Voice Over Life Lessons – With Aurelia Michael

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What do you do with the information? Once you get it, you can either get bitter or you can get better.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
What's up everyone? And welcome back to Mission Audition. If you're new here, welcome. My name is
Vanessa and I'm here with my co-host, Tara.
Speaker 3 (00:14): Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
This podcast is a safe space for all voice actors to join in, listen and learn. You might even hear your own audition in one of these episodes. We started off the new year, so strong last month, and it's only getting better. I'm super excited to welcome the lovely Aurelia Michael, back on the show. Welcome back, Aurelia.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Special shout outs to y'all and the entire voices family.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
We've been over here watching you just grow more and more as a voice actor and a voice coach. We're cheering you on so much, so happy to have you back here. Can you tell the audience a little bit about yourself?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Absolutely. So by label, as I always say, I am a life coach, voiceover artist and coach. I run a community called Voice on Demand. I am a competitive bodybuilder. I am a performer, musical theater performer and associate choreographer, but to me more importantly, who I am speaks volumes next to what I do. I'm a heart healer. I'm a people connector. I'm hot cocoa on the morning of December 25th, and I've been told once or twice that I'm a bit of a petite firecracker.
Speaker 2 (01:29): You're a star.
Speaker 3 (01:31): I love that
Speaker 1 (01:31): Star. Yes, I love
Speaker 2 (01:33):
That. Yeah, we're so happy to have you back. We always love your expertise. I also think just because it flows so much into personal stuff in life, so you can learn both in the voiceover world but also in your personal life. And I just love that. I love that so
Speaker 1 (01:48):
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Much. Absolutely. I think a lot of times, especially when I first started, I didn't recognize the correlation between my life outside of the booth with my life inside the booth as if it was any different from your nine to five job or anything else that you're doing. It's always influenced by what's going on. So once I started to mix my life coaching with voiceover, I started to realize most of my voiceover sessions are really life coaching sessions with voiceover as the middleman.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I totally agree. And I remember last year when you were on the podcast with us, you were throwing out some great life advice that I was just picking up happily picking it up and living through it. It was just so wonderful and it just comes so naturally to your worth, own the space, and it just resonated so much with me on a personal level, even. I'm not a professional voice actor, but it related to me on a personal level. So I love that you bring both the voice coach and that life coach aspect for all of your clients.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Thank you. Yeah, I think the more we work on ourselves as a person, I have clients who it's taken them a while to book because it's taken them a while to really take ownership of their voice and their opinion and their power so that it doesn't just feel like you're reading off of a sheet of paper. You have that confidence to take risks to give your, the only thing that's different between me and the person I'm auditioning with is my perspective, my opinion, and my experience. We're reading the same words and we're reading them, trying to read them as if we wrote them. So that's another level and layer of confidence where you can read words you've probably said before in an order you've never said for a product you've never used, or a car you'll never buy, but to be able to do it in a way that is still listening to the specs, but also being authentic to who you are as a person.
Speaker 3 (03:40): Definitely. What a
Speaker 2 (03:41): Great introduction. It
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Was a great introduction.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Alright, let's get into the artistic direction. Tara. Take it away.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
This online commercial script is to promote the services of a hotel chain to targeting travelers who are looking for comfortable and convenient accommodations. The script should be read with an energetic and enthusiastic tone. So as always, we'll start with audition number one and we will jump right into some feedback. Are you ready? Aurelia
Speaker 1 (04:08): Born. Ready, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
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Speaker 4 (04:12):
Two takes. Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities, and prime locations near iconic landmarks. Book [email protected] and make lasting memories, global hotels, where unforgettable moments begin. Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities, and prime locations near iconic landmarks. Book [email protected] and make lasting memories, global hotels where unforgettable moments begin.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Alright, we're off to a strong start for these auditions. I really like these two takes, but I specifically, I really like the first one. Okay. I feel like she made a lot of creative decisions. I think her voice really fit the direction that was given and asked for, and we always stress how much audio quality is our number one. And I would say that this audition audio is great in this, but what are your thoughts, Aurelia?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I completely agree. The audio was fantastic. I've also, I don't think I had ever done said oh two takes ahead of time. So the fact that she already said that let me know. Okay, let me stick around for more. There's another perspective. And so a lot of times video artists ask, should we do two takes if you're going to do it just for the sake of doing it? No, this was also a shorter script. So if you have two different perspectives, that doesn't mean they have to sound, they didn't sound like two completely different recordings, but there was the first one stuck to the specs and the second one felt a little bit cozier, like a warm blanket. And so this was interesting because when I hear convenient and comfortable, I tend to think of an older crowd, someone who's looking to come and needs to be near the stores, someone who's not looking for too much noise.
