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CAREER Got A Niche? Discover The Specialty That Sparks Your Voice Over Passion August 5, 2014  Note: The author presents the session, "Find Your Passion - Find Your Niche," at the VOICE 2014 convention, August 27-30 in Anaheim, CA, and also conducts the Character Voices for Audiobooks & Animation Booth Camp in Orlando on September 13.By Joe Loesch Voice Actor, Coach, Producer What is it within your voice work that sparks your soul? Can you get a handle on what really lights your fire? Knowing this will help you find your niche in the voice over world - your special slice of the business pie. Your area of expertise. For example, a video production company normally offers video services of every variety, and that's the whole video production pie. However, a business that specializes in documentaries focuses on a specific piece of that pie. That's their area of expertise. And this specialty niche commands higher prices for its services and products. SCRATCH THAT NICHE So, what's your niche? Don't fret the word "expert." You're probably more of an expert in certain areas than you give yourself credit for. To help you decide, take an inventory of your interests. Write out the answers to the following questions: 1. What are my interests/hobbies?DRAW UPON EXPERIENCE As I look back on my life, it's easy to see what my interests were. For instance, my character voice experience came in handy when I was working as the sound engineer for a cartoon series that would soon appear on the Disney Channel. Today I'm passionate about character voice acting - my niche! Discovering what you're really good at is a reward for life's training. THREE WAYS ... To help your list-making, consider this: 1. Passion. List any skills, interests, knowledge or natural aptitude you possess. Check any of these which you also really enjoy doing. You must have a passion for it if you're going to call it your niche. 2. Train. Think of life as a small business in which you need training to advance your skills. For example, if you've always had a knack for cooking and would love to start your own restaurant, you may wish to become a master chef first to give yourself more credibility. 3. Decide. List 10 possible niche areas, and then narrow it down to the top two. Base your actions around those two items. ORGANIZE AND FOCUS Stay organized and focused as you work through this. The saying, "Plan your work and work your plan" is most appropriate as you narrow down the field that's begging for your attention. Finally, consider the services of a life coach. They can help you identify your strengths, offer resources, and generally keep you on track. ------------------ ABOUT JOE Joe Loesch is an award-winning Spoken Word Producer, author, voice actor and coach based in Nashville. Originally from Los Angeles where he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, he is heard today in national commercials, audiobooks, video games and cartoons. Joe is also a popular speaker at industry events, and travels the country presenting Voice Over Booth Camp - strategic voice over training to newcomers and seasoned professionals, sponsored by VoiceOverXtra. Email: joe@joeloesch.com Web: www.joeloesch.com Voice Over Booth Camp: www.boothcamp.net Sept. 13, 2014 Orlando Booth Camp - Character Voices for Audiobooks & Animation: http://bit.ly/CharacterVoicesBoothCamp-Orlando VOICE 2014 |
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