We were lucky to catch up with Mandy Fisher recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mandy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Making a full-time living in voiceover, in any sort of creative field, requires you to marry two parts of your brain: the creative side and the logical side. This can be quite difficult as an artist since we are taught to be free of constraints, give ourselves the freedom to ‘play’, and focus on “building our craft”. But the business side, the side that is not always the “fun” side, is just as important.

So, yes—I do earn a full-time living from my creative work. But let me be crystal clear: it didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t always steady. This is not a “just talk into a mic and get paid” type of job. I built this career one audition, one cold email, one client relationship at a time with countless hours and money spent on training, workshops, and various coaching. Not to mention building a broadcast-quality home studio and all the gear that goes with it.

When I first started, I wasn’t concerned with making money fast but I wanted to work fast. I made a lot of mistakes. I quit several times. But then I reframed and put my focus toward building a strong foundation. I invested in more training, I practiced constantly, and I educated myself on the business of voiceover—not just the performance. That mindset—that this is a business—was a game-changer.

I also made a decision early on that I wasn’t going to wait around for someone to “give me permission” to work. I created my own opportunities through direct marketing. I didn’t sit back and hope an agent would discover me. I emailed potential clients, sent personalized samples, and followed up—over and over again. And yes, I got a lot of no’s. A lot of silence. But I also got enough yeses to grow real momentum.

Milestones came in waves: booking my first recurring client, landing my first national campaign, having a client come back without me having to chase them. Those were all wins. And then I started teaching, which allowed me to combine my two superpowers: performance and helping other actors treat their careers like businesses.

Could I have sped up the process? Maybe. If I had known earlier to build systems and strong business habits and to stop obsessing over gear and demos before I was ready, I would’ve saved time and money. But honestly, the messy part of the journey taught me what I now teach my students: know your value, don’t waste money trying to look “legit” before you are, and don’t be afraid to market yourself like a grown-up.

At the end of the day, earning a full-time living as a creative is possible—but only if you’re willing to treat your creativity like a career and not a hobby.

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

I’ve been a working actor since I was a little kid. I grew up on stage and screen, and like a lot of child actors, I wore a lot of hats early on. My first voiceover job actually happened by mistake—my agent in Atlanta needed someone to fill in for another kid who couldn’t do their session, and I happened to be available. At the time, there weren’t many children doing voiceover in the area, so I stepped in… and something clicked. I didn’t know it yet, but that “accidental” job planted a seed that would grow into a full-fledged voiceover career. But it took time. I did voiceover on and off as a kid through college, but I didn’t fully devote my time to it until after I was out of school.

Today, I’m a full-time voice actor and educator. I record commercial, corporate, radio imaging, looping, interactive, and narrative work from my home studio, and I specialize in bringing authenticity and clarity to any message—whether it’s 15 seconds of promo or a nuanced brand story. My clients range from high-end retailers to healthcare brands to scrappy startups, and I also work directly with creatives who may not even realize they need voiceover until they hear it.

But I don’t just perform, I teach, too. Teaching is really a true passion for me. I feel like it’s the other half of why I’m in the creative arts in the first place. Through my course The Voiceover Actor Road Map, my platform with casting director, Peter Pamela Rose, Acting Business Bootcamp, and my coaching services, I help actors understand that building a voiceover career isn’t about “getting lucky” or having a perfect voice—it’s about strategy, training, and showing up like a professional. I bridge the gap between performance and business because that’s the piece so many creatives miss. I help people treat their voiceover dreams like an actual career.

What sets me apart is that I don’t sugarcoat anything—-I give it to your straight but with kindness. I’m not promising you’ll “learn everything you need to learn about voiceover in 30 days” or guaranteeing you’ll get booked after you take my classes. That’s crap. I’m promising tools, guidance, structure, and clarity. I’ve walked the walk—I’ve built a client list from scratch, navigated the lulls, and turned a passion into a sustainable business. I’m not interested in gatekeeping. I’m interested in showing the next generation of voice actors how to do this for real.

What I’m most proud of? That I’ve helped other actors go from overwhelmed and unsure to confident and booked. That I’ve shown people they can make money doing something creative if they treat it like a business. And that I’ve carved out a space in the industry where authenticity and professionalism can co-exist.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my work—it’s that I believe in taking action. Whether you’re a brand looking for a voice that feels real and trustworthy, or an actor looking for guidance, I’m here to help you connect, communicate, and move forward.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Sure—though let me start by saying: it wasn’t magic. It was consistency, trial-and-error, and a clear point of view. It’s really about three things: finding something you can talk about without getting bored, being consistent, and making it part of your strategy so it doesn’t become something that burns you out.

I built my audience on TikTok first. I noticed that so many voiceover actors—and creatives in general—were asking the same questions over and over: Where do I find work? Do I need an agent? What mic should I buy? So I created a series called The Voiceover Actor Help Desk, where I played a fictional but very real-sounding receptionist answering those questions in a snarky, helpful, deadpan tone. I wasn’t trying to be an influencer. I was just giving the advice I wish someone had given me when I started.

The content took off because it was specific, useful, and honest. I wasn’t pretending voiceover was some glamorous fantasy job where money rains from the sky. I was giving real-world guidance in a voice that people related to. And I was willing to be funny, opinionated, and myself. That matters.

Instagram came next, and it was where I got to show a more behind-the-scenes version of my creative life: from coaching and recording days to industry reminders and pep talks. I also used it to connect with other actors, brands, and clients in a more interactive way.

My advice for people just starting out on social media?

Don’t post for everyone. Post for your people.
The more specific you are to your audience as you go, the more you connect. Speak directly to the person who needs what you have to offer—not the algorithm.

Pick a tone and own it.
Are you dry and witty? Inspiring and kind? Direct and tactical? Whatever your voice is, lean all the way in. Consistency builds trust.

Teach what you know.
People love to learn something new. Even if you’re a beginner, there’s someone one step behind you. Speak to them.

Be consistent, not constant.
You don’t need to post 3 times a day. You just need to show up regularly enough that your audience knows you’re in it for the long haul.

Don’t wait until it’s perfect.
If your lighting is weird or your hair’s not done, who cares? If the content is good, people will stick around. And if it’s not, they won’t—and that’s data, not failure.

Social media has been one of the biggest drivers of both my client work and my coaching business—but only because I treat it like part of the job. It’s not just “getting content out.” It’s making sure people feel seen, understood, and helped. That’s the best kind of marketing there is.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Yes—and I say this with love—there are two very different ways to communicate with clients:
One is for people in the entertainment industry, like agents, casting directors, and producers. The other is for people outside of it—brand managers, marketing teams, small business owners, educators, etc.

They are not the same conversation.

Entertainment industry folks already know the shorthand. They understand things like “usage,” “buyouts,” “slate,” “wilds,” and “union vs. non-union.” They’ve worked with actors before, they know the pace, and they expect a certain rhythm and culture. With them, you can be direct, concise, and even a little bit inside-baseball, and it works. You’re speaking the same language.

But for non-creatives? For the client who’s never hired a voice actor before, or doesn’t even know what a session entails? That’s where communication becomes part of the service. You have to translate what you do, explain your value clearly, and walk them through the process with confidence and clarity—without making them feel overwhelmed or out of their depth.

That’s a huge part of what I do that people don’t always see: I’m not just a voice actor. I’m also a creative translator. I help clients outside of the industry understand why tone, pace, mic quality, and delivery matter. I educate them gently—without condescension—so we’re on the same page. And when they get it, they’re often blown away by how much a voice can elevate their project.

So if you’re someone outside the entertainment world who’s hiring a creative (not just me—any creative), here’s my advice:
Ask questions. Be honest about what you don’t know. And understand that this work is work. Just because someone makes it look or sound effortless doesn’t mean it didn’t take decades of training, practice, and business savvy to get there.

Creativity is not the opposite of professionalism. It’s a form of professionalism. And the best creatives I know are some of the sharpest businesspeople out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mandyofish.com www.astoriaredheadvoiceover.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyofish
• Other: Book time with me: https://astoriared.simplybook.me/v2/
  Discord: https://discord.gg/YyKxbgjewj
  Substack: https://astoriaredhead.substack.com
  Website: https://www.astoriaredheadvoiceover.com
  The Voiceover Actor Road Map: https://www.actingbusinessbootcamp.com/enrollVO
  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astoriaredhead