Hey there!
Today, because I got a question on this from a viewer, let’s take a look at one of the crucial behind-the-scenes mechanisms of my process: my VAs.
What’s a VA? It’s the abbreviation for “virtual assistant,” and boy does she.
The word “virtual” has come to stand for AI as well, but that’s not the case here.
Meet one of my VAs, Stina.
(Click/tap ↑↑↑↑↑↑ that red YouTube button to subscribe to my channel. You’ll get notified when I release new videos.)
Hope this helps!
David
All Episodes
Five Ways To Have An Excellent Coffee Date With Me
Five Ways To Have A Crappy Coffee Date With Me
Taking Advantage Of The Wisdom Of The Tribe
How To Be A World Class Complainer
The False Nobility Of The Struggle
Watch Out – The Rules Are Going To Change
Coaching vs Consulting vs Facilitating
The Perils of Live Performance And Why Jeremy Kappell Should Not Have Been Fired
Let’s Welcome To The Stage…Failure!
Don’t Confuse Price With Value
The Two Things Most Talent Try to Accomplish Way Too Soon
10,000 Hours To Become Good At Something? Not Really.
The Trick Charlie Munger Uses To Make Better Decisions
Everyone’s A Customer, Not Just Your Customers
“What do you mean, you’re a ‘process guy’?”
Pay Attention To Your Storytelling, Not Removing Your Breaths
How To Conquer FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
The Problem In Every Commercial Script
The Job In Every Commercial Script
The Secret In Every Commercial Script
Voice Over Is REALLY Hard. Until It Isn’t.
Helping Make Resolutions Stick
ACX Jobs: They’re ALL SAG-AFTRA-Friendly
Non-Union? You Can Still Open An AFTRA H&R Account. What?
Who Says You Need To “Feel Like It?”
Your Day Job Might Just Be Worth Keeping For A Bit Longer
Want To Learn Something Really Well? Teach It To Others
Don’t Confuse What Works With What You Like
The Lost Keys And The Microphone In My Elevator
My Insane Backup System Plus Two Helpful Tips
What Open Loops Are And Why They Work So Well
Two More Things For Which You Can Use Open Loops
Three Things Not To Say Or Do…When Trying To Learn Something New
Front Burner and Back Burner Project Management
How To Properly List The Accents and Dialects You Perform
My SAG-AFTRA Presentation On VO Demos (Part 1)
My SAG-AFTRA Presentation On VO Demos (Part 2)
A Simple, One-Word Decision-Making Question To Ask Yourself
How You Can Use The MVP Model As A Performer
The Robocall Equivalent Of Unsubscribe
Making Your Links Irresistible
HTTPS Is Not Just For Banks – It’s For You
The Threat That Made Me Create a New Page For LAME
The Resource You Must Guard Most Carefully
How New Media Is Using The Oldest Ad Model Ever
Killing Customers With Kindness
I Found Out What She Was Podcasting About
How I Answered Voices.com’s Inquiry
Turning Mountains Into Molehills
Motivation: Your Three Big Needs In A Cool Little Package
Go Ahead. Multitask. But Try It Like This.
The Prodigy Game Doesn’t Deserve This Treatment
What Fair Markets Are, And Why Voices.com Isn’t One
Trevor’s Three A’s From Apple On Killing Customers With Kindness
Getting Ready vs. Getting Started
You’ll Never Believe Who Got Rejected By Harvard
There Is No Failure, Only Feedback
Who Is Your Most Dangerous Adversary?
73 Videos In, My First Hater Appears
If You’re The Smartest Person In The Room, Do This ASAP
Your Glasses And Crucial Laptop Positioning Info
One More Insanely Over-engineered Piece Of Gear: My UPS
The Crazy Backward Way IKEA Prices Their Stuff
Voices.com Complained To YouTube That I Violated Their Privacy
For Your Health: Not Perfect. Just Better.
Mr. Wonderful Is Actually More Wonderful Than I Thought
Let’s Finally Close The Digital Literacy Gender Gap
The Guaranteed Way To Completely Avoid Criticism
The Two Things People Judge About You Within Seconds
Are You Committed? Or Just…Interested?
