Why Stayin Humble is the Key to Career Growth (Lessons From Voice Acting)

Mistake #1: Thinking You’re at the Top of Your Field

Complacency Will Get you Every Time.

By Bailee Collins

3 min read

The second you think you know it all, you will either be struck by lightning or your industry will pass you by.

Within minutes of believing I’m absolutely crushing life—whether I’m looking particularly fabulous or delivering a flawless voice-over read—I will, without fail, trip on a sidewalk, spill coffee on my shirt, or (my personal favorite) attempt to hover pee in a first-class cabin bathroom… with the toilet seat still down.

It’s uncanny. Like my mom struck a deal with the universe to ensure I would never get a big head.

The Universe Keeps Me Humble

The other day, I had two back-to-back recording sessions. The first one was perfect. The client loved my very first take so much that they wanted to wrap up early. I walked out of the booth feeling like an absolute rockstar, ready for someone to hand me a trophy.

Then came the second session.

I knew it had been a while since I voiced for this particular high-energy genre, so I quickly searched for reference samples before the session. When I couldn’t find any, my overconfident brain went, Eh, whatever. I’ll still crush it.

Cue the dramatic movie trailer voice: But little did she know… the thunder was already rolling.

Complacency Will Get You Every Time

Here’s the thing: The corporate world and the creative world don’t speak the same language. My job as a voice actor is to interpret direction and deliver exactly what the client hears in their head. But because I didn’t take the extra time to research the genre, I lacked an understanding of the product’s culture and audience.

The result? I struggled to interpret the client’s feedback, and the session took way more takes than it should have. We got there in the end, and the client was happy, but I wasn’t. I knew I could have—and should have—performed better.

Walking out of the booth that afternoon, I just shook my head and thought,

“Welp. The thunder didn’t just roll… it brought the full storm.”

Lessons in Staying Sharp

That experience reminded me of a few critical truths:

• You are never done learning. No matter how experienced you are, there is always more to explore.

• Preparation is key. Even if you think you’ll “crush it,” take the extra time to research and practice.

• Growth requires humility. The second you start coasting, you’re already falling behind.

Since that session, I’ve signed up for a new VO masterclass and started researching emerging industry trends (no, not AI—don’t freak out, I mean gaming and other growing genres). Because I love this job, and part of loving it is constantly improving.

So, all that said… who’s up for a belly flop?

P.S. That’s me taking a literal faceplant on a wakeboard. 😆

Check back for the next in this series of five. Thanks for reading!

Peace,

~Bailee