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

Craig, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I think the best saying to sum up my mentality when I first got into voiceover is “you don’t know what you don’t know”. I kind of had this cavalier mentality that it can’t be that hard and that I could figure things out myself. I can’t stress how wrong I was. Only after meeting some exceptional people in the industry did I really start to understand what was necessary. This led me to signing up with a renowned Voice Over coach in LA (Nancy Wolfson) and training with her for two years via Skype. This gave me the essential skills to start my career which included interpreting copy, what the current voice trends are, removing bad vocal habits and much, much more. During this time I was also growing my network of colleagues who had more experience than me. The most effective thing I did in this respect was create my own Mastermind group and fill it with people who were respected in the industry. I don’t think I could have sped up my training as learning a creative field like voice over just takes time and practice with good coaching. The only obstacle in the way of learning more was cost. A great coach is expensive. Yes, they are worth every penny but you need revenue in your business to pay for that.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my career in the entertainment industry as a night club DJ when I was 17. I loved the feeling of giving a crowd the best night of entertainment possible and did this for 10 years on and off. I then started a family and realized that nightclub life was not really conducive to family life so I went back to school and studied Electrical/Electronic Engineering. I then got a job in the Oil & Gas industry. After 15 years of working I started to realize that I really missed being behind the microphone. I constantly had the radio on in the house and when the commercials came on, I always thought to myself that I could do that better. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to prove that I could. I contacted a beginner voiceover coach in Houston 7 years ago and started my journey. I am know the recurring voice of several brands and have worked with amazing brands such as Amazon, Google, Spotify, Coca Cola, Porsche, Ford and many, many more.
I love voiceover. I love the community. I love that I get to use my creativity and I love working with other creatives in the video production industry, advertising and other fields.
My specialization is in corporate and E-Learning videos although I really enjoy TV and radio ads.

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

I think there is a constant struggle for non-creatives to understand that this is a “proper job”. There is still a stigma attached to the creative industry and people think it is just a hobby or a phase. Yet, this is a truly rewarding industry and you can have a very successful career in it if you are hard working and have the dedication required.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

By far it is the wonderful people I have met. The voiceover industry is extremely supportive of each other. I have made friends for life through this creative endeavor. I have also met so many wonderful and generous people. In fact, I will be going to an awards ceremony two days after writing this and I am so excited to see my “people”. They are truly a rare bunch and I love it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.craigsvoicetalent.com
• Instagram: @craigsvoicetalent
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craigvoicetalent
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigsvoicetalent/
• Twitter: craigsvoice1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CraigWilliamsVoiceover