Audible Retail Samples: Why They Suck And Why It Doesn’t Really Matter
How To Voice Copy That’s Set In Italics
Dyslexia, And The Palindromic Poem. The Wha?
Increase Your Chances Of Being Seen And Heard On Facebook
Jamie Has Some Thoughts About Fiverr
Is Simply Discouraging Distracted Driving Enough?
“Young People Are Just Smarter.”
The Real Purpose Of The “Can You Hear Me?” Phone Scam
An AMA Preview: The Word “Ethnic” – A Slur, Or An Essential Adjective?
10 Rules of Profitable Self Discipline from Napoleon Hill
AMA (Ask Me Anything): Here Are The Answers (Part 1)
AMA (Ask Me Anything): Here Are The Answers (Part 2)
AMA (Ask Me Anything): Here Are The Answers (Part 3)
AMA (Ask Me Anything): Here Are The Answers (Part 4)
AMA Answers Part 5 Plus A Medical Warning
Last AMA Answers (#6): Gear, Services and Success
A 7-Word Reminder: “Don’t correct people when it matters little.”
Do You Have A Plan? And Is It The Right One?
What’s Your Next Big Move? Are You Ready?
Build Your Future On Your Own Platform, Not Someone Else’s
I’m Leaving Facebook: Why Groups and FB Live No Longer Spark Joy
Time To Accept That I’ve Failed At Something – Happily
Crowdfunding Without The Internet: Pulitzer And The Statue Of Liberty
The Amazing Power Of Recognition And Badging
Might We Have A Possible Cause For Alzheimer’s?
Why Podcasting And Radio Are Out Of Whack
Value Enthusiasm, But Value Persistence More
Ten Ways To Make Money With Podcasts Besides Ads
One Quick Question To Find Out How Important Something Actually Is
The Workflow For Producing These Videos (So Far) Part 1
Why Not Wade? And…Why Not You?
Audiobook Narrators: How Paymasters Work, And The One I Recommend
Why Gen Z And Millennials’ Love For Audiobooks Is Crucial
American Idol: It’s All About Story, Not Just Singing
Less Beating Yourself Up, More Talking Yourself Up
Resist Oversharing. Instead, Start A Dialogue.
Vocal Care: It’s All About What Works For You
3 Biases You Should Be Aware Of
3 More Biases You Should Also Be Aware Of
Wow. People Really Grokked Biases. Let’s Tackle Fallacies.
Three More Fallacies You Need To Watch For
Two Last Big Creativity-Crippling Fallacies
A New Lead Source For Performers: Voice Assistants And Smart Speakers
A Great Way To Handle Trolls and Haters
Quantity Does Not Usually Equal Quality
Is Facebook Truly A Monopoly? No More Than Microsoft Was.
Fear Of The Unknown, Or The Day Before My Surgery
A Strange Aspect To Performing That Should Be Cause For Protest, But Isn’t
Want To Grow? Don’t Go It Alone.
How Am I Doing? I’m Gobsmacked. That’s How Am I Doing.
Why I Give My Agents 10% Of Everything
Not Just Explainer Videos, But Video That Explain Things Spectacularly
Mental Floss To The Rescue: Skills You Can Pick Up On YouTube
What’s Better Than Willpower? Grit.
Regarding Apple’s App Store: Be Careful What You Wish For, Pepper
Of COURSE You Wonder What Porter’s Five Forces Are. Who Doesn’t?
Don’t Waste Your Time: Talk Shows Aren’t Meant To Be Fair
Sooner Or Later, I’m Really Going To Tick You Off
Just Because You Can Do Something Doesn’t Mean You Should
Wait, What? Audacity Records In The Background?!
Enjoy Your First Booking. Pay Close Attention To The Next Three.
Pattern Interruption And The Musicality Of Voice Over
Do You Still Have A Landline? Is It POTS? Wait, What’s POTS?
Increase Your VO Accuracy, And You’ll Increase Your VO Profits
Age Range Isn’t Really A Valid Metric For VO
How To Stop Jealousy From Killing Your Progress
Even The Bible (And Game Of Thrones) Has One-Star Reviews
How Much Is Enough To Make Per Hour?
With Royalty Share Plus, ACX Makes Hybrid Stipends Official
Wait, Vices Can Be Good For Your Health?
What A Lovely Thing To Discover: Praise From CourVO
I Figured Out What I Provide: The Onboarding Performers Don’t Get
You Don’t Need Permission To Care Or Contribute
It’s Not Just You. It’s The Superstars, Too.
Do You Sometimes Think Irrationally? Maybe. Here’s How To Stop It.
The Struggle Of Announcer-y Versus Non-Announcer-y Voice Over
How My VAs Support Me And My Team
The Often “Most Difficult” Concept I Teach
Please Unsubscribe From This List. But Don’t Do This One Destructive, Lazy Thing.
Don’t Mistake The Joy Of Knowing For The Joy Of Doing
Why Giving Yourself Some Simple Homework Can Be Life-Changing
One Weird Trick I Do That Makes My Note-Taking Superhuman
The Worst Thing About The Biggest Money-Making Entertainment Category
What Can We Grab From A Schedule This Strict?
Get Better At Executing Today’s Plan By Starting Last Night
How To Create Useful, Organized Audition File Names
Where To Find Related PDFs For Audiobooks on Audible
I’m Halfway Finished. What Have You Valued Most? What Can I Do Better?
Our Digital Attention Span Is Incredibly Brief
“Serves You Right!” She Actually Has No Idea How Right.
Create A Safe Environment For Self-Improvement
Why I Use One Single Channel For Crucial Communication
The Even Cheaper AT-2020 USB Plus Microphone?
Fred Willard (and Billy West) On Quickly Creating Authentic VO Characters
Leo Makes Your Searching Spectacular
On Asking For Things Performers Can’t Do
How To Battle The Urge of “Efficiency”
One More Best-Of-Breed Way To Brilliantly Complain
Changing Audacity’s Sampling Rate To 48,000 Hz
10 Words Of Encouragement When You’re Stuck
Seek/Give Mentorship That’s Appropriate To The Journey
Two Cases Where You Might Not Want To Simply “Follow Your Passion”
Having Fun With Headphone Volume
Please Stop Rushing To Perform
Something To Consider: Everyone’s Internal Menu
One Crazy Key To Creativity: Pure, Unadulterated Boredom
The Most Commonly Consumed Media Is…!
What’s Dangerous For Us To Care About
Please, Clever Copywriters…Stop Using This Term
Wait, Wait…What? They Actually Listened?!
Why You Should Take The Same Classes Twice
How Your Character’s Menu Informs Your Performance Choices
What Shouldn’t Be Your Metric For VO Success
Someone Awesome Who’s Also Rising To A 365-Day Challenge
Union Or Not, Start With Union Rates
O. M. G. Look What Matt Zurbo Did!
So Where Will That Huge Facebook Fine End Up?
Avoid That One Obvious “That Worked” Sound We Make
Why Union Members Can Audition For Non-Union Work
200 Auditions. 1 Booking. A Ghost. Really?
I Can’t Do One Thing I’m Asked To Do Every Single Day
One Of Your Secret Weapons: Agility
Do Networking Events Make You Anxious? Let’s Fix That.
Project X Is Just About Ready. I’m A Bit Giddy.
The Difference Between Mansplaining and Advice?
Too Late, Melissa. You Already Are.
Help Me Solve A Lovely Mystery!
