Double Dutch

What do the Vatican, the United Nations, the German Parliament, the BBC and my company Nethervoice have in common?

We all use top of the line microphones from a family-owned business in the small German town of Gefell.

If you’ve never heard of Gefell and you enjoy European history, let’s travel back in time for a moment.

In 1943, Georg Neumann‘s main microphone laboratory in Berlin was hit by bombs and caught fire. To avoid more damage, Neumann and his technical director Erich Kühnast moved the entire company to Gefell where they continued their work in an old textile mill.

After Germany’s surrender, Gefell was occupied by the Americans and then handed over to the Soviet Union. In 1946 a number of Gefell employees returned to Berlin to establish a small workshop. This workshop eventually became Georg Neumann GmbH, the second Neumann company.

Kühnast and most of the original staff stayed in Gefell and continued to develop and build microphones. Neumann made Kühnast manager of the limited partnership Georg Neumann & Co. which was later nationalized by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Despite the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the management of the two companies stayed in touch with one another.

In 1972, the GDR prohibited use of the Neumann trademark, and the East-German company was renamed VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell.

After the Wall came down in 1989, Georg Neumann’s heirs reclaimed their share in the company and a new period of cooperation began. Here’s what’s remarkable. When the Neumann engineers took a closer look at the Gefell products that had been developed behind the Iron Curtain, they discovered microphone technology that was more sophisticated than some of that in the West.

After Sennheiser took over Neumann in 1991, Microtech Gefell -as it is now called- became an independent, privately owned company, known for hand-made, high-end microphones. (this overview is in part based on an article in Sound on Sound and on information on the Gefell website).

MY NEW BABY
Fast forward to Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, the day I became the first person in America to own a Gefell M 930 Ts studio condenser microphone.

Out of thousands of microphones on the market, why did I pick this particular make and model? I have to be honest with you: I didn’t pick this mic. It picked me. Or rather: I got lucky. Very, very lucky!

In my radio days I never paid any attention to the equipment I was using, but since I became master and commander of my own studio, things have changed. As a professional, I think it’s important to get to know the tools of the trade. I don’t consider myself to be a gearhead, but I do enjoy reading up on the latest audio equipment.

Before I’m ready to make any type of investment in my business, I spend months doing research, reading reviews and talking to colleagues in the know. Mark Magdich, my Sales Engineer at Sweetwater, is another excellent resource. He makes sure I don’t fall for the latest fad, and that when I finally decide on a new purchase, I invest in quality that will last for many years to come.

Any professional chef, musician or mechanic can tell you that well-made, reliable tools make the job a lot easier because they work with you instead of against you. Good tools can’t make an artist more creative, but they can inspire. Without them, he’s less able to realize his dreams. A great set of tools can take you to that proverbial next level.

It’s a cliché, but quality never goes out of style. It is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

RISING FROM THE PACK
As home studios are becoming the norm and more people are having a go at voice-overs, it’s increasingly important to distinguish oneself. It all starts with the way the voice is captured.

The quality of your sound is your signature.

Clients are sick and tired of having to put up with hiss, rumble, interference and echoes coming from inferior equipment recorded in so-called ‘professional’ booths set up in someone’s boudoir. By the sound of it, these spaces aren’t studios. They sound more like shacks. Radio shacks.

If you can’t provide clean, crystal clear audio, you should start a website where amateur VO’s can go forth, multiply and make a lot of noise. Why not call it VoiceRabbit (after the rabid growth I predict it will undergo)?

Alternatively, you could consult men like Dan Lenard, Dan Friedman, George Whittam or Mel Allen. They will set you up with the right gear and help you fine-tune your sound in less time than it will take you to learn the ropes through trial and error.

Although it never paints a complete picture, quality equipment does make a statement. When a client or agent sees you are using professional grade gear, they know you mean business and they have one less thing to worry about.

Imagine going to a wedding photographer to find out if he’s going to be a good fit for your big day, and the man pulls out a cheap point-and-shoot camera. Would you hire him? I don’t think so. Now, owning a Hasselblad 503CW does not make one a brilliant photographer, but that’s a different story. My colleague Rick Lance knows all about that.

RECORDINGHACKS
In my quest for the best equipment, I spent many hours on Matt Mcglyn’s creation: www.recordinghacks.com. It’s an online magazine as well as the world’s most extensive database of a 1000+ microphones.

If you happen to be looking for a good podcasting mic for $200, recordinghacks has put them to the test. If you need the specs of the Manley Reference Gold tube condenser, look no further. Interested in a $60,000 ribbon mic shootout? You know where to go!

Last year, recordinghacks gave away a new mic every month: a Cascade Fathead II, a Blue Yeti Pro, a Lauten Horizon etcetera. December’s prize topped it all: a brand new Microtech Gefell 930 Ts. This small, large diaphragm condenser was made with broadcasting and voice-over applications in mind.

AND THE WINNER IS…
In the first week of January, Matt Mcglyn said he had some good news for me: I was the lucky winner of the giveaway! It was unbelievable. What a start to the new year!

I want to thank Microtech Gefell GmbH for such a generous gift, and for their ongoing, uncompromising dedication to quality.

Matt Mcglyn deserves a big ‘thank you’ for creating such an excellent database and magazine, and for magically pulling my name out of his recordinghacks-hat.

As for the rest of you, I’m sure you’d like to know how my new mic sounds, and how it stacks up against other voice-over microphones. Well, it just so happens that I’ll be writing a review for recordinghacks, and you’ll find out for yourself why the Vatican has given its blessing to a small German company.

If there ever was one brand that has earned the right to capture the voice of G-d, it has to be Microtech Gefell!

Paul Strikwerda ©2012
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet.

Technorati Tags: Dan Friedman, Dan Lenard, Double Dutch Blog, Erich Kühnast, Gefell, Gefell M 930 Ts, Georg Neumann, George Whittam, home studio, Matt Mcglyn, Mel Allen, microphone giveaway winner, Microtech Gefell GmbH, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, recordinghacks, Rick Lance, Sound on Sound, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers

“Those who can’t build value, have nothing left but to compete on price.” Paul Strikwerda

By the end of December, Alex Rodriguez will have earned $39,000,000. That’s 33 million in salary and winnings from the New York Yankees, and 6 million in endorsements. Not bad for a year’s work.

Do you think he’s worth it?

In 2006, entertainment tycoon David Geffen sold Jackson Pollock’s painting No. 5, 1948 for 140 million dollars. Assuming you had that kind of spare change, would you spend it on a painting described by some as “stunning drip”?

Can you tell me why 15-year old actress Abigail Breslin reportedly made $65K for 5 hours of voice-over work for the animated film “Zambezia”? Yes, that’s $13,000 per hour!

Let’s be honest: what did these people really do?

Mmm… let’s see. Rodriguez is pretty good at hitting a ball with some sort of stick; Pollock simply threw some paint on engineered wood, and all Breslin did was talk into a microphone. Why is that worth so much money?

Two words: PERCEIVED VALUE

Before I deal with the notion of perception, let’s first talk about the connection between cost, price and value.

Unless you are selling something that is basic and interchangeable (such as a commodity), there’s often no direct correlation between the cost to produce a certain article, the price the article sells for and the value people attribute to it. Art is an extreme example.

“No. 5, 1948” is currently the most expensive painting ever sold. Did you ever wonder how much Pollock spent on paints, brushes and the 8′ × 4′ sheet of fiberboard he drizzled on? Does it even matter?

What does matter is the subjective value of the painting and not the cost of the materials. In fact, to the new owner, the subjective value of Pollock’s masterpiece might very well be more than 140 million dollars.

Warren Buffet summed it up nicely:

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

That’s why people who only compete on price (those darn lowballers), are making a huge mistake. By doing so, they are devaluing what they have to offer, even before the client has had a chance to respond.

As soon as you start competing on price, you treat your valuable service or product as a dime-a-dozen commodity.

Peter Drucker was right when he said: “In a commodity market, you can only be as good as your dumbest competitor.”

Perceived value is in the eye of the beholder. It’s intangible. It’s a reaction to the assumed benefits you receive from owning and using a certain product or service. It’s an emotional response, based on a belief (and I define a belief as “a feeling of certainty”).

BELIEVING = SEEING?
A belief can be very powerful in overriding logical reasoning:

• as long as we believe that these dirty pieces of paper with the faces of dead people on it represent a certain value, we will continue to use them as money.

• people who were given two identical red wines to drink, said they got much more pleasure from the one they were told had cost more. Brain scans confirmed that their pleasure centers were activated far more by the higher-priced wine. (source)

• at least a third of the population consists of so-called placebo reactors. This means that if they feel that something is doing them good, it will indeed do them good.

Do you believe that?

Now, I’m not saying that “the market” has nothing to do with the way we put a price on goods and services. But economics is not always about numbers. It’s just as much about psychology. Let me give you two examples.

The law of scarcity states that if what you desire is in (seemingly) limited supply, its perceived value increases. This, in turn, increases the urge for people to want it and want it now. That’s why marketers love to create the perception of scarcity by saying things like “for a limited time only,” or “while supplies last.” Don’t miss out, people!

WALL STREET WISDOM
How about the stock market? What causes stock prices to change? Well, the idea is that the price movement of a stock indicates what investors feel a company is worth. For that, they look at things like earnings. Without profit, no company can survive.

However, during the dotcom bubble, some internet companies were valued at billions of dollars without ever making a profit. Their value was based on the perception of Wall Street, a strong feeling that these companies would do well in the future.

Feelings overruled facts.

Whoever said “Feelings don’t lie,” was in for a rude awakening!

For one last blast about the power of perception, let’s look at politics.

Why did republican hopeful Herman Cain suspend his bid for the White House? Did it really matter whether or not he had had extramarital affairs? If anything, his campaign was killed by allegations.

What mattered was that Cain was not able to change the perception of the public. Where there’s smoke, there must be fire, right?

BACK TO YOU
Now, let’s move away from politics, placebos, wine and the stock market, and talk about how all of this relates to your pricing strategy. Let’s summarize:

The price people are willing to pay greatly depends on how people evaluate what you have to offer. Value is a matter of perception. Perception is personal and therefore subjective. Perceptions influence a client’s expectations upfront, and the level of satisfaction after the purchase has been made.

Here’s the good news: because perceptions are subjective, they can be changed. That’s what branding, marketing and advertising are for. A successful campaign can turn simple pants made of rugged blue cloth into desirable designer denim.

True Religion’s top-selling jeans, the Super T, cost about $50 to make and sell wholesale to retailers for $152 a pair. The average price in stores is $335. (source) Gucci Low-rise flared jeans sell for $720. Talk about perceived value…

Most solopreneurs don’t have the funds to hire Saatchi & Saatchi and have them create a campaign to convince customers. Luckily, there are other -much cheaper- ways to position yourself in the market and sell your services at a higher price. This has to start with one question:

Do YOU believe you’re worth it?

Alex does. Abigail does, and so do their agents.

And guess what? The New York Yankees and Triggerfish Animation Studios agree!

They know that the added value A-rod and Abigail bring to their game, is much, much higher than their salaries.

You and I see price. They see value.

The pricing of art is an example of the art of pricing.

I can guarantee you that since 2006, the price of Pollock’s painting has gone up considerably.

Have you raised your rates lately? Are you selling yourself based on price or on value?

In the next installment, I’ll look at ways you can add value to what you have to offer, so you can stop selling yourself as a commodity, and start positioning yourself as a premium service.

Are you sold yet??

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

P.S. Be sweet. Please retweet!

Technorati Tags: Abigail Breslin, Alex Rodriguez, David Geffen, dot com bubble, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice over, Herman Cain, Jackson Pollock, law of scarcity, Nethervoice, New York Yankees, Paul Strikwerda, perceived value, Peter Drucker, placebo reactors, Saatchi & Saatchi, Triggerfish Animation Studios, value added pricing, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers, Warren Buffet, Zambezia

We all do it.

With the best of intentions.

We tell ourselves that this is the year we will turn things around.

Finally.

We even tell the world.

And then we move on with our lives and ‘forget’ about it.

A year passes, and we wonder why nothing has changed.

And we always find something or someone to blame.

Our greatest accomplishments and our greatest disappointments are well-planned.

People are good at setting themselves up for failure, and good at setting themselves up for success.

It starts between the ears.

Winners understand the power of planning.

Whiners live from day to day.

Winners say: There’s no day like today.

Whiners say: There’s always tomorrow.

Winners take action.

Whiners sit around and wait.

Winners get their hands dirty and dig in.

Whiners expect others to do the work for them.

Winners produce results.

Whiners have excuses.

Winners are proud of their accomplishments.

Whiners feel sorry for themselves.

I could fill an entire page with these bold statements, but I think you get my drift. It’s all about attitude.

Instead, let’s delve a bit deeper into the anatomy of a loser. Yes, I know. It’s a derogatory term and I’m only using it for dramatic effect. I’m not writing anyone off and I’m not pointing any fingers.

Here are some surefire ways to sabotage your own success.

1. WISHFUL THINKING
Life’s not a fairy tale where three wishes are granted to the humble but noble underdog. Yet, most of us keep on wishing things would change for the better, but are we really willing to work for it?

You can spot lack of commitment from a mile a way by the language someone uses. You’ll hear a lot of:

“I would like to”

“I may or might”

“That sounds interesting, perhaps I should explore that…”

Their favorite word is “but,” as in: “I really wanted to do that, but….

If you want to get something done, get off your butt. Take that first step, no matter how small.

Life is overwhelming. That’s why we break complicated processes down into small pieces. It makes them more manageable.

Nobody expects you to finish a full meal in one bite.

2. LACK OF URGENCY & MEANING
A goal is a more than a dream with a deadline.

No one gets excited about the things they want to accomplish… some day.

Be brutally honest. If you don’t want it badly, it probably doesn’t mean a lot to you at this point in time. Otherwise, you would feel that inner urge burning inside of you like a fire that makes you unstoppable.

The feeling of being driven comes from doing things that matter more to you than anything else. This feeling will excite you when things go well, and it will give you the energy to climb those mountains that still stand in your way.

So, stop talking about the things you’ve always wanted to do.

Start doing them. NOW.

3. BEING NON-SPECIFIC
If you don’t know your destination, how will you know you have arrived?

Vague ideas are daydreams. Vague ideas never inspire. Vague ideas let you off the hook, and you know it!

The statement: “I just want to be happy” is a great example.

What does happiness mean to you? It’s not even a goal. It’s a touchy-feely by-product of something else, but of what exactly?

Here’s another one: “I want to be better.”

Better than what? Compared to what?

What’s preventing you? Who’s preventing you?

A favorite of motivational trainers is the statement:

“I want to make more money.”

Some self-help gurus will walk up to you and give you a dime, saying:

“Look, you’ve just accomplished your goal. You now have more money! Are you happy now?”

Besides being unspecific, making more money is not what they call an end-goal. It’s a means-goal, meaning it is a means to an end.

Concrete goals have a starting point and a finish line. They require careful planning and a clear vision of the end result. Once you have that clear vision, ask yourself:

“What is the last step I take that will get me to accomplish my goal?”

