Theresa C. Ho

Diversity in Voice Over and Beyond

February 24, 2022 by Theresa C. Ho

As we celebrate Black History Month, I thought that it would be the right time to address the topic of diversity in voice over. As a person of color and a woman myself, this is a topic that is of great interest and importance to me and so many others.

What is Diversity?

When I use the term diversity, I am referring to different ethnicities, skin color, genders, ages, cultures, sexual orientations, etc.

Voices of the Past and of the Future

It was not that long ago that the majority of voice roles went to Caucasian men. You would almost never hear a woman doing radio or TV promo work, movie trailers, etc., but these days, female voices are increasingly being used for this genre of voice work. The same goes with voices of different ethnicities and accents.

The world has become a more open place, in our hearts and minds, and this is being reflected in the changing landscape of voice over. We are all consumers, and we all want to see and hear people who we can relate to, represented and reflected, in all forms of media.

Authenticity in Casting

There is so much more diversity in casting than ever before. When they are casting for ethnic roles, for example, the casting specs often ask for authentic accents and people who are from that ethnic background. Or perhaps it may be for a role that is asking for a specific sexual orientation, and they do not want people auditioning if they don’t identify with these groups. There is a growing casting trend for the real thing. It’s about authenticity, but also about diverse representation. There is now a big demand for the inclusion of all types of people.

The topic of casting authentic BIPOC voices can sometimes ensue with a heated discussion. Some voice actors say that everyone should be able to voice any role because as voice actors, we should be able to portray any character because no one sees the color of our skin. It’s just the voice, right? While it is true that we are actors and can “play” different characters, let’s not forget that there is a backstory that people of a different gender, ethnicity and age, etc. may not get if they are not part of that specific group.

The Changing Landscape

We are even seeing more and more demand for real children in voice over. Sure, some adults can sound like children, but do they really sound like REAL children? They don’t really. They just don’t have the same speaking patterns and way of seeing the world as a child does. And these are elements that will come across in a read.

Every voice over conference that I have attended in the past couple of years has had a Diversity Panel to discuss this very important topic and how the industry is shifting in terms of casting. I think that it’s great that these discussions are being had, and if these panels and topics exist, it means that there is a need for it.

Different Cultures

Mainstream media is not only accepting, but finally embracing diversity in all forms. More and more we are seeing and hearing from people of all types of cultures, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientation, ages, etc. The popularity of Squid Games on Netflix, Encanto on Disney +, Queer Eye on Netflix, etc. demonstrates that the general population wants this diversity and inclusion.

Promoting Diversity in Voice Over

There are some fantastic initiatives promoting diverse voices, including the PMG (People of the Global Majority) VO List and Voices of Color. These are resources open to anyone looking to cast diverse voice actors and also to find ethnically diverse voice over coaches.

These initiatives promote people who have been historically underrepresented, even though they represent the global majority. The glass ceiling may be invisible, but it’s a real as concrete and has affected women, people of color and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. And thus, the reason that we need to try to balance things out. It’s not about reverse discrimination, it’s about equality for all.

How Do We Get There?

To create more diversity and inclusion for everyone, we need to see diversity in all professions, from the creators, the casting directors, the writers, the advertisement executives, the corporate leaders and beyond.

It’s not just the world of voice over that is recognizing the need for more diversity. Doing a quick search on the internet will find you job titles like Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity Recruiter, Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and Inclusion Specialist.

While the discussion of diversity may be uncomfortable for some people, it’s an important one that we must continue to have. Diversity and inclusion are not about making it more difficult for one group of people to succeed, but instead about creating an openness so that it will eventually be an even playing ground for everyone.

New Year – New Goals!

January 11, 2022 by Theresa C. Ho

We’re already into our second week of the New Year! Is it too late to wish all of you a very Happy New Year? Either way, I’m going to wish you a fantastic one, filled with good health, happiness and prosperity!

