Who doesn’t love it when the auditions and bookings show up in our inbox on a regular basis? Life is good, when we get to record with clients or work on an amazing videogame characters or corporate stories.
However, that’s not always the case. There are times when things slow down. One of the key challenges is pushing through those times. The imposter on our shoulder starts whispering, that maybe we have lost our mojo. Likely, that is not the case but being a freelance worker and entrepreneur means learning to deal with the cyclical nature of things. When great auditions and opportunities are not as prevalent, those are the moments to grasp the nettle and push forwards.
Here is a list of ideas to help keep the momentum, focus and energy going when things just need a bit of changing up. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or if you are starting out and haven’t found your voiceover feet, hope you find something useful in these tips:
Do Marketing – When we aren’t auditioning, recording for clients, or editing audio, this is our next biggest task as entrepreneurs and Voice Artists. We can probably never do too much marketing! Finding new casting sites, reconnecting with old clients, finding new opportunities. Try picking up the phone & seeing if you can get through to any local advertising agencies. Put an ad for your services on Nextdoor or in your local newspaper. See if there are any local creative networking groups near you to join. Try and think outside the box to create connections creatively: Ask your kids, sister or neighbors for marketing advice or leads! Make a short and long term to do and to dream list.
Do Webinars/Classes/Social Media – Like any small business, keeping up with the trends and finding ways to enrich your business helps to ensure your business stays relevant to those people casting now and into the future. Perhaps pick an area you haven’t explored yet in VO and learn about it. YouTube has some great free classes or sign up to a new VO group or some of the many amazing voiceover training platforms out there. Look at the different Voiceover genres out there and focus on something different in Voiceover, that you have never tried before. Try a completely new social media platform or try something new on one you already use. See what the trends are and put your own twist on it.
Do Something you don’t like to do- Need to clean out or paint the studio? There are always VO cleanups that need doing, whether it be online housekeeping or actual chores! I still have lighting I need to put up in my booth.
Do Something you like to do- Ticked off 1 & 2, so why not treat yourself with a movie, visit a museum (potential lead) or whatever you consider a treat for yourself. Always good if you can incorporate some kind of marketing, so it still feels like work.
Do for Others -If all else fails, try doing something positive for someone else. Find another VO artist or creative that may need your advice or just a chat, for an exchange of ideas. Volunteer as a mentor or just let someone know you are thinking of them, offering them a compliment or a bit of your attention. A little holla goes a long way.
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