On this episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast, I chat with bestselling author Grace Worthington, whose sweet romance novels are as heartwarming as they are hilarious.
I had the pleasure of co-narrating a 4 book Renovation Romance series for Grace and we had so much fun talking about that process!
We explore her creative journey from the musical theatre stage to the world of romantic fiction—and how she brings characters to life with humor, wit, and emotional authenticity.
Grace Worthington eats, breathes, and geeks out over sweet romcoms. So it’s no surprise she believes that laughter and love are a cure-all for just about everything in life. After a stint in musical theatre (where she often played comedic roles), Grace now writes novels full of witty banter, lovable characters, and small-town charm. Her inspirations include ‘80s and ‘90s romcoms, beachside towns, and her own family’s delightful chaos.
We also discuss:
Her transition from actress to author
The behind-the-scenes of how we collaborated to bring her Renovation Romance series into audiobook form
How she approaches tone, pacing, and voice in her stories
Why being “willing to be bad at something in the beginning” is key to finding your creative voice
Whether you're a narrator, author, or creative entrepreneur, this episode is packed with wisdom, heart, and lots of laughter.
Check out more episodes over at: https://mikelenzvopodcast.com/
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On this special solo episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast, Mike takes a moment to reflect on some incredible milestones in his voiceover journey — including narrating over 300 audiobooks and surpassing 200,000 podcast downloads.
He shares insights on the vital role that networking, conferences, and coaching have played in his growth, and why staying connected and coachable continues to make all the difference.
With heartfelt gratitude, Mike also opens up about what it means to use his God-given gift to communicate through the spoken word — both as a voice actor and audiobook narrator.
Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned creative, this episode is a reminder of the power of community, perseverance, and purpose.
You’ll hear about:
Reaching 300+ audiobooks and 200K podcast downloads
Why conferences and networking matter more than ever
The impact great coaches have had on Mike’s journey
Embracing your unique gifts and using them with intention
Thank you for being part of the journey!
Check out more episodes over at: https://mikelenzvopodcast.com/
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On this episode of The Mike Lenz VO Podcast, I’m joined by Carmen Seantel, an emerging audiobook narrator whose warm, soothing, and expressive voice is already making an impact in the industry. Carmen is passionate about bringing stories to life and believes in the power of audiobooks to create a safe and accessible space for all readers.
We’ll dive into her early journey in narration, from working with top coaches and immersing herself in ACX.com to attending the Audiobook Publishers Association Conference—where she overcame social anxiety to network with colleagues, publishers, and producers. Carmen shares her experiences navigating the industry, the lessons she's learned along the way, and how her personal background brings authenticity to her performances.
If you’re just starting out in audiobook narration or looking for inspiration on breaking into the industry, this episode is packed with insights and encouragement. Tune in for a candid and inspiring conversation with Carmen Seantel!
Check out more episodes over at: https://mikelenzvopodcast.com/
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In this episode of the Mike Lenz VO Podcast, we sit down with Donovan Corneetz, the talented voice behind The Today Show, as well as a leading force in promo work and radio imaging.
With years of experience, Donovan has become a go-to voice for high-profile commercial, promo, and television projects, showcasing his unmatched versatility. Whether he’s delivering the perfect radio imaging sound or bringing fresh energy to national promos, Donovan’s ability to transform his voice makes him one of the most sought-after talents in the industry.
In this conversation, Donovan shares his journey, his approach to voiceover work, and how he’s mastered the art of adapting his voice to fit various styles, from the caring dad to the energetic party guy. Tune in for an inside look at what it’s like to be the voice behind major brands and television programs, with invaluable insights for anyone looking to thrive in the voiceover world.
Check out more episodes over at: https://mikelenzvopodcast.com/
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On this episode, I have an amazing conversation with Izzy Tugman, a dynamic voice actor celebrated for her impressive versatility across audiobooks, animation, video games, commercial, and corporate narration.
