Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Hey, everybody. Welcome to go to your room and make stuff. The podcast about making art, any kind of art, all by ourselves in a room or a studio, maybe outside. No one is telling us when, where, or how, or any combination of those things. This is a podcast for solo artistic adventurers. Those who are doing it and those who want to try it, support ideas and just plain fun.
Hey there. Welcome to go to your room and make stuff. And today's guest is Yinka La Dende, who is a phenomenally talented voice talent. I met her because she came to classes with Seattle Voice Academy, and she was amazing. She was really, really good. And now her career has just taken off, and she's doing amazing things in all these different areas, audiobooks and commercial. And she's with some of the best representation in California. She's amazing. And I'll do a different spot where I do her bio. But before we get into Yinka stuff, I want to recommend some of the books that I am finding unbelievably helpful right now. So take what you want from this. Leave the rest. But the books that I recommend to anybody who is going into their room and making stuff by themselves. The first book is the War of Art. This is by Stephen Pressfield. The war of art. Break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles.
This one's a big one. I used to keep a stack of these when we had the Seattle Voice Academy in person, like, in studios in Georgetown. I used to hand these out like candy. Like, I kept a big stack of them. I'm like, here, go read this book. So please go read this book. I'm rereading it because you can't read it enough times. The next book I want to recommend is one called show your work.
This is by Austin Kleon. K l e o n. Show your work. So, you know, I'm 50, even if I don't sound like it. I'm 50 years old. I was born in 74, and it's 2024, so that's 50 years. I have a little bit of a hard time being online. I don't want to have a hard time being online. I want to be like, yeah, I do Facebook once a week. Okay, that's having a hard time being online. And this is a really good book. He also wrote a book called steal like an artist, which I adore. And I read that one years ago. He talks about, let people peek under the curtain of what you do, and he's not saying, go post all the crap.
The other quote I love is, don't show your lunch or your latte. Show your work. That's a direct quote from his book. Okay. So he says, what if you showed people what you do?
Not the boring parts. Not. Well, sometimes the boring parts, but make sure it's worth their while. So I was like, okay, all right, all right, I'll do it. Let's see what happens. So I went on LinkedIn, and I posted a 15 minutes video of me editing a voiceover file.
Okay? That is what I do all day.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: I.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: You guys, you think it's me being all romantic on the mic and talking all day? Yeah. No, no. Mostly I edit. I set sound levels, then I do the gig, then I edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, and finally send. So I did this video 700 views later.
I'm like, oh, well, that was worthwhile. So what he also says that you get into the book later is it's like, don't just post stuff that's crap. I mean, evaluate it.
Does it help someone else understand the business? Does it help someone else understand the art? Does it give people, like, a little window into what you do? Well, now that's worth sharing, right? So me, I used the word troglodyte today, and someone's like, no, no, troglodyte's too big. You should use Luddite. Okay. Whatever word you want. The truth is, it's okay to show what you do, and it's okay to show it online. Be respectful. Honor copyrights, be protective of yourself, but don't be afraid to show what you do because people think that's cool. So what's another book I'm going to recommend in addition to all the. That's a war of art. Show your work. This one's connected. This one's called steal like an artist, and it's a steal like an artist, and it's a journal, and it is a notebook for creative kleptomaniacs. Okay, how do you come in here? And some of the prompts in this journal are brilliant. Here's one without any help. Translate a paragraph from a language you don't speak.
Be as accurate as you can. I haven't done that page yet. I can't wait to do it. There's another one in here. Oh. Start randomly typing into a search box and write down the auto suggestions.
I'll continue. Kurt Vonnegut through. Every story has a shape, and he shows the different types of stories, story shapes, and then he says, graph a couple of your favorite stories.
So this is a journal for keeping yourself active and I admit where I'm, I'm proud of myself. 30 day challenge. Every day I will show my work and after I do, I'll put an x in the box. Yo, check that out. Look at all those x's. That's good. I'm on day ten and other days I've just. He says, also you don't have to go in order. Pictures can say whatever you want them to say. So it's a bunch of triangles. It's just triangle after triangle. And then you say it's a triangle. Could be a mountain, a trilogy, a balance, a rising tide, a tree. Christmas, a circle, the moon, sunshine, infinity. This is me adding these notes. Full circle, face, dot, beginning here. Find the things that activate your creative thinking. And it doesn't matter if you get a book, like steal it, not like an artist journal. I am a pretty hardcore journal person. And the journal that I've been using forever, there's two.
I love them both. What I really actually love more than even the journals I put inside is this leather. I'm very tactile.
