Voice Talents Peter K. O’Connell and Connie Terwilliger

On February 2, 2005 my voiceover career veered in an entirely new direction, solely by signing into a fairly new web community.

I made a professional, online connection with a fellow voice-talent named Connie Terwilliger on a short-lived, voiceover-centric website that was closing down.

Voice Talents Mary McKitrick, DB Cooper and Peter K. O’Connell

Connie (who is an amazing female voice as well as stage actress) clued me into something call the *Voiceover Bulletin Board*, or VO-BB.com , started by another great voice actress, D.B. Cooper.

Voice Talents Bruce Miles and Peter K. O’Connell at FaffCon 8

Bruce Miles now manages the website daily.

Sidebar: I just realized that those three people – who are all part of my VO-BB experience, and now my voiceover life – are sincerely 3 of my most favorite voices in the industry

The ways the members of that community have helped my career and befriended me over 18 years cannot be counted. But I am grateful for all of it.

Should you not see a topic you have a question about, it’s easy to post a question. Members are there to help members…most all of whom are seasoned voiceover professionals.

As just one example, it was on and because of VO-BB that FaffCon – the Unconference – was conceived, born and flourished.

If you are in voiceover or if you think you might want to be in voiceover, join VO-BB.com….it’s FREE board and search any possible voiceover topic you have a question about (performance, business, technology….you’ll find many interesting discussions and helpful ideas.

Enjoy the ride.

Tags: commentary, faffcon, VO-BB, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Back in April of 2014,  I was in Kansas City and I grabbed dinner with fellow voiceover friends Dan Hurst, Andy Barnett, and Matt Wiewel at a great BBQ joint (well Kansas City is full of them).

As we chatted a lot and ate even more. the conversation turned to voiceover agents in the KC area and I was told about a new agency that had recently opened called Moxie Talent Agency.

The next day, I drove over to see the folks at Moxie Talent — well actually, because it was so new, I only remember meeting Stacey Siegert, Moxie’s owner.

We had a very nice chat about my voiceover business.

At first she was afraid I was looking to become a male on-camera model…I said “never” and she said “thank god!” (I made that last part up).

Stacey and I set up a voiceover representation agreement within a few days that is still going strong today.

It’s really not my place to say I’m proud of Stacey and her (now much bigger) team but it IS an amazing accomplishment for anyone in the performing arts or operating a supporting business for the performing arts (like a talent agency) to remain around for 10+ years. Even thought Stacey and Moxie may make it look so, longevity is NOT easy in the performing arts.

I’m grateful for Moxie Talent Agency’s support and am glad to be a part of her agency’s voiceover roster for all these years.

Tags: agents, commentary, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Back in the day, the folks at LinkedIn used to let users post a little video about themselves that you could see in the profile picture.

I was always delaying doing it – mostly because I don’t like being on camera and because the world is absolutely FINE with me not being on camera.

However, this week, I was inspired! I decided I would make a quick :30 second video welcoming the masses to my LinkedIn profile page.

I wrote a little script and practiced it.

I set up my unfancy ring light that has a holder for my phone.

Then I hit record.

I hit record again.

I hit record about 75 times before I read the script (that I rehearsed with) with vocal clarity and the motions of my mouth, head and hands did NOT look like I was having a seizure.

Did I mention how I don’t like being on camera?

Anyway…I edited the video and went on the LinkedIn app to upload it.

Except it wouldn’t upload.

That’s because it couldn’t upload.

A quick search showed LinkedIn stopped adding profile videos this past June.

They must have heard I was coming.

Anyway…now you have to watch it…do not avert your eyes!!! If I had to record it you have to watch it! 🙂

Tags: commentary, linkedin, social media, social networking, social networks and links, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I’ve been fortunate to be invited on a number of voiceover related podcasts and webcasts (because the ‘cooking show’ podcasts know I don’t really have that much to offer – as I am a Platinum Member of the Arby’s Best Customer Club).

So it was nice to have the VO Workshop invited on Tom Dheere’s “Ask Me Anything” webcast (part of his VO Strategist business) to discuss voice-over marketing.

Full disclosure, I was not his first choice for the show but his original guest had to cancel last minute. Glad to help out my friend of at least 10+ years just before airtime.

The show must go on! Indeed it did!

We spoke about marketing priorities for voice talents including databases, demos, websites and more. We also took questions from viewers of the live broadcast.

According to Tom, the show went very well. As the guest, I know hosts always say that but the response thus far has been very positive. I know I enjoyed myself.

Hope you enjoy it.

Tags: marketing, marketing podcast, voice over podcast, voice over training, voice over workshop, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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If you ask most actors, unless the part is really wonky, they are glad to accept the voiceover work they’re offered.

To be an actor, you’ve gotta be acting. We love the big parts (as they often bring bigger money and exposure) but the smaller part also pay the bills and can be a lot of fun to perform (and can get you noticed – you’d be surprised).

I bring this up because I get that “big part/small part) question asked a lot from my students at the VO Workshop. Ego rules some actors to the point where they may turn down work that they feel is beneath them (even in voiceover).

If there was a moral or ethical question within the project…that I understand and I’ve turned down a few jobs (most pro folks have) with those issues.

But small parts…especially character work…have been a nice portion of what I have voiced over the past four decades as a professional voice actor.

A recent case in point is a corporate voice project I was signed to do for Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. With over 2,100 store locations, countless divisions within the chain and over 300,000 employees, I’m sure educating them all is a huge task. Hence their on-going training activities including the project I worked on.

LISTEN TO PETER’S LOWE’S PROJECT….

2 lines.

In the Lowe’s project, I had a grand total of two lines…but they were comedic and payoff lines for the narrator so the producer needed someone who could pull that off convincingly, effectively and comedically for what he had in mind.

And who he had in mind was me. No auditions – ‘I want Peter’.

Remember when I said you’d be surprised how small (and big) parts can get you noticed?

These producers had worked with me before, knew my versatility and knew I could be trusted with getting the right character and versions for their script. If need be, I am very directable but this director let me go and I got him what he wanted.

Bang. Zoom. Done.

My point is, for voice actors, I’ll take jobs like this all day long and gladly cash the checks they bring because there are lots of small parts. Yes, I get lead spots too and I love ’em!

But be humble and professionally enough to graciously take all of it.

Be the person a producer can rely on to always get the job done for them…no matter the size of the role. Size is nice but quantity is great too. Aim for both in your voice acting career. Hope that helps.

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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This is the graphic I created and added this weekend to freshen up the content on VOWorkshop.com

Wait a minute…don’t ignore that headline about voiceover web pages because you KNOW you do it.

Everyone who has a website usually works really hard at the start to make sure the design and content are current and laid out well and pretty. Oh how hard we work on it!

Then…we ignore it for many months and even years. Don’t deny it, yes YOU do!

As usual, I will throw myself under the bus in this regard — but I know this isn’t just me.

During this weekend, I found myself cleaning up and adding some content to my main site, peterkoconnell.com (also found via audioconnell.com). I had new information to add to some website pages, some new posts that will be added automatically in a few weeks to the main site and blog etc.

But when I looked at the website interface on all my many voiceover web pages, I realized I had not updated page for the Voiceover Workshop (found via voworkshop.com) in years. Plural! As in more than 1, 2 or 3 years. I’m still teaching all the VO stuff to the VO peoples 😉 but I hadn’t touched the web page in far too long.

Did that information change much? No…but I know it is valuable to keep refreshing a web page’s information at least a little every year..and it’s not that hard.

So to the Voiceover Workshop page, I updated some text and added a fresh, colorful graphic…simple. Now I’m happy with the refreshed page and Google is even happier

Mr. “Marketing Guru” (not at all, really) ignored his own oft quoted advice. Ok, it’s humbling and it should be for me.

But now, you can learn from my…well, not really a mistake…from my omission or neglect.

Take a look at the active pages of YOUR voiceover web site. Make an appointment with yourself…set time aside.

Sometimes you will not have to change anything…but sometimes there are reasonable and useful changes in text, graphics, headlines, alt tags or keywords, etc, that you should make. It’s easy but necessary stuff to do to keep voice actor website information fresh for prospects, customers and Google!

My simple advice is don’t take website content updates for granted…try and schedule a 6 month or 12 month check-up with yourself. Be accountable to yourself.

Remember, in voiceover, your website is your store…and your store should be swept, dusted, vacuumed and/or mopped more than just every few years.

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