Kim Handysides-Award Winning Female Voice Over Artist-Logo

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The Best Voiceover Coaches still Polish their Craft

Voiceover Coach


You know the old saying “those who can, do and those who can’t, teach.” This doesn’t apply to voiceover. Or it shouldn’t. I​n​ voiceover, those who can, ​sometimes​ coach. Of those that do,​ the best voiceover coaches still polish their craft.

Don’t Trust Your Voice Over Career to Just Anyone – Make Sure You’re Choosing Coaches With Experience

A word of caution – the voice over world is large and just getting larger. As with any growing industry, there are many choices for coaches to work with. It’s important to make sure you d​on’t trust your voice over career to just anyone​ with a teaching shingle on their website. Make sure you’re looking to work with people in the industry who have the know-how to guide you. ​Choose coaches with experience.

Take the time to do a bit of research to find out how long the coach has been in the industry, what area of voice over they work in, if they’re experienced with casting or highly successful and know themselves what is booking. Make sure they’ve had some directing experience. They must be able to help you take it where it needs to go. Have their students gone on to further success of their own? Are they actively involved in the community and keeping up with the latest trends, technology and challenges?

No matter who you end up choosing to work with, make sure you are compatible – does their instruction make sense to you, are you “on the same” page when communicating? An amazing coach with a lot to offer isn’t going to be the right choice for you if the two of you can’t speak the same language (figuratively and literally, obvi.). Sometimes people really click and that connection improves the learning experience.
Sometimes they don’t – no fault of either of you – so ​finding the right match and getting the best ROI with a coach is just smart business​.

A Successful 25+ Year Career in Voice Over

I have a looooong history of working in ​voiceover​ – ​a successful 25+ year career​. I’ve worked in many different genres of voice over including radio, tv, commercials, elearning, narration of various flavors and degrees of technicality and audiobooks to name a few. I’ve spent a lot of time and money over the years polishing my craft. I am proud to note that thousands of creatives and producers have trusted me to tell their stories. I feel like I can safely say I’ve seen if not all, most of it anyway.

So when I made the choice to start teaching it was from a mindset of giving back to the community and industry that has given me so much. I bring to my coaching the benefit of having “been there and done that” and love being able to help guide new voice over entrepreneurs.

I coach voiceover for:
● Narration
● Elearning
● Commercials
● General VO Entrepreneurship – including marketing & business best practices
● Improving your read rate – specifically for long form narration

I’ve been excited to have also coached and been a guest speaker here:
● Worked with ACTRA on Commercial Performance Delivery at AGM
● Worked with ACTRA & L’INIS (L’Institut National de l’Image et du Son) on annual
workshop on voiceover
● Coach/Guest speaker at Dawson College Theatre Department on voiceover
● Coach/Guest speaker at National Theatre School on voiceover
● Demo Director at Les Syllabes in Montreal
● Coach/Guest speaker for Black Theatre Workshop Montreal on voiceover
● Speaker/coach at VO Atlanta 2018, 2019
● Speaker/coach at VO North
● Coach at Elley Ray Hennesey’s Open Mic workshops on Narration and Commercials

The Art of Voice Acting Is Always Changing And Growing – Never Stop Studying It

As a fellow voice actor, I firmly believe the essence of our work is a craft. ​Voice acting is always changing and growing​ – and one can always improve and learn from the successes of others. In fact, learning from each other is one of the best ways to gain insight to be better. If this is your calling, ​never stop studying it​.

Here is a short list of some of the coaches
I’ve worked with in the last few years. Many are colleagues as well as teachers and have all brought meaningful new insights to our work together and have given me fresh perspectives to bring to my performance and business:
● Dave Walsh
● MaryLyn Wissner
● Cliff Zellman
● J Michael Collins
● David Tyler
● Pat Fraley
● Scott Brick
●Marc Graue

Every year, as part of my annual business plan, I carve out time and set aside money to reinvest in improving my skills as a voice over artist and to make my business more streamlined. If you’re not already doing so, I encourage you to do the same.

