This Episode:
Are you an introvert who dreams of making it in the freelance world but dreads the thought of putting yourself out there? You’re not alone, and this week’s episode of Inside Voice is here to show you that it’s possible to navigate these waters while staying true to your introverted self.
Join our hosts, Louise Porter and Brad Grahowski, as they invite Rob Smith, a seasoned voice actor and fellow introvert, to share his insights. Rob opens up about his experiences at Voiceover Atlanta, his journey through the radio industry, and his venture into the world of voice acting.
Rob’s story is not just about voice acting; it’s a tale of resilience, coping mechanisms, and the art of storytelling. He shares how he uses comedy as a coping mechanism and how he’s found his tribe in the theater community. His podcast, Chewing the Fat, is a testament to his belief in the power of storytelling and the importance of mental health discussions.
But it’s not all serious talk. The episode is filled with laughter, relatable anecdotes, and a sense of camaraderie that only comes from shared experiences. You’ll hear about the challenges and victories of being an introvert in a field that demands extroversion and how to find your balance as an “ambivert.”
What’s more, Rob offers a fresh perspective on keeping the darkness at bay, sharing his personal strategies that include engaging in tangible activities like Lego building and pottery. His approach to mental health is both practical and profound, and it’s sure to resonate with listeners who face their own battles with the darkness.
This episode is a journey through the highs and lows of creative freelancing, with valuable takeaways for anyone looking to find their voice in this space. Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer or just starting, Rob’s story will inspire you to embrace your introverted nature and use it as a strength.
Tune in to this week’s edition of Inside Voice and discover how to put yourself out there without compromising who you are. It’s a conversation that’s not to be missed.
Listen now and let us know your thoughts. How do you balance your introversion with the demands of freelancing? Share your experiences and join the conversation.
Chewing the Fat Podcast
Voiceover Atlanta
Pod Decks
Transcript:
00:00.10
Brad: Really oh I look amazing today. It’s never that honestly um, cool. Well do you want to get us. Are you do you want to? ah yeah to louise? yeah.
00:08.31
Louise: Are you talking to me or to Rob ok to 1 Ok, we’re so excited because we have our very first guest Rob Smith who’s a voice actor and Rob and Brad met a few weeks back at.
00:19.99
Brad: Yeah, yay.
00:27.97
Louise: Voiceover atlanta welcome Rob.
00:28.13
Brad: Yeah, hey Rob so excited to have you here. This is really cool and so excited to have you is our very first guest ever like.
00:29.51
Robb: Yeah, thank you, Thank you? so.
00:36.24
Louise: I know I feel like we’re both pretty nervous. Actually yeah, you’re the first you’re the first I was telling bad earlier I was like I’m really nervous about this because we’ve never had a guest before.
00:38.70
Robb: Um, you didn’t you didn’t tell me you didn’t tell me I was the first I would have I would have dressed up.
00:47.72
Robb: Um, why? Okay okay.
00:47.78
Brad: Yeah.
00:54.54
Louise: Like we’re used to each other’s idiosyncrasies and just being idiots.
00:58.22
Brad: Yeah, yeah, it’s yeah, it’s kind of obviously it’s a different um dynamic when you when you bring someone else in but I think as long as there’s good communication and everybody oh wait. That’s a different thing.
01:14.38
Robb: That’s but I think a lot.
01:14.56
Louise: Are we in couples counseling all of a sudden. What’s going on I.
01:16.42
Brad: But I think a lot of that plays here. Yeah right? Um, yeah, so Rob and I met at Vo Atlanta and it was pretty cool I think we met because of your bravery Rob I think. I was I can’t remember who I was talking to It may have been casey hot and a few other people. Um, oh you do? Okay sure. Oh yeah, yeah, sitting.
01:37.70
Robb: I mean I remember I unfortunately have like an adetic memory. So I remember scenes and things like that. But ah, you were talking to Kevin Kilpatrick um and I I was sitting at the bar and I happen to overhear you say something about.
01:47.75
Louise: Ah.
01:53.79
Robb: Ah, being an introvert and in fear in it just in my ears perked up. Um because I along with you know, ah trying to dive into voice work I also have a podcast that I’ve been doing for about 3 years and the nature of my podcast has nothing to do with v o it’s it’s um.
01:55.77
Brad: Um, my dear.
02:05.10
Brad: Yeah, yeah.
02:11.22
Brad: Nothing here. Yeah little.
02:13.36
Robb: Mental Health Podcast so so when I hear people you know, kind of being vulnerable. It’s like oh oh my people. So.
02:19.54
Brad: Yeah, and it it was cool. Oh God Louis our search.
02:22.00
Louise: Um, and also are you an introvert Rob.
02:26.21
Robb: Um, so I am actually what I call myself is an ambivert so I am right on that line. So like you know, depending on the situation.
02:33.86
Louise: Um, ah right? you’re in the middle. Yeah.
02:40.50
Robb: I can be very outgoing and you know like that. But in other situations I’m like Nope I’m just going to just going to keep them myself and I am exhausted with all of these people so it just all depends. So yeah.
02:45.90
Louise: Hang back? Yeah, interesting, interesting like.
02:48.14
Brad: Um, yeah I have a I don’t know I I I have ah a theory or an idea that a lot of people who consider themselves ambiverts are.
03:06.45
Robb: I Feel attacked. Yeah.
03:06.50
Brad: And I’m not saying this about you but I I I Ah but just the idea that if if you are an introvert but you have decent social skills or you’ve you’ve trained yourselfs to to step out of your introversion then then there’s a reluctance to call yourself an introvert because you don’t.
03:07.91
Louise: Like yeah, right? My god.
03:25.24
Brad: You don’t you don’t act in the way society expects an introvert to act and so you you then feel like oh well I need a different name for it because I can’t claim to be an introvert because I don’t just hide in my room all day which isn’t true of introversion anyways and so then this sort of am ambiversion Label has come up and and not that that invalidates that or.
03:28.23
Robb: Easy I.
03:45.18
Brad: That there aren’t people who are truly something in the middle. But sometimes I wonder and this is just a hypothesis of mine if if some people may actually be introverts but because but they’re not comfortable calling themselves that because they’ve skilled themselves up out of the some of the downsides of being an of an introvert.
03:52.64
Louise: Um.
03:58.85
Louise: Um.
04:02.63
Louise: Right? and.
04:04.59
Brad: You know.
04:06.13
Robb: Yeah, and in in all of my like careers and things like that I mean ah you know we have to deal with people all the time that better What you do, You can have you’re gonna run into other people. Ah sometimes those people exhaust you to no end. But.
04:16.80
Louise: Yeah, um.
04:18.54
Brad: Um, yeah, like.
04:22.48
Robb: Um, like my early career I worked in radio and television for 30 years so my you know my job was to be in a room by myself talking to thousands and thousands of people you know so it’s like.
04:26.33
Brad: Since I.
04:34.94
Brad: Yeah.
04:35.70
Louise: Yeah.
04:39.61
Robb: Ah, when I had to go out in public and then those thousands of people now want to talk to me. It was a different situation. You know what I mean so it was like ah okay, but I have to be nice so that you’ll continue to listen so ah.
04:46.88
Brad: Ah.
04:48.34
Brad: Yeah, that’s an interesting this distinction between voiceover and radio I think is that in radio. You’re actually talking to literal you know, genuinely thousands of people who are listening to what you’re saying.
05:01.45
Robb: A.
05:02.51
Louise: In that moment. Yeah.
05:03.79
Brad: And voiceover you’re speaking to yeah, you’re speaking to a hypothetical bunch of people. But ah, it’s easy to tell yourself oh this. It’s not. It’s just for tape. You know it’s interesting. Yeah.
05:09.55
Robb: Right? ah.
05:13.85
Robb: He and.
05:14.82
Louise: And it’s sort of like yeah, it’s almost like there that differenceine theater and voiceover right? Yeah and you have you have a theater background as well I believe right? Rob I was listening to one of your podcast episodes and I think you mentioned that? yeah.
05:22.19
Robb: Odin.