(06:18):
But then when I saw energetic and enthusiastic, I'm thinking a younger crowd, Miami Beach hitting the streets. So sometimes, and this is a great example, sometimes you can feel conflicted between what the script is saying and what the specs are saying and how you would want to approach it. So while I do feel like the first version was exactly what they were looking for on paper, the second version felt less curated with the first one, there was a lot of vocal fry happening potentially by habit and not by choice. I even heard it in the two takes. So being aware of really being on top of your voice, I imagine my voice is below this mountain and I'm on the top and I'm just constantly staying on top of it versus kind of laying back. And so making sure that that's a choice and not a habit.
(07:12):
And there were moments, like it said, unforgettable moments. I really felt like in the second take she tapped into those words. And so for people that are trying to figure out how to connect, what is one of the most unforgettable moments for you? I know for me it was the first night that I unexpectedly had to go on Broadway and did my bow, and it was a moment I'll never forget. So when I go to say unforgettable moments, it takes me there right away, just like you can mention your booze name and it just makes you smile and you say it. It's just the way we get when we have that kind of connection. So the first one felt, I hate to use the word, but a little bit salesy, a little bit punchy, almost every other, if every third word had a lot of emphasis.
(07:59):
And it kind of made it hard for me to feel the comfortable and the convenience side, but I also think that they stuck to the specs, which is really important. And I always talk about the example between a used car salesman versus an Apple store. The used car salesman, the objective is to sell. It doesn't matter how good
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or bad the car is, whereas the Apple store, you buy something great, you don't great. Do I seem like I can grab coffee with you during lunch? Absolutely. Because all I'm telling you is that this iPad goes to this, Mac goes to this, and if you're interested get it. So I really did enjoy both takes. There were two perspectives, the audio was clean and crisp. I love that she said two takes. I personally would've probably put take one first to also go against the grain of what everyone else is probably doing when they submit.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, I agree that the first take, I lost interest a bit, so I found myself not even really paying attention, but that second take, I could feel that warmth. I could feel her personality come out a little bit more and it didn't feel as scripted that she was just reading words off a piece of paper.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah. Even when you said the vocal fry thing, when she said two takes, I didn't even notice that.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Me neither. I didn't either. But now if I were to listen to it again, I would hear it. No problem. But I
needed you to tell me that Aurelia because it wasn't top of mind for me.
Speaker 2 (09:20): Yeah,
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Yeah. The letter A is probably the easiest to vocal fry takes. Yeah. It's easy to, you don't even realize it.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah. Even like her movement too around the mic. I really liked this audition. I really liked this one.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah, it was really solid. And I think what it was about, the first one is that everything was like every word that's passionate enthusia, every word was stunning. It started to feel like, is this place really that nice? Are you trying to convince me or are you trying to convince yourself? So it felt a little like, I'm also convincing myself that this is, whereas the second one was like, if you don't book, we're going to be sold out anyway. But you don't want these unforgettable moments. You need to be here.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
And from a brand perspective, that's huge because from a brand perspective, me personally, I always want to lean into that. I'm going to tell you the benefits of my product and it would be a no-brainer for you to purchase it. But I do not want to come across salesy. I want to come across with that personality. I want to be sitting with you at the dinner table and telling you about this great new hair oil that I was using or this amazing new boutique clothing store that I found. I don't want it to come across as Vanessa. Oh my gosh, you have to buy the slip gloss because you're going to get 10% off and I'm going to get credit for it. And
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah, I would never buy that.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
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Speaker 2 (10:45):
Such Well I to help you, but thank you. Give me permission.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
It's just such a different experience. And when you're leading a brand or you work on a marketing team that really focuses on getting brand awareness, you want that to come across very natural. Unless you are a car sales person or a car lot, it's a very different story. But it is really important to just have that personality come through naturally.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And I think this is the perfect example of taking the risk. Do I go against, do I put the second take first knowing it's not what they asked for? Because my thing is always, if they knew who they wanted and how they wanted it, they would just rehire someone. So that means these are the words they think they want attached to it until they hear what they really want.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, that's a great point.
