Next Friday will mark the end of Movember 2012…thank you to everyone who donated AND there is still time to contribute to the cause which supports testicular and prostate cancer…the boy stuff. Thanks to EVERYONE who has donated thus far. Thank you VERY much!

My donation page is here.

Our team donation page is here.

If you can’t grow one even in these final days, please consider throwing in something, even $1.00 is sincerely appreciated.

But here is the conundrum: I will be in New York next Friday for the FINAL (weep) New York City Voice Over Mixer hosted by Voice Talent Productions and Voxy Ladies (not to be confused with her less accomplished brothers, The Vox Stars).

Tangential aside: have you REGISTERED yet for the Mixer? You cannot get in unless your name is on the list. I hope you will consider coming to the event and please say hello if you see me.

So since the party is on Saturday, December 1st….should I keep the facial hair for the mixer or should I shave it off?!

What say you?

Vote either “shave it” or “keep it” in the comment section below.

The fate of these whiskers may be in your hands…if my wife doesn’t attack me with the beard trimmer first.

Tags: commentary, movember, voice talent, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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One of the my favorite voices on Buffalo radio growing up is now a friend of mine in the voice-over world, Bob Taylor.

Bob’s developed a great voice-over business, as you can imagine with a voice like his, but he has also developed a new voice-over web-site called VO Demo Safe.

As he described it:

Ever wish you could have a way to let clients hear your voice over audio and feel confident that it would be safe and not download before its paid for?

Me too, and that’s why I created VO DEMO SAFE, an easy-to-use website where you can quickly upload your audio, automatically watermark it and even password protect it if you like.

Then you can email a “listen page” url to your client. They can listen, but they can’t download. It’s fast, easy and secure.

Here’s a link to a short video about it as well

So I hope you’ll check it out and contact Bob for all the details.

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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The FIFTH Annual NYC Voice-over Mixer will be held on Saturday, December 1st, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Slate, 54 W. 21st Street in New York City.

If you’re a professional voice-over talent, you need to be there. My agents at Voice Talent Productions and my friends at Voxy Ladies are the presenting sponsors.

For registration information, click here. See you there!

And isn’t that the COOLEST poster you’ve seen in a long time?!

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Last November, a bunch of us voice-over talents got together to protest shaving. And we raised money doing it!

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

THIS IS MY FUND RAISING PAGE (was that bold enough for you?) If you can afford it, I’d be grateful for any donation.

At this point, our team includes our captain Jeffrey Kafer, Justin Barrett, Anthony Gettig and Dan Lenard who, it should be noted, will just be blatantly cheating if he doesn’t shave his mustache on November 1st (but we’re OK if he doesn’t shave it).

Speaking of cheating, the rules say we’re only supposed to grow mustaches but I always grow a goatee because I look ridiculous in a mustache. They still take my money…funny how that works 😉 .

If you are a professional male voice-over talent, you are welcome to join our team. Just register and then pick our team from the choices.

If you are female voice over talent or not in voice over and just want to donate, PLEASE DO.

We don’t care which one of us you donate to or you can donate just to the team. But let’s be honest, donate to me because I’m the coolest. Or hairiest. Or something-est.

Tags: commentary, movember, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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As the Faffter glow dimmed ever so slightly this past week, I had the chance to fan the FaffCon embers with a visit to Pittsburgh via Ohio (yes it was THAT kind of week) and dinner with the Souers.

Actually, there was probably no better group than Bob Souer and his family (sadly without their North Carolina family member Karen who was missed at our dinner) to review FaffCon with, as the entire clan was at the event helping out.

Cinda had some church activities to dash off to so we missed her for the picture and Brian wanted to take the picture above but my thanks to all of them (man, those Souer men are TALL) for joining me for a very special night with a very special group of friends.

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Are you plagued by those little business oriented tasks that you never get around to even after months or years?

You know, the simple stuff that for whatever reason never seems to get accomplished?

Well, you probably don’t have that problem but I do.

Or in one instance, I can now say, I DID have that problem but now I can check it off my list.

When Mrs. audio’connell and I have purchased new cars, we’ve always agreed that the dealership did NOT get to put their logoed license plate frame or logoed sticker on our cars. It’s only because the dealership wouldn’t pay our $15,000 advertising fee (we go lots of cool places in our cars and our bumpers are seen by all the beautiful and influential people). We thought $15K a very reasonable rate considering it was a one time fee that would cover the life of the car. We even offered to let them take it off invoice.

And yet, no takers.

So our cars are un-dealerized. But I respected the value of that ad space/real estate and I vowed one day, I would claim that space for my own.

I think we bought our last car three years ago so how am I doing on THAT to-do list?!

Well under the category of better late than never, Da’s car now has a lovely etched (high falutin’!) customized license plate frame.

No, we didn’t pay the extra fee for a customized plate (that feels like giving away money to NY State) and no, we will do whatever it takes to AVOID New York State’s fugly orange and blue 1970’s color license plates.

But I like the simple and subtle message on the new plate frame that may not get everyone’s attention…just that special someone, with a voice-over need and a checkbook.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, marketing, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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