“The price of success is paid in advance.”
This is a favorite quotation of Elaine A. Clark, the author, actor, voice-over teacher and corporate communication coach, that founded her company Voice One in 1986, and something she knows very well. The company started because people asked Clark how to perform and get voice-overs. Growing weary of training clients in her house or random locations, she decided to open an office in downtown San Francisco. As time continued, her offices continued to grow larger and larger as she became more and more successful.
With over 25 years of experience, Clark explains that her San Francisco based business is “the only business in the world that offers a full communication package including voice-over, audio recording, on-camera, improve, directing, casting, audio production, and corporate coaching.” As a theatre major in college, Clark performed in several plays, but didn’t know she could make acting into a career. After attending an introductory voice-over seminar, she fell in love with the idea of “talking for a living.”
“This is the decade of communication. Whether you need audio or video for your website, blog, or email, if you do frequent video or phone conferences, or have to present information in meetings and presentations, HOW you say something is often more important that WHAT you say. Your job as a communicator is to make your audience feel and take action.”
The Voice One founder has worked with clients such as Yahoo, Monster Cable, Acoustiguide, ABC, CBS, Clorox, Quaker, Panera Bread, Amazon.com and Macy’s and Juniper Networks. She also added background voices to movies Super 8, The Curious of Benjamin Button, and Titan A.E.
Even though Clark has already published a book which is now in its 3rd edition—There’s Money Where Your Mouth Is, she still has more projects in the works. In the next couple of months, Clark expects her company to release communication e-learning modules for speakers and presenters. Clark also expects to complete a teacher’s manual for schools and universities that use her book as a text. Finally, the founder of Voice One will be releasing communication e-learning modules geared to speakers and presenters who wish to increase their effectiveness.