Tag: Books

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5 Must Read Biographies to be a Better Entrepreneur

If you want to be a better voice actor, you’ve got to learn to become a great entrepreneur. When I’m asked for my best advice, that’s always it. Same thing. Every time.

To help me become a better entrepreneur, one of my strategies is to learn from people who have done it before me. People who are doing it better. People who do it on a larger scale. I think of them as my virtual mentors.

You’d be amazed how much you can learn about life and business from reading biographies.

5 Must Read Biographies to be a Better Entrepreneur

Want to grow your #voiceover business? Dig into one of these great biographies and learn to be a better entrepreneur.
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Pick up one, two or all of them. I promise you, you’ll be taking notes and changing the way you look at and think about things. There’s so much to learn from these people. They’re all great stories too!

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3 Must Read Biographies For Entrepreneurs

If you’re a voice talent, you’re an entrepreneur. If you don’t yet see yourself in this light, you should. It might help shift your mindset towards a more professional, business-oriented way of thinking.

In the past couple months, I’ve dove headlong into a few great biographies and books for entrepreneurs. Some of them have provided me with many great lessons which I’ve already began to apply to my own life and business. If you want to become a great entrepreneur, study the ones who already are!

As we roll into the winter, at least in Canada, I know there will be a lot more indoor time and than outdoor time. For those of you that share my thinking, that means there’s no better time to pick up some great new reading material.

becoming-steve-jobs
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Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

Will we ever known the true story of Steve Jobs? I have my doubts. This is the second Jobs biography I’ve read. That’s in addition to the numerous documentaries and movies I’ve watched. Most of them tell similar stores, but they all have different stories. Stories that often seem to conflict at times.

Regardless of where all the truth lies, there are a few undeniable facts. First, Steve Jobs changed the word. Second, Steve Jobs was one of the greatest entrepreneurs to ever live. This book is filled with insights into Jobs, and how he thought and worked. Learn from him, and you’ll be a better entrepreneur! [Click to Buy]

elon musk telsa spacex
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Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Has there ever been someone that has redefined, not only one, or two, but three different industries? Off the top of my head, I certainly can’t think of one. But that’s exactly what Elon Musk has done. In fact, some might even argue that he’s redefined four industries. PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and Solar City.

I’ve written about Musk, and this book, recently. If you missed the post, check out Five Voice Over Lessons Learned From Elon Musk. This book is a must read if you want to learn about what it takes to not only be an entrepreneur, but to experience massive success. I consumed this book in a few short days. I didn’t want to put it down. [Click to Buy]

jim henson the biography
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Jim Henson: The Biography

I love the Muppets. I have always loved the Muppets. I’m not sure I love the new TV show, I’m still undecided. But everything else about the Muppets, I love. I have the movies on TV. I even have almost all the collectibles from McDonald’s that came out a hundred years ago. So naturally, I would be drawn to a biography about Jim Henson.

It’s only been a day or two since I started reading this one, so I’m not even finished it yet. That said, what I’ve read so far is so good that I knew I needed to include it in this light. This book truly gives you insight into the creative mind of Henson, as well as his work ethic and some of his business philosophies. The guy was a genius. Period. You can learn a lot from this book. I have already, and know I’ll continue to do so as I finish reading. [Click to Buy]

Worth The Investment

Financially, there’s not a much better investment you can make in your business as far as ROI. Buy a book for $10, and gain a lifetime of knowledge from the person you’re studying. Beyond that, it’s also one of the best investments of time you can make as well.

It’s all an investment in your own personal and professional development. And that’s an investment in your success!

Have you got any great book recommendations? Comment below.

Thanks for sharing this post from Marc Scott's Voice Over Blog.

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5 Books That Can Help Grow Your Voice Over Business

Being a voice talent isn’t just about having a voice and a microphone. If you plan on succeeding in this business you need to remember just that… it’s a business!

You’re an entrepreneur.

Often, you’re also a one man show. Chief cook and bottle washer, as they say.

Don’t have a business degree to back you up? No worries. You’d be amazed how much you can learn by reading a few good books!

5 Books That Can Help Grow Your Voice Over Business

stack of booksThe Richest Man in Babylon: I wasn’t always the greatest money manger. In fact, I was pretty careless in my younger years. Putting some of the very basic, yet brilliant principles in this book into practice had a profound impact on my financial situation. Get It

The Accidental Millionaire: This is one of those books that took me longer to read than usual because every other paragraph I had to stop and write a note. I was that inspired. This got ideas flowing big time. It’s loaded with simple, practical advice on building your business. Get It

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World: Michael Hyatt is a very influential blogger and a bit of a legend on Twitter. If there’s any man that can help you build your platform, which is exactly what you need, Michael is the guy. This book is loaded with great advice and resources. Get It

Just Blow it Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life: A few weeks ago I went to Erie for the weekend to spend some time relaxing, dreaming and brainstorming. This book was a HUGE part of that experience. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. If you’ve got barriers standing in the way of you achieving your dreams, this book will help you remove them. Get It

How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk: As a Voice Actor, self promotion is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to seeking out new clients and growing your business. It’s also something a lot of us aren’t comfortable doing. Read this book, change your perspective and be amazed at what happens! Get It

Don’t Just Read Voice Over Books

One of the most common mistakes I see voice actors making, particularly new ones, is that they only read books about voice over. Those books are great, don’t get me wrong. But what you’re trying to do in building a business is so much bigger than simply learning how to be a better VO.

Expand your reading horizons to books about marketing, business, entrepreneurship and finance, just to name a few.

It will help you grow your business.

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How Long Does It Take To Succeed

It’s perhaps one of the most common questions I’m asked by new talent trying to get started in the voice over industry. “How long does it take before you make it?” 

What they’re really asking is, “can I make a quick buck? Or will it take time and effort?”

Too many people get into this business looking for the shortest distance between two points. Those points being the beginning and the success.

How Long Does It Take To Succeed

You actually are going to have to put in time. Put in effort. How much depends on you and your level of commitment. When I started full time a couple years ago, I felt like I was working around the clock. Some days, I actually was. I was always auditioning, prospecting, reading, learning, growing, improving. And with all that time, effort and investment, success started to come.

It was not an easy road. It’s still not an easy road.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it’s not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Og Mandino

Invest To Success

The_Greatest_Salesman_in_the_World_book_coverIf you want to succeed in voice over, it’s not just about submitting 50 auditions a day. Or even 10. In fact, some days, I don’t audition at all, but there’s still plenty of work for me.

This is a business, like any business. Which means you need to learn all aspects of business from sales to marketing to promotions and all points in between. As you take this journey towards voice over greatness, invest in education along the way. You wouldn’t believe how much you can learn simply by reading the right books!

Want a good one to get started with? I recommend The Greatest Salesman in the World. You’ll be able to read it in an afternoon, and for a month after you’ll still be pondering all the wisdom you gathered.

QUESTION: How long have you been on your journey towards success?share