Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Stop, Look and Listen, Baby! A Priority Post for Performers!

Hello VoiceOver and Performance Friends,
It has been an interesting Spring. People want to grow and get going.  This is the time of year for it! Good, right?  It depends. I've spoken with about a dozen really talented and well meaning people who have come to me in the past few weeks with some real issues because they made a fast move forward without defining where they were going or why! Or, they are completely stuck and also don't know why!

So much time/money/energy is wasted on taking circuitous routes when you can make map out a simple strait line to your destination. Would you head out on a cross country road trip without GPS, maps, water, fuel and supplies? So why would you begin something as important as a creative career or endeavor without an expert and an expert plan?

Here is one example from this very day. There was a very talented and unique sounding male voice over talent who had the potential to work right away and serve a specific market.  He had been talking about making a demo for close to 2 years but delayed efforts after some interest. He inquired about professional help but never followed up (even on free consultations). In an uneducated and cost saving move, he produced a voice over demo himself, randomly picking copy, foregoing coaching and direction and awkwardly editing the final product. The result is wasted time and money in addition to the realization that he needs expert advice, he needs to work on his craft, he needs professional assistance and needs to invest in this. He knew it 2 years ago, he knew it when he was recording the tracks and he knows it now. So why didn't he get the help he needed?

The answer is, we want the short cut route - we want the fantasy outcome - oh if I just record these tracks and post them on the web, someone will hear them and hire me for 6 figures and I'll live happily ever after. There is a happily ever after but it comes after consciousness, work, more consciousness and more work.

 
Here are 3 Priority Principles for Self Discipline and Direction in a Creative Endeavor!
 
  1. Do YOU yourself but Don't do IT yourself.  Focus on your unique talent. Define it, demonstrate it and offer it to the right people.Websites, demos, business cards and easily outsourced tasks should be left to professionals. If you are on a budget, work out a trade agreement.
  2. Create attainable daily, weekly and monthly goals and be accountable to someone! Even if they are tiny baby steps - it is movement forward. We tend to idealize the perfect week off with breezes blowing and with a free flowing muse whispering the world's secrets in our ears. There are transcendental moments in creativity and they are glorious but there is first silence and resistance and then truth beyond the silence and resistance. 
  3. Stay mindful at every point, at every decision and ask yourself....is this action moving me closer or further away from my goal? It may appear that consulting with colleagues is networking (or is it really an excuse to commiserate and complain)?  It may appear that you're marketing like crazy but you're actually sending random emails to unqualified leads.
Because I hold myself accountable to others in the areas of spirituality, psychology, performance and marketing, I can progress in these areas. If I stay isolated, I stay stuck.

Do you need help? Do you need help in finding out what you need help with? I understand. Please email Moneen@MoVibe.com or call Toll Free in the US at 1-877-MoVibe0 for a complimentary 15 minute consultation. The last talent who took advantage of this offer increased her business by 20% in one simple move.


In action and on your side,
Moneen

Click here to visit Mo at MoVibe.com!

Need a theme song? "Stop, Look and Listen" from the movie "Change of Habit" with Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore is a total groove!  Here is the link to listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nva7dMOBuCI



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