Talent Isn’t a Dirty Word

From time to time I meet someone who says, “Voice over? What’s that?”

I’ll explain that a lot of the work I do—eLearning narration, YouTube videos, telecom applications—you’ll probably never hear unless you’re especially interested in paying an electric bill in Detroit, really dig solar panels, or just can’t learn enough about child car seats. It’s not glamorous. It’s steady. It’s useful. And every now and then I get lucky with a national or regional ad they might have seen.

Then comes the line: “Wow. You must be really talented.”

I’m never quite sure whether to get bashful or laugh. But when Bryan Cranston said, “When I ask if you're talented, you'd better say yes… You need that. And you need persistence and you need patience,” he wasn’t kidding.

Because here’s the truth: talent isn’t a dirty word. But we sure treat it like one.

There’s a lot in this life that either wants to toss you off a cliff or leave you dangling there by a tree root, hoping someone notices. Persistence and patience aren’t optional. They’re survival skills.

So why the reflex to downplay our abilities?

We’ve studied the craft. Trained for it. Accepted feedback—both lavish praise and sharp critique. We are artists working to improve every single day. That doesn’t happen by accident.

For me, some of it is an allergy to hubris. I cannot stomach ego for ego’s sake. I’ve recorded some fabulous projects, but it feels uncomfortable to brag. Besides, I can still hear a million tiny flaws—at least to my ears.

But I don’t see pitchers shrugging off a curveball they just nailed. I don’t see cake decorators diminishing a seven-tier bridal masterpiece.

These performances, these scripts—they stir something in our souls. We should respect that by acknowledging we helped bring something to life.

A simple “Thank you” works. A chuckled “I’d like to think so” works.

Just don’t minimize it.

When someone calls you talented, they’re seeing something. How you carry yourself. How you speak. The quiet confidence that leaks out whether you try to hide it or not. They may even admire you.

There’s humility. And then there’s insecurity.

Saying “thanks” doesn’t make you a braggart. It’s a simple acknowledgment of what you’ve built...and what you’re still building.

Because let’s be honest: the part that feels like pushing a boulder uphill far outweighs the flashy stuff.

Auditioning can be fun. It can unleash creativity with the right script. But cold emails? LinkedIn connections? Follow-ups that feel like they vanish into thin air?

Not glamorous.

You’re not winning awards for masterful manipulation of accounting software. And thank heavens for workout groups because we need something that lifts our spirits. It’s a reminder we’re all in the trenches together, building something the old-fashioned way.

And even if you do everything right, there will be shortlists that go nowhere. Long stretches of silence that have you questioning everything. Days when you think, “I can’t even buy a booking.”

This is where persistence and patience stop being motivational poster words and start being daily practice.

You keep trying because something in your gut says, “You’re a voice actor.”

It’s the voice that pushes you to do one more audition. Send one more follow-up to a totally unresponsive human. Reach for that elusive repeat client. It’s consistency on the days you feel low and steady confidence on the days you don’t.

You have to play the long game.

Show up when you don’t feel like it. Be there when others disappear. Let people learn that you’re reliable.

That’s how trust is built. That’s how a reputation forms. That’s how a career is made.

And if you need proof of growth, think back to where you started.

I think about my voice in 1993. Strong northern Wisconsin accent. Really strong. But I worked at it. I reshaped vowel sounds. I learned that varying my pace increases conversationality. And from day one, Lili Wexu told me something I’ve had to relearn more than once: I am enough.

Belief without persistence? Fantasy. Persistence without patience? Burnout.

But belief, persistence, and patience together? That’s backbone.

That’s the long haul.

That’s why talent isn’t a dirty word.

So when someone says, “You must be really talented,” will you say yes?

You can still be building your craft and be talented. You can be learning new things and be talented.

If you’re in this for the marathon, then start saying yes. Because everything it takes to build a career the steady way?

That’s talent.

And you’ve earned it.