Beyond her professional achievements, Izzy opens up about some of the personal struggles she’s faced along her journey and how they’ve shaped her perspective on life and work.
We explore her newfound faith and how it has brought renewed purpose and direction to her life. Izzy also shares how practices like yoga and meditation have become essential tools for cultivating peace, inner calm, and resilience—both personally and professionally.
From her insights into building a sustainable VO career to her honest reflections on growth and self-discovery, this conversation is filled with inspiration, practical advice, and heartfelt moments. Whether you’re an aspiring voice actor, a seasoned professional, or simply seeking motivation to navigate your creative path, you’ll find valuable lessons in this episode.
Don’t miss this powerful and uplifting conversation!
Follow Izzy Tugman: https://izzyvoice.com/
Check out more episodes over at: https://mikelenzvopodcast.com/
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Welcome back to the Mike Lenz VO Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to have Samantha Boyer with us, an inspiring artist and content creator who brings a touch of storytelling magic and nostalgia to her work. Samantha’s journey began with childhood influences like Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross, sparking her passion for creating inviting, imaginative worlds.
Over the years, she has transformed this passion into a full-time creative career and built Haven Hollow—a fictional, cozy escape designed to re-energize the soul and rest the heart, offering others a place to find peace and inspiration.
In this episode, Samantha invites us into her creative process and shares how she balances the soulful, artistic side of her work with the realities of running a creative business. From finding inspiration to managing the demands of content creation, Samantha’s story is both motivating and heartwarming.
So grab a cup of tea, settle in, and join us for a cozy, inspiring conversation with Samantha Boyer as we step into Haven Hollow together.
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Marisa Blake is a Latina Actor, Voiceover Artist and Musician. You can find her on screen in
Netflix’s Florida Man, DC’s Swamp Thing and Spectrums Original Long Slow Exhale.
She haswon multiple awards for her audiobook narrations, including a 2023 Audible’s Best of for Dykesto Watch out For, featuring Jane Lynch ,Carrie Brownstein, and Roberta Colindrez, an
AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of The Year 2020 for We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres
Sanchez and an Earphones Award for Arianna Davis’ What Would Frida Do. Marisa was
recently nominated for a 2023 Audie Award for her work in Across A Hundred Mountains by
Reyna Grande. She takes pride in, and has immense gratitude for the opportunity to voice
Latine Literature.
She is currently the Spanish Voice for Kohls in the US, and one of the regularSpanish voices for Sherwin Williams in the US and recently did a bilingual campaign for Frito-Lay. Marisa voices everything from promos to E-learning, commercials to IVR, and even somevideo games and animation! She voices the promos for her local new station and you can alsofind her performing with local bands behind the microphone, the cajon or the drum kit. She isa proud Mama to three of the coolest dudes on the planet.
To read the full transcriot of this episode and to listen to other episodes, head over to miklenzvopodcast.com, and please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to this podcast!
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Cris Dukehart is an Audie Nominee and Earphones Award Winner, and has recorded over 300 audiobooks across multiple genres.
On this episode we talk about Cris's journey into the VO and audiobook world, and her amazing journey from a little cottage in Pennsylvania to her mountaintop house in the Caribbean.
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Jamie Muffett is a voice actor, podcast producer, audio engineer and educator who divides his time between New York City and Philadelphia, PA.
He's worked with some of the worlds biggest companies, production studios, and games developers. He work primarily from his own studio in Bucks County, PA, and studios in NYC and Philly.
Past and current clients include: Google, Starbucks, Warner Brothers, Lucas Film, LEGO, Porsche, Mercedes, Ubisoft, Samsung, McDonald's, NBC, EA Sports, ESPN, Marriott Hotels, Amazon, Etihad Airways, FIFA, Disney, IKEA, National Geographic Channel...
Jamie has lectured on voiceover at Syracuse University, He's a Backstage Magazine 'Expert', he hosts the 'VO School Podcast' and he holds a monthly VO workshop at his studio in Philadelphia. He is also co-chair of VOcation Conference held in New York City every September.
Jamie's website is https://www.jamiemuffett.com/
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Chris Johnson is a professional Voice Actor, based in Los Angeles. He has voiced a wide range of projects over the years including commercials, corporate videos, eLearning modules, video games, audiobooks, narration and many more.
Chris has also been the lead singer and songwriter for many projects including the band Starch Monkey, Between the Sun and the upcoming project entitled Pharaoh's Kitchen. He is the recipient of the 2020 "Male Emerging Artist" award from ISSA (Independent Singer-
You can learn more about Chris and contact him through his website at: http://www.vocalcj.com
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On this episode I take a deep dive into the voiceover industry and the impact artificial intelligence (AI) is having on our industry, with VO veteran Tom Dheere.
As a New York-based voice actor with over 20 years of experience, Tom Dheere has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. Tom's experience as a corporate trainer as well as a voice talent makes him uniquely qualified to help both aspiring and veteran voice talents navigate the voiceover industry. He specializes in marketing and business consultations as well as diagnostics, strategy sessions, and mentorships.
As a classically trained theater actor, Tom received his Bachelor of Fine arts in Acting/Directing from Montclair State University. His training continued at the National Shakespeare Conservatory where I studied Shakespeare, Chekov, ballet, and more.
After NSC Tom was trained as a voice actor by Hope Noah, Dan Duckworth of Voiceovers Unlimited, and has taken numerous voiceover classes at many conferences.
Tom started coaching in 2011 with Edge Studio as the Business and Money 201 and Marketing 201 instructor. In 2012 he began private coaching as The VO Strategist. Since then Tom has worked with hundreds of students in both one-on-one sessions and public speaking engagements.
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Based in Richmond, Virginia, Paige Reisenfeld is a classically trained soprano and stage actor turned SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator. Perhaps she should have paid attention to the signs, as she was voted “Best Reader” in kindergarten, a clear portent of things to come.
Her voice has been described as deep, full, melodic, and sensual. She has been complimented on her “great tone and inflection”, as well as her ability to perform male and female voices and various accents. This allows her to switch between genres easily and she has narrated thrillers, romance, historical fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, and nonfiction.
On the rare occasion she is not in her soundbooth, she plays cooperative board games (competitive ones are not allowed in the house), gardens, lifts weights, and spends time with her three cats and partner, fueled by all things cheese and coffee.
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On this episode, I talk with award-winning author Landon Beach about his career, and about his recent book Narrator, which is narrated by the amazing Scott Brick.
Landon was born and raised in Michigan but now lives in the Sunshine State with his wife, two children, and their golden retriever. He previously served as a Naval Officer and was an educator for fifteen years before becoming a full-time writer. He is also the award-winning author of Huron Breeze, which was named Mystery of the Year for 2022 by bestthrillers.com.
Here's a brief synopsis of Narrator:
By the time playwright and actor Shawn Frost had won 2 Tony Awards by his late twenties, he was seen as a theater prodigy—a meteoric rise that the performing arts community had not witnessed in almost a hundred years. His work? Shakespearean in scope, character, and popularity—boundless and beautiful. His own character? Flawed.
And in a place like New York City, where failings get magnified, Shawn Frost finds that, even from the heights of artistic sublimity, no one is insulated from the demons that have caused the best of entertainers to fall from grace.
After surviving an accident that almost costs him his life, Shawn leaves NYC and the theater for the quiet, picturesque Pacific cliffs of Carmel-by-the-Sea and starts a new life as an audiobook narrator. As he rises through the ranks, narrating bestseller after bestseller, Shawn Frost once again flirts with artistic immortality.
But. As his limitless skills emerge in the exploding arena of voice arts, so do his flaws.
Then, he experiences every audiobook narrator’s worst fear: He is kidnapped by two obsessed fans, determined to make Shawn perform their novel…
Or was he?
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind psychological thriller from #1 Bestselling Author Landon Beach.
Mike Cooper is a British voice talent who swapped big city life in
London for log cabin life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North
Carolina.
Mike is recognisable from his many years on air with the BBC
World Service, and as the narrator of countless television
documentaries and a growing library of audiobooks.
A disruptive influence in school, Mike's first break in narration came at age six,
when his teacher realised he could tell the afternoon story better
than her (and she could get a nap by way of a bonus!)
When he's not in his home studio, you'll find him enjoying hobby
farm life and tending to some charming pet goats, three horses -
including a delightful mini horse called Annie - and a growing
hobby farm menagerie...
https://www.mikecoopervoiceover.com/
To check out other episodes, head over to mikelenzvopodcast.com!
With a home studio, Mandy Fisher has the ability to tell your story, your way.
Equipment includes:
Source Connect/ipDTL
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Rode NT1
Neumann U87
MacBook Pro
Whether it’s an explainer video, a narration, or a simple tagline, Mandy is your go-to voice. Not sure what you want? No problem. She can provide you with several quality options. Have a strong vision? Great! Mandy can take direction and bring your project to life.
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Brad Hyland was born on April 1 st , 2016.
Well, not really- but that’s what he’ll say is when he really started living!
That’s the day he started full-time as a voice actor… after quitting a first career that
spanned 35 years.
His first formal VO training actually started nearly thirty years ago...working hard on all
aspects of business with one-on-one coaching and master classes.
He spent two decades dabbling in standup comedy and movie extra work, as well as
honing his pipes as front man for a rock & blues band for eight years. That love of
performing is now satisfied daily as an actively booking voiceover talent, coach and
mentor.
Brad works from his home studio near Washington DC, serving customers all over the
world. He can tackle just about any assignment with his versatile voice and ability to
take direction. Some of his favorite work includes being the voice of Santa for the Elf on
the Shelf, Narrating films for Crazy Horse Monument and Craters Of The Moon national
parks, and booking multiple character voices for video games.
The core of his business however, is commercial, corporate & film narration, as well as
explainers and voice messaging of all kinds.
He is a multiple OneVoice award winner and a 2021 SOVAS nominee for Best Best TV
narration.
He loves keeping in touch with the voiceover community and has begun to share his
expertise by mentoring and coaching others in the industry with his tips for auditioning,
booking and connecting.
https://www.americanvoicepower.com/
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This episode is filled with resources for you to move your career forward. I provide an update on how 2021 was in my VO world, and discuss having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset as we move into 2022. I also talk about the importance of creating a team around yourself to help elevate you to the next level, understanding the system your operating in (voice-over, social media, casting sites, tech) and making the most of the people and courses that will help shorten your learning curve.
Links:
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Living and traveling in a converted school bus with her husband and three wild monkeys, this versatile and colorful voice talent enjoys the flexibility her sweet gypsy lifestyle gives her to work anytime, day or night. Whether she’s winding up a mountain in her tiny home on wheels, rambling through the desert, or parked at her North Carolina farm, Sweet Gypsy VO is always ready to go.
Growing up on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee in a large extended family, Roy Worley learned the art of storytelling from his grandpa, Paw Neely who instilled a strong sense of family, hard work, and a love for Christ. As an extrovert, Roy loves being around people, talking and laughing over a strong cup of coffee. These days Roy and his wife Rebecca call the Chicago area home.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Roy felt God’s calling upon him to commit full time to preaching and teaching the Word of God and entered Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary in his hometown of Memphis where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. Over the years he has served as both a pastor and foreign missionary. He and his wife were privileged to live in Chile for six years where they shared the Lord’s message in Spanish (yep, he’s fluent), helping Chilean Christians learn how to study the Bible for themselves and how to share their faith with whomever was interested.
Now, when not working as a full time voice actor, Roy is the Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church where he has the privilege of teaching the Bible, supporting his fellowship with love and kindness, and ministering to those who are hurting.