This is a leather cover. I love this. Every single morning.
This is how I get to work. I pick this up and I fill it out. And the two journals I love the most, one is called the self journal. Se lf self. Okay. And that's, um, these. Okay, so the self journal. I've got one right here. Is that right? Is this self? I think it is.
Let me look at it. There's two. Like I said, there's two I love. No, this is finisher's journal. This is the second one. I love the self journal, by the way. No one's paying me to show you these. I just do it because I love it. Here you go. The self journal. This one has not been opened. Clearly. I have one. I'll use it when I need it. But in the meantime, there's one I like better, and that's the finisher's journal. And the finishers journal is created so that you finish what you say you're going to do. It's kind of a big deal. So right now in the finisher's journal, I have a week page. And then like, week, you've got 13 weeks and you won't be able to read my crazy scrawny handwriting. But here is my week three plan, my weekly review. I've got all the stuff I have to get done and I've got my daily plan, which is again, a lot of scratch.
I love the fact I have to handwrite it and I handwrite in pencil because I'm going to change my week like crazy. But this is how I get stuff done. And then at the end of the week, you go, you look back and you go, did I get the stuff done? I said I was going to do. And if I didn't, what can I tweak for next time? And I think as creatives and entrepreneurs, that's a big deal because we don't have a boss telling us, well, did you get your work done? I mean, we have us going, did I get my work done? Did the paychecks come in? Am I paying the bills? And like, today, May 2, did I get the Seattle voice academy courses on sale? Why, yes, I did. I marked it off. Did I get a work done on sailboys academy demos? Yes, I did. I marked off, did I do all my auditions? Why, yes, I did. I marked it off. Did I get three of sale voice academy's marketing plans done? I did not. So it gets a little arrow for tomorrow because I can't skip it. That's kind of a big deal. Uh, you know, did I fix our YouTube channel? My. I have three YouTube channels. All of them need to be fixed. I didn't, but I found someone to help. Well, that's a big deal. So tomorrow I'll follow up with that person to get that fixed. So it's not that we have to be perfect every day, but we sit down for, I don't know, ten minutes in the morning. We go, what is my plan for today?
We let that unfold. Man, that's just gold. So without further ado, I'm going to let us jump into a conversation with Yinka la dende.
She is wicked cool. Enjoy. Let me introduce today's guest. Holy cow. Yinka Ladende is a nigerian american voice actor and audiobook narrator based in the East San Francisco Bay Area, California. Yinka's voice can be heard on commercial promo elearning corporate narration products for corporations such as American Express, CNN, Fox, American Medical Association, IBM, Lexus, and more. She has narrated audiobooks with publishers such as Penguin, Random House, Hatchet, HarperCollins, Simon Schuster, and Macmillan. You can find out more about her on her website, www.yinkasvoice.com, or follow her at yinkasvoice on all the socials. And let me just add to that, I have had the honor of working with Yinka since 2020. And, wow, watching her career take off has been amazing. So without further ado, Yinka la dende. Sweet Yinka. Thank you so much for being on. Go to your room and make stuff, and I totally wanted to talk to you because your room is hot pink.
You can't, like, that's just the inside door. That's the interior door. Right. So, like, the outside of your studio is hot pink. And I think I have a picture that I can totally put up later.
[00:10:14] Speaker B: Which is so cool.
[00:10:18] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
So before we dive into the details of today, let's get to know you a little bit better. Can you share a unique or fun fact about yourself that our listeners might not be aware of?
[00:10:32] Speaker B: I was not born in the United States. I was born in Nigeria.
[00:10:37] Speaker A: Awesome. That's so cool. When did you come to the States?
[00:10:40] Speaker B: I was two. So I'm very american, but I am an immigrant.
Was that first gen? Yes.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Sweet.
Tell us about your art. Medium or mediums?
[00:11:00] Speaker B: What? Like voice acting. Acting, yeah. Yeah, tell us about it. Tell you about it? Yeah, I mean, I do. Yeah, I do voice acting.
Literally, any genre that I.
That I would be hired for.
So I've done.
I've done commercial audiobooks, corporate e learning, animation, video game. I just, like, anything that I could possibly. Oh, IVR and phone telephony. There we go.
Yeah. So it's like, I like all the forms, and. Yeah, I do them all.
[00:11:52] Speaker A: What led you into voice art?
[00:11:56] Speaker B: I've always been very dramatic. I've always been extremely dramatic. What's interesting is, when I was younger, I first started out. First started out. When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer, so I would sing. I would never shut up. I would annoy my entire family. I would always be singing. And then I got to high school and discovered acting.