Raw YouTube Captioning
hey there it’s David H Lawrence the 17th
I got a message from a viewer who said
you mentioned a virtual assistant you
have a virtual assistant how does that
work how does your virtual assistant
actually help you you know don’t they
have to be there to shoot the videos and
all that sort of thing you know and so I
thought well why not use video why not
use one of these videos to meet my new
virtual assistants Tina Marshall so
let’s go over to zoom and find out what
she’s all about
hey steena how’s it going wonderful how
are you I’m doing great look at your
heavier you have your image you know all
adjusted and everything it’s awesome so
just going to jump right into it
steena is my my new virtual assistant
she’s my second virtual assistant you
guys know Rachel steena is is helping me
with a lot of new projects as well and
we got a question from one of the
viewers of the one-a-day videos which
you’re also involved in how does your VA
support you and your team how does that
work and you know I it’s magic to me I’m
you know I’m really happy real quick
we’re not going to be long on this video
this is gonna fit in with the format of
all the one-a-day videos 5 10 minutes
why did you want to be a VA in the first
place well you know one of the things I
have two kids at home and one of the
things I wanted was flexibility and to
be able to help somebody else grow their
business I’m a big believer in
supporting other people and using my
skillsets to help somebody else grow as
a person and enable them to do what they
do best and I think that one of the
things that I do is I help organize a
lot of things in your life so that you
can do what you do best which is amazing
things yeah well I appreciate that and I
had you know and kind of limited my
expectations about anybody that I would
hire as a VA because I feel like what I
do is kind of specialized
but one of the really nice things is
that
steena has a bit of experience with
managing an actor because one of her
kids her daughter Lena is a an athletic
model a fitness model kids fitness model
and a commercial actor and a theatrical
actor wants to be an actor right so yeah
and so you’re kind of a stage mom yes
and you’ve kind of been a stage mom to
me too I think when I present things to
you you’ve been like oh yeah yeah I get
that because that’s what I’m familiar
with from from dealing with Lena’s
burgeoning career to get to the answers
of what you do tell me a little bit
about what you do every morning
before I even get up because you’re
apparently an early bird you’re you’re a
lion and I’m sorely still a wolf but
tell you to help me out um so in
day-to-day before David gets up and
before my kids get up I check his email
and manage his daily lists on the odigo
though I see if they’re in the urgent
matters that need to be brought to his
attention I manage his LinkedIn as well
so I make sure that everybody you know
hears from him and that we bring again
any anything urgent to his attention or
anything in his day-to-day life that
pops up and that he might need to know
about yeah and she also does little
things to we’re talking about each other
as though we’re not even in the room
which is kind of let’s talk about steena
every day when you go to these one-a-day
videos you see a little link that says
all episodes and when you click on that
link it shows you a link to all the rest
of the now 150 or 160 episodes and part
of that process of managing my stuff for
me is her going in every day and adding
that day’s link to that list so it’s one
less thing that I have to worry about in
the workflow process
I’ve offloaded other things to her and
and the one thing that that she also
does that’s really the most useful to me
is she’s taken off my plate some of the
some of the administrative tasks of
managing the classes every month the the
release of the workshops and the classes
and so on so I’m feeling like I’m
lagging here so I’m going to stop my
video and I’m gonna start it again okay
good
now I’ve caught up and so she handles
that for me and it’s a very long and
involved process and it’s one that I was
kind of you know stubborn about giving
up but she does it really really well
and so it’s that kind of thing that she
does to support me and my team she
supports the the coaches she supports
the pros the vo to go go pros when they
are signing up for classes she puts them
in the right class what else I think
that that kind of covers it but we’re
adding more things as time goes on and
she’s also going to be involved in the
rebranding later this year
because her yeah her processes are gonna
change because I’m trying to make it
simpler for everybody including
including those of you who are pros and
are taking the classes it’s gonna be a
lot easier for you to get into the class
that you want and then you do something
really sweet every night and I’m sure
sweet is not the right way to describe
it but to me it is and it’s kind of like
you know Tom Peters wrote a number of
really awesome business books in the 80s
and beyond and one of the things that he
talks about is the virtual penny candy
in the bag like when you used to go to a
supermarket when I was a kid you know
long before you were born steena you
know you get your bags you get your
groceries bag and then they throw a
penny candy in the bag just as a little
thank you you know you probably see that
when you go to a dry cleaner or you go
to a hair salon or whatever they might
have little candies in the jar and stuff
and what you do for me every night is
kind of like that can you can you
explain what you do yeah so when I’m
going through his email and managing
that I also take a look at his calendar
and give David a quick text message with
an update of any highlights of his day
for the following day
so that he can be prepared and ready to
take on anything I need to take on yeah
and you think hey how hard is it David
for you to actually just go look
get your calendar I mean seriously how
hard can that possibly be but what it is
is a and it’s and it’s been useful many
many times
oh yeah that’s right I’ve got that first
thing in the morning I probably would
look at my calendar and you know there
been days where I haven’t and I’ve been
kind of surprised at the last minute by
something but that’s just like a really
nice little little thing that’s Tina
does so I wanted to give people
opportunity to see you you’re gorgeous
your kids are gorgeous everything about
what you do for me is gorgeous I really
appreciate it and I’m thrilled that
you’re working with us and thank you for
the support that you offer for all of
the viewers of these videos my pros me
my team my coaches and hopefully I’m not
putting you on the spot you’re enjoying
it no absolutely nice to meet everybody
so there you go that’s Tina Marshall
she’s awesome and she’s really been
helpful and we’ve only been working with
each other for a couple of months I’ve
been working with Rachel my other VA for
several years and you know I guess it’s
kind of odd you think how can possibly
you know most of what I do is on Mike or
on camera
how can a virtual is to help you with
that and as we found out it’s the
administration it’s the actual running
of the company you know I teach I
perform I you know do a lot of things
other than these videos and other than
auditioning and the the administration
of all that is really how she helps me
out and how they both help me out
so there you go I hope that helps if you
have questions or comments about how VA
is can be useful if maybe they’re useful
in your life maybe you’re using a VA or
you have questions for either me or
steena for you know how she works with
me do me a favor and leave that in a
comment below this video if you’re
watching anywhere but on V o to go go
comm pop over to V o Togo go comm
because that’s where all the good stuff
is that’s where we have all kinds of
tactics and strategies and tips and
tricks and and offerings for you to make
your life as a performer fantastic if
you would like to subscribe to my
youtube channel go ahead and click on my
head there if there’s no head look for a
subscribe button somewhere on the page
if you want to see the latest
video I’ve done clicking on that frame
will take you to YouTube and they’ll
play it for you I’m David H Lawrence a
seventeen thank you so much for watching
and I will talk to you tomorrow.
I imagine having two virtual assistants really helps take things off your plate and helps you feel a little less overwhelmed so you can focus on other things. I wonder if I’ll ever need one? Thanks for the video David.
Wow I never thought of a VA for Voice Over Artists. I would love to get into this. Is there any special experience necessary
Fascinating, David. Question: Through which online agency do you find your VAs? Upwork? Fivver?
No. I wouldn’t suggest those sites. One (Rachel) I found through a referral from Kristine Oller (https://kristineoller.com/) and one I found via Great Assistants (Stina) – they both had to ace skill testing that most candidates on FIverr and Upwork would fail.
I have learnt to narrate and produce the Audiobooks I do. I manage that reasonably well, but I am bewildered by the selling of myself and my product, and at this late stage in my life I have no energy to learn. I want to put all my passion into what I can do. A VA sounds like what I need, but I’m afraid to give up my independence, also I don’t have money to spend up front to hire someone. I guess what I want is someone who looks at my work, decides they can help us both make money, and take over the selling side. I’m nor sure that asking for this on this platform is correct, but perhaps you can lead me in the right direction. Thanks for”everyday you talk to us”. It’s so helpful.
Hi Stina. Nice to meet you. you have a cool sounding career and you look like you enjoy it!
Thanks for explaining this David! Helpful
David, I agree with Linda Roper that marketing myself and promotion is not my thing. I hate selling the same way I hate vacuuming (which is why I have a Roomba). So is there a VA that would do that for me? And please tell us: what is the Web link for your new VA?
That probably wouldn’t be a VA – that would probably be an MA – a marketing assistant. Two different creatures.