We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabella Laforet. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isabella below.
Isabella, 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 have always been ambitious, Plus, I was an athlete. So I am naturally competitive. Nothing was ever handed to me, I had to work hard to get to where I am today. My ego was never bigger than my desire to learn. I did plenty of internships and training programs throughout my career to either improve my skills or acquire a new skillset. I’ve been blessed to have been mentored by some amazing people who taught me a lot about this business. One of them gave me the nickname that became my company name: Quiet Fire. So I’ve developed a pretty stern work ethic based on my own ambitions and wanting to make those proud who believed in me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Since the last time I had the honor to be featured in Voyage LA during the pandemic, the world has opened up and work has returned pretty quickly. I’ve been on the road consistently with my main client as their Tour Manager. It feels great to be back on tour buses and planes and traveling around the country and hopefully soon, the world again. It is the most amazing feeling to go out into the audience during a show and watch people have a good time, forget about their problems for a little while, singing and dancing along to my clients’ music. It makes the stress of this job worth it. Music heals, Music unites and Music is therapy!
I also have been steadily working on my career in Voiceover, taking courses and training, preparing myself properly to make my mark in this industry. Voiceover is something I can do even while on the road. The goal is to one day make it a full time career, when I decide to retire from tour life.
My very first paycheck was voicing commercials when I was a teenager, it is only poetic to return to my roots and come full circle using my voice.
Sounds have always been instrumental in my life, whether is was radio, music or my own voice. Theatre of the Mind and painting pictures with voices, sounds and music has always been my favorite thing.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My best advice would be to check your ego at the door and stay open to learn. Never stop learning. Listen and watch. When I first moved to LA after leaving my career in Radio in New York, I decided I wanted to learn about TV Production. I figured the best way to do so was to “moonlight” as a PA for a little while. It would give me the opportunity to watch and learn. Within a few months, I would receive calls from ADs of major TV shows. Every so often, I’d run into people I’d known from my previous career and they’d always be puzzled as to why I was working as a Set PA when I had an international degree in Political Sciences and Economics and I used to have a very lucrative career in Radio. My answer was always, “I am having fun learning about another industry.”
Same thing happened when I decided to go back into Concert Touring and Tour Management. One of my mentors suggested I’d learn Concert and Tour Production to help me become a great Tour Manager. So I did that. I worked as a Production Coordinator for a few years to learn everything I could. I ended up on the road with A-List artists and the experience I gained is priceless.
I’ve taken all those things I learned in a non-traditional manner and am applying them to the gig I have now as the Tour Manager of a major band.
So don’t be afraid to sometimes take steps that others may consider as “setbacks”. If you have a plan, don’t let anyone talk you down. Do what you need to do to be versatile and get as much experience as you can. This will make you a valuable asset to any client. As I said, never stop learning!
In summary, I think the three things that were most impactful in my career were the following:
1. I took risks or as I call it “Leaps of Faith”
2. I never passed on an opportunity to learn, gain experience and grow as a person and as a professional.
3. I checked my own ego at the door many times with the bigger picture in my mind and worked hard for the goals I had set for myself.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
The pandemic showed us a few things. One of which was that we were not paying enough attention to our Mental Health. I am no different. During the pandemic, I learned to deal with a different kind of anxiety I’d never experienced before. We went from constantly moving, traveling, being around people and working a lot to a screeching halt. A lot of us were on our own. Of course that also impacted income and security. With that came anxiety.
So during the pandemic I developed the “take a walk and admire the beauty around you” mindset.
And now that I am back to working a lot, in a very stressful environment, I still go back to that mindset. If I get overwhelmed or feel stressed, I simply take a walk. Even if it’s just 20 or 30 minutes. I look around and notice small beautiful things around me. Or when I am at home and I feel stressed about anything, I go sit on the beach to watch the sunset. That calms me. Of course it is often difficult to fit in the time to do so. However, I have learned that I am much more efficient and productive when I take that time to exhale.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.QuietFireEnt.com
- Instagram: @QuietFireEnt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellalaforet/
- Other: Clubhouse: @QuietFireEnt Isabella’s Voiceover Commercial Demo: www.QuietFireEnt.com/Voiceover
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