Should you List your Credits or the Benefits you Provide?

🟧 I just returned from my 50th High School Reunion. Yikes…time flies! Post graduation, I left that small Southwestern Louisiana town for college and California four years later. Skip forward five decades and it was no surprise that many of us struggled to remember names and connect them with experiences that we may or may not have had together. After finding some sort of clarity in our foggy brains, the next question was always “What do you do?” For most people the answer was easy: sales, construction, medical, legal, parenting, gardening, fishing, golf, etc. For me, I found it more difficult to cull my experiences into a simple answer.

⁉️ ➡️  What if you do more than one thing?  How do you define yourself?

🟩 I started by sharing my list of work credits: actor, author, app creator, coach, business owner, entrepreneur, playwright, podcaster, director, audio engineer, casting director, speaker, etc.  Each person I spoke with had a stunned look on their face as they tried to understand what I do and select the right box to place my work experience inside.

🗳️ Does Your Work Experience Fit Inside a “BOX”? 🗳️

🧮 Can You Sub-Divide Categories and Define their Benefits? 🧮  

🟦 Not everyone has a varied and diverse work portfolio. For those who do there is usually a common thread. That through-line is often defined in three-word branding tags or slogans that encapsulate who you are and what you have to offer.

In an effort to explain myself in simpler “fit inside the box” language, I started describing myself this way:

🎯 Actor. Educator. Speech Communication Coach.  🎯

🟥 Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly), it matches the BA degree I received in Theatre, Speech Communication, and Education. How pleased my college professors would be to hear that I use the  skills they taught me! And, that they form the foundation and framework for who I am and the benefits I have to offer.

“Problems can become opportunities when the right people

come together.” - Robert Redford

One of the benefits of growing older is the plethora of life experiences, opportunities, and personal connections that are gained. I’ve walked through open doors, beat doors down, and built doors where they didn’t previously exist. Throughout that process, the educator inside me persisted and encouraged me to share my experiences and knowledge with others.

Within that very full “box” of knowledge, opportunities, and experiences, I offer you a list of my work categories and sub-categories. Perhaps this list will clarify why I struggle to label myself in simple terms… as maybe you do, too.

📍Voice-Over Actor - Commercial, Narration, Documentary, Video Game, Talking Toy, Audiobooks, Dubbing, ADR/Looping, E-Learning, Voice Mail, Animation, and Anime.

📍Actor - Stage, Film, Television, Corporate Videos, Trade Show and Corporate Event Presenter. IMDB

📍Educator - Voice-Over and Acting School Founder and Owner for 32 years; Academy of Art University Voice-Over Instructor; Guest instructor at Universities and Schools; Character, eLearning, and Audiobook instructor at BRAVA.uk; instructor in the self-guided VO E-Learning Accelerator course; coach at SkillsHub; instructor creator of my micro-learning podcast - RealTalkingTips; creator of the speech and diction app - Activate Your Voice; creator and instructor of the melody and tempo speech performance app - Adding Melody to Your Voice.

📍Speech Communication Coach - Commercial, Narration, Documentary, Video Game, Talking Toy, Audiobooks, Dubbing, ADR/Looping, E-Learning, Animation, and Anime Voice-Over Coach; Corporate Business Coach; Podcaster Coach.

📍Director / Producer / Casting - Commercials, Narrations, Video Games, Talking Toys, ADR/Looping, E-Learning, Animation, Anime, Corporate Events, Stage, and Voice-Over Demos.

📍Author - There’s Money Where Your Mouth Is [Voice-Over techniques, instruction, and insights - 4 editions]; Voice-Overs for Podcasting [a creative approach to Podcasting]; Speak to Achieve [Speech presentation improvement for business, voice-overs, and personal situations]; RIII*-playwright with co-author Scott Munson.

📙 SPEAK TO ACHIEVE -  Available Oct 7, 2025 📙

📙 Speak to Achieve 📙

➡️ I wrote this book for people who speak in business, news, sports, religion, politics, podcasting, law, sales, education, voice-overs, social media, influencing, interviews, television, and personal life. 👇🏼 👇🏼 👇🏼 It offers ways to:

• Connect With Your Audience

• Use Speaking Techniques that Achieve Results

• Overcome a Variety of Personal and Speaking Obstacles

• Adapt To Specific Audiences

• Move Forward With Excellence

VO Demos should Represent YOU… not just your Voice!

🔄 If you’re looking for a voice-over demo producer, take a listen to audio samples on YouTube @ElaineClarkVODemos or my website.

🎆 DEMO CATEGORIES: Character - Animation, Video Game and/or Toys, Commercial, Spanish Commercial, Narration, E-Learning, and Political 

Record Your Personalized Demo with Elaine Clark
I’ve produced thousands of demos and each one is unique to that individual's strengths, interests, and goals. Listen to several demos on my website.

Listen, watch, share, follow, download, or like Real Talking Tips on any of these platforms 🔘

WEBSITE: RealTalkingTips.com

YOUTUBE: @RealTalkingTips

SPOTIFY: RealTalkingTips

APPLE PODCASTS: RealTalkingTips

YOUTUBE MUSIC: RealTalkingTips

iHEART RADIO: RealTalkingTips

DEEZER: RealTalkingTips

An Elevator pitch is a short, compelling introduction that highlights who you are, what you do (or aspire to do), and the value you offer. Think of it like a 3-part mini-story.

1. Hook – Who you are and what drives you

2. Credibility – Your experiences and assets

3.  Value + Call-to-Action – Why it matters to them

Connect your assets to how they benefit the listener.

End with a forward-looking statement (what you’re seeking, offering, or how you’d like to connect).

Need a speech communication, podcast, or voiceover coach?

Contact Elaine Clark. Click the button below to schedule a 1:1 session.

Study - Practice - Perform - Succeed!