That's funny.
And.
Yeah, then I. Then I started being obsessed with, like, you know, the. The drama class. I took all the classes and. And joined. There was, like, this thespian group, and you had to, like, do initiation. It was a whole thing, kind of, but, um. But it was fun. It was really fun. And I was in, like, a couple plays and stuff, and.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: Yeah, I have to ask, what plays were you in? Do you remember?
[00:12:48] Speaker B: Oh, gosh.
Do I even remember the names anymore? I just remember one of them. I played the human puddle. I played a human puddle.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: A human puddle.
[00:13:01] Speaker B: And we were like, I don't know the heroes. No. I don't know who wrote it or where it came from, but I was a human puddle, and we were all superheroes. And I had this dramatic monologue at the end, and it was all very dramatic. I don't even know if it was good or not. I don't remember.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: But I had a shape of water, something like that. Okay.
[00:13:24] Speaker B: And she was always crying because it was just the league. Oh, the league of semi something. Superheroes. Darn it. I forgot the name. But, yeah, it was like short plays, one act plays, I think.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: Was that what it was? I think that was what it was. And I was in one of them.
[00:13:42] Speaker A: Oh.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: And I was in Alice in Wonderland.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: Who did you play in Alice in Wonderland?
[00:13:46] Speaker B: No, I was an eaglet.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: No judgment from me. None.
Because if I go back, it gets scary really fast.
[00:13:59] Speaker B: Yeah, like, one line.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: That's adorable.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: It was.
[00:14:09] Speaker A: Okay, so tell us about your room or your studio. Tell us all about it. Where you work.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. It was a game changer. I love this thing. So it's a triple walled, five by six studio bricks isolation booth. That's what it's under the category. Yeah. And.
[00:14:32] Speaker A: I remember before you had it night in a window insert at night, you were. Yeah, it was harder to record because you were like, you had extra sounds.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: I was full of.
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Did you hear anything inside that or are you just. What's your noise floor?
[00:14:46] Speaker B: Yeah, my noise floor is, like.
It's, like, between negative 70 some. Like 70. It's wonderful.
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: It's wonderful.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: I love it. I'm like, negative 67 in here. If the heater's off, and if the heater's on, then I can run. If it's not a raw session, I can run clarity VX that plug in and make it, like, perfect. But, like, can your family be making noise around you?
[00:15:12] Speaker B: Not close, but I'm upstairs and they're downstairs. So. So long as it's not blaring, you know, the football game. And even when it's blaring the football game, because, like, those announcers have those deep voices and, yeah, they come right through frequencies, but it's not even so, like, even when he's blasting it because he's, well, elderly parents in their hearing, even when he's blasting it, it's. It's still something that's not, like, crazy. Like, it's not crazy, but I hear it, and if I needed to just like, what do you call it?
[00:15:54] Speaker A: It's like me holding for the dogs. Rx, I don't have the dogs created right now, but if they go ballistic during this interview, which they could, if anyone drives into the cul de sac, it will be like world War three up there. And obviously, during a directed session, they're put away, so they can't do that. But, like, today, we just hold for the insanity of the dogs and then keep going. Well, they don't do it for too long.
[00:16:16] Speaker B: Well, no, I mean. Cause you can't hold during a football game. That's the whole thing.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Oh, that's true. That's a couple hours. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You'd be like.
[00:16:22] Speaker B: You can. It could be filtered out. Like, it's not to the point to where I absolutely have to stop.
It's just I kind of hear, like, okay, there's a little bit of something, but the moment you put any kind of pass through it, it goes away. So, thankfully, here's a question.
[00:16:40] Speaker A: It's a super technical question. If you're not a voice artist, you're going to learn a lot about this. I have to ask this. This is a voice artist related question. What percentage of your stuff is source connect live versus stuff that you're recording and sending?
[00:16:54] Speaker B: Dang, that's a hard question.
[00:16:56] Speaker A: I know. I didn't prep you with that one.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: No, I want to know. Well, no, more like these days, most of the stuff that I book through, even through pay to plays, they wanted to use source connect or zoom.
[00:17:12] Speaker A: I know I'm on my fourth directed session this week, which means dogs get put away. Right. So I'm used to having the dogs out because if they go ballistic, I just wait. But I don't want to. I don't want anyone who's lived to have to, like, edit out. My dog's going insane.
[00:17:29] Speaker B: Although I just had a self direct through the agent, which is wild.
[00:17:35] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:17:36] Speaker B: Like, that's never.
