We recently connected with Kathryn Horan and have shared our conversation below.
Kathryn, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I’ve always been a hard worker. In school, I always hated doing group projects because I would always end up doing most of the work. So I learned to really rely on myself and my ability to get things done. I’m very much a stickler for time management, and because of that, I can stay on top of projects, and I allow myself plenty of time to get things done. I take a lot of pride in my work–I don’t want to let down myself or other people.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am the Senior Casting Director at The Voicecaster. I assist in casting voiceover talent, primarily for commercials, as well as engineering recording sessions, doing demo production, recording auditions for actors, coordinating our classes and our weekly work-out group. I love working with actors and seeing them grow and succeed on their journey. I really love the casting process and finding the best voice for a job. I also really enjoy doing the recording sessions–it’s fun to see the final product come together.
The Voicecaster is a really special place because we are a casting house and we offer classes, so it’s a great place for new actors to start. As often as we can we try to bring students in on projects we’re casting.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
So, these are all pretty basic things, but they’ve taken me far in my journey: 1. Just having basic office skills. Knowing how to answer a phone, typing, knowing how to use Microsoft Office. In every job I’ve had, I’ve needed to be able to use those things.
2. Being a quick learner. I’m usually pretty good at picking up things quickly. If there’s a new program I need to learn, or when I’m new to a job and learning how the office works, I’m pretty good at picking those things up quickly.
3. Networking skills. So many of my jobs and opportunities in life have come from the people I know.
And basic advise I would give to anyone looking to get into the voiceover field (or probably most industries) is be on time, come prepared, be open to advice and improvement, and work well with others.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
A nice thing about my job is every day is different. But with that, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed, especially when it’s a day that everyone needs something from you right away. One key thing I try to do when things start getting overwhelming is to try and take a step back, take a deep breath, and just do one thing at a time. It can be very easy to try and multi-task and do multiple things at once. Sometimes that can make the work feel even more overwhelming. So just do one thing at a time, get it done well, and then move on to the next. And also, know when to step away. This can be easier said than done, but sometimes you just need to take a break from what you’re working on when things get frustrating. Move on to something else, maybe take your lunch break, or a coffee break, and then return. It’s amazing what focusing on something else can do to clear your mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.voicecaster.com
Image Credits
Kathryn Horan