Then you work your way back, figuring out all the steps you have to take to get you to that point, until you arrive at the present.

It’s -to use a Steve Jobs expression- connecting the dots backwards, in advance.

Unfortunately, most people find it easier to sum up what they don’t want. Take it from me: You’ll never get anywhere by focusing on the things you wish to avoid. In fact, you’re more likely to attract the very things you’re running away from. (see this article)

Great goals are always stated in the positive.

4. BEING OVERLY DEPENDENT ON OTHERS
Waiting for others to make your dreams come true is not only lazy, it also means you make yourself dependent on others as you’re giving away your personal power. How many times have you said to yourself:

“I would feel so much better, if only this person would….” You fill in the blanks.

Forget it. People won’t change unless they want to. I believe I wrote about that recently, didn’t I?

A great goal is self-initiated and self-maintained. You OWN it. You’re the captain. It’s your ship. Why is that essential?

No person in the world is ever willing to work as hard to accomplish something that’s meaningful to you, as you are.

Yes, it’s nice to surround yourself with the right type of supporters and critics. But you don’t need cheerleaders chanting empty slogans or Debbie-downers that rip your plan to pieces before it’s even born.

You need friends that can give you an honest assessment, and that can help you fine-tune your grand plan. You also need the right people who have the expertise you don’t have, and who are willing to put their weight behind your project.

However, it is your vision and your responsibility to make it a reality.

5. BEING SELF-CENTERED
You might reach your goal and feel like a winner, but I see it as a failure, if you’re the only one benefitting from your success.

There’s no doubt that it’s an accomplishment to get out of the ghetto and become a successful multimillion dollar recording artist. But all your golden shower heads and bling don’t mean a thing, if you spit on your roots instead of giving back to where you came from.

Results come with responsibilities.

Decisions have consequences. That’s why I encourage you to look at the impact pursuing and reaching your goal will have on the world around you.

Pursuing a goal with passion means you’re willing to pay a price. Remember that you don’t live on an island and that sometimes, that price may be too high.

In William Shatner’s documentary “The Captains,” Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeaway), reveals that her two children resented her always being on the set, working 18 hour days. To this day, they still refuse to watch Star Trek Voyager.

Both Shatner and Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) link the breakdown of their marriages to the demands of their careers. That is, the choices and sacrifices they willingly made to ‘make it’.

One last example.

Your company might have successfully launched a new product, boosting business like never before, but if your production process is poisoning the wells and killing wildlife, is it worth it?

Think about the bigger picture. It’s a matter of ecology.

Before you commit or decide to quit, here are four questions I want you to ask yourself.

1.What will happen if I do X?

2. What won’t happen if I do X?

3. What will happen if I don’t do X?

4. What won’t happen if I don’t do X?

The answer to these questions will help you determine whether or not the price is worth paying.

And finally…

The greatest goals are never about personal fame and fortune, and they will never come true the way you imagined them to come true.

At the end of the day, every goal is a picture of what you believe you’re capable of, with all the resources you have available right now.

That means that every goal is limited by your imagination and your perception of what is possible.

The most ambitious goals will seem unrealistic and unreasonable, and yet, even those are confined by what you think you can or cannot accomplish.

That’s why some of the philosophers of the word will teach you to set clear outcomes, and then let go of the form.

That way, you allow the universe to exceed your expectations.

Steve Jobs’ sister Mona Simpson, was there when her brother died.

She recently told us what his last words were:

“Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”

We don’t know what prompted him to say these words, but whatever Steve saw in his final moments, I’m pretty sure it exceeded all his expectations.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet!

Technorati Tags: Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voiceover, Kate Mulgrew, Mona Simpson, Nethervoice, Patrick Stewart, Paul Strikwerda, setting goals, Steve Jobs, William Shatner, winners and whiners

I remember exactly where I was when it happened.

On my way to Las Vegas, I popped in a Tony Robbins tape from his Personal Power series.

Tony Robbins is a hugely successful motivational speaker, trainer and writer. If you have a million dollars, he’ll give you his private number and you may call him 365 days a year for a private coaching session.

People either love him or hate him. Those who hate him are usually put off by his hyped up, in your face presentation style. Those who love him are pumped up by his towering presence and contagious enthusiasm, whether it’s on CD, during a live seminar or on TV.

Robbins built his career on the study of success. Following in the footsteps of NLP-creators Bandler and Grinder, he developed a toolbox based on what he called Neuro Associative Conditioning (NAC). It’s a mix of positive attitudes, beliefs and strategies that help people design and live the life they’ve always dreamt of.

MODELING THE MIND
At the basis of NLP and NAC is the process of modeling. I’m not talking about the catwalk in Milan, but about the study of exceptional people: business tycoons, sports icons, therapists, artists etcetera.

The idea is that these people -in order to achieve something extraordinary- have set themselves up for success. They have carefully (and often unconsciously) conditioned themselves to accomplish astonishing things. Modeling is all about uncovering and learning from what goes on behind the scenes: what instructions do these people give their brains and bodies?

Take Steve Jobs, Richard Branson or Oprah Winfrey. None of them seemed to be destined for greatness. Jobs was given up for adoption by a Syrian Muslim. Branson suffers from dyslexia and was academically challenged. Winfrey was born into poverty to a teenage single mother and raised in an inner-city neighborhood.

Look at what they have accomplished!

What is the secret to their success? Is there a recipe? Can it be broken down into bits and pieces and taught to mere mortals such as you and me? Robbins believes it can be done, and one of the key ingredients of this recipe for success can be captured in a single word:

M I N D S E T

You might not be able to choose the cards life has dealt you, but at least you control how you approach and play the game. Your mindset is the filter through which you look at reality and interpret what it means to you and which actions to take.

A mindset is not something you were born with that operates outside of your awareness. A mindset is a choice. You determine whether the glass is half empty or half full. Not your mother or father or teacher or upbringing or education or race or any set of circumstances.

What separates Winfrey, Branson and Jobs from the rest, is a foundation of empowering beliefs.

An empowering belief is the difference between looking at the world in terms of problems or in terms of opportunities.

An empowering belief is the difference between looking at obstacles as roadblocks or as stepping-stones.

An empowering belief is the difference between “I’ll never be able to do it” and “Yes I can!”

WHAT DRIVES YOU
As I was cruising through the dry Nevada desert, Robbins talked about another powerful principle he had modeled. Whether in sports, politics, business or in the entertainment industry, all leaders had this in common: they knew the difference between being interested and being committed.

The interested person is merely exploring options.
The committed person is going for it.

The interested person says: “I’d like to,” “I’m thinking of,” “It would be nice…”
The committed person says: “This is my path,” “This is my passion,” “Nothing can stop me.”

The interested person reactively responds to opportunities.
The committed person pro-actively creates opportunities.

The interested person is not invested in the outcome.
The committed person does whatever it takes to achieve the outcome.

The interested person is conditioned to “trying”.
The committed person is conditioned to “doing”.

The interested person always has reasons.
The committed person has results.

STOP WHINING
When I look at my own voiceover community, I hear a lot of whining and complaining about how hard it is to break into the business and earn a living. Reading between the lines, I notice an undeserved sense of entitlement and lack of respect for what it takes to make it. Sorry folks…

There are no silver platters, silver bullets

or golden shortcuts to the top

It comes down to this: what are YOU willing to DO to build a solid career and live a meaningful life?

Are you merely interested or are you truly committed?

Of course you’re entitled to your hopes, your dreams and aspirations. Don’t let me take them away from you. But it’s up to you to make them a reality.

It’s nice to be ‘interested’ in something and fantasize about your future. I’m all for creative visualization. But without ACTION a dream will always be a dream; something you intend to do… one day. And you know what they say about the road that’s paved with good intentions.

