AnyVoices

By Mel Allen

The Podcast for and by those in the voice community. If you work as a voice (over, actor, talents and artists) this is for you.

We also welcome those we work with in the casting, production, editing and even audio hardware world!

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Episode 19 - Automation and how it can help you

AnyVoicesApr 29, 2021

00:00

05:41

Episode 19 - Automation and how it can help you

I recently had a number of dominos fall - and that's always bound to happen if you aren't using any platform(s) to help with automation. It can even happen when using some! Some of the platforms I have used, or am putting in place, can help with a number of routine tasks that need to be done. It can take quite a bit of time to set some of these up initially, and some maintenance along the way, it's commonplace to free up quite a bit of time long term.

Here are a few options below:

MailerLite https://www.mailerlite.com/ is an email management platform that allows 1 - 1,000 subscribers and send out 12,000 emails per month for free - and the paid options slowly increase as the audience increases. You can set up forms to collect email addresses and landing pages for websites as well. I've set up and tested a few forms already and expect to use the platform much more going forward.

Calendly https://calendly.com is one of many appointment scheduling platforms. It has helped me to be more accessible to clients, and I've used it for scheduling almost every guest on this podcast as well. I've finally hit the point where I need a paid account - but you may be able to operate for quite some time on the free account - which I used for nearly a year before upgrading to a paid version. calendly.com

While I formerly recommended, and enjoyed, using Hootsuite's platform - many changes have been made in the past few years that limited my access as a legacy 'Pro' user and they recently announced a cost increase that won't allow me to continue using their platform. I'll be looking for a new social media management and scheduling platform and expect to share what I find. Currently I'm exploring the options below:

Every Post https://everypost.me/pricing/
Stacker https://www.socialchamp.io/pricing/
dlvr.it https://dlvrit.com/pricing/
Stacker https://www.getstacker.com/pricing/

What's your favorite automation tool? Let me know at AnyVoices.com - or one one of our social media accounts!

Find #AnyVoices online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
YOUTUBE -
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Apr 29, 202105:41

AnyVoices Episode 18 - Jef Leeson Voice Actor and so much more!

Jef really seems to do it all - Voice Actor, Audio Engineer, Producer & Musician. That might be why this turned into a rather long episode - we had so much to talk about!

A couple of the projects Jef mentions in this episode:

Fallout Miami: https://www.falloutmiami.com/
Mongrel: https://mongrelgame.itch.io/mongrel
Western Space Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCINQs-4u0OFEnqoH8Sy82Ag
The Canuckness video (must see) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_BAsGoA0o

Find Jef online:
Jef's Website: https://jefleeson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JefLeeson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JefLeeson.VoiceActor.Musician
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jef-leeson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefleeson/

Find #AnyVoices online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Apr 05, 202140:55

AnyVoices Episode 17 - An Interview with Donna Frank, Imaging voice for Howard Stern, Sirius XM and more

Donna Frank is a voice talent who can be heard all over - most notably as the Imaging Voice on Howard #Stern, #SiriusXM, and many radio stations. She's a #Halloween lover who also loves to cook for the many varied diets in her home!

Find Donna Frank online:

Donna's website http://www.donnafrankvoicetalent.com/
Donna Frank on Twitter https://twitter.com/donnafrankvoice
Donna Frank on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/donnafrankvoice/
Donna Frank on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/donna.frank.voice

Find AnyVoices online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Mar 29, 202127:08

Episode 16 - An Interview with voice talent, blogger and writer Fadra Nally of All Things Fadra

Fadra Nally is the type of person who does it all - and she will tell you about it all at her site AllThingsFadra.com

Fadra mainly focuses on Lifestyle, Cars, Travel, Entertainment, Family, Opinion and Really Cool Stuff - and then there's the 'Everything Else' section.

Find Fadra online:

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/allthingsfadra
Twitter - https://Twitter.com/allthingsfadra
Instagram - https://instagram.com/allthingsfadra
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/allthingsfadra/
Pinterest - https://pinterest.com/allthingsfadra/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fadranally/
Fadra Nally's Voice Over site - https://FadraNally.com

Find AnyVoices online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Mar 15, 202122:33

Episode 15 - Upgrades and the ones you should always be making!

