Accountability partners are important
In Today\u2019s episode I give a mid-summer update and talk about the importance of accountability partners. \xa0
This summer has been very different from all the other summers in my life.\xa0 Usually, I can make plans and stick to them.\xa0 This summer, it seems like everything is a moving target.\xa0 I planned a vacation.\xa0 Then, I had to cancel it.\xa0 I planned some summer activities for my kids, and most of them got cancelled.\xa0 How does anyone keep moving forward when things keep changing?\xa0 As an entrepreneur, I get to set my own yard stick.\xa0 I get to determine what success looks like.\xa0 To keep things realistic, I\u2019ve had to adjust my goals.\xa0 My accountability partners are helping me stay on track and see how far I\u2019ve come.
Mentioned in this episode
Sean Pratt is my audiobook narration coach.
Medical narration script samples
- https://www.voiceactorwebsites.com/category/voice-over-scripts/narration/medical-pharmaceutical/
- https://www.edgestudio.com/script-library/english-adult/medical-pharmaceutical
Toastmasters International\xa0
When I recorded my medical narration demo on March 11, I expected to have some time to bring my voiceover business up to speed before my kids were home for the summer.\xa0 Instead, I ended up caring for my kids and homeschooling them for more than 6 weeks, starting March 16.\xa0 Then, I handed the reins over to my husband when he lost his job May 1.\xa0 I\u2019ve been working on the business daily, but things are really slow right now. \xa0
Here\u2019s a quick update on my husband, Nathan.\xa0 He lost his job May 1, due to a reduction in force.\xa0 As I record this on July 9, 2020, he is still unemployed.\xa0 It seems like he\u2019s doing everything right though.\xa0 He updated his LinkedIn profile and his resume.\xa0 He\u2019s applying for jobs, and recruiters are helping him.\xa0 Every week, he has interviews either on the phone, via Skype, or in-person.\xa0 I\u2019ll keep you posted!\xa0 \xa0
My husband and I are a great team.\xa0 I watch the kids while he interviews for jobs, and he takes care of things so I can work on my voiceover business every day.\xa0 What does it mean to work on my voiceover business?\xa0 Part of what I\u2019m doing is learning.\xa0 Another part is practicing my skills.\xa0 The other part is trying to find work. \xa0
I started Sean Pratt\u2019s audiobook narration program last June, and I\u2019m determined to finish it!\xa0 I\u2019m improving my performance skills and learning about the business side of audiobooks.\xa0 Homework takes several hours each week.\xa0 I love what I\u2019m learning, and I\u2019m on-track to graduate in September this year.\xa0 I\u2019m also watching webinars and practicing my medical narration skills.\xa0 For the medical narration practice, I either record myself and listen to the playback or work with a \u201cworkout partner.\u201d
As for trying to find work, I\u2019m making connections on social media, especially LinkedIn, auditioning, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with marketing my business.\xa0 Like I said earlier things are kinda slow right now, and that works well for my current availability.\xa0 The kids and my husband are around all the time!\xa0 Any time I need to record, it takes teamwork to get the house quiet.\xa0 I thought my kids would be out of the house more this summer and my husband would be at work.\xa0 Like I said, this summer is very different.\xa0
Something that\u2019s going really well is my podcast.\xa0 Between inviting guests, confirming interviews, recording interviews, and recording solo shows, it keeps me busy.\xa0 I love it, my guests are wonderful, and I\u2019m happy to be on episode 26! \xa0
I have voice actor friends who meet with me every other week as part of a support group or accountability group.\xa0 They are a helpful part of my journey from pharmacist to voice actor.\xa0 They keep me accountable, and they help me keep myself accountable.\xa0 If I say I\u2019m going to do something, they ask about it.\xa0 Just think.\xa0 What would you say if someone asked you every other week:
\u201cWhat have you accomplished in the last two weeks?\u201d
\u201cWhat are you working on now?\u201d \xa0
\u201cWhat\u2019s next for you?\u201d
\u201cWhat\u2019s in your way?\u201d \xa0
It makes me really think about what I\u2019m doing, why I\u2019m doing it, and if it\u2019s getting me to where I want to be.\xa0 If you had to answer to someone else or even articulate the answers to those questions to yourself, what would you say?\xa0 If you have goals, and you don\u2019t have an accountability partner, recruit one, and get started holding one another accountable today!