05:22.70
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:28.61
Robb: Yeah, yeah I mean I I you know I was I was always again I feel like as I was younger I was much more introverted I had I was that creative kid I was of course I was always the fat kid too. So It’s like that’s that’s a that’s a name that I own and it’s not you know. I Take the power away from fat I Call myself Fat. You know what I mean but but when I as a kid and you’re fragile. It’s like you know So How how can I defend myself so I leaned into like comedy as a coping mechanism because if I can make you laugh. You can’t beat me Up. You know what? I Mean. So.
05:50.23
Louise: Right.
05:58.50
Brad: So ah so I.
06:03.35
Louise: Right? right? So that’s an interesting play on words then that I’m just cluing into now about your ah with regards to your your podcast’s title which is chewing the fat.
06:07.41
Robb: Ah.
06:16.92
Robb: Um, yeah.
06:18.57
Louise: Um, yeah, that’s pretty cool. So and what was the catalyst for starting that podcast.
06:23.73
Robb: Um, the well the catalyst was the pandemic. So I mean again, excuse me as I you know said I was the the fat kid it was things I had to deal with so I mean there was I didn’t have a whole lot of friends in so in school and high school. So.
06:27.82
Louise: Ok.
06:30.88
Brad: So ah.
06:42.73
Robb: Was always very alone and you feel that way you feel that kind of depression and anxiety and what’s wrong with me type stuff. Um, but then finding my tribe in theater because it was a bunch of other broken people who like to play on stage and.
06:48.77
Louise: Oh.
06:59.53
Brad: Ah, ah.
06:59.63
Louise: Um.
07:00.81
Robb: And take themselves outside of themselves to be this other character. You know? Yeah, ah so for me starting the podcast was all about you know there are other people out there and we’re not having this conversation about mental Health and the more we can talk about it and that you realize.
07:04.60
Louise: Um, that resonates with me hardcore. Yeah.
07:19.67
Robb: Everybody goes through something. Everyone does that the lighter that Burden kind of feels because it’s It’s not just you feeling like you don’t want to get out of bed every day or you need to stand in the shower and let the boiling out water you know melt the flesh off your bones. It’s it’s there are other people that are feeling that too.
07:22.36
Louise: Um.
07:34.15
Brad: Flash on about it’s there.
07:36.29
Louise: Um, more of a shared experience. Yeah.
07:39.43
Robb: Yeah, so so when you realize yeah, it’s not just me I don’t feel so bad. So wanting to get that message out because it was things I was dealing with of course it was things everybody was dealing with you know in the pandemic but coming from a background in radio and television.
07:44.36
Louise: Right.
07:56.41
Robb: Knowing production values and things like that it took me a year to actually launch my podcast but because I had all this imposter syndrome I had kept putting these these hurdles in my own way to keep me from actually hitting record so like so like my first episode’s called the the big red button because it took a friend of mine to say hey.
08:01.73
Louise: Right.
08:07.87
Louise: Right.
08:08.22
Brad: Yeah.
08:15.83
Robb: If you don’t hit record. No one’s ever going to hear what you have to say and what you have to say is important so you have to hit the button and record and put it out there. Yeah, absolutely absolutely still one Im I Still one of my best friends but it actually was not. It was a ahring.
08:19.21
Louise: Oh I Love that That’s a good friend. Yeah.
08:24.94
Brad: Um, yeah, was that was that Nicole Swanson that okay.
08:34.85
Robb: Travis Brown he’s he’s in Chicago and we we had just been talking back and forth and he was like yeah you gotta you gotta do it. So.
08:42.48
Brad: Oh wait I yeah I cheated I was looking at your I listened to I didn’t listen to the big red button but I did listen to your first ever episode after that which was with um Denise Smith that’s who that’s what I was thinking of yeah.
08:42.76
Louise: Yeah.
08:53.27
Robb: Um, oh Caleb oh Denise yeah yeah, she’s yeah so I am in Augusta Georgia there’s
09:00.19
Brad: That’s that I thought I was being clever.
09:00.28
Louise: That reminds me actually where are you um, joining us from Rob in the world. Ok.
09:09.32
Robb: There’s a little golf tournament that they do here. They get rain to do in the next couple of weeks and that’s kind of what we’re known for but I was I was raised in this area moved around the southeast yes sportball.
09:14.29
Louise: Nice.
09:18.91
Brad: Louise and I are both huge sportsing people so you know exactly what you’re talking about.
09:23.47
Louise: Sportsing sportsing people. Ah right.
09:25.83
Robb: I’m a sport Balld person too. That’s why I was in theater. So I.
09:26.84
Brad: Yeah, so I I love that and and that just sort of to speak to that I Love not the sportsing thing but what what you’re talking about before I Just love how your podcast just explores people from just.
09:37.36
Robb: I.
09:46.90
Brad: All different. You know, backgrounds and walks of like we’ve ah I’m just just listing educator Innovator Strong black woman. Someone was a pit master in a country music Aficionado a foodie a blogger a cook. We’ve got a mixologist a dream chaser trait chaser and.
09:47.90
Robb: Background in just.
09:56.84
Robb: Can walk your.
10:05.25
Brad: Techie actor and a dad like it’s just all this this wonderful broad. You know, just um selection of of people from all walks of life and job and and what’s really interesting is a.
10:05.72
Louise: Wow.
10:06.80
Robb: Like just yeah, wonderful.
10:19.82
Brad: And this doesn’t surprise me but how everyone has an interesting story to tell and everyone has their own way of of dealing with things. But also how you’re able to just engender trust with these people and and and.
10:21.66
Robb: Everyone has yeah.
10:29.69
Robb: Um.
10:36.61
Brad: Make them feel comfortable enough to open up and talk about difficult things I’m I was I’m really impressed by that as I listen to your you know to your episodes and and ah kind of stepping through the progress to step into that seat as a interviewee on your show myself I can I can see where that.
10:37.21
Robb: Oh.
10:41.24
Louise: Um.
10:52.28
Robb: Yes, where that.
10:56.58
Brad: How you foster that from the very beginning just very thoughtful about and and and aware of the fact of what you’re asking people to do in the space you’re asking them to step into and I just it’s so it’s so thoughtful and so um, ah.
11:12.50
Robb: So um I appreciate that.
11:15.98
Brad: Trust garnering if that’s the right way to say it but like I yeah.
11:19.30
Robb: Well, it’s it’s important to me because like I said I’m there I’ve been there I’m there. Um, again through through my career and I I have learned to listen I have learned to recognize myself and other people.
11:31.33
Brad: Ah.
11:35.37
Robb: Just to recognize other people where they are because you just you just don’t know who you’re going to run across and as one of the descriptions of my podcast is I feel like I’m a storyteller I’m just a guide to help you tell your story I am just someone in and I love to tell Beautiful messy.
11:47.84
Brad: The.
11:50.42
Louise: Um.
11:54.49
Robb: Human stories because we all have a beautiful story to tell but they often are very messy. You know so.
11:58.30
Brad: Well I If that’s the case you got me coming up and I I can now I’m just kidding I’m I’m not that messy I’m sorry well we’ll see maybe we’ll get into it now I Maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe yeah.
12:05.29
Louise: Um.
12:07.70
Robb: Yeah, we’ll see. Yeah, yeah, yeah that I have people I have people that come on and and you know they they’re like oh I don’t really have anything to go and as we start to talk. They just start to open up and they start to realize and afterwards they’re like.
12:10.71
Louise: Yeah, yeah, that’s debatable Brad We do chat quite a bit. Ah.
12:15.32
Brad: Yeah, that’s true. You know me better than most they’re like oh.
12:22.20
Brad: Yeah.
12:22.79
Louise: Yeah, see yeah, that’s my fear so that’s I’m on the fence right now because I’m like who I don’t know what’s going to come out.
12:24.82
Robb: I didn’t even realize that I was still holding onto that. Yeah, but the but the thing is is it’s It’s a it’s a safe space. It’s I am not trying to out anyone for anything it other than hey yeah I deal with this. This is how I deal with it I Always ask the question. How do you keep the darkness at bay.
12:34.16
Louise: Yeah, totally no, no no I and I wasn’t trying to suggest that.
12:34.62
Brad: Yeah.