[00:17:37] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:17:37] Speaker B: I mean, it happened one time last year, and so they came back this year, but it's the same client. Because it was funny. Because it was like, yeah, self.
We're going to do a session. And I sit there and she's sitting there and she's just like, in a cubicle and she's like, so what do we do? And I'm like.
[00:17:56] Speaker A: I've had one of those. They just listen.
They just want to hear what's happening.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: No, she didn't want. She didn't want. I didn't want to do it. She was like, yeah, it's included. But, like, I just, I don't know. You can do it on your own. Like, I don't need to.
I was like, yeah, it's actually preferred.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: Yeah, we can.
[00:18:17] Speaker B: That was really funny.
[00:18:19] Speaker A: Did you manage to, like, separate and, like, have her hang up or did she stay? Okay, good, good, good.
[00:18:23] Speaker B: It's fine. That's good. I'll just. Yeah, I'll just get it over to you when I'm done.
[00:18:27] Speaker A: What's nice that you got to meet her, though, and maybe see each other. Cause that is such a big deal. I love that, and I love all the sessions I did this week. We would be on Zoom or whatever. It was mostly Google Meet or whatever they wanted me to log into, and we'd see each other, which was great. Cause they could see me and, like, oh, hi. So that's, like, making a connection with them as human beings. And then we turn the cameras off.
[00:18:50] Speaker B: So maybe this is the introvert in me or the antisocial person in me, but I can't stand that.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: And that's what. You don't have to do it.
[00:19:00] Speaker B: You don't need to.
[00:19:01] Speaker A: You don't have to do it.
[00:19:02] Speaker B: I don't want to do my hair. I don't. I don't. I don't want to de ashtify my elbows. Like, I just don't want to have to deal with it. I don't. I don't want to have to think, okay, do I put on, like. I just.
[00:19:14] Speaker A: Just, like.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: And so when I'm. When I'm on, like, the camera's not on, you can hear me, but, like, you don't need to see me. And that's just how I know I have friends that are. But I'm also just, like, super awkward around people that. And, like, maybe it's just, like, growing up with immigrant parents and having this whole thing about, like, authority. It feels like they're an authority figure. Like, okay, now you're my boss. And now I feel awkward around my boss, and I don't know how to act, and then I just get super, like, either quiet or, like, if they're super cool and we're personable or whatever, then there's always inevitably something that I say that I'm like, was that, like, too much? So I'm just like. I just like to avoid, like, let's just, like, I'm gonna be super nice. I'm gonna be bubbly. I'm gonna be like, yay. I'm gonna be. You know, but I just. I don't wanna. I don't. I just. Can we just get this over? I avoided directed sessions for the first six months.
I would turn down jobs to avoid directed sessions for the first six months, not just because my studio, my closet was ridiculous, but because I also just don't like them. They give me anxiety.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: They give me anxiety. There's never a time that I'm not just a little bit. I mean, I don't. I don't mind it.
I think it's kind of nice to give them what they want. And if they have a quick redirect, that's really cool, too. I just love recording by myself. It's just really nice.
[00:20:41] Speaker B: I can do it. And I promise I would make it a game to make sure that all you needed was this one file. You're not going to come back to me, because guess what? You're going to have exactly what you need. There was even.
There was a client that. It was a pretty big client, and it was back on the days when I was just on pay to plays, and they were like, okay, well, what we'll do first is we'll get. Do a recording for us. We'll make a scratch track, and then, you know, get something, whatever from the feedback from the client, and then we'll schedule a session. I didn't want a session. So I said, guess what? I didn't say it, but I was like, they're not gonna need it. I gave them the best. I think I gave them, like, four or five takes.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: And in any way that they would possibly want it. And it was like, when they came back and they were like, we actually don't need anything more from you. I said, of course you don't.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:21:36] Speaker B: Don't play with me. I don't want it. I don't want it.
[00:21:41] Speaker A: No, that's awesome. That's awesome. So tell us about your recent projects. Like. Or what are you working on right now?
[00:21:48] Speaker B: I'm working on.
I'm working on. I'm working on some audiobooks. I don't know if I'm allowed to say which audiobooks.
[00:21:59] Speaker A: How about how many? You don't just say what they are, but how many audiobooks are you working on right now?
Like, in various stages of prep?
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Probably one, two, three.
[00:22:12] Speaker A: Yeah, I believe that. And how far are you, like, booked out, or do you let them book you out? Super far? Cause I know some audiobook narrators, man, they would, like, lock you up all. I mean that in a good way. In a good way. But it can be intense.
[00:22:28] Speaker B: It's so funny because I'm so.
Having the long form work is so. Is such, like a. It's a whole thing for me. But I love audiobooks so much that I'm always like, ooh, that sounds fun. Like, I'll do it right. And I don't know why I do this to myself, because it's, like, over. It's like an o. It's like a lot.
[00:22:51] Speaker A: It's a lot.
[00:22:52] Speaker B: It's a lot. Especially when you're also doing the other stuff, that short form. At the same time, how many hours.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: A day of short form would you do while also doing a book?
[00:23:05] Speaker B: Well, see, and that's the thing. So, like. Yes, so for example, yesterday as an example.
[00:23:12] Speaker A: Or you could just like, save all the. All that. You can change all the names and everything to protect the NDA non disclosure agreements out there. Right. A lot of NDAs.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: So here. So example, my 05:45 a.m..
Yesterday started a session with a client that is in overseas.
After that, I did auditions, that short form auditions that were due in the morning. After that, I had to do a co working thing to work on book because it's just so hard to focus when I'm not co working with someone just like sitting on Zoom. And anyways, and then I come out of the booth and I'm still answering emails all times of the day. I know. Work life balance. What is that?
And then I get back into the booth around, I didn't leave the booth until around like 130 ish.
I get back into the booth around 535 45.
[00:24:22] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:24:22] Speaker B: And I'm in a, like a vo, peer to peer workout thing.
And then. Or did I come in early? No, I didn't. Not this time. That wasn't yesterday. And then after that, I'm in there another hour and a half doing auditions.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: Yep, yep.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: And then. Yeah.
[00:24:41] Speaker A: I mean, evening auditions. Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's a. Yeah, that. Mm hmm. All day.
[00:24:47] Speaker B: It's all day.
[00:24:49] Speaker A: Mm hmm.
[00:24:50] Speaker B: Yeah, it's all day. It's a lot. It's a lot.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: How long is your average audiobook session?
[00:24:57] Speaker B: Session?
[00:24:59] Speaker A: Oh, for yourself? You know what I mean? Like, for me, when I do it, I like to do like 2 hours, maybe three, but I'll do maybe two of those. Depends on the books. Do I've done up to three of.
[00:25:08] Speaker B: Those in one day, my friend.
The one that I do co working with, they're savage.
They would be in there for eight, 9 hours.
[00:25:18] Speaker A: I don't wait with breaks, I hope. Wow. That's okay.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: But, like, still, like, my goodness. Vocals have steal. That's wild. I can't.
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Yeah, I need more time off than that.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: I will push it to 4 hours straight if I'm under tight deadline.
I just can't do more than four. I can't. My brain will melt out of my ears. I just cannot.
[00:25:45] Speaker A: And have you done a book that was directed where they were listening to you the whole time or giving direction while you were going.
[00:25:50] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I've done a few of those. I've done a couple.
[00:25:54] Speaker A: Just a couple.
[00:25:55] Speaker B: Those end up being six hour long days, but it doesn't feel as.
I mean, it's taxing on the voice, for sure. We do end up having breaks. Like, we take breaks, 15 minutes breaks, 1010 to 15 minutes breaks every. Just depending on who the director is. But it's also free roll, which is wonderful. So we end up getting through 100 pages in one punch and roll.
[00:26:21] Speaker A: Free roll means if you make a.
[00:26:23] Speaker B: Mistake, turn on you, just start again.
Yeah. Just press record and keep going and go.
[00:26:31] Speaker A: That's what I did yesterday. But it wasn't long form, just, like.
[00:26:35] Speaker B: Four sentences and those. And that's like, the beauty of.
Yeah, that's the beauty of it is that it's like we say, like, it's like a traumatic experience, but it's condensed into three days, so it makes it worth it. Kind of like childbirth right now. I've never had a child, but I would imagine that it would be very traumatic, but, like, so worth it in the end, because now you have this beautiful baby that you be like, hey, it's out in the world.
Yeah.
[00:27:06] Speaker A: But the process was something. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: That's.
[00:27:09] Speaker A: I totally agree with that. Actually, as a mom, I can agree with that.
[00:27:12] Speaker B: Whereas self record on your own without it being, you know, free roll feels probably more like those people who go through, like, a week of labor.
[00:27:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Or. Or, you know, an illness.
[00:27:27] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:28] Speaker A: That's terrible. Audiobook work feels like a traumatic illness.
I also love audiobooks a lot. I know.
[00:27:38] Speaker B: I love it, too, but it's so.
