voiceover

Recently I have mentioned that I’ve been looking into starting a career in voice over. Between my time behind a mic podcasting, and the handful of times I’ve been asked to do character reads for friends’ podcasts, I’ve found that I really enjoy the work. At the same time I’m also much more actively looking into working as a podcast editor. As much as it is the part of podcasting that most people truly hate, I actually like doing it. I enjoy getting to see the transformation from raw audio into a finished product. Unfortunately for me, both of these ventures are forcing me to do something I’ve never been particularly good at. I don’t know how to sell myself.

One of the things about me, and in turn the Odd Dad Out Podcast, is that I have always been better at promoting others above myself. It’s just sort of a thing about me. When I enjoy something, I tend to talk about it, at great length, whether you want me to or not. The thing is, I wouldn’t really say that I’m an especially great salesman. That line in and of itself is kind of a bad omen for my future in business. But the thing that I am, without a doubt, is passionate. I am passionate about music. I am passionate about podcasting. I am passionate about my friends. And I am especially passionate about sharing the things I love in a way that nobody can deny. I may not necessarily be able to sell you on my things, but you will surely know that I stand behind it 100 thousand percent. Somehow I have to find a way to take that passion about others and turn it inward to be able to promote myself.

It just feels strange to me to tell others about how great I am. I’ve always been more of a shower rather than teller. I have always felt that my work should speak for me. Unfortunately, when you are trying to get work in the first place, you’ve gotta do some talking to get them interested in seeing what you can do. That’s the number one area I have to work on, and I know it’s going to be a doozy. Aside from my time on mic for podcasting, I’m not the best at talking to people. Now, anybody who knows me would probably say differently, but it’s very different rambling on with co-workers about things in my life and talking to prospective clients about how I will be the best man for the job they need done.

Of course, I’m still very much in the baby stages of both of my business ventures. I know that it will probably drive me nuts trying to learn to sell myself and my services to people.  But I know that if I don’t learn to get out there and show the world what I can really do, I’m going to fail. And after 33 years, for the first time in my life, I think I really know what I want to do when I grow up. Of course it’d take me this long to figure this out. After all, it did take me 30 years to figure out my favorite color.