Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Weis.
Amy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story goes all the way back to the second grade when my teacher praised me for being ‘an expressive reader’. I never imagined that one day ‘expressive reading’ would be the way I would earn a living! I was a performer as far back as I can remember; being involved in school plays and musicals and then later in community theatre. But when it was time to work as a full-time professional, I focused on advertising. First, I worked in an ad agency as a media planner/buyer and then worked my way to the ‘other side of the desk’ to radio sales.
I worked at WGRR in Cincinnati for several years, becoming their top salesperson. It was a very competitive and high-pressure job, and I loved it! Every now and then the production director would need a female to voice a commercial, and when there were no DJs available, he’d ask me to pitch in. I really looked forward to those opportunities. Since it wasn’t actually a part of my job, I found it to be incredibly fun! A creative ‘recess’ in an otherwise intense workday.
2 years after I had my first child, I decided to take a break from work and focus on my family. So, I left the radio station, but by this time, people in the Cincinnati advertising market knew that I ‘did voice over’, and occasionally they’d call with a job. I’d go to a studio and record, and that kept my foot in the door.
When my kids got older, I wanted to find a way to work and still stay focused on them. Starting out part-time, I took the plunge to start my own voice-over business, getting additional training, creating a professional studio in my home, and gradually building my client base to work on a full-time basis.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey has been much more involved than I ever anticipated. When I look back, I’m glad I ‘didn’t know what I didn’t know’. Many people think that voice-over is a job, and of course it is, but it’s also a business. As a voice actor I handle: sales & marketing, customer support, communication, tech, accounts payable & receivable, AND I create the product! It is a lot for one person to manage, but I can’t imagine doing anything else! If this is your passion, don’t give up! It is a very competitive field and there’s a lot of rejection. But if you continue to work on your craft and audition and market consistently, it could be the best job you ever had.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a voice actor, I record audio for many different types of projects. I’ve recorded commercials for companies all over the world (locally for Skyline Chili, Fischer Homes, CinFed Credit Union, The Christ Hospital, etc.), corporate narration, corporate training, onboarding, and eLearning, on-hold messages, overhead announcements for casinos, and explainer videos. I guess my ‘claim to fame’ is that I narrated all of the ‘Directs’ for Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons game – that was fun!!
My passion is collaborating to make sure that the end result is just what the client envisioned, giving their project its unique voice. Every project – whether for a mom & pop furniture store or Coca-Cola – is crafted as though it’s the most important thing I’ve ever recorded. My goal is to be a resource to my clients, making the audio portion of their project seamless and stress-free.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Voice over is an amazing career, but it is a marathon, not a sprint! Don’t expect to make a lot of money out of the gate, and be prepared to SPEND some money to begin. Save up so that you can invest in quality equipment, learn what you need to do to create a proper recording environment. Connect with a coach and invest in training. Just like starting any business, there are startup costs. Also, find a support system. We have a wonderful voice-over community in Cincinnati. the people in our meetup group have become great friends who offer support, advice, guidance, and encouragement.
Contact Info:
- Email: amy@amyweis.com
- Website: https://amyweis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amys_voice/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Amy-Weis-VoiceOvers-325189424178071/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/amyweisvoiceovers