Upgrades are important, but are you focusing on the right ones?

Find AnyVoices online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Mar 12, 202104:31

Episode 14 - An Interview with Dallis MacKenzie and her recent video review!

Dallis is a working voice actor and talent from Toronto, Canada. Her recent video was brought to my attention on Twitter, where she compared and contrasted two microphones - the Neumann TLM 103 vs the Austrian Audio OC 18 - click this link to view it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJ0ifMr8QQ

I certainly hope we see more videos like this from Dallis. If you have specific requests for gear reviews that you'd love to hear Dallis give some input on - get in touch!

Find Dallis online:

Website - https://dallismackenzie.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/dallisaur

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dallismackenzie

YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLlxzZBsnkVInNCNPu5Cqpw

If you're reviewing gear and want to get the word out - reach out to us here on the AnyVoices podcast at our website AnyVoices.com or any of our linked social media accounts

Find AnyVoices online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Mar 08, 202112:21

AnyVoices Ep 13 An Interview with Your VO Big Dog Jim Cooper and also Host of The Hydrant podcast

Jim Cooper is one of many who started in broadcasting and migrated into voice over. Jim does a variety of voice over work - eLearning, Explainer Videos, Commercials, Business Narrations and Audio Books. Find out more at https://jimcoopervo.com/

Also, be sure to check out his podcast The Hydrant, shared via Jim's Social Media Channels:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/JimCooperVO
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcoopervo/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yourvobigdog/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JimCooperVO
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFQIQKt6BrpMnq5hYxOABQ

Find AnyVoices online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Mar 03, 202132:28

Ep 12 - An Interview with Andrew Lander and his unique entry into voice work

I could write a short bio about Andrew - but I'll let him tell his own story with a message he sent me:

"Unlike most in the industry, I started without any acting experience. Instead of the stage, I was pushed by my parents to be behind the podium. Getting accustomed to public speaking at an early age lead me to a career in marketing where I was able to speak to and on behalf of companies -- including my own short-lived digital marketing consultancy, LocalLander. All of this experience combined with discovering voice over on a random blog catapulted me into a passion that has lead to six agencies and making a profit on my investment after only the first year. The kicker, is that 2021 will be year number...2! I'd love to be able to share my unique experience with your audience as someone who can prove that it's not all theater and radio folks out there who can succeed in VO...

Respectfully,
Andrew Lander
Business Casual Voice Overs"

Find Andrew Lander:

https://andrewlandervo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlander/
https://twitter.com/andrewlander

Find AnyVoices online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Feb 08, 202130:27

Episode 11 - Start over OR Pass Go and Collect $200

Today's episode was sparked after speaking with a friend who felt like they were starting over after EVERY project (Oh no!).

But that's not really the case. They were simply 'going around the board' if you will, and bonus, they were collecting their $$ every time as well! Today I share some ideas on how to look at each time 'around' differently - to fail less and fail up - until you succeed.

Find us online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Feb 05, 202104:52

AnyVoices Ep 10 - An interview with Laura Handke, Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher

Laura Handke, Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher joined AnyVoices to talk about some shared loves about working with our voices, the challenges, and even some styles of voice we would love to cure the world of (vocal fry!).

Find Laura's website with information, classes and other updates at https://laurahandke.com

Laura can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-handke-47267b8/

Laura recently posted a video mentioning AnyVoices and TheRealVoice on her own channel - watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2QzTTn4FC4

Find us online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Feb 02, 202125:22

An interview with Lana Goldfinch of Actors Inner Strength

Today - we have an open-ended chat with Lana Goldfinch of Actors Inner Strength.

Do you experience Stage Fright, Performance or General Anxiety, and maybe Trauma? Lana is the person who may be able to help you work through that and become the actor, voice over talent, or performer you were meant to be!

Find Lana at: https://actorsinnerstrength.com/

Email Lana directly: lana@actorsinnerstrength.com

Connect with Lana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanagoldfinch-actorhealer-innerstrength/

Find AnyVoices online at...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices

I look forward to delivering more content soon! Mel Allen - your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Jan 25, 202141:26

Episode 8 - Let's Ring in the New Year with a New Plan!