Top 10 Voiceover Blogs to Follow – Kim Handysides

blogs

Blogs can be some of the best sources of free information in the Googlesphere. But there are a lot of them out there. In fact, Google says 600 million blogs now out of 1.7 billion active sites. That’s a lot of info. But within that astonishing figure, voice over blogs are a sliver-sized narrow niche. For voice over seekers some blog posts answer questions about our industry. For voice artists, blogs are an opportune way to learn about the craft, business, marketing and tech aspects of our industry. Blogs rich in content can save you time and money.

I’ve recently posted my Top 10 list of the best voiceover blogs that I follow. I’m picky. I’ve been in the voiceover industry for a long time. I already know a heck of a lot. But, I regularly browse the content of some of my industry colleagues. To find out what’s new. What’s hot. To join in on great conversations.  Voiceover veterans, understand the importance of staying current in the industry and taking part in discussions about issues of import. My top 10 list includes J. Michael Collins, Dave Courvoisier, Bill deWees, Anne Ganguzza, Debbie Grattan, Laura Schreiber, Marc Scott, Paul Strikwerda and David Tyler. Whether you’re deep in or on the fringes of the industry, treat yourself. Pick one or two, or all ten and dive into their back blogs. I am also going to put myself on this list of Top 10s. If you’re curious about my audacity, read on.

 

Voice Over Artist Kim Handysides

 

Voiceover Artist Kim Handysides

Why do I blog about voice over?

I blog because I’ve been writing “full time voice over artist” on my tax forms since 1991 and I’ve got stuff to say about our industry. And I want to be helpful to clients and the community. Also, I love writing. Not because I’ve been at it since writing the winning submission for the school Christmas play in grade 3, or because of a decade as a journalist writing for television, radio stations, mags and newspapers but because writing has always led a strong supporting role in my career as a professional storyteller. As I’ve learned more about it, I’ve incorporated SEO principles into my posts, but primarily, I write because the linear expression of cogent thought is one of my favorite communication forms.

 

Do I have a theme to your blogs or do I wait for inspiration to strike?

If I have a theme, I guess it’s become searching for honesty in my art form. Or at least that’s the goal I strive toward, whether the subject appeals more to voice actors or voice talent seekers, other small business owners in the arts. Occasionally, inspiration strikes from a recent project, conversation or situation, but more often I (attempt to) plan a few blogs at once and then work on them over time.

 

What are my favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

Performance oriented blogs are completely delicious. I’ve been coaching a lot lately and it’s helped me analyze why some things work and others don’t and suss out practical advice to help voice actors find truth in their performances. Marketing and managing your voiceover business are other key themes that I delight in sharing. Cool topics that have saved me time or money or have helped solidify relationships in an increasing physically-disconnected, electronically-hyperconnected world.

 

What kinds of blogs get the most attention or feedback?

My blogs with the highest interaction (comments) are one on rates in voiceover. I found there were already templates of what to charge out there in the web world, but not much had been written about why voice actors charge the rates they do or what accounts for the range in voiceover pricing from one vo actor to another. Performance tips and advice always do well, like my three-part blog series on how to direct voice actors (which ends in how to self-direct). One kind of complain-y blog got a lot of attention. Why profs narrating their own online courses is often a big mistake. There is an ocean of difference between being a subject matter expert and being able to engage listeners and transmit that info. Time to hire a great professional voiceover narrator.

 

What else would I like people to know about your blog in particular or my philosophy and approach to the industry?

Nothing make me happier than when someone reaches out and says, “hey, I really liked what you said about xyz,” or “I never thought about it in that way before. Thanks!” This past week I received an email from a college student thanking me for my well-researched post on the Timeline of Podcasting. They’d cited it in their term paper for a communication studies class. That was cool. Makes me want to do more of those.

 

Top 10 Voiceover Blogs to Follow – David Tyler

blogs

Learning from others who are doing well in the the voice arts is a great way to learn more and stay abreast of what works and what doesn’t. I regularly check out blogs of some of the cream of the crop in our industry. Now anyone can talk can blog, but not everyone creates insightful content worthy of my (or your) time. Earlier this year,  I began my Top Ten Voiceover Blogs to Follow list and released interviews with people on the list.

Released in alphabetical order, we’ve so far heard from J Michael Collins, Dave Courvoisier, Bill DeWees, Anne Ganguzza, Debbie Grattan, Paul Strikwerda, Laura Schreiber and Marc Scott. Next on my list is David Tyler. The voice of CTV, thousands of commercials and a voiceover artist I’ve had the pleasure of knowing well for most of our voiceover careers, David is personable and extremely bright. He thinks outside the box and this comes through not only in his insightful blogs, but in his coaching, in the stories he tells and the connections with people he makes.

 

Voice Over Artist David Tyler

 

David Tyler voice over
Voiceover Artist David Tyler

David, why do you blog about voice over?

 

I blog at davidtyler.com first, to help my clients do their jobs better and second, to help prospects get to know, like and trust me. I rarely post about voice over on my blog, instead I focus on finding ways to help people who might hire me as a voice talent. My blog is called “The Art of Communicating Ideas” and is geared toward the needs and interests of my clients. They don’t want to learn about voice over but want to know for example how to properly setup speakers in their editing/mixing suite so I write about that.

 

Do you have a theme to your blogs or do you wait for inspiration to strike?

Generally, I wait until inspiration hits or when I discover something or read an interesting article that I can credibly add my own spin that will help achieve my goal of getting readers to know, like and trust me. My client base are TV and radio broadcasters, commercial producers, copywriters, eLearning producers and video content creators, so I’m always looking for things that will interest them and/or help them do their jobs better.

 

What are your favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

I don’t think I have a particular favourite except that every post is geared toward better communication. My core marketing message is helping companies communicate ideas. Anything that falls into that theme is my favourite.

 

What kinds of blogs have you noticed get the most attention or feedback?

In my case blogs that have a “how to…” or teaching theme seem to get the most interest. My blog post “The 5 Truths About Commercial Copy Writing” is a good example of the teaching aspect of what I blog about. For my clients who work in radio and for my small business owner clients this is a post that continues to get hits, and it was written in 2015! You should aim to create posts that can withstand the test of time.

 

Do you have anything else you’d like us to know about your blog in particular or your (philosophy and) approach to the industry?

To be honest, my clients have jobs to do and finding & booking a voice talent is the least of their worries. Write blog posts that 1) help them do their jobs, and 2) build trust with them. If you do that they will hire you and more importantly keep coming back.

Before I create any content (blog post, social post or video) I look through my rotating ‘Be8′ list to decide on my angle: Be Useful, Be Generous, Be Entertaining, Be Timely, Be Human, Be Promotional, Be Controversial, Be Engaging. Pick one of these 8 things on a rotating, regular basis and you’ll be on your way to building connection with your audience.

 

Do you have any fav VO bloggers to recommend?

…aside from KimHandysidesVoiceOver.com ??? 😉 My favourite VO blogger is Nethervoice. Paul is the greatest! Love those shoes…

Top 10 Voiceover Blogs to Follow – Paul Strikwerda

blogs

There are a lot of balls to juggle in running your own business as a voice over artist. Staying on top of industry trends and learning from others who are doing well in the the voice arts is one of those spheres. I regularly check out blogs (and podcasts & vlogs) of some of the cream of the crop in our industry. Now anyone can talk can blog, but not everyone creates insightful content worthy of my (or your time). Earlier this year,  I began my Top Ten Voice Over Blogs to Follow list and released interviews with people on the list.

Released in alphabetical order, we’ve so far heard from J Michael Collins, Dave Courvoisier, Bill DeWees, Anne Ganguzza and Debbie Grattan. Next is the incomparable Paul Strikwerda and his blog “Nethervoice.” Another heart-of-gold voiceover industry gem, Paul works in his native Dutch, English (as an ex-pat European living in the US) and occasionally German. He is the author of “Making Money in your PJs” a book rich with insight about freelancing as a voiceover artist, geared for beginners and industry veterans alike.

Voice Over Artist Paul Strikwerda

Paul Strikwerda
Voiceover Artist Paul Strikwerda

Paul, why do you blog about voice over?

I blog to stir the pot and push the envelope by pointing out what others see but are too afraid to address: mistreatment by clients, the cheapening of the industry, and willful ignorance and laziness from newbies. I realize that I cannot change people’s minds, but I can entice my readers to think.

Do you have a theme to your blogs?

My ultimate goal is to enhance professionalism and critical thinking in our field. Many things inspire me. I draw from personal experience as a voice talent, life coach, and former journalist. I follow discussions in our community closely, and add my voice whenever I feel frustrated, angry, disappointed, or excited. Because my blog has a huge following and people trust me, I receive tips from colleagues that can lead to stories.

Do you plan it out or wait for inspiration to strike?

Throughout the week I keep notes on everything that strikes me, and usually a theme appears on Wednesday when I start writing. I love writing about what goes on between our ears. The psychology of success. About what moves and motivates people. What holds them back? What helps them overcome obstacles? Those topic are relevant to any freelancer, and that’s why I have many subscribers who are creative professionals, but not necessarily voice talents.

What are your favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

The controversial ones. Those are the stories where I take a stand and rock the boat of an established voice casting site, or I criticize an awards show. It’s the articles where I take on the establishment and ruffle a few feathers. Many emperors in voiceoverland are wearing very little clothes, and I’m the little kid watching the parade pointing that out. Sometimes I get spanked for opening my mouth.

What kinds of blogs have you noticed get the most attention or feedback?

 Some people say I’m always critical and I only tell people what not to do. I disagree. Obviously. I rarely tell people what they should do or how they should think. I tell stories, I give suggestions, and then it’s up to the readers. A lot of my blogs posts are about how to be a successful independent contractor in a tough economy, about communication with colleagues and customers, and about the fun of being in business.

Do you have anything else you’d like us to know about your blog in particular?

 I don’t have a favorite VO blog. I trust John Florian of VoiceOverXtra to find the best of the bunch and send them to my inbox. He really knows how to pick ‘em. ! I think it is very useful to look outside of my VO-bubble. I read blogs and articles about advertising, marketing, optimizing one’s online presence, negotiating fair rates, about writing, personal growth, spirituality and psychology. I want to incorporate all these resources to become a better and more interesting blogger!

 

Top Ten Voice Over Blogs – Debbie Grattan

blogs

There are a lot of balls to juggle in running your own business as a voice over artist. Staying on top of industry trends and learning from others who are doing well in the the voice arts is one of those spheres. I regularly check out blogs (and podcasts & vlogs) of some of the cream of the crop in our industry. Now anyone can talk can blog, but not everyone creates insightful content worthy of my (or your time). Earlier this year,  I began my To Ten Voice Over Blogs to Follow list and released interviews with people on the list.

Released in alphabetical order, we’ve so far heard from J Michael Collins, Dave Courvoisier, Bill DeWees and Anne Ganguzza. As well as following our next blogger for some time, I recently had the pleasure of working with Debbie Grattan on a national commercial, and as well as being inspired with her talent and skill set was impressed with her kindness and professionalism on set. Without further ado, here is number five from my list of the top ten voice over blogs to follow.

Voice Over Artist Debbie Grattan

voiceover industry artist
Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan

Debbie, why do you blog about voice over?

SEO is the primary we reason we have a blog. But sharing information and writing articles that show my level of experience, professionalism and knowledge also helps in general marketing. Whether it’s sharing articles on social media or among my clients in an email newsletter, having content to put out is a big advantage when you’re trying to get peoples’ attention and have them check out your demos.

 

Do you have a theme to your blogs?

We have a couple main categories that are voice over related. Posts are written either for an audience of other voice over talent, or for an audience of people who hire voice over talent. Generally, we prefer to write content that appeals to the latter group, since that is what will most likely generate business. We also like to write about challenges we face and observations we make as small business owners and entrepreneurs. Much of our success in this business comes from maintaining a clear, consistent state of mind, a positive attitude when facing adversity and the ability to improvise when necessary. So we like to write about those topics as well.

 

Do you plan it out or wait for inspiration to strike?

We do a little of both… We have a planned number of blog posts we intend to publish per month, and we do what we have to do to stay on that schedule. Sometimes we want to highlight a certain topic, for example a specific genre of voice over, and we will write a series of articles on that topic.  Other times we just go with whatever topic idea we like, and find ways to skew it in the direction of voice over.

 

What are your favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

My husband and business partner worked for many years as a personal coach and he often contributes ideas that go in the direction of personal development, success strategies and just noticing what works and what doesn’t. So we like those types of articles, however, the most important topics to cover are those that appeal to the audience of voice talent seekers.

 

What kinds of blogs have you noticed get the most attention or feedback?

The post that has the most number of comments by far, is a post that my husband initially proposed about annoying speech patterns. Just type in “annoying speech patterns” in google and you should see it at the top of the list. He had been listening to NPR while driving the kids to school in the mornings and was on a rant about how these supposedly professional radio people used some very annoying speech patterns. So, that post started as a rant basically, and we seem to have tapped into something judging by how many people read and comment on the post still to this day.

We’ve also seen a lot of traffic on posts that address “male versus female voice talent.” And another hot one at the time it was written was a post on “Is your website mobile friendly?” That got huge traffic back when Google was updating their algorithms to favor sites that were compatible with smartphones. That is an even more important topic now that Google is using the compatibility metric in search results to an even greater extent.

 

Do you have anything else you’d like us to know about your blog in particular?

I recommend anyone who wants to get into voice over or improve as a voice over talent, do a lot of reading of blogs written by successful, experienced voice talent. There is a lot of wisdom out there. But keep in mind that everyone’s path is different and what works for one person may not work for the next person. I am not a voice over coach, yet I get contacted several times per week by people looking for guidance on how to be a voice talent. I always refer them to my blog and then suggest they look for reputable coaches and/or do some workshops. I’ve tried to put my “secrets of success” into my writing, so it’s all there for people to read. But, obviously, just reading it won’t make it happen. It takes consistent right action applied over a very long time period.

 

Top 10 Voiceover Blogs to Follow – Anne Ganguzza

blogs

Following great voice over bloggers, people who’ve been around the industry for years (this top ten list has a collective 200+ years of experience and wisdom) is an easy way to learn what to do and what not to do to make it as a voice artist.

For insight and advice into the voice over industry there are a few bloggers who dominate. I reached out to my favs. People I follow and consider among the best. I asked them all the same questions and am posting their responses this. Released in alphabetical order, I’ve already mentioned three awesome bloggers. Today we have another. Anne Ganguzza is a force for good in the voiceover industry. An excellent talent in her own right, she also is extremely knowledgeable about marketing and education. Driven, with a heart of gold, you can learn a lot in following Anne.

Voice Over Artist Anne Ganguzza

Voice Actor Anne Ganguzza

Anne Ganguzza is not only a phenomenal blogger, she is a stand-out coach, industry leading demo producer, top voice talent and a great friend. Anne’s sharp head for business and heart of gold drive her several voice over brands, including VO Peeps and VO Boss among others.

 

Anne, why do you blog about voice over?

I blog about voiceover on my website to connect and engage with my community.  As individual entrepreneurs, it can be a lonely existence never stepping foot out of the booth. Blogging allows a way for me to reach out and connect on a more personal level than just a static website! 

 

Do you have a theme to your blogs or do you wait for inspiration to strike?

I have multiple brands and manage multiple communities within the industry so I use them as muses (I have lots to talk about!) – I try to rotate between them all.

 

What are your favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

Anything I am passionate about! My hope is that I can inspire and motivate others to have joy and growth in their careers.  That is where I personally have found the most joy in writing.   Some of my favorite topics are: Entrepreneurship, Anything BOSS 🙂 and VO Technique

 

What kinds of blogs have you noticed get the most attention or feedback?

I always seem to get the most feedback and comments on blogs that highlight other people’s amazing work, such as my student’s demos or when I blogged about my studio (built by my Daddy!).  I also get a lot of feedback when I am completely vulnerable and transparent with my readers.

 

Do you have anything (else) you’d like us to know about your blog in particular or your (philosophy and) approach to the industry?

I love to think that I can offer readers a unique perspective on the industry with my corporate and educational background combined with my industry experience and longevity.  I’m happy to share my experiences transparently, especially my failures, as I feel my readers can benefit positively from them (as have I) I am committed to continuing to build a community that can share and grow together!

 

Oh, and do you have any fav vo bloggers to recommend?

Yes, my list includes: Kim Handysides :), Marc Scott, Paul Strickwerda, J Michael Collins and Dave Courvo

 

Thanks so much Anne! Personally and professionally, I have incredible admiration for this voiceover industry pro.  If you haven’t explored all of the wonderful advice and insight Anne has to offer yet, do yourself a favor and put that on your To Do list.