In this episode of Side Hustle Spotlight, we feature Victoria Carroll, a skilled voice actress from the US who built a full-time profession on a freelance services platform Five.
Image Source: Courtesy of Fiverr. Victoria Carroll.
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you began your side hustle?
I lived abroad in the Czech Republic and worked as an actress and filmmaker before I began working as a voiceover artist, but my income was all the time low (and sporadic), so I supplemented it mostly by teaching preschoolers. I did a number of things before I became a full-time freelancer – I used to be a Disney princess, a promotional model for brands, I taught English to Czech students… you name it!
What were the first steps you took to begin your side hustle?
The first step was organising a skilled home recording studio. I purchased a fancy microphone and soundproofing equipment. Then I did some research on what clients were looking for in a recording artist and methods to best arrange my Fiverr profile. This included creating videos and voiceovers of my work, writing a good bio, and determining methods to best communicate the details of the project to fulfill the client’s needs.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle and how did you overcome them?
I poured all the things into building my freelance profession, which meant I often worked seven days a week. Sometimes my days would last greater than 14 hours—and most of those hours were spent in a small, dark home recording studio. I also worked holidays, and while I used to be successful for all the time and effort I put in, I definitely burned out. After about a 12 months of bending over backwards to handle dozens of clients a day, I began to set clearer boundaries about when and where I used to be available, and for what price. I now have a rule that I don’t work on Sundays—and I attempt to avoid weekends altogether if I can. I also set stricter standards for what forms of projects I used to be willing to take on and for what rates.
Last 12 months I managed to finance and complete my first feature film (a documentary about a shaman, due out this 12 months), which included a trip to Peru to shoot, edit, and post-produce the project. I also got married AND pregnant — and all this while working “full-time”!
That’s why as a filmmaker and a young mother, I imagine my freedom is priceless.
What advice would you give to others who want to begin their very own successful side business?
Be prepared to place in a lot of time and effort in the starting to ascertain yourself. When I seek advice from other freelancers about how they got began, they sometimes say the same thing. I don’t think there’s a shortcut to it. I worked long hours for little pay in the starting. But I used to be capable of pay my dues, build a huge portfolio, and establish good, long-term relationships with brands and corporations. If you make that investment in building a portfolio and client base early on, it can repay once you’re established.