She’s a full-time voice actor and owner of The Voice Actors Studio in Las Vegas. Please welcome the lovely and talented, Melissa Moats.
Amanda McCune:
Well, hello my friend, and client, and former podcast host. I know we talk every week, but this is a fun reunion of sorts. Except now I get to switch into producer mode and interrogate… or ask you questions.
Melissa Moats:
Right.
Amanda McCune:
I know we can pack an episode, so I’m going to jump right in with something I think everyone wants to know. You’ve been a full-time voice actor for more than 20 years. But you also have the brick-and-mortar-plus-virtual training facility, The Voice Actors Studio, plus a husband, and a whiny old man cat, and a social life. Everyone always seems interested in that somewhat elusive idea of work-life balance. How have you been able to create that with all that you do?
Melissa Moats:
It’s still a challenge. Every year, my New Year’s resolution is work-life balance. That’s always at the top of the list. And so far, I haven’t been able to put a solid checkmark beside it, or a line through it, because that’s always something I’m doing a dance with. But just taking it one day at a time. It’s been, honestly, the best thing I can do is just, if I catch myself in a storm of trying to do too many things, that’s the time that I really do try to pull myself away and just go, okay, regroup, reset, deep breaths, take a second. Because it’s challenging. It’s definitely my biggest tightrope I walk.
Amanda McCune:
In your opinion, what is work-life balance? What does it mean to you? Because I think part of the reason people find it to be elusive, is they have an idea in their head that it has to be this specific thing. And like you said, once you make a plan to do one thing, the world is going to change it. So, you have to be able to adapt to it. And I think having those priorities of, these are the three things (or however many things). I have to do these every day. I will not sacrifice my workout, I will not sacrifice my relaxing shower, and I will not sacrifice my meal. I think that’s a really solid foundation. And then if you can get more then that’s great, but if not, at least you’ve done the minimum.
Melissa Moats:
Yes, those are my three musts. And then also just some time with my husband, you know. That is, even if it’s one hour, every single day we have a coffee date. So that’s another must list for me is sitting down and getting one uninterrupted hour of just great conversation, just our couple time, and that’s another big part of it. But yeah, I do think a lot of people have different expectations that they create for themselves that are maybe unreasonable, or, you know, just they’re never going to meet and they’re going to always find themselves being disappointed. So, I try really hard to just stick with my must list, try to keep it down to the bare minimums, and it seems to… seems to work, most days.
Amanda McCune:
I like the idea of a must list. I think that’s a good thing for people to have. When you’re juggling so many things, it can be hard to know where to start sometimes with getting it all done. What are some of your most useful productivity habits?
Melissa Moats:
I do stick pretty closely to a routine. I do like getting up around the same time. For me during the week, I like to get up about six and have some quiet time in the morning. And I definitely live and breathe by my digital calendar. Amanda McCune, I’ve come a long way. Remember when I was still working on my little paper calendars and my little journals? My Bujo?
Amanda McCune:
You like the feel of a pencil. That’s what you said.
Melissa Moats:
I still like the feel of a pencil. But for me, I would say my digital calendar, I treat my inbox like a to do list. And you know those things to me are solid. I never second guess where I’m at with anything based on those two things – that’s you know, my calendar and my inbox are ironclad.
Amanda McCune:
Yeah. I think it’s good to have a toolbox, utilize the apps and tools, and everything else that’s available to us now without getting overwhelmed by how many options we have. Because they’re, every time I start to look for some kind of CRM software or anything, it’s like well, there are 2033 different things that I could do and I’m just gonna stick with my basics right now. And because I don’t have time to learn something new.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah. And it’s overwhelming. There are so many great things out there but just to spend the time to find them and then learn them. That in itself isn’t very productive, right? Like to me that’s just like, time is just going up in flames. And I’m like, No! So, I’ll email myself. I know that there’s Evernote, and there’s this, and there’s that, and there’s all these things you can do. I’ll just say, I’m writing myself an email because it’s going to be in my inbox. And like you, it’s gonna bug me if it’s in my inbox. It’s incomplete, undone. So, that’s how I roll. Those are my two things that I never waver from.
Amanda McCune:
That’s one thing I do. If something comes into my brain and it’s past working hours, or if I get a text from a client, or something that’s a little bit later in the day. Instead of getting up and going to tend to it, I’ll do that sometimes. I’ll send myself an email, because then I know I’ll see it in the inbox the next day when I am working, and so it won’t get buried somewhere. And then it also won’t be nagging me in the back of my head like, “Remember this. Remember this.” No. I’ll just email myself and it’ll be fine. And then I see it in the morning and think, “Alright, I need to do this.”
Melissa Moats:
And then it’s like, I also feel like, “Ah, there it is. Okay, good. Yeah. Glad I emailed myself.”
Amanda McCun:
Yeah, exactly. I’m gonna shift gears a little bit. It’s one of the biggest struggles I hear about all the time from people who are starting their businesses, or kind of in the earlier stages is, well, how do I get new clients? And of course, marketing and sales are a whole big thing, and that will vary based on what the people do. But one thing that is universal, which you and I have always agreed on, is being friendly, and easy to work with. Which builds quality long term relationships versus one-time customers. That’s how you and I know each other for all of these years, since 2004, because as a voice talent, I hired you, and you were easy to work with, and you were friendly. And I thought, “I need this person to stay in my sphere.” And then when I started my business, I was like, “Hey, Melissa. I don’t know what you need me to do, but you need me somehow, and I’m going to infiltrate your world and make it so you can’t live without me.” And now here we are.
Melissa Moats:
I know. And you did a really great job of that.
Amanda McCune:
Thank you. I used to be more subtle about it. Now I pretty much flat out say, “This is what I’m doing. I’m going to make it so you can’t live without me.”
Melissa Moats:
I love it.
Amanda McCune:
And that, it’s better. It’s better for both of us that way. But what advice do you have for others who want to grow their businesses beyond what they do themselves? So, going back to building quality long-term relationships versus one-time customers, why do you think so many people overlook the simple principle of being kind?
Melissa Moats:
Oftentimes, I’ve heard a lot of people believe that being too nice or being too kind is a sign of weakness, which I think is absolute silliness. Because I think you can be very strong in your mindset and the way you run your business, and knowing who you are, but still be very loving and very outwardly kind. But I think people miss just the power in that. And that, making other people feel good, is a really big reason why they want to work with you. They enjoy that exchange of energy, and time, and sharing. And to me kindness is a superpower. So, if you’re overlooking kindness, you’re missing one of the biggest ingredients to being successful and creating those long-time, long-term relationships.
Amanda McCune:
It always baffles me why people don’t get that. And I think there are multiple facets of it, but one of them is that idea that you have to be brash or abrasive to be respected. And that comes from this weird place of, “I need to assert my authority or nobody’s going to take me seriously,” but then people overdo it. And the reaction is, “I don’t want to work with that person. That’s too much.” And then it is that, mistaking kindness for weakness. Because you can be direct, to the point, you can say what needs to be said unfiltered, but do it in a calm and polite manner that gets your point across.
It’s about communicating, not just yelling at somebody because this is awful, or not saying anything and just shrinking inside and being miserable because you don’t want to speak up. But it’s that general principle that we are all people. And our lives are much better if we’re working with people that were happy to be around. I don’t know, it seems self-explanatory to me but I come across that all the time. People don’t value the kindness in that, and especially from, say, the client perspective. If I’m hiring you, and I’m really busy or really stressed (which most people at their jobs tend to be unfortunately), and then my interaction with you is you’re making my life easier. You’re saying something kind, you’re calm, you’re making me relaxed, you’re making me happy. Of course, I want to work with you at that point.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, it’s refreshing, you know, and comforting. And I know whenever I exchange in work and business with people who are being kind back, or even taking the time to be kind and just enjoyable to work with, it just makes me look forward to working with them more and really cultivating that relationship more. So yeah, I think kindness is where is at. Let’s makes some shirts!
Amanda McCune:
Yeah, try it. Kindness. Give it a shot.
Melissa Moats:
It’s what’s for dinner.
Amanda McCune:
When it does come to sales and marketing, again, it really varies by industry. But I still think there are some universal principles that can apply and be helpful no matter what. What are some of the things that you would recommend for these people who are trying to get new clients?
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, I would just say really be aware of the network that you already have. And don’t overlook all of the great people you know. And not just involved in the business that you’re involved in, but all of us come together. It’s like this big web of awesome, right? So, really look at all of the different people in your network and in your corner who you can reach out to, and you can lean on. And a big thing about relationship growing, or marketing yourself is, once you align with someone to be hired for something, just always make sure you do what you say you’re going to do. I think that the follow through, if the follow through is there, and you have a great network that you can lean on, those two things are really important and then the referrals will happen.
Melissa Moat:
So that’s kind of where I want to go is network, follow through, and then referrals. Because I’m always happy to refer other people, other talent, and then they’re so thankful for me referring them. And then they’re just, they can’t wait to reciprocate and see how they can help me in the future. And it’s just a really big beautiful, like I said, a web of awesome, because everyone, it just, it goes on and on and everyone wins. It’s beautiful.
