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

Brittany, appreciate you joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

As an actor or any kind of creative, we always hear you “gotta invest in your career! Invest fully!” But when I first got started I was like, what does that even mean? Starting off in the theatre, I thought it must mean that I should learn every monologue, go to every show, take every class, and audition for everything. I fully immersed myself in the craft to the exclusion of everything else. I bled stagecraft! And spent an insane amount of money on all the headshots, websites, outfits, etc. But then I found voice-over and THAT’S when I had my ah-hah moment.

For those who haven’t done voice-over before, it’s really just acting by yourself in a dark room, imagining and reacting to what could possibly be going on around you. For an actor, it’s extremely creative – there are no boundaries, and you’re not restricted by your physicality or location. For me, it’s such a freeing experience after being told for years I wasn’t cast cause I was too short, too old, too similar to someone else, not the right type, blah blah blah. I found my new calling, plus the added perk of never having to wear makeup!

So how does all this relate to my “ah-hah” moment about investment? When I first moved to LA to pursue voice-over, I approached VO the same way I did theater. Took all the classes, learned all the techniques, sent my demos everywhere. Did I learn a ton about the art of voicing video game and animated characters? Absolutely. But in all these classes I found myself surrounded by actors who have been doing this job for years! Actors whose voices I grew up with (anyone remember Rugrats or Batman: the Animated Show?). Aside from trying not to fan girl over all these incredible people, I realized they had something beyond technique and comedy chops. They had community! All these voice actors knew each other and supported each other, in class and beyond. They would tell stories about how so and so got them their first audition because they had taken a class together or met on the Wisdom Tree Hike. They invested in their creative community.

So I decided to invest too. I started meeting up with other voice actors, asking about their experiences, asking their advice, and getting to know them. We would attend classes together. We’d do things that had nothing to do with acting – like go for hikes, get terrified in haunted hayrides, and have game nights. I realized that if I didn’t invest in my colleagues and fellow creatives as humans on a personal level, why would they invest in me? One year into living in LA, a fellow actor shared my demo with a recording studio and I booked my first leading role in a video game. Cut to 5 years later and I’ve worked on major video games like Genshin Impact, Fallout 76, and Fortnite to name a few. I booked my dream agency, A3 Artist’s Agency (called Abrams at the time). Heck, I’m in a Disney animated movie! All of this came directly from referrals or support from the group of amazing creatives I’ve gotten to know over my last 6 years in LA. I’ve also referred colleagues for jobs, introduced them to new studios, and let them use my home studio when they were moving or had roof repairs going on at their apartment.

All this to say, the best investment you can make as a creative is to invest in your community. It has the added perk of coming without a price tag! As an actor, musician, dancer, entrepreneur, or whatever you choose to do, you’re not in it alone. There are people going through exactly what you are, who can support you and relate to you in a way others may not be able to. This could lead to opportunities you don’t even know are out there. And get out of the proverbial office – do things unrelated to your craft/career.

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

I’m a voice actor, director, and voice-over demo producer who’s been working in the industry for over a decade. I got my start in Seattle, where I was a theater and on camera actor who happened to fall into voice-over. I didn’t even realize it was a career! Lucky for me, my now husband worked at a recording studio, so when I learned about VO I had a partner to show me the ropes and a studio space where I could practice. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to work in animation, video games, anime, and commercials. Some of my favorite projects include working on Lego 2k Drive, Pokemon Journeys, Rainbow High, and Fornite. Last year, I started voice directing projects including a narrative kid’s podcast I co-created and star in called “Zoey’s Mythical Menagerie” (available now on Spotify)!

In addition to my voice-over and directing work, I produce voice demos with my husband, Ryan, through our company, Next Level Voice Demos. We specialize in commercial, animation, video game, and promo demos – parts of the industry that both Ryan and I actively work in. Our clients have come from Broadway, Hollywood, Nickelodeon, Funimation, the Royal Military, and everywhere in between. Our goal with any demo we work on is to reflect each actor’s unique voice. No cookie-cutter approach here! Our clients have used their demos to book agents (in small and large markets), get callbacks, and even book work directly off their demos! When working with us actors get, (1) original scripts written for your unique voice, (2) a positive & collaborative studio environment, (3) remote recording capabilities, (4) competitive rates, and (5) a 10 day turnaround.

Curious to learn more about our demos, hear some samples, and see how we can help you? Check out our website: https://www.nextlevelvoicedemos.com/

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are so many books that have influenced my business, because what are actors except entrepreneurs?! Here are my top two books I recommend to everyone:

The first I always recommend is “Self Management for Actors” by Bonnie Gillespie. This book is a necessary starting point for anyone wanting a career as an actor. Bonnie provides actionable advice and exercises for actors interested in pursuing on-camera work here in LA and beyond. It takes the guess work out of the business side of being an actor, because let’s face it, as creatives, the business side of the business can be a challenge. Her book changed my career and coaching with Bonnie was the reason I moved to LA and am now a full-time actor. I can’t recommend this book enough.

The second is “Creativity Inc” by Ed Catmull. Not only is it a fascinating read about the beginning of Pixar, but Ed’s candor about the challenges of managing teams of creatives and growing a creative business is such a refreshing perspective. He doesn’t shy away from the mistakes and the challenges he went through at Pixar. Highly recommend for anyone interested in managing teams of people or working in the animation industry.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I always imagined that once I booked a big project – you know, that one that gets a billboard, or has millions of fans, or gets your name in the trades – the job of being an actor would be infinitely easier. That I wouldn’t have to audition as much or work as hard. And I know I was not alone in this thinking. I see people talk about it all the time…”if only I could book (insert project name) then I’ll have made it.”

Well, unfortunately, that’s not how it works. After booking a playable character in a video game that has billions of players worldwide, I still have to audition just as much as I used to. I still get turned down just as much as before. Do more directors know me and trust me with their projects based on previous projects? Sure! But I can’t say that I audition any less. Now I know that may sound negative or frustrating, but here’s the secret: I learned to love auditioning! I enjoy the process and exploration of new characters. It keeps me from getting bored or complacent.

My advice, learn to love the process and let go of the result. Enjoy the act of auditioning. Let the bookings be a perk!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nextlevelvoicedemos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanyccox/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/brittanyccox

Image Credits
Dana Patrick Photography Mark Kaiklian