According to Robbins, successful role models know how to turn those intentions into a ‘magnificent obsession’. They channel their energy and focus it like a laser beam. To the rest of the world, it looks like these people are working their butts off, but to them it doesn’t even feel like work. They’re having the best time of their life!

Committed people don’t let things happen. They make things happen.

Committed people don’t complain about something. They do something about it.

Committed people don’t quit. They learn from experience and move on.

Commitment is a solemn agreement you make with yourself to do everything it takes to achieve a goal, and then some.

STARTING OVER
If you’re sick and tired of all the excuses and rationalizations, the if’s, the but’s and the maybe’s… perhaps you are ready to commit yourself and decide that your time has come.

If that’s the case, I have a question for you. Don’t answer it until you have fully considered it.

What’s the one thing you can do today, to show the world (and yourself) that you’re truly, madly and deeply committed?

Use the Power of Now and DO IT.

For losers, there’s always “tomorrow”.

This moment is yours, today.

Embrace it and hold on to it, for the rest of your life!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet, please retweet!

Technorati Tags: attitude adjustment, commitment, Dutch voiceover, empowering belief, freelancer, freelancers, Freelancing, John Grinder, making a commitment, Nethervoice, neuro linguistic programming, NLP, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Strikwerda, Richard Bandler, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, the power of committment, the power of now, Tony Robbins, voice-over, voiceover blog

Some have called him the greatest performer of spoken word of our time. His videos have brought YouTube viewers to tears. His powerful performances turned comic book addicts into poetry lovers.

In 2000, he won the individual championship at the National Poetry Slam in Providence, Rhode Island – beating 250 North American competitors. In doing so, he became the first-ever winner from outside the U.S.

His first published collection, Visiting Hours, was the only work of poetry selected by the Guardian, Globe and Mail newspapers, for their Best Books of the Year lists in 2005.

And yet, most people have never heard of him.

OLYMPIC MOMENT
All of that changed when Shane Koyczan recited his poem “We Are More” at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, British Columbia. The man who was born in the obscure town of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories, wowed the world with his words.

Most footage of that performance is of very poor quality because the Olympic Committee regulates the rights to the original broadcast and we’re stuck with amateur video.

Here’s an extended and animated version of “We Are More”.

The reason I’m writing about Shane today can be summarized in one word:

INSPIRATION

Most days I wake up on the right side of the bed and everything just flows. Some days I feel stuck in a rut and I catch myself doing the same things I’ve always done, hoping to get a different result. It never works, does it?

To some, living life on cruise control might be the ultimate goal, but as soon as I find out that my brain has secretly switched on the autopilot, I tell it to turn it off and start doing some stretching exercises.

A big part of me has this inner urge to always learn and grow and expand what I am capable of. In order to do that, I need to be challenged beyond my boundaries. It’s the best way to escape my cozy comfort zone. But where to go? Whom can I turn to?

I am always on the lookout to emulate excellence. If I want to be the best, I have to learn from the best. That might sound straightforward to you, but in our culture that is not necessarily the predominant philosophy.

ROLE MODELS
I never understood why medical researchers seem to spend more time studying illness instead of learning about wellness. During their training, doctors-to-be poke around in dead bodies, supposedly learning the secrets to saving the living. They spend most of their time around the sick and the dying, and some of them eventually become specialists in a particular disease.

The study of the dysfunctional is the norm, but it doesn’t have to be.

In certain schools of Oriental medicine, doctors get paid to keep the people in their care healthy. Their focus is much more on preventing the root cause of a problem, rather than on treating or alleviating symptoms. Instead of trying to find a cure for diabetes, they are teaching their “patients” about a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

It is a well-known fact that Western doctors have more problems with drugs and alcohol, and a higher suicide rate than their patients. (source) Most Oriental healers practice what they preach and keep on practicing well into their senior years. In their culture, the wisdom that comes with age is held in high regard, instead of hidden in underfunded assisted living facilities.

FINDING FAULT
Like doctors, many professionals are trained to spend most of their time on sick systems, tracking and analyzing problems. Psycho-analysts come to mind, as well as lawyers, economists and -dare I say it- politicians. We have become masters at focusing on what’s wrong and finding someone or something to blame.

“Fast food and soda made me fat. I didn’t do it! Pepsi won.”

What would have happened after 9/11, had we invested just as much money and brain power into building bridges between people, cultures and religions, as we have invested in beefing up homeland security? Or have we ignored the causes while we were busy trying to treat the symptoms?

Why not focus on creating beauty and cultivating friendships, as we fortify our nation to prevent more death and destruction? How can we sow the seeds of peace and understanding if we spend all our money and manpower building more barriers and pave over our gardens with concrete to protect us? Is that a sign of desperation or of inspiration?

I admit it: I have my dark days. When I look for inspiration and the essence of excellence, I sometimes turn to poetry and to my favorite poet: Shane Koyczan. He’s called a spoken word virtuoso for a reason.

As a professional speaker, I admire the way he hammers his words in with heart and with soul. They almost burn into my brain. I’d love to emulate his mastery of language and moving delivery. His artistry is the challenge I am looking for. His depth is what I aspire to.

Shane speaks to me in a way few other people do. One moment he seems to tenderly touch his words with velvet gloves, only to start building a tremendous crescendo of ideas and similes and associations my mind tries to process intellectually but cannot, until what’s left is an overwhelming feeling of intense exaltation.

It’s almost a hypnotic induction.

A great example of his style is the poem “Beethoven”. Even though the quality of the recording leaves a bit to be desired for, it is a monumental performance.

Shane Koyczan still performs his work for sold out houses, but he has done something else. He created a new genre called Talk Rock with his band the Short Story Long. His unique mix of song and verse won him the “Best New Artist” award at the BC Interior Music Awards in 2009.

Even though the poetry corner at my bookstore seems to be shrinking day by day, the spoken word is alive and kicking in Canada. And I can’t help but wonder: what would happen if the world would feed itself with the art of poets, painters, dancers and musicians instead of with the language of hate, discrimination, intolerance, fanaticism and violence?

Why don’t we let the poets speak?

“Because there are times when the cost of truth is so high, we endure our own hearts to hearts break. We make love into a currency that can’t be cashed in, because there has never been a bank that will give out a loan based on the collateral of hope.”

Shane Koyczan

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

PS What inspires you? Who is your inspiration?

Technorati Tags: 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Beethoven, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice, Dutch voiceover, finding inspiration, finding role models, National Poetry Slam, Nethervoice, novel Visiting Hours, Paul Strikwerda, Shane Coyczan, Shut Up and Say Something, spoken word virtuoso, Talk Rock, the essence of excellence, treating the symptoms, We Are More

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass”

 

One sunny day, a fishmonger put up the following sign:

TODAY: FRESH FISH

One of his first customers said to him: “What’s this sign I see? You only have fresh fish today?”

“Of course not,” said the fishmonger. “I have fresh fish every day. You’ve been coming here for the past eight years. You know that.”

“Then why did you write: Today: Fresh Fish? That’s confusing,” said the customer.

So the fishmonger erased the word TODAY.

An hour later another customer questioned him about the sign:

“Why does it say ‘Fresh Fish’? Isn’t your fish always fresh? Or have you been selling me unfresh fish all these years?”

“Of course not,” answered the fishmonger a bit annoyed. “Each day I go to the harbor at the crack of dawn and buy my fish straight from the men who caught it. It can’t get any fresher than that.”

“Then why did you write: Fresh Fish? That’s confusing,” said the customer.

So the fishmonger erased the word FRESH. “I don’t get these people,” he mumbled. “Wasn’t it obvious what I was trying to say?”