Amanda McCune:
We should all have a web of awesome. I’ve never heard it phrased like that before. But I really liked that.
Melissa Moats:
Thank you.
Amanda McCune:
You pretty much described my exact marketing strategy, which I’ve never called it a strategy because it’s second nature to me. We all know that I’m an introvert and going out and networking in person, or going out of the way to cold call somebody, or strike up a random conversation, not going to happen. I prefer to have a solid base of loyal clients, versus a whole bunch of people that I did one job for. That works really well for me, and in the line of work that I’m in. But the referrals, 100% of my business has come from people I know, or people who know people I know.
And like you said, it’s really good to think not just people in your own network, or not just in your own industry, but those other people because you might know some accountant who knows somebody else who’s creative and is working on a marketing video that needs a voice actor. And so, it’s really about having conversations that you would have anyway. You’re not trying to force a sale down somebody’s throat. You’re not sending borderline abusive emails or LinkedIn messages, “Hey, I sent you a message. Do you need my services? Following up because I haven’t heard back and it’s been 32 seconds.” That kind of stuff does not win me over.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, it’s really obnoxious. It’s like, keep your eyes and your ears open for people who need help. And then provide a solution or be of service because you genuinely can help, or you know someone else who can help. And that’s been appearing more and more in my life lately, where I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, I know somebody can help you with that” or “I could help you with that.” You know, that kind of a thing. And it puts people at ease. And then when they think of you, they think of ease. They think of, you know, a solution, like, “oh, that person is a great resource. They’re always so helpful. And they’re the kind of person where they don’t know the answer. They’ll try to help me get the answer.” And all of it just is positive in regards to getting more business and building more relationships.
Amanda McCune:
An answer that I often give people is, “I don’t know the answer, but I’m going to find out.” Or kind of along the same lines, if I’m not available for a job, or not interested, or there’s some reason that I’m going to say no, if I have somebody that I can refer to that job, I always give the solution. It just happened to me this week. Somebody from the iHeartRadio Festival reached out. They needed a producer for a couple days out here in Vegas. I can’t do it. But I said, “I’m not available, but here are four people that are really strong. You should reach out to them. I don’t know if they’re available, but if you need anybody else, let me know. I’m happy to be a resource or whatever you might need.”
I’ve never worked with this person before. I’m not working with this person now. I just don’t have the bandwidth. But it was, I am saying no, but I’m not leaving it at no. I’m offering you some alternatives. You can take them or not. But to me, it’s just going that extra way to help somebody because if I put myself in their shoes, I know what it’s like trying to hire somebody in a city where you’re not based and you don’t know anybody, and you really don’t know who you’re going to get. So, having somebody else vouch for somebody can go a long way. And then your friend or whomever you refer for the job, they get some extra money about it. And then they think, “Oh, Amanda got me this job.” So, it’s not being competitive, and so many people are “I’m not going to give anybody names because then they’ll hire that person and not me.” But to me, if somebody else is a better fit for the job than I am, you should definitely hire them. And then when I’m a better fit, you can hire me. There’s enough for everyone. So, no need to get greedy about all of it.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, it’s that lack mindset versus the abundance mindset. And, yeah, if you’re operating out of a place of abundance, which is, you know you always have enough because you know what a great valuable resource you are, and you’re very confident and secure in who you are and what you provide, then you are going to feel really great about sharing with everyone. And you know that there’s always going to be plenty to go around, including for yourself, and not working from the lack mindset of, “Oh my gosh, I can’t help other people because then somehow I’m going to lose out.” That’s just, that’s sad when people think that way. But that’s okay. There’s a mindset for everyone, I guess.
Amanda McCune:
There absolutely is. And I think part of that, it just comes from confidence as you keep going. We all know what that’s like when you first get started. And I remember having a specific conversation with you when I was starting out. And you said you had conversations with other people that, in the beginning, when you haven’t learned the fluctuation yet, you might go from being really busy to having no work. And it’s really easy when you have no work to get into almost panic mode. “Am I never going to work again? Did I just have a good run, and now it’s over? What’s going to happen?” And it always comes back. So, it’s, I’ve shifted that a lot in those years. And now it’s embracing those times when there’s nothing.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah.
Amanda McCune:
Those times don’t come often enough anymore. Not a complaint. But when I do, even if it’s a day, I think, “I have some quiet time today. I’m gonna go hang out on the couch with my cat.” It’s glorious.
Melissa Moat:
You’re start looking around, like, “Is it really quiet?” And then now we go, “Yay!” versus before, we’d maybe have a little mini panic attack.
Amanda McCune:
Kind of in the same lines, last night you and I were talking about evolution. And because you and I have known each other for so long, we’ve both seen each other grow in different ways. And we haven’t been super close friends for all of that. Sadly, we’ve missed out. But it really wasn’t until I got away from the production company, or maybe a slightly before then, when you and I started hanging out a lot more, and we’d have our Starbucks dates and go meet up every now and then. And then it’s blossomed from there.
And growth is something we all typically strive for. It can also be really, really scary. With TVAS, you went from hosting friends in your living room, to having a full-blown studio. And now you have a whole staff of coaches, and managers, and social media marketers, and graphic designers, and literally thousands of students. I don’t think that was your initial vision, but you went along with where it took you and here you are. What advice would you have for others who want to grow their businesses beyond what they’re doing themselves right now?
Melissa Moats:
The best piece of advice that I can give is, do everything from your heart and work from really wanting to serve others, and be there for everyone, and let it happen organically. I’m not suggesting to not sit down and work out some kind of a plan, or… I mean, honestly, I didn’t sit down and make a business plan and say, “I’m going to create this production studio/training studio.” I really didn’t do all of that. What happened for me was, I was just genuinely enjoying helping other people and I do love community, I do love bringing people together. And it just organically, slowly, like a flower, you know, just started to blossom and open slowly, slowly, slowly. And it became this thing that sort of took on a life of its own.
But the thing that I’m really proud of is that I’ve never tried to force this. I’ve never done anything. I’ve never wavered from the core vision of just serving others and building community. It’s just that the size of it, it’s really gotten a little out of hand. So, it definitely wouldn’t fit in my living room anymore. So now I feel like I have all these living room friends that are just now all over the world. And I’m just so thankful for people just, I guess, trusting me to be a good resource for them, and just bringing them into this amazing tribe that we’ve got. So, I hope I answered your question. I hope I’m not tangenting.
Amanda McCune:
I like tangents. No, and it’s a good thing. The idea of trust has been coming up in conversations a lot with me lately. And I think that’s a big part of it is, when we start businesses for ourselves, I think most of us go into it with a plan. Even creatives who maybe don’t like plans, I think there’s some idea of “this is what I’m going to do, and this is how I’m going to do it.” And it doesn’t always work that way. And the more we try to control it, and force it, and stick to our exact plan, the more disappointed you might be, but also, then you’re missing all those opportunities that are happening outside of that straight-line path that you thought you might be on.
I know when I started this business, I had a very clear idea. I was going to stop doing one thing and start doing something completely different. I even made a business plan. I never looked at it once after I finished it. I didn’t do anything that was on it because the path opened itself up to me. And it was being open enough to see it and say, “Okay, I never considered this before. But do I want to work for nine months as a project manager on a presidential debate? Okay, I’ve never done that before, I might as well give it a shot.” That introduced me to a whole new network of people, which furthered other things. They started giving me work that opened up a whole new area of clients, and friends, and other things that I could then do.
And then something else came up over here and over here. And then at the same time, I thought, well, while I’m doing this, I could also do a few things here. And this client needs help and I don’t really do that, but I could, so why not. And it just all came together. And I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t really work hard for all of it, but there’s a…back to balance… there is a balance of doing the work, committing, doing the best that you can, being impeccable with your word, all of those types of things, and also being adaptable. And being a little bit laid back and thinking, “I don’t have to control everything. I’m just going to go wherever the wind takes me.”
Melissa Moats:
Like what you were describing, there were words popping in my head as you were talking and one of them was “surrender,” right? You wrote your business plan, which you said then you kind of set aside and never really used or looked at again. But you know, good on you for sitting down and organizing your thoughts and you started somewhere. Like initially, you said this is my business plan. But the nice thing is, like we talked about right when we kicked off today is, life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans, right? So, you can make the plan, but when opportunities happen and unfold right before your eyes, you have to be able to see those opportunities and act on them, and be courageous enough to go for it, to not be so rigid that you say, “Oh, well, that wasn’t a part of my plan, so I can’t do that. That wasn’t what I had jotted down on that piece of paper.” So, you’ve got to be able to surrender to those moments and say, “You know what? Hmm. This is a really interesting opportunity. I am going to go for it and see what I learn.” Because the biggest thing I’ve learned in the last several years with The Voice Actors Studio, and voice acting, and all the things I do is just that every day, I am really open to learning new things. And it’s really important to be open to learning because things are changing at such a rapid rate every single day. And adaptability, like you said, is huge. But just being willing and open to what’s before you, just to embrace it, surrender to it, and say, “What can I take away from this and add to my toolkit?” That kind of mindset.