Speaker 2 (11:40): I love it. I love it all
Speaker 3 (11:41):
So much. And we're only in audition number one.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
This is great. Do you have any other final points before we hop into audition number two?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
That's it. That was really, really solid. Great work. That
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Was great. Alright, let's get into audition number two,
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities and prime locations near iconic landmarks. Book [email protected] and make lasting memories, global hotels where unforgettable moments begin.
Speaker 2 (12:13): Tara, you want to?
Speaker 3 (12:14):
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Yeah, I'll kick this one off. Perfect. So a very clear from a pronunciation felt very radio to me, felt a little
on the oversell side. What did you feel? Aurelia?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah, I think it was missing, the word I kept thinking was intimacy. It was missing because there are people, it's very popular right now to say non aunry, non radio voice, but for some people your voice is your voice. You can't really undo what is naturally yours. But I also think is this how you talk to your family? If you're like, Hey, I want to go on a vacation, here's this. And it just felt like it was listing facts and there wasn't an intimacy or a groundedness to it and everything. If this was a whole one to 10 scale, everything got a five right across. So I couldn't really remember. It was hard for me to remember what was said. It also felt really fast. It felt like it was just going one after the other. We weren't honoring the commas, we weren't honoring words that should make you feel something.
(13:25):
So I think it was clear, like we said, you could tell that this is their natural voice. So this just may not be the script for them. Or what they need to do is really work with a coach on being more vulnerable and intimate in their script reading. And that can be a life thing. Are you being vulnerable and intimate even within your life? Are you willing to put yourself out there? Are you really being grounded? And then how can we bring that from outside the booth into the booth so that no matter what you're talking about, it could be about Bank of America and how they take care of you 24 7 and how there's no judgment. Okay, well, I'm thinking about who's a person in my life that is my Bank of America, my mom calling on her 24 7. So when I'm reading this, I'm not going, you can get a great a PR for only 25%. No, you can get a great a PR for only because I'm thinking about my mom and how great she is. So I think it was just missing a bit of intimacy and groundedness.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah, I was thinking it doesn't evoke too much emotion, which is kind of what you basically just laid it out straight there. But I always think of, this one made me think of when I was younger and I literally made a PowerPoint presentation on why I should go on this one trip. And I literally presented it to my parents, you gave it to your parents and I was like, listen. It's like this is what's happening and these are the perks and it's going to be so much fun. I mean, they said no anyways. But I'm always like, this made me think of that. I was like, I would never give them a radio type of voice. They would be like, what are you talking about, Vanessa? You're still not going.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Where did you pitch them to go to
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Cuba? I thought it was amazing. I was like, we're going to go here and it's going to be this and the
beaches and the food. And they're like, yeah,
Speaker 3 (15:11): No green
Speaker 1 (15:12): Big dream
Speaker 2 (15:12):
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Car green. I love that. I feel like I could have been a voice actor at that age. But anyways, my point is this audition made me think of that because I would never, to my parents, I would never pitch it in that type of voice. So I mean, you gave the tip there. Work with the voiceover coach and try to get that more intimate feeling out of you. And maybe it's a personal thing in your life as well. So I like that.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, I felt like it would've needed a lot of visual to bring it to life. But the visuals, imagine this is what I imagine sometimes too, if this is going to be visual. They said photos of spaces, are they going to have to run from space to space because of how fast I'm going? I want them to be able to see the moment as I'm saying it. So I think it's really important to in general, take your spotlight, shine, take up room. We talk about this all the time. There just wasn't enough inflection, there wasn't enough ownership of the words. And we can't rely always on visual. We need your voice to compliment it. So yeah, it just felt like they hadn't been thinking about a good vacation or maybe they could use a good vacation.
