JMC Voiceover Source Connect
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
  • Podcast
  • Events
    • Euro Vo Retreat
    • VO Atlanta
    • One Voice Conference USA
  • Public Speaker Training
    • Public Speaker Training
    • Public Speaking Coach
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Lead with Gratitude

by J. Michael Collins

The voiceover industry isn’t perfect. It’s filled with the same little professional hassles and internal squabbles that any field faces. Some of these challenges are more important than others, and they don’t necessarily deserve to be dismissed. Nevertheless, as people who get to do this work professionally, we should always stop to count our blessings. To lead with gratitude works, and it has always carried me past even the most gnawing VO irritations.

Here are a few things I’m grateful for:

Agents

I’m grateful to have great representation in numerous markets and am not the least bit bothered if the occasional job is sent to me that I’m not a good fit for, or if jobs are duplicated among multiple agencies. I have agents who curate auditions just for me, and others who blast the firehose into my inbox. I book with both, and every single agent I have has proprietary work that I don’t see anywhere else.

I’m grateful to be on their rosters in times where agents are fighting harder than ever to uphold rates and feed their own families. The inconvenience of getting an audition for a Hungarian female with a falsetto voice is a small price to pay for having access to quality paying work.

Newbies

I love new talent. I love their enthusiasm, their energy, and their excitement. Do they ask a lot of the same questions both privately and in public forums? Sure. And I think it’s great. The fact that they consider our opinions as pros to have some value is rewarding after putting a quarter of a century into this business. There’s nothing that will dampen the enthusiasm of new talent faster than being ridiculed for a dumb question or being shouted at to use the search tool instead. Noobs, ask away. I’m grateful you think I have advice worth listening to.

Conferences, All of Them

From VO Atlanta to VOcation to One Voice to MAVO and That’s Voiceover, and all the others out there, I’m grateful that the organizers make it their mission to create places where industry colleagues can congregate and learn. The enthusiastic reception received even for virtual content in the middle of a pandemic is a testament to the quality that these events offer, and to the need among our tight-knit community to come together whether in person or remotely to celebrate what we do.

And I’m grateful to all the presenters. The veteran sages we see at almost every event because their wisdom is too valuable not to have them on the marquee, and the new blood that continues to join the ranks of VO educators each year, offering fresh takes and diverse perspectives that dovetail with the changes taking place in our industry and society.

Clients

Even the demanding ones who dump volumes of work on you the day before vacation, or need just one more ABC, or want you to sound “like Don LaFontaine, but conversational.”

You pay our bills, and in the end, the customer is always right. I’m grateful that you place value on my performance, and I’m dedicated to rewarding that confidence with quality.

The Competition

Otherwise known as our colleagues, for being brilliant at what you do, in whatever part of the industry you work, and for pushing me to be better at everything that I do so that I can keep up.

Family

For reminding me what this is all about. Not money, or visibility, or even the satisfaction of a job well done…….but knowing that another day in the booth is another day that they are taken care of, and seeing their smiles as a reward for a hard day’s work.

Gratitude.

It’s so tempting to find frustration in the things we do. To lash out at those who annoy us with their actions or sensibilities. To engage in call-out culture and clubby backbiting.

Leading with gratitude isn’t the easiest choice. But after more than twenty-five years, it is one big reason I wake up each morning pinching myself…..wondering if I really do still get to do this for another day.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joshua Alexander says

    June 7, 2021 at 11:04 pm

    I needed this today. The only thing I would differ on is that the customer is NOT always right, LOL…but if you’re saying that they “are”, even if they truly aren’t, I get it. But man, gratitude is a hallmark of our homes, and there is so much to be grateful for, even on a crappy day like today. Bring on Tuesday. Monday’s done. And I’m grateful for that. 🙂

  2. Jon Gardner says

    June 8, 2021 at 1:26 am

    Thank you JMC for another wise post. Gratitude can cover a multitude of sins… or something like that. In any case, it can fill our lives with joy and grace that endures.

  3. Pat Kennedy says

    June 8, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    Mr. Collins, such a great article. When we lead with a grateful mentality it can change an entire situation. Such a shame that some parts of our world have removed this word from their vocabulary.

  4. Barri Tsavaris says

    June 9, 2021 at 4:42 am

    Thank you for this post. I especially love how you view all the players in our industry – agents, newbies, clients and colleagues – with a welcoming and open heart. What a breath of fresh air when so many on social media seem so quick to vilify others. Today I’m grateful I read this. ☺️

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Subscribe

Receive News & Updates
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

RECENT TWEETS

@jmcvoiceover

July 2nd 2022 05:07:39

The man, the myth, the legend! George Whittam absolutely nailed it. From the computer-assisted design specs to a da… https://t.co/b7NwI0eXFt

@jmcvoiceover

July 2nd 2022 12:07:27

@DavidGilbertVO Yeah, when the insurance guy came to do their inspection he was pretty impressed.

@jmcvoiceover

July 1st 2022 07:07:29

Studio build at the new house is underway. https://t.co/t8HRcrrMlQ

@jmcvoiceover

July 1st 2022 01:07:48

Love this spot I had the chance to voice for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer as part of a new national campaign. Had a ton o… https://t.co/EsK5touP0B

@jmcvoiceover

June 30th 2022 09:06:26

No conference would be complete without a marketing master, and ours at One Voice is the brilliant Tom Dheere!
Joi… https://t.co/1bov3kWEpd

@jmcvoiceover

June 30th 2022 12:06:51

RT @JenLanhamVO: Don't miss "Voiceover Trends with JMC" with @MarcGuss & @jmcvoiceover. TONIGHT at 8:30 PM on @clubhouse! https://t.co/Oxh0 …

@jmcvoiceover

June 28th 2022 11:06:41

I’ll be Clubhousing with ACM’s Marc Guss about VO trends tomorrow evening at 8:30ET/5:30PT.

Check it out here: https://t.co/l5sqgHZQqI

@jmcvoiceover

June 27th 2022 03:06:08

RT @CastVoices: Just over a month out 🤠 Have you registered for
@jmcvoiceover's OneVoice Conference yet? Our own
@LizAtherton3 will be th…

@jmcvoiceover

June 27th 2022 12:06:34

The great Carin Gilfry joins us at One Voice USA to discuss how you can replicate her dominance in the online casti… https://t.co/1hJD8FOs58

@jmcvoiceover

June 21st 2022 04:06:27

So this is kinda cool.
#vo #voiceovers #voiceover #voiceoverchallenge #ovcusa #voices https://t.co/i2UvKC0jhs

@jmcvoiceover

June 20th 2022 09:06:57

RT @TaraTylerVO: Just couldn't wait to share my new #voiceover demos from @jmcvoiceover! Give em a listen on my new site: https://t.co/hAoF …

@jmcvoiceover

June 20th 2022 08:06:53

The absolutely brilliant Rick Wasserman will be in Dallas with a breakout and a workshop at One Voice!

Check out t… https://t.co/s3mRmIwuu4

@jmcvoiceover

June 17th 2022 05:06:00

Well, we just had to have Goofy back, right?
Bill Farmer returns to the One Voice Conference USA with a breakout se… https://t.co/apE7VunQRG

@jmcvoiceover

June 17th 2022 08:06:34

https://t.co/7RXG7jVRF2

Very cool getting to be Mission Control at the top of this new spot for Amazon and Disney/… https://t.co/MPx2AhqQeJ

@jmcvoiceover

June 15th 2022 11:06:58

@elonmusk @spideycyp_155 @teslaownersSV @TheTexanNews @MayraFlores2022 What you need to do @elonmusk is spend a cou… https://t.co/xJwKRA3jcU

@jmcvoiceover

June 15th 2022 01:06:52

https://t.co/837YGSd5qD

JMC Demos is thrilled to welcome Scott Brick into the fold as our new Audiobook Division D… https://t.co/Zee3R3uLYc

@jmcvoiceover

June 13th 2022 03:06:04

Stefan Johnson has 6.9 million followers on TikTok.

Might be time to learn a thing or two about social media mark… https://t.co/3lNXKAbIoA

@jmcvoiceover

June 13th 2022 12:06:15

https://t.co/AXNAj6cKJJ

Episode 30 is out with One Voice USA Keynote Andia Winslow!
Graeme Spicer fills in for me… https://t.co/YBDiWeIsAD

@jmcvoiceover

June 13th 2022 10:06:51

https://t.co/7tYqQNdT0z

Join the JMC team today on Clubhouse! https://t.co/nnktZnJ3Vx

@jmcvoiceover

June 11th 2022 08:06:30

@SilentSheepdog7 I would expect it to sell out around mid-July

@jmcvoiceover

June 11th 2022 08:06:37

@SilentSheepdog7 Find a way!!! :)

@jmcvoiceover

June 11th 2022 07:06:03

Legendary anime and video game Casting Director Mami Okada of BangZoom is taking One Voice BY STORM with 2 panels,… https://t.co/WAjz2qxpge

@jmcvoiceover

June 9th 2022 11:06:58

Hockey time! https://t.co/6YyL8j35uJ

@jmcvoiceover

June 8th 2022 09:06:04

When you want to learn audiobooks, you learn from the undisputed GOAT, Scott Brick!
And look at all the learning yo… https://t.co/Hia3nY8ihk

@jmcvoiceover

June 7th 2022 09:06:20

RT @Mama_Greenfield: #Voiceover peeps- this is going to be SO good! Definitely mark your calendars. @jmcvoiceover and Anna Collins each run…

@jmcvoiceover

June 4th 2022 03:06:51

It's a double dose of the brilliant Alicyn Packard at One Voice USA! https://t.co/gT3u6ajlQL)
Be among the best at… https://t.co/UWy0jxijyP

@jmcvoiceover

June 3rd 2022 08:06:33

Conferences are about learning how to book, and what better way to do that than to learn from the people doing the… https://t.co/R0wVwv5iwq

@jmcvoiceover

June 1st 2022 02:06:05

You like agents. We like agents.
The One Voice Conference USA has got them, including the always brilliant Portia S… https://t.co/yt3UQAlQyO

@jmcvoiceover

May 31st 2022 10:05:53

RT @SickingerHolly: Coming up in June our monthly Peer Workout and Voiceover Legal with @robscig. After that, @HearBradHyland, @TomAglioVO,…

@jmcvoiceover

May 31st 2022 09:05:07

@MarcScott BLASPHEMY!

@jmcvoiceover

May 30th 2022 12:05:26

https://t.co/hEYmD32Lyx

Audit spots remain available for my commercial webinar with VO Xtra tomorrow. Are you read… https://t.co/ZTfiRKS9do

@jmcvoiceover

May 30th 2022 10:05:22

Remembering all of those who gave their lives to defend our nation.
To you and the families who have grieved your… https://t.co/hLOyBq8NBE

@jmcvoiceover

May 29th 2022 02:05:51

Ready to trust and be brave?
The incredible Kay Bess joins the One Voice Conference USA!
Be among the best at the O… https://t.co/QoYErDpubZ

@jmcvoiceover

May 26th 2022 04:05:46

We did not go small for One Voice Dallas.
We're thrilled to welcome Disney TV Animation Casting Director & Talent… https://t.co/eQ2f57KfRY

@jmcvoiceover

May 25th 2022 08:05:51

We now have one private registration available for the Switzerland retreat this September!

DM me or email jmichae… https://t.co/a3xoS6xHC9

CONTACT
202-738-1151
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
  • Home
  • My Demos
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
  • Coaching
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy
©2022 J. Michael Collins // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites