Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Racho. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andrew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

Early on I worked at a supermarket. And I had a boss that was just a decent guy to us, Jim April. He was nice. He had our backs. He was understanding. He got that we were working at a supermarket and kept things light. We bought him some beer mugs for his birthday and he was surprised and grateful we were all so nice to him back. And we missed him when he left.

The guy after him was the unapproachable boss type. And I don’t even remember his name, just that he didn’t honor the raise I was owed and I didn’t care much after that.

I realized something early on about leadership. If you’re a decent dude, we’re all going to want to try to step up for you. To work hard for you. And work’s not just going to be cold trading tasks for money. It’s going to make life, even jobs that aren’t the most glamorous, enjoyable. Work can be fun and you can still do a good job.

So with leadership roles, I try to remember to be like Jim. Be the guy people want to buy beer mugs. Just treat people well.

Andrew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a voice over actor and director. So for video games, cartoons, commercials, when you hear people talking, someone like me performs that voice or helps the actor and production craft that performance.

I started out just taking a class in TV productions when I was in high school, back when editing programs were barely accessible and phones were things of the future. Then I went to college to study TV/Film/Radio just because I liked watching all those behind-the-scenes videos and wanted to work in a field that was fun. I spent my weekends filming and Saturday nights editing.

I eventually worked for some reality TV shows, then on some animated shows for Adult Swim. And while bored, I took some voice over classes and said, “yeah, this is fun. I’ll do this.”

Since then I’ve voiced on a lot of games, cartoons, and shows for major brands and programs. I’ve had my work featured on billboards, Netflix, HBO, during TV commercials, etc. And you can hear me as the world’s greatest key-based degenerate superhero, Key Man!

What I bring to the table is my ability to tell stories, from the funny, compelling, dramatic, scary, deep, light, and entertaining.

In voice over, I’m generally the funny Ryan Reynolds type you hire when you don’t want to pay for all those Marvel movie abs. I bring the funny. And when you want to have a cartoon or game have excellent performances that go beyond just hearing people say the lines and really connect with people, that’s when you bring me in to make it stand out apart from everything else.

What sets me apart is my ability to consistently deliver quality performances from myself or bringing them out of others. I want to entertain people in meaningful ways and want to help others do so as well. And major brands and productions hire me to do that.

Anyone who’s interested in seeing what I’m up to, I write comedy books for grown ups, act in funny things, and you can check out my silly stuff at andrewracho.com

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Mark Duplass addressed SXSW a decade ago and this is the best advice I’ve ever heard regarding filmmaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y

This speech really does emphasize that you can do anything. Anyone can make any film project happen. Don’t wait for anyone else. Get past the pitches and asks and doubts and just do it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

How, in the history of the existence of humanity, am I getting away with doing this for a living? Everything else makes sense. Construction. Stocking shelves. Roofing. I routinely have to pretend to have diarrhea in front of a microphone and get paid for it.

Every time I’m recording, I am fully aware that this is one of the most insanely lucky jobs I get to have, and I want to do my best so we all can appreciate that we somehow got away with getting paid for this.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.andrewracho.com
• Instagram: @andrewracho
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-racho-a0a52711/
• Twitter: @andrewracho
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@conveniencestorediet
• Other: https://linktr.ee/andrewracho