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

Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I wish I had started my creative career much sooner.

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

I’ve always been fascinated by the job of a voice over artist — or voice actor. I was an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher working for the San Diego Community College District and before that had my own tutoring business. During the pandemic, I decided to go for it. I thought to myself: if not now, when? So I dove in head first. I had been pursuing voice over quietly part time but decided to go full time.

Prior to the pandemic, I had been slowly laying the foundation. I went to “That’s Voiceover!” conference in Los Angeles, attended workshops and shook a lot of hands. I met lots of people and signed up with an excellent coach and just started training and auditioning nonstop. I started by recording inside my son’s closet, then my husband built me a makeshift voice over booth using PVC pipes draped with heavy duty soundproof blankets. I got lucky early on when I booked a radio commercial for Honda in San Diego. That definitely pumped me up. This journey has not been easy and there was investment in time and money. There was a lot of rejection. Just getting off the ground was a huge challenge. Inside that DIY recording booth, I recorded an audiobook and many voice overs for clients such as Siemens.

Today, I run Alex Wiggins Voice Over — and offer a menu of voice over offerings such as commercials, corporate narration, explainers, eLearning and Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Recently, I’ve added a new genre: automotive. My focus is on local and regional work for car dealerships.

Some of my clients have included Swarovski, Wall Street Journal Magazine and Lugano Diamonds. I’ve also done voice overs for small businesses that wanted a more authentic and professional sound for their commercials or videos, rather than having just someone from their company read a script. Some of my local clients are surprised at how easy and affordable it is to hire a pro to do the job right.

I think every voice actor has something unique to offer. It’s about much more than having a “good” voice. For me, my other careers as journalist and teacher have helped me become the knowledgeable and confident person I am today. It’s about skill stacking — the more you can add to it, the more you have to offer your clients. As someone who loves to learn, I’m constantly adding to that stack.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think some non-creatives may struggle to understand why some feel an imperative to create — whether it’s through writing, baking, dancing, or shooting photos… I don’t speak for all, but many, including my immigrant parents don’t understand what is it that I”m doing. What they see is that I’m talking to myself inside a padded box! They are from a very different generation. To them a job is one where you do something and you immediately are paid for it. And before said job, ideally you will have graduated from a prestigious university. Okay, and if you desire to do something creative, let it be playing the piano or violin.

Sometimes creatives just have to keep pursuing their work until they can monetize it. Some creatives just do it because they have a strong desire to do so, and will make a living some other way. The desire to create had always been strong within me. I was never going to be the doctor or lawyer my parents wanted me to be. I wanted to write and perform. Take a look at the internet. You’ll see creatives creating in a million different ways. There are examples after examples. Recently, I started following a guy who makes amazing art from cotton candy. He’s literally using hot sugar to make art and it’s spectacular!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

You know how people talk about how their mentors were instrumental in guiding them on their creative journeys? I remember feeling disappointed that I didn’t have a mentor to guide me. The truth is, your “mentor” doesn’t even have to know you. There are countless resources such as blogs, social media posts, books, Substack, podcasts, etc that you can consume to glean wisdom from the people you admire or want to emulate. It’s never been easier to do so. Now I have a rather large panel of mentors that I learn from.

Also, I wished I had specifically listened to podcasts about the voice over industry a lot earlier. There are some that I’m just now listening to that had information that would’ve helped me avoid some mistakes that cost me time and money.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexwigginsvo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexwigginsvo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexwigginsvo
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/alexwigginsvoiceover
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexwigginsvo