VO BOSS

Your instagram feed isn't really your diary, even if you treat it like one. In this episode, Anne & Laya discuss how to set social media boundaries, talk about the power of engagement, and teach you ways to leverage your money-maker across platforms in ways that keep you (and your voice) top of mind. Stay up to date and plugged in like a #VOBOSS! In this episode, Anne and Laya discuss social media boundaries, engagement, and boosting your voice across platforms… More at https://voboss.com/modern-social-media-with-laya-hoffman Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I'm here with very special guest co-host Laya Hoffman. Yay, Laya! Laya: Hey BOSSes. Hey Anne. How's it going? Anne: I'm doing great. How about yourself? Laya: Rocking and rolling. Super excited to be back on the show talking to you today. I think we're doing a new modern mindset about new media and social media. Anne: Absolutely. Yeah, we are talking about coming into the new times and having a modern mindset when it comes to your business. So we spoke in the last few episodes about modern marketing, kind of just to get the ball rolling. Let's focus in more, I think, on social media for sure. Laya: Yeah, yeah. Anne: And talk about a modern take on social media, because boy, in the last couple of years, since this pandemic, things have really changed -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- in social media, and I have a much different mindset today than I did even last year about it. Laya: Yeah, you do. We all do because it has evolved, but at the same time it's evolved, I think everyone's approach or level of interest and engagement has evolved as well, because we've probably all been isolated in some capacity in a -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and found ourselves drawn to either losing ourselves or being inspired or comparing ourselves on various social media platforms. And whichever one you toggle between in a day, I know for myself, I've actually had to create some boundaries on social media. Anne: Oh yeah, absolutely. Laya: Just for my own health and wellness and perception and productivity, in my day, you kind of have to, whoa, take a step back and how much of your time, energy and effort is being put into that. So, you know, I think that's a modern mindset in itself, put up your walls, people. Anne: You know, what's so interesting is that a few years back, I mean, I remember I was the social media maven, and I think just because I'm a very tech girl, and I was always into making sure that my online business presence was there, and I always eagerly embraced social media as it would become available and new platforms. And I was just all into it, and lately I have been, wow, I need to step back a little bit because there, it has evolved in such a way. And we've all I think, it's become just so easy to type at that prompt all types of emotions, all types of everything comes out. Laya: Yeah. Anne: And sometimes it's not healthy. Laya: Yes, this is true. Anne: And so I have had to step back -- in terms of what you're consuming, hopefully what you're typing is healthy, right? What you're consuming may or may not be healthy mentally for you. And so I, myself person who always embraced social media, have kind of taken a step back and thought, wow, I think possibly I need to step away for a moment, make sure that I, like you said, set boundaries for the day. And I never thought I would say that for Anne Ganguzza, 'cause I'm just, you know, I'm all about the tech. But there are times when I need to absolutely step back away from it in order to regain a sense of balance in myself -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- and in my business. Laya: I totally agree with you, Anne, and I echo that sentiment and have had to do the same. As a former marketer, I felt like I was dead set on consistency, posting every day, keeping your engagement up, being relevant, you know, sharing the most modern content, being and living authentically yet, you know, putting your best face -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and your brand forward -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- but still being able to connect and having a touch point throughout the day. Now, after what, 19, 20 months of a pandemic -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- I have definitely compartmentalized and created more healthy boundaries. And I think that in itself is a modern mindset. You do not need to share. Anne: Yeah. Laya: It's not "dear diary." Anne: Yeah. Laya: You don't need to overshare and over-consume and over-engage because it in itself is a energetic vampire, you know, just -- Anne: Oh, for sure. Laya: -- sucking the energy out of you and really not contributing to the betterment and the health and wellness from a mindset place in a healthy holistic way for yourself or your business. So I think it's totally okay to take a step back. Anne: And also lay you have a daughter that you're considering as well in terms of there have to be boundaries set for this. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: And I do want to say by the way, for those BOSSes out there that are not familiar, Laya has a podcast with her daughter, which is amazing. Laya: Thank you. It's called "She Sounds Like Me," and we have to have our social presence for that too. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: But it takes a lot of work and effort. So setting those boundaries is key. Anne: So how do you set your boundaries for social media, number one, in terms of, let's say, business? So there's, I assume there's a period of time that you're just kind of flipping through social media that might be information or entertainment for you and then there's business. Laya: Yeah, that's right. Anne: Do you separate it out that way? Laya: I -- yes and no. My business is my being as it is yours too. It's hard to make that separation, but I've learned to compartmentalize. So I'll check in in the morning and just see what kind of engagement happened overnight. Was there anything big that's happened in the world? You know, it's my news source -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- for all intensive purposes -- Anne: Yeah, me too. Laya: -- which is both a pain point and somewhat of a relief. I don't, I don't even know. Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: So there's that, but then I try to take a short 30-minute break in the middle of my day for lunch and what have you. I'll check in then. And then I also check back in probably around 5:00 in the afternoon when my work day is, quote, done and then in the evening, which is kind of the pattern of most working people. And so -- well these days, who knows because everyone's working these hours and whatnot -- but that's also the most relevant time for engagement. So talking about actual posting and whether or not the visibility or the exposure you're going to get is going to have the same weight, during those high traffic hours is the most relevant time to be posting. It's when you will be the most visible on any platform. So that's one imparted tip and in conjunction with our own habits. So that's interesting. Anne: So I find, and actually I'll ask you, do you actually not have any social media like tabs open in your browser? 'Cause I might have Facebook open. I might have LinkedIn open. I might have my phone. I've got notifications. So for me, I literally, if I'm working at my desk doing marketing or whatever I'm doing, or even if I'm coaching, I will have to have all my social media closed in order to not be completely distracted by it and only opened at certain times. And I know there's programs out there that can help you to do that if that's something that you might need, but that's about the only way I can stay away, because I always say there's never an emergency in social media really. And most social media will have notifications that go to your email. So I do have my email open at all times. Laya: Hmm. That's an interesting approach too. Anne: Yeah. Laya: I actually do a bit of the opposite. I never have social media channels open on my browser, my browser in my office is the studio. And so I do not go onto Facebook or any of the channels, not even, except for YouTube. I do have that up because I'm constantly referencing audio, of course, for work. And then also that's where I'll upload work files from my desktop -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- as opposed to my cell phone. But I usually only go to social media on my cell phone during those break hours. Anne: Sure. Laya: And then also I turn off all my notifications because if -- I found that I was getting constantly pinged, then I would check. It's the hit you're looking for. Anne: Yeah. Laya: I just want to engage and can I contribute and can I be of service or help? But if I limit that and turn off those notifications, that helps me set boundaries. Anne: Yeah, that's interesting. Laya: So that's how I do it. Anne: Notifications are a big thing. Well, you know, it ends up being that, anything that is that important, especially because if it's a client trying to get in touch with me or a, you know, maybe a student, but again, remember I have brands that I'm pushing out social media as well for, events that I'm hosting and that sort of thing. So I do need to keep, uh, you know, I have the VO Peeps membership. I do have a VO BOSS social posts that I'm putting out. So in case there's interaction on it, I do have to respond. I mean, I want to be interactive. If I'm just pushing content out and not being interactive through the socials for my brands. So I do have some responsibility there, but -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- and so I have my email on, in which case my notifications will come to my email, but I think any other type of notifications, except for my text, everybody knows my number in case they need emergency to get in touch with me. Laya: Sure. Anne: But yeah, that's kind of how I work. So I -- literally for a while there though I did have like Facebook open or LinkedIn or Instagram so that I could respond and interact for my brands. And it got to the point where I literally had to not have them open in tabs anymore because it was causing such a distraction. And so now I have certain times when I go in and respond, and probably people who know me, you know, I have not been as responsive. And I hate to, I mean, I'm going to admit that here, but part of it has been simply the workload. Laya: Yeah, it's overwhelming. Anne: It's been overwhelming a little bit for me lately. So I've not been as responsive as before, but I want to make sure that I'm there in responding to people out there that are, that are interacting on my social media. So I have to literally have it open for a certain amount of time. Then I have to literally close the window. Otherwise I am, I am drawn to it. I'm sucked in. Laya: Yeah, we all kind of are. Now let me ask you a question. Do you have anyone on your team that runs or helps you schedule your social media? Anne: Yes. Laya: Or do you schedule your social media yourself? Anne: No, I do have people that help me schedule my social media on a weekly basis. Laya: That's great. Anne: So I know what's going out to the week -- and then of course as special events happen, I'll post those immediately. But yeah, I do have somebody that helps schedule my posts, and that is on a weekly basis. So I have to check in on a daily basis just to interact with those posts in case there's something going on, or I might have to moderate a post. I mean, that has been known to happen on one of my brands, because I do have a community, the VO Peeps community together. And so if there's a post and people are responding to a thread and it gets out of control, I'll have to do something as a moderator to take -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- to take care of that. But other than that, because my business, again, I've chosen to have -- I have four distinct brands, but I have -- there's the Anne Ganguzza brand, then there's the VO BOSS brand, which obviously I love. And then my VO Peeps, which I love and I've had them forever. And also my Studio Cats, which is my fun -- I don't ever have issues with my Studio Cats brand because that's just posting pictures of my cats and fun cat things, which -- Laya: How out of hand can it get? Anne: -- is super simple. Laya: Yeah, the cats get crazy. You got to get in there. Anne: It's funny because my cats are five years old now. And if there's one thing that people love and can take the tension off, and you know what I mean? If -- in today's chaotic world -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- like a picture of a kitten or, you know, any fur baby is just -- Laya: Break it up -- Anne: -- you know -- Laya: -- a little levity, right? Anne: -- gives me a little bit of, a little bit of happiness and joy during the day. So I, as a girl for five years who had my cats as kittens, you cannot resist. I probably have 10,000 pictures of my cats. Laya: Well, there you go. Anne: So I've got enough to last. Laya: There needs to be an outlet. Yeah. Put that somewhere. Anne: That's right. And I wanted to provide an outlet to people to have just a little bit of joy -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- for no other reason than just, oh, look at that. Laya: And it showcases personality and what you love and your passion. Anne: Yeah. Laya: And I think that's totally fine. Anne: Yeah. Laya: So for me, I do have someone that schedules for the She Sounds Like Me podcast on social media because that is hyper-focused content that I share a very like-minded thoughts and passions about. But it can get a little, I don't want to say political, it can get, um, it's very opinionated, a little bit of a liberal feminist approach there. And so that is its own entity. But for me, I do all my own social media, and it, it can get to be a lot -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- and that consistency has gone the way of the dodo. And I don't use a scheduler. I feel like I tried that for my own self, and I felt too much pressure. And to think forward as to what I was putting out there, that works great for a lot of talent. It didn't work for me, but I appreciate it. Now. I think we want to definitely give the BOSSes out there some tips about -- Anne: Yes. Laya: -- maybe the best ways to engage socially -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- with clients or potential leads or other like-minded individuals. And one thing I don't see enough of us using as voice actors is the voice. So on almost every one of these platforms -- Anne: How true. Laya: -- you can hit the voice record button to give somebody a shout-out, to celebrate their success, to give them a back channel, or just let them know how awesome they're doing and what you've appreciated about what they've shared. And I find that that is making such a more intimate connection, and it's showcasing your voice -- Anne: Oh my gosh. Laya -- Laya: -- without, yeah, giving it. Anne: We can just go home now. Laya: Okay. Anne: That was it. Laya: That's it. Anne: That was the golden nugget of the day. Laya: Perfect. Anne: We're done, BOSSes. Laya: Use the voice button. Anne: Seriously. And I am so glad that that was the first thing that you said, because I have a voice testimonial thing that I have voice feedback, voice activated everything. And it's so funny because as voice actors, I'm surprised that more people aren't into -- Laya: We don't use it enough. Anne: -- using that. What is, and how many -- Laya: Why not? Anne: -- and I remember when I started even this podcast, how many -- this is what we do for a living. Laya: Yeah. Anne: How is it that we don't have a thousand voiceover podcasts by now? I mean, really. Laya: That's true too. But it's -- social has made it so easy. Anne: Yeah. Laya: In fact, LinkedIn also offers us voice, which in my opinion has to be used with some discretion because you don't want to be dropping voice memos -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- to people that you don't know -- Anne: Know, exactly. Laya: -- and be like, hey, look at me. By the way, Ted, can I get a voice job? Anne: Hello. Laya: I see you need some -- Anne: It's so nice to meet you. Laya: Yeah, no, pump the brakes, you know? Anne: Right. Laya: But once you've engaged with someone or you've established a bit of a relationship -- Anne: Oh, I agree. Laya: -- I think it's so much more personal to be like, "hey, I saw your post on XXX. I really identified with that. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have an awesome day. I look forward to your next post." You know, it can just be about them, but told from your soul -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- authentic, conversational way. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: And then hello, you've just dropped them a sample and made them feel like you went the extra mile to get out of your own comfort zone to show them what you do without showing them what you do and being gross about it. So, you know. Anne: [laughs] Try to be gross about it. Laya: Use that. Anne: Hey BOSSes, don't be gross about it. Laya: Use the button. Anne: I get that. And I love that, but I also, look, I'm going to go so far as to say, pick up the phone -- Laya: Will that do -- Anne: -- and talk to your clients. Laya: For sure. Anne: And I know, okay, I know I'm old, and I know that there's -- Laya: That's so modern. Anne: -- maybe the younger generation, you know, those young kids that may not want to pick up a phone and talk to someone, but -- Laya: Right. Anne: -- part of our business is speaking for a living. And I really feel that if you want to communicate with your client, I'm always the first person to pick up the phone to, to call to maybe, hey, let's discuss the project, give me some clarification on it. Also, you know, in the beginning, when you're quoting a project, I've always had wonderful luck with calling the client to get the specs clarified and just talk and introduce. And you know, at that point that this is a real client -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- and you can get a lot of information -- Laya: That's them. Anne: -- just by hearing their voice. You know, they're legit if they pick up the other end of that phone number that's on their signature. There's so much to be said for communicating with your clients vocally. And also I'm going to just kind of do a little plug here is that I have really been focusing on getting my voice out there on Alexa devices, because -- Laya: Oh, I saw you put something out about that. I saw that and I loved it. Anne: Yeah. Laya: In fact, I got one of your email blasts about it -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and was looking into it. Anne: Yeah. Laya: What's the, what's it called again? Anne: Well, that's the Voiceweave. Laya: Right. Anne: And I know that right now, Voiceweave, the last time I had spoken about it, it's such a cool idea. It's a voice website, and it's basically a series of prompts. So if somebody wants to learn about you and your voice, they can ask Alexa. And basically, if you want to hear my voice, you can just say "open Anne Ganguzzza Voice" or "open Anne Ganguzza Voice Talent." And it's right on my -- by the way, if you forget, you can go right to my webpage, and it tells you how to access it on Alexa. And you can ask me a bunch of questions, and I will give you answers in my own voice, not Alexa's voice, which is really reaching a whole different audience. And I've got another -- Laya: Wow, that is such a cool -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- new media. Anne: And I've got another really cool thing that's going to be happening, which I'm going to be doing, a flash briefing. Laya: Oh yeah. Anne: So for those people that want to find out, okay, what does Anne Ganguzza have to say today, well, you can subscribe to my voice briefing or my flash briefing. And that way I'll have something good to say, and I don't have to really, you know -- it could just be, you know, from the heart, right? Authentic, very much like this podcast. And I will tell you voices and BOSSes out there. Honestly, I have gotten a lot of work from just being on this podcast. Laya, I don't know about you as well, but -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- it's, we're ourselves, we're authentic. People hear our voice. It keeps us top of mind, and we're not even advertising that we're a voice artist really in order to get that work. Laya: Just sharing knowledge. Anne: Exactly. Laya: That was a huge side point of why we started our podcast, Sila and I, because we're both voice actors. Of course, that was just kind of to talk about how to work together with your child in entertainment. That was initially my thought. It turned out to be so much more than that, and we hardly talk about voice acting at all, but it is very interesting. And I think using your voice in social media, whether it's, you know, recording a stories, or you're doing a reels or you are on Snapchat or TikTok, and you're kind of doing those skits or those one-offs, the trending topics du jour, at least your voice is getting out there. Now, one of the ways to really amplify that is to making sure it's positioned in the right place. So using the right tags, using the right hashtags, making sure you're engaging with businesses that maybe you can connect with by tagging them or using their app, if you're, of course, you're given permission and things like that. And trying to broaden the visibility on those posts when you are on social media and using your voice. So those are all really great tips. Anne: You know, and talk about being able to reach -- just because we wrenching about podcasts. It doesn't mean you have to have a podcast about voiceovers. As a matter of fact, you even said you don't even talk about that anymore with your podcast. That's absolutely the idea, right? Talk about what you're passionate about. That's I, you know, I do a Clubhouse weekly with Cheryl Hauling and Jody Krangle, and we talk about our podcasts and how voice actors really need to talk about their passions. It doesn't have to be all about, hey, I'm a voice actor and this is all about the voice acting industry. I think it's even better if you're talking about your passions, because you're going to get yourself outside of the listenership of just voice actors. You want people to listen. Laya: Talk to me about that Clubhouse, because I know you've had a lot of success with that. I see lots of talent, Eric Romanovski I see Mark Guss hosting -- very well-known people in the industry, hosting Clubhouse rooms, and really connecting with such a wide range of people all over the world from Clubhouse. Or you're seeing some success with that -- Anne: Exactly. Laya: -- yeah. Talk to me about that. Anne: Absolutely. Well, first of all, it's such a great medium. I mean, it's like, you know, literally talking on the phone, right? But -- or you don't even have to talk if you don't want to. You can just listen in on conversations. Laya: Yeah. Anne: It really took off quickly, and I've read some articles, whether, you know, is it, oh my gosh, was it just a thing, but I don't think that Clubhouse is going away anytime soon. I really, really think that it is a wonderful way for people to really get involved and share something more authentic than the keyboard. Because I think there's a lot to be said when we're sharing information and discussions on a platform that allows us to use our voice. And -- Laya: And not just hide behind your moniker -- Anne: Exactly. Laya: -- or your meme or your thought of the day, it's like it's giving more depth and more, uh, understanding of niche topics. And I really have appreciated it. I took a step away from that to, just again, based on boundary setting and time suck. Anne: Oh, that's a time-suck. Laya: I think, yeah. Anne: It can be. Laya: I really went down the Clubhouse hole -- Anne: It can be. Laya: -- came back out and put that on pause, but there is so much community support there -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and connectivity. I know people that have really created and nurtured some amazing relationships -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- through channels like Clubhouse, and talk about a platform that's just using your voice. I have a question for you about it though. Do you use just your phone microphone or do you use an adapter that connects your microphone? Because I have heard that -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and I don't know if people are using that. Uh, how about you? Anne: So that has been -- actually, that is like the beginning of every pan -- because every Thursday I do a panel at 11:00 AM Pacific time -- Laya: Okay. Anne: -- called the Voices in Podcasting, the VIP, room. And, and of course, everybody is -- I'd love for you to join. Laya: Yes, I will. Anne: Any Thursday. Laya: For sure. Anne: The funny part, the funny part is I have been trying so hard to be able to -- 'cause Clubhouse was built for iOS -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- and now they're on Android. And so it's typically done through your phone microphone and speakers, et cetera. But of course, everybody wants to, you know, elevate. Laya: Better quality. Anne: So, yeah, better quality. I want better quality. That's, you know, that's what I do, right? Audio, we do audio. So I tried a multitude of ways to connect a different microphone to my phone, which was phenomenal. I bought a Tula microphone to actually do that. I was, I was told that it would work with my iOS, and it actually does, but it doesn't work with the Clubhouse app when you are a moderator. So it'll work fine if you're using Twisted Wave, or you're using the Voice Memo. But as soon as you go into Clubhouse and you try to use the Tula -- Laya: Clubhouse! Anne: -- yeah. And become a moderator. So it'll, it'll be okay if you're just listening, but if you're a moderator, and you need to speak or you get up on stage, it, then all of a sudden, goes to the phone microphone. So I have tried everything. Lately what I've been doing -- Laya: Drats. Anne: -- yeah, lately, what I've been doing is, but Tula mic is really cool looking, by the way. And I'm trying to find a reason to really keep it. And it's a great USB mic. I will tell you that, I did a review on my blog. Laya: Said no one ever about any USB mic, but I love to hear that from you. Anne: Yeah, go, go -- it's a beautiful mic. Go to my blog. I have written a review on it, and I -- Laya: Okay. Anne: -- I agree for a USB mic, It's really cool, because it self records. You don't need a DAW or anything. Laya: Very cool. Anne: So yeah, but what I have done in Clubhouse is there is a app which will work on iOS and works on my Mac called Club Deck, and Club Deck will allow you to use a USB mic that will be connected to your computer. Not -- I tried my 416. It didn't work. It doesn't like any kind of -- Laya: Could you imagine? Anne: -- doesn't like any interface in the way, right? So, but if you have a USB mic, it apparently, you can change your microphone. And so I use my Tula or I use my, I have an AT-2020 USB that I use on Clubhouse, and it makes a big difference. Laya: Yeah. Anne: It sounds great. So for the first, I don't even know, 10 weeks that I was doing this 11:00 moderated panel, I would have whatever technical issue. And I would just come like two minutes late. I'm like, oh my God, can you hear me, can you hear me now? Do I sound, how do I sound? Do I sound good? Because you can't hear what you sound like. Really. Laya: Yeah, yeah. Anne: Easily. Laya: This would drive me crazy. Like we're such audio nerds now. Anne: People made fun of me. No, people made fun of me 'cause I was trying everything I said. So today I'm using my AT-2020 mic. Today I'm using my phone. Today I'm trying to use my Tula mic on my phone. And then -- it's just crazy. But anyways, I didn't mean to digress so deeply into that. But Clubhouse -- Laya: It's important though. It is a voice platform. And I'm -- Anne: It is a voice platform. I love it. Laya: I was curious about that though, because our ears are hyper tuned. Now everybody's not like that. But if you are using that as kind of a calling card, right? And you're connecting with people -- I'm a nerd. I need it to sound pristine, like Tim Tippetts pristine -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- even on the Clubhouse. And so I was wondering about that. Anne: Well, it does sound pretty good. It does sound pretty good. And here's a thought for the BOSSes out there, right? If you are modern mindset social media, right? Let's just say you have a podcast. It's not about voiceover. It's about your passion. It's -- I've always said like, there's so many ideas I have for podcasts. But anyways, I have a former student of mine who does a lot of work with elder care and advocacy for elderly patients. And I'm like, God, we need a podcast on that. Everybody needs a podcast, because everybody's parents get older, and there's always like, what do I do? You know, what opportunities are available for me? How can I get the best care? I said, someone needs to do this podcast. And you know, just anything that she's an expert on, she's passionate about, have a podcast on that, and then use Clubhouse as like kind of a supplemental extra. Laya: Sure. Anne: "Oh, and by the way, we'll be doing live discussion on Clubhouse on Wednesdays at 2:00." And I think that that is a wonderful way to really broaden your audience and potential clients, because guess what? You're using your voice. Laya: Exactly. Anne: For both. Laya: I've actually considered bringing that into the fold for my daughter and I's show for She Sounds Like Me, talking about parenting -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- and some of the issues that the moms and modern minded mamas are thinking about today. So that's interesting to see that tie in that you've assimilated between podcasting and Clubhouse, and then spin all of that up and put that on LinkedIn -- Anne: Yeah, absolutely. Laya: And make sure that you're engaging on all -- Anne: And you can live stream. Laya: -- of those platforms. Sure. Anne: Yeah. You can live stream Clubhouse on other social channels. So I do, I really do love that. And you know, what I, what I love about your podcast with your daughter is that you are talking about things that are not, it's not voiceover related. You're talking about things that I love too, about growing up a strong female and STEM education and all that good stuff, which I absolutely love. Laya: Cool. Anne: And I think that it has such a wonderful audience -- Laya: Thank you. Anne: -- too for you. Laya: Thank you. Anne: Look at the broad audience you have. Anybody with children, right, that wants to be the best parent that they can be and empower their children to be everything that they can be. That's such a wonderful topic and so relevant for today. And oh, and by the way, you're also top of mind now to an audience that you probably never would have been able to get to had you just say, I'm a voice talent, do you need a voiceover? Laya: Right, right. Anne: You know? So. Laya: Thinking of those creative ways to like really talk about yourself without talking about yourself -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- but also serving your target market, your target audience -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- in an authentic way by just being yourself. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: I think just like, you know, posting daily is not necessarily so crucial anymore and posting all about you is definitely, like, people can get toned up real fast. So, you know, just keeping it relevant and keeping it light, and more importantly, cheering and being a cheerleader, a positive advocate or a cheerleader for the people that you are connected with, and you are following be it other talent, be it potential clients or just people within your network, because they'll remember you. You know, on LinkedIn -- Anne: Yeah, yup. Laya: -- every time you comment or like -- and I did want to mention this tip. I have another tip for us. On every social media platform except for Clubhouse because it doesn't have this functionality, but I want to make sure that our BOSSes understand that it's not enough just to like someone's posts. If you're really trying to support them, think of it this way. A like is worth one point. A comment is worth two points, and a share is worth like five, right? Anne: Yup, yup. Laya: So if you really want to tip the balance and show that you're engaging with a potential client, brand, partner, et cetera, or just someone you admire -- Anne: Awesome. Yup. Great advice. Laya: -- you want to really not just give them a heart comment and not just an emoji, but like give them some context that you are actually listening, that you are reading, et cetera. If you share it, like you share it on Facebook, or you share it on LinkedIn, that gives their initial post so much more exposure. That's how those posts get viral, and they, they get seen again and again. The more you engage with a post and deepen that thread line, the more weight it gives to that original -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- post, thus giving them more support and showing your alliance and your knowledge and your savvy and social. So make sure to apply that to your future potential clients. Anne: Excellent advice, Laya. Laya: Thanks. Anne: Thank you. Wow. All right, well BOSSes, I'm sure again, we can go on to part two of modern social media. So guys, be aware now in social media, try to have a -- adopt a mindset that allows you to service your client, your potential client, and showcase you in the most authentic light. Laya: Absolutely. Thank you, Anne. Good talk today. Anne: Yeah, really great talk. Big shout out to our sponsor, ipDTL. You too can connect and network like a BOSS. Find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week and -- Laya: Thanks, BOSSes. Anne: -- we'll see you next week. Bye! Laya: Bye-bye. >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voboss.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to Coast connectivity via ipDTL.

You may be busy carving the turkey and making holiday shopping lists, but have you really spent time considering what makes you grateful? In this episode, Anne and Laya reflect on gratitude during the holiday season, covering how to tastefully thank clients during the holidays + how the concept of gratitude can help you reframe negative experiences, elevate your business, and improve your relationships like a #VOBOSS!. Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, along with my very special guest cohost Laya Hoffman. Hey girl. How are you? Laya: Yay. And Hey, BOSSes. It is so good to be back chatting with you, of loving our conversations and just let's keep it flowing. We got so much to talk about. Anne: Well you know, my calendar has reminded me, for some people, there's a holiday here that is Thanksgiving. Laya: Oh yes. Anne: And I thought to myself, you know what? It may just be one day on the calendar, but for me every day needs to be Thanksgiving. And I thought it would be a great opportunity to start talking about attitude of gratitude and how that can help our modern mindset and our businesses on a day-to-day basis. Laya: And I'm so glad we are, because it seems like such a small thing, or maybe even, I don't know, cliche in a way -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- to like act from a place of gratitude, but it is really the core of my business. And I believe helps center myself and my whole family to keep us on track and keep us grounded every day. So I'm glad you -- we're talking about it today. Anne: Totally agreed. And so I think that I have some things that I do that, that help me express my gratitude and make sure that I'm thinking about that on a day-to-day basis. And I'm asking, what do you do to express your gratitude or to think gratitude? I know what I do when I wake up in the morning. I really try every day to think about what I'm grateful for. And I just take a moment, take a deep breath and give thanks. And usually I have my loving husband around, my family of cats, and I always, whenever I see them, I just smile and I'm very grateful. And that just helps me to just be grateful for everything that I am fortunate to have in my lifetime. What about you? Laya: Yeah. You know, that's great. It's really just about being present and looking around, even if that's the simplest act of gratitude you can incorporate in your day. For us, we've taken it to a family level and a way to try to cultivate more gratitude and appreciation from the core for our daughter. So at dinner every night, we say, what are your gratefuls? You know, we're not a religious family for all intents and purposes. I'm Jewish. My husband, we're, we're a little loose in the religious space, and that's okay because our spirituality is really gratitude based. And so we say at night, while we're just sitting around having conversation, we say, let's do our gratefuls tonight. And we go around the table, and we say what we're grateful for. Anne: I love that. Laya: And sometimes it's the small things -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- like how beautiful the weather was today, or this breeze you felt, or it's the big stuff, you know, a big win or the opportunity to use our voice for good every day. Anne: Yeah, absolutely. Laya: That's something we often talk about. My husband has another cool tip. I love that you say your family is included in this too, whether it's your cats or your partner -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- but my husband actually has an alarm on his phone that is a gratitude check-in every day. I think his is two times a day. And it's just -- Anne: I love that. Laya: -- something that a beep that goes off. Yeah, right? And sometimes when it's just him, I guess he just envisions it in his mind. But if we're around he's like, all right guys, gratitude check-in, and we just rattle off three quick things. It helps you get focused. Anne: Oh, I love that. Laya: Like really remember what's important, especially if you're having kind of an off day, right? Anne: Absolutely. And like you said, even just the simple things like this morning, right before, right before getting on ipDTL with you, bacon. I am grateful for bacon and my husband who cooks it for me. Laya: I'm grateful for that too. Anne: Something, something is as small as that, but I think -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- you know, it really helps to translate it to the larger picture, and it helps to really translate it into your business as well. And I think sometimes, I've been doing this for so long, you know, you tend to forget sometimes that it is a privilege to be able to literally roll out of bed, and, you know, walk over to my studio, and -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- do this job that I love on a day-to-day basis. And I know it sounds like you said, I don't want to sound cliche, but it's true. I think we just, you know, everybody -- Laya: It's a gift. Anne: -- that brings up the gratitude at this time of the year or every day, it is something that is so important to be grateful for. And I know that, you know, we've talked about social media and how sometimes that can turn like sour and -- with reading comments, and I don't know, arguments discussions. I think if we start to approach our businesses with gratitude and maybe just push that out, manifest that out to the universe. And that's even in our social media, because that represents our business. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: There's so many eyeballs looking at us, and it amazes me because I try to put myself in my potential client's position while I'm reading Facebook posts. And I'm like, wow, there's so many people that are like, they're miserable, you know? Or they're not happy, or they're, they're complaining about where are the jobs? They don't know how to get the jobs or whatever. They're posting out there into the universe. And I think, gosh, if I were a potential client, I don't know if I'd want to work with this person. Laya: Right. Anne: Yeah. I think it just really speaks to your brand if you are expressing gratitude. Laya: Yeah. And you've hit on so many things that I just want to chat about with you -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- because you've totally hit the nail on the head. Think about it. If your words are energy, your thoughts are energy. They turn into words. They come from the heart. It puts this energy out there in the world. And whether you believe in manifestation or the power of attraction or anything like that, say what you will, that puts out an energetic force field around you. And so if you're coming from a place of misery, you're going to attract more misery. Anne: Yup. Laya: If you're coming from an abundant mindset, you're going to attract more of that. Now, if you apply that social media, right -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and all the eyeballs on you, and you're griping, you've just doubled, tripled, you've magnified the negativity instead of magnifying the positivity. Anne: Yeah. Laya: Which is why in almost every one of my posts, my hashtag has always been for years gratitude is the attitude, love what you do, because I really do. This is a gift we're given here, no matter where you are on the trajectory or in your career. It's a gift to be able to use your voice and get paid for it -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and cultivate someone else's story. And there's no better way to show your appreciation than knowing it. Anne: And if it's genuine, right? Laya: Yeah. Anne: And I'm just going to say, there are those people who will actually kind of poke fun at the people who are hashtag gratitude, hashtag blessed, hashtag -- you know, that has become something that I have seen. And I think that that's honestly, I think that's a little bit sad. Laya: Yeah. Anne: Because if somebody is expressing and it's truly authentic -- I don't want to say it's truly authentic. Some people, maybe it's not authentic, but who am I to judge? Right? Laya: Right. Anne: But if I'm posting that, I'm grateful for something somebody's making fun of that or kind of just poking fun at that whole hashtag thing, I'm sad for them. Laya: I agree. Anne: You know? Laya: I am too, because sometimes you do have to fake it 'til you make it. Anne: Yeah. Laya: We don't all have perfect days. We are -- Anne: Isn't that the truth? Laya: -- spiraling in a world of just a new level of anxiety where we're all at right now, especially coming through this pandemic. We're still in it. So sometimes you do have to put it out there and fake it 'til you make it. And sometimes you do have to remind yourself or have other people say, hey, great job. And I prefer to surround myself, especially in social, but in my private circles as well with people that are lifting each other up. Anne: Absolutely. Oh my gosh. Laya: If your tribe isn't also operating from a place of appreciation and respect and support and lifting each other up, then there is something more wrong with their picture. Then there's something sour in their space, and maybe they can't appreciate someone else's success or their gratitude because they're not happy with what's going on for them. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: And I wish there was a different pull there. Ane: Yeah, no. And I try to, even if that is the case, there's always a reason. Right? I think I'm trying to be understanding and gracious for everyone, trying to think that, okay, there's a reason why they're posting this, and it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with me. And so I try not to be angry or toxic at that either the fact that they might post something that is, you know, against, let's say my particular post or making fun of my post or for any reason, I try to just know, we don't know what's going on with anybody from day to day, from time to time. And I'm sure there's many reasons for them to post what they post. And I guess my other question, Laya would be, so how do we extend this gratitude from a business perspective to our clients? I know that I do periodically the year, I'm always expressing gratitude to my clients, and it means a lot to them. I think picking up the phone, believe it or not, and actually contacting my clients. And just, if I'm on the job or asking a question, making sure that I'm always thanking them for their business and really trying to connect with them on a human level to express my gratitude, to be able to work with them. As a matter of fact, I just made a post the other day that, you know, one of my partners in crime, my audio engineer, I love, love, love working with him. And I'm so grateful to know him and to be able to work with him that I, you know, I sent him a, a nice little post, and here's to you, John, thanks so much. Laya: Sure. Anne: I'm grateful to work with you. And it's amazing how many people chimed in. Laya: And lift each other up. Anne: Yup. Laya: And that gives credit and appreciation on a public level. Yeah. And like you said, definitely on that personal level, that one-on-one connection, it just deepens the relationship. Right? Anne: Yeah. Laya: And so to answer your question about how to convey or transmit this positivity, this gratitude into business, I think we need to take a step back as talent. I think back in the day maybe when voice talent were like screen actors, and there was this ego involved, like you walked into a studio, and I don't know, I hear crazy stories about talent from engineers and producers and creatives today that have these horror stories -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- about personalities and negative egos in the studio and how this talent wasn't willing to do this. Like I'm all about setting your boundaries, don't get me wrong -- Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: -- but -- and not being taken advantage of. But if you're the talent that comes to the booth with great appreciation, thanking each person in the session. Thank you for inviting me in. I'm so honored to be working with you today, or that you've brought me back for a particular project. And thank you so much, you know, at the beginning and the end of those sessions, then they will know that you, you know, really mean it -- Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: -- and you're coming from that authentic place, and that you take pride in your work, and you don't take it for granted. And I think people are more willing to bring those type of people back in than those with the ego problem and who couldn't be bothered or don't want to cop to whatever, 'cause we're all human. Right? Anne: Oh, yes. Laya: And that levels the playing field, for sure. Anne: And for goodness' sake, if you didn't have a good session, don't come back and post about it. Laya: Oh gosh. Anne: Just, you know, I, I cannot believe the amount of posts that I see where it's like, oh, I had a horrible session. Or the director drove me crazy. Or the client, for whatever reason, the client wasn't happy. If you can just walk away from that, I think that that really behooves your business -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- because I myself have looked upon those posts, and I'll be -- and in my head, I'll go, ooh, not sure that's a good thing to actually post. Laya: I wouldn't put that on a -- exactly. Anne: And I won't say anything. So I don't think that we can ever have a really true idea of how many eyeballs are actually on that post. And I think we forget that. We become, you know, those brave people behind the keyboard, and just because somebody didn't like or comment on it, don't think that there aren't a thousand other people who've looked at it -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- and made a judgment call right then and there, whether or not they want to work with you again. Laya: Absolutely. Well, the other part of that too is I would encourage BOSSes to consider or reframe those negative experiences to be, hey, what did I learn from this? Anne: Right. Laya: You know, there's a takeaway here that I'm not seeing, or what's going on for me, that I can't see the lesson in this. Anne: Yeah. Laya: And if you can flip those negative situations on their head, that's also a modern mindset as it pertains to the positive takeaway that can be from this. It's something I teach my daughter. So why not put it into practice myself? You know? Not everything has to be so humdrum when it goes wrong. Because if you focus on that, you'll continue to spiral down -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- instead of spiral up and say, you know what? I blew something there. Or they really didn't, you know, they got me beat on this, or I didn't get paid fairly enough or man -- but what is the lesson there? And if you can pull that out, even just one little thing, then you win. Anne: Always a lesson, right? Laya: Yeah. Anne: Always a lesson, even from something that didn't go well. And I don't want to just contain this to just jobs that you've done. I would like to also extend this for any auditions that you do. You know, just -- Laya: Oh yeah. Anne: -- just no talk, just to, there should just be no talk about any auditions because that's even more, I think, on the edge of potentially discouraging people from wanting to work with you. If you're going to complain about an audition or complain about the audition specs, even if you're on a pay-to-play and you're not getting auditions, I honestly, I just, I stay away from any of that type of chatter on social media, even in the groups that you think are closed and personal, and you know -- Laya: You never know. Anne: You never know who's in that group and who's looking, or it could be somebody that, you know, in the group that then ultimately private messages their friend, who happens to be a casting director -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- or their friend who happens to be a potential client. And it happens all the time. How many times, right, do we read something and then maybe post something in Messenger to our friend or text somebody and say, oh my gosh, did you see that post? Or did you hear what he said? And honestly, that's just what happens. And I think that's what I think keeps me in social media control. But the other thing too, it also keeps me cognizant of being grateful and looking at, oh, look at this. I don't know. I don't think, I don't agree with that. I think that that's, that's spreading toxicity for me. It just gives me a good old reminder that let's just be grateful for everything. And I'll tell you, I mean, gosh, I'm the last person to say I have perfect days all the time. It may seem like it, you know? I don't necessarily want to present negative things, but I'll present things that I think have a value to people, that aren't, you know, necessarily being toxic. If I don't have a good day and I share it and I think it will help people, yeah. I'll share that, but I'm not necessarily going to complain about an audition or a job or a potential client to really kind of put a stain on my brand. Laya: And you hit the nail on the head is where my train of thought was going, Anne. It is the integrity of your brand. You are your brand. Anne: Yup. Laya: So the integrity of your brand is being put out there. And would you like the integrity of your brand to be compromised by your complaint or your attitude or negativity or your lack of gratitude for these opportunities that we're given on a daily basis when so many are not? I mean, that to me is one of the most profound things about gratitude is what you can do with, with the positivity and with a different frame of mind, as we've been talking about during this entire thing. To have the opportunity to just talk for a living in the privacy of our homes, when so many are really struggling out there, especially coming out of a pandemic. I don't know about you, my business had a boost during the pandemic because of these capabilities. How cool is that? How grateful are we? Right? And so I encourage everyone to keep that positive spin upwards, and also keep your projection outwards positive so you can attract more positivity. Anne: Absolutely. And again, I'm going to go back to when you are talking to your clients that you have currently. You know, there's nothing wrong with just sending them a note or picking up the phone, or I think that that probably almost means more than let's say a gift. 'Cause usually around the holidays, we all talk about what do you send your clients? Do you give a gift? How do you express your appreciation? Sometimes it's just really picking up the phone or taking the time to write a personalized note saying, you know what? I love working with you and why, and it doesn't have to be flowery professional language. It can be like, you know what? Your brand is so cool or I love your product. It means the world for me to be able to work with your company. And I love how easy you make it for me, and all those things that really compliment the person that hires you, the person that writes that check. And it can be, I think if you delve a little bit deeper than, you know, a surface thank you for your business, right, that's going to really mean a lot to the person 'cause we're connecting on a human level. And I think if we can push ourselves to go to the human level and just say maybe that one thing that just says, you know what, I love your product. And thank you for giving me the opportunity. You make it so easy for me to love your brand or whatever it is that compliments the person that's hired you or the person that you're communicating with. Laya: Yes. In fact, I have two ideas that are coming to mind right now. And so one, I want to answer the thought of how do you gift or do you gift or show your thanks around the holidays? I personally don't send gifts, hard goods. Right now, we're in a pandemic. Things have been weird. It's a big cost. And like you said, so many other big companies are doing those types of things. What I like to do is send, you know those e-cards? Anne: Yup. Laya: You can personalize an e-card and it just pops up in their box. It's a little bit different. You can personalize those as you go, and it doesn't cost you anything or maybe a couple of bucks if you want to make it frilly. That's one thing that I've done, and I've found some great feedback from and just deepening the relationship and the connection with our clients. Anne: Yeah. Laya: The other thing is, you really want to show gratitude? One of the best things I've found to do is to go on LinkedIn and leave them a recommendation -- Anne: Oh my gosh, yes. Laya: -- on their page. If you do that -- they're of course going to see it, but their colleagues are going to see it. And not only that, they're going to see your name as a voice talent and -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- appreciative you are of working with that creative. In fact, I just did this the other day, and it even got me another job. So let me tell you how we did this, real quick. I worked with an excellent director in a session. I couldn't get his last name. It was just not appropriate for me to really dive deep. There was about 18 people on the call, but this guy was so on the ball and so efficient. He was honestly such a pleasure to run this session because of this, the way he was directing. Couldn't find him, but I knew his company, and I reached out to the principals of his company, and I said, hey, I just want to let you know, I just worked with John from your production team. And he was the honest to God the best director I've ever worked with. You're doing a great job over there cultivating killer creative talent. Thank you for making my job as a voice talent easier -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- and just left it as that. Can you pass this along to John -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- if you get that message, to go to his boss and give him that compliment? Oh my gosh. Yeah, it was a win-win win-win spreading that gratitude. Anne: Absolutely. Absolutely. That's a wonderful idea. I love the LinkedIn idea because it makes it public. And the other day I had one of my interviewees for the podcast for the AI and voice series, they were promoting the podcast and really gave me such kudos and said, thank you so much for the interview. It was wonderful to connect with a former educator -- because this gentleman was also an educator. And just, we were both like elevating each other. Laya: Yes. Anne: And I think it was so nice because I'm like, wow, thank you for what you do for the community and what you're doing for educating people in this industry and -- and all the wonderful work you've done. And I think that that just really generates such great positivity. And, you know, I guarantee you that there will be more leads that will come from that. Laya: Yes. Yeah. And then one other thing I was thinking of while we were talking is how do we convey that even in our social media posts, one thing that kind of gets my goat is when I see creative houses or casting put out the final video and we cast this. Well, who did you cast? Right? We're always looking to get a little bit of credibility for the creative that we put out. And when production teams leave out the voice actor, you know how that feels. Anne: Yup. Laya: And so knowing that from my standpoint, as a business, as a brand, as a human, as anytime I put the information or final product out there with permission, of course, I always make sure to thank all parties -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- and tag them appropriately and give them credit publicly for the work they did, because we don't always see the same in return, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do the same for them. Anne: Exactly. Absolutely. Laya: Follow them, engage, like, tag them, use their hashtags in your posts. One, it will increase your visibility. It will further your projection of positivity and show them, whoever they may be listening or watching from their side, hey, that you took the time to follow the right person, tag the right business, and give them credit. Anne: Absolutely. It's all about recognition, right? Laya: Yeah. Anne: And credit -- Laya: Credit is due. Anne: -- because we know it's always appreciated, always appreciated. Laya: Yeah. Anne: So in terms of gratitude, in terms of a daily, I don't know, a daily mantra, do you have anything that you do that we can share with the BOSSes so that they can maybe start to adopt this, if they haven't already done so already? Any, any tips, tricks? I'll start with mine. Laya: Please. Anne: I like writing it down. Writing it down makes a big difference for me to really understand and really feel the appreciation and the gratitude for things that I'm grateful for. And I'll just jot it down in my, and I have a little like journal on a day-to-day basis, and I just keep them as a list. And so if I'm ever feeling, oh gosh, if I'm ever feeling down or just, oh my gosh, what am I even doing the today? I like to go back and look at that list because it really is a great reminder. And it brings me joy -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- to be able to see all those things I'm grateful for and accomplishments that have happened in my business because of that. Laya: Yes, exactly right. Milestones achieved, et cetera. I do another version of that that really just came to me out of sure -- I couldn't contain my pride in myself after a recent job I completed. And so I flipped the camera on myself, and I recorded a note to me that said, this was such an incredible opportunity. Laya, this is what it took to get here. This is what this feels like right now. I am so grateful for that. I saved the video. Maybe I'll post it if I feel cute when the project comes out. Who knows? But I have a folder on my phone, an album that has just snippets of video to myself to remind me when I'm having one of those days that doesn't feel so great to come back to source of like, wow, that really felt good. And see the passion in my eyes, my face -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- my body language and my voice -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- when I knew it and I felt it the most. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: That's a great tip. I love writing it down. I usually jot down three things in the morning as well in my journal when I'm doing my Kundalini yoga practice. And then, like I said, the nightly round table with the fam brings everybody together. We'll even do it when we've got guests or visitors coming over. Makes everybody feel a little awkward at first, but it resets the mood, enlightens the levity. And when you bring people into that space -- Anne: Oh gosh, yes. Laya: -- they're like, oh yeah. Gratitude is the attitude. Anne: When I've done that, I've never had anyone complain. Laya: No. Anne: As a matter of fact, just the opposite. It's been like, wow, what an amazing, thank you so much for that. And what an amazing dinner. And everybody walks away feeling good. And I, I like that too, because in my family growing up, my family was never one to talk or open up about their feelings. Laya: Sure. Anne: I would always be that person. You couldn't shut me up. Laya: You don't say. Anne: I mean, so obviously I became a voice talent. Yeah. Laya: Right. Anne: So, but you know, during Thanksgiving I would start to do that. I would say, all right, guys, we're going to go around the table and say what we're grateful for. And I remember the first time I did it, everybody was like, huh, kind of awkward. Laya: Yeah. Anne: But as we went along, it just started to pick up momentum -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- and it was really a beautiful thing to see. And like I thought, oh my gosh, I didn't think I could really talk heart to heart with my father. Right? He was always like, you know, the quiet one that went to work, and you know, this is showing you how my family is a little bit old school. Right? My father went off to work and didn't say much. My mother was the one that kind of stayed home with the kids, made the food and the dinners. And so when we started, as we were getting older, and things were changing and evolving, when I started doing that, it was really wonderful to hear what my father had to say, what he was grateful for and what my brothers had to say, when traditionally, we didn't really talk on that level to one another. Laya: Yeah. Anne: So I love how it just opened up the space and allowed for a lot more love to flow. Laya: Yes. Anne: Just a lot more positive feelings and all good stuff. Laya: Yeah. How beautiful is that, right? Anne: Yeah. Laya: So no matter how our BOSSes are celebrating this year or what these belief systems that you are -- or you've cultivated, maybe sit down and say, hey, what's everybody's gratefuls? And if it makes everyone a little uncomfortable at first, start with three. Anne: Yeah. Laya: Get the conversation going and put yourself out there and feel vulnerable. Right? Brene Brown says our vulnerability is the key to unlocking success and happiness and positivity and love and -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- therefore, abundance. So you know, that gratitude will build on an abundant mindset, which will build on your business. Anne: Yeah. Absolutely. Well said, Laya. It has been a wonderful, wonderful episode. I am so grateful. I am very grateful to have you as a special guest co-host for these sessions. And I am truly loving our conversations as well. So thank you for that. BOSSes -- Laya: Thank you, Anne. Grateful for you and all these opportunities and your listeners out there, way to level up. Thank you. Anne: Grateful for our BOSSes, I am also grateful for our sponsor ipDTL. You too can connect and network like a BOSS and express your gratitude through the awesome connectivity that is ipDTL. Find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week, grateful for all of you. We'll see you next week. Laya: See you guys. Take care. Anne: Bye. >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voboss.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to coast connectivity via ipDTL.

You know your favorite brands stand out, but do you know yourself well enough to blend your business & creative persona into cohesive fonts, colors, and branding? If not, Anne & Laya are here to help! In this episode, they'll explain how to put your best virtual foot forward through introspection,crowdsourcing, and (most importantly) acting like the #VOBOSS you already are. More at https://voboss.com/modern-marketing-101-with-laya-hoffman Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I am here with my very special guest cohost, Laya Hoffman. Laya, thanks for joining me again in this new series on modern mindset. I'm so excited to have you. Laya: Yeah, thanks, Anne. It's been great so far, love being back, and I'm super grateful for the opportunity. Thanks for having me. Anne: Yeah. So we've been talking about modern mindset, and our last few episodes, we're talking about just in general, having a modern mindset towards your business, as well as towards your health. Laya: That's right. Anne: I'm thinking we have to touch upon everyone's Achilles heel. Maybe not everyone's. I mean, I happen to like marketing, but we should talk about a modern marketing mindset because you have a background in marketing. Laya: Yeah, that's right, Anne, I sure do. I'm a former creative marketing agency partner. And, uh, after that I was the vice president of marketing for a major beauty brand that was a global brand and in the professional hair care line. So it's definitely a different field, but a lot of similarities as it pertains to branding identity, marketing, SEO, outreach, and just overall good client engagement in this new modern world. Right? And when we talked about that earlier, it's just, how do you approach that differently? It's a lot different than we were taught in college or in textbooks and things. Anne: Oh, for sure. Laya: You gotta adapt. Anne: And also I think it's important. I think it's great that you have real-world marketing experience from before -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- and even leading up until modern times, because I think as creatives, if you did not come from that environment, it's hard to know even where to begin for marketing. I mean, that's -- most students that are just starting out when they're talking to me, they're like, oh my God, can you please just tell me, like, how do I even start to market myself? Laya: Sure, sure. Anne: So let's kind of start there. I think that for people just entering into the industry, as well as let's say, industry veterans, we still have to spend a considerable amount of time marketing ourselves because I'm always trying to find that next great client, because today's client is never promised. Laya: Absolutely. And you got to stay fresh and stay current. And a lot of that comes down to knowing who you are as a person, as a creative and what that means as a brand. Right? And so how can you package all your skills and your specialties in this brand? And I got scared by that too, even as an ex-marketer coming into the entrepreneurial space and being a one person show. Anne: Yeah. Laya: It's really hard to talk about yourself, and I can do it for everybody else. I can package everything else in a boat. Talking about yourself feels totally bonkers. Anne: Right? Yeah. Big difference. Laya: And then you figure out your brand, which is a very scary place to sit. And there's a lot of great experts, even in our industry, that focus on that, creating a brand for your voiceover, but you certainly have a great one. And you know, you know, you've got colors, you've got the BOSS vibe, you know, you know what your specialties are. You know what Anne Ganguzza means in the industry because you've done an excellent job branding. And I think -- Anne: Well, thank you. Laya: -- for a lot of us that -- you're welcome -- that's the starting point. And it's kind of a scary place to start, but if you don't know your brand, how you gonna know the next step to market, right? Anne: Yeah. That makes sense. So then the very first step then before you can market something, right, is to really have something to market and to really be fully aware of your brand. And I know that that makes sense, when people come to me also for coaching, whatnot, you have to have a demo, right? You have to have something that you can market and then applying that brand to that product. Laya: Yeah. Anne: And so what are your first steps in branding yourself? It's a tough one, right? Laya: Yeah, it is. It's takes a lot of looking inward. Right? And figuring out if you just sat down with yourself and thought, what do I really like in life? What do I get excited about? What brands do I identify with because I feel like they align with my ethos or my moral compass or how I carry myself in the world? I like to start there because it's a lot easier, again, to identify yourself or where you find a parallel with other like-minded brands or people you look up to, or what have you. That's a great starting point because then you can draw from inspiration. You know, for instance, I like extreme sports, snowboarding. I love connecting in nature. So what are some of those brands I like. What do I love to do on the side? Music, deejaying, parenting, but like in a holistic space, but I'm also very fun. I love color. I love to keep it fresh and like little rock and roll, a little street. So those types of things are kind of where I started to find out how I could position my own brand identity, and then find similarities among brands that I also identify with. Does that make sense? Anne: Absolutely. I think it's also important to engage others maybe in terms of how they perceive your brand. Laya: Great point. Anne: And I know that there's a lot of people that will say, hey, I'm doing some branding work. Can you tell me a little bit about how you hear me, how you see me? Laya: Yes. Anne: What does my voice sound like? What are those adjectives? And interestingly enough, I've done enough of those. I personally haven't done enough of those, but I, I have researched myself, but asking your friends, asking -- Laya: Crowdsourcing, right? Anne: -- I think probably, yeah, absolutely, crowdsourcing. I think that asking your clients, if you have any clients now, how they perceive your voice, if they could describe it. I think that's a, a wonderful place to ask outside of your voiceover friends. I think it's important to try to hit up any clients that you have already and just say, hey, by the way, if you had to describe my voice in three words, what would those words be? Laya: Absolutely. So it's interesting because you can also take your personal interests and then align them with your vocal qualities and you can, and I would even suggest specifically not going to people within the industry, but people that don't normally call these things out. Then you're not hit with the same descriptive word either. Anne: Sure. Exactly. Laya: Right? That's kind of a cool approach to create some sort of amalgamation of where the starting points are for your brand. And then what images do you identify? You know, if you had three emojis that could describe, you know, who you are, what you love -- Anne: Well, that's a good question. Laya: -- you know, what, what are some of those icons look like? You know, just, just, just ideas to get the creativity flowing, to try to create. And it doesn't have to be a moniker or -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- a tag line necessarily. Anne: Exactly. Laya: I think we get really wrapped up in that. It can just be how you want to present yourself in the world in your headshot -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- or with the color scheme on your website. It doesn't have to be super elaborate. It can be, and that's catchy. But I think these days, you don't necessarily need a theme to have a brand about yourself. Anne: yeah. I love that you said you don't need a tagline. I'm like right there with you. And as a matter of fact, I had a tagline like a long time ago when I first started, and it didn't really associate with me at all. It was just kind of just because I felt like I needed to have one. And so I love that you said, I don't think you need to have one, because as a matter of fact today, I don't really have one. If you go to anneganguzza.com, I'm more just about the colors and the fonts and just the, the look of the page and my photos. And I know you also have some really wonderful, expressive colors and photos -- Laya: Hey, thanks. Anne: -- for your brand as well. And I think that that's super effective when somebody comes to your website, and I will say, we have talked about branding, and I think that branding needs to go somewhere. Obviously the first place would be, right, where do people come to find out about you, your website, which is so very, very important and probably your virtual storefront, where everybody kind of gets to know you, that in addition to your social media. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: So that brand can carry over into both your website and your social media. So it's important to have a sense of identity, a sense of who you are, but it's also important for you all to know that it doesn't have to stay that way -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- or it can evolve it. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: My brands have evolved over the years. And if I were to show you what Anne Ganguzza brand looked like even just five years ago, well, a little further, it's completely evolved. Laya: Yeah, me too. Anne: And my colors have changed. Laya: That's right. 'Cause we change, right? Anne: Yup. Laya: Like I wasn't the same person I was 20 years ago -- Anne: Exactly. Laya: -- and I'm definitely not the same talent I was five or 10 years ago, as it, you know, pertains to my business and how I carry myself in the world. We're not even the same cellular composition as we were seven years ago. Anne: Sure. Laya: So that's totally true and something to really drive home, because we get really caught up in it. Do I need a logo? Do I need a tagline? Anne: Yup. Laya: Do I need a theme? Do I -- no! You just need to be you. And you might be similar to anything that identifies with you, but even just clean fonts, modern, clean lines, colors that resonate with you, that make you feel good when you look at what you've created, and if it feels good energetically to you, then that's really all that matters, because that's the most authentic way to connect with others that want to find you, right? So. Anne: I totally agree with that. And I, and I also want to say something about, there's always been this, this mindset, or I'm going to say maybe an older mindset about, do we put photos of ourselves on our websites, because we are voice talent, right? Laya: Yeah. Anne: And we may or may not want to be cast based upon our appearance as we are just voice artists. Right? Laya: Sure. Anne: And I'm that person that says, I want to connect with my client. And I feel like my client can connect with me if they can see a picture of me and not a picture of my logo. Laya: Yeah. Yeah. I absolutely agree with that, Anne. I think if you're comfortable, and you've got pictures that are clear in quality, or maybe you've even invested in some lifestyle photos -- Anne: Right. Laya: -- I had, because I knew that I wanted to put my best self forward, but that you could see it in my eyes who I was, who are, you know, you could see my pride in my eyes and my smile. And I want people to know that when they're working with me. We don't get to meet in person. Like we used to, at least not anymore. So if you're okay with that, then I say, put your face forward. Anne: Yeah. Laya: If you're not proud of that, or if you're not really comfortable and that makes you uncomfortable, then absolutely use something more generic. But I'm about using the face. Anne: Yeah, I am too. And I know for my marketing product, the BOSS Blast, a lot of times I will have my clients give me a headshot, because if that email is going out, I am always of the belief that people want to connect with the person, and they want to be able to hire the person. So whenever possible, I encourage my clients for the BOSS Blast to include their headshots so that we can market those as well. So, yeah, I think that's more of a modern mindset today, especially with all of this chaotic digital information that comes flying at us from every direction. And so with this modern marketing mindset, do you have any ideas, advice about how and where do we market ourselves on social media and what platforms? Laya: Yeah. Great point. Anne: I think for everyone, you have to have a website. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: I think in order to exist as a business in today's digital world, you have to have a website. But what do you think about marketing on social media? 'Cause there's so many platforms, like how do you decide which platform to use, which platform to market on? Laya: Well, that's a great question. And if I could step back even just a snooch, I think the website is key. But before, when I was entering as a full-time talent, I didn't want to put myself out there until I had my package kind of complete, because you really do just get 15 seconds to make your first impression -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- even in the digital space. So it was important to me to have a clear picture where you could see to my eyes, you could have, your icons are all the same. I had a home base, even though at the time, I didn't have a whole lot of content for my website. I built my website myself using the Squarespace platform, and I made sure that my email address wasn't a generic email address. You know, it was my name, and it's tied to my website. It's very inexpensive. There are many, many experts that can help you get there. So leading with like your most professional self, as if, I think the modern mindset is really as if you are already the success that you aspire to be. Anne: Oh, I love that. Laya: You need to act as if, and so even if that is just creating a small minimal package for yourself, which is what your color scheme is, your font or your picture, and you've got a home base with a dedicated email address -- it's not, you know, so-and-so at Gmail -- then, then you're presenting yourself as a pro from the beginning. Anne: I agree. Laya: And that's the important first step, I think. Anne: I do just want to touch on that particular thing. I happen to notice reading some of the threads on Facebook, that there was somebody who said, why is it that I'm seeing all these Gmail addresses? And there were a lot of people who were saying, why? Everybody uses it, and myself, I agree with you. I tend to think if you're a serious business, you're going to have a domain name -- Laya: Right. Anne: -- that is a part of your business. And you should have an email that is part of your business name. Laya: Yes. Anne: And I think if you just like so-and-so VO at Gmail, I think that it doesn't showcase a serious enough business. Laya: It doesn't seem like you're taking your business seriously -- Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: -- to me, to me. Anne: Right. Laya: And I say that not just about voice actors, but if I'm hiring a contractor, if I'm hiring -- Anne: Oh, me too. Laya: -- I don't even know, any number of other industries that are self-driven or entrepreneurial. If that person hasn't taken the time to showcase their skills, in this day and age, and taken the $20 a year that it may cost to get them a special domain name and a, you know, an email address that goes with that, what other parts of your business are you not taking this seriously? Our client interaction, my dollars I'm spending on you? That's what that says to me as it pertains to that modern mindset. I think it's just one extra step. Make yourself the pro that you are, or that you aspire to be and fake it 'til you make it, but get, get yourself that package first, before you even think about going on social media and saying, look at me, look what I do here I am. Let me get a new client. I think that's base line one. Anne: You also mentioned too, well, fake it 'til you make it, but having that website, even though you may not have a lot of content to put on that website, I think that's something -- Laya: That's okay. Anne: -- I want to touch on. And yes, I want to tell everybody, all those BOSSes out there, it is okay. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: Everybody starts somewhere. And a lot of people that talk to me, if they're worried about, well, I don't even know what to write. Well, I think that when you're just starting off, you've got to be able to establish your brand, as we've talked about. Also have that product viewers that you can market, which is a great demo, a great sample that showcases your voice. And in terms of the content you're going to put on it, I was always of the, well, I'm manifesting success. Laya: Yes. Anne: So I'm going to create that website. I'm going to create that verbiage as if I am already have been in business for 20 years. Laya: Yes, absolutely. Anne: And so what can you do to fill up that content? There's a good question. What would you do to fill up that content, Laya? Laya: I would tell my story authentically and just, you know, leverage the experience that you have had in life. Maybe it's in the medical industry, maybe it's in marketing, maybe it's in beauty or automotive, or wherever your background sits, there is relevance in your business now. And I think people are more interested than ever to connect with your most authentic self. Anne: Yes, yes. Laya: And so we'll talk about that as it pertains to social media. But you know, even if it's like, I found my love for this and I love being home with my family and I love telling your story, and I'm learning as I go, and I'm investing in myself, and I will take great care in investing in you and your story. Anne: Sure. Laya: And even if it's just a minimal little blurb that just says who you are, where you came from, and why you're here -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- that's okay. You'll be able to build on that as you go -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- you know? Anne: Absolutely. Laya: Hopefully one day you'll be like Anne Ganguzza. You're building a new website. Anne: Yeah. Laya: So lots of content as you develop -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- and you can continue to nurture and grow that. I would say being apart of your website and your content development is a weekly process. I mean, I'm, I always got my hands in my website. You're constantly tweaking and adding. So it doesn't have to be this set in stone thing -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- but even just the basics, your contact information -- Anne: Agreed, agreed. Laya: -- front and center. Anne: Oh yeah. Laya: Your sample demo above the center -- Anne: Above the fold. Above the fold. Laya: Above the fold. And as you go, you can continue to build on that. Anne: Well, and you know, what else I'm going to touch upon too, is a good bio, right? Talking about your space, why you're here, what you're passionate about in terms of how can that passion help the potential client. Laya: Yeah. How can you be in service? Anne: Exactly. Focus on the how you can be of service to them. And also in regards to experience, there's a lot of people say, well, I don't have any experience yet. I have never done a voiceover job. Well, your experience, your life experience -- Laya: That's right. Anne: -- your career experience, a lot of times corporate experience. For me, you know, when I just started off, I had had a lot of experience recording telephony and welcome messages and phone trees. And for me, that was where I was able to put my experience level. You know, I had recorded thousands of telephony and IVR prompts. And so that became part of my experience. Nobody needed to know that I did it for my company -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- and that they didn't pay me for it because I wasn't lying. Laya: That's not the story. Anne: Right? That's not the story. But I, you know, but I absolutely had voiced thousands of prompts. And so think of what you have already done experience-wise in your life that can lend to your experience that can again be of service to the client. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: And that will be good content. And I love that you said -- Laya: Parenting, but like -- Anne: -- every week keep tweaking it. That's important because we grow, we evolve, and also it keeps your website fresh so that it makes for good SEO as well. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: Things keep changing. So. Laya: Yeah. And we can talk about that in future episodes because SEO is a very, very key part of being found in search, but you don't have to focus on that in the beginning. Anne: No. Laya: Now, if you were, you know, fully established and you already have your content, then I think it's definitely a great time to invest in partners that have current and modern training in SEO and development, because there are a lot of people that you can find that can help supplement your site with blog posts, or maybe you're a great writer already. I know several excellent talent that are phenomenal blog writers and contribute often to their website. That's not me. I'm not the best writer, but it was a, some of my friends like Kelly Buttrick always says, "what you can't do, you can pay somebody else to do." So, you know -- Anne: Ain't that the truth. Laya: -- there's other options. What you're not great at, outsource. Anne: Oh yes. Laya: That's a modern mindset too, for sure. Anne: I love that. Laya: Yeah. You can keep adding to it. It doesn't have to be set in stone, and there's many ways to skin that cat, for sure. Anne: Yeah. The whole outsourcing is another, it's very much a modern mindset -- Laya: Yeah. You don't have to do it all! Anne: -- for voice talent. Laya: Wow, isn't that a revelation? Anne: What doesn't bring you joy, guess what? Laya: Right. Someone else -- brings dollars to somebody else. Anne: Uh, my accountant is very happy that I pay her on a monthly basis -- Laya: Lots of joy. Anne: -- for her to do her job. She loves it. She loves numbers, and I'm like, I am happy to give you joy -- Laya: Yes, exactly. Anne: -- on a monthly basis, and you do what you do best because that is not something that brings me joy. So, and I say over and over again, I think I must have mentioned it at least 20 times on my podcast, that was one of the best investments I ever made -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- was to outsource my accounting. So. Laya: And that's a great new mindset -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- because we don't have to do it all. Yes, you see all those funny memes about being the entrepreneur, the solopreneur who wears all the hats. Anne: Yeah. Laya: But if some of those hats itch your head and make you crazy -- Anne: Yes! Laya: -- then like kick it off, friend, because somebody else can do that. And honestly -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- your time may be more valuable and better served doing something else in your business. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: So keep that in mind always -- Anne: Yep. Laya: -- whether it's website development or, you know, blog content or anything. Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- accounting, you know, so that's very key. Anne: Doing things that bring you joy. Those will be the things that do not feel like they are work. So let's continue on the modern mindset of the marketing. And I know we can have probably an entire episode on social media, but just to kind of touch upon the subject -- Laya: Sure. Anne: -- platforms. I've always been of the mindset that you want to be on the platforms that your potential client is on. And so -- Laya: I would agree with that, but it is an interesting new dynamic that clients are people and humans too. So they're scrolling and wasting their time on social media -- Anne: Just like we are. Laya: -- just like the rest of u,s and they're scratching their heads. Anne: Yup. Laya: And so it's interesting how you stumble across new clients or new interactions. I think whatever platform you feel most comfortable on is the one that you can put your energy on. Anne: Sure. Laya: For me, I'm a little bit of an older generation, is -- like in my early forties, I can't believe I have to say that, but it's true. TikTok doesn't resonate with me, right, and Snapchat never really resonated with me, but I know tons of talent that have had incredible success and views on TikTok. Look at Heidi Ruin, Atlanta -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- Voiceover Studio, for instance, and that whole like -- Anne: Oh, absolutely. Laya: -- voiceover battle. They saw a huge uptick in views and followers. I don't know if that converted to clients for them. For me. I actually do see client conversion on Instagram, and Facebook -- Anne: Oh, absolutely. Laya: -- and LinkedIn and Twitter. I don't tweet a whole lot, but I make sure that my accounts are linked. So I have presence there. I don't nurture relationships there, because it's not my strong suit on that platform. But I do nurture relationships on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. And I derive clients from there because I'm just enjoying their content. I care less about putting mine out there, although I am somewhat consistent. It is a pain in my butt, and I still do it anyway. So I stay relevant, but I think it's most important to engage with them. What are they into? What are they liking? Anne: Sure. Laya: Cheer them on, make a comment in a post and a like on what your clients are most into, and you will stay top of mind just by default. You don't have to be like, "hey, look at me -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- you got another job for me?" No, just cheer them on. That is an authentic way to connect socially. Anne: You know, and it's interesting. Top of mind is so, so important in marketing. And by the way, I just want to add in YouTube -- Laya: Oh yeah. Anne: -- in terms of the social media place where you might want to be, just because of the good SEO value. I've recently started a channel -- Laya: Vimeo too, actually. Anne: Yeah. Recently started a channel where I've got some content out there. I do blog. It is painful for me. It's painful for me. Laya: I feel your pain. Anne: I do it. But there's all sorts of reasons why I go through the pain, because you know, I've got something to say. And even though I'm not the best writer in the world, it's really difficult to find a writer. Although I've searched, trust me, I have searched, not to necessarily outsource, but to at least get a bare bones blog happening for me, from my ideas, but it's difficult because they're not in my head. And so. Laya: And they're not the expert. You are the expert, and your clients and fan base appreciate your expertise and you sharing that expertise as you do on the show and in a blog post. And I think if you take that expertise and pull it into a LinkedIn post, or a tweet, or a Facebook post -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- and somebody identifies with that or shares it with someone, and they see it, that just gives you more credibility. So as long as that comes natural to you, and it's authentic, it's going to resonate with others as well. Anne: Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm glad that you, you were talking about being on the platforms that your clients are on because they like to just get sucked in just like the rest of us. Laya: Yeah. Anne: Because I, I noticed recently there's a lot of people are that they're all about LinkedIn. There's so much to talk about with social media -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- with just so many platforms and sometimes not all of the stuff that's flying around there is not healthy at times. And so -- Laya: So you got to manage your borders and boundaries -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- even in social media, for sure. Anne: Absolutely. And there's so many people that are like, okay, I'm just going to do LinkedIn, or I'm just going to do this platform. So I think we only have so many hours in the day. And so I think in terms of, you know, you've got to come up with that balance. You've got to, like I say, listen more than talk a lot of times. And sometimes things like, let's say, videos that you put on YouTube that may or may not talk about your voiceover business, but a passion of yours, similar to a podcast, right, that could be about a passion of yours, by default are helping put your brand out there and helping people, potential clients get to know who you are and keeping you top of mind. And those are, I think important, probably the most important things that your potential client will help keep you top of mind, right? Laya: Absolutely. Anne: If they're watching you on YouTube or they're hearing you on a podcast, and you're not necessarily selling them your voiceover services, but they are getting to know you as a person and then saying, you know what, I'd really like to work with that person -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- because it is a meeting where they're hearing your voice, but you don't have to be like, hey, I'm a voiceover artist. Hire me. Laya: Yeah. You don't have to always be like, look at me and look at what I do for work and my en- -- I mean, some people dedicate their entire Instagram account to their voiceover business or, you know, or only keep it private and don't let their clients in. There's that too. So it's really up to the individual person. For instance, I don't share a lot of my work on Facebook. I'm not very active on Facebook anymore, but it's, I use it as a touch point to connect with my friends and family. Instagram, definitely more work, professional, business heavy, but I also show some of the personality in there. On LinkedIn, I try to keep it more professional -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- less about my personal life. However, I like to share ideas in the industry. If I have nothing to say, I love to share other clients' content, may or may not have anything to do with me, but achievements they've had cheering them on, or advancements in the industry, new technologies, to get the conversation started, and to show my clients or the people that I'm connected with that I am staying top of mind by being relevant and educating myself, and sharing quality content in our same space. And so just depending on which platform you're at and how that feels to you and who your audience is, you kind of can tailor and tweak accordingly. That's my personal strategy. And you know, it works for me. So. Anne: Wow. Good stuff. We could probably talk about this for hours. Laya: And we will. Anne: And we will. Laya: Let's do a social podcast -- a social episode next, I think. Anne: Yes. I think a social episode is absolutely coming up next for us. So in the meantime, BOSSes, try to develop, evolve, create, understand your brand. Make sure you've got something wonderful out there to market yourself and keep that modern mindset while you are doing so. Laya: Yes. Anne: I'm going to give a great big shout out to our sponsor ipDTL, because they are of a modern mindset -- Laya: Absolutely. Anne: -- using the latest technology to allow us to connect like BOSSes. You can find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week -- Laya: Yes, thank you. Anne: -- and we will see you next week. All right. Laya: Absolutely. Have a good one, guys. Anne: Bye-bye. >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voboss.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to coast connectivity via ipDTL.

Is your yoga instructor on your business expense list? How about an ENT? If not, perhaps they should be. In this episode, Anne & Laya explore the role diet + exercise play in their businesses, how to take a break, and why you should try face yoga (really, it's a thing!). If you're feeling a sense of business burnout , listen for tips and ideas to help overcome the overwhelming. More at https://voboss.com/modern-wellness-with-laya-hoffman Transcript ​​>> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host Anne Ganguzza, and I am pleased to welcome back to the show special guest cohost, Laya Hoffman. Hey Laya, how are you today? Laya: Awesome. Thanks, Anne, it's so good to be back. I've been loving our conversations so far. You've given so much to the voiceover community. Anne: Thank you. Laya: I have received from you before. So it's just an honor and a pleasure to join you on the show again and continue to share some knowledge of a modern mindset and this business we have. Anne: Absolutely, for sure. So we got into some really amazing conversation in our last episodes about how to prepare ourselves and get ourselves into a modern mindset. And I want to get a little bit deeper into that focus, in regards to vocal health or our actual physical health. Because, you know, with the seasons changing, I know that I need to be able to do a few things to get my voice prepped and ready for being able to perform at my very best. And I know that I have a certain ritual of things that I do to prepare my voice, to be able to have the very best voice that I can. And I was hoping we could have a discussion about that today. Laya: Of course, of course, I totally believe that full body wellness is key to creating a, you know, a sustainable voiceover business, but also to come from the right mindset holistically all, all the way. It's a 360 approach to your wellness, you know. While our vocal chords and our voice is our tool on our instrument, it doesn't happen naturally with flow and with the essence that you need to deliver, if your full body isn't in tune and it really takes a proactive approach -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- and not a reactive approach to doing that. Anne: So very important. Laya: I have learned the hard way. I'm sure we all have, especially during this high anxiety time that we're living in right now, whether, you know, you're on edge from everything that is the pandemic, or the political space, or whatever it is, we need to keep all those things in check so that we can deliver from the right emotional point, and do it in a healthy way, body, mind, soul, emotionally, and all of those things. So I definitely have incorporated some techniques that I keep in my ritual, in my toolkit to continue to, you know, work effectively and keep that balance. Anne: You know what's interesting is that when I'm working with students who are just entering into the business, I give homework, you know, 'cause I'm a teacher. Laya: Sure. Anne: And I love to give homework and I find it -- Laya: I hate giving homework. Anne: -- so interesting because people will tend to -- there's two types of people, right? There's people who will just be very diligent and good about doing their homework. And then there's those people who will wait until the night before and then do all their homework at once. And I'm constantly telling my students that it's important for you to get to know your body, to get to know your performance level and how you are at different times of the day. How do you feel in the morning? How do you feel in the afternoon, or how do you feel in the evening when you're performing in the booth after you've had a full day of stress, because I think it's super important that you get to know your body and how it reacts to stress to, if you're tired, whatever. And it's important for you to get to know that so that when you are a full-time working voice actor, that you can understand, this is a great time, if I can get in the booth now. I'm feeling good, mentally healthy, physically healthy, and I'm in great performance, that you can take advantage of that, and really try to keep yourself in that tip-top shape for whenever you step into the booth. So I think it would be great to talk about what sort of things do you do to get yourself ready for that, Laya? Laya: Yeah. Well, thanks. I feel like I'm a generally healthy person. I'm, uh, in my early forties, I've always been active, always tried to eat fairly clean, be aware. Of course I love to indulge just like everybody else. And I'm not always on my best, but going the distance with voice work in the last few years and being a working mom as well, having a young daughter to tend to, and all the stresses that come with everything around us, I felt the difference between walking in stressed and -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and coming from a place where the mind isn't dialed in. And on the opposite side of that, the difference between walking in, in a, in a fully centered and balanced place. And so I really started to insulate myself and make sure to put up the boundaries that will protect this work and doing that from a multitude of ways. I had a few like little ailments going on that wouldn't allow me to sit or stand for a long time because I had an inflammation in my body and there -- my back would hurt. And then instead of focusing on the copy and the emotional point and the client and the connection with the vibration that's coming out of my soul, it was coming from a place of ache or -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- pain or in the back of my mind, this nagging feeling that, oh, you know, you're just kind of half focused on whatever that is. So to me, it's eating clean. My daughter's got a gluten intolerance, and so we're mostly gluten-free here, but I've also noticed that the grains and the gluten definitely contribute to inflammation in my body -- Anne: Oh my, yes. Laya: -- is, you know -- Anne: There with you. Laya: Yeah, it's all part of the swelling. Anne: Sure. Laya: So, you know, I know when to indulge, but during the week when I'm working, and I create those boundaries where I try to compartmentalize my voice work to a Monday through Friday scenario whenever possible, to give myself vocal rest, also to, you know, have a cheat day and to go off the rails, as my husband would say, or drink a few glasses of wine or whatever. Anne: Sure. Laya: but it's keeping -- it's fueling the body from within, because this is our vessel. You know, a doctor or a carpenter keeps his tools clean, and we need to do the same for our, for our vocal cords in our vocal health. So to me, that starts with eating because it also gives me the clarity. When I'm really firing on all cylinders, I'll eat more of a low carb or ketogenic based diet because the clarity that I'm able to get without -- you know, there's no fog, there's no inflammation. It contributes to motivation and proactivity or productivity that continues to push me forward. You know, it also gives me the clarity to say, hey, it's time to take a break. You need rest. I didn't get enough sleep. You know, go get some fresh air, bust up the day a little bit. And don't grind so hard. Without those things, I'm not making the best decisions. So that's part of my modern mindset when it comes to wellness. It definitely starts with the fuel. Right? Anne: Well -- Laya: -- and then we go from there. Anne: Very, very interesting though that you say that because as I get older, it really makes a difference, the food that I put into my body and especially, I think, as we are progressing, I think there's more and more maybe additives or whatever it is -- Laya: Oh yes. Anne: -- that's being put into the food that is maybe foreign to our bodies. And our bodies might be not used to it, rejecting it, whatever that is. But I do know that I feel a lot better when I'm not eating my beloved carbs. Ah... Laya: For sure, for sure. Anne: I love my carbs, but they do not love me as I've gotten older, and I definitely have inflammation. And that's not comfortable, you know, it's just not comfortable, and I need to be at my best and, and I need to, to perform. And I think it absolutely, you need to fuel your body with nutritious things that can help feed your energy, feed your soul, make you feel good. Laya: Definitely. Anne: And that, coming from that place starting there, then you can perform well. Laya: Yeah. And then I take it a little bit of a step further, and I know you and I share the same passion of going to -- I go to an integrated health practitioner that balances both the Eastern and Western medicine, uh, use my chiropractor, uses kinesiology based muscle testing -- Anne: Oh yes. Laya: -- to dial in my organs, my hormones, my allergies, and I get super, hyper focused or personalized supplements that are very high quality that my body is testing well. And that they're are both beneficial and really positive for what I am lacking in any given month or nutrient deficiency. And he does some cool stuff to get my body ready. Like this ear adjustment that I was struggling with for so long. I didn't know I had a click going on in my ear from TMJ, you know? Anne: Wow. Now I can't say I've had my ears tested, but tell me -- Laya: No? Anne: -- about that. No, I, for TMJ, I've had my jaw adjusted by my chiropractor, which I think is phenomenal. Laya: Yes, it is such a release, right? Anne: He's not adjusted my ear. Maybe I'm going to have to ask him, but tell me about it first. Laya: I didn't know it was a thing, but I just sit there. It's very simple. He puts his thumb in your ear and I turn one way, and he does a little bit of a yank, and it's like all of the tiny little microscopic bones in the ear, it's like sparks are flying out. Anne: A dance! Laya: Yes, it is so -- I was like, ohh! the angels saying, when that happened. You've got to get your guy to do it. It's remarkable. And I think the combination of that and the modality in the jaw -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- really started to alleviate some of TMJ and this click I couldn't get rid of. So that was super helpful for me. Anne: Wow. Speaking of TMJ, I think that might be, uh, an issue for maybe a lot of our listeners. Laya: Yeah. Anne: And I know that my dentist of course prescribed a mouth guard, which does help with that. And I think here, we're doing all this work during the day when we're conscious and breathing and relaxing and meditating. And then all of a sudden, we go to bed at night and then we grind our teeth. Laya: Yeah, why do we do that? I don't know. Anne: And I'm like, why is that? But anyways, I think that that's a super helpful thing, but another thing that my chiropractor does -- and, and again, this is not necessarily the show about chiropractors, but whatever works for you -- my chiropractor, when I get an adjustment, I feel like I've now cleared pathways. Laya: Yes. Anne: And when I clear pathways, it allows me to breathe better, and you talk ears, I talk wrist. So there is a spot on my wrist that I had no idea about that when he adjusts my wrist, I am just, whoa, the angels, you know? Laya: Yes. Anne: The angels sing. Laya: You use it a lot. So it makes sense. Right? Anne: True. Laya: We're editing. We forget about like our ergonomical position and that -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- our wrists, forearms, fingers probably take as much stress if not more as our jaw. So I'm, I'm going to go into mine and ask for a wrist adjustment next time. Anne: And I'll ask for the ear adjustment. Laya: Do it. Anne: And I think also what's important, speaking of ears, is I have a ENT. And to me it's so important I think if you're going to be in this industry. I think it's a great idea to have a doctor that you trust, an ENT that can go -- and, you know, for me, I use them primarily for my ears because for those people that don't know, I've really tiny, tiny ears, and they tend, um, baby ears, actually they have to use pediatric tools to look in my ears. Laya: So funny, like Anne "Baby Ears" -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- Ganguzza, I think, is your new nickname. Anne: Well, I tend to get a buildup of wax. So I have to go into him every three months. Laya: Sure, makes sense. Anne: And I have him just check things out. You know, if, if you've got issues with your vocal chords, you've got issues -- all of stuff, right? Laya: And the inflammation there is going to affect your delivery, absolutely. Anne: So I say a good ENT is also something that I think that BOSSes should consider in terms of maybe a regular, you know, kind of wellness program for the instrument that you use every day. Laya: Absolutely right. Anne: Yeah. Laya: I also go to a massage therapist once a month because -- Anne: Yes. Laya: -- that tension, body, mind -- in fact, both my integrated wellness doctor slash chiropractor and my therapist, those are budgeted into my business and -- Anne: Absolutely! Laya: -- they're, in a way, part of the write-off, because this is my tool, and it's very important that I protect that space so that you can have fitness. And what we do -- Anne: Oh my gosh, yes. Laya: -- is a marathon. So you gotta stay healthy all the way through. Anne: I am going to plus one, plus 21, 21,000 for that massage therapist. Laya: Yes. Anne: And as a matter of fact, once a month, I'm part of a membership -- Laya: Same, yeah. Anne: -- where I will go once a week even, because for me, it's important because I've been working a lot during this pandemic. And I'm very grateful and thankful for that. However, it's, it causes me to be a little bit more at my desk than I want to be. So massage, it really helps to keep my body in alignment, keep my muscles stretched and just engaged. I know that a lot of times, like my neck, my upper back suffers because I'm in the chair longer and a massage therapist, it absolutely is considered an investment for me, for my business. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: And that's how I kind of, you know, quantify that in my business structure as well. It was like, this is part of the integral part of, you know, just running the business. It's like, I've got to do that. I've got to make time for the gym, for exercise, for stretch, for breath work. Now, when it comes to like vocal therapy, you have an awesome product that I think we should talk about. But then -- and then talk about other things that you use for your throat and how to get that going. Anne: Why, thank you. Thank you for bringing that up. Well, actually, I know there's a lot of products that people use, and, and I'm the first to say, whatever works for you in terms of like sprays or throat coat, that sort of thing. But I do have a product that I developed because I was into essential oils, and I had started to become allergic. The, you know, allergy season was upon me, and my voice was getting very raspy. And so I was looking for something that would help. And there's an essential oil that was really helpful to me that I started to check out other products that used use this oil, or just, I started searching on Google for like throat sprays. And I found a recipe for singers vocal spray, and I actually, it was made of essential oils. So I kind of took our essential oils and kind of, you know, adjusted the recipe just a little bit in terms of taste for me, but kept a lot of some of the same ingredients. And so now I make this vocal throat spray, and I have three other products in that line that are made from the essential oils that I sell on all of my websites at Anne Ganguzza, at VO BOSS. So they're all essential oils and distilled water. Laya: I love that. Anne: So the ingredients are listed on the website, all natural listed on the website. I can make no claims that they will make you healthy. However, they help me, and they've helped a lot of people. I have a lot of fans that buy the vocal spray and the other products that I have too. I also have something, an essential oil mixture that you can put a couple of drops in your water to help you, you know, if you've not a water drinker, a lot of people they're like, "oh, I just don't like the taste of water," you can add a couple of drops of this. It gives you a little bit of flavor and it helps to keep you hydrated, so. Laya: Yeah, yeah. Anne: Yeah. Laya: And that's really the key, right? I mean, you can't just drink water -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- before your session, right? You've got to drink -- I'll keep a 32-ounce tumbler with me at all times. Throughout the day, I probably drink three or four of them. I go to the bathroom a lot, but I mean -- Anne: So do I. Laya: -- it's good, 'cause it's flushing out the toxins. Anne: Yeah. Laya: It's also keeping you incredibly lubricated. I did make a misstep early on in my career. I was, you know, following other wellness people in an effort to reduce the inflammation and improve my digestive track. I was doing warm water and apple cider vinegar or warm water and lemon in the morning. And I noticed after a week or so, it really strained my vocal cords, stripped the lubricant. And you think, of course -- Anne: Well, it's acidic. Laya: -- that makes sense -- right, of course! And like now it makes sense, but at the time I thought, "well, I'm just centering my body, I'm -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- having a intermittent fasting. And this is kind of soothing my breaking, oh, not really breaking my fast, but warming up my intestines and all of that. Anne: Sure. Laya: Nope. Not the thing to do. So I stopped doing that, and I'm going to have to try your additive, the essential oils, because I love essential oils on the body, to put in the space and make your room what it needs to be. So that's awesome. Anne: I have those too. Yeah. I have, uh, something called the Booth Breeze -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- which is a combination of lavender -- Laya: We all need one of those. Anne: -- and peppermint. Can you imagine lavender and peppermint? Lavender to calm you down, peppermint to kind of like spice you up. And the two of them together are really interesting. So there's lavender, peppermint, I think spearmint in there. Laya: Yeah. Anne: And in reality, I call it the Booth Breeze because you can spray it in your booth for the aroma essence of it to calm you down in -- or to pump you up. But it's also to make you not so hot in the booth. And you know, it's been a hot summer. You can literally, with the spearmint, you know, I mean, and it's not all spear -- you're not spraying spearmint. It's a combination along with the majority of it distilled water, but you can spray that on the back of your neck, and it's a cooling agent, so. Laya: Oh, very cool. Anne: Yeah. So you can use it -- Laya: Literally. Anne: -- for multiple, multiple things. Laya: That's awesome. Anne: So one note that I wanted to talk to you about, the lemon, I -- absolutely lemon is an acid. I love a good glass of lemon water, but I think, yeah, in excess, you probably don't want to do too much of that. Laya: Yeah. Anne: But I don't think they're, for me, I've never had a problem 'cause I haven't done it consistently and a lot. But I will have a day or two where I'll drink lemon water. Laya: Sure. Anne: If I need to, you know, if I'm inflamed, and I need to kind of flush toxins out of my system, it helps me a whole lot. But as long as I chase it with like regular water. You know, they say not to drink coffee, but I love coffee. And so I'm a big drink coffee and chase it with a good, you know, 16 ounces of water. Laya: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. That's key, that's key. You know, what I also use is a, I've tried a bunch of nebulizers out there. I don't know if you're familiar with any or you like to use any. They're fun, interesting. Nobody uses -- maybe this is an idea for somebody, hey, maybe you. You're the BOSS that will put this in motion. We need to brand one for voice actors, but the vocal mist nebulizer is a cool portable system that I use, especially after, you know, a long weekend or you go to a concert, you really straining your voice for some reason. Anne: Sure. Laya: Or it's just been a really intense week on the mic. It's so soothing to have that nebulizer and that warm kind of neutral mist in the back of the cords. I found a lot of relief with that. So you need to BOSS brand one for sure. Anne: Maybe, maybe. Laya: VO BOSS brand nebulizer. Anne: I'm going to talk about somebody who I absolute love is, is Nic Redmond -- Laya: Yeah, she has some great exercises. Anne: -- who has -- oh my God, she has wonderful, wonderful things. So if you've not checked her out, she has -- I believe she has a new podcast, right, on it? Laya: Yeah. Anne: Yeah, she's got a -- outside of the VO Social that she does with Laya, she has her own podcast, all about vocal health, so -- and she's a true geek about it and she's amazing. So -- Laya: Yeah, talented, yeah, what a talented -- Anne: Strongly -- Laya: -- individual. Anne: Yeah. Strongly suggest checking out her podcast, and her exercises, and, and remedies as well. Laya: Yeah. Anne: So she's, she's amazing. So I think that's a great resource for everybody. What about physical -- I know you said you do yoga, but what about, is there any physical exercises that you do in the booth, like right before you're going to perform? Because I have a couple of neck exercises that I do. Laya: Interesting. Anne: I'm wondering about you. Laya: I'm always doing some sort of movement and some sort of stretch because we are so kind of complacent in our bodies. I mean, unless you're doing like a high action, a video game or something like that, where you're really moving around, we don't usually have the opportunity to bend and stretch and move. I do a lot of face stretching and exercises, you know, like kind of face yoga where, you know, you're doing the chin stretch -- Anne: Yes. Laya: -- or you're really opening up your mouth and kind of blowing air into your cheeks and rubbing your temples, your jaw, your ears, those types of things. I feel like I'm, I'm constantly with my hands all over my face, just, you know, feeling into the modalities there to keep it fluid and keep everything moving. How about you? Anne: Yeah, no, I absolutely. I have some really good -- and of course this, it was my chiropractor -- but also these are not neck stretches that you probably have -- I mean, they're very simple, to take your right hand and put it over your left ear and then, you know, bring your head to your right shoulder. And as you do, as you advance, you know, closer to your shoulder, breathe in. And then when you exhale, go ahead and bring it a little bit closer to your shoulder. I'm actually doing it now. Laya: I can hear it. Anne: And then so as you are exhaling, you're going to be able to stretch that neck even further towards your shoulder. And I do that, you know, to the right, to the left, forward and back, and everything that's, you know, muscles around those vocal cords, I think really is an excellent exercise for you to do because I mean, that's, that's what we need to have warmed up for sure. Laya: Oh yeah, neck rolls all day, every day, I'm here for it. And you forget, you forget how tight or how much tension, how much stress we're holding in there. Anne: Yeah. Laya: What about like affirmations? And do you use any of that, any, any love self-love talk around you visually to kind of keep the mental stimulation? Anne: Why, yes. Absolutely. There's so much to be said for post-it notes. Laya: Yes. Anne: I know we're in a digital world, but -- Laya: No, you've got to see it to believe it, baby. Anne: It's so true! I mean, post-it notes, if, especially if, if you're trying to think performance wise, like maybe you have a, a habit that you're trying to break, a post-it note stuck up in your booth right up in front of you, and you're always looking at it. Or a booth buddy, you know, there's a lot of great coaches out there that will recommend to have a booth buddy. So if you want to feel like you're talking to someone or you've got somebody that you're focusing on, have a picture of someone close to your monitor so that you can be talking to them or talking to your booth buddy, but I think affirmations, absolutely, so that they're constantly there in front of you. Laya: Yeah. Definitely. People feel like a little awkward if you've not done that before, like tell yourself you're kick-ass. But really what I love to do is pull, you know, you mentioned the post-it notes. You can get them in all cute shapes. They don't have to just be squares all over your space, but you know, if you're ever talking, you're in a webinar, or you're talking to a coach, you're talking to a friend, you know, you scribble something down, you can almost turn anything into an affirmation. Anne: So true. Laya: One I've got sitting in front of me is from one of my coaches, Nancy Wolfson. She says, your cool is cool enough. And like, that means so much to me because of our -- Anne: So true. Laya: -- back history. But you know, I don't need to try to be something else when what I've got is already the good -- I've already got the goods because it's uniquely mine, and nobody else has the life experience that brings to this, this voice, in this delivery and this emotional point. And so those little notes give you some like a little gut check, you know, that you're on the right track, and even when you're having a low day, and it's good to see that to believe in and feel it, you know? Anne: I love that we're really delving into the mental aspect of this because whereas we might not have thought about the mental aspect, it really is so -- I don't want to say -- the physical aspect of your vocal cords and that you're warmed up is important, but I'm going to say sometimes the mental could be even more important -- Laya: Absolutely. Anne: -- to your performance and your health. And that is so very important that we're open, and we're okay with spending time on our mental health, so that we can be the best that we can be, and whatever that takes. And it could be post-it notes in the studio, as well as -- and we spoke about this in a previous episode -- you know, having that group of colleagues or friends or accountability buddies -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- that can, you know -- Laya: Your tribe. Anne: -- help keep you -- yeah, your tribe that can keep you in a great, positive mental state, because it's so prevalent in this industry where we deal, I mean, almost rejection, rejection, rejection. Laya: Or comparison. Anne: And that is -- yeah. Laya: And then you know, when you see others on social and there's a lot of -- you start to really second guess things. Anne: Yeah. Laya: It's a mind game. Anne: It is. Laya: But if you're going to be strong in anything, you've got to have that mental mindset, and the modern way to approach that is do it for you first -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- but like get yourself good. And then also know when to take a break, right? Like give yourself the grace to chill and to relax into if you're not having a good day or, you know, you're really tired or you need to listen to your body and give yourself the courtesy and the respect to know when to take it easy, right? Like... Anne: Yeah, know, your body. And I'm giving permission that you do not have to do every single last audition. Laya: Oh gosh. Anne: That, I think, is something -- Laya: Say it again for the people in the back, Anne. Say it again. Anne: One more time. You do not have to do every single audition. I know for a fact, I tell my students this too, that they try to do every -- all their homework at the very last minute. My students are always doing that. And I'm like, you need to get to know your body. You need to get to know your mental state. You need to know "I'm good in the morning after I've exercised or after I've done mental affirmations" or however it is, or maybe after a day of homeschooling, right? How is your body, how is your mental state? Are you able to perform? And I think it's wonderful to be able to do something in the booth every single day at a different time of the day, to get yourself aware of where your performance is good. And then if it's not, what are you going to do to fix that? Right? Laya: Exactly right. Have like a tool bag, right? Like how can you fix it? Anne: Yup, yup. Laya: When you know you're feeling low here, what do you need to do? You got to pull a lever and, you know, deep into that bag and give yourself a break or go out in nature and ground down. Anne: Exactly. Laya: Use your throat spray or drink -- Anne: Or your body hurts? Laya: -- some water, exactly. Anne: -- get a massage or go walk around. I'm constantly telling people, you know what, because it takes such focus to do what we do. And it takes such, you know, to really tell the story, like we're always supposed to do, and we need to really connect. And we're connecting with the copy. That takes a lot of mental effort and that also physically can take a toll on you. So if you need to hop out of the booth for five minutes, shake it off, go pet your fur babies, or, you know what I mean, go have a cracker with, with your child or whatever it is -- Laya: A cracker. Anne: -- that's a carb, sorry. Laya: Don't have the cracker. Anne: Go have a vegetable with your loved one. And you know, there's a lot to be said for that, that, that getting out of the booth and just resetting, getting out into nature, taking a walk, like you were saying. It's such a, such a wonderful way to, to just reset and come back fresh. Laya: Yeah. I think the foundational part of wellness and modern minded approach to this business now is, is that taking care of yourself first is key because that's, you know, that is everything. That applies to, you know, we're in a pandemic. Yes. And so we're always, we're careful and innately careful about germs and cross-contamination and all that stuff now. But you know, keeping those things in mind is that like one down day, because you weren't taking care could cost you money. Anne: Sure. Laya: But it's also important to take it a down day when you need it so that you can go the distance when you need it to. Anne: And you'd be surprised at how understanding your clients can be. Laya: For sure. Anne: If you're human. I mean, we're all human, right? Laya: That's absolutely true. Anne: And so if you need that time, and I know you mentioned before that, you know, if you need that time and you don't -- we try not to work on the weekends and you send that email saying, "hey, thanks so much. I'm out of the booth right now. And I'll get back to you tomorrow morning, you know, I'm spending time on family and I'd be happy to get back to you," I think I love that approach, um, because we all need to reset. We all need to reset that creative compass. Laya: Yeah, absolutely. Anne: To be our best. Laya: I think in a future episode, I'd love to talk to you more about, you know, how do you compartmentalize when you vacation? Do you take a rig with you? What does that look like? When you set those boundaries? Because that's part of the wellness and the mentality too. So -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- maybe more on that later. Anne: Absolutely. Well, excellent conversation, Laya, as always. Laya: Thanks again, Anne. Thank you. Anne: Yeah. This has been great. BOSSes, take care of yourself. Laya: Yes. Anne: You know, mental, physical wellness is, is important for your performance, for your business. We all want you guys around for a very long time, so. Laya: Health is wealth. Absolutely. Anne: That's it, absolutely. So big shout-out to ipDTL that allows me to connect, uh, with BOSSes like Laya, and you too can do the same. Find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week and be well, and we'll see you next week. Laya: See ya. Thanks, everybody. Anne: Bye! Laya: Bye! >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voboss.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to Coast connectivity via ipDTL.

Worried about Ai? Your emotions are your job security, and working with technology will be key to future success in voice over. In this bonus Voice & Ai episode, Anne chats with Ryan Hicks and Adam Fritz of Pozotron - an audiobook proofing service. Listen as they dive deep into the future of audiobook production, and discuss how the connections between human emotion & AI is a voice actor's greatest ally… More at https://voboss.com/voice-and-ai-pozotron-with-ryan-hicks-and-adam-fritz

What are you grateful for today? In Part Two of our Modern Mindset series premiere, Anne & Laya connect the conversation between industry and self. They cover forming accountability groups during the pandemic, abundance vs. scarcity mindsets, and the double-edged sword that is social media. More at https://voboss.com/introducing-modern-mindset-part-2-with-laya-hoffman Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I am thrilled to have back with me guest co-host Laya Hoffman. Laya is an Atlanta-based voice actor and podcaster. She's got over 20 years on the mic. She specializes in commercial, corporate, promos, and has worked for brands such as BMW, Google, Amazon, all the things. She's a former marketing exec, nightclub DJ, and creative agency lead. So she brings us so much value to this podcast. And I am so excited to bring her back to talk to us on our Modern Mindset Series. Laya, so glad to have you back. Laya: Oh, thank you so much, Anne. I'm loving our conversation. It's been an honor to listen to your show over the last few years and on to be a guest, how cool, super grateful for the opportunity to share. Anne: Oh, absolutely. Wow -- Laya: Thank you. Anne: -- we had a great episode where we started to talk about what is a modern mindset and how to get yourself into a modern mindset. And we really kind of delved deep, and I think we can go even further on that. So let's review a little bit for our listeners about what a modern mindset entails and maybe dig deep into the modern mindset for being ready to be the best entrepreneur you can for your voiceover business. Laya: Absolutely. And it's so important to continue to share this information, because as so many talented voice actors who have shared their trials and tribulations with me over the years, I've kind of run that through a modern lens, as I've grown my business full-time in the last three years and taken that experience and shifted it in how we can meet our buyers, our agents, our managers, our clients, where they are because they're hiring differently. Anne: Oh yes. Laya: They are listening for different things, and to be our best selves when we approach the mic every day, it takes starting at the ground up to make sure that you are confident, that you are committed and clear, and you are grounded in your intention, and how you present your work every day. And, um, and that will continue to help you stabilize your industry, but also, you know, keep the balance, because there is a lot of anxiety out there in the world as it is, much less when you talk to yourself in a box all day for a living. So, you know, there's a lot of steps to that. And we did touch on that a little bit on our last episode of health and wellness, and then also having and approaching your business with the right intention. But I'm looking forward to talking more about that today. Anne: Well, you know, I think it's very important before you begin, or while you're in the middle of creating your business, that you are open to educating, educating yourself. Laya: Oh yeah, oh yeah. Anne: I think that that is so important. And -- and if you're used to doing things a certain way, I think it's really important that, number one, if you're going to be successful in an industry such as voiceover and any industry, that you spend a certain amount of time each day, educating yourself on that industry. What does it take for you to be successful in that industry? And also not just in the industry, but to research and educate yourself on your potential clients. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: I think that that is absolutely very important. And if you don't have that going into it, it's going to be hard for you to really understand or even perform, to be successful in getting gigs. And then once you have the gig, in order to be able to serve your client in the way that they would want to have their brand elevated by your voice. Laya: Absolutely. I think that you look at, you can look at any other industry in the world, and you know that you've got a certain amount of education, whether it's vocational -- Anne: Oh yeah! Laya: -- or a long lead of college tuition ahead of you, but in voiceover, for some reason, a lot of people approach it like it's just a quick fix -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- or it's a quick money maker -- Anne: It's simple. Laya: When in -- Anne: I'm home. I can make money. Laya: -- when the reality is -- I can talk, right? Everybody talks -- Anne: I can talk. Laya: Right? When the reality is, if you don't come to the table with a true understanding of the investment and what you're going to fill and educate yourself with, fill your cup with every day, and come from a place very humbly looking at that, and figuring out also who are the best types of people that you need to learn from, you know. What is, is there a personality fit there, um, with your coach? Are you going to make a commitment to that coach and stay the course with that coach in that vein, in that track, in that genre of voice work until you master it, or until you at least feel confident where you're booking in that range? Or are you going to scatter yourself and then figure out what, you know, do widespread research and touch a little bit of everything until you figure out where you want to hone in on? I think you have to have real conversations with yourself and come from a place of humility to know that you, even at your highest peak in this career, never stop learning -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- and never stop filling that cup and sharing also, but, you know, listen more than you talk in this business. And I think you'll go far. Anne: Isn't that like an oxymoron? Laya: Right. Anne: Listen more than you talk. Laya: Right. Anne: But I love that you said, have it come from a humble place, from a place of humility, because I think that that is what indeed makes us open, open to new things, open to new education. And even for the people, not if you're just entering the business, but even for the people that are in the business, I think it might almost be more important for them to be open -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- to evolve and to educate. And, you know, I know firsthand in my Voice and AI series that there's a lot of people -- there's a lot of fear. And I think what stops people from advancing, selling in their performance, or growing their business is fear -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- and fear of, of what's coming or what's up ahead. And, and I think that we can combat that fear with education, education about what technologies are coming up, you know, educate yourself about AI. If you're afraid that AI is gonna take away your business, you know, go ahead and educate yourself. That's one of the main missions, you know -- like my love is teaching. And so I really went all out on my AI and Voice series so that people could get an education on, you know, what is AI in voice all about? What are synthetic voices all about? How can we as voice talent learn more about that, that part of the industry so that we can serve better or not, you know, and make an informed decision. And I think that there's a lot of talent out there that have been in the industry for a long time, and we touched on this in our last episode about how you need to be willing to open yourself to changes that are happening in the market. And there's a lot of people that, they may or may not want to see what's happening. They want to do it, you know, the way it used to be. Laya: Sure. Anne: Well, it used to be, you know, back in the day, I'll even say when I was like, right at the very beginning of like the pay-to-plays. And, uh, you know, at that time they were very effective. Now things have evolved, things have changed. And so -- Laya: Yeah, you have to play a game. Anne: -- we got, yeah, we've got to evolve along with it. So being open, being humble, being willing to learn, really, I think I want to say, could be almost one of the most important factors in having a modern mindset to be successful. Laya: Absolutely. And you touched on this a little bit too, but as a fellow colleague of mine and a dear friend, Caroline Slaughter, has reintroduced time and time again to our conversations, there's a scarcity mindset out there when -- as it applies to AI and, you know, new modern technologies, and "they're going to take our jobs from us, and the way we used to do it in our old days, you know?" Like, no, you're coming from a scarcity mindset. You know, if once you scrub down that scarcity mindset and move from a place of that to an abundant mindset -- Anne: Yes. Laya: -- and know that there is plenty out there, and the more that you fill your cup, the more, you know, the more you grow, the more you share, the more you care, the more you'll hear that quality and that authenticity in your voice, the more you'll connect with your clients, your managers, your agents, the more you'll connect with the audience that's at the end listening to you deliver the message. And you're never going to get there with a scarcity mindset. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: You're never going to get there with that "well, the way we used to do it, and this is, I'm not, I'm stuck in my ways." No, take what you're learning, know how valuable that is, and how you're paying it forward to the future generations. But then listen in return, because while I'm 42 years old and may have been being paid on the mic for 20 years, I've only been full-time and taken this industry seriously in the last three. And it's bringing that other experience into -- Anne: Oh my gosh, all the time. Laya: -- like with your medical background, you can bring that experience into your medical narration. With my marketing background, with my branding consulting creative background, I bring that in, and it's learning and evolving and staying humble and with an open, kind of an abundant mindset, that there is plenty and it is so cool. And also coming from a deep, deep place of gratitude -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- because it is a gift to be able to talk for a living -- Anne: Sure is. Laya: -- and get paid to share your voice and be a storyteller. Anne: It sure is. Laya: It is one of the greatest gifts. And if that's not where you're coming from as a place of humility and gratitude, and open-mindedness, then this might not be a successful path for you or as successful as it could be. So that's my, you know, it's up there. Anne: I love the -- I think gratitude, coming from a place of gratitude, number one, is always important. I think those two things, come from a place of gratitude and manifest abundance. Always, always manifest. Laya: I could spend an entire episode -- I could probably talk about that for hours. Anne: Manifest abundance. Laya: In fact, I wholly -- and a lot of people ask me what is manifestation. It's really checking in with your gut -- Anne: Oh, I'm all about that. Laya: -- and what you want and thinking big. And using -- in fact, I just did a little ritual with my own family. It's a road opening ritual where we talk about all our roads are open, all our blocks, unblocked, and every night, while we're sitting around the dinner table, my eight-year-old, my husband and I, we say, what are you grateful for today? Anne: Nice. Laya: And we give our gratefuls. We don't necessarily pray. We're not a very religious, but a very spiritual family. And we talk about our gratitudes every day. When I wake up in the morning, I start my day in my mind with, what am I grateful for today? And some "I am" statements, the feeling of like, what are you today? And what can you embrace this day with, with power, with gratitude, with appreciation? And, you know, those are very powerful and often taken for granted. So it can really change your mind -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- and change your mood and change your mentality as you approach the mic every day. Anne: And I think that there's something to be said for taking the moment and, in more than a moment, even for yourself, so that you can bring your best self to the booth. And you're having that -- Laya: 100%. Anne: -- having that time where you are thinking, what am I grateful for? And I know I come from a place of gratitude, and sometimes you're forced into a place of even deeper gratitude. Laya: You have to fake it 'til you make it sometimes. And that's okay. Anne: With, let's say, health issues, right? Of course, we're in the middle of a pandemic, but you know, I've had health issues where -- it's funny because what I used to think was so dramatic and horrible maybe in my booth, you know, prior to a cancer diagnosis, right? After I come through that, then it becomes like, wow, I am grateful that I can be in this booth. I'm grateful that I can work from home. I am grateful that I'm still here to be able to use my voice -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- to be able to have an impact on somebody, and that -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- and I think ultimately becomes like a -- there's a very central core place of gratitude that comes from, for me, it's education. It's that teacher in me. I mean, I'm a voice actor. And a lot of that voicing that I do impacts people. It inspires people. It, it -- hopefully it inspires people, you know, and it is something that I want to leave, that is my legacy. That is where I am going to leave an impact. This show is also part of that. Laya: Oh, it's such a gift, such a gift to so many. So yes, you're on that track, and that's your modern mindset. Anne: There you go. Laya: It's beautiful. Anne: There you go. And I think the gratitude and manifesting abundance really will help. Then you can get in the booth and perform. Like too many people I think just run into the booth and just audition, audition, audition. And there's no like set ritual maybe that gets them into a good mindset. I know that if, at the end of the day, if I have an audition that comes in, and I've been stressed out, oh my goodness, I have to really think about it. Laya: You can hear it. Anne: It so affects our voice. Oh my goodness. Laya: Yes. Anne: Every tiny little thing. Laya: Think about it, think about it. You're delivering vibration. Anne: Yup, yup. Laya: You're an amplified source right into somebody's eardrum. Anne: Exactly. Laya: If you aren't coming from an emotional point, as my coach Nancy Wolfson would say, from the right emotional point -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- it starts with you! Then your listener is going to hear it or feel it. They may not be able to associate it, but they are absolutely going to be able to transmit that. Anne: Oh my goodness. Yes, absolutely. Laya: For me -- and I love that you talked about like, how do you approach the booth every day? I wanted to share just from my perspective what has changed for me. I was running and gunning. You know, I'm a full-time mom. Anne: Me too, yup. Laya: I dealt with a child homeschooling in a pandemic. It was gangbusters. It still is. There is a new normal level of anxiety that used to be my peak level. And so I've had to manage that. And I realized that when my bookings were dipping, it was because I wasn't showing up properly. And there was some frazzled months in there where -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- Corona coaster -- and knock on wood, we still have been lucky enough not to have, um, contracted COVID here -- but that, the anxiety of the world and the weight of the world -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- those months in the booth and, and working and trying to maintain was heavy. And I knew that it was resonating -- Anne: Yeah. Laya: -- and it was why I wasn't booking. So I took a step back. And I started to focus my energy on me waking up earlier. Every morning, I do a Kundalini yoga practice with a Zoom coach, and it's a large group. Anybody can join. Well, maybe I'll send it out at some point, but it's amazing that. Anne: Yes. We'll put it our in our reference link. Laya: I love that. Anne: For the show. Laya: It's, it's breath work -- Anne: Yes. Laya: -- and body work -- Anne: Yes, yes, yes. Laya: -- not only helps you ground down, but also gives your lungs, your vocal cords, your breath, more space in your body to really flow. And then I find that the tone, the timbre of my voice after a 40-minute session where my body is stretching, and I'm breathing, and I mentally and emotionally getting grounded, is so much richer. Anne: Oh yeah, absolutely. Laya: It's so much more connected. Then I get my kid to school, and you go for a walk, and I get some nature. I say, you know, breathe that fresh air in. I can feel it viscerally. And then I come to the booth with a nice, you know -- Anne: Right. Laya: -- and not everybody has that availability where you have that flexibility or that time or those resources, but whatever that is to you is so important to come to your practice every day. Anne: Well, having worked with students for a number of years there is -- and especially in narration work, a lot of narration work -- I think that narration, number one, you have to keep the focus and the engagement for even longer than let's say 30 or 60 seconds. Laya: Sure. Anne: And it's interesting because some people think, "well, I'm just narrating. I'm going to just" -- everything together put together is a creation, right? You've got video. Maybe you're narrating for that video, but depending on what you're doing, let's say if you're teaching, if you're doing e-learning, or if it's a corporate narration, which is not so much a documentary style, but it's a different style where you are connecting with a potential client and doing a soft sell, every single piece of work or that you do, or every word on that page has meaning. And if you are not completely focused in understanding that meaning and taking that, and being able to tell a story, taking that and be able to emotionally connect with your listener, that takes a ton of focus. And it is so -- Laya: And stamina. Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. And it is so evident when you are stressed. It is so evident when you are not connected to the copy. And there's so much to say about being connected to the copy, to be able to tell that story, and becoming almost lost in telling the story, where it then no longer is about what your voice sounds like. And if you're listening to what your voice sounds like, that is taking up all of your brain power to not be able to tell a story. And that's what our job is. Our job is to tell that story in a meaningful and an engaged way. And if we are not mentally there, if we're stressed, if we're any type of heightened, I would say emotion, we are not able to properly do our jobs. Laya: Yeah. And I think, you know, to speak on that, some of the ways, and I'd love to hear your feedback on what you do as well, but I think to stay clear, confident, and committed and maintain your sanity and your peace of mind in this industry -- because as we mentioned in our last episode, you know, if you're an introvert, and maybe this is your calm, and this is the perfect job for you. I'm an extrovert. So talking to myself by myself all day, uh, I need some reassurance along the way. So I think one of the important things to create for yourself is a mastermind group or a group of people, or even just an individual within the industry that's -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- maybe at the same point you are. Um, my friend Kelly Buttrick, uh, often talks about the compass and finding your north star, finding someone that you can reach up to that is maybe in the next level that you would like to be as a -- Anne: So important. Laya: -- little bit of a mentor. Right? But then also find someone to yourself that you can also share some information to, so you're not only receiving, but you're giving, right? Anne: Absolutely. Laya: Like you do every day, you give on this podcast, you give as a coach. But even as the single solo preneur, I think it's so important, which she said is so important, it's always stuck with me this compass mentality, because then you've got somebody on your east and your west that are right on your level that you can commiserate with, check-in with say, you know, I'm really not feeling this. I'm self-doubt whatever, how are you doing? They can pump you up. And I have found this industry to be so giving in that way that I hope that we can inspire everyone to find their compass, their mastermind, their group. I have a group of talent that we came together because of Kelly over the pandemic called the Gnomies. And it's just a funny name because there was a, a gnome troll in a picture. Anyway, there's nine of us that have come together on Zoom once a week that just talk. And we don't even necessarily talk about the industry. It's more of a gut check to see how's everybody's doing -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- in their isolated room. You know? Anne: It's like a water cooler, where y'all get together and talk. Laya: It's so important that we create those for ourselves. That's part of the modern mindset. It's that you don't have to do this alone. You know, mental health, mental, emotional health is so important. It is everything. And I think it's a little underrated how that's discussed in the voiceover-- Anne: Well -- Laya: -- community -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- health and maintaining that health. Anne: And let's just focus on the word, that this is something that we do in our booth alone. And that right there, just think of the word that we do this alone, we're isolated. And right there is where we need to just stop and understand and realize that it's okay to reach out to others in the industry. We need to have that water cooler. We need to have that experience where, even if we're not talking about the industry, we're just talking, we're communicating, we're engaging with one another to have that human experience, which helps us to do our jobs better, because I think completely isolating yourself in the booth, whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, right, I think we all still need that connection -- Laya: Oh, sure. Anne: -- to be able to, to function really, we need that feedback. And I love the accountability group. I love just having a group that you can get together with, you know, on a weekly basis and -- or whatever timeframe you guys have. I mean, I've been a part of accountability groups for years, and it's a wonderful, wonderful way to get all those questions that you have and self doubt that you have in your brain that, "oh my God, I'm not doing this right, or how do I even do this? Am I," there's always the questions that I get. And even from students, like, you know, if you're a coach, a lot of times, part of that is a mental lesson too. If, you know, students are not feeling confident or they're like, do I have what it takes? I can't tell you how many times people have asked that of me. Laya: Sure. Anne: Do I have what it takes? And that is such an involved question. Um, you know, it's just, there's no one answer. Do you have what it takes? It starts from inside you. Laya: Yeah. Anne: That's a big part of that and a modern mindset. Laya: I totally agree with you. And a lot of people have asked me, well, I'm just starting out. I don't know anybody in the street. And I want to give you two tips on how to create an accountability group or a buddy in the industry. And these are some of the things that have worked for me because we are so isolated, especially during a pandemic. I have found that, you know, luckily I was fortunate enough to align myself with some talent before we all got shut down, and I just kindly and conscientiously cheered them on on social media. I would follow up with them. I would not be asking or needing anything from them. I would just be their cheerleader, just like you would want to nurture and finesse a new boyfriend or love interest or girlfriend or a client. You know, you're just cheering them on on social media. The other thing I have found is that if you are in some workout groups, whether they're local in your area, or even everyone's coming in from all over, because everything is virtual. You know, use that Zoom group to your advantage, cheer the person on that you are finding the most similarity with and the most opposite talent from, you know, somebody that's your polar opposite, so you don't have that competition feeling or what have you. And then message them privately in the Zoom where you can, you know, chat with other people, and let them know what a great job they're doing. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: It's going to make somebody else -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- feel amazing in those very nerve-wracking Zoom sessions when everyone's staring at you doing your reading. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: And also create some camaraderie. And then, you know, maybe before the session closes, say, hey, would you mind if we connect on social? I love what you're doing. I want to continue to stay in touch. Some of my best industry relationships are people I have never met in person. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: It's because we cheer each other on on social media. I like what they're doing because social media, I mean, hello, that's a whole other conversation we're going to get into. Anne: Well, I want to talk a little bit about that. While I think the good in the social media and the, and the support, I also think we need to be very careful about social media too -- Laya: Definitely. Anne: -- because that could also be part of the mindset that may or may not contribute to a healthy -- Laya: May not be positive. Anne: Exactly. Laya: For sure, Anne, for sure. Anne: Yup. Laya: There's so much comparison out there. It is very easy to take a break from your day, scroll your -- Anne: Imposter syndrome. Laya: -- and decide -- yes -- that you are either not cut out for this, or why are all these other people getting all these other gigs -- because you know, love it or hate it. You got to put yourself out there and show your accomplishments. I feel like it can be both tacky and also self-serving. Anne: I agree with that. Laya: So it's another conversation of how it's presented. Anne: That's another episode. That's another episode. Laya: Definitely. I smell another episode. Anne: Yup. Laya: But I think it's important to then -- so my pivot to that is instead of, again, scarcity mindset, approaching your social platforms and your digital device with this, "why aren't I getting it mindset?" Be like, my gosh, she sounded great there. I loved what she did with that copy. Perfect voice for that. Anne: Right. Laya: And let them know, let them know, because that comes from a place of gratitude. If you are a true champion of women and of voices and voice work and storytelling and this industry, raise people up, don't put them down. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: Don't -- if you've got nothing good to say, keep on scrolling, but don't let that sit and fester in your, in your insides. You got to let somebody know that, you know, you don't know. They're hiding behind their post too. You know, they are, they're talking themselves out -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: It's, it's crazy, right? You're only putting your best self forward, but if you can cheer someone on -- Anne: Or, or not! Laya: Right, right. Anne: Right? Sometime you're not putting your best -- sometimes people are responding, and they're not putting their best selves forward. Laya: I have seen this too. Anne: Yes. Laya: There's another topic, but I think those were some of the ways that I was able to create community when there was no opportunity to do so. And, and those little things we can all do, and you see it, and then it becomes a ripple effect. And you notice the people that are then coming back to you, and you're getting a little bit of a boost when you needed it most and you didn't even know it. So there you go. Anne: You know, for all the people that complained about Zoom during the pandemic, and you know, there were lots of struggles with it, for schools and that sort of thing, I will tell you, Zoom is the one thing that saved me in that pandemic -- Laya: Yeah, absolutely. Anne: -- so that I can connect with my family -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- which is like 3000 miles away. Laya: Sure. Anne: -- Zoom is what helped me. Well, at least I was able to connect. And actually, if you've gone to the conferences that have been virtual, I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at the value of the networking that you can get from a virtual -- I'm not saying it's better than being in person, but I am saying that in the event that you cannot be there in person, it does bring you -- Laya: Yeah, yeah. Anne: -- for me, it brings me a closeness that is better than not necessarily having any communication whatsoever. Laya: Yeah, absolutely. Anne: So I think that it's, I think that it's so important what you're saying about lifting others up. And if you have nothing good to say, walk away, I mean, really that is -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: -- you know? Laya: Absolutely. And it doesn't mean you need to reply to every inquiry -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- on every Facebook page, because let me tell you, I've muted most of those. I just don't feel like it's beneficial or really worth my time or value to contribute when there's so many opinions. I thought -- I saw a great meme that, uh, Karin Gilfry put up about, uh, the typical voiceover social media response and the, all the characters involved. It's so true. We'll have to look it up and re, repost it at some point. But it's interesting. I find that through those conferences, through Zoom workouts, through even back channel DMs, social media messages to people, that's where some of the most rich relationship building I've been able to foster, and it really can feel you for the good, if you shift your perspective and come from a place of gratitude and abundance, instead of scarcity, and comparison. Anne: You know I'm going to say one thing, actually, that you pointed out, you know, on the back channels, you know, in the messenger and the texting. I think there's a lot to be said for maybe a truer engagement happening on those channels, where I think it's good that we have that, because a lot of times you can look at posts, and then you form your own opinion and you may -- or if you decide not to, to read it, but yet it stays with you in either a good or a bad way. You have those interactive channels that you can then communicate. And I think those are kind of like little lifelines, to be honest. Laya: I agree. Anne: In terms of, if you see a post that is upsetting to you, you can turn to that person on your compass. I love the compass idea. And it can be something that can maybe, you know, save your mental state from going awry, and it can be -- Laya: Yeah, a little gut check. Anne: -- yeah, it can be a great, a great way. So always have, I think, more so than the channels technically, make sure you have those people there that you can lean on to help you with your mental health. And I think that, you know, talking today about the modern mindset, coming from a place of gratitude to begin with, manifesting abundance, and having those people in your channel, having the support group, is so, so important to really starting, continuing and maintaining a modern mindset. Yeah. Laya: I love it. Anne: So great episode, Laya. Again, I'm so thrilled that we get to talk again. Laya: Thank you. Same here, Anne. Anne: I love really delving deep into this topic, and we've got a lot of great stuff coming up, BOSSes. So make sure that you keep tuning in every week with Laya and myself. Laya: Thank you. Anne: Yeah, I'm going to give a great, big shout-out to the technology that that allows us to bring this to you. And that is ipDTL. You too can connect like BOSSes. Find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week, and let's manifest abundance and show gratitude and work on our modern mindsets this week. So you guys, have a wonderful week. We'll see you next week. Take care. Bye! Laya: Take care. >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voBOSS.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to Coast connectivity via ipDTL.

VO is a marathon, not a sprint. Anne and series co-host Laya Hoffman kick off the Modern Mindset series with an honest look at the voice business from a fresh perspective. They discuss learning from industry trailblazers, mental and physical health in the booth, and the financial reality of VO. More at https://voboss.com/introducing-modern-mindset-part-1-with-laya-hoffman Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and today I am thrilled to welcome special guest cohost Laya Hoffman to the show. Laya is an Atlanta-based voice, actor and podcaster with over 20 years on the mic. She specializes in commercial, corporate, promos and others short form audio projects for amazing brands like BMW, Google, Amazon, AAA, Kind snacks, and much, much more. She's a former marketing exec -- woo-hoo, we love marketing -- nightclub DJ and creative agency lead. She brings a modern minded approach to business. So Laya, thank you so much for joining me on this special guest series on modern mindset. Laya: Thank you, Anne. It is such a pleasure to be here. I am a huge fan, always have been since we met years ago at, uh, VO Atlanta, and I've loved your show and all the quality content and the information you've provided to the industry. So it's an honor to be here. It's really nice to be able to continue our conversations on the mic. Anne: Well, thank you. And I'm excited because this is going to be a really cool series. We're not just here for one shot. So BOSS listeners, you're in for a treat while we explore all things modern mindset in our voiceover business and our entrepreneurship. So with that being said, Laya, you've been in the industry a long time. So I think having a modern mindset, especially when you have so much experience in the industry, it takes some effort, and it takes like a really good, focused mindset in order to remain successful in the industry. So tell us a little bit about your experience and how it's led you into this modern mindset for your voiceover business. Laya: Yeah, sure things. You know, I always say I've been on the mic for 20 years because I went to school for radio broadcasting at Columbia in Chicago. And I was on the air for many years. And then because of that, you know, 20 years ago, voiceover looked a lot different. It was us radio jocks, just doing the ads that were given to us by, you know, clients in the sales team for the radio. I didn't even realize that's what I was doing was voice work, right, voiceover, and I loved it because I loved storytelling. I love delivering somebody else's message and also being able to play with different tones and textures and deliveries and things like that. It also came at a time when I was on the radio, I came out of a very dramatic situation that took my voice away from me. So it was a self-healing revelation when I could use my voice in a quiet room, and I could find the strength again, and that to me was equal parts, healing and empowering, and part of my growth journey and my own personal work in therapy coming out of that situation. So to me, voice work always meant something different maybe because it was taken from me. So I never took it for granted until it was taken away from me, and then to come back and realize that power in our voice and that people were listening meant something kind of different. And so I think maybe I had a unique introduction to voiceover and then also not realizing that there was a job in that. And of course, if you're not on top of your game in radio, there's not a whole lot of stability in that. Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: At least there wasn't in my media market station. Anne: Sure. Laya: And so after radio, I continued to voice projects for clients just by word of mouth for about the next 17 years off and on throughout my career, throughout all my travel. A few years back, of course, I owned a creative agency with a partner of mine that had to do very forward-thinking ideas for big brands in order to get the engagement, and get people listening, and get people to interact with their brand on many different levels. So it was experimental marketing at its best. And so with that forward-thinking approach to brand work, I had to get very creative and pay attention to what brands needed and what their consumers needed to get the traction that those brands needed to see their ROI. And so that was a unique perspective. Fast forward a few years, I became the vice president of global marketing for a haircare company and for many years traveled the world is seeing what consumers and brands alike needed to really buy into loyalty and brand identity. And that gave me another unique perspective. When it came to social media, I was managing teams that would manage brand social media, the voice of brands across multiple platforms, and that had a unique voice. And all throughout this time, I continued to do voice work and projects for people that I knew. And I still didn't realize that there was a career in voiceover, 'cause I was just running and gunning, but I was doing it and making money this entire time, very low level. It wasn't until actually the conference that I met you at VO Atlanta a few years ago that I realized there was really something here, and I was burnt out on corporate. Anne: Really? Wow. Laya: Yeah. I didn't really realize or pay attention to the industry that is voiceover work ,and the craft, and just the amount of complexity and nuances that go into being a voice actor. Anne: Oh yeah. Laya: And I have an eight year old daughter now, but at the time she was four, and I was just gone a whole lot. And it became very apparent to me that I needed to be present for her, and raising a young woman, a young girl in this day and age meant that I needed to show up and be present and be my best self, but also be a positive role model for her growth. And knowing the pain of my past, I wanted to make sure that from a very early age, she knew that she could use her voice, stand up, be heard and use her voice for good. And so -- Anne: I love that. Laya: Yeah, thank you. Anne: Yeah. And I love that you have a podcast with her. Laya: I do. Anne: That's so -- Laya: Yeah. Anne: Yeah. That's amazing. I mean, that just is one thing that really struck me about you. And I thought what a wonderful way to really involve her in such a wonderful way, to have her believe in herself and have a voice and have that encouragement. That's amazing. Laya: Yeah, it's called, She Sounds Like Me. We're in our, we're going on our third season here in the fall, but she was a part of the creation when we started. She was six and she, believe it or not, had a hand in everything from picking the music bed to helping -- Anne: Wow. Laya: -- craft the colors and the logo design. I had her with us the entire process, which was entirely grassroots, bootstrapping your own podcast, as you all know. It's quite a -- Anne: Oh yeah. Laya: -- quite a feat, maybe a no -- an entirely different conversation. Anne: We should talk about that. Laya: Yes, for sure. Anne: In another episode -- Laya: For sure. Anne: -- we will absolutely discuss podcasting, for sure. Laya: So yeah, it was it's been a -- it's been an honor to have her along for the ride and help grow and develop our conversations that range from everything from bullying to systemic racism. So the podcast is its own thing, but going back to, you know, this modern mindset approach, it was because I stepped in and committed fully to voice acting, when I realized I was missing a huge part of my life with her. I got burnt out on corporate and it had to come to an end. I ripped the bandaid off, and I said, I am all in on becoming a voice actor. But from the beginning I took a very brick and mortar approach to that. And what I mean by that -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- is I knew that the investment was going to be significant, and that our family may take a hit financially. Anne: Yeah, yeah. Laya: My husband had to be on board. My daughter needed to be on board, and I needed to fully be present and ready to learn, absorb, and invest, and be patient -- Anne: Oh goodness, yes. Laya: -- every bit of the way. Anne: Yeah. Laya: Because you hear so many stories of people that don't realize that from the beginning. And it really is a -- is an eyeopening thing to understand just how much investment financially, energetically and -- Anne: Oh my goodness, yes. Laya: -- your entire household has to be to take this seriously and really get it going from the beginning. Anne: And I think that that is really important. I mean, myself, I remember when I jumped from corporate into full-time entrepreneur, a voice actor and it just, it's a scary thing. And I think there are lots of lessons learned along the way. But yeah, you absolutely have to be ready to put in the work, because it's not something -- Laya: No. Anne: -- that happens overnight, that is for darn sure. You know, that overnight success that takes you 10 years. And I think that having a modern mindset absolutely helps you because it is a business. It's not just about your voiceover in the studio. I mean, building the business really encompasses so much more than just the performance acting part of it. And I know that when I first started, myself, in this industry, I mean, I had to have the absolute support of my husband and just say, I knew we were going to take a hit income-wise as a family and we had to be prepared for that. Laya: Absolutely, and so did we. And so, you know, I've heard stories from some of the most iconic voice talent out there that say, you know, you can expect to start making money after like the second or third year, and money, I mean like 40, $50,000 a year. Anne: Yeah. Laya: And so just, you know, hold onto your hat. It's going to be a long process. Anne: And it might take longer. Laya: And it might take even longer than that. Anne: Than that even. Laya: But I have to be in with all due respect, and for those icons that have taught me so much like yourself, you know, I think it's that modern mindset and that laser focused approach that I brought to my business and the experience of coming in fresh to an industry that has been so well-established, and so many incredibly talented people have led the way, and provided all this rich education, and kind of let me see behind the glass to share their perspectives and the gifts that they gave me. I think being able to have a laser-focused approach in that modern mindset is what got me on a fast track to that high success trajectory very early on. So -- Anne: I want to say 20 years, right? I mean, we've evolved so much as an industry. Laya: Of course. Anne: And everything has changed in terms of -- like, when you said, I didn't even know voiceover was a thing, I didn't either. And I started doing telephony at my company, you know. Everybody needs somebody to do the voicemail. Laya: Sure, always did that too. Anne: So that was how I, yeah, that's how I got involved in it. I didn't even know it was a thing. And back then, I mean, the Internet was just kind of becoming a thing, and there wasn't as much information out there when beginning in the voiceover industry. So there wasn't a lot of people. It was very isolating in the beginning, and you couldn't really like, well, who do I ask? How do I give somebody a quote? I don't even know how to ask somebody to do that because there really was no method. There was no Internet communication. There were no Facebook groups. There were -- you know, now it's crazy where there's all this electronic media where we can look for help or search for help on how to do something. But back then it was, it was crazy. And having a modern mindset or at least having some experience, I think out in the world beyond voiceover probably helped you a lot in terms of buckling down and really giving it a go and making this a business. Laya: Absolutely, Anne. And you touched on so many things I want to come back to. What I noticed is, and I do say, of course, I have been working and getting paid on the microphone for 20 years, but I've only been full-time for the last three. Anne: Yeah. Laya: And I really didn't consider this a career probably until the last year and a half, when I was able to sustain and make this -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- as a contributing member of my family's financial pie. So it is, it is um -- while I say that, I also want to give credit to all of those people, um, that have led the way and paved the way for helping us people that have come in newly with fresh eyes in the last couple of years. There's, there's so much to be gleaned from your experience and your history and fellow voice actors who have paved the way and led to so many coachings, to so many seminars, now that you can get information in so many different ways. And it's such a beautiful thing. Anne: Right? Laya: It can be an overwhelming thing, but -- Anne: Yes. I think that's the other part of it -- Laya: Yes. Anne: -- the other part of it, absolutely. So what information do you believe, do you trust or what information is correct? Laya: And who's valid and who's really in it for the right reasons? Anne: Yup. Laya: And who's not really trying to sell you? Anne: Exactly. Laya: And so there were some interesting hurdles I came across early on in the new version of my voice over career. So, and I talk about kind of where I'm at now. It's really what I've learned in the last two or three years, and taking the experience that I had in my previous roles and applying it through this fresh lens -- because what I think is interesting, so many of my colleagues that have long established careers in voiceover, you know, had to learn those things from the ground up and had to build those processes from the ground up where some of us newer talent comes in able to take these resources and kind of fast track. The other difference though, I notice, is that so many of my fellow colleagues that are more established have a harder time converting their pre-established mindset and then shifting it -- Anne: Absolutely, yup. Laya: -- into this modern mindset. And that's exactly what we're here to talk about over -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- the next couple of episodes. Anne: You've hit the nail on the head right there. And, you know, there's something to be said for being in an industry for a certain amount of years, but yet I think the hardest thing for people is to evolve along with industry. And it's not just the voiceover industry -- Laya: Every industry. Anne: -- it's just the world today. You know, I think technology has had such a huge impact on all aspects of the world that, you know, I think in order to evolve along with it, it's an important part of your, of your business. Laya: Absolutely. Anne: And modern mindset in terms of being able to evolve, what are the new trends, what's happening now? We're now starting to see, and especially anybody that's been in a business for so long, you start to see where the younger generation is now the people who are hiring you, the people who are directing you -- Laya: Absolutely. Anne: -- and it's important for you to be able to, how shall I say, step out of a bubble, step out of that bubble that you've been in, maybe, for, you know, so many years to be able to evolve and understand where the market is going, and how you can continue to serve the market in a way that allows you to maintain and still remain successful in your career. Laya: And be an innovative and meet those people where they are -- Anne: Yup. Laya: -- because that's really the difference. That's why we see the shift in the pay-to-plays. It's because those new CDs and the new copywriters, those people either haven't been trained or aren't willing to adapt the old school ways of doing things. They want to click a button. Anne: Sure. Laya: They want to, you know, hit their search bar. Anne: Yeah, absolutely. Laya: They don't want to talk to anyone. They want to have options at their fingertips. They also don't understand why this person who talks for a living gets paid more than they do. Anne: Sure, absolutely. Laya: You know? So there's all those things you have to really like put into your brain wave about how to meet these people, not only your clients, but the people that are hiring us in casting and things like that where they are. And then also how to position yourself as a brand, as a thought leader, how do you approach your social, your messaging out there? And even in the way we communicate and just the language that we use in short form -- Anne: Oh my goodness. Laya: -- brevity, right? That they want to hear in your email correspondence or whatever your messaging is. Anne: I have to give you like two words that I heard the other day. And I was like, oh man. And I, I always consider myself, you know, I try to be really on the edge of everything. I try to really keep up with things, and I heard "paid acquisitions." And I was like, what, what is paid acquisitions? And I'm like, it's marketing. It is, you know, Facebook ads, Google ads. And I was like, oh, so that's the term the youngins are using these days. Right? But yeah, trying to just keep up on that because I'm going to be interviewing this really wonderful, wonderful, strong female entrepreneur. And, you know, she's all about training people on paid acquisitions. And so I'm like -- Laya: And you're like, what? Anne: Okay, I had to Google, I had to Google it. Laya: Oh, that's code for marketing. Check. Anne: Yes, exactly. I gotcha. Laya: Yeah. Anne: So. You know. Laya: There's so many layers to it, you know. It's really -- and, and, and I don't have all the answers. I just know that through observing some of the most well-respected voice actors in the industry and creatives and agents and managers, and having such an incredibly giving industry, I've been able to absorb such quality information and then pass it through this modern minded filter, regurgitated, and seen some incredible success that was unexpected. And people often ask me, well, how are you compartmentalizing your time? How do you communicate? What are you doing for wellness? What, what about those pay-to-plays? How come you're successful on there? But you also have management like, oh, how do we approach our taxes, our finances? How are we -- Anne: Sure. Laya: -- you know, there's so many layers of it. And so, hence, this is why our conversation has kind of come up, because I think the more we know and the more we can share, the more I can give back to those that have given to me, the more we can work symbiotically or work from a place of gratitude together to grow this industry from a 360 approach. Right? Anne: Sure, sure. Laya: And so that we can, all we can all learn because gosh knows I've, I've learned so much from, from others. If I can even give one nugget of information back, uh, I will feel like I'm maybe contributing to the greater good of this industry. Anne: So I guess I want to ask, what would you consider the first step in getting yourself into a modern mindset for your business? Is there a first step, or is there multiple steps that you need to take to get yourself, keep yourself open to something like this? Laya: Yeah, that's a great, great question. I think I hear, you know, on the forums and things like that, Facebook groups, you hear a lot of people, you know, they want to jump right in with a demo and some coaching. And I think it's even before that, it's checking in with yourself. I always tell people, they're like, oh, so how do I get into voice acting? And, uh, you know, I got, I gotta -- get sign up at this -- no, hold up. What you first need to do is check in with yourself, and check in with your family, and check in with your support system, and your finances and where you are really aligned. Is this -- Anne: Oh my goodness. Yes. Laya: You know, I think that's the base of it because -- Anne: Finances! Laya: Yes, because -- Anne: I have to just, I have to echo that because -- Laya: Oh, for sure! Anne: Yes, you do have to mentally check in, check in with your support system, but finances is so important when you start on this journey. And I just want to back you up on that -- Laya: Absolutely. Anne: -- because you really can't endeavor to embark on a new career without any thought about financial stability, or if you have money to invest in, in establishing a business, so. Laya: Absolutely. If you're going into any profession, right, you've made the commitment to yourself. You want to be a doctor. You're going to make the commitment that you've got to pay for student loans. You're going to need at least eight years of college. It's going to take blood, sweat, and tears to get you there. But in the end, you will be a doctor. The same thing goes for being a voice actor. Now you can also stick your toe in the pond and just see if it's for you by taking an improv class or, you know, taking a local, a group class or something like that. Sure. That'll get you at least enough information to see if you want to make the commitment. But I think at the end of the day, you have to check in with yourself and see, am I all in? And I'm an all-in person. Anne: Yeah. Laya: I knew I was all in. So that brought a different set of questions or -- Anne: That's my personality too. Laya: Right. Right. Or are you half in? Anne: All or nothing. Laya: And you just want to check it out as a side gig, but just know that if you go in as a side gig, you still are not making money -- Anne: Well -- Laya: -- for a long time. Anne: -- what's interesting. Yeah. You know, what's interesting is they did something, right when in high school, you know, you had a career counselor. You had a guidance counselor in terms of career paths. And I really feel that voiceover was never one of those paths than anybody explained -- Laya: No. Anne: -- because it is, you know, and -- Laya: Sounds easy too, right? Anne: Everybody that looks to get into it, like you need to, you need to have that counseling. You need to find out what is this industry all about. Laya: Yeah. Anne: And what does it take to get into this industry and be able to succeed in it? And so I feel like there's a little bit of career counseling that needs to happen. And in that career counseling, there has to be a modern mindset factor. Right? Laya: Absolutely. And you have to kind of scrape away, and I know, there's a lot of incredible coaches out there, but they want to get right to reading copy. And I wish there was more of a push towards -- Anne: Introduction. Laya: Yeah, and saying just -- Anne: Here's, here's the industry. Laya: -- here's the reality because you can't get that from a Facebook post. You can get it from --a lot -- you can get a lot of opinions. Oh my gosh, there are some, right? But the reality is, and I would tell anybody like, this is no joke. This is not a sprint. This is for sure a marathon, no matter if you want to go full-time and you're going all in, or if you, even, if you want to think and consider this as a part-time hustle or a side side gig. I mean, either one of those things take a significant investment time, energy, and effort. And if there's any part of that, that you don't love, then just check yourself, and you know, maybe re-evaluate before you hemorrhage a lot of money because it really can add up fast. Anne: It can. And I, I'll tell you when I have people that I offer a free consult, that people, if they want to find out what it's like to get into the voiceover industry, and the first thing that I always say is like, look, I am not going to sugarcoat this for you. Laya: Right. Good for you. This is hard. Anne: And the thing of it is, it's not just about the voice and being in a booth and creating character voices and having fun. It is truly a business. And so there's a lot to be said for, you're going to have to not only have fun in the booth, but in the beginning, you're going to have to market yourself like crazy. And especially if I hear from people that are like, okay, I'm retiring. I want this to be for my retirement. I make sure, I'm like, look, you have to make sure you have, you have -- the whole finance -- I'm going back to the financial thing. Laya: Yeah. Anne: Right? You've got to have some financial backup because getting into this, there is an investment. It's not just, you know, obviously watching some YouTube videos and reading words. Laya: Yeah. Anne: So I'm always careful when people say they're looking to -- to support a family, especially a family. If there's children, I get really nervous. And I'm like, the first thing I'll tell them is that, look, this is hard. And it's, it's crazy competitive and make sure that you always have either an alternate piece of income that can help you support your family until you get that business underway. It's important. Laya: Absolutely. Absolutely. And so there's that gut check there that I think is important. You're asking earlier about what are the first steps. I think that first step is having a real conversation with yourself of like, are you just checking it out or are you all in? I knew enough to know that I was all in, and I needed to make -- I make a brace of changes when I do. I take big risks. And, uh, sometimes they pan out. Luckily this one did, but you know, my family had to be on board because there was going to be a time commitment -- Anne: Well, exactly. Laya: -- and a financial commitment. Anne: I was just gonna say, when you made that decision to go all in, you had done your prior research. You had educated yourself on the industry, right? And you talked it over with your support system, your family, to make sure that they were onboard with it as well. And I think that that's important. Laya: Absolutely, absolutely. Anne: So important to have that support. Laya: And the second thing I did that I don't think we are aware enough of, but it is so key -- and I totally attribute some of my success to it -- is checking in with your body and making sure that you're in a healthy space, both state of mind and emotionally and physically. Because this is far more demanding, physically, energetically, mentally and emotionally than we talk about honestly. I mean, I am a self-proclaimed extrovert and I am now choosing to talk to myself in a box for a living. It is highly introverted. There is very little pats on the back that you get. Nobody's cheering for you along the way, unless it's your family or your friends or your, you create a, you know, a support system in the voiceover community, which is incredible by the way. Anne: And -- Laya: That is a big part of it. Anne: Well yeah, and also because it is, so it is so much based in auditioning and rejection. Laya: Rejection, rejection -- Anne: Rejection. Laya: -- rejection. Anne: That's a whole mental mindset. In the beginning, I remember in the beginning, oh my goodness, like being in tears. First, I couldn't get the right sound out of my studio. I didn't have the ear, and somebody, I remember long time ago when I was first setting up my studio, I had submitted an audition, and they came back and they said, it sounds like you're talking in a tube. And I was mortified. I was mortified. I was like, oh my goodness. Like, I don't belong here. And there's that whole emotional mindset that was like, oh my God, I, I just, I shouldn't be here. You know, this is maybe not for me. Laya: That's exactly right, Anne. And if you're not strong, and committed, and confident in yourself, or at least confident in knowing that this is going to have some low moments, and you realize openly that it is mmm a lot based on a lot of rejection or at least no reassurance. Right? I will say that, like you are just sending things out to the ether. Maybe you'll get some feedback one day, good or bad. Anne: Yeah. Laya: Um, but most likely bad first, you know, that takes a hit to our ego. And, um, and then it really makes you question things. Anne: Sure. Laya: So I think, I think just along with checking in with your family and about finances and commitment and what level of commitment you're willing to bring to this, uh, to this career or this idea of, uh, you know, a side hustle or this industry, you really have to see, are you healthy body, mind, soul, and spirit to withstain and go the distance because it can crush you if you're not. Anne: Sure. Laya: And that's something I don't think we talk enough about. With mental health being at the forefront of so many things these days, it is a hundred percent. Anne: Absolutely. Laya: And I'm not great at it either, but I take steps every day to make sure that I can arrive to the booth, to the mic, to the studio, to my clients, and myself, and my family with a grounded sense of self by doing meditation, by doing yoga, by doing breath work, stretching, getting my feet in the soil, getting grounded every day before I come to this, because I know at the end of the day -- Anne: Absolutely. Laya: -- it can take the wind out of your sails. Anne: It is so about your mindset and your mentality for your performance as well. So not just for you in entering a business and being an entrepreneur, but also bringing a mindset to your performance that can really, that can really be something for your clients, right? That you can be that voice for them. You can elevate their brand. Laya: Yeah. Anne: Wow. I think that there is so -- we've got, we've got another episode. Laya: We've got a few, I think. Anne: -- on this mindset. Absolutely. So I'll tell you what, BOSSes, make sure to join us on our next episode, where we were going to continue this conversation on getting yourself into a modern mindset with Laya Hoffman. Laya, thank you so much -- Laya: Thank you, Anne. It's such a pleasure. Anne: -- for -- yeah. I'm so excited to have you for multiple episodes. Laya: Thank you. Anne: I just love it. 'Cause I just think this is an amazing conversation, and I think it's going to be super valuable to our listeners. So. Laya: Thank you so much. I'm super grateful for this. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to continuing to dig in. Anne: Yay. I'm going to give a great, big shout-out to our sponsor, ipDTL. You too can connect and talk like BOSSes. Find out more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week, and we'll both see you next week. Bye. Laya: Bye-Bye. >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voboss.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to Coast connectivity via ipDTL.

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