Tag: Voiceover

Choreographer Moonlights as Voiceover Artist

What It’s About

A music theatre director takes her own cues and makes over six figures as a voice actress on Fiverr.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Looking to start your own Fiverr career, Kate’s got some helpful tips; “Fiverr is always a bit of a guessing game since I don’t always know exactly what’s being weighted in the algorithm at any given moment. Investing in solid equipment, tending to messages and reviews as quickly as possible, and constantly improving my product has truly the best way to ensure success.”

Fun Fact

Kate offered to buy her colleague dinner in exchange for her getting a behind the scenes look at what voice artists do. That was her first encounter with voice-over work, and the rest as they say, is history.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1212
Kate Quinn has never known a life without freelancing. Back in 2016 she was working a full-time job as a choreographer at a theatre while running her own independent fitness business. One day, she decided she wanted to produce some video content to share on her website. As she began to bring her ideas to life, she realized she needed someone to do voice-over work for those videos. Turning to her network, she asked a colleague at the theater if he might be able to help.

Going through this process made Kate curious. She wanted to learn more about how voiceover gigs worked. So, in exchange for dinner, that colleague offered to show her everything that he was doing behind the scenes.

Kate invested a few hundred dollars to get started, picking up a decent microphone and learning as she went along. She also found some free editing software that offered a solid starting point.

Now she was ready to start recording, but where to get her first customers? She thought about where she was already buying services, and one of those places was Fiverr. Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance services where users can list small one-off jobs. It was originally designed with the idea that any job would cost just $5, though now jobs can start at any dollar value.

Having had a good experience as a buyer, Kate opened a seller account. As she created her listing, she was mindful to make sure that it was attractive. Her photos had to look great, her descriptions had to be thorough, and the services she offered clearly listed.

Creating a really attractive, well put together seller profile was key to her success. In March 2016, Fiverr served up her first client, and she put the equipment she had purchased to good use. Everything worked as planned, and Kate realized that this could be the start of something big. The more gigs she completed, the more the reviews started to pour in. As people raved about her work, her ranking on Fiverr’s internal algorithm rose.

To Kate, that’s the beauty of Fiverr. When she does her job well and presents clear information, the marketing takes care of itself. As she says, “the platform values excellent work, reviews and clicks, so the better your product and the more people rate you well, the more likely you are to be visible to buyers.”

While she still faces the occasional difficulty with customers and hard to pronounce words—especially when narrating in medical-related videos—Kate has never stopped working hard. She knows it’s worth it when she hears herself in corporate voicemails for companies she uses, or on Spotify marketing various companies. In October, Kate’s business hit six figures for the first time.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

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Yours in the revolution,

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Quote of the Day
"Investing in solid equipment, tending to messages and reviews as quickly as possible, and constantly improving my product has truly the best way to ensure success."
—Kate Quinn #SideHustleSchool

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Learning Designer Presses Play on Voiceover Gig

What It’s About

A working mom presses play on a voiceover gig and creates more freedom for herself.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Carrie says that having an excellent demo is a great way to start finding commercial work. A good one typically costs anywhere from $1,000-$2,000, but she says that it’s important to get some experience under your belt before investing money into one.

Fun Fact

Carrie and her family traveled around the United States for 9 months in a travel trailer. While this was an awesome adventure, it became difficult for Carrie to find a place quiet enough to record her voiceovers. Once, she even drove to a cemetery to record. She says that, “you may have heard a commercial on the TV or radio that was recorded from the back seat of a Durango in a cemetery in New Mexico.”

Notes from Chris

Episode 923

On the way to work one morning, Carrie Olsen decided that she was going to start listening to a new podcast. Already a lover of side hustles, Carrie was drawn to one about people who did unusual jobs—and it wasn’t ours! She pressed play on the latest episode and started listening to an interview with professional voiceover actress Alyson Steel.

Alyson was a mom, just like Carrie. But, unlike Carrie, she got to start her day by doing yoga and seeing her kids before they went to school. After that, she settled into her home recording studio for her day of work. With a newborn at home, the idea of being able to work from her house was music to Carrie’s ears.

Not only that, but Carrie also had a background in freelance podcast hosting and had narrated several courses for her day job as an eLearning Designer. Suddenly, it seemed like voiceover work wasn’t just something that she could pursue, it was something that she should.

She scored her first job about a month later. It was a 2-minute long narration for a Danish company, and she was paid $450. With extra cash in her bank account and pep in her step, Carrie kept her ear to the ground in the pursuit of more jobs.

After another small job, her third client brought Carrie a fat paycheck and a newfound sense of confidence. She was hired to record a national radio campaign for the outdoor gear store REI. This gig brought in $2,000. Not only that, but REI wanted to keep doing projects with her in the future. With the promise of more money, Carrie began to wonder how much she could make if she pursued her hustle full-time.

She began to pursue voice acting full-time only four months after she started her hustle, Carrie Olsen Voiceover. In her first year, she made almost exactly the same amount of money that she made in her old, corporate job, which was right around $45,000.

