Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Human Connection

Photo thanks to carbonated.tv

There’s nothing like real human contact, eye contact, a handshake. Seeing a person’s smile, getting and giving high fives, it’s so nice. As much as I love working from home, I really try to make it a point to meet as many people that I work with face to face as I possibly can. Why? Call me old fashioned, but it’s great to know the person behind the email address. Not just know their face, but get to know the actual person.

A few years ago my husband and I set out in our Mini Cooper on a cross-country road trip to visit friends and family. We drove from California all the way to Michigan, down to Florida and then home to LA. We thought it would be so fun to meet many of the people we worked with all of the time. So we called ahead and told many producers we’d be passing through their area and asked if it was okay to stop in and say hello. They were all thrilled, and amused by our little adventure. 99% of the producers I’d been working with and corresponding with for years, but had never met before. It was such a blast! I loved meeting the staff, touring the studios, laughing about how different we all looked than how we'd pictured each other. We learned that we all had way more in common than we ever knew. 

Not only was it fun to meet clients and producers, it’s also so great to meet fellow voice talent. So many of us chat on Facebook or get to meet at occasional voice over events, but making a point to meet people and build long lasting relationships and friendships is a beautiful thing. Oh, and don’t overlook getting to know fellow talent and producers in your own backyard. I am thankful for cyberspace but nothing beats a hug in my book. Just one quick side note as I come to a close with my little story, it takes 44 hours to drive straight through in a Mini Cooper from Tampa, FL to Los Angeles, CA. In case you were wondering. 

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like a fun filled adventure I will add to my bucket list to do in a few years, when I too have developed some relationships in the industry, to go meet and greet. What a fun time to look forward to. :)

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  3. Great post Melissa! That's a LONG trip, but clearly worth it for more than one reason. :)

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  4. Loved this post and it's so true....I'm a "Huggy" person too and there is nothing better than meeting people face to face. I especially loved the mini cooper bit....I'm addicted to those cars and have already owned 3 of them....but, the original ones mind you, not these newbies...hahah. Catch up with you after Thanksgiving???

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