Speaker 2 (16:28): Maybe both.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I know I could use one for sure, but just keeping in mind that the only person seeing the words are you not the person listening. So we need a second to digest what you fed us. Otherwise we choked. So take your time. I'm not saying go uber slow or anything, but it was almost as if it was a run-on sentence and there were no commas. And I'm not married to punctuations. I'll throw an exclamation point, a.dot wherever I see fit, but I definitely don't get rid of them and just kind of go from line to line.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I think that's so powerful. What you said about the voice actor is the only person seeing the words because it's actually the opposite of a picture says a thousand words. So visually, when you look at a photo, I would look at a photo and think something differently than Vanessa would, than you would. But it's actually the opposite with voice acting. And that's so powerful to remember is that you need to sell the other person strictly on your voice and the words that you're saying. And I think if every voice actor can remember that and always go back to that as one of their key cores, it's so powerful.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Absolutely. I think also when we speed, it kind of feels like, are they just trying to get 10 auditions done today? They didn't. It's kind of like cooking some chicken and not letting it marinate first. It is not bad. I've had it, but marinated chicken where it's taking its time that taste is unforgettable, an unforgettable moment, so much
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Better. And this might just not be the audition for this person. Not every, I think, I mean, some coach has said that, I dunno if it was you or someone else. We've had so many coaches on this series, but one coach always said, it's every audition's not going to be for you. And that's just the name of the game.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
I always say, I'm not going to pick up crumbs just because it's food. Yes, exactly. I'm okay with leaving money on the table if that means I get to put more energy can only be divided. It can't be multiplied. So I'd rather do four solid auditions than 20 mediocre because no one wins from that. On either side you're
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wasting their time, but more importantly you're wasting yours. And time is more important than money because I can lose money, I can burn money, I can earn money, I can rip money. But time's going to go. So how can I be as efficient in the time that I'm behind the mic and not try to make every audition my audition,
Speaker 2 (19:05): Preach it.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I know I could just listen to you for hours. I know, me too. I'm like, tell me more Aurelia. I want to hear it
all. This is the ultimate trio
Speaker 2 (19:14): People I
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Know this is, oh my goodness,
Speaker 1 (19:18): I love
Speaker 2 (19:18):
It. I think we can get right into audition number three. What do you think?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, I'm loving this. Let's do audition number three,
Speaker 6 (19:26):
Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities and prime locations near iconic landmarks. Book [email protected] and make lasting memories, global hotels where unforgettable moments begin.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
I really liked this audition. I thought he had a great personality. I liked the tone of his voice. I liked that he had just so much gumption in his voice and it, wow, it's such a good word. 2024. I'm going to use that word monthly. It's such a good word. I love that. I just felt like I really connected with him. I would want to call this voice actor and say, let's go hang out and grab a coffee together.
Speaker 2 (20:12): Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Yeah. What did you think, ael?
Speaker 1 (20:16):
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Absolutely. I could feel them smiling through the microphone and they listened exactly to the specs. Their version of energetic, enthusiastic. They have a very, very rich voice. I would have loved to challenge them because as a coach, there's always things we can work on. I would've loved to have them honor the richness of the deeper tones just a little bit more. To me, that brings that comfortable feeling, that convenient feeling. So we kind of started at an eight all the way up here. I would've loved for it to start a round, a five and build. I think it's like anything, it's telling a story when you start a story, if you're already at a 10 or if you're in the middle, if you starting an argument, an argument never starts with yelling. It starts with did you forget to take the dog out? It always builds.
(21:09):
So I just would've loved to hear a build happen a bit more because I could tell that they've got that little Barry White going on down there and I would've loved to hear a little bit. I would've loved to hear a second take one that was a little bit more grounded, one that played with that lower tone so that I could see where it went. But I think in terms of what the specs asked for, because it said energetic and enthusiastic, it's easy to automatically think that that means getting higher. But I can be energetic and enthusiastic and not raise the tone of my voice. So I think it's important for voice actors to look at these terms and see what are other ways. It's like watching an actor. There are so many different ways you can play anger. It doesn't mean I'm yelling, I'm throwing things.
(21:55):
There's a quiet anger that's probably scarier than anything else. So definitely, this was definitely one of my faves. They listened to the specs. I was entertained. I was listening. It felt very Miami Beach, Cabo and not so much Daytona Beach or San Diego, but I would've loved to hear a second take because I think they have the range. I find that a lot of the guys that I work with that have the deeper voice, it takes time to get them to get up there. It's a vulnerability place. Oh, we want to stay down here. This is safe, this is comfortable. So the fact that he's already going for it, I would love to hear what a second take would've done.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Okay. I love that. Those are all, I mean, I don't really have much to say because you said it all.
Speaker 1 (22:40): So
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Tara, do you have anything else for this audition?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
No, I really liked this one. This is definitely a front runner
Speaker 2 (22:46):
For me. Yeah, great personality in this one. Okay. Great job to this talent.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Okay, last audition already. My gosh. Time flies. When you're having a great time,
Speaker 7 (22:59):
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Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities and prime locations
near iconic landmarks. Book [email protected] and make lasting memories.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Okay. My thoughts for this audition, very close to the mic, but it very, it sounded grainy or I don't know
what the word would be to use, it just sounded a little bit, not echoey, but
Speaker 3 (23:27):
He was somewhere with a lot of other things happening. I felt like I was watching National Geographic and yeah, I felt like I was in a rainforest and I just heard the beautiful trickle of maybe some raindrops on a leaf. It wasn't perfectly clear the background, but he did have an intimate voice. I definitely felt like in that rainforest, he was the safari guide welcoming me in and telling me about this beautiful tocan that we just drove by.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Now with that though, I feel like when it's intimate, sometimes it sounds a little too intimate where it comes off a little bit creepy. And I'm just going to be completely honest, this one didn't sound necessarily creepy, but it was on the road to that and I couldn't really decipher how to feel hearing that. I'm just being honest.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
But Aurelia as a coach, yeah, as a coach, how do you balance that from having that intimate, especially if
the reed calls for an intimate voice, how do you balance it to not be creepy?
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yeah, definitely. It was interesting. I was like, oh, artists too and four need to hang out. They could pull a little bit from you needed more intimacy and then we needed a little bit less. I definitely think not leaning into the mic so much, it did feel very, I know what you did last summer a little bit.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Seriously, this like a new movie
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Or the Santa Claus and the Christmas commercials. It just had that kind of McDonald's commercial, which can work for certain things. But I think that's also where we start to play with your register. It might not go all the way up where the third artist was, but we need to be able to casualized it a little bit. And that always goes back to who are you talking to? When I'm working with voiceover actors, the most common thing, they're like, well, I'm talking to a person who is working a lot and is interested in a vacation. I'm like, who is that person? Do they exist? We're already playing with imagination. We're imagining this place that we have never been to. Now you also are have an imaginary person, or I'm talking to CEOs at a Fortune 500 company, but are you, I think you're just in your closet last time I checked.
(25:47):
So it's being, who are you telling this to? Just like Vanessa was saying, are you pitching this to your family? Would you speak like that? And I think that's the hardest thing. Commercial work in particular is not a head thing. It's a heart thing. It's a lighthearted thing. We are not doing brain surgery. We are just telling you and sharing with you something that we think is amazing that we think would be great for you.
