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I’m going to write this voiceover blog post about WOVOCON 2025 – the Voiceover UNconference in New Orleans now because I am on the plane home having just left the event.  So obviously I have a few hours of free time up here at 33,000 feet.

Also, the thoughts are fresh. At my age – that’s important ?.

I don’t want to write this from the position of “here’s what you missed” and thus make anyone feel bad. And I’m not really interested increasing any voiceover FOMO (fear of missing out) for next time.

But I do want to write it for the WOVO members who were not there and those voice talents who have heard about it and may want to look into it the future.

This post has a bigger purpose – a business purpose. Your voiceover business.

YOUR NEW VOICEOVER BUSINESS GOAL

If you like (or even love) what I tell you about this exclusive voiceover event-  (there are other perfectly fine VO events – NONE like what WOVOCON is today) – I want you to do something.

I want you to set a very specific business goal for your voiceover business – no matter what stage you are at.

That goal is to create a budget item or business savings account for you to attend the next WOVOCON.

Post this goal on your booth wall, post it in your business planning folder. However you do it, take it VERY seriously.

Deal? Ok here we go.

WHAT YOU MISSED AT WOVOCON – AND IT WAS ALOT

With a maximum of only 120 people allowed at this voiceover unconference – it already stands apart from all the others. You WILL get to know almost all the participants, which leads to amazing business conversations inside and outside of the sessions.

I cannot be specific because there was lot of company specific information shared and the rule of WOVOCON is what happens at WOVOCON stays at WOVOCON. But what I can share should give you a fairly clear trail that what I and other learned over the weekend would likely have positively influenced your business immediately.

As an example:

• I’ve been doing live announcing (Voice of God) and emceeing since about 1983 – but when Dan Hurst and George Washington III lead a presentation and discussion on live announcing, I took many notes and listened to the input of many other respected live announcers in the session. Sharing, sharing and more incredibly insightful, immediately impactful (for my business) sharing. Other voiceover conferences? Not like this.

One of WOVOCON’s other point of difference is that the agenda for the meeting is set BY the attendees AT the event. This takes customized learning to the next level. Especially because it becomes so clear from the topic suggestions that many of us have the same questions and interests.

As an example:

• What are the hot and cold business interaction buttons creative decision makers among different generations? Can you call up a Gen-Alpha the same way you call a Baby-Boomer? Are there texting shortcuts that will freakout a Gen-Z? Tom Test and Matt Jackson had those questions, they had some answers and the rest was opened up to a wide ranging and insightful discussions. Many notes, even more epiphanies.

The hours I have spent in voice acting classes are numerous so naturally I know everything about voice acting…not! There are thoughts and direction that I need that I don’t even know I need and I got a good portion of that new direction came at the 2025 WOVOCON Voiceover Unconference in New Orleans.

As an example:

• Do you know who offered this acting insight: ‘make sense of the script and the words will take care of themselves’? It was a very famous person. Do you understand the rules for making said sense? I know who said it and I understand the rules a bit clearer now after Hugh Klitzke’s session.

There were many more sessions than just these three examples but I think you now understand the wide scope of what was covered for the professional voice talents in attendance and likely how your business could have greatly benefited by your being a part of the weekend.

BACK TO THE GOAL

I hope you will take serious the goal I put before you. That the uniqueness, the intimate group size and the depth of knowledge immediately available to you – with no selling or up charges – is a really worthwhile investment in you and your business.

I hope you’ll start saving and I hope to see you at the next WOVOCON.

 

Tags: voice over training, voiceover advice, WOVOCON by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Some weeks ago my voiceover friend (and fellow Buffalo Bills fan) Tim Powers created an idea to help promote WOVOCON The Voiceover UnConference, produced by World-Voices Organization and scheduled for October 17-19, 2025 in New Orleans.

His idea was he was going to interview a bunch of past attendees about their WOVOCON experiences and turn them into one minute video shorts for social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.

So Tim and I recorded our interview in about 15 minutes and he got the content he wanted for the socials.

This week, I got to thinking about the interview and I kept thinking – ‘there’s more stuff there that folks might like to know’, because we talked about a lot of stuff.