Now, let’s get down to business. Many of us have new resolutions or goals that we’ve set for ourselves. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

Reflecting on the Past

Before we start implementing those new goals, we should take some time to reflect upon the past year, evaluate what worked for us and what didn’t. Sometimes it can be beneficial to literally and figuratively “clean house”.

For example, evaluate your rates. Do your rates reflect of your worth and industry standards? For voice actors, to see what standard rates are, you can consult the GVAA Rate Guide or the Gravy for the Brain Rate Guide.

For those in other industries, especially freelancers, make sure that you’re not underselling yourself. Be on top of what the going rates are for your line of work.

You may want to reflect upon your professional relationships, including those with your agents, coaches, industry partners, suppliers and even with your clients. How are those partnerships and relationships working out for you?

Setting those Goals

Why is goal setting so important? And why is writing them down equally as important? Without clearly defining and noting your goals, you might as well just consider them a daydream. You need to create a plan of action with specific and strategic steps. Each one of those steps completed will get you that much closer to your goals.

Let’s Get Real!

When setting your goals, make sure that they are realistic and achievable. I’m not saying that you should set goals that are only super easy to achieve, but you don’t want to set yourself up for failure either.

What’s your Timeline?

For me, goal setting should include dates and deadlines. I have set up my one-year goals, followed by three- to five-year goals. Within the one-year goals, I have smaller goals that will help me achieve the bigger one-year goals. I will make my smaller goals more achievable by creating tasks, steps and objectives to obtain. Some of those are broken down by per day, per week and per month.

Make Yourself Accountable

I make it a point to write my goals down, as well as the smaller steps that I plan on taking to realize them. By writing them down, I can visualize my plan of action. It’s like a business plan.

There are many tools available to help you note and track your goals. If you like pen and paper, you can simply use a regular notebook or you can use something that is designed for goal setting, such as the Clever Fox Planners. Or maybe you prefer a digital means of tracking. Trello is a popular, free online tool and app that can help you organize and track your goals and objectives. But for sure, there are other options than those I listed.

Making yourself accountable also means measuring your goals. Make sure that you’re able to measure your progress as you work towards those goals. Are you tracking your auditions? Are you counting those marketing outreaches? What about social media? Are you making those posts? Do you have a certain number of posts you want to make within a certain time period? Is the audience reach of your posts important to you? If yes, how can you grow that reach?

An additional way to keep yourself accountable is to be part of an accountability group. I cannot understate the benefit of them. This is one very important tool that I use to keep myself on track throughout the year. With my accountability groups, we list and discuss our goals, such as financial, performance, sales and marketing, as well as equipment and technology. We talk about our challenges, what may be holding us back, and we try help each other overcome our obstacles.

Celebrating Successes

Once said goal or task is achieved, it gets crossed off as accomplished, but not deleted. It is satisfying to be able to actually see that you are getting things done!

Some examples of goal setting could include financial goals. How much money you want to make for the year? You can make it easier to track by breaking them by earnings per month or per quarter.

Do you have any professional development goals? Maybe this is the year that you start coaching with someone new.

Do you have plans to network? Networking in person during Covid times may not be realistic, but there are so many options for those interested in virtual networking, including with your local chamber of commerce. In person conferences seem to be a thing again. I’m really hoping to attend at least one in-person voice over conference this year.

Part of your goals may encompass your work-life balance. A lot of voice actors, including myself, have other jobs and professions. And it’s important to be able to balance everything without burning out.

We can also incorporate some personal goals in our annual goal setting exercise. Afterall, we are a whole person that is not only about business.

Another important thing to remember is that our goals are not set in stone and can be changed along the way. People change and so can our goals.

Rewarding Yourself

It’s important to give yourself recognition when you hit those milestones. Make sure to give yourself a pat on the back at a minimum or maybe even a little reward of some kind! In one of my accountability groups, we agreed that we should treat ourselves to a little something once we hit certain income milestones, as we work towards the larger annual goal.

The most important message is to just start and get going! Make those 2022 dreams a reality, one step at a time!

Vacation Time!!

December 20, 2021 by Theresa C. Ho

With the Holiday Season around the corner, many of us are thinking about taking some down time and looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends. However, for voice over actors, the reality is that sometimes it’s hard to close down shop completely. This blog post is going to discuss the pros and cons of taking time away from your studio and making the decision to book out or not.

Managing Your Business

We, as voice talent, are our own bosses and don’t have a vacation pay that we can count on when we take time off. But that doesn’t mean that we should never take some time off.

At the end of November, I took a very much needed beach vacation getaway. I considered some different factors, and made the decision to book out. About a month before leaving, I warned certain customers with whom I was working on extensive projects that I would be unavailable from a certain date to a certain date and I made sure to complete other ones before my departure date. I booked out with my agent, as well. If we manage our upcoming vacation time well in advance, we can expect that things remain under control until we get back.

Voice Over Travel Gear

I know that a lot of VOs bring travel gear. They build those infamous pillow forts for sound treatment and choose to work during their vacations. I am definitely not opposed to working a bit during certain vacations, but considering this was my first international trip since the beginning of the pandemic, I chose not to bring any voice over gear. That being said, I did end up doing a bit of work during my vacation. I allowed myself to work on little things, such as answering emails – nothing that took up too much time. Also, while I was away, my daughter, who is also a voice actor, was short listed for a series of commercials. She was required to send in an audition with very little notice. The casting director understood our situation, and we were allowed to record the audition on a cellphone. It all worked out.

I seen posts on various voice over Facebook groups discussing if voice actors should bring their travel gear or not when they take vacation time. Some say that if you don’t, you’re guaranteed to lose out on work. I am of the mindset that it doesn’t have to be either or. While that may be true, you can look at it in another way – if you choose to work during your vacation, then is it really a vacation? I’m not saying that the loss of income doesn’t matter. But considering the amount of vacation time that most North Americans take compared to our European counterparts, I would challenge you to think about if it will make a huge difference to your annual income if you take one week off.

Some Factors to Consider

I’m not saying that you should reject a super high paying, high profile job. If you were to book, say a National commercial campaign, it would definitely be wise to accept to do that job even if you were on vacation. Those jobs are few and far between, even for top bookers in the voice over industry. But you might not want to work on that e-Learning project or Audiobook while you’re taking time off, as those genres of VO are much more time consuming.

Also, you might want to consider that even if you build that pillow fort or have a travel booth, like this one from Vocal Booth to Go, the sound treatment will likely be different from your home studio. Another option for working while out of town is to ask fellow voice talent to allow you to use their studio space, or you could always rent a local sound studio where you are vacationing.

Think about the definition of Vacation by the Merrian-Webster Dictionary and this might help you in making your decision.

1 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation

2 a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended

b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee

3: a respite or a time of respite from something : INTERMISSION

Giving Yourself Permission

I’m happy that I allow myself to have the option to work or not during vacation. I am definitely set up with travel gear so that I can make that decision to work while I travel, if I want to. We shouldn’t, however, feel guilty for taking time off. We all need and deserve a break. Whether you’re going away during your vacation or you simply need some downtime during your staycation, enjoy your time off. Don’t feel guilty and question yourself about it.

Realities of Running a Voice Over Business

In today’s day and age, we can literally work all the time! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Thus, the need to make that decision to shut off to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy. We all need to mentally decompress and rejuvenate from time to time. This will help to keep us performing at the top of our game. The Voice Over industry is highly competitive, but that doesn’t mean that you should be afraid to book out. You should really consider that the time you take off could actually be beneficial to you as a voice actor.

When I got back from my vacation, I was really happy to get back into my booth and missed auditioning, etc. This is the type of feeling that will help voice over artists succeed over time. This type of mind set is so much more beneficial than one feeling afraid and/or guilty, yet tired and burned out.

My Holiday Message to you

This is my last blog of 2021. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read it and I hope that you enjoyed it! I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Holiday Season! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Best wishes for 2022! Live, Love, Laugh and be Safe!!

To Brand or Not to Brand – That is the Question

November 15, 2021 by Theresa C. Ho

Voice Over Branding

A lot of Voice Actors ponder the question if they should brand themselves and their business. I myself went through the same dilemma, wondering if I should invest the time and money into creating a brand. Many VOs question the value of branding. There is the camp that thinks branding doesn’t do anything for one’s business. Then the other side strongly believes the opposite – that a brand will help make them more recognizable and memorable. Industry experts will agree that branding is an essential tool in a business’s marketing strategy.

Why You Should Brand Yourself

Branding yourself can help make you stand out from the crowd. Let’s use ice cream as an analogy. When looking at all the different ice cream flavors and names, does vanilla stand out and make anyone say “WOW!”? I believe that without branding yourself and your business, it leaves you in the same category as vanilla ice cream. Don’t be like vanilla ice cream. Voice Over is a tough business to truly succeed in and is very competitive, and like most businesses that succeed, you need strong brand recognition. You need to stand out from the crowd and ensure that your brand reflects your unique selling proposition.

What is a brand?

Although a logo and website are key elements in a business’s branding, it’s so much more than that. We all recognize the Nike swoosh and the yellow arch of McDonald’s. We even associate certain colors to certain brands, such as blue for Walmart and red for Target.

A strong brand essentially creates a relationship with the client. When people wear Nike products, they are essentially buying into the philosophy, value and the feel of the company. What about Louis Vuitton and other luxury, high-end brands? Why would one pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a purse? It’s so much more than simply how the product looks. Instead, it’s more about how it makes the owner of that luxury good feel.

Key Points to Remember When Creating your Brand

A voice actor’s branding should do the same. Your brand is your public persona. Your brand should be true to you, who you are, your values and an honest reflection of your business offering. More than that, it should also reflect your target market. You need to consider if your brand will be appealing to your target audience and potential clients. It is all about how your brand will be perceived by clients and how it will make them feel about doing business with you – just like those lovers of the luxury goods.

Ask Yourself These Questions When Creating a Brand

What is that emotional connection between you and your customer that you want to create? What does your brand say about you and your service? Is this the public image and persona that your potential customers will buy into? Does it make you memorable and distinct? Does it authentically represent you and your services?

Is Branding Necessary if I’m Just Starting Out?

The professionals will agree that it would be a wise decision to brand yourself and your business right from the start. Even if you are new to the voice over industry, it is essential to differentiate yourself from the crowd and to make that emotional connection with your potential clients.

Creating a Brand

It’s certainly not an easy task to create a brand, which is why companies spend enormous amounts of money and resources for this very purpose.

If you are serious about branding yourself for voice over, I highly recommend starting with Celia Siegel’s book Voiceover Achiever (now available in Audiobook format, narrated by Celia herself). This book was invaluable for me when I was in my brand creation phase. She also offers personalized services to help you develop your brand, if you do not want to take on this daunting task on your own. You can purchase a copy at Voiceover Achiever | Celia Siegel Management VO coaching & branding or Amazon.com: Voiceover Achiever: Brand Your VO Career. Change Your Life. (Audible Audio Edition): Celia Siegel, Celia Siegel, Celia Siegel: Audible Books & Originals.

Voice Over Conferences During Pandemic Times

August 24, 2021 by Theresa C. Ho

Voice Over Conferences

The COVID-19 Pandemic hit the world like a storm at the beginning of 2020. It unfortunately put a pause on a lot of in-person events, including voice over and business conferences. But instead of putting a hold on these conferences indefinitely, some conference organizers saw the opportunity to use the technology so readily available to us, and organized virtual conferences.

Although my blog refers to the field of voice over, these theories and thoughts apply to conferences in all different types of professions.

My Experience

In August of 2020, I attended not only my first voice over conference, but my first virtual conference, which happened to be the inaugural One Voice Conference USA 2020, which was completely virtual. My experience was such a positive one that, to be honest, I have become somewhat of a VO virtual conference junkie! And I know that I’m not the only one, as I’ve seen many of the same people at the other ones that I have attended, such as VO Atlanta and VO North.

What to Expect

The way that many of these virtual conferences work is that you get to watch the presenters live. You also get to participate and interact in real-time. But most of these events also give attendees access to the virtual content afterwards, for at least a certain amount of time, if not indefinitely.

In many cases, the learning content and knowledge that you will gain and be presented with are essentially the same in both in-person and online. When attending a virtual conference, you will enter a virtual room based on your selection. You always have the option of changing rooms if you don’t find that particular session to suit what you’re looking for. It’s certainly easier to slip out of a virtual room than a real one unnoticed… And if there are too many interesting sessions happening at the same time and you have problems choosing which one to attend (trust me, I’ve been there), you can always watch the missed session on the replay.

Virtual Networking

It is true that meeting people virtually is not quite the same as in person, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Often, there are networking sessions during these conferences. They usually create random break-out rooms with smaller groups of people, so that you do get to meet people in a more intimate setting. I myself have met so many wonderful voice actors – from my fellow Canadians, to our neighbors down south in the USA, to those overseas. Some of the people whom I’ve met virtually at VO conferences include people who eventually became a mentor and accountability buddies of mine. The virtual socials/parties are also a lot of fun! One has not really lived until they have experienced singing virtual karaoke! It’s a thing. I’m not kidding!

Virtual or In-Person – A Preference?

I don’t think that it’s always necessarily a question of preferences. For those of us who have attended in-person conferences, no matter what the industry, we can all agree that virtual is not the same as face-to-face time with colleagues, clients or industry partners.

There’s no denying the benefits of virtual conferences. Not only is the cost savings enormous, but the time savings is also a huge factor. One will save tons of money on what would normally be spent on travel, hotels and meals. Another factor is currency conversions that may affect those in different countries. The cost savings of attending a virtual conference vs an in-person one has allowed me to attend more of them than if I attended one in person. And in the end, that means access to more educational content.

It’s So Easy!

Virtual conferences also provide opportunities to people around the world who just would not be able to travel for a weekend conference that may be half way across the world. It’s just so easy and convenient to attend a virtual conference. Access is literally right at the tip of your fingers. Even without COVID restrictions, people from certain countries may have to deal with issues like travel visas. With the exception of the 2021 virtual VO Atlanta conference, most VO conferences are only about 3 days long. So for many, even if they prefer attending in person, it may not actually be feasible for them.

Furthermore, not all VOs are extroverts, and some may be intimidated or uncomfortable by the thought of in-person conferences. Perhaps they may not know any of the attendees, and they may actually welcome the security and comfort of learning from their home.

I am pretty much a social butterfly, love meeting new people, learning about what makes them tick and just chatting people up. So, yes, I would rather attend in person rather than virtually. That being said, I think that virtual is an excellent alternative that I’m very happy to partake in.

A New Way of Conferencing

Perhaps hybrid conferences (both in-person and virtual) are the way of the future. We see that One Voice Conference UK 2021 successfully hosted their first hybrid conference this past weekend, and the upcoming One Voice Conference USA 2021 is also organized to be hybrid. This is an excellent option for people with different budgets, schedules and from different locations. Will this be the gold standard for business conferences even after the Pandemic is over? Time will tell…

Go for it!

Of course, I would love to attend an in-person VO conference, and I definitely will, hopefully sooner rather than later. But with the fourth wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic well underway, along with continued travel restrictions in many countries, we can all agree that you can’t go wrong by attending a virtual conference. So, if you’re hesitant about any of the upcoming 2021 virtual conferences, just go for it! You won’t regret attending!

Upcoming Voice Over Conferences

Here are some of the upcoming virtual and hybrid VO conferences for the rest of 2021.

One Voice Conference USA 2021 – August 26-29, 2021 (Hybrid)

MAVO 2021 – November 12-14, 2021 (Virtual)

That’s Voiceover! Career Expo 2021 – November 19-21, 2021 (Virtual)

Bilingual Voice Actor