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Who's Resolving What For 2010?
Learn From Friends: TAKE TWO ...
 There's still time to pad your Voice-Over Resolutions list - and your colleagues are allowing this peek into how they plan to make 2010 a great VO year. Learn from them in this exclusive VoiceOverXtra series.
TAKE TWO: Paul Payton, Deb Munro, TJ Jones, Angela Henry, Penny Abshire, Rob Sciglimpaglia, Marleigh Moscatel, David Kaplan, Liz de Nesnera, Linda Ristig, John Florian and Jennifer Vaughn ...
 Paul PaytonVOICE ACTING
1) Try to keep my range expanded and avoid being typecast
2) Ask to hear playback more frequently; “Playback is a great teacher”
BUSINESS & MARKETING 1) Probably take my short video down from my web site - I don’t do much of that anyway. VO is my best skill and my comfort zone, and I think the video might be diluting the product
2) I still believe in personal one-to-one marketing, and will try to get to more places where people who hire people like me congregate
 Deb MunroVOICE ACTING
1) Take a few more private sessions with new coaches
2) Practice more authentic accents
3) Bring in more workshops to my city
4) Take more risks in my auditions
5) Focus harder on VOICE ONLY
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Launch my new web site and marketing package (including biz cards, letterheads, CD cover, etc.)
2) Post work that I’ve done
3) Gather client testimonials
4) Work on more agents
5) Pursue my own voice-over work
 TJ JonesVOICE ACTING
1) Do daily vocal exercises to improve my range
2) Do daily aerobic exercises to improve my breathing
3) Do at least 10 auditions a day
4) Study with at least one coach per month
5) Participate in at least four workshops/seminars this year
BUSINESS & MARKETING 1) Read four business books this year
2) Take one course in marketing
3) "Cold call" at least one production house per day
4) Re-read How to Win Friends and Influence People
5) Participate in the VOICE 2010 conference
 Angela HenryVOICE ACTING
1) Be more consistent about practicing EVERY DAY! Even if only for 20 minutes, and I’ll reward myself with a treat. Helloooo, Black and Green’s Organic Chocolate
2) Listen to a different, well-known voice actor each day and learn from what I hear
3) Find the money and make the time to take one class each quarter
4) Audition for different genres of voice acting (everyone tells me I should be doing webinars) instead of thinking that means I’m not focused. Remember inspiration from my buddy Monica: “Don’t put limits on yourself – other people will try to do that for you!"
5) Be kinder to my vocal cords.
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Go through the VoiceOverXtra archives – a wealth of information!
2) Learn and use QuickBooks once and for all – it’s been a year since I bought it!
3) Read Guerrilla Marketing
4) Peruse the marketing advice in freelance web sites to improve my own skills
5) Get a subscription to Inc. magazine.
 Penny AbshireVOICE ACTING
1) In addition to teaching, take at least three classes this year myself
2) Increase my editing skills
3) Nail down that South African dialect I’ve been working on – then on to Australian and French!
4) Even though I’m busy with VOICE 2010 – I must audition, audition, audition!
5) DRINK MORE WATER – the best thing I can do for my instrument
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Get medical narration demos out to the companies we’ve already researched
3) Find an assistant (who will work for a reasonable amount) to help us book our workshops across the country
4) Get to work earlier every day
5) Be appreciative and grateful for the work I have instead of concentrating on the work I DON’T have
 Rob SciglimpagliaVOICE ACTING
1) Continue taking acting classes
2) Continue auditioning
3) Learn three monologues
4) Take some more audiobook classes
5) Finish my VOICE 2010 presentation
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Create audiobook demo
2) Promote my new TV Promo demo and TV Documentary demo
3) Continue networking with industry folk
4) Make a list of people to meet at VOICE 2010
5) Create newsletter to go out to contacts monthly
 Marleigh MoscatelVOICE ACTING
1) Get private coaching once a month
2) Take a group class once a month
3) Submit at least two auditions daily online
4) Practice my character voices by reading aloud to my children daily (this, of course, makes me a better mother, too!)
5) Read, record, and listen critically to medical text at least once a week
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Develop a web site ... ughhhhhhh, I promise!