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So there has to be a lightheartedness to that. Otherwise, what I was imagining visually was a little dim. It was a little too dark. It was a little so comfortable to the point of discomfort. And that's not what I think this script was trying to get. It just needed more energy for sure, a little bit more enthusiasm, a little more play in the range. As I was saying, I think we definitely could have tried a second take where we just threw it away a little bit more because sometimes we don't, and it can be an insecurity thing.
(26:50):
Sometimes we feel like we have to throw things on top of the script and we don't let the script do the work. I let the script do the work. I'm like the icing on the cake. I let the script be the case. Otherwise, you're constantly feeling like you have to add bells and whistles and get really close and do all these different things are not true to you. Yeah, and the sound wise, it definitely wasn't the clearest of the ones that we heard. And even though it's just an audition, I tell clients that all the time, do not sit there for four hours and edit one audition. Don't do that to yourself. Don't record 10 times. The 10th time is not better. You've just memorized it. That's the only difference. But if your sound is like that, we need to take time second and not audition and get the sound fix and figure out.
(27:40):
But these are great because sometimes people don't know they're not getting coached, so they don't know what they sound like next to someone else. So particularly in my group coaching programs, I have everyone record the same script and send it in. So it actually feels like you're in the casting office and you're listening. And you may even say, man, I thought I killed it, but that sounded really crisp. Or did you hear my plosives? I didn't even notice. So the thing with voiceover, why I always suggest coaching is because you're in here by yourself. You have no idea what other people are doing. And when you have an agent, you have no idea if your audition ever even made the light of day. So you don't want to do anything that's going to pull away from you getting the job. I believe the job is yours 100% from the beginning. And there are certain things that you could do that lessen that percentage.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
And I think also too, having a coach just really sets that foundation and your audio has to be number one,
period.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
That's it. Number zero, zing, zing, no higher. That's what we used to say. I'm number one. Well, I'm number zero. Zing, zing no higher. And people have an idea, and I can't wait to post my real version of this, of what this actually looks like because you watch these videos of people with tricked out rooms, then suddenly it's like, oh, if I don't have it like that, it's like, no, Aurelia likes her walk-in closet to look like a walk-in closet. So I found ways to still get quality sound without it looking like a full-blown audio studio. But you need a coach to be able to listen back. Had people come to me that have demos, that have websites that have equipment and their audio is terrible and no one had told them. So that's why a coach is important because your mic might be sideways or dirty or there's a sound coming from that wall that needs to be covered or you're too far from the microphone.
(29:39):
There's so many things that you shouldn't have to necessarily worry about on your own. So you can focus on being the talent. It's like I can drive to the place, but if I get into Uber, I can get a lot more done from the backseat. So you have to be willing to let someone else in that you trust that can guide you, not make you feel bad about yourself. There are coaches out here unfortunately, that constantly tell you, that's not right. That's not right. And I say, the only thing that's not right is that the rent is due on the first and they got to keep getting paid. So they're keeping you here. It's not a right or wrong thing, it's what's effective, what's efficient, what feels right to you as well. There's no point in doing a voiceover career where you sound like an idea of somebody else. I don't know how we got there from that, but welcome to Elia. I
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Love it. I love that. Yeah,
Speaker 3 (30:26):
It was honestly, just keep talking. I think it's amazing. I think she
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Should just take this over, but yeah, no, totally. This audition definitely kind of fell in that gray area and the whole glamorization of my booth and the lights, and then it's like, okay, but how's your audio? How's your technique? Are you doing vocal warmups? Are you watching our videos on tips? Are you talking to a coach? Do you have a coach? There's just so many questions,
Speaker 1 (30:56):
And it was just like the holiday, like you said about the holiday, what can I get someone as a gift? And I was like, what we keep forgetting is that the most important equipment is free. It's your voice that's got to be right. First and foremost, we're constantly building the house from the attic down, the attic being the demo agency representation, pay to play sites. Then the second floor is having my equipment and the first floor is I'm taking all these classes I'm listening to. And then the foundation is being in love with your voice. I have people with websites and demos and equipment, and they don't like to hear themselves speak to me. That's backwards. I'm trying to live a well-rounded life where my career is a part of not my life, not my life is a part of my career.