Amanda McCune:
What do you do, or do you have a set way? How do you work through the fear component of growth? Especially when it comes, in your case, you went from hosting some people in your living room to getting a building, and investing in a building, and the equipment, and the staff, and then you moved, after a few years you moved into a better building and had to rebuild the whole thing? And that, I think, is what stops a lot of people, is that fear of investing in themselves. Not just financially, which is a huge part of it, but also emotionally. Because “what happens if I spend all this time and money developing this thing and it doesn’t work?”, and people get stuck. I always like to say, “Yeah, but what if you spend all this time and money, and invest in this thing, and it does work?”
Melissa Moats:
And it’s so great. Yeah. Well, there have been so many moments in the last 7-8 years since The Voice Actors Studio became a thing that I have definitely made some scary decisions and terrified myself. And one of the big ones was signing a three-year lease for a commercial building, and then spending, oh, like $100,000 to build it out and get the infrastructure and all of the logistics and everything built. And it was me really having to – here comes that word again – trust myself. And believe that it was going to work out.
And was I afraid? Yes. Did I do it anyway? Yes. Because what’s the absolute worst thing that could happen? The worst thing that could happen is I “fail‚” which I really don’t believe in failure. It’s just an opportunity to learn and grow. But if it didn’t come together? Okay, I’d have debt. Well, that would be inconvenient. I would have to slowly chip away at paying that debt off. And, you know, bummer. But my thing was, it felt so right to me, it felt right in my bones. And it was a chance I was willing to take, because I again, I was letting it organically open up and take shape. And in that moment, I was like, “This is so scary. This is like a major rush. I’m kind of terrified to sign this contract and do this thing. But I’m gonna do it anyway.”
One of my favorite quotes is, fear walking, essentially. It’s “be fearful but keep walking anyway.” Just walk scared, you know. But keep going. If your knees are shaking and the whole bit, just keep going. Because when you get to the other side, there is this feeling of growth and accomplishment. When you look back, and you say, “Oh, my gosh, I did that. I did that. I was brave enough to listen to my own intuition and do it.”
And sometimes I have to stop myself and look back and say, “Holy cow, this is something.” That all those 1000s of hours that I’ve put into this thing, that I lose myself in, those 1000s of hours as I’m doing them. When I stop, and I look back, it’s a real moment that’s hard to describe or put into words. It’s a sense of being proud of myself that I was capable of something that I didn’t even realize I was fully capable of, and that I’ve helped so many people. And that’s the biggest part for me, is seeing all the people that have benefitted from a chance that I was willing to take. So those are the things that kind of run through my mind. I think I tangented again. But there it is.
Amanda McCune:
Again, tangents are good. I know you and I both are very much about being in the present moment, that’s a big thing. But, like you were just talking about, looking back. When you do stop and look back, because sometimes reflection is good because then you see where you started and where you ended up. I always think, is it better to look back and know that you tried something? And whether you succeeded at it or not, wouldn’t that be better than looking back and thinking, what could have happened if I would have tried this? And that I don’t want ever want to live a life of regret. I don’t really believe in regret. Because I think that everything we do, whether it works out or not, it teaches us something that we need to know.
But I think sometimes it’s really going internal. It’s trusting that instinct and believing in yourself. And if you really think that what you’re doing is the right thing to do, what do you really have to lose? And then as being practical about that like you said, okay, so if this doesn’t work, now you’re in debt. You can make more money. It’s possible.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah. It’s like, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You know that. And then when you say that out loud, then you say, “Okay, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Well, if I do this, and then it becomes this amazing thing, what’s the best thing that could happen?” And really what that is, is infinite possibility because you really don’t know. You can’t really measure that, right? You can simply measure what would happen in the worst-case scenario, but you can’t simply measure the best-case scenario because, I mean, there’s just so many different things that could come from it. So, to me, it’s just a no brainer, you know? It’s just like, go for it. But it’s gonna be scary. So just you willing to be scared.
Amanda McCune:
See, so if you’re listening to this, then you just got permission from Melissa Moats to do what you want to do. You heard it.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah.
Amanda McCune:
She said it’s okay. So what’s your excuse now? There is none.
Melissa Moats:
Yes, go forth and be awesome. It’s just, there’s just so much. Life is, you know, this is not a dress rehearsal. We’re here. We’re in it. I just I want to feel all the feelings. I want to do all the things. I want to meet all the people. You know, it’s just like, it’s just, I want to be so rich in experiences and moments, that that’s really what our life is, you know? When you look back it sounds kind of morbid to say it this way but we’re all going to have a time when we’re no longer here, right? As we know it now in this form. And when that moment comes, you want to be able to look back at your whole life and your experiences and say, “Wow, I had a really rich full journey. And it was chock full of great things. And things that scared me, things that lit me up,” and be really at peace with that. I don’t know, that’s something that I think about sometimes.
Amanda McCune:
Yeah, though different people have different motivations. And some people equate success with money. How much money did I make? And money is important. And we all like money. And it’s good to have as much of it as we can. But I think to overlook the experiences, the connections with other humans, with animals, with nature, all of those things. But to have true moments that are fulfilling, it becomes equally important, if not more important, than how much money you made. That’s always been my motivation. I want to have enough money to be secure, and to not have to worry about how I’m going to pay all the bills and all of that stuff, but I don’t need a lot of things. I like to spend my time and money on experiences. And that works for me. And I don’t ever want to look back and think, again, going to looking back, and think all I ever did was work, work, work, work, work. So I can make all this money and then I didn’t get to do anything with it?
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, so then you’ve got a big pile of money, and then you die. And then whoever you leave it to, they’re gonna be like, “Whoopee! Let’s have some fun!” And then you’re gonna be wherever you are and like, “Dang it. Why didn’t I ever have any fun?” So, you don’t want that scenario. No, going back to that whole balance thing we were talking about earlier, like work-life balance, it’s that thing, too, about a healthy relationship with money. It’s, you know, yeah, you want to be comfortable. You want to make sure you can buy groceries, and pay your bills, and live in a nice comfortable home, whatever that is for you, and just have some sense of security. But everything’s better when it’s shared. And when you take the money that you’ve earned, and you turn it into an experience, and then you’re sharing those experiences with others, that’s where the magic happens. That’s where everything is, you know. So, make the money, but play with the money. Have fun, and bring all the people into the mix too, so that everybody can share in the fun and enjoy it.
Amanda McCune:
Well put. It seems silly that we’re still having to talk about the pandemic at this point, but here we are and we’re still in it. And you’ve said before that when life gives you lemons, you throw the lemons back and demand chocolate cake, which is way better than lemonade. I always liked that. But always finding the best in everything, you’ve taken the time to reprioritize your work life and your personal life and focus on what’s important to you. And I think that’s a huge blessing a lot of people have taken from all this. What do you think you’ve learned about yourself in the process of the last year and a half?
Melissa Moats:
I’ve learned that I enjoy naps, and I try to get those whenever I can sneak them in. I’ve enjoyed basically taking some time to just reevaluate my priorities. I was telling you the other day that I want to spend a lot more time back visiting my family in the Midwest, and being able to work remotely. I’ve always worked remotely as a voice actor, that’s never been an issue in my whole 20 years of voice acting. But as far as The Voice Actors Studio life, being able to teach workshops remotely now, it just became very clear to me that I can set up a studio, back at my parents’ house in the Midwest, and spend extended periods of time back there with them and with my siblings and extended family, and do voiceover work, and still teach classes, and be with people that I only used to see a few times a year for like special holiday occasions and things like that.
So, a little silver lining for me in this whole pandemic situation was going, oh my gosh, we have all this technology and it’s been right there in front of my face this whole time. But utilizing it differently so that I actually can be more connected and physically present with my family just really excited me. I was just telling you about this the other day. And that’s one big thing that I’ve personally walked away from.
Amanda McCune:
I think for people who are self-employed, or who want to be, that, to me, it’s everything. It’s having that freedom and that control over your own time. Your time is yours, however, you want to do it. And the last year or so, it’s opened up everybody’s eyes a lot more to what is possible. And it’s really kind of crushing some of those old traditions that don’t make any sense because they were created when times were different. And it’s really hard, again, back to growth and evolving, but at the same time, it’s sometimes fear-based to think, “We can’t offer classes virtually because people won’t come. People want to be there in person. They want to have that whole community. And we can’t have that on boxes on a computer screen.”
Until it was forced, and granted you were a little bit ahead of that. You’d already started developing the streaming capabilities at the studio before this hit. It just expedited things a little bit. But that being said, people embraced it. They loved learning online. And there’s, again with balance, but you’ve crafted a way that people can attend these classes in person if that’s what they want. They can attend them at home if that’s what they want. So, it’s this really lovely balance. Again, it appeals to the introverts, it appeals to the extroverts, it gives opportunities for everybody. And being able to adapt to that has gone a long way. And people in these situations, especially offering creative services, for the most part, you can work from anywhere you want to be, as long as you set it up correctly and you communicate with your clients, it works and it’s lovely.
