Thomas Voice Imaging’s Post

Yup. I'm saying it. . .AGAIN. . .especially if you're among the 52% of voice talent that are earning less than $10K per year. (* Per the "State of Voiceover 2024" survey conducted by NAVA.) Auditioning is NOT marketing in the voiceover biz. Suckling on the teat of pay-to-play websites is NOT marketing. You're basically waiting in a soup-line where the soup runs out if you're too far back in the line. And guess what? Those auditions from agents aren't marketing either. The AGENT did the marketing FIRST by cultivating the relationship with that advertising agency or post-production house. Keep in mind that it's the AGENT that has the relationship in place to furnish their clients with ANY from the collection of voices in their stable. . .not YOU and ONLY you. There are very few talent that receive most of their full time income via their agents (props to those that do). Most working-class talent don't even have an agent. The reality is, whether you like it or not. . . whether you accept it or not. . . your voice is a commodity. And there are literally MILLIONS of others competing for the same slices of the VO pie. And there's so much more to eating that pie than auditioning. Unless you have the tools and systems to develop brand recognition and top of mind awareness. . . Unless you invested the time, energy, and expense to build know, like and trust DIRECT with potential clients. . . Unless you know what steps you should be taking EVERY DAY to create attention BEFORE you turn the microphone on to audition. You are NOT marketing. For those that are ready to learn what marketing REALLY is, RING, PING, or DING me to set up your complimentary DISS-covery call. But hit me up soon. . . There are just 51 days remaining to lock in your rates with me before they will most likely increase for new clients on 1/1. #voiceover #voiceovers #voicetalent #voiceactor #voiceacting #voiceovertalent #voiceoveractor #voiceoveracting

At some point knowing where you wanna go, just as critical as getting there. I knew early on in my career that my lifetime would be spent in Voice Over. Wish I could say joining SAG and AFTRA was the genius in me, but it wasn’t. A chance meeting with the markets most successful freelance Union voice actor, former famed New York jingle singer/ Voice actor https://lnkd.in/eHT5VutG Connie Zimmet (rip) had me Taft Hartley into both SAG & AFTRA and remained that status ongoing. From there an over 30 yr booking run, way too many Union Scale VO campaigns to mention. And that’s not the point of this post. The point is “You” what direction is your VO career agenda going to point, go, exist, “END UP” And I say end up, cause we all end up somewhere. There is a somewhat end point to your VO career. At some point where you are right now in your VO career won’t be the same 20 yrs into this. If your even here in this industry still going into your VO booth 20 yrs down the road. Will your agents or managers still be your agent & manager? What will that string of VO accounts your booking today, how will those accounts serve you tomorrow financially? There’s a lot to ponder and be focused on regarding your VO career model. And where you wanna go depends on many circumstances. You can hop on a one☝️on one VO zoom session. In about 2 hours your brain will be well organized and the confusion erased. Perhaps you might take a sharp exit right from this. Optioning a path as either a Non Union Voice actor or Union has critical circumstances and underlying critical shifts in long term fiscal security. If your answer is, “well I’ll just keep Voicing and hitting the VO booking mark ” 😵💫 perhaps, 🤔 perhaps you’ll scratch a 30 maybe even 40 yr working VO agenda like myself. Or perhaps your agent will retire, your clients will move on and tire of your sound. Point yourself where your protected from the future changes, cause change will come. This week I’m concluding 2 VO demos from 2 very talented VO folks Gina Martell and Rob Joesbury, I’m also writing ✍️ and producing a radio spot for a direct client, someone else Voicing. I have numerous radio clients ongoing airing my promo Voice - retainers, Union VO accounts airing, and this week I’m due to have a conversation with a very talented guy on VO, about where he wants to go. And I’m consulting with a very talented up and coming guy Laurence Fridal who enters VO in the New Year. We just concluded close to a year of VO talent development. And I’m on the VO writing team with my dear mate Rich O'Donoghue My point my friend, VO is a thinking persons game. A well calculated game. A build your team rock solid game. If your new to this and you don’t have a free intro call with guy like a Corey Dissin your missing major insight on social media and web development and the toughness factor you need to last here. How do I know how tough you need to be? To last ? Cause I have lasted. dm for more

It's very boring to me to pretend like the entirety of our systems aren't crashing down around us, and in front of us, regardless of where we are seated for the show. It is especially boring to pretend like everything is great or even okay when you are a freelancer, independent creative, or business owner who feels like they need to pretend everything's fine because they think that's what clients want to see. Here's what's true for me: I knew this industry wasn't working for me beginning in 2021, when I had essentially reached a point that I thought was my ultimate — working for Netflix. Now, I love Netflix. And the people I work with there. But it's not because it's a big corporation and fancy name. It's because the people I work with there are passionate and, for the most part, really appreciate and support me as a full person. And I, them. We create effective work for the bottom line, and we aim to do it in a way that makes our days pleasurable and well. But also, the folks I've worked with there are incredibly smart and supportive. Some in ways well beyond commercial work. In magical ways I never could've imagined. This isn't just true at Netflix. This has become true with many/most of my clients I work with now. They aren't a huge client base, but they are loyal over the years. And I never would have given myself the opportunity to build relationships like this if I didn't show up as my true self. A self that doesn't always accept things at face value. A self that sometimes has a lot of questions. A self that, with my clients in the cauldron of ideation, are seeking to infuse secret parts of ourselves into the work that we know often we will only see a small percentage of in the light of day, if at all, but is always worth the shot. And makes our creative process more satisfying between us. It never would've happened if I didn't share some of the difficulties I'm going through from time to time, or take an extra step to reflect on projects so we can adjust and work better moving forward. And generally, to just care about each others' well being. So, maybe it wasn't the industry that wasn't working for me, but how I was masking within it. It's very boring to me when sharing to always amp up wins. And especially when the systems at large are incredibly dark and effecting all of us. Each of us showing up in truth is going to be so much more important as the days go on, so that we know what each other needs and is going through and can compare notes and support each other. And see if we can relocate our hearts and our pulse again in this sometimes life-draining industry. And figure out what to do with that. Capitalism doesn't like death because it doesn't like how unreliable true transformation can be. But we are not capitalism (if we don't let ourselves be), we are not machines. And we are transforming. And we are all way more capable of holding space for that for each other than we talk about.

In 2015 I had this crazy idea to start filming things. So I reached out to everyone and asked if I could make them a promo video. I landed this gig in NYC and filmed one of the coolest gyms I've been to. Built in an abandoned church. With a live DJ. As I'm filming I look to my left and see Anderson Cooper bench pressing. Back then, I was so nervous to make a video of myself. So I filmed others. They started getting views, leads, and clients from the videos I made them. The videos worked. That's when I decided to turn the camera around. What should I say? How should I act? What if my hair is messed up? Do people actually want to see me on camera? Will it work? Month 1 - I was too scared to make a video. Month 2 - I was too scared to make a video. Month 3 - I was too scared to make a video. Month 4 - I was too scared to make a video. Month 5 - I was too scared to make a video. Month 6 - Made my first video. It sucked. I made 5 more. They sucked. Tried a script - didn't work. Tried memorizing - didn't work. Tried off the cuff - didn't work. Tried bullet points - that worked! Made 10 more. They were better. Made a few more. One worked. Had a call with a new lead. He says "I've been watching your videos, I'm ready to sign up." He's paid me over $300,000 lifetime since (still a client). 9 years later. - 632 videos - 102K subscribers - 2,500 customers I've been making videos ever since. Why did I write this post? I hope it motivates you. Turn the camera around. Talk about something you are passionate about. Make 632 videos. Don't be scared. You got this! #ThrowbackThursday

If you are choosing not to post content on your platforms because of the holiday weekend, you're missing an enormous opportunity to gain valuable traction with your network. Faces are buried in phones during holidays. You want those faces looking at YOU. As of 8:45am pacific time today, this post is post number TWO today. . . With at least one more scheduled for later this afternoon. . . Two more ready for Sunday. . . And two more planned for Memorial Day. With each post, my network continues to grow. My impressions continue to grow. My top-of-mind awareness continues to grow. And for those that wrinkle their noses at that notion and say “You can’t grind all the time. You need to decompress and spend time with family". . . My wife and I have time earmarked for relaxation and entertainment all weekend long. And I'm not missing a single workout either. (In fact, I'm heading to the Iron Paradise right after I do this post.) It is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. You just have to invest the time, money, and energy to learn how to do it. And you have to want it bad enough. If you wanna learn how, and you want it bad enough, DM me. #voiceover #voiceovers #voicetalent #voiceactor #voiceacting #voiceovertalent #voiceoveractor #voiceoveracting

I talk a lot on here about reels and how I help people more than double the amount of jobs they’re booking from them. But maybe you’ve wondered… 💭 How often do I recommend sharing/promoting your reel? 💭 What’s my strategy to hook people in from the start (and keep them watching long enough to convince them you’re the best person for the job)? 💭 What are the criteria to select your clips? 💭 And, do I have a guide so you don’t miss anything? (Yes, yes I do!) The answer to all these questions is inside Reels That Seal the Deal where I go into detail about how to transform your reel into a booking machine so you can work more and audition less! And right now, you can get a FREE BONUS…join me live on Zoom with some other theater folks for 90 minutes where I’ll help you implement everything in the guide and answer all of your questions! Clink the link in the first comment to grab the guide (and to join this free live session, too)! BTW, if you already have Reels That Seal the Deal, check your email for your personal invite to this call! :)

HEY VOICEOVER TALENT! There are only THIRTY FIVE days left in 2024! And for many of you, you have spent the last 330 days procrastinating, kicking the can down the road, and selling yourself on all of the excuses why you haven't been able to commit to fully investing in yourself. . .especially if you're among the 52% of voice talent that are earning less than $10K per year. (* Per the "State of Voiceover 2024" survey conducted by NAVA.) Now you could use the next 35 days to coast to the finish line and hope and pray that things will somehow be magically different at the start of the new year. . . You could use the next 35 days to squander time and resources on activities and events that generate lots of peer-cheers but not a lot of paychecks. . . OR You could use the next 35 days to begin to learn systems and processes to build an actual voiceover BUSINESS (like you know the kind that wins clients and generates revenue.) And you can use the next 35 days to lock in your rates with me before they will most likely increase for new clients on 1/1. RING, PING, or DING me to hit the ground running in 2025. #voiceover #voiceovers #voicetalent #voiceactor #voiceacting #voiceovertalent #voiceoveractor #voiceoveracting

Aren’t we all sick of people saying we need to move the goalposts as we have too many balls in the air and don’t have enough bandwidth to focus on moving the needle during the paradigm shift, forcing us to think outside the box as we whiteboard the hard stop saying this is all above my paygrade while the rockstar is able to move the needle using synergy to touch base?   OK, well not quite, but you won’t find any overused corporate lingo in my brand-spanking-new corporate narration demo!   🙏 I cannot thank J. Michael Collins enough for this incredibly generous component of the 2023 One Voice USA Conference J. Michael Collins Academic Scholarship! 🙏   🎙 After having hit a prolonged rough patch, it has been an enormous jump start to be able to show prospective buyers my current range and capabilities as a voice actor.   🎙 We ALL grow as voiceover talent so if your demos are more than 5 years old and you have less than 10 years in the business, you more than likely “sound” better today, than when you had your demo produced.   🎙 And as you are well aware, your voiceover demo is essentially a “promise” to the casting agent/buyer that you can deliver everything you showcase in your demo at the drop of a pin within a recording session.   🎙 It was a lot of fun during the prep and recording session with JMC Demos and believe the end product is a much more accurate reflection of my current abilities.   🎙 If you like what you hear and would like to connect, request a no-obligation audition, book me for your next project or just hop on a call/Zoom chat to get to know each other better, reach out anytime at david@davidgilbertvoiceover.com. 📩   #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceovertalent #voiceovers #demos #corporatenarration #corporatevideos

There’s nothing quite like running your own voiceover business. It’s not just about having control; it’s about making choices that fit your life and your style. Here’s why it’s awesome: > Choose What You Work On: You pick the projects that excite you. Whether it’s bringing characters to life or promoting products you believe in, you call the shots. > Work on Your Clock: Say goodbye to the 9-to-5. Work early, late, or in between. It’s all about when you feel most creative. > Grow on Your Terms: Every win is yours. Want to upgrade your studio or learn new skills? You decide what’s next and move at your own pace. > Make Meaningful Connections: Dealing directly with clients isn't just business; it’s personal. You build relationships, not just a client list, leading to work that’s often more fulfilling. > Earn What You Deserve: You set your rates. As you grow in skill and reputation, you can earn more—without waiting for someone else to give you a raise. Being a solopreneur means living your passion on your terms. It’s challenging, sure, but incredibly rewarding. Calling All Solopreneurs: What do you love about running your show? Share your thoughts or tips for newcomers stepping into this exciting role. #solopreneur #voiceoverartist #voiceoverindustry #voiceover

📽 THEY SAID NO. Now, what? 📽 Did you know that out of 100 emails you send to potential investors or clients, you most likely will only receive up to 6 responses maximum? Same probably goes for the amount of auditions you go out for if you're an actor or performer. And that's a HUGE average win for most in the production and creative agency space. 📽 Yet, locking those six in for partnership, booking or whatever is where you have to bust out your secret sauce to land a deal that benefits both parties. Yet, what if even in crushing that meeting, callback, or pitch, you still get a NO. 📽 Sucks, right? But, it doesn't always lead to NO forver, it can just be a no for right now. The season and budget aren't right, but it can be in the future! This is the reason it's always important to build relationships and understand that they can be the right clients, but the wrong time. 📽 So, even if it's a NO, it's a win for later because: 🌞 You'll be top of mind for the future. 🌞 They have a better idea of what the investment will be and can prepare adequately. 🌞 There will be little back and forth, so you can head into something great at the start with ease. 🌞 They'll book you directly for another gig or call you into audition. So, yes, sometimes you're talking to the wrong person, and they just aren't your client, but most times you're talking to the right one, but it's the wrong time. Always take a NO as a not now with grace and build relationships that will last with people who will come back around when the time is right. How have you learned to take in the NOT RIGHT NOW moments? Sound off below! ⬇️🥰 #ceomindset101 #videoproductioncompany #videoproducer #womeninmarketing #womenempower #womeninfilmandtv #funnywomen #actors