Are you planning for success, or planning for failure? If you don't have a plan at all - it's time to get one. I'm not going to each you how to make a business plan, there are plenty of professionals out there who can likely advise you better on that then I can - but you can start with a simple list:

* THINGS I NEED TO DO

Actual voice over work, auditions, reaching out to existing and prospective clients

* THINGS I WANT TO DO MORE OF

SEO, website maintenance, scheduling social media posts, reviewing or planning for your next demos

* THINGS I SHOULD DO LESS OF/STOP DOING

These are the time-wasting things that occupy time, but don't get anything done (scrolling endlessly through social media, for example).

Find us online...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices
SUPPORT US: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices/support

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Jan 04, 202106:28

Episode 7 - An interview with Urban Legend VO Damon Alums

Today - we have an open-ended chat with The Urban Legend VO - Damon Alums.

We talk about a BIG #warhammer40k release coming up in 2021, some current issues in VO, #VOLifeChat, ask Damon what a BLERD is and nerd out for a while over our shared love of Star Wars and other things Sci-Fi.

Find Damon here:

https://urbanlegendvoiceover.com/

https://twitter.com/UrbanLegendVO

Find us online at...

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices

I look forward to delivering more content soon! Mel Allen - your host. Find out more about me at therealvoice.com

Dec 22, 202028:42

Three simple rules for your online profiles to make you look like a pro

In Today's episode - let's talk about three simple rules to follow for your online and social media accounts that will make you look more polished. I'll also talk about why you should have separate personal and professional profiles (or maybe just professional).

Today's topic was already being written, when I caught an example that revolved around Paul Strikwerda's latest blog post (at the time of this episode) "Reviewing the Melomania 1 Wireless Earbuds" https://www.nethervoice.com/reviewing-the-melomania-1-wireless-earbuds/

I'm a big fan and consider myself a friend of Paul's. So I highly recommend you get Paul Strikwerda's Book "Make Money In Your PJ's" - https://amzn.to/2WfVDVg (this is an affiliate link - you don't pay extra, but we may receive a small commission)

Find us online...

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Dec 14, 202006:26

Ep 5 - Interview with a new & experienced voice actor, Ian Kleinfeld

Today's episode is an interview with a voice actor - Ian Kleinfeld

https://www.VoiceByIan.com is his website,
he's at https://twitter.com/VoiceByIan on Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/voiceoverian/ on Linkedin

He also has a group "Voice Over South" for people in the Southern and South-Eastern US find that at https://www.facebook.com/groups/vosouth

Ian has been involved in acting and did voice work for years He recently returned to voice acting, and after we connected he asked if we could chat. I'm glad I hit record on the Zoom meeting. It was clear, after a few minutes of getting to know each other that this might be a good podcast and I'm glad I hit record. We talk about some challenges that led to the AnyVoices Podcast, where Ian is, where he wants to be, how he may be able to get work without a demo, and more.

As mentioned in this episode - if you want to leave us a message with your feedback go to https://anchor.fm/anyvoices and click 'leave a message'

As referenced in the video: Joe Gaudet (yes, he's https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjoegaudet on TikTok). Here's a post he shared, in a directed session, with a client. It might not be what you expect - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joegaudet_throwbackthursday-voiceoverartist-homestudio-activity-6720010432460980224-nYRS

Here's another clip of a directed session with Jeff Bell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb2q64z_7RI

Find us online at...
WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: twitter.com/Any_Voices
ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/anyvoices

If you would like to help us out, head over to https://www.subscribepage.com/w3a5r0 to take a quick survey where you can provide feedback on our direction. I don't want this to be a podcast that's designed and built for me to listen to - I want it to be designed for you. I look forward to delivering more content soon! Mel Allen - your host. Find out more about me at https://therealvoice.com

Dec 09, 202033:14

Let's talk about your recording space... and work on improving it

First, here's the Tweet I mentioned about the LA Vocal Booths and SOVAS giveaway! https://twitter.com/any_voices/status/1334889134570221568

Now, if you don't win the booth, is it all over? No - You can record in a closet filled with clothes, bookshelves filled with books, cubicle partitions can help. What other options have I tried? Let's find out!