Since then, Carrie has been steadily increasing her salary. In the meantime, she designed her own course for voiceover coaching, combining both of her strengths in eLearning and in voice acting. In 2017, she broke six figures.

While Carrie has made serious (sound) waves in the voiceover industry, she already has new ideas for her business growth. She just did a few promos for Netflix and hopes to get into more promo work in the future. Carrie will also be releasing a new online course, all about marketing for voiceovers.

With the help of a side hustle, Carrie used her voice to hit all the right notes in her search for a better life.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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Quote of the Day
"As a side hustle, the best part of the experience was the joy I got from it. Everyday, I was discovering more about the industry, and when I started bringing in an income from it, it didn’t even seem real. Now, the best part of the experience is feeling like I’ve been able to design my lifestyle. I don’t feel trapped at a job that keeps me from the things I love most."
—Carrie Olsen #SideHustleSchool

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Doctor Does Off-Hours Voiceover Work to Pay Med School Bills

What It’s About

When faced with the overwhelming debt associated with going through med school, this post doc student turns to one of his best attributes to pay the bills—his voice.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

“Getting good at voiceover work, Anatol says, “is as much about listening as speaking. A good ear makes all the difference.” He listens back to old recordings, checking for flaws in quality or intonation that he might not have picked up on at the time. And he trains his ear by spending time listening to ads, to study the voiceover artist’s approach and its effect.

It’s also important to be attuned to what the client is looking for, so Anatol has learned to pay careful attention to the brief and take artistic direction on board.

Fun Fact

Anatol’s favorite voiceover project so far was for the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. He helped create three videos about three men from the Netherlands who were retracing the steps of Van Gogh’s life. Getting into character for the voiceover had Anatol nearly in tears!

Check out the videos at #FollowVanGogh to hear him in action.

Notes from Chris

Episode 489

In 2016, Anatol Silotch was a recent med school graduate with an abundance of bills to pay. With his funds running out, he needed to earn some extra cash in between medical work experience and studying for his next board exams.

A friend in the music industry suggested voiceover work, so Anatol figured he’d sound it out. A few Google searches later, it was clear that voiceover artistry was a booming industry—albeit a competitive one. Anatol decided to try his hand, and see if he really had the voice for the job.

His first step was to figure out the equipment he needed. Some online research taught him the basics of creating a mini home studio. He was on a tight budget, so he didn’t splash out on buying high-end gear, and cleverly makeshifted the rest. He headed over to Best Buy and bought a microphone (which was $150), an acoustic foam (which was $90) and an Audio Interface (which was $230). He used an old box to make a booth and fashioned a pop-filter out of a wire hanger and a cut up shirt. He already had audio software from his days as a DJ, but he mentioned that Audacity and Pro Tools would have been good free alternatives.

Now that he had the tech set up, he needed clients!

Anatol’s first gigs were tiny, and not well paid. But knowing he was brand new to the world of voiceover, he used them as experience—and within a couple of weeks landed a spot with a national client. With his confidence boosted, he went on to grow his list of clients to include the likes of Corona, Samsung and Dell. He now brings in between $500 and $2,000 per month. With no significant outgoings and upfront costs that totaled $570, those numbers really talk some sense!

Both revenue and time needed can vary a lot month to month—but over time, with more experience and a growing portfolio, Anatol got quicker at auditioning and saw a steady increase in income. He saved time by learning to focus on auditioning for jobs that really made sense for his voice and style.

Anatol had always wanted to run a business, but assumed his first and only shot at it would be the medical practice he plans to open in the future. He’s surprised to find himself with a side-hustle business along the way! His focus now is to continue using voiceover work to fund his medical dreams. And as his client list grows, so does his profile. So while he’s taking more medical board exams, and shadowing people in the medical field, he’ll keep using his voice to earn the cash he needs to support himself.

One thing’s for sure—this is definitely a side hustle worth shouting about!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Doctor Says Voiceovers: Learn more about what Anatol, and check out some of the organizations he’s done voiceover work on his website
  • Voices.com: The online marketplace for voice actors that Anatol subscribed to

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Everyone wants the end goal, but you have to realize there are many steps you must meet along the way. Like anything in life, you have to work for it, and realizing your small successes will prove a greater positive influence than only focusing on the big goal that may take too long to get to."
—Anatol Silotch #SideHustleSchool

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

South African Writer Launches Accidental Acting Career

What It’s About

A journalist acts out in a new creative medium and discovers a lucrative side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Eugene says filming television ads for major brands is a lot of fun and that it helps him get in touch with a more dynamic and playful side of his personality than his more serious writing and journalism work.

Who says that you can’t have it all? A side hustle can help you get the best of both worlds and satisfy a creative desire that your day job doesn’t fulfill.

Fun Fact

Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He also spent a couple of years working in branding and communications and three years at an e-learning startup, all while building his writing business. He writes about travel, leisure, food, wine, marketing, media, television, film, music, theatre, art, books, business, personal development, and more.

Notes from Chris

Episode 391

Today’s story comes from Eugene Yiga in Cape Town, South Africa. By day, he’s a writer: he’s done journalism, blogging, copywriting and content marketing across multiple industries. His side hustle is television acting and voice over work… which he stumbled into by accident.

Eugene grew up surrounded by people from all over the world, so he’s always had an accent that people struggled to place. People had also often told him he had a voice for radio, so he decided to give voice-over work a try, in addition to seeing if he could get cast for commercials.

He figured “Why not?” He bought an acting book and took a couple of improv classes, and before long, he found an agent through a friend. Soon afterward, he started getting requests to audition for castings for television commercials.

Learning to audition well was more of a learning process. After seven unsuccessful auditions in a row, Eugene got his first call-back for a national beer commercial for Castle Lager. Eugene was nervous about his first time in front of the camera for a real gig, but it went well. Soon after, he was back for more auditions. Next, he landed work for two other ads: Lunch Bar chocolate and Sprite (the soft drink).

While he can’t discuss his exact earnings due to the terms of his contract, he says that this work accounted for a quarter of his income last year, which more than made up for his low startup costs of buying a book and taking improv classes. In fact, the extra money from his accidental acting career has helped him get a head start on paying off his mortgage early.

Check out one of his commercials for Cadbury’s Lunch Bar below (Eugene is on the left):

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"It can be disappointing when you perform well in an audition or a call-back but don’t get chosen because it’s mostly about whether or not you look the part. But my work as a writer has taught me not to take rejection personally. Each experience is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and do better next time."
—Eugene Yiga #SideHustleSchool

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Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Radio Personality Channels Her Vocal Cords for Extra Income

What It’s About

A love of acting leads an ex-radio personality to a voice acting side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

I think the greatest thing about building location independent work is that you can travel. It doesn’t mean you have to; it just means you aren’t confined to a physical location all the time.

As long as she has an internet connection, this side hustle allows Mindy to work from anywhere. This means she’s been able to spend time in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, and London, and to work as much or as little as she wants—which allows her to focus on what really “matters” most to her.

Fun Fact

This Canadian Broadcast Journalism professor has always had the acting bug as well as a knack for playing around with her voice. She remembers growing up in London, Ontario where even as a child, she used her voice to imitate celebrities. Back then, her repertoire included Olivia Newton-John, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jan Brady, and Charo.

Notes from Chris

Episode 160

Mindy Williamson always wanted more control over her career and time. After she was unexpectedly “restructured”—as she puts it—from a radio morning show job she had done for 20 years, she began to look for something new, flexible and fulfilling.

Mindy knew she loved telling stories, and she felt that using your voice, not just the words, to tell a story could bring it to life—could really make it pop.  Having spent years in a radio studio and working on commercials, it seemed like a no-brainer for her to make voice acting her side hustle.

She invested about $2,000 upfront—$500 for soundproofing material, $650 for a good microphone, and about $1,000 for various memberships, including to Voices.com, an online marketplace for voice actors. Then she hired a local company to build and maintain her website. Her ongoing costs include $28 each month for editing software and about $250 per year to maintain her website.

Now, Mindy provides the voice for TV and radio commercials, e-learning projects, telephone services, movie trailers and audio books. She says it’s different every day, which keeps it fun. Her fees range from $100 for a simple, short project to $5,000 for long-form narration.

She also offers private voice coaching for $150 per hour, as well as workshop coaching courses to improve speaking and presentation skills that range from $250 to $2,5000 in cost.

Her profit varies month to month—sometimes reaching as much as $5,000—but Mindy says weathering the ebb and flow has been one of the most challenging aspects of the hustle. On average, though, she’s earned between $1,250 and $2,500 monthly.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Speaking Matters: Read more about Mindy and her voice work on her website
  • Voices.com: The online marketplace for voice actors that Mindy subscribed to

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

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Quote of the Day
"Right now I am juggling a lot, but I like each of my jobs and really don’t see a need to give any of them up. Becoming a voice-over artist has changed my life. I’m able to travel, and I can work as much or as little as I want!"
—Mindy Williamson #SideHustleSchool

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Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

How One Man Used a $100 Microphone to Make Over $8,000

What It’s About

Part-Time Voiceover Service

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Parker was able to greatly increase his rates (and break out of the low-priced, generic service market) once he learned to specialize. Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades: choosing a speciality will almost always be a more profitable choice.

Fun Fact

Parker has enjoyed the extra income his side hustle has provided, but his favorite part of the hustle is the variety of people he’s been able to connect with. On any given day, he could be recording for a Chevy dealership in Taiwan or a rave music DJ in Eastern Europe. To learn more about Parker and his hustle, visit his page on Fiverr!

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I started out doing article writing and editing but stopped when I realized I was basically working for minimum wage. I found a better way once I started doing voiceover."
—Parker McDonald #SideHustleSchool

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau