Voxy Ladies. Are you a LadyBoss? I am.
And I spent the last weekend of January at a conference exclusively for women in the business of voiceover. It was the first-ever #VoxySummit, organized by the terrific trio of Lisa Biggs, Diane Merritt, and Noelle Culler.
We met in Atlanta for workshops and presentations by top-tier talent from across the country, and women who are specialists in the fields of PR, marketing, branding, and business. The energy amongst the group of 100 was palpable — so much so that we were reprimanded for being too noisy for our CME (Continuing Medical Education) conference neighbors!
Screenshot from “The Golden Girls of Voiceover” video posted by Gabrielle Nistico
There were women at all stages of their careers, from those taking baby steps toward independent success, to those who are living their dreams every day, rocking their VO businesses. Some who are young, others who’ve been at it for decades, and others who’ve been at it for nearly decades and are still young! And it didn’t matter who you were, there was the camaraderie amongst the group, which made everyone feel included.
It’s All About Support
Edge Studio sponsored the conference, and on top of financial support, they sent Susanne Pinedo, who works as an Education Advisor in their Education department, to talk to us about an area she has worked in for years — PR.
Susanne Pinedo
Most voice actors have no clue how to promote themselves, much less have training in the field of PR. It’s hard to know where opportunities exist to connect with the media or with other organizations that would be interested in our stories. Susanne was so impressive; seeing the creativity she brings to each person/project she takes on was inspiring, and gave me a true appreciation for the skills required to be an effective promoter.
Another highlight was finally meeting the super savvy social media VO pro, Anne Ganguzza. Her online presence is broad and deep and I now get why she’s such a phenom. What an interesting story she has!
The Take-Away
In fact, as I reflect on the time spent at the conference, it was the sharing of stories that made the greatest impact on me. There were so many women I met who touched me. Life isn’t always easy, and because of this invisible blanket of kindness that engulfed us we could be vulnerable and open up about our personal lives. Through hearing how each of these women got to this point and sharing my own journey, we got and gave advice, and we’re the better for it. All in all, it added up to an empowering experience.
Debbie Irwin with Shelly Steele and Susanne Pinedo
The weekend was a great opportunity to network with other Lady Bosses and Voxy Ladies who aren’t afraid to pursue their dreams while building solid business foundations, cope with trials and tribulations, step outside of their comfort zones, and still reach new creative heights — because that’s where the joy lies, and we (The Golden Girls of Voiceover) all get that. Ask Bobbin Beam, “The most unique element of all, it was women only.”
Celia Siegel, Debbie Irwin, Joey Schaljo, Nazia Chaudhry