Mike Lenz Voice - A Journey Into Voice Acting

Mike Cooper is a British voice talent who swapped big city life in London for log cabin life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Mike is recognisable from his many years on air with the BBC World Service, and as the narrator of countless television documentaries and a growing library of audiobooks. A disruptive influence in school, Mike's first break in narration came at age six, when his teacher realised he could tell the afternoon story better than her (and she could get a nap by way of a bonus!) When he's not in his home studio, you'll find him enjoying hobby farm life and tending to some charming pet goats, three horses - including a delightful mini horse called Annie - and a growing hobby farm menagerie... https://www.mikecoopervoiceover.com/ To check out other episodes, head over to mikelenzvopodcast.com! 

Danielle Harris is a voice actor from Atlanta, Ga. Originally born and raised in Indiana, she has had an interest and intrigue with voiceover since her early teenage years. It wasn't until she was in her early twenties that she sought out to attempt to get voice acting training around 2012, then again in 2018, both times unfortunately being sidetracked by life and her work in government. Danielle worked as a 911 dispatcher, radio operator for 8 years then was promoted to  Supervisor and Training coordinator over Emergency Communications for the last 5 years before she ultimately made up her mind to end her 13 year career to pursue her passion in voiceover full time. She has since worked with brand names such as Canva, Microsoft, Walmart, Sonos, Michelob Ultra, Dollar General and more.   In between vo life and work, she spends all her time with her 2 year old daughter Arrow, husband Adam and their dog Knuckles and cat Loki.   

With a home studio, Mandy Fisher has the ability to tell your story, your way. Equipment includes: Source Connect/ipDTL Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Rode NT1 Neumann U87 MacBook Pro Whether it’s an explainer video, a narration, or a simple tagline, Mandy is your go-to voice. Not sure what you want? No problem. She can provide you with several quality options. Have a strong vision? Great! Mandy can take direction and bring your project to life. https://www.mandyofish.com/   Voice 123 15% Discount Code link:  https://bit.ly/3BsPSaw LinkedIn Edge Discount Code link (discount is built in): https://www.thelinkedinedge.com/?wpam_id=6

Brad Hyland was born on April 1 st , 2016.  Well, not really- but that’s what he’ll say is when he really started living! That’s the day he started full-time as a voice actor… after quitting a first career that spanned 35 years. His first formal VO training actually started nearly thirty years ago...working hard on all aspects of business with one-on-one coaching and master classes.   He spent two decades dabbling in standup comedy and movie extra work, as well as honing his pipes as front man for a rock & blues band for eight years.  That love of performing is now satisfied daily as an actively booking voiceover talent, coach and mentor.   Brad works from his home studio near Washington DC, serving customers all over the world. He can tackle just about any assignment with his versatile voice and ability to take direction. Some of his favorite work includes being the voice of Santa for the Elf on the Shelf, Narrating films for Crazy Horse Monument and Craters Of The Moon national parks, and booking multip

Roșie Okumura is an LA based voice actor, musician, and YouTuber.  Rosie uses her voice acting and musical skills to prank call internet and phone scammers!  Having already developed a growing career as a voice actor, Rosie's life careened off course when her Mother was scammed out of $2,000.  Determined to get her mom's money back, Rosie started investigating the dark world of online scammers, posting her first "revenge phone call" video on YouTube.   Now, a million subscribers later, Rosie is one of the internet's most popular influencers, advocating for scam victims, and embarrassing the people behind these crimes in hilarious ways.  Rosie is known for her impression of Apple's "SIRI" and Britney Spears! https://www.rosieokumura.com/ Voice 123 15% Discount Code link:  https://bit.ly/3BsPSaw LinkedIn Edge Discount Code link (discount is built in): https://www.thelinkedinedge.com/?wpam_id=6

This episode is filled with resources for you to move your career forward.  I provide an update on how 2021 was in my VO world, and discuss having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset as we move into 2022.  I also talk about the importance of creating a team around yourself to help elevate you to the next level, understanding the system your operating in (voice-over, social media, casting sites, tech) and making the most of the people and courses that will help shorten your learning curve.  Links: https://vosuccess.com/ https://www.v123pros.com/ https://votechguru.com/ https://www.tawnyvoice.com/ Voice 123 15% Discount Code link:  https://bit.ly/3BsPSaw LinkedIn Edge Discount Code link (discount is built in): https://www.thelinkedinedge.com/?wpam_id=6  

Anne Cloud has been writing her own story for a long time: from moving to New York days after college graduation (without a plan) to buying an old school bus on a whim with a hope of converting it into a tiny home on wheels. She has gone her own way in her voice over career as well. Striking out with a vengeance into the genres that interest her most and actively seeking out the people who could help her achieve her goals.   Anne lives in a 200 foot skoolie with her husband and three small kids and traveled full time for nearly two years, pulling a cargo trailer decked out with a broadcast quality remote studio along with them. This set up allows Anne to work full-time as a Voice Actor from wherever they happen to land. Anne has had the opportunity to train with incredible coaches and friends, and work with dream clients like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kia Worldwide, and Khan Academy Kids.  Living and traveling in a converted school bus with her husband and three wild monkeys, this versatile and colo

Growing up on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee in a large extended family, Roy Worley learned the art of storytelling from his grandpa, Paw Neely who instilled a strong sense of family, hard work, and a love for Christ.  As an extrovert, Roy loves being around people, talking and laughing over a strong cup of coffee.  These days Roy and his wife Rebecca call the Chicago area home. ​ After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Roy felt God’s calling upon him to commit full time to preaching and teaching the Word of God and entered Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary in his hometown of Memphis where he earned a Master of Divinity degree.  Over the years he has served as both a pastor and foreign missionary.  He and his wife were privileged to live in Chile for six years where they shared the Lord’s message in Spanish (yep, he’s fluent), helping Chilean Christians learn how to study the Bible for themselves and how to share their faith with whomever was interested. ​ Now, when not working a

Founder and CEO of the 501(c)(3) Nonprofit "Imagination Videobooks," Richard is known as "The Storybook Wizard." He is a top Audible narrator who helps authors give their books a voice. His team has produced hundreds of audiobooks, including Richard's own award-winning book, "The Author's Guide to Audiobook Creation." Children's Accessible Videobooks Creator - samples at https://imaginationvideobooks.org - Benjamin Franklin National Gold Medal Award in Audiobook Nonfiction for producing, directing, and co-narrating "Football Flyboy" by Lisa Reinicke. Independent Book Publishers Association. - Five-time EVVY Gold Award Winning Audiobook Narrator and Producer at Audiobook Revolution, http://audiobookrevolution.com/ - Author of Global eBook Gold Medal Award in Writing/Publishing for "The Author's Guide to Audiobook Creation" http://bit.ly/audiobookcreation - Produced best-sellers including "​Auschwitz #34207"​ and "Shot Down" - Audible Approved Narrator (Top 10%) Veteran Network, New York, Chicago and Wash

Recording voice-over projects daily since 2006, Natasha Marchewkahas grown her business exponentially through referrals from happy clients throughout North America and around the globe. From Electrolux to ZipRecruiter to Adventures By Disney, clients continue to return to her product and service worthy of their most important business projects. https://natashamarchewka.com/ Katherine Tole is a voice actor specializing in video games, narration, commercials, eLearning and animation.  Katherine has been an avid video gamer since she was a kid and understands what gamers are looking for in their characters. From grunting to spell casting, she has decades of experience listening to the characters that came before her. https://katherinetole.com/ Natasha and Katherine have created a fantastic course on how to maximize your Voice 123 profile.  I've taken their course and it's worked amazingly well for me! Here's the link to their course: https://v123.katherinetole.com/    

You’ve heard Jessica Taylor on television, on the web and on the radio for projects large and small. She has a range from youthful cool to polished sophistication. A touch of vocal texture adds depth and realness to her vocal imprint. She shines when it comes to taking direction, and has a sixth sense for understanding what it is people want. Her keen intuition and gut instincts fuel her creative process, and she's ready to take risks to get the read right. Jessica books projects that ask for vocal qualities and deliveries similar to the sounds of celebrities like Kristen Bell, Rashida Jones, Tina Fey, Anna Kendrick, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, and Jennifer Lawrence. Jessica lives a mostly joyful life with her husband, three sons and five hens in Boulder, Colorado. She's a Mom, wife, sister, daughter, an avid cook, knitter, hiker, reader, traveler, homeopathy nerd and consumer of art in any form. https://www.jessicavo.com/

JULIE WILSON is Senior Manager of Digital Production Platforms and an award-winning executive producer at Penguin Random House Audio. She started her career at Random House in 2007 and has produced over a thousand audiobooks for adults and kids, including several graphic novel adaptations. Her recent production credits include working with Alicia Keys, Ben Folds, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ruth Reichl, Willie Nelson, and The Tiny Chef. She is also the co-creator of AhabTalent.com, a global online casting platform for voiceover. She is a native New Yorker and an avid urban gardener, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Colby College. 

A multiple Audie Award winner, Odyssey Award winner, multiple Earphones Award winner, and multiple Voice Arts Award winner, P.J. Ochlan's work behind the microphone began in 1987 as a young voice actor with many commercials and promos. Since then he has lent his diverse talents to virtually every voiceover genre. Most notably, he is a widely acclaimed and record-setting audiobook narrator with hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles to his credit. P.J.'s voice work is enhanced by his mastery of accents, distinctive characters and versatility, as well as his proficiency with English, French, Italian, German and Mandarin. He is also the founder of Dr. Dialect and co-founder of the Deyan Institute of Voice Artistry.

SEAN PRATT HAS been a working professional actor in theatre, film, TV and voice-overs for over 30 years. He holds a BFA in Acting from Santa Fe University, NM. He has narrated over 1,000+ audiobooks….and counting!  He has been an audiobook narrator for 22 years (aka – Lloyd James), recording over 1000+ Audio Books in almost every genre. He narrates for such companies as Blackstone Audiobooks, Tantor Media, Gildan Audio, Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, and Christian Audio.

On this episode I chat with Laya Hoffman!  Laya's voice is genuine yet unique, culturally flexible and confidently warm - a fun, fresh female voice that makes an impact for your project and cuts through to your audience! Delivering broadcast quality sound with ease, on budget and under deadline for 20 years. As a full time voice-over actress, Laya helps companies grow revenue, deepen brand awareness and cultivate identity by connecting with customers through the power of Voice. Her passion is bringing your story to life, and making it sound like you heard it in your head - easily and efficiently. Laya presents a warm, relatable tone in a wide variety of styles, that is as versatile as it is timeless for a range of voice-over services. Specializing in commercials, promos, corporate narration, explainers, e-learning, animation, IVR, telephony, live announce and more. Clients such as Google, Honda, AAA, Four Seasons, Accenture, Coca-Cola, HP and hundreds more have selected Laya's voice for its national sound

Charlie Lovett was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1962 and grew up as the child of a book-collecting English professor. He spent his summers in the rural North Carolina mountains and felt an early affinity for the countryside. He was educated at Summit School, Woodberry Forest School (Virginia), and Davidson College (NC) and in 1984 went into the antiquarian book business with his first wife, Stephanie. About the same time he began to seriously collect books and other materials relating to Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lovett now has a large collection of Carrollian rare books and artifacts, including Carroll’s 1888 typewriter and one of six privately owned copies of the first edition of Alice in Wonderland. Lovett has written or edited nine books about Lewis Carroll, including Lewis Carroll: Formed by Faith, the first full length study of Carroll’s religious life (UVA Press, 2021). He has served as the president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, as editor of the London

On this episode I share some thoughts on Systems Thinking and hiow the VO industry is really a Complex System (and what that means for you!)  I also talk about my VO course available over at vosuccess.com and some of the changes that are coming in the New Year. I also touch on the importance of creating authentic relationships and growing your network and the importance that my faith has played in my journey.  Lots of great stuff this episode!!    

Val Kelly is a bilingual, French/English Voice Actress. Val started her voice-over career in 1999 after being told her whole life how "cute" her voice is and that she should do something with it... and so she did....!! Val has been actively booking Voice-over work for years now and had her commercial demo produced by Emmy award winning sound designer, recording engineer and producer "Uncle Roy" Yokelson. Val is currently working on her animation & animal sounds demos. Val's specialty is in voicing characters for cartoons, talking toys, apps, videogames, children's e-learning, radio & tv commercials and short films. Her clients include "Hasbro toys", "Hungry Howie's Pizza Place", "Essence Cartoons", "Roam and Wander", "Mymoonah", "The Foreign Candy Company", "Theory Films", independent YouTube videos and many more. Val is the hostess of her own podcast called "Live with Squacky". It's a unique and lively, interview style show that dives into the worlds of voice acting and entertainment.  In addition to

Jim Seybert has been telling stories for more than sixty years. As a young boy he would dictate stories, telling his parents to "write this down." Fast-forward to the present, and Jim lends his clear, confident voice to some of the most interesting stories of the day: military histories, political commentary, true crime, heroic memoirs, and great fiction. When he is not recording in his studio on California's pristine Central Coast, he walks quietly along trails in the Sierra Nevada, cooks gourmet meals for friends, and watches films with his wife Rhonda and their Chihuahua, Lucy.

Edoardo Ballerini is a two time winner of the Audiobook Publishers Association’s Best Male Narrator Audie Award (2013, Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter; 2019, Watchers by Dean Koontz). He has recorded nearly 300 titles, from classic works by Tolstoy, Dante, Kafka, Whitman and Camus, to best-sellers by James Patterson and David Baldacci, and spiritual titles by The Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hahn. On screen, Ballerini is best known for his role as junkie "Corky Caporale" on The Sopranos (HBO) and as the star chef in the indie classic Dinner Rush. He has appeared in over 50 films and tv shows, including a series regular role in the critically acclaimed Quarry, (Cinemax)  and recurring roles in Boardwalk Empire (HBO), 24 (Fox) and Elementary (CBS). Ballerini's work as a narrator has garnered international attention. Articles on his work and career have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian (UK), Aftenposten (Norway) and MediaPost (US), among others. In 2019 he recorded Robert Alter’s translation of The Hebr