Speaker 2 (31:45): Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (31:47): Yep.
Speaker 2 (31:47): Yes, a hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
Yes. Elia, no one needs to. I know I could listen to you. I sound like a broken record, but I literally could
listen to you for hours.
Speaker 1 (31:58): Thank you.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
She needs her own podcast.
Speaker 3 (32:00): Yeah, it's just you in the
Speaker 1 (32:02):
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Speaker 3 (32:03):
How, Ooh, that was a little foreshadowing fores
Speaker 1 (32:07): There.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Just again, I love that the advice that you give to voice actors goes outside of just voice acting. It also goes to their life because like you said, they all intertwine with each other. So it's not just, here's my career and then here's my life. They're married in a way. So we're bringing it all together. So with the vulnerability piece, if it's not coming through in your scripts, where else in your life are you not being vulnerable? If you're playing it safe all the time with your reads, where in your life are you playing it safe? I think that's so key and a big piece of what sets you apart from any other coach, because you are connecting the life piece and the career piece together.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Absolutely. And that's why I've coined myself the voiceover life coach. I don't think another one exists. And it's to remind people that no one else like us exists. We are already unique. We don't need to do more than what we already have. And I think a lot of times we want the best equipment, and sometimes we can go both ways. We can go, we don't do enough research or we do information overload. And now we're constantly like, do I go to the side of the mic? Do I not use my pop filter? Well, this person said this and this person said that, and I need to get some PVC pipes and all those things that, that's what makes a coach magical, is that they can help you do what you need for you. Because what even my advice doesn't work for everyone all the time, but vulnerability to me is number one above everything.
(33:50):
And I deal with that myself. When I first started voice on Demand, I felt like community had to be the core as opposed to me being the core because I felt safe in community in creating something. And automatically, it's all about everybody connecting. And so then I started to realize, I don't want to just sit and talk about home studios. I don't want to just sit and talk about making a website. I want to talk about how voiceover can change your life, not just your pockets. And so I too had to get more vulnerable and realize I can't limit myself to just coach. People only looking to do voiceover. I'm looking for clients that are looking to own their voice, to have power, to own something, a business, a perspective, whatever it is. So when I'm talking to clients, telling them to be more open and be more vulnerable, I'm making sure that I'm practicing exactly what I preach.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
And I think that's amazing, especially, I know we've talked a lot about you being a voice coach, but even for brands that are looking to elevate their brand a little bit, it's so important to have that authenticity piece. And we're seeing a big shift, especially, I'm going to say in the last maybe six months, but I think we're going to see it a lot in 2024 from a brand perspective where brands are really trying to lean away from the heavy sales or lean away from, this is why you need this brand, come and get this X, Y, and Z to the, here's how my product will fit with your life. And really having the consumer picture that life. So for instance, Stanley's a great example. Stanley has been around for so long, and all they needed to do was get a new target market, and now they're forecasted to make 750 million this year.
(35:43):
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But I mean, Vanessa has one right now, and it's a really cool pink. I've seen some with geographic designs. There are so many colors, and they just tapped into being authentic. Like this is what we are, we're a water bottle, this is what we're doing. And that's what people want. They want the authenticity, they want to customize it. And you're doing such a great job of that where you are really saying, be your authentic self because your voice is yours. So you can't trade it in for anything else. So let's start with that voice. And the same goes for brands, is what is your brand at the core value? And let's just be authentic with that and really highlight that.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Absolutely. And I think the word authentic is now becoming very inauthentic in people's lives. It's what does authenticity look like? I want to look and appear authentic as opposed to feel it, because it's hard to really be authentic when you don't fully know who you are and you're trying to validate yourself by the affirmation of others. So when I have clients, like I mentioned, I have clients that booked right after we finished our group coaching or our one-on-ones. And I've had clients that have waited a year and a half. And the only difference is how patient are you willing to be that you can still be your true self, rather, I'd always rather not book a job being who I am, then booking a job, trying to be someone else. Then you have to get on the call with someone else and you have to edit being someone else.
