As 2025 comes to a close, I wanted to look back and reflect on my year. If I’m being honest, this year was tough. I showed up, I put in the work, I tried new things, and despite my best efforts, there were some slow, down times!

But even in the hard moments, I kept learning about myself, about this industry, and about what it really takes to build a sustainable, creative career. They pushed me to stretch, rethink, and recommit to the things I can control.

So in no particular order, here are the top 8 things I learned this year. I’m sharing them in the hopes that they encourage anyone else who’s navigating a season that doesn’t look quite as shiny as they hoped.

Top 8 Things I Learned About Voice Over in 2025

1. Take risks… And see what happens!

This year, I pushed myself to take more risks: experimenting with new reads in my auditions, signing up for workshops that intimidated me a little (including a retreat in Europe), and trying new genres to name a few.

After being in this business for over 10 years, I realized I needed to challenge myself again and get out of my comfort zone! Every single risk stretched me in the best way.

Sometimes it led to stronger auditions. Sometimes it led to unexpected connections. And sometimes it was simply the spark I needed to get out of autopilot and discover new things about myself and my abilities.

Group photo with Kelly Moscinski, Head Casting Director at The Voicecaster after her workshop.

2. Learn what specific casting directors want… and tailor your auditions accordingly.

One of the most valuable things I did this year was prioritize classes with casting directors. So many top voice over casting directors host Zoom workshops and/or do podcast interviews… and they literally tell you what they want. People like Kelly Moscinski from the Voicecaster, Terry Berland, Tina Morasco, Lance Kistler to name a few.

Some encourage big, bold, creative choices and improv. Some want everything exactly as written and understated. All of them want connection, authenticity, and a voice that feels like a real human being.

Knowing the preferences of the people you’re auditioning for is a huge advantage. It can help you feel grounded and knowledgeable when you step into your booth alone for these auditions.

3. Track the data… and analyze it.

I love a good spreadsheet and in 2025, for the first time in my 10+ year voice over career, I tracked everything from January 1st. Every audition. Every shortlist. Every like. Every booking. Every platform. Every casting director. Every genre. Union vs. non-union. All of it.

The data was eye opening.

I kept track of things like booking ratios, how many likes/shortlists turned into actual bookings, how many jobs were from auditions vs from repeat clients. I learned that an agency I joined in March ended up sending me just as many auditions as one I’d been with since January. A new-to-me pay-to-play platform far outperformed another I’ve been on for years in terms of volume of auditions daily. I hardly ever see auditions from a few particular genres. And so on!

It made my business feel less like guesswork and more like strategy.

4. Expand beyond the VO bubble… it will change your business.

This year, I intentionally stepped outside the traditional voice over circles: I invested in an SEO consultant, updated my website, started blogging more consistently (thanks for being here!), and joined an online community for creative small business owners.

I specifically looked for people who weren’t connected to the VO world to get a fresh perspective and I’m so glad I did. Thinking like a marketer, a creative entrepreneur, and a content creator (not just a voice actor) opened my eyes to new ways of being visible and valuable. It pushed me to clarify my brand, strengthen my messaging, and connect with people I never would’ve met otherwise.

5. Explore new genres… even after a decade in the biz.

After more than 10 years in voice over, it would’ve been easy to stay in my comfort zone. But this year, I dove headfirst into politicals, TV in-show narration, and promo - genres I’d barely touched before.

I took classes and made new demos in two of those three genres so I’d be fully prepared to pursue more opportunities next year. No matter how long you’ve been doing this, there’s always room to grow, stretch, experiment, and surprise yourself.

6. Direct marketing works… even when it feels like shouting into the void.

If 2025 taught me anything, it’s that marketing in voice over is a long game… sometimes a very long game. The auditions, the follow-ups, the cold emails, the posts that seem to disappear into the black hole of the internet can feel useless.

But this year, I booked jobs from auditions I recorded months earlier. I had people reply to cold emails I barely remembered sending. I even landed a repeat client who I first reached out to in 2021!

Taking even a few minutes a day or a few hours a week to reach out to people can really pay off. You never know who’s saving your stuff and will be contacting you with auditions or jobs in the future.

7. Creative fulfillment doesn’t only come from big jobs.

Sure, the big commercials are fun but some of my favorite jobs are the ones that aren’t big and flashy. For me it’s any time I get to work on something geared towards kids. I love being able to put my mama / theatre teacher skills to use recording apps or phonics lessons or educational videos.

I’m planning to put more energy into finding those types of projects in 2026 so I can stay inspired and creative.

8. Relationships matter more than anything.

At its core, voice over is a relationship business.

Most of my work this year came from repeat clients, some of whom I’ve worked with for 5+ years. These are people I genuinely enjoy working with and have gotten to know as people, not just clients. They trust me and know that they’ll be taken care of.

Good audio matters. Good acting matters. But being easy to work with? That’s what keeps your calendar full.

As I look back on 2025, I’m struck by how much this year asked me to stretch, change, and adapt. Whenever my daughter is heading into a potentially stressful situation, I always tell her to put her “flexible pants” on and I had to remind myself to do the same MANY times this year.

And even though there were some really slow points, it added up to a year of real growth. I’m grateful for the lessons, the pivots, and everything I discovered about myself and my business along the way.

So 2026 here we come… flexible pants, on. Let’s see where the new year takes us!