An Exercise in Flexibility and Direction

I should have known it might go sideways.

Sometimes, there are little signs at the start of a session. Nothing alarming, just enough to make you take note. Most of the time, everything settles out and you do the work you were hired to do. Still, every now and then, the day turns into an exercise in flexibility and direction. This job was a series of spots for a healthcare provider. Honestly? My sweet spot. The kind of work I genuinely love.

When the client said they liked me and that I was in the running, I was thrilled. They needed some time to sort things out. Completely normal. I checked back in a week later.

Good news! I was still under consideration. They were deciding between a male and a female voice, and they asked for my availability toward the end of the following week. Great sign.

Another week passed. They booked me. Yay! The scripts were still being finalized, but they asked to hold time the following week and confirmed my Source-Connect ID. Okay…this is coming together.

The week of the session, they sent over the videos, which I always appreciate, because it adds so much context. They also sent a Zoom link…with twelve people on it, including me and the engineer.

Twelve.

I remember thinking, Wow. I’ve never had this many people on a session before. Please don’t let this be coached by committee.

The day arrived. I opened Source-Connect and joined Zoom early. Thankfully, thankfully, there were only six people in the room, plus the engineer and me. Whew.

I even picked up a new trick. The engineer had me “Leave Zoom Audio” so we were communicating solely through Source-Connect. I had no idea how he was going to manage that, but engineers are unicorns. They make magic happen. Definitely a trick I’ll be keeping in my back pocket.

One person took responsibility for the coaching, which was a relief, and we started with the first :30. I was settling into her direction when another person joined the room.

Suddenly, everything shifted. The group deferred to the new arrival and began getting approval from them instead. I went with it. Even though the reads felt flatter than I would have chosen on my own, I assumed they knew exactly what the client wanted.

Then coach #2 dropped off with a lot of work still ahead, and we were back to coach #1. I worried about consistency from spot to spot, so I tried to hold onto the language and direction from the second coach as best I could.

We finished four :30s, four :15s, and four :06s. I felt…okay. Something still felt off, but I’d followed the direction carefully and trusted the process. I had to remind myself that I wasn't the producer and put that hat aside.

Two hours in, it was time for client input. My Source-Connect channel was muted while they discussed for 15–20 minutes.

Then the engineer came back and said,“Well, we’ve gotten a lot of direction, and we’re wondering what your afternoon looks like.”

That’s the moment you place your hand firmly on your forehead.

We agreed to reconvene after a couple of hours. They’d take the client notes and record the Spanish talent in the meantime.

So there I sat. Two hours to replay everything. What I could have done differently. Whether I could have done anything differently with the direction I’d been given.

I topped off my water, had lunch, grabbed more apple juice, and got ready for round two.

When we reconnected, they had new direction: positive, hopeful, compassionate. Thankfully, it wasn’t a full re-record, only about half the project. Some lines were perfectly usable. Whew!

Even then, the direction didn’t fully line up with how I instinctively felt the visuals. If left to my own devices, I would’ve taken it somewhere else entirely, which is precisely why it’s good they were there! Once I let go of my internal resistance and trusted the adjustment, everything clicked.

The client was happy. Really happy.

We started at 9:00 a.m. Pacific and wrapped at 3:15. The engineer was an absolute warrior! He was on the whole time, English and Spanish. Between recording, playback, managing 75 takes with A’s, B’s, and C’s, laying audio into picture, and occasionally stepping in with perfectly timed, crystal-clear direction…he carried that session.

Which brings me back to where this day began.

Sometimes you can sense a session might be challenging. Not bad—just demanding. Days like this are a reminder that this work is often an exercise in flexibility and direction, built on trust, collaboration, and experience.

And one more reminder, worth saying out loud: Engineers are your best friends. They can make or break a session. Thank them. Send the Starbucks card. Say it plainly.

They’re heroes—just without the cape.