Daily Inspiration: Meet Anne Vydra

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Vydra.

Hi Anne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve been the girl who knows how to “talk well.” I think my fate started to become sealed in the 8th grade. I was in choir, and we were putting together a musical, but there was a narrator part that required zero singing.

My class nominated me unanimously. It had both to do with everyone knew I was a great announcer & reader, but that my singing was awful too. High School was Speech & Debate and the A/V club, where my dreams of becoming Jane Pauly started to become realized. Then, in my senior year, I was offered the chance to intern at a real live radio station. I met the band Reel Big Fish. I mean, we went to dinner together? I was sold.

The next 16 years of my life were spent on the radio, reporting traffic, co-hosting morning shows, and helping to program music. I loved it. The only part I didn’t love was the instability. Due to non-competes and formats flipping at any given time, I felt I was always on the move to a new city. After I had reached what I thought was my top, hosting mornings in Dallas, TX, I wanted off the moving van. I had dipped my toes in the water of voiceover a few times over the years during my time on the radio, although I never saw myself as talented enough. I’d make demos and they’d get shot down. I’d get a random audition here and there and never hear anything back. But a lost opportunity made everything come into focus right after my husband and I moved to Nashville in 2013.

I was offered a job at a radio station here (I’ll withhold names) for a huge pay decrease, with the thought that this would be our final move, we have a lot of friends here, and I could start working on my voiceover career part-time. Except, that job offer was completely fabricated, and I found myself with a mortgage and no job. (Don’t try that at home).

Ever heard the expression, leap, and the net will appear? That’s just what I did. And IT DID. Well, slowly. I made a whopping $10,000 in my first year as a full-time voiceover talent. Fast forward 9 years, and I’m now the voice of 3 large market News Affiliates and several radio stations, I have a few casinos that depend on my voice for their brand. I also voice plenty of automotive & banking commercials. My new niche seems to be the “Voice of God” at awards ceremonies and corporate banquets.

There are a bunch more weird and silly things I’ve done over the years. But, I’m most proud of being signed with one of the best voiceover agencies in the country, Atlas Talent, and being my boss.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. I had to find my “niche” and there was no way to do that except for going out there and voicing anything and everything I could get my hands on. This industry also has a lot of individuals preying on the new, incoming talent. I feel I had a bit of a leg up with my radio background, but it can still be easy to fall for very expensive “VO Workshops” run by people who aren’t fully vetted in the industry.

While getting my business going, two things slowed me down quite a bit: we adopted our son Victor, who had a lengthy stay in the NICU, and then 4 years later he was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, which was 12 weeks of on and off in-patient chemo and procedures. I felt lucky that my job could be remote, but anyone who is a mom understands that I essentially put my life on hold to take care of my newborn, and then again during chemo. I quickly learned this is a business. I lost clients. I had to deal with that. At the end of the day, they need their work done. But I balance that with the fact that 99.9% of the time, this is the most flexible job that lets me use my talents and gives me time with my family as well.

I could talk at length about all the auditions I’ve lost out on… those are tough as well. But that is part of the gig.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In Nashville, I’m the voice of WSMV. This is something I’m extremely proud of, because as a woman, there are very few of us that do this type of work, and then beyond that, there are even fewer TV Stations that allow a woman to be the main voice of their TV Station.

Think about that for a second. Yeah. In 2023. I’m still dealing with that old energy of, “Well, it’s typically a man’s job.” I hope more people tune into WSMV because this just goes to show how WITH IT they are.

Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
When I first moved to town, I believe I used Meetup.com. That’s how I found the now very large Tennessee VO group. They were wonderful and had meetings every month. Especially being new to town and knowing zero people in the industry, it was a great way to just meet local people doing what I do too!

I always tell anyone, that if you want to get into voiceover, and you are serious about it, you need to invest in yourself. That doesn’t mean one huge: $1200 class for a weekend.

Nancy Wolfson is the best VO Coach and mentor there is. I still meet with her every month. NEVER. STOP. LEARNING.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annevydra.com
• Instagram: @vydra
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vydra/
• Twitter: @vydrasays
• Youtube: @vydrarocks