How did I find the freebies? Many of them came from Craigslist, I see some now on places like Facebook Marketplace. Keep in mind, sometimes things aren't in great condition, and proper cubicle walls (that can make a difference in your booth) can be HEAVY! If you're ok with that, then carry on!

Find us online:

WEBSITE: https://anyvoices.com
INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/AnyVoices.IG
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AnyVoices.FB
TWITTER: twitter.com/Any_Voices
APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anyvoices/id1541218698

If you would like and have 1-2 minutes to spare, head over to https://www.subscribepage.com/w3a5r0 to take a quick survey where you can provide feedback on our direction. I don't want this to be a podcast that's designed and built for me to listen to - I want it to be designed for you.

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at therealvoice.com where you'll find a sampling of projects and demos. Connect with Mel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealvoicemel/

Dec 04, 202009:52

We all have aspirations, are yours driving clients away?

When I was casting voices as a producer, I always shied away from people who used the word 'Aspiring'. Why? Because it showed me - here's someone who doesn't understand their value, may not perceive the commitment they could be asked to make and might not be as reliable as others who appear to be professionals. Don't let that be you. Package yourself professionally, reliably and thoughtfully so you can stand out as someone willing to put in the work and inspire others with it!

Some resources I mention in this episode (not sponsors of this podcast):

Adobe Spark

Canva

Also - big news that AnyVoices will be interviewed by Corey Dissin - The Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Content on RINGSIDE,on LinkedIn Live, on December 1st 2020 at 3pm Eastern https://www.linkedin.com/posts/coreydissin_brandingandmarketing-voiceoverlife-digitalmarketingmanager-activity-6739230436012150784-6zc0

Find us online:

If you would like, and have 1-2 minutes to spare, head over to https://www.subscribepage.com/w3a5r0 to take a quick survey where you can provide feedback on our direction. I don't want this to be a podcast that's designed and built for me to listen to - I want it to be designed for you.

Nov 30, 202007:25

Don't do this when looking for clients. Here's how to do it better

I've seen a disturbing trend on my personal social media accounts recently - being asked to help other voice talents with opportunities. Then, I'm being asked what I do. Those personal profiles, of course, are my voice over channels. There's a better way to reach out to clients , this is a quick and simple way to take some steps to make sure your approach is better received, and has a lower chance of you being ignored or blocked.

Some resources I mention in this episode (not sponsors of this podcast):

Headliner

Soundcloud

We'll talk more about demos and samples in a future episode!

Find us online:

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at therealvoice.com where you'll find a sampling of projects and demos.

Nov 23, 202005:55

Get to know your host 'The Real Voice- Mel Allen'

As your host, I think it's important you should have some context of my background. The answer to "why should I listen to this podcast". So, here's a very quick snapshot of my path through broadcasting, voice over, voice acting, production and coaching.

If you would like to help out, head over to https://www.subscribepage.com/w3a5r0 to take a quick survey where you can provide feedback on our direction. I don't want this to be a podcast that's designed and built for me to listen to - I want it to be designed for you.

The Real Voice - Mel Allen is your host. Find out more about me at therealvoice.com where you'll find a sampling of projects and demos there.

Nov 20, 202010:39

Intro to the AnyVoices Podcast

Thanks for taking some time to listen. I was inspired to start a podcast because, frankly, I missed the level of engagement that a podcast allows and wanted to engage with the voice community on a deeper level. In this podcast you can expect to hear about some common challenges faced by voice overs, actors, talents and artists, hopefully you'll share some novel ways you've overcome challenges with me - so I can share on this podcast. I'll also do interviews, gear reviews/recommendations and look to you for guidance on what you want and need to know about the voice community.

If you would like to help us out, head over to https://www.subscribepage.com/w3a5r0 to take a quick survey where you can provide feedback on our direction. I don't want this to be a podcast that's designed and built for me to listen to - I want it to be designed for you.

I look forward to delivering more content soon!

Mel Allen - your host. Find out more about me at therealvoice.com

Nov 19, 202001:23