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Three things #5 for your VO weekend.

1.) For years the talk has been about the trend away from brick-and-mortar VO casting into the online space. Agents and casting directors are fighting hard and having some success in reclaiming part of that business, but lately, I’ve seen a surge in a new type of client. I call them Curators. Curators tend to be younger buyers who, like online casting buyers of the last ten years, are rejecting traditional casting processes. However, Curators are different in one important respect: They are also rejecting pay-to-play sites. These clients don’t want to deal with what they see as the byzantine world of old-school VO, but they look at casting sites as low rent and instinctively turn away from them. Curators instead focus on methodical internet searches to put together a shortlist of favorite talent by finding talent websites and listening to demos. These buyers tend to have strong budgets and are very open to licensing and residuals. They are the anti-establishment fair traders who relish all things organically creative and reject corporate structures and the exploitation of freelancers. In other words, they are damn good clients. You want them. But are you ready for them? What are you doing to ensure you rank highly in search for whatever types of VO you specialize in? Do you have a reliable web person or the knowledge to do it yourself? Ask yourself these questions, because the Curators are the next wave in the evolution of casting, and you want to be ready to ride that wave.

2.) Don’t be afraid to tell companies to cross out or remove silly stipulations from boilerplate contracts or vendor agreements. Many companies use a standard agreement and aren’t used to being challenged. There is no need for you to carry a million-dollar business insurance policy as a VO or to agree to drug tests or interviews with your friends and family (seriously, I’ve seen all of these.) Politely inform them that they need to remove unacceptably onerous terms from their form documents and don’t bend if they push back. And if you do agree to pee in a cup, get residuals. Or don’t. Gross.

3.) TRENDING GENRE ALERT: Gaming & Gambling. With the end of America’s gambling prohibition, there’s about to be an explosion of new gaming, betting, and fantasy sports establishments both online and offline. The VO jobs in this sector are already taking off, and they will become even more prevalent. It might be time to consider the idea of Gaming & Gambling Commercial Demos as a stand-alone thing.

Have a great weekend!

Three thoughts Friday edition to close out your voiceover week:

1.) They say you attract what you are, not what you want.

Are you looking for premium clients, major agency representation, and the kind of voiceover work that is both lucrative and fulfilling? Your web and social media presence needs to reflect that. Does your site say “premium,” “industry-leader,” or “quality,” or does it say “fly-by-night,” “basic,” or “directionless?” Do you constantly engage in acrimonious debates online about politics, religion, social issues, or industry problems? Or are you a voice of reason and moderation, careful to avoid incendiary rhetoric that could harm your brand? Food for thought.

2.) When are you “demo ready?”

My answer: When you are talented enough in a specific genre to make a demo that will help you book market rate work, and when you are confident that your self-directed reads are likely to match your coach-directed or producer-directed reads. I disagree with the idea that you have to be ready talent-wise to submit to a top-5 LA agent before you should do a demo, BUT……make sure you have a realistic discussion with your coach/demo producer about where your ability level lies, and what the best use of your demo is. If you’re good enough to make local/regional agency rosters, the book occasionally, and do pretty well through online sites, you still might not be ready for the big coastal union shops, where the competition is genuinely ferocious, and if you submit to them you might be in for an ego-bruising. Know where you stand, and if you’re not sure, ask!

3.) Stay cool!

Okay, if you’ve been to one of my workshops, you know I’m a polar bear. I had a colleague tell me about passing out in their booth this week due to the heat. Literally out cold….or hot, as it were. Stay hydrated, and take plenty of breaks. My productivity definitely dips a little in the summertime. Don’t be ashamed if yours does too.

Some say LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time. I’m more of a Jordan guy myself, but time will tell. There’s no denying, however, that LeBron is one of the most formidable athletes ever to play any sport. He’s a master at his craft, excelling in almost all areas of the game, and while he doesn’t always come out on top, he certainly does so frequently enough. As voiceover artists, we need to audition like LeBron.

One thing is certain: When LeBron takes a shot, whether he makes it or misses it, the attempt itself is the result of a calculated series of choices all leading to an effort to achieve a result. With rare exceptions, LeBron doesn’t fire off a ball hoping for the best……he believes that as a result of practice, training, and strategic analysis of the situation that any shot he takes has a chance to end in a score.

As a voice actor, are you playing like LeBron? Or are you shooting wildly, hoping something will go in the net?

I’m a big believer in the numbers game for most VO talent…..you do have to present yourself to as many potential buyers as possible in order to find the ones who are interested in your sound. Nevertheless, I always get concerned when I see a talent post, “I hope I book this audition.” Hope should never enter into the equation. Regardless of whether you are doing five auditions a day or fifty, each one should reflect a calculated choice to make an effort that has a realistic opportunity to lead to a positive outcome.

What does this mean?

It means you need to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. You should train as much as possible to turn weaknesses into strengths, but also accept and understand that not every amazing horse is cut out to be a great duck. I am blessed to be fairly versatile as a VO, but if I start seeing direction points telling me that the buyer wants an 18-25-year-old sound, I generally don’t make the effort to audition, because even though I’m confident in my ability to nail the read itself, I know that I’m throwing up a wild heave from half-court hoping for the best…..with little expectation of success.

Know who you are as a voice actor. If you have pipes like Don LaFontaine, but that’s where you stay, then explainer videos are probably not going to be for you. If you’ve got a slick and polished sound but have trouble dropping your guard and getting a little crazy, then maybe video games aren’t your bag. If you sound like the girl next door but struggle with nine-syllable words and large blocks of text, medical narration might not be your thing. Get coaching, sure, but also realize that you don’t have to be a jack of all trades in this business. Find what you do well, and become a master like LeBron.

As the voiceover industry continues to morph into a massive intersection of various genres and career types, I think it’s important that we hear from successful talent who have built careers in the trenches, booking daily local and regional commercial work, imaging, affiliate work, and copious amounts of corporate narration and eLearning. We hear all the time from VO celebs. In this new article series, I’d like to introduce you to some everyday VO heroes hustling their way to income goals and lifestyles we usually associate with industry glitterati.

Today’s guest: Rick Regan

JMC: How did you get into VO?

RICK: Christmas cassette player…13 years old recording myself doing Cheech and Chong bits and fake commercials…Now,  I began using my voice for money at 15, working at a local radio station in St. Petersburg, Florida.  My time in radio taught me how to speak to people and not at them.  Many radio people it seems either thrive or completely falter in voice-over and the success factor could be the difference between announcers and personalities.  You must be able to do both things as a VO talent, announce and emote as this is voice acting and it’s real tough for the one-trick ponies.  After a long local radio run, I was bumped from CC, and with my payout in hand, I started VO from home full-time.  I had been doing radio commercials daily as “the announcer” for years and as a “personality” recorded product and service endorsements where you use emotion and feelings.  The transition to voice work couldn’t have been easier for me.

JMC: Those who know you know your career is thriving. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that your earnings meet or exceed a lot of talent with much higher business profiles. How did you get to where you are?

RICK: I started off with confidence and a few local clients in my pocket but surely not nearly enough to live on.  I had a V123 membership while still in radio and landed my first regular client back then they are still with me today and invoiced this week.  Armed with plenty of actual spots completed I went to the Pay-to-Play sites full time and did the deal…we are talking October 2011 and so headlong I went into auditions all day long.  Let me say not a lot of fancy gear back then, just a cheap AT microphone a Presonus $99 interface, and the computer on hand with Adobe Audition.  That corner downstairs started to take shape using second-hand office furniture, and room divider panels to make my space smaller, and then I pinned foam to the ceiling and the walls, (no it was not Auralex,) just eggshell-looking foam from a surplus supply joint.  As time progressed so did my studio gear as I added a channel strip and a new microphone along the way, (plus some real fancy foam.)  Now I have grown to a great space with wonderful gear and all the toys.  Speaking of all the toys briefly, most are overkill, and to answer the question posed above regarding gear, I will say I’ve learned that a clean microphone sound into your editor is really all you need.

JMC: What’s the core work that drives your business? Does a single genre stand out?

RICK: I always look for repeat business opportunities. The goal for me is always to catch fish that are willing to just jump in the boat automatically weekly or monthly or even a few times a year.  I provide ego-free customer service.  Do not dismiss that last sentence as many VO folks do.  We are a pure service business.  The client can choose anyone they like, and we all do business with people we like.  Core work for me is just about anything they are willing to pay for right?  A car lot in Spokane’s Mega-Sale, a business seminar announcer guy in Aruba, a political ad running in Florida, two cool toy commercials for the Battle-Bots, 40 CTA tags, a concert spot read for a promoter in New Jersey, LFL Films story series, small market furniture store TV 30.  That was today.

