The Great Voice Podcast

High Stakes, Real People, Better Reads

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice student Cris Cassell and E. Curtis Johnson. Cris Cassell, a trained actor, director, and acting teacher whose career has taken her from theater stages to the classroom at the Academy of Art University. Already working in e-learning and preparing an audiobook demo, Cris shares why voiceover appeals to her as a performer who loves creating entire worlds with nothing but her voice. Curtis Johnson, a retired broadcaster whose voice has been heard on the radio for nearly five decades. After a successful career in rock, country, Top 40, and adult contemporary radio, Curtis has turned his attention to audiobooks, commercials, and voiceover work. Listen as Susan coaches Cris through a commercial script. They explore the concepts of urgency and high stakes, using visualization and physical movement to bring more energy, authenticity, and emotional commitment to the read. Working on an e-learning script with E., Susan helps him move beyond the familiar “announcer voice” by creating a specific scenario and a real person to talk to. The result is a warmer, more conversational read that feels less like a presentation and more like a genuine interaction.    Chapters * 03:37 Coaching Session: Subway Commercial * 12:49 Understanding High Stakes in Voiceover * 25:32 Coaching Session: E-Learning Script Hosted - Susan Berkley Producer - Salena Metreger  Music by Darrin Fossella  Show Opener by Tanya Wade This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com [http://greatvoicegear.com] to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm [https://greatvoice.com/crm] to learn more.

Creating Drama, Creating Connection

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice student Claudett Sanders and Larry Chain. Claudett Sanders, a preschool supervisor and lead teacher from Sacramento, spends her days reading stories to three-, four-, and five-year-olds. With retirement on the horizon, Claudett is looking to turn her love of reading into a fulfilling voiceover career.  Larry Chain has spent more than 30 years building relationships and selling everything from motors to industrial components. After years of hearing compliments about his voice and occasionally being mistaken for a robocall, Larry is discovering how the same communication skills that make him successful in sales can translate to voiceover.  Listen as Susan helps Claudett finesse an audiobook script. Susan coaches her on raising the stakes, helping her explore multiple story scenarios and emotional perspectives. Working on a Subway commercial, Susan helps Larry sharpen his read by focusing on a single, specific listener, transforming the script from a general sales pitch into a genuine one-on-one conversation.    Chapters * 12:02 Character Development and Storytelling * 17:58 Voiceover Techniques and Performance * 22:13 Sales and Voiceover Connection * 24:09 Focusing on One Person Hosted - Susan Berkley Producer - Salena Metreger  Music by Darrin Fossella  Show Opener by Tanya Wade This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com [http://greatvoicegear.com] to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm [https://greatvoice.com/crm] to learn more.

Character, Connection, and the Rise of Audio Drama

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice student Anna Kunkin and industry guest Brady Flanagan.  Anna Kunkin is a bilingual medical interpreter whose years helping Spanish-speaking patients navigate doctors’ appointments and immigration interviews have given her a deep sense of empathy and connection. After growing up partly in Mexico and becoming fluent in Spanish, Anna found a career where advocacy and communication come together. Brady Flanagan is a voice actor, writer, director and sound engineer based out of Salt Lake City. He is the founder of the Voice Support Community on Discord as well as the creator of the audio drama Rogue Life. Brady and Susan discuss the booming world of audio dramas and why the format has exploded in recent years.  Tune in as Susan coaches Anna through a commercial read where they work on developing a clear point of view by speaking to one specific person and creating a believable world behind the script. And learn how podcasts are helping fuel a new generation of scripted audio entertainment built around immersive sound, full casts, music, and storytelling “for the ears.” Hosted - Susan Berkley Producer - Salena Metreger  Music by Darrin Fossella  Show Opener by Tanya Wade This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com [http://greatvoicegear.com] to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm [https://greatvoice.com/crm] to learn more.  Join the Voice Support Community on discord: https://discord.gg/amEcdfEJCR

One Story at a Time: Building an Audiobook Career

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice students Nan Charters and Andrew Smith, two audiobook lovers who found their way behind the mic after very different careers. First, you’ll meet Nan Charters. A former publishing professional and legal assistant whose love of books, language, and reading aloud eventually led her to voiceover. Encouraged for years by people complimenting her voice while lecturing at church, Nan finally took the leap during COVID and immersed herself in Great Voice training and certification. Next, you’ll hear retired IT professional Andrew Smith, who turned a longtime interest in broadcasting and voice work into a growing audiobook career. Andrew shares how one audiobook led to another, including return authors and a new trilogy project, all recorded from a shared home studio with his wife, who is also a narrator.  Tune in to hear Susan coach Nan on the power of contrast—using a subtle sense of foreboding beneath bright, beautiful imagery to create intrigue and draw listeners deeper into the story. And then Susan works with Andrew on slowing down his delivery and visualizing the scene, helping the imagery come into sharper focus and making the performance more vivid and immersive. Chapters * 06:31 Building Character and Story for Audiobook Auditions * 12:43 Refining Performance and Tone * 24:46 Life as an Audiobook Narrator * 30:25 Exploring Character Depth in Narration Hosted - Susan Berkley Producer - Salena Metreger  Music by Darrin Fossella  Show Opener by Tanya Wade This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com [http://greatvoicegear.com] to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm [https://greatvoice.com/crm] to learn more.

Raising the Stakes: Turning Reads into Real Performances

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice students David Peterson and Omar Masoodi.   David Peterson turned a recent layoff into an opportunity to pursue his long-standing interest in voice acting and character work. Growing his skills with The Great Voice Company and putting himself out there on the pay-to-play sites, David wants to bring his unique voice to animation, video games, elearning and more.   Omar Masoodi is a special education teacher of 35 years and longtime public address announcer with a natural love of storytelling. With experience in radio and a growing presence on Voices.com, Omar shares how consistent daily auditions are already leading to paid work.    Listen in as Susan coaches David through an audiobook scene, focusing on “raising the stakes.” And with Omar, Susan shows how adding specificity can help bring vague copy to life. But stay tuned, because a special bonus interview where Omar talks about his recent successes on the pay-to-play sites and what he’s learned about scams and how to avoid them.   Chapters * 05:47 Audiobook Narration Techniques * 16:59 Exploring Corporate Voiceover Scripts * 25:51 Creating Authentic Connections in Voice Over * 34:09 Navigating Pay-to-Play Platforms Hosted - Susan Berkley Producer - Salena Metreger  Music by Darrin Fossella  Show Opener by Tanya Wade This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com [http://greatvoicegear.com] to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm [https://greatvoice.com/crm] to learn more.