Meet Brad Hyland

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brad Hyland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I don’t think anyone ever truly escapes from the occasional “imposter syndrome” thoughts… it’s just part of business life as an entrepreneur in a freelance economy. Those fleeting moments of worry or self-doubt just need to be compartmentalized and used as fuel to keep learning and growing. I have two short quotes posted in my home studio…. ” GREAT THINGS NEVER CAME FROM COMFORT ZONES” and ” YOU DON’T GET MUCH DONE…IF YOU ONLY GRIND ON THE DAYS YOU FEEL GOOD” These are 2 little reminders to always keep plowing ahead. Every “no” you get, is a yes in the making. Also- surround yourself with trusted friends and professionals from within your business, and they’ll keep your head on straight for you!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In August I attended the OneVoice conference in Dallas. I was grateful to have received two awards at the big gala at the black tie awards banquet on Saturday night. I am very proud of accomplishments like this, but they are only a reminder that it is years and years of dedication and work and loving what you do that puts you in a situation to even compete on a stage like that. My first voiceover training was 30 years ago, and voice acting the only thing I ever wanted to do… So I quit my management position in commercial landscaping in 2015, and gave up everything that comes with a 30+ year career and jumped headfirst into voice acting full-time. That was a challenging and scary time.
Now, I’m thrilled to have customers all around the globe who use my voice for everything from radio and TV commercials to all aspects of non-broadcast voiceover…like corporate narration, elearning and expaliner/web videos.
Over the last 3 years I have also become a voiceover coach, working with fabulous talent from the US, Canada and beyond. Helping these amazing people learn to ignore their microphone and just be themselves is a blessing.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
You have to have a burning desire to be a voice actor… It’s not for the faint of heart. It takes years to get established, and there are no shortcuts. I have been very fortunate to have had the help, guidance and mentorship from some amazing people. They helped me take my dreams and aspirations and turn them into a fabulous livelihood. People like John Burr, J. Michael Collins, Kay Bess, Tina Morasco and many others, have helped me to learn and craft how I relate to written copy, and deliver the story without sounding like I’m reading! ( that’s the secret by the way) Also- 100% support from my wife of 42 years
No matter what your business, craft or livelihood dreams are, you have to find people who are able to train and help you to grow.
Also… Never ever expect a magic pill or some kind of secret sauce, success only comes from dedication and really hard work.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I guess for me, my challenge is to learn how to create and maintain a solid life balance while I work like crazy in my home studio. My wife is so supportive and understands, and encourages me at every step. But I need to learn how to step away from what seems like relatively easier success at this point after all these year and balance that with the more important things about family.
I’m not a young guy by any stretch of the imagination, so having a solid plan for the next 10-15 years is crucial for my mental health. Honestly, I plan on continuing to be a full-time Voice actor and coach for as long as people want me for both of those. I would love to be in my studio well into my 80s … So that’s my challenge, to learn how to continue to be healthy and continue to grow so I can do this for another 20 years!

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