Not sure if a single genre holds its own place or not with me.  Like many, commercials come in daily to the email from assorted auto dealers here and there and a Casino or Credit Union/Banks, but also the corporate reads for meeting and sales pieces, training modules (ask me about safety near alcohol plants or hazard placards,) IVR, cable TV show opens and closes and on occasional a big network promo read for ABC/ESPN/FOX.  Not sure what to call it but narrating pieces that live on websites that are never broadcast or really seen by a lot of people is getting bigger daily.  As more business websites become almost live entities of that business and not just a visual information sources our personal touch, (personality reads,) makes them genuine and friendly.

JMC: What would you say to people who see non-broadcast narration as non-glamorous or less exciting than commercials and character work?

RICK: Glamorous?  Sitting here in the house for 4-5 hours a day is supposed to be glamorous?

Well then, I better change out of my bedazzled briefs and tee-shirt and put on my party clothes.  This business for me is all about getting paid.  YES, lower-end jobs exist and if saying thanks for calling Joe Blows’ office on a two-minute file ain’t glamorous enough for you then I will take that money. Please don’t mistake my comments as being a low-baller when it comes to rates. Quite the opposite as I’m picky and don’t audition for or accept jobs below my personal line, BUT with a grasp of reality there is plenty of work. Commercials can be effort-filled hard work and character work may be the toughest, so I say non-broadcast work is the best.  It seems you don’t need to please a room full of people with their collective asses on the line regarding your read when you do corporate or non-broadcast projects.  Let the person responsible for “getting it done” approve you with their boss and then cash the check.  Less glamour sure but less hassle and less picky buggers definitely.  Yes, it is very cool to hear your voice on network TV or have your family or friends tell you they heard you on something.  Making an easy stack of cash is way better.  I care about people and stuff sure…but we are talking about getting paid here.

JMC: Tell us about a day in the life of Rick Regan

RICK: Up early and straight to the email and V123 outbox.  First I look for my agent’s auditions requests and then I do the worst thing by looking at those damn V123 review stars…….yes each morning starts that way.  A quick note to you the reader from a friend, don’t look at the reviews just send and forget, BUT much easier to suggest than it is to do.  When they want you they will email and not before.   A quick perusal of the Voice 123 auditions the Luxembourg folks already visited while I was asleep and then a review of the day’s plan.  Next, it’s not smart to warm up with an audition but I do that as well.  The day then unfolds based on customer urgency with a mix-in of auditions that look good as they pop into the inbox and pump out paid-for audio.  I try to not let things sit around so when work is booked it takes a priority in my head to get it done now because you don’t invoice until you hit send.  Unless it is an ongoing deal or something that will take some real time I get it all done daily.  My goal is to send out invoices every day.  Lunch is important. I’m benefiting from “Lucky Lunch Tuesday and Wednesday.” I tend to get confirmation emails during those meals…so get out for a good meal and book jobs.

I auditioned into my phone at a BBQ joint last week and locked down the political read before we had the check, David Kaplan style.  My day tends to end early with a good three or four hours in the morning, then a lunch break if there is time, and back to grinding out a few more hours in the afternoon.  Not a fan of sitting here all day staring at this screen.

JMC: What do you do to burn off steam?

RICK: Taking all this stuff lightly tends to keep the build-up of steam to a minimum so a round of golf or a great meal brings me back to center often.  Not into yardwork, camping activities, or building things with my hands, but I enjoy taking a break when the yard guy is here. I can watch other people work for hours.

JMC: Where can we hear your voice right now?

RICK: Late-night TV every night everywhere in America and in Canada doing CTA spots and tags.  A bit more “glamorous” work can be found on various Hunting and Outdoor cable channels narrating a few shows or bragging about camo patterns, lodges, bullets, or bows and arrows.  I have maybe a dozen commercials running nationally right now on cable.  Always something new.

JMC: Where do you see your career in ten years?

RICK: Continuing as is really with a larger collection of regulars as that list grows every day. Lose one client every so often and gain a couple to keep growing.  Sure being a big glamorous VO talent making a huge piece of coin for one simple project sounds great but it requires plenty of luck and time as well as money and location sacrifice.  Sacrifice for glory doesn’t appeal in this scenario BUT I am crazy lucky and believe deep down inside that the MAGIC read is in me and will carry me to GLAMORVILLE!

