How do you stop from feeling overwhelmed?

The cognitive dissonance of the internet has got to me.

The economy is a mess.
Global conflicts continue to escalate.
Talented people get laid off to boost CEO bonuses.

You can say 'it's always like this'....
But f**k me man.

The job of an actor is to 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗘.
It's to find the resonance in other people's stories.
But if you actually do that, it can be tricky to disconnect.

Like most of us, I'm just trying to keep the lights on.
If I can do that in an entertaining and educational way that helps my business, even better.

But the first step in any problem is acknowledging it.

So this week I'm mainly going to be:

Spending less time online
Spending more time outdoors.
And donating to UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org.uk/

You’re not alone, if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
And I hope that you get to find the space and time to do what you need to do, to recuperate ✌️

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

Beyond the voice

What you get from me beside me speaking out loud...

1️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

Checking your script is grammatically correct and fits the allotted time.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿

Ensuring your script flows naturally and communicates succinctly.

3️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁

Ensuring the tone of voice creates the right relationship with your audience.

4️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿

Giving your message a rounded characterisation so that it feels like HUMAN communication.

5️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿

Want to ensure the voice will fit with the music and footage you might be using on the fly?  No voice exists in isolation, so I take that as part of my responsibility when necessary.

Yes - most of these details 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 be covered by other members of a creative team.

But 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 doesn't always happen.
So it's best to be prepared.

When you hire a voice actor, you want someone who has a vested interest in making the recording as good as possible, not just a clock watcher.

That doesn't mean I'll vomit feedback at you that you never asked for.
But if I see a potential hiccup, I'll highlight it and get it addressed.
Not just wait for my bit to be over.

What one thing do you do to go beyond in your work?

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

Why does my wife find me so sexy?* 👀

It's the same reason I'm such a good voice actor.

𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.

As any acting coach will tell you,
you shouldn’t just be broadcasting what YOU want to talk about.

You’re trying to provoke a certain response in your listener
( making sure they 𝙆𝙀𝙀𝙋 listening to you).

That means thinking about what moves 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠:

✅ Want runs 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 engine running,
✅ What pushes 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 buttons,
✅ What grinds 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 gears.

That advice applies across industries -
whether you’re performing a Shakespearian soliloquy, or
presenting a powerpoint about monthly KPIs.

This works with commercials.
This works with corporate projects.
This works with video game characters.


Find out what your audience’s pain points are.
And then set to work making THEIR journey rewarding.

It’ll work, every time.

*Note, not 'a sexy dancer.'

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

How to SMASH your to-do list?

Sell your soul to lucifer 😈

That's right...

It's not prioritisation.
It's not time blocking.
It's not habit building.

I just did a deal with the big man downstairs -
and now I have 40 hour days!

But for those of you who might think twice about the prospect of eternal damnation...

I guess I have a few bits of advice from my pre-Satan worshiping days.

1️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮 '𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁'.

Every task that pops into your head -
write it down immediately.

A digital note is often best for this because we typically have our phones on us.

I'd strongly recommend Notion.

2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮 '𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁'.

I take what NEEDS getting done most urgently from my digital list and put them on a physical list that is central to my space.

Mine is on a whiteboard on the door to my studio, so I literally have to FACE IT every time I leave.

This is the stuff I want to get done today - in order of importance.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱.

I get jobs last minute.
So religious time blocking doesn't work.

But when my schedule gets busy, I put everything in my SHORT LIST into my Google calendar and move it around as necessary so nothing gets missed.

4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀

There are certain tasks which aren't 'high priority'...
But they'r regular and need getting done over a week.

For me, they're most often:

Marketing sprints
Content sprints
Accent work
Drawing

These are all tracked at the bottom of my whiteboard, and get marked up as I do them.

I have an '𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹' amount for each,
eg. 10 hours per week of marketing.

And I have a '𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲' for each,
eg 5 hours per week of marketing.

The former is what I aim for.
The latter is what gets scheduled in as non negotiable.

None of this is new.
Not all of this will work for everyone.
But this was the best way I found order as a freelancer....

Before the blood drinking and human sacrifice, obviously 😜

Any tips there you use yourself?