His warm, clear, baritone voice can be heard narrating videos, directing people in phone messages and narrating audiobooks (non-fiction, fiction, western novels and kids books).
Roy is honored to call companies and organizations like Tiffany & Co, Firestone, Pizza Hut and Wounded Warriors his voice over clients and publishers like HarperCollins and Macmillan have tapped into his deep baritone well for audiobook narration as well!
When not recording, Roy enjoys lifting weights, expanding his creativity by spending time outside in his large backyard planning his spring vegetable garden and creating beautiful landscapes of vibrant flowers, shrubs and trees. He also loves to imagine he’s on his own DIY home improvement show, refinishing and repurposing old furniture and remodeling his own home, embarking on what he calls his “fifty year remodeling plan”, which his wife promptly gifts him with a loving roll of her eyes.
While Roy has travelled widely and lived in several different countries, his warm southern charm and ubiquitous sense of humor are still his faithful companions.
Founder and CEO of the 501(c)(3) Nonprofit "Imagination Videobooks," Richard is known as "The Storybook Wizard." He is a top Audible narrator who helps authors give their books a voice. His team has produced hundreds of audiobooks, including Richard's own award-winning book, "The Author's Guide to Audiobook Creation."
Children's Accessible Videobooks Creator - samples at https://imaginationvideobooks.org
- Benjamin Franklin National Gold Medal Award in Audiobook Nonfiction for producing, directing, and co-narrating "Football Flyboy" by Lisa Reinicke. Independent Book Publishers Association.
- Five-time EVVY Gold Award Winning Audiobook Narrator and Producer at Audiobook Revolution, http://audiobookrevolution.com/
- Author of Global eBook Gold Medal Award in Writing/Publishing for "The Author's Guide to Audiobook Creation" http://bit.ly/audiobookcreation
- Produced best-sellers including "Auschwitz #34207" and "Shot Down"
- Audible Approved Narrator (Top 10%)
Veteran Network, New York, Chicago and Washington DC Radio News Anchor and Correspondent
Recording voice-over projects daily since 2006, Natasha Marchewkahas grown her business exponentially through referrals from happy clients throughout North America and around the globe. From Electrolux to ZipRecruiter to Adventures By Disney, clients continue to return to her product and service worthy of their most important business projects.
Katherine Tole is a voice actor specializing in video games, narration, commercials, eLearning and animation. Katherine has been an avid video gamer since she was a kid and understands what gamers are looking for in their characters. From grunting to spell casting, she has decades of experience listening to the characters that came before her.
Natasha and Katherine have created a fantastic course on how to maximize your Voice 123 profile. I've taken their course and it's worked amazingly well for me! Here's the link to their course:
https://v123.katherinetole.com/
You’ve heard Jessica Taylor on television, on the web and on the radio for projects large and small. She has a range from youthful cool to polished sophistication. A touch of vocal texture adds depth and realness to her vocal imprint. She shines when it comes to taking direction, and has a sixth sense for understanding what it is people want. Her keen intuition and gut instincts fuel her creative process, and she's ready to take risks to get the read right.
Jessica books projects that ask for vocal qualities and deliveries similar to the sounds of celebrities like Kristen Bell, Rashida Jones, Tina Fey, Anna Kendrick, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, and Jennifer Lawrence.
Jessica lives a mostly joyful life with her husband, three sons and five hens in Boulder, Colorado. She's a Mom, wife, sister, daughter, an avid cook, knitter, hiker, reader, traveler, homeopathy nerd and consumer of art in any form.
JULIE WILSON is Senior Manager of Digital Production Platforms and an award-winning executive producer at Penguin Random House Audio. She started her career at Random House in 2007 and has produced over a thousand audiobooks for adults and kids, including several graphic novel adaptations. Her recent production credits include working with Alicia Keys, Ben Folds, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ruth Reichl, Willie Nelson, and The Tiny Chef. She is also the co-creator of AhabTalent.com, a global online casting platform for voiceover. She is a native New Yorker and an avid urban gardener, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Colby College.