Today I chat with Juanita Casas, head of Voice123.com. Juanita is a panelist on my Online Casting Leadership Panel at VO Atlanta 2017!
JMC: Tell us about your role at Voice123.
JUANITA: As Head of Operations at Voice123 I have a hand in virtually every aspect of the business. I am tasked with ensuring that the everyday activities run smoothly, and that the team has the best working environment, processes, and the right tools to succeed.
JMC: What was your professional background before joining Voice123?
JUANITA: I’m an Industrial Engineer, I studied this career in Bogotá, Colombia. I have a Masters in Industrial Economics and Management from a University called Blekinge Tekniska Högskola in Sweden, (no, I don’t speak Swedish.) Before Voice123 I worked with companies in the real estate sector in areas of production and management.
JMC: You are based in Bogota, Colombia, right? What is Bogota like?
JUANITA: With a population of over 8 million people, everyone might think that living in Bogotá is hectic, and crazy. Somehow, it is true: the pace of life is fast, but there are many possibilities. The city has an awesome urban feel to it. With lots of restaurants, nice bars, and cool cafés, Bogota offers thousands of places to hang out and meet with friends. The weather is quite variable, (if you don’t mind some rain,) and it is always between 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Bogotá is a large city where you can find anything you want.
Even if Bogotá has traffic jam problems, pollution and congestions in peak hours, the energy you feel is amazing. People think outside the box and are very creative when it comes to finding solutions. We are kind. We’ll smile at you in the street.
JMC: What do you find most enjoyable about working at Voice123?
JUANITA: At Torre, (our parent company,) our culture is solid. It represents who we are as people and as a company. I enjoy the positive attitude and the energy of my teammates; everyone is creative and passionate…..we keep an open mind and consider all opportunities. I also enjoy the communicating with the users of our platform, learning from them, and working to give them a better product. When we say that we want to help you take your voiceover career to the next level, it really comes from our hearts.
JMC: What advice would you offer talent who are new to the site?
JUANITA: The online market is fast-paced, exciting, and competitive. I’m sure you want to give yourself every advantage so I suggest that you follow these two points:
1. To be successful, coaching and training are absolutely essential.
2. Have a home studio to audition. In today’s world of online casting, most buyers will expect you to record professional, high-quality audio from your home studio.
JMC: You are a Panelist on the Online Casting Leadership panel at VO Atlanta. What is Voice123’s philosophy as a leader in the online casting marketplace?
JUANITA: We believe that great voice overs are created by those who master their craft. Voice123 was born to add value to the voiceover industry. We do exactly what we say we do: Voice123 is transparent, trustworthy, concise and direct, energized and engaging. We are different and unique. We want to remain authentic until the end of time. For these reasons we take very seriously the importance of achieving innovation while meeting the customer’s expectations to improve the effectiveness of our developments and technologies we intend to bring to life.