[00:27:40] Speaker A: I think you're the one who coined audio jail, and I love that. And not in a bad way. It's audiobook jail. It's. For me, it's summertime in Seattle. If the sun is shining, I can't come in here. The sun is shining. There's a sun up. There's a sun outside. I must run outside and be out like all the other Seattleites in the wintertime. I'm like, bring it. It's just raining, so let me just do a book. But, man, a book in, like, July, then it could be the best book ever. I'll do it. But I'm just like, oh, but I want to be outside. It's hard. It just requires discipline.
[00:28:11] Speaker B: I'm so excited. If there's sun is out, please leave me out of it. If the sun is out, don't even invite me. I'm not coming. Is it outside? You want me to eat outside? What do I look like, an animal? I'm not an animal.
[00:28:23] Speaker A: You and I did go on a cruise all the way to Mexico.
[00:28:26] Speaker B: We did.
[00:28:27] Speaker A: We did.
And I don't think I sunbathed with you very often. I totally didn't. You know, mostly we hung out inside. I totally did.
[00:28:36] Speaker B: Here's the gag. I had a whole balcony. Not one day did I step a foot. Now, the balcony.
[00:28:42] Speaker A: I think I went on your balcony. I think I went on your balcony.
[00:28:45] Speaker B: The balcony door was open, and I was in a chair next to the door.
[00:28:52] Speaker A: It was really beautiful.
[00:28:53] Speaker B: I'm gonna get this. Like, a fly somehow got inside, and, like, we're out in the middle of the ocean. Where did this fly come from? The door closed. After that, I was like, we're not doing this.
[00:29:03] Speaker A: No more flies.
[00:29:05] Speaker B: I am not an outside person. There's no touching grass. I feel like grass makes me itch. Like, no, no.
[00:29:12] Speaker A: Okay, so. Okay, here's some other questions. So do you have mentors who, when? Why? How'd they become your mentors?
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[00:29:42] Speaker B: You know what's interesting is, I feel like when I first started, everybody was, like, my mentor. Everyone who had, like, started before me ended up being, like, some form of, like, a mentor. Like, there were. I mean, the whole community was so, so, so nice. Anyone who had information would. Would give me information. There were certain. Certain people. One person actually, like, paid for an audiobook, like, class thing for me.
There was one person that, like, they sat me down with another friend, and they went over zoom, and they taught us how to. How they used, like, they just taught us about how they use, like, pay to plays, their experience with that, how they edit stuff. I ended up doing that for other people just to, like, pay it forward, because it's just, like, free information. Like, just for free. Just for free. And then any questions when I was having meltdowns for auditions, you would let me know. And then later on, I was, like, coaching with people, and those people ended up being, like, mentors. Like the Og mentors. So I had, like, mentors of people who were, like, two or three.
One or two years in front of me, and then mentors that were like, oh, geez. And, yeah, it was, like, so helpful in the beginning.
[00:31:04] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:31:04] Speaker B: For sure.
[00:31:05] Speaker A: Okay. These are two questions I ask everybody.
Did anyone ever say exactly the right thing to get you where you are today?
[00:31:15] Speaker B: See, now, that's the thing, is that I don't think so, and that's okay. Yeah.
[00:31:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Cause I don't think that's a truth for everybody.
[00:31:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:22] Speaker A: I know some artists that there was this catalytic moment.
[00:31:25] Speaker B: Okay, there was a moment. So in the very beginning, I feel like. Like I was on clubhouse, and, like, there was. There was, like, this phenomenon where, like, all of a sudden, we would break into, like, a.
Not sporadic, but, like, a impromptu workout in the middle of a room, any given room at any time. And there's, like, og voice people in there giving feedback. And I felt like everybody else would get this, like, great feedback. And when it came to me, I would read, and it would be like, silence.
[00:32:01] Speaker A: Oh.
[00:32:02] Speaker B: And then someone would be like, uh, no, no, no. Because everybody had something to say.
So much feedback. So much feedback. So I'm thinking, like, well, dang, I guess I suck then.
I really. I was like, I must suck.
So I felt like it was always something. Like, I never got the same feedback as other people. And then I remember there was one person that was, like, I had said something like, well, I mean, I don't have a voice. Like so and so and so and so. So. Like, is there like, really. And they were. And they were like, no, I think your voice is actually really great. Like, you have this voice that. That sounds like it would be, like someone that you would listen to. I forgot exactly the words that were used, but it made me go, yeah, that permission.
[00:32:55] Speaker A: That one person who gives you permission. I have a hunch.
