I'm an American voice over actress that lives & works in Europe, in France to be more specific. I was recently asked by a client to record a large e-learning project in French and English.
Speaking English wasn't a problem because I am a native Englsih speaker, it was the French that I was freaking out about!
You see, I have an English accent when I speak French. I just knew that I wasn't right for this project.
I was so sure that the cleint wouldn't want to use my voice that I called him back and said “I'm not right for your project. You know that I have an English accent when I speak French, right?” The client said that yes I did have an accent, but that I was wrong because my version would be charming and that I should give it a try.
So I did! I got overmyself and got the job done with enthusiasm and on time!
I had to do some pronunciation verification with my French husband a few times, but in the end I was happy and my client was thrilled.
Needless to say….I discovered that I had a self-limiting belief.
Self-limiting beliefs are beliefs that we hold about ourselves or a situation that stop us from moving forward in some way.
Sometimes we don’t even realize that we have this limiting belief because it is so natural or embedded in our subconscious.
My self-limiting belief was:
I didn’t believe that anyone would want me to do voice-overs for them in French.
I overcame this self-limiting belief by stepping out of my comfort zone and doing a project that I would have never guessed would've been for me.
I now have new and improved EMPOWERING belief -
My accent makes me different and might be just what the client is looking for.
Because of this experience, I put up two French speaking demos on voices.com and a week later I had a request for TWO separate auditions in French!
For those of you who might have a self-limiting belief, here are some steps you can take:
1.) Don’t make assumptions
Go for that audition and contact those clients
You never know what they are looking for!
2.) Keep Learning
Half the battle in anything is confidence. The more we know about a subject the easier it becomes to be confident and to ensure that others will trust and respect you.
3.) Journaling
Sometimes just taking the time to write out your thoughts, hopes, dreams, and even fears can help bring to your road-blocks to the surface.
4.) Respect for yourself and Self-Love
Remember that life is a journey, not a destination. If you make a mistake, accept it, accept yourself, learn from it, and then move on.
I hope these tips help! If they helped you, they might be able to help someone else, so please feel free to share. Another great article on self limiting beliefs is found on the INLP CENTER website here; Trapped by your Mind? Learn This Five Step Process for Releasing Limiting Beliefs. And of course if you need a female professional voice over talent in English or French, then you’ve come to the right place and I would love to hear from you.
Here is a recent project in French and in English!
Even though I have been fortunate enough to have grown up with both languages, I still have a lot of apprehension about doing VO in French because I don't have as large a vocabulary and don't speak it as quickly or fluidly as I do English. I've done some short snippets and bumpers in French, but that's about it. Thanks for this article! Good reminder that we shouldn't limit ourselves. I need to go record something in French now. :)