Voice Over Xtra posted a good article about insurance for voice over actors, written by Keith Michaels. Good food for thought. Clicky click to read.

        

The Internet works!! It really, really works!!

Lately, I've noticed an increase in contacts from people who have found me through my web site, CarynClark.com. Yay! The Internet works!

I used to do my own site though the GoDaddy service.  It was easy enough for me to do since in my past life, I managed a web site for large insurance company. People really seemed to like the design of the site, too. But I got tired of doing it myself. The content management system was quirky, at best, and I would spend hours trying to tweak things.  I really wanted a "pro" looking site, you know?

So, I checked out sites, and found a few a really liked.  Called the designers, and eventually, landed with my friend Lou Zucaro in Chicago. Lou is a voice over talent, but he also owns a company called Genusus that designs and hosts web sites. So, he totally "gets" what a voice talent or actor wants and needs in a site.

They really do a great job, and best of all, you don't have to rely on them to make your content changes. Genusus has their sites configured in such a way that one can manage their own content. I can add videos, change text... the basic things one needs to do on a day to day basis. Not to mention, Lou is one of the nicest people on the planet.

So, thanks to Lou, I'm glad to say, people are finding me on the Internet! Thank you Lou, and Genusus!!

        

I just saw this post on Voice Over Xtra. This is a great article. Do I do all of this though? No. For example, for certain reasons, I rarely eat breakfast. I need to exercise waaaay more often. And so on... ahem.  But this article is a great reminder to do all of that.

Clicky here to read "Discipline - Not a Bad Word, Really! Apply it to VO Career & Joy of Life"

        

Ok, two blog entries in one day. The world is in a tailspin, huh?  I just had to post this though.

The Internet really makes this small world even smaller.

It's amazing.

On my Facebook fan page for Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice (which can be found here... I'd love for you to be a fan!), I post samples of my most recent work, blog links, etc.  A while back, I posted a video for a book trailer I did for Scholastic Books for a book entitled, "I So Don't Do Mysteries" by Barrie Summy.   I thought it was a great little video, and a cool book!

A couple of weeks ago, I checked the page and was pleasantly surprised to find that Ms. Summy had actually visited my Facebook page, and commented, "The book trailer for I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES is fantastic! Your voice is perfect, perfect, perfect!!!"

Wow, well those are some very nice things to say!! I'm sooo glad that she's happy with it. It's rare that a voice talent hears feedback from the "end user" (or maybe that's "beginning user" since she wrote the book?).  Thank you, Ms. Summy!!!

As it turns out, I went back to my fan page today for a little visit, and saw that Ms. Summy posted a link to a blog about the book trailer, which you can read by clicking here. 

I'm flattered.  Beyond flattered. I feel the love, and I like it!

Really, kudos go to the production company who selected me as the voice and produced the trailer. The guys at Rezolution Productions are the bomb!  Thanks guys!!

        

If you're a business and you need a voice talent to narrate a web video, for example, how do you go about finding the right talent for your project?

The options are endless, but my friend and fellow voice over talent Brian Hart wrote a blog that explains all of the options, and answers lots of questions you might have. Click here to read Brian's blog.

        

As I sit here, listening to the rhythmic rumble of lawnmowers on my street, waiting for them to finish their weekly job so I can record a narration for Google Adwords, I decided to surf the Internet and take a a look at Voice Over Xtra. 

I found a blog by Bob Souer, one of my most favorite talents (and friends) in the industry.  Turns out, last week presented challenges to him... only with snow.  And he handled it gracefully, I might add. Clicky here to read about the lack of snow days in voice over.

        

This has absolutely nothing to do with voice over.  But, I feel the need to recognize this day... it brings back fond childhood memories. 

It's Fat Tuesday!!! No, my parents didn't get me drunk as a child. Ha!!  I've actually never been to Mardi Gras, but I did just visit New Orleans over the New Year (and went to the Sugar Bowl BCS Game). It's a fabulous town, full of character, good people, and so much history!

When I was growing up, Fat Tuesday, aka the day before Ash Wednesday, was known as Fauschnaut Day. We lived in a rural Pennsylvania village on the eastern side of the state... yup, Pennsylvania Dutch Country.  And you know what they do for Fauschnaut Day????  They make and eat doughnuts!!!!  I remember coming home from school, walking into the kitchen where my Mom would be, in front of a big pan of hot grease (which was a very rare happening in our household), frying up doughnuts! 

So, enjoy Fat Tuesday, Fauschnaut Day, Shrove Tuesday, or whatever YOU call it.  I think I'm going to have a doughnut today.

        

My friend and talented voice over, Brian Hart, is now blogging. You might want to check it out.

        

I enjoyed this little diddy by Philip Banks, and I hope you do too!

Click here to read Philip's blog.

        

My friend and fellow voice over talent, Jeffrey Kafer, is going to be on the Huckabee Show on the Fox News Network!!!  The show is about people who have been laid off and have created their own businesses, I believe.  You see, Jeff used to work for Microsoft, but was let go  several months ago. When he had his full-time job, he was also a part-time voice actor. Since then, he's been pursuing voice acting full-time. 

The show will air tomorrow, Saturday, January 9, at 8ET/5PT PM, and will repeat on Sunday, January 10, at 11ET/8PT PM.  Be sure to watch!

I'm so excited for Jeff, and I can wait to see his debut on TV!  Break a leg, Jeff!!