A Journey of Becoming
This week, we start with a quote from a LinkedIn post by voice actor, Craig Williams:
“Something weird happened this week. For the seven years I have been doing voiceover, I always had somewhat of a scarcity mindset. I was desperate to book jobs. Maybe it was more for validation than anything else. If I auditioned for something I had the "pick me, pick me" syndrome.
Something really changed this week. And I don't know exactly why. I am sure it is a combination of many things. All I know is that it has been transformative. This week, I now have the attitude that the person who posted the audition would be lucky to have me book the role. I don't mean that in a cocky or arrogant way. Really. It's just that I am now so comfortable with who I am as a voice actor.”
Craig and I talk almost every week on Mondays. We are accountability buddies and as a result, have become close friends. We talk about what we’ve booked, what’s on tap for the week ahead, how business is, what we’re struggling with, and we always end the call by asking how we can help each other.
I’ve been telling him for years how lucky his clients are to work with him. But on some deep level, he didn’t believe it. He now does. And it’s not because I’ve told him. It’s something else. Something very much deeper.
I can’t tell you how happy I am for him to have made this shift.
There’s something about this journey of being a voice actor and entrepreneur…
It starts with a dream. A vision of a career doing what you love and a life of freedom and flexibility.
I tell people that I live like a millionaire (I’m not one). I make a comfortable living, more than I ever made in any job. I rise early and there’s work in my inbox. I do what I love and what I’m good at. I get my son up, cook him breakfast, and drive him to school. We laugh, talk, and have quality time together all morning. In the afternoon, I pick him up from high school. More quality time.
That’s what living this dream affords me. That’s time I wouldn’t have with my boy if I were still working for someone else. That’s my why. It’s time most millionaires don’t get because they’re often working insane schedules to feed the golden goose.
We all get hooked on the dream.
Then we find out how hard it is and how much training and learning and immersion it takes and how much self-challenge is involved. We see how many failures we have to go through to get to the successes. And many of us, like Craig, rise to it. We do the work. We build the habits required. We put in the time, training, sweat, failure, education, and long hours. We do the hard shit. We do what it takes.
And when we do that consistently and long enough, eventually, we see improvement. Progress. Successes. We start to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. We have those days you just can’t beat when we get those gigs that just make your whole day, or week, or month.
And a funny thing happens along the way.
What starts with a dream, a why, that grows with work and habits and how we go about chasing that why, that leads to achieving the whats that we set out for ourselves…somewhere along the way our who changes.
Who we are changes. Or more accurately, who we believe we are changes.
The amazing and beautiful thing about this voice acting/entrepreneurial journey is not what we accomplish or how we do it, but who we become.
Craig continued…
“It's funny because I watched this fantastic Bryan Cranston video (https://youtu.be/lVPxwh2UHOk) a few years ago and thought to myself that I wish I could get to that place. A place where I can just give myself and enjoy the feeling of not wanting anything in return. Now I am there.”
One of the greatest feelings in the world is becoming someone you used to think was impossible.
Congratulations, my friend. And to everyone on the journey.
As a side note, I’ve started something new called the Move, Touch, Inspire Newsletter. Every Thursday, the latest issue is sent to voice actors like you.
Each message includes an idea to move you, a thought to touch you, and a quote to inspire you, as well as what I’m writing about that week here in The Pro Blog.