Mike , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I think I get most of my work ethic from my parents. Both are hard workers, both before and after retirement. They taught me the importance of working with my hands and being self-reliant. I grew up in Knoxville, TN and that mindset was pretty prevalent in those days. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my dad in his wood shop and doing household chores like hauling firewood and yard work. We lived in a normal middle-class neighborhood, and my parents were very much a DIY mentality.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve had several careers over my working life, from professional skateboarder to radio personality. My current role is as a freelance VoiceOver talent. I basically provide voice to any media requiring narration. Commercials, audiobooks, explainer videos, telephone systems, etc. I started in the voice game in 1995 as a radio personality and quickly came to love the art form of giving content a voice.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the most important aspect is my ability to keep moving forward, no matter how slowly, and not give up. Skateboarding teaches that mentality. When you fall, get back up and try again. I also have a pretty strong attention to detail and am a perfectionist. I believe this has allowed me to over deliver when working with clients. Lastly, I’m a tech geek. Today, to be successful in most areas, you need to be up on the latest technology.
My biggest piece of advice for someone who is struggling to develop skills is to seek help and try not to go it alone. Also, when you fail, you’re just that much closer to success.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m always looking for projects to collaborate with like-minded people. Anyone in the video content space. Commercials, Explainer videos, eLearning, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mikehathcote.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehathcote/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikehathcotemedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hathcote/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikehathcote
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-RR8IKEQZzQ1ifFtu4I2vg
Image Credits
Andrew Lomas Sarah Hoag Rob Locker
