Steven: Inside the Voice123 Casting Machine!

Widely-Practiced Problems in the Online Voice Over Industry

2009-10-23T19:15:00.020-04:00

I am writing this today because, as of late, I have been doing more and more Quality Assurance on auditions submitted through Voice123. At the same time, I answer emails from voice talent, who express to me that they have not gotten work. Whether they are experienced in offline voice over casting or not experienced at all, they all manage to make the same mistakes that I have seen cost them voice over work.

I am basing this article on information gathered via:

1. Customer service emails.

2. Auditions and demos listened to while doing QA at Voice123.

3. Both voice seeker and voice talent complaints about working online.

Just from stating those three factors above, I get a sense that some may get emotionally charged up, which is EXACTLY why one should keep reading. Also keep in mind that I am describing mistakes made by 'everyone' at some point. I have now seen it happen, and I blush because I made the same mistakes I am about to mention at some point, while using Voice123.

I understand where a talent comes from. I also know the greatest education comes from those who have made mistakes, and then learned why they were mistakes.

Problem #1: 'Working online is not war':

Working online carries with it, greater need for understanding. If you approach working online, as if it is, 'Me vs. Them', you will find yourself unemployed. I have seen notes and emails go back and forth between clients and talents such as:

"I watermarked my audition, so you cannot steal it."
"Your budget is laughable, but I am auditioning anyway."
A budget quote: 'You tell me.'
An audition remark that states, 'I have 30 years experience, and I have never seen someone so cheap in all my years....'

For a voice talent, seriously, if something upsets you, it is best to walk away from the audition. Do not waste energy or time on being aggressive online. It is too easy for people to fight back, remember you, and there are still 'humans' doing the hiring. If you want to start a fight, you will get what you want, and then some.

Problem #2: 'Slaaaaaaaaaating...or....Aggressive Slating'

I think this is the most common. What many voice talent do not understand is that working with computers instantly means you are dealing with people with short attention spans. A study showed last year that from 'mouse click to frustration', you had a time frame of only 3 to 20 seconds. Keeping that in mind, if you are a buyer or producer, with even as little as 10 demos to listen to, how often can you take the following slates before you just get frustrated:

"Hello, my name is *** and I will be doing 3 takes, of 3 different reads for you, and I have watermarked each one to protect myself".
"Hi my name is ***. My website is *** and you can find out more about me at *** I will be doing 3 reads."

Those 'slaaaaates' are killers. Not only is the first one displaying that a voice talent may be paranoid (a sign of inexperience while working online), but they both go on for more than 10 seconds. Try this, and this lends itself to why it is not a bad idea to know about online customer service:

If you walk into a 'store', and you ask where to buy soda, if the guy behind the counter explains every single detail of the store for 2 minutes before telling you what you originally asked for, you may just walk out.
Online sites...their interfaces provide your name, and they are about to hear you anyway, so there is no point in explaining for 20 seconds, what they will hear for the next 20 seconds.

Problem #3: Paranoid Behavior and Watermarks

When online casting started, watermarks made sense, but not so much anymore. Why? Because the online community has been around for several years now, the Internet sites have gotten wiser about who posts jobs, and there are a 1001 ways to verify someone before they post a job, and if for some reason they try to take the audio...websites have that covered, too. How do I do it? I am not telling anyone. It took me years to figure out how to catch people, and I am not going to shed that skill in public. So, what do I see talent doing?

Loud watermarks that sound more like tests of the emergency broadcast system.
Announcements that there is a watermark, and that it is being done to protect their work. That one alone turns off a buyer immediately. It may sound like a good idea, but it makes a voice talent sound nervous.
Lastly, submitting auditions with poor audio on purpose, and then explaining it away that 'I did this to protect myself', only makes one think you are making excuses for yourself.

Problem #4: Not reading directions

The common response I get when I mention this is, 'Well, they do not tell me enough to go on.' That happens, yes, but I am referring to specific times when a buyer asks for something in a description, and the voice talent thinks it is a good idea or it is ok to submit whatever they want, and make up a reason, as to why it was done. If you do not understand how that feels to the buyer, try this:

Imagine you go to a restaurant, and you are trying to impress your loved one.
The waiter takes your order, and you are waiting for it to arrive.
The waiter comes out with a completely different order, and says, 'I know you asked for this, but I wanted to give you something different.'

Knowing that working online is like 'being your own business', how do you think it makes a buyer feel when you do the opposite of what they requested? How would it make you feel, if you were hiring?

Problem #5: Not understanding the 'give and take' of working online

Like it or not, auditioning online carries a heavier burden of reassurance that a job can be done. It is not about, 'I auditioned! Now, someone will call and tell me what I have to do next!'. You have to have that business plan in place for yourself. If the 'seller' gives the 'buyer' too many tasks ahead of time just to hire the voice talent, it simply will not happen. This does not apply to negotiating contracts. I am referring to those that believe, 'All I have to do is audition, and the rest will happen for me.'

That may have been the case, offline, but when you work online, you are directly in contact with the buyer, so there is no 'agent-filter' or production house you must report to on a certain date and time. It is all about you, from A-Z.

The 'give and take' that is taking place...As the 'seller of your voice online', you have to own a professional online business known as YOU, which you will present to buyers of your voice over skill. You have to be the 'giver' because this is a new playground, with a new way of doing business in voice overs. I will not lie. It is not always easy, and it does take some time to learn how to communicate online.

Problem #6: Not seeing the forest for the possible 'greens'

Working online is about building relationships, and not 'paying to play'. If you want to pay to play something, try online poker.

I say this because the 'budget' you see may be lower because the person simply has no idea who you are, and what you can do. Everyone is equal when you work online, even those with decades of experience, so those budgets you see may be 'teasers', and once they know you...and know you can do what they need...the real money will come in.

I have been told several times that Voice123 shines because of the 'repeat clients', not the job postings. These voice talent know the difference between 'playing online' and 'working online'. As a tip, just to close this out, I did something two weeks ago to help a very experienced offline talent of many years. He explained to me that working online was difficult. I told him the following:

If you are experienced offline, find someone younger than you, and show them your profile and auditions.
See if they could re-write what you send in emails, and audition remarks.
I also told him to stop doing some of the behaviors above.

He swallowed his pride and ego, and agreed, and we agreed he could tell me I was wrong forever. He booked his next online audition, after a 2-year drought. I take no credit. I give credit to the young man who re-wrote the text for his uncle to make it more net-savvy, short and sweet. The idea came to mind because I wrote my brother's yahoo personals profile, and the next day, 8 women showed interest. I have always believed that the 'arbitrator' tells a story better.

Problem #7 Whatever has you upset about the website you use, do not mention it

They know already, trust me. They deal with it too, and tell us about it. If you want to relate to someone, do so on a positive level. Voice123 works on issues all the time. We have constant communications with over 10,000 emails a month. Showing you know something, by not saying it, shows experience, and that...is the trickiest thing about working online:

'Finding out what others think when you cannot get in touch with them.' I realized several years ago, the way to go was to build on what was working, and go from there.
That is why audition remarks like: "The audio you will hear is not good because Voice123 insists on using 96 KBPS, which sounds awful!" If that is your only remark, what have you accomplished? Your purpose was to be hired, not file a complaint, and the seeker knows it is an audition process, anyway.

Final note: This is kind of a big deal...Please be careful when someone requests an accent, that you do not completely offend someone's nationality:

You have to understand that when someone is highly offended, they usually feel compelled to just hit back, and not say why. I was lucky enough to have people who hired talent from Voice123, stop and take a moment to explain some of what they heard. Just some small tips on the subject:

A French accent request does not mean, 'Sound like Pepe Le Pew'.
A Spanish and/or Hispanic accent request does not mean, 'Sound like Speedy Gonzalez or Cheech and Chong'.
An Italian accent request does not mean, 'Sound like a Joey Soprano.'
A German accent can be confused with an Austrian accent.
An African accent does not mean 'Sound like you are from the Bronx'.
A Chinese accent does not mean 'replace the letter 'L' with the letter 'R'.'
A Scottish accent does not mean, 'Mike Meyers 'Big Sexy' impersonation'.

I say this because they are truly innocent mistakes made because sounds and images are stuck in our subconscious mind, and we may mean no offense, but still, I have seen these errors offend people greatly, and when working on an international stage, it helps to be aware of what your buyer feels. Certain 'characters' in the North American culture of entertainment are deemed highly offensive in other countries. I have actually learned this through my years of traveling. I also worked in Times Square for 7 years, considered the 'crossroads of the world' for good reason.

As we all know, people can be very sensitive while working online, no matter who you are, so there has to be a level of understanding that we are all starting over in this online playground. Yeah, we can audition...but can we be so much more than 'just a voice talent'?

In the interests of helping people see what I see behind the scenes,
Steven
former Voice123 talent and former other website talent

When You Can't Say Yes, There is Opportunity for Success!

2009-10-23T11:48:00.003-04:00

Customers are the backbone of every business. Yet, there are times when you simply cannot give them what they want, because a customer may not always be fully aware of a company’s financial status, product development ability, or the majority of a company’s feedback. So, what do you do when you have a demanding customer whose needs you cannot meet? Start by getting into the mindset of what the customer is really looking to accomplish:

Does the customer, maybe love your service and could possibly want to be more involved, but his/her way of showing it is to offer suggestions?
Is the customer possibly an influential person in your industry, and is maybe looking to do more business with you?
Is the customer truly a big fan of your service, and just wants to show you that he/she cares?
Are there alternatives you can explore with the customer?

Online customer service is quite interesting this way. The customer behind the computer is always looking for reassurance that his/her needs are being met, but not everyone knows how to communicate needs with written/typed words. This is quite often the case with customer service emails that involve ‘product development’ suggestions, and that can be difficult because a basic customer with no computer experience may not understand why something is necessary or unnecessary.

After starting at Voice123.com in July 2007, there were several corrections that were implemented in our customer service team to assist customers, even at times when we had to say ‘No’.

Never make a promise you cannot keep to make someone happy: A failure we had seen with several websites was that they were making statements such as, ‘We will work on it!’, when there was no intention of developing the idea. Broken promises have long-lasting and damaging results to any businesses reputation, online or offline.
If you do use an idea by your customer, give that customer some credit on your website: Voice123 has done this in the past. When an idea never struck us until a customer said so, we promote them through our email campaigns and Voice123 blog. Showing appreciation for the website user has a powerful affect, and makes your users feel like celebrities. This is important because all customers need to feel special when using a product. If you are showing true appreciation, you should do something both in public and in private. Giving voice talent free subscriptions for helping Voice123 become a better website is one way we like to return the favor.
Create personal relationships between your customer service team, and their customers: It is true that there are some customers who will have amazing ideas one day, and the next day, they may just contact you to complain a bit, and that is great! You will always have people looking out for your business this way, and you will be looking out for your customers! Even when working in Times Square at ESPNZone NY many years ago, I found myself being a friendly ear to customers who just wanted to let off some steam about ESPN, and their programming decisions. I did tell them that I had no control over such things, but they appreciated that I just listened. These same people came back time and time again, and it was a pleasure to serve them.

I have found that working online requires a larger ear for listening, if you will, because of its anonymous environment. There will always be that ‘need for reassurance’ from another person, that even though you said ‘no’, that the idea was taken into consideration.

Chasing Peter Shankman

2009-09-04T18:19:00.003-04:00

The following blog is a true story about how far someone will go to get the company he works for and cares about, promoted through a highly influential player in the online market, Peter Shankman of HARO. This story is written with admiration, and respect for all mentioned.

Back in January 2009, Steven from Voice123.com, was sitting in a public relations luncheon at the RTV-Incubator in the heart of the financial district. Very new and very green to public relations, and armed with a positive attitude, Steven listened intensely as a young PR rep explained who Peter Shankman was, and how he was incredibly influential.

Steven put two and two together:
Peter Shankman + Influential= He needs to know about Voice123.com.

Steven has an amazing talent for remembering names, so he suddenly became obsessed with the idea of having Peter Shankman promote Voice123.com for being the most amazing place to find voice over talent. He knew nothing of what would be required, or how it would be done, but he knew it had to happen.

The very same day Steven decided to follow @skydiver on Twitter, and start seeing if he could think of any ideas. He also signed up to receive 'queries' from helpareporter.com, and see if there was anything that would inspire Steven to get involved. The key was...Steven had to keep Peter's name in mind at all times.

No sooner than a week later, a talent on Voice123.com named Wayne Pyle, mentioned to Steven that he knew Peter in a customer service email. Steven put two and two together once more when he found out that Wayne was a skydiver, and operated out of upstate New York, not too far from where Steven's mother-in-law lived. The question loomed in his mind:

'Should I jump out of a plane for the possible chance to meet someone that can promote Voice123 on a higher scale than ever before.'

To Steven the answer was, 'Yes! Of course!'. To Steven's wife, the answer was, 'Not if you still want to remain married to me!'. Alas...back to the drawing board for Steven.

Several months pass, and no leads. Steven finds no way to connect to Peter and is growing discouraged. Then one day, out of mere coincidence, Peter Shankman writes a tweet about a Staten Island Ferry accident. THIS was incredibly promising for Steven because he lived only two streets away from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Steven was home from work that day, but reading Twitter for Voice123.com. When he noticed the tweet, Steven immediately wrote back via email, 'I live very close to the ferry! Would you like me to take a look and tell you what happened?'. He was going to help this reporter/influential player/Peter, get the story first!

To excited to wait for an answer, he threw on his shorts and sneakers on the hot June evening, and went running down the hill to the Staten Island Ferry. He noticed that there were TV camera crews and police. As Steven lived near the 120 Police Precinct, he knew some of the cops, and asked what happened. He was told, 'The boat lost power and hit the dock. About 15 people hurt...nuttin' to worry about!'. Armed with this news he ran back up the hill to his apartment and jumped back on Twitter, and re-tweeted what he knew to Peter. He had found that Peter had written him a small reply, 'Sure, go ahead.', followed by, 'I remember the 1987 crash.' This was getting extremely promising! Steven was now feeling like he was getting connected in some way. Steven replied that he was also in the same crash, which was true! There was one last re-tweet of what Steven said to @skydiver, probably by someone chasing him as well, but then nothing materialized. Back to the drawing board.

A month later, Peter announced that he was going to Bogota, Colombia to visit a company. THIS was my 'in'. Voice123.com has an office in Bogota, Colombia, and Steven has come to know the city very well! He emailed Peter Shankman, and recommended some great places to eat, and Peter replied and said 'Thank you!', but there was more to this...

Peter was going to visit a company that had ex-employees of Voice123 that were friends of mine, so Steven did what anyone would do who remembered names...he name-dropped. This did no good, and received no reply, but Steven followed Peter's trip via twitter and replied whenever possible about such places to eat like Andres Carne De Res. Peter's query, 'Yeah I could live here' edition, about his trip in Bogota was right on the money. Steven felt the same way! He loves Bogota for the coffee and chocolate, the people, and their hospitality! He could live there, too! So, he had to tell Peter...but there was no reply, and the trail died once again.

Until...a couple of days later...Peter announced he was going to Chicago, and was looking for great places to get coffee. Just by chance, the company Peter visited in Bogota has employees in Chicago, and Steven was friends with one of them. He was a former co-worker with Steven, so he had him on Skype contacts. Steven begged him via Skype to connect with Peter to show him a place to get coffee. Steven wrote Peter and said, 'I know a place you can go!', and gave him the name of a place to get coffee, and the person who could show him how to get there. Peter wrote back, 'Have him meet me here.' This was great!

Big problem...Steven's skype friend came down with stomach flu, and nothing ever materialized...

To date...this is where the story ends, as Steven has run out of ideas, but recently read an article about people who accidentally find themselves 'tweet-stalking'. Rather than be part of something extremely negative, I am giving up on chasing Peter Shankman...I mean Steven is giving up.

Thanks for reading,
Steven
Voice123.com

'Getting Your Clients to Pay You on Time'

2009-08-28T19:52:00.007-04:00

This article was requested to be written via a twitter post I sent out @Voice123dotcom. I never really have the chance to discuss this topic, so I thank @andrewsusay for requesting it. At Voice123, I am asked at times to help a talent retrieve payment from a voice seeker. If you did not know I did this, that is probably because payment problems rarely reach the point where I must step in.

In almost every case, the same thing happens, in which a talent believes they were not paid on time, and the voice seeker, for some reason, has been difficult to get in touch with. This task is something I am very proud to assist talent with as I once worked in a 'recovery' dept. at an insurance company, so I have the understanding that getting people to pay on time requires the following:

Preparation ahead of time, as in, having your own business plan.
Email etiquette. (Yes, it plays a big part.)
Written understanding of dates and deadlines, as to when payment is due.
Written understanding as to what was agreed upon.

I should say first, that when it comes to working with 'people', there are no guarantees because...well...'people' can be very interesting, and yes, even escrow is not a concrete solution. Keep that in mind always.

Now, let me explain each below:

Preparation ahead of time, as in, having your own business plan:

Knowing what you will do when someone contacts you. What will you say in return?
Do you have a plan as to when audio will be delivered, and when you will invoice?
Do you have a plan on how to negotiate re-takes?
Do you have a deadline as to when the payment is expected after audio delivery on your invoice?
Are you saving ALL email correspondence?
Are you making sure, no matter what you say on the phone, that you follow up with emails?
All of the above information will help you in the future.

