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

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us 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?

Before I became an audiobook narrator, I had a background in theatre, singing, and performance so I felt I had a good foundation for this career. However, I quickly learned that there was so much more than acting to successfully narrate a book! I was extremely fortunate early on in my career to have stumbled upon a group of other narrators in my area. They were so welcoming and recommended some audiobook coaches and classes to help me learn the craft. Before I began working with a coach, I felt that I didn’t need a coach. I was booking work and thought I was doing great. However, I’m so glad I took their advice and began coaching with an expert. The phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know,” became my motto as I studied with expert coaches and took some masterclasses. Through this schooling, I began to really level up and started to understand the craft in a way I never could have done without their coaching. I needed more than acting, I needed business coaching, technical coaching, and yes, performance coaching! Without this coaching I surely could never have leveled up to truly professional status. If I knew how much was involved before I started, I honestly don’t know if I would have started. But I am SO glad I did and found my dream career. Sometimes it’s important to just take the plunge and get started, learning as you go, rather than making sure it’s perfect before you start. I know that being willing to spend the money on coaches and on yourself can be a big obstacle, but I believe it is the best investment you can make.

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

Becoming an audiobook narrator has been my dream job ever since I was a small child. I am one of 9 siblings and growing up, the only way we could get along in the car was listening to an audiobook. I loved their voices and loved reading, so every night, I would pile 5 or 6 of my siblings on my bed and read out loud to them. When I was eleven years old, I entered a story-telling competition and won first place.

However, as I became an adult, other interests and real life set in and I forgot about this aspiration. One day, my husband came home from work and decided he would like to go back to school. I was a stay-at-home mom to several young children, but realized if he did this, I would probably need to get a job. As I searched for a job I could do while still caring for my young children, my toddler kept interrupting my search asking for me to read him stories. Suddenly I was struck with a bolt of lighting, “Stories! you love reading stories!” I googled “how to become and audiobook narrator,” plunged right in, and the rest is history.

I do feel that I was also blessed with amazing people right off the bat who guided me. I don’t know how much I could have accomplished on my own. Though I started on my own, I was very fortunate to stumble upon a group of other narrators who recommended coaching and steered me in the right direction. I began coaching with several narrator coaches and experts as well as taking masterclasses which has really helped me improve my craft.

In that coaching, I had one coach who especially encouraged me to be myself. He didn’t want me to compromise my values, or try to sound like anyone else to get work, he wanted me to be ME. When he told me that, it was a turning point in my career and I began to steer my career in a direction I truly wanted it to go. I decided which genres I wanted to work in (and not work in), and began to be unafraid to be myself. Not only do I book more work now, I book projects I truly enjoy and feel I can really perform well. I had a passion for narrating wholesome and positive work and decided that was important to me. I’ve discovered I really love to narrate informational non-fiction, parenting books, children’s, middle-grade, cozy mysteries and some Young adult. I truly believe it is essential to be your authentic self to be successful long-term in any creative career.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There is something so surreal about getting to do a job that you love that uses your talents that you feel you are good at that you can earn money from. I love acting, but with 5 small children at home, acting in plays just isn’t feasible for me right now. I am so grateful I have something that not not only gives me an acting outlet, but also lets me provide income for my family. Turning your hobby into income is so cool.

I also have a goal and strong desire to bring good content into the world. Narrating audiobooks that I choose has helped me feel like I am helping to achieve that goal, recording my voice and putting good content that will last into the world.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Anytime I tell anyone what I do, their response is always, “oh I want to do that, I think I’d be good at that” or “what a fun job, I could do that!” And while in many cases I don’t doubt that could be true, I don’t think most people even begin to understand how much work it is. They think all there is to my job is reading out loud. They have no clue how many hours I’ve spent with a coach, taking classes, learning the tech, and investing in my business. They don’t understand all the networking I’ve had to do to get jobs, the physical demands narrating is, and how much money I’ve spent, etc. It’s so easy to see the results of someone’s work and assume it was easy. Being a creative has taught me that nothing is easy and work is work. Though I absolutely love my work and feel so incredibly blessed this is my job, nothing is easy! I have grown a whole new respect for all creatives and assume now that all jobs are hard. People truly pour their souls into their creative work and I respect them so much for it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephanienarrates.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanienarrates/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanienarrates
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanienarrates/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Stephnarrates