I have a hunch about why you weren't getting any feedback. Because it was good. And they were like, it's great. Sometimes they just move on because they're like, whoa, that was feedback. Dicing it to it. Yeah, they had feedback. They had feedback for you. Okay.
[00:33:16] Speaker B: It was a lot of feedback.
[00:33:20] Speaker A: Did anyone ever say, oh, yeah, go ahead. Go ahead.
[00:33:22] Speaker B: No, go ahead.
[00:33:24] Speaker A: Did anyone ever say the wrong thing? And if they have said the wrong thing, how did you cope?
[00:33:36] Speaker B: I've had people say, um, I can't think of anything specifically, but just, like, maybe people being just kind of discouraging or, like, when I get, like, an ick feeling from some. From someone who it's like, okay, obviously this person does not believe that I deserve any of the success that I have, but I'm a very competitive type of individual. I try not to be, but, good lord, it's just ingrained.
And I try to, like, stand down, calm down. I'm competitive with myself, and that's part of the reason why, like, even, you know, I, like, workout things that I'm doing. I'm like, no, we're gonna work out. We're gonna work out. We gonna work out. And here's what we're going to do. We're going to work out. Burn more calories than anybody. Like, I'm that crazy person. But, like, also, if I feel like I'm not booking enough, I'm not. And that's part of the reason why I don't even, like, look at stats or whatever, because stats can change. Stats can lie. I can book a bunch of stats, or they could be skewed and then not book for a really long time. And if I'm counting stats, if I'm saying, well, I'm auditioning and nothing's happening. And the stats over here, if I'm not booking enough, I would use that as, like, enough is relative. But for me, if I'm not booking the way I feel like I should be booking, I will step my game up. Where can I step my game up?
[00:35:10] Speaker A: Right?
[00:35:11] Speaker B: So that's how I deal with stuff. I'm like, if I feel like you or, you know, if I feel like, okay, I didn't get something that I wanted to get or, you know, nomination or whatever it may be, I guess I just have to work harder.
[00:35:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:35:25] Speaker B: I didn't hear back from, you know, this agency or didn't hear back from, you know. All right, guess what. Bet you want me later. I'm aware.
[00:35:35] Speaker A: Oh, I love that bet. You're gonna want me later.
The best artists, they don't stop working. They don't stop. And by working, I don't mean just getting work. I mean working on their craft.
I mean, I don't know painters that assume they'll get in, and then, you know, well, the paintings will always be there. Or a writer who. Man, writers. You get that book and the publisher publishes it, and now they're like, okay, you have four more for us. We want to put you on a retainer for those four books. And now you're sitting there going, I don't have four more books. So for voice artists, we're gig to gig to gig to gig to gig, maybe. Or we could be on something that's long running, or you could have come back.
[00:36:15] Speaker B: They could always come back. Or they could not.
[00:36:17] Speaker A: Right?
[00:36:18] Speaker B: I'm always really weary of repeat clients. I love them, but they make me so nervous because then they can go away and I feel like I should always.
I know that.
[00:36:27] Speaker A: Always fill the pipeline with new people. Always new.
[00:36:32] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:36:34] Speaker A: How do you handle critiques, opinions, social media reviews, all that stuff?
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Motivation, critique. That's negative.
Always use it. Okay, let's take that in. Let's let that soak.
[00:36:48] Speaker A: Right?
[00:36:53] Speaker B: What can we do to make sure they have nothing to say later?
[00:36:57] Speaker A: Oh, I love that too. Right? Yes. And when you're not creating, what do you love to do?
[00:37:07] Speaker B: Oh, you know what?
I watch anime and korean dramas and. Yeah, that's my unwind.
[00:37:15] Speaker A: What's your unwind right now?
[00:37:19] Speaker B: Luffy.
I call it Luffy and I know it has a name.
I'll tell my sister, like, you want to watch Luffy? We're on, like, episode 160 something.
[00:37:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know what it is. How do we find it?
[00:37:34] Speaker B: One piece.
[00:37:36] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:37:36] Speaker B: Anime. Oh, my God.
[00:37:38] Speaker A: One piece anime. Okay.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: One piece. Yes. There's like 1000 something episodes. It's an anime that's been going on forever and always.
It's so good.
So we're on that and then. Yeah. Just Netflix has been the real MVP with coming out with so many different, like, korean drama stuff that I love them. They're so cheesy in the best.
[00:38:03] Speaker A: And are you watching them with the dubs or do you have the subtitles?
[00:38:07] Speaker B: If I have time to just luxuriate, then we will go ahead and put them on with the subtitles. But if. If my brain hurts, then I have to find one that's dubbed in English, like, because the dubbed reading all day.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: Talk about voiceover jobs down in LA. If you're down in LA, if you're in parts of Texas, if you're up in Vancouver, man, that's. There's some steady work in dubbing. I'm up in Seattle, so I don't do any. And is there any where you're around? Because you're. You're near the San Francisco area ish with a big ish on that, right?
[00:38:38] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:38:39] Speaker A: Is there dubbing in your area?
[00:38:41] Speaker B: I don't know.
[00:38:42] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. Exactly.
[00:38:44] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know.
[00:38:45] Speaker A: Yeah, it's okay. Let's see. What advice do you have for young artists? And I don't mean age wise. I mean, like, people who are new to voiceover, whatever age they might be. What advice would you give?
[00:38:57] Speaker B: Learn as much as you can.
What am I saying?
[00:39:05] Speaker A: That's pretty solid advice.
Yeah, I like that. And you can put it on a.
[00:39:11] Speaker B: Mug, like, dot, dot, dot.
There's so even if there's no budget, there's so much you can learn for free on YouTube and different places. Yeah, but make sure that you learn what you need to learn and make sure that you vet everything and everyone before you pay money for it, especially if money is tight.
[00:39:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: Make sure.
[00:39:44] Speaker A: You might be speaking from personal experience. I know, but yes, I know a little bit of that story. We won't go into it here.
[00:39:49] Speaker B: We will.
[00:39:49] Speaker A: Yeah. I think we check and see if they have great reviews from lots of people. You know, if you go on and you hear somebody on YouTube or whatever, find out more about them. Can they teach? Are they, oh, here's one that I would add. If they're a great performer, that means they're a great performer. Are they a great performer and they can teach. Those are two separate skills.
[00:40:09] Speaker B: Those are way two separate skills. Also, not, not everybody's vibe is gonna fit your vibe.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: Right.
[00:40:18] Speaker B: You may see someone and they may be great at coaching somebody else, but their way of coaching just doesn't sit right in your spirit.
I mean, there's nothing, it's not going to work.
[00:40:30] Speaker A: I've done that.
[00:40:31] Speaker B: So I was left, there was the.
[00:40:32] Speaker A: Person, I was like, I'm out.
[00:40:34] Speaker B: Right? Because you're just, you're not going to receive. You're not, it's not going to be good for you. So even if they're a good teacher for somebody else, always, if there's like a way for you to get a taste of it without really putting down roots, do that first. If there's nobody that you trust who has worked with them personally, like, don't just go off of like, you know, someone did a testimonial. Those can lie. Okay, don't do it.
[00:40:59] Speaker A: They can.
[00:41:00] Speaker B: Yes, those can lie.
Don't go off of just like this person said this, like, do you know someone specifically who took the class? Not just like, oh, they're good friends with them.
[00:41:10] Speaker A: No, but voiceover's a pretty little community. Voiceover is a fairly small community. Even if you don't know anyone, you can kind of get out there and find people that do know someone and you can get personal recommendation to referrals.
[00:41:23] Speaker B: Pretty much anyone who teaches literally actually been in the class and experienced it. That's the best way to, you know someone who, and not even on a public forum, in a private DM or whatever it may be, so they can give you the real dish on it because you just, you really never know.
And also, and if for some reason.
[00:41:47] Speaker A: If you made that mistake, it's okay to come back from it. It's an expensive mistake, so, you know, try to avoid the expensive mistakes. But if that happens, it's not too late.
[00:41:56] Speaker B: I wasn't really not.
[00:41:57] Speaker A: Yeah, it's never too late.
[00:41:59] Speaker B: Never. Do not.
[00:41:59] Speaker A: I'm just gonna chalk that up to oops.
[00:42:02] Speaker B: Yeah, okay. And move on. But don't let. Don't let a mistake stop you from. I've made plenty of mistakes.
[00:42:09] Speaker A: Me too. Oh, my God. Me too. Nika, thank you so much for being on our program. Go to your room and make stuff. You and I are both in our respective rooms, and I have to end the conversation because I actually have to. At 10:00 I have to be on a session.
It has been fantastic to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you. From my room to your room. Let's keep making stuff. Okay.
[00:42:30] Speaker B: All right.
[00:42:31] Speaker A: All right, bye.
Hey, everybody, thanks for listening. To go to your room and make stuff. The podcast for artists of any kind who want to make art by themselves. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast in all the places where you find podcasts, find us on social media, and if you ever have any artists you would like to see featured, please let us know. Now. Go to your room and make stuff.
