The biggest voice over conference in the world, VO Atlanta or Voiceover Atlanta Conference just wrapped for 2025. A thousand voice actors from literally around the world fly into Hartsfield-Jackson airport for almost four days of breakout sessions, panels, X-sessions (smaller, more in-depth training) and voice over camaraderie.
This is the second year that Atlanta Voiceover Studio has been a sponsor of VO Atlanta or the Voiceover Atlanta Conference. We had a booth set up in the vendor area, so we mainly spent the conference meeting voice actors and saying hi to ones we’ve met before.
Although, Mike Stoudt (co-owner of Atlanta Voiceover Studio, fellow voice actor and my husband) was on the Atlanta panel, along with ACM’s Jeffrey Umberger, lead generation course creator Nadia Marshall, Jennifer Bolla of Formation Agency and promo voice Donovan Corneetz.
I led a breakout session on DIY Branding and other Atlanta Voiceover Studio instructors, Steve Henderson and Dan Friedman also led sessions.
Besides my heart being full seeing voice actor friends that I don’t get to see a lot, there were THREE main lessons I walked away with from the Voiceover Atlanta Conference and they don’t have to do, specifically, with voice over.
LESSON 1: Personability = Memorability
There are set questions thrown out at the Voiceover Atlanta conference: How long have you been doing it? What made you get started? What has been your favorite session?
BUT with so many people at the conference, the answers to those questions quickly fade in your memory. Pretty soon you can’t remember who was from Boston and who was from Seattle OR who started in radio and who just randomly searched online.
At the Atlanta Voiceover Studio booth, we had people answer a conversation question to receive a water bottle. While we didn’t have the droves of people from last year (we included a puzzle piece in each participant bag to bring to the table and put the Atlanta skyline puzzle together), we did have much more meaningful conversations.
Sheri’s card asked, “You’re planning the next family vacation. Where would you go?” These were a “family conversation card” pack, so we had to improvise on some questions. Sherri’s response? I’ll plan a vacation for us three (myself, Sherri and Carrie). She started off by taking us to Italy to drink wine, then to Paris where we tasted different chocolates and more. It was so fun and I will never forget my conversation with them.
The more personable we can be with others, the more memorable.
Ironic because I think most people want to go into a voice over conference yearning for people to know they have a great voice and are a great voice actor.
LESSON 2: Camaraderie is Motivating
I love working from home as a voice actor. I can be so much more productive.
But there is something really powerful, motivating and inspiring about being with other people who have the same dreams and goals as you. You look around and feel that it’s possible. You look around, see others doing something you may have been afraid to do, but it gives you the hope that maybe you can too. You look around and see others getting exciting about learning new things and it makes you excited too.
Connect with others doing what you’re doing and it will motivate you to keep doing what you’re doing.
LESSON 3: Everyone is a Teacher
You go to the Voiceover Atlanta Conference to learn from presenters and speakers BUT everyone is teacher. Whether someone has been a voice actor for two decades or two months, you can always learn from others.
I learn from students that come through Atlanta Voiceover Studio all the time. There’s always a passion and fire I see in them. It’s a reminder that I had that at the beginning of my career too. There is always a hill to climb and the longer you’re in the industry, the steeper that hill feels sometimes. You constantly move the mountain top as you grow your career.
Everyone is a teacher and everyone has something to give.
Now…to get back to VO business. I had two sessions the day after and trying to catch up on everything.
