From $5 a Holler to KILLING IT with AUTHENTICITY: Troy Holden

In this conversation, we chat with voice actor, Troy Holden. We talk about Troy's background, growing up in Nashville, and the influence of transplants on the Southern accent. He talks about the wrong path he initially took and how he course-corrected with the help of mentors.

We also discuss the mindset shift needed to value one's worth and the importance of training and competence in the voiceover industry. Troy also highlights the importance of personal growth and the role of community in the voice acting industry.

Paul SchmidtMarch 18, 2024Comment

Voices CEO UNANNOUNCED Pop-in at VO Atlanta: FIREWORKS ENSUE

There was a surprise, stealthy, mystery guest this year at VO Atlanta, and fireworks ensued!

There I was, on stage in the main ballroom at VO Atlanta, getting ready to take my seat on The Famous Online Casting Panel. J. Michael Collins, the moderator, walks by and announces to the panel, “65 seconds!”

I turn and a man in a blue plaid sportcoat holds out his hand and says, “Hi, Paul. I’m Jay O’Connor, Voices CEO.”

And my first thought was, is this guy gonna curse me out? Stare me down? Take a swing?

Paul SchmidtMarch 14, 2024Comment

How to Set PROPER PRO Rates by KNOWING Your Worth

Not all voice actors know how to set proper rates. Fewer still know what proper rates are. Even fewer quote them consistently.

Very few voice actors not only know and quote proper rates consistently, but they also know their worth.

Today, we’re going to delve into knowing your voice over rates, knowing and getting grounded in your worth, and the relationship between the two.

Paul SchmidtMarch 7, 2024Comment

What Voice Actors Can Learn from Photographers: Freelancer Series

Our guest today is an amazingly successful children's photographer in the Tampa, Florida area. She is the author of a book called Don't Blink: Capturing Your Child's Story Through Portraits (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.).

And she also hosts a very successful podcast. She's one of the hosts of the Fully Booked Photographer. And she helps photographers market their businesses much in the same way that I help voice actors market our business.

So we thought there might be some synergy there and maybe even something to learn for voice actors. Please welcome to the VOPro Podcast, Jeanine McLeod.

interviews, freelancingPaul SchmidtMarch 4, 2024interviewComment

Lisa Biggs: The Unravelling of a Voice Over Reputation

In December, very public allegations were made against voice actor, coach, and demo producer Lisa Biggs.

Earlier, in November of 2023, a group of voice actors sent an anonymous letter to the National Association of Voice Actors detailing their allegations, which in some cases, date back possibly as far as a decade.

As many as 100 people now allege that Biggs has violated agreements she made with them.

Three of the alleged victims have courageously stepped forward to tell their stories.

Dervla Trainor: P2P Auditioning a HUSTLE. Marketing Is EASIER!

The lovely and talented Dervla Trainor, a successful voice actor and creator of the VO Kickstart program, joins the podcast to discuss her journey in the voiceover industry.

Derv shares her experience transitioning from pay-to-play sites to marketing and finding direct clients, the importance of marketing and building relationships in order to have clients come to you.

She also highlights the value of attending voiceover conferences for learning, networking, and staying current in the industry and she talks about the VO Kickstart program, which provides a comprehensive foundation for starting a successful voiceover career.

interviewsPaul SchmidtFebruary 28, 2024dervla trainorComment

5 BIG CHANGES to LinkedIn in 2024: What VOICE ACTORS NEED to Know

LinkedIn's got a ton of changes in store for 2024. And if you're not up to date, then you could be missing out on huge opportunities and getting left behind.

LinkedIn is bringing a massive change to creator mode, a dedicated services section, search filters, and a whole lot more.

In this video, I'll break down five big LinkedIn changes for 2024, what they mean for you as a freelancer, as a voice actor, and maybe most importantly, how to update your LinkedIn profile to take maximum advantage and have the best possible effect in light of all these changes.

marketing, social media, businessPaul SchmidtFebruary 22, 2024LinkedInComment

TikTok VO Maven Mandy Fisher: Social Media Made Me ANGRY

Well, my guest today is one of those folks that in the voiceover world, kind of borders on celebrity. She's got close to 20,000 followers here in early 2024 on TikTok alone.

Then you go over to Instagram. She's got another 5,000 there. So, she's building a little empire. She's known by a couple of names, @AstoriaRedHead on TikTok, but...

Her real name is Mandy Fisher and we couldn't be happier to have her here today.

interviewsPaul SchmidtFebruary 19, 2024mandy fisher, astoriaredheadComment

How To Get a Voice Over AGENT: 3 BIG Questions, 3 Big Answers

I got a message from a VOPro student this past week who says this. “I have a topic that could go down a big rabbit hole for all us newbies out here. When is it time to look for an agent? What milestones should you have met or be meeting to find an agent? How do you go about finding an agent and soliciting them?”

I'll answer these and other burning questions in Paulie's Secret Agent Plan.

Yeah, this is a big one, especially for newer talent. So, you've got your baseline training, you're competent, you have your professional demos ready, you have a professional website ready, you are finding work, maybe even you're finding a fair amount of work.

And yet the whole question of agent representation can be a big black box. So let's try and break it down for you into smaller chunks.

agentsPaul SchmidtFebruary 15, 2024agentsComment

The VO Pro Blog