logologo
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com 202-738-1151
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

I had a nice Thursday last week. One of those days where a few things come together and you unexpectedly book more revenue in 24 hours than your usual monthly target. A happy dance may have been involved. Perhaps two.

My instinct, sitting there at about 3PM on the Thursday before a holiday weekend, was to power down the studio, slap myself on the back for a job well done, and open a nice cold cerveza. See you Monday, voiceover business.

Instead, I did another 30 auditions over the next few hours, replied to client emails, worked a bit more on my upcoming book, began writing several scripts for student demos, and did some marketing. I quit around 10:30 that night.

Do I have a problem? Maybe. It’s hard not to love what we do. It’s harder still not to take it for granted when it is going well. Yet, I recalled last April, when after a surprisingly good March considering over a week of lost workdays for VO Atlanta, I had the ugliest month I’ve had in a few years. Yes, it was an aberration, but missing your standard monthly target by 40% even once lingers in the memory. So I passed on the beer, and went back to work.

One of the most critical separating factors between the talent I see acting relaxed and comfortable in the consistency of their business, and those who always seem to have a little panic around the eyes, is the sense that the only answer to how much VO work is enough for the former group is always, “more.” While many talent will catch lightning in a bottle from time to time, the glow of that big booking or career-advancing step fades quickly. Consistent, repeat business from a core of stable, loyal clients does not.

How do you get there? You do 30 auditions when you would prefer to have a brewskie. You make one more marketing call when you’d rather spend a few minutes making monkey noises with your kids.

You don’t stop. You push harder. You keep going.

Trackback URL: https://www.jmcvoiceover.com/2017/04/17/a-good-day/trackback/

J. Michael Collins
Previous Post3 Things
Next PostWhat Are We Really Selling?
4 Comments
  • tre April 17, 2017 Reply

    Keep pushing that rock up that hill!

  • Braillestone April 17, 2017 Reply

    Thank you for talking about how it's done!

  • Josh Goodman April 18, 2017 Reply

    Very well said, man. And one more thing to add is that part of creating that consistent business filled with stable, loyal clients is being DIVERSIFIED. Being able to successfully execute several aspects of v/o is, at least I've found, a critical component for long-term success in this business. Sure, PROMO or MOVIE TRAILER is a ton of fun and pretty glamorous, but if you don't balance that out with E-Learning, Narration, Industrial, and Affiliate work, your monthly fluctuations will only be more pronounced.

  • Melanie Granfors April 19, 2017 Reply

    Wow, your timing on this one is impeccable, sir! I was just going to call you and whine about how frustrating this constant auditioning can be — as if you didn't know! I went right into my studio and auditioned for 10 jobs, when I really only had energy for 8. And now I learn that when you're tired, you push through with 30! Thank you for the great pep talk. Keep calm and audition on!

Leave a comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives
Subscribe
  • Receive News & Updates
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
RECENT TWEETS

@jmcvoiceover

April 16th 2021 03:04:21

https://t.co/JvlVDlCp3x

The latest episode is out!
The effervescent Elley Ray is my guest this week where we discu… https://t.co/GvCkijMG4B

@jmcvoiceover

April 12th 2021 06:04:14

@leegoettl I may have LOL’d

@jmcvoiceover

April 12th 2021 06:04:54

https://t.co/1ROte2BN73

People have accused me of being corny. I think this makes it official.

Happy to be the v… https://t.co/5M34jufx8f

@jmcvoiceover

April 9th 2021 01:04:50

https://t.co/BOEJrwQ5ml

Love them or hate them, if online casting sites are a part of your mix, you need to know h… https://t.co/Uf1h2yXbqi

@jmcvoiceover

April 8th 2021 10:04:02

https://t.co/8mn2nBzLUS

Episode 6 is out! Chloe Dolandis joins me to discuss our common interests in yoga, vegetar… https://t.co/pj3uaRQuFh

@jmcvoiceover

March 31st 2021 07:03:06

@kimwillsher1 Thanks!

@jmcvoiceover

March 31st 2021 06:03:41

@kimwillsher1 Has “Saturday evening” been confirmed? So non-essential shops will remain open on Saturday?

@jmcvoiceover

March 30th 2021 10:03:49

https://t.co/7URT2mvl1u

What came first, the Talent or the Training?
#vo #voiceovers #voiceover https://t.co/BM3IoGOfzN

@jmcvoiceover

March 29th 2021 09:03:09

https://t.co/1aTLUHwDBc

The brilliant Stefan Johnson joins me this week to chat about TikTok, BBQ, youngins, and w… https://t.co/MncJG2rs7D

@jmcvoiceover

March 25th 2021 12:03:42

Buy tickets to VO Atlanta. Get popcorn. Watch. Enjoy.
The Online Casting Panel is back. https://t.co/Bj79KQw4qR
#vo… https://t.co/wSAlOg9sPn

@jmcvoiceover

March 23rd 2021 02:03:45

https://t.co/QNkDLbqUFJ

The brilliant madness of Jas Patrick, learn all about hot chicken and Hoppin' John, and we… https://t.co/uas8YRBPeB

@jmcvoiceover

March 23rd 2021 07:03:47

Don't miss my Live Demo Review with Sound & Fury's Jill Kershaw at VO Atlanta!

Submit your demos for consideration… https://t.co/cp17fGhRat

@jmcvoiceover

March 18th 2021 10:03:21

@audiblyyours Talk to Lisa :)

@jmcvoiceover

March 18th 2021 09:03:15

Another group of Impressive Talent from Impressive Talent...great job in today's session! #vo #voiceover… https://t.co/GnASnlndrx

@jmcvoiceover

March 18th 2021 12:03:01

@AskAmex Real classy helping a vendor steal $14K from a small business owner in the middle of a pandemic. Shame on… https://t.co/1smP529Fj1

@jmcvoiceover

March 15th 2021 10:03:36

https://t.co/Vr6LWobNH0

#vo #voiceover #voiceovers #casting #talentagency https://t.co/OOPObDO1lE

@jmcvoiceover

March 3rd 2021 11:03:12

https://t.co/ZD5fsCJJZ5

The end is near. For some.
#vo #voiceover #voiceovers #ai #artificialintelligence https://t.co/ZiRAvQHPtQ

@jmcvoiceover

March 2nd 2021 12:03:31

This April, the Unicorn Award will finally change hands again after a year off due to the pandemic. Three talent wi… https://t.co/rwbI2wlW6a

@jmcvoiceover

March 1st 2021 09:03:05

https://t.co/3Gi5So033z

Episode 2 of This Week in Voiceover is up!

Armin Hierstetter joins with his usual subtle… https://t.co/dRkBJURB2W

@jmcvoiceover

February 25th 2021 09:02:14

Group coaching the impressive talent from Impressive Talent never gets old! Congrats to this fantastic lineup on a… https://t.co/t20cd9dVwJ

@jmcvoiceover

February 24th 2021 02:02:17

https://t.co/MNhFF82TIE

@jmcvoiceover

February 23rd 2021 12:02:59

https://t.co/TsWRTGPECx

I'm proud to premiere my new weekly podcast!

Check out Episode 1, featuring the hilarious… https://t.co/6vIV13Povi

@jmcvoiceover

February 22nd 2021 01:02:52

https://t.co/KGOBME8qLb

Check out my upcoming VO Xtra webinar featuring the legend himself, Dave Fennoy. Get the l… https://t.co/uJQFXKCilX

@jmcvoiceover

February 22nd 2021 12:02:54

https://t.co/G9xs7Dvb9P

Everybody was Facebook Fight-ing......... #vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/0t3SLUQumk

@jmcvoiceover

February 2nd 2021 04:02:01

RT @UKVoiceTalent: My new #commercialdemo. Courtesy of @jmcvoiceover and his incredible team. Having the demo created was one of my prizes…

@jmcvoiceover

February 2nd 2021 04:02:56

@UKVoiceTalent @DebMunroVO @Elley_Ray #rockstar

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 08:01:45

RT @jasonkappus: #HeyVAs: ALWAYS. BE. LEARNING. Coaching/listening/studying/conversing. Engage with the community, hit those free webinars.…

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 08:01:37

@jasonkappus I'll send you an invoice. :P

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 12:01:25

@CodyRockVO @plushiebunnies GREAT job!

@jmcvoiceover

January 25th 2021 11:01:23

This is what being a dad is all about. #goat @TomBrady is pure class. https://t.co/0u7leKhx7e

@jmcvoiceover

January 20th 2021 04:01:58

https://t.co/TAbOBrCwXH

@jmcvoiceover

January 19th 2021 04:01:59

@TheAlixMartin @GravyForBrain @JMCdemos You rocked it! Always a pleasure working with you. :)

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 05:01:45

https://t.co/FPkETFCxTZ

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 01:01:22

https://t.co/89rhMteg8P

Are you honoring your colleagues' kindness when they give you the gift of a recommendation… https://t.co/ewP1XnGptL

@jmcvoiceover

January 14th 2021 11:01:17

@jasonkappus LOL :)

CONTACT
202-738-1151
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy ©2021 J. Michael Collins // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites