Episode Overview

Podcast: Everyday VOpreneur® with Marc Scott
Episode: Who's Pushing You: Why Voice Actors Need People Who Challenge Them
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Marc Scott

In this episode, Marc Scott explores a vital yet often overlooked element of success for voice actors and entrepreneurs alike: having people in your life who challenge you—who push you to grow, hone your craft, and move your business forward. Drawing from personal anecdotes and industry experiences, Marc details the roles that colleagues, coaches, friends, and even indirect mentors play in his own growth, and he challenges listeners to seek out (and be open to!) those same motivating forces.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Being Pushed

• Loneliness in Voice Acting: Marc opens by noting the inherent isolation in voiceover work:

  "What we do as voice actors sometimes can be very lonely and isolating, where we're in our booths by ourselves all day long.” [01:13]

• Misunderstanding "Being Pushed":

  “I think that concept is sometimes misunderstood because...we think that means I've got to be working with a coach...but that's only part of it." [01:31]

Inspiration from Industry Peers

• World Series Wakeup Call: Watching the World Series broadcasts in Canada, Marc notices that voice actors Mike Pongratz and Matt Fogarty seem to be everywhere in the commercials and promos:

  “After a couple of games of that, there's a part of me that's like, dude, why are you not on any of these commercials?" [06:31]

• Transforming Comparison into Motivation: Instead of feeling jealousy, Marc lets his peers' success spur him on:

  "I don't look at it with jealousy or envy. I look at it with, man, how do I get up there next to those guys?" [07:49]

The Role of Coaches and Honest Feedback

• Working with Coach Brad Hyland:

  • Brad is “pushing” Marc on his commercial reads, even when it’s uncomfortable.

    "I'm so grateful to have a coach that will do that...I need to know that you're going to be honest with me. I need to know that if I suck, you're going to tell me, dude, you suck." [10:15]

  • Honest coaching is challenging but necessary:

    “There’s a part of me that’s now wishing that I hadn’t asked Brad to be completely honest with me. Because sometimes Brad gets really honest with me, and I’m like, dang, that kind of stings a little.” [11:16]

• Embracing the Process: Marc expands his auditions and optimizes his Voice123 profile on Brad's advice, even when he’s reluctant.

The Unexpected Push from Colleagues

• Samantha Damiano (Sam):
  • Helped Marc overhaul his Voice123 profile, prompting him to update extremely outdated demos:

    “I had no idea that my demo was 12 years old. How did I find that out? Because Sam has been pushing me." [13:44]

  • Result: Dozens of new samples, refreshed website, and rapidly improved ranking on Voice123.

    “Within a day or two I’m ranking page one, two or three for almost everything...all because of the work that Sam is doing...and she’s pushing me to get new clips.” [15:50-16:25]

Leading by Example – But Getting Pushed in Return

• Cycle of Challenge: Marc notes he’s often perceived as the one pushing others (via the podcast, social media, etc.), but these interactions originate from pushing himself.

  "So much of the stuff that I post, it's from the internal monologues that I am having with myself to remind myself to do the thing, to remind myself to take the step..." [17:31]

The Value of Indirect Influences

• Passive Mentors:
  • Even without direct communication, Marc feels pushed by people like Matt, Mike, and conference speakers like Ryder:

    “Ryder did the keynote at Mavo...I sat through his keynote and I was like, this guy’s pushing me. Because so much of this guy’s story makes me think about myself and my story...” [20:48-21:17]

Opportunities Sparked by Honest Conversations

• Meaningful Conversations at MAVO:
  • Kelly Mashinsky, after a face-to-face at MAVO, unwittingly spurs Marc to up his demo game:

    “She asked me, why are you not on my roster? ... I admitted...my commercial demo was really great in the day, but it's old...So she was pushing me." [22:09]

Micro-Moments of Motivation

• The Power of Simple Advice:
  • Cynthia Depando’s simple urging to “be open, say yes to things” hits Marc hard in its simplicity:

    “She’s staring directly into my soul and telling me what to do right now. And I don’t know how I feel about that, but the reality is that’s probably exactly what I needed to hear.” [25:25]

The Dangers of Complacency

• Complacency is the Enemy: Marc reminds listeners that too much comfort leads to stagnation:

  "In my talk at Mavo, I talked about complacency and the dangers of complacency...Don’t let yourself get comfortable and complacent. Make sure that you’ve always got someone who is pushing you." [26:25]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “There was a part of me that’s like, why are you not doing that? ... What are you doing that you could be doing better in order to have access to some of those opportunities?” — Marc Scott [07:00]

• "I need to know that if I suck, you're going to tell me, dude, you suck. I need to know that if I do something that's dumb, you're going to be like, what the heck were you thinking? Why did you do that?" — Marc Scott, on hiring a coach for honest feedback [10:25]

• "Sam's been working on my Voice123 profile... She's telling me what to do and bossing me around and pushing me in a good way. And I needed her to do that..." — Marc Scott [13:54]

• "So much of the things that I post on social media...it's me calling myself out." — Marc Scott [17:36]

• “Ryder did the keynote at Mavo...and I sat through his keynote and I was like, this guy's pushing me. Because so much of this guy's story makes me think about myself and my story…” — Marc Scott [21:00]

• “She’s staring directly into my soul and telling me what to do right now. And I don’t know how I feel about that…” — Marc Scott, about Cynthia Depando’s advice [25:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Feeling the Push from Colleagues (World Series anecdote): [04:40 – 08:00]
• The Value of Honest Coaching (Brad Hyland): [09:00 – 12:00]
• Optimizing for Success (with Sam): [13:40 – 16:30]
• The Cycle of Accountability (Marc’s Social Posts): [16:45 – 18:00]
• Indirect Push from Industry Inspirations (MAVO, Ryder): [20:45 – 21:40]
• Meaningful Peer Conversations (Kelly Mashinsky): [22:00 – 23:20]
• Advice That Strikes Home (Cynthia Depando): [24:50 – 25:50]
• Warning Against Complacency: [26:20 – 27:20]

Takeaways and Call to Action

• Reflect on “Who is pushing you?”
• Seek out mentors, colleagues, coaches, and even competitors who can challenge and inspire improvement.
• Be open to both direct and indirect forms of challenge and motivation.
• Avoid complacency—intentionally invite uncomfortable growth opportunities.

Closing Reflection:

"If you want to level up your business, you've got to have people that push you." — Marc Scott [26:50]

Full episode and resources available at: vopreneur.com