I also have two audiobook narration accountability buddies.\xa0 We\u2019re going through Sean Pratt\u2019s audiobook narration program at the same time.\xa0 It\u2019s helpful to talk to one another about goals, this month\u2019s lessons, and any life hacks we have for making things easier.\xa0 Our conversations are monthly.
I\u2019m still working on my public speaking skills and meeting with my Toastmasters Club on Fridays via Zoom.\xa0 I missed last Friday because I was up late last Thursday with family shooting off fireworks and celebrating the 4th of July holiday a little early.\xa0 For my listeners overseas, the 4th of July is a US holiday to celebrate America\u2019s birthday otherwise known as our \u201cIndependence Day.\u201d\xa0
On Friday, July 10, I am giving a speech at my Toastmasters Club.\xa0 This speech is called an Ice Breaker Speech because it\u2019s the first one I\u2019m giving.\xa0 I\u2019ve taken on other roles in the club, but I have never signed up to give a 4-6 minute speech like this before.\xa0 Once I get the evaluation of my speech from someone in the club, I\u2019ll let you know how it went.\xa0 I might even include that speech in episode 28, on July 24.\xa0 In case you have not heard about Toastmasters International, it\u2019s a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills.\xa0 There might even be a club near you!\xa0 Clubs meet via Zoom right now because of the pandemic.\xa0 If you\u2019re interested, check them out!
We\u2019re in these strange times with the COVID pandemic.\xa0 I feel thankful every day to be healthy.\xa0 In spite of the barriers and hardships my family and I face, I\u2019m motivated to wake up every day, work on my business, and be present for my family.\xa0 I\u2019m thankful for the roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my plate, and the hope that things WILL GET BETTER. \xa0
Next year or the year after that, I want to take the vacation we missed out on this summer.\xa0 We were supposed to be drive from Ohio to South Carolina.\xa0 We were planning to stop in Williamstown, KY and visit the Ark Encounter.\xa0 It\u2019s a museum with a replica of Noah\u2019s Ark.\xa0 Yes, from the Biblical story.\xa0 Next, we wanted to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.\xa0 I love castles, and the Biltmore, to me, is one of the closest things we have to a castle in the Eastern US.\xa0 And, finally, we were planning to rent a Beach House in Isle of Palms, SC near Charleston.\xa0 If your plans got put on hold too, I hope you get to pick up where you left off some day too.\xa0
In the mean time, think local.\xa0 I am!\xa0 Try some fun local stuff.\xa0 Plant a garden.\xa0 I did!\xa0 I\u2019m growing mostly flowers.\xa0 But, I\u2019m also growing one cherry tomato plant. \xa0(Last year, the chipmunks ate most of my\xa0tomatoes. \xa0It's too early to tell what will happen this year!)
I have been hiking at local parks and going for long bike rides with my family.\xa0 My son Kraig and I even went for a 10-mile bike ride with my Dad, who is 70 years old!\xa0 We visited some of our favorite childhood spots, and he shared some childhood stories with me.\xa0 If you haven\u2019t guessed it, my parents raised me in the same small town that they grew up in.\xa0 In fact, at one point my parents, their parents, and two out of four of my great grandparents all lived on the same 5 mile stretch of road in Ohio.\xa0 If your parents are still alive and able to ride their bikes or go for a walk with you, ask them to show you some stuff and tell you some stories.\xa0 It\u2019s pretty fun. \xa0
I\u2019m also a big fan of board games, and we have been playing some great board games this summer.\xa0 There are too many to name, but two that come to mind are Settlers of Catan (the original board game) and Ticket to Ride India.\xa0 I\u2019ll put links to both games in the show notes. \xa0
I\u2019m a motorcycle rider.\xa0 Right now, I have a BMW Scooter.\xa0 It\u2019s a lot of fun, and I\u2019ve had a few good, long rides so far this summer.\xa0 In fact, with any luck, I\u2019ll be out on my bike on my birthday: this Sunday, July 12!
Episode 27 is next Friday, July 17.\xa0 It\u2019s an interview with Dr. Wendy Stephan, an epidemiologist with the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami.\xa0