(37:16):
And now it's out in the world, you being someone else, and now you have to promote it being someone else. And at some point that gets exhausting. So I think it's important for people to go back to their identity. I always work with clients on what is your identity as a vo artist? Not just my voice is sassy and approachable. That's great. Everyone uses the same words. It's believable. I'm very conversational, like, sure, great, but let's go deeper. And if you can't go deeper yet, then we need to talk therapy. We need to talk counseling, we need to talk life coaching. We need to talk what's happening outside of the booth. And I guarantee that's going to change what's happening inside.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Oh my gosh. So good. So good, so good. It's literally amazing. Okay. Okay. Wow, that was a lot to take
in.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
It was so good though. Should we choose a winner?
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Let's choose a winner. I think Aurelia, you should definitely choose a winner. So if you are new here, we do choose a winner every episode. And that winner actually gets booked for the job. So we let the lovely coach pick a winner every episode. So Aurelia and
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Our fabulous producer will do a drum roll.
Speaker 2 (38:29): Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:31): In post
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Aurelia, who are you picking
Speaker 3 (38:34): To win this audition?
Speaker 1 (38:37):
I am picking voice actor. Number three,
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Find your perfect getaway at global hotels, comfortable rooms, stunning amenities, and prime locations near iconic landmarks. Look now a global hotels.com and make lasting memories, global hotels, where unforgettable moments begin.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Yay. Oh my gosh, yes. That's such a good choice. It is such a good choice. Okay. Congratulations. Voice
actor number three.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Yes. That was tough. It was a tough one, especially everyone brought something different. And there were parts, I was like, oh, I would have this person work on that from that person and work on that. And the greatest part is that almost every job is coming from someone else. So it's not like, oh, if I don't get this job, the next 10 people won't want to hire me either. Everybody, chemistry cannot be denied. Everybody has their own taste, their own flake, just like my mac and cheese might not be your flavor of the bus. You might like someone else. It's a different style. So just because you didn't get this one in particular, doesn't mean that your voice isn't perfect for something else.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Okay. Well, thank you so much for tuning into Mission Audition. We hope this episode has helped you
learn valuable voiceover tips from Aurelia. So Aurelia, tell us how can talent get in touch with you?
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Absolutely. So my personal social media Instagram is Aurelia Michael. I'm on TikTok now as the voiceover life coach. So you find me there. Instagram for my community, Instagram is our voice on demand. Our Facebook is Voice on Demand. Our website is our voice on demand.com. And I soon we'll be putting out a podcast with my best friend Brittany called the Fem Fit Entrepreneurs Podcast, where I talk about all the same things, nothing is off the table. So you can find us also on Instagram at fem fit, fem fit entrepreneurs. And yeah, hit me up slide in my dms. A lot of you have emailed me from the last time or reached out to me on LinkedIn. Even the people that weren't selected have reached out. And I think that's really important is what do you do with the information? Once you get it, you can either get bitter or you can get better. So if you are listening to this, I am inviting you to please reach out to me, connect to me, let me know what you enjoy the most, what stuck out to you, what's something you're going to be working on this year, and I look forward to talking to you.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
So exciting. What a great outro it was. This whole, how long have we been recording for 40 minutes has
been amazing. So voice actors, if you're looking to start taking your voiceover career more seriously, we
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do offer a wide range of scripts for you to practice, including today's. They are all [email protected] slash blog. And if you need more resources from Aurelia, please feel free to reach out and connect with her.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Alright, thanks again for being a part of the Voices Coach series, Aurelia. It was so nice to have you back.
And thank you voice actors for tuning in.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
We'll see you in the next episode. And happy auditioning. Happy
Speaker 2 (41:53): Auditioning.
Speaker 3 (41:56): That's a wrap.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
That's a wrap. Okay. I need a real picture. Oh gosh. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Let me get my voices.com mug Ready?
Speaker 2 (42:04): Let me move this.