I’ve been a voice-over actor for almost two decades. At first, I had several other part-time jobs until voice acting became the best fit, offering flexibility for motherhood, a fantastically fun creative outlet as an actor, and the best bang-for-the-buck (that’s an official financial term).
Now, with both my kids in middle school, I have more time for my work than I have in years. A voice-over actor’s day is not just sitting in a booth recording for your client. That’s the fun part: we are all hustling to create! My day is filled with auditions, some paid work, invoicing and budgeting, social media marketing, making LinkedIn connections, and working my CRM.
However, there is only so much LinkedIn and cold emailing one can do before the computer screen makes you dizzy and the lack of marketing responses can start to drive you a little crazy.
The burnout of a freelance, creative, work-from-home job is real. Especially when you are your company’s only employee. In the past few years, I have really struggled with staying inspired and focused, especially if I’m just sitting at home and staring into the void of my computer.
How do I find inspiration? How do I stay focused? What else is there? All great questions!
Get Out of Your House to Network!
Networking isn’t all online. In fact, I find the best networking is done in person, when you get to know someone without spending the whole interaction selling yourself as a voice-over actor. Sell yourself as a person first.
For example, this past year, I joined a group called Texas Women in Business (TWIB). They have several chapters in Texas cities and offer networking, philanthropy opportunities, and fun. There is an opportunity to gather once a week through TWIB with coffee, luncheons, and more. Interacting with and being inspired by other women in business from all sorts of backgrounds has brought me so much joy.
Do they know I am a voice-over actor, and will they refer me to potential clients? YES! But do we only talk about work when we are together? Absolutely not. These interactions help clear my head and give me a break from my daily routine. To start, look into local business meetup groups with similar interests, and even your Chamber of Commerce.
Exercise and Write it Off (consult your accountant first!)
I am super into yoga and have a monthly membership to a yoga studio. While I don’t even talk to many people while I’m there, just being among a community and moving my body does wonders for my mental health and helps me stay focused. Because having a strong body and improving my breathwork benefits my voice-over job, I can write off my membership on my taxes. Also, when the recording part of work is slow and the day feels inundated with the routine of the business side of voice-over, leaving my house and exercising helps break up the day.
Use Social Media (and the time you spend on it) to Your Benefit
I have found such inspiration from what other creative people do for their work via Instagram. For example, I began following a fantastic female auctioneer; then, through my work as a Voice of God/Live Event Announcer, I got to live announce that same auctioneer at a fundraiser, and while watching her work the room, I realized, “Hey, I can do that too!”
I was so inspired that I spent the last year going to Auction School and getting my Auctioneer’s license. It felt like the perfect addition to the roles I already play as VOG and Event Emcee. In fact, one of my favorite parts of being a voice-over actor is that the niches keep changing and you never know when following one niche (like VOG) will lead you to a whole other arm of business (like auctioneering!) Why not become a multi-hyphenate business person? Who inspires you outside of voice-over and how can you connect to that career with what you are already working with?
Constantly hyping yourself up to work the voice-over hustle can be exhausting. But you can not only overcome that fatigue, you can make a great, fulfilling life out of it. And how lucky are we to work in pursuit of something that we believe in, of our choosing, that we love! Look at us!
I’m rooting for you from behind my computer screen until we can meet in person.
P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry, sign up here!