Melissa Moats:
It’s the best of both worlds, really. And for us at the studio, there are so many people who want the whole in-person, hands-on experience, and then there are other people who feel so much more comfortable being at home, or maybe we’re teaching a workshop at night and they don’t want to drive at night. Well, they don’t have to drive at night and they can still enjoy the same workshop. They can still learn. And another big thing is getting a lot of time back just from not having to drive somewhere and come back. Even just now, I’ll really wait. I’ll save up all my errands to run on one day, and then I kind of make a map. Like okay, I’m not going to just run out and do this one thing today, and run out and do that thing tomorrow. I will wait. I will be super organized. I’ll hit, you’re gonna laugh at me that I’ll go visit my nice little bank ladies. I like to go the bank in person still because that’s just how I roll. Gotta go say hi to everybody. Go see my little bank ladies. I like to go grocery shopping. I like to go put gas in my car. I like all those things. All those old school things. It makes me feel good. But I do it all in one swoop. I’m a lot more efficient with the way I do things, just based on what changed in the last 18 months.
Amanda McCune:
I remember back when we were doing the The Womanpreneur Podcast, there were some people who kind of made fun of me a little bit about my, “Don’t Leave the House” Wednesdays. Now every day is “Don’t Leave the House Wednesday,” and it’s amazing. But that was a big part of it. I needed one.
Melissa Moats:
You’re living your best life, Amanda McCune.
Amanda McCune:
I know. And so, it’s been funny. And, again, not to make light of all the people who have suffered through this, but you know that before this happened, I was pushing for remote work for a long time because this is what I wanted. This, the pandemic, isn’t what I wanted, but the idea of being able to do most of my work from home is what I wanted. And now that I have that, it makes sense. It does work. It’s better for my life. And not to say that I always want to be at home, but I think it proved to some people who weren’t on board with it before that, oh yeah, this actually does make a whole lot of sense. We can do work together better this way. And it benefits the company just as much as it does me, so it’s a win-win. But it’s, sometimes we need something huge to open our eyes to what’s right in front of us.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah. And I also have a whole new mindset of who I’m willing to put a bra on for. Like that’s one of my mindsets now is when someone’s like, “Hey, do you want to go out and do blah, blah, blah? Do you want to meet us for blah, blah, blah?” I’m like, that’s gonna involve a bra, and with makeup, and getting in my car and driving. And I’m like, that’s a lot of stuff. And I’m like, do I really want to do that? Do I really? Do I love this person enough to do this? Yeah, usually I do. But there’s the level of little extra boxes I check now that before it was like, I always would do those things. And now I’m like, I’m so happy. And I’m so comfortable.
Amanda McCune:
Yeah. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it used to be if I was meeting a new client, whether it was via Zoom or in person, I would make some kind of effort towards my appearance to at least look somewhat put together. That’s gone out the window. I’ve had meetings with people that I’ve never met. Sometimes it’s somebody I’m hiring, like a new accountant or a financial advisor. Sometimes it’s people who want to talk to me about a job. I kind of just think, this is who I am. Take me as I am or don’t. But I’m not gonna go spend all that time to put on some eyeliner and try to look better because I’m just gonna go wash my face right after this meeting anyway, and why waste it? Even if it’s five minutes, why waste my time?
Melissa Moats:
Right. Why waste the good eyeliner?
Amanda McCune:
Yeah, it’s getting people to be more comfortable with who they are. Yeah, I think it works. And I’ve always been a fan of wearing comfy pants, if you have to wear pants, and you know that too.
Melissa Moats:
I do know that. That’s one of your really premium traits, Amanda McCune.
Amanda McCune:
I have been consistent with this, if nothing else.
Melissa Moats:
Yes.
Amanda McCune:
Don’t Leave the House Wednesdays and wear comfy clothes.
Melissa Moats:
That’s right.
Amanda McCune:
I also want to throw it out there that you recently wrote and recorded a children’s audio book. What can you tell us about that?
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, we…we, like I have a mouse in my pocket.
Amanda McCune:
You might.
Melissa Moats:
As a matter of fact, I do have a mouse in my pocket, because it’s one of my stories that I’m about to actually launch here by the end of the year. So just really a little bit about that. I started writing children’s stories about 15 years ago when my nieces and nephews were first born. And you know, they live in the Midwest. I live here in Las Vegas. And I didn’t want to be the far away aunt. I wanted to be the aunt that they still felt really close to. So, even though, I’d only see them maybe five, six times a year when I came home to visit, I wanted them to just feel really close to me, and to know how much I love them. And so I used to just write stories, and then record them in my booth, and put little CDs together.
And then in between the stories that I would write for them, I would say stuff like you know, “Aunty loves you. Sleep good.” And, like little, fun little things. And my brother and sister-in-law would say they’d hear the kids upstairs at night being like, “Goodnight, Aunty!” Like, they would think that I was there talking to them, which is so cute. And I just sort of shelved all those stories. It was just for them. It was just little fun inspired thoughts and little things that I would just write based on things that they would share with me, or things that they liked.
And now my sister, in the last few years, she’s had little ones. So, she’s got a four-year-old and an almost three-year-old. And I brought a few, I dusted a few of them off and brought the CD out again, and said, “Hey, pop this in your car and see if the girls like it.” And my nieces, they loved all the songs I’ve written and stories I’ve written. And my older nieces and nephews said… they’re now like 15, 16, 20… they all said, “Aunty, our favorite stories growing up were the ones you wrote.” And I was like, “Really? Don’t make me cry.” But they said, “You need to do something with those stories. Those are so great. Those are some of my favorites.” And so it’s with their encouragement and their love that basically, I decided to start producing audiobooks. And now I’m actually getting some illustrations to go along with them. And I’m making picture books, or paperback books, of a bunch of my stories and I’m rolling out a whole collection. And it’s all just centered around my nieces and nephews and them being my number one fans.
Amanda McCune:
I love that. And it’s further evidence, you don’t have to do the same thing all the time. You can branch out. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing the same thing for 20 years. If you want to do something else, why not do it?
Melissa Moats:
Yeah, it just felt right. And I was doing it because I love them and wanted them to feel close to me. And now it’s becoming a thing where, I don’t know, can I be considered a professional writer? Because I’ve made $28.56?
Amanda McCune:
I think so. I was really happy with the first time I got money from Medium, and I want to say it was like $3.52 or something like that. And I was really excited about that, like, “I made it!”
Melissa Moats:
Yeah. I am a paid writer. Like, who am I?
Amanda McCune:
It works. You could just add to all your hyphenates. That’s what we do now. Everybody’s a multihyphenate of some sort. So, you could just add those at the end.
Melissa Moats:
It is great.
Amanda McCune:
If you had one piece of advice for other self-employed creatives, what would it be?
Melissa Moats:
I would just say, go back to the thing that you were the most drawn to when you were a kid. What was the thing when you were a little kid, the little voice in your inner child’s heart that kept telling you that you needed to be when you grew up? And just make sure you’re not overlooking that. Because I think we get lost in a sea of responsibility, and things that we think we have to do. And sometimes we miss what our biggest gifts are, and we miss the thing that our heart’s been longing to do forever. And just stopping and thinking back to what that really was. And just make sure you’re honoring it. That’s a big one for anyone, entrepreneur or not.
And business advice or otherwise, just be true to yourself. Be true to yourself. Be true to your word. Make sure that you always do what you say you’re gonna do. And I just think things just happen and unfold the way they’re supposed to, and you can’t go wrong.
Amanda McCune:
You know, I agree with all of that. Where can people find you if they want to connect?
Melissa Moats:
Where can people find me?
Amanda McCune:
Yeah.
Melissa Moats:
I’m at my house. No, I’m just kidding.
Amanda McCune:
Well, I’m not inviting stalkers to show up to Melissa Moats’ home.
Melissa Moats:
No, I know, I know. I’m just kidding.
Amanda McCune:
Look, I’m right here.
Melissa Moats:
I’m right here. You can find me. My website for voice acting is ladyluckvoiceovers.com. thevoiceactorstudio.com for voiceover related stuff. And I don’t know, just my name Melissa Moats. I’m out there. I’m out there, ready to be your friend. There you go.
Amanda McCune:
You’ve made a brand-new friend, whoever you are listening. Melissa Moats has given you permission and she wants to be your friend.
Melissa Moats:
Yes.
Amanda McCune:
So, thank you for taking the time to talk me, Melissa Moats.
Melissa Moats:
Yeah.
Amanda McCune:
It was fun to be on a podcast with you again.
Melissa Moats:
It’s been awesome. I really appreciate you inviting me. And I’m super proud of you, Amanda McCune, Aardvark Girl. And it’s been really fun for me to watch all of your business endeavors unfold. You are quite the business lady.
Amanda McCune:
Thank you. I appreciate that.
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