100% Organic Podcasts

2011-02-19T11:23:00.002-06:00

Thank you to all of my readers (and podcast listeners) who have followed us here since 2007! I love bringing you tips, tricks, and great links to help further your business. In the interest of consolidating all of the business blogs I write, I'm now moving my voice over specific writing to my main website. Please update your feeds, links, and bookmarks to reflect it so you don't miss out!

Gab for Gaming? What AREN'T you considering?

2010-10-18T12:08:00.003-05:00

I've composed and produced video game scores in the past, as well provided some voicing for characters here and there for apps and indie games. It's one of the more fun kind of projects I work on, but I haven't been anything close to a 'gamer' since Nintendo was "super" and character renderings were two-dimensional, so my interpretations of what's needed are sometimes, just that: interpretations.

But nothing beats speaking to a gamer to realize the real necessities of the craft. Even the game developer can have a limited amount of real input, because even though most of them are gamers themselves, this is their "baby". They're very close to the characters and vision they have in their head, so sometimes, like all of us who create things for a livelihood, they get a little stuck on that vision and don't hear the awesome things you might be able to bring to it that they haven't thought of.

I was lucky enough recently to get some really nitty-gritty input from a gamer that helped not only me, but maybe you! Here's some highlights for voicing video game characters with the player in mind:

1. Make the 'gift of gab' tolerable! Unlike audiences for other kinds of voice acting, most gamers spend long spans playing at a time, so make sure your voicing won't be grating if listened to for hours! If it actually makes a player take breaks just to get away from your voice...you're doing it wrong.

2. Don't Overdo it! A lot of us may feel the 'over the top' characters in video games need 'over the top' voicing to match. You may be playing a super-being, but you don't necessarily have to voice them that way. One of the benefits of having a player listen to you for hours on end is that they really get a 'feel' for the character in a way other mediums don't allow for, so relax a little. This isn't a 30-second spot for "Super Tax-Man"! A lot can be conveyed in subtlety, and the player will appreciate that!

3. Stop, look, and listen! If you're going into game voicing blind, there's no better time to study. Talking to gamers is a step in the right direction, as is watching them play, seeing how they respond to other games with voicing already on the market. Watch anime, and see how the dialogue plays. Research the actors at the top of the field in both gaming and anime, and see what their techniques are. It won't be hard to find them - just ask a gamer! The biggest names get fans of their own, and have online accounts they're promoting on.

If you're afraid you're going to have to become a gamer to voice games well, though it would help, it's not necessary. There are resources all around you, from online forums for gaming, to YouTube, to your friends and family members who love the games. Put them to use, and get to work!

VoiceOver Hints for YouTube update - it works!

2010-03-28T21:09:00.003-05:00

If you caught my last post about the issues I was having with YouTube degrading my voiceover sound quality to an unacceptable low, you'll know I was breathing a sigh of relief when I found the very, very simple fix!

It truly was just as bring the voice over down in the mix. You might say, "Dana, why didn't you try this before now?", and I will tell you, I did! But it wasn't enough. I brought it down quite a bit more, and even though it didn't seem to make that big of a difference in volume (clearly, the voiceover is still perfectly audible), it was enough to let the dynamic range of the music shine more than the limited range of the voice. I guess that's the trick! It's working today, anyway. See for yourself:

VoiceOver hints for YouTube!

2010-03-25T17:29:00.003-05:00

I have YouTube channels for both my studio and my record label, but this past week I encountered a voiceover-related challenge that I hadn't experienced with either before. Searching for answers didn't turn up much for me, so I thought I'd share what happened here, in hopes the next Googler will have better luck than I did!

I had created a promo for my Etsy shop, with still images, voiceover, and a music bed. This is no different than other projects I've created, and in fact, we'd just uploaded our new site intro video not long before this!

BUT, the problem I was having with this new one was a really noticeable drop in sound quality. Now, I'm aware that at the basic setting (not the HQ), the audio on YouTube videos is only 96K. So definitely, there's going to be some loss no matter what. But this video sounded a lot different than our other videos at the same encoding. And, when I played it in the higher quality setting, it sounded just like I expected it to! So it really seemed there had to be some tweak I could make or a workaround that would solve my 'technical' problem.

Here's the video:

I spent the better part of this week uploading, re-uploading, re-encoding. Working with .wavs, working with .mp3s, trying everything to change it. I found some links via Google that said other people were experiencing similar problems, and that it had to do with YouTube's servers, or new ways of encoding, or compression in general. Some people were giving advice to remix the audio. I really didn't feel this applied to me. After all, I have lots of other successful videos that don't have this problem, so the issue couldn't possibly be on my end, right?

I finally got wise and decided to go ahead and compress the audio down to 96K on my end, to see what the difference was. Lo and behold, it sounded just like it did on YouTube! So, the problem definitely wasn't them. But I noticed without the voiceover, my sound bed wasn't having the same problems with losing dynamic quality.

Here's the proof:

So it was really frustrating, and still seemed like there should be some sort of tweak or workaround that I could use to fix it!

This is where my most valuable tools came into play: my ears. I wasn't listening critically enough to my other recordings. Sure, my website intro video seemed like it wasn't experiencing the same level of loss, but was it?

I encoded the audio for it down to 96K, and it sounded ok. After removing the big guitar sound bed, you guessed it: the voiceover for this video was experiencing the same loss at 96K as the other voiceover! The sound bed was merely masking the artifacts because it had a much bigger dynamic range.

So, my challenge now is to work within the confines of Youtube for what I post there (and I still think it's great, even at low quality), while coming up with higher quality options (Wimpy is one) for use on my site. The benefit of the social media sites is give-and-take with the quality. With higher quality on my site, I have to store the media myself, and don't get the viral benefits. So it's a trade off, but luckily one that doesn't make me pick just one option.

So, I'll be posting a new video soon (I'm trying to balance bringing the bed and dynamics up without overpowering my voiceover), and continuing on my Youtube studies to find avenues to the best quality, most effective videos. Stay tuned!

Ready to go back to school? Here's 85 free options!

2009-08-19T19:04:00.002-05:00

Came across this thanks to Dave Saunders from Your Social Brand. Small Biz Bee has 85 Absolutely Free Online Business Classes all nicely laid out for you. Enjoy!

Does your business need a helping hand from a cool chick?

2009-08-06T14:05:00.003-05:00

As you all know, from time to time I come across a vendor or resource that I think is the bee's knees. I've seen a *lot* of marketers promise to help businesses get more attention and get more done, but I doubt few can deliver as much as Indie Biz Chicks does! From blogs and newsletters, to coaching, to informative resources like podcasts and articles, it's one of the coolest one-stop shops I've seen. Plus it's not a budget breaker!

I found the site through one of my favorite magazines, Venus Zine, which is also a great resource for us "crafty professionals". Check 'em both out!

And just so the fellas don't feel left out, here's something Just for Men.

A little post about YOU.

2009-07-16T13:19:00.003-05:00

Ok, so it starts out about us, but you'll see--it IS all about You. As we celebrate our 13th birthday here at Serious Vanity Music, reflect with us over where we started and how far we've come (thanks to you).

Voice Over and Studio Life: Is it a Hobby or a Business?

2009-07-16T12:43:00.002-05:00

My partner in all things Paul Clark made a great post yesterday at his music blog about treating your music career like what it is--a business.

But I think it's worth repeating in the voice over and production studio realm, too. I think it's easy for careers like ours, where we have so much fun and get to do such creative projects, to start getting a little too lax in how we treat our time and our mindset.

I think too that the bulk of voice over artists and studio owners have left a 'first career' in a less creative industry or a string of unsatisfying day jobs for the freedom of studio life, which makes it seem like a vacation. (In our case, Paul did that very thing. He was in the transportation industry for 18 years. For me, this is it!).

But, ultimately, as Paul quoted John Assaraf saying in the post linked above, "If you treat it like a hobby, it will cost you like a hobby. If you treat it like a business, it will pay you like a business."

I've found this to be true, on both sides of the coin, and I've made a few changes in my routine in order to facilitate my "business", that you may want to adapt to your life, too:

#1: My workday has set hours. Your clients do. And everyone in your life will thank you for this (including yourself, once you see how much more you can work in!

This was actually the hardest one for me, because I hate to say no to my clients. I want to be available on the weekends or holidays, or 2am if I happen to catch an email. But my life suffers, my work suffers (always remember that--especially with voicing, if you're not in peak shape, it will show up in your recordings), my health suffers (especially the ears).

#2: My workday hours are organized and scheduled. This is amazingly effective. I spend half of my workday on office time (paperwork, filling orders, talking to clients and prospects, email, blogs, updating the website...all the good stuff), break for lunch, the spend the last half on studio time. You find that when you limit the time you're working, you only perform your highest income and highest impact generating tasks. If you're loosey-goosey about your schedule all day and float in and out of work and play modes, you'll find yourself blurring the lines. Too much time on Facebook. Too much time cleaning out your inbox. Before you know it, nothing has really been accomplished, but you've not noticed because you stayed "busy".

#3: I say "No thank you". Remember those "highest income/impact" activities I mentioned above? Guess what? That's all you need to do. To the rest, say "No thank you," like the polite but stern owner of your own destiny.

I know, I know, they HAVE to get done too, right? I mean, your desk HAS to be clear, your inbox HAS to be sorted, your magazine racks HAS to be organized by year/month/and paper type.

Does it? I mean, does it really matter if you have too many emails (here's a quick hint: If you haven't read it yet, you don't need it. "Delete" is your friend.)? Will the world end or your business fall apart if you don't have every file folder labeled in the same font?

I'm not saying being a perfectionist is bad (though I DID get interviewed about that in Oprah magazine, believe it or not!). Just be choosy about what you're a perfectionist about. Want to have a perfect office? You'll be a great decorator (unless you're actually trying to be a voice over artist or producer). But want to have a perfect business? Be perfect with your time. Practice perfectly. Hold yourself to the perfect standards of focusing in on the critical things that will make the difference, instead of the time sucking details that will rob you of your dreams like a thief in the night.

Hitting the halfway mark: how're you doing?

2009-07-02T01:38:00.004-05:00

Welcome to July, which may start your fiscal year...or it might mark the halfway point. Let's go back to those New Year's goals: doing as well as you'd planned? Exceeding your goals? Still feeling the fallout of the economic woes of your clients?

Halfway is a good point to really measure how you're doing. If you're a procrastinator, halfway is when you start to pick up the pace to catch up. If you're an overachiever, halfway is where you take a breath. And if you're a well-organized planner, halfway should be where you pat yourself on the back for being right on target.

I've always hated running. In junior high, we had to run a mile or two for gym class one day, and as usual, there I was in the bottom three finishers. I always felt like such a loser, but I just didn't feel like I had the strength to keep up with everyone else. I didn't let myself walk the whole thing (I wasn't going to be last, mind you), I just kept up my baby-step pace in my lane, kept my face down so I didn't see just how far behind I was, and kept going.

My teacher pulled me aside (it wasn't hard, everyone else was already in the showers), and encouraged me to go out for the Cross Country team. Was she nuts?!? Did she not just see me fail the exercise? I looked at her like she had three heads.

She laughed at my reaction. "You're a distance runner," she said, "You stayed steady the whole time, and finished solid."

It took me a long time to realize how important what she said to me was. Unfortunately, I didn't get it before I got out of junior high (therefore, never proved my worth on the Cross Country team).

You see, I was a classic overachiever. "Book learning", as we call it in the country, came very easy to me. (As an aside, I'll be exploring the "why" behind this in a later post when I do a little review of the book "Outliers") So easy, in fact, that anything that wasn't as easy, I disregarded.

I was a mental "sprinter". I wanted to get there, and get there fast. Win and be done. The hare, taking a nap on the side of the trail, while the tortoise soldiered on.

In my business life, I expected to continue being the sprinter. I did have some quick successes, but ultimately, I had to learn (at times, the hard way), that it's all about being the distance runner. Stay steady, know where your competition is in their lane, but ultimately, keep your nose down and just move forward. If you stop, you're out. If you waste all of your energy up front...you still have the same distance to go, and you're going to be beat when you get there.

(And for the record, I LOVE running now.)

So I'm halfway through 2009, and I'm not winded yet. How're you doing?

The Bleeding Edge vs. Your Comfort Zone

2009-05-15T20:50:00.004-05:00

In building our new site, I've had the opportunity to revisit a lot of old audio projects and samples we've done over the years. I remember taking that leap into professional voice work around 2003, and how capable I really felt when I landed that first voice client.

Soon after I ended up moving my studio to a much different, bigger location, and I felt like the new environment I created improved the overall quality of what I was producing. At the same time, it was obvious that my performance ability was also growing due to all of the experience I was picking up along the way.

Then I felt like I really hit my sweet spot a few years back. My environment, my production level, and my performance level, were all consistent, and my client base was largely a solid group of return clients that I knew how to please.

But, there is a danger in this kind of thinking. It lies in getting too "comfortable". I can hear it now when I listen to those audios I created at that time. The same performances aren't fresh or relevant now. My experience has lead me to be better now, but what else can I do to make sure I don't turn myself into an audio dinosaur before my time?

Step One: Acceptance. Change is happening all around us, all of the time. As industries grow into different markets and technologies are innovated, we have to keep up as professionals. If we stop learning, we stop growing, which makes us stop being useful to our clients. They will not run the same campaigns, create the same kinds of projects, or have the same audiences forever.

Step Two: Research. Are you keeping up with your clients' industries? Following what ad agencies, publishing companies, or the other creative companies who hire you are following, so you can stay on the cusp of their innovations? It's not just about what they're doing today, though it's great if you're an audiobook artist to be listening to current audiobook productions, or if you're an e-Learning specialist to be keeping up with those current releases. But with an eye to the future, you can help your client develop the kinds of audios that can put them--and you--on the map. It's not just about the voiceover or studio industries when we're working for someone else.

Step Three: Practice. Being a performer or producer of any sort means keeping your chops in top form. If you're waiting until you're in the booth or behind the desk to practice your art, you're relying on conscious competence. This is when you're spending too much 'brain time' coming up with solutions or approaches. What you want to aim for is unconscious competence, which is that gut knowing how something should be done. This comes from keeping your skills sharpened with constant reading, recording, reciting...all of the things you love anyway.

If you don't have a client, give yourself an assignment. And see it through. It doesn't matter if it's getting through a tutorial on a new piece of software you want to learn, going to a seminar, finding a voice coach and keeping up with your exercises, studying how others in your field are creating, or just recording for recording's sake.

Volunteer to read to school children to practice character voicing and narration. Help a neighborhood teenager produce their first demo. Just do something to challenge yourself to not stay in that comfort zone.

So now, I'm working on some new samples and projects that reflect my new skills. I still have most of those clients from a few years ago, and guess what? I can still provide what they need--faster, and better--because I chose to stay on the bleeding edge of my craft. Sometimes it's not cozy, but it's always necessary.

Speed vs. Quality: Which Sets YOU Apart?

2009-03-24T15:17:00.004-05:00

Here at Serious Vanity Music, we're blessed to work with a lot of great personal development and business growth experts who are making the world a better place. In their industries, like in most, there seems to be a trend when it comes to audio for one of two things: speed or quality.

In the speed category, they're working to keep up with the fast pace of the industry by getting their information developed and released as quickly as possible. This sometimes means getting teleconferences online immediately after they take place, or recording their own web audios or podcasts via a cheap dynamic microphone plugged into the input jack on their laptop.

This does get the job done...in a sense. You have to remember, as a business person, you're ALWAYS branding. Would you give someone a business card you just scribbled out, without even proofreading for spelling errors? This is essentially what you're doing if speed is your main objective.

Another shortcoming of differentiating yourself by speed is that you're shortchanging yourself down the road. You may end up with more audios available in bulk, but what will you be able to do with them tomorrow? Absolutely nothing.

Let's look at quality. With high-quality, top-notch audio, you look good, plain and simple. Proper branding is a no-brainer! And whether your audience is listening as soon as your podcast is available, or a month later, you still look good.

On down the road, if you want to create information products on CD or in downloadable form, you're already ready to go, without having to go into a studio to develop new audios, hire voice talent, or create scripts. You've done the heavy lifting up front!

You may not have as many audios with quality as your goal (though, with a studio like ours that has a quick turnaround, you've got a pretty good chance of coming close). But you'll have more impact, which will in turn, get you and your audience better results.

Which are you focusing on?

The Voice Over Industry puts the "BOOM!" in "boom mic" this year!

2009-01-07T18:23:00.006-06:00

David Ciccarelli posted the Report on the Voice Over Industry: 2009 at Voices.com. Interesting data, that I know for certain my fellow audio workers will be pleased to see.

Of course, I'm sure many of us had a hunch that while other industries have been struggling to keep up with the fluctuating markets and ever-changing business landscape, we've been growing strong. Thanks to the popularity of Web 2.0, gaming, and mobile audio devices, it's become our time to shine...and prosper!

How do you make the most of this boom?

1. Take advantage of close-out prices and liquidation by software and recording equipment dealers and upgrade your studio! I've never met a studio owner who hated buying gear, and by having the latest technology to offer, you're that much more appealing to clients.

2. Build long-term relationships. Odds are, you're going to get a lot of clients in the near future who are going to be watching their budgets, and hiring you for a little here, a little there. Developing "bulk rates" or being a go-to in these tough times will be something they won't forget when the going gets better, thus cutting down on the amount of lead generation work you'll have to put in tomorrow.

3. Go where the business is now. Odds of doing a major car ad right now? Probably pretty slim. Voicing debt consolidation ads? Better.

4. Use any down-time between jobs to better your skills. Take a voice course, do work outside of your comfort zone, or network with other talent and trade tips.

5. Be the best you can be, in performance, delivery, communication, value, and all-around experience. This is ALWAYS the way to go.

It's our year. Let's jump beyond the projections and make this industry the best it can be!

How to Succeed in 2009 - more on the Power of the Plan!

2009-01-07T10:00:00.002-06:00

Janet Attard has a great article on how to succeed in 2009 up at Business Know-How, which I think works in perfect sync with my post here the other day on the Power of the Plan: 2009. Keeping "the end in mind" (as my coach likes to say) is a fantastic way to really get goals (and dreams!) accomplished.

As I've said before, I'm a very "visual" worker, and I've got to get all of my senses in alignment or I start to get confused. On my vision board, I actually stuck a little drawing with my overall "end goal" at the top, with the depiction of a road leading from it. Along the road, I've got all of the things sketched that I need to do, or that are aspects of my life that I'm doing now that already lead to the road, to keep me on track. Other things, which I may also be doing (or have done in the past), that lead away from the road, have arrows pointing away, reminding me that they're not good choices if I want to get where I want to be.

The lesson is, you need tools! No good craftsman, either in business, in art, or in life, operates without them. Don't shy away from using as many as you can.

The Power of the Plan: 2009!

2009-01-02T19:22:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year! Another one is behind us, bringing with it financial ups and downs, political changes, and beautiful opportunities to shine and grow. I have two freebies for you today, to help get your new year started off right:

1. The Power of the Plan!

A few years back (2000-2003, to be exact!), when I was a writer for the now defunct Women of Mp3.com, my first article each year was my very own personal and business planning outline. I have always believed strongly in putting dreams, goals, and visions down in physical form, as a means to not only get clearer on the steps I need to be taking, but also as a message to the powers that be that "this is what you need to aid with!". It was not a big shocker to me, as I moved deeper into studying personal and business development that many great minds also used this method to move closer towards their goals. It's a very important part of the business growth network I belong to today, and the foundation on which I've built my tiny empire.

2. Some "Soulstice"!

Download the free mp3 above to groove your way into the new year while you read the article below! Brought to you by our very own Serious Vanity Records and performed by Gentlemen Prefer Bombs! You can enjoy it and the other 11 tunes from the "wintery mix" Too Cool for the Yule at the CD's official page, for free, for a limited time.

And now...on with the plan!

Whether you're a full-time pro in your industry, a part-time enthusiast, or a hobbyist just looking for a little more direction, this will be a helpful activity to get your head in the right place.

Get yourself a pen, lots of paper, and a big glass of leftover egg nog, and let's get to work!

Page 1: title this one "MY DREAMS FOR 2009".

I like doing this page best. Let your imagination run away with you as you list all of the amazing shows you'd like to play, ads you'd like to produce, albums you want to record. It's important that you don't concern yourself with budget on this one. It's purely creative visualization material. Just let your heart play dress up with it, and list anything and everything that would be your "dream gig".

Page 2: title this one "MY GOALS FOR 2009".

Here's where we get a little more precise and budget-minded. If you think it's realistic that you could put out a CD in 2009, add this to the list. If you'd like to play certain clubs or go on a regional tour in the summer, add this to the list. If you've got a prospect that's looking pretty close to getting on your schedule, add this to the list. If you've been meaning to do more web promo, social networking, blogging, or physical marketing, add this to the list. You get the picture.

Page 3: title this one "DEFINITES for 2009".

Name says it all! If you know the CD you've got at the plant will be back next month, or your iTunes songs you submitted last week will be live soon, add this. If you've already got shows lined up, add this. If your networking, online and off, is in action, and you know it will continue, add this. It's very positive after seeing everything you want to see a list of everything you're already accomplishing.

Page 4: title this one "TIMELINE".

This is where pages 2 and 3 start to come together. Page 1 will work itself in through the year, as you accomplish these other goals and definites.

Make a calendar (this can actually replace Page 4), January through December 2009. Be precise in lining out the shows you already have, the release dates that are coming up, and (the organized Virgo AND synesthete in me suggest using a different colored pen here!) the release and launch dates you have on your goals (Page 2) page.

Put as much info as you can on your calendar. Seeing the way your business and creative endeavors will potentially fill up your year will help you to meet your goals!

Page 5: title this one "BUDGET".

Ah, the least fun page (if you're not Bill Gates).

This is called a revenue plan in other spheres, and should really be far more detailed. But I believe that you've got to start somewhere, and especially for us right-brained musician types, a big picture is very necessary before we can even begin to deal with fine tuning the details.

List your resources. What's your band's monthly income? How much credit do you have available for CD pressing or merchandising? What's your average weekly/monthly biz spending? It might be something you're not used to rigidly keeping track of. But once you start, you'll see that you are better managing the money you have left over after web fees, guitar strings, promo items, or new microphones (my favorite vice).

Break it down as much as possible. Yearly incoming/outgoing doesn't give you enough of an idea of what you have to work with. Monthly and weekly budgets are a lot easier to manage. Truth be told, I've now broken mine down into a daily picture, with my various bids and scheduled jobs worked in well in advance, so by mid-week, I know whether or not I'm hitting the targets I need to.

Hold on to your budget and your timeline, and be prepared to amend them as you go. Tuck everything else away until mid-year. When you have some down time in June, whip those puppies out and see how many of your definites are done; how many of your goals; and most surprisingly of all, how many of your dreams.

Believe in the Power of the Plan, and it will work for you!

Dana Detrick-Clark is an entrepreneur, musician, composer, producer, award nominated voice artist, writer, and all around rockin' Zen gal. What kind of world do you want to create today? Dana's mission is to help. Learn more and get more F*R*E*E information on her site. http://www.seriousvanity.com

NOTE: You are free to share this article with friends and/or publish it in your magazine, trade journal, newspaper, business journal, website, blog, newsletter, and/or e-zine, provided you keep it in its original form and include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated, but it is not required.

Attitude O' Gratitude!

2008-12-03T14:30:00.002-06:00

Thank you to all of my dear readers who have not flittered away during my absence. We've been producing our holiday CD over the past several months, and I've neglected the blog and the podcast a bit!

Not to leave my studio clients in the cold, we've got some great deals going for both :30 radio/web ads AND last-minute holiday music licensing. More info on the latter in the next few days, but believe me, now's the BEST time to take advantage of our full production ads (I can't even mention the price here, it's so ridiculously low). Treat yourself to some exposure this season, you deserve it! Drop me an email for more info!

How Color Can Effect Your Mood...and Your Business!

2008-10-23T12:18:00.004-05:00

I just read a great article on the use of color (in life and in business) and what impact it has on our decisions and moods. I've posted about this before, and this article is definitely another to be added to the archives!

As someone with synesthesia (I talk more about it here), color plays a huge role in how I associate many things. It's a big inspiration, as well as a guide for me. Probably a little weird, but fun!

Enjoy the article!

A Trip to the Organic Market.

2008-10-21T13:16:00.010-05:00

It seems like every couple of months I have to take at least a few hours out of my week to sort through the various newsletters and email lists I've acquired, unsubscribe from what I'm obviously not reading, and finally get my life back from the marketing clutter that's filling my inbox (and keeping me from what I really need to be reading).

Inevitably, I gradually sub to more lists ("sign up for a free video" or "get daily motivation" usually draws me in), and the cycle continues.

Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat. The Marketing Wheel keeps turning.

Truthfully, though most of these people are really successful marketers, no doubt hitting that critical percentage that makes up their lifetime customers and guarantees them residual monthly income, it all looks alike to me.

When the Marketing Wheel spins in this hypnotic "Marketing Kaleidoscope" fashion, I become blind to anything that makes any of them different from the last one.

In fact, I cringe a little each time I realize I've fallen for another one, gotten sucked onto a list that will cost me precious seconds at least once a day (and they almost seem to be getting more frequent), and have to now deal with sorting through them all once again!

My biggest fear is that, in my own marketing, I'll become one of these people.

And THAT's a conundrum, isn't it? Because we know that at least some of them are successful, so we should at least analyze what they're doing right. But at the same time, is it worth the risk of turning off real people, who are looking for more than just the 'right' words? They want to know who we really are, what we're offering, and most importantly, what benefit it is for them, without being sold to like victims at a used car lot.

Good news! You can be an Organic Marketer. An Organic Marketer is someone who speaks authentically, all naturally, and without all of the harsh crap that your readers, customers, clients, or community don't want spoiling the precious seconds they're giving your words.

Maybe androids want some magical text that's going to lure them into throwing down cash without trust or proof that it's worth their while, but human beings (the ones behind those computer screens) don't. In a world that's ever increasingly contrived, if you've got something real to offer, you owe it to your product, service, prospect, and YOURSELF to be real in how you market it.

Here in Kansas, trees are brimming with delicious harvests of the fall. It's a constant reminder to me that the sweet, uncorrupted fruits of communication are the most appealing. Organic Marketing is the only way.

A Meatball Sundae is just what you need.

2008-10-20T17:19:00.007-05:00

Marketing genius Seth Godin has once again hit it out of the marketing ballpark with Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?. Colorfully and succinctly, Godin lays out what you might not want to hear: that the "Old Marketing" of television interrupts and mass marketing average products, is losing ground to the "New Marketing" in the Web 2.0 world, and you've got to pick a team.

With fourteen clearly defined considerations of New Marketing in his toolbox, along with enough case studies (from companies you not only already know of, but have probably worked with) to prove his points, Godin makes a great case for not only utilizing these new tools, but also for adapting your entire business structure to work with them.

What could be so compelling that a seasoned company would restructure into a fresh startup just to take advantage? The consumer. In today's online market, the customer is not only king, he's also the boss, the critic, and sounding board from which all new ideas come.

It's never been a better time to be a consumer, an entrepreneur, or a creative. With Meatball Sundae Seth Godin makes us all feel new again!

Check out this book as well as many other great business resources at the Serious Vanity Learning and Productivity Center.

Are you "Joe the Plumber"?

2008-10-18T14:23:00.002-05:00

It's an understatement to say people have been discussing "Joe the Plumber" this week in regards to United States politics, but it's not so much the tax plan references that have caught my interest.

What has surprised me most about "Joe" is that it seems a lot of people discussing him aren't aware of what small business people are capable of. And that needs to change!

(Note: whether the real Joe is actually named Joe, is a licensed plumber, or has an extra toe on each foot may be relevant in the candidate arena, but for changing perceptions about entrepreneurs, it's not our issue! My goal today isn't to sway a vote to either side, but to look at our own businesses in a positive light.)

For the sake of my point today, let's look at "Joe" as an archetype for people who may be looking to buy the business they currently work in, or start a business of their own.

I've seen people reference that $250K US is far more than what a plumber can make in a year. Is it?

If a plumber (or the owner of a plumbing company, who may have a background in business, finance, or underwater basket weaving for all we know) runs a staff of five working plumbers, and each perform two $500 jobs per day, five days a week, they generate $25K in revenue. Multiply that by the year's 52 weeks, and we have $1.3M. Remove from that the cost of goods, taxes (income and property), upkeep, vehicles, licensing, wages, and healthcare, and, just by my rough estimates (plumbing is clearly not my field!), the business could easily generate $250K+.

This also means that the worth of the business, if purchasing it, would be far greater than that! There's a lot that goes into valuation, as pointed out by this article, and you should either know what you're basing your numbers on, or be prepared to hire or barter with a professional who does.

My main point is that, as small business owners (whether plumber, voice artist, CPA, mechanic, or chef), we shouldn't let ourselves be marginalized in the minds of our public! Ask yourself, "How can I educate people as to the potential that lies within the American Dream (which isn't just for America--this is a shout out to all business owners in the global marketplace!)?". Inpsiring the children of today will create the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I'm glad that at least "Joe the Plumber" is an opportunity to raise awareness to that fact!

Recession-Proof Your Mind, Recession-Proof Your Business

2008-10-07T12:54:00.003-05:00

“Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,’who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; you playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

--Nelson Mandela

One of the biggest hurdles in the current Western economy is in conquering the doomsday machines. We're besieged with negative speak from the media and our peers every day about how we're all going to spiral downward.

It's hard to argue with: there have been huge drops in the stock market, here in the U.S. we now have a fat cat "rescue" plan in place that will cost us tax payers $700 billion, with little guarantee of effectiveness (Certainly, that money invested back into our education system would guarantee far more long term success! But that's another blog post...). People are losing their jobs, their homes, and their hope.

It all spells difficulty in keeping the end in mind (aka your Clear Vision) when pursuing your business and life goals. How can we say that we're certain of our year-end results, when we don't know what the market's going to do this afternoon? Even if we're not directly effected, if that fear is in the heart of our client, they'll be less likely to want to spend right now--causing the agony to 'trickle down' on us.

So what can we do? Luckily, lots of things!

Every challenge presents us with the opportunity to learn, grow, and dig deep to find those solutions that will not only move us forward individually, but as a collective, too! Just like Nelson Mandela said above, "...As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” So we MUST push onward!

Step One: Revisit that Clear Vision, hone it, and own it!

Without the end in mind, we lose our True North. That internal compass point is going to help us plot our path to what we want our businesses (and our lives) to be!

It may be that we need to approach our visions in a new way. There are many methods in laying one out, not limited to:

lists
storytelling
scripts
mind movies
audio (recorded messages or even song mixes or playlists!)
vision boards (My mentor, John Assaraf, is actually releasing his new The Complete Vision Board Kit tomorrow!)
questionaires or worksheets

If you've laid your Clear Vision out as a story in the past, maybe developing a vision board for it will help you to refocus on what you want. A movie-like script, outlining the story of your dreams may be just the injection of excitement your current mind map needs to get you pumped up again, and take your mind off of all the gloom-and-doom you're hearing on the nightly news.

According to "Creating a Clear, Compelling Vision" by Marilyn Schwader, there are four components your vision should have:

1. Your Values
2. Your Dream
3. Your Purpose
4. Your Mission Objectives

I'll be visiting these all in more detail in the coming weeks. Until then, get on that vision, and start step one in Recession-Proofing Your Mind!

Are you a Community Organizer?

2008-09-26T20:05:00.004-05:00

Community Organizer. It's a phrase that, during this United States presidential election, has gotten a lot of use. It implies not just an 'organizer' per se, but a leader. Someone who is not just the caretaker of a movement, but the inspiration for one.

Are you a Community Organizer in your business? Are you a leader in your industry, working in a bubble, or are you making your field a better place to work, giving all of your customers and clients industry-wide more value, no matter who they hire?

As a true Community Organizer in your field, you'll maintain the integrity of your industry's quality, pricing, education, and value. You'll build up the younger generation working alongside you, as well as respect the experience of those seasoned professionals you can learn so much from.

We launched our new Perfect Audio Solutions from Serious Vanity Music and Serious Vanity Records websites within the last week. Some are already featured, but more resources will soon be enhancing both sites to help businesses and creative professionals educate, inspire, and entertain in the new Web 2.0 world, as well as to help them live the lives of their dreams.

Both will soon be linked with the Serious Vanity Music Network, a hub for connecting professionals, artists, fans, and consumers in an open, mutually supportive environment. In essence, not just a network, but a Community.

How can you, as a leader, be a Community Organizer, too?

Are you qualifying your leads, or are they qualifying you?

2008-07-08T14:45:00.005-05:00

When you generate leads for your business, the logical middle step before converting a sale for the product or service you provide is the 'qualification' stage, ie, finding out if you're a good match for each other! You got their attention, but do they want what you offer?

In the studio business, we each have an 'ideal client' that has the working style we want and need in order to perform to the highest goal-meeting ability. But so many times, especially in businesses that differentiate themselves on price, it's the CLIENT that does the qualifying, not the business.

Let me explain: you tell a prospect what you can provide for them in a proposal. They come back with a completely different idea of what you'll provide in a follow-up (usually based on the cost of your service).

At this point, do you renegotiate with their follow-up in mind, setting your goals aside and grasping on to whatever they want you to do as your guide? If so, you've let THEM qualify YOU.

If instead, you either go back to negotiations with your original goals in mind, but taking into account some of their needs in their follow-up, or you just say, "Thank you, but we're not right for each other", then YOU'VE qualified (or disqualified) THEM.

You have to be the captain of your own ship in business, and taking time with clients who aren't your ideal takes time away from generating, qualifying, and converting those that are. Make sure your marketing and communication language always maintains the integrity of your business goals, and you'll spend far less time courting the ones that aren't right for you.

Start learning how to do this (and so much more), by reading The Answer.

Good Things Come to Those Who Ask

2008-07-03T18:30:00.004-05:00

It's time for another article from the brilliant Jack Canfield. This is a perfect follow-up to his last article I posted, and also a perfect follow-up to my day! Today my business has been greatly improved by simply asking for help from my mentors, my mastermind group, and my colleagues, all of whom I also consider to by my family, even though I'm blood related to none of them. I'm a person who was very bad at the concept of 'asking' before: I felt it was a sign of irresponsibility or ignorance. But if the most intelligent, successful people I've ever met (or have studied) say it's the most important way to move forward...who am I to argue? And I'll let you in on a little secret: since I got out of my own way and started asking, I've been a lot more successful too (and better able to help others when they ask).

Enjoy!

Good Things Come to Those Who Ask
by Jack Canfield

Asking for what you need is probably the most underutilized tool for people. And yet, amazing requests have been granted to people simply because they've asked for it!

Whether its money, information, support, assistance, or time, most people are afraid to ask for what they need in order to make their dreams come true.

They might be afraid of looking needy, ignorant, helpless, or even greedy. More than likely, though, it is the fear of rejection that is holding them back. Even though they are afraid to hear the word no, they're already saying it to themselves by not asking!

Do you ask for what you want or are you afraid of rejection?

Consider this: Rejection is just a concept. There is really no such thing as rejection! You're not any worse off by hearing no than you were before you asked. You didn't have what you asked for before you asked and you still don't, so what did you lose?

Being rejected doesn't hold you back from anything. Only YOU hold yourself back. If you are told no, ask for what you'd have to do to get it, or ask again at another time when the circumstances have changed. Ask if they know someone else who might say yes. When you realize that there's no merit to rejection, you'll feel more comfortable asking for things. But you may need a bit of help learning how to ask for what you want.

First, ask as though you expect to get it.

Be confident in your request coming from a perspective that there's no reason why you wouldn't get it. Or they say no, you can ask them why, or what you would need to do to get a yes. You might need to form a better business plan before you will get a loan. You might need to take a course in computers before you will get a promotion. You might need to spend more quality time with your family before you will get the loving support you need. By getting this feedback you are able to make adjustments and ask again with better chances of getting a yes.

Second, assume you can get what you want if you only ask for it.

You want a window seat? Assume all you have to do is ask for it. You want an ocean view? Cheaper tickets? A scholarship? A better deal? Just ask for it as if that's all you have to do to get it.

And finally, be specific about what you want or need.

Do you want to make $5,000 more a year? Then don't just ask for a raise. Ask for $5,000 more a year. Vague request produce vague results. Don't just ask for more time with your spouse; ask for a date on Friday night. Don't ask for help on a project, ask for what you want that person to take care of.

Getting a good perspective on rejection and learning how to ask will make a world of difference for you as you work toward your goals. Practice asking and you'll get very good at it! You'll even speed your progress by getting what you need, or improving yourself in order to get it later.

Make a list of what you need to ask for in all areas of your life, and then start asking!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Two Dynamic Voice Tidbits!

2008-07-03T14:04:00.005-05:00

Got to hand it to Voices.com, they've innovated again with a new Platinum Membership feature. Here's the scoop, straight from Stephanie Ciccarelli:

The Platinum Membership includes your very own Voices.com website as well as listings on 10 niche voice over websites, a public relations campaign, ad placement on the Voices.com advertising network, 100 MB of storage for your MP3 voice-over demos, videos, priority ranking in the search results and unlimited Featured Talent Directory listings, and access to the industry's hottest freelance voice-over jobs.

Here are some helpful links with more information:

Discussion about the new service on VOX Daily
Page on Voices.com with product information

Check it out!

Paul and I were both incredibly lucky to get to listen in on a live call with famed voice teacher Arthur Joseph last night, and WOW, we're both still blown away by it. Whether your business IS your voice, you want to be a better presenter or performer, or you just want to enhance your life and spirit, check out his work. He's amazing!

Never stop innovating!

2008-06-25T09:47:00.003-05:00

Paul, the other half of Serious Vanity Music (who also happens to be my husband), is an avid bicycle enthusiast. I've stopped keeping track of how much money we've saved in the last several months due to his replacement of the car for short trips, like to our neighborhood market. I, on the other hand, enjoy an afternoon ride on my single-speed around the block, but am less inclined to use it for longer distances (he keeps saying this will change once my endurance is up, and I'm hoping he's right!).

Still, my feelers go up when I see anything bike-related in the news, so I got extra-excited to show him the new concept bikes featured at Wired.com (thanks to The Park Bench for the link).

Looking at these designs are really inspiring. They may not always be practical, but they are always interesting. I mean, what could be more basic than the design of a bicycle? Yet, every year, designers, engineers, and inventors always find a way to come up with new innovations that take that basic design to a whole new level, whether they have a user in mind for the end product, or are just trying to prove a design point.

How can this apply to your business, be it a product or a service? Are you taking your concept to the next level, challenging yourself, your craft, or your design? What new end-user could you attract with a new take on an old favorite?

Some great words from Brian Tracy!

2008-06-24T13:53:00.003-05:00

I recently discovered some great Brian Tracy finds at, of all things, a rummage sale. So for a less than a cup of coffee, I attained some great personal and business development tools. You can't beat that!

I wanted to introduce you (if you weren't already aware of his work) to this prolific speaker and motivator.

Intrigued? Check out Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. I found it to be a great starting place in his huge library of work.

Quantity to Quality and Accountability Partners

2008-06-23T11:53:00.007-05:00

I really love this series with NPR's Ira Glass because it can apply to not only journalism or broadcasting, but ANY creative or business field.

Essentially, to obtain high quality in your work, you must first emphasize quantity. You must practice, practice, practice! The more you do something, the better you get at it.

I also love the encouragement here to find an accountability partner. This person can be a friend, a colleague, or someone else in another business that you're returning the favor for! I've seen the concept of accountability partners work on so many great levels in both business and art. It's definitely a motivator!

So, without further explanation, enjoy!

The Power of Asking; 7 Ways to Boost Your Business

2008-06-19T17:42:00.003-05:00

I love, love, LOVE Jack Canfield, (his book The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is a constant reference), and wanted to share with you today a really great article he wrote about the power of asking. In most of our cultures, it's not something we're encouraged to do, but really, it's the only way to get what we want! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

The Power of Asking; 7 Ways to Boost Your Business
by Jack Canfield

The gift called “asking” has been around for a long, long time. One of life’s fundamental truths states, “Ask and you shall receive.” Kids are masters at using this gift, but we adults seem to have lost our ability to ask. We come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons to avoid any possibility of rejection.

Yet the world responds to those who ask! If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably aren’t doing enough asking.

Here are seven asking strategies you can implement in your business (and in life) to boost your results and your bottom line:

Asking Strategy #1: Ask for Information

To win potential new clients, you first need to know what their current challenges are, what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Only then can you proceed to demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service.

Ask questions starting with the words who, why, what, where, when and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate a prospect’s needs can you offer a solution. Once you know what's important to them, stay on this topic and find solutions for them.

Asking Strategy #2: Ask for Business

Here’s an amazing statistic: after giving a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service, more than 60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order! That’s a bad habit, and one that could ultimately put you out of business.

Always ask a closing question to secure the business. Don’t waffle or talk around it—or worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. No doubt you have heard of many good ways to ask the question, “Would you like to give it a try?” The point is, ask.

Asking Strategy #3: Ask for Written Endorsements

Well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for future sales. They solidify the quality of your product or service and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy and gets the job done on time.

When is the best time to ask? Right after you have provided excellent service, gone the extra mile to help out, or in any other way made your customer really happy.

Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments.

Asking Strategy #4: Ask for Top-Quality Referrals

Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It’s the easiest, least expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace.

Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. So why not ask all of them for referrals? It’s a habit that will dramatically increase your income. Like any other habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Asking Strategy #5: Ask for More Business

Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. Devise a system that tells you when your clients will require more of your products. The simplest way is to ask your customers when you should contact them to reorder. It’s often easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones.

Asking Strategy #6: Ask to Renegotiate

Regular business activities include negotiation. Many businesses get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation, yet this is simply another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. Look at your vendors and suppliers and see if there are areas where you can be saving money. Just ask.

All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your personal life, too, such as changing your mortgage terms and rate, reviewing your cell phone plan and requesting a policy review with your insurance agent. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone.

Asking Strategy #7: Ask for Feedback

This is a powerful way to fine-tune your business that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product or service is meeting your customers’ needs? Ask them, “How are we doing? What can we do to improve our service to you? Please share what you like or don’t like about our products.” Set up regular customer surveys that ask good questions and tough questions.

HOW TO ASK

Some people don’t enjoy the fruits of asking because they don't ask effectively. If you use vague language you will not be clearly understood. Here are five ways to ensure that your asking gets results.

Ask Clearly
Be precise. Think clearly about your request. Take time to prepare. Use a note pad to pick words that have the greatest impact. Words are powerful, so choose them carefully.

Ask with Confidence
People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence.

Ask Consistently
Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In prospecting there are usually four or five “no’s” before you get a “yes.” Top producers understand this. When you find a way to ask that works, keep on asking it.

Ask Creatively
In this age of global competition, your asking may get lost in the crowd, unheard by the decision-makers you hope to reach. There is a way around this. If you want someone’s attention, don’t ask the ordinary way. Use your creativity to dream up a high-impact presentation.

Ask Sincerely
When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the way it is, lumps and all. Don’t worry if your presentation isn’t perfect; ask from your heart. Keep it simple and people will open up to you.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.

Rehearse and Re-Rehearse!

2008-06-16T22:29:00.003-05:00

Back in college, I kept a great log of my guitar rehearsal time. It kept me on my game, and was the metrics for a little friendly competition between other players. It wasn't necessarily required, but I knew my professors and instructors preferred that I keep track of what I was doing.

Jump ahead more years than I'd like to admit, and I'm still keeping a rehearsal log. Whether it's guitar, voice over, or practice with an ensemble, the only way to not only stay crisp at your craft, but to continuously improve AND be prepared for any job that comes up, is to do the drills. Add a little challenge every day with something you haven't tried before, and hit 'record' to test how you do. It's one of the biggest benefits to being a studio owner!

BUT...rehearsing isn't just for us audiophiles. Any business has its moments in need of preparation. Do you give presentations, regularly conduct meetings, or do direct or phone sales? These all require scripts and skills that can definitely benefit from rehearsing. If you want to practice in front of an audience that can give you constructive critique, check out your local Toastmasters, or have a little houseparty of your most trusted friends and family.

Here's a great quote, from Publilius Syrus (1st century B.C. Roman author): “Practice is the best of all instructors." I've had some great teachers and mentors, but without practice, none of their teachings would have changed my life. I take these words very seriously.

So get your calendars out, get to practicing, and watch your skills soar!

For my fellow guitarists...

2008-06-10T13:43:00.006-05:00

Here's something you may want to get involved in. It's called the Second Strings Project, and it finally gives US something to do with our old, used guitar strings (besides fill up landfills), while at the same time keeping creativity and hope alive in portions of the world where otherwise it my die!

Do you have The Answer?

2008-06-08T21:06:00.002-05:00

I can't help but share some of the great products and resources I come across (even though I should probably keep them all to myself!). Right now I'm in the middle of The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life. Now, I'm not shy about endorsing authors John Assaraf and Murray Smith's company OneCoach, which I'm also a member of, but I would highly recommend this book even if I wasn't. This book has been billed as "The Secret for Business", and fans of that book and/or film who want to go to the next level with their businesses will not be disappointed. It's an MBA in hardback form, outlining the right steps to take, in the right order, from "inner work" to action steps in any industry.

I'll be keeping it in the sidebar as well, so you can easily grab yourself a copy!

Paring Down

2008-04-02T09:15:00.004-05:00

I used to be on every mailing list imaginable. Some were health newsletters, spirituality newsletters, copywriting newsletters, marketing newsletters.

Some were industry specific (music business, music making, music marketing) that broke up into further segmented newsletters (music marketing online, building a studio, scoring for film, reaching pop music fans).

As I kept adding areas of business and interest to my life, I'd add more and more newsletters, until I was receiving hundreds of emails a day (most of which I never had time to even open!).

Add to this the blogs I started trying to keep up on, the groups and programs I was joining, and the ever-forgotten REAL LIFE time away from the computer, and welcome OVERWHELM.

Does this sound familiar? It seems like I know more and more business (and non-business) people being completely bombarded by their self-imposed information sources online.

The fact is, we just don't have enough time in a day to read all of this information AND put any of it to use.

I recommend taking a good look at what you're reading and what you're not. Bookmark the sites for the things you're not reading (so you can search them if or when you ever need to), but UNSUBSCRIBE. The ones you are making the time to keep up with and put into action, keep, but schedule your time to read them. If you miss a day, delete it. Don't let it keep building up in your inbox, because you know you're not going to have time to go back to it.

I have a very small list of my most trusted resources in each field that I like to keep up with. Everything else, unfortunately, goes to the 'when I need it' bookmark file. It doesn't mean that they don't have great info, it just means my focus is elsewhere.

Here are a few of my favorites, all free!

For music business, the MusicThoughts Yahoogroup. It's a pretty steady stream of both resources and discussion.
For general business, BusinessKnowHow.com.
For the voice industry, Vox Daily.

I also belong to one coaching program and one music business group, both of which I pay a fee for. Along with the couple of lead services that I also pay a subscription fee for, I made sure these resources offered a little more bang for my buck than other free sites that might offer the same sort of thing. I would recommend keeping these pay groups to a minimum as well, so you can invest the most time in them to get the most return.

Ask yourself what your best resources are (and why they're worth the time), and get control of your inbox! Feel free to post in the comments your favorites!

GREAT book! Plus...site changes!

2008-04-01T12:29:00.003-05:00

Well, we're deep into all of our site changes, and I have to thank a great new book for making it all possible! Sites that Soar! is the WordPress customization and instruction book that I'd always been seeking. You don't have to know html, css, or php in order to get a great looking site with WordPress. If you do know a little of any or all of that, it gives you an amazing base from which to build a unique, professional design all your own!

Weird I'm promoting it on Blogger, no? (Actually, I look at the two services as having different purposes, at least in my business, so no flip-flopping on blog services intended!).

Here's the link to get an instant copy:

Great article on business names and slogans!

2008-03-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

Just to carry on with the naming topic, I found this in my mailbox from BusinessKnowHow.com. They have several great lists and a great site. Check 'em out!

What's in a name?

2008-03-17T16:35:00.003-05:00

Some changes will be happening around the site soon. Actually, the main site will be getting quite a facelift too. Why? Because we had an ugly baby!

Before you get too scared, let me explain. Sometimes a business just doesn't have the right name. It could be ego that misnames us. It could be an attachment to a particular word or phrase that we think we must 'make work'. This "ugly baby" that we love so much doesn't tell our customers or clients who we are, or what we do. It doesn't brand us in the way we need it to. So we have to let it go.

I'm not saying goodbye to Serious Vanity Music in every way (it's a pretty baby for other facets of my business), but soon, you will get a peek at Perfect Audio Solutions, and I think you'll understand why this is a much better plan (for us, AND our clients!).

The 100% Organic Podcast isn't going anywhere, though! We love bringing the all natural truth, and plan to keep doing so for many podcasts to come!

For more on finding your real business purpose, check out Bob Souer's recent blog on the subject!

100 Resources for Voice Over Talent!

2008-03-17T16:33:00.003-05:00

Thank you to Vox Daily for including us in their 100 Resources for Voice Over Talent listing! Not only are there blogs and podcasts listed, but a TON of other great resources that I will be no doubt losing countless hours to! Check it out!!

The Art of the Edit

2008-03-07T18:52:00.003-06:00

The past few weeks have been jam packed with both new and return clients. Our biggest project at the moment includes compiling and editing about seven CDs worth of our client's narration, which we recorded here at our studio. It's one of the greatest projects we've ever done, and I'm looking so forward to getting feedback from happy listeners!

As a voice artist AND an editor, it's inevitable that these experiences of editing someone else's voice teach me more about my own and how it performs. The recorded human voice is such a unique thing, and I get a lot of pleasure out of 'controlling' it in the editing environment. I have synesthesia, which basically means my senses get a little crisscrossed! This may sound like it would be a hindrance, but when I need to "see" sound, as I do when I'm editing, it makes it naturally a breeze!

My favorite part of the editing process? Making something work that, in theory, really shouldn't. Being able to take two parts of the same syllable from different spoken performances, and put them together flawlessly. Or nailing that "Rice Krispie" (y'know, the 'snap', 'crackle', or 'pop' that stands out in a recording), and leaving a smooth, cohesive performance in its wake.

The goal of any editing session is to make it sound like there was no session at all; that the pristine, clear audio you're hearing moved from the speaker to the recorded file with no effort or ugly artifact to get in its way.

Have a great weekend everyone, and love your jobs as much as I love mine!

Yay! More good news from the Voicey Awards!

2008-02-12T22:40:00.001-06:00

Another SVM-affiliated voice artist is up for an award in the 2008 Voicey Awards! Jane Nolan is up for Best Foreign Voice! Right on, Jane!

Yay! Voicey Awards time!

2008-02-11T22:48:00.000-06:00

The 2008 Voicey Awards finalists have been announced, and Paul and I have been named in the Best Voice Team category. Plus, it's an extra bonus that we're nominated with a very cool girl that we got to work with in the past year, Kara Edwards, and her voice partner!

Congrats to all of the finalists, and good luck to everyone. As cheesy as it sounds, it's truly just an honor to be nominated.

Microphone Feedback!!

2008-01-17T11:00:00.001-06:00

Ok--feedback is BAD when you're recording (unless it's guitar feedback, but as a guitarist, I'm biased), but GOOD afterwards. I mean, of course, the kind of feedback provided by a happy client or an enthusiastic audience.

But if you aren't getting feedback? How are you measuring your performances?

We all can think we're doing a great job, chugging along with the same techniques that we've always used. But are we keeping up? What's being innovated around us that we might be missing out on?

The truth is, feedback IS all around us, even when we're not getting it kicked back to us from clients or listeners. How's your response rate to auditions? How many calls are being returned? What do your sales look like or how many people from your mailing list are turning out to your shows after you announce them?

It's important to stay fresh, and keep challenging yourself by setting measurable 'feedback goals'. If your clients aren't giving you what you need, how about a nudge? A site like SurveyMonkey lets you set up a short questionnaire they can answer anonymously at their convenience, giving you the metrics you need. You can also put it on your site or social profile, letting casual listeners give you some hints, too.

And, most importantly, listen to your gut. Do you KNOW it's time to start doing something different? Are you still challenging yourself to learn a new skill or take a risk? Be critical of yourself and your performances and work habits, but also follow your instincts. You know your abilities--put them to the highest use!

Music Lessons from Seth Godin

2008-01-07T11:13:00.000-06:00

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/music-lessons.html

A good read, not surprisingly. This guy becomes more of a rock star everyday!

Check this out, fellow bloggers!

2007-12-20T18:11:00.000-06:00

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-17T11:19:00.000-06:00

As we're preparing our holiday podcast (and trying to avoid cabin fever), we wanted to take a minute to say "Thanks!" to our readers, listeners, and outlets who've helped this become a fun part of our business routine. You rock!

What elements of your business have you customized for the season? Does your voicemail message have a special greeting? What about your email signature?

Sometimes the smallest or easiest change in your branding can be the most effective in communicating a warm message to your clients, colleagues, and contractors.

Now get some cider, and get to work 'decking out' your brand!

Keeping your voice happy!

2007-11-23T09:28:00.000-06:00

This time of year is a sketchy one for voice performers. Not only do we have germs from 'normal' sources that we have to dodge to keep our voice in top shape, but with all of the family gatherings around the holidays, there's even more chance for exposure.

Flu shots are one way to keep yourself safe. A regular regimen of vitamins and healthy foods are another way to keep sickness at bay. New over-the-counter products, like Airborne, are also gaining in popularity in the fight against the germs.

But every voice performer has their favorite methods of soothing the vocal chords and keeping our voices strong, sick or not.

Hot teas have been a sidekick to vocal performance for not just speakers, but singers, too. Caffeine can have a negative impact on performance ability, but in small doses, I find tea to be more helpful than harmful. My favorite is the tAZO family of loose-leaf teas, but I've been known to hit the fast and effective Good Earth and Bigelow teas from my corner grocer's, too.

Honey is another old standard. I'm lucky to live right down the street from a small feed store that also carries their own line, that's more like royal jelly than honey (re: VERY soothing to the throat when you need it!).

These are very basic, but part of my usual routine. Keep your methods of voice protection handy this season, and share your favorites with your fellow performers!

Bonus Product Recommendation Podcast!

2007-10-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

Bonus 100% Organic Podcast #1!

Our bonus product recommendation is Voices.com's downloadable Internet Marketing Plan for Voice Actors. This guide takes you through every step of developing your marketing plan, from defining your business and skills and honing in on your competitive advantage, to optimizing your website and connecting through online social networks.

With both concise and direct definitions and descriptions, and workbook-styled tables for displaying your own analytics, this eBook can help both seasoned performers and beginners develop their optimum strategies and make the most of their budgets.

I especially liked the in-depth attention to Search Engine Optimization, complete with hotlinks within the text for quick reference while you're reading the book on your computer. The charts and statistics throughout also help give a great overview of the industry. And the entire section on branding pays attention to details other voice over guides would overlook, like the importance of color and unity in your online marketing image.

I would highly recommend the Internet Marketing Plan for Voice Actors from Voices.com.

Once again, here is the direct link: http://www.voices.com/ebook/internet-marketing-plan-for-voice-actors.html

Check it out!

Which social network is right for you?

2007-10-22T08:32:00.000-05:00

Our next podcast will not only feature tips on why you should develop a USP, but also on how to find the right social network for you and your business. Can you effectively network on MySpace? What else is out there? We'll show you some alternatives as well as discuss how to make the most of the popular services.

USP?

2007-10-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

What's a USP? Here's a hint: it doesn't have anything to do with the postal service, but everything to do with marketing your business. Look for more info in our next podcast!

The Color of Your Business

2007-09-13T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is really neat! When designing your site, logo, or other branding materials, color plays an important role. Here are some great resources to help pick the colors right for you!

Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning
Color Use in Merchandising & Advertising
What color is your Business? - Even more resources here!

Thought for the day 8-21-7

2007-08-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

Without good motivation, science and technology, instead of helping, bring more fear and threaten global destruction. Compassionate thought is very important for humankind.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Compassionate business is, too. Use your business to help others, and let us help!

Thought for the day 8-9-7

2007-08-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

Before the world was created, the Self
Alone existed; nothing whatever stirred.
Then the Self thought: "Let me create the world."
He brought forth all the worlds out of himself:
Ambhas, high above the sky; Marichi,
The sky; Mara, the middle region that is earth;
And Apa, the realm of waters below.

-Aitareya Upanishad

What kind of world do you want to create today? How can Serious Vanity Music help?

Thought for the day 8-8-7

2007-08-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

It is really not the number of things you do, but the efficiency of each separate action that counts.

-Wallace D. Wattles

Remember to take time today to do each thing to the best of your abilities!

Thought for the day 8-7-7

2007-08-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one's own family or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Remember this thought today as you do business in the global marketplace!

Serious Vanity Music 100% Organic Podcast #2!

2007-07-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

SVM 100% Organic Podcast #2!

Welcome to our 100% Organic Podcast #2, featuring business tips, product recommendations, studio specials and samples, web spotlights, and a few bonuses here and there.

This week our featured site is OneCoach.com.

Our featured product can be found at: Jeffrey P. Fisher's site under "resources", and you can also sub to Jeffrey's mailing list there, under "tips".

Check out our featured voice talent, Jane Nolan, at JaneNolan.voices.com.

Thanks for listening, and sign up on our mailing list if you'd like to be notified when the 100% Organic Podcasts are posted!

Serious Vanity Music's 100% Organic Podcast !

2007-07-02T12:17:00.000-05:00

100% Organic Podcast #1!

Click the link above to access our very first 100% Organic Podcast, featuring business tips, product recommendations, studio specials and samples, web spotlights, and a few bonuses here and there.

This week our featured site and product are both from Voices.com. I mentioned that we would have the direct link to the product, and here it is:

The Small Business Podcasting Kit

Or, to download from the page, Click here, then visit the June 20 entry.

Thanks for listening, and sign up on our mailing list if you'd like to be notified when the 100% Organic Podcasts are posted!

--Dana and Paul
Serious Vanity Music - All Natural Talent
100% Organic Audio!
http://www.seriousvanity.com/AllNaturalTalent/

mmmtow mailing list and how to protect yourself!

2007-06-26T12:56:00.000-05:00

Dana here from SVM! I usually don't like to pass along anything with a seemingly negative vibe, but in this case, I think there's enough that can be learned from my experience to make it worth sharing with my fellow business operators!

I belong to a great mailing list by author and studio owner Jeffrey P. Fisher. You've probably seen some of his books like Cash Tracks or Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry (these and several others are currently in my own studio library!). His list is a great one to join if you want some quick tips from an experienced guy!

I just shot him off an email about something I read in his newsletter this morning. I've pasted it below, too, and hope it stands as an example of how to turn a negative business situation into a positive.

>>* There were quite a few responses to the last few tips. My words
seem to resonate with readers. Here's a particularly interesting
observation from Kent Mulkey: "In April, I did a favor for an
acquaintance and videotaped a BellyDance Recital and made DVDs of the
event. The carrot was a certain amount of money after the DVD orders
were collected. The bad part is that they didn't like the DVD after I
delivered 30 copies. They had given me a check after delivery of the
30, and I deposited it. Now, they want all the money back and will
not return the DVDs. The supplies for this were above one hundred
dollars and the time spent was way too much. I am disappointed they
didn't like my work but I thought it was okay especially taking into
account the lighting conditions and some other uncontrollable
handicaps. Not to mention that it was a favor because they couldn't
find a real video jock to film the show. I didn't pursue them at all.
Now I have to decide if I will return all the money or minus
expenses. They will not ever be a client. The good thing is that I
learned how important a contract is, even for a favor. Any time money
is involved or even not a contract can save much anxiety about what
the right thing to do is. All customers should pay for a job done in
good faith."<<

I definitely think we SHOULD be paid, but, as in any business, we have to prepare a plan for those times when we get the less-than-desirable clients.

I sometimes acquire clients through third-party job sites, that handle both the leads and proposals, as well as payment. One thing you have to keep in mind with these places (which I learned the hard way) is that, though they themselves are reputable, finding a client via them doesn't mean the client is reputable.

I was hired for a :60 radio jingle, and did a great job for a great price. We handled all script writing and voice auditioning in-house, had great communication with the client, and received 50% of our total fee upfront. It was a fun job, and everything was going great!

Then, contact became sporadic. I wasn't getting the feedback I needed to get the job wrapped up to meet their broadcast schedule. Finally, I heard back and all seemed to be going great again. They wanted to deliver final payment, even before we were done, since it was a lag on their end.

I invoiced, and that was the last I'd heard until I got notice from the job site that they'd been paying all of us (they'd hired several other professionals for other jobs at the same time) with a fraudulent credit card. This resulted in a chargeback to me for what I'd already been paid, plus a lot of time and work down the drain for myself and the voice artist I'd ultimately hired and paid.

I did a little research, and it turns out the client (who had several different names he was working under) wasn't even really working for who he'd said, so I had no legal course of action with them. The 'client' himself was overseas and, after I'd done some research, wanted on several warrants for more of the same (though with much bigger monies involved than little ol' me!).

I knew I would be taking a loss on this situation, if I chose to. But I wanted to take my lemon and make a lemon martini!

Since I never relinquished ownership of anything, I have a great piece of work which is now not only a great spec piece I can show other clients, but one that is ready to license to the next company who needs a slick :60 ad with quick turnaround (with the quick addition of a new voice over). I also built some great relationships with overseas voice talent that I know will be revisited with future projects. And the job service chargeback isn't something that's a ton of stress, since I was more than cooperative with sharing the information I had on the fraud, in order to keep him off of the site in the future.

My advice to share? If you work with a third party job site that handles any part of the payment process for you, utilize their "Escrow" service, instead of "Invoicing" or using an outside payment method! If I had insisted on "Escrow", I would have been more protected under their ToS, and could have even used their legal service to fight for me at no extra charge. They're in the same boat as we are when things like this happen, and have just as much to gain by going after these frauds. Don't be afraid to lose a few clients who are turned off by the "Escrow" requirement in order to protect yourself in the long run!

And of course, never see a job as a complete loss. With the prior posted DVD problem, use it as a sample, if you're still proud of it, or find a way to maybe re-edit it to satisfy the client (then maybe place it online for downloading/burning to DVD at their convenience). There's always a way to keep your reputation intact and losses to a minimum.

Serious Vanity Music affiliated Voice Talent featured at CNN.com!!

2007-06-11T19:59:00.000-05:00

Kara Edwards, 2007 Voicey Awards winner for Best New Voice (who also happened to do a voice project with Serious Vanity Music recently) is featured in an article at CNN.com about the rise of voice artists on the internet! Check it out!!

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/06/11/voice.actors/

Internet gives voice to unseen actors
By Steve Mollman

Were you to see Kara Edwards shopping in her local grocery store in North Carolina, you'd probably have no idea that she's an incredibly strong Japanese boy who can fly through the air while throwing punches. But that's what she is -- at least on TV. Read more...

A shout out to our favorite web host

2007-06-08T08:19:00.000-05:00

Our new site additions wouldn't be possible without the best web host in the world, Hostbaby! An extra service they provide to their users, Listbaby, is now our email list server as well. You can sign up on our page to receive periodic helpful business tips and other recommendations to help your business succeed. We don't update there as often as we do here, so you won't have to worry about having your inbox overflowing with too many emails from us!

Welcome to the New Site!!

2007-06-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the all new Serious Vanity Music - All Natural Talent site! If you're new to our services, we're a full service production studio serving corporate and creative clients.

This blog will offer business tips, product and service recommendations, sale notifications, and updates from the studio.

We look forward to informing and inspiring!

Paul and Dana