Email etiquette. (Yes, it plays a big part in this role.)

I have handled matters where I watched that a person stopped replying to repeated requests for payment. When I asked why there was no reply, at times I heard responses that the voice seeker had no idea who was writing them and why.
When writing emails...Keep the emotion out of it. Believe me...it works. I have seen emails go back and forth where they became so aggressive, the paying party decided not to respond, as if they felt obligated because of the way they were written.
Even in million dollar insurance claims cases, my email etiquette was always business, cordial, thorough, and had deadlines with calm rationalization as to when something is expected.
In short, the 'iron fisted' email does not work as well as the 'I am business. Here is some sugar and honey, now where is my money?' email.

Written understanding of dates and deadlines, as to when payment is due.

This is very important because there is nothing more powerful in getting someone to pay you, than to say, 'Hello! I am reminding you, as per our recent correspondence, that I was promised payment on this date. I hope all is ok, and this can be resolved asap. Thank you.'
Why does this work? You are stating facts, and being calm about it. That tells someone you mean business, now and forever.

Written understanding as to what was agreed upon.

This is also extremely important. I have seen times where agreements on 'how' someone will be paid have been left out of discussions, such as, a person paid via paypal using the wrong email, or funds were not claimed.
What you agree on should always be in writing, so in the future, you will have this when you have to seek extra help.

So, let us say, you did all of this, and the person still has not paid on time. You can try two things:

Decide to be flexible, and wait.
Decide to contact someone because there are people who can help. I know. I have done it.

Just today, I contacted a voice seeker as to why someone had not been paid. I was very cordial and business about it, and the talent was paid within a few hours.

So, why did it take so long for the talent to be paid?

At some point the talent stated in an email, 'When can I expect payment?', and that was it.
The voice seeker explained to me that he thought it was spam and did not understand that was the talent emailing him.

Why did the seeker pay so quickly after my email?

I had correspondence from the talent, as to when payment was agreed upon.

I firmly believe when people work with people, you have to come to a common understanding that both you and the client are 'businesses'. There is truth to the statement, 'People will only take you as seriously, as you take yourself.' If you have everything in writing, have set deadlines for when you expect payment, and remind them when you will contact them again, you will be taken seriously.

It is not always easy being a talent and a business at the same time. When other businesses do not do as they promise, you have to be very firm, almost like a lawyer. But you have to leave the 'talent' feelings out of it, and focus on the goal...getting paid, and what you have to do to get it.

If you ever have problems, I will always be glad to help. There are always people who can help. Just make sure you are prepared to present to these helpers everything that has happened, not the emotional take on what happened.

I hope this helps,
Steven Lowell
Voice123.com
@stevennyc123

The Strange Importance of a Vacation

2009-08-14T18:24:00.003-04:00

I may be speaking for myself here, but as long as I have been into voice overs, acting, and theatre, I noticed that professionals in that business do something no other business professionals do; they never take a vacation. I have heard some explanations for this:

I love my work, and my life feels like a vacation.
I do not work enough, so my vacation comes when I do not have a job to do.

I am guilty of this myself. If anyone has ever gone to Times Square, NYC at any point, you will find that the waiters are well-spoken, beautiful, friendly, charming, and easy to talk with. The reason is because they are all into performing arts of some sort. From my time working in Times Square, I remember the busiest time of the year was when the regular 9-to-5 folks were on holiday. This meant I led my life on the opposite schedule of what most of the world was operating on.

If you are just starting out in this business, and you find that you live on the opposite side of the entire world's schedule, I share with you some advice to avoid burning out:

Make sure you take a vacation during the time that the 9-to5 people take theirs.

You may find my reasoning strange, but there valid reasons as to why this should be done.

When you work on the opposite of everyone's schedule, you begin to feel somewhat lonely or feel that you work for the entire world, with no time to yourself. I say this because if your time is during the day time, and you only work at night, chances are you are waking up late and not getting a chance to do anything for yourself before having to go to work at night. Oddly, I know several people in broadcast news who go through this, and it has led to some of them quitting well-paying jobs.

Working at night, and auditioning all day, usually means 'lost sleep'. It is now proven that 'sleep' is essential for good health as it gives your body a chance to regenerate, and yes, even burn calories! Living healthy will prolong your ability to deal with those times when you have to do entertainment work during the day, and still work at night. Many believe they can manipulate sleep, which is true, but the effects it has on your body can be life-long and very serious.

The 'Vampire' syndrome, when you find yourself while others are tired from their workday. If you are trying to be in a relationship, which we all need to be whether we want to believe so or not, you will need energy. If you are tired when he/she is awake and ready to start the day, or vice versa, you will find you have repeated trouble in relationships even when the person is understanding of your career.

So...why a vacation?

To give your body a break and a chance to enjoy some time to think. Many of us learn a craft, and begin to operate on cruise control after a while. Given that the world changes so quickly these days, we must allow ourselves time to reflect.

To strengthen relationships with family and loved one's. We all need a support group in this very tough business. Family and friends are important, always.

To get to know 'your audience': No one can deny that when you are in entertainment, basically everyone you meet are the people you hope will be watching your show, or listening to your voice over. Being a performer means understanding 'reality' as in 'what the 9 to 5 folks live though'. If you have no idea how the regular world behaves, it will affect your decision-making as a talent. As much as we may love our job and working all the time, we still have to know how the entire world operates for us to reach people as performers.

To achieve peace of mind. Did you know that a recent survey showed that the USA is the 48th happiest country in the world? Take a look at this article. The third happiest country is Colombia, and Denmark is the happiest. Think about that...for all the people in the USA that work so hard to 'do what they love', why is it that countries making only a small fraction of the USA's per capita income indicated they were happier than so many other countries. Are we really doing what we love, or just working ridiculously hard to stay above sea level.

Basically, if you do not vacation...you will never have time to think and discover for yourself what you appreciate most. Without that downtime, after a while you will begin to lose the inspiration as to why you do what you love to begin with.

I see this to everyone, and to myself...The summer goes by quickly. Go out and enjoy life.

This time of year is slow, but after Labor Day, it will pick up again at full speed. When that happens you need to make sure you are well-rested!

Peace,
Steven
Voice123.com

Why 'Snarky Blogging' Just Doesn't Cut It Anymore

2009-07-13T19:22:00.005-04:00

It happens.

We get worked up over something that we would like to read more about, and then after searching on Google, you come across a blog that keys into your emotion, and feeds you your satisfaction. It makes you feel like saying, 'Yeah! You tell 'em! That'll show'em!', and then you close the blog...and the moment hits you:

'What good...did reading that blog do for me?'

Blogging has been around a long while now, and as trends change, I am starting to see how snarky blogging just doesn't cut it anymore. Perhaps a barometer I use for when a trend has become a thing of the past is when I see it made fun of on comedy shows, like the recent Angie Tempura skit from SNL, and it is done so well, that you laugh really hard and think, 'Yeah. Why do I read that nonsense?'.

The truth is basically this...Anyone can call themselves an 'expert' on something. Perhaps, the more 'snarkier' the expert, the less helpful and truthful, the blogger.

Why? Blogs are emotional and because a long time ago, when human beings first learned to read, they did so with the expectation that in doing so, they would enrich their minds with new knowledge, and perhaps wake tomorrow to use it to make a better world.

Snarky blogging does just the opposite. It is like reading the comics. You look for every 'crash!' 'pow!' 'thwip!' you can find, and then you close the webpage, only learning a bunch of new jokes from how someone else was emotionally feeling about something at that time. Blogging of this type completely succumbs to the ideal of 'instant gratification', as in, 'If I blog about it, I will change the world around me.' Not true. Why? Most blogs are self-serving.

If you think about it, Thomas Paine wrote 'The Crisis' to help an entire country. Blogs seek to only promote 'the blog & the blogger' or the company related to it. 'Times' change through positive & proactive behavior, not the 20 minutes it took to upload a photo-shopped image, and write whatever emotionally touched you at the time, only to stand back and count how many hits it received.

Perhaps, this is why I have not blogged in a while. I feel if you have nothing helpful to say, you only make yourself look helpless, especially if your writing is more 'childlike' in emotion, instead of 'mature in logic'.

Most of the blogs I see today are worthless and written by people with no knowledge, only emotionally charged opinions. I understand people have the right to free speech, yet, people have the right to make up their own minds, and after a while all the yelling and tomato-throwing that gets done on blogs...

...pretty much gets ignored like the guy ejected from the crowded theatre for talking too much.