12:47.20
Louise: Yeah.
12:49.20
Robb: That is ah that is a line from j r r tolkien from the hobbit gandallf says that um, you know I’ve found that you know little ah small acts of kindness and love help keep the darkness at Bay. So so that’s what this is this is my small act.
12:53.70
Brad: Um.
13:02.40
Brad: Oh yeah, oh that’s sweet.
13:04.44
Louise: Ah, that’s so nice.
13:09.16
Robb: Of Kindness giving platform to people to tell their story to be able to open up and and not only that is are they telling their story and it feels good to them somebody else listening is going to resonate with their story and be like oh shoot. Yeah, exactly exactly.
13:13.94
Brad: Ah.
13:19.22
Louise: Yeah, yeah, so they don’t feel so alone And yeah, yeah.
13:22.10
Brad: Ah.
13:25.62
Brad: Can we maybe dig into that so you a little more you so you So what you’re saying keeps the darkness at Bay for you is can you state that again. Small smaller So kind. Yeah oh I see.
13:38.52
Robb: Small acts of kindness and love I mean that’s the that’s the quote. That’s the that’s the quote. Ah from ah from Gandal from J R R tolkien. Um, the it’s It’s the gist of what you know made me want to.
13:41.98
Louise: Yeah.
13:43.97
Brad: I see.
13:52.29
Brad: Just what? yeah.
13:53.92
Louise: To do the podcast. Yeah yeah.
13:56.43
Robb: You know do the podcast I’ll let me hold a second I have I have it on a t-shirt. So the the actual quote is I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at Bay Small acts of kindness and love and if you can move through life.
14:03.73
Louise: Ah.
14:12.50
Brad: Um, got it? Yeah yeah.
14:12.50
Louise: Ah, that’s great.
14:16.24
Robb: With that kind of attitude I think life is better for everyone. You know that it doesn’t take much you know holding a door you see somebody struggling with a package or the or the waiters coming onto the patio with a.
14:19.70
Louise: Oh wholeheartedly agree. Yes.
14:24.19
Brad: Doesn’t check much? yeah.
14:31.52
Robb: You know tray full of drinks. Let me I’ll open that door for you or let me move that chair out of the way you know, just small things that can just mean so much.
14:33.68
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah I like that? yeah.
14:36.79
Louise: Um, yeah, yeah and I like it. Um, you have like a 3 part format and in your in your podcast episodes.
14:49.13
Robb: Yeah, yeah.
14:51.79
Louise: Ah, one of them being the the question. How do you keep the darkness at bay can you share with us what the other 2 parts are.
14:58.28
Robb: Yeah, so again being an old radio guy I formatted this very much like a radio show like ah like a you know or a talk show. Um because that made sense in my brain. So the first segment we we talk about the person. Who they are where they grew up what they’re into what they’re doing now that type of stuff you know so you know Brad will talk about where you grew up what your you know? what? you know? what? you do you know? the thing is it’s my podcast. So if.
15:19.70
Brad: Oh you think I will you, you’d like me to.
15:29.45
Louise: Like ah.
15:30.94
Robb: I’m the one in control like y’all are in the control of this one so you know the thing is I have had people they’re like oh I want to be a guest I want to be a guest and as soon as I say okay cool. We’re going to talk about mental health they’re like oh no I was like okay, you’re not going to be. You’re not going to be a guest then it’s not going to work out for you because that’s the message I want to get out but that first that first segment is about.
15:41.92
Louise: Ah, yeah now.
15:42.29
Brad: Yeah, yeah.
15:50.41
Robb: You know who you are what you’re going on what are you celebrating? what? what brings you joy that type of stuff then we go into the mental health part and how you keep the darkness at Bay What you’ve learned Um, whether through your own trials or what you’ve seen with other folks. Some people use it as a small free you know Therapy session.
15:53.60
Louise: Right.
16:06.64
Brad: Therapy session. Sure they played.
16:09.44
Robb: You know they they do and it’s great because there’s always some great nuggets in there of what they’ve learned and how they’re coping how they’re getting through their days and then the third segment I call the fast 5 um, it is 5 random questions that that you answer off the top of your head. No wrong answers.
16:19.53
Brad: What I call the pass on it is fine.
16:29.10
Robb: And they’re just some of them are goofball questions Some of our very thought provoking type questions but that’s kind of how we wrap up the show and I thank folks from being there and you know how other folks can get in contact with them or follow them on socials and that’s it. Um.
16:37.25
Brad: Ah.
16:42.77
Brad: Yeah, and you’ve kind of been following that format from the start too because I sort of anticipated going back and listening to the first couple episodes and and seeing oh you know he started out this way but and and sort of expected that it just sort of evolved but that that was your.
16:44.12
Louise: Um.
16:47.51
Robb: Yeah.
17:00.32
Brad: It seems like that was your concept your your vision from the start your now.
17:01.41
Robb: Well yeah, again, it took me a year to actually hit that button so I had a lot of time to think about it. You know.
17:06.45
Louise: Um, and yeah, did you have and did you have like a ah already a list of people that you were going to interview because how do you because the show’s dependent on finding guests. So how do you usually actually find them.
17:15.24
Robb: Yeah, so I mean I I have a note in my phone that has my my guest list in it and it it is a growing document and I put on there. It’s a little one of the little check Mark lists you can put in your phone.
17:24.50
Brad: Um.
17:30.87
Robb: And so like when I get somebody in a book them I put a checkmark and I put what season and episode they were on but I still have tons of blanks that are here people I’ve reached out to people that have that have said yes, but they just haven’t followed through with the process. You know there’s. Just a form you have to fill out and you have to pick a date to record and some people are like oh yeah, gung ho for it. But then they’d never just pick a date because I feel like I’m the 1 asking you? Yeah I’m I’m I’m asking you to be a guest on my show. So I want to make it easy and as painless and take down any as many walls as I can. But if you don’t actually.
17:48.10
Brad: And yeah, like all. Yeah.
17:51.82
Louise: Right? Classic avoidance.
18:02.50
Louise: Um.
18:04.88
Brad: I will say yeah I will I will contribute that the the date picking step I almost that if I were going to fail. That’s where it were like the form is it asks good questions but you have to answer them but I had no problem with that and then it asked to pick a date.
18:06.93
Robb: You know, pick a date.
18:22.54
Brad: And it’s it’s more more a matter of my challenging relationship with calendars and dates and ah fear of committing not committing to things but fear of committing to a date without and then finding out that I had double booked myself and all of that but I did hit that date part and I’m like well maybe.
18:27.53
Robb: Years.
18:36.33
Robb: Any but I did hit that date party I’m like well maybe maybe I’ll come back and you could day.
18:41.85
Brad: Maybe I’ll come back and pick a date after I talk to my wife and make sure but but blah. But then I thought if I do that I might not make it back and so I’m just like I’ll pick a date Rob seems super cool if something comes up and I need to ask for a different date I’m I’m sure that’s probably going to be fine and.
18:47.71
Robb: Yeah, yeah, like how many.
18:50.35
Louise: Um.
18:55.42
Robb: Yeah, absolutely yeah, yeah, sure.
18:56.53
Louise: Yeah, yeah.
19:00.57
Brad: Can can you be sure. Something is probably fine I don’t know if that works but I figured we’d work it out. Um, so I just I just picked a date that I looked that looked like it would work and.
19:08.10
Robb: Yeah, in like the dates and times that I have on there just based on my personal like life schedule and stuff so I try to make it as open as possible. But if somebody says hey I really can’t do this time on this day but I could do an hour later and it’s not an option I’m like okay cool. It’s again I am the.
19:16.63
Brad: Life. Um.
19:26.42
Robb: The executive producer the producer The you know the toilet scrubber I’m the whole guy on the podcast that is just me so so just get in touch with me, let me know and we can We can make it work So again I’m just trying to make it as easy as possible for folks to to tell their stories.
19:29.20
Louise: Yeah, yeah.
19:34.89
Brad: Yeah, yeah.
19:44.90
Robb: And it’s just it’s me helping you to tell your story.
19:46.12
Louise: Right? And are the and so is it usually people you actually know personally or like are you reaching out to people. You don’t know like just so sort of like a.