I want to be the next big movie trailer guy in LA!  I have the pipes now if I can just be discovered!

JMC: Leave the readers with one piece of advice to become an Everyday VO Heroes like you?

RICK: Be realistic and start with attainable goals, and keep that number rising dollar by dollar and client by client.

Honesty with yourself about skills and talent level is essential as this is not easy, (good people just make it sound that way,) and your folks like me aren’t just getting lucky; they are the good people and talented artists who have toiled for years working at this craft.  I honestly try to get better each day and can cringe at audio I was proud of just a year ago.  It has everything to do with having a nice voice and nothing as well.

Be honest, be nice to people, and if you are smiling it will sound that way.

Voiceover talent and those aspiring to join their ranks are motivated by many different drivers. Ultimately, though, most talent can define their VO motivation down to one, (or a combination,) of three different things: The Art of Performing, Fame and Recognition, and Money.

Where you find your motivation is directly relevant to the kind of work you will want to do, and I often find today’s talent unsure of the best direction for their careers based on their motivation. So, let’s have a look at which of the different voiceover genres fit into each motivation category:

Commercials (Art, Fame, and Money)

ART: Commercials in the modern VO world require good acting chops, and what’s hot is constantly shifting with consumer tastes. This allows talent to constantly hone their craft and learn new techniques, and commercial VO lets the voice actor play, with ad-libbing and getting playfully lost in the copy encouraged.

FAME: While most commercial VO actors don’t become famous for their work, opportunities do come along to voice an iconic campaign or character, and the actors who book those roles do often achieve some level of name recognition within the industry, and sometimes even in pop culture.

MONEY: Outside of celebrity-level animation, high-end commercial work still offers the biggest paydays, especially at the union level. While commercial rates are under more pressure today than ever before, a major national campaign can still pay for a nice car, if not a house. Moreover, local and regional work (though less lucrative on a job-per-job basis) is abundant, and compensation for lower-level and non-union work is stable, if not amazing.

Animation – Art, Fame, and Money Motivation

ART: Animation VO is as close as most voice talent will ever come to being an on-camera actor. Bringing a character to life on TV or in a movie requires pure acting chops and a gleeful attitude toward the work. It’s no surprise that most animation actors find other genres of voiceover comparatively easy, as they have mastered the most challenging skills already.

FAME: Today’s most recognized voice actors (with a few exceptions) are animation actors. These roles are prized for their visibility and career-defining nature and are sought after by most VOs in it for recognition.

MONEY: At the high end, no one earns more than top animation VOs. Get a recurring role on a show like the Simpsons or Family Guy and you are, quite simply, set for life. Everyday animation can still play very well, which adds to its allure. Though very much an LA animal, making it in animation is a great way to hit the VO trifecta.

Corporate/Explainer/Industrial Narration (Money)

ART: While Corporate Narration is not to be sneezed at in terms of talent, a good voice and solid reading ability will take you further in this genre than acting-heavy genres like Commercials and Animation. Ultimately, Corporate Narration lives within a reasonably definable range and, once mastered, is not a tremendous outlet for artistic exploration due to the dry nature of most of the content.

FAME: Corporate Narration rarely offers the ability to gain publicity or recognition for your work. With many projects under NDA, and most simply not of great interest to the general public, this genre is the height of VO anonymity.

MONEY: Corporate Narration is the blue-collar lifeblood of many voiceover careers. Accounting for up to 50% of all actual VO jobs, this genre is no get-rich-quick enterprise. Still, with average rates between $300-$750 for what amounts to maybe twenty minutes of total work, and the possibility to negotiate limited-license buys, it can add up quickly. There is talent out there doing this work almost exclusively, earning deep into six figures, and many more for whom it is a strong supplement.

E-Learning & Medical Narration (Art, Money)

ART: As E-Learning evolves with the learning styles of younger generations, it is moving in a more interactive and character-driven direction. Gamified E-Learning is hot, and many of today’s instructional modules are based around voice talent who can bring acting chops to the table. While much of the work in this genre is still dry, serious, and polished in tone, good actors have a leg up here. Heavy legal scrutiny of copy means you may not be able to go off-script and ad-lib much.

FAME: Like Corporate and Industrial Narration, E-Learning is highly anonymous work. This genre is not for those driven by recognition.

MONEY: Like Corporate Narration, E-Learning is under-appreciated as a source of stable income. There is tons of this work out there, and not enough quality talent to do it. Moreover, E-Learning is highly lucrative. Top narrators can earn between $1,200 and $3,600 per finished hour of work. Like Corporate Narration, there is talent making a six-figure living from E-Learning alone. There probably aren’t enough hours to make millions annually in E-Learning, but you can do very well if you have the focus and endurance to handle volumes of copy every day.

Videogames (Art, Fame)

ART: Like animation, video games are the pinnacle of VO acting. Heavily taxing on the voice, videogame sessions can be marathons of non-stop performance action and require total commitment to a character. If you love the art of VO, this genre is for you.

FAME: Today’s videogame actors are increasingly recognized in the gaming community, and many are becoming celebrities in their own right. Success in this field can open doors in animation and other genres and create opportunities to build a personal brand that offers the chance to become an icon.

MONEY: While top gaming actors often find financial success from the opportunities growing a following creates, pay for video games is relatively lousy considering the time and vocal strain involved and the piles of money game companies earn. Recent union negotiations failed to move the needle toward fair compensation, so if you play in this field, expect moderate financial returns until you become a household name.

Imaging and Affiliate Work (Fame)

ART: Yes, imaging and affiliate work is trending conversational in major markets just like everything else, but let’s be honest, the vast majority of work in these genres is still dominated by announcer voices, and that’s unlikely to change dramatically. Perfect the art of being ‘real,’ because you’ll get those specs, but imaging and affiliate work remain the land of best-pipes-win in many cases.

FAME: While imaging and affiliate voices certainly won’t be as recognized as major animation, videogame, and even commercial actors, some do become local celebrities in the markets they work in, and there remains a cool factor involved in regularly hearing yourself on the air, or being heard by friends and relatives.

MONEY: Imaging and affiliate work is a slog. Individual jobs pay fairly little, so getting work on a contract basis and becoming “the voice of” is the route to gaining real income here. With a lot of this work being done on a swap basis between stations using on-air talent, those opportunities continue to decrease, but becoming sought-after imaging or affiliate voice and inking a solid handful of contracts can add up to respectable numbers.

TV/Documentary/In-Show Narration (Art, Fame, Money)

ART: Though certainly not as acting-heavy as commercials and character work, TV Narration requires a sense of timing and storytelling that is an art form of its own. Think of great narrators like David Attenborough and Peter Coyote and how you hang on to their every word. Creating that level of interest among an audience requires verbal and vocal mastery that few possess.

FAME: Narrating a popular show is a quick way to move up the VO pecking order and, in many cases, to become a celebrity in your own right. Few genres are more consistently visible, and success as a TV narrator will bring lots of recognition.

MONEY: This is an excellent trifecta genre. While local and cable show often pay as little as a few hundred dollars per episode, major regional and national level TV Narration can pay big league money, especially once a show catches on. Six figures annually from one show is not unheard of, and many of these programs pay thousands per episode. This is one reason that the very best of this work is still channeled almost exclusively through major union agencies in LA and New York.

Political Commercials (Art, Money)

ART: Like typical commercials, political commercials often require legit acting chops and the ability to get into character. While announcers are still very welcome in this genre, authentic voices get hired more and more each year, so the opportunity to hone your acting skills exists here.

FAME: Except for the occasional Hal Riney, political voiceover actors don’t usually take the spotlight. Moreover, political VO actors don’t always want to publicize their work if they are voicing for both sides.

MONEY: Pay is the upside to political VO. Rates are roughly equivalent to similar retail commercials and, in many cases, can be as much as 50-100% higher, especially when dealing with national-level or major state races where campaigns can be flush with cash. Bid on these jobs aggressively.

Automotive Commercials (Art, Money)

ART: While many automotive spots are still classic announcers and screamers, like all other commercial genres, the conversational read is becoming more prominent. This is not the most dynamic space in VO, but you’ll still be able to play.

FAME: Now and then, an automotive VO becomes a local celebrity as the voice of a well-liked dealership, but that’s pretty rare. This work tends to be fairly anonymous, and the highest-end national-level work often goes to Hollywood celebs.

