Podcast Summary:

A VO's Journey with Anthony Pica

Episode 268: Failing Forward In Your Voice Over Journey

Date: May 15, 2024
Host: Anthony Pica

Episode Overview

In this episode, Anthony Pica explores the concept of failure as a crucial and positive element in building a successful voice-over career. He challenges the commonly held negative perceptions of failure, encouraging voice actors to see setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. Through personal anecdotes, industry examples, and motivational insights, Anthony conveys the importance of resilience and adapting strategies rather than being discouraged by initial rejections or slow progress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Social Stigma of Failure (00:00–02:05)

• Traditional Mindset:
  Anthony opens by reflecting on how society often teaches us that failure is inherently bad, especially from an early age in school.
• Learning Reframe:
  He advocates for reinterpreting failure not as a dead end, but as a learning tool:
  “If you were to look at failure in a different way…as a learning tool, right? You can learn so much from that.” (01:40)

2. The Voice-Over Audition Process: Measuring Success (02:06–07:00)

• Analyzing Outcomes:
  Anthony shares a realistic audition scenario: sometimes it takes 10, 20, or even 30 auditions before landing a job. By tracking this, voice actors can set realistic expectations:
  “All of a sudden, instead of this being some failure, it’s been a huge learning opportunity, and it showed me what I needed to do, what I can expect, and what is going to happen for me now.” (04:36)
• Continuous Improvement:
  Failing multiple times helps identify patterns and areas for improvement—be it script interpretation, submission method, or technical compliance.
• External Factors:
  Many platforms don’t guarantee your audition will be listened to—a factor entirely out of an artist’s control.

3. Social Media and External Barriers (07:01–13:30)

• Algorithm Frustration:
  Anthony discusses the futility of blaming oneself for low social media engagement, explaining how algorithms are designed:
  “The algorithm on these social media platforms is built for you to pay them money. And if you do not pay them money, they will not show your work.” (09:35)
• Illusion of Virality:
  Viral successes are rare and often not representative of small businesses or freelancers.
  “It’s like playing the lottery, right? That someone has to win…just to keep everyone else in check.” (10:50)
• Paid Promotion Experiment:
  He encourages listeners to try boosting a post to experience the difference in reach, reinforcing that reach isn’t always about effort or content quality.

4. Practical Application: Dealing With Imposter Syndrome (13:31–20:10)

• Imposter Feelings:
  The pressure to appear “professional” leads many to question their legitimacy, especially when starting out with basic equipment or limited experience.
  “Am I an imposter?...I don’t feel confident to audition. I don’t feel confident to submit.” (16:00)
• The Root of Fear:
  Anthony points out that imposter syndrome essentially boils down to fear of failure and inadequacy.
• Building Confidence Through Action:
  Confidence doesn’t precede action; it follows from repeatedly trying and learning from each attempt:
  “If you try something and you’re confident about it and it doesn’t work out…you would try again…and again.” (18:25)
• Analogy:
  He compares auditions to fishing: not every attempt lands a result, but persistence is key.

5. The Philosophy of Resilience & Storytelling (20:11–27:10)

• Enthusiasm Through Failure:
  Quoting Churchill:
  “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” (21:00)
  Anthony emphasizes that maintaining enthusiasm amidst setbacks is crucial.
• Conflict as Narrative:
  All successful stories feature conflict and struggle, and the same applies to personal and career growth.
  “Conflict defines us…people we want to be like, have overcome great conflicts, great struggles, strife, and they found a way to keep going.” (22:50)
• Stepping Back:
  It’s difficult to see growth from within the struggle.
  “It is so hard…to step back and look at your own story, your own journey from a 20,000 foot view and give yourself this advice.” (24:17)
• Importance of Community:
  Being part of a supportive environment (like AVEO's Journey Elite Academy) is valuable for encouragement and perspective.

6. Redefining Failure as Progress (27:11–31:45)

• Failure as Proof of Action:
  Every failed attempt proves you’re taking steps toward your goals:
  “If you are trying something and you’re failing at it, failure proves that you are taking the action…” (28:01)
• Famous Example:
  Anthony invokes the Thomas Edison anecdote—failing thousands of times before inventing the lightbulb, but only needing one success.
• Tricking the Mind:
  Reframing failure as essential progress can “change your life.”
• Not Advice to Be Reckless:
  “I’m not saying be stupid…but you have to try and take chances and fail in order to find the right path.”

7. Final Reflections (31:46–End)

• Life’s Binary Framing:
  Anthony muses on how we tend to see life in binaries—success/failure, up/down—but reality is mostly “gray area.”
• The Need for Reflection:
  Stepping back to reflect on the bigger picture is crucial for maintaining motivation and understanding your progress.
• Closing Encouragement:
  “Failure is your way of knowing that you’re on the right path…you are that much closer to getting where you want to go.” (29:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Learning from Failure:
  “If you look at failure in a different way…as a learning tool, right? You can learn so much from that.” —Anthony Pica (01:40)
• On Social Media Algorithms:
  “The algorithm on these social media platforms is built for you to pay them money. And if you do not pay them money, they will not show your work…” —Anthony Pica (09:35)
• On Imposter Syndrome:
  “Am I an imposter?...I don’t feel confident to audition. I don’t feel confident to submit.” —Anthony Pica (16:00)
• On Building Confidence:
  “If you try something and you’re confident about it and it doesn’t work out…you would try again…and again.” —Anthony Pica (18:25)
• On Resilience:
  “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” —Winston Churchill, quoted by Anthony (21:00)
• On Failure as Progress:
  “Failure is your way of knowing that you’re on the right path…you are that much closer to getting where you want to go.” —Anthony Pica (29:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:05 — The social stigma of failure
• 02:06–07:00 — Auditions and setting realistic expectations
• 07:01–13:30 — Navigating social media & understanding the algorithm
• 13:31–20:10 — Imposter syndrome and building confidence
• 20:11–27:10 — The philosophy of resilience; storytelling and conflict
• 27:11–31:45 — Redefining failure as proof of progress; the Edison anecdote
• 31:46–end — Life’s binaries, reflection, and closing encouragement

Summary

This episode encourages voice actors to fundamentally reframe their approach to failure: not as a mark of inadequacy, but as an inevitable and necessary step in achieving long-term success. Anthony Pica’s candid, conversational tone, personal transparency, and memorable analogies create a motivating and practical guide for anyone facing self-doubt or discouragement in their creative journey.