The main topic is the restructuring and reinvention of the core mentorship vertical within the World Voices Organization (WoVo). The organization's mission is fundamentally "actors helping actors."

• The Problem: Previously, WoVo's mentorship was often unstructured, serving mainly as a "troubleshooting" or one-time advice service rather than a cohesive program for growth.
• The Goal: The new initiative aims to provide structured, supportive help to both experienced actors and, most crucially, those with less experience to help the industry grow.
• The Team: The initiative is being led by Nikki Lulow (a 20-year industry veteran and problem-solver/former teacher) and Rebecca Howe. George Washington III praised both women for their dedication to helping others and bringing new energy to the program.

Nikki and George, Tim, and Barri, discussed the intentions behind the new, structured approach:

• Preventing "Unpaid Coaching": The program is designed to be a short, structured term (e.g., 12 to 13 weeks, once a week) to prevent the mentor-mentee dynamic from turning into an endless, unpaid coaching relationship.
• Focus on Solving Problems: It’s about "teaching someone how to fish" rather than just giving them a fish. Mentees will focus on one specific, agreed-upon goal to ensure progress. Mentors act as a guide to help deconstruct issues and find solutions.
• Symbiotic Relationship: Mentors gain significant insight into how others run their business, discover new software, and learn about different approaches to the industry, making the relationship mutually beneficial.
• Vetting and Safety: The leaders stressed the importance of vetting mentors to ensure high standards and that mentors are not just selling services. They aim to create a "safe space" where mentees can be vulnerable and ask for help.

The mentorship program is a perk of WoVo membership (available to both Pro and Associate levels).

• Rollout: There will be a slow, hand-selected rollout of a small group this fall to test the structure before it is widely implemented.
• WoVoCon: Listeners were encouraged to attend the upcoming WoVoCon conference in New Orleans to meet the leaders and discuss the program in person.

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This is an episode of the official Wovo podcast, hosted by Tim Powers, Barri Tsavaris, and George Washington III, where they discuss career paths in the world of voice acting. They address the transitions or "pivots" in a voice actor's career and how these can be unavoidable due to life circumstances. The episode also emphasizes the importance of staying connected with the acting community despite having to take on alternative jobs to support oneself.

#VoiceActing #VOPods #VoiceoverCareers #CareerPivots #TheVOCommunity

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This episode of the Still Unnamed WoVo podcast explores the crucial role of opportunity in the voice acting industry, emphasizing the hosts' belief that luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity.

Tim Powers, Bari Savarris, and George Washington III share personal stories of finding work through unconventional ways. George booked a job narrating documentaries about the

Rosenwald Schools after singing at a family friend's funeral, demonstrating that work can be found in unexpected places. Bari, after a chance conversation at a church celebration, was hired to voice the automated phone system for a landscaping business. Tim details his "detective work" strategy of finding decision-makers in non-traditional media. By relentlessly tracking down the hiring manager at a car dealership and following up with a box of donuts, he secured a long-term client for whom he now records 30 spots a month. Bari also shares that simply making sure people on an LG commercial set knew she was a voice actor (in addition to being the on-camera talent) led to her being hired for the voiceover on the spot)

The hosts offer actionable advice for finding work:

• You must tell everybody all the time about your voiceover work once you are prepared.
• Leads are everywhere. If you leave the house without a business card, you're not helping yourself.
• Volunteer at local colleges with animation, sound design, or video game coding programs. The students you help now will be the decision-makers five or six years from now
• Regarding working for free: go ahead and do it for
• student projects or for a not-for-profit you believe in, but don't work for free so that other people can make money

The episode concludes by promoting WoVo (World Voices Organization), a peer-to-peer learning and support organization for voice actors12. Membership is $99, and their annual event, WoVoCon, will be in New Orleans in mid-October

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