Actually I have no idea how active professional female voice talent Donna Reed is but she pinged me the other day to let me know her blog address has changed because she changed blog services (finally came over to Word Press…they all do eventually ;).
You can now subscribe to her blog via this address or via her RSS feeder….and I hope you’ll do just that.
A nice surprise today in the mail when I got my invitation to Buffalo Broadcasters Association’s 13th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Celebration on September 22nd.
A long time Western New York voice talent and former KB Radio jock and production director Pat Feldballe is one of this year’s inductees. I can’t say for sure but I think this is the hall’s first inductee whose primary career has been as a voice talent.
Pat’s always been a very nice fellow and if you’ve every seen a Time-Life Commercial, you’ve probably heard Pat’s voice. Lord knows he does almost every non-radio produced spot in the Buffalo market.
Congrats Pat, a well deserved honor.
We’ll be doing some very minor redecorating of this blog (we’re going to widen it a little bit) but this will require that we change the size of the title banner.
So it occurred to me that maybe I should take this time to freshen the look for the title banner which was designed by me though I’ve never really been happy with all of it (some of it I like).
So I asked Ann Hackett of aHa Designs to craft some alternate versions of a new banner. This is where YOU come in.
Please, in the comment section, pick your favorite choice (numbered 1-4).
If you prefer, you may vote that you do not like ANY of them or that you like the current banner just fine.
I really value your opinion and no feelings will be hurt in the honest assessment of these designs!
If you’re willing, please also RETWEET this poll (see the little green button on the top right of this post above the options picture?) so that I can get as many opinions as possible.
Thank you.
Julien Smith, Co-author of 'Trust Agents'
One of the very first people I remember meeting at the very first Podcamp Toronto was Julien Smith.
It was a great introduction into the Podcamp experience. It was on the stairs within the Communications building at Ryerson University. I was introduced to him by my friend Leesa Barnes. It’s important to note here that I cannot immediately recall what I had for lunch yesterday but I remember meeting Julien who was helping to organize the Toronto event even though he was based in Montreal.
Meeting Julien was immediately memorable to me because it was the first time I met someone – anyone – who had full wooden discs inside their earlobes. They looked like it hurt like hell and yet it seemed merely to be his take on how to wear an earring.
His was a different perspective.
It would be a full day of different perspectives for me all those years ago at my first Podcamp. A day that I am still grateful for all these years later.
Later that day I remember listening to a great Google presentation by Julien. I remember super briefly saying hi to Christopher S. Penn in passing, not having any idea who he was. He was just a guy wearing a Podcamp Boston tee-shirt. I didn’t realize he and Chris Brogan created the concept from which was born the event in Toronto. I think, but cannot be sure, that John Wall was also there. I remember meeting Amber MacArthur who was then the Social Media reporter for City TV. I remember vividly meeting Mitch Joel and how much he impressed me with his insights and demeanor.
I remember hearing about this thing called Twitter which I, as is my wont to do with new things that are going to be wildly popular, completely ignored for a long time. I met fellow voice talent Elaine Singer (awesome) and Donna Papacosta (great podcast!) that day. I got to again visit with my friend Leesa Barnes and many others who I was honored to spend time with.
It was all very much under the mainstream media radar. We didn’t care either, because we shared a common interest and a common passion in Social Media. Podcamp was (and is) all about sharing personal fonts of information with others. The event is the very definition of “givers gain”.
Those in attendance ran the very minor risk of being nothing more than being seen as geeks on the downside of some fad rather than social media pioneers within the new digital age (OK, we’re still not that but its better than the geek label, I think). But in those 3-4 years since the first Podcamp Toronto there has been a great evolution for the people I met that day and who talents I still learn from.
You’ll recall that Mitch Joel has a book coming out; you should be watching Amber MacArthur’s terrific weekly video podcast, Command N (great content and production quality); Christopher S. Penn’s shared vision for Podcamp still grows and his Financial Aid podcast is a popular resources for students and families who are interested in – funny enough – financial aid, and his Marketing Over Coffee podcast with John Wall remains very popular; Leesa’s book on Podcasting was very popular and her new business Marketing Fit continues to thrive – she and I got to connect in Buffalo a few months ago when she presented here.
Back to Julien for a moment – I came to know Julien as a bright and extremely likeable guy. I don’t keep in touch with him at all, with our last conversation taking place at Podcamp Boston about two years ago. But I thought about him today as I bought the new book that he and Chris Brogan have written, entitled Trust Agents.
I follow Julien on Twitter and subscribe to his blog. The same can be said about all the people mentioned in the blog post. I had the benefit of meeting them in person but I know that people following me on these social media channels also look to see who I am following and can be introduced to people like Julien and other’s whose opinions on Social Media I respect. My followers may follow those I follow because they trust my gut.
Smith and Brogan’s book shares with readers how to tap into the power of social networks to build a brand’s influence, reputation, and, of course, profits. They note “today’s online influencers are web natives who trade in trust, reputation, and relationships, using social media to accrue the influence that builds up or brings down businesses online.”
All of the people I have mentioned here have built with me a strong level of trust about their Social Media knowledge, most of it online, some of it in person. All these years later after our initial meetings, I still follow them to learn from them.
You subscribe here because you trust that what I offer will enlighten or entertain you (or because there’s nothing good on television). You should review information about these books and see if their summaries peak your interest. If they do, and you’re still a bit unsure whether you should invest your money in their books, I’ll tell you directly here that you should.
I have.
TUCSON, Arizona, August 15, 2009 – – For their latest regional television campaign, O’Rielly Chevrolet chose character voice actor Peter K. O’Connell for their most recent commercials.
The commercials add a cleverly conceived human personality, in this case with O’Connell “playing” the smart, young, confident Chevy Tahoe.
The premier Chevrolet dealer from Tucson to Phoenix, O’Rielly Chevrolet is the largest Chevy dealer in Tucson and has been family owned and operated since 1924
A professional voice talent since 1982, Peter K. O’Connell is president of audio’connell Voice-Over Talent, a worldwide, English language-based voice talent organization. The company also operates International Voice Talents, a company featuring professional foreign language male and female voice actors.
audio’connell Voice-Over Talent and International Voice Talents provide voice talent for commercials, animation, corporate narrations, documentaries, broadcast voice imaging, audio books, podcasts and messaging on-hold (MOH). Industries served by the two companies include advertising agencies, media and broadcast production companies as well as both large and small businesses around the world.
Mr. O’Connell also owns Voice-Over Workshop, which provides professional voice over training to novice and experienced voice talent world-wide.
audio’connell Voice-Over Talent, International Voice Talents and Voice Over Workshop are all a part of O’Connell Communications, LLC.
-30-
NOTES TO EDITORS
Company Media Releases ON LINE:
http://www.audioconnell.com/media
Company Name Pronunciation:
au·dio·o’·con·nell (awe-de-oh-oh-kah-nel) or au·di-o’·con·nell (awe-de-oh-kah-nel)
Company Name Spelling:
Use lower case letters- audio’connell or audio’connell Voice Over Talent
Company Web:
http://www.audioconnell.com
Company Blog:
http://www.voxmarketising.com
O’Connell Voice-Over Resume:
See resume here
While the voice over trip to New York City was a bust a few weeks ago because of weather (what are ya gonna do?) the non-voice over trip to Miami had some wonderful voice over highlights.
I had brief hopes Sunday of connecting with voice talent Mike Elmore (winner of the Unofficial Jimmy Fallon Announcer Faux-ditions) while in Miami. Mike caught my arrival update in Miami off of Facebook. Alas he had familial commitments that precluded that connection and I fully understand; hopefully next time.
Caryn Clark and Kara Edwards were also going to try and come over from the Tampa side of the state but that didn’t work out either and would have been a crazy drive just to see me.
Male Voice Talent Doug Turkel - Unnouncer
Monday night I was able to grab dinner with the Unnouncer, Doug Turkel. I really feel sorry for waiters who wait on the two of us when we’re at dinner cause it’s hard for them to take our order. We’ve got so much to talk about between voice over, social media, new equipment, family and other stuff, the wait staff can’t get a word in edge wise. Doug is such a great friend and peer, I always feel fortunate to spend time learning from him.
And, he said making his segue, one of the things I learned from Doug at our dinner was that he had done as he said he was going to last time we visited. He started up a Voice Over Master Mind Group in Miami.
What’s that you ask?
Well, a brief and incomplete answer is it’s a concentrated networking, education and quasi-support group for voice talent. The idea came to Doug from his brother (the same brother who helped Doug coin the Unnouncer moniker) who formed a very successful Master Mind Group for his connections (though his group his less industry based and more C-Level in its focus.
The monthly Voice Over Master Mind Group that Doug formed allows participating voice talents to talk about all aspects of their business. For example, each person starts out by talking about a recent success and a recent challenge or miss they experienced in their business – this offers a great way to share in the wins and help give ideas and insights into how misses might be avoided next time….all in a totally professionally supportive way.
The group then focuses on a topic they had agreed upon at the last meeting; this way they can look up some helpful information on the voice over related topic to share at the meeting to keep the discussion moving and credible. Tuesday’s topic was the always, thrilling, exciting and dicey topic of voice talent rates. It was truly insightful to have an honest roundtable about rates, how to deal with clients on rates, how to have some spine when dealing with them on rates and how people make use (or don’t make use) of pay-to-play sites.
The other great thing about this meeting is that each person speaks about something they want to accomplish in their careers by the next meeting and the group holds them accountable…that is huge! When we are accountable, we execute and the members of the Miami Voice Over Master Mind Group each gets’er done!
The icing on this already delicious cake (oh, and yes there actually WAS cake at the meeting, as if you thought it couldn’t get any better) was that I got to meet some talented and truly nice people – peers in the voice over profession.
Female Voice Talent Mindy Baer
In addition to the aforementioned Unnouncer, also in attendance was Miami morning radio legend and now full time voice over talent Mindy Baer
Female Voice Talents and On-Camera Talents Mary Chamberlain and Jackie Bales
Jackie Bales a former news anchor and now a lovely on-camera spokesperson and voice talent; the equally beautiful on-camera talent and voice actor Mary Chamberlain
Male Voice Talent Doug Turkel and Female Voice Talent Lisa Lupari
The Voice Babe – Lisa Lupari-what a terrific branding moniker that is! That brand name says it all!
Male Voice Talent Zurek
The fast rising voice star Zurek – he of Voiceover Universe, new SBV client, video seminar pal of Joe Cipriano, promo voice for BET and the voice of a new national spot for Sports Illustrated.
It was a real treat to be invited in on this group’s very special meeting and I think it’s a terrific idea for other voice talents in other markets to create something similar to build their network, their educational resources and possibly save their sanity by getting out of the sound booth once and a while.
