Hey there, hero!

Unless you count the awards shows and box office (unfairly) as some sort of barometer of our success (please don’t), there really isn’t any sort of leaderboard or all-star ladder for creatives.

Even best-seller lists only judge what’s selling well, not what’s the highest artistic quality.

It’s not a race, right? We tell ourselves (and I tell you from time to time) it’s not a competition. We’re all pulling in the same direction, and helping each other.

And yet, we look at our peers sometimes, and let our brains ponder how they are “ahead of us” or “gaining ground” or “not as good” or “so much better”...and for what?

It’s a false equivalency to be “in competition” for a booking or a commission or even moving forward in the casting process.

We can’t even define what a win is.

So, why not just let go of that, and pursue our joy. Have fun. Create to just create.

How would you know if you won/lost? How can you let go of that very human competitive spirit? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/what-would-winning-even-look-like/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

Sometimes I feel like my cup overfloweth.

There’s no end to what you can learn about our business, and our world, and life.

And there’s more knowledge flowing in all the time.

Do you have the energy to stay on top of things? Or are you good? Is your bandwidth stretched to the limit?

Where are you on the “new knowledge” scale? Are you over the whole adding to your personal knowledgebase thing?? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/how-much-do-you-want-to-know/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

The story of life is filled with dependencies, with our journey being affected by the challenges in our lives.

And when we think about how our situation might be better if we weren’t this or that or the other thing (the grass is always greener, isn’t it?), we can make arbitrary assumptions about how our challenges are so…challenging.

And we need to remember that we get to choose to have these challenges (or not), and ya kinda have to live with your choices.

There’s no sense in shaking your fist at how unfair the challenges are in our lives, when at any time we made these choices for a reason, and these challenges ensue…

…but that we can choose to go down another path at any time, and choose a new set of challenges.

Do you feel at peace with the challenges you face as an actor, VO talent, writer or other performer? Or do you grumble constantly about what a challenge your life is? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/nobody-forced-you-to-face-these-challenges/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

As if we don’t have enough things in the world today, helping us move toward the anxious end of the scale, and away from the calm end, right?

Here’s a simple way to combat that. I was reminded of this approach by the teachers of The Anxiety Toolkit, a free course I’m currently taking that is offered by The Entertainment Community Fund.

Hope this helps.

If you’ve tried this, was it effective? Other ways you know of to ease the unease? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/one-simple-way-to-ease-anxiety/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

Every new advance (decline?) in the development of new AI tools can lead to more and more anxiety for performers.

It can also lead to more options for our performance careers.

This episode is designed to take a look at both the threat and the promise of AI and synthetic voices and faces in 2025.

(If you’re watching this episode just a few months after it was published, this is all likely old news…but how to handle it as an actor, VO talent or writer is not.)

Thoughts on AI? Questions on synthetic performance? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/the-moving-target-of-ai/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

Characters. That word can strike fear in the hearts of narrators that feel that fiction is a whole ‘nother level of effort when it comes to audiobooks.

Same thing when the content involves accents or dialects.

It’s not necessarily true that non-fiction is easier (you might take on some scientific terms or geographic locations to see why).

But characters don’t have to be intimidating, and accents and dialects don’t have to be debilitating.

I have a go-to simple approach, one that narrators of any level can put to use, to make characters and accents and dialects easier. And maybe even fun!

And I’ll also remind you in this episode of the deeper fun you can encounter with non-fiction as well.

Do you shy away from fiction? How come? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/true-or-false-non-fiction-is-easier-to-narrate-than-fiction/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

If you’re a professional, acting can take all kinds of forms.

TV. Film. Stage. Commercials. Digital. VO. Audiobooks. And so much more.

But the rarity of on-camera work is even more pronounced now than it has been in the past.

The numbers are very different in some categories than in others. Like, say, audiobooks.

Lots more opportunity than in any mainstream on-camera work.

But the numbers are, even in audiobooks, nuanced by your engagement and your acting ability and your mad skills in showing that off.

If where you engage your acting skills are at least the same level of engagement you place your technical skills, you’re going to move the needle in your favor.

It’s a reminder and a significant difference.

Do you keep in mind to focus on the acting part as well as the tech and the project management? Does that move the numbers for you? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/is-it-easier-to-book-an-audiobook-job-than-other-acting-gigs/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout

Hey there, hero!

So there I am, minding my own business, checking my email after submitting an on-camera audition (I didn’t even change out of my scrubs for this episode), and I see the latest edition of the author of Atomic Habits ( paperback | audiobook ), James Clear’s weekly 3-2-1 newsletter ( subscribe here ).

#3 in the third of his gems stopped me in my tracks.

He was singing my song. You know, my song of success (or at least the definition of success I’ve been singing for decades).

I can’t tell you how joyful I am that he agrees with me.

And I ask a simple question toward the end of the episode that I’d love for you to answer below in the comments (on VOHeroes.com/podcast - go there if you’re reading these show notes on YouTube or on your podcast listening app).

Does my definition of success help you? Frustrate you? Confuse you? Comfort you and support you? Let me know in the comments below.

REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/i-feel-seen-and-heard-by-james-clear/

#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #Marketing

Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you...

...become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
https://voheroes.com/start

...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
https://acxmasterclass.com/

...narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
https://narrateyourownbook.com/

...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
https://mikesock.com/

...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
https://rehearsal.pro/

...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
https://audiocupcake.com/

The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:

BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout