I smashed it again!

Last year I started a new tradition: write a motivational list on a post-it note with personal and professional goals for the year and pin it to my studio wall.

Well, it worked pretty well as you can read in last year’s blog. In 2018 I built a new studio, won an award, gained some great new clients and got healthy and strong.

So, I decided I had to do it again. And guess what? It worked again!

This was 2019’s list:

• Win an award
• Complete my family
• Lose 1.5 stone (if not pregnant)
• Get a regular new e-learning client
• Get a new regular radio commercial client
• Renew my Commercial demo reel
• Maintain or improve my income
• Do the loft extension
• Read more books

Again, some stretching stuff in there – and some stuff out of my control. But it’s so useful to keep your goals front and centre and have a clear direction of travel.

So, how did I do?

Well, I only went and smashed it again!

 

• I won the Best Female Radio Drama Performance at the One Voice Awards.
• I was also a finalist in the Female Voiceover Artist of the Year category for the 2nd year in a row and a finalist in the Best Female Radio Commercial Performance category too!
• A client nominated me for the Private Education and Development Awards 2019 and I won the Educational Voiceover artist of the year award!
• I worked with the amazing Pete Gold to create my new Commercial Reel. I think it really captures my range, how my voice has changed and improved over the years and includes some more contemporary styles. I’ve also split it up into Vocal Styles to make it easy for clients to pin-point exactly what they’re looking for.
• The loft extension was completed in time with the extra bedroom we needed which leads me to…
• After hitting the gym and eating well in 2018 and taking a well earned break from all things BABY to just focus on me, we decided to have one last try. I’m thrilled to say that on 12th November we welcomed baby Ada into our world. Just like her Mum and big sister she has a whacking set of lungs on her, so I’m clearly breeding the next generation of voiceover artists.
• I’ve continued working with the amazing Nancy Wolfson to keep my voice and skills in tip-top condition. Her training is keeping me fresh and ahead of the game in terms of commercial vocal styles and stopping me from falling into lazy bad habits. I want to make sure I’m always giving my clients the best and continued professional training and development is the best way to do it.
• I’ve developed a great relationship with Maple Street Creative and have been doing loads of commercials with them.
• The TV has been on less. The phone has been put down more. Social media must think I’ve vanished. But I’ve read loads of books and I have to say I’m much happier for it. More books, more podcasts, more brain stretching stuff. Bliss.
• And, despite the ill health that I sadly suffer whenever I’m pregnant, and the last few months of the year being dominated by sleepless nights and nappies, I’ve somehow managed to earn more this year than last!

Well, that’s the post-it note sorted. But it doesn’t stop there! In addition in 2019 I …

• Became the voice of an online game and app that teaches kids to read
• Started a great relationship with a mental health and wellbeing company providing the voiceovers for their inspirational and life changing training
• Voiced my 1st ever long form audio book for Games Workshop. I narrated it and voiced the 25+ characters (more than half of which were men!).
• Picked up some new clients in America and I’m working some great agents and agencies over there too. 

There’s probably more, but I can’t  think!

So, what does 2020 have in store?

Well, it’s going to be a tricky year as I negotiate running my business with two small children. But, I’m pretty confident it’s only going to bring good things. I’ve doubled my turn-over since having my 1st child, so let’s hope number 2 brings me the same luck! But the real mission is to keep going. Keep servicing my clients with the top quality performance and production quality that they’re used to and for them to feel no ‘bump’ as I navigate my new, busier road.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been named ‘Educational Voiceover Artist of the Year 2019’ in the Private Education and Development Awards. 

Now, obviously it’s lovely to have won. But the BEST BIT is that it was a client of mine that submitted me for the awards! You can listen to the award-winning entry below.

CV Magazine interviewed me about the award. You can see a full version of the magazine by clicking the image link below.

 

 

About the Awards 

The Private Education and Development Awards are run by CV Magazine. 

The private education market is vital, as 85% of the jobs that today’s learners will be doing in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. Preparing young minds to be versatile and resilient for this type of future takes a number of caring and skilled professionals operating in a myriad of disciplines.

Discussing the success of the winners, Edward Faulkner, Awards Coordinator commented:

“From early learning, to adult education, all who make quantitative and qualitative contributions to this vital sector are recognised through this awards programme. I am proud to offer all of my winners my congratulations and best wishes for the future.”

 

To learn more about the other winners, and to find out the secrets behind their success, please visit https://www.cv-magazine.com.

And there’s more! 

This is the only award I’ve won this year. Back in May I took home the gong for Best Female Radio Drama Performance at the One Voice Awards and I was thrilled to have been a finalist as the Female VO of the year for the 2nd year in a row.

It’s all a wonderful reflection of the hard graft I put in during 2018. It was a tough year, but full of so many successes. I voiced my 1st video game and cinema commercial, built a new studio, became a continuity announcer and smashed my income targets. Let’s hope 2019 can be just as good!

 

My other Radio Drama Work 

If you’d like to know more about some of my radio drama work, including 6 Doctor Who dramas and a Torchwood, then check out my blog.

WINNER!

Best Female Radio Drama Performance 

I’m chuffed to bits to have been awarded a prestigious One Voice Award for my radio drama work. It’s an absolute honour as the competition was stiff and the standards were very high.

Over 2500 people entered the awards, being a finalist means you’re in the top 2% of the industry, so to win is an absolute thrill. 

My win for Best Female Radio Drama Performance was for my work on ATA Girl; the amazing World War II drama produced by Big Finish. It was an honour to bring the amazing story of the female pilots to life. I must thank Louise Jameson (the director and life-blood behind the project), Helen Goldwyn the producer and the whole cast and team that made it such a special project. 

Nominated for Female VO of the year – 2 years in a row!

It wasn’t just the Radio Drama category! This year I was a finalist in the following categories:

• Female Voiceover Artist of the Year
• Best Female Radio Commercial

That’s the 2nd year in a row for both Best Female and Radio drama, a 1st for Radio Commercial and last year I was a finalist in the Best Corporate Performance.

It’s a wonderful reflection of the hard graft I put in during 2018. It was a tough year, but full of so many successes. I voiced my 1st video game and cinema commercial, built a new studio, became a continuity announcer and smashed my income targets. Let’s hope 2019 can be just as good!

About the awards

The awards are part of the One Voice Conference created by Gravy for the Brain. They say “The One Voice Conference is aimed at all levels of Voiceover Professional; from Beginner to Expert. Our goal is to take the voiceover industry forward and create a new standard of voice acting conference. Everyone is invited because each and every one of us works, plays a part, or simply loves the world of voiceover.”

A full list of all the categories, winners and nominees is available and the event took place in the DoubleTree by Hilton, Docklands hotel on 11th May 2019. 

My other Radio Drama Work 

If you’d like to know more about some of my radio drama work, including 6 Doctor Who dramas and a Torchwood, then check out my blog.