Loss and Renewal

The One Voice Conference. The One Voice Awards. A staple event and celebration of our industry packed into one. And the 2025 edition might have been the best yet, more or less seamless from start to finish with deep camaraderie that was much needed.

Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles Stadium Announcer Bill Larson gave a rousing keynote address to open the event, the presenters were on their games, friends were made, and relationships were built or cemented.

And there were important things accomplished. A town hall on sexual harassment in the industry spearheaded by NAVA brought needed and cathartic discussion of a problem that affects far too many voice actors, and led to immediate results with multiple victims who had previously remained quiet speaking out both publicly and seeking help privately. Plus, Carin Gilfry brought pizza.

The One Voice Awards were perhaps the best iteration yet, moving at a good pace and without technical difficulties…..the beef was nice, the cheesecake gluttonous…..and dozens of the best in the business were recognized for their accomplishments.

The closing Sunday ended with usual fanfare and fun, and folks packed their bags and went their separate ways.

And then, I was hit by a two by four to the soul. Upon returning home, I received an email from an agent informing me that Bryan Carmody, the man you see in the picture here, suddenly passed away. I later spoke by email with his wife who confirmed it was a likely heart attack. Completely unexpected. Far too young.

I lost the better part of that day to the shock. Bryan was a good friend, one of my favorite coaching students, a heavy-hitting booker, (national voice of Harbor Freight among many others,) and had just signed with a major agent after putting in lots of hard work to get there. He was immensely talented, someone I wouldn’t want to go up against in a trailer/promo/imaging contest, and was a thoughtful and kind man who put others first and was grateful for all the industry had done for him. I spent dozens of hours with him online, and at workshops in New York and Chicago, VO Atlanta, and OVC USA. I just always assumed I would see him again soon. 

Bryan was a grinder like me. Sure, he got his fair share of big wins, and was a serious earner…..but he did it the blue collar way….racking up hundreds of loyal mid-tier clients in between the splashy nationals. Spending way more than 40 hours a week in his studio. Always asking, “what’s next.” And enjoying his life. He was warm, genuine, and thoughtful, and even when it was about him, it was never “about him.”

I’d worked with Bryan for about two years trying to help him catch the attention of a heavy-hitting agent. We did numerous demos, had lots of strategy talks, and got him in a lot of rooms. I watched him have a not great day in one where he was hoping for a result….suck it up, and get back on the horse during our next meeting. I watched him get close with his pick of LA agents, but fell just short of closing the deal–too many guys like him on the roster. Took it in stride. Kept trucking. Kept booking. And then, just this July, in Chicago, he got another shot in another room. And Bryan had a very good day, which led to him being signed by that agent just a couple weeks later.

And now he’s gone.

I’ve had Alanis Morissette running through my head for a week and a half now. Life has a funny way…..

And yet, the world has a way of helping all of us heal, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

A few days ago I was on a call with JMC Voiceover Brands Creative Director Kayla Jackson……one of my dearest friends in the industry who I have watched emerge as a new talent almost a decade ago, burst like a supernova onto the industry scene, make the rather questionable decision to sign on first as my personal assistant and now co-directing at my workshops, repped by the best of the best, leading conference panels and running a copy workout so good at OVC that one of the top agents in the industry left the room saying Kayla needs to start teaching commercial on her own.

Kayla was in the room in Chicago when Bryan had his big day. Kayla directed him that morning, and brought every bit as much out of him as I did, getting him ready to blow that agent’s mind in the afternoon.

And during our call, just days after we were both stunned by Bryan’s passing….Kayla told me what she’s now revealed to the world….that next May, her family would be getting a little bigger.

New life.

We will mourn Bryan’s passing, and hold memories of him close. And next year, the industry gets to celebrate one of the very best humans among us welcoming a new human into her family, (and no doubt, all of ours eventually.)

Darkness. Light. Life.

May we all hold each other close, and remember that beyond all the personalities and brands and success stories and failures…….this community is just people. It’s just us. And we must enjoy every day we get with the ones we care about. In the end, that’s all that matters.