Voice Over Actor | Embark Podcast Host | And New Author-to-be Liz Solar Shares Her Secret to the Sound of Story

A Smart Conversation with Smart Voice Actor and Soon to-be author, Liz Solar of the Embark Podcast

Story has sound.

Story has essence.

Story has theme.

In this latest #NurturingBigIdeas conversation, my friend Liz Solar, a Boston-based #voice #actor, gives us her take on the #sound, #essence, and #theme of #storytelling.

She shares insight into creating a #soundstudio and learning to become a #voiceover #actor who tells compelling #stories in a variety of ways.

Liz, who can be heard on #commercials, interactive apps, #audio #books, and #corporatenarrations for regional and global brands has #produced and #participated in #storytelling events and produces and hosts the #Embark podcast. She tells me her mission is to share stories – both personal and universal – to promote #understanding, #empathy and a little more #conversation.

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here and enjoy more of her sharing, insight, and advice.

If that’s not enough, Liz also #coaches reluctant speakers to communicate with more #confidence, #power and #grace. Her signature talks include ‘No is Not a Four-Letter Word’. A founder and contributor to the writer’s blog Acts of Revision, Liz is completing her first novel. But let’s go back to her talk – she is so right. No is not a four-letter word. I’ve discussed it before, but saying no, firmly and without explanation, is a perfectly fine way to decline an invitation or request.

“I was wondering if you had time this week to schedule a call about books,” one might ask a book coach.

“No,” might be the simple and more direct answer. Not in anger or rancor. Just a simple word, “No.” Not, “No, I don’t.” Nor, “No, thank you.” Nor, “No, I’m booked.” Just, No. Liz, no doubt, can discuss it much better in her talk.

Her home, nestled among a forest of birch trees, is in greater Boston where she lives with her husband, and recently a band of construction workers.

Sadly, we never go to the story behind the construction workers. I do wonder if it was her new sound studio or some other remodeling project she’s doing.

But, we were too busy talking about how to teach women (and men) more confidence in their promotional work. Confidence to speak up and speak out. Confidence to bring their story forward, with all the enthusiasm of a flower bursting forth each spring, to greet the new, warm weather and the coming of summer.

As a voice over actor for many years, Liz Solar was generous in her sharing of behind the scenes secrets to becoming your own voice over actor, in videos for your book or your business. Interestingly, the idea of being too professional came up, which reminded me that too many people are taking the ‘authenticity’ idea too far.

Being authentic doesn’t mean you can’t still be professional. In fact, it behooves you to be both. Well spoken, able to tell your story, with a professionalism that isn’t too corporate nor too backyard, over a beer talk. There is a place for each – being well spoken professionally, while still being approachable, and learning to be casual over barbecue because you’re with family and friends, not in the boardroom.

Why is it necessary? It’s necessary because we can get hung up with this whole, “I have to be me” idea and take it so far, you become someone your audience doesn’t want to know.

It’s also necessary because too often we neglect our own marketing, thinking our book or product stands on its own merit. We fall into the “I’m being authentic by not shouting to the world about my accomplishment.” And then, we find ourselves wondering, “Why isn’t anyone buying my (book) or (product)?”

After all, you’ve put years into said book or product and you’re ready to stand by it unconditionally, as all creators should. The sound of crickets in response gives you pause. Until you realize, people won’t beat a path to your door, or to Amazon, to buy, because they don’t even know you’re there! That sudden knowledge comes belatedly when you suddenly realize, “Oh, I – me, the writer, the producer, the creator – I have to tell them. I have to get my megaphone and tell the world.”

We at length about this and so much more. Liz is generous in her advice on finding a mentor and creating a sound studio, for those who would be voice over actors or those who would do their own voice work. The biggest take away for me was learning the vast amount of projects available to voice actors. It’s not merely audio books (though they are pretty big at this moment in time), there are also radio commercials, TV commercials, business videos for websites, the list could go on and on. This is a video to be watched over and over for all the insight shared by this impressive professional in the business.

There are some tiny sound glitches we couldn’t fix at our end (my end) but we did clean up the major ones.

There is nothing better than having tea with someone you love. Whether by Zoom or in person, the act of having a conversation on topics of equal interest makes the time fly, and it flew during this show. We went over several minutes, but those last few minutes are among the best of the entire talk.