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

Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I first got back into my voice-over journey during covid. My daughter was still very young and I wasn’t able to attend any auditions, let alone work in the film industry due to the shut-down.
I had a lapel, and a walk-in closet, and told my husband it was time to get back on the VO horse.

I started by working in the evenings when my daughter slept, and then did some marketing, fiverr promotions and such when there were no recordings being done.

I started on fiverr at a small fee, with every intention of not staying at that rate. I then got to know the VO industry as best as I could with the little time I had by joining associations like Gravy for the Brain and attending the One Voice conference in the UK. From there it’s been a slow walk up-hill and never looking back :) The more I learned about rates, what kind of work was out there and how to use my voice more effectively, the higher my rate went.

The idea was to work less and earn the industry standard rate, not take on a hundred VO jobs at a low fee, and exhaust myself. Now I have gotten to a level of earning an average American Full-time wage, with the hopes of growing from there.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Firstly, I’m a wife and a mother. I love hanging out with my kids and my husband, a filmmaker, is the best thing since sliced soughdough.

My voice-over journey started back in 2003 in South Africa, when I started voicing adverts for a local radio station. I was studying acting and singing at the time so it was an exciting change for me to work in a booth.
My husband and I left for the UK in 2012 and I pressed on in the film and stage industry – voice-over work was really a forgotten industry for me for a while.
After my daughter was born and covid arrived shortly after, I needed something to turn to and decided to get back into voice-over, which was such a blessing because I felt like now I had found my “thing”.

I recorded when my daughter slept and slowly my career started forming. Since then I have worked with not only amazing independent DoP’s, but also LA film directors, fantastic start-ups, and large brands like Forgiato, L’Oriel, BMW and Porsche.

Soon I would like to move toward more character voices and animation. But for now, I’m the smooth alto girl you’ll hear in the Magnolia Bakery ad, or the voice you heard in Astra Lumina’s TV spot for Anakeesta’s light show.

I love working with independent filmmakers too, so get in touch if you’d like to work with me in the future :)

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

AI is an ever-growing threat to the industry. I realize that using AI is cheaper – of course! AI doesn’t have kids to feed or a mortgage to pay! But it’s feeding the beast that will take over quicker than we hoped if others continue to use it. Unfortunately, companies that should be supporting independent artists are selling out and using AI – I’m talking about you, ARTLIST!

The best way to support other artists is to budget wisely – realize the worth of having a real voice, a real artist, or a real face in your production. People want to connect with people. If budget really is an issue (Not companies like BOLT who tried to use my voice in online adverts for a pittance – Caught you!) Then discuss this with the artist – we’re not fools, but we’re nicer than you think :)

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At the height of my growing career, I was pregnant with my son and working late nights. I was taking care of my daughter during the day and working at night. It was exhausting and also very difficult to turn away paid work.
I had to give birth via c-section, which meant my work had to shift majorly as I recovered. But I was back at it when my son was 2 weeks old. I very clearly remember my new-born son wrapped up against my chest as I edited my VO’s

It was hard, but I knew that I wanted to work as a VO mostly because it gave me time to spend with my kid and earn as well. So I was resolved, and that was where my resilience came into play.

I also knew that God blessed me with a voice to use for this industry, and in no way was I going to not use this God-given talent haha.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lisacolquhoun.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa_colquhoun_voa/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090959612040
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-colquhoun-4a986628/

Image Credits

Zane Colquhoun – Head shots and Studio Shots

Atlanta Voice Over Conference 2024