MONEY: With a lot of the top-market work going to the Jon Hamm and Matthew McConaughey’s of the world, that tends to leave local and regional work for the rest of us. Like imaging or affiliate work, individual jobs tend not to pay much, so getting contract-basis work to be the voice of a dealership or group of dealerships is essential to building steady income here. Once you get those contracts, the income can add up.

There you have it. A look at the main genres of voiceover and where they fit into your motivations for getting into this business. Which ones do you think are right for you?

“Rejoice, and make a joyful noise.” I remember sitting in a Presbyterian church at around nine years old and hearing the pastor use that phrase. He was talking about how much we have to be grateful for, despite all of the problems we may face in our lives. He said that we should never forget our blessings.

How easily this could also apply to the voiceover industry today. We read messages of doom and gloom on a daily basis in blogs and on social media, and even have to endure articles in mainstream media celebrating gig economy hackers trying to sell our industry short. We hear about the demo mills, and predatory coaches, and online sites that don’t have our best interests at heart…..and it is easy to think the sky is falling.

All of these concerns and issues are valid, but I think we should also stop and count our blessings.

When it comes to jobs, there have never been more out there. I’m beginning to lose track of the number of talent I’ve seen go from zero to a full time income over the past few years. If there was an oversupply of talent and a limited amount of demand, this wouldn’t be happening so often. We live in a time of abundance like the voiceover industry has never seen, with more Explainer/Corporate/Industrial work out there than ever before. The kind of blue-collar work that creates steady income streams and keeps the lights on. Rates for this sort of work have stayed steady, and if anything the continuing rate education of talent is pushing them higher. I’m seeing much less pushback on getting $500 for a 2-3 minute corporate piece today than I did five years ago, and many clients are open to the idea of negotiating limited use licenses and residuals even on non-union projects.

E-Learning is exploding. In an industry that will soon have as big of an annual budget as the Department of Defense, even P2P sites are offering E-Learning rates that amount to as much as $3,000 per finished hour. There is TONS of this work out there, and the amazing part is that the vast majority is not controlled by gatekeepers, but rather found through direct marketing to E-Learning companies, developers, and direct buyers. I know numerous talent making virtually their entire living, and filling their days, with E-Learning work.

Videogames and animation are also growing exponentially, with more titles than ever before and more opportunities to make your character come alive! While animation is still largely an LA market, videogame VO can be done from anywhere, and there are numerous ways to access the market.

New media has created an entirely new category of commercial VO that didn’t exist even ten years ago, and while we are still working to define fair rates for web ads and pre-roll, the future is bright in terms of both quantity and quality of work.

Agents, threatened by the encroachment of corporate players into their space are pushing back by raising standards, coming together to maintain norms, and getting back to the old fashioned pre-Voicebank way of doing business, actually hitting the hustings and generating leads on their own. We can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, but many of our agents are showing us that old-fashioned relationship-based business is still relevant to VO.

New, ethical casting alternatives like Voice Casting Hub, Cast Voices/A360 and others are getting in to the game to offer services that the industry has relied upon for years in a more transparent manner. Voice123, bodalgo, and now VO Planet under the new leadership of Kevin West are showing the industry that Pay to Play doesn’t have to mean low rates and big commissions. Almost one year after the news that shook our industry, these sites remain strong and are adding new and better jobs every day.

In a sea of demo mills are islands of ethical producers like Chuck Duran, Marc Graue, Anne Ganguzza, Joe Cipriano, Cliff Zellman, Dave Walsh, Uncle Roy, Jordan Reynolds, Gabby Nistico, David Rosenthal, and numerous others who hopefully won’t be too irritated that I didn’t keep listing people.

Where predatory coaches and companies roam so do honest players like the GVAA, Gravy for the Brain, Everett Oliver, Nancy Wolfson, Thom Pinto, and dozens more.

Talent has more options to get proper training and quality demos from people who care about their careers than at any time in our industry’s history. Just as importantly, aspiring talent have an abundance of options to tell them not to quit their day jobs if VO isn’t right for them, as opposed to just smiling and running their credit cards.

Folks, we have a lot of challenges in our industry today. Broadcast rates are being pushed lower by new technology and changing consumer behavior, and like any performance industry we have our fair share of slimeballs exploiting the uninitiated, while big companies hover around our industry like wolves looking for a meal……but let’s stop for a moment to count our blessings. They are many. They are bountiful. And we should all take a moment to rejoice and make a joyful noise.