This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hello, hello. Welcome to Side Hustle School. This is your host, Chris Guillebeau. So excited to welcome you here today, episode 1979. In fact, it's also known as Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them.
Now we have had all kinds of stories through this segment. Last week we heard from a New Hampshire fabric artist. She's built a seamless business while working a day job in IT. Today, in our latest feature, we're gonna hear from Keri Olson, who is now a full-time voiceover artist from Kansas City. We first featured her, well, I think she'll mention it.
I believe it was back on episode 923. And of course, a lot of stuff has happened since then. One of the things she mentions here in this update is her business came about, at least in a roundabout way, from a podcast she started on Downton Abbey. Fun fact, so let's hear more about that. And also some advice if you're interested in getting into the voiceover world.
We're gonna hear all that from Keri. I'll be back at the end with a very quick wrap-up. [Music]
Hi, my name is Keri Olson. I am a voice actor. I was featured on episode 923.
I am currently based in Kansas City, Kansas. And so I spend my days in my vocal booth, which is currently in my basement, recording mostly TV and radio commercials, promos, and e-learning for clients all around the world. I got started because I was actually an e-learning designer before I got into voiceover. And so I was creating online content for training courses behind the scenes. So I was kind of doing on the other side of the glass, so to speak, creating content.
And through that got to narrate some of my own online courses. And prior to that, my husband and I had been podcasting for years, just doing different things. I had a podcast on Downton Abbey when that first came out. So I had had a lot of experience behind the microphone, but didn't know that voiceover was a job or an industry in and of itself. And it wasn't until after I had my first daughter, I was driving to work and listening to a podcast about, well, not necessarily side hustles, but it was about kind of irregular jobs.
And I thought, wow, that sounds like a job I could do. And I called her up and started getting training and coaching. And within a few weeks had booked my first job and pretty much just jumped in head first. Didn't know what I was getting into, totally green, and had some really good fortune and booked some great work and was able to turn it into a full-time gig, fairly shortly after that. So since I was last featured on the show, I was looking back at that time period, and that would have been right around when I joined the union, so SAG-AFTRA.
So prior to that, I was just freelancing and wasn't a part of the union, was doing all non-union voiceover work. And since then, I've joined the union. So that's a big thing that has transpired since the last time I was on the show. Let's see, I've moved and my kids are older. So that changes things a bit when you're trying to record and you require quiet.
It's been really nice to have older kids and not have to navigate naps and that kind of thing. So that's changed. Have some new campaigns. I've been doing a whole lot more promo work actually since 2019. So just the nature of my work has changed some, still keeping the basic e-learning and commercial work, but a promo has become a bigger part of my daily recording as well.
It's really important to work hard and to recognize that voiceover work, a lot of people who are interested in getting into it are, they see the glamor of it and they're kind of starstruck and they want to record, but they don't necessarily know about the behind the scenes work that goes into actually acquiring those jobs. So I would recommend definitely to get a coach because that is extremely helpful. When you are auditioning, you are competing against a lot of other people and a lot of them have professional studios, have been training for a long time, might be full-time actors. So it's not the kind of thing where most people can't just go and pick up a microphone and start recording and be competitive. So you want to hire a coach, you want to have proper expectations and give yourself some time, give yourself margin.
Don't go into it thinking, I'm going to be a full-time actor tomorrow or I'm going to be making a ton of money tomorrow and enjoy it. I think it's so important to have fun while you're doing this kind of work because you won't book anything if you're not having fun because that will show in your voice, in your recording. If you're stressed out, or if you feel like I need to book this job right now, then you won't have the freedom to deliver a read that is going to be enjoyed and appreciated by your clients or by an audience. So go through the process of getting coaching and training, enjoy the process along the way, have fun and reach out if you need help because it is, for most people, it's a brand new industry and there's a lot, so it can be overwhelming to jump into it. But there are resources, so have some lifelines, have some support groups and just small incremental steps.
[Music]
Thank you so much, Kerri. Really appreciate that update and I really respect the attitude of doing things with enthusiasm, having fun, trying to give it your all, but also enjoying it along the way. I mean, I think that's definitely important for voiceover work, but perhaps important for lots of other work as well. So listeners, check out her website, Kerrioulsonvo.com. We will link it up on the notes page, but again, Kerrioulson, O-L-S-E-N-V-O.com.
She's got a lot of resources there, including a free voiceover course. Now, as she explained, this is an industry that is new to a lot of people and there are some real skills to learn. So anybody can do it, or at least anybody can do it with some effort and some training. And so if you do want to jump in, there's also a lot to learn. Her website might be a good starting point.
All right, let me know what you think and who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories. If you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Thank you again for tuning in. Do something today to get closer to a goal you believe in. And, you know, if you have a moment, maybe come back again tomorrow.
All right, my name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