So, are you writing about 'times that try men's souls'...or just throwing tomatoes to sell a blog?

I will be back when I have something more useful for everyone.

It Has Been A While!

2009-06-29T14:33:00.003-04:00

I have not written a blog in a while, and after last week while my tweet deck and twitterfox was exploding from updates on who died, I reflected on why I have chosen not to contribute.

The most difficult thing about working online is 'Staying ahead of the game'. You have millions of people out there reporting news in real-time, saying they know all there is to know about being in online casting, reporting on how they have interviewed someone amazing who is once again going to shed light on how to succeed in voice overs. The crazy thing I want to know about all of it...Who said it first?

This is where I am at right now. I see what everyone is saying...and it is just repetitive. I want to dare to be different. I am trying to do things that no one has ever done before. I wish to innovate a very young online casting world, plagued with perceptions as to what 'really happens'...because well...We have all watched MSNBC, and know how 'evil' the Internet can be. (That was sarcastic.)

I had to give blogging a break. I needed new info to talk about, and not just the same thing everyone else says. I do contribute to the Voice123 blog.

There is more info to come from me...I promise. You may find it strange. You may dislike it, but it will be something new and something you have never heard before!

The Official Voice123 User Feedback Post Part I

2009-05-11T13:13:00.007-04:00

I care a great deal about the people I work for and the voice over industry, and many times, in working here, I find myself torn between expected to follow trends and also at the same innovate for the benefit of Voice123 users.

The usage of blogs has made it very easy for those who dislike something, to write more about when they actually like something. With that in mind, after spending two weeks in Latin America speaking with international talents about what I do, and seeing how they live, I returned to NYC. I found many had written to me to express positive feedback about Voice123. I wish to share those with you.

From: GREG ******
To: help@voice123.com
Subject: Re: Voice123.com project feedback
Thanks Steven. I'd have to say the service you offer is unbelievably
amazing in both quality and content. I am just waiting on the client
to make a decision on who they want to go with for the spot but I know
I will be using your service anytime I need voice over from here on
out. Thanks again and keep up the great work and I will be sure to
recommend you to all my colleagues.
All the best, Greg.
(voice seeker)

Re: Voice123 Follow Up with Talents:

hey Steven fyi - I just booked a new gig since my email to you this morning. gotta love voice123!

From: (Voice123 Talent) < > Subject: RE: Voice123 Follow Up
.hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt; font-family:Verdana } Hi Steven!

Thank you very much for your interest.

First of all, let me congratulate all of the Voice123 team for an excellent service and very good customar care.

Currently, I'm in my trial period for your Premium service and so far I really like all of the characteristics.

I'm really pleased with the service and hope to book something soon, but I'm already very motivated to keep my premium status even after the free trial period.

Thank you very much once again and congratulations.

Sincerely,

(talent)

From: < > Subject: RE: Voice123 Follow Up

Hello Steven.

I'm impressed with the system so far. I think it generates a large number of opportunities to audition. It also strives to be very thorough in educating the voice artist not only about the Voices 1 2 3 system, but also about the basics of voice auditioning that apply to the larger field. In all these ways it is terrific.

I have also been impressed with the quality of customer service at Voice 1 2 3. People are polite, usually responding no earlier, but no later that 24 hours, dependable. And, it's necessary because most artists are not geekophiles, and there is a learning curve. All this is good.

Thanks for asking for my opinion,

(talent)

So you may be wondering why, the format of this particular blog is so choppy. Well, I copied and pasted from my customer service email, and I did not want it to look like any old testimonial.

I thank all those who had written me while I was working remotely.

All the best to you!

How to Avoid Fear of Swine Flu...

2009-04-29T19:13:00.003-04:00

Well, it is no secret. There is a swine flu outbreak. That is all I will say. Being a 9/11 veteran of dealing with news media that tends to hypnotize, enforce racial stereotypes to 'sell' the news, and lead one to believe you should either 'watch the news' or 'you will get swine flu', I offer these tips to deal with the fear:

Stop watching television news programs about it. It does no good, and makes you feel the world will end.
Find out how to protect yourself, just by searching online.
Use common sense. Do not kiss any pigs that look like they have 'been around the block', people who may be sick, or subway poles.
Do not rub the eyes. The tear duct is an easy way for germs to get in your system.
Think for yourself. Mamma always said, 'If all your friends decided to jump off a bridge would you do it?'. Find out what to do, and put it out of mind.

As much as many news outlets would love to convince the world that it is ending tomorrow, you still have to live your life.

Be well, healthy, and think for yourself!

That's all for this topic.

The Two Ingredients You Can Never Ignore Online

2009-04-22T19:32:00.005-04:00

I have been thinking lately about how much things have changed over the past 5 years, and how the explosion of social media is turning the world into one 'blue collar network' of hard-working individuals, working where and whenever they need to.

In all of it, there remains two things that have not changed:

The need for common sense.
The need for common courtesy.

In truth, I hate it when people say, 'Use your common sense.' Common sense is 'rarely common & never makes sense', so I think it is an unfair term. Yet, it is still important, so how do you learn 'common sense'? That is quite simple, study and research what the common people do when it comes to the culture and etiquette of online communication. It is different than most people expect it to be when they start out. I cannot tell you how many times my mom has forwarded emails with the subject line, 'I saw this on Good Morning America!', and how many times I have shown her symantec.com to explain email hoaxes.

Being that this is a new world of communication, what saves people who are starting out in the online communication world is the second ingredient: Common Courtesy.

Common courtesy is basically 'understanding the human condition'. If you email someone, write to someone, share news, share information etc., and it either has a positive or negative effect, 'common courtesy' dictates how you should respond.

If you upset someone, you apologize. If someone shares great news about you, thank the person who did it. Be no different than you would in real life (because online communication has become real life), and translate that into the online world in a kind and friendly manner.

There is one exception; regarding 'do what you would do in real life'. I am a New York City-native, and lets just say...if you have a spicy temper, it is best to keep that kind of content, offline. Every single thing we write online is considered 'public record'. Those people who have offended you, metaphorically speaking 'stepped on your toes on subway', probably have offended others. Yet, typing 'how you feel in the moment' without considering the long-term damage is a mistake. The 'human condition' dictates that people will react to us, based on how we behave, so maybe the beauty of communicating online is that offensive content speaks for the person who wrote it, and there is no need to respond. However, if the person 'stepped on your toes', and then apologized, common courtesy may dictate a quick 'thank you for understanding.'

In the end...this is one world with people using computers to say everything. Even with all of the technology, what my grandmother taught me, long before any of this, is to always remember to say 'please', 'thank you', and always be an outstanding individual to others.

I still remember the day she said that to me...I was at a wedding, and she was telling me how tough life was during the 1930's, while explaining that just being a good person was always what got her through learning how to cope with change.

To her...that was 'common sense'...to have 'common courtesy'.

Online Courtesy: Not Different From Offline

2009-04-17T17:13:00.006-04:00

I have received many questions in customer service about 'what to do' when a private message has been received, or when someone simply contacts another person, and a person is forced to decline work, or ask another question. The most popular question I get is, 'I was contacted to do a job, but I am out of town. What do I do?'.

Now, it is important to not panic in any situation when working online. Simply put, when working online, everyone has to check their ego at the keyboard, and make sure they remain focused on what is important; being reasonable. This is so because working online is very delicate, and people tend to get brave when pushed in a negative direction, and fight back, sometimes for no reason at all.

The most common response I give to that question, "If you were out of town, and the person actually called you on the phone, you would say you were unavailable and decline. Then you would thank them. Why can you not do that in an email?". I seriously think that technology and the way we communicate is so new to many that they actually fear using it. This should not be the case.

Throughout the history of mankind, there has never been someone or something that has failed because they were too reasonable. Will there be personalities to deal with that seem unreasonable? Always, of course you always have that happening, especially in a personality-driven business like voice overs & entertainment. When there is so much that can happen, and so many things people could possibly be thinking, the best bet is to remain down-to-earth.

An interesting fact I have noticed about online casting is that people, who live in small towns, are very successful. What makes me think these people have a lot going for them when working online is that in a small town, people tend to be less pushy, friendlier, and kinder, because they never dealt with the 'big city' atmosphere that causes people to be aggressive, defensive, or egocentric. Working online is very delicate, and such attitude can cost people work, if this attitude spills over into the way they type.

Think about it...the last time I took a vacation, and ended up in a small town, I loved how friendly and helpful people were to me. Now, transfer that into an online environment where all you know about a person is what they type. Would you rather have someone be 'small town' and write you, 'Thank you! That is kind of you. Let me help you again soon.'...OR...someone be 'big city' and write, 'Thanks. Remember you owe me money.'

The point here is that computers and communication avenues on computers have very much leveled the playing field for everyone, and there is no person out there right now, who has the right to say they are better than someone else, not reply to inquiries because it is beneath them, or complain that they are better than someone else, yet receive no recognition.

That is a good thing...Next time someone writes you and offers you work, or you find yourself in the position where you have to deliver bad news, just think before you type, 'What would a good person do in this situation, that is reasonable and understandable.'

You will have your answer.

The Recent Discussions on Budgets

2009-04-06T17:22:00.006-04:00

I have recently been reading discussions about budgets, and for the first time, it seems to be a consensus across the board that 'something must be done.' When all sides of the story write equally powerful blogs, ideas, and thoughts, that lead to such a discussion, it is important to remember before beginning on the 'How to...' that you know what is the current state of affairs. It is commonly known that 'great power requires responsibility'.

In an anonymous online world, where it is so easy to blame a computer for one's failure because we all know the words 'bug' and 'glitch.', I see that the greatest responsibility falls on Voice123 to educate as 'to what actually happens behind their scenes'.

The step in the wrong direction is to create animosity among the online community of users. I offer up these simple facts, as a jumping point to know where the core of this current problem lies:

1. Finger-pointing does not solve anything. It never has, and it never will. All it does is give the lesser experienced a crutch to hold onto, so that they may blame 'someone' for 'something', and carry on the torch of those who are not sure how to 'quote their worth'.

2. Technology plays a large part. Truth is, you cannot force anyone to use the Internet, and for that reason you cannot corner them into decisions they wish not to make when using for the first time. The bottom line of a budget is not what you see in the project form, but more so, what it pays out from start to finish.

Ahead of time, as all online casting is fairly new, you deal with people who are simply not sure what to do. The technology has to work, and promote more usage of a website. As trust is gained, budgets will increase. Given the anonymous nature of the Internet, militant or aggressive behavior will leave one consistently unemployed.

3. There is a greater responsibility among those who have the experience to explain not 'what they should do', but 'how it is done'. I have experienced many things as a talent, and the one thing I know about the personality of this business, is that talents are 'listeners'. Talents listen to coaching, agent advice, ask many questions etc., and they do what they can as best as they have been told.

Online casting is so young, that you have a great deal of people who have not figured out the business end of it. This involves things like email etiquette, and negotiating extra fees. I have sat in on seminars where experienced people in offline casting stated, 'If you work online, someone will steal your work.', and these talents come to the site ready to offer nothing, give nothing, and expect nothing. The problem is...if one of them gets hired for saying, 'I will do it for free', it hurts everyone. I know of many 'voice coaches', but the business end eludes so many, yet plays a critical part. Online casting is 'do-it-yourself', so you have to know what to do, with the gut to follow through. 'Gut instinct' can only be taught by experienced pros.

4. Just because someone under-quotes, does NOT MEAN THEY WILL BE HIRED. I just had this discussion the other day with a gentleman from a site called quotacrush.com. He flat out stated that with the Internet, offering something for nothing is a good way to chase away customers.

I asked why. He stated, 'If someone does not have to pay, you get a buyer wondering how you make your money, and if they cannot see how, they think you must be scamming someone to get your money, and they do not wish to get involved.' To me that means, 'You get what you paid for.'

5. You think you are new to all of this? Welcome to the club. I tend to have this problem where I think, just because I have written something, that everyone will read it and learn. Unfortunately, the Internet does not work that way. I hear from professionals all the time, who preface their questions to me with the phrasing, 'I have been in this business for (enter a number) years...', but the problem is the Internet is 5 years old. The entire online community is fresh and new. Five years of a few spirited blogs, lots of discussions in forums etc. is not enough to educate both voice seekers and talents on how to quote, or yes, spend more money. Everyone is still in that, 'I'm not sure' phase.

The transferring of offline practices to online, does not work for one main reason: People use computers to save time, and talk to less middlemen, which costs them more money...most of the time for work they are not sure is really happening.

Going forward, I believe not-so-simple things can be done by talents, concerned about budgets:

1. Remember you are a business of selling your product aka. Your voice.
2. Treat yourself as your own agent.
3. Treat yourself as your director.
4. Remember you are an artist, too.
5. Remember, with a smile, that working online allows for great exposure with much less effort, and more opportunity.

With 'excess leading to the road to ruin', let us all be smart, down to earth, and remember that people are still behind machines, so we all have to set an example and protect what we have now to make for a better online casting future.

Check this forum out for future discussions. We can all lead a horse to water, but the best one's teach us how to make it drink.

A Tip: What To Do When The Project Closes During a Recording

2009-03-23T14:19:00.007-04:00

One of the features on Voice123.com is the ability to 'lock in' to a project, giving you one hour to record, and submit for a project. There are valid reasons why this is done, and I would like to share this with you, but also let you know what to do when the project is closed manually by the voice seeker, before you submit.

The reasons for the 'lock in' feature on Voice123:

When SmartCast came out, there were those who spent three to four hours submitting an audition. These talents were often unable to submit because the voice seeker closed the project, early.
When SmartCast introduced a limit on the amount of talent that could be requested, a range from 10 to 200, if the quota filled up while someone was recording the could not submit.

What does the 'lock in' feature do?

It simply locks you in for the hour, so even if the quota was reached, the fact that you locked in ahead of time means you still have the hour to submit.

So...What is the loophole to all of this?

It just so happens, for many reasons, that by coincidence at the same time one is recording, the voice seeker decides to click on the button 'close the project' in his/her account.

How often does it happen?

Rarely. To give a number, I only hear of this maybe once a month, and usually when the project is a really good find.
I know the initial reaction is to request Voice123 to submit the audition, almost forcing it into the inbox, but this is something we cannot do. Why? If a person has made a choice to do something while working online, the last thing they want is another email from Voice123 saying, 'You missed this one.' The comparison here would be, how many talents do not like reminder emails (you can shut those off by the way in Opt In/Opt Out).

What can one do when it happens?

Save the MP3. Voice seekers repost projects: Remember that in this business, based largely on creative opinions, somewhere down the road there may be someone who says, 'I do not like this voice. Try more people.' When this happens, you will want to hold onto the MP3, just in case they repost a project on Voice123.
Do not be upset: Call this, 'Karma Resolution', but I am a big believer that things happen for a reason. If you locked in, and by some odd coincidence the project is closed during that time, just trust that may be it was not meant to be. Things happen. It is best to always move forward.

I actually had this happen to a friend of mine once, also a coach on Voice123. I must admit he was not pleased when I told him I would not submit after the project was closed. The truth is...Back in 2007, while experimenting with ways to bridge community ties, I did submit for a talent after it was closed. It was a very bad idea. The response I received was, 'If I made my choice, why would you send me more people anyway. I get enough email about the one's who have already submitted.' It was the first and last time I tried it, if only, because the email made perfect sense. As Voice123 is a marketplace, we need to facilitate connections as best as possible, and not get involved in an 'agent'-esque aspect.

Besides, if one person makes a decision, the last thing they want is me, 'some guy in computer world', telling him/her, 'Listen to just one more please.' Doing such a thing could prevent voice seekers from using Voice123 in the future, which means less work for everyone. This serves no one in the long-term.

Peace, and save the MP3's.

David Horowitz...I Miss Your Fight Back Tv Show

2009-03-16T14:07:00.006-04:00

I admit it. I miss David Horowitz's TV show, 'Fightback With David Horowitz'. I care about justice for all. I enjoy TV shows like COPS because I know that without 'law', freedom is dictated by the savage few. I also completely accept that at times, certain laws will not work in my favor. I say all this now, as I work from home, and I have just watched another TV ad that is disguised as a real news program telling people that Barack Obama's bailout plan is yet another reason why they should apply for a car loan. I have to wonder. Has this society lost all moral and ethical values in the way it advertises? Is advertising now all about, 'Let's really pluck at the good people's heart strings for some profit.'?

Over the weekend, I received two phone messages, each stating:

"I have good news! Mortgages are now being applied for at lower interest rates than ever before. If you would like to apply please call me back at...(666) 555-1212". (Yes, the number is a joke.)

What really upsets me, not so much that this type of 'yellow advertising' is allowed, but that the very people who put trust in what others tell them in a moment of weakness, are not actually doing the homework to find out just how bad an idea it is to spend money during this time.

This is what I miss about the TV show 'Fight Back'. Luckily, I found this website today. Please look at it. I loved his show because it educated people that the truth behind advertising is that they sell you on an idea many times, and not always the truth. For example, testing the various ways to get rid of roaches. Simply put, 'sound' does not scare off roaches, no matter what you plug in.

I understand that sometimes people attempt to sell, not realizing that certain ads take on a life of their own, and people assume something that was not intended. However, when media is allowed to sell people false hopes, it just makes me a little sick, especially during this day and age where transparency is of the utmost importance.

Over the weekend, I picked up the book, 'Think and Grow Rich', by Napoleon Hill. This book was shown to me by an old guard, TV personality/acting teacher I had many years ago. I was reading it last night, and found the quote:

"Success requires no explanations. Failures permit no alibis."

In this day and age, we are promised so much through advertising, making it much easier to blame someone else when our expectations are not met, and yes, sometimes waste tax payer money and sue for no reason whatsoever, costing everyone money. Take this example, which I actually heard about while working at AIG as a novice claims rep, accepting new notices of claim. (I do not work there anymore for a good reason, although I feel there are good people there who must bear the grudge for the actions of a few.)

Yet, the basic rule of thumb has not changed...'If you do your homework, and really have time to analyze how things work, you will know how to avoid the feeling that someone has failed you, when in fact, you may have just failed yourself.' Regardless, we are all exposed to failure at some point, and the smarter person sees opportunity in the backdoor that every failure offers.

I just hope, as a collective, the people who fall for shoddy advertising that promises big dreams start to understand that everything in life requires effort and homework, no matter who you are, or your experience. We are all in this 'recession game' together, and now is the time to fight back with some courage, and moral and ethical values.

To end this...the best way to fight back against a consumer, is to ignore the product completely, and trust in those who work with you.

Peace.

Taming The Monster Behind The Computer

2009-03-13T18:55:00.005-04:00

It happens all the time:

You sit at your computer.
You use a website.
At some point, the website asks you your opinion.
You look around and realize that no one can argue with your opinion. No one can debate your opinion, and it is so easy to just say what you feel with no discretion, because no one will know it is you, or what you look like.
All of a sudden, the monster comes out!

What 'monster'? The very monster that feels that working in the veil of anonymity, makes it ok to write anything you want without fear of consequence.

But wait...this is a country founded on Free Speech, so how dare anyone take away your Constitutional Rights! Unfortunately, what many do not realize is that the right to Free Speech carries with it the understanding that your opinions will be held against you by the very people you are exercising your Free Speech on. You reap what you sow.

Technology has changed and one of my favorite things is the algorithm of feedback. It is helpful in connecting people in an anonymous world, more often. The fact that data is kept of people's opinions, the next time something upsets you online, you may want to think twice before your monster attacks someone or something. Everything that happens online is public record. I still find comments I left on websites from 2001, when I was much younger, naive, and filled with angst in a post-9/11 society.

As a PR Manager for a website, I send emails out, nicely talking to people to help them. Understanding that 'people' are behind the computers, remember that when a person asks you a nice question like, 'How can I help you use our website, and what would you like to see change? Are you enjoying it?', seeing such a response such as the one I received yesterday is not wise. Now, before you read it, understand that I tamed my monster a long time ago, and it was for good reason. Many think 'venting' is healthy, but if you are doing it online, that 'venting' you do makes you appear certifiable and dangerous, and the more 'venting' you do online, you actually begin to drive yourself mad. You can attribute that to the consumer's expectation for instant gratification, which does not always happen.

Here is the email I send out:

"Hello *****,

I am Steven Lowell from Voice123. It has been two months since you became a Premium Subscriber. We wanted to follow up with you on your experience with our service. Is everything okay? Do you have questions about our system? Is there something you think we can do to improve your experience with us? If you will, please write me with your questions or concerns, and I will address each one of them and do my best to help you.

Thank you *****!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
Voice123"

Do you think such an email warranted this response? I removed the name and edited the profanity.

"Well, since you asked...

...One of my biggest complaints about Voice123 is the "give him the bu**sh*t that the smartcast pulls...Don't know what I mean? Let me elaborate. Every day almost, I'm receiving stupid SmartCast invitations to projects. Of course, when I go to submit an audition, if the project is even still accepting auditions, SmartCast gets all "are you sure? You should really be picky because if you send off a few auditions a day, the automated system will punish you because you're a voice whore" or something to that effect. THEN, the stupid Go**amn thing starts sending out f***ing reminders about jobs, saying 'this could be a good opportunity for you' after it already told me that I probably shouldn't be submitting so many auditions. I get it, alright? I'm a little fish in a vast ocean, a number in a maelstrom of voice talent and this SmartCast is the best you can do. I say that your best isn't good enough. Obviously, I'd be retarded to continue a premium service that didn't AT THE VERY LEAST pay for itself. I would like to see more value out of being a part of this website that simply the potential for exposure and a deduction on my tax return. Frankly, I'm starting to regret having become a premium subscriber and you can bet that if things continue the way they've been going, I certainly won't renew when it comes time....At this point, though, it looks like I'd have better success sticking with my local and regional clients rather than putting any time and energy into anything that is offered up via RetardCast.

Since you asked, THAT'S how it's going."

I do hope he has better luck with his local clients. He is a good voice over artist. But on the other hand, not only was he completely wrong, he attacked the one person willing to help him in an online world, who knows how tough it can be. The good news is...monster attacks are very rare. The bad news is that such lack of control will get you removed from any website, because as a business, websites must protect themselves. My advice here:

If you feel that monster is set to attack, take a step back from the computer, breathe, and think:

"If that person was sitting in front of me, would I talk to them like this?" (or in this case, 'Do you kiss your mom with that filthy mouth!?!)

Truth is, if you have to ask, you should not say it. In a cold, online world, the need for decency, integrity, and dignity, is now more important than ever before, as the technology gets better at saving data.

Peace.

Do Your Ears Hurt? Mine do!

2009-03-12T17:27:00.004-04:00

Last week, I stayed up and worked overnight for six days in a row (I am still not sure because my schedule was thrown off). I am noticing something though, especially today when a cold-snap hit New York City again; My ears are killing me. This type of thing has not happened since I was child, diving for pennies in the deep end of the local swimming pool. I started wondering what the cause could be.

It is my headphones!

I know many voice talents use headphones, maybe not ten hours a day for six days, but let me tell you what I found was happening:

That snug fit was actually constant pressure being applied on my ear drums, and after a while, it almost felt like the headphones were crushing me.

So, I looked up some info and found that the prolonged use was causing pain because there was no circulation of air in the ear, the headphones were too tight, and I clearly wore them too long without any break. I wont go into the info about the relation to thinning hair. My hair is just fine, but it maybe something to think about for all the DJ's out there.

Such things, can cause hearing loss, damage to the inner ear, and even a loss equilibrium, as inner ear fluid assists with the body's ability to balance.

So...headphones for me have to change to something else, and be worn less for a while, until the pain goes away, and the balance comes back.

Hope this helps if anyone else has dealt with it.

Never Was and Never Will Be...Goodbye CSB

2009-03-11T12:20:00.003-04:00

I read disturbing news from the Voice123 Forums today that the Connecticut School of Broadcasting has shut its doors. You can read the story of the ill-fated school, and how student loans played a part, here.

From personal experience, when I was taking voice over classes with David Zema in New York City in the mid to late 90's, the students from CSB, were always extremely talented and driven. As I am now a 35-year old man, still paying off student loans, I only feel disdain that the lust for money has shed itself into schools. I guess I knew this was happening for years, as I watched tuitions sky rocket everywhere.

What I find disgusting about the ordeal is that the 'take the money and run' method was used on college students, the most desperate individuals on the planet, who are paying through their teeth for an education. Closing up before some classes have yet to be completed but of course, were paid for, is insensitive and calculating. Every person I knew that went to that school simply loved it, and for those who will not fully experience CSB, I wish you the best.

The Overnight Experiment Comes to a Brief Halt

2009-03-10T08:22:00.004-04:00

I will never say that there is such a thing as a failure until you know what can actually happen, and then completely ignore the facts. That disclaimer out of the way, I had to stop my overnight experiment into trying to get work in different time zones. Here is why:

I found out that before this can work, there is a lot more that needs to be done first. A very vague statement by me, but it is true on so many levels.

I found out projects were being posted over night, but not enough to warrant me staying up, and rearranging my schedule to be more in line with the friend from college who does the morning traffic at 4am.

I found out that talents audition 24/7. Yes, some do not want to believe this, but it is true. Honestly, if you told me in 1992 that one day people would audition for jobs at 3 AM, I would never believe you.

I found out that 'idle time is the devil's trident'. Maybe you have noticed how prolific a writer I become after 2AM. I love writing, but more so when the sun comes up.

I found out, and may the Lord help me if my family sees this, that staying up so late and being on an alternate schedule, does something to the mind and being that I have a seizure disorder from lack of sleep, maybe this is not the best idea for me to try. To be fair...the staff at Voice123 did ask me not to do this because they know. I thank them for their care, consideration, and big hearts...and yes, you were all correct, and I was wrong. ha!

I also found out on Saturday morning, that sleeping after so many days of an alternate schedule, that if I fall asleep, I may very well sleep 24 straight hours. Needless to say, I spent my weekend in bed, snoring like a lumberjack. The clocks jumping ahead helped this a bit, too.

Well, I know now what its like to work that late, and I guess that was the point. I don't mind being my own test dummy once in a while for a good reason. We had a great deal of projects posted last week, too, even if I mainly approved auditions for most of them.

Peace to anyone who does morning traffic, or has a schedule that runs opposite day light. It is not easy, and I was reminded why the last time I had a job like that, I was very young.

Only good things will come of this because you never know until you know, and when you know better, you are obligated to do better.

'Insane Me...' Part 3? I think...

2009-03-06T02:40:00.003-05:00

Well, it seems to get busier and busier every night, and that is a great thing. It is about 2:40am, and tonight, I have handled 4 chats in two hours, all from talents. This does not surprise me...as they seem to be auditioning all night long anyway.

I had more work to do this evening than usual, as I sent out info on Susan G. Komen's 'Race for the Cure 2009'.

I am also using Voice123 as a voice seeker myself, which has been a very interesting experience. I cannot say much now, but I have been assisting an Emmy award winner with posting a job on Voice123 that looks to be cast out of Los Angeles. The experience has been enjoyable and educational.

I am happy to report this week that we have had many many projects posted on Voice123 this week, almost 200 SmartCast projects in four days!

Did me staying up late have anything to do with it? I do not know. I do know I approved about 10 projects after midnight, but the auditioning after midnight has increased heavily this week, with the amount of projects.

I have learned a great deal in just a few days, including that I will not be able to last the month. The last time I had a job from 10pm to 7am...I was much younger. I am not saying I feel old. I am saying that I forgot the mental and physical effort it takes to stay up this late, work alone, and try not to go insane in the process. I admit with a good laugh, that the chats are very welcomed.

If they did not come, I would be speaking to a Wilson soccer ball, much like Tom Hanks.

I did find that this type of schedule does something to the mind because today for the 4th straight day, I woke up at 4pm in the afternoon. I get one hour of sun in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon before the sun sets. Truly, a vampire lifestyle...but I drink diet coke.

This has been fun though. It was new, and a change of pace. I just miss daylight.

How Do You Succeed While Everyone is 'Warning You' of the Consequences?

2009-03-05T03:02:00.003-05:00

I started out in entertainment in the 90's, and I remember that in the very beginning, most of the teaching I received was all about 'WHAT NOT TO DO'. Today, I find that this still happens. Many people out there in positions of power are very quick to remind voice talents of the world what they should be concerned about, or what not to do, but not actually tell them what really happens or that those who scream 'the sky will fall on you if you...', actually have no concern for the people they are 'warning', yet in fact have another agenda of getting the actual people they warn to listen to them more.

So, what do you do?

Use websites in fear because you read a blog that told you certain things to look out for?

Operate under a blanket of fear where you focus on what NOT to do first?

Believe everything you hear and become a basket case?

NOOOO!

The best thing to do is to find answers for yourself!

I believe somewhere around 2001, when I was told by my first manager that if I did not audition for something, that they would 'ruin me', even though I was very ill at the time, that I realized it was time to stop listening and start learning for myself.

What happened next was my journey for knowledge. I wanted to know:

How does the legal system work?
Do people REALLY sue each other all the time, and what happens?
Who is REALLY in charge of what happens to me?

This journey led me to work on Wall St in insurance, investigate fraud, legal claims etc. and 4 years later when I joined Voice123 as a talent, I had something I found not too many people had...an educated mind of my own and the knowledge to protect myself...and a backbone.

The truth is...

People do try to sue, but it wastes more tax payers money than it does help those who sue. Many cases are thrown out of court.
If you do get in legal trouble (not that it happened to me), you will not die.
If someone threatens to 'ruin you', they are usually just trying to scare you. This is a very small world now with plenty of opportunity. NO ONE has the power to ruin another person.
The Internet is not as scary or as vast as many think. In fact, when you get to know how it works, you actually see there are more honest people than there are 'pirates'. How do you deal with 'pirates'? The same way you beat any opponent in a sport...You learn their games and use it against them to protect yourself.
The next time someone 'warns you', ask them, 'How do you know?'. If they tell you, 'Someone told me.', take a step back, think for yourself, and get real answers from those who know, not hear say. Maybe, tell them to stop watching too much Law & Order. Personally, I love the legal system. It is based on facts, but sadly many use it to threaten others.

So...the key to moving forward and working while the world warns you of impending doom...is to simply learn that there is no such thing as impending doom. Seek knowledge and listen to what you find.

Do not listen to those who 'warn you'. Listen to those who tell you things that have proven results. If it has not happened yet, there is no way to prove it is something to fear.

In fact...do not even listen to me...find this out for yourself! It would be hypocritical of me to say you should 'just listen to me!'.

"Insane Me..." Part II

2009-03-05T02:20:00.002-05:00

It is 2:20Am, and I am taking a brief break from approving auditions on Voice123.com to tell you what happened last night.

Simply put, I approved auditions in a steady stream from 12AM until I finally fell asleep at 6AM. Yes, it finally happened. I fell asleep on the job...but someone came in an hour later to start the morning shift and woke me up. I did not miss much though.

I did handle a live chat from a Voice Seeker at 3:30am, who bluntly asked me, 'What are you doing up so late!?!?'. He was happy to have someone walk him through the process of hiring a Voice123 talent, which just felt good to be there for him.

Tonight, has been different. In just two hours, from 12am to 2am, I approved 8 projects. Oddly enough, the voice seekers were from New York City.

Go figure...the city that never sleeps! Post a project! I will be here!

Why am I doing this? I love it!

Insane me.

The Key Ingredient to Customer Service When You Sell a Product

2009-03-05T00:53:00.003-05:00

There is a common misconception about customer service, that exists almost everywhere and many times it leads to the actual failure of a company or personal VO business, while working online. I have seen, read, and heard many make one common error while selling their voice as a product. They make this statement:

'You tell me what you want, and I will provide it for you.'

I will say first, that this is a common mistake I used to make myself, until I realized that buyers never know what they want, but they want people who know what they can sell. There are many reasons why asking the buyer to tell you what to do without offering a choice, is a bad thing especially when finding potential clients:

As the seller, you are supposed to know your product, better than anyone else. If they do not know you, and you state, 'Tell me what you want.', you actually create work for the client to figure out your product for you. They want someone who knows what they are selling, not someone who is not sure.
The buyer always wants to feel like the 'winner' in a deal. If you offer solid choice, and they say, 'Can you try something different?', you actually show more flexibility to change at their request, than to say, 'I am flexible. I can do anything.' First of all, no one believes one person can do everything these days anyway, and you want to make the buyer feel as if he shaped you into something to enjoy working with you.
Oddly enough, more choices confuses the buyer. Buyers want to feel that 'you know what they want', and even if you give them something they did not expect, but they enjoy it, they will feel you knew what they wanted. This makes you enjoyable to work with.
Less talking...show more talent, and that you mean business...then perform. This one is tough because it requires intelligent people to think like they are a piece of clay to be shaped into something. When it comes down to business, the buyer is not there to empower you to succeed. You are there to empower him/her to hire you.

Let me give you a few analogies to explain:

Imagine you want a can of soda, or a light snack. Do you go to a supermarket, or a convenience store? More than likely, a convenience store. Who needs 25 isles of products, when you only want one thing.

Imagine going into a fast food joint, where they do not offer 'meals by numbers'. You would have to search the full menu and do more work than the seller. SO, fast food places took common meals, and added numbers to them. Now, even if you dont want a meal by number, it is easier to say #13 than to spell out an entire meal.

Finally...the quote we think of at Voice123.com...

"If I asked people what they wanted, they would say faster horses" - Henry Ford

You see...as the 'developers', what makes for a better website is to recognize what is not working, what works, and observe how people feel about certain things. In this case, the path of least resistance, or the most simple of answers, actually never works...because what people want is not always very simple to figure out, and also...not every customer knows that what they want can actually be very bad.

After all the psycho-analyzing of what people want and what actually works for them, all a company can do is their very best to create a system that works, and makes the customers' lives easier, and tune it up when it does not.

The one X Factor in all of this is that people, by nature, never really know what they want until they experience it, yet once something is created it takes on a life of its own, so you can never tell what will happen next.

The key ingredient is then...be proactive and reactive to the needs of your customer. Show that you care enough to do the work for them, when needed.

Business is business.

'Insane Me...But You Never Know Til You Know' Pt. 1

2009-03-04T01:58:00.005-05:00

The time is currently 2 AM, and the temperature outdoors is about 20 degrees. My apartment's heat has been on the fritz all week...and I tell you this because?

For the month of March, in an effort to see what it was really like to work graveyard shifts for a website, and hopefully attract new jobs for talents, I discovered many things that I have time to share with you now. If you see typos, it is because I am typing with gloves on.

So...why would I decide to do such a thing? Well...probably the same motivation that drove me to want to work for a website in the first place...'You never know what is happening, until you know.' That quest for knowledge, I am told by loved one's, is proof that I might be insane. I do not think so. I am just curious, and I do not like living a life where I expect things to be handed to me. Therefore, if I want answers, I burden no one and do it myself.

Sometimes, I get answers that leave me feeling satisfied, and proud I sought knowledge. Then there are times, like this week, where I find myself wondering 'ok...what was I thinking again?'. However, I never would have known this, until I tried. Maybe, the timing was all wrong. NYC got slammed with a snowstorm this week, and working from home is no fun when the heat breaks down. Cold, lonely, and quiet nights were not on the agenda when I planned this week. Let me tell you how this week has gone, so far:

3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
4 blankets
1 pair of gloves
1 winter ski mask

That was just to eat and stay warm...then for work:

8 approved projects between 12am and 8am
3 live chats taken at 5am from good folks in Melbourne, Australia, and the United Kingdom
Caught up on much work I needed to, the very first night

Here is the part that I think Voice123 talents would find interesting:

I approved only 8 projects, but between the hours of 12AM to 3AM, I have approved over 200 auditions each night.
At 3AM, the traffic on the site goes dead for about 2 hours until 5AM. That is the toughest part of the night, and the time when I struggle most to stay awake.
I guess I was very shocked to find out just how much auditioning goes on in the site, and from people in my own timezone, which is odd because the purpose of my experiment was to branch out into other timezones.
Last night/morning at 4am, I took a chat from a voice seeker who lives in New Jersey, and wanted to send out thank you notes to everyone who auditioned to his project. Why this occurred to him at 4am? No idea.

The moral of this whole blog is to keep people updated on just how many things exist out there on the internet that we never could actually think about, until you do something a little insane and employ yourself to work in odd conditions to find answers because...you never know until you know.

I will update this blog again during the week.

One final thing I found out this week...

I am young at heart, but my body is not. It needs rest to function productively. I do not think I can last a full month of this very experiment, I brought on myself. Oh well...at least now I know, and what fun is life if you don't try something new once in a while?

Insane me...

The Social Danger a Web Community Faces...

2009-03-03T03:26:00.005-05:00

I have often noticed that the second a website becomes too popular, the users of the site for some odd reason, seem to believe their very popular website is no longer good for them. What they do not realize is that they are actually going through a very real, social experience that affects almost everyone:

Everyone likes to feel part of an exclusive community.

The fact that an exclusive community will not stay exclusive for very long, is the very danger many websites equally face, which has led to meteoric growth and collapse in a short period of time.

Take a metaphor, not web-related, and look at what it is like to be in an exclusive community, when it comes to a housing development:

A new housing community is built. It has all sorts of new buildings and recreation areas. The kids will love it, and even better...YOU are one of the first few lucky families to move in first.
You meet many new, great people and you think, 'I enjoy this. I feel important here. I think I will stay here a while!'.
Then...the realty office realizes they are on to a good thing and decide to open the community up to more people.
You say, 'So long!', to exclusivity. There are more people. There are more cars and businesses, and now, you feel like everyone else...nothing special...just part of a vast community of people, that in growing has somehow lost its roots and identity.
So...you leave...and find a new community, and the whole process starts all over again.

Think of how this works, when it comes to websites. Belonging to a really good website indicates to a person that you were smart enough to join it. That makes you feel special, but when the word gets out, and many people decide to join for various reasons, the end result is that you are just like everyone else. No longer does one feel exclusive.

I state this to illustrate something that has happened to me over the past four years, when I actually began using websites to market myself, or in some cases, just find new work.

In 2005, I joined Myspace, which was initially intended (I think) to help people advertise themselves for the businesses that they ran. Although very effective, Myspace quickly became that website that 'everyone was using'. The minute you find yourself saying that about a website...chances are it has out-lived its usefulness. So...2 million friends, and one year later...another website soon came along that offered exclusivity that everyone wanted...Facebook.

Facebook, when I first started using it, was used by corporate types to network, and see who went to what college or had some sort of business degree. The usage of it was exclusive, and to me, somewhat intimidating at first. Sure, they have a 5,000 friend limit...but who really has that many friends anyway, and can remember all of them anyway. It seemed like a good idea to join because the community was new.

5000 emails and 10,000 'ignore' clicks later, I am finding that 'everyone is using it now', and quite honestly for things I am not sure are usueful. Do I need to know that my classmate from 2nd grade elementary school is poking someone I never heard before? Do I need to know 25 things about a person I have not seen since high school, and probably for a very good reason? Now, Facebook has grown so popular that I am not sure if it useful anymore. Yes, the exposure is great, but having my 4th grade class picture with my name tagged is more helpful because I lost many of my photo albums. So...now...everyone is doing it, and it has been difficult to manage.

What next?

Linkedin... I am enjoying this website. I really am, and I see all the positives about it, but what happens when this website becomes the next big thing? Most likely, it will get crowded til some web developer creates a copy and improves on all the things people complain about when a community gets crowded...be it no parking(metaphorically speaking), too many emails, or that nagging non-exclusive feeling.

There is also one other danger a web community faces... Becoming obsolete over night.

With that in mind...I just wonder about two things:

1. Will all websites in the future become 'Build it, then, take the money and run'?

2. Will all websites realize that the secret to longevity is to offer its users something that is useful for the long-term, which in turn means the website and the community must grow as quickly as people's opinions change, so that everyone knows they are special when they use their websites.

Just thoughts...as I get older...it gets more and more difficult to keep up with all the websites I belong to, and sometimes they come and go so quickly, I forget about them.

Regardless...even with my limited knowledge of developing...I still say websites that offer direct employment opportunity are the one's that will be around longer.

It must never be forgotten that 'people' are the driving force behind everything we see, do, and create in this world.

Doing What No One Has Done

2009-02-25T13:54:00.004-05:00

I often wonder how many websites out there have tried the tactic that Voice123 has in actually hiring one of its own users to work on the staff. Judging by what I see on other websites, I can assume not many, and there is probably a very good reason. As much as I love being a voice over talent, the truth is...The entertainment business as a whole is one that lacks transparency, and is filled with people who are 'all about me, myself, and I.' I view that as the main reason why the business is what it is today. The common lesson I was taught when coming up through the entertainment field is, 'Let dog eat dog...and the strong will survive.' So how can you have transparency in a business based on aggressive emotions, more so than logic?

Easy...do what no one else has done.

Yes, it is a tough industry that requires a level of selfish behavior many times, but what if that changed?
What if a talent actually said, 'You can have this job, and I will look for my own'?
What if a talent actually said, 'I think I can serve this industry better by getting other people work, and take no commission'?
What if a talent woke up everyday, not worried about him or herself, but worried that he was not doing enough to help other people and it drove that person to help more, regardless of his financial outcome?
What if that very talent used all online casting sites, and had a sense that something had to change for the better, and it would not start with just 'expecting it to happen'?
When finding out more info than he expected, instead of holding those cards to himself, he instead showed what he knew?
Do people in this industry expect such philanthropy, and if not, doesn't this business just become a monopoly?
What if someone actually told the truth for once, from a point of view without prejudice, even knowing some people would not believe it?

Well, before I started at Voice123, I saw a great need for change and I chose a very special role model in the VO industry. I said, 'I want to be like that, and carry on what he did because he put VO artists and the industry on the map.', and now I have that chance. Probably the toughest part of this journey is accepting that I will lose something in the process, people may hate me, but the gains, be it financial, physical, or mental...will be much more rewarding than saying, 'I make a lotta money doing voice overs.'

I found people at Voice123, who care like I do, about just doing what is best for everyone, and being dedicated to the goal of helping people work in a career they love, internationally. Imagine that! No colonial attitude either, and embracing human beings for the common good!

Today, sadly, it seems like good, powerful people still put financial gain ahead of the common good...And that is exactly why, pass or fail, what I do at Voice123 needs to be done.

People always come first, and in serving them, I reward myself, and their failures are mine. This belief makes for a stronger industry foundation. I have found that the strongest possible foundation a company can have is to be strong enough to accept that responsibility.

Call the belief crazy, and I will say it has never been done before, so let's do it...