2) Always take Alan Sklar's advice
3) Start marketing to the pharma/medical industry
4) Not let fear or self-doubt render me inert
5) Take 15 minutes daily, at least, to reach out to an established contact/friend, and/or make a new one
 David KaplanVOICE ACTING
1) Take more courses to better my performance and give my clients exactly what they want
2) Continue to put my clients' needs first - if I'm not right for a job, help the client find an individual who is
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Make one new contact a day, as well as follow up with existing contacts
2) Continue top-of-the-mind marketing, which requires scheduling time to make the needed calls and emails
3) Press the flesh and get out in front of people at networking events. (The job I'm working on today came from a business networking event I attended last summer)
4) Continue giving back to those who need my services, but who don't have a large budget
5) Attend VOICE 2010 - a truly remarkable event in June
6) Keep in mind that the harder you work at voice-overs, the luckier you get
 Liz de NesneraVOICE ACTING
1) Attend a Marice Tobias workshop*
2) Attend Dan O'Day's Creative Summit*
3) Attend VOICE 2010 (OK, so I'll be teaching there too: BONUS! :-)
4) Finish the French version of my web site and get the word out about it for continued French work
5) Since travel seems to be a theme with me this year, I'll look for a European conference/meet-up/seminar to attend ... and visit family while I'm there! :-)*
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Keep picking Harlan Hogan's & Elaine Clark's collective brains! :-)
2) Keep up on a regular basis with everything Peter O'Connell, Philip Banks & Bob Souer have to say!
3) Finish reading at LEAST these four books on my "Business" reading list: The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook by Jay Levinson & Seth Godin; Trust Agents by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith; Positioning by Al Reis & Jack Trout; Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson
4) Attend another of Barbara Winter's JoyfullyJobless.com seminars*
5) Catch up on watching Bob Fraser's "An Actor Works" DVDs
*Of course as you may know, this travel will depend on my securing "mom-coverage" ... Anyone want to come over and watch my 92-year old wheelchair-bound mom while I go out & play? :-) Gotta get working on that! So now that this is in writing I have an official excuse to play, because of course, I HAVE to make sure I keep these wonderful resolutions!
 Linda RistigVOICE ACTING
1) Renew my subscription to Voices.com because of their vast and interesting array of audition opportunities
2) Take advantage of free teleseminars and "Ask an Expert" sessions from Edge Studio and Voices.com throughout the year. I'll keep a sharp eye out for the webinars from VoiceOverXtra that spark my interest, as well!
3) Practice VO every morning for one hour, playing with script interpretation and recording software (Pro Tools) before starting actual VO jobs. According to Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. I still have a few more hours to go ... lol
4) Continue to receive coaching and job opportunities through various East Coast workshops and professional contacts
5) Register for the huge Beverly Hills VO conference, VOICE 2010 in June! (OK, I've already checked this one off my To-Do List! Can't wait!)
BUSINESS & MARKETING
1) Create a new set of demos with Dave De Andrea's production expertise at Killer Voice Demos in January (We've already started ...Yippee!)
2) Update my web site and other social media profile pages with the new demos, and post comments more frequently
3) Take a marketing teleseminar class through Edge Studio in January
4) Attend bi-monthly mixers through our local Chamber of Commerce
5) Keep reading e-newsletters and VO blogs like VoiceOverXtra, VU, Vox Daily and other podcasts that are sent directly to my email. There's nothing better than keeping current and learning expert thoughts and tips on my own schedule!
But most of all, for me, it's being grateful every day for the chance to be a part of the amazing VO community. True success cannot be accomplished alone. Trust me, I count my blessings for the support I've received from so many VO folks throughout this past year, and I'm exceedingly grateful for the VO work that has come my way. I'd like to extend my warmest wishes to everyone for your happiness and success in 2010!
 John FlorianVOICE ACTING
1) Carve out more time for it from my "day job" running VoiceOverXtra
2) Create the medical and corporate demos I've been talking about doing for a year
3) Audition at least once per day
4) Take at least one live workshop or online webinar/teleclass per month
5) Practice more and mimic what I hear on TV and radio (which I do automatically anyway. Early in my career I was watching a local TV spot for a dentist or something ... criticizing the VO ... and suddenly realized that IT WAS ME doing the VO!)
BUSINESS & MARKETING
For Voice Acting:
1) Pinpoint niches and companies in certain industries and market to them
2) Continue networking and volunteering with local business and civic organizations
For VoiceOverXtra:
3) Create more opportunites for marketing partners to reach the voice-over world
4) Focus on products and services that are fun for me and bring value to voice actors - and which also produce income!
5) Double the number of newsletter/reports subscribers (currently 3,200+) and folks who receive daily alerts about news and features (currently 1,000+)
6) Continue to tap the wisdom of experienced voice talent for how-to content
7) When I get flustered, STOP. Breathe. And ask: "How do I choose to live this unique moment?" Because, how I feel is up to me.
 Jennifer VaughnI have three resolutions or goals for 2010 and they don't really fit into your forms:
1) Make Customer Service my A#1 priority
2) Assist the industry and my peers in stabilizing the marketplace. We all need to make a concerted effort. As you know, the industry is changing very fast and not necessarily constructively for both buyer and voice talent
3) Make a stronger effort in turning clients coming in from pay-for-plays into more iron-clad business relationships
What do you think? Can I get an "Amen"? ;)
Indeed, Jennifer. Amen and thank-you to all!
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Cheers