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Creatives are constantly battling burnout. We’re in a world that lets us make a living as an artist…but the capitalist system by its very nature will try to bleed us dry. UNLESS, we take active steps to set boundaries, enjoy our lives, and avoid burnout. 

Today I’m sharing my four favorite ways to avoid burnout.

Caroline Cole is a writer, voice over artist, and yogi based in Dallas, TX. Follow along on IG (@carolinecolestories) or Twitter (@ccolestories).

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What is “Yes, and…”?

“Yes, and…” thinking comes from the world of improvisational acting, usually performed in comedic sketch rehearsals or shows, which is where I originally picked it up. This style of acting is when one actor automatically accepts what another actor said or did during a scene before the first actor entered. That’s the “Yes” part. And then they expand on that line of thinking. That’s the “And”.

Early in my VO career, my coach encouraged me to utilize the “Yes, and…” principle in my journey – to accept what is given no matter what,and then push it to the next level. 

When a new (even possibly strange) opportunity in my voice-over world comes along, instead of keeping my head down and just doing what I have always done, I have made a commitment to myself to say YES, I’ll do that, AND what else can I learn or what other project may this road lead me towards?

For example, I was scrolling through groups on social media for video game developers as I learned those kinds of connections could lead me to voice video games, which was one of my goals. 

I eventually was invited to join one of these groups. I said YES, I would join AND figure out how I could contribute to the enhancement of that group?

It turns out the leaders of this group were coordinating a virtual conference and were looking for free keynote speakers. I had never given a keynote message at a virtual conference, but I said yes, and: how can I help?

Long story short, (a couple of years later) and after several rounds of me living out “Yes, and…” since joining that group…I have voiced three video games. I got asked to be the casting director for one of them and was able to be the lead voice of that game and cast many of my VO friends and colleagues and give them work which was an extreme joy. 

I could have easily said no to speaking at that event, the original thought of that was so awkward, but I wouldn’t be near as far down my VO journey if I hadn’t said “Yes, and…”

So let me ask you? What have you been saying no to now? After hearing this, you need to go and say “Yes, and…” 

You can do it! Don’t hesitate. You’ll be glad you did. 

Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!

Want to learn more about voiceover? Signup for our introductory VO webinar.

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This week I’m sharing a peek into my weekly audition routine. Collecting auditions throughout the week and knocking them out on Friday morning is my favorite way to end the week and usher in the weekend.

Watch for more details!

Caroline Turner Cole is a voice over artist and writer. Find her on Instagram and Twitter!

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When an audition calls for a slate, it’s not part of the audition to throw away. In fact, it’s often the first thing a producer hears. Make sure it’s something good that will enhance your audition, not get you thrown to the “no” pile. 

Follow along on Instagram @carolinecolestories or on Twitter @ccolestories.

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We all know we should do some form of text analysis…but I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks it can be a drag. 

For those of us looking to maximize time recording and minimize analysis, today’s video is for you!

Today I’m chatting about my must-dos for text analysis for all scripts, shorter scripts (under 90 seconds), and longer scripts (e-learning and audiobooks). Make sure you’re ticking at least these boxes to deliver high-quality reads to all your clients. 

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I chat about my particular habits with regard to working from home. To me, the “work warm-up” is a tool to help you start your day the easy way. Plus, you’ll be equipped to tackle tough projects later on!

Caroline Turner Cole is a voice-over artist, writer, and yoga instructor. Follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

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Hi, I am Jason Leadingham. I was an SAV student not that long ago and I have had some fairly decent early success. In fact, enough to repay my SAV investment a couple of times over already. 

My training and demo program gave me more than skills: it gave me confidence – a key ingredient to anyone’s VO success. If you are struggling with confidence (and we all do from time to time), let me suggest four things that will kill your VO confidence. There are many more than four, but for the sake of time let’s deal with these to turbo-charge your confidence.

I love acronyms. So, the word we are going to use to help us remember these four things is JUNK.

J stands for JACK-WAGON (or Jerks) in the VO Biz. 

These are the people in our industry who are only here to take your money. Phony coaches, shady demo producers, and internet scammers. You have to avoid these folks like you would avoid a sick toddler in front of you in line, coughing in your face in the middle of a crowded Walmart somewhere in the middle of the pandemic. Stay away. 

The great news is that these people are actually few and far between. Hear me out, MOST people in the industry are amazing, delightful, and helpful. And they are here to actually help you and pay it forward. 

How do you know who to avoid? Ask. Ask your SAV coach, ask the VO community, ask the SAV Facebook group hivemind. Your gut can be helpful here too: if it feels off, it probably is. 

U stands for Unknown.

Specifically, we must get rid of the fear of the unknown. Now, this is a tough one because the more you learn about voice-over the more you realize you don’t know much at all. You have to keep learning. The fear of the unknown can paralyze us from moving the proverbial VO ball forward down the field toward our goals. Don’t be afraid of the unknown, embrace the challenge of learning. 

N stands for the Not Booking Blues.

You may be suffering from that right now. We all battle these blues. In fact, if you are not battling them right now, that just means you have battled it in the recent past or you will be battling it again in the near future. 

I have spoken to several VO veterans who say there are still seasons of “not booking” in their successful careers. The question is…can you persevere? 

I think this is where most people give up. It’s okay not to book for a while, but it’s not okay to get so down about it that you don’t continue to work on your craft. I know this feels easier said than done, but all you can do in this situation is to keep going, keep auditioning, keep learning. Eventually, your persistence will pay off. Remember it’s okay not to book, just toss the part out about staying sad about it all the time. 

K stands for Killer Pressure.

I call it killer pressure because the pressure we put on ourselves kills our confidence. If you want your reads to come across sounding confident, you have to perform them feeling confident. The pressure to succeed can be great, but in order to do so, it can be useful to let go of that pressure somehow. 

Again, much easier said than done.You must discover your own way to toss this kind of junk. If you are a person of faith like I am, you can pray and rely on your dependence on a higher power. If spirituality isn’t your thing, then try mediation or a gratitude practice. These things can help remove the pressure in your mind when you dwell on the things you have yet to attain. 

I hope this has been helpful. I believe in you, we have an awesome SAV community that is here for you. Remember to practice dumping that JUNK every day, and all of this will get easier over time. 

Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!

Want to learn more about voiceover? Signup for our introductory VO webinar.

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Today we’re focusing on the other way to book voice-over gigs (besides auditions) – proposals! 

This often-overlooked skill is one every voice-over artist should master. Enjoy the video and explore the links below for more information.

1. Danny Margulies on Twitter
2. @omahacopywriterUpwork’s tips
3. Buy Out and Usage Fees Explained

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Caroline Cole is a writer, voice over artist, and yogi based in Dallas, TX. Follow along on IG (@carolinecolestories) or Twitter (@ccolestories).

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