Narrator.Life Retreat
I’m back home riding a mighty high from the weekend in Palm Springs with some amazing narrators, hosted by industry veterans Andi Arndt and Ronnie Butler. We spent the weekend deep in discussion about many topics that affect us as narrators and our roles as business owners, but also as service providers to the publishing industry. This was a lovely opportunity I had as a result of some gentle encouragement from my colleague, Byron Wagner, without whom I may have never applied!
One of the major highlights was simply being around my peers. This cohort of about 11 narrators was carefully curated by our hosts to compliment each other and ran the spectrum of several months to several decades in the audiobook realm. I’m not kidding when I say I learned something from each of them because it’s not simply about the work we’ve done, but the unique life experience we each bring to our work. The extended time with each other gave us plenty of opportunities to listen and learn more about each other, why we’re passionate about the work we do, where we find (many shared) struggles and obstacles, and be each other’s cheerleaders. I felt like I suddenly gained 10 new nationwide friends!
The weekend itself was split into two “instructional” days, one focused on business, and one on performance. I think my most valuable business takeaway was a better understanding of some of the etiquette around how we seek work in the publishing world. As someone who entered the audiobook space on ACX, where you’re almost always interacting directly with authors as producers, it was somewhat of a surprise to learn how problematic it could be to maintain this approach as you begin working with publishers. It may feel natural and organic, especially if you’re active on social media, to seek out an author you like, maybe after they’ve just revealed gorgeous cover art for their next title, and you offer your demo, or even ask directly to be considered for casting! After all, we are in control of our business, no? But some perspective might alert you to the fact that you’ve just made the publisher’s job a bit harder as the author begins to get involved in the production process in an unexpected way with special casting considerations. Does the publisher now acquiesce in order to please their client? It could leave you remembered in a way you don’t want, even if you do a great job! On the other hand, the middleman role of the publisher also protects the narrator in the production process, as any communication can be filtered through an entity whose job it is to streamline the development of the audiobook. I was extremely grateful to catch the potential blind spot in my own marketing efforts.
Our performance day was equally valuable. The word I think came up most for a lot of the cohort was affirming. We spend so much time isolated in our booths, with only the voice in our head to offer us feedback. Usually that voice only offers questions: “Am I doing this right?” “Is this working?” “Do they really like what I’m doing?” “Do I belong here?” Nothing shuts that voice up quicker than having your peers and respected seniors listen to your work firsthand, and offer their genuine support as your performance lands on them. I think everyone went into performance day with some amount of nerves for one reason or another, but I know I came out of it with a newfound sense of confidence in my own abilities. That confidence really sets you free as an actor and allows you to trust that what you’re doing, the choices you’re making, are right for that moment. All that’s left is to send in what you’re happy with and put away what’s out of your control!
Speaking of control, it’s wild how much our personal well being can bleed into our business practices. I’ve spent a lot of time navigating this within my own therapy journey. Having a sense of control means having a sense of safety; we function at our best when we feel safe. Maintaining that sense of safety can be difficult in a profession where so much is out of our control. This is how I discovered why my “obsession” with video games could even be labeled as such. Video games offer a set of rules and parameters that you can expect to behave the same way every time you engage with them; the entire virtual world is a controlled environment! So whenever my life started to feel out of balance, I would run away to that safer space, and it was very often a long-term visit. But the running away never addresses the problem, whether it’s a personal, relationship, or business one. It felt good to be able to recognize that for what it was, but also so relieving to hear that other members of my cohort had similar struggles that would prove to be obstacles for growth, career or otherwise. Again, the knowing that you’re not alone is powerful enough to inspire you to try.
I’m greatly looking forward to trying to apply the tools of the weekend wherever I can, and finding the consistency that will really allow my career to blossom!
For those interested, I’ll offer a few reading and listening recommendations that came up throughout the weekend. Hopefully they provide you some value as well!