19:53.43
Robb: Well I mean you know it’ll it all depends I mean there I have some sort of connection with pretty much everyone that has been on the podcast because I mean being in radio. So I know a lot of people I know a lot of a lot of more former Deejas and.
20:06.63
Louise: Ok.
20:12.47
Robb: People that may have still been radio. Some of them are musicians some of them are kids of of friends that were that are now musicians or um or it could be somebody that I met on Instagram um, like I have a friend. She’s a friend now Alison Gwyn she’s an actress. Who at the time she was doing ah you know some some work on the marvelous Mrs Maisel but I had been following her on Instagram since she was madame tenardier in the touring company of lame is and so like.
20:38.51
Brad: Ah.
20:45.30
Louise: Ok.
20:48.43
Robb: She’d post things I’d like them. They’d be this. You know we’d have similar things. She’d like my and I was like hey have you ever thought about being on a podcast and she’s up and she we’ve never physically met face to face or anything like that and she’s up in New York
20:58.95
Louise: Right.
21:03.36
Robb: And she was like she’s like oh that sounds cool. You know and and again I always tell folks like listen to an episode make sure you’re cool with it because this is kind of the road we go and she’s like yeah no, this is great. This is you know right up my so I mean again I we we met for the first time as we’re about to record you know face to face via Zoom. So um.
21:21.79
Brad: Ah.
21:22.68
Robb: But yeah I mean for the most part. It’s people I know but there are there are the wish list folks that are on there too that I want to reach out to and try and get on because I think they have a great story that could be told and a story that may not necessarily be the Instagram version.
21:38.90
Louise: Right? I love that because I feel like that’s something I So I well I have reached out to a couple of people but I haven’t been able to get to get anybody to commit just kind of like you were saying. It’s like what I’ve got. Oh yeah.
21:39.80
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:41.88
Robb: You know.
21:51.31
Brad: Yeah.
21:51.66
Robb: Um, I mean you got me, you got me.
21:56.46
Louise: I I couldn’t figure it out that if that was brad’s yeah I do I do um but actually Rob it like I have to thank Brad for that because I had nothing to do with us. But um, yeah, it’s super inspiring to me to like kind of put your big.
21:57.98
Brad: Oh well, you got me too I mean let’s be honest, you.
22:14.30
Louise: Big Boy pants on or big girl pants on and just like reach out to somebody that you don’t actually know and be like hey at this podcast want to be on it.
22:21.72
Robb: Right? And you know and I’ve gotten I’ve gotten people that have you know the hey Thank you? No I I don’t have time right now or I’m it’s just I’ve got other things going on and you know and then yeah.
22:32.31
Louise: Right? Sort of like what’s the worst thing that can happen kind of thing. Yeah, yeah.
22:37.89
Robb: The answer before I ask the answers already. No, they’re not going to be on the show if I don’t ask. They’re not going to be on the show. So if if yes, so yeah, exactly so if I don’t at least ask you know then it becomes you know Schrodinger’s invitation you know they’re either going to be.
22:40.15
Brad: Know Yeah, yeah, that’s right, It’s like auditioning and yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:42.33
Louise: Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah.
22:52.70
Brad: Right? right? right? right.
22:55.73
Louise: Um.
22:56.76
Robb: Either would accept or they’re not so so yeah, it’s in you know and that’s I Guess that’s one of those things that there is as many mean people as there are out in the world that hide behind Keyboards and spew just just just volatile things.
23:13.60
Louise: Yeah.
23:16.18
Robb: I Feel like hey I can have that same type of bravery but in a positive way saying hey here’s this thing here’s this thing I do I’d love if you you know would come on and and let’s tell your story.
23:18.97
Louise: Exactly.
23:19.55
Brad: I Like that.
23:26.48
Louise: Yeah, yeah, and I would argue that being a troll is cowardly and not courageous. Yeah yeah.
23:28.61
Brad: It’s kind of the opposite of being a troll right? like there’s awful people who spread awfulness. Yeah I I agree with you? Yeah yeah.
23:34.27
Robb: Yeah, right I don’t know I’d have to ask a friend that’s into D and D what the opposite of a troll is as I’m not exactly sure is there No direct correlation to what top set of a troll is.
23:41.94
Brad: Um, I mean I play d and d but I don’t I don’t know I’m trying to think yeah, not like a natural direct correlation. But I’m sure I’m sure we could come up with something that would yeah yeah or we can spend 40 minutes
23:52.12
Robb: Right.
23:54.50
Louise: Well we can put a pen on that and circle back. Um, ah did taking a deep dive. Ok so Rob you are a voice actor as well. So you said you have a radio background. Um and it was that kind of your past.
23:58.44
Brad: I’ll go get my books I’ll be right back.
23:58.84
Robb: Um, to go catch. Yes.
24:10.22
Louise: To voice like tell us a bit about how you got into voiceover and and whether Radio has been a help or a hindrance because we’ve heard from people that radio backgrounds can be difficult. Yeah.
24:19.90
Robb: Yeah, yeah, you you learn all the bad habits and radio. So when you know when you’re in radio and you’re pulling a shift and you know and you’re doing your show and all that you get off the air and there’s like hey here’s 17 commercials I need you to voice. That’s just part of your job and.
24:36.41
Louise: But yeah, that’s crazy.
24:37.61
Brad: Ah.
24:38.88
Robb: We just need you to go in and be you and read the script and we’re churning out commercials. You know that’s just the way that it is so you kind of get this very announceery you know delivery and that’s just no good.
24:50.22
Brad: Yeah I wanted to ask you about that. Actually I’m sorry to interrupt man I shouldn’t have you around your way somewhere. But so louise and I both come from strictly Theater Background. We Both went to college for theater and and trained after that and whatever. And I think we’ve both faced challenges coming into voiceover from theater like I think it gives gave us a lot of benefits but there were also a lot of unlearning or relearning we had to do and I think the other career background that sort of puts you in a similar place.
25:17.52
Robb: On their career background.
25:24.26
Brad: Is radio right? and you hear of a lot of people coming over from radio to voiceover How how was that transition for you like do you felt like you had a lot of unlearning or have you had a lot of coaching to to help you develop the voice for voiceover That’s different than the voice for radio.
25:28.40
Robb: Um, and how is that.
25:38.49
Robb: Well I mean fun fact my my foray into actual trying to do voiceover correctly started at voiceover Atlanta a few weeks ago. So so all so all of my demos are from commercial work that I did as.
25:48.35
Brad: Oh okay, oh that’s fair I like it.
25:49.98
Louise: Oh great.
25:57.80
Brad: Um.
25:57.59
Robb: On on air on a radio station or working you know at a television station and invoicing commercials there again. It was no. There was no coach. There was no direction. There was it was here’s the thing turn it out so that they can put the pictures to it and let’s get it on the air you know and it was me trying to interpret Scripts and try to make it different and trying to.
26:02.55
Louise: Okay.
26:02.56
Brad: Got it? okay.
26:10.10
Brad: Yeah.
26:10.78
Louise: All right.
26:17.51
Robb: But it was nothing. You know I I don’t I haven’t had any coaching I haven’t had any unlearning yet or anything so I am so.
26:20.88
Louise: Was there anything at Vio Atlanta that was like a big surprise but that you were like whoa. That’s such a huge takeaway that I never would have thought of.
26:23.16
Brad: Um, okay.
26:27.71
Robb: Well, you know it’s It’s funny that there were a ton of people who were x-radio folks as well which I was like okay cool. You know at least you know at least that’s good that there are there are people that are doing it that come from that that can do it so that was that was huge.
26:37.54
Louise: Yeah.
26:38.98
Brad: Ah.
26:45.10
Robb: It was also huge. Just the community aspect of it I will say that ah because like when I say I found my tribe in theater and felt comfortable I felt the same way at Voo Atlanta I mean I sat next to Joe Cypriano having lunch.
26:55.94
Brad: Yeah, absolutely.
26:56.40
Louise: Nice.
27:02.18
Robb: With some bad chicken or whatever it was we that we had what you know and ah, you know just talking like is a normal guy and see the thing is I knew Joe from radio because he used to you know, but I never met him I’d never seen him I just know that he’d.
27:02.87
Brad: Yeah, oh I like the chicken.
27:05.47
Louise: Um.
27:11.25
Brad: Oh interesting. What.
27:19.80
Robb: Done some of the you know station voiceover stuff and things like that. so so I had this I guess neavvite at Veo Atlanta because I would approach anybody not really knowing that they were Scott Brick the you know oh huge award winning. You know.
27:20.39
Louise: Right.
27:34.60
Brad: Um, ah, but you can do that there. Yeah yeah.
27:36.96
Louise: Ah, oh the? yeah.
27:38.42
Robb: Audio But yeah, but that’s the thing is they never looked at me sideways for saying hey you know you talked about this confidence thing in this this panel if you ever want to talk on my podcast I’d love to love to talk to you that was kind of my end is trying to guess my podcast. Um.
27:50.58
Louise: Um, yeah, that’s a great icebreaker actually.
27:55.32
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:57.82
Robb: You know that in the hat I was just you know swearing you know, scally caps the whole time So that if I saw people with interesting hand I was like hey nice hat. Where do you get that? What’s out at your your your co-host Brad has wears them in his picture. It’s on his card. Yeah, the little newsboy hat thing.
28:04.67
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the other hats I Always wear the the little flat caps. Yeah yeah, well we should all have them on right now.
28:04.72
Louise: I Don’t know what a scally cap is what’s that.
28:13.53
Louise: Um, oh ok I have one of those. Yeah our was like yeah we’re just this this Scalley caps we could be in a band rehearsal might be difficult but.
28:15.80
Robb: Yeah, flat caps. But but yes, if only there were pictures. Yeah.
28:21.98
Brad: If we if we did video we could have I’ll have him on hey if you wear a scat that Louise does I I has I’m reluctant to even say this. Everyone’s gonna we’re gonna get hate mail does that make you a Scally Galley whole whole I will never I will never.
28:30.85
Louise: What. Oh I’m hanging up.
28:36.41
Robb: Um, Wow or would you just or would it just be a galley cap at that point Mm I’m the guest she has to like anyway.
28:40.87
Brad: I will never call you that I will never say that again. Yeah, ah you like his because it was not as bad. That’s true. That’s true. Yeah.
28:43.81
Louise: Oh that’s good I like that that’s buddy. Well yeah, exactly it’s like being on a first date. You’re going to love everything well or potentially hate it. That’s there’s that too.
28:54.22
Robb: But but yeah, so so yeah, so so so just the like I said just the community I felt the the connection the and I again I knew no one So I was like I’m gonna approach everyone with is kind of anti ah Introvert. But it felt so comfortable and I felt like you know if these people can do it So can I So let me figure out how to do this properly and you know and that’s kind of ah the role I’m on when I was in radio again I did it for a long time but then they.
29:14.33
Brad: Introvert. Ah.
29:21.15
Louise: Um.
29:29.86
Robb: I was part of a reduction in forcing 3500 of me and my friends were let go in one day all with the same kind of talent and there are no jobs. So it’s like how are we going to take that and do something with it and so some people went. no no I mean it it happens it happens that was like you know.
29:36.53
Louise: Um, what.
29:39.60
Brad: Yeah, that’s crazy I’m sorry.
29:40.59
Louise: Ah, oh wow. Okay, yeah, that’s intense Rob.
29:48.85
Brad: Yeah.
29:49.50
Robb: That was like fifteen years ago but then it’s like okay, what do I do now and so I went went back into television doing marketing and stuff at local television stations did that for a while new owners they blow out the production apartment. So it’s like hey great I’m starting over again. Um for the last ten years I’ve actually been doing business sales.
29:49.73
Louise: Right.
30:07.98
Robb: And at the end of January I got let go from that so I’m like what the am I going to do you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah, and so and so my wife was very um, supportive and kind and she’s like you know you know what? you love.
30:13.52
Louise: Um, oh yeah, just having to like pivot and yeah.
30:15.59
Brad: Yeah, yeah.
30:23.77
Louise: Yeah.
30:25.98
Robb: But don’t you try and make a go of that and you know spending six hundred something dollars to go to some conference when you just lost your job is feels crazy.
30:34.57
Brad: yeah yeah I just left my job my did full-time day job in December and so then to pay 600 you know you you because you got to pay for the conference in the hotel and the air flight and it’s like oh gutting. But yeah.
30:36.72
Louise: Yeah, yeah.
30:45.19
Robb: In here.
30:49.90
Louise: Yeah, and I didn’t go because it’s even even more expensive from Vancouver canada and a lot more time so but um.
30:51.64
Robb: Yeah, yeah.
30:53.41
Brad: Yeah, yeah, but but the the benefits I get out of it. It’s just even you know my my second year’re going even more than the first just in building relationships and building your knowledge base and the professional development and and and making the connections like you and I did you you can’t.
31:07.14
Robb: Um, right right? Yeah and that’s what I’m hoping yeah you know and and and that’s what I’m hoping I’m hoping this turns out into something so that I can you know I.
31:11.71
Brad: Put it. You can’t put a ah dollar value on that stuff. You know.
31:13.50
Louise: Yeah.
31:20.36
Robb: Made a commitment to myself I was like because I went with ah Nicole Swanson you mentioned her earlier. She’s here in town where I am we’ve done theater on stage together several times we’ve done some movies and stuff like that. Um, and she’s like well.
31:29.40
Brad: Sees here. Ah.
31:33.76
Robb: Me and a friend are going. You can just ride with us I was like okay, cool that means I don’t have to drive so so was like oh that reduced that price and the guy that was coming in Tyler Smith um he’s coming in from Iowa you may have seen Tyler had the crown on that ended up getting his head shaved for Nava. Yeah well.
31:46.63
Brad: Yeah, oh that guy? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was pretty. He was a pretty noticeable guy. Yeah.
31:52.11
Robb: That was her for yeah, but that was her friend and he’s like yeah they gave me a room that’s got 2 beds you could stay in the other bed if you want to and I was like so that’s another kind of hurdle taken down that made me feel like all right? Maybe this is what I’m supposed to lean into.
31:57.81
Brad: Oh wow.
32:05.26
Brad: Yeah.
32:07.23
Robb: And so ah, you know? yeah taking those monetary burdens away. It was like okay, cool cool now I can concentrate and try and do the best that I can at this make it an actual go instead of being so hesitant and so I kind of just tried to put myself out there and to make the connections meeting cool people like you and so many other people. Um, there that were from all over the country from across the pond and from New Zealand and you know it was just so cool to be in that community and so I’m hoping I can stay in that community and um and.
32:29.57
Brad: M.
32:36.82
Brad: I Hope so too. Yeah.
32:37.32
Louise: You will I think you will I think it’s super exciting and I mean you’ve already taken so many kind of big like bold steps towards it like you’re not. It’s not just a thought somewhere in the back of your head like it was for me for years of just not actually taking any action I was sort of i.
32:50.51
Robb: Are.
32:50.73
Brad: Like it went for me for years. Not accurate.
32:56.82
Robb: Are you.
32:56.92
Louise: Forced into it in some ways but and I feel like sometimes when you don’t have the parachute. That’s when you can actually make the most progress as scary as that is so I’m rooting for you man I think you got this.
33:04.35
Robb: Um, yeah, yeah I appreciate that like.
33:06.43
Brad: You Yeah what? what could we talk in like practical like since V or around that since Vi Atlena Are you starting to take steps of of you know, looking for coaching or equipment or you know what? I mean what? where are you in that.
33:20.73
Robb: Um, you know what? I mean what? what are.
33:25.76
Brad: And the steps down the journey as far as sort of practical getting set up terms go.
33:30.71
Robb: Well well yeah I mean I’m you know being in radio and having the podcast I’ve got pretty good equipment I Realize there are other pieces that I do need specific for voice over work like you know a different microphone. Um.
33:34.33
Brad: Got.
33:40.55
Brad: Voice over.
33:46.35
Robb: Just because of coloration which you know I was like okay I get it um evident I E an s M Seven B is what I’m on right now. So it’s you know it’s It’s a good. Yeah get for broadcasting and voice you know, but but not for voicework. It’s just not.
33:48.30
Brad: Yeah, do you have a ah a um yeah, that’s beautiful for podcasting beautiful for broadcasting. But.
34:03.34
Brad: Yeah you I mean you could get away with it for a while especially as your coaching and learning and and just building. You know you don’t you wouldn’t need to jump into buying another expensive Mike soon. but but yeah that’s that’s good that you that you understand that.
34:03.81
Robb: Clear. There’s too much color in it.
34:09.83
Robb: Um, right? right? So I mean so I have that. Ah but I have reached out to um I went to a session in Tom Pinto who does ah ins show narration. It just ah, like something clicked watching watching him talk about documentary narration and in show narration because that’s what I am I I consider myself a storyteller and I was like holleash this is this is this is amazing. So he reached out I mean I reached out to him.
34:33.19
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah I think that would be great for you? yeah.
34:42.53
Robb: A few days and I was like okay all right. He’s just kind of you know, just forgot about this and and then he emailed back. He’s like hey yeah I’m kind of packed but you know let’s look and see if we have some time in May you know so I’m like okay cool. That’s a couple months.
34:52.00
Brad: Who.
34:56.81
Robb: So at least I’ve got that and and you know and just trying to connect with people. You know do the social media thing you know following. Everybody’s follow and da da and and being like hey it was great meeting you and commenting on you know their posts on the you know interior group and you know in just kind of building connections because.
35:04.93
Brad: Yep yep.
35:15.00
Brad: Yep, that’s so so important. Yeah.
35:16.75
Robb: Yeah, yeah because I feel like it. It’s very much kind of you know? ah a who you know, not what you know they’ll forgive a little bit of you know of a little bit of a technique for you know, being someone that’s decent to work with type of thing. Yeah.
35:19.56
Brad: V.
35:27.51
Brad: And and then you can grow. Yeah, because then you can grow into your connections like your your equipment and your abilities and your skill and your knowledge can grow into the connections you have whereas if you try to do it the other way around. It’s a lot trickier like if you have the best equipment and the best studio and the best you’re all coached up but you don’t know anybody.
35:37.30
Robb: Right.
35:38.92
Louise: Um.
35:46.63
Robb: Um, right.
35:47.17
Brad: Then you got to then you got all of this you know, ah infrastructure. But you don’t have the connections to to leverage that to to build a career so not not that you can’t do it either way. But.
35:55.55
Robb: Um, yeah again, so that’s that’s.
35:57.98
Louise: Yeah, and I mentioned this in one of the I mentioned this in one of the other episodes too just like that idea of progress over perfection like you don’t have to have it all figured out and have all of the you know the best equipment right? away like my I had um I’m on a ah. Well Mike Mike Brad and I are using the same Mike the sun. The zenheiser um mk h 4 16 4 1 6 and yeah, but I mean I I worked. It’s one of them.
36:24.20
Robb: 4 16 Yeah, that’s the that’s the cadillac of of voiceover mics.
36:25.55
Brad: MC yeah yeah were it’s the olds mobile I think the the the the Noman are the ah no, no, no. Ah.
36:32.99
Louise: Um, it’s the also feel you 87 but I’m not done talking about my Mike Thing Brad no so I were to the first um four years like I just got this mike.
36:34.50
Robb: You know t l m one oh 3 No no the you 87 yeah
36:39.53
Brad: Yeah, yeah, that would be the Cadillac though I’ve talked to a lot of v unless you’re doing like sorry sorry sister. So so.
36:52.74
Louise: Ah, in December and I’ve been on a sanheiser MK four for 4 years working full time. So you know it’s taken some tweaks my partner happens to be um, a sound engineer so he he’s he had it put through like a dbx.
37:05.57
Robb: Um, that helps.
37:12.20
Louise: And um, mixer like a a what does it is it a preamp or something I I lose my mind when I have to talk about stuff like this. But anyways so he got it sounding really really nice, probably nicer than than what it actually is but that worked for me fine. It was only.
37:14.57
Robb: A.
37:30.00
Louise: You know it’s not an expensive mic. It’s a few hundred bucks so yeah many anyways, that was just my little piece of encouragement I guess was just yeah, having a really well-treated room is going to be your biggest asset I think and then yeah.
37:33.50
Robb: Um, yeah and I appreciate that? Yeah yeah, it. It’s funny I yeah.
37:34.17
Brad: Yeah, yeah, you can go a long way without buying the best Mike you know.
37:44.44
Brad: I I would say yeah but before that I would even say the coaching to help you transition from your radio voice to a more natural and I mean I listen to you on your podcast. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah, that’s true.
37:55.10
Louise: Well depending on where you want to go though like if you’re doing a lot of character work and animation work. All your theater background is extraordinarily helpful and you may not need coaching in that in that particular realm I mean you already know Mike Technique so if you know how to break down scripts and do character stuff.
38:03.35
Brad: Yeah,, that’s true. Well yeah.
38:06.37
Robb: Yeah.
38:12.50
Brad: Yeah, yeah, that’s true.
38:14.12
Louise: Got video games and all that other stuff too right? yeah.
38:15.78
Robb: Yeah I mean it’s you know and I and I do I think of that and it’s like you know every there’s so many different aspects that I was not even aware of again I’m coming from that hey here’s 17 scripts just were just blow through them and get them done and that type of stuff.
38:28.41
Brad: Um.
38:30.68
Louise: Um, anything stand out like what anything in particular in terms of niche that you were like oh I never thought of that right.
38:34.70
Robb: Well like I said the the in show narration and documentary narration and I think that probably stems from me doing the podcast and in in you know, feeling like a storyteller and you know that’s just an extension of telling people’s story. Yeah.
38:47.72
Louise: Oh for you? Yeah no I guess I was thinking like if there was anything where you hadn’t thought of a particular niche actually being like a viable voice over stream of income like for me it was I never thought of Ivr Oh yeah, ok.
38:52.47
Robb: Oh.
38:56.31
Robb: Yeah, but oh yeah, audio descriptions Audio descriptions I was like holy crap I’ve never even thought about that I was like yes I’ve accidentally turned them on before but I was like like that’s an actual person is doing that.
39:03.59
Brad: On it by yeah.
39:07.45
Louise: Yeah.
39:14.76
Louise: That’s an actual versions doing it. It’s the same with for me, it was Ivr It was like phone systems I was like oh what? that’s leg jed. Yeah.
39:16.60
Robb: Yeah, and I’m ah a met a guy that’s doing it and I’m like yeah yeah, press 4 Yeah yeah, so so I mean there’s so many avenues it’s just making the connections you know and then getting.
39:20.19
Brad: Like yeah.
39:34.73
Robb: The the coaching to to be able to be flexible I think that’s the I think the flexibility is just the part that I need to to lean into because I feel like I slide into that announceery kind of thing I don’t feel like that on my podcast I feel like I’m very conversational and.
39:36.28
Brad: Yeah, yeah.
39:36.33
Louise: Um, yeah.
39:45.44
Louise: Right.
39:49.89
Brad: Yeah, yeah, but that’s because you are having conversations so that that makes it easy right? Yeah and I and I will say yeah, especially if you’ve had hundreds of hours of practicing do reading scripts in in a radio voice right.
39:52.53
Robb: You know, but you aren’t right exactly exactly.
39:53.90
Louise: Yeah, and then you get a script and a yeah script in front of you and sometimes it can just go out your brain and that’s what happens to me and.
40:06.67
Robb: I will say and I mean.
40:08.71
Brad: I will I I will say and I mean this completely Absolutely is a compliment in the the segments of your podcast where you sort of intentionally lean into your radio voice. Your voice is gorgeous like you just have this beautiful just very powerful. Interesting radio voice and.
40:16.88
Robb: Yeah. Interesting radio. Well thank you not to Julia.
40:24.80
Louise: Me, Um, yeah.
40:25.70
Brad: That’s a tool you have that. That’s not always going to be the right tool for the job but when it is man you’ve got that it’s great. Yeah, um, yeah, well I think sort of driving things toward home here a couple of questions just to round things out a little bit having spoken to.
40:29.82
Robb: Um, you know? Well thank you I appreciate that? yeah.
40:44.42
Brad: So many people how many how many episodes has it been for your Pi I tried to count and then I I gave up because you’re they aren’t numbered so I just sort of gave up.
40:50.97
Robb: Yeah, well I just because I do seasons and a season as seeing as I’m like I said I’m the whole bit of it is sometimes a season’s 27 episodes sometimes it’s 14 you know it just all depends. Um, so I don’t put pressure myself to to hit a number but I just recorded my.
40:59.47
Brad: Sure sugarser.
41:10.34
Robb: Eighty second episode yesterday that I probably he will either put out today or it’ll will drop tomorrow. Yeah good god keep god look here’s the thing is if it’s just you and you’re doing it just keep doing it if you find enjoyment in it.
41:14.63
Brad: Wow cool we’re at 9 so we’ll see.
41:18.38
Louise: He.
41:25.10
Brad: Yeah.
41:27.60
Louise: Um.
41:28.73
Robb: Keep doing it if it’s just the 2 of you talking and you enjoy it and you feel like you’re bringing something out there just keep doing it. Um, but don’t put that pressure on you. Ah, there are a lot of people that I know like just you know I’m not a horn tutor. But I have a top 5% podcast in the world. Okay.
41:44.65
Louise: Do Wow! That’s great.
41:47.39
Brad: Um.
41:48.10
Robb: Out of the millions of podcasts that are out there I am at the top 5% some of the people that were at vo atlanta have only a top 10% and I mean some of the people that were speaking on panels about podcasting.
41:50.17
Brad: Yeah.
42:01.95
Brad: Um, is that based on how many downloads you get per month compared to the space. Got it.
42:04.69
Robb: It is It is based on a listen Score Basically how well I can and off off the off the thing I can tell you how to find that stuff. Yeah.
42:12.11
Brad: Do you get that? How do we get that we no, no no I mean how do you I mean how do you get the listen Score Not how do you get? what? the score you’re getting I mean yeah, we can talk about that off? Yeah, ah.
42:14.16
Louise: Um, we have to be a lot more interesting. This episode is the first step.
42:21.47
Robb: Yeah, yeah, and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:23.12
Louise: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:27.12
Brad: But so okay, so my question is with having these deep really meaningful, thoughtful conversations with over eighty people now is there any like big lesson or big takeaway that you you just sort of like walk away from all of this from or you boil it down to and I know that’s not even a completely fair question but just.
42:43.10
Robb: Well.
42:46.33
Brad: Is there anything that you you’ve sort of gotten from all of these that that’s really hit you.
42:49.42
Robb: Well 1 thing I realized you know when you’re the guide of someone else’s story when you’re helping them through that I realize I can’t do more than than 3 episodes a day I I because I’m a very.
43:00.31
Brad: Oh yeah, oh I can imagine.
43:05.13
Robb: I’m a very empathetic person. So I am I am invested in your story I’m invested in you being able to tell your story completely as you want and I remember one day that I had just happened that I think it was in season 2 and I just happened to have a guest that kind of you know every.
43:13.19
Louise: Um.
43:22.72
Robb: It was like every hour and a half I had a new guest that I was that I was recording with and I was emotionally wrecked at the end of that so I was like okay yeah, and they and they all have to be new and I can’t phone it in and I can’t.
43:23.42
Brad: Wow.
43:28.95
Brad: I Imagine Yeah, especially the types of conversations you have with people. Yeah, yeah.
43:31.90
Louise: The ah like.
43:40.63
Robb: You know, just go through I just go through a list of questions or anything like that because I just by nature I’m involved. So so I was like okay I got to step that back I cannot do that again. That is not going to be good for me. It’s not going to be good for the show or the people whose story I’m hoping to tell so I learned that so now I try to only do one.
43:45.68
Brad: Um.
43:49.67
Louise: Right.
43:54.70
Brad: Yeah, so. Yeah, we do one a week at most and it’s a lot so like and that’s just the 2 of us usually talking. Yeah man.
44:00.24
Robb: You know a day the the right? Yeah well I mean I because I may I may you know like the the next few days like so I had one yesterday I’ve got 1 coming up this Saturday 1 coming up next Wednesday and another one coming up next friday
44:04.13
Louise: So yeah, you’re doing more than one a day I’m like what.
44:20.60
Robb: You know? so I try to space them out and then that you know they still only land once a week I still only do weekly publishing. They’re just in the can and waiting. Um, but um, another thing that I learned is that like I said everybody everybody goes to the same things.
44:20.39
Brad: Yeah, sure. Yeah I like it. Yeah.
44:20.40
Louise: Yeah.
44:26.83
Louise: Right? yeah.
44:38.36
Robb: And everybody kind of wants to know that they aren’t alone and that the way that they deal with it is not wrong. Um, you know there was one of the surprising answers people like what was the most surprising answer to how to cue the darkness away.
44:50.35
Brad: Um.
44:57.12
Robb: I had somebody say sometimes I just sit in it and you were and you’re thinking like how is that for you know how is that productive to just sit and in in she made the distinction she she.
44:58.32
Louise: Yeah.
45:00.80
Brad: Um.
45:06.42
Brad: No I I think that’s a beautiful thing I Love that answer I that answer resonates with me actually.
45:13.50
Robb: Yeah, she made that she made the distinction so I may sit in it and and deal with it. But I don’t wallow in it I don’t roll around in it I sit I talk to myself I I accept and I you know try to figure out what less amount am I learning from this but then you you get up and you keep moving.
45:13.99
Louise: Um, um.
45:21.60
Brad: Yep I get it.
45:30.36
Brad: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
45:32.76
Robb: You know and that’s and that’s sometimes a hard part. Um, you know I’ve had. Yeah.
45:36.22
Brad: Yeah.
45:36.30
Louise: I Love that that resonates with me too I was just thinking because um, a few years ago I almost had that epiphany of like you know what instead of maybe like pushing it away and trying to figure out how to get rid of it to really accept it which I think is sort of saying the same thing.
45:48.67
Robb: Um, yeah, yeah, yes.
45:50.85
Brad: Um, man yeah Spoiler alert because I I like I don’t want to give away all of the beans for when we’re talking on your show, but that’s that’s a lot of what I would I’m hoping to say about that is you know.
45:53.20
Louise: You know.
46:02.74
Robb: In not always.
46:06.29
Brad: It’s not always a matter of keeping it at Bay A lot of times. It’s a matter of letting it touch you letting it get to you and and focusing on where it’s coming from and learning from it and just sort of growing because of it and that’s scary and it’s hard but sometimes that’s the best way to grow forward.
46:09.49
Robb: Yeah, yeah.
46:10.10
Louise: Yeah.
46:22.29
Robb: Yeah, yeah, they you know and I’ve said this in other episodes of my podcast. You know the great inspection question to find out anything is why you can keep breaking anything down with the question why you know I’m angry at this person. Why.
46:24.19
Brad: You know, yeah big.
46:34.40
Louise: Um.
46:36.61
Louise: Right.
46:41.54
Robb: They cut me off why? well? Okay I was driving a little slow why? well because I didn’t really want to go to work why exactly exactly exactly and as long as you’re honest with yourself and with those answers you can uncover so much.
46:46.10
Brad: Yeah, the word is like a scalpel right? It’s like it. You can just keep slicing deeper and deeper and more accurately. Yeah yeah.
46:59.99
Louise: Um.
47:00.69
Brad: Well night that brings us to the final question I have to sort of flip the script on you I was I will say I was going to ask you a fast 5 and I I went to podexs and then it turns out you have to like pay $30 for any anyone of and I’m like I’m not I’m not going to I couldn’t find a free way to do it otherwise I would have if there is I couldn’t find him.
47:12.80
Robb: Is it I.
47:19.25
Robb: Oh that’s weird I will see if I can find it because I don’t remember that I had to pay for it. So yeah, ah oh I got you.
47:20.18
Brad: Yeah, yeah, maybe you didn’t at the time but now it’s all inapp purchases like you you install the app. But then you have to buy books of questions. So maybe I was looking at it. It was called it was called Pod Deck So I assume it’s the same thing but.
47:35.41
Robb: Um, your pod decks. Yeah, okay yeah.
47:38.20
Brad: Yeah, so you you escaped that fate. Um I was going to like put you in a hot seat. But I’m going to put you in a different hot seat that you’ve actually already kind of addressed. But maybe if you can just sort of share with us a little bit without going into the depth that that you you need on your show. But what? What do you? Rob what? What really do you do. To keep the darkness at bay for yourself and again not to go into it as deeply. Yeah.
48:01.65
Robb: Yeah, no, no for me I have to find things ah to focus on other than me other than and I’m not. It’s not an avoidance of the issue I Just I know when I’m starting to get.
48:08.40
Brad: Ha ha.
48:09.84
Louise: E.
48:18.38
Robb: That way when I start to spiral and as I will will tend to have kind of obsessive contingencies and I start to obsess and I start to you know negatively.
48:19.70
Louise: A.
48:34.17
Robb: You know, build out scenarios and things like that. So I have to find something else to to focus on I generally feel like I’m more of a optimistic positive person just you know on a normal day but being that when I go the other way it goes it can go South fast.
48:42.65
Brad: Yeah.
48:50.69
Louise: Right.
48:52.86
Robb: So when I feel that coming on I find that I have to focus on something else I have a huge collection of legos that that are undone in a box in in my closet and so sometimes I just have to do that because it puts my mind somewhere else.
49:00.28
Brad: No, that’s great.
49:10.62
Robb: My hands are moving I’m not going to go out and play a sport ball. You know what I mean but it it gets my mind working gets my hands working. Um I started taking ah pottery classes throwing pottery on the wheel because there’s a there is a quiet zen about your connection.
49:14.56
Brad: Ah, but if.
49:20.80
Brad: Nice, nice.
49:27.70
Brad: Sure.
49:29.74
Louise: Um.
49:30.22
Robb: With the clay and using your hands to mold something tangible in all of my life I have never made anything tangible I’ve made I’ve made movies I’ve made television I’ve made Radio. You can’t hold any of those things in your hand and of course now I’m trying to lean into a career that you still can’t hold in your hand, but so having something that I can tangibly say I made that I put my hands on it and now this is a mug or this is a vase or this is a plate for my dog to eat their dinner off of.
49:44.55
Brad: Yeah, alright.
49:46.97
Louise: Um.
50:02.52
Robb: Those are the things that I have to kind of get my mind off of again, not that I’m avoiding not that I’m ignoring a real problem but I know when I’m going Beyond Constructive consideration and I have to do something else.
50:07.32
Louise: Now.
50:14.68
Louise: I love that and I was also just thinking it’ sort of a side note but I was like you’re almost like my misnerring misner technique getting your way out out of the darkness I can’t if you ever studied myer technique but 1 of his things is if you you know you’re really in your head about a scene.
50:15.73
Brad: Yeah I love it that makes beautiful sense.
50:27.99
Robb: You it.
50:34.21
Louise: And then you basically give yourself like ah, a complex task like build a house of cards while you’re rehearsing the scene or build something out of Lego or yeah.
50:39.42
Robb: A.
50:46.70
Brad: Yeah, that’s beautiful. Thank you, thank you so much for sharing and being with us and spending a little timeme with us. Yeah, so just to wrap things up. Um Rob Smith aka big rob is that fair. Okay, yeah.
50:46.88
Robb: Um, yeah, thank you, Thank you? Thank you? Thank you for the invitation. So just.
50:49.81
Louise: Yeah, thanks Rob.
50:59.66
Robb: That’s fair. That’s absolutely fair. It’s absolutely fair. It is it is it has.
51:02.32
Brad: It’s on your card. So I assume that you know ah his podcast is chewing the fat and you can find it on all the the podcast streaming services just like ours. You can also find out more information at chewing the Fat B R Dot com.
51:09.67
Robb: A.
51:15.76
Robb: Um, yes, and yeah, yeah I mean you can you can go to chewing the Fat B R Dot Com It’s got linkeds that you can leave voicemails on that that website so like sometimes I say something if you have a rebuttal or you want to say something leave me a voicemail it may you show up in a future.
51:17.42
Brad: And where can people reach out to you. It was it best to go to the website to to find you and yeah.
51:34.14
Brad: Here.
51:34.97
Robb: Episode of the podcast I try to be very active on Instagram that’s kind of my place you know because I can only do so many things but that’s at chewing the fat b r and b r like big Rob big rob yeah yeah because there was already a like a chewing at chewing the fat.
51:36.77
Louise: That’s awesome.
51:41.14
Brad: Ah, yeah.
51:46.17
Brad: What is the b r what is the BR big rob a ah I got gotta gotta got it makes sense. Okay.
51:46.96
Louise: Break up here.
51:53.18
Brad: Yeah, yeah, there’s another I think there’s another podcast called chewing the fat too. That’s a different logo and stuff obviously. But um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:53.56
Robb: Ah, before. So but so b r just big Rob um, yeah, yeah mine’s like yellow and it’s all caricature of my face and eating a microphone you know because. The the thing is is chewing. The fad is a colloquialism for having a conversation here in the south. So. That’s what that was one way that the name came about. But yes you know controlling yeah controlling the the word fat. Yeah yeah, and and speak.
52:15.90
Brad: Yeah, yeah I love it I Love the double entendre of it. Yeah yeah, we also have the other multiple other podcasts with a very similar name going for us which is challenging. But.
52:17.61
Louise: Yeah, we have that going with ours too.
52:25.80
Louise: Yeah, and no okay.
52:27.71
Robb: But you know I will say this and to the folks that are listening if you’re listening no matter what platform you’re on click the button and give inside voice give them the 5 star treatment. Go ahead, go ahead and give them a 5 star rating if you have ability to leave a review please leave a note and let.
52:40.70
Brad: The 5 star treatment. Ah.
52:47.57
Robb: Them know that you love this podcast and what you love about it because as a podcaster myself that means so much when you get that little email and says hey you’ve got a new review hey you’ve got a new rating So no matter where you are go ahead and leave that rating and review. Yeah I believe in what you’re doing and it’s amazing.
52:52.89
Brad: It does.
52:56.41
Louise: Um, ah thanks for saying that Rob yeah we do we do? Thanks Rob and we want to wish you also all the best and every success with your.
52:57.70
Brad: Yeah, thank you and we need to get better at we need to get better at asking for that I Think thank you? Thank you.
53:06.47
Robb: It’s amazing.
53:12.20
Robb: Thank you.
53:12.43
Louise: Voiceover Journey. It’s really exciting that you’re at the precipice of this I I didn’t realize that so that’s really cool and obviously our doors are always open if you you know you need to use us as a resource or have questions or whatever just reach out.
53:18.51
Brad: Absolutely have questions or need yep.
53:24.36
Robb: For sure for sure I will take you up on that and Brad I look forward to having you on my podcast and louise you as well. You’ve had the invite but you haven and it’s fine. No pressure.
53:29.26
Brad: Yeah I’m excited. Well.
53:31.96
Louise: I I’m yeah I’m still thinking on it. But you’re so you’re convincing me more and more. So.
53:38.96
Brad: Um, maybe maybe after I do it then I can so I can give I can report back to her and share. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, be a do don’t do it.
53:42.12
Robb: There you go? How was it.
53:43.28
Louise: Yeah, you can Guinea Pig it. Yeah totally now. Ah are.
53:53.00
Brad: Now hop in. It’s fine. It’s like you’re sitting in a hot tub Rob and you’re like come on in guys. It’s really nice and we’re like ah might be too hot. It’s fine. Come on in I’m ready to step in and then we’ll see if we can get louise in.
53:53.57
Robb: Um.
53:58.56
Robb: Yeah, it’s perfect. Good. Awesome.
54:00.37
Louise: Yeah.
54:07.50
Louise: Cool. Well thanks so much Rob and thanks Brad as always ok take care bye.
54:10.33
Brad: Yeah, thanks Louise and it was great talking to both of you guys. Thank you bye bye all right.