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The Best Problem To Have!!
Blog? WHAT blog???
Used by permission from pixelcreatures via Pixabay
It is always my aim to write a creative, positive and inspiring blog. This week was no different.
However, this week was very different. Like the week previous to this one, I was completely unable to find time to develop a new creative blog. The reason?
There was a Vanilla Ice marathon on MTV, and I had to stop, collaborate and listen.
I am kidding. The real reason, of course, is because I had too much work! There were jobs. There were other jobs. And do you know what? There were Even. More. Jobs.
***Update: since I wrote this and prepared it for publishing, there were even more more more MORE jobs.***
It was as if a sluice was opened, and I had to run very fast to get away from it and look up the word sluice. The floodgates were lifted, and the jobs came pouring in: a delightful and welcome change since this blog from a few weeks ago.
So, because of this frustrating and remarkable dilemma, I was unable to craft my usual blog which blesses my readers with the enchanting revelation that they truly can sleep while reading. And in lieu of saying instead, I will say "in LIEU" of a regular blog, I will offer something else of equal or greater value to you.
Now, I am a man who lives and dies by Microsoft Outlook. I mean it. Even though it is currently keeping me alive, Outlook will most likely pin me down, stomp on my head, and run me through a garlic press while I emit sounds similar to those made by a bison in orgasm.
Be that as it may, and try as I may to stick to my schedule, I just could not generate the same type of blog this week. So we'll get 'em next week.
Until that time, if there was a problem, yo, I would solve it. So check out the blog while my DJ Josh revolves it.
One for the Record Books
Used by permission from Mediamodifier via Pixabay
I reached a point last week where I simply did not wish to record anything else. I had recorded so much, that I was essentially a bit vocally spent, and when that happens, all one can do is don one's wife's clothing and go get a pedicure. But I am sure you feel the same.
On the way there I unashamedly rolled down my windows and blasted Kenny G, doing the following:
Once the extreme migraine had passed, I collected myself to the point of considering what I could offer my vast count of followers that would be both inspiring and encouraging toward a successful career in voiceovers. And then I had it:
Butterscotch Pudding.
However, being as Costco did not have 4200 cups of butterscotch pudding at the ready (I know!), I was forced to make alternate arrangements. And what did I come up with?
Stats. And more stats. And even more stats! Here they are! May you draw encouragement from them, because I certainly did. I was not able to construct a typical creative blog because I was that busy.
My weekly goal, by the way, is to generate $5000 in voiceover work. With that, here is how I have done since 2022 officially landed, and you will see how these past few weeks have really turned around, and what one can do with a little elbow grease, headbanging, and a pedicure:
Scripts booked for the week of 2/27/2022 to 3/5/2022:
- Total clients: 17
- Total revenue booked: $8,091
- Awarded work: 3 pickups, 15 Repeat, 4 Voice123, 1 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 2/20/2022 to 2/26/2022:
- Total clients: 21
- Total revenue booked: $14,488.50
- Awarded work: 3 pickups, 23 Repeat, 2 Voice123, 7 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 2/13/2022 to 2/19/2022:
- Total clients: 11
- Total revenue booked: $5,490.00
- Awarded work: 2 pickups, 8 repeat, 2 Voice123, 1 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 2/6/2022 to 2/12/2022:
- Total clients: 11
- Total revenue booked: $4,520.00
- Awarded work: 1 increase in job total, 5 repeat, 2 Voice123, 3 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 1/30/2022 to 2/5/2022:
- Total clients: 15
- Total revenue booked: $7,204.00
- Awarded work: 2 pickups, 7 repeat, 9 Voice123, 2 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 1/23/2022 to 1/29/2022 (I was sick):
- Total clients: 7
- Total revenue booked: $1,853.00
- Awarded work: 1 increase in job total, 2 pickups, 2 repeat, 1 spec, 1 Voice123, 1 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 1/16/2022 to 1/22/2022:
- Total clients: 20
- Total revenue booked: $6,737.25
- Awarded work: 3 direct jobs, 3 pickups, 1 referral, 1 renewal, 6 repeat, 7 Voice123, 1 Voices
Scripts booked for the week of 1/9/2022 to 1/15/2022:
- Total clients: 19
- Total revenue booked: $8,177.00
- Awarded work: 1 increase in job total, 2 pickups, 18 repeat, 3 Voice123
Scripts booked for the week of 1/2/2022 to 1/8/2022:
- Total clients: 14
- Total revenue booked: $5,255.87
- Awarded work: 3 pickups, 9 repeat, 3 Voice123, 1 Voices
Leaving March aside, I booked $53,725.62 in just my first two months in voiceovers. Multiply that by six more groups of 2 for a whole year, and that is an on-pace revenue of $322,353.72 for 2022. That would be a little shy of what I generated in 2021, but certainly nothing to throw butterscotch pudding at.
And how did I do all this? I will freely share that with you through...MORE STATS!!!
- For last week ending on March 4th I performed 248 auditions
- Week ending on February 25th: 246 auditions
- Week ending on February 18th: 137 auditions
- Week ending on February 11th: 263 auditions
- Week ending on February 4th: 211 auditions
- Week ending on January 28th: 212 auditions
- Week ending on January 21st: 215 auditions
- Week ending on January 14th: 185 auditions
- Week ending on January 7th: 160 auditions
Aside from that, I average marketing to between 100 and 150 people per day through:
- Direct emails
- Vimeo
- Shoots.video
- more
A grind? Sure. Worth it? Look above at my revenue stats. That is a lot of seed planting and soil tilling. And headbanging to Kenny G.
I realize that some of you may get your panties in a bunch by my sharing such information. My advice? Buy new panties. No one likes a poop streak. I share these to encourage newbies and spring chicken that it truly is possible to enjoy a successful career in voiceovers through routinely pursuing and tracking my goals, and there is zero boasting. The fact remains, I am just as amazed as you might be. I truly am amazed...and beyond grateful.
Just a Pipe-Dream? Pish-Posh.
There are mornings where I wake up laughing. I remember how much I had to sacrifice to make even a tenth of what I make in voiceovers now, and that was during my career in wedding videography. At any given moment there was the threat of an impending negative Yelp review. Narcissism and self-absorption abounded. Every one of my weekends was taken up. Incredibly long and arduous physical and editing work was needed to film and produce a single wedding in order to utterly satisfy clients. The trade-off was punishing.
But I am not bound to that anymore. I am FREE, like a beautiful butterfly that has been freed from, uh, weddings.
I will say it again: It truly is possible to have a successful career in voiceovers. So keep at it, and keep planting those seeds. I fully realize that not every week will be as successful as these past two have been, and I do not take it lightly. I am therefore all the more grateful, and I hope this encourages you as well.
If you are struggling to hit weekly goals, perhaps try switching to a monthly goal. Less pressure. Slower pace. You can do this thing called voiceovers.
Yo man, let's get out of here. Word to your mother.
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YOU HAVE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE END, AND I SALUTE YOU.
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Joshua Alexander
Seattle Voice Actor & Voiceover Artist for hire
josh@supervoiceover.com
206.557.6690
Very eye-opening post Josh, I’m a big stats nerd so it was great to see yours! Next time you have too much work, just send em my way 😉
I will do that very thing, good sir! 🙂 I’m glad the stats encouraged you. They did me! And, I confess, ‘bit of a nerd here myself. 🙂
Josh, to be honest, I am of two minds about a post like this. As you know, many people will probably bristle at what they see as bragging, despite your claims to the contrary. Some will also be concerned that beginners will be discouraged when they compare their own progress with yours. On the other hand, I also understand that you hope to encourage people to work hard toward a goal. When someone speaks anecdotally about the success that can be achieved, it leaves a person wondering about the accuracy of their claims, or at least raises questions about their definition of success. With real numbers, you seek to put meat on the bones of those claims, am I right?
This is such a good insightful reply, Jon! I appreciate it. I used to run a program called VoiceOverdrive where every Monday I would hold, on Instagram, an earnings report and talk about goals and marketing strategies and things like that. I have a “big company“ mentality. I’ve never wanted to treat voiceovers like a side hustle or anything small. Big companies hold earnings reports. This is obviously for their investors, but are we not all invested in our voiceover pursuits? I wanted concrete proof that I could do this as a career… and a sustainable one. So that’s why I shared such info. And like I addressed in the blog, it sometimes doesn’t sit well with everyone… I get it, and I fully realize that I take a risk by sharing. But I would rather share, empower and encourage then never share at all. It has been a mixed bag of replies to be sure, but what is usually vocalized back to me is positive feedback, a la “I had no idea there was so much potential.” I never hear jealousy or condemnation for sharing. This is an earning report from a big business, but in the vein, MOST DEFINITELY, of “…and you can do this too!” That precisely why I share HOW I did it. Earnings without instruction or encouragement is boasting. Earnings with instruction and encouragement is not boasting. At least that’s how I see it.
I’m really surprised by the low amount of jobs you get on average from the p2p’s. It’s not low by any means, but I had a double digit in my head, and seeing single digits was like, whoah. Not bad at all by any means, just surprising considering how much you make, but that would be the repeats, pickups, type of work, etc. Very interesting stats for sure!