By Christopher Tester - British Male Voice Actor

When did you last pivot?

For me, it was a year ago.

That was when I agreed to voice my first book.

Despite being an actor for sixteen years,
I'd passed all audiobook projects until then.

Why?

The short answer is that they're often one of the lowest paid genres of voice work.

It takes me 4 hours to come up with one hour of finished audio.

1 x hour to read 🧐
1 x hour to prep 📝
1 x hour to record 🗣️
1 x hour to edit and master 🎧

So a 'per finished hour' rate of £250 (at the higher end of the UK market),
is actually working for £62.50 per hour.

NOT bad at all...

But when my recording rate for other genres is £250 per HOUR - you might see why it wasn't a priority.

Three things changed.

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

With a following of 500k across socials now, more authors and publishers get in touch directly.

They know what I can do and want to leverage my following for their title.

So - a higher rate becomes more feasible.

2️⃣ 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄

I read the book.
I record the book.
But someone else preps it.
And someone else edits it.

Knowing what can be outsourced to trusted professionals has reduced the workload and stress.
Having a higher rate makes this viable.

3️⃣ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

I love video games.
It's where a lot of the sexy voice work lives.
But it's still rare that you get to go deep with characters in every game.

But if you're narrating the right novels... 🤯

So I've pivoted.

Corporate work is still 40% of my work.
Elearning is still 25% of my work.
Games are still 20% of my work.

But now I always have a book on the go too.

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

I sacked three clients in Q3

Why?

The holy trinity:

1) Lack of 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆
2) Lack of 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁
3) Lack of 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭:

I took Wednesday off to take my mum to show.
Notified everyone immediately.
127 of my clients had no objection.*
But the 128th said it was unprofessional.

I wasn't even going to debate the issue with them.
If looking after my family is a problem to you... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟮:

A retainer client had a 'revision of their workflow'.
They now want to use AI instead 🤖
The alternative was to do the same work for half the rate.
So I noted their prioritisation of human connection and... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟯:

The classic unpaid invoice.
No response to email reminders, phone calls or DMs.
Finally had to contact the end client and tell them I hadn't been paid.
Got paid the next day.
That seemed just a little too easy tbh so... 👋

I'm a 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 to work with.
My priority is always serving clients in the best way I can.
But the toughest job as a freelancer is that you have to stand up for yourself,

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴?

THIS is the reality of that process.
Have boundaries and be willing to stick to them.

By British Male Voice Actor Christopher Tester

What NOT to do when asking for a VO quote

Video producers - do 𝗡𝗢𝗧 do this...

If you want an 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 voice over quote.

'Hi Chris, we'd like a quote for a project,
with potential paid media use...
𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗬'

Asking for a quote for a project with no time limit screws VO talent over.
It leaves us open to conflicts of interests further down the line.

EVEN with smaller projects, this is an issue:
Just because an end-client is low profile now,
doesn't mean that they will remain so in the future.

It's the Carolyn Davidson (designer of the Nike swoosh) principle:
If you conquer the world with my content to the fore,
I want to be recompensed according...
Not with $35.

Sending the above message results in one of two things:

1) Endless back and forth where the talent asks for as much detail as possible.
2) Puts the voice actor in the tight spot of having to make up numbers on the fly,
potentially selling themselves short as a result.

😅 I APPRECIATE that the usage of a campaign may be provisional/estimated.
😅 I APPRECIATE that you want to make that dialogue frictionless.
😅 But do NOT kick the can down the road.

You're making more work for yourself.
And screwing people over.

Here endeth the rant! 😘

One Motion Is Not Enough

By Christopher Tester - British Male Voiceover

Marketing people love talking about emotions.
Put aside the thinking, we want people to FEEL.
That's how we get people to do stuff after all...

If all we had to do was use logic,
Marketing would be a very dry place indeed.

We buy stuff in the hope that it will 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 things.
It's an emotional investment in the 'potential' us.
But audiences are getting savvy to this too.

It's not enough to just hit one emotional note repeatedly.

Why?

Because emotions are fluid.
They're as fickle as cats.
And if you just play one note...

It rings false.

Take the speech: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bWEyF4xC9G8

What makes the writing great is a 𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 of emotions:
• Pride
• Disdain
• Anger
• Self-loathing
• Pity

The emotions play against each other, go in unexpected directions -
THAT'S what makes it engaging.

So by all means talk about EMOTION in your STORYTELLING 👏🙄
But maybe dare to dig a bit deeper.

Is there any potential to trigger something unexpected?
Because I promise you - that will be far more memorable.

#storytelling #storytellingmarketing #emotion #mediaproduction #videoproduction

Show Me Your Range, Darling

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 🎭

By Christopher Tester - British Male Voice Actor

When you look at my profile picture,
the first thought might not be 'orc warrior'.

60% of my business is corporate narration.
Brand videos, explainers and elearning -
That's my 'bread and butter'.

So my profile picture leans into that.
The suit and the brand colours.
My choice of portfolio pieces.

But that's not 𝘢𝘭𝘭 I do 👀

If you've followed me for a few weeks,
you'll know I also do a ton of character work.  
From undead demons to the orc warrior below - it's in my repertoire.

I share renditions of poetry, theatre, anime... pretty much anything.
Because the underlying skillset is the same - 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚.

So is my branding doing me a disservice?
Am I limiting myself with the suit and tie?

I'd argue not, because the branding still makes me memorable.
It communicates my most common service super quickly.

But it also creates a conscious TENSION with some of my content.
I'm not JUST an expert in corporate communication.
I'm using emotion in storytelling 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺.

The exterior 'brand' makes me memorable.
The content makes me intriguing.

That's the intention anyway.

I'd love to know what YOUR first impressions of me were on LinkedIn?
Does the above ring true, or do you think that tension is confusing?

#linkedin #personalbranding #storytelling #voiceover #warhammer

How Often Do You Share Your Work?

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? 👀

I've shared final versions of my voiceover projects only twice in the last month.
𝗪𝗵𝘆?

After all:
If people don't see your work,
how can you show your value?

For some of us, it's because sharing your work isn't a simple process...

Take yesterday for example:

I had a recording session for a HUGE video game yesterday.
It's likely going to be one of the biggest titles coming out....
But not for another two years!

The bigger the project, the bigger the money involved.
And with money comes 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

I've signed multiple NDAs so I can't share - ANYTHING.
(apart from this picture of me outside a fancy recording studio in Soho).

And when the final project 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 get released,
it's going to take ages to get the footage of my involvement in it:

• time spent scouring Youtube
• time spent editing footage together
• time spent checking what I can and can't say.

I need my content creation to be as frictionless as possible.
Otherwise, I can't be consistent.

So this is one reason why I record the speeches that I do.

• They keep my skills sharp.
• They demonstrate my skillset
• They make me stand out amongst all the 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 portfolio shares.

But I'm still mindful that I could be posting more of my actual 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 on here.

If you were hiring a voice actor, would you want to be seeing more of my portfolio on here...
Or is what you're seeing enough to prove my skills?

Let me know in the comments!

---------------------------
🎙 Need an assured, engaging and relatable voiceover for your project?
Feel free to DM or check out my work on my profile.

How I value my Time as much as my Wealth

"As soon as it comes to squandering time,
people are most wasteful of the one thing
in which it is right to be stingy" - 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘢

Time is one of our most valuable resources.
Yet we 𝘢𝘭𝘭 waste it.

• Staring at emails 📧
• Mindlessly scrolling 📱
• Engaging in unnecessary meetings 🗓️
  
A whole industry has been built on productivity systems and best practice,
yet that too can seem overwhelming.

How do you know what the right system is?
How long should you try it?
What if you 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡?

It can create as much anxiety as it cures 💔.

𝗦𝗢 𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦:

Keep a work diary  next week.
Mark how long you spent on stuff.
It doesn't need to be exact, just 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵.

By the end of next week,
you'll have a reference point of what's working and what's not.

Maybe you need to outsource stuff? 👥
Maybe you need to multitask less? 🚫💻
Or maybe you're actually doing just fine 👍

The first step is to get clarity on whether there's actually a problem in the first place.

Are you happy about how you manage your time?

#timemanagement #productivity #worklifebalance #freelancer

How I bagged a bucket list job. And how you can, too

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯.
This month, I recorded my first book for Games Workshop.
I've been playing their games since the eighties,
so to voice Warhammer 40k was a dream come true.

Here's how I did it:

𝟭) 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 + 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

I've performed 30 speeches from their books in the last 6 months.
These got traction on Tiktok and gained an online following.
I also connected with employees of GW on LinkedIn,
just to share my  interest in what they work on.

At the same time, I reached out directly to express my interest.
There's no point in creating content if people don't know what you want.

It was the content that helped to keep me top of mind.
It was even something  joked about when recording -
a member of staff came up to me and mentioned my videos,
for my first ever 'I've been papped' moment 😅

𝟮) 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 > 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹

I never demanded a job.
I expressed my passion for what GW does,
then said I'd always be happy to help if needed.
People rarely 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 my service until they do -
so I calibrate my CTA accordingly.

𝟯) 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵

I've listened to 20 audiobooks from the Black Library this year.
I'm familiar with the style, the universe and the end product.

𝟰) 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀

I'd voiced ONE audiobook before 2023.
Which as a narrator... is an issue.
So this year, I've worked on my vocal stamina
Got coaching and recorded four projects back to back.

𝟱) 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂

Bring your A game in everything you do.
The bar is high for GW narrators,
so my content became practise.

By the time I was asked to audition,
I felt freed by my preparation rather than nervous.

Working with the Black Library was an utter delight.  
The entire audio team were lovely, supportive and created the ideal atmosphere to do great work.
There was no secret formula, just very intentional action:

Be nice.
Be good.
And don't be a d*ck.

I look forward to sharing news of the release later this year.
Here's me in front of a gold space marine.

#voiceactor #warhammer #blacklibrary #bucketlist

I sacked three clients this month. Find out why...

I sacked three clients this month.

Why?

The holy trinity:

1) Lack of 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆
2) Lack of 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁
3) Lack of 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭:

I had to go away for a week to look after my mum.
Notified everyone immediately.
92 of my clients had no objection.
But the 93rd said it was unprofessional.

I wasn't even going to debate the issue with them.
If looking after my family is a problem to you... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟮:

A retainer client had a change of management.
They now want to use AI instead 🤖
The alternative was to do the same work for half the rate.
So I noted their prioritisation of human connection and... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟯:

The classic unpaid invoice.
No response to email reminders, phone calls or DMs.
Finally had to contact the end client and tell them I hadn't been paid.
Things are moving now, but I won't hold my breath.
And this person has a healthy following on LI so... 👋

I'm a 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 to work with.
My priority is always serving clients in the best way I can.
But the toughest job as a freelancer is that you have to stand up for yourself,

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴?

THIS is the reality of that process.
Have boundaries and be willing to stick to them.

#freelancelife #clientrelationships #voiceover #mediaproduction

-------------------------------
🎙 Need an assured, engaging and relatable voiceover for your project? Feel free to DM or check out my work on my profile.

Stop trying to be perfect.

Stop trying to be perfect.

Just stop it already, alright?

I’ll let you into a little secret - there is no perfect!

It doesn’t bloody exist.


The only thing we can be, is ourselves. In all our messy, funny, ambitious, troubled selves.

Let’s all, collectively, get over perfection, shall we? And start taking off a bit of that pressure. And relax a little bit.

Happy Friday all! Hope you enjoy this little snap from my recent holiday!








#FridayThoughts #NewWeek #NoPerfection

What do I do? Good question! I still ask myself that, all the time.

What do I do?

Good question! I still ask myself that, all the time.

In a nutshell, I help you tell stories. Important stories. This could take the shape of;

-Your brand. Commercials, for instance, need voices that don’t just tell the story, but fully embody the brand, too. No mean feat.

-A video game. Entertainment is vital to our quality of life. And games wouldn’t be the same without the graphic and voice talents that bring a fantastical world to life.

-Your favourite book. Being able to listen to a book, or a podcast for that matter, has meant I ‘read’ SO much more. I am very partial myself to having a story-telling voice that’s compelling, but doesn’t detract from the story in any way.

-A documentary that you get swept up into. It’s one of my favourite things to do. AND I know how to pronounce ‘penguins’ properly.

This is what I help breathe life into, literally. Have you got a project in mind that doesn’t quite fit into the categories I’ve listed above?

I’m always available for a quick catchup to find out more about what you need. Feel free to get in touch!


 
#Gaming #VoiceOver #Audiobooks #Penguins

The importance of believing in yourself, especially as a business owner.

The importance of believing in yourself, especially as a business owner.

Now, now….don’t start to gag just yet at that old trope. Hear me out….


Your mindset is a huge part of growing your business.


You’ve got to have the chutzpah to reach out to those big clients, and pitch yourself as the best person for the job.

You’ve got to keep going for bigger commissions. Not just because your skillset is growing, but your market rate is, too.


Don’t get stuck playing it small. You’ve got too much to offer.

You’ve got to believe it, though.






#BelieveInYourself #Monday #Growth

What you'll hear vs what you may not clock...

What you’ll hear: a clear, characterful voice that delivers your message, but also engages.

What you may *not clock:
- Vocal articulation drills. Countless, endless articulation drills
- Vocal health habits, to make sure my voice can take anything from extreme voicing, to long days in a recording studio
- Liaison with directors and/or producers, to make sure I fully understand the brief and know what they have in mind
- Script reads and character prep, to make sure I’m fully across the character and the storyline BEFORE I come to the studio
- If I’m recording something from my own studio, making sure my equipment is in tip-top shape and ready to go, to avoid any gnarly technical glitches
- Getting myself out there and in view of potential clients. I do heaps of self promotion to make sure the right people find me

It takes a lot of prep and after thought to deliver something that may sound so easy.

I’d love to hear whether you find this to be the case for you and your job remit, too…please let me know in the comments.



#MondayThoughts #Preparation #Dedication

How do you know you're ready to go freelance?

How do you know you’re ready to go freelance?

Spoiler alert - ya don’t! And you never will.

There’s never a ‘good’ time
You’ll never be fully prepared
There will always be situations you’ll not have encountered before, that you’ll now have to navigate. Pronto.


Freelance life won’t be for everyone, either. But here’s the thing….

It’s the best thing I ever did for myself. Despite the years of hard work I’ve had to put in.

I’m convinced I wouldn’t have been able to do HALF the things I now have under my belt, if I’d taken the safe route. If I hadn’t made the jump for myself.

So if waiting for the right time is holding you back…don’t let it.



#FridayThought #YouOnlyLiveOnce #FreelanceLife

I hate this.....Ever thought this while trying something new at work?

Ever thought this while trying something new at work?

That was my reaction the first time I tried to do an audio book.

There's a quick test that seasoned narrators will recommend to new talent to see if they have the stamina for it:

-Pick your favourite book, and read it aloud for at least ten minutes.
-Every time you make a mistake, take a beat, then pick it up from the last sentence.
-If you don't want to burn the book after this, you 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 have potential.

For years I turned down audiobooks for exactly this reason.
It requires an exceptional amount of self discipline and preparation,
yet often pays considerably less compared to commercials and video games.

But this year - I've said yes to three of them.

Why?

Well... part of me enjoys the pain.

I associate it with growth, not resting in my comfort zone.
But it's also got me working in a much more rigorous and structured way.
It's demanded I use different aspects of my voice.

Do you ever take pleasure in the pain of doing something new at work?

#freelancelife #videomarketing #voiceover #skillbuilding

You're worth it. You are

You’re worth it.

This isn’t meant as a rip-off btw of *that commercial, usually featuring a pretty lady who flips her hair when she utters those lines…

It’s the truth. You are.


You’re worth charging market rates for your services, without feeling you’ve got to drop your prices as soon as a client makes a disapproving noise after you’ve given them your quote.

You’ve got to at least consider raising your rates in line with rising prices, without feeling your pricing yourself out of the market.


You’ve worked hard to acquire the skills you bring to the table. You deserve to be properly paid for them without being sent into guilt-ridden downward spiral.

Know your worth.

And then ASK for what you’re worth.



#HotTake #YourWorthIt #KnowYourWorth #FreelanceLife