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

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I couldn’t be happier. My life today as a YouTube creator allows me the freedom to pursue projects I love, and I’m fortunate to connect with a much larger audience than I’d ever imagined. It also allows me to balance my personal time with working from home, so that I can spend plenty of time with my adorable 2 year old and my husband. I think the key to being happy as a creative entrepreneur is to find the right niche. Most of my fans know I started my creative life as an opera singer. It went pretty dang well; I performed in 18 languages throughout major opera houses in Europe, Asia, the US, and Canada. I spent over a decade traveling the globe and singing my heart out. While the communication of emotion through music remains one of my life’s core values, I don’t think that the lifestyle of performing on the road, or the very specific niche of opera, suited me in the long-term. I wanted to expand, yet I was also eager to lay down roots somewhere.

When The Charismatic Voice started to take off, I could hardly believe my luck. I get to listen to and analyze music for a living!? I get to share my passion with millions of others… all while wearing pajama pants!? While it can be difficult to set work-life boundaries in a creative industry while working from home, I’ve improved this balance over the years. I’ve learned how to delegate to my team better. Being the boss means that I also get to choose who I want to work with, and I love working with my husband and best friend, in addition to other wonderful team members from around the world. Many people ask me if I’d like to go back to singing opera. And while I do love performing, I don’t love being on the road any more. Performing from my recording booth at home is the perfect fit for me.

Elizabeth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I blend classical elegance with gleeful discovery in my YouTube channel, The Charismatic Voice. My channel has garnered more than 1.7 million subscribers, with over 40 million watch hours in just the past 4 years. The Charismatic Voice is a hub for music enthusiasts, inspiring ground-breaking vocal research, and fostering a deeper appreciation for the art. In addition to 3-4 videos released on The Charismatic Voice YouTube channel every week, I also offer multiple online courses, I have a thriving social media presence, I still make music videos, collaborate with other artists on special projects, and I publish a weekly uplifting and very personal newsletter. Beyond my passion for music, I advocate for inclusivity, positivity, and mental health throughout the various veins of The Charismatic Voice community.

On September 3, 2024, The Charismatic Voice (will launch/launched) a Kickstarter campaign to fund groundbreaking vocal science. You can help improve the lives of millions through supporting this vocal research. I’ll also have a livestreaming event on YouTube to promote the Kickstarter campaign on the same day that will be informative as well as fun. You can learn more by visiting thecharismaticvoice.com.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes! My mission statement reads: “The Charismatic Voice is shaping the future of music by amplifying your ears and your mind. We cultivate intentional listening and wonder, and we expand society’s understanding of voice. Through influencing music and community, we create a more vibrant and healthier world, brimming with authentic human expression.”

Have you ever had to pivot?

I created YouTube videos for several years before my channel took off. It wasn’t until I shifted my underlying approach that success began. My goal with YouTube videos remained the same; to share musical education and voice science. However, my earlier videos were focused on what I thought others needed to learn. At a conference in January of 2020, I was lucky to be invited to a YouTuber party. At this point I had under 2,000 subscribers. Sean Daniel (a guitar YouTuber and genuinely awesome dude) had started to mentor me in channel growth. He introduced me to several other creators who helped guide me to the idea of using a popular trend, reaction videos, to teach. I started creating reaction/analysis videos in February of 2020, a month before the country started to shut down from Covid. By the summer, I was regularly releasing 3 videos a week and by the end of the year I had hired 2 full time positions. In order to have a successful YouTube channel, the creator MUST listen to their audience. Ask them what they want, then give it to them… with your own authentic twist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecharismaticvoice.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecharismaticvoice/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCharismaticVoice
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/thecharismaticvoice

Image Credits

Willo Art, Mark Wangerin, Landon Donoho