Chatter Box Radio
Hello beautiful friends! We are a podcast made up with various guests, such as: therapists, life and health coaches, parents, authors, teens, teachers, trainers, etc - who tell their personal stories of how their "ashes turned to beauty". You’ll unravel -wild- untold tales from normal people, just like you and me. Each episode shares the hardships and then gives hope by sharing the miracles that came from it. We are REAL - open and honest about what we’ve been through and want to spread hope in the miracles we've experienced, and that are all around us.
Our intention is to help and support the mental health community with our money and our time. We provide free resources for those seeking professional help for a loved one struggling with mental health. We offer meditations, stories of encouragement, experience, and resources to help you on your mental health wellness journey. We'd love to hear from you! If you or someone you know would like to share their story, please email: podcast@thechatterboxradio.com or visit us at www.thechatterboxradio.com.
Carrie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Edwards University and Master Studies emphasis in Latin America and Spanish. Her career in radio began at Clear Channel Radio in 1995 in Austin, Texas.
A professional Voice Over Artist, specializing in Commercial, Animation and Elearning genres. (www.carriefarris.com ) She has voiced for many brands, corporate companies, announcements, schools, radio stations... the list goes on and now to be a voice for the #mentalhealth community!
Master yoga, kickbox and cycle instructor.
Certified Meditation Coach - spiritual and cognitive meditations.
Podcast Host - The Chatter Box Radio Podcast.
Voice Brand - KWVH 94.3
Please contact carrie@carriefarris.com for sponsorship ad requests.
Disclaimer: Supplements and medical stories have been shared in various episodes. Please contact your physician or medical care provider before taking or adding new medicines or supplements to your normal regime. We are not medical physicians and do not claim any health benefits that are right for you. You are your own advocate. Seek medical help immediately if you or someone you know is suicidal or may have overdosed on alcohol or drugs. When in doubt - pick up the phone and don't hesitate. It's better to be safe. Call 911.
Chatter Box Radio
NYC - VO Coach - From A Near-Death Experience to Professional Voiceover Success
I'm so honored to have interviewed my voice coach, Linda Bruno. She is an industry pro, with 30 years of experience. Her clients include: Disney, TLC, Kia, Costco, Walmart, Samsung, Motorola, CNN, Disney Jr., Nickelodeon.. and the list goes on. Check out her demos and more info on her website: www.lindabruno.com
Her training began in Miami, Florida with the legendary voice over actress, Connie Zimet who helped with the foundation for her craft. Connie accepted the shy 18-year old into her studio and gave her the inspiration to move forward with this challenging career. Those early days of watching Connie work were truly inspirational to her.
In 1997, she moved to NYC in search of an agent and larger clients. That move led to relationships with various agents, production houses and now thanks to the Internet, worldwide clients spanning as far away as India and Singapore on a daily basis.
Now based on Long Island, New York, she shares studio space with Digital Waterworx in Melville, and love the camaraderie and stimulation of being around other creative people.
Ever questioned the profound effect a spiritual encounter can have on one’s life? Linda's near-death experience at the age of 25 was a turning point that forever molded my perspective on life, grounding, empathy, and self-love – all crucial in addressing the relentless challenges of the voiceover industry. The indescribable peace from my encounter with a mysterious man who told her it wasn't her time yet, shaped a path in radio and eventually voice acting.
Vulnerability became her fuel, expressing her unique self during auditions. The journey led to an unexpected twist in her personal life, as she stumbled upon her now-husband after releasing the desperate need for companionship. There is magic in letting life unfold, bringing joy and gratitude more profound than we can ever imagine.
Ever felt like you're an imposter in your industry? We've all been there. The voiceover world is no exception. It's a territory filled with challenges. Linda shares insights on identifying the right people who can lead you on your career path, the necessity to take a step back when things feel off, and the importance of research to avoid wasting time and money. Tune in, whether you are a seasoned voice artist or just intrigued by the industry, this episode promises to enlighten and inspire.
Be sure to check out Linda's podcast - Voiceover Gurus Podcast! You will find customized coaching, specific to your needs. If you are curious and have questions, they offer a $50 assessment consultation.
www.thechatterboxradio.com
www.carriefarris.com
Thank you for listening to our show! If you are looking for resources on any topic we've discussed, please visit our website: www.thechatterboxradio.com You will find vetted websites and information to help with suicide prevention, domestic abuse, and mental health support.
If you are looking for meditations or yoga, we've got that too! Check out our YouTube videos !! Especially developed to increase brain flow, stimulate the vagus nerve and relieve stress.
Contact us at: podcast@thechatterboxradio.com for guest inquiries. If you are on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter, click and follow! You are apart of other people's healing. Join me and let's make this planet a little nicer.
For Sponsorships & Promos, contact:
www.carriefarris.com
I was like I don't know if I can talk to her about anything else because it's like we talk about that. That's been our relationship, you know. But I can tell you that the way that I found you, I know that was spiritual. I'm a very spiritual person. We haven't talked a lot about that.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:And so I know that when I met you and the reason I even reached out was spiritual, because I would run, you know, and I listen to. My podcast is just what I do to get myself centered, to learn more, whether it's a spiritual book or it's different podcasts. I've listened to so many different podcasts for voices and then I just found yours and it was like an immediate connection. That is so cool. And then the more that I found out about you, the more it just was confirmed every time.
Speaker 2:You're like it's meant to be.
Speaker 1:I know it's crazy. The connection is meant to be yeah. And then I saw that you just launched the other day. What number was it? 117. Episode 117. I didn't. That's the only one I haven't listened to. Oh you have a mental health.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, the next 117 and 118 next week, part two will be about. It's the same interview, but we had to split it into two because there's a lot of good information, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1:So, I don't know if you want to share anything from that, or do you have an just an incredible experience that you want to share?
Speaker 2:no matter if it's spiritual or anything, I have a lot of incredible experiences, that's what I want Sitting down with Alyssa and I Alyssa, another coach with the voiceover gurus and sitting down with Anna, who's a gestalt psychotherapist in New York City and also a yoga teacher in the whole nine yards and she focuses. She has a lot of clients that are actors and voice actors, so she was really good at imparting ways for us to maybe ground ourselves so that way the rejection and everything that we go through doesn't break us down.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Such a huge part of our life? Yeah, but you know it's really good. You have to. You have to listen to it when you get a chance, experiences well, I've got a lot of experiences. I mean, are you talking about work related experiences or more spiritual experiences?
Speaker 1:What are the what's something that really stands out to you? Because I can't decide. It's what's like amazing and special to you, no matter what it is.
Speaker 2:Probably one of the most amazing things that stands out for me if we're going to go down the spiritual route, is when I had a near-death experience and that was very life-changing for me Because I had never really thought much about it and what happened was my blood sugar. I have a genetic blood sugar issue and I didn't really realize it at the time. I was 25 and I was working out. You know, it was hot, it was down in Florida. Next thing, you know, I'm gone and I wake up with my boyfriend at the time over me, slapping me to try to get me to come to, and he's crying, he's sobbing. Oh my God, I don't know what he's, why.
Speaker 2:I'm like yeah, we wake up and you're like why are you hitting me? What's going on? And at the time I didn't register it. It was very strange. It took a few years. And then, yeah, I didn't like I didn't, I don't know why. And then, all of a sudden, all this memory came back as to what happened during that little infantile in you know, small little trip that apparently I took.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and seeing the feeling, the most overwhelming part was the feeling of overall comfort and just feeling just peace and fantastic, probably the best feeling I could ever feel, like if I'd taken a million drugs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember you. You mentioned this story to me one time and you said I don't know, I just there was a man there. Didn't you say that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, there was a man standing on my left and you know there's no speech, it's all like just in your thoughts, like the transfer goes. And I'd said to him I go, it feels so good, I feel so good and he goes, you have to go back. And I was like I don't want to go back. This is amazing. He's like, nope, you have to go back, you have to go back. And it was like I was in a tunnel and I could see a light and I saw this man. And then the next thing, you know, I'm woken up. Yeah, and I couldn't believe.
Speaker 2:Years later it came to me what happened. But then I started to realize wow, the feeling. Now, if you go through and people start to argue it, which a lot do, and they say in science that your brain releases certain chemicals or whatever to protect you when you're in that situation. But my mother also had a near death experience years prior when I was a child. Same thing passed out, she saw the same thing. So she saw a light, a tunnel, but she didn't see people. She heard voices saying you have to go back, you have to go back. So you know, if I had never experienced it, I would probably be like well, you know it's a common thing, but now, after doing more investigation and interest and knowing other people that have had NDEs, it's pretty incredible and for me it just brings me extra peace knowing that you know this isn't it for us here, there are things beyond this.
Speaker 2:It was a gift.
Speaker 1:I feel like those times may be really scary and whatever you're going through, but it is a gift because it opens your eyes, your awareness. You experience something that you've never experienced before and it's so freeing and gives you joy.
Speaker 2:It's pretty wild, I think that it also helped me to become more of an empathetic person, which has helped with the coaching and the patients that goes along with that, you know, and trying to help people get to where they want to go, because people come from all different walks of life, all different experiences, and that's what's so fascinating, because suddenly they're all brought together by the common thing of wanting to become a voice actor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so can you tell my listeners a little bit about what a voiceover is real quick? A lot of people that find out, you know, are they here? Oh, I heard you're doing something like cartoons in Asia or something like that. Well, it's kind of a lot of different things and they're intrigued. Do they want to know a little bit more?
Speaker 2:So a voiceover is any type of voice that you hear that is used underneath video or not. Sometimes in a radio spot it's audio only for commercials Commercials are pretty much the most common, but voiceovers are used everywhere. You just don't realize it. So when you call the bank, you know that's usually a voiceover, unless they're going the AI route. When you, you know, listen to Spotify and you hear an ad, some actor created that ad with a production company. If you're in the grocery store and you hear the overhead ads, you hear, you know the girl saying 599 for tomatoes today. Only that's a voice actor. And it's an incredible thing because it's all over the place and there's so many genres that a lot of people don't know about. But voices are used for a million things. The most popular people think cartoons, animation and commercials. But what about? Turn on the radio? You hear promo. Artists are the ones that are announcing the ID of the radio station the new 95 five, you know, coming up next.
Speaker 1:You know so voiceovers are everywhere, and that's one of the misconceptions, I think, is you have to have a beautiful voice. Right, there is a voice, I mean, there's a job there for any voice.
Speaker 2:Now, yes, old days, yes, it was perfect voice, smooth, dulcet tones, especially men with deep voices. But now, now it is about your uniqueness, it's about having that authenticity, so that way you can connect with your audience. This era that we are in is all about being real, and so it's. They don't want anything put on there. You know, millennials are doing a lot of the hiring, a lot of the casting now, and they don't want to be forced, force fed anything. They don't want to be told what to do.
Speaker 1:The old style announcer would tell you what to do and they can recognize that old style announcer real quick.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I don't know if the pendulum is ever going to swing back. You know how things trends come and go, but I don't know. I really love the fact that we all get to really be ourselves now.
Speaker 1:That's true, and say it like the way that you would say it. Yeah, talking to someone, not Hi, hi, right pretty one of those you know with those elections, which was hard for me to switch over because, you know, when I got started, I had a great coach. She was a technical coach and that's what I needed at the time. I've told you that.
Speaker 1:It was great for starting out, but there's so much that's involved with this job and people don't realize that either. Right, you have a good voice and you just say it oh my gosh, no, no, why would you even have an episode for voiceovers in mental health? People don't realize that.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's the rejection.
Speaker 1:You have to have perseverance to keep going. Believe in yourself. I mean all those things when you've been told no so many times. It just wears on you.
Speaker 2:Or, in our case, we don't hear anything. We just don't get the job we're like. Okay, I guess they didn't like me, which is always the big key, but yeah, and you doubt yourself and then you're like what did I do wrong?
Speaker 1:And they don't tell you what you did wrong.
Speaker 2:And then it affects your future performances.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Now you're insecure. Now you're in here.
Speaker 2:Being a voice actor is the most vulnerable thing. Being an actor is one of the most vulnerable things we can do because you are revealing yourself, and that's hard, it's really hard. Doing characters is easier because you can hide behind a character. When you have to be Carrie in this spot, you have to say I love myself enough to know that I can do this well. So you have to have that inner confidence. You have to have that inner love for yourself, and there's ego that comes into this too. You have to have some ego. You have to believe well, I sound better than that girl and that competitive edge.
Speaker 1:Or are you?
Speaker 2:not going to get it.
Speaker 1:You have been the voice for Disney, HSN, Motorola. I could sit here and just list McDonald's, Costco, one after the other. What else was there? Verizon, Orbit, TLC it would take me the whole podcast just to list off all of your clients.
Speaker 2:I've been working for a long time.
Speaker 1:You are a Texas girl from San Antonio. That was another reason why we bonded the way we did and you took off at 18 years old and you knew you had a dream.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I had some the path wavered, you know, and I didn't ever get to A to Z quickly or easily. But yeah, no, I feel very lucky that at 18, I saw someone doing a voiceover and it sparked my interest to the point where it lit the fire in me to say this is something I want to do Now. I went off and I had to work and I had to do other things and I went to college. And I went to college for business because my parents were like you're not going to make it in voiceover, that's not a real job and a lot of people don't feel it's a real job. So I then worked a lot of other jobs, but then I got to the point where I was like I need to get a job where I can be behind a microphone, and at that point I didn't need to make much money because I was still young.
Speaker 2:So I went to door to door to radio stations in Fort Myers, florida, knocked on the door and said, hey, are you guys taking any interns? And I was like this little 20, 24 year old girl and I found one station that was, and it was this classic rock station, 96 K rock. These days you can't, interns can't work with you unless it's like through a college. I mean, back then it was like the wild west. You know, we got, yeah, they didn't have regulations or they didn't follow any of that. So you know, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we have an intern program where you have to call people at night and ask them what their favorite rock songs are and we're going to pay you in concert tickets and see no way, yep.
Speaker 1:So that was my payment CDs yeah, I can't even play a CD right now and anything that I have.
Speaker 2:Same same. I mean we have stuff in the studio, old stuff in the studio, but other than that, no, it's not like I'm a big fan of the radio station, but yeah, that was how it started because I was like I want to get behind the microphone and I don't know how to do it. So let me go to a radio station, because in my mind that's how you became a voice actor, not knowing that really isn't, but I met some amazing people. I got experience. I became a DJ. You know that supplemented my income for 16 years, disg jockey. So you know it helped with the path. But I never let up because I did get a job offer at a radio station. There.
Speaker 2:And it was sweet money and I know down in Texas, man, you guys can buy a lot more than we can and save dollars.
Speaker 1:And I said no because I wanted to do voiceover and I was convinced no, I'm going to do this and you did and you stuck with it and you believed and you had to have faith. That's the other thing about you that I've learned over our coaching sessions is you have faith. You mentioned about journaling.
Speaker 2:You meditate because you talk about thinking right about the past and have written down and gone over your journals and it's just really cool, for me the pictures, the visualization of cutting out all those pictures from magazines of where I wanted to be was a huge part of and I think I just posted about this, but I saw. Did you see the Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary Netflix? I?
Speaker 1:haven't seen it yet. I have watched the preview 10 times going. Do I want to Do? I want to. I'm asking you do.
Speaker 2:I it's pretty interesting. Yeah, it's a very unusual, unique person with everything that he's done. But something that caught me was that he said that everything he has done is because he visualized it. He saw it. He saw it before it happened and just decided I'm going to be, that I'm going to be a movie star. He visualized it, went for it, didn't stop. And that's really at the heart of everything. It is Because if you can't see yourself doing it, you're never going to do it. That's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because then he starts taking the steps, even subconsciously, exactly Telling your.
Speaker 2:You attract the paths, you attract the opportunities. I do, I believe that. Are you a law of attraction, person I mean.
Speaker 1:Are you more spiritual? I don't know what that means when you say that, because I know what that is, of course. And there's this whole new age movement, and then the Christianity and the church is changing so much, I think, because a lot of Christians are becoming more awake and realizing their experiences, and so I don't put myself in a box of. This is my religion and this is. I can tell you where we go to church and I can tell you how I grew up, but I base on my personal experiences that I have Every day. I get up and I kneel and I meditate and I pray, and every night I do that, and I've had the more that I just worry not worry but the more that I focus on my own relationship with being connected. I don't worry about anybody else, because I know that everybody's relationship with their Creator is completely unique to them. There's no way that God's going to speak to you the way he speaks to me, because we have our own language and things that I notice.
Speaker 1:And so law of attraction. I believe that the way that you are, that you do attract, that that's just spirit, that's spiritual. I believe that your spirit is huge. It's outside of your body. That's why, when you walk into a place and you talk to somebody, you can feel their energy without them saying anything.
Speaker 2:Yes, Sometimes that's not good. I focus on that.
Speaker 1:If they're really in a bad mood, then you're like I don't want to be around this person because they're in a bad mood. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I hear you. I'm not a religious person but I am very spiritual and I just believe that there's something more. There's something more. But when it comes to law of attraction, it's not something that I follow closely anymore. I just did it in my mid-20s to get myself to New York Put into practice some of the things that people do for law of attraction. But I do feel that what you put out is what you're going to get back in. Like you're saying, if you are kind and giving, you will attract kind and giving people in your life, and it's pretty straightforward that if you walk around complaining about your life, it's not going to get better. You can attract possibly more negativity. That's just my belief. It's not. Nothing is law Right, it isn't. It's what you believe is what I believe.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's a choice too, because we have to choose. And that's the hardest thing when you're down, like we're talking voice over right now, we're sitting alone here and you have a thought and it's oh my gosh, you know, they didn't pick me. And then you start internalizing it, and then one thought after another, and it can just go down a really bad road. So, yeah, I try to keep you know. If that happens, I recognize it. And then I have these certain things that I just say to myself to get me out of it Like affirmations, Exactly Just an affirmation or scripture, or a funny hat.
Speaker 1:you know, I have all these crazy hats or I turn on something funny. You know, making yourself laugh and laughing is the best medicine.
Speaker 2:We kind of touch on that in the podcast with Anna that she mentions, that she noticed me because I said to her, oh, there's days when I get up and I'm like, oh, I don't want to go audition. And she said when you said that, just like I did now, your body kind of fell and her face went, like you know she says but if you're starting to feel that she's like you know, write yourself, get your airwaves breathing airwaves open and help to change your attitude, because our bodies are so involved with our mental state at that time, and saying it's like you have to do the reminder, like what you're doing, you're basically giving yourself affirmations to snap yourself out of, maybe what road your mind might be going down.
Speaker 1:Right, right. So is there anything that you do that's different from those things that help you mentally, like?
Speaker 2:that there are days when I mean I have I suffer from anxiety issues and I have depression issues too. So that is a constant thing. That unfortunately started in my early thirties and it's just something I deal with. So there are some days I'll get up and be like I'm not feeling it. Today, I don't. You know, if I could, I would just stay in bed and but then I would feel worse because I wasn't being productive. So I say I'm getting up, I'm going to jump in the shower On the days I feel really bad, I'll dress really nice because it helped to shift.
Speaker 1:That's so smart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll put on something cute or I'll put makeup on or I'll do my hair or something, and then I'll come in and I'll yeah, I just feel better, I feel better. You know, that's a little thing that I do, just visually. My appearance helps, because working out does help for me and I think working out is a good source for you. Right, I'll be working through stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah. People are like oh my gosh, are you obsessed? I'm like no, I'm doing it for my mental, emotional health.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So yeah, it can be because you're releasing all those wonderful, you know chemicals into your body. It's what happens. Yeah, yes, like today, I'm going to swim after work, and when I swim, when I'm done, it's that release and any stress that I felt, and then I sleep really well too. Oh yeah, so that's another thing that I do, but it's a daily choice. You're making a choice every day how you're going to deal with it. But there's a place when I'm like I don't know, especially now going through freaking perimenopause and the sage middle age, my moods are all over the place.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know, this is a whole different ball game, right, it is Like do you take supplements?
Speaker 2:and stuff. I take some, not particularly for that, but I take it for other things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like I'm a whole new regimen than it was before.
Speaker 2:I'm starting to learn that it's very different than the life I was living prior, because it's not good, it's not fun.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's also you know that this is like really important. That time to exercise is when you're going, your body's going through those changes and stuff, just to keep you up.
Speaker 2:I was talking about it with the girlfriends. We went out to dinner on Friday night last Friday and I was saying there are some afternoons I'm like I am just pissed off. I am just in the worst mood and nothing has done anything to piss me off. And I'll just say to Matt. He'll be like are you okay? And I'm like I'm not, it has nothing to do with you. He's like okay, I'll leave me alone. I'm like just leave me alone. I'm just going to go about my day and I'm going to try not to talk to anybody, but for some reason I'm feeling all this and I guess it's part of the problem.
Speaker 1:And that's hard when you have to be on and then you know you have to, because we were talking about your body and the lady. The other day the therapist told you how your body just kind of you know, fell. And these directors, producers, whoever's listening to our auditions, they can. They're so in tune with it. They can hear if you're a little nervous or if you're trying to push a little too hard or almost you know and you may not even realize you're doing that.
Speaker 2:It's like somebody has to point it out to you, I know.
Speaker 1:So then you have to fight through those feelings too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've had casting directors say you sound like you're holding back and I'm like I do. Oh my gosh, how did they know? How did they know that inside my mind is someplace else or I'm super nervous and I'm feeling insecure Again? This is why, being a voice actor as we are actors we are so vulnerable and we have to be have to continually practice, to show everything for that set amount of time, you know so Putting it all out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and being on for sessions, being on for auditions, it's just, it's part of our world.
Speaker 1:Why do I love it so much? Yeah, why do you love it? What do you love about it? Well, I remember when I first started and honestly and I told you this before it was really everything I went through with my son, and then everything I've gone through and people asking me to record meditations, and I got into the, the mics and the recording and all, and then I really was led to it in my meditations and I didn't even know what a voiceover was, and so I just took, started taking those steps and and learning.
Speaker 2:And when did this happen for you? You'd have your kids at this point, or did it happen before you were finished, cause you have five kids?
Speaker 1:Well, well, I started out in radio and my very first job, but you know, raising my kids, and then I've always been a fitness. I've always had a job. I've worked at every big box gym there is.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:I'm a cycle instructor, yoga instructor, I'm certified in everything there is. I personal trained women for 20 years and I just let go of that. My heart wasn't in it anymore and I also felt like why are we focusing so much on the outside and the physical? Because if you really focus on the inside and get some of this stuff right, all that outside stuff's going to fall into place.
Speaker 1:You know and then you know I told you what happened with my son, you know, two years ago, and you know that was like I'm going to do this and I remember sitting in here and auditioning and there was a couple of times I just I just started crying out of joy. I'm not kidding.
Speaker 1:Like I was like thank you, thank you for this. This is. It's just part of who I am, in a way to express myself. I can't even explain it. It just God's just put such a passion and a desire to want to do it, and it's obviously not about the money because it's so hard to get started. Right, it really is, and so it just gave me a lot of joy that way.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I met so many great people.
Speaker 2:You recognized the love and it gave you an outlet. You know, feel good, express yourself. It is hard, which is one of the other misconceptions. If you're thinking about getting into voiceovers for money, please don't, because it could be years and years till you make any money, because there is so much competition and there's, but there's a lot of jobs out there too. So we could flip it, flip the script and say lots of opportunities, how hard do you want to work for it? That's right.
Speaker 1:That's pretty much it. That's really what it is. It is, and whenever I would get down, I would pray and just say, you know, lead me to the next step, lead me to the next book, and it would talk to me. I would hear that book or a person would say something. They'd come along right at the right time and tell me exactly what I needed to hear. Right then, yeah, you have to keep me going and my bottom line and then you know, with this podcast was just to help people honestly with mental health, with our struggles that we went through as a family. If anybody can gain anything from just connecting with other people and hearing other people's struggles, right, because when you hear other people's struggles you're like, okay, I'm not alone.
Speaker 2:You can't say you're alone anymore.
Speaker 2:No, I went through a period I was on my own for about 10 years, but I left my first husband due to infidelity issues that he was dealing with and I was having to deal with. And that's what brought me back to Long Island. And I was lucky enough to have someone that I had known since I first moved to New York, dave Goldberg, who owns the studio, and I said can I come and hang my microphone? This is in 2005, and I said, can I come hang my microphone at your studio? And he was like, yeah, sure, and it was a closet because we weren't in the same space. And I'm like, okay, so it's just he and I and me in this little closet, and all I could afford was a studio apartment up in this little town called Sea Cliff and I had nothing. I had a futon and I had my jeep and I had my cat and this little tiny thing and I had no money and I had all this debt that I had brought with me from the marriage and I had just started like independent when I was working at a radio station in the city. So that was like at least my health benefits, but it was a part-time job, so I was just making enough to like cover my little $800 a month payment. I couldn't cover my car payment. I had to ask my ex for money for that. So this point I know. And I only had like a couple of clients because they were from the existing town that I had moved from. That I still have to this day.
Speaker 2:But those were some dark days because I had some friends, but not all the friends that I have now, and my family was in Florida. So night after night I would go home and, boy, I just dove into my spirituality, I dove into connecting with a higher purpose, because I was at my wit's end and I didn't know but when else were you going to go? Yeah, and I just remember those days being pretty bleak, but then knowing that, if I just put one foot in front of the other and just get out of bed, try something, do something each day. Do something, believe that you can achieve something, believe that you are good at what you do, believe that you're going to get better at it. And then next thing you know it was, it took a couple of years, and then the auditions would come. That were a little better. And then my audition for Disney. That was a six-week long audition, and then I loved hearing that story.
Speaker 1:By the way, I'm going to interrupt you real quick and just say she has a podcast called the Voice Over Guru's Podcast. Your website for that podcast is it's wwwvoiceoverguru.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's the coaching. Yeah, you can also access the podcast from there too.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so there's. She tells the story. You've got to go find it and listen to this. Okay, go ahead. You got to find her podcast and listen to it. She has great stories.
Speaker 2:So just dark days. You know it's never an easy path, you know to get to where you want to go and you have to just focus on that end result. But I mean, I was alone and I was in my mid-30s and at this point it was like, okay, I haven't had any kids, I wanted to have kids. That was a whole other thing I had to go through because any man I dated was like I don't want to have kids, I already have kids. You know it's a really bad time, you know. So I hit 40 and I was like I'm giving up. You know, I don't care if I'm meeting buddy, I'm good. I had cultivated really great friendships, I'd start to really build my career, started to have a lot of fantastic success, got very lucky for about a good 10-year span there and then at 40, I just said, screw it, I'm not going to worry about anything. Boom. That's when I met my now husband.
Speaker 1:Isn't that something? Why is it always like that? And you know it like deep down. Yeah, I'm not supposed to think about it, I'm supposed to let it go.
Speaker 2:It's I released, I fully released and just said I don't care. I actually it wasn't that I don't care, I just I'm fine being okay by being by myself. Yeah, I think that's the difference.
Speaker 1:I'm okay with it, I'm okay and you know who you are and you know what you want. You've been through it. How did you meet him?
Speaker 2:So I used to. His brother used to work in the studio with us because he's a. His brother used to be a video video editor and so I had known Mike for years and one of our friends was having a birthday and we were meeting at a bar and I said, mike, why don't you come for the birthday? And he goes okay, can I bring my brother? And I was like, yeah, sure, so he shows up with this guy and he goes oh, this is my twin brother, matt, and I'm like get out of here. I said you guys don't look anything alike, Really, because they're fraternal twins.
Speaker 2:So, I get to take out your wall, it's show me your IDs. So they show them IDs and I see, oh my goodness, they Harris, harris, okay, yeah, so we met that night and then we just kind of maintained a friendship over that. But yeah, he and I if been in each other's lives since, yeah, 2010.
Speaker 1:Wow, and you just got married.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just got married a couple of months ago, so you just never know.
Speaker 1:You know, this life is such a trip, isn't it? And that's the other thing that I try to keep my mindset. If anyone's listening, and they're a voiceover at my level, which is down here not up here, not yet, not yet, that's not true. It's happening one day.
Speaker 2:Now don't refer to yourself like that. You say I am up and coming. Oh, I am Clients coming to me all the time for my talents. Yes, ma'am. But, don't put yourself anywhere low, no way.
Speaker 1:Don't do it. Yeah, yeah. Well, with all the experience anyway, I even forgot what I was going to say.
Speaker 2:About you never know. You never know with anything you can't plan.
Speaker 1:When I get down and have those thoughts. I'm like you know what, when I look back, I felt like I was reminded of those really cool things that have happened, that I didn't know were ahead of me.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Why do we always assume that there's nothing in front, right? Being that nothing, I don't feel, I don't see it. Nothing's going to happen, you know, and if I had that mindset before then I wouldn't have experienced these other really cool things because I wouldn't have taken a risk, right? And the other thing that you have taught me and so many other great voiceovers just seeing their posts is just play and have fun, exactly, and everything. I mean that's really one of the reasons why I got so much joy out of this was playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my life is fucking serious, girl. I got five kids with some major shit going on, and I am not going to live the rest of my life pissed off, mad, upset. I mean I do. But when I feel it I'm like look at all my blessings that were just given to me. God saved my son from being hit by a car on a highway. Yeah, and he wasn't in a car, you know. You know, like and I say that a lot because that's really the basis of how I even started this podcast was from his story.
Speaker 1:But, we have witnessed so many wonderful miracles that were so blessed and favored to be born in America. I know that sounds hokey. Now it's true. I pull up these when I feel like my kids are a little more rotten than they should be. Mama pulls up those documentaries like in India he's bathing right over there and shit. You get on your knees and say thank you for letting me be born in America. And we got opportunity.
Speaker 2:Yep. What other country can you come to with nothing and become a billionaire if you want? Right, it's just truly still the land of opportunity, no matter what anybody wants to say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know and the other thing about the is that I do want to make a point is everyone is so encouraging and supportive like sure you have your jerk faces. There's always one or two. I'll see a comment Someone had posted on a video's social does just the balls right, but nasty 99 at a hundred times. Everyone's so encouraging.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think there's a reason for that too. It's because we're all kind of like, in this battle together, yeah, you know every, no matter what. Some people want to brag and go. Oh, I don't have to look for auditions, everything's handed to me. It's like you're lying, you're completely lying. You know you are lying. Or the people they get on and like, oh, I'm gonna make seven figures this year. Well, where can I hear you when?
Speaker 2:where is the seven figure documentation Plus? I could say anything, and then it's just rude and it's just unnecessary.
Speaker 1:But they just shot themselves in the foot, though, because everybody that knows the reality of the VO world knows that that's such a silly comment, and so do directors and producers. So anyone that's gonna see that isn't going I don't think, to be fooled by it. There's this one girl that posted on Twitter. She it was like a year or two ago and I was just laughing and she was like I'm new to voiceover. I just came out they ain't no stopping me straight to the top, baby. I'm like Go get them, go get a girl.
Speaker 2:Have you heard from her since? Has she posted? Since? I've never seen anything from her. Oh, so it's just. I think that's why people are supportive of each other, because we all know how hard this is, yeah, so you gotta have an ego, but you can't have too much of an ego, right, humble, get a business allows you to have a huge ego.
Speaker 2:I mean, unless you're like even brian lee my friends does not have a huge ego and he could yeah, he could, but he doesn't because he is a down-to-earth person. But the rest of us, the majority of voiceover actors, are not in that 1%. You know, we're out there sludging and auditioning and making money. We, we all know how hard it is. We all know the challenges. That's why there's great groups that talk about red flags. You know what red flags are. A company that's coming up as a red flag. They get posted so everybody can see.
Speaker 1:You know it's, it's a great way to share Information, so somebody else won't get burned, which makes me think about that one time and I want people to know about this because it's happening to my daughter. She's an artist and just got an email through Instagram saying oh, I would love to hire you as a portrait, but we only pay with check. And I was like oh I heard this one before.
Speaker 1:You know, and this deal that came through was a, a huge company and it was an email to me and I was, I mean, it was from a jar and they had Everything there. And then I had that same day a coach session with you, asked you about it, and then you're like, let me see about that. You're like, oh, it's a scam. I couldn't believe it that. The amount of effort that they went through as they wanted a zoom call, I mean all the same things. Yeah, down to the nitty gritty details, they could have stolen everything I had.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I know it's they. It can get pretty intricate these days too. She said you gotta watch it.
Speaker 1:Is there anything that vios need to look out for with that the maybe not everybody's aware?
Speaker 2:of. I mean, we're just subject to the same things that everyone else is. Really it's up there, they're trying. The biggest one that I have encountered and have had friends encounter is where Same thing where they want to hire you for a job and they say what's your fee? And you're like 300 dollars and they say, oh well, the client's willing to pay 900, so we're gonna send you a check for 900, but could you turn around and send us a check for 600? Um, and you know, but it's a and so I figured it was a scam, this thing.
Speaker 2:I didn't even do the job. They wanted to do all the payment first, which was really weird too. Yeah, send me the check. So they did. They sent the check. I went to my bank and I said I want to see if you can clear this, you know, and they said it would take like seven days, which it did, and they came back and go now it's a bad check. So I wrote I'm sorry, your check didn't clear. And I never heard from him. But a friend of mine had the same thing happen to her and she did send a check off and I think she was out like too, too grand.
Speaker 1:Wow, it's what they will go through nowadays.
Speaker 2:I know. But just just like anything else, do your research Mm-hmm type in the company, see if it's for sure, legit. Now some of them are creating fake websites, you know. So they're making it look, but never, never give out money. You don't need to. You know, especially if you're auditioning, there's no, or there's some of these companies that there's not that many left where they would ask you to pay a Monthly fee to be like, oh, we're gonna send you auditions, but you need to pay a monthly fee. I'm not talking about a pay-to-play, okay, and you need to pay our sister company just to be listed on the site. You know, 15 bucks a month and we're gonna start sending you auditions. So I did that with that idiom talent, oh, okay, yeah, so a year I never got one audition and then turns out you even won.
Speaker 2:And it was a scam. Yeah, is a scam and they had done that to sell to many voice talent, just collecting that little bitty because it's 15 bucks a month. You're like, oh, it's 15 bucks a month.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a lot of them are like that. You know there's a lot of websites out there that probably shouldn't go sign up for, and there are those that are better. Do your research, read reviews. Yeah, read the reviews. If you just do a little bit of research, you will find out real quick which places yeah, and ask people that you know that are in the business too, if they've heard of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the best way and get into the Facebook groups.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of voice over Facebook Facebook groups yeah, you belong to any of those a few of them, but I just I don't get on that much as that I should. I went and looked at yours, too, and I want to do, which also leads me, I want you to say this first is the online workouts that you have, um, the Facebook group that you have. I would love for you to do so our Facebook group is private though.
Speaker 2:So if you do study with us because I don't want just anybody going in there and promoting and and I'm very protective of my students I feel like once you've studied with us, you're like you're our family. So it's open to students only, um, but it's a great place. We can share ideas. If you booked something fantastic, you know Um, and everybody's gotten to know each other pretty well too, because several the same people will, for a period of time, come to our online workouts. So our online workouts are good because it's only six people tops, we keep it pretty intimate and it's always two coaches, so it's usually me and another coach, um, and lately it's been Alyssa, who's the acting element of voice over gurus, and we run these two hour workouts like twice a month and I gotta do.
Speaker 1:I gotta do one. I haven't done one of those yet. They sound like so much fun. I gotta make none of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're gonna pick up again in September. We're taking the summer off, oh good, but we actually have a new coach joining us soon.
Speaker 1:Oh, you do, it was us.
Speaker 2:I know I I can't announce yet, can't tell, not while you're recording, okay, I gotta make later. Yeah, I gotta make sure everything is nice and Sowed up. But yeah, we've got a new coach coming that's gonna start joining us in october, which will be cool.
Speaker 2:Oh fun, yeah, because he's gonna be excited, he's gonna be doing narration and e-learning, um, and Documentary, because he actually does documentaries oh no, coaching for that, I love that and also a demo producer, so he's gonna be doing those demos. Dave's gonna be the main demo guy, uh-huh, but he's gonna be doing some specialty stuff really nice too. So Cool, yeah, it'll be good because people always like to hear that. Yeah, but actors like to hear that, and if there's anyone listening here To your podcast is thinking about trying it out, we do a 20 minute assessment for you For 50 bucks and we'll assess you for 20 minutes and have you read scripts and point you in the right direction. If maybe you've always had that inkling and you're like oh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm trying voiceovers.
Speaker 1:And that's fun it is and that's why you know, and that's one of the things I had you on I've had several coaches. I've had a business coach, I had a coach slash producer and one of my demos and then my very first one. I've not asked any of them to come on.
Speaker 1:I'm looking you to come on Um, because you are. You are so good at what you do and you're your patient, like. I feel like there's a lot of people out there that are really rigid with their time, which is fine. You need to be and you need to have rules, but not so rigid that we're in the middle of a conversation just okay, I gotta go. You know you're that way and you're the one that helped me really find my brand, really find my voice. That is right for me. So I say all this because if you're just wanting to find out if you're good at this or could be good at this, why not spend 50 bucks and give her you know you a call? Because there's a lot of people that you know have found out through the podcast this is what I'm doing and they're real interested.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm honest with you, I'm not one that's gonna be like oh yeah, your voice is great, we should work together. You need to buy a package, you know. I'd rather say to you hey, you need to go take some acting classes, or maybe you're having some diction issues that we would you know, or and I lay out the struggles that you could potentially face, if there are any, you know. So it's not because I did not become a coach to make money as far as, like, become rich, we'll put it that way yeah because you will.
Speaker 1:you have turned people away. That just isn't gonna work out. And your, your specialty is like a conversational approach, so there's different deliveries You'll have. If you're interested in the voiceovers, you'll have to learn what those genres are, and they're all different deliveries. So what a great place to go to find out if this is even works for you Right, and then get the real story on how all of it works with the conversation.
Speaker 2:I had an assessment a couple of days ago and the gentleman was actually very good and I said you know, you've got a great foundation for this, a beautiful voice, and you were able to let go. I had I ran him through some you know different moods and attitudes on the scripts and then he emailed me this morning and he said I'm so afraid. And he said I feel like I, he goes, I already feel like I have imposter syndrome and I don't even feel comfortable starting and he goes. I'm not asking you to convince me, but I just wanted to know what you thought. And I wrote back honestly and I go look, you need to take a step back.
Speaker 2:If you are feeling that much apprehension about it and it's not sitting right with you, step back, go back to doing what you're doing. If the bug comes back and bites, you call me and I said and if it doesn't, then you know it was just like a pant, a passing whimsy, but I'm not going to convince you to do something when, deep down, that wouldn't be what I would follow. I follow my heart, I follow my gut, I follow what you're saying. I do pretty much everything on an emotional basis. It wasn't the best business approach, but it keeps me a little not as organized and planning as I would like, because sometimes I'd be like, oh, I got an idea for this and then I throw it all together, you know.
Speaker 1:But but there's a reason why he called you because he had the passion, the desire, the drive, the will, and then he sounded great. So to me, you're telling, me the story and I'm like well, what's wrong? Well, we all have it Imposter syndrome and whatever it is, especially when you're first starting out.
Speaker 2:I know I was like, if you're already feeling this, now reassess. Yeah, don't force yourself to. If something feels uncomfortable, yeah, that's not for you, at least right now. Maybe it, maybe he'll get the, you know the, the confidence and the courage to do it. But my point is is I'm not going to convince you to do something that.
Speaker 1:Right, no, do it, do it. Yeah, spend more money. Give me more coaching, right, and there are those people that will do that to you. That's why it's very important Don't go in naive. If you're hearing this and you're really interested in it, just make sure you hire the right people and you don't waste money. I've wasted money.
Speaker 2:Watch those companies that come in and they say introduction to voiceover class and it's usually at a college or school or like a half day on a Saturday and most of the time it's $99.49 and will assess you when you go and you hear their speech.
Speaker 2:You do the whole thing and I'm sorry, but everybody is told, yeah, yeah, you got a lot of potential, yeah, you know. Because then they wind up coming to me and saying something's wrong. And they wind up coming to me and saying something felt off. I was like, yeah, because it wasn't. It's not good, so try to avoid that.
Speaker 1:Or people that want to produce your demos that don't have any business producing a demo. So any of these sites that you get on, they're called pay to plays. And we're not going to tell you which ones to get on. You're going to have to figure that one out. But go Google and do your research, like I said, and you'll find it Good. This was awesome. Thank you for having me I know. Thank you so much and I can't wait to have you back again, and you're going to be my coach forever.
Speaker 2:Get ready to talk about your voiceover, career and path, because that'll be. I was thinking about you this morning because I was like I need a student who's working and is going to be good. You know behind a mic, you know conversation. Yeah, I wonder if Carrie would want to do it.
Speaker 1:Heck, yeah, I'm all over that girl. All right, thank you so much again, and I will definitely see you soon. Sounds good. Thanks, girl, have a good one, and I'll see you soon too.