ASSUMPTIONS
Our life is filled with unspoken assumptions. The obvious does not need to be stated, does it? If we hold that to be true, we’re forgetting one thing:

What’s obvious to one person might not be obvious to another person.

Language in and of itself is vague, inadequate and ambiguous, and therefore up for interpretation. If you have any doubts about that, talk to theologians or lawyers. In both cases you often need divine intervention to get them to agree on anything, even if they speak the same language.

Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski (1879–1950) is the developer of what he called “General Semantics”. Simply put, this refers to the study of how you and I react to our environment or an event, and how we derive meaning from it.

Korzybski coined the phrase “The map is not the territory,” meaning that a word is not what it defines (the territory), but merely a symbolic representation of it (the map). That’s why we don’t get wet from the word water. Here’s the problem: if we don’t know what the territory looks like, how on earth can we know what the map refers to?

Take Nike’s famous trademark “Just do it”.

Without knowing anything about it, would you have any idea what these three words stand for? For instance: what is “it”? And if we don’t know what “it” is, how are we supposed to know how to “do” “it”? It could mean a million things, and we’re supposed to “just” do them? Forget it!

Let’s move away from fishy advertising and “just do” a little experiment. Take this simple sentence:

“We only have a small budget.”

That’s plain English, isn’t it? But what does it really mean? Do we have enough information to know what the writer intended it to mean?

If you say “yes” to the question, please tell me what you think it means and what you are basing it on. If you say “no,” tell me what is missing.

I have a feeling that you’ve seen this sentence before. I will also go as far as to imagine that every day, freelancers like you and me allow these six words to influence the bids they put in, to win a project. Am I right?

In order to truly know what the client means by “We only have a small budget,” a lot of blanks need to be filled in. First of all: who is “we”? Is it a client? And if so, who is this client? Donald Trump? I bet you anything that what “the Donald,” considers to be small, will forever redefine your meaning of the word!

My voiceover agent sometimes sends me five hundred-dollar jobs and apologizes for the “small budget”. To some, five hundred dollars might be a huge step up from the hundred-dollar jobs they’ve been auditioning for, just to break into the business. But considering the fact that this client is a key retailer and that the job involves all major markets and a six-year buyout, five hundred bucks is very low pay.

It’s all relative, relatively speaking.

DEFINING MEANING
By giving you these examples, what did I just do?

I provided you with some context.

The meaning of words is not only determined by what you find in the dictionary. It is defined by the setting and circumstances in which they are used. In fact, dictionary editors define the meaning of words by studying the context in which they appear. They even come up with sentences in which a word is used to illustrate its meaning.

But let’s assume that little or no context is provided. What do we usually do to attempt to understand the words we read or hear?

We start making things up. Believe it or not, there’s a mindreader in all of us! To me, this is where things get really interesting. On what exactly do we base our uninformed guesses?

I remember the first time I drove on an American highway and saw a sign that said RAMP. I must confess that I had no idea what it meant (for first-time readers: I’m originally from The Netherlands).

In an attempt to understand its meaning, my mind started making associations based on my personal frame of reference. In Dutch, the word RAMP means DISASTER! Till this very day, I get uncomfortable whenever I see that sign.

Without a clear context and without the ability to ask any questions, we generally base our understanding on speculation, which in turn is based on our subjective experience. In other words: the way you interpret “we only have a small budget,” will tell us a lot about you and next to nothing about the person who wrote it. This gets us into trouble all the time.

As a service provider it is not supposed to be about us. It’s about what the client wants to see and needs to hear. But clients typically hand out maps and leave it to us to second-guess what their territory is supposed to look or sound like.

They’ll tell you:

“I don’t know how to describe to you what I want, but I know it when I hear it. As long as you try to sound warm but professional…. If you know what I mean.”

No I don’t know what you mean. How could I? We don’t even know each other. Sometimes I don’t even understand my wife, and I think that I know her better than most people.

MISUNDERSTANDING
Now, do you still wonder why you didn’t land that ‘warm and professional’ gig?

Could it be, because you were led by your own assumptions? Did you forget to ask critical questions, or were you unable or not allowed to contact the client and get some context?

Beginners often wonder: “If only I could get some feedback after the fact. That would give me some idea as to why my audition was rejected.”

I think it would be much more helpful to get some perspective before the fact; some sense of direction. Dump the vague and ambiguous verbiage. If you don’t tell us what you want, how are we supposed to give it to you? I know that words are inadequate ways of describing an experience, but can you at least try a little harder?

Meanwhile, we have a new debate in voiceover land. Following last year’s National Voice Over Appreciation Month, my colleague Dave Courvoisier has dedicated this September to “Voice Over Awareness Today”. There’s a logo. There’s a website. And each week there’s a new question. Those who answer it, could win a prize.

I applaud Dave’s ingenuity and creativity, but already questions have been raised about the meaning and purpose of a month devoted to “Voice Over Awareness”.

Dave writes that he wants to “celebrate the business of Voice Overs, and to find some collective wisdom.” (…) VOAToday seeks to elicit simple information easily shared, and makes it available for all to see.”

Voice talent John Bigl told me:

“The word ‘Awareness’ kinda puts me off … makes voice acting sound like some kind of disease or dysfunction…”

Diane Havens commented:

“I think Dave’s purpose, one of them anyway, is to shed some light on how much goes into VO, that it’s not as simple as it looks, uh, sounds.”

Mike Harrison’s response:

“I’m aware of who I am and what I do, and most other people couldn’t care less.”

Jody Silvers said:

“I think good VO is probably a lot like good acting: If you’re aware that someone is doing it, then they’re probably not doing it very well. Whether or not acknowledgment comes from a job well done SHOULD be irrelevant – as long as the check clears.”

As you can see, the map is not the territory. I’m sure you’re aware of that by now.

How would you define “Voice Over Awareness” and why would we need it Today?

Isn’t Dave in a way a bit like the fishmonger and his sign? Speaking of which, let’s go back to the story.

TODAY: FRESH FISH

After erasing the first two words, the fishmonger stared at the sign that now read “FISH”.

That should do it, he thought.

No one can argue with that.

He was ready to go inside when a boy walked up to him. He had a ten-dollar bill in his hand.

“Sir, sir…” the boy said, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” said the fishmonger. “What can I help you with, young man?”

The boy looked at him with big, hopeful eyes.

“Sir, I just saw your sign and I was wondering: do you sell goldfish?”

The fishmonger made a gesture of utter exasperation.

People are completely clueless, he thought.

Then he took a damp sponge and erased the word FISH.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Alfred Korzybski, Dave Courvoisier, Diane Havens, Donald Trump, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voiceover, General Semantics, Jody Silvers, John Bigl, Mike Harrison, National Voice Over Appreciation Month, Nike Inc., Paul Strikwerda, The map is not the territory, Voice Over Awareness Today, voice-over, voiceover, voiceover blog, voiceovers

“I will give you my personal prediction on what will implode first: Blogs containing information that serves no one but the writer, and his/her inner circle without fact-checking.”
Steven Lowell

The dust has finally settled.

Give it a few months, and last week’s discussion will rise out of the ashes and begin a new life somewhere else.

Same topic. Different voices, perhaps.

Steven’s remark about self-serving blogs and bloggers did make me think about my vision for Double Dutch. Believe it or not: I have one, and you can find it on the About & Contact page that no one ever reads. I know, because my analytics tell me exactly which pages attract most traffic. Here are the opening words:

DOUBLE DUTCH is a platform and playground for ideas, dialogue and discourse about things personal and professional related but not limited to voice-overs and freelancing.

That covers pretty much everything, doesn’t it? Now, let me also tell you what it is not.

This blog is not some grand podium built to glorify my personal accomplishments or to sell Mr. Strikwerda’s amazing pipes. Why would anyone want to read about that? Not me!

If you’re interested in the technical side of voiceovers, you have to look elsewhere too. Although I’m fascinated with the tools of the trade, I am not a gearhead or audio specialist. I don’t receive free products from companies, take them out of the box, dangle them in front of a camera and post it as a “review”.

It’s true, I did write a series about building my voice-over booth on a budget, but I did not seek or receive any compensation for mentioning products, manufacturers or stores.

This blog is not a source of fair and unbiased industry news either.

In essence, Double Dutch is nothing but a blog revolving around one man and his ideas and experiences, and a bunch of friends who like to chime in, every once in a while. If you’re looking for objective, investigative journalism, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Just like a lot of other stuff you’ll read online or in the papers, my articles are usually a mix of subjective opinion based on personal selection and interpretation of data. If you’d like to fact-check my sources, all you need to do is click on a few links, embedded in the articles.

Nobody has to agree with anything I write. My readers are intelligent enough to understand that it would be foolish to generalize my personal stories and turn them into an overall verdict on the issue at hand.

I don’t consider myself to be an authority or expert. My opinion is one of many, and one quick look at Bob Souer’s blog roll will tell you that I’m certainly not the only blogger in this voiceover town. Of course I’m tickled to see that some people seem to care about what I have to say, but that’s as far as it goes.

I strive to inform, I attempt to entertain and yes… I also like to rock the boat every once in a while. As a voiceover professional, it is my job to be outspoken. I don’t feel comfortable standing on the sidelines.

Unlike Steven Lowell, I am not a paid spokesperson for a company. I don’t pretend to proclaim and promote an objective, universal truth. This is my personal platform and I can be as passionate and opinionated as I want. I represent no one but myself.

So, why do I take a day out of every week to write this blog?

The short answer: Because I feel like it.

The moment it becomes just another chore, I will stop and take up billiards or Bingo.

Here’s another reason: I love to write and I think I have something to say that  -at times- is moderately insightful and interesting. At least, that’s what my readers keep on telling me.

As you may know, most of my stories start out as simple Notes to Self. The series about building a voice-over studio is a perfect example.

It took me many months before I was ready to start building my own studio. During that time, I had compiled a wealth of information and I thought it might be useful to share it with you. Now it’s available as a booklet and most of the proceeds go to a very good cause. Sharing is important to me.

Over the years, I have benefited so much from the kindness, knowledge and insights of friends and colleagues. I wouldn’t be where I am today, had it not been for their advice and encouragement. In a way, I am repaying my debt to them by publishing this blog.

Thanks to Double Dutch, I’ve also made countless new friends from all corners of this planet. Many of them won’t publicly comment on my articles, but each and every week they email me with questions and observations.

As far as the future goes, I’m branching out. Most of you already know that I write on all things international for Internet Voice Coach. I also conduct interviews with colleagues across the globe.

Recently, I started recording three-minute vignettes for the International Freelancers Academy on building your business. There’s also a book on the way.

I’m not telling you this to impress you. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn if you think this is impressive or not. The fact is, I love my work and I love writing about it.

As long as I still have music in me, I will continue to sing my songs.

And if people think it’s just a bunch of blah-blah, they’ll find other blogs to read, and Double Dutch will eventually implode.

Perhaps that wouldn’t be too bad.

It’s always better to end with a bang.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Bob Souer, Building a vocal booth on a budget, Double Dutch, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voiceover, international freelancers academy, Internet Voice Coach, Paul Strikwerda, Steven Lowell, voice-over, voiceover, voiceover blog, voiceovers

Alright.

Last week’s pity party is over and I’m back at the helm of Starship Nethervoice.

A warm and fuzzy “thank you” to all of you who have reached out to me in the past few days.

Yes, I missed you too!

One of those people was news anchor and fellow VO-pro Dave Courvoisier. He called me from Vegas to let me know that I was not forgotten. This moved me so much that I promised to dedicate a song to him at Faffcon’s karaoke night. Any suggestions as to how I can best serenade him in his absence?

You might not praise my singing, but I will sing Dave’s praises any night. In a way, Dave is like a city that never sleeps. A big proponent of SM*, Super Social Dave can simultaneously be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Amplify, while presenting the evening news and writing a new article for his blog. Sometimes I wonder what it must be like, to live inside his head…

On August 4th, Dave’s Voice Acting in Vegas Blog featured an interview with Jason Ojalvo, the man behind Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX). If you haven’t heard of ACX yet, I recommend you read Karen Commins’ blog post and Andy Bowyer’s article in VoiceOverXtra.

In a nutshell, ACX is a virtual market place for people practicing what I believe to be the oldest profession in the world: storytelling. Narrators, writers and producers can find one another on ACX and create spoken books together.

Here’s what I particularly like about the ACX-model:

• It’s FREE! Yes, you’ve heard me. There’s no paid membership and there are no exorbitant escrow fees;

• ACX has a well-designed website and excellent customer service;

• There’s no middle man. Believe it or not, there is direct contact between narrator, producer and author/rights holder, resulting in…

• Reasonable rates and the opportunity to take a chance sharing royalties;

• Quality Control: ACX is very picky about recording and production requirements. It takes more than a credit card, a mic and some shareware to list oneself as an audio book narrator;

• A wide distribution network.

Here’s what needs tweaking:

• ACX currently offers projects in 6 languages. I’d like to see that number grow and -of course- include Dutch (my mother tongue);

• There are no projects posted in my preferred rate scale: the $400 to $1000 per finished hour range;

• At present there’s no way of telling whether or not an audition has been listened to, unless the narrator receives an offer. I’d also like to know how many colleagues  have already auditioned for a particular project;

• On 8/4/’11 ACX had 1939 narrator samples, but no way to search for a particular talent. It took me a while to find some of my favorite voices;

• Some talents have two pages, e.g. one under BeeAudio (talent is  available for: $200 – $400 Per Finished Hour) and one under their own name (same talent for hire for: $100 – $200 per finished hour). Are narrators competing with themselves and does this double listing give them an unfair advantage?;

• ACX does allow you to select a narrator by gender. There are 1296 audio samples listed under male and 760 under female. Why are women underrepresented? When I selected “Both,” 116 samples came up. (1296 + 760 = 2056 and not 1939

• When searching by gender, some female narrators came up, even though I had narrowed  my search down to male voice-overs;

• Chapters selected for audition are often purposely chosen because they contain some challenging paragraphs in terms of pronunciation. A quick example:

I wanted to audition for a book about the life of a Tibetan Lama. After an hour of extensive research, I still couldn’t find the correct pronunciation of his holiness’ name. Normally, I’d expect the author to provide a pronunciation guide, and I’d like ACX to lend us a hand in that department. Lama Geshe Dhargyey will bless you.

• ACX currently offers 676 non-fiction titles and 596 fiction titles looking for a narrator. I’d like to see the number of fiction titles go up. But here’s the big one:

• There are only 7 titles in the kids section. There’s obviously some untapped potential in that genre!

Jason Ojalvo told CourVo:

“The buzz is that ACX is one of the most empowering services ever created for actors. “

To me, Dave Courvoisier is one of the most empowering colleagues in the voice-over business. Dave loves to share. Thanks to him, what happens in Vegas, never stays in Vegas.

Whether Dave’s anchoring the news or narrating a voice-over script, SaVoa Board Advisor 07041 is a distinguished member of that ancient tribe of storytellers.

I’m already looking forward to the next Amazing CourVo Xchange!

How about you?

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

*SM: Social Media

PS Be sweet: please retweet.

Technorati Tags: ACX, Amplify, Andy Bowyer, audio book promotion, Audiobook Creation Exchange, Dave Courvoisier, Dutch narrator, Dutch voiceover, Facebook, Faffcon, Google, how to create an audio book, Jason Ojalvo, Karen Commins, LinkedIn, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, SAVOA, the oldest profession in the world, twitter, Voice Acting in Vegas, VoiceOverXtra

Something strange and unexpected has happened. Thanks to the growing popularity of this blog, some of my readers now write to me saying:

“Dear Mr. Nethervoice, I enjoy your articles but I never knew you were into voice-overs as well. For how long have you been gracing this world with the sweet, seductive sound of your pleasantly persuasive pipes?”

At that point, I patiently explain that I’ve been working the mic since I was 17, and some three years later I’m still at it. Well, that’ s not entirely true. I feel and act like I’m seventeen… most of the time. Of course information about my illustrious career has been available on other pages of my blog. You know, the ones next to this text that nobody bothers to read.

Since every question is a golden opportunity to enlighten my fans, colleagues and clients alike, I will do something I have never done before, at least not this openly.

For once, I will shamelessly sing my own praises, and if you’re not comfortable with that, I shall retreat into a corner and weep bitter tears of shame and disappointment… and proceed as planned! After all, who is going to stop me?

This is me in a nutshell:

• full-time voice-over artist and writer
• records in English, Dutch (mother tongue) and German
• most in-demand accent:  “neutral” or “European” English
• specialty: intelligent international narration
• impressive clients: Novartis, Deloitte, Plantronics, Farmers Life
• expert-contributor to Internet Voice Coach
• websites: www.nethervoice.com, www.dutchvoiceover.net
• Favorite quote: “Your voice is like velcro. Whatever you say sticks.”

Based on that last line, I should perhaps go by the surname of Stick-worda.

GUIDED TOUR
Now that we’ve made our formal acquaintance, allow me to take you on a quick tour of some of my voice-over projects.

The Dutch are known for being great ice skaters. This is me, telling them about another exciting sport: skate boarding!

On to another mode of transportation. Here’s the only Dutch commercial I ever recorded for the black market:

Ready to get more mileage out of your gas tank? Then you should listen to “Muzzle the Guzzle: 50 Fuel Saving Strategies” by Michael Minsky.

This audio book received an average rating of 4.67 out of 5 stars on the earth-shattering Audible.com Richter scale. Narrated in English by yours truly.

On to other modes of transportation.

Meet Andreas Klauser. He’s the President and CEO for CASE IH, one of one of the world’s largest brands of agriculture equipment.

Born and educated in Austria, Mr. Klauser is a native German speaker. CASE IH asked me to dub a series of meet the CEO-videos, as the voice of Mr. Klauser… in German, that is! Kein Problem für mich!

 

The Austrian ski resort of Zauchensee is one of the hidden treasures of the Alps. Not for long, if it’s up to me.

 

 

 

The Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises was one of the most influential proponents of Liberalism.

Jörg Guido Hülsmann, professor of economics at the University of Paris, tells the full story of his dramatic and inspiring life and contributions in a 1143-page biography.

The Von Mises Institute commissioned me to record the complete audio version of this masterpiece (some 20+ hours) and next week, work will start on a second book.

The Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university in Philadelphia. Wharton is the world’s first collegiate business school and the first business school in the United States.

I’ll tell you more about Wharton in this presentation:

Haliotika in Brittany (France), offers everything to do with sea fishing, including displays of boats, fish varieties, interactive education for children and boat rides. A very fishy place, indeed.

Take the audio tour, and you’ll hear me as the German voice of Philippe and Claude, two local fishermen talking about net profit.

Camp Gurs was an internment and refugee camp constructed by the French government in 1939. In 1940, it became a concentration camp for Jews of any nationality except French, as well as people considered dangerous by the government. I was honored to narrate the German audio tour.

This Dutch company has produced an ingenious interactive digital movie course. It contains a large collection of known and unknown film clips from 1878 up to the present day.

Each clip is an example of a new discovery in cinematography: editing, camera movement, image cutouts, sound, talkies, color film, acting method, etcetera. This time, I step into the role of English tour guide.

Speaking of tours, we all have our dream homes. I happen to have quite a few of them and thanks to Spartina Studios, I get to be the host of many of Connecticut’s most precious properties. Here’s one of these humble abodes:

There’s no doubt about it: video increases home sales as long as it’s done right. That’s why I have written “Real Estate Videos & Voice Overs,” a white paper for videographers and real estate agents.

Some people still believe that voice-overs is all about doing silly voices (click here for more misconceptions). Well, sometimes it is! Who would have thought that a Dutchman would ever dub Johnny Depp?

Here’s a video I voiced  for an insurance company. It will never win a prize for best animation, but I sure had a blast doing both voices! (the fun starts at 0:53)

This paint of this last video is still wet. Made in Kibbutz Gat, it tells the story of a multi-national  company most of you have probably never heard of.  It’s in Dutch, so I’ll leave it up to you to figure this one out!

Well, that’s all folks!

Thank you so much for enduring this exercise in self-indulgence. I admire your persistence and perseverance. Now you can go back to your daily chores as you reminisce about the delectable servings of eye and ear candy I had the pleasure of serving up for you.

I’m just going to look and listen to all the videos one last time…

… can’t help myself!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011

www.nethervoice.com

Be sweet: please retweet!

Technorati Tags: ABCinema, Andres Klauser, Audible, Camp Gurs, Case IH, Deloitte, digital movie course, Dutch voice over, European English voice-over, German voice-over, Haliotica, Johnny Depp, Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Ludwig von Mises, Ludwig von Mises Institute, making video home tours, Michael Minsky, Muzzle the Guzzle, Nethervoice, neutral English voice-over, Novartis, Paul Strikwerda, pirate spoof, Plantronics, real estate videos, ski resort Zauchensee, Spartina Studios, Street Surfing, The Last Knight of Capitalism, the wave skate board, The Wharton School, Turtle wax, Turtle wax black box, video home tours, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers

Warning: this post contains some strong language that may not be appropriate for sensitive souls.

* An overly demanding client has nickeled-and-dimed you down to your lowest rate and is never satisfied

* You’re angry at yourself for ever taking on this job making you work for a jerk

* You’re going out of your way to serve a customer and she treats you like a servant

* You spend hours perfecting a proposal and you never hear back from your prospect

* You’ve given a colleague free advice, and now he’s offering your service at half-price

* Colleagues and job sites are bringing your rates down and you can’t do anything about it

* You’ve just lost a dream project; you have no idea why and you feel like giving up

* Your Mom says: “I told you this would happen. Why don’t you get a real job?”

Sounds familiar? If that’s the case, how do you usually respond? Can you let it go, or are you getting sick and tired of having to depend on people who don’t seem to care? How long are you going to put up with that? Isn’t it time to draw a line in the sand and say to yourself: “I’ve had it. Enough’s enough!”

If that’s the case, why don’t you get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell:

“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!!”

Of course you’re not going to do that. That only happens in movies. You’ve been conditioned to respond in a rational way and to behave like a proper professional.

Shit happens. You just have to make sure it doesn’t hit your fans. Besides, we live in the age of positive psychology where people don’t have problems anymore. People have “challenges”. We don’t run into difficulties. We call them “learning opportunities.” We never fail. We just get a “less than desirable result.” We’ve learned to turn lemons into lemonade and above all… we never, ever argue. We have “spirited debates” instead.

Welcome to the bitter-sweet world of reframing, sugarcoating and turd-polishing! Are you feeling any better yet? Should you internalize your anger and put on your happy facebook face? After all, you don’t want the world to know you’re having a hard day, do you? Everything is always A-ok and the show must go on, right? So, get a grip and pull yourself together!

If only it were that easy.

How healthy can it be, to keep it all inside and pretend everything’s alright all the time? You’re not a saint. Sometimes, you’re a volcano waiting to erupt and you’re ready to slap those people telling you that “everything happens for a reason.” Is that supposed to help? Give me a break!

So, what do you do when your frustration reaches a boiling point and you’ve absolutely had it? Hit the bottle? Hit the wall? Use your partner as a punching bag? That’ll make it all go away, won’t it?

COMMUNICATION STYLES
Even if you’re not a disciple of Sigmund Freud or a follower of Carl Jung, it’s easy to recognize four classic ways of dealing with rage, disappointment and despair. I’ve broken them down into different personalities and I’d like you to meet them.

1. THE PESSIMISTIC DOORMAT: the passive response
- Easily overwhelmed, defeated and depressed
- Blames him or herself
- Excuses the behavior of others
- Avoids confrontation at all cost
- A people pleaser, always ready to take on the victim role
- Gives in; gives up and disengages
- Acts out of fear and fatalism
- Tells you: “I feel like shit.”

2. THE BULLY: the aggressive response
- Acts impulsively
- Takes everything personally
- Goes on the attack and thrives on confrontation
- Blames and criticizes others
- Feels superior because others are always wrong
- Overbearing and controlling: it’s my way or the highway
- Acts out of anger
- Tells the world: “These guys are shit.”

3. THE INDIRECT ADVERSARY: the passive aggressive response
- Acts in a disingenuous way
- Responds with sarcasm and cynicism
- Refuses to openly acknowledge that there’s a problem
- Feels misunderstood and underappreciated,
- Hides true feelings: smiles when angry
- Cooperates but does so begrudgingly, even sabotaging the effort
- Acts out of denial, resentment and evasion
- Won’t tell you: “I pretend I don’t give a shit but I really do.”

GENERALIZATIONS
I’ll be the first one  to admit that these profiles are based on broad generalizations. Secondly, I am only describing a type of behavior. Behavior always takes place on a continuum and not every individual will display all characteristics at once. But sometimes it’s easier to make a point by highlighting the extremes.

Third, although some of us have become better at one communication style, we might show tendencies of another style, depending on the situation. In many cases, we have learned these adaptive responses at an early age, often from a role model such as a parent.

Fourth: because people are so accustomed to their own behavior, they are often unaware of their communication style and it kicks in automatically.

If you’re a blogger or a regular participant in discussions on various social networks, you’ve probably dealt with a few of these individuals. The nature and tone of some of the comments people throw at you, can give you an insight into who’s leaving them.

A few examples…

The pessimistic doormat will say things like: “I should have known better. It’s all my fault. There’s nothing we can do about it. It is what it is. Who are we to think that we can change things? It’s been like this for years and it’s no use going against the grain. We’re just a small piece in a big puzzle. Stop wasting your time. I’m sorry but that’s just how I feel.”

The bully will tell you: “You’re dead wrong. I can’t believe you just said that. It makes no sense. When’s the last time you had your brain checked? Stop being so ridiculous. Who do you think you are? Did you even read what you just wrote? These guys owe me big time. I did nothing wrong. They’re the ones that screwed things up. I’ll make them pay!”

The indirect adversary’s favorite phrase is “Whatever,” while moaning and muttering to himself. You should hear the sarcasm when she says: “Sure, we’ll do whatever you want. Let’s see how well that works out.” He’ll tell you: “I’m not upset at all. You seem to be the only one having a problem here. Everything’s fine on my end,” even though things are not at all fine on his end.

But enough about other people. Let’s talk about you for a change. How do you respond when someone’s made you mad as hell and you’re not going to take it anymore? Will you let them have it because they deserve it? What is your weapon of choice: public humiliation, strong language, ridicule? Or will you withdraw from the world and curl up in a ball crying “poor me, this is so unfair!”?

UNDER THE CARPET
I’m not a big fan of sticking strong emotions in a jar and putting a lid on it. That jar is called your body. It’s the house you live in and if you start piling up junk, it will start to rot, stinking up the entire place. Sooner or later, you’ll be poisoning the whole neighborhood. Here’s the thing: all that garbage has to come out at some point, or else the house will burst at the seams. You might as well let it out now.

It’s okay to be mad. It’s unhealthy to stay stuck in it, even if anger motivates you.

Begin by realizing that you’re feeling all these strong emotions because someone or something crossed the line between what’s acceptable and unacceptable to you.

Before you ask yourself what that might be, you have to let off some steam, preferably in a way that does not hurt you or any (significant) others.

The worst thing you could do right now, is to write an angry response or to let whoever has hurt you “have it,” even though it might be totally justified. Any negative knee-jerk response will almost certainly backfire. On the internet -as in real life- you can’t ever take something back.

What you need to do first, is to get rid of that explosive energy. Break a couple of plates if you must; play some hard rock on Guitar Hero; beat the crap out of your drum kit, leave your house and run a couple of miles… as long as you get out of that mad mood of yours. Here’s a hint: it helps to get physical!

Once you’re out of that angry state, you might realize that you were not really responding to what happened, but to something much deeper that was ignited by the event. When we finally give ourselves permission to take the lid off that jar, it’s quite common that a lot of that piled up garbage comes out, that has absolutely nothing to do with the trigger. As a result we overreact.

RESOURCEFUL RESPONSE
Now, as soon as you are in a more resourceful mood, it’s much easier to dissociate from that spark that caused the flame, and figure out how to respond in a more calm and collected way. You might find it helpful to ask yourself a couple of questions. However, steer away from disempowering questions like:

- How could he/she do this to me?
- Why does this always happen to me?
- What’s wrong with me?

Believe me, your brain will always come up with an answer, and you’re not going to like it. Ask these types of questions instead:

• How can I resolve this situation in a good way?
• What’s the first thing I can do to turn this around?
• What help do I need and who can best help me?
• What have I learned from this that is positive and useful?
• What changes can I make to prevent this from happening again?

Sometimes the answers will come easily. Sometimes they won’t. If you feel that it’s not so hard to get back into that old, negative mood, you’re not going to get very far. It’s better to take some time and change your state of mind before doing something you will later regret. The heat of the moment often magnifies things that -when you look back at them- are no big deal. And if they are, the more reason to respond with care and consideration.

Remember: you own the house you live in. It’s your choice to open your house up to things that don’t support you and to folks that respect neither you nor your property. If they show up at your doorstep with a “present” you don’t want, do not accept it.

By this time, you’re hopefully in a more resourceful mode. The mode of what I like to call:

4. THE RESPECTFUL ADVOCATE: the assertive response
- Being collected and connected
- Owning one’s feelings
- Opening a dialogue: seeking resolution
- Looking at the issue from different sides
- Competently standing up for oneself
- Acting out of confidence and optimism
- Tells you: “I’ll turn this shit into manure.”

You’ll know that you’re in this mindset because you’ll feel much more relaxed and in charge of the situation. You’re doing your best to understand where the other person is coming from, and you realize that -just because people do stupid things sometimes- it doesn’t mean that they are stupid.

In this frame of mind, you respond to the present and not to the past. You deal with the event and leave it at that.

You stand up for yourself from a place of confidence, not arrogance or anger. You make your point knowing that not everyone will or has to agree with you.

You are aware that you can’t control others. You can only control yourself. People can only push your buttons if you let them. You choose your battles and you walk away when people disrespect you. You choose to surround yourself with friends that support and respect you. You deserve no less.

This is your house. This is your garden.

You sow the seeds and weed the weeds.

May it bloom as you blossom,

and may your home be filled with

laughter, peace and prosperity!

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

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