Barb Lyon
Voice Artist

I want to talk about something I’ve been chewing on for a while now, because I think a lot of folks haven’t connected all the dots yet. A couple years ago, some of the big eLearning authoring tools started building AI voice generation right into their software. Suddenly, free voice over wasn’t an add-on anymore. It was just…there. Included. And once one company did it, the others had to follow, because nobody wants to be the “more expensive” option.

I read an interview with Bob Odenkirk on Knockturnal. Did you know he was broke right before he landed the role of Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad? Think about that. He was at, pretty much, the lowest point a person can be, and life turned around in an instant. Success is funny like that. Sometimes you’re shouting into the void. And then, BANG! Everything changes. It can be tough to keep plodding ahead when you feel like there's no feedback. No validation. But you have to s

I was listening to a Marc Scott podcast and he advised someone going through a VO dry spell to focus on the things they can control, beyond auditioning. It's a good reminder that running a voice over business isn't just about finding auditions. It's also about improving the business assets that support your career. That’s solid advice for all of us. We spend a lot of time tossing our kite in the air hoping it catches wind, so it makes sense.

What do you think will make you happy? Is it lounging on a beach, sipping on an umbrella drink? Is it never ever having to type another email? Maybe it’s a day spent in sweatpants, with a giant mug of coffee and your favorite binge worthy TV? Wrong on all counts. According to research, it’s “Flow State” that’ll make you happy. There have been actual studies, including some from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Creative directors, executive producers and instructional designers hire me as a professional voice actor to record their projects. But that's not the value I deliver. It's really the reliability, trust, consistency, collaboration, and problem-solving that drive the booking. Delivering clean, clear audio with fast turnaround and a pleasant voice matters, sure. But those “other” qualities are where you really stand out.

I was at the funeral the other day for my former employer. He was a troubled guy who made regrettable decisions in life. Honestly, when I worked there I swore a hundred times that he was going to die. While emotions ranged from "I can't believe he lasted this long" to "Oh, no! That's a tragedy and what'll happen to the business?" I found a different point to reflect on. Honestly what made the day even weirder is that the deacon gave a sermon on how God puts people in you

I ran across this quote the other day and burst out laughing because yeah, that very thing just happened to me. “You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.” — Bill Watterson Yah know that feeling when your day’s moving along, everything’s right on track, but there’s this little tickle in the back of your brain telling you you’re forgetting something?

I listened to a Mel Robbins podcast this morning where she interviewed James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Right out of the gate he starts with “action relieves anxiety.” And there it is. I’m done. That is 100% true! I mean, that might be one of the truest sentences ever written for freelancers. I know it applies to my life! I think a lot of anxiety comes from the time period before we begin.

I’m working on a bunch of new demos right now. It’s exciting… and honestly, a little stressful. Exciting because of the potential. Stressful because of the pressure. What kinds of spots should I feature in my quest to deliver authentic voice over? Can I reuse a spot from my main commercial demo on something more authoritative? How do I create enough variety without sounding forced?

We’ve all heard the line “fake it till you make it.” I prefer the way Simon Sinek phrases it: “Act as if.” When you think of your situation, is your first thought I can't, because… It'll never work, because… I’ll never…? All those thoughts stop you cold. You don’t because “you can’t”. It’ll never work so you don’t even try. You’ll “never get there” so you just don't even think about it. But what if you made decisions as if things were going to work out exactly as you im

Ever feel like everyone else is just so lucky? I mean if we watch their feeds, everyone else’s life is full of rainbows and unicorns. Booked over here. Incredible travel over there. Won a bunch of money playing scratchers and now they’re driving a new car. Well, OK, maybe not that one. No matter how we feel, or how it appears...none of that happened overnight and they're not simply lucky.

Is it just me, or does it feel like advertising has slowed in recent weeks? Auditions aren’t gone…they’ve just gotten a bit…light. At first I did what we all do. I made it about me.Maybe I bumped my mic settings and they sound off. Did I forget how to do this? I probably suck. And then I zoomed out a bit. We’re in a moment where people are talking about nuclear threats again. Supply chains are still a mess. Long-standing alliances are shifting in ways that’ve sounded far-

I write about motivation a lot. And honestly, that’s because we need it. You might think that it’s because I’m surrounded by these amazing sources of it. And, I mean, I guess I am…if you look close enough. But the truth is that keeping yourself going every day is just tough.If you worked in an office you’d at least have teammates to celebrate wins with…or the flip side, those Debbie Downers that drag us all into the pit of despair. So maybe that’s not worth the risk.

So I recently redid my website. I’m relatively happy with the result… but I never fully trust myself. It does look good. And I have gotten some real (not spam) leads from it, which is always encouraging. Still, with the way people search changing, it feels smart to take one more pass. Afterall SEO has totally changed the way we search!

This freelance voice over feast or famine cycle is something no one really prepares you for.One week, you’re buried in work. Emails, files, deadlines, pickups—you’re moving fast, feeling good, maybe even thinking, “Okay… this is it. This is the new normal.” And then… Nothing. No emails.No audition feedback.No messages “just checking your availability”. Just a whole lot of quiet. And then your brain is flooded with answers.

Lili Wexu. You might recognize her name from Grey’s Anatomy, American Crime Story, Assassin’s Creed, or Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem. Imagine my surprise when I found her Get Clever About VO course almost a year ago. I was over the moon! See, I’m a bit of a process person. Tell me the process, I’ll execute, and voila! So when I found out there was a step by step process to breaking down scripts, I was like, YEAH! Now we’re talking!

How many times have you made a decision to do something…and how many of those somethings have you actually accomplished? (oh, no.) If you’ve ever struggled with overcoming procrastination, you know exactly how this goes. And, yeah, I’m guilty of it too. “I’m going to clean out the basement so I could exercise down there.” (The actual exercising, is a whole other ball of wax.)

If you haven’t had a chance yet, it’s a great time to check out NAVA’s State of Voiceover in 2026 Survey. I know that many of us filled it out. But, if you didn’t, it’s worth it to go through and answer the questions now and see where you fit in the industry. Some revelations I think we knew in our hearts. In a traditional job, more hours tends to correlate (at least loosely) with more pay. In voiceover…not so much.

As voice over pros, life can be a bit solitary at times. You need to do it all. From recording, editing, and engineering, to accounting… and voice over marketing. It can be tough to keep your chin up through all that. You barely have time to breathe because there’s always another item on the to-do list, but you’re supposed to keep a smile on your face and look forward to another bright, shining day… even when you’d rather cocoon on the couch and binge your favorite show.

Last week I read an article about Grrls to the Front, a program designed to encourage girls to step into parts of the audio and music world that have traditionally been dominated by men. The goal is simple: give girls a chance to try engineering, producing, and running the board—the behind-the-scenes work that shapes the sound we all hear. And I couldn’t help wondering what my life might have looked like.