MEMBER OF THE MONTH
“Do Every Step With the Next Step in Mind”
CONGRATULATIONS to our Great Voice Inner Circle
“Member of The Month” March 2010 – Roy D. Williams
Roy D. Williams
[Susan]How did you get started in voice-over?
[Roy]Actually it’s my wife’s fault! After years of her hearing people comment on my voice, she began encouraging me to do something with it, so I Googled “voice-over” one night. Needless to say the search results were overwhelming! After sifting through the endless hits, I picked a few sites and started researching the folks behind them; I tend to be very skeptical and cautious. The one in particular that always stood out from the crowd was you and The Great Voice Company. I couldn’t find a single negative anything connected with either you or your company and only kept getting more and more convinced the more I looked. So I picked you!
I joined your email list, read everything you sent, read your site and ran across the Boot Camp page. It sounded good, was right down the street from me and was starting in a couple of months. But the price… should I… so much so soon? I felt I might be jumping into the deep-end way too early. I had seen much cheaper ways to get started. I hemmed and hawed and discussed it with my wife. A couple of days later, we decided I would take the plunge.
The next morning I’m on your site, credit card in hand, ready to sign up and… SOLD OUT! What!? So soon!? We were bummed! At that point I stopped thinking about it. Just wasn’t meant to be I figured, but I do remember thinking – if it sold out that quick, it must be something good. Your emails continued and honestly I marked you as spam, -sorry. In my junk mail though, they couldn’t remind me about my procrastination.
About a year later, I was expecting an email that hadn’t shown up. Oh yeah I thought, maybe in my junk mail. I open the junk folder and there it was, right on the very top of the junk pile. Not what I was looking for, but instead an email from Jason telling me about a last minute opening to Boot Camp. It was starting in ten days. It didn’t take long at all to decide this time!
I called that very moment it seems but it was late so I had to leave Jason a voicemail. I also emailed him right then and called back the moment you opened the next day, I had to leave another voicemail, and then sent another email. Jason probably thought I was stalking him! But I wasn’t about to let Boot Camp slip by me this time! And it didn’t!
I am so glad I made it to your Boot Camp and it was so worth the investment! It was a terrific time and flared incredible comradery amongst the attendees. I learned so much and not just about voice-over, but a lot about myself as well. By the end of day 3, I knew without a doubt I was now in voice-over. I was in business right then and there.
I applied for your Ultimate Voice-Over Success Program the next day, held my breath… and got accepted! I will never look back except to reminisce great times!
[Susan]What kind of formal training have you done in voice-over?
[Roy]Boot Camp of course. Now I am currently working on my first demo with Great Voice Voice Coach Moneen Daley Harte. She is terrific! I have no doubt Moneen is leading me in the right direction to a marketable demo. It’ll be done mid April.
[Susan]Who has inspired you in voice-over?
[Roy]James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Mike Rowe
I guess I never knew it until I got started myself but I now realize I have always wondered, “Just who is that invisible person talking?” I have always watched the credits to pick out the narrators’ names, able at least to put a name with the voice, in lack of a face. I think they’re all inspiring because they’re doing it!
[Susan]What is your favorite part of the Silver Inner Circle Program so far?
[Roy]It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’d have to say the Q&A calls. Listening to others’ successes and struggles can be empowering and enlightening. I also get a chance to have my burning questions answered and a chance to hear questions I haven’t even thought of. The monthly CD critiques are very helpful by teaching me do’s and don’ts. I like the guest calls too though. I like hearing the people who have been there, done that, doing that. If they can (and it’s obvious they can), then I have to figure… I can too!
Recently, you sent me quite a few things you have done to get started on your own.
[Susan]Can you share some of those things with readers that might just be starting out in voice-over?
[Roy]Even before Boot Camp started, I read Susan Berkley’s book, SPEAK to INFLUENCE where I learned the true power of voice and how profoundly our voices influence all those around us. I was especially amazed by the scientific facts you cite.
After Boot Camp my immediate goal was to get my voice-over business setup and ready for its first employee, me. I wanted the business setup over with so I could move on by concentrating on learning and practicing voice-over skills.
Of course my studio gear was first! I used your Boot Camp recommendations, the internet and went to a local audio store to educate myself. There are way too many choices to research them all so I just picked. I ordered everything on-line: mic, preamp, cables, mic stand and pop filter. I am very pleased with my choices. More importantly, I passed Moneen’s home studio recording test!
One thing I was really concerned about was having my demo ready but no website to put it on. In today’s world, no matter what you’re doing, a website testifies “credibility”. If ya ain’t on the web, ya just ain’t. I used a do-it-yourself site to build my own website – roydwilliams.com. The cost was next to nothing. As you know, I started with one of their ready-made templates but have since re-designed it with artwork I created. Thanks to your suggestions on a Master Mind call, it looks so much better now. My email address: roydwilliams.vo@gmail.com , of course is free.
My 2 cents for beginners is to first and foremost be excited and see this as your new job. How do we all perform that first 90 days on a new job? Tell EVERYONE this: “I am working!”, “Don’t bug me, don’t call me, and don’t knock on my door.” Now answer this question: “Why am I doing this?” then write down your answer(s). Set a work schedule and keep it. Make your to do list, write it down, get it done, procrastinate procrastination! Do every step with purpose; see a successful result before you’re done. Do every step with the next step in mind. Maybe by doing “this” step a little differently, you can make doing the “next” step a little easier. If a step runs past schedule, too bad, keep going until it’s done. Get out of bed at 4:30 AM, shower, be working by 5:00 AM; you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you’re fresh and everything is so quiet. Work harder for yourself than you do for your current boss. After you’re home from your 9-5, dinner then straight to it, no stopping at the TV! Push through your anxieties, become empowered by them, they simply mean you’re doing the right thing. Take one day off each week to relax (okay, now the TV) and enjoy your accomplishments. Always remember this is for you and for your “why”! Be thankful and be grateful!
I really, truly and honestly cannot remember ever having more fun, ever, ever, ever.
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