Lol, tired of recording. I know that feeling! Knew it for a different activity last week. For now, it’ll be G-14 classified, but I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, lol.
May the following weeks break the mold even more!!
Speaking of, I have to share this. I walk a lot, so I pick up a lot of things. The other day I found a denture mold example! HAHAHAHA! Did not pick it up, obviously! lol.
Oh my. I don’t know why, but SAVE THAT. 🙂 Hahaha!!
Honestly? The greatest figure that I want to remain high is my repeat customers. I know that’s a chicken and the egg scenario because you can’t get repeat customers without getting first time customers. But ultimately developing a cache of returning clients should be everyone’s goal. And repeat E-Learning clients with additional modules, as well as corporate clients with spots that renew usage? Those are both the best!
WOOOWWW! That is some crazy good figures!!! Did you really do that in 2021 josh? That’s very exciting! It will tke me a while to get to that level of course but that is truly very very exciting. I like what Jon said above but I agree with you : I want to know can I do this full-time or not. These figures tell me that I can !!
It was the one thing that proved the most elusive when I started, and it’s not like you just can just outright ask someone what they make in voiceovers. But ultimately so many people just need to loosen up their buttcheeks a little bit with regards to income. It’s not a big deal. So she makes more than me. So he makes less than me. I want to get to her level! I want to bring him up to mine! Together we’re all quoting market rates and together we’re going to be able to survive long term by toeing the line. I’m glad it encouraged you.
hahaha, well spoken sir!! 🙂 🙂
My first reaction to reading the dollars you have generated really peeved me off!!!
I was gonna use another word, by we are in Lent now.
After I stopped crying and ate the rest of a giant bag of potato chips…. I said to myself, self…if he can do it, so can I. So I picked up the phone and started dialing.
Thank you so much for sharing this info. It really is inspirational.
John Klicman
Lent helps clean up vocabulary, does it not? Heehee. 🙂 And I say the same thing to you, John Klicman! “Self?” (that’s your name, right?) “You can do it, Self! Go git ’em!” I am truly grateful beyond words for what I’ve been able to generate…and am just as surprised as you are. But there’s nothing magical at work other than simply working my keister off. It’s literally gone. I have no more buttocks.
Well, I found it inspirational. I have ramped up my marketing lately, but with a full time day job, I am not exactly burning up the auditions like you. BUT, I am excited to say I have a good repeat client that continues to bring in a little money throughout the year. Now, branching out to get different types of work from the same production company, and new batch of clients to start that Repeat client process with.
Thanks for the blog!
THAT. IS. AWESOME. Keep up the great work, Van! Man (er, “Van”, sorry!), if you can develop that cache of same production company clients, or repeat clients, it definitely sets you up for success. Thank you for reading the blog and taking encouragement from it – YOU CAN DO THIS!!! And I would be glad to inspire you and help in any way I can.
Cheers!
I think it’s fab that you share the details. It’s just facts. And it really IS confusing to try to figure out how much it might be possible to earn, or how much work and time it might take to get there. It would be great if more people at a range of levels could share this stuff without getting competitive or jealous or clenched.
Right? Thanks Sumara. I’m not pointing and saying “haha.” That would be assuming too much of me. I’m not saying “you’ll never be as good as me.” That would be exhausting and polarizing. And I’m not saying “look how good I am.” That would be immature and ugly. I’m saying that I’m blown away grateful and I believe you can do the exact same. I will be forever amazed and grateful. I just always want to work hard to continue it and provide for my family.
Hello Josh, very nice and brave article to publish!
Do you have the premium voices 123 membership or just the regular one?
I actually got off all p2p websites because I was losing so much time auditioning.
My idea is to direct market as much as possible so I’m not competing with such a large number of people, but I am curious 🙂
Thank you Stephanie! Yes, I took a risk. But I want to encourage and show that it can be done. I have the $2200/year tier with Voice123. I’m premium with VDC, VOPlanet, Bodalgo, CastVoices, etc..
I was looking at the numbers you make and finding it a little too much compared to my numbers. Then I looked at the number of auditions you did and number of marketing you did and now it make sense. Thanks for inspiring.
best,
sam
My pleasure, Sam! It’s a grind, isn’t it? Keep at it, my friend. I LOVE what I do, and so running back and forth in and out of the studio all day is second nature. Similarly, running back and forth between potential customers and keeping that pipeline fed is no small task, but is definitely worth it considering the potential returns. Thanks for reading, and may you utterly prosper, good sir!