear that I'm not doing very well. I'm just kind of moseying along. It's not a doggie paddle, but it's not much more than that. Did somebody have to yell to you? No, the other left!
Uh, no, uh, there was an older woman, uh, she, probably in her, probably in her 60s, who was sitting on her surfboard and said, Hun, you can hold on to my surfboard and catch your breath before you keep going. To which I said, thank you, I'm just gonna keep going, because I knew if I stopped I was done. And she literally went...
Okay. And rolled her eyes and I was like, are you kidding me? No, you're supposed to be like, good, go on and then make sure that I don't drown. So that's what's happening with me. So I will be. That's going to be fun. Yes. So, uh. When is that? Uh, it's the end of July. Okay. So make sure you have some guests. Yeah, I was going to say, I better, uh, we better make sure we got some stuff recorded or something.
Yeah. That's going to be interesting. Interesting. Well, one of the guys is doing a 10 mile swim. Oh God, what is wrong with you people? I don't know. I will not be. I will not be doing that in particular, uh, but if you do the longer swims, you have to have a kayaker with you, you have to provide a kayaker with you, uh, in case you die.
Um, so anyway, uh, so don't do that. Don't do that. Uh, so don't do what I'm doing. Prepare beforehand. I need to prepare before that, and I will, hypothetically, prepare before that swim. And you should too. voiceover . By swim, I mean voiceover. Yeah, no, that was your way of bringing it back around. I gotcha. I I I lost the, uh, I lost the point here, man.
No, I lost the plot. No, you brought it back. Okay, good. Yeah. Good. I'm glad this is . I'm glad. So you reeled it back in. Get it, I'm bring it back to fishing now. Before everything I said before is, yep. Just reiterating that. So, um, so thank you veterans. Um, and, uh, and, yeah, that's it. And this is what a podcast recorded on a Thursday afternoon sounds like.
Man, man. Y'all are welcome. Uh, so thanks so much for tuning in, everyone. Um, and thanks for hanging in, if you did, throughout the remainder of this, uh, winding road of a podcast. But, uh, that's alright. We're happy to have you. Uh, we'll be back next week, uh, as always. Uh, Marissa, you will be with us again next week, as always.
Yeah. We're gonna talk about, uh, you know, a lifetime of learning, right? Lifetime, uh, you know, lifelong learning. Yes. Like things like that, right? And talking about, uh, about learning things when you're, when you're older. Lifelong. Lifelong. Thank you.
That's what I'm gonna sign off now because this is, this is going poorly. You should add smarties. See? Like, you would have been in such better condition. No. I would have been. Vomiting in the bathroom. No, but I wouldn't be feeling great. I wouldn't be feeling great. My body's a temple. What are you talking What are you talking about?
Anyway, um, so we'll be back next week, hopefully you will too. And we look forward to talking to you then, Marissa. Thanks so much. Farewell. Until next time, everyone. So long. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
When starting any new endeavor, it is important not to get too far ahead of yourself. This week, Josh and Marissa discuss taking voice over one step at a time and not rushing into something you aren’t prepared for.
