Barb Lyon
Voice Artist

Some days I look at the calendar and feel like time is slipping past me at full tilt. It’s 2025. Depending on how you count it, I have maybe ten solid working years left in my voiceover career, give or take. And there are still so many milestones I haven’t hit yet. Not because I’ve been sitting still. But because creative work unfolds in its own rhythm. Clients come and go. Budgets shift. Algorithms do whatever algorithms do.

Gratitude. This time of year, everywhere you turn there are lists. Ewey, gooey posts dripping with sentiment. People naming the projects they were proud to take part in. Or the fabulous opportunity that propelled them forward. The support of family. Yes, truly, all those things are amazing, wonderful, and to be cherished. But let's get real...overall 2025 has been…a challenge. I mean, be honest. Many of us have felt like we’re dragging a hundred pound weight with us everywhe

Somewhere along the line, most of us picked up the idea that our value lives out there. In someone else’s approval, in a job title, in likes and comments, in whether a client chooses us, or if we’re “in demand” this month. It’s subtle at first, but it creeps in, and suddenly we’re handing out calculators to everyone around us, letting them tally our value based on whatever criteria they find convenient. Here’s the truth: your self-worth never was an external measurement.

I’ve been thinking a lot about pricing lately, probably because next weekend I’ll be running a booth at my dog training club's Obedience and Rally Trials for my mom, selling some of her quilting and embroidery. She’s poured hours into those pieces. Every stitch is deliberate, every pattern perfectly balanced. When she finishes one, it’s like holding a bit of her heart in your hands. So how do we price that? And it struck me: this is the exact same conversation that plays o

I'm having one of those days right now. I was out doing dog club things late last night, the event was frustrating. I got home late, so my sleep routine that I love was "off", and I woke up this morning thinking, I'd rather contemplate my navel all day than actually record. I even listed to a positive podcast while I showered, punched on my favorite Sirius channel while I finished getting ready (The Struts artist channel) and still my motivation level remains...subterranean.

In voiceover, and really, in any creative field, so much of what we do depends on mindset. You can have the training, the skill, the best gear money can buy, but if your head and heart are locked in a tug-of-war, everything tightens up. The read gets stiff. The flow disappears. And suddenly, you’re chasing something that used to come naturally. Doesn’t it seem like when you’re trying, and trying, and trying to do something, the goal gets farther and farther away?

Coaching. Everyone says you need it. Why? Is it because many of us grew up playing sports and we’re just used to having a leader to follow? Or is it because gyms have trained us to believe that if we really want to hit our goals, we must have coaching? Why has relying on our own gut instinct become passé? I’ll tell you why: because our gut is locked in time. Probably somewhere in our late teens or early 20’s. That’s when we played team sports, and when we most likely hit the

Does the thought of working outside your comfort zone make you pump the brakes? Why? What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t usually go in for character work as a voice actor. I’ve listened to plenty of talent in voiceover workouts who seem so much more skilled than I am, so I often just take a pass. I remember listening to Ron Perlman’s narration of The Strain (highly recommended!) and being blown away. Now that’s character work.

Is there anything more freeing, more delicious, more, well...just more...than talking like a pirate? It conjures images of romance, conquest, salty sea air, and all that sparkly booty! It’s silly, it’s theatrical, and it’s downright contagious. No wonder we’ve got an entire day devoted to it: Yep! September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day. So tomorrow, I say lean in. “Arrr” your way through those Zoom meetings. Call your your friends “scurvy landlubbers.”

I’ll be honest: I don’t love auditioning. In fact, I kind of hate it. Voice over auditions can be really discouraging if you let them. It’s only fun when you’re winning, right? And you certainly don’t win every time. If you spend days submitting auditions with no callbacks or voiceover bookings, it can feel like a weight hanging around your neck. But last week, thanks to a Mel Robbins podcast, I reframed how I look at the whole process of auditioning for voice over work.

This weekend Friday (our Australian Cattledog) and I competed at two trials. First up was Rally. We've earned our way into the Excellent Class, and have to qualify 3 times to earn the title. This weekend was our title run! Now, Rally is a timed event, but you're also scored on execution. We are not a fast-working team. But that's ok, they only look at time to break a tie and determine placements (first, second, etc.).

  “Barb went above and beyond for our project, and remained extremely professional throughout the whole process. We really appreciated her patience and ability to adjust to our client’s specific needs, as well as always being open in her communication and feedback.” Now, doesn’t that just make your day? I’ll be honest, hearing that was like being showered with rainbows! It was a real affirmation of the professionalism and care I bring to every voice over session