So I pinged Tim and asked for the footage to review it. I couldn’t recall my answers to all the questions so I had no idea what – if anything – I was going to do with it.

Then I saw it…it was the big secret that really only a WOVOCON Voiceover Unconference can unlock – because of it’s format, because of it very limited attendance limit (the comradeship of the event) and because of the very nature of the event which is unique to ANY other voiceover event.

WATCH THE VIDEO, learn the secret then make your reservations to join us in New Orleans this October.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO:

Hi, I’m Peter K. O’Connell

and I’ve been a voiceover actor for about 40 years.

It’s so important that people understand that with an unconference, probably one of its most unique features, aside from the format, aside from the attendees creating the agenda and supporting the agenda by what they know and sharing what they know, probably the most important thing that you learn is an unconference is a safe space for everybody.

Some people understand what that means. Some people don’t. I’ll explain my version of what a safe space is. A safe space is where you can go ask questions, where you can be vulnerable. Whether you’ve been doing it for 40 plus years or for months, whatever it is, um that you can look to this event and know that people are there. They’re not judging you. It is a judgment-free zone.

So, when you come in there as a voice actor, we know that you don’t have it all worked out. Do you know how we know that? because you’re not retired off the riches of your job. You’re still doing it on a day-to-day basis. While we all look, well, how he must be a star or celebrity, stop it!

I will tell you that I know some of the well-known (VO) celebrities and well-known (VO) folks um that people follow on Instagram or have heard on network promos and all the rest of it. And I can tell you for a fact that they don’t know everything either. They’ve had some great success and they’ve built careers, but the more you build your career, the more you can be put on an island unto yourself. And so you don’t feel like you can always ask questions.

Well, no matter what level of career you have at a WOVOCON Voiceover  Unconference, you’re safe to ask your questions. Whether you ask it in a session, whether you ask it one-on-one in a hallway conversation, whether you ask it on the questions board, there is a questions board at a WOVOCON Unconference where you can put a question and somebody will come come to you with an answer at some point during the weekend.

Whatever your thoughts, whatever your concerns, whatever your vulnerabilities, you will probably have a chance to share them with somebody, get an answer with it, or just feel like you’re not the only one.

That maybe for some folks, that’s the biggest thing. Oh, I’m not the only one that thinks that way. Oh, I’m not the only one that’s unnerved by that. Oh, I’m not the only one who didn’t understand what they meant by that, and everyone else seems to get it. At a WOVOCON Unconference, it is so valuable to know that you are among a tribe, a community, a class. Your WOVOCON Unconference will be a class unto itself. The mixture of people will never be like that before or after. It will be there. And it’s very special for people to understand that and to know that you will have that connection likely for the rest of your professional life.

 

Tags: social media, video, voiceover advice, WOVOCON by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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This is not a post (AND video!) about how much I dislike people saying the meaningless phrase “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome” after being thanked. Although I believe that last sentence made my stance very clear.

This post is about HOW to thank someone in a CREATIVE way.

Not so much in the everyday things (where you would say the proper and polite “you’re welcome” and not the lazy “no problem”)…but this is in regard to someone who was super thoughtful and went out of their way to show some sort of kindness.

As you know, I am not one to shy away from an actual thank you NOTE. Yup, on a piece of paper (maybe even stationery) with a pen and written out words. POSSIBLY even a postage stamp. People rarely send something so 20th Century thus a thank you note stands out.

But recently a kindness was gifted to me…very unexpectedly, as many kindnesses are…that immediately got my creative juices flowing. This person needs a proper thanking, I knew.

So I could write up the whole story on JOEY SCHALJO but I let the thank you video (oh yes I did!) tell the story.

Tags: video, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Interviewer: THE VOICEOVER EXPRESS
Guest: Peter K. O’Connell – Award-Winning Voice Actor, Voiceover Coach, and Business Owner

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With a career spanning over four decades, American male voice actor Peter K. O’Connell has voiced some of the most recognizable campaigns in North America—from Maaco’s iconic “Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco” to high-profile work for Duracell, Amazon, Disney, Kraft, and L.L.Bean. Media creatives and audio producers trust him for his voice acting versatility and consistency; voice talents seek out his guidance for both performance and business development.

In this exclusive interview with THE VOICEOVER EXPRESS, Peter draws on his deep well of experience not only as a working voice talent, but also as a small business owner and voiceover coach.

He offers thoughtful insights on the state of the industry, shares why WoVOCon – the Voiceover Unconference, remains a standout event for experienced voiceover professionals, and Peter also reflects on what’s helped him—and many of his students—sustain and grow.

The Voiceover Express:
Peter, it’s always a pleasure. Let’s get right to it given your decades in the voiceover industry—what’s the number one question you get from fellow voice actors?

Peter K. O’Connell:
No contest—it’s “How do I grow my voiceover business?” Right behind that is “How do I land more voiceover jobs?” And, of course, “What’s the best voiceover microphone?”

The Voiceover Express:
Classic questions—and all very real. But your answer is what really stands out. How do you typically respond?

Peter K. O’Connell:
For the past year, my answer has been simple and consistent: Go to WoVOCon—the Voiceover Unconference—and get real answers to those questions, plus the ones you didn’t even know to ask.

The Voiceover Express:
That’s a smart pivot—pointing professionals toward a resource instead of giving a one-size-fits-all reply. So tell us about your experience at WoVOCon.

Peter K. O’Connell:
I first went to WoVOCon in Chicago in 2024, and it helped me in all facets of my voiceover business. It wasn’t just useful—it was transformative.

The Voiceover Express:
That’s saying something. For those not familiar, can you break down what makes WoVOCon so valuable?

Peter K. O’Connell:

Absolutely. WoVOCon the Voiceover Unconference, is produced by World-Voices Organization (I’m a dues-paying WOVO member and Unconference volunteer). WoVOCon is a peer-to-peer event—meaning the attendees are the presenters. And attendees (who are all members of WOVO) are vetted, working voiceover professionals. They share everything from performance techniques to business strategies and tech workflows. It’s not about somebody pitching or selling services, nothing is ala carte—WoVOCon is about genuine knowledge and sharing of professional voiceover experiences by people who pay their mortgages via voiceover. What you learn at WoVOCon is practical and applicable to your voiceover business right now.

The Voiceover Express:
Incredible. And I love that it’s peer-led. That adds an extra layer of authenticity. What’s the vibe like?

Peter K. O’Connell:
It’s intimate, which is one of its biggest strengths. Attendance is capped at 125 people, so you really get to know folks. And to a person, they’re there to learn and help others grow. It’s a deeply collaborative, voiceover-centric environment.

The Voiceover Express:
That’s refreshing in an industry filled with noise. You also make a compelling case for why every VO professional, especially small studio owners, should attend. Care to expand?

Peter K. O’Connell:
Sure. If you’re a voiceover talent, you’re also a small business owner. And WoVOCon is where practical voiceover training, real industry insights, and meaningful networking happen. You’re not listening to abstract advice—you’re hearing from people who’ve done the thing. You learn from everyone. The only downside? WoVOCon only happens once a year.

The Voiceover Express:
Now that’s the kind of conference we all want—limited, high-quality, and packed with value. When and where is the next one?

Peter K. O’Connell:
This year’s WoVOCon will be held in New Orleans, October 17–19, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton. I’ve got my reservation—I’ll be there. And if growing your client base, sharpening your skills, and mastering the voiceover business matter to you… there’s nowhere better to be.

The Voiceover Express:
Peter, the way you break that down makes it clear why WoVOCon is such a strong recommendation. But you’ve been walking the walk (or more like talking the talk -voiceover humor) in this industry for a long time. For those who may not be familiar—can you take us through your background and career?

The Voiceover Express:
Sure. I’ve been in the voiceover industry for over 40 years now, working as a voice actor and live announcer. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to build a career that blends versatility, personality, and professionalism—those are the pillars I’ve always tried to stand on. I’ve come to be known in the industry as “Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent,” and I think that pretty well reflects both my approach to the work and the relationships I build with clients.

The Voiceover Express:
That nickname says a lot—it’s accessible but also polished, which feels true to your work. What types of voiceover projects have defined your career?

Peter K. O’Connell:

There’s been a great mix. I’ve done national and regional commercial campaigns, non-broadcast narration, and live event announcing. Over time, that variety really helped me stay creatively fresh. One of the more recognizable spots I was part of was Maaco’s iconic “Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco” campaign. That “everyman” voice really connected with people. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve done high-energy character work like Crest’s “Pro-Active Defense” ad and brought a warm, relatable tone to L.L.Bean’s “Be An Outsider” campaign.

The Voiceover Express:
That’s a wide range—from friendly guy-next-door to animated character actor. What other brand work has stood out to you?

Peter K. O’Connell:
I’ve voiced campaigns for companies like Duracell, Ford Dealers, and Novartis. Kraft Dinner’s “Pony and Jockey” campaign in Canada was especially fun—it was full of quirky charm. I’ve also voiced content for iHeart Radio, and I’ve handled narration for brands like Amazon Web Services, Deloitte Canada, IBM, General Electric, Tic Tac, and Disney.

The Voiceover Express:
That’s a who’s who of major clients. It seems like narration has become a big part of your portfolio, too?

Peter K. O’Connell:
Definitely. I do a lot of narration work now—explainer videos, eLearning, and corporate storytelling. Whether I’m voicing a whimsical character like a scarecrow for AWS or guiding viewers through something more reverent, like the U.S. Army’s history in Fort Huachuca: An Enduring National Treasure, I always focus on clarity, warmth, and pacing. You’re telling a story—whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

The Voiceover Express:
We noted when doing our research for this interview, you’re also a trusted guide for others in the voice acting industry. Let’s talk about The Voiceover Workshop. What inspired you to start coaching?

Peter K. O’Connell:
Honestly, coaching wasn’t part of some grand plan. I just started helping folks because they asked. I’ve been a full-time working voiceover talent for over 40 years—and somewhere along the way, other voice actors began asking me questions. “How do I improve my reads?” “How do I find clients?” “Why isn’t this demo working?” That’s how The Voiceover Workshop came to be, almost 20 years ago now.

The Voiceover Express:
And now you’re known as the “Voiceover Consigliere,” which we love. What kind of approach do you take in your coaching?

Peter K. O’Connell:
That nickname kind of stuck—probably because it’s more fun than “counselor,” but that’s really what I try to be: someone who helps you get where you want to go. I’m not a professional VO teacher (and there are MANY great ones), I don’t run group classes or focus on a formal syllabus. Every session with me is one-on-one, tailored specifically to what the voice talent wants to focus on—whether it’s script interpretation, narration technique, character voices, demo feedback, or the business and marketing side of things.

The Voiceover Express:
That sounds incredibly practical and personal—especially for an industry where so many people feel like they’re navigating alone.

Peter K. O’Connell:
I believe in practical, actionable help. Every voice talent has different goals, so every session should reflect that. We meet virtually—usually via Zoom or Teams—and we dive deep into whatever matters most to them. It’s been amazing to work with voice actors from all over the world, at every experience level.

The Voiceover Express:
And judging by the feedback from your students, it’s clearly making an impact.

Peter K. O’Connell:
I’m grateful for that. I think the most meaningful part is hearing how something we worked on helped someone land a client or gain confidence in their reads or reframe how they run their business. That’s what matters.

The Voiceover Express:
Peter, your career truly reflects the depth and range that many voice actors aspire to. Thanks for pulling back the curtain and sharing both your insights and experience with us today.

Peter K. O’Connell:
My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

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For more information about WoVOCon, visit WOVOCON.com.

Producers can reach out to Peter K. O’Connell directly to discuss voiceover needs—from commercials and narration to live announcing at peterkoconnell.com.

For voice talents ready to grow, refocus, or finally get started the right way…visit voworkshop.com to learn more about The Voiceover Workshop, see testimonials, and schedule your one-on-one session with Peter.

Tags: media releases, voice over workshop, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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“Peter K. O’Connell on Voiceover Longevity, Learning, and the Power of Peer Connection”

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Unless I told you, you’d never notice.

But I’m telling you anyway because (a) it’s funny, and (b) it involves me making fun of myself—which is always a crowd-pleaser around here.

So, here’s the scoop: Source-Connect (a must-have software in pro voiceover and audio recording studios like mine) updated their logo design.

Why care?

Because Source-Connect is the industry standard for real-time, high-fidelity remote audio recording. It’s how voiceover studios like mine connect with producers worldwide. The “Standard” version—yes, that’s literally the name—is what most serious voice talent use.

Now, the Source-Connect team? Brilliant at software. Less so at logo design — but who cares because the software rocks.

But the branding does make a difference to me because I use a co-branded Source-Connect-audioconnell icon across my website to:

• Show I have the software (which makes audio producers happy)

• Show I have the Standard version (again, happy audio producers)

• Show my Source-Connect username so clients can find me easily (happy, happy, happy)

The old S-C logo not awful, it was just “meh,” and the new one? A green dot and san serif font. Not awful. Just… bland again. More minimalistic I guess.

But, if S-C changed their look, I had to update mine for my website.

A small request to Source-Connect HQ: Could you PLEASE offer downloadable logo buttons in various formats? Save graphic designers (and fake ones like me) from reinventing your branding. There are a variety of us who have created these icons for our website…wouldn’t it be better if it was all at least a little bit unified?

Well time for me to go full graphic design DIY lunatic on a different voiceover logo.

My original redesign attempt on Day 1? Looked like digital compost. A black bar with words. Yikes. No I’m not showing you.

I was stubborn. I kept tweaking…

By Day 2, here’s what I realized:

• My brand uses a lot of blue

• Source-Connect’s look is black + white + green dot

• My first icon had zero connection to my branding (#fail)

So I tried again:

• Added a blue frame to match or at least tie -in my branding with Source-Connect’s look in a complimentary way

• I inserted a subtle green line to nod to SC’s new dot (mine’s a bit brighter in color—shhh)

• The new Source-Connect logo is one long line and I couldn’t find any variations on it so I improvised a variation of my own, keeping the “Source” with the dot at the top to be eye catching and the “Connect” shifted 90 degrees on the right hand side but still very readable

• I popped in my audio’connell mark with a white glow – that turned out better than I expected

• I included “Source-Connect Standard” and my username in a close-enough font (font matching AI let me down)

Any professional graphic designer would roast my latest co-branded icon like a marshmallow at summer camp.

And they’d be right. But hey—nobody got paid, and I got a customized, semi-functional logo design update for my voiceover website that works just fine.

Who’s laughing now, graphics nerd?

(Still you? Yeah, fair.)

Tags: branding, logo design, marketing, source-connect, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover logo by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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The question I get asked the most by fellow voice actors: How do you grow your voiceover business?

Right behind that: How do I land more voiceover jobs?

And of course: What’s the best voiceover microphone?

Here’s been my answer for the past year—go to WoVOCon The Voiceover Unconference and get real answers to those questions, plus the ones you didn’t even know to ask.

I went to WoVOCon in Chicago in 2024, and it helped me in all facets of my voiceover business.

WoVOCon – the Voiceover Unconference, produced by World-Voices, is a peer-to-peer voiceover conference built for professional voiceover talent. The attendees are the presenters—working VO pros who’ve built careers in voice acting, voiceover performance, business, and tech.

It’s also intimate, capping out at 125 attendees…so you WILL get to know a lot of people quickly. To a person, they are all at WoVOCon to share knowledge and learn, not sell anything.

Yes, voiceover talent reading this—you, the small business owner of your own VO studio—this is where practical voiceover training, industry insights, and next-level connections actually happen.

The upside? You learn from everyone. The downside? It only happens once a year.

This year it will be held in New Orleans, October 17-19 at The Embassy Suites by Hilton.

Nope, I don’t make a cent from promoting WoVOCon. I just believe in it.

I’ve got my reservation. I’ll be there. You should be too—and if growing your client base, improving your skills, and mastering the voiceover industry matter to you, there’s nowhere better to be.

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