We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Crystal Lee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Crystal below.

Crystal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is such an objective concept. For some, success is making an abundance of money; for others, it’s having a loving family, living a healthy life, and/or doing what you love daily. Once a person defines their version of success, only then will it be achieved.

My personal definition of success has evolved over my life. I thought being successful meant having a rewarding career in the military. So I focused the majority of my time and energy on my work and let my personal relationships deteriorate. I found it challenging to juggle both and chose my career over my spouse. 20 years and three divorces later, I remarried for what I thought would be the last time and retired from the service. I had the world at my feet and could choose any path, but I stayed with the government and felt that same pressure to put my job above my personal life. We moved to Germany for work. I ended up quitting my government job, starting my own voice-over/production company, getting another divorce, and moving to LA. Now, I view success as having both a profitable business and happy home life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Life in the entertainment industry is definitely different from the military/government, but that’s where we’ll start. I basically learned all of my discipline, resourcefulness, and resiliency from my prior life in the military. This gave me the confidence to learn and start something totally new. I’ve always had an interest in the creative arts and loved learning about the production process.

Three years ago, while living in Germany, I started Crystal J. Productions Inc. specializing in voice-over, production, casting, and personal management services. I’ve worked with clients ranging from Mom-n-Pop businesses to national brands. In addition, I have voiced many characters for podcasts and animated shows. I absolutely love what I do and that clearly comes across in my work. I’m unique in the sense that I stay true to my own authenticity with every project I book or create. I’m loyal to my clients and am not afraid to “tell it like it is.” The entertainment industry seems to have a way of changing people and I’m most proud of staying true to myself, friends, and family.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

Initially, I intended to focus my business solely on voice-over services but found that expanding into other areas of the industry brought in new opportunities for both revenue and professional growth. From renting out studio space, audio editing, and casting assistance, to personal management and convention bookings, I’ve been able to diversify and bring in new clients in the process.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the time of this article, I’m 42 years old and 7 months pregnant with my first baby; I’d say that is a time for a huge “pivot.” When I retired from the military, I was told that I had a 0.002 percent chance of ever having children due to health issues; on top of being in my 40s, I had resolved to the idea of being the “Cool Aunt” for the rest of my life.

Then, in October of 2022, I attended the Dr. Joe Dispenza Advanced Workshop in Dallas and was apparently healed and able to have babies. Three months after attending the workshop, I found out I was pregnant at a random doctor’s appointment. I missed the entire first trimester. So, on to the “pivot.”

Before I was pregnant, I had an increase in on-screen and modeling jobs. However, after dealing with severe nausea and other pregnancy issues, I started offering other services I could do from home besides voice-over.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crystaljproductions.com/press
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystaljproductions/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrystalJProductionsInc/?view_public_for=104433748064613
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystaljproductions/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrystalMLee_VO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSTvI97eZPhvfpmei-qn_aw
• Other: https://animatedvoiceovers.com/

Image Credits
